Walking Through Treacle

Fawkes sighed, and wished that the ashes would burn and swallow him up. Permanently.

Albus seemed to have got it into his head that two birds moving in together deserved some sort of a party, and had invited a few friends round to toast the happy couple with owl treats, suitable greenery and something slightly stronger for the humans.

Lady Hedwig had of course refused to attend. She had been most upset when Zeus had crowed to her that he and Fawkes were considering getting matching legrings - she thought this to be most infra dig and the preserve of the lowest class of bird. She had responded to the information by turning her back on them with a distinct cluck of 'it'll never amount to anything' and 'he'll only leave you.'

It had come about thanks to the ultimatum that Fawkes had issued to Zeus - Him or Me. Him, of course, being Lucius. Dumbledore's Occlumency had shown both phoenix and man the complicated relationship between Lucius and Zeus, and as far as Fawkes was concerned it was going to stop.

Hedwig was certain that the Dark Arts had blocked off certain areas of the bird's brain to the headmaster's view, but as far as Fawkes was concerned, the only Dark Arts that Zeus was involved in were the ones to which he was subjected to on a regular basis, and he certainly wasn't complaining about. What that bird could do with his feathers beggared belief.

That, though interesting, was beside the point. The result was that half a dozen people were seated in the Headmaster's study, celebrating the freeing of another denizen of the Malfoys Wiltshire mansion. Severus Snape stood in the corner, talking quietly to Tonks as the evening progressed, a surly smile on his face while she blended herself into the background.

The others were all old friends of the two birds. Dobby had knitted them a quilt with which to feather their nest and McGonagall had made it fire-retardant for 'when it's that time of the month' dear.

Emily had given them perhaps the most romantic present - she'd found some rings for them, and then proceeded to charm them into the bird equivalent of matching wedding ring tattoos. Fawkes was wondering whether they had the usual fidelity enhancements on them, and considered that they might be quite useful, given his beloved partners present vulnerable state.

She seemed to be doing well. The raid on the manor that had occasioned this had gone better than expected, and coupled with the evidence of one Mr Potter had resulted in the conviction of Lucius Malfoy of abuse of privilege, among other things. Mr Potter himself was absent, as was Mr Lupin, much to the undisguised glee of Severus.

For all his faults another shadow seemed to have gathered on his brow. The phoenix watched the corner where Severus stood, now abandoned by Tonks and invisible to those present, it seemed. His head was bent, and fingers steepled, and he stared at the fire, as though willing a head to appear so he could leave. Barely a third of his generation at Hogwarts had survived even to his comparatively young age.

Eventually he swept out, a path that Fawkes watched, longingly.