"Okay..." Harry breathed slowly, huffing his breath out into his hands, trying desperately to keep some warmth, "what's the plan exactly?".
Safi groaned, slapping her palm to her forehead, the sound of impact echoing gentle around the empty hall.
"Do I seriously have to explain it again?!" she complained, hugging her green dragon skin coat closer to her body, dusting the snow flakes off her shoulder.
Harry shook his head slowly.
"No, you don't have to explain the whole thing. Just please explain how a cannonball comes into it..." he asked, steepling his hands and pointing them at her with a small, wily grin.
Safi opened her mouth to explain, but almost immediately she snapped it shut, and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Yeah, shit, it is a crap plan" she grumbled concededly, "but you know what isn't a crap plan!" Safi chuckled, moving beside Harry and yanking his invisibility cloak out from under his arm, "this!".
Safi threw her arms up, and smiled to herself as she watched the thin, silvery material fall around the pair of them, like a blanket of soft velvet swallowing them whole.
"Great plan, I like this plan" Harry replied snarkily.
Safi scoffed, looking around her and Harry cautiously, making sure every inch of them was covered under the cloak.
"No attitude, Mr Potter, or I'll steal all your pants so you have to go around naked everywhere" she warned with an almost devilish chuckle, "again".
Harry, not wanting to test whether or not Safi was bluffing, immediately shut his mouth, imperceptibly shivering as he remembered the harsh winter week where all his pants were thrown into the Great Lake and eaten by the squid.
He grumbled under his breath, pushing his glasses further on the bridge of his nose, and begrudgingly linked his arm with Safi's.
"Let's go then. To Hogsmeade!" Harry called aloud, then immediately pressed his own finger to his lips to shut himself up, which made Safi chuckle.
The boy is definitely no Ravenclaw.
They soon fell into a quiet, synchronised step, trudging gently down the hallways, careful not to give away their position.
It wasn't until they'd nearly gone outside, that Safi took a harsh intake of breath as she and Harry were dragged arm in arm by Fred and George.
"Fuck off you wankers!" Safi whispered madly, kicking her legs out at them, hitting Fred in his shins.
Fred squawked in pain, but kept an iron hold on her arms.
Safi huffed madly.
"We had a plan! You've just royally fucked the plan!" Safi groaned, trying not to slip and fall completely in the snow.
Fred raised his brows at her while George smiled goofily at her, and it only took a moment for George's smile to break Safi's angered resolve.
"You bastards" she giggled, smacking them both upside the head, watching as they simultaneously rubbed their heads like they were both clockwork boys, matched up to each others every movements.
"Not very courteous of you, Saf dear, not at all how you should treat your saviours!" Fred gloated smugly, adjusting his grip on Safi's arms.
"Saviours of what?" Harry asked.
"It was a clever plan, guys" Fred said mysteriously.
"-But not clever enough" George finished, winking roguishly at Safi, making her roll her eyes so hard they nearly knocked out of her head and fell down into the trail of snow.
"We've got a better way" Fred continued, nodding his head in time with George's.
"We're trying to get into Hogsmeade!" Harry said dumbly, which made Safi roll her eyes again.
"They know"
"We know"
Safi, Fred and George all chuckled as they realised what they'd all said.
Harry now rolled his eyes, huffing madly, muttering something under his breath.
Suddenly, as Fred and George dragged them into an alcove, Safi and Harry landed on a staircase, throwing the cloak off of them, unfortunately making a blanket of static that made Safi and Harry's already wild hair wilder, almost mad.
"Now, Harry, come and join the big boys!" George laughed, shoving a piece of paper into his clammy hands.
Safi gasped loudly, cold air filling her lungs as she pointed a fingered straight into George's face.
"You bastards!" Safi cried, stomping her foot into the icy step in anger, "you told me you got it taken off of you!" she glowered, snatching the map from Harry's hands, ignoring his confused face.
"What's this rubbish?" Harry asked in utter confusion.
Fred and George shared a sly look while Safi rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time that day.
"'What's this rubbish' he says" George mocked, leaning against the stair next to Safi, laying his head atop hers, making her even more mad.
"This is the secret to our success" Fred disclosed, his eyes brightening slightly with the memory of how they had discovered the map, then shaking his head, "it's a wrench giving it to you, but we've decided your needs are greater than ours- George if you will..." Fred called, stepping out of the way.
Safi sighed at their theatrics, but couldn't help smiling at the memories she also shared with the map.
George lifted his head from Safi's and went to stand next to his brother, taking his wand deftly out of his jean pocket and pointing it to the crinkled, aged parchment held in Harry's hands.
George cleared his throat- "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!" he recanted, gently tapping the tip of his wand to the parchment like they'd done a thousand times.
Harry watched in amazement as the ink on the parchment once invisible a moment ago swirled and swooned to life, forming the infamous Marauders Map.
Safi zoned out slightly as Harry and the twins talked on about the map and how they discovered it, she amusedly thought back on the memories she held of that ingenious map.
She remembered how she felt, after she herself was the one to crack the code of it, laughing at how long it took them, how many tries and how many insults the map spit at them, they laughed for hours and hours, even getting some inspiration for new insults to hurl at anyone who looked at her wrong.
In the end, Safi, Fred and George marked the day they cracked the secret of the Marauders map as the day they truly began to be the hell makers of Hogwarts, it was like a long held torch had been passed to them, and there was definitely no one more worthy of it.
Safi then shook her head, zoning back in as she focused her eyes and ears on whatever George was saying, quietly watching his face as he talked.
"...what they're doing" George said, his eyes flicking quickly to Safi, making her whistle innocently and look abashedly into the distance at nothing. George just grinned stupidly at her, and turned back to his brother.
"Every minute" Fred continued.
"Of everyday!" George finished brightly.
Harry guffawed, completely taken aback, suddenly holding the map like it was now a precious jewel.
"Brilliant!" he praised, then his brow dropped and he turned to the mischievous twins, "where'd you get it?" he asked in suspicion, suddenly holding the map at length like a swat team would suddenly drop in and snatch it from his hands.
George shrugged lazily.
"From Filch's office in first year" he sighed, holding out his hand in front of him, pretending to examine his nails.
Safi guffawed madly, her voice going up an octave in madness.
"First year?! WE-" she corrected, flicking George on the nose, "nicked it from Filch's office on the first day I got detention, it was after I turned the great hall into an ice rink, you lying tossers" Safi laughed brightly, wrapping her black scarf closer around her shivering neck.
"Shutup, lovebirds!" Fred scolded just as George reached over to flick Safi on her nose. "The point is, there are seven secret passageways out of the castle..." Fred continued, turning back to the map.
George rolled his eyes at Fred ignoring what he said, even though his cheeks burned bright red, and it definitely wasn't from the cold. He reached a hand onto the map and traced a gentle line with his finger. "We'd recommend—"
"This one" the twins said together, Fred joining his hand on the map with his brother, tracing the same circle.
The next few minutes were a bit of a mad blur, after Safi screamed out that Filch was coming and her and the twins automatically began running away erratically.
Eventually though, Harry caught up with Safi, after he had found her on the map hiding behind Sir Cadogan's armour.
They regrouped together, shivering madly, but quietly, under the invisibility cloak, trudging their way through the one eyed witch passageway straight to Honeydukes, along the way occasionally stopping to yell at eachother as they kept stepping on eachother or hitting something, to be honest it was a miracle they made it there at all.
But they did, with Safi carefully opening the cellar door to Honeydukes, and ending with Harry mentally apologising to Neville as his acid pop got stuck to the outside of the invisibility cloak.
Harry and Safi hotly debated to eachother for a few moments as to what they would do, until the perfect moment presented itself, in the form of Draco Malfoy and his pompous ass companions muttering quietly to themselves that they were about to 'teach Weaslebee and his mudblood bitch their place in the world'.
Harry and Safi just locked eyes imperceptibly, nodded to eachother as a grin spread madly on Safi's face.
"It's crunch time".
Hermione laughed brightly as Harry started flipping up Ron's beanie tassels, and it took so much of Safi's will power not to burst out laughing.
Then, Hermione turned her head, and somehow locked eyes straight with Harry, and a huge grin broke out on his face.
"Harry!" she scolded, however she still couldn't keep laugh contained.
Safi threw off the cloak, revealing her and Harry, her laughs still ringing with Draco's screams, and she relished once more in the snowball she threw direct hit into his smug face.
Everyone kept laughing, as they heard the three Slytherin boys screams subside into the distance.
Except Ron, he was still scared shitless.
"Bloody hell, Harry, Safi! That was not funny!" he whined, his eyes still wide with shock.
Safi just burst out laughing again, slapping Ron on the shoulder and throwing her other around Hermione, pulling her into a big hug which she laughed into, the soft wool of her jumper squishing against her skin.
The three then fell into a gentle quiet, until Safi heard the unmistakeable laughs of George and found herself curiosity bound to follow the sounds.
That was until her curiosity fell as she found herself at the front door of the shrieking shack, watching George lob what looked like green mutant bubblegum straight at Jordan and Fred.
But hey, finding the boys in circumstances like this was just a normal Tuesday to be honest.
"Keep still, you minger!" George called impatiently, sticking his tongue out of his lips in acute concentration.
Or rather...a cute concentration...
"What the fuck, brain?!" Safi thought to herself, immediately slapping herself on the forehead, the sound echoing embarrassingly loudly, announcing her presence to the three pranksters.
"Quit hitting yourself, you're much to gorgeous to hit" Lee flirted dramatically, letting out an impossibly long catlike growl.
Safi let out a disgusted grunt, lobbing the nearest stick she could find on the ground straight at him, but Lee just dodged it, and his simpleton smirk grew wider.
"You love it" he snickered, clicking his finger in an attemptedly suave motion, but really he just looked as dumb as he usually did.
Safi continued to do her usual eye roll, until she suddenly heard a loud thump, quickly followed by one of Lee's typical screams.
"George! What the fuck?!" Lee squawked jumping 2 feet in the air, tenderly rubbing the left side of his body, which George had literally just pummelled the shit out of.
"Sorry, Lee. Thought I saw a bee" he muttered under his breath, and Safi thought she detected a hint of bitterness in his voice, but she shrugged it off, as did Lee, but not without mumbling a few insults at George meekly.
Safi just giggled at their antics and they all giggled too.
That was until a scream rang throughout the woods, it's source, none other than the shrieking shack.
"I see where it gets it's name" Safi said smartly, ignoring the pale and gloomed face of the three boys around her.
"Fucking hell" George mumbled under his breath, "and I thought the midnight screams of the ghoul in our attic was scary. But that is just mad" he shivered, but Safi knew it wasn't from the cold.
Safi shook her head, a grin plastered on her face as she crunches some snow under her boots.
"You're all wimps, there's literally ghosts living at our school, so why would you be scared of ghosts in a run down shack?" she said with a smug smile.
"Because, dear Saf-" Fred called, trudging backwards to the front steps of the shack, turning to rap his knuckles on the dilapidated wood of the house, "-Hogwarts ghosts politely introduce themselves, whereas I've heard such tales of wild ghosts hunting down wizards, something about ancient grudges or something" Fred whispered, his fingers dancing for dramatic effect, to which Safi scoffed.
"'Wild ghosts'?" Safi mocked crossing her arms across her chest, "they're not deer, Fred. It's not like ghosts are running about in herds, you numpty".
Fred just shrugged her off, but then George perked up, and he started to carefully stalk towards Safi with a dangerously poised brow.
"If you're such a big tough Hufflepuff, then why don't you go in there, ey? Show us all up! Or..." he paused, leaning down to stare her right in the eyes, "...are you too sca—-".
But he didn't get to finish his sentence, as Safi shoved her gloved hand into his mouth and pushed him backwards, and started stalking straight towards the front steps of the Shrieking shack, and then before she realised just what she'd done, she was inside, the front door swinging shut behind her.
"Ah fucken hell" she whispered under her breath, suddenly realising what she did, "why didn't I just say fuck off?!".
The inside of the shrieking shack was pretty much exactly what she expected. All peeled paint, broken windows and dust.
But then again, with the dull winter sunlight streaming through what was left of the windows, it was almost serene, like this place was just for those who wanted some peace and quiet.
Safi stepped forward, the boards creaking underfoot, but she wasn't scared, there wasn't anyone here, except the dust, a black dog and herself—-
"What the fuck" Safi said bluntly, blinking rapidly to make sure her eyes weren't deceiving her.
But no, it wasn't a trick of the light.
There, a few feet in front of her, squatting itself on a thousand year old lounge, dust billowing around it, was a big, black dog.
"What the fuck" Safi stated again, tilting her head to the left, her eyes narrowing at the strange animal.
The dog let out a small huff, turning his head to the right with his tongue falling out of his mouth.
Safi let out an intrigued huff, her minding reeling, wondering what the actual fuck a dog was doing in the shrieking shack of all places.
Safi slowly squatted down to the floor, keeping her eyes on the dog, seeing now how thin and sickly it looked, it's poor bones sticking out like railway tracks all up and down it's body.
"You poor sweet, you want a sandwich?" Safi spoke in a high voice, like she would any animal, the plastic wrap rustling in her hand and she bought out her wrapped ham sandwich.
The dog immediately perked up, bolting towards her from the couch, dust and other matter falling from his greasy coat.
"You're a bit gross y'know, but that's okay, we're all a bit gross sometimes" she whispered into his flea bitten ear, pushing the sandwich towards him gently.
He immediately snapped it up in his mouth, seemingly swallowing the lunch whole, his tail wagging furiously, stirring up the air once more.
Safi's face lit up, watching the dead looking dog light up as well, sniffing her hand gently, nuzzling into it shyly.
"There's a good boy, do you have a name? I'm Safi by the way, but you can just call me woof" she whispered to the dog.
The dog let out a woof immediately, almost as if the little guy actually understood her.
"There you go, you've got it down perfect—".
Suddenly the still and calm air collapsed, as a pitched scream fell through the broken windows and settled around them, giving Safi a chill like no cold winter ever could.
She immediately ran to the window, her hair falling around her as she searched out into the snow laden hills, searching for anyone who could've made such a scream, a scream filled with the anger of a thousand people.
Safi turned them to the door, but only to find it blocked by the poor looking dog.
It lifted its head gently to her, it's grey eyes pleading with her, begging her not to leave.
But Safi was terrified as to what that scream meant, so she moved the dog aside, and ran straight out into the cold, ignoring the cries of Fred, George and Lee, running straight up the hill, only to stop, as she saw Harry.
Harry, his shoulders slumped forward, his hair a usual mess, and hot tears streaming down his cold face.
Hermione was kneeling in front of him, and as her eyes landed on Safi, she suddenly looked even more terrified.
"What is it? What's happened? Harry?" Safi called out, running towards them.
But Safi barely got a foot away from Harry, before she came face to face with Harry, his invisibility cloak fallen into the snow.
Harry's face was red, from the cold and from the tears, but behind the tears, was nothing but anger.
"It was him. It was all his fault" he whispered harshly, his voice hoarse from screaming and his fists clenched threateningly.
Safi's eyes softened as she raised her hand to press to his face, but he pushed it away, his face twisted in rage and sadness and all mixed with utter confusion.
"It's you! You're his—-and he did it! He killed them! HE KILLED MY PARENTS!" he screamed in her face, making her fall backwards, the snow falling calmly around them.
The silence in between the screams was worse than the actual screaming, and now it was Safi's turn to cry.
"Harry...what are you talking about—-"
"SIRIUS BLACK!" he screamed, towering over her, making her more scared than she'd ever been.
She'd had people tower over her countless times, bullies, teachers, Vernon and Petunia, and they'd all hurt her. But it was never someone towering over that she loved.
"It's him, he killed my parents..." Harry whispered, fresh tears spilling down his cheeks.
He then simply turned away from her, walking backwards and shaking his head firmly.
"And you're his daughter. And he killed my parents".
The silence came again, mingled with snowfall, and now the heavy beating of Safi's pounding heart.
"My...my father..." she choked.
Harry nodded, his face crumbling completely.
"Your father killed mine. He killed them all..." and with that, he turned away, grabbing his cloak and running over the hill and far away.
And there was Safi, down in the unforgiving cold of the snow, soaking her straight to the bone. And she couldn't feel anything, but worst of all, she could feel everything. The only thing she could think over and over again, was the one thought she'd always wanted answered, but now she cursed herself for ever wanting to know.
"My father...is Sirius Black.