Spinner's End

Severus handed his dog over to the young witch behind the counter. She rang it up and handed it back to Severus, who was growing a bit sleepy as his mid-day nap time was nearing. He copied Lucius, and rested his head against Abraxas' shoulder. It was different from being held by his Mum--but it was really nice. His Father never held him or gave him such attention. Severus closed his eyes, feeling sleepy and safe.

Eileen smiled, and followed Abraxas out of the joke shop.

"The boys must be hungry, it's past noon." She said, glancing around the various storefronts. She looked back to Abraxas. "Your arms are full, let me help you." Eileen reached for Lucius and took him into her arms. "Lucius, are you hungry?"

"I believe that's adding to how tired they are. I'm sure that will morph into cranky if we don't feed them soon enough. And yes-- thank you. Careful-- he's a bit- well, never mind." Abraxas blinked in surprise as Eileen was more than capable of holding his son. Her thin appearance threw him off. He adjusted Severus so he could hold him better now having an arm free.

"Hungry... Yes, I'm hungry." Lucius pouted as his stomach growled. He wrapped his arms around Eileen's neck- never having been held by a woman before as his mother passed when he was far too young to remember her. Eileen was different than his father, her skin was soft and her scent was not heavy like Abraxas's cologne. He sighed in contentment, drifting off to sleep.

"This way then. There's a cafe we can eat at right around the corner." Abraxas put his free arm around Eileen, not needing it to hold Severus since the boy was so light. He lead them inside the Parisian style cafe, where they were lead back to a booth. Abraxas gently sat Severus down, not wanting to wake him just yet. He removed his duster coat, wrapping him up with it to keep him warm. "Let's not wake them yet. It will take them awhile to get to us." He sat down beside Severus in the booth. "This is new. I've been wanting to try the food here for weeks. I have a weakness for crepes."

Eileen lowered Lucius into the booth, and smoothed a bit hair out of his face. She sat down, taking up the last bit of space on the seat that Lucius wasn't. Eileen didn't take up much room. She smoothed her threadbare sweater, and took one of the menus on the table, briefly looking over it. Her hands disappeared beneath the table to rest in her lap and her fingers traced the edges of one of the patches on her long skirt.

For a moment something devious occurred to her--the thought of her hand drifting beneath the table and pinching Abraxas' knee. She wouldn't really do it, but the thought made a small smile appear in place of the usual flat line of her lips.

She seemed to want to say something after Abraxas announced his fondness for crepes.

"They are delicious." She said. "Perhaps there's something at the table I've a weakness for also." The moment it was out of her mouth, the shock at her slip had registered in her dark eyes. She picked up the menu once more. "What I meant was, something on the menu, of course." She glanced down at it again.

Abraxas glanced over to her sweater. It was worn and it wouldn't do. She was a good woman who didn't deserve to wear such rags. "We still need to get you clothes. Maybe I'll take the boys to the candy sto-" He paused as it dawned on him. Two wired little boys on sugar didn't seem like such a good idea when he reconsidered it. "-To the book store while you go look. Lucius likes to read, and I remember in the car the other day that Severus shown some interest in reading."

He blinked at her, wondering why she looked so shocked. "Well of course you do. There's citrus fruit pates on the table. Who doesn't have a weakness for blood orange jellies?" He motioned toward the glass dish on the table and snapped one up. He had a very satisfied expression on his face after he finished it.

"It's been awhile since I've had these, you know. I ate them all the time during the war." He ate another, glancing back to the menu when it hit him. What if it wasn't the jellies? He glanced around the table, trying to figure out what in blazes she could have a weakness for. He hardly doubted it was condiments like salt and pepper. That left him. "...Unless you weren't talking about citrus pates." He cleared his throat, and lowered his voice to make their conversation more private. "...Was that a hint?"

"Severus is learning to read. He's picked it up very quickly and does quite well. However, I'm not sure he could make out much in my old potions book which he was playing with in the car. He's a smart boy, but that's a bit advanced."

Eileen raised an eyebrow at the glass dish of jellies and watched Abraxas continue on in his clueless manner which amused her.

She took one of the jellies.

"Of course--the jellies...I absolutely adore them." She hated them, and did not try to hide the look on her face that said so. "No Abraxas, I didn't mean the jellies, though I...hadn't meant to say it at all. But now you know. You're a good man, which seems a bit of a rarity--or at least, I've not met many of them. Sometimes kindness is all it takes, really. You know how I was as a girl, so I shouldn't have to tell you, that I do not lower my defenses for just anyone--being vulnerable is a risky business." Eileen lowered her menu, and placed her order after Abraxas. She added a side of toast to her order for Severus. No doubt the boy would be awoken by the scent of their food once it appeared upon the table.

Abraxas ordered crepes for himself and Lucius, who liked his with raspberries. He'd wake up soon enough, and adult talk would officially be over. "Ah... do you." He gave her an amused look as gave the jellies a look of disdain. "It's written all over your face."

He ran a hand through his thick hair, giving her a serious look. "Eileen, I know... what you mean when you say vulnerability is risky- attraction is a scary business in it of it's self. I suppose if you let yours down, I'll let mine. It's only fair. ...I'm sure that you've guessed by now from my er... clueless nature moments ago that I don't exactly have much experience with the... romantic sort. Elenore wanted to divorce me, I was a rather distant husband after all. But I didn't love her, we married because it was a good match. She was from Paris, a pureblooded witch from an aristocratic family, our offspring were going to be quite something."

He took the cup of coffee from the waitress, sipping at it idly before continuing. "I lost my parents when I was very young. I grew up mostly alone, save for my guardian. ...I'm not good at being affectionate. I believe I'm fairly stunted in that area." He sat the cup down and looked at her. "I think you are an amazingly patient woman, Eileen Prince. If you endeavor to be patient with me..." He trailed off and instead reached over to put his hand on top of hers. "Then I would be honored to further our relationship."

"I'm not asking you to do anything you'd be uncomfortable with--I wouldn't. I hardly have any better experience than you do, and likewise I am not easy with affection. I have no absurd vision of romance, as too many women seem to. I am a woman who puts more stock in reality than fairy-tales. I apologize if I sound sour, but it is the truth--at least, it is my truth."

Their waitress placed their food in front of them. Across from her in the corner of Abraxas' seat, Severus began to stir a bit, but did not yet wake.

"...If I decided to not do things that made me uncomfortable, I never would have left the manor." He said pointedly. "I don't either, which is why Elenore and I didn't get along so well. I am not very romantic but... I don't believe a person should be without love." He started in on his crepes.

"Maybe affection comes easier when people like each other." He said idly. "...You don't sound sour, Eileen. Never..." He frowned. "Your thoughts echo my own. Perhaps then, we're both sour grapes." He teased and looked down to Severus. "I think the children are starting to stir."

Lucius yawned a little, sniffing the air. "Mmmph." He yawned and sat up straight, looking sleepily down at the food. "Oh!" He grinned and started in on his crepes- he fell asleep and suddenly lunch was there- the best option possible.

"...We'll talk more when it's just us." Abraxas smiled a little and concentrated on finishing up the rest of his food.

Severus was happy to have food in front of him. He finished the toast Eileen had ordered for him, and was even happier when she shared her food with him. Normally Severus didn't eat much, but Eileen figured that change of environment changed a lot of things. With the constant tension gone her son showed a lot of differences. Perhaps it was also the better quality of the food that lured him in. She was glad to see he was enjoying the food, and it made her smile when he would stop eating to check on his Cerberus as if to make sure it had not gone somewhere.

"Are you going to name your dog, Sev?" Eileen asked, before taking a sip of her juice.

Severus glanced over at the dog, pondering.

"Lucius said it's name is Cerberus...sounds sorta like mine. Mum...did you name me after a dog?" Severus asked, giving her look as he did so, hoping that he had not been named after a dog. Eileen chuckled at his expression.

"No, Severus. My Mum and Dad didn't get on so well either, and once when I was about your age, my Mum decided to take me and leave. She had a wizard friend who lived in Muggle Germany, and we went there for awhile. I don't remember much of it, I was very young. However, I always remembered the cathedral. We went there a few times with Mum's friend--I don't even remember his name--but the cathedral was called Severikirche...which is German for Church of St. Severus. I didn't understand the things they said or did there, but it was beautiful. I always remembered the carvings, the statues, the artwork, the light through the stained glass, and something else...despite my lack of understanding, the place always had a sort of peace about it. I hadn't seen anything so beautiful before or since--until you were born, and I looked down at your tiny face, and you looked up at me. I named you after something beautiful because you were beautiful to me, and I named you after a place that for a short time in my life had granted me peace, in hope that I would find it again."

Severus blushed a bit at his mother calling him beautiful, but he watched her as she went on and finished her explanation. He hadn't expected something like that, so he just sat back in the booth looking very thoughtful and said:

"Oh."

Eileen reached over and swept a lock of dark hair back from his face.

"And as for you dog, Sev, it's yours and you can change it's name. You can call it whatever you wish."

Severus picked up the dog and stared at it for a good while, trying to come up with something creative but there was nothing spectacular coming to him.

"Guess I'll call 'em Three." Severus stated, petting each of the three heads.

"That's a beautiful story. You are a lucky boy to have such a thoughtful mother. Mybe over the holidays we can go visit the cathedral for ourselves." He murmured and looked over to Eileen before turning his attention back to Severus. "Three! I like it. It's to the point and means exactly that. I like things that are to the point. Lucius didn't have a name for the first three months of his life because I wasn't sure what to call him, other than baby."

Lucius made a face at that, looking over at his father from the other side of the table. He wondered if his father had a good reason for his name, once he figured out what it was going to be. "Father, why did you pick my name?"

Abraxas looked thoughtful. "Well. I have a name with two meanings, one positive, one negative. I figured I would do the same thing for you- give you a name that meant two things. Which side you decide to portray is up to you. Your name is connected to the fallen angel Lucifer. The other side of your name means light barer."

Lucius looked contemplative and sat back in the book, munching on his crepes. "What's your name mean, father?"

Abraxas toyed with the end of his crepe with his fork. "A magic word." He murmured and didn't bother to say the other part of his name. "Boys, after lunch- we're going to go to the bookstore, give your mother a chance to buy some clothing for herself. How does that sound?"

Lucius smiled wide. "Great! I want to get some new books."

"Mum had lotsa books back n' our ol' house." Severus mused, brushing hair back from his face and smearing strands of it with syrup. "Some of 'em smelt funny." He added.

"Oh, Sev." Eileen got a napkin, and attempted to wipe the sticky mess from her sons hair, but the napkin was not up for the job. She tried a charm that should have cleaned it away, but the mess remained. The only wandless magic she had ever been decent at had been a few simple healing charms, which was for once a lucky break for her, as unfortunately, such charms had in recent past been a necessity. "I'm going take Sev to the loo and clean him up."

"Mu-uuum..." Severus whined, as her hand wrapped round his small wrist. He looked up at her pleadingly. Eileen turned to Abraxas. "My hairs alright, innit?"

"No, you've smeared syrup in it. Abraxas, would you mind a cleaning charm? Severus doesn't like the public facilities." She frowned. "Tobias once told him there were monsters in them and--"

"-annit would eat narsty lil' worfless bastards like me." Severus finished, slouching down in the booth and almost slinking beneath the table to hide. "It's lots more scarier than the attic monster what almos' eated me and Lucius! Betcha loo-Monsters gots bigger teeth." Now he did slide under the table, dark eyes peeking out from curtains of dark hair, from under the table.

"Severus, enough." Eileen said, tugging him up gently and sitting him back down.

"There are no loo-monsters. Your father was a lousy no-good arse. I won't make you this time, but next time, we will go into the loo if I have to drag you screaming into it, and I'll show you there's nothing going to hurt you in it. I won't allow you to let your father's cruelty keep you from the loo, he's done quite enough as it is."

Lucius frowned. Bathroom monsters? What in the world were those, and why would someone lie about that? He frowned. Tobias must have been a horrible man indeed to make up such a terrible lie.

Abraxas frowned. "Ah, Severus- no, it's not fine. You're sticky. Things will stick to you, or you will stick to them. But don't worry, that's what cleaning charms are for." He ran a hand over Severus's dark hair, removing the sticky mess with a cleaning charm. He was quite good at them now, as Lucius was obsessed with having perfect, beautiful hair. "Now, it is fine."

He looked over to Eileen as she spoke, and scowled. One day, Tobias's day, was coming. "Severus, I travel all over the world and have seen many different kinds of nasty things. I have with great authority, that monsters do not haunt bathrooms." He said slowly, and carefully. "And even if there was a monster in there, there are proper protocols to handling these things. Since it's my job to check these things out, I will go and see this first hand. However-- I think you should go with me. You're a brave little boy, and I could use your help. Come on." He got out of the booth and extended his hand.

Severus hesitated for a moment, but he trusted Abraxas more than he had ever trusted another adult other than his Mum. He remembered Lucius reassuring him the night after they'd gotten in trouble for sneaking into the attic to see the demon, that Abraxas would never hurt either of them, even if they were in trouble. Abraxas would protect him--even from loo-monsters. Severus crawled out of the booth and went to Abraxas, placing his small hand in Abraxas' hand.

As they moved towards the back of the building, a building sense of excitement began to swirl around with his fear. Part of him even hoped that there really was a monster, so Abraxas could kill it like he'd killed the demon in the attic. He might've been a small man, but Severus was a small child, and in Severus' eyes the brave man who had rescued them, who was fair and patient even in his anger, seemed larger than life and like a hero that could conquer anything--even the most horrible monster.

"I bet it knew you were comin' an' it already runned off." Severus said, looking up to Abraxas with admiration.

Lucius watched them go, looking to Eileen with a frown.

"Ms. Prince, why is Severus's father so mean?" He asked and then bit his lip. "I'm sorry if I shouldn't have asked but I just don't understand. Parents aren't supposed to be awful to their children. Father's scary, but he'd never hurt me. Why... why is it different for Severus?"

-

"Ah, I could only wish. As you'll find out Severus, monsters are quite stupid you know. They're arrogant and cocky, thinking that they're the smartest, best, and greatest thing to ever exist. But that's how you defeat them. Once you show them that you're not afraid, they'll back down. The monster in the attic, he thought he could disobey and get away with it. He did not." He held on to the small boy's hand as they entered.

The bathroom was seemingly fine. A few urinals and a few stalls. Other than them, the bathroom was totally empty. "It is time for the inspection. Steel yourself, son. Stand straight up."

He walked over to the sinks, turning on the water. "No sign of anything here. You would know if a monster was hiding in the sink. There'd be a massive amount of slime." He walked over toward the urinals. "These are also fine. No slime. No nothing." He let go of Severus's hand, glancing toward the stalls. "Final inspection."

Abraxas kicked in the stall doors, one by one, checking each one. "Nothing. No monsters." He went back over to Severus, kneeling down in front of him. He put his hands on the small boy's shoulders. "Monsters, you see, are simply far too large to fit in a bathroom. Even in the toilet. They can't hide anywhere. Your father was simply trying to scare you, and told you an uninformed lie to do it. You believed him because he's your father- but I will tell you Severus, as an expert, that it's impossible for a monster to exist here. The only one who is a monster here is your father, for telling you something so awful to cause you fear."

Eileen looked down her nose at Lucius. She frowned, too.

"Lucius dear, some people--Muggle and Wizard alike-are just nasty and cruel. Severus' father is one of those people. He's just got a lot of mean in him."

Eileen looked away from Lucius' gray eyes, back towards the door to the restroom.

Inside the restroom, Severus was watching Abraxas as the man knelt in front of him and spoke to him about his father lying, his father being a monster. Severus tilted his head in a slight nod, showing that he agreed with what Abraxas had said. He was relieved to find out the bathroom was clear of monsters. Even though Abraxas said the monsters were lies anyway, there was part of Severus that wanted to believe Abraxas really had scared them into leaving before the two of them had even entered the restroom.

"Th-thank you." Severus said. "You're the best." He added, with a small smile, and then scurried out of the restroom and back to the table where he climbed into the booth. "Lucius, your Dad says it's un-possible for monsters to live in the loo."

"And he's right." Eileen said, moving out of the booth and sliding Severus out after her, taking his hand.

"Are we going to the bookstore now, Mum?"

Lucius didn't say anything in response to what Eileen said. He considered how lucky he was to have his father, who protected him, and now other people as well. Things could have been remarkably different- in ways that frightened him.

Once he saw Abraxas come out of the bathroom with Severus, he listened to what the younger boy had to say. "F...father's good at figuring out what's impossible." He climbed out of the booth and took his father's hand, wanting to stick by him.

"We are... But your mother's going to meet up with us in just a bit. She's going to buy her own new clothing. ...And not just one thing. Not second hand either. Nice clothing. Things she'll want to wear instead of having to wear them out of no choice." He said and then looked to Eileen. He handed her some galleons. "Really. Get yourself what you need. The boys and I will go pick out some reading material while you're gone. We'll be fine- it'll give us a chance to have some gentlemanly bonding time."

Lucius didn't know what that meant. But it sounded like fun. He gripped his father's hand. "Okay! I think I want to pick up something new to read.."

Eileen accepted the galleons, and nodded curtly in understanding.

"Thank you." She looked down to Severus, who was now at Abraxas other side, looking up at him with the most admiring gaze. It made a small smile curve her lips. She thought about telling him to be good, but on second thought, she did not think it was needed. "Have fun then, and I'll see you strapping young men a bit later."

She parted ways with them outside the cafe, and walked down the sidewalk stopping to look into some of the display windows, and glance at witches and wizards in the street to see if she remembered any of them. She finally went into one of the stores and went about the hunt for some nicer clothing.

Severus tagged alongside Abraxas, once in awhile falling behind as he stopped to look at something. Everything was wonderful and new to him, and it was certainly a lot to take in. Outside one store there were cages with owls, cats, and one with a tattered looking ferret that ran around the cage leaping at the bars as if it were mad. The owls looked a bit worse for the wear too, bent feathers or bald patches. The cats looked like they had seen better days, one was missing an ear and eye and had four front paws. Another hissed and spat angrily, waving his paw through the cage to try and snag anything it could hurt. The ferret continued to bang and clang around in circles, rocking the cage madly. It gave a horrible shrill shriek, which made Severus cringe and cover his ears, and then it burst into a blue flame. Severus gasped at the smoldering creature. After a moment of laying seared at the bottom of its cage, the ferret poked its head up, gave it a shake, and dashed off again in maddening circles with a waft of bluish smoke off the tip of its tail.

A sign on the ferret's cage read 'Half Off' but there was a line drawn through it, beneath that had been 'Best Offer' but yet again a line had been marked through it, and the final correction read in bold FREE DAMMIT.

"That'll make yeh fine pet, lad. Just don't pet it, might scorch yer finners." A wizard with a large pipe between his teeth stated, looking down at Severus with one eye--the other was behind a patch. "Or...could make it into a nice fur for yer Mam iffin' she don't mind the burst o'fire n whatnot." The wizard shrugged, puffed his pipe, and blew out a stream of smoke which took shape of a train that circled round Severus' head and then disappeared. "What say yeh, take it off me hands, then?"

Severus shook his head.

"Gotta go." He scrambled after Abraxas and Lucius, and went into the bookstore with them.

Abraxas blinked down at Severus, after he caught up with them. "Do take care to not wander, Severus. This is your first time in the wizarding world and it can be quite intimidating." He reached down and took the smaller boy's hand. Inside the bookstore, it was vast and cluttered at the same time. Books zipped in and out between the bookshelves, a broom busied it self sweeping up dust here and there.

The old wood floor beneath them creaked as they walked in. In the middle of the room there were a few over stuffed armchairs surrounding a fireplace- which a warm fire was flickering cheerfully in the hearth.

"Ah... I love that smell. It's the comforting scent of age, mixed with dust, sprinkled with knowledge. Come along boys, let's go find something of interest." He wasn't sure what books Severus would want to read. He was interested in Eileen's potions book, but he was only four. However, he also seemed interested in exploring, and getting into trouble- he 'hmmed' in thought. He walked over to an odd end table and picked up a copy of the Tales of Beedle the Bard.

Lucius glanced at the book his father had picked up. He owned a copy of that at home. It was standard reading for all children- a collection of wizard fairy tales. "Come on, Sev! Let's go look for something good. Father- can we go explore the store?"

"...Yes, but be good. No rough housing. And don't leave the store. Come see me by these chairs when you're done." Abraxas said and went over to go sit down. He picked a chair that he could see the front door and most of the store well enough in to keep an eye on the boys.

Lucius took Severus's hand. "Come on Sev- let's go find somethin' good. You're too little to read yet I think, but that's okay. Father or myself can read to you until you learn." He tugged on his hand- wanting to go over to a stack of brightly colored books.

Severus took Lucius hand and went along with him, looking slightly offended.

"Sure I can read...a little. Mum's taught me some, an' she says I'm smart." He looked proud at that, and looked around at all the books flying here and there, one zipping right past his head. He hopped up on his toes and reached for it, but it was too quick and zigzagged off to a wiggle into an open spot on a shelf. "I dinnit know books could fly." Severus mused. "Muggle books don't fly...unless you throw 'em."

"Oh, well- I didn't know. Most kids your age don't know A's from C's, even kids who'll be witches and wizards." He figured that was because most kids their ages were off playing and doing things. But... Severus was going to always going to be different.

"Well... books here are different. They tend to get bored really easily and require movement." He reached up to catch one before it zipped into a different spot. "But... it does make it very hard to find the book you need... When they keep moving." He struggled with the book he caught, forcing it down to the ground- where he opened it.

"There- once you get it open, they're fairly docile. Turns out this one's about the evolution of the phoenix." He pointed to the large colorful moving picture, which showed the colorful bird slowly aging from chick, to majestic bird, to bursting into flame and being born anew.

Severus gasped when the bird burst into flames. It was like that crazy ferret-only the bird was much more beautiful.

"Whoah. Lots of animals set on fire here, huh? They don't back where I came from. Once--oof." Severus was cut off by a heavy book flying into him, and nearly knocking him over. He laid the thick book on the floor, and knelt by it looking curiously at the cover before continuing on. "Cept that one time, when I was upset in my room an' made a spider explode...on accident."

Severus bit his lip at his confession, and then opened the book that had flew into his arms. He could make out some of the words, but not enough.

"What's it say Lucius?" He pointed at the page he was bent over, the tip of his hooked nose almost touching the parchment as he concentrated, mentally trying to sound out the tough words.

"Ah! There it is--oh I'm quite sorry about this. Got away from me, that one did!" A small wizard in silver robes dashed towards them, his eyes grew wide. "Oh my. Certainly not a book for children. This book is from the back, restricted, save for special customers."

The tiny man snapped the cover of the book closed so fiercely that he almost caught Severus' fingers in it.

"What does 'restricted' mean? How come only special people get to read it?" Severus asked, brushing strands of hair out of his face.

"So many questions for such a small boy." The wizard frowned and looked at Severus down his nose. "Dark things are not for children, hardly for adults either." He hefted the book, which teetered him off balance and seemed on the verge of knocking him over completely. The small wizard scurried off under the weight of the massive book.

"Lucius...what does he mean 'bout dark things?"

--


Eileen was not a woman who enjoyed shopping for clothes. She did not like to linger in front of a mirror at all angles, or spend hours searching for the perfect this or that. She had long ago realized that most anything she bought would hang from her thin frame rather shapelessly and flat. She was tall, thin, with what she felt were spindly legs and she kept them hidden with fabric. She chose her clothing, steering well away from bright shades and gaudy patterns that she considered to be eyesores. Her tastes were simple and perhaps drab; lots of neutral colors.

She looked down at her feet too, noting that the cheap canvas shoes were falling apart badly. Her undergarments were not in better shape, so she replaced all of those too. Eileen paid for her things, but before walking towards the bookstore, she ducked into an alley so she could change.

She ducked into a shadow she hoped would be concealing enough, and changed quickly into a long and flowy olive colored skirt that hit a few inches below her knees, a black tunic shirt, and a pair of flat heeled chocolate colored boots with slouchy tops. She dumped her old threadbare Muggle things into a trash can which ate them up and took them out of her sight forever. She lingered a moment longer, smoothing her skirt out and then tying a braided belt at her waist, the color matching her boots. The belt was her feeble attempt at trying to give herself a bit of a shape. Anyway, that didn't matter as much. She felt wonderful in her new clothing, and she enjoyed the way her new and well fitting shoes conformed to her feet.

Before she left the alley, she took her hair down from its usual knot at the back of her head. Her long black tresses fell straight and softly around her face and over her shoulders, a contrast to her angular features.

Eileen went into the bookstore, looking around for a sign of the boys or Abraxas. She found him in an comfy looking arm chair.

"Abraxas." She said, and handed him what was left of the galleons he'd given her. "I see the boys haven't torn the place down, yet." She gave a small smile, and sat down in the armchair across from him.

Lucius went quiet for a long time, thinking about how to answer that question. When he finally figured it out, he sat down beside Severus on the ground. "Father said that dark magic is magic that people forgot how to do, whether because they legitimately forgot it, or because they made themselves forget. Dark magic spells are more powerful, and they scare a lot of people because they have the potential to hurt more than a regular spell does. ...Father says it's stupid to be afraid of dark magic, because they're just spells. In the hands of the right witch or wizard, dark magic spells can take you really far. Because they often attract the wrong sorts of witches and wizards, who want to use the spells to torture other people, people started banning them to prevent them from being used again."

Lucius brushed some strands of his blonde hair back. "But if every bad witch or wizard learns the bad spells, and all of the good ones don't want to learn them- how will they protect themselves? ...Father says most people are stupid anyway, and if they are steamrolled by a dark wizard then it's their own fault for being stubborn and scared and not learning how to do counter curses to stop the spells. Father says people are afraid of things they don't understand because they sound scary. He says locking dark magic away is a bad idea, because then no one will learn from it and we'll lose a whole part of our culture."

He frowned a little, looking over at Severus. "Lots of people don't like father because they're afraid of him. He knows dark magic, and they don't. Father would never use those spells on them, but they don't know that. They say awful things about father because they're afraid of him. It doesn't bother him because he just says they're 'ignorant idiots' and 'deserve whatever foul end comes to them', but it bothers me." He frowned deeper. "An'... I don't know why there's a restricted section. If we're not supposed to be looking at the books then why have them on the floor at all. Father's right, people are stupid." Lucius huffed and stood up- offering him his hand. "Come on, let's go find him."

-

Abraxas looked up from the old book in surprise. "Eileen!" He blinked and took in her appearance without her ragged old muggle clothing. "Wow. I... didn't recognize you at first. You look incredible!" He pocketed the rest of the galleons. "I'm glad you were able to find some new things. Those old ones would never do, especially with winter coming."

He put the book down on the little table and shifted so he could look at her while he spoke. "The boys went off to go look around. I haven't heard anything from either one of them, so either they've found something terribly interesting or... they're about to cause terrible trouble. That's why I'm sitting here. I can see what's going on.... Just in case."

"People who don't like your Da are bloody wankers!" Severus proclaimed, when Lucius had finished explaining. "Your Da is...the best. I...I think it would be good to learn those things. Nobody would hurt you, then. Even if they were lots bigger and stronger than you, they wouldn't if you knew bad spells." Severus stood up too, and put his hand in Lucius and followed after him to find Abraxas and his Mum.

--

Eileen flushed a bit, her long slender fingers playing with the end of her braided belt.

"Oh...thank you, Abraxas." She was not used to compliments, and hardly felt she deserved such as 'incredible' but...it was nice to hear receive such compliment nonetheless. Now he was talking about the boys, and why he had chosen his seat for the purpose of keeping an eye on them.

"Good idea." Eileen said. "They're quite the pair, our boys. Oh, here they come now." She smiled a bit, as Lucius and Sev came towards them, hand in hand.

"I know they are. They're stupid, they're cowardly- they just don't want to understand and when the time comes and they really need father's help they will be at a loss because he doesn't help fools. Or... Or..." Lucius made a face. "Bloody... wankers." He didn't know what that meant as that was the first time he had ever head that term before. He shrugged and walked up to his father and Eileen with Severus.

"You're welcome Eileen... and they are. They're coming bookless. Nothing must have tickled their fancies today." He looked down at the two boys as they approached. "Nothing good today?"

Lucius shook his head. "No, father. Nothing good. We got interrupted by the store owner, and then we came to find you."

"Ah... I see. You weren't up to no good, I hope."

"Never father!" Lucius chirped.

Abraxas arched an eyebrow. That remained to be seem. He stood up, and picked Severus up, putting the small boy on his shoulders. "Come along then. Eileen, one more stop and then we can return home- I believe we need to go to Olivanders and see about getting you a replacement wand."

"Olivanders, oh it's been ages since I've been there!" Eileen said, following at Abraxas side, and taking Lucius' hand. She was remembering how it had felt to hold the first wand he had given her. It took more than one try to find a match for her, but she would never forget how that first one felt. It was a rite of passage, and now it was one she would revisit as an adult, coming back into her own as a witch; regaining her heritage, regaining her power, regaining herself.

"I'm tall!" Severus said happily, sitting on Abraxas' shoulders. He rested his chin on top of Abraxas' head, and looked over at his Mother, who looked happier than he could ever remember. "Look Mam, I'm tall as you now!"

"Yes you are." Eileen said, patting his head.