Dark Magic

Expelled

"You seem...different." Remus' voice was soft and sympathetic but held a conviction I hadn't anticipated that made me want to shrivel to naught in my chair and disappear forever. Not knowing quite how to respond to his comment, I remained silent, which I fear only made him feel bad about it. Severus, too, did not speak.

"Your hair looks nice."

This was something I knew how to respond, "Thanks," I managed a more forced smile than my last, ultimately deciding to leave it at that. This was far more awkward than I had anticipated. But I knew there was more my Godfather wished to say; his eyes desperate for more answers as we sat in his living room, fortunately arriving in the bookshop towards the end of Remus' shift. Shortly after we made our way back to his home, Severus allowed us some privacy and journeyed back to the town for a while.

"The house looks lovely." I nodded towards my surroundings, taking a small sip of tea he had made me.

"Thank you." He replied simply, as I could feel his concerned eyes glancing over at me. "I hope you'll be able to live here with me, soon."

I scoffed, "Dumbledore gave me the impression I would be living with Severus indefinitely."

"Not indefinitely, no," he argued, lacing his fingers that rested on the wooden table, deliberating his next words carefully, "but once this is all over and everything is back to the way it was before, of course." His tone made it sound as though his answer was obvious, but the thought of things ever being able to return to how they were was impossible, which caused an anger to brew inside me.

"Remus," I sighed tiredly, finally meeting his eyes that watched me with worry, "You can't possibly believe that things can ever be as they were. Voldemort-"

"-Don't say his name-"

"-Is back and it doesn't make a bloody different whether we say his name or not because it didn't make any difference. A war is coming Remus. What kind of normality is that?" My voice cracked as reality suddenly hit me like an immense tidal wave wishing to swallow me whole and drown me. When I had started crying, I did not know, but as a cold draft entered through the window it made the tears on my cheeks evident. It felt as though all I had done lately was cry, endlessly. When I was not crying, I was mourning. Not only the loss of Cedric, but also the loss of myself.

Without a moment of hesitance Remus engulfed me in his embrace and allowed me to cry into his chest, my sobs silence by the soft cotton shirt he wore in the warm summer. He did not speak, nor attempt to shush my cries; he merely held me, as Severus had many times before, and allowed me to spill my worries onto him. This embrace was cut extremely short, however, as the front door to the home opened and Severus stormed inside, urgency in his eyes as I swiped my tears away, leaving Remus' arms.

"Severus, what is it?" My Godfather questioned. The Potion's master was slightly breathless, as though he had been running; a feat I had never witnessed before and doubted I ever would.

"Your brother; he's been expelled."

Not a beat passed to comprehend his words before Remus sprung into action, conjuring a wolf patronus from his wand and spoke into it, "Urgent Order meeting. You all know where." And with a swift nod, the wolf disappeared from the cottage. The man's attention then diverted onto me, "Severus will take you home to gather your things. I'll see you very soon, Emerald." He leaned towards me, planting a small and very quick kiss on my forehead before disapparating.

I fought to catch my breath, turning to face Severus who was already waiting with his arm extended, having caught his breath. "Is Harry going to be alright?" I watched him ponder for a moment, his jaw clenching as he nodded, "Dumbledore will sort it all out." Wanting to believe him, I averted my gaze to the floor and watched the ground disappear beneath my feet as we disapparated back to Spinner's End.