InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "The most famous shower scene"

Draco Malfoy (dracowished) wrote in wished,
@ 2010-10-17 20:39:00

Entry tags:

draco malfoy, gregory goyle, incomplete, severus snape, theodore nott

Who: Draco and Snape, joined by Goyle and Nott
What: Occlumency to solve psychological issues
When: Last night
Where: Snape's office, then Goyle's hut
Rating/Warning: TBA, but likely crazy and dark.

Draco arrived just before curfew, when he assumed most students would be on their way to their dorms. He should have gone straight to Goyle's hut, but instead he began a familiar path through the school, toward the Headmaster's office. He wanted to know what would be expected of him, and what exactly had been going wrong here so that Nott had gotten worse.

Above that all, though, he wanted to postpone the inevitable. Because he was not at all looking forward to picking through the brain of the very broken man he had once considered something like a friend.

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in_the_grass
2010-10-18 01:55 am UTC (link)

The questions that Severus was asking himself were quite different; why Nott had deteriorated (if in fact he had) and what exactly had set him off in the first place were not things he found particularly interesting. He was not impeded by anything like affection. He was mostly just intrigued - entertaining an academic curiosity as to what hurdles insanity would pose to art of choice. And if Nott improved, the details would be worth looking into a little more carefully.

He knew Malfoy had arrived, and he had just descended from his office to make his way out of the castle - and there he was, nearly on the threshold of the staircase. Severus regarded him, blank, as the gargoyle leapt back into place behind him. "Welcome back," he said, rather dry. "Did we have any other business?" He didn't think so.

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dracowished
2010-10-18 01:58 am UTC (link)

Draco stood a bit straighter, surprised at being face to face with the man - but he did realize it was a good thing, because he had no idea what the password was to actually approach the office.

"We didn't," he said, shoving his hands into the pocket of the long tailored black coat he was wearing over his slacks and sweater in place of traditional robes. "I thought we might need to discuss whatever it is you have planned before we're face to face with the ... subject, as it were."

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in_the_grass
2010-10-18 02:04 am UTC (link)

"I haven't laid much of a plan - I believe it's uncharted territory, really." He started down the hall, gesturing for Draco to follow him. It wasn't a short walk to Goyle's hut, and they could go over the very few specifics he knew on the way there. "Goyle has it in his mind that if Nott were to forget the circumstances of his father's death, he would be cured. I don't know that it's possible, given his condition, to pick out anything so coherent. But it's worth looking." He ignored a prefect who had stopped in a stairway to watch them pass. "As you were his friend, I thought it might be less stressful for him if you were to handle it. Or to be there, at least."

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	dracowished 2010-10-18 02:08 am UTC (link)
	"It seems rather dangerous," Draco said, shrugging and trying not to look as if the idea of playing about with his friend's worst memories didn't worry him. "More obliviation than occlumency. Perhaps what they need is a trained Obliviator, and even then I can't imagine that was something Mungo's never considered." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

in_the_grass
2010-10-18 02:21 am UTC (link)

"It's possible that they decided it wasn't worth the risk. And it isn't beyond the pale to suggest that Goyle's understanding of the human psyche is not terribly subtle." A well-directed Memory Charm would probably be the best tool on a sane person, he was sure, but this could have been different. "I don't know why his Healers chose the path they did, and I doubt Goyle or Nott know, either. I would simply send him back to the hospital for a more professional diagnosis - but you seemed to think it was worth quite a lot of trouble to remove him from St. Mungo's." He glanced across at him. "Changed your mind?"

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dracowished
2010-10-18 02:24 am UTC (link)

"I've changed my mind if he's getting worse, outside of the hospital." Draco didn't hesitate to say it, though he didn't relish the idea of sending him back to that small room and callous attendants. "If Goyle's too caught in some fantasy of being with him to actually care for him properly, I might consider changing his caretaker." Which would have Goyle wanting to kill him, he was fairly sure, and Draco didn't like the idea of that path, either.

"I see. So rather than a modification charm, we would be removing those memories entirely."

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in_the_grass
2010-10-18 02:34 am UTC (link)

"Goyle seems to think he had been improving, until recently." It hadn't escaped him that his own visit to Nott had come right before the man had unhinged again, but he couldn't think of why that would be the cause. He hadn't done or said anything of note. "You can decide for yourself. You visited him there, didn't you? Your opinion of his surroundings will mean more than mine." He didn't mind having Nott here, aside from one or two outrageous incidents. And Goyle was useful.

"I think that would be easier, considering that they may already be corrupted. But I don't know exactly how his condition has affected his mind, or his memories. I think it will take some investigation before we decide." He wouldn't object to doing the initial digging himself, not at all.

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	dracowished 2010-10-18 02:44 am UTC (link)
	Draco's mouth set into a thin, grim line and he nodded, resisting the urge to shudder at the idea. "I see. And it would be faster if we went at it together, perhaps looking for different things. Though, from what I know of Nott, we'll likely only need to erase any hint of his father, and he'll be perfectly sane." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

in_the_grass
2010-10-18 03:06 am UTC (link)

"Yes, well." The corner of his mouth twitched a little. "No one's expecting perfection." Nott would be Nott, no matter what they did. "But if he stopped stammering about complete nonsense and killing small animals, we'll have made a serious improvement. I don't think we should be concerned with speed," he continued. "Rummaging around in a hurry won't be to anyone's advantage."

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	dracowished 2010-10-18 03:08 am UTC (link)
	The night was colder outside, and Draco turned up his collar as they headed for the groundskeeper's hut, then shoved his hands back into his pockets. "Does Goyle know that I'm ... trained. Then. As well?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	in_the_grass 2010-10-18 03:20 am UTC (link)
	"I haven't told him. I told him I would ask you along because of your interest in Nott." It wasn't really something that he thought was very important to hide, but then, it wasn't his business. "Would you rather he not know? Would he be surprised? You were always a good study." When he wanted to be. "It's one more skill, really. Nothing more." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

dracowished
2010-10-18 03:57 am UTC (link)

"I don't suppose there's any reason to hide it any longer," Draco shrugged, but it was tight, as if he wasn't sure. They arrived at the door to the hut, and he could see the lights inside, suddenly remembering peeking through the giant windows at Potter and the oaf Hagrid, glad for things to run off and report.

He should have stayed in bed.

"Alright, then, I suppose this should be interesting, at the very least." And he raised his hand, knocking at the large door.

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a_reticent_git
2010-10-18 04:14 am UTC (link)

Greg had been working that day to tidy things up. His last attempt at trying to get Theo out of the hut had probably looked much like Theo holding onto the cat; but this time, Theo was the kitten and Greg the tender handed encourager trying to get him out not keep him in. After knocking over the table, scattering the books all over the small room, Greg had finally given up, and spent the remainder of the day (on Saturday mind you, trying to go do something out of doors) comforting him, soothing his bothered friend. They had spent hours, sitting on the floor or on the bed, with Greg reading to him, and singing to him, feeding him the pudding he liked and hot tea when he would take it. He realized that fighting Theo did no good; all it managed to do is send Theo straight into those mad terrors, and he wanted none of that.

Once he'd gotten Theo off to sleep, he'd spent some time cleaning, but he'd been exhausted and crashed only to wake up to realizing that he had to get it clean today. He wasn't too sure of Theo's mood, but Greg had kept his eye on Theo while he swept and moped, and set everything to right and absolutely spotlessly clean. At the knock, Greg kind of jumped a bit, and went to it, rushing to open it quickly and not keep them waiting.

"Hey. Hello. Come in, come in. He's....he's doing okay today," he said, gesturing to the interior of the hut as he moved to close the door behind the two men, "Draco, thank you for making it," he said, slightly awkward as he was face to face to his oldest friend, remembering briefly that Draco had read all that he'd written in his journal.

He looked at Snape and then Draco, "Where are my manners! Do you want something to drink maybe?"

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booksmart_devil
2010-10-18 08:54 pm UTC (link)

It had been a day of a stark contradiction in moods for Theo; on the one hand he was still distraught over what had happened to the kitten, something he only sometimes remembered he'd done himself, and Greg's attempts to get him to go outside had left him shivering for hours... but on the other hand Greg had soothed him back down and he'd ended up curled up with his head in Greg's lap at one point, cuddling in until he was lulled into sleep by Greg's fingers in his hair.

He slept a little fitfully, but only a little, and he didn't thrash or get trapped in screaming night terrors either, which was a rare occurence indeed. All in all, it was a relatively peaceful sleep compared to what Theo had come to expect, and he woke up quietly and calmly when the knock on the door came.

He heard voices, noted that one of them was Greg's and spent the next three minutes getting up and tumbling down off the bed to go padding sleepily into the next room and find out who had come to visit. He was expecting Zach, maybe, and made a beeline for Greg when he entered, not really aware of anyone else until he'd curled himself dozily round Greg's arm, snuggled in there. "Hallo." he said politely, until he realised it was Draco - who he greeted with a blank little smile - and Snape. His reaction wasn't quite so genteel as his mind had somehow managed to link Snape with the tyranny of his father after their last meeting; his fingers dug hard into Greg's arm (not that he could do anything to hurt Greg) and he stood before the much taller man in a way that might have been comical had it not been so pathetic.

"I didn't go out!" he stated, his cheeks flushed with fear but keeping his ground all the same. "It's my fault, mine, you, you can leave him alone, punish me... punish me!" It was clear that he was scared but he'd do this to defend his Greg.

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in_the_grass
2010-10-19 04:02 am UTC (link)

Interesting was all Severus was hoping for, but nothing was ever that simple. "No, thank you," he said to Goyle's offer, his eyes falling to Nott almost immediately. What did it mean, he wondered, when Nott was doing okay? He couldn't be well - he didn't look well. And after their last encounter, he wasn't in the least taken aback by Nott's reaction to him. It neither amused nor moved him. It was just another piece in a pattern that he did not yet understand.

"No one's come to punish you," he said, more brusque than comforting, but not as hostile as he might have. "You haven't done anything wrong. This is better than usual, is it?" he asked Goyle, making some effort not to sound entirely skeptical. Goyle was too close, in too many ways, to give an account he would trust as objective. Draco might be able to speak to his change since he'd moved from the hospital, of course, but the best way to tell was probably just to look.

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dracowished
2010-10-26 02:22 am UTC (link)

Draco's eyes canted to Snape, but he stayed silent as Nott started... was he accusing him, or stepping up as if Snape was about to attack Goyle? Either way, it was... pathetic, really, and something in Draco tugged a bit, seeing Nott that way here, where he thought he'd be better.

Wasn't that why he'd agreed to help with this in the first place? If Nott was going to get worse, he might as well be in Mungo's.

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greenthumb_nev
2010-10-26 01:02 pm UTC (link)

Greg's cheek flushed slightly, his defenses rising, "He is a bit better yes. Better than those nonsensical ramblings he can get into," and Greg cast an accusatory look at Draco, who seemed just as ready to believe Snape as not, "You've read some of that rot he's written. He's at least making some partial attempt at understanding what is going on!"

Greg put an arm around Theo now, his hand soothing Theo's back, and he turned his attention away from the visitors, knowing Theo needed his support, "Look, they've come to lend you a hand, Theo. Prof..Headmaster Snape needs to give you a sort of....examination. Let's get you sitting," he said, and he glanced at the other two as he led Theo towards the small couch, "I'm not going to leave you alone though. I'll be right here," he said as he sat down besides Theo and then let his hand stay around Theo's shoulder, a protective gesture to help the thin man feel more secure.

"What do I have to do?" he said, and Greg turned his eyes towards Draco, and frowned for a brief moment, "You are here. Is it because you are in charge of his guardianship?" he asked, realizing finally that it might be a bit odd for Draco to just show up at the hut now, at this one particular moment.

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booksmart_devil
2010-10-29 12:41 pm UTC (link)

Theo winced as Snape started to speak, and although the mere suggestion that he wasn't about to be punished was one he didn't believe, being told that he'd done nothing wrong derailed him spectacularly; even if that had been true his father had always found something to punish him with when he was in the mood.

Of course, he still wasn't comfortable with Snape but he looked less likely to bolt into a wall.

He glanced over at Draco a little as though reassuring himself that he too was okay and in no danger when Greg's arm around him had him calming down, turing to give Greg's words all of his scant attention, even if there wasn't enough sense there to make sense of what he was being told.

That fear came back to him, shading his face chalk-white at hearing he was going to be 'examined' but he tried to trust what he knew, that Greg wouldn't willingly or purposefully let him be hurt, and took a seat on the couch Greg led him to, tucking himself in under Greg's arm and watching the other two former Slytherins with the distrusting wariness of some feral thing.

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in_the_grass
2010-11-08 04:58 am UTC (link)

"He does seem to be moderately more coherent," Severus conceded, although he wasn't sure how much it really meant. Some improvements were too minor to make any difference at all. "But there isn't any point in exaggerating his progress." The boy was still skittish as anything, and possibly paranoid, if one could be paranoid without a real concept of what was going on.

"Just sit with him," he said to Goyle, before finding himself a place to sit, without asking - out of Nott's reach, but close enough to lock eyes the way he would need to. "If that's how you mean to keep him calm. This may agitate him, I don't know." He imagined he'd be digging though some upsetting images, but it couldn't be helped. He watched Nott's reactions, though his words were directed to Goyle. "Is there anything in particular that upsets him?" Other than murdering his father, naturally.

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