Blue Skies, prompt 23 | Gather up the Fragments... (Harry Potter)
Title: Gather up the Fragments that Remain
Author: shimotsuki
Prompt: #23, image of dry, cracked earth
Fandom: Harry Potter
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Remus Lupin, DA members
Rating & Warnings: PG | angst
Word Count: 994 words
Summary: Sirius has fallen through the Veil. But Remus still has work to do.
Author’s note: I wrote this as genfic, but if you want to read it as slash that probably works too. ;)
Gather up the Fragments that Remain
Dimly, far away, he heard someone call his name.
“Remus?”
But the Veil flapped. Voices whispered. He couldn’t look away, couldn’t stop straining to hear what the whispers might be trying to tell him.
“Remus!”
The voice was sharper now. Nearer.
He wished it would stop-he couldn’t hear the whispers-
A hand gripped his arm. Shook it. He blinked, choked on a breath.
“Albus,” he rasped.
“I’m sorry, dear boy,” said Dumbledore. For an instant, the piercing blue eyes were softened by tears. “But the children need you.”
The children.
He looked over to where they huddled together in a corner of the room. Hermione was still unconscious, and Ron was still babbling to himself. Luna sat cross-legged on the floor, talking earnestly to a white-faced Ginny, who had one leg propped up. Neville, hands on his hips, stood at the edge of the group and looked out across the room, turning his head slowly from side to side. Standing sentry, for all that he had no wand.
“Can you take them back to Hogwarts?” Dumbledore released his hold on Remus and polished his spectacles with his sleeve. “I’ve sent Harry on ahead, and I must go to him now.”
“Of course,” said Remus. Because even in a world where Sirius Black had been killed by Bellatrix Lestrange before his name had been cleared, there were things that needed to be done.
“Make a Portkey.” Dumbledore’s eyes were shrewd again. “If anyone gives you any trouble later, I’ll take care of it.”
Remus went to where the children waited, skirting the edge of the room to stay as far from the Veil as he could.
“Still holding up all right?” he asked, quietly.
“Ginny’s broken her ankle,” said Luna.
Ginny nodded, teeth clenched against the pain.
“Let me put that in a splint for now.” Remus raised his wand and focused on the spell, on Ginny.
He would not think about the last time he had cast this particular spell, for Ron, on the night when he had learned the truth about Sirius. The night when he was happier than he had been in twelve years.
Ginny sighed in relief. “Thanks.”
“What happened to the girl who fell?” asked Luna. “Will she be all right?”
The room constricted again. Remus could see nothing but the spot where Tonks had crumpled under Bellatrix’s hex.
He forced himself to breathe. In, out. “She doesn’t seem to have any serious injuries,” he said, repeating what Kingsley had told him, praying that it was true. “She’s been taken to St. Mungo’s.”
He couldn’t let himself think about what life would be like if he lost Tonks, too.
He had to get the children to Hogwarts.
Breathe. In, out.
“We need a Portkey,” he said. “Neville, will you lend me your necktie?”
“Of course.” Neville unknotted his tie and held it out.
“Portus.” The tie glowed blue. “Neville, you keep a good hold on Ron, and Ginny and Luna, each of you take one of Hermione’s arms, all right?”
The Portkey jerked. They were in the hospital wing at Hogwarts.
It was dark, and all the beds were empty, but the air was heavy with iodine and bitter herbs and disinfectant charms, smells that had marked the aftermath of every full moon for seven years.
“Poppy?” Remus knocked on the door to the matron’s office.
It opened at once. “Remus? What are you doing here? Are you all right?”
“I’m sorry to disturb you at this hour.” He tried to smile. “But there are students who need your attention.”
Poppy spelled the lights on. She peered out at Ron, still emitting feeble giggles between hiccoughs. At the unconscious Hermione, being lifted clumsily onto a bed by Neville and Luna. At Ginny, favouring her unwieldy splint. “Merlin’s hat!” Poppy tied her apron on and bustled over. “What have you children been doing?”
The children explained about Ron and the brain, and then Poppy bent over Hermione. Ginny sat on another bed, waiting her turn. Neville and Luna hovered.
The children were safe.
Remus’s task was done.
“Here’s your tie, Neville.” Remus cast a quick Finite and handed it over. “Thank you.”
Neville worked it under his collar again, tying it neatly, even though it was the middle of the night and he was covered in dirt and bruises and blood from his broken nose.
“You all fought very bravely,” said Remus. “As your former Defence professor, I couldn’t be prouder.” He even managed to find a real smile. “Stay here until Madam Pomfrey has had a chance to look you over, all right? Good night.”
He turned to go.
And then he turned back. There were more words that had to be said, words that tore at his throat like broken glass.
“Ginny.” He glanced at Neville and Luna, listening, but it couldn’t be helped-and anyway, they had seen it happen, or at least Neville had. “When Ron and Hermione wake up, be sure to tell them that Sirius is-gone.” He waited for Ginny’s nod. “Harry isn’t taking it so well. He’ll need all of you.”
And then Ginny was watching him with Molly’s eyes.
The broken glass burned in his throat.
She reached out and touched his sleeve, gingerly. “Professor Lupin, I’m so sorry.”
Breathe. In, out.
“Thank you.”
With another-failed-attempt at a smile, he turned and walked away, and did not shatter.
Luna’s clear voice floated after him. “Who is Sirius? Is he the man that died?”
“He was Harry’s godfather,” came Ginny’s careful answer. “And Professor Lupin’s friend.”
Breathe.
Remus stayed on his feet, putting one in front of the other.
There were still things that needed to be done.
~ fin ~
Author: shimotsuki
Prompt: #23, image of dry, cracked earth
Fandom: Harry Potter
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Remus Lupin, DA members
Rating & Warnings: PG | angst
Word Count: 994 words
Summary: Sirius has fallen through the Veil. But Remus still has work to do.
Author’s note: I wrote this as genfic, but if you want to read it as slash that probably works too. ;)
Gather up the Fragments that Remain
Dimly, far away, he heard someone call his name.
“Remus?”
But the Veil flapped. Voices whispered. He couldn’t look away, couldn’t stop straining to hear what the whispers might be trying to tell him.
“Remus!”
The voice was sharper now. Nearer.
He wished it would stop-he couldn’t hear the whispers-
A hand gripped his arm. Shook it. He blinked, choked on a breath.
“Albus,” he rasped.
“I’m sorry, dear boy,” said Dumbledore. For an instant, the piercing blue eyes were softened by tears. “But the children need you.”
The children.
He looked over to where they huddled together in a corner of the room. Hermione was still unconscious, and Ron was still babbling to himself. Luna sat cross-legged on the floor, talking earnestly to a white-faced Ginny, who had one leg propped up. Neville, hands on his hips, stood at the edge of the group and looked out across the room, turning his head slowly from side to side. Standing sentry, for all that he had no wand.
“Can you take them back to Hogwarts?” Dumbledore released his hold on Remus and polished his spectacles with his sleeve. “I’ve sent Harry on ahead, and I must go to him now.”
“Of course,” said Remus. Because even in a world where Sirius Black had been killed by Bellatrix Lestrange before his name had been cleared, there were things that needed to be done.
“Make a Portkey.” Dumbledore’s eyes were shrewd again. “If anyone gives you any trouble later, I’ll take care of it.”
Remus went to where the children waited, skirting the edge of the room to stay as far from the Veil as he could.
“Still holding up all right?” he asked, quietly.
“Ginny’s broken her ankle,” said Luna.
Ginny nodded, teeth clenched against the pain.
“Let me put that in a splint for now.” Remus raised his wand and focused on the spell, on Ginny.
He would not think about the last time he had cast this particular spell, for Ron, on the night when he had learned the truth about Sirius. The night when he was happier than he had been in twelve years.
Ginny sighed in relief. “Thanks.”
“What happened to the girl who fell?” asked Luna. “Will she be all right?”
The room constricted again. Remus could see nothing but the spot where Tonks had crumpled under Bellatrix’s hex.
He forced himself to breathe. In, out. “She doesn’t seem to have any serious injuries,” he said, repeating what Kingsley had told him, praying that it was true. “She’s been taken to St. Mungo’s.”
He couldn’t let himself think about what life would be like if he lost Tonks, too.
He had to get the children to Hogwarts.
Breathe. In, out.
“We need a Portkey,” he said. “Neville, will you lend me your necktie?”
“Of course.” Neville unknotted his tie and held it out.
“Portus.” The tie glowed blue. “Neville, you keep a good hold on Ron, and Ginny and Luna, each of you take one of Hermione’s arms, all right?”
The Portkey jerked. They were in the hospital wing at Hogwarts.
It was dark, and all the beds were empty, but the air was heavy with iodine and bitter herbs and disinfectant charms, smells that had marked the aftermath of every full moon for seven years.
“Poppy?” Remus knocked on the door to the matron’s office.
It opened at once. “Remus? What are you doing here? Are you all right?”
“I’m sorry to disturb you at this hour.” He tried to smile. “But there are students who need your attention.”
Poppy spelled the lights on. She peered out at Ron, still emitting feeble giggles between hiccoughs. At the unconscious Hermione, being lifted clumsily onto a bed by Neville and Luna. At Ginny, favouring her unwieldy splint. “Merlin’s hat!” Poppy tied her apron on and bustled over. “What have you children been doing?”
The children explained about Ron and the brain, and then Poppy bent over Hermione. Ginny sat on another bed, waiting her turn. Neville and Luna hovered.
The children were safe.
Remus’s task was done.
“Here’s your tie, Neville.” Remus cast a quick Finite and handed it over. “Thank you.”
Neville worked it under his collar again, tying it neatly, even though it was the middle of the night and he was covered in dirt and bruises and blood from his broken nose.
“You all fought very bravely,” said Remus. “As your former Defence professor, I couldn’t be prouder.” He even managed to find a real smile. “Stay here until Madam Pomfrey has had a chance to look you over, all right? Good night.”
He turned to go.
And then he turned back. There were more words that had to be said, words that tore at his throat like broken glass.
“Ginny.” He glanced at Neville and Luna, listening, but it couldn’t be helped-and anyway, they had seen it happen, or at least Neville had. “When Ron and Hermione wake up, be sure to tell them that Sirius is-gone.” He waited for Ginny’s nod. “Harry isn’t taking it so well. He’ll need all of you.”
And then Ginny was watching him with Molly’s eyes.
The broken glass burned in his throat.
She reached out and touched his sleeve, gingerly. “Professor Lupin, I’m so sorry.”
Breathe. In, out.
“Thank you.”
With another-failed-attempt at a smile, he turned and walked away, and did not shatter.
Luna’s clear voice floated after him. “Who is Sirius? Is he the man that died?”
“He was Harry’s godfather,” came Ginny’s careful answer. “And Professor Lupin’s friend.”
Breathe.
Remus stayed on his feet, putting one in front of the other.
There were still things that needed to be done.
~ fin ~