Ignorance Lost
Chapter 3
Author: Dragyn Phyre
Rating: eh, PG for now, R & NC-17 later.
Warnings: OC, OOC (but, for a reason), SLASH'D (eventually, and pun intented;) )
Pairings: (in no particular top/bottom, bottom/top order...)Harry/Draco, Snape/OC, Lupin/Sirius, Ron/Hermione (nothing graphic:P), Possible
Fred/GeorgeTwincest
Beta:Bianca
Archived: AFF.Net and moon_reversed (community on livejournal). Want it? Let me know.
Summary and all Disclaimers are in Prologue.
ThankyouThankyouThankyouThankyou!:
Bianca: For helping me put together this chapter and helping me make some decisions regarding the later chapters.
Bianca: Erm...thanking her again XD Poor girl put up with my nagging for like...two or three days :X
A/N:
I am a review whore. The more reviews I get, the sooner the next chapter gets published. Yes, I know, it's kinda sad, but that's just the way it goes:P
Thanks to everyone who's reviewed so far. You guys are where I get my motivation (and sometimes, inspiration). Constructive criticism is welcome...and don't feel bad about
telling me a part you didn't like! I'm not expecting to make everyone happy:P I won't be upset with you, I promise;) And I WOULD appreciate the feedback^_-
Reviewer replies:
lietothedevil - Sorry ^_^;; I had written myself into a hole, and lost motivation to get back out of it. When you commented asking if I was gonna work on it, it got me
back in action^_^ Hopefully this chapter will keep you interested;)
Slashy Snitch - Thanks...I'm glad you liked it so far^_^/ Only one slight problem:X Not entirely sure who is going to be top/bottom yet. It might (probably) switch off.
Hope that doesn't chase you away:X And, I agree completely about the chapters. Too much of anything can ruin a perfectly good story. Better to cut a chapter off while it's
still good then to ruin interest with too much detail, yes? :)
Cabbage - LoL, you reviewed, so here's your chapter:P Oh, and a cookie for you too! Thanks for reading :X
Chapter 3
==*==
Red light streaking past him.
Laughter.
Taunting.
Another red light.
'Shit...'
Shock.
Pain.
Flying.
A triumphant leer on a hated face.
A flutter of cloth.
'What the-'
Slow motion.
Doorframe passing by.
Instant realization.
Trying to catch the sides.
Hands slipping.
'Falling, still falling...why haven't I landed?'
Darkness.
"TRAITORS! MUGGLE LOVERS! YOU DEFILE MY HOME WITH MUDBLOOD AND HALF-BLOOD FILTH!"
"Merlin's beard, and a witch's tit, will that hag ever shut up?"
Molly looked up from where she was cutting carrots and potatoes into stew sized chunks and frowned at the young purple haired witch. "Honestly, Tonks, you really should
watch your language. Have you checked the curtain? Maybe it's not shut all the way."
"Sorry Molly, it's just frustrating. She's been going on like that all night." The hair changed into hot pink, and a wart appeared above her lip. She scowled. "And closing the
curtain doesn't work anymore. She just screams louder."
"We've tried silencing spells, sleeping spells, Stupefy...nothing seems to work." Tonks gave a little grin. "Mad-eye even tried blasting her off the wall. She was only quiet long
enough for the dust to settle."
"Well that certainly explains the scorch marks on the walls." Lupin commented dryly from the doorway, Hermione following close behind. "Any idea what set her off this
time?"
Tonks wrinkled her nose, as Molly bustled over to give them both a warm hug, then leave the room with the young girl. "Not a clue. Just started throwing herself a fit in the
middle of the night. Scared me green, and Mad-eye sane."
"Oh Hermione, dear, I'm sorry, I didn't hear you arrive!" Molly grimaced as the portrait started screaming louder and headed for the stairs that would lead to the
bedrooms.
"MUDBLOOD SCUM! GET OUT OF MY HOME YOU FILTHY WRETCH!"
Hermione paused to glare back at the moth-eaten curtains, "It's ok Mrs. Weasley. With all that screeching going on, I'm really not surprised."
"I just wish I knew why she's so worked up." Molly started up the stairs. "Hopefully, Dumbledore will know something. Anyway, Ginny and the boys are already
upstairs, I asked them to make sure your room was okay."
Hermione groaned, "Why do I get the feeling that I'm not going to have a room by the time they're done?" As if on cue, a loud crash was heard from beyond the
second landing.
Molly and Hermione both stared up the remaining steps with dread until Tonks' voice broke the sudden silence.
"Hey...the hag stopped screaming!"
"How can a room get this much dust in only two months?" Harry grumbled after sneezing three times in a row.
"It's the magic dust fairy." Ginny answered as she brushed past him with fresh sheets. She stepped over Ron, who was lying on the floor, poking under the bed with a broom
handle.
Harry frowned, "Don't you mean magic fairy dust?"
"No..." Ginny explained, "The magic dust fairy can't stand for things to be clean, so she goes around putting dust on everything." She grinned when he looked at her through
narrowed eyes. "Well, that's what mom always told us anyway."
Ron snorted, "Forget about the dust...I want to know how someone managed to shove so much junk under here!" He jabbed at something soft under the bed, then froze
when the 'something' growled and the broom was jerked out of his hands.
"Um...you know, I don't think I like where this is going..." He scrambled to his feet and slowly backed up to where Ginny and Harry were warily watching the broom as it
swung back and forth wildly.
The trio yelped and ducked when the broom suddenly shot through the air and hit a set of shelves nailed to the wall. They winced when first one of the brackets supporting
the shelves came loose, spilling the knick-knacks onto the floor, and then the other.
Ginny stared at the pile of broken glass and wood. "Any bets on who mom's gonna blame?"
Ron groaned and turned to glare at the now silent space under the bed.
Lupin edged around the furious Weasley mother, carefully avoiding eye contact with Mundungus, and headed for the door near the end of the hall. Ron and the twins were
standing outside of the room, staring awestruck as they witnessed someone else bearing the brunt of their mother's wrath. Lupin nudged them over to the side, and
leaned into the room to see Harry sitting by the window talking quietly with Hermione and Ginny. He noticed that Harry, once again, was wearing a shirt with slightly long
sleeves, despite it being the middle of summer.
"Harry, may I speak with you for a moment?" He motioned towards the hallway, waiting as the younger man looked at him curiously, then nod and excuse himself from the
small group. Ginny and Hermione spared him a quick glance, a smile and a wave before returning to their conversation.
"How did he get a baby hippograff anyway?"
"I don't know, but you can bet Dumbledore will be hearing about this!"
"I just hope Hagrid gets here soon, or you won't have a bed left!"
Lupin shook his head and backed out of the door. Rather than trying to pass the still enraged woman, Lupin led Harry to a bedroom further down the hall, and away from the
shouting. He opened the door and let the darker haired teen enter the room before him, again, catching the scent of blood, though thankfully, no fresher than what he had
smelled that morning.
The room they walked into looked like a mix between a sitting room, and any of the other bedrooms that shared the same floor, except for a few recent changes in the decor.
Harry headed immediately for the dark maroon loveseat facing away from a large window, and dropped onto it, looking around at the room brightly lit by the midday sun.
"Lace curtains?" He laughed. "Seems kinda odd for a dark wizard's house."
"Molly decided it was time to start redecorating up here." Lupin watched the young wizard closely as he shut the door behind him and leaned against it. "A little warm for
long sleeves, don't you think, Harry?" He could see the boy's shoulders tense. "You know, a funny thing happens when you become a werewolf. After a while, your sense of
smell gets pretty strong." His smile was grim. "I could smell the blood, Harry."
"I can count your ribs, Remus." Harry quickly looked away from the hurt in his friends' eyes. "I'm sorry."
"I suppose it is a case of the kettle calling the cauldron black." Lupin admitted after a while. "Let's make a deal then." Harry looked at him quizzically. "I'll eat
more, and you stop hurting yourself."
The boy sighed and ran his hair through his perpetually messy hair. "I don't do it on purpose...It's just.." He struggled to find the right word, "I dunno. I get an itch, and I
scratch at it...and before I realize what's going on, my fingernails are red, and my sleeve's wet." He pulled the sleeve on his right arm up, and Lupin hissed at the angry
marks. Harry continued as Lupin pulled bandages and ointment from somewhere inside of his robe, "It doesn't even hurt until I notice it...and even then, it's nothing."
Lupin didn't look up from where he was cleaning the deep scratches. "It's not intentional on my part either." He replied softly. He swabbed on the salve he carried for his own self inflicted wounds, 'One of the hazards of being not quite human...' He carefully wrapped a bandage around Harry's upper arm. "Sirius and I...We were close, as I'm sure you can imagine." He smiled tightly, "Not many people care to be friendly to someone with a...'furry little problem'." They both shared a quiet laugh.
Lupin tied the bandage off, and leaned away. "When you lose the only person you've had for so long...you try and lose yourself." He gave a weak smile. Harry nodded, and
looked at the floor. "Maybe it's time we both realized...we're not alone again. He's gone. Nothing can change that..." Lupin took a deep breath. "But...we have others
now. We have Dumbledore...you have the Weasleys. The others in the Order..."
Harry's head shot up, glaring. "They're not him!"
"No, they're not." Lupin met his gaze squarely. "But they care. And they're here. If you or I are hurt, they're the ones that feel it now. Not him. Not your
parents. Them."
After what felt like ages, Harry looked away again, and nodded. "So I guess, what you're trying to say is...'Let's not hurt them anymore.'"
Lupin sighed. "That's the gist of it." He put out a hand, and waited. Harry just looked at him confused. "Remember? I'll remember to eat, and you'll try to stop..itching?"
Harry nodded again, and shook on it.
"Good..I'll let you get back to the ladies then." Lupin stood and walked with Harry to the door. I'm curious as to how Mundungus got that hippograff, too..."
Darkness.
Nothing but the thrice cursed Darkness.
And screaming.
Kinda hard to forget that.
Especially when it's your name.
There's that voice too...
Painfully familiar.
What's with the silver though?
'Do I even know anyone with eyes that pale?'
"Come along old man."
"Old man? Who the hell-"
"You'll find out when you wake up. Now come on. I don't have all day."
"Well, since I apparently do, you can just wait a damned-"
"The longer you make me wait, the longer you make him hurt."
"Who-..."
Quick flashes.
Black hair that could never stay down.
Emerald green eyes pleading for answers.
Dull blue eyes watching life go by without interest...
'I never meant to hurt him..."
"Of course you didn't. But it happens."
Sleepy blue eyes smiling at him.
Pale brown hair tousled in the morning light.
Sheet dipping low across his waist...
Silver arrogant eyes.
"Are you ready now?"
"...I'm ready."
A brief moment of endless pain.
'Just hold on...I'm coming back to you...'
"Molly?" Lupin stepped into the kitchen where Ginny was helping her mom clean up. "Dumbledore just floo called us. He'll be arriving soon."
She took a deep breath and shooed a protesting Ginny out of the room and towards the stairs. "Come along now, it's time for you and the rest to be getting ready for bed
anyway." She waited til she heard a door open and shut upstairs before turning back to him. "Well, at least we'll finally know what's going on."
A loud pop from the hallway made them both jump. "Looks like he wasn't kidding when he said 'soon'." Lupin headed for the new arrivals with Molly right behind him until she
heard doors opening from upstairs and footsteps on the steps. Harry, Ron, the twins, and Hermione were all standing at the bottom of the stairs expectantly.
"Absolutely not." She cut off their protests with a sharp glare and a finger pointing back up to the rooms. "Unless Dumbledore says otherwise, you, all of you, are to
go to your rooms and stay there."
"This time, I'm afraid I must agree with your decision Molly." Dumbledore looked at each young face solemnly. "Please understand. I know that you are all old enough to
handle certain information, and to make good decisions regarding that information, but sometimes, it is better for you not to know." He turned his gaze to Harry alone. "I'm
sorry dear boy, but this one time, I really must insist that you not participate in this meeting." He nodded towards the twins. "The both of you as well, I'm afraid."
Fred and George glanced at each other, before reluctantly started towing their siblings and friends back to their rooms. Harry looked back once to see that the headmaster
was watching them go. Without the usual twinkle in his eyes, he looked much older, and he was struck by how frail the older man seemed.
Hermione tugging on his arm snapped him out of his wondering, and he allowed himself to be led the rest of the way to the room he was sharing with Ron.
"How long will he be like this?"
"It's hard to say."
A sharp glance.
"But he will recover?"
Reassurance.
"Yes, of course. This is just a healing sleep."
"I see."
A moment of silence.
"Is the meeting still on for tonight?"
"Yes. We will need to leave soon."
"Is it truly necessary that I be there?"
"It's the perfect time for you to be introduced."
Another moment of silence.
Feathers ruffled.
"Have you decided about him?"
"..."
"He loved him, too."
"I know."
"But...?"
"..."
When the sound of opening and shutting doors finally stopped, Molly ushered everyone into the kitchen and closed the door firmly. She muttered a quick
"Imperturbable" at the door before taking a seat with the others.
Lupin frowned, "Are we the only ones this concerns, or are we supposed to wait for the rest?" Though Hagrid had indeed stopped by earlier, he and Mundungus (and the
baby hippograff) had left before dinner. Moody had shown up shortly afterwards, but besides him, the only people in the room were the Weasleys, Lupin, Tonks, and
Dumbledore.
"Kingsley and Diggle should be here soon, but the rest are where they are needed." Green flames drew Dumbledore's attention to the fireplace. "Ahh, and here they are
now." He nodded to Kingsley as the tall man stepped out of the flames. The man returned the gesture, and stepped away from the fireplace, making room for the smaller
man behind him to step out.
"Alright Albus, we're all here. Would you mind explaining just what is going on now?" Kingsley frowned slightly at the much older man as he and Diggle joined them at the table.
Molly used her wand to bring cups to the table and pour tea for the visitors. "Yes, Albus, that monster bird you owled us with just about scared me witless!" She shuddered.
"Where did you ever find that beast?" The teapot dropped to the table with a solid thunk that made the glasses rattle. She stared at him in horror, "Please tell me you didn't
get it from Hagrid..."
"No, Molly, that beauty isn't one of Hagrid's pets." He chuckled as she gave a heartfelt sigh of relief. "As for the reason for this impromptu get together, a moment, if you
please." Dumbledore rose and quickly crossed the room to the fireplace, and scooped a small handful of floo powder from the mantle. When the flames turned green, he
spoke quickly and quietly before backing away and ending the call. A moment later, a tall figure dressed in a flowing white robe stepped out of green flames and faced the
stunned onlookers.
The robe the person wore was different from the ones most of the wizarding world wore; it flowed like it was made of silk, but the strange texture and the thickness of it was enough to disguise their body completely, making it hard to tell if it was man or woman. Gleaming silver hair that would make even the Malfoy's green with envy (if that was indeed possible) swung down to the floor in gentle waves, and framed an ivory face set with soft blue eyes and so beautiful in it's gentleness that Tonks knew that no Metamorphmagus would ever be able to recreate it.
Dumbledore beamed at the new arrival. "Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to the newest addition at Hogwarts. Anastasios was originally going to be teaching the Defense
Against the Dark Arts class, but since Remus has agreed to return," The newcomer bowed slightly to Lupin. "Anastasios asked to simply act as assistant to him, and any
other teacher who might wish for aid. More importantly, however; our new friend here," Dumbledore folded his hands before him, and waited until all eyes were once
again on him."- Will also be helping an old...friend...come back home."
Stupefy & Imperturbable - The HP Lexicon: http://www.hp-lexicon.org/index-2.html
'Self inflicted wounds' - Book 3, Prisoner of Azkaban Lupin says that since he was kept away from humans to bite and scratch, he would turn on himself instead.
"furry little problem" - Sirius' name for Lupin's werewolf 'affliction'.
Anastasios - http://www.behindthename.com/php/view.php?name=anastasius
ANASTASIUS
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Latinized form of the Greek name Áíáóôáóéïò (Anastasios) which meant "resurrection" from Greek áíáóôáóéò (anastasis) (composed of the elements áíá (ana) "up" and óôáóéò (stasis) "standing"). This was the name of numerous early saints and martyrs.