round 3 overflow post

[starkmodistries.livejournal.com]

Round 3 Overflow Post

This post is for Round 3 fills only. We ask that when a round hits 8500 comments, fillers begin moving their fills to this post.

Format:
SUBJECT LINE -- Round #, short description of fic (ex: "Alex/Hank, lab partners")
--- Link to the prompt
--- Text of the prompt

--- Link to the fill
OR
--- Entire text of the fill

EXAMPLE:
Prompt: http://xmen-firstkink.livejournal.com/6437.html?thread=1038472#t2038174

Charles/Erik -- Charles is a bakery owner whose most frequent customer is Erik.

Fill: http://xmen-firstkink.livejournal.com/6437.html?thread=0139482#t4502942

Charles started off the morning the same way he always did...

Comments

FILL: The Better Men (24c/24)

[turtletotem.livejournal.com]

"Investigation?" Erik said, startled. "What investigation? The man's dead, what are you going to do, lock his corpse in Azkaban?"

"Not an unappealing idea," Potter muttered. "But we need evidence of what the man was up to and who else knew about it. No offense to either of you, but we've only your word – and Dolly's, but she was drugged – about what exactly happened in Cerebro last night."

"Of course, we understand," Charles said, laying a hand on Erik's arm to cut off his protest. "We'll tell you whatever you need."

"I'll take my leave, then," Mr. Malfoy said. "Thank you both, once again. If there's ever anything the Malfoy family can do for you, don't hesitate to ask."

"Goodbye, Professor X," Scorpius said, shaking Charles's hand, then Erik's. "I hope you... feel better by the time I get back. And you, Professor Lehnsherr." He looked at them both a moment with overbright eyes, then got control of himself to say, mostly steadily, "Thank you for saving Dolly."

Malfoy winced and steered his son out the door.

"Right then, let's get started." Potter set out a parchment and a dictation quill. "Please start at the beginning."

Over an hour passed before Madam Pomfrey booted Potter from the room and forced the forgotten glass of blue liquid down Erik's throat. "If you need me, ring this bell, I'll always hear it. Charles, love, I've put a... well, I've put a bit of a freeze on your body functions, so you won't need to worry about that until morning. Now get some rest, the both of you." She dimmed the lights behind her as she left.

Charles, who had seemed normal enough during their interview with Potter, dissolved into a state of giddy hysteria as soon as they were alone together. "Erik – Erik, that was Harry Potter, Erik! And Draco Malfoy! We shook hands! With Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. Because we saved the world, Erik, I'm pretty sure we saved the world, you and I – millions of lives at the very least. You and I." He leaned against Erik's shoulder, shaking violently with laughter – or something. "Millions of people, Erik. I guess if I had to get cut in half, that was a good way to do it."

And then it definitely wasn't laughter at all, and all Erik could do was put his arms around him and hold on.

---

Even magic couldn't restore life to the nerves Shaw's curse had killed. But it could, possibly – according to Dr. Foley at St. Mungo's – re-establish communication with the nerves that were still alive, but blocked off by the dead ones.

The first round of healing spells restored significant mobility to Charles's hips. The second resulted in an intermittent flutter of sensation in his right leg.

The third did nothing whatsoever.

Dr. Foley was still full of encouraging noises, but it was clear he was disappointed, even uneasy. "Just get some rest for tonight, Professor. We'll see how things stand in the morning."

Charles was quiet as Erik helped him get ready for bed, in their private room at St. Mungo's. It had been... educational for them both, to discover how much help a person needed, once their legs were dead weight. Magic helped, providing conveniences both minor (Summoning a dropped pencil Charles could no longer bend to retrieve) and life-changing (a float-chair that he could direct in three dimensions with a touch, spells that kept his digestive system moving smoothly and at his own bidding). More than ever, Erik could not imagine how Muggles coped without magic. But even magic could not make it less humiliating to be lifted from chair to toilet by others' hands, and supervised there lest he tip over.

Their three previous nights at St. Mungo's, Charles had kept up an artificially cheerful patter of conversation during the long, awkward process of getting ready for bed. Tonight he was silent, tense, avoiding Erik's eyes. Not for the first time, Erik wondered if Raven wouldn't have been a better choice to accompany Charles here. She might be able to tease him out of this dark mood. Erik didn't have the heart to try. Let the man be depressed if he wants. He's earned it.