Chapter 8
Chapter 8 of 16
phoenixSeverus Snape, Deputy Headmaster, is beholden to no man with the Dark Lord finally vanquished and Dumbledore gone. He is free to choose the course that his life takes, to make friends, to finally know what it means to lead a normal life. How does he adapt to being able to experience this normality. Sequel to "Wounded" (the link is in the story). Rating is for later chapters.
Chapter 8
Severus returned to the castle and immediately checked both his office and his quarters for a message in case he had missed an owl. There was nothing. Aurelia had not come to dinner, nor had she notified him that she would be unable to meet him at Rosmerta's. He would never have admitted it, but for the first time that he could remember, he had been looking forward to celebrating his birthday. If she had been busy at the hospital, he could have understood that, although he would still have been secretly disappointed. However, she hadn't been there either.
As he paced his room, he kept going over the letter that he had sent to her. He supposed it was possible his reply to her request had not been sufficient. His discussion with his mother had convinced him that Aurelia wanted to know how he felt about her, whether he loved her. His reply had been rather short, and in hindsight, perhaps a bit terse. Would that have been enough to drive her away? He had thought she would have preferred hearing what he had to say face to face, not just reading it on a piece of parchment.
Deciding this was a riddle he would not solve on his own, he headed up to the library. Stepping up to the desk, he demanded, "I need to talk with you".
"The library closes in an hour. Would you like me to meet you in your quarters?"
"I need to talk, now," he hissed through clenched teeth.
"The library isn't closed, yet," she replied unperturbed by his brusque behavior.
Turning to face the library's patrons, he announced tersely, "The library is now closed. All students are to depart." When they didn't move fast enough, he shouted, "NOW!" Within seconds the library was emptied.
Eileen raised an eyebrow and gave him a disgusted look. "Was that really necessary?"
"Aurelia did not show up to dinner tonight."
"Oh? Was she busy at work?"
"No," he replied sharply. "Nor was she at home, nor did she send me a message informing me that she wouldn't be there. Obviously, she stood me up."
"Why would she do that? She's the one who invited you to dinner?"
"That's why I am here. You are a woman, not to mention the fact that I have been taking your advice regarding this matter so far. Is it possible that my less than enthusiastic reply would have given her the impression that I do not love her?"
"No, not at all," she reassured. "Come, let's have some tea."
"I'd prefer something stronger."
"Well, you're getting tea tonight. At least until we finish talking."
"How can you be sure that my brief response to her dinner invitation did not drive her off?"
She placed her hand on his arm, and found herself unable to hide the pain from her expression. "She's known you for more than half a year. In that time, she's sure to have realized that you aren't the outwardly emotional type. And let's not forget that she must love you, or she wouldn't have gone to such lengths to discover how you truly feel about her. You said she has a friend; did you check there?"
It hadn't occurred to him at the time. "No."
"Well, that would be a start. Perhaps her friend had an emergency? Any number of things could have come up that could have prevented her from contacting you. Send her an owl and see what she has to say, but be polite. Don't demand to know where she was."
Arching an eyebrow, he retorted, "I would never do that."
Eileen chuckled softly. "I beg to differ, but it doesn't matter. Until you know what happened, just don't jump to conclusions. It's not like you haven't ever had emergencies yourself."
He scowled, realizing that she was right. He would send her an owl and ask politely where she had been. Deciding that he didn't have anything else to discuss, he rose.
"You're welcome," Eileen called sarcastically to his retreating back.
He froze and turned his head over his shoulder. "Thank you."
As he left the library, he began composing the new letter in his head. He was so lost in thought that he walked straight into Adrian. "Headmaster, forgive me."
"Well, Severus. How unexpected to run into you. Did you enjoy your dinner?"
This simple question reminded him that he had not eaten yet. He was also faced with determining how to answer this awkward question. "It was fine."
"I must admit, I expected you to be gone longer. Though I suppose she must have a considerable amount of St. Mungo's business to attend to these days, what with that large donation and all." Adrian gave Severus a sly grin and a wink.
Refraining from rolling his eyes, Severus replied, "If you will excuse me, Adrian, I also am quite busy."
"Of course, of course. You must have quite important things on your mind too these days. I'll let you get on with your business."
Severus hardly even heard the old man's reply as he walked away. Within an hour, he had posted a letter to Aurelia and sent it with the most trustworthy owl at the school.
*************
Aurelia sat in a well-appointed room. There was an elegant four-poster bed, a sitting area in front of the fireplace, and a large bathroom. She still wasn't sure exactly what had happened to her. She had left work and was stopping at the market to pick up food for breakfast. The next thing she knew, she was in this room. The room was windowless so she had no idea where she might be or what time of day it was but the lamps provided more than enough light. The door was locked and her wand was gone, so there was little she could do to escape.
She wondered how long it would take anyone to notice she was missing? What would they do when she didn't show up at work? She tried not to think about the fact that if she wasn't in Britain, it was unlikely the Ministry would ever find her. Would Severus come looking for her? She desperately hoped so.
After determining there was no escape from her comfortable prison, she sat on the bed, waiting for someone to come for her.
Four hours after she regained consciousness, the door opened, and a rather imposing wizard gestured for her to follow him. Knowing she had no choice, she followed. While she was completely terrified, she hoped that she would be able to control her emotions to a certain extent. She knew that predators fed off the fear of their prey.
It was only a short walk before the wizard left her in another room. She noticed this one had a table set for two in addition to the normal furnishings of a living room. Restlessly, she paced the room, hoping it wouldn't be long before her captor to reveal himself.
She spun around as she heard the door open behind her.
Lucius Malfoy had a huge grin on his face. "I apologize for keeping you waiting. I hope that you have been comfortable."
He had been the last person she had expected to see. She had thought that if he hadn't done anything caused her any trouble by now, he wouldn't. "What do you want with me?"
"You kidnapped me!" she shouted defensively.
Crossing to the table, he casually opened the wine bottle and poured two glasses. "Now that is rather harsh and impolite. I had thought that your manners were better than that."
She refused to accept the glass that he held out to her. Moderating her tone, she retorted, "Kidnapping someone is quite a bit less mannerly than that! Why am I here?"
Evading her question, he said, "I find discussion on an empty stomach rather tedious. Won't you join me at my dinner table?"
Sitting on the sofa, she turned her back on him in answer.
"Well, then, you will forgive me if I eat alone."
At first, it was easy to ignore him, but the smell of the food wafted over to her, reminding her that she had not eaten since lunch, and it must be close to midnight. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of giving in to him, but it was hard for her to ignore her rumbling stomach.
"I assure you that the food is in no way poisoned. And it is quite exquisite. The roast pork is especially succulent."
That made it harder still for her to ignore her hunger. Roast pork was her favorite dish. And she rationalized that she had no idea when she might be fed again. After all, she had no intention of cooperating with him. Sitting down across from him, she snapped her napkin before placing it in her lap and delicately eating her food. The pork was quite good, but she would never admit that to him.
"So good of you to come to your senses and join me. I think you could find your stay here quite pleasant."
She tried not to choke on her food. "I doubt it."
"My dear, there is no reason for you to be so rude. Is your room not comfortable?"
"Terrifically comfortable for a prison cell. You know, they'll realize I'm gone and come looking for me."
He chuckled softly. "Not for several days. You see, you sent them a letter, informing them that you would be taking some time off."
"They'll know it's not from me."
"Unlikely. The handwriting is a perfect match, and everyone knows that you deserve some time off."
"Severus will rescue me," she replied curtly. When she didn't show up for dinner, he would get worried, and dig deeper into the mystery of her absence than any of her coworkers would.
"That is a pleasant illusion for you to hold on to, but I fear that it will not be a reality. You see, we are not in France." After a few seconds of careful consideration, he added, "You could do so much better than someone like him." He reached across the small table to pet her cheek, and she jerked away from him.
She did her best to ignore him, and they finished the meal in silence.
Once finished with the meal, he refilled his glass and again offered her a glass of wine. "Are you sure you won't have any?" When she glared at him, he continued, "As you wish. I suppose you are curious about why I've had you brought here."
"Yes, I would like to know why you've kidnapped me."
Rising from the table, he moved to one of the chairs. "I did not kidnap you. I wished to meet with you, and I knew that you would refuse any direct offer, so I decided not to waste my time." When she didn't reply, he continued, "I know that you were working on something to help Severus this past summer. Something to help him with how he was feeling after the war."
"Get to the bloody point!" she shouted.
He chided gently, "Temper, temper, my dear. I only want you to help me, too."
"That will never happen. The world will be better off without you."
"You believe that, do you? Without me, your hospital would not have an endowment for a new Poisons Ward."
"That's your money?" she asked in complete surprise.
He gave her a sly grin and replied, "Who else would have that sort of money? The wizarding world needs me, and I, in turn, need you."
Defiantly, she replied, "My services can't just be bought by any criminal who thinks he has sufficient funds to do so."
His smile faded somewhat, but did not completely disappear. "I wish I could discuss this with you, but I'm sure that you understand the restrictions placed upon me. I ask that you trust that the wizarding world does indeed need me."
"Never," she insisted.
The smile was completely gone now. "As you wish. I will give you time to change your mind. I will try to make your stay here as comfortable as possible, but my patience is not infinite." With that, he swept out of the room.
Almost immediately, the gruff wizard was standing at the doorway, waiting for her to join him. She sighed and lowered her eyes as she let him lead her back to her room. Severus would find her, no matter what Lucius had said. He just had to find her.
*************
By Saturday, Severus still hadn't heard from Aurelia - and neither had anyone else - and he was now quite concerned. Unable to remain at Hogwarts doing nothing, he decided to see if she had returned home. A check of her house showed that she had still not been there. At St. Mungo's, Johnson produced a letter saying that Aurelia was meeting with the anonymous donor, and that she would be away for a few days. Severus found it odd that she would not have informed him, but then again, he knew wealthy old wizards could be a bit eccentric. Perhaps she had sent him a message but it had just gone astray. Yes, that made perfect sense.
He contemplated asking Julia if she had heard from her mother surely if she were planning on staying out of the country for more than a day or so, she would have notified her children. But then, he didn't want to unnecessarily worry the girls if Aurelia had not notified them one way or another. In that case, he had no doubt that Julia would be unable to keep his inquiry secret from her sister for very long.
As he was returning to the castle, he had a sudden, sickening thought: what if Malfoy had something to do with her disappearance? After all, there was the rather large anonymous donation, one that few in Britain could afford to make. Deciding he had to determine if this was the case, he walked back toward the gates and Disapparated to France.
Walking up the drive to the chateau, he realized that it looked as deserted as it had last summer. This high in the Alps, the weather was much colder than it had been at Hogwarts, and he wished he had thought to bring a heavier cloak. Closing in on the chateau, he did not feel the familiar chill he would have expected when crossing through a protective ward.
It was possible that Malfoy had left shortly after the visit he and Aurelia had paid him last summer. After all, what reason did Malfoy have to trust Severus? Quick exploration of the chateau showed that it had been deserted for some time. This made it more likely that Malfoy had left last summer, but Severus still could not shake the feeling that Malfoy had something to do with Aurelia's absence. Unfortunately, he had no idea where to begin looking for them.
Deciding that the school could survive without its deputy headmaster until Monday morning, he resolved to begin a search. He knew that Malfoy would have needed help getting Aurelia out of Britain, since his very entry into the country would bring a horde of Aurors descending upon him. Therefore, he decided to start his search at some of the more unsavory wizarding establishments on the Continent. It would take time, but he hoped to discover at least some hint of Malfoy's location.
************
Aurelia lay on the bed, curled up with her pillow. Her captors had ignored her once she had refused her help. She had been given nothing to eat or drink and was thankful her room had a lavatory, or she would be suffering from dehydration. The ever-present rumble of her stomach was hard to ignore. Even though she was utterly exhausted, it would not let her sleep.
After two days without food, she was seriously contemplating giving in to Malfoy's request, but she knew that Severus had to be looking for her. He would find her and capture Malfoy. He just had to. She found she could no longer hold back the tears. Never before had she been in such a seemingly hopeless situation. And if something happened to her, what would become of her two girls?
When the door opened, she sat up and wiped the tears from her eyes.
Malfoy crossed the room, pulled out a handkerchief, and sat beside her to wipe the tears from her cheeks. "Now, now, my dear. There is nothing to cry about," he said in a soothing voice. "You can be quite comfortable here; you need only cooperate." He rubbed her arm gently, in a reassuring manner.
She tried to pull away from him, but his grip on her arm was too tight. "That won't happen."
"So you keep saying. You are quite stubborn, but I believe you will come to see reason in time. I know that you probably isolate yourself in your medical world, so I thought I would enlighten you on how the business world functions. The Ministry would have you believe that everything is returning to normal, but it is not. Factories remain shuttered and unemployment remains high. And do you know why? Because there is no one with both the appropriate business acumen and capital to invest properly in the rebuilding of our world. I'm sure you've never realized it, but my industries employed ten percent of wizarding Britain's workforce. Many of those businesses remain closed even now. The Ministry cannot find buyers, and it cannot run those businesses due to a lack of capital. Without me, they will rely more and more on costly imported goods. The Ministry will be forced to lower tariffs. It will then become impossible for Britons to start their own companies. Even Gringotts has lost faith in British industry and is not granting loans as it once did. Do you want to be responsible for the downfall of our wizarding society? A society that your husband died protecting?"
For a few moments, she began to fall under the spell of his words before realizing what he was doing. She started crying again. "You monster! How dare you manipulate me?" She struggled to get away from him and beat at his chest, but it had no effect. He merely pulled her into a smothering embrace so she could no longer hit him.
"I am not manipulating you. I'm telling you the truth." He released her and with a snap of his fingers, he summoned a house-elf who was carrying a stack of newspapers. "You can read all about it in the Daily Prophet. Foreign newspapers are starting to report the same thing. There is more to the world than your potions, Aurelia. Open your eyes to it. I would think that as a Slytherin, you would appreciate that the world is not black and white." He left without saying another word.
For the next hour, Aurelia was able to resist looking at the papers. Finally, boredom and curiosity got the better of her, and she started flipping through them. Of course, the articles supported what Malfoy had told her, but she thought they could have easily been altered to report what he wanted her to believe. The articles in the rest of the papers looked genuine, but that didn't mean that these particular ones hadn't been forged. Figuring this was another way he was trying to manipulate her, she threw the papers aside and curled back up on the bed, wondering how much longer he would deny her food. He needed her alive, so he had to feed her eventually, didn't he?
************
Severus stepped into yet another dark and dingy tavern. Those that operated on the fringe of society preferred the darkness for the anonymity it afforded. It was late, and he could tell that the establishment was getting ready to close. Sidling up to the bar, he placed a sickle before him.
"Monsieur?"
"Do you speak English?"
"Oui. What may I do for you?"
"I'm looking for a friend. Another Englishman. He went into hiding last summer and has long blonde hair. He tends to think he is better than everyone else."
The bartender considered this description for several seconds. "No. No Englishman like that. We see few of you here."
Severus could tell that the man was not lying, and let him take the sickle. Exhausted from searching much of Western Europe, a weary Severus was forced to return to Hogwarts; he had class in a few hours. A dose of Invigoration Draught would help him get through the day. He would find Adrian before class and let the headmaster know that he needed to take a brief leave of absence. Today, he would rest after class, and tomorrow morning, he could continue on with his search. Eastern Europe should not be as difficult to search as the wizarding towns were closer together.
Entering the castle, he began making his way toward the dungeons, when a voice from the stairs above him stopped him.
"Severus! We need to talk," said Adrian before turning back towards the headmaster's study.
He had at least hoped to be able to take his potion and shower before having to meet with the headmaster. Obviously, his absence had not gone as unnoticed as he had wished.
*************
Aurelia opened her eyes when she heard the door open. Malfoy was back, levitating a small tray before him. She sat up and began salivating, hoping that he would let her have the food.
Crossing the room, he set the tray on the bed, out of her reach, and sat next to her. "I see that you have read through the papers. Have you given thought to my plight?"
She kept eyeing the tray, wondering what was under the cover. "How do I know that's the truth? You could have easily forged the articles."
He slowly uncovered the tray, revealing an array of bite-sized foods. "For what purpose? I want to return home. I want to tell the truth."
Licking her lips in anticipation of finally getting to eat something, she asked, "What truth?" She started reaching for the tray.
Malfoy gently captured her hand. "You know that I cannot tell the truth now. Once you help me as you helped Severus, then I can. Is that so much to ask?" He kissed her fingers and she pulled her hand away. Reaching over to the tray, he picked up a strawberry and waved it in front of her mouth. "You want this, don't you?"
She could think of nothing other than the berry in Malfoy's fingers and chased after it. He finally let her have it. As she slowly chewed it, she savored the taste and feel of her first food in days. She tried to reach the tray, but he restrained her. "Please?"
"If you want more, you have to give me something in return."
A/N: Thank you for your patience in waiting for this chapter. My muses are having a bout of ADD and keep throwing me new ideas. Thankfully, a number of these are one-shot fics, but they still take away from my time writing this story. If anyone knows how to wrangle plot bunnies and keep them from distracting my muses, please, let me know. LOL I normally like to have two stories going at any one time, but I have about four and as many one-shots that I'm working on.
Also, thank you so very much to those of you that have left reviews. They really mean the world to me. It's nice to hear that others are reading and enjoying the story. Concrit is always welcome.
A final thanks to nota and Zen Lady for their help in polishing up this chapter for posting. They always bring up such profound questions that keep me in line.
As for Chapter 9, I am discussing a few plot points with my betas. I have about 3 pages written out of somewhere in the vicinity of 10. I'm going to take a wild guess and estimate about two weeks before I'm ready with the next chapter, but please, don't hold me to that. If you are interested in updates, check out my livejournal - http://ltgarrix.livejournal.com - where I will try to post periodic updates on my writing status.
Story Actions
To follow, favorite, like, and more either log in or create an account.
Leave a Review
Log in to leave a review.
Latest 25 Reviews for Beholden To No Man
20 Reviews | 6.25/10 Average
Great read, I'm not usually too intrested in stories with origional characters, but yours were well developed and rounded. Thank you. :)
I am intrigued, so far so good. Well done!
Response from phoenix (Author of Beholden To No Man)
Thank you. I'm glad that you have enjoyed it. I always appreciate it when folks tell me they have enjoyed my work, even if it takes me a long time to reply sometimes.
Response from phoenix (Author of Beholden To No Man)
Thank you. I'm glad that you have enjoyed it. I always appreciate it when folks tell me they have enjoyed my work, even if it takes me a long time to reply sometimes.
blimey that was a twist and a half. will keep reading, great story
xx
Response from phoenix (Author of Beholden To No Man)
Thanks. That was one of my favorite scenes in the whole story. I just really couldn't resist. I think it a lot that so long after I wrote the story I knew exactly what you were talking about. LOL
Yes, the girls behaved just as I thought they would, Helen was pleased as punch and Julia was a typical difficult teenager. The only thing more difficult than a sulking sixteen year old is a sulking fifteen year old, so it could have been worse.It looks like politics and criminal justice in the wizarding world are no different that they are in the Muggle world. I hadn't even thought of a plea bargain, but it's so typical of Lucius.Things are winding down, but don't end the story until the baby is born, she finally has the right formula for Remus ( it looks like she's super close now), Julia finally comes round, and most of all what is brewing between Eileen and Adrian.I think they would make a great couple, and Adrian is even more fatherly towards him than Dumbledore was. Another plus is that Adrian is much lees manipulative than DD was. You hint that Adrian has a great sorrow in his past, will we find out what it is?
Response from phoenix (Author of Beholden To No Man)
Thanks. I had a lot of fun with the different responses. After all, they are different people. Teenagers in general can be incredibly exasperating and Julia definitely fills this role.
Politics, what can I say? It doesn't seem to change no matter where you are. And we already know that Lucius has taken advantage of having money in the past.
Yup, the story is winding down. Probably one more chapter to wrap this installment all up. As for Eileen and Adrian, I am working on a story that is a companion piece to this one that will explore some events from her point of view and provide more backstory to what's going on at Hogwarts and about those two characters. :) And yes, Adrian is definitely less manipulative, something I'm sure Severus is happy for.
I love the twist at the end! Eileen /Elaine was right and now he is forced to make a decision. I'm betting on marriage. I bet Eileen/Elaine will be thrilled to find out she's going to be a grandmother.it really shouldn't be a hard choice for him, he wants her there with him. After her materninty leave there should be plenty of house elves who would volunteer to do day care and she could commute by Floo or apparate back and forth to work every day. The baby would also have it's sisters and grandmother nearby and they would be a complete family unit. This story must be nearing it's conclusion, is there any way I could once again inspire you to write another sequel? I will miss Aurealia, her girls and the new character you added to this story, Eileen. I know Severus would never be a Mr. Chips, but how about Powlett-Jones from Delderfield's To Serve Them All My Days? That would take him into the Headmastership and then to retirement.Since this update hasn't shown up on the site where I usually read it, I decided not to wait, to read and review it here.
Response from phoenix (Author of Beholden To No Man)
Thanks for the head's up on the Elaine/Eileen. I felt like such an idiot. And neither or my betas caught it either. LOL We all saw what we wanted to see.
As for house elves, I think that would be a wonderful thing to have when dealing with an infant. LOL I think that Severus will realize what a good thing he has and be bright about making choices.
For a sequel, I am working out some plot ideas. It will be set a bit in the future, probably around 15-17 years. We'll see how it works out. I need to see if I can write something that will cover some key points of the intermediary years without getting bogged down.
Response from Trickie Woo (Reviewer)
I'm a really good proof reader, not much gets by me. I caught a real zinger in the Wayside Gardens newsletter this week. They sent the email on June 14 advertising a buy 3 get 2 free sale on roses (shipped bare roots); at the top of the page were 2 pictures, one of a rose bush in full bloom and beside it a picture of the plant with bare roots the way it would arrive at your address. The picture of the bare roots rose said this picture taken June 16, 2006. I sent them back an email asking how they got a picture from the future because I'd love to have a camera like that. My email was sent June 14, 2006 at 11:13 PM. I got a reply from them today thanking me for pointing out the error. It was easy to see how Eileen became mixed up with Elaine, it's easy to overlook when the lettering sequence is so similar. But the date on that picture in the newsletter should have stuck out like a sore thumb.
Oh, my! I was not expecting that one! Wow! Wonderful job. I really can't wait to see how Severus reacts to this. This story has me captivated. Thank you so much for sharing. I can't want for the next update. :)
Response from phoenix (Author of Beholden To No Man)
LOL I don't think Severus was expecting it, either. Oh, how horribly he's likely to take this news. I love the little evil cliffhangers and this was a really good one form my standpoint. I am in the final revision phase of the next chapter and have even started on 14.
Hopefully, his reaction won't disappoint. I know I had fun imagining it.
How wonderful to find this updated! Must I hunt down and kill the plot bunnies attacking you or at least trap and release them later. So much is happening in this chapter - your unhurried pacing and attention to detail almost obscures that! Beautifully written as always!
Response from phoenix (Author of Beholden To No Man)
Thank you very much, kari. Especially for the help on trapping the offending plot bunnies. I'm having a hard time picking a project to settle on right now. I need to whip them into shape. On the upside, I did have a huge brainstorn on the next chapter and I think it will be a wonderful twist.
Well done. Her anxiety is so believable and just when Severus is becomming courageous. Remus' timing is doing nothing to endear himself to Severus! Remus is the one I'm worried about falling into the love the doctor syndrome... Looking forward to more!
Response from phoenix (Author of Beholden To No Man)
Thank you very much, kari. This is a scary time for Aurelia. Remus is such a sweetheart and I have a soft spot for him. Fortunately for Severus, Aurelia only sees Remus as a friend, though as you said, Remus should be careful not to get too attached to her.
“Contrary to popular belief, the world does not revolve around you.” Well said! Coded banging? Is Remus just changed enough to be wily and deadly? Thank goodness the next chapter is posted!!
Response from phoenix (Author of Beholden To No Man)
I completely loved that line. Once I had it come to me, I knew I had to make sure to leave it in. Yes, you did get lucky that the next chapter is up.
What with her nervousness and mourning and his awkwardness and insecurities, you'll need all your skill to get them together.
Response from phoenix (Author of Beholden To No Man)
Yes, it will take a lot of skill won't it? Hopefully everyone will show the right amount of patience. :)
Feel sorry for the girls it must be hard to pull back from their previous relationship with Severus.The story has flowed nicely into the sequel. Once more I am going to enjoy the promise and a brilliant story to read. Best wishes
Response from phoenix (Author of Beholden To No Man)
THanks,
Response from phoenix (Author of Beholden To No Man)
. It will be tough for everyone to adjust, but I think they will. I hope you enjoy the rest of the story. Some chapters are proving more difficult than others to write. *sigh*
I've enjoyed this story and its predecessor very much. Aurelia and her daughters are very satisfying OCs. Part of me wanted some sort of an epilogue but I think that's more a harking back to storytelling convention -- really, it ends very nicely.
Response from phoenix (Author of Beholden To No Man)
Thank you very much. :) There are times I do epilogues and times I don't. It really depends on how I think the story ends. Here, I thought it ended nicely. I do hope to revisit these characters in another future set fic once I knock out some other projects. :)
I hate to see the story end, is there any chance of inspiring you once more to continue with Severus, Aurelia and their children? Maybe a series of one shots as they grow up. I'd like to know if the have anymore children and what happens with Helen and Julia after they graduate; and maybe something about Marcus and his school days.I read and reviewed After the Awakening. Are you taking that beyond that day in the staff room when Eileen revealed her secret? If you do, then I hope there will be more of Severus & Aurelia in it. Eileen is Marcus's grandmother so it would fit in very naturally. I suspect there is something going on with Eileen and Adrian, but I don't think Severus would act in the bratty way that Julia did. I think he has matured emotionally now that he is a husband, father, and stepfather. Those hormonal mood swings taught him a lot of patience and diplomacy and he now seems to be a full fledged adult. Now about the baby'e name, I understand where the Aurelius came from, but if there was anything earlier in the story about the name Marcus I can't remember it. So where does the Marcus come from?
Response from phoenix (Author of Beholden To No Man)
I have 3 other WIPs and a couple of one-shots I would like to pursue, but time permitting, I would like to revisit this view of the HP universe. :D
After the Awakening will probably be 4-5 chapters (I have to laugh at that since every other estimate I have made has turned out to be horribly off). I do think Severus would definitely be more mature than Julia. After all, he still feels some residual guilt over her situation. And this whole experience has definitely matured him.
Marcus Aurelius was the last of the great Roman emporers and philosophers. When he died, so did the Pax Romana, or so they say. While the movie Gladiator is not completely accurate, there is some truth, That was just happy fortune that Aurelius/Aurelia are fairly common names. Her name is the same as the mother of Julius Ceasar's mother.
Response from Trickie Woo (Reviewer)
I was looking at the family tree of Caesar Augustus's family Sunday night. I had come across something about Caligula and wanted to check it out.I loved 'I, Claudius' and it was on a web site about that mini series that I found the family trees. they were well documented and went into great detail. What little history of the Roman empire I learned about in school came from my 2 years of Latin in high school. I learned more from Robert Graves' books than from school.When we were on a Parish Holiday in Kent just west of Sandwich the first place they took us was Richborough Castle where the Roman occupying forces first landed in 43 AD and remained as their main port of entry during the occupation. In an area filled with history and many, many interesting places to see that turned out to be my favorite.I haven't been to Italy yet, but someday I'll get there and see the remnants of the Empire as well as the other place I have a strong desire to visit, Tuscany.
Response from phoenix (Author of Beholden To No Man)
I had two years of Latin and then as one of my required humanities courses in college I took Roman History. Michael Grant's History of Rome is a great book on Roman history. While I've been to Italy, I never had near enough time. I had but one day in Rome, which is a travesty. I could spend weeks there. I love ancient Rome and Greece and hope to spend more time studying that area.
He's learning fast how volatile pregnant women can be, after the baby is born the experience will make it much easier to deal with PMS. He's learning the magic words are yes dear, I was wrong, and I was selfish. He hasn't yet learned my favorites though, I brought you chocolate, have some chocolate, and would you like to go out and get some chocolate. When I was pregnant with my son my morning sickness was 24/7 for the first 5 months, the only thing I could eat that would stay down was chocolate. It's funny, isn't it how you can get sick of eating almost anything, but chocolate never loses it's taste or appeal. I lost 30 lbs. during those 5 months and when he was born I weighed the same as I did when I got pregnant. When I left the hospital I weighed just a little more (15 lbs.) than I wanted to weigh.His adjustment to marriage would have been easier if they had time for a shakedown cruise before she got pregnant, but that can't be helped. Besides, if it hadn't happened they wouldn't be married yet. He would still be courting her and getting up the nerve to propose.I had thought about asking you to have Eileen talk to Julia, but no one but Severus, Aurelia and possibly Adrian knows who she really is, do they? Or is her identity common knowledge since the wedding when she was so obviously close to both of them. Maybe Severus could talk to her, he has around 25 years of experience in dealing with petulant (I had to ge that word in there) adolescents and it's not him, personally, that bothers her. Although he was never known for tact and diplomacy in dealing with any of them. But he always did take his responsibility to the Slytherins very seriously and took good care of them. Julia has to come round sooner or later, maybe it will be the new baby that will draw her in towards her mother.
Response from phoenix (Author of Beholden To No Man)
LOL yes, poor Severus really has a steep learning curve here when it comes to women, doesn't he? He's not exactly starting it at the most advantageous point, but he is learning. Personally, I couldn't imagine losing 30 lbs over that short a time, it must have been miserable for you.
At this point, I would actually have to look it up. I can't recall if anything wsa mentioned at the wedding or not to the girls. I don't think they do know. As for the petulant teenager, you have read the next chapter, so you know what happens. :D
I'm going to try again, I hope the whole shebang doesn't collapse when I try to post it this time.It was amazing how far he managed to regress in his emotional development at the beginning of the chapter. It was as if he took 10 steps backward for every step he had advanced before. It just goes to show that every boy can benefit from a good chewing out from his mother. And when he actually listened to her, look what it got him, make up sex and that's always the best kind. Plus he got a fiancee, a wedding to plan, a baby to get ready for, and she told him she would come to Hogwarts to live with him. Maybe the chapter should be titled 'Mother Knows Best'.I have one small worry, how will Julia respond to her mother's news when she finds out about the baby? The first and second years at Hogwarts seem to be more innocent that Muggle children. Helen probably doesn't know the mechanics of sex, or of pregnancy, or the signifigance of counting to nine. Since she already tried to set them up she will be pleased at the news. Julia is past that stage and at the age when teenagers think they are much smarter that any adult. She will probably be highly embarrassed at the thought of her mother having sex and even more embarassed and highly outraged that her mother became pregnant out of wedlock. The wizarding world can be very judgemental and moralistic, so I can just imagine the reaction of a teenager from that background to her mother's news.
Response from phoenix (Author of Beholden To No Man)
Thank you very much for your wonderful review, especially since you got hit by the database hiccup (I try to copy all long replies before submitting, but I still forget LOL)
Severus did take a big step(s) back, didn't he? Fear can do some amazing things to you, can't it? You know what, 'Mother Knows Best' would make a great title for this one. LOL If only he'd listened to her sooner.
I have been working on the next chapter and you will see reactions. This next chapter, for various reasons, has been one of the harder I've had to write. I won't say anymore for risk of ruining the surprise. :)
Hooray for this update! Now there's a sign of true love, Severus taking Harry along. Aurelia's captivity was very believable, espcially her alternating thoughts of capitulation, rescue and strength.
Response from phoenix (Author of Beholden To No Man)
Thanks, kari. LOL Working with Harry would be a sign of true love, wouldn't it. LOL I'm glad you found her captivity believable. It's always a hard thing to do. In this case moreso since Aurelia isn't as much like me as some of my other OCs have been. I'm just glad that her captivity is over.
I'm thrilled to find an update to your wonderful story. I jealously watched as your other stories were updated here on PP... finally, this one :) Quite a cliffhanger, I'm hoping this has nothing to do with Malfoy. Anxiously awaiting the next chapter!
Response from phoenix (Author of Beholden To No Man)
Thanks, kari. As for the other one getting updates, it's been done for a while now, I'm just catching up on posting here.
As for why Aurelia didn't make dinner, that will be revealed in the next chapter. Patience, my friend.
Well, there are indeed a few twists here! It would have seemed more natural to me to have Elaine's awakening back story. It felt too rushed here, what with the new job, identity and face. But it is nice that he will have someone with his best interests at heart to talk to. And I like the clever idea of hiding someone in Hogwarts as a new staff member. I don't think I've seen that done before. Also, how ironic and fun that Adrian would leave her door open for Severus!
Response from phoenix (Author of Beholden To No Man)
In hindsight more backstory would be good. I might be convinced to do a little filler fic for this when I finish one of my projects. I wanted this story to focus on the story of Severus and Aurelia. I have to thank one of my betas of another story for that twist, though I wish I could take credit for that. I'm glad you are enjoying this. :)
You've doen an excellent job of capturing Severus' paranoia and awkwardness.
Response from phoenix (Author of Beholden To No Man)
Thanks, kari. Severus is a lot of fun to work with and I really have to thank Zen Lady for keeping me straight when I try to take him too far of his course. I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.
I'm so glad to find this sequel up so quickly. Helen a Slytherin, lol. I'm enjoying this more mature look at what happens after the war. In many ways harder to write I think...
Response from phoenix (Author of Beholden To No Man)
Thanks, kari. You got lucky on this. I actually started posting Wounded becasue I knew this sequel was getting ready for posting. You will see more about Helen and her Slytherin stripes in the future. :) The hardest part about this one was that I killed off so many from the pervious world and the rebuilding involved quite a bit of creation on my part, though that was fun. I hope you enjoy the rest of it.