Riddle

No Pity

- He's alive
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Why do you still look eighteen?" Sirius asks.

"I was stuck in a time capsule. Like Alexa said. It stopped my aging. My hunger, my exhaustion. I was in there for 15 years and didn't even realize it until Lex had told me." Regulus informs us.

"So why did she drink the potion?" Sydney snaps, coming back inside and kneeling to gaze at my tired face. She hands me another glass of water and her knowing eyes met mine.

"Because that's where someone was keeping the time capsule. In a huge ass basin filled to the brim with a potion. I had no choice but to drink it." I muse.

"No, you had other options. Like waiting for help!" She snaps, eyes blazing. "What did you see?!" She demands.

"You know what I saw Syd." I give her an annoyed look.

She sucks in a breath and sits down on her heels, eyes glazing over in thought.

"Why'd you decide to take it anyways?" Harry asks, curious.

"It's a time capsule in potion. It was obviously very important. And I've learned that I can't apparate back home until I do what I was supposed to do in that specific place. If I hadn't drunk the potion... I'd still be stuck there." I say bored.

"WHERE IS SHE!!!??"

The booming voice instantly silences everyone in the room. Ron even paled a bit.

Since no one even wanted to answer my raging dad, I do it myself. "In HERE DAD!!" I call out and a second later Snape had marched in his face contorted in rage.

"THE DRAUGHT OF DISPAIR!!!?" He roars and I give him a sheepish smile.

"Missed you too dad!" I wave at him sweetly.

"You incompetent child!!! IF YOU HAD WANTED A POTION TO MAKE YOU WRITHE IN PAIN YOU COULD'VE JUST ASKED!" He snaps.

"I had no other choice!" I glare back. "It was either drink the god-damn potion or be stuck there forever! I did not want to stay beside an army of INFERI!!!" I hiss so only he could hear.

He glares at me and then he whirls around finally catching a glimpse of Regulus. He gives him an unamused look.

"So you're alive?" He demands and Regulus just stares at Snape eyes wide. Technically they did know each other.

"Hello Severus."

"You are the age of my seventh years, you will address me by Professor Snape or I will curse you."

"Technically he's supposed to be thirty-three." I muse, leaning to the side to grin at my dad, who decided now would be the best time to ignore my existence completely.

"You survived the Dark Lord's attack." Snape drawls, ever so sarcastic and taunting.

"Yes." Regulus doesn't try to argue. His tone was proud.

"Well congratulations." Snape drawls and I choke at his sarcastic demeanour.

"Nice Lexa." Sirius scowls at me and I glare at him.

"Hey!! I drank potion to get his ass out of that thing!!! I get a free pass for a month AT LEAST!"

"You get no free passes." Snape smacks my head. "You were almost killed."

"She obviously can't control her apparition Severus." Sydney looked ready to throttle my father.

"I can't." I nod, talking to myself because they were arguing and obviously not listening to a word anyone was saying.

I blink slightly, the edges of my vision clouding slightly.

The noises were getting duller and duller and I couldn't seem to hear anything except the rapid patter of my heart.

It was so fast.

Hesitantly I place a hand on my chest and I swallow hard when the pain blooms in my heart.

Faster and faster my heart was beating as if it was competing in some sort of race.

"Hey?" Regulus whispers. "You okay?" He looked concerned but I ignore him because I was physically enable to talk to him.

I get up, my expression null and void, as I hurry outside trying to get away from the huge crowd.

I slam the door open to Grimauld's place and grasp the handle, clutching it like a lifeline.

"Stop." I whisper. Breathe. I attempt to control my breathing and try to walk but fall to the floor, splattering like paint.

I couldn't breathe and my breathing was quick, rapid and heavy.

I burst into tears.

Wait for it to end.

Wait for it to end.

My panic attack peaks and I was wailing like a second grader, and as scared as a dying person. There was so much pressure on my chest, it felt like the world was suffocating me.

I'm engulfed in a hug and my breathing eases slightly.

My dad hugs me to him and he soothes out my hair. "That potion really did a number on you." He grumbles.

He waits patiently letting my breathing get back to normal.

I sit up and look at him, wide eyed.

"How'd you know?" I ask, even Sydney never knew I got panic attacks.

"I get them too sometimes." He admits, sitting on the steps with me.

"Lilly?" I guess and he nods. "And the trauma I've been through. Probably nothing compared to what you had to endure however."

"Do we have to go back in there?" I cringe at the thought of all the pitying faces I'd see.

"I told them you needed to go the bathroom and I went to check on you in case the potion hadn't worn off." He says and I blink before smiling at him.

My cheeks were wet and so I wipe the tears away and make a ta daa motion with my hands.

"Do I look like I just had a panic attack?" I ask my dad and he scoffs.

"Good as new. All the broken parts are put back together now. Do you want me to super glue them in place?" He teases and yet him words make my heart soften with affection.

"I think you already did that dad." I laugh, and grab his hand.

We enter Headquarters together and because of Snape, I get no pitying looks.

- I've never understood the concept of familial love before now.