Truth or Silence?
Truth or Silence?
Malfoy Manner
Late Afternoon
It had been weeks since Severus had been summoned to the Malfoys, and he sincerely hoped this was about his godson and not the other child. Draco was turning three in a few days, and Severus had intended to visit then. He understood Narcissa's insistence that he proves his commitment to sobriety before he was allowed to visit regularly. His father had been a drunk. A mean one at that. Cissy was just worried about her son. He admitted part of him was hurt that she thought he may mistreat her child, but still, he understood.
He had been sober for months, he had never been loud about his drinking to begin with though, so it was harder to prove. Narcissa welcomed him in the parlor, and he tried not to flinch over the way she examined his face, looking for signs of drunkenness. "I haven't touched a drop, Cissy. I swear. You know I wouldn't come near Draco if I had."
"I know Sev, but I also haven't seen you in weeks."
"I haven't been invited."
"Lucius has been busy. You are always welcome to come though, provided you haven't been drinking."
"Was I called here for a lecture then?" Snape asked with a smirk.
"You were invited because you are our friend, and I was worried about you. I know you haven't been doing that well and I know why. Don't worry I won't say anything to my husband's people. I still remember school though, and I know you do too."
He couldn't explain his friendship with Narcissa. She had been a year ahead of him at Hogwarts. Lucius a year ahead of her. Sometimes, in his first two years, they would invite him to tag along, but after fifth year, when things went from bad to worse with Potter and Lily stopped talking to him, Narcissa had taken pity on him. She went out of her way to let him tag along, made sure everyone in all the Houses knew he was under Malfoy's protection.
He didn't think Cissy intended for it to end up with him in Voldemort's grasp. He knew a large part of her never wanted anything to do with any of that. She didn't have the tattoo, had never properly joined, preferring to remain on the sidelines. With several members of her family, her husband, and most of her friends all involved it was the best she could do with it. Severus felt as guilty for not helping her escape, as she felt for dragging him into it.
It didn't matter though, that past can not be undone, no matter how it's regretted. All either of them could do was attempt not to fall further into the mess they'd made. Draco was Narcissa's life now, her reason to keep going, when she learned how evil they really were. The idea that they had ordered the deaths of babies just barely smaller than her own, and she feared them. Should she try to say anything of what she felt about it, what would they do to her own child?
Severus and Narcissa were now connected by this as well, their mutual hatred of what their friends had become. He had promised her he would always do whatever he could to keep her baby safe, and she had promised him to never let anyone know how much he had loved Lily Evans and how much he had loved her child by extension.
Draco was brought in before the conversation could continue, and he happily ran to Snape to be picked up. They forgot the seriousness of their conversation in favor of talking to the excited toddler. Snape smoothed his hand over the boy's platinum hair and asked him how he had been doing.
Draco launched into a detailed story of riding a horse, which Narcissa confirmed with a nod, he had received a horse as an early birthday present, along with professional lessons. All because he had announced a few weeks ago that he liked horses. Lucius had a lot of faults, but he did love his son. Lucius had come in as the boy finished talking.
"Hello Severus. I am pleased to see you could join us this evening. We have decided to celebrate Draco's birthday today, as I unfortunately have an unavoidable meeting of his birthday." Lucius said.
"I am pleased to be here, of course." Snape replied. Narcissa rolled her eyes and lead them into the dining room where the house elves had laid out a feast in the boy's honor. No one else had been invited, the only other person they would have considered was Cissy's sister, but she was in prison.
After the birthday cake was brought out, and the child taken upstairs to be put to bed, Lucius pulled Severus aside. "I hear you're sober now."
"I am. I have been." Severus agreed.
"Wonderful. I know losing the Dark Lord was hard on us all, however we can not so publicly fall apart. Luckily, Dumbledore is still convinced you have sided with him and his band of Merry Fools."
"Dumbledore is the King of Fools." Snape replied snidely, not having to fake the contempt he felt for the man. He was fortunate, they had decided he was simply mourning the loss of their leader which cemented him further into the Death Eaters. He knew Cissy at least suspected the truth, but she would not betray him, even to her husband.
As long as he remained in the inner circle, he could investigate for himself the theories Dumbledore unwittingly revealed. Should the horcruxes exist, Snape could locate them easier as an ally than an enemy.
Resembool
Military Command Center
Colonel Elric's Office
Heymans Breda sat nervously on the couch, he was awaiting Colonel Elric and Lt. Fuhrer Mustang. He knew they only had three months left in this area, but he was going to ask to be sent back to Central. He didn't want to permanently leave Elric's team…He just couldn't stand being here right now.
He didn't qualify for bereavement leave, since they had chosen to keep their relationship secret. It wasn't like when Edward was released last year. He never formally announced a relationship with Rose, but she was the mother of his younger child and had lived in his home. His leave was also just as much about keeping him and his family safe as it was about mourning. More so, since threats had been made against his brother and sons, and the threat had already been proven unfortunately real.
None of that help Heymans though. He held no ill will to the people of Ishbal. He had no desire to be reminded of his loss every day at work, which happened when he went into Kappa, it happened when he sat at his desk in Command and the empty desk across from him gathered dust. It happened when he returned to his rooms, and remembered he still needed to sort through the boxes that had been put in storage when they moved out here.
At this point, he thought of asking someone else to sort through those for him. Jean perhaps. He would have to wait until they all got back to Central, but he was in no rush to do it anyway. He could just stay in the dorms and not worry about it for now. He thought about just staying. He had been just staying, because he supported his bosses and believed in the cause…he couldn't take the nightmares anymore.
He stood as Edward and Roy both walked into the requested meeting. Roy waived him down and Edward sat across from him rather than at his desk. Roy leaned against it, not sitting either. "Oy. You knock any of my paperwork down, you get to do it instead." Ed said to Roy without bothering to look at him.
"Is that anyway to talk to your father, or your boss Edward?" Roy asked with a smirk.
"If I started respecting you now, you'd suspect I was a fake and we both know it. I'm polite in public and that's the best you're getting old man." Ed said. "Now, for you Breda. I read your request. I have a counteroffer for you."
"Okay?" Breda said.
"I know why you're asking to transfer. It won't help, but being here isn't helping either. What you really need is a break, which they aren't going to offer you under normal circumstances considering everything. Luckily for you, I have some special connections with the top brass, no one knows why of course." Ed began, Roy was both proud and appalled at how quickly his son had picked up Roy's own way of speaking in these meetings. "My brother, and the princesses of Xing, are going to need a bodyguard while they begin their move to Xerxes. Now the royal family is offering some protection, but we would all feel better if some was offered from Amestris as well, to prove our commitment to this project. I trust you to watch over my brother. The assignment would last about a year, by then they should have security sorted. What do you say?"
"That…thank you." Breda said. He would be in an entirely new location. He would be given the chance to heal, he may even be able to talk Jean into sorting his things before he had to return. It was better than he had hoped for, and he knew they had just made up this assignment to help him. Truthfully, even if they offered him leave he was unlikely to take it. He had seen from others what too much time to think could do.
"Good. I'll have your transfer paperwork in order by the end of the week. Until then you are off active duty, go get what you'll need together. The Emperor will be traveling back through here at the beginning of next week, you will be joining his party for the remainder of his trip." Edward said, before shaking hands with Breda and adding. "I'm very sorry we couldn't save him Heymans. I wish I could do more."
"That's always a dangerous line of thinking sir." Breda said.
"I know, better than most I know. Do not worry Breda, I am a lot of things but a fool isn't one of them, and neither are you." Ed said as he hugged the other man. The whole team had become his family over the years, and he hated that he had failed to see the threat before it happened.
He was still having nightmares himself over how close he had come to losing his wife and sons. He tried not to dwell on it, he had assured Winry he was fine, as she assured him. They both knew they were lying, but there was nothing to do about it but wait for everyone to heal. Meanwhile, he focused on his sons and on finishing the project so he could go home.
Breda felt lighter than he had in months. He went up to his room to begin packing, and to call his mother. She was the one person who knew about it all from the beginning. She had been nearly as heartbroken as her son over his loss. She offered to come out and be with him, but he hadn't wanted his little sister anywhere near here. Not while things were still so shaky, then by the time it had all been settled, Vato was already buried and it seemed foolish to interrupt their lives just to hold his hand, and where would they stay? He lived in the dorms in the smallest compound they had.
She again offered to join his when he explained that he was being sent first to Xing, then Xerxes. He told her that he would have to get permission, but he would look into it. He was fairly certain he could get permission considering who he would be asking, unless Ling had an objection.
Resembool
Dinner
Mustang-Elric residence
Breda once again joined them for dinner, and he had asked when he came in, if it was possible for his mother Agnes, and sister, Margret, to join him on his trip East. Roy granted him permission without a second thought. Now happier, they all turned to other matter while they ate. They had just a week until Yuery turned three. Ed marveled at how quickly the time had gone.
Winry officially announced her pregnancy to everyone at this point and was being kept out of Kappa altogether on Pinako's orders. Pinako wanted her granddaughter to avoid the desert. She wanted her to avoid too much sun here in Resembool as well. She had lectured Winry for nearly an hour when Winry informed her of the pregnancy about how foolish it had been to cross the desert during their trip. Winry had rolled her eyes, apologized and the matter had been dropped.
Once again they were also joined by the Tringhams. Ed still insisted that he couldn't stand Russell, but his dislike had mild over the months working together. It helped That Russell had stopped making comments about 'their' reputation.
Russell had felt incredibly guilty over his comments when he learned of Rose's death but had never found a way to properly apologize, so instead he had been as polite as possible, which as it turned out, meant that he was shaping up to be a good state alchemist. Since he wasn't making trouble for Ed, Ed had softened toward him. They would never be friends, but they worked well together.
After dinner, when Riza and Winry took the boys up to get ready for bed and the guests had left, Edward had finally made his choice. He couldn't keep this information to himself, no matter how much he wanted to avoid it. So after the dishes were done, before Roy could get involved in more paperwork, Ed asked if they could go for a walk.
They walked toward the cemetery, Roy's concern growing at Edward's mood, as the sounds of the countryside accompanied them. Ed led them toward his parents' graves, and sat down, gesturing for Roy to do the same. "Hi Mom. I brought Dad just like I promised. I know, I know, I should have done it sooner, but we've been really busy with everything. Winry and I got married a few weeks ago. We're having another baby. Soon, we'll be moving back to Central again, and I won't be by as often anymore. So I thought I'd get Dad to come meet you."
Ed looked over at Roy who was smiling in return. If Ed felt self-conscious about talking to his mother's grave, he wasn't showing it. Roy was proud, and honored that Ed chose to share this with him. He cleared his throat before he said in turn. "Hello, ma'am. I am truly sorry I never had the chance to meet you in person. You were clearly a remarkable woman and mother to have given the world these two boys. I will do my best to care for them as you would have, given the chance. I love them dearly, both of them, as if they were my own biological children. I can't imagine loving them any less, and I have done my best to keep them safe. I believe I failed more often than I should have. Thank you for sharing them with me."
"Um Mom, I need to talk to Dad now, but thank you again for listening. You always help me feel better." Ed said before turning to Roy. "Let's walk some more… I don't want to worry Mom."
"Alright." Roy said, worried himself. He knew his son well enough to hear the excuse in his tone. Whatever it was that Edward felt he needed to tell him, he didn't want to say it.
They walked until they had reached the river, and sat on the spot where he recalled both boys telling him was where Al always came when he was upset. As they sat on the grassy slope, Ed finally released a sigh and his shoulders slumped. Roy frowned worriedly at his son.
"A couple weeks ago now, Snape came to visit early in the morning, before anyone else was up." Edward began. "You remember? When you got up to get the boys I still hadn't been to bed because I was working on those files."
"Yes I remember, I sent you straight to bed with a lecture. You were so tired you weren't even holding the page in the right direction."
"I was tired, I had been up all night, had just been about to give it up when Snape arrived. He came in like a ghost, not wanting to make contact with anyone but me. He even managed to avoid alerting the dogs. At first, I tried to pretend the entire encounter had been a strange dream."
"What did he do to you?"
"Nothing. He came to assure himself the information he had uncovered was a fairy tale, that it wasn't possible. I couldn't tell him that. I don't know." Ed said, and shivered, not from the cold but from the idea of it. "We never get any peace do we Dad? I thought. I hoped. That we would finally be starting over, getting a new chapter, but it's just more of the same."
"What. Happened." Roy asked, fear bleeding him cold even as he reached out to hold his son.
"Horcruxes." Edward whispered. Had Roy not been hugging him, he wouldn't have heard Ed. As it was, he had no idea what it meant, but the tone Edward said it made him freeze.
"What is that?" Roy asked after a few minutes of Edward just staring into the river.
"Magic version of Homunculus. Or close enough." Edward said. "You remember when Ling told me Yuery had an extra soul attached to him? Parasitic and currently separate. Promised Day drove it from him, thankfully."
"I remember." Roy said with a frown.
"It was a horcrux. A piece of a soul, peeled off from the man who killed Yuery's mother." Ed said with a shiver. "Similar to homunculus but completely different in function. Usually, these pieces are placed in objects not living beings. The theory behind them is it essentially makes the creator immortal."
"This is a magical practice?"
"A rare one. So rare Snape had thought it a myth. We both know about myths though. The Stone is a myth. Homunculi are a myth. Xerxes is a myth. They are all real." Edward said. "To make a horcrux, it requires human lives."
"Shit." Roy said. "Damn it."
"Which was my thoughts on the subject." Edward said. "Snape came here wanting to have someone assure him it wasn't possible, and instead I had to confirm it was not only possible, but that it explained Yuery's affliction. He left in a rush, promising to keep me updated on the matter. He's going to research it, and when he comes back, he hopes to have a better explanation as to what they are capable of aside from keeping a monster alive."
"It never ends." Roy muttered as he ran a hand through his hair. "Does that Dumbledore know about this?"
"It's where Snape learned it. Part of the reason he was hoping I could confirm it wasn't true."
"He knows Yuery was –"
"I don't know, but it seems like he assumed." Ed said with a frown. "Snape said he mentioned something else, a Hallow? Whatever that is. He said something about mastering death or cheating death or something."
"So not one, but two old problems coming back in a different form."
"Yeah, kind of. Though I got the feeling that neither of them is exactly the same as we had encountered before."
"Well, you have the spell books Snape gave you, and I have the journals. We will look through them and see what we can find. In a few weeks we will be back in Central, and I'll make sure you get the time you need to go through every book in the library if that's what it takes to find answers."
"Okay. That's- thanks."
"I know you were worried about my reaction, as I am worried about you. I won't repeat the tunnels Ed. What is it you always say? I don't make the same mistake twice. " Roy said as he stood and held out a hand to help the boy up. "We'll figure this out Edward. Worse case scenario, we have to go remove some wizards from their seats and fight their Voldemort if necessary"
"Well, the what else can we really do?"
Torn from unknown journal found in research Journals
08/01/04
I am a sentimental fool.
I'm leaving now and leaving the
boy in her care. Trisha begged to
keep him and I agreed.
Really a child would slow me down.
He requires constant care. Is he toilet
trained? I should ask I suppose.
Before I go, I used my limited
magical ability to surpress his.
It wouldn't do for him to
be found from accidental magic.
He'll be able to access again only if
he studies it AND is above the age
of majority. The other boy I have
no idea if hes magic so I cast the
same to him.
Trisha I think may know Im leaving.
She seems sad and relieved...