SIYE Time:21:03 on 17th April 2024 SIYE Login: no | | |
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Category: Pre-OotP, Alternate Universe
Characters:Harry/Ginny
Genres: Drama
Warnings: Mental Abuse
Story is Complete
Rating: PG-13
Reviews: 87
Summary: Auror Spook Kitty Fawley thought the difficult part of her return to the UK would be getting Sirius out of prison and recovering Harry from his Muggle relatives. Turns out that was the easiest thing she would do. To help them, Kitty will delve into a mystery deeper than any she faced in the field.
Hitcount: Story Total: 134208; Chapter Total: 3917
Awards: View Trophy Room
Author's Notes: PLEASE NOTE I AM PUTTING TWO CHAPTERS UP TODAY. THE FIRST IS CHAPTER 21 -- FOR SOME REASON IT WAS OVERLOOKED IN THE VALIDATION PROCESS. IT GOES INTO THE HEAD OF HOUSE AND IT WILL MAKE THINGS MUCH CLEARER WHEN YOU READ THE REST OF THE STORY. THEN YOU SHOULD READ THIS CHAPTER. THANK YOU. MNF
PS: This is the chapter I would have posted on Monday, but I won't be home, so you're getting it early. See you next Thursday. MNF
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Chapter 24:
Clean
April 1986
“Are you nervous?” Kitty asked Sirius as they laid in bed only moments after their alarm had gone off. She’d taken her anti-nausea potion, and they were waiting for it to be fully effective before rising. The morning sickness hit her hard when she reached the eight-week mark.
"I know I should be," Sirius answered. "But after meeting with Brightsword, I feel better about having them removed." Today Sirius was beginning the process of removing his prison tattoos. There were two which would never be removed, the one he'd already altered himself that now was the symbol for "Complete Purification" as it was transformative. He wanted to continue to be transformed as a soon-to-be husband and father. The other, the letters down his abdomen, intended to say, "Always Hurt" were being changed. The way the tattoos were created keyed the runes into Sirius’ central nervous system; removing them could cause irreparable damage to his CNS, and the pain would be excruciating.
When Sirius decided he was ready to remove some of the offensive markings on his skin, Kitty set about finding the best curse-breaker she could. Brightsword, a goblin from America who worked in the Peruvian jungle and at the site of Machu Pichu, was considered the best there was. Laying down considerable gold to bring him to the UK and a sizable donation to the Machu Pichu Magical Foundation, she could get him to work on Sirius. The removal would take place in a specially charmed vault within Gringotts. Twelve goblins would be on the outside, making sure none of the evil escaped into the bank proper.
Kitty moved to sit up and sat quietly for a few minutes. Due to her pregnancy, she was not allowed in the room while the curse removal was taking place. A curse would search out a new host, and with Kitty having two heartbeats within her, she would be particularly enticing. Remus was also not allowed to be with Sirius, as his werewolf side could be unintentionally triggered by the transformational spells being used. They would be in the hall, with the dozen goblins, awaiting the end of the procedures. Harry was going to go fishing with Neville and his Uncle Algie. A Disillusioned Rumple would be accompanying Harry, should he have one of his 'fits.' He'd not struck out at anyone in a long while, but he did seem to go comatose for a few minutes and then shake himself out of it frequently.
“Feeling okay?” Sirius asked. If Kitty moved too fast, she’d vomit. Not something he wanted a repeat of.
“Yes,” Kitty answered, “but I’m a bit dizzy.”
"Cheery," Sirius said softly, and the elf appeared. "Can you bring Kitty some toast, please?" The elf nodded and disappeared, only to reappear a moment later with a plate of toast and a cup of green tea for Kitty and a full English breakfast for him.
Two hours later, Sirius was lying on a rock slab in the middle of the room guarded against curses. The walls had runes, symbols, and markings covering every inch. Kitty knew some of them, but most of these were far beyond her ability to read, let alone use. Her stomach flipped over again as she worried about her fiancé and what he was about to put himself through. She nervously played with her engagement ring, which Sirius noticed and took hold of her hands with one of his.
"I'm going to be fine," he said. "We aren't even starting with the hazardous ones." The ones over his heart would be taken care of in a future date, and Sirius would be under sedation to ensure he remained calm and perfectly still. Brightsword confessed that he had never seen someone survive the burning of these tattoos into their skin, let alone live with them. The only answer, he surmised, was Sirius' innocence of the crime of which he was convicted. Brightsword deduced his innocence negated the power of the curse. There was also an idea Brightsword said he’d encountered in some Greek ruins, when he was just starting his work as a curse-breaker, that suggested love could counteract curses. Sirius deeply loved Kitty and Harry and held onto his love and happy memories of the pair while in prison. This idea was something that intrigued Kitty.
“I know, but what if something happens to you? How am I supposed to live without you? Raise Harry and our little niffler without you?” Kitty rambled, tears in her eyes. Sirius had definitely noticed Kitty's emotions were less controlled than they had been. Thankfully, he remembered how Lily was and just held her hand and said calming words when it happened. Additionally, Kitty didn’t have the temper Lily did, so she usually cried rather than yelled.
“Lord Black, I’m going to start preparing you for the procedure. Lady Fawley, will you please step out into the hall with Mr. Lupin?” The goblin from Gringotts whose duty it was to organize counter-curses said. Kitty nodded, kissed Sirius firmly, and started to back away. She had started to cry again.
"Lady Katie, I'm going to be out with you in no time. Go cry all over Remus, I'm sure he'll appreciate it," Sirius said with his trademark grin, which eased Kitty's mind for a moment. She left the cell and went to Remus' side, where an extremely comfortable looking chair sat.
"That was a rock bench when I last saw it," Kitty said as she eased herself into it.
“Yes, it was. I thought you might be happier in this,” Remus explained. “I did get an ‘O’ in Charms.”
"You did, and thank you," Kitty said, her hands coming together and twisting in what Remus considered an extremely uncomfortable way. He put his hand over the tops of hers to settle them.
“Everything is going to be fine,” he said. “Brightsword told us this procedure was straightforward.”
“I know, but he’s…I didn’t realize how empty I was inside without him. If he died, I’d function, but it would just be existing. He’s my everything, you know?”
“I wish I knew,” Remus confessed. It was the truth. He honestly wished he’d meet someone who could love him with the abandon that his friends seemed to share.
The iron door of the room slid shut with a resounding bang, which caused Kitty to jump. Remus put an arm around her and held her while the twelve goblins raised their hands in unison. They would fight anything which would try to escape, even Sirius if Brightsword didn't say it was safe for him to leave.
Inside the chamber, Sirius had removed his shirt, laid down, and then his wrists were strapped down. This wasn't done because they feared Sirius striking out at the goblins working on him, but rather that he didn't accidentally move and cause himself harm. A young female goblin came up to him with a phial of pink, swirling liquid.
"Hello, Lord Black, my name is Fairblade, and I am Brightsword's companion. This is a concoction I have prepared for you; it will help you relax. Then I’m going to cast some spells to help you stay still. Once we know you're calm, we will begin." This was the first female goblin Sirius had ever met, and while he wouldn't go so far as to say she was beautiful — goblins just weren't — there was a gentle, lovely tone to her voice, and her eyes were very caring. She was pleasing, in a maternal, Molly Weasley sort of way.
“I’m willing to take the potion, but will you tell me what’s in it?” Sirius asked.
"Of course, it's a tisane of lavender, peppermint, chamomile, tulsi basil, and passionflower," Fairblade explained. Sirius nodded, and she poured the liquid down his throat.
“That tastes a lot better than our Draught of Peace does,” Sirius remarked. Fairblade smiled.
“It’s the chamomile and passionflower, they add a sweetness to it,” she explained. “Plus, the crocodile heart is quite bitter, and can cause some people to burp uncontrollably, which is why we’ve removed it.”
"My best friend at Hogwarts had that reaction," Sirius said, remembering James avoiding taking the potion if he could after he burped for two days straight.
Brightsword came over and asked if Sirius was ready, and he nodded he was. Fairblade began chanting in Gobbledygook, and the wizard felt invisible restraints hold him to the table. The goblin then switched to English, surprising Sirius.
"Ancestors past, the sacred space has been prepared. We are here. The sacred time is now. I have nowhere to go, no appointments to keep. I am wholly here and present. Be here with me, protect this one who has use of my skill. Protect our space, our time, our work." The runes on the walls glowed a bright gold, and then a web-like structure was created between the carvings. Sirius thought there was a whole lot about building protection spells wizards could learn from goblins.
Fairblade poured oil over the tattoo being banished, while Brightsword reverted to Gobbledygook for his chanting. When he stopped, Fairblade began ringing a small brass bell covered in runes. They were all the same rune, signifying protection over and over.
Sirius felt a sharp tug, not painfully intense but more akin to his skin being pulled away. For some reason, it reminded him of being hooked by his own fishing hook as a child. His mind then wandered peacefully to Harry and his outing today.
Fairblade stopped ringing the bell and sprinkled something over the oil. The pressure was building, and a thin, smoke-like line was rising from his abdomen. Usually, such a thing would be worrying, but Sirius just peered at it with interest. Brightsword's chanting was more intense now.
Sirius then smelt dragon's blood, something no one forgot once they'd had a whiff. A generous portion was poured onto him by Fairblade. Brightsword lit a candle and set the oil/dragon's blood mixture alight when she stopped. Sirius should have felt burning on his skin, but there was only a faintly warming sensation. The smell of the smoke was nauseating, something Fairblade must have anticipated as she now held another phial in her hands.
"This will combat nausea," she said before pouring it down Sirius' throat. The relief was instantaneous.
“We have safely removed the first tattoo,” Brightsword said. “The area will be tender for two or three days, and you will need to rest and allow any residual magic to leave your system. I will now proceed with the changing of your other tattoos.”
Fairblade came forward and cast a pain relief charm, something which wasn’t done in Azkaban. Sirius recognized the feel of his skin chilling across his abdomen. Brightsword began to chant, this time in Latin, which Sirius recognized from his childhood lessons. As he chanted, he struck a rusted plate, allowing the rust particles to fall onto Sirius’ body.
“Clavus ferreus
Malleus ferreus
Ferrum rufulum
Ferrum Nobilis"
Sirius translated the charm as the goblin spoke, ‘iron, hammer hard, iron flush with a noble punch.' The final word was punctuated with intense pressure against Sirius' gut.
"He's nearly done," Fairblade said gently. "You're aware of what the letters intended before, 'mouth siege hardship' or 'always hurt.' It was designed to starve you to make eating nearly impossible. You must be an extraordinarily strong man to have fought against it." Sirius couldn't speak or move, but he closed his eyelids in thanks.
Brightsword quickly changed the letters, leaving the rune for mouth alone, as it was the one most strongly tied into the CNS. The second rune was transformed to now read 'man,' and the final one was now 'gift.' Mouth Man Gift was far more innocuous. Kitty and Remus had a wager on whether it would make him talk more or eat even more than he already did.
With his breathing heavy and his brow covered in sweat, Brightsword stepped away from Sirius. The golden netting snapped and disappeared and Fairblade released the spells holding Sirius, undoing the restraints on his wrists. She then handed him another phial, this one he recognized as a regeneration potion.
“Stay there for a moment,” she said kindly. “I’ll bring your fiancée in to see you. She was quite worried when we started.”
"She's good at worrying," Sirius said. "Although usually, she doesn't show it. The pregnancy has made her emotions unpredictable." Fairblade smiled and then released the spells holding the iron door shut. She was only one step past the door when Kitty was next to her, asking questions.
The next heartbeat, Kitty was kissing Sirius. He didn't know she could move that quickly and wondered if she'd Disapparated from the door to his side. Brightsword was now recovered and spoke to the couple as Remus walked over.
"He must relax over the next two days. His body will be recovering for many hours, and the skin where the tattoo was is very tender and fragile. Fairblade will give you the recipe for a potion to give him for two days. We should wait three weeks before we attempt any further removal. The next set should be the death and dust rune and the incantation for suffering, which wraps around his body and neck. After these are done, we can remove the heart of lead."
“What about the one for death on his arm?” Kitty asked.
"Brightsword told me how to remove it since I was the one who put it there. See, all gone," Sirius said, and Kitty looked relieved.
“You can sit up slowly and put your shirt back on. Will one of you be getting him home safely? He shouldn’t Apparate until tomorrow,” Fairblade asked.
“We’re taking a Portkey,” Remus said.
"Perfect. Here is the recipe…" she spoke, but Sirius had stopped listening. Remus would know how to treat him once they were home, and it was good enough for him. Sirius sat up, and Kitty wrapped her arms around him, and he returned the gesture.
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