Knight-At-Arms
‘Right,’ announces the red-haired girl, brandishing her toy-sword. ‘I’m the knight. You’re the … dam … dame in distress. I will rescue you. Tuney, you must roar. Louder! You’re a dragon!’
The other girl grimaces, but attempts a more fearsome growl.
The skinny boy in the frilly smock-shirt, once a part of his late grandfather’s dressrobes, thinks that Petunia’s still squeaking.
‘Oh, you worm!’ Lily shouts and pokes her sister with the sword. ‘Sev, don’t worry! I’m coming! I’m going to —’
She stumbles over the dragon’s make-shift blanket-tail, landing on hands and knees. Severus hesitates. Will she get up and go on with the play? When he sees her lower lip tremble, he’s at her side at once. ‘Lily? Everything all right?’
Petunia rolls her eyes.
Later they sit on the carousel, talking quests and destinies. Lily sports band-aids on each knee.
‘I’m going to have lots of adventures,’ she says, as if there’s no doubt about that. ‘And you can accompany me, Sev. Or …’ She makes a face. ‘Rescue me. In a pinch.’
He throws out his chest and declaims (they’ve been reading King Arthur): ‘One or the other of these I will achieve, or bleed the best blood of my body.’[1]
[1] Tales of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, Vol. 4 of 10, III, How Martimor Came to the Mill and There was Stayed in a Delay.
Juno, this is lovely and heartbreaking at the same time. As usual, Fudge is an incompetent arse, and jockeying for office. I liked that he couldn’t break their wands, and I felt sorry for Kingsley because he had to.
Harry, Ginny, and Luna have proven themselves to be true friends, and Ron is Ron.
At least Hermione and Severus have each other, but seven years exile seems so unfair.
I’m off to Act Two. *in awe*
Beth
I had a lot of fun writing this. Especially Fudge actually coming up with something that is – in theory – right, and getting it all wrong. And of course, not even being man or wizard enough to actually follow it through. *snerk*
Thank you for reading! 🙂 I am happy you enjoy the story so far!