Ch 4
While Severus was the Secret Keeper and they had the ability to find the girl, she wasn't where he left them. He hadn't expected them to. He half hoped that they would arrive at the old address, not find them there, and have to go home.
Really, he knew better.
It wasn't hard to find them and now they stood outside a house in West Virginia. It was two stories with a sagging porch and yellowed siding that in many places was starting to come off. It was warm day and the sun was out. The neighborhood reminded Severus of Spinners End; one only had to look around at the other dilapidated houses, over grown lawns, and rusty cars to see this town was dying.
A white minivan pulled up in front of the house, the front fender was smashed in and it was more rust and primer than white paint. A heavy set older woman with graying blond hair and blue and white scrubs slowly got out of the front seat. She lumbered toward the back of the van, her back obviously causing her pain, and opened the back doors. She pulled out a couple of grocery bags before slamming the door shut a couple of time and headed toward the house. Minerva and Severus intercepted her as she came up the sidewalk.
"Excuse me," Minerva began Severus had never gone to collect a child before and decided it was best not to say anything. "Is this the Riddle residence?"
The woman looked at them a long time before answering. "In a manner of speakin' can I help you?" She looked them over once more and her eyes widened, "are you the people with the car?" She continued to talk before they could answer. "Come this way," as she motioned with her head and walked up the broken pathway to the front porch. "I'm so glad you dropped by; the lawyer said you only wanted to talk through them." She unlocked the door and stood aside for Minerva and Severus to walk in. "I'm so glad you decided to take Quinn up on her offer to apologize, who knew that a lil old condom and Draino would do that much damage to a gas tank. Just go on to your right and have a seat. You'll have to excuse the mess but I just got off a fourteen hour shift at the hospital."
Minerva and Severus went into the room off to the right and found a small living room. A blue overstuffed couch was crammed against the wall to the right, its frame broken and sagging in the middle. Severus motioned toward it looking at Minerva who then walked over and sat down. The couch squeaked under her weight and when Severus sat on the other end of the couch he was sure the thing would collapse under them. Severus looked around the room the much of the plaster was cracked many of the larger cracks were spackled and stood out bright white on off white. The only other furniture in the room was a large wooden chair with thin foam cushions depicting a covered wagon crossing the plains and a floor TV from the 60s. If the intent was to depress, mission accomplished, thought Severus.
The woman came into the living room and greeted them, "hi I'm Becky, Quinn's aunt." Becky shook both their hands. "I'm so sorry about what Quinn did to your car; she is such a spirited girl that it sometimes gets away from her." Becky sat down in the wooden chair across from Severus and Minerva.
"Excuse me," Minerva rose one hand to interrupt Becky "we aren't here about a car." The last word came out of her mouth as if it tasted bad. Becky leaned back in the chair and narrowed her eyes at Minerva.
"What did that girl do now?" Becky said her voice lowered as anger crept into her tone.
"Well, nothing actually" Minerva said with as neutral of a tone as possible, now was the make or break moment of the interaction. "My name is Minerva McGonagall and this," she motioned toward Severus "is my colleague Severus Snape. We are representatives of Hogwarts School for the Gifted; it has come to our attention that Miss Riddle possesses unique attributes that qualify her for admittance to our school."
"And how exactly did you hear about Quinn, through the school district?" Becky asked her as she crossed her arms.
"We have a variety of methods for recruitment." Minerva answered.
"Because Quinn has been homeschooled since the end of elementary school," She leaned forward in the chair looking Minerva in her eyes. "So who are you and what you want?"
Severus started to reach for his wand but Minerva placed her hand on his arm to stop him and shook her head no. Looking back at Becky she said, "We are representatives of Hogwarts but we aren't here because of her academic abilities."
"Is this about that witchywoo bullshit she does?" Becky said angrily. "I have tried my best to rid that girl of unnaturalness of her; my church has tried to drive those demons out of her." Minerva's posture stiffened at those words and Severus while there was no outward display, they both were aware of the lasting effects on students coming into the school after years of families trying to "cure" their children. "Nothing worked, that girl lied, cheated, stole, and sent the devil to possess people to get her own wicked way. That girl's mother is suffering for that girl's sins. Come here," Beck got out of the chair and headed out of the room toward the back of the house. "Look at what that girl did to her mother."
Severus was the first out of the room with Minerva close behind, they followed Becky to a sun porch in the very back of the house. Four of the walls were screened window and the middle of the room sat a woman in a rocking chair. She was looking out the window at the cars passing by.
"Mama, I'll take it from here." Becky spoke to an elderly woman sitting on a white chipped wicker chair reading. The woman got up, looking at her daughter and the two strangers behind her as she left the room. "This is Miranda Riddle and her daughter sold her soul to Satan." Becky presented the woman in the middle of the room. Miranda didn't move to look at them she continued to look out the window. "I felt the absence of the spirit when she showed up on my doorstep with her daughter but I couldn't turn them away. Miranda was one of the most innocent girls when we were in nursing school. It pained me to see her in such a state; I knew God sent them to me." Severus couldn't help but roll his eyes as Becky stormed out of the room.
"Ma'am we aren't…" Minerva said as she followed Becky.
Severus stayed behind. He slowly walked over to Miranda, her back was to him and she still looked out the window. Placing his hand on her shoulder he whispered to her, "Miranda." There was no response; he knelt in front of her looking her in the eyes. He cradled her head with one hand and smoothed back her hair with his other hand. "Jesus, what did I do to you," he whispered but Miranda looked through him with unseeing eyes. Gently he reached out his mind and touched her mind; he needed to know if there was anything left of the girl he cared for. Nothing, Miranda was gone and in her place was this shell. Still holding her head he looked at her a bit longer, feeling tear brim in the bottoms of his eyes.
"Severus." Minerva called after him.
"Coming." He called over Miranda's shoulder. Looking at Miranda one more time he leaned in and kissed her on her cheek and whispered, "I am so sorry." He rose to his feet dusting off the knees of his pants and briskly walking into the house after the two women banishing the tears as quickly as they had come.
He found Minerva standing alone in the kitchen. "She has gone to pray." Minerva spoke derisively. "She says the girl lives in the upper half of the house and doesn't come down here except to torment her poor mother's eternal soul."
Minerva led him to a dark stairwell on the side of the kitchen. They both stood for a moment and looked up at the door.
"Well, let's go take a look at Satan incarnate," Severus said before heading up the stairs.