A Dark Time For The Light

69

The first class started in the Bunker that Monday night. Hermione did a two hour stint on the Theory of Magic Usage for 40 people, then demonstrated a Levitation spell and a simple Summoning Charm, then an Incendio to a small pile of scrap paper, then demonstrated a spell that could be held, the sort that needed to be let go with a finite incantatum. She picked out a volunteer from her class and submitted them to tarantallegra for a few moments to various exclamations, “That’s inhuman!. That’s not right!. Yeah, to force someone to do something, that’s barbaric”. She beckoned Harry to her and he stepped in front of the class.

“Now, I’ll demonstrate inhumanity”, her voice was low. First she cast him in a body-bind, that toppled him over then intoned, “Crucio”, and Harry writhed in agony for the whole class to see. She flicked a finite incantatem and Harry writhed, rubbing his wrists, then slowly sitting up. “Fuck!, ‘Mione, your curses have lost none of their sting. This woman and I are best friends, by the way”, he addressed the stunned class, “I volunteered for this demonstration, to show you that Magic is most definitely not about crystal ball gazing or pulling rabbits out of hats”, he nodded to the class and went back to his seat.

Then the questions started, coming thick and fast. Harry and Draco stepped forward to try and answer, to help Hermione out. One woman asked Harry was he faking the pain from the Crucio?, and could she try. Harry was aghast. “Believe me, you really don’t want to experience this”, he explained briefly about the Unforgiveables. She was stubborn. “Bollocks. I’ll volunteer. Go on, cast it. I dare you”. They hadn’t realised that there would be sceptics even among the Magicals but the woman’s doubts were real.

Hermione tried a few gentle charms. A warming charm that the woman felt, a brief silencing charm that cut out the noise from the rest of the room, but she was still dissatisfied, “No, why was that lad in pain?, what did you do to him?”. Her stance was cocky, her hands on her hips. Exasperated and tired, Hermione huffed out a breath and cast Crucio again. The woman collapsed screaming in agony. Hermione lifted the curse instantly and Harry rushed to help her sit again.

She got it. “Magic isn’t pretty sometimes, is it?”, she whispered as the boys helped her back to her seat. Harry shook his head, “No, that’s why we are after more to join us. We need warriors”. The woman thought for a moment, then held out her hand, “M’name’s Veronica. Train me up and count me in”. To general assent around the room. The first night had been a roaring success.

Harry and Draco tried variously to get hold of Sev or Remus only to be told their mobiles were off and left talking once again with the answerphone. They did a ride-past on their way home. No lights on. The curtains closed.

Harry was curled up on Draco’s chest, “What do you think is going on, Draco?. Why haven’t we heard from them?. You don’t think he has them or anything, do you?”. Draco stared up at the ceiling, his hand idly riffling Harry’s hair, “No. I’ll bet you a Galleon to a Knut that Remus is sicker then we thought. Sev looked pretty worried, didn’t he?. They’ve been quiet for a while, now”. He reached for his phone and started to compose a text message, then sent it. Harry sent another, “If they’re in a hospital, they won’t be allowed to have mobiles switched on. He’ll get these next time he turns his phone back on”.

Which indeed he did, stepping out for some fresh air in the middle of the night, the cloying smell driving him from his sleeping lover’s bed. He smiled at the boys’ messages and replied with a time to ring him. Harry was the first to ring the next day. His break coincided exactly. “Sev, what’s up with Remus?”, bald enough. “He’s in hospital, he’s got skin cancer and he’s just had an operation”. Harry was dumbfounded, he had no idea that things were this bad. “Poppy Pomfrey is here and his consultant surgeon is a Magical trained in Muggle methods, so he has the best possible care. There is, however, a problem”. Harry was on full alert, “Go on”. The voice carried back to him, “I need more ingredients. I need more Potions stuff for him. I can’t lose him, Harry, and I’m scared”, this last in a small voice completely uncharacteristic of the once austere Potions Master.

Harry pulled a notebook and pen out of his backpack, “Give me the list, Sev”. He did and Harry repeated it all back to him. “I need to get back to him. He’s in a lot of pain and reluctant to use the morphine drip. Speak to you soon”, he rang off. Harry phoned Draco. “Sit down for this, my Dragon. Remus has cancer and has just been operated on. That’s why we have heard nothing from them. Sev needs ingredients for Potions and Poppy’s here in London to look after him and he sounds bloody scared. We’ve got to look after Sev, babe, I bet he’s the type to not bother eating and stuff in a crisis”. He could hear Draco’s low murmur, “We’ll take care of him. Is he at home?”. “No, he’s allowed to stay with him in the hospital, just like you were. Apparently, Remus will have to stay in a few more days yet, he’s had a skin graft or something”.

Harry had to ring off as his break was at an end. Steffie saw the worried look and came over, “Whoa, Harry, you look like you just saw a ghost. Are you alright?”. He shook his head and slumped down on top of a crate, “Remus has cancer, he’s in hospital. Can I phone the others before I start back?. I don’t think they know”. Steffie nodded, “As your new team leader, I give you permission, now find somewhere quiet and take all the time you need. Can I call Alice?, only I know her and Tony think highly of Sev and Remus and think of them as friends. When someone’s ill like this, then it’s all hands on deck to help”.

He smiled and went into the adjoining room. He called Hermione next and told her, “So it’s confirmed then?”. Harry was puzzled, “How did you know ‘Mione?”. She sighed, “It was me that spotted the mole bleeding. On Boxing Day, while we played dice. Did they give him a skin graft?”. “Yeah”. He heard the hissed inhale, “Then that meant they had to take quite a bit out. Bollocks. I bet this means he’ll have to have chemotherapy. Damn. He could be off work for months. Never mind, we’ll all have to rally round and help. Does Sev need Potions stuff or has he not said anything?”. Harry read off the list. He heard her sigh of relief, “At least we don’t need to go into Diagon Alley again, all this stuff is available in London. I wasn’t looking forward to another foray so soon after the last one. D’you want me to tell the House and Dean?”. Harry smiled, “Yes, please. I must get back to work now. I’ll speak to you later”, and rang off.

Harry and Draco had a light meal then climbed into their bike gear and rode to the hospital. Severus was leading a class at the Bunker that night, so they would keep Remus company. They parked up, loaded their arms with fruit and flowers and were directed to his room by the receptionist. He was just laying his dinner tray to one side and beamed at them as they entered even while he gritted his teeth to sit up straighter. They both kissed him and Harry set about changing the flowers then they both sat carefully at the foot of the bed.

Harry asked about what was wrong and Remus told the whole story, “And here was I, thinking I was just having a hard time re-adjusting to the world of work again, and that’s what was making me so tired”, he shook his head, “So. Tell me about these classes. I’m really pissed off that I got ill just as all this exciting stuff is going on”. So the boys filled him in, “Can you imagine?. The bloody woman begged to be Crucio’d, then more or less pledged her wand”. This made Remus laugh aloud until tears poured down his face.

Shortly afterwards, Severus strolled in, to find the three of them falling about laughing, noting the gaiety in his beloved’s eyes, then passed swiftly over to him and kissed him. Remus pulled away grinning his head off. Severus gave the boys a kiss. They moved off Remus’ bed to let Severus stretch out beside him. He sighed and rolled his eyes. “I tell you what. These folk, what they lack in aptitude they more than make up for in sheer enthusiasm. If I hadn’t called a halt to the class, I swear they would have practiced all night. Some aren’t bad either, some need practice, but I’ll be honest, I never met a group of more highly motivated pupils in my life. Beats teaching you brats”, he cast a grin at the boys.

Draco rolled his eyes, “I bet you were really nice to them and molly-coddled them”. Harry barked a laugh, “Ha!! Sev being nice to pupils. Get real, love. How many house points did you take before forgetting there aren’t any houses?”, Harry was in stitches as he asked. Severus gave him a glare that didn’t quite mean it. “Actually they’re a real challenge, like the lads at School. I must confess I enjoy it. It was their birthright and they were denied it at the last moment and they are keen”.

“I have to say, and I don’t mean anything personal when I say this, but because this didn’t drop into these peoples’ laps like it did yours, they are far more eager. Also it’s a blast teaching adults”, he grinned and fell back on the pillow, “They’re less stubborn, but they do want more proof, and if you tell them unequivocally ‘no’ then they don’t take it to mean ‘yes’. I didn’t have to call Poppy at all although, bless her, she has voluteered to heal any major fuck-ups while she’s down here”.

They all sensed the man’s exuberance, “We’re building an army, aren’t we?”, asked Remus into the small trough of silence. Harry grinned, “That’s the general idea. Hopefully, after his demise, we can raise Hogwarts once again and offer these people the proper training in less troubled times. Hermione has devised these side courses that demi’s have to take explaining it all and why we need them. It’s not just about the fun stuff”, he glanced at Severus, “The foolish wand waving”, then grinned at another mock-glare fired his way.

The boys kissed their ex-teachers and left, The doctor entered shortly afterwards on his evening rounds and was encouraged by the glow about his patient. He performed the evening examination before smiling and wishing them a good night. These boys had a rough time ahead.

Severus locked the door and stripped for his beloved, then slipped into bed beside him and rolled half on top and the kiss was hot enough to melt a hole in the floor. Severus drew back enough to gaze into his lover’s eyes. “Recover from this and make an honest man of me. Please?”. Remus was staggered. “Sev. What are you asking of me here?”. Severus held his Wolf tight, “I’m asking you to make it permanent, Wolfie. Marry me?. I’m sorry I have no ring for you, but I love you truly and I want you for always”. Remus didn’t have a word to say that would escape around the lump in his throat, he just nodded and folded in his lover’s arms.

Sometime after he had come deep inside his beloved, he turned to him and finally gave him an answer, “Yes. You idiot. Of course I’ll marry you, you amazing man. I love you forever” and the rest of his words were lost as Severus took that pliant mouth with his own while untying the dressing gown cord with one practiced hand and letting his lover’s mouth around his aching cock, how he liked him best. His Wolf gave the best head and in no time, he was feeding him cock, pushing in, his lover taking him to the hilt, opening his throat. Severus thought he would go insane. This was the best bit. Fucking was deeply satisfactory on a couple level, but being sucked sent him into outer space and he was swiftly despatched amongst the stars as Remus took all of his come straight down his throat as he hummed around his lover’s climax. Somewhere in the sated doze, Severus remembered to set the alarm before he folded around his Wolf, no, his affianced.