(no subject)
Title: Dystopia, Part I
Author: Nikkita (nfwbls)
Format & Word Count: short fic, 1283 words
Rating: G
Prompt: #3 (schoolyard)
Warnings: none
Summary: Remus and his son face exclusion in a post-war dystopia
Author's Note: Why no, I promise it's not a boring as my summary makes it sound. And even if y'all hate it, there's still gonna be a part II muahahaha...
"I'm sorry, Remus. I tried. I really tried. But the Headmaster won't budge." Hermione's eyes were bright with unshed tears, most likely tears of rage, though her voice held nothing but regret at the moment.
"Thank you for trying." Remus tried to muster a smile. "I know you did your best." His fingers flexed and tightened into fists. "I have to see him. Is he in his office?"
"He says he won't see you. He's told Filch to throw you out if you're seen on the premises. There's nothing you can say to change his mind."
"I have to try." He headed towards the door with purposeful steps.
"Remus, wait." He paused while she hesitated for just a moment. "The gargoyle's password is Histaeus."
He turned around and strode back to her, grabbed her by her upper arms and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. He gazed warmly into her startled eyes. "Thank you, Hermione." His eyes shifted downward and then his smile broadened into a grin. "You'd better hide that if you want to stay employed here."
Her fingers brushed over the "C.R.A.W. Civil Rights for All Werewolves" button and grinned back. "It's charmed to turn blank whenever the Headmaster gets within 20 metres."
"I always said you were the cleverest witch of your generation."
"If you take the passage by the Room of Requirement you should be able to avoid Filch. Good luck!" The last was called out to him as he headed down the corridor.
He reached the entrance to the Headmaster's office without incident and then paced in front of the gargoyle for a few minutes, trying to calm himself and formulate the words he wanted to say ahead of time. When he was ready, he took a deep breath, opened the passageway and took the winding stairs two at a time.
He stopped just inside the great paneled room, hung with the portraits of former Headmasters. Upon his appearance, they set up a murmuring which must have alerted the black-robed figure standing at the desk, but he did not turn around or acknowledge Remus' presence in any way. Remus searched the walls until he found Dumbledore's portrait looking sadly at him and shaking his head.
He cleared his throat. "Headmaster."
Severus Snape turned slowly to face him. "I suppose Greasley let you in here."
With effort, Remus bit back a retort about childishness and merely said, "Professor Granger-Weasley has nothing to do with my presence here. Severus, you know why I'm here. I've come to ask you, plead with you if necessary, to let my son into Hogwarts."
"That's Headmaster Snape, and there is nothing I can do. The law states clearly that werewolves and their dependents are barred from attending Hogwarts or any other magical institution in this country." His voice was icy but there was a gleam of malice in his black eyes.
"You have the latitude to make an exception! Dumbledore did it for me."
"Oh yes, that worked out marvelously, didn't it?" Snape sneered.
Remus flushed. "Headmaster, I know we've had our differences. I've apologized for what happened when we were at school together and I don't pretend to come here in friendship, but we were colleagues and we fought the war together. In the name of the Order and for Dumbledore's sake, please let my son in."
"The Order???" hissed Snape, his eyes glittering sharply. "Tell me, Lupin, were you the lone voice in the Order that defended me when Potter accused me of betraying Dumbledore and murdering him in cold blood? Oh wait, no, there were no voices in the Order defending me, were there? I was just Snivellus, the spy to you and everyone else."
"Yes, yes! We were all wrong about you. What do you want me to say? That was in the past, but now no one thinks that of you. Don't make my son pay the price for my misplaced distrust all those years ago. For Merlin's sake, I was a spy too! "
"The difference, Lupin, is that while no one believed in me back then, I was a successful spy. Whereas you, everyone had faith in you, but.... how many ferals did you manage to convert to the cause, again?" Snape paused as if considering. "None, if I remember correctly. No wonder the werewolves haven't managed to worm themselves back into the Ministry's good graces."
"Severus..."
"Headmaster."
Remus swallowed his pride painfully once again. "Headmaster, I'm begging you. Don't visit the sins of the father on the son. He's not even a werewolf! He's human, as human as you!"
"That's not the way the Ministry sees it. He carries your taint, Lupin, and the precious students here will not be exposed to it. Ah, Mr. Filch. Kindly escort Mr. Lupin off of the premises." The triumph on Snape's face was more than he could take.
"I should have known that you're still living in the past, Severus, which is just as well. You were a petty tyrant as a professor and now you're just a bigger petty tyrant."
As Filch pulled him out of the room, Snape drawled his parting shot. "At least I'm a socially acceptable petty tyrant, Lupin."
Once out on the grounds, Remus shook himself free of Filch's hand. "Thank you, Mr. Filch. I know the way from here." he said bitterly. Filch spat on the ground. "Headmaster says I'm to watch you leave, make sure you don't sneak back like. Everyone knows you can't trust a dirty wolf."
"As always, ignorance becomes you, Filch." He lifted his chin and walked down the path, his back ramrod straight, until he passed out of sight beyond a copse of trees. Then his shoulders slumped, and he trudged wearily down the path to Hogsmead.
Less than a minute later, John's clear voice shouted at him. "Dad! Dad! Did you talk to him? Can I go?" He looked up just in time to see a blur barreling towards him before he was struck mid-chest by the impact of John's chestnut head. His arms went around his son and squeezed tightly. Looking past him, he saw Dora following down the path, worry clear in her eyes. He shook his head and her shoulders slumped as well in answer.
"I'm sorry, John" he said hoarsely. He felt the excitement leave the body in his arms and his heart broke for the millionth time that day.
"It's OK, Dad. I know you did your best." And as Remus had said the same thing to Hermione earlier, he knew just how empty those words felt.
"John, it's not the end of the world. I promise. We'll send you to Muggle school and we'll tutor you in Magic at home. Your dad was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this school has had in 20 years, and as a former Auror, I'm no slouch either." Nymphadora had finally reached them.
"I know, Mum." But all three of them also knew that without a proper education, John would never be allowed to practice Magic or get a proper job in the Wizarding world.
"Come on, let's go home." Remus tried not to let the despair leach into his voice.
"Could I... could I have a look, before we leave?" John's eyes pleaded from beneath the fringe of his hair.
"I... I don't know." Remus hesitated, but then Nymphadora cut in, "Of course you can, John. I'll come with you."
The two of them crept quietly back around the copse, and John stared at the stately castle and the stone courtyard. He imagined the other children, children his age, playing and talking and laughing as they milled about the grounds, and he reached out to touch his fantasy, but his fingers caught in an illusionary fence and after a moment, he dropped his hand and turned away.
"I've seen enough, Mum. Let's go home."
Author: Nikkita (nfwbls)
Format & Word Count: short fic, 1283 words
Rating: G
Prompt: #3 (schoolyard)
Warnings: none
Summary: Remus and his son face exclusion in a post-war dystopia
Author's Note: Why no, I promise it's not a boring as my summary makes it sound. And even if y'all hate it, there's still gonna be a part II muahahaha...
"I'm sorry, Remus. I tried. I really tried. But the Headmaster won't budge." Hermione's eyes were bright with unshed tears, most likely tears of rage, though her voice held nothing but regret at the moment.
"Thank you for trying." Remus tried to muster a smile. "I know you did your best." His fingers flexed and tightened into fists. "I have to see him. Is he in his office?"
"He says he won't see you. He's told Filch to throw you out if you're seen on the premises. There's nothing you can say to change his mind."
"I have to try." He headed towards the door with purposeful steps.
"Remus, wait." He paused while she hesitated for just a moment. "The gargoyle's password is Histaeus."
He turned around and strode back to her, grabbed her by her upper arms and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. He gazed warmly into her startled eyes. "Thank you, Hermione." His eyes shifted downward and then his smile broadened into a grin. "You'd better hide that if you want to stay employed here."
Her fingers brushed over the "C.R.A.W. Civil Rights for All Werewolves" button and grinned back. "It's charmed to turn blank whenever the Headmaster gets within 20 metres."
"I always said you were the cleverest witch of your generation."
"If you take the passage by the Room of Requirement you should be able to avoid Filch. Good luck!" The last was called out to him as he headed down the corridor.
He reached the entrance to the Headmaster's office without incident and then paced in front of the gargoyle for a few minutes, trying to calm himself and formulate the words he wanted to say ahead of time. When he was ready, he took a deep breath, opened the passageway and took the winding stairs two at a time.
He stopped just inside the great paneled room, hung with the portraits of former Headmasters. Upon his appearance, they set up a murmuring which must have alerted the black-robed figure standing at the desk, but he did not turn around or acknowledge Remus' presence in any way. Remus searched the walls until he found Dumbledore's portrait looking sadly at him and shaking his head.
He cleared his throat. "Headmaster."
Severus Snape turned slowly to face him. "I suppose Greasley let you in here."
With effort, Remus bit back a retort about childishness and merely said, "Professor Granger-Weasley has nothing to do with my presence here. Severus, you know why I'm here. I've come to ask you, plead with you if necessary, to let my son into Hogwarts."
"That's Headmaster Snape, and there is nothing I can do. The law states clearly that werewolves and their dependents are barred from attending Hogwarts or any other magical institution in this country." His voice was icy but there was a gleam of malice in his black eyes.
"You have the latitude to make an exception! Dumbledore did it for me."
"Oh yes, that worked out marvelously, didn't it?" Snape sneered.
Remus flushed. "Headmaster, I know we've had our differences. I've apologized for what happened when we were at school together and I don't pretend to come here in friendship, but we were colleagues and we fought the war together. In the name of the Order and for Dumbledore's sake, please let my son in."
"The Order???" hissed Snape, his eyes glittering sharply. "Tell me, Lupin, were you the lone voice in the Order that defended me when Potter accused me of betraying Dumbledore and murdering him in cold blood? Oh wait, no, there were no voices in the Order defending me, were there? I was just Snivellus, the spy to you and everyone else."
"Yes, yes! We were all wrong about you. What do you want me to say? That was in the past, but now no one thinks that of you. Don't make my son pay the price for my misplaced distrust all those years ago. For Merlin's sake, I was a spy too! "
"The difference, Lupin, is that while no one believed in me back then, I was a successful spy. Whereas you, everyone had faith in you, but.... how many ferals did you manage to convert to the cause, again?" Snape paused as if considering. "None, if I remember correctly. No wonder the werewolves haven't managed to worm themselves back into the Ministry's good graces."
"Severus..."
"Headmaster."
Remus swallowed his pride painfully once again. "Headmaster, I'm begging you. Don't visit the sins of the father on the son. He's not even a werewolf! He's human, as human as you!"
"That's not the way the Ministry sees it. He carries your taint, Lupin, and the precious students here will not be exposed to it. Ah, Mr. Filch. Kindly escort Mr. Lupin off of the premises." The triumph on Snape's face was more than he could take.
"I should have known that you're still living in the past, Severus, which is just as well. You were a petty tyrant as a professor and now you're just a bigger petty tyrant."
As Filch pulled him out of the room, Snape drawled his parting shot. "At least I'm a socially acceptable petty tyrant, Lupin."
Once out on the grounds, Remus shook himself free of Filch's hand. "Thank you, Mr. Filch. I know the way from here." he said bitterly. Filch spat on the ground. "Headmaster says I'm to watch you leave, make sure you don't sneak back like. Everyone knows you can't trust a dirty wolf."
"As always, ignorance becomes you, Filch." He lifted his chin and walked down the path, his back ramrod straight, until he passed out of sight beyond a copse of trees. Then his shoulders slumped, and he trudged wearily down the path to Hogsmead.
Less than a minute later, John's clear voice shouted at him. "Dad! Dad! Did you talk to him? Can I go?" He looked up just in time to see a blur barreling towards him before he was struck mid-chest by the impact of John's chestnut head. His arms went around his son and squeezed tightly. Looking past him, he saw Dora following down the path, worry clear in her eyes. He shook his head and her shoulders slumped as well in answer.
"I'm sorry, John" he said hoarsely. He felt the excitement leave the body in his arms and his heart broke for the millionth time that day.
"It's OK, Dad. I know you did your best." And as Remus had said the same thing to Hermione earlier, he knew just how empty those words felt.
"John, it's not the end of the world. I promise. We'll send you to Muggle school and we'll tutor you in Magic at home. Your dad was the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this school has had in 20 years, and as a former Auror, I'm no slouch either." Nymphadora had finally reached them.
"I know, Mum." But all three of them also knew that without a proper education, John would never be allowed to practice Magic or get a proper job in the Wizarding world.
"Come on, let's go home." Remus tried not to let the despair leach into his voice.
"Could I... could I have a look, before we leave?" John's eyes pleaded from beneath the fringe of his hair.
"I... I don't know." Remus hesitated, but then Nymphadora cut in, "Of course you can, John. I'll come with you."
The two of them crept quietly back around the copse, and John stared at the stately castle and the stone courtyard. He imagined the other children, children his age, playing and talking and laughing as they milled about the grounds, and he reached out to touch his fantasy, but his fingers caught in an illusionary fence and after a moment, he dropped his hand and turned away.
"I've seen enough, Mum. Let's go home."