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[ Arthur's hands are shaking, and therefore, so is the Forge. But it's obvious, even in the dim light, that he's blood-spattered. But underneath the gore sluiced across his face, his jaw is firmed, his breathing slow and deliberate. ]

I'm so sorry. If I'd realized, I never would have —

[ No, he needs to start earlier than that. ]

If — someone who knows Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks could collect their bodies from the ruins...

[ No, that's not the place either. He swallows, hard, guilt shadowing his eyes. ]

[ Filter: Priscilla, Byakuya. ]

I have done — a terrible thing. I'll be stepping down from my position as Vice Commander, of course. And I would like to turn myself in to be judged at Themis.

Someone will have to be assigned to bring in Bellatrix. She fled into the Mist. I honestly thought she was no longer a threat to anybody, but I was wrong.

I've been wrong in a lot of things.

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[His reply doesn't come until nearly half an hour later, after Lupin's Patronus appears to him.]

Where is Bellatrix?

[There's a hard edge to his tone - one which would suggest he's angry enough to attack someone here. It wouldn't be unthinkable if Arthur were to misinterpret his outrage as being directed not towards the woman in question, but Arthur himself.]

Edited 2012-06-26 13:36 (UTC)

[ Arthur's near numb, still in shock, and he expects anger, expects fury because he knows he would be furious. ]

I don't know. She fled into the Mist.

[He doesn't quite know how to react to that news. Just how much anger is appropriate, that he can't follow through on Lupin's apparent wishes?

...He will deal with Bellatrix, then, when she pokes her head out of the Mist, little coward that she is.

He pauses, wresting himself under control. Finally, when his reply comes, he sounds calm.

Calmish.]

What happened?

Bellatrix pleaded with me to save her. I ran through the beast that had turned on her, but it wasn't— he wasn't—

[ He grimaces, deciding to stop the sentence there before his voice goes from threatening tears to completely and unforgivably broken. ]

[There's another delay, and then confusion in his tone.]

The beast -

Are you implying that you killed Lupin?

[...That makes no sense. None at all.]

[ Three terrifying words, and he nods mutely before realizing Snape cannot see that. ]

He died on my blade.

[But the Patronus spoke in Lupin's voice; it told him Lestrange was to blame...

Something is very wrong here.

...And knowing Bellatrix, Severus has a very good idea what it might be. He would like to have respect for Arthur's feelings, but they might prove to be unjustified - and so he presses:]

Tell me precisely what happened.

Bellatrix, I thought she needed help, I wanted to help her. It was confusing. I'm well aware Nymphadora can be somewhat unhinged when it comes to — you weren't here when she was tortured, were you? She was a broken woman. Begged me to kill her, rather than lose herself to madness. I ran him through instead — but I thought he was a beast, I thought he was attacking her. It was all such a mess. I knew, I did, he never kept it to himself, but I'd never seen him in that form. Turned back when I killed him. Forgave me. The absolute idiot.

[ A completely rational and straight-forward retelling of events. ]

[If it was confusing to Arthur, it was absolutely mystifying to Severus. Tonks, begging to be killed?

Never.

But then, how well did he truly know her?

After a moment of deliberation, he decides to show his hand.]

Lupin sent his Patronus to me. A message, if you will. He said it was "Lestrange".

I had assumed he meant Bellatrix was to blame for all of this - and to be frank, though your recounting of the events is not the clearest I have ever heard...if she were responsible, I can think of any number of ways she might have achieved this based on what I've heard.

I suggest you find her and drag her out of the Mist before you accept any blame in this matter.

She killed Nymphadora. But I put my sword through Remus Lupin.

[ A breath; he's touching it, the blood on it. ]

He died in my arms.

[ He wrenches himself out of memory. ]

Commander Kuchiki has said he'll account for Bellatrix. And Merlin swears he'll bring her to justice.

[ Also an idiot. ]

Who better, I suppose.

[Besides him, that is. He promised Tonks, after all, that he would deal with Bellatrix.

Perhaps it is time to live up to that promise, if he can find her before Merlin and Byakuya do so. It's not something he'll be announcing to Arthur, of course.]

If Lupin forgave you, he meant his words.

[Small comfort though that may be.]

I'm sure he did. He was the best of us.

[He isn't certain what more there is to say - and he wants to get out and start looking for Bellatrix, anyhow.

Perhaps he can lure her with a call to her Forge.

Without another word, he disconnects.]

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