Adrian didn't understand why the Healers were so startled and wary of his answers.
They questioned him like he knew they would, and he responded according to the predetermined script he and his father had already created.
Yes, he had been living with his father. Yes, Bellatrix had shown up unexpectedly and kidnapped him so to speak.
With her lapse in sanity due to her imprisonment in Azkaban, the healers and mediwitches were being 'considerate' enough to not question him directly on the events leading up to the curse.
They had performed the counterspells, along with the nerve and muscle reconstruction spells. Unfortunately with the type of spells lightning curses were, and the act of cauterizing the skin itself, there was no chance to reverse the immense scarring; although they were able to lessen the angry red welts into more subtle red and purple scarring.
The scars altered the entire shape of his face- reducing the prominence of his cheekbones and casting the illusion of a more circular jaw. His green eyes popped eerily, more attention grabbing than his thin nose or familiar facial features.
It worked in all the best ways, and gave an excuse for why his body shook and trembled with the after effects of his dark magic splurging.
The Healers didn't like how he answered everything calmly and rationally. They didn't like how he didn't scream at night.
Then the mediwitch implied during one questioning, that perhaps Bellatrix had abused him in other ways.
Adrian had an outburst of anger, only partially fueled by the bone aching need that ran rampant in his blood. He had shouted, thrown his pillow and cursed vulgarities much more violently than a fourteen year old should have.
Remus, who was painfully awkward with children, made the entire thing slightly better by assisting Adrian with the first rehabilitation efforts once he awoke.
He was informed that both James Potter and Sirius Black visited him in the hospital, although Adrian sent them away instantly. They hadn't treated him well in his first year, they would be idiots to assume he didn't hold a grudge.
His nerves had been damaged severely- to the point the mediwitches doubted he would have complete control over his magic.
(Adrian mentally laughed and thanked his father for casting the curse himself, and not giving the task to Bellatrix)
Once the employees of St. Mungos were absolutely certain that he would be able to deal with any future rehabilitation efforts or medical procedures, he was signed for release.
He was discharged after four days, his wounds bandaged from where patches had blistered and were still interfering with his magical current.
From a lack of magical guardian, Adrian was taken care of by Remus who had used his title of Hogwarts Teacher as a temporary guardian.
Which, through a chain of events, led up to the single moment where Adrian was indulging himself by making up for his missed childhood.
Namely, by locking his door and refusing to come out.
"Adrian!" Remus shouted once again, the sound muffled by the weathered oak door, "Open this door! You haven't come out all day!"
Adrian rolled over on his bed, staring at the wall pensively. He stared at the cracks in the plaster until they blurred in his vision and created abstract pictures and faces.
Remus thumped once more- this one sounding significantly different. Adrian could well imagine the older man pressing his forehead to the door in a mixture of annoyance and exasperation.
"If you don't open this door," Remus paused in thought, "I'll ask James what to do."
Adrian snorted. Remus' sensitive hearing easily picked up the sound.
"Fine!" Remus argued back, scowling on the other side, "Maybe he'll bring Skylar!"
Adrian tensed. James Potter wouldn't.
He did.
Adrian heard the lighter feet of Skylar Potter running up the steps, running across the creaky wooden floor of Remus' shack of a house. If Adrian focused, he could hear the faint murmur of people talking down the hall in the main foyer.
Five fast knocks rattled Adrian's door, causing his teeth to itch and his hand twitch to pull his wand from under his pillow.
"Adrian!" Skylar Potter shouted, his voice had gotten deeper as well, "I... I know we're not friends but-"
Adrian couldn't help it, he laughed. It was a high pitched sound verging on hysteria, something completely acceptable for a boy tortured by a maniac.
....
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