To Heal is to Fight

As time passed, it became increasingly evident to those around him that Alex relished his moments in the potions lab alongside Lily. Their shared enthusiasm for the subject had grown undeniable, culminating in Lily's decision to pursue an internship opportunity. In the wake of this revelation, Alexander's voice piped up, filled with a tinge of regret for not speaking up sooner, as Robert casually placed the application file on the counter. "You know, I could apply as well," Alexander interjected, his thoughts lingering on the missed opportunity. With a hint of longing, he added, "I am without any truly productive plans for the upcoming summer."

Lily listened with the sharpness of interest despite her typical hesitation to show enthusiasm outright. She was muted in her response, measured, but there was that unmistakable glimmer of keenness that betrayed her.

The fact that she wouldn’t just be doing apprentice work was astounding. She’d have been happy with a role indexing beakers and restocking ingredients, but to work alongside potioneers working on rare, difficult, and new potions was a dream she wouldn’t have even considered possible at her age. Not with her recent record.

“This sounds great.”

She glanced towards Alex as he chimed in, and she gave a firm nod to Robert. “Two applications please.”

"Certainly," Robert said, getting another application out and handing it to Alex. "Well, it certainly would be productive, that's for sure. And, I presume that you could both find someone..." he cast a fleeting glance at Teddy and then looked back at Lily and Alex, "who could drop me a note on your behalf attesting to your enthusiasm for and accuracy in potions. One should suffice, I should think. You're welcome to post them back to me or, if you complete them before you leave, you could simply drop them off with my secretary up on the fifth floor. Either way is fine. Now, providing you do get the positions, when do you think you could start?"

Robert was already planning on hiring them. Both Alex and Lily were being pretty transparent about their love of potions, and that gave them both certainly a leg up on Earl. If he had known them at that point well enough to tease them just a trifle, he'd have insisted they start work, like, yesterday, to rescue him from Earl. And, quite honestly, as much as Earl hated even attempting to brew a potion, he believed the inept young trainee wasn't going to be at all disappointed in being re-assigned to count glass potions bottles or to finding the right sized corks to go in said bottles.

Alexander eagerly accepted the application that was handed to him, a glimmer of anticipation in his eyes. The prospect it held was undeniably enticing. "How about the first Monday after school is out?" he suggested, contemplating the possibilities for himself. Deep down, he knew his parents wouldn't even notice his absence, let alone question his whereabouts after disembarking from the Hogwarts Express. He could easily retreat to the comforting refuge of the Leaky Cauldron, where he could find solace and freedom. Alternatively, he could conform to societal expectations and return home, albeit without any objection from his indifferent parents. As he pondered his choices, a nonchalant shrug escaped him, revealing the indifferent resignation that had settled within his soul. "My parents wouldn't mind."

(siight godmoding, please forgiiive)

Lily quietly slipped her hand into her bag, conjuring two pens (a hospital didn't seem the place for quills and ink) and sliding one of them over to Alex, glancing over the application she'd been handed. At Robert's mention of someone vouching for them, she followed his gaze towards Teddy, and found herself reminded of the depth of gratitude she held for her brother, who merely offered a bashful smile.

Lily glanced at Alex when he brought up his lack of summer plans. Oddly enough there was a sense of relief in her at the thought that Alex would have somewhere to go, something positive to look forward to. Maybe she'd sort of assumed another summer with his parents would bring him back to the person she'd discovered he had been when she wasn't around. But that was not exactly comforting either, that his progress could slip so easily. Ugh.

Teddy glanced towards Robert. "Could I grab you for a second?"

He led his uncle outside and into the hall, glancing around to check they had some semblance of privacy in the bustling hospital before he allowed the concern he'd hidden from the two students to darken his face. "It's obviously going to be up to the Headmaster, but I think he'll listen to me... How do we handle this? Students obviously need to be aware there's danger but you and I both know how quickly mob mentality and group panic sets in when a werewolf is involved. Last thing I want is a witch hunt for someone who had a bad batch of Wolfsbane, or a student who didn't know where to turn."

Left alone, Lily lifted her own application towards Alex, almost as a toast. "Well this is something."

(of course, its okay )

"Well, that sounds fine to me, Alex. I normally am here by seven or eight in the morning, but so long as you're here any time that morning before nine, I think that would be fine," Robert replied. He stepped out into the hall to talk to Teddy and listened while Teddy shared some concerns about the repercussions of a werewolf in Hogwarts--something Robert was well acquainted with since he'd been through that precise situation with Remus when the two of them had been in Hogwarts together.

"Well," Robert told Teddy, "fortunately, this generation tends to be far more inclusive that your father's and your grandfather's generation were. It may give you some opportunity to teach some classes in, first of all, keeping oneself safe from dangerous magical creatures. Based on how many people I see here in A&E, that should be refreshed periodically anyway in my humble opinion, along with some very practical bits that one does not need to be frightened of a werewolf during broad daylight or during the rest of the month when the moon is not in full cycle. Our world has a wide variety of dangers, as you know, so a practical brush up for all students would not go amiss. I also think, though, that a class on inclusivity has been missing for decades, and this generation of students is particularly able to receive it and empower it. Perhaps being told the sort of life your dad had when he spent so much of his life as not only a persona non grata, but someone who was actively shunned by most everyone he came in contact with might help create some of that inclusivity. Isn't that how we learn how our ignorance affects others, by having a real conversation about the consequences of certain attitudes and actions? You can create awareness with this group of students and fire them up and empower them to continue to spread the grassroots movement that people have tried to grow for many, many years. It's not an instant solution, but it certainly is needed.

"As for Alex, well, I have a couple thoughts, if I can take a page or so from history. First, a full moon cycle can last up to three nights before it passes, and, I'd have to check the calendar to be sure, but I think perhaps tonight is the last of the cycle. If Alex takes his dose of wolfsbane before he leaves here or at the hospital wing at the school, no one should be any the wiser. His wound will have to remain dressed anyway. and by the time he needs to start taking wolfsbane again, he'll be on summer break.

"What we did to help protect your dad, I'm sure you know, was that Dumbledore commissioned the Shrieking Shack for your dad to get him off school grounds and into a safe place during the full moon. It kept him safe for years both from harming others or being harmed by others. I don't know that we could repeat that use of the shack now since the secret is out. However, since my farm is unplottable and I have quite a large property, Alex could perhaps come there tonight if he likes. I think the wolfsbane would keep him safe, but, if you're looking for a night's additional safety insurance, it's a thought.

"Your dad often stayed with us when he wanted to be tucked away from the public. One of his very favorite spots is there, and I honestly don't think you know it. I don't recall showing it to you anyway. It's just a little speck of a water that wants to be a lagoon when it grows up, but it's always been a particularly pretty spot because its got some small natural river rock waterfalls and such. Makes it look like an enchanted spot all its own. Some of our friends have used that spot to get married at because of how it looks. Remus used to prefer, when the weather was good, to camp out there rather than to stay in the house. In fact, he used to take Khaat with him on quite a few of those camp outs. Alex might actually like the peace and quiet, and since Lily is such an anchor for him, perhaps she should tag along with him. It's just a suggestion, though. We could surely say that they were working with me to help me procure some potions ingredients to replace some that I need for St. Mungo's. It's as good an excuse as any since some ingredients are better harvested at night anyway."

With a nod of agreement, Alexander's lips curled into a gentle smile, expressing his appreciation for Lily's assistance as she gracefully extended a pen towards him. "Thank you," he murmured, his focus solely on the task at hand. Completely unaware of Teddy and Robert slipping out of the room, his attention remained fixed on the paperwork before him.

Silently, his hand moved across the page, meticulously filling out the required information. A soft chuckle escaped his lips, a lighthearted response to an amusing thought that crossed his mind, but it went unnoticed by Lily as she concentrated on her own portion of the application. Finally, with a sense of accomplishment, he lifted the completed form, holding it up to Lily's.

"It is," he agreed, the lingering smile adorning his features, a testament to the pleasant atmosphere they had created together.

Teddy knew the school well enough to suspect it would be difficult to keep Alex’s bite under wraps. No one but the Healers and Lily had seen Alex admitted into the school Hospital Wing so it wasn’t impossible, as he knew with Lily. But Lily had not been bitten at school or during the school year. There was a chance it could stay private, but he was anticipating the worst.

Not that there was any reason for shame, not at all. But Alex had already gained quite a reputation. Teddy worried the scrutiny the boy was under would only amplify now, and just when he had finally gotten back on track.

Teddy feared sudden pro-werewolf programming at the school would only serve as more reason for the students to investigate, would only increase the ‘debate’ as to there place in school. And, at the end of the day, Teddy was just one guy. He couldn’t very well ask Lily to support him on the student front either.

Merlin, this was tough. He was too young to feel so tired.

“We definitely need all of that and more,” he said with a bit of a sigh. “It’s a fine line, trying to give him the privacy to process and adjust, and to get the students on board. Thank Merlin for the summer holiday, that’ll give me a chance to really lobby to the Headmaster, maybe find some ambitious students to pull on board to add support.”

He felt a twinge of guilt as they began discussing plans for where Alex could stay, knowing he had worked out this very plan with Lily in secret.

But the guilt gave way to gratitude as Robert began to describe a favorite spot of his father’s. It was always a nice reminder, that there were still people who loved his dad and kept his memory, especially considering Teddy had none of his own. Khaat and Robert and the whole Lupin clan always made Teddy feel closer to his roots.

“I’d like to see it,” he said softly. “And I think it’d be nice for Alex to be around more stable adults. His parents are…” he weighed his words. “Aloof. He started off the year, honestly, an outright bully on track for expulsion. He’s found his way though and I don’t want this to undo his process. Being around people who understand, and who understand werewolves… I can imagine it’d be healing.”

He’d get to the whole “Lily should tag along” issue later.

Then he added, “Speaking of, thank you for mentioning the internship. I’ve been telling Lily she should reach out to you for opportunities, and the two of them really are Potions-obsessed. They’ll probably overstay their welcome,” he laughed.


Alex immediately set to work, so she sat and began to fill it out. She’d always been a slow writer, so he was done well before her, but she honestly enjoyed the act of silently working alongside him. Just like old times.

She held up her half finished one as well, smiling. Then the smile flickered.

“You… feeling okay?”

Robert listened to Teddy tell him that Alex's parents were aloof. Yeah, he understood that. He had met a lot of parents in his time that had been described to him as aloof, and they tended to be adults who were biologically capable of procreating but really should not have been allowed to do so. They were usually self absorbed, materialistic prats in some version or another. Teddy was on the right track to wand Alex to have some adults in his life who wouldn't just simply either blow past him or add him off.

In point of fact, Robert had a soft spot for decent folks who had the same illness that Remus had had. Shoot, he had five werewolves living on Brian's estate right now, three of which were working for Robert: two werewolf men, a pair of sixteen year old werewolf girls, and one of the werewolf men had just taken in a seven year old werewolf orphaned Romanian lad who didn't bloody even speak English yet.

Robert reached into his pocket, took out his key ring, and took off an old, tarnished and rather battered looking skeleton key..

"Here. I honestly don't need this to get home," Robert said, handing the portkey to Teddy. "Do be careful with it, though. The bow needs two full turns to the right to activate. Kate's there, of course, and she's got Abbey today. They were planning to make pot roast, and some sort of strawberry cookies for supper. You'll all certainly be welcome because you know she cooks as if she were feeding a large platoon. So go whenever you like and make yourselves at home. Kate or I, either one, can take you to Remus's spot."

When Teddy mentioned that Alex and Lily would overstay their welcome in the potions lab, Robert laughed.

"You do realize, don't you, that there is no such thing as wearing out one's welcome in a potions lab, right? Not when they're interested in what they're doing and have a knack for it," Robert grinned. "And finding it in the pair of them? That made my day. If they want to learn, and I mean really learn, besides, just the Hogwarts' potions curriculum--no offense--I can give that to them. For one thing, I know I do have to go backpacking sometime this summer through some of the continental hinterlands to some of my old mates to get some of the more obscure ingredients replaced. I'll be taking one of my employees with me because he's fluent in Romanian. So, if they're into backpacking in the Carpathians, then they'll have the opportunity to meet and pick the brains of some of the real potions masters."

Alex's voice wavered slightly, carrying traces of uncertainty, as he attempted to gauge his own well-being. The weight of his words hung in the air, echoing the complex emotions that swirled within him. Though lingering pain persisted, it had diminished in comparison to the intensity experienced prior to their arrival at the hospital. The onslaught of recent events had been a whirlwind, a cascade of overwhelming circumstances to process. Yet, amidst the tumult, Lily's unwavering presence provided solace and support, a steadfast companion by his side.

Pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts, Alex spoke again, his tone a blend of vulnerability and resilience. "I suppose I'm as good as I can be," he murmured, his voice carrying the echo of lingering doubts. He acknowledged that the magnitude of the situation had left its mark, leaving him grappling with the aftermath. However, the knowledge of Lily's unwavering friendship and the strength they drew from each other gave him a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos.

In this poignant exchange, the complexities of the human experience unfolded. Alex's admission revealed both the remnants of pain and the flicker of resilience that burned within his heart. With Lily's unwavering support, he found solace in the knowledge that he was not alone, that together they could navigate the stormy seas of uncertainty.