The following week was spent in detention with Snape. It wasn't so bad. He had her doing things from grading first-year essays to alphabetically putting his books back on the large shelves. Aileen thought it could have been much worse. She would take small moments to glance at the man behind his desk. He would pay her no attention, too caught up in papers he was grading. She watched as his face would turn from amusing to anger to void of any emotion. He had not tried to talk to her about what had happened with the Dementors. It was as though it never happened.
On this particular night, he had her fixing his books on the self. She tried to keep her mind off of Snape, choosing instead to grab one of his books. She opened it and began reading the words. It was a book of spells, most she had not even been taught yet. She flipped the page, becoming engrossed in the different spells. One in particular caught her interest. She had been taught this spell and had seen Draco perform it the year before. What caught her interest was that the spell conjured snakes.
Aileen reached her hand out before her, as if she held her wand, and pointed it towards the candelabra in the corner of the room. She began practicing the spell, the way the book taught her to do. Her hand made circular motions, her mind concentrating on what she was doing.
"Serpensortia," Aileen whispered.
Suddenly, Aileen felt her body grow hot and light shot out of her towards the candelabra. She watched as the candelabra began to shrink and coil itself into the shape of a snake. Behind her, Snape jumped from his chair, surprise written on his face. His chair fell back, making a loud bang that surprised both Aileen and the snake.
"Aileen, what did you do?" Snape said, walking over to her.
He stood right beside her, their eyes staring towards the snake as it slithered towards them. Aileen felt no fear from the snake, and as Snape raised his wand to take care of the snake, Aileen's hand flew out and grabbed his forearm in a death-like grip. Her eyes never moved away from the snake, a feeling inside of her stirring. Ever since the Dementor attack, Aileen had felt off somehow. Her dreams were filled with more of the red eyes and the things that scared her the most, yet she was beginning to accept them, and the more she delved into her dreams, the more she felt them pulling at her.
"Aileen, step back!" Snape whispered forcefully.
Her eyes stared harder at the snake, a smile beginning to grow on her face. She had conjured it without her wand. How was that possible? She felt powerful looking at the snake, and again something stirred inside her. Aileen began to hear a voice inside her head whispering that she could have a power her little feeble mind could not imagine. Aileen began to laugh as she watched the snake turn directions, heading from her to Snape. Its black eyes stared at the man beside her.
Aileen felt Snape try to break her grasp of his arm, but she clamped down harder, digging her fingernails into the man. "Don't be afraid, Severus, it's just a snake," Aileen whispered, turning her smile towards him. "You should be more afraid of the person whose power the snake is working under."
Snape's arm began to shake, and his wand fell to the floor. The snake was only inches away from him now, and Aileen watched with a wide smile. Snape tried to take a step away, but somehow Aileen had more power than he. She held him in place, her mouth coming open as she spoke to the snake in Parseltongue. The snake spoke back, its tongue slithering out as its tail rattled.
"Aileen, stop this at once!" Snape yelled.
His outburst only caused Aileen to laugh harder, her fingernails digging deeper. Snape cried out in terror as the snake began wrapping itself around his leg. Snape tried to kick it off, but it was too late. The snake intertwined himself around Snape's legs and began to slither up the man's chest. His eyes turned, pleading with Aileen to help him.
Aileen stepped in front of Snape, her grasp on his arm no longer needed now that the snake had him completely immobile. She watched the terror build in his eyes and she fed off the fear. It made her feel powerful, and it made her want more. She closed the gap between her and Snape, coming to within inches of his face. Her hand came up, lightly caressing his cheek.
"Please," he begged.
She closed her eyes, feeling the power surge faster inside her. To hear someone plead for their life was a precious feeling, to know you held that person's life in your hands and could crush them like a bug under one's shoe. "Hey, hey, it's okay, Severus. It will not hurt a bit, I swear it," she whispered as her lips came to within inches of his mouth.
The snake made its way around Snape's neck and began to squeeze, cutting the man's breathing off at once. Aileen stood and watched him, her hand continuing to caress his face. "His blood will one day flow through me," Aileen whispered.
"Aileen, please don't do this!" Snape wheezed, the snake letting up a little.
"He's waiting on me, Severus. I must go to him," Aileen said gently. She reached up on her tip toes and kissed him gently, allowing her lips to linger for just a moment. She found herself surprised when Snape kissed her back. She slowly moved back, her eyes hooded from the touch of him. "Pity," she whispered.
Aileen turned away from Snape and walked towards the door. As she opened it, she looked back to the terror-filled man. The snake raised its head away from Snape, his eyes staring daggers at the man. Snape was struggling to free himself, his breathing coming out in pants. Aileen could not help it, she watched for another minute, watched him struggle with the fact he was about to die.
"Nagini, kill," Aileen hissed.
The snake jerked its head back, its mouth coming open, showing its fangs. Snape began to scream, but it was cut off as the snake sank its poison into the man's throat. As she walked out of the door, Aileen smiled, feeling quite proud. The last sound she heard was the cold, dead body of Severus Snape hitting the floor.
"Nooooooo!"
Aileen jerked up in bed screaming. Her wide-eyes searched around the darkened room, not knowing where she was. She could still see Snape wrapped in the snake, his terror-filled eyes pleading with her to help him. The fact that it had only been a dream had not sunk in yet. Tears streamed down her face, her mouth open in a horrible sob. Her body was shaking from pure fear, and she screamed out again, the sight of the snake puncturing Snape's throat running through her mind.
"Aileen, calm down. It's just a dream."
Snape's face came into view in front of her. His face was searching hers in concern, his hands held her shoulders gently. Aileen could tell that she had awoken him, his eyes still holding sleep. Aileen knew she should have calmed down in that moment, but with Snape so close to her, she felt the fear intensify.
"Get away from me!" she screamed as she pushed away from him to climb out of the bed. Shocked, he let go of her, and she fell on the floor hard. Aileen scrambled to her knees and crawled away from Snape as far as she could. She came to rest at the opposite wall, curling herself into a ball and sobbing into her hands. She began rocking back and forth, feeling as if she were going insane. The dream felt so real, the evil inside of her palpable.
"Aileen, please," Snape said softly.
He had stood from the bed and walked towards her, bending down only inches from Aileen. She could feel his warmth in front of her, but the dream wouldn't allow her to reach out to him. She continued rocking back and forth, her sobs rising in volume. What was happening to her?
"It was only a dream, Aileen. Whatever it was, it was nothing but a dream," Snape soothed.
Her tear-stained face rose slowly to look at him. He was so close to her. "No, it was more than just a dream," she whispered.
"Tell me all about it, Aileen. I'll show you that it was just a dream," Snape said, reaching for her arm.
"No!" Aileen screamed. She scrambled to her feet and ran past him towards the door. Aileen had to get away from Snape before she hurt him. She could feel it inside her, the way she watched happily as the snake had murdered him.
As soon as she reached the door, it jerked open and Dumbledore stood before her. His concerned eyes moved from her to Snape, confusion written on his face. Snape stopped his movements towards Aileen once he saw Dumbledore. The two men looked at one another, speaking without words. Aileen fell to her knees in front of the man, sobbing at his feet. Dumbledore bent down, laying his hand gentle on top of her head.
"Aileen, what happened?" he asked softly.
Her hands covered her tear-stained face and she began shaking her head, not wanting to answer the man. Through her closed eyelids, Aileen could hear Snape's pleas, see his eyes begging her and feel his lips upon hers. If it was a dream, how could it have felt so real?
"She had a bad dream," Snape answered for her.
She jumped, hearing him right behind her. "Please, Professor Dumbledore, please get me away from him," Aileen whispered frantically.
She heard Snape scoff behind her. "Are you serious, Aileen? After what I did for you tonight, do you honestly think I would hurt you?" he seethed. Snape was misunderstanding her actions. It was the other way around. She was afraid she would hurt him.
"Severus, that's enough. I'm going to take the girl up to my office and speak with her. You can go back to your quarters for the night. If I need your assistance, I will call for you," Dumbledore said.
"No, not until she understands that I won't hurt her," Snape said angrily.
Dumbledore stood from Aileen and turned towards the younger man, walking to stand in front of him. "Severus, something serious has happened to her tonight, and unless you are not present, I do not think she will confide in me. Let me learn the cause of her outburst, and then I will explain it to you, please," Dumbledore said quietly.
Snape looked from Dumbledore to Aileen, his eyes showing anger at not understanding what was happening. He turned without a word and walked back to his hospital bed. Grabbing his black cloak, he walked from the room without another word. Aileen looked up, seeing him exit the room. She felt lost and helpless, but at least he was in no danger from her now.
"Can you walk, Aileen?" Dumbledore asked.
She nodded her head, taking a deep breath. Dumbledore helped her to her feet and assisted her out of the room. Walking through the darkened halls, Aileen felt a chill set in. Her eyes made shadows move on their own accord, and she turned towards Dumbledore, finding shelter in his embrace. He patted her gently on the shoulder, letting her know she was safe.
Once in his office, he sat her in a chair in front of his desk. Without asking, he conjured some hot tea and passed it to her. The moment the hot liquid went down her throat, she felt the coldness disappear. It sent a heating sensation throughout her being and she sighed with the feeling. Dumbledore watched her, a small smile playing on his lips as he watched the liquid working.
After a moment, and half her hot tea gone, Dumbledore began to ask her questions. "What happened tonight, Aileen?"
She slowly looked up at the man, tears still in her eyes. "I-I hurt him, Professor. I-I killed him," she whispered miserably.
Dumbledore's eyebrows twitched, the only movement from his face as he listened to her words. "Are you referring to Professor Snape?" Dumbledore asked gently.
Aileen nodded her head, her face crumbling. "I-I killed him."
"Tell me, Aileen, tell me what happened," Dumbledore said.
With a deep, watery breath, Aileen began, "I-I was looking through a book of spells in his office. I found a spell that Draco had used last year, a spell to conjure a snake." Aileen didn't miss the small flinch on Dumbledore's face, but if she was going to tell him about the dream, she had to proceed. "I conjured it without my wand, and the power it invoked in me was strong. T-there was this v-voice in my head, telling me I could do anything, that I was powerful enough to do anything. T-the snake, it talked to me, telling me its wishes to kill Professor Snape," Aileen cried out.
She stopped as a sob overtook her, feeling horrible and foolish. Dumbledore sat patiently waiting for her to continue, his soft voice calming her down and telling her it was alright. After a few minutes, she got herself back under control and went on. "I-I spoke to the snake, allowing it to strike Professor Snape, and I stood by and laughed as it did. I-I relished in his pain and death. I felt so powerful."
"Have you had other dreams like this, Aileen?"
She shook her head no at his question. It was the first she had had of killing someone. "Something's changed in me, Professor. After the attack with the Dementor, I feel myself slipping into darkness, and I feel as though there's no escape. What did they do to me?" Aileen cried.
Dumbledore stood from his chair and walked around, bending before her. His eyes were as serious as she had ever seen them. His hands came up, holding her face still so she would be looking at him when he spoke. "All they have done is made you face your darkest fears. They have not changed you, Aileen. Do not drown in their misery and darkness. You are here, you are safe and so is Professor Snape. He is no deader from that snake's venom than you are lost in that darkness."
Aileen reached out, wrapping her arms around Dumbledore. He brought her into his embrace, soothing her cries. Aileen wanted to believe him, more than she could ever admit. She prayed she had the control to banish the darkness within her mind for good.
She spent a while longer in Dumbledore's company. The more time passed, the better she felt. The dream, though still raw, was starting to lose its sting. Aileen was able to look at it for what it was, just a dream.
She wasn't sure how much time passed when she rose from the chair to go back to the hospital wing. Though she felt she didn't need to, Dumbledore thought it would be better not to go back to the Slytherin tower and wake the children. There would be questions; ones that Aileen had no interest in answering.
She made it to the door when Dumbledore spoke. "Aileen, please talk with Professor Snape and let him know you are okay. He has come to care a great deal about you, and that is a rare thing for him. He does not show his feeling easily, but I do see how much he cares."
Aileen did not know what to say to that. All she felt was the familiar jolt in her stomach, and it made her want to jump for joy. Instead of the fear she felt for Snape earlier, she felt her feelings for him coming back. It was a sign that she accepted the dream for nothing but a dream. Snape was safe with her, she knew that. She would never harm him.
"I will, Professor. Thank you," she whispered.
She climbed down the stairs, into the darkened hallways and made her way back to the hospital wing. It, too, was dark. She felt wide awake, not wanting to sleep for years to come. After the dream, she would be lucky if her eyes closed at all. Aileen walked towards her bed and noticed something in the darkness. It was lying on the top of her sheets. Its color blended with the darkness, but the outline was visible. She slowed, her eyes trying to adjust so she could see. When the realization of what was lying there hit her, she let out a loud cry and ran towards her bed.
Aileen grabbed the black cloak and held it to her face. The fabric ran across her cheeks, causing more tears to fall from her eyes. It was back, her most cherished possession. She threw it across her shoulders, wrapping it around her body and crying, this time in happiness. A watery smile began to grow on her face, her cries turning to laughter. How it got here, Aileen had no clue, but her happiness was bubbling over. She held the black cloak tightly against her, feeling as if the world was righted once more. Every horrible memory from tonight washed away with her tears.
"I thought you might like to have that back, seeing as you wanted to battle Dementors to get to it," someone softly called behind her.
Aileen turned abruptly at the sound. Her wide-eyes searched the darkness until they landed on Snape's face. He was standing a good ways away from her, his eyes lingering on the black cloak. She could have sworn she saw a ghost of a smile on his lips.
"H-how?" Aileen asked.
"While you were talking to Professor Dumbledore, I took the opportunity to retrieve it. You, um, were talking about it in your sleep," he said quietly.
"The Dementors," Aileen said, her voice showing how stunned she was.
Snape took a small step towards her. Aileen's first instinct was to take a step back, but she reminded herself that it had been just a dream. She reminded herself she wouldn't hurt him. He took another and then another, until finally he was standing before her.
"They're gone. Professor Dumbledore asked them to leave, no matter what the Ministry of Magic says. They have attacked two students." Snape said.
"Thank y-you, so much," Aileen whispered.
She held the black cloak even tighter around her, its fabric comforting her, but not for the reasons it used to. As she looked at the man before her, she realized the cloak would be something Snape himself would wear. It was exactly his taste, and she had even seen some cloaks of his that reminded her of this one. It was becoming a symbol for the man standing in front of her.
"Aileen, whatever you dreamed, I have given you my word that I would never hurt you. You have my protection before anything else," Snape said softly.
Aileen shook her head, her eyes roaming away from his. "It was never about whether you would hurt me, Professor. It was if I would hurt you," she whispered.
For a few moments, Snape didn't answer. He stared at her, as if his mind was working out what she had said. "I see," he stated simply. "I do not fear you, Aileen. What was the dream about?"
With a deep breath, she began to tell him what she had dreamed, omitting the kiss. When she was finished, she waited to hear what he would say, but Snape didn't say a word. After a while, Aileen felt as though he would not speak. Maybe he found the dream too disturbing and would want nothing to do with her from this moment on. That thought scared her most of all, and she opened her mouth to say something, but Snape chose that moment to speak.
"I can see where the dream might be upsetting, but let me remind you, Aileen, that I am a Potions Master, and I think it would take more than just snake venom to do me in."
Without hesitation, Aileen ran the rest of the way towards Snape, wrapping her arms around him. She squeezed her eyes shut, not caring if he reprimanded her or not. After everything he had done for her tonight, it was the least she could do to show her thanks. Slowly, gently she felt his arms come around her, and her eyes shot open in surprise.
It did not last as long as she would have liked. Snape's arms fell to his side, and it was her cue to let go. Reluctantly, Aileen stepped back, looking up at Snape shyly. "Go back to bed, Aileen. The morning will be coming soon."
Aileen nodded her head and climbed back into bed. The cloak was still wrapped around her small frame, and she snuggled further into it. Snape turned to go, but Aileen called out to him. "Will you stay, please, just until I fall asleep?" she asked quietly.
Snape turned back to her, looking a little uncomfortable. She remembered what Dumbledore said about him not showing his emotions, and the fact that he cared for her was rare. He sat on the bed that he occupied earlier, his head nodding. "I will be here, Aileen." She smiled one last time before lying down and finding sleep again. This time there were no snakes, just the feel of black fabric surrounding her.
When Aileen awoke the next day, she looked over at where Snape had been and noticed he was gone. He had kept his word and stayed until she fell asleep.
"Ah, you're awake, that's good," Madame Pomfrey said. The woman walked towards Aileen and helped her sit up on the side of the bed. "You had a rough night last night, didn't you?" she asked, her voice sounding motherly.
"It could have been better," Aileen responded.
"Well, let me have a look at you, and if everything is okay, you can join the other students in the Great Hall for breakfast."
When Madame Pomfrey was satisfied Aileen was out of harm's way, she allowed the girl to leave. After changing into her robes, Aileen hurried down the hall, her stomach growling at the thought of food. She opened the door o the Great Hall and hurried to the Slytherin table, taking an empty seat beside Draco. He looked at her, his eyes full of concern. She tried to smile, but wasn't sure if she pulled it off.
"Do I even want to know?" he whispered.
"Not even a little bit," she whispered back, piling her plate with food.
"You are as bad as Potter when it comes to attracting danger, I swear!" Draco huffed.
With a mouth full of eggs, Aileen responded. "I've noticed."
Aileen was starving, and she began cramming food down her throat as if she would never eat again. She was aware of Draco's wide-eyes watching her, but she ignored him completely, savoring the aromas and the spectacular taste of the food.
"You'd find this interesting, Aileen. Your friend Potter got in trouble for sneaking out to Hogsmeade when he didn't have permission. Come to find out, he was aided by some device that Snape tried to confiscate from him, but that horrible teacher Lupin got Potter out of trouble. As usual, someone comes to the great Potter's rescue," Draco said angrily.
Aileen's eyes roamed to the Gryffindor table and saw Harry, Ron and Hermione deep in conversation. She felt sad thinking she hadn't spent much time with them this year. She had missed them, even Hermione and her nonstop talking. She made a vow to meet up with them later to see how their year was going.
"Tomorrow's the final Quidditch match. Us against Gryffindor, and it's time for a little payback," Draco said to Aileen. They were walking to Potions after breakfast and she slowed down, turning towards him. He slowed when he saw her stop, turning to look at her.
"What are you planning?" she asked suspiciously.
He smiled. "It's nothing you should worry about, Aileen."
Hearing him say that made Aileen worry about nothing else but the Quidditch match. The Slytherin team had something up their sleeve. He grabbed her arm, pulling her into Snape's class. Aileen tried to keep her mind on the caldron in front of her, but with Snape walking around the desks to check on the student's progress at making their potions, it was hard to concentrate.
"Easy on the onion root, Miss Malfoy, gently crush before adding it," Snape said softly.
The room became deathly quiet, all eyes on Aileen and Snape. She looked around, wondering why they were staring at her. Snape didn't seem to notice. If he did, he never reacted, but walked to the next table opposite her. She heard Draco snigger beside her, and she looked over at him, her eyebrows coming together in confusion.
"Teacher's pet," he whispered. A large grin was plastered on his face.
"Whatever," Aileen mumbled, feeling her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment. She looked up at Snape, watching him take his seat and a small smile played on her lips. She didn't mind being a teacher's pet, not in this class anyway.
It was the day of the Quidditch match against Slytherin and Gryffindor. True to his word, Draco and the rest of the Slytherin team was giving payback in the form of illegal jabs and unsportsmanlike conducts. Aileen wondered if they realized they weren't exactly hurting Gryffindor as much as they were hurting their own team. Gryffindor was pulling away, thanks to the stupid penalties.
"This is stupid," Aileen mumbled, getting to her feet.
"Hey, where are you going? The match isn't over yet!" Pansy Parkinson said angrily.
"It is for me," Aileen said as she passed the girl.
She walked down the stairs, heading out of the stadium. Aileen wasn't about to watch her team cheat just to get back at Gryffindor. It was stupid and rather embarrassing. As she left the stadium, she heard the cheers from the Gryffindor side and boos from the Slytherin side. Looking back at the Quidditch Pitch, Aileen shook her head. It was then that something moved in the corner of her eyes. She jerked her head over towards the direction of the trail leading to Hogsmeade. There was nothing there, but she could have sworn she saw black fur.
Her first thought was to go and investigate, but a voice screamed in her head that she needed to continue walking. Hadn't she had enough trouble the last couple of days? Still, she had too much curiosity in her for her own good. Not really believing what she was doing, Aileen turned from the safety of the school and walked towards where she saw the movement.
Aileen found herself behind a grove of trees, their large frames blocking out the view of the Qudditch pitch. She fumbled in her pocket, getting the call device ready just in case. If she were to have to use it, she already knew that Snape would kill her himself. She walked in a long circle, looking all around her, but there was nothing around.
She sighed, feeling a weight lift at the thought that there was nothing here. She chuckled, flipping the call device in the air and catching it in her hand. Thank goodness Snape wouldn't have to come to her defense. Shaking her head, she began to walk away. The sound of a twig breaking behind her caused Aileen to stop dead in her tracks.
"Don't turn around, don't turn around," Aileen whispered frantically.
But turn she did, and what awaited her as she turned caused the hairs to stand on the back of her neck. Before her, growling furiously was a large, black dog. His eyes stared at her, his teeth bared. Aileen wasted no time in turning and running as fast as she could away from the dangerous creature. She had waited too late to flee as the dog nipped at her feet, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground. The breath was knocked out of her, causing her to slam her eyes shut. The call device was knocked from her hands, and she desperately began crawling towards it.
Just as her fingers skimmed over the small box, she felt the black dog clamp down on the end of her pants leg. With a jerk, Aileen went backwards, sliding on the ground. The dog was dragging her away from safety and Aileen screamed. No one at the Quidditch Pitch heard her as the crowd erupted in cheers and shouts. Harry had just grabbed the golden snitch.
Aileen looked behind her, noticing a dilapidated house coming into view. The dog was dragging her in that direction, and Aileen desperately tried to grab a hold of the long grass. It was no use. The shack was coming closer, and Aileen tried to scream again, hoping to get someone's attention from Hogsmeade.
Suddenly, she was in the shack and being dragged up the stairs. Aileen felt every bump and cried out in pain. The large dog slowed its movements but not its hold on her. The way up the stairs became less painful after that. She was brought into a dirty, dusty room. All around her, the room was falling apart.
It was there, the dog released her and she scrambled to her feet, running towards the door. The large dog moved in her path, blocking off her escape. Aileen scooted back, bumping into the wall behind her. She looked around the room, looking for another way out, but she could see none. Her scared eyes drifted back to the dog.
"Please, please let me go," she whispered.
The dog did not move, just stared at her with his large eyes. She watched as slowly the dog's head tilted to the side, as if trying to figure her out. Aileen stood stock still, praying that it would realize its mistake and run off, allowing her to leave. It began whining, its head tilting to the other side. Aileen looked at it confused. It growled at her, as if warning her to stay put.
Slowly, she watched the dog bow its head, its body beginning to vibrate. She gasped as she watched it changing form and suddenly, before her a man knelt. His head was still bowed, his dirty hair falling down around his face. A moment later, his face lifted slowly to look at her, and within an instant she recognized the face of Sirius Black.
"Oh God," she whispered.
She began to shake, her eyes darting around, desperate for a way out. Sirius slowly stood to his feet, his eyes never leaving hers. Aileen felt she had no choice. She would have to fight her way out. Her fists came up in front of her, and she took the stance as if to fight. He looked at her, his face turning to one of amusement.
"Come on," she said, her fists out before her, moving her weight from one foot to the other. "I've had to deal with insane Professors, a memory of a dead boy and Dementors. I think I can take on a dog," she whispered.
Sirius began to laugh, his hand coming down and slapping his leg. Aileen looked at him as if he had lost his mind, which in truth, he probably had. His eyes closed, tears of laughter trying to fight their way through.
"Oh, excuse me," he said, trying to calm his laughter. "I don't mean to laugh at you, it's just you have a lot of spunk for such a small girl."
"Come on and let me show you how much spunk I have," she seethed. Aileen never let her guard down, keeping her fists out before her. She would be ready for anything. This time, she would not be the victim of someone's vengeance. "Come on!" she screamed. If she were to die, she would do it her way.
Sirius slowly raised his hands, the smile never falling from his face. "I do not want to fight you."
Her fists dropped just a fraction, but she raised them again, not sure what he was playing at. He was confusing her, causing her mind not to work properly. It had to be a part of his plan to kill her. "If you don't want to kill me then why drag me here?" she asked.
"Because, I need help, well it didn't start out as you being the one to help, but when I saw you approach, I took the opportunity."
"I'm not going to help you kill Harry! He's my friend!" Aileen yelled.
Sirius took a step toward Aileen and she whimpered in fear, her fists shaking. He raised his hands higher, trying to show that he meant her no harm. "I do not want to kill Harry either. I know you are his friend, I've seen you two together at the school" he said softly.
"T-then what do you want?" Aileen asked.
Sirius took another step towards her, only a small space separating them. Aileen looked at him, really looked at him. She saw beyond the dirty face and the tethered clothes. His eyes caught her attention and she stared into them, as if staring into his soul. Without thought, her hands fell to her side. His eyes showed kindness, something that greatly surprised her.
"All I ask is that you hear my story," he whispered. Sirius now stood in front of Aileen. The moments passed before she could answer. His eyes were pleading with her to listen to him.
"Okay," she breathed.
She listened to every word the man had to say. She heard of how he had been best friends with Harry's father and mother, how they had been like family, and he was even named Harry's godfather. He told her how it destroyed him the night James and Lily Potter died, feeling as though he had lost everything.
"When I found out who was responsible for giving their location to the Dark Lord, I went into a rage. I went after the man, who at one time was our closest friend. When I found him, he set me up killing those Muggles and making it look as if he was dead in the process. He was able to pin it all on me, and I was sent to Azkaban for it. All these years, I have waited for the moment to get my revenge," said Sirius.
Aileen listened to every word, her heart breaking for the man beside her. She could see in his eyes the pain he felt. She made up her mind then and there, if he had wanted to kill her, he would have done it already. Seeing as she was still alive, Aileen felt it safe to say the man was telling the truth. The emotions within him told her he was telling the truth.
"How can I help?" she said. Aileen reached over, taking the man's dirty hand in hers. She felt sorry for him, hearing the heartbreak in his voice as he told her his story. It had all been a misunderstanding. Sirius smiled at her, his eyes glinting with tears. "What's your name?" he whispered.
"Aileen…Malfoy," she said hesitating.
Sirius's eyes went wide, his mouth coming open in shock. "What?" he whispered. "Lucius and Narcissa have a daughter? I thought their child was a boy."
"They have a son, yes, Draco Malfoy. They adopted me a month before the school year and before you ask, I have no idea why," Aileen said with a chuckle.
He continued to stare, his shock still evident on his face. "I guess that would make us cousins, though I haven't had anything to do with my family for years," he said.
Aileen shrugged her shoulders. "I guess we can start a new tradition."
The shock turned into a smile, a big one at that. To Aileen, it made him look younger and less threatening. He turned his palm over, taking her hand in his. Reaching it up to his lips, he gave it a soft kiss.
"Now, how can I help?" she asked once he let go of her hand.
He looked at her apologetically before answering. "Well, I need you to stay here."
"Why," she asked confusingly.
Sirius stood to his feet and paced the room, his face looking determined. "My plan is to lure Harry here, and possibly his friend Ron since he has what I want. I need you here so when they come, you can help me keep them calm long enough for me to explain what's going on." He finally stopped and turned towards her. "I know I'm asking a lot from you, having you stay here, but I feel you can help me greatly."
Aileen looked around, the thought of having to hang out in this creepy house wasn't something she was looking forward to, but seeing Sirius's pleading eyes, she knew she had no choice. He needed her help, and that's exactly what she would give him.
"Okay," she said nodding her head.
HIs face beamed and he ran towards her, picking her up and swinging her around in a circle, laughing the whole time. She joined in, matching his laughter with hers. He sat her down and began making preparations to go back to the school. He told her he would approach Harry at nightfall, hoping he didn't have to drag the boy here like he did Aileen. She listened to his plan, throwing in her own advice when she felt it was needed.
With the plan made, Sirius began to leave. He went over the plan one more time with her, making sure she understood exactly what her part in all of this was. Aileen nodded her head with every word. "If it gets too dangerous and Harry refuses to listen, you get out of the way, Aileen. Do not put yourself in harm's way for me."
"I won't need to. Harry will listen," she tried to assure him.
"I hope you're right," he said. With one final nod, Sirus turned back into the large, black dog and left the Shrieking Shack, leaving Aileen all alone in the darkness.
She paced the floor, wondering what was happening. It had been hours since he had left, almost a day since she had been taken to the Shrieking Shack. She wondered if anyone noticed she was missing. What if they had and were sending out a search party, ruining any chance Surius had at cornering Harry. Aileen found it strange that she was wishing that no one was looking for her.
There was a sound underneath the house, as if someone was screaming. Aileen stopped dead in her tracks, her ears straining to listen. Again, she heard something sounding like a scream. There was a loud bang coming from below, and Aileen ran towards the door, trying to see below.
All of a sudden, Sirius appeared in the form of the dog, and Aileen could see he was dragging someone behind him. He was growling, as if angry. "Watch the stairs!" she yelled at Sirius, but he acted as though he didn't hear her, and went full force up the stairs. The person behind the dog took every blow head on.
Aileen jumped back just in time as he ran into the room with his prisoner. Aileen looked down, her eyes wide as she saw Ron lying on the floor. His face was cut in several places, his mouth open in a silent scream.
"Ron," Aileen breathed. She bent down towards him, making sure he was okay.
Something crawled out of his pocket, and Aileen jerked back with a scream. She watched a fat rat jump off of Ron and ran towards the broken bed. It slid underneath and there it stayed. Aileen watched as a cat ran in, but it wasn't just any cat, it was Hermione's. The cat ran towards the bed and stood stock still, as if to make sure the rat didn't run back out.
"Aileen," Ron whispered in pain.
Aileen bent down, her eyes scanning his legs and noticing the odd shape one of them sat in. "It's broken," she whispered. As she reached down to touch it, Ron let out a howl of pain. "Okay, just stay still, Ron."
"E-everyone's looking for you. W-when you didn't come down for supper, Dumbledore and Snape got worried," Ron said through clenched teeth.
"I'm fine. I've been here the whole time with Sirius, and Ron, it's not what you think. He's the good guy," Aileen said smiling.
"The good guy?" Ron asked angrily. "The good guy, Aileen! Have you seen what he did to my leg?"
"I know he didn't mean for that to happen. H-he's looking for something, something he said you have. He must have found it and just lost control. Ron, you must trust me on this," Aileen said in a rush.
Just then, the sound of more voices below floated up to Aileen and Ron. They turned their heads just in time to see Harry and Hermione run in, both their faces looking scared.
"Ron!" Harry and Hermione yelled at the same time.
They ran towards the hurt boy, and that's when they noticed Aileen. "Aileen, what happened to you?" Harry asked concerned.
"Listen, Harry, there's something I really must discuss with you. It's about Sirius Black," Aileen started.
"He did this? Did he kidnap you earlier today? I'll kill him, I swear I will!" Harry said angrily.
Aileen raised her hands, trying to calm Harry down. "No, listen! You don't understand, Harry. I need you to listen for just a few minutes," Aileen tried again.
"Understand what? The man that killed my parents is also responsible for kidnapping one of my friends and breaking the other's leg? Is that what I must understand?" Harry yelled.
Aileen opened her mouth to tell them what exactly happened earlier, but there was a growl behind them. All four turned around and watched as the large, black dog walked into the room and slowly towards the bed. His teeth were bared, his eyes looking beyond furious. The next minute, the dog had turned into the man, and Sirius was standing before them, but his eyes were still trained to the bed. Aileen looked in his hands and noticed his wand.
Harry jumped to his feet and within seconds had disarmed Sirius. The man turned his angered eyes away from the bed and onto Harry. "Going to kill me, Harry?" he said softly.
"You killed my parents!" Harry yelled.
Aileen looked on helplessly, feeling as though she had let Sirius down. Harry's wand was pointed at the man's chest, and he did nothing to defend himself, just stood there with his hands in the air.
"I don't deny it…but if knew the whole story," Sirius began, before Harry interrupted him, "I know all I need to!" Harry said.
Aileen watched as Harry's wand took position. He was fixing to attack Sirius, and without thinking, she jumped to her feet. As Harry's mouth came open to speak, Aileen jumped between him and Sirius. Immediately, Harry dropped his wand, his eyes staring at Aileen in confusion.
"What are you doing, Aileen?" Hermione asked.
"Listen to him! Just listen!" she yelled.
"Aileen, I said don't stand between me and danger!" Sirius said angrily behind her.
She turned halfway, keeping both Harry and Sirius in her sights. "I know what you asked, but I can't stand by while Harry makes a huge mistake."
Just then, there was a loud bang at the door, and everyone turned to see Lupin stumble in. His wide-eyes looked from the children to Sirius. When the two men looked at each other, a smile broke out on their faces.
"Remus, how are you old friend?" Sirius said with a smile.
Lupin walked towards the other man, embracing him in a tight hug. "I've been better, but I'm good," he said.
"What?" Hermione yelled. "I-I knew it! You're his accomplice. I always knew it. Y-You're also a werewolf aren't you?" she asked in disbelief.
Lupin looked at Hermione, his face showing how impressed he was at the girl. "She misses nothing does she?" Sirius mumbled.
"Lupin, how could you?" Harry said, his face showing his hurt.
"Please, Harry, let us explain," Lupin said.
"There's nothing to explain," Harry said, moving to the side and back in eyeshot of Black. "That man killed my father!"
"No, he did not!" both Aileen and Lupin said at the same time.
Harry turned towards Aileen, his eyes turning hard. "Why are you trying to save his neck? Becoming a real Malfoy I see!" Harry spat.
Aileen flinched at his anger. She turned fully towards him, her anger rising along with Harry's. "If you would wait for just one moment and hear Sirius out, you might change your mind. Just give him a chance to talk!"
Harry looked passed Aileen, his hard eyes looking straight at the man he wanted to kill. She could see the conflicting emotions. One part of Harry wanted to end the man's life, but the other wanted to hear what the man had to say. "Please, just hear him out," Aileen whispered, begging Harry to listen.
"Talk," Harry said, pointing his wand held towards Sirius.
"Tell him the truth, Sirius," Lupin said softly.
Sirius walked towards Aileen, standing beside her. She looked at him, giving him an encouraging smile. He returned the smile with one of his own, gently grabbing her hand and squeezing it. She refused to let go, sending all of her strength towards the man so he could begin telling Harry of what really happened. Lupin chimed in, starting the conversation about the four best friends, Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. He told of how he was bitten, being turned into a werewolf and his friends, instead of shunning him, accepted him for what he was. Padfoot and Wormtail became Animagi to support their friend, which explained how Sirius could turn into a dog. Wormtail became a rat when he wanted. Aileen cringed when Lupin told the story of how they almost got Snape killed while playing a prank on him. If it had not been for Harry's father, Snape would have been killed by the werewolf Lupin.
"Harry, he did not betray your parents, but it was someone, until quite recently, I believed to be dead!" Lupin said.
"Who was it then?" Harry said angrily.
"Peter Pettigrew! He's in this room, right now! Come out, come out Peter. Come out, come out to play" Sirius spat.
Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Aileen saw black robes and Snape standing before them. His breaths came out in pants, as if he ran the whole way to the Shrieking Shack. His black orbs scanned the room, looking at each of their faces. When his eyes landed on Aileen, she saw them grow wide, but he recovered in a second. He looked down at Aileen and Sirius's hand, seeing their hands still locked, and Aileen groaned inwardly. Snape misunderstood what he was seeing. He assumed Sirius was holding Aileen hostage.
In a fraction of a second, Snape entered the room, stepping towards Aileen and grabbing her from Sirius's hold. He pushed her behind him, his wand raised in in the man's face. Sirius stepped back, his hands in the air.
"Vengeance is sweet! Oh, how I hoped I would catch you!" Snape drawled.
"Severus," Lupin said, taking a step towards the man. Snape turned his wand in Lupin's direction, causing the man to mimic Sirius and raise his hands into the air.
"I told Dumbledore you were helping an old friend into the castle, and now here's the proof," Snape spat.
"Brilliant, Snape, you once again have come to the wrong conclusion. Now if you will excuse us, Lupin and I have some unfinished business to attend to," Sirius said, walking towards Snape and Aileen.
Snape stuck his wand in Sirius's neck, his face a mask of pure rage. "Give me a reason, I beg you!" Snape whispered.
"Severus!" Lupin called warningly.
"Or maybe I could send you to the Dementors. They are so longing to see you, you know!" he seethed.
Aileen watched as Sirius's face became pure white with fear. His eyes went wide, horror shown through them. "A Dementor's kiss one can only imagine what that's like to endure!"
Aileen closed her eyes, remembering what it was like the night her and Snape were attacked. "Severus, Please," Lupin tried again.
"After you," Snape said, pointing to the door. He turned towards Harry, Hermione and Ron, pointing his head at the door signaling for them to go. Harry took a few steps towards them and raised his wand. Aileen's eyes went wide as she watched the wand point from Sirius to Snape.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry yelled.
The white light hit Snape square in the chest and he went flying back, hitting the broken bed with a thump, causing the top of the bed to cave in.
"Professor Snape!" Aileen yelled, running towards the bed.
"Tell me about Peter Pettigrew," Harry said, as if he hadn't just attacked a teacher.
Aileen dug through the broken bed until she saw Snape's arm. She worked her way up until she found his face and began clearing the broken wood off of his body. She prayed he wasn't hurt bad and was only stunned. Her wide-eyes searched for any sign of movement, but there was nothing. The whole time she was trying to help Snape, she was aware of Lupin and Sirius telling Harry about Peter and he being the true traitor of James and Lily Potter.
"The map never lies! Pettigrew is alive and he's right there!" Sirius yelled.
Aileen couldn't help but look over at where Sirius was pointing and was shocked when she saw he was pointing at Ron, or rather, what was in Ron's hand. It was the pet rat, and he was shaking uncontrollably. Sirius walked towards the rat, Harry insisting that he show him that it was Pettigrew. After fighting with Ron, Sirius got a hold of the rat, but it jumped from his hand and began running away. Sirius and Lupin began firing at the animal, but missed. Aileen watched as the rat came straight towards her and Snape, and then the next moment, she was staring face to face with a man, though his features were so much like a rat it could have been comical.
He stared at Aileen for a few moments and then jumped to his feet. She looked up at him, her mouth gaping open in shock. Sirius and Lupin began interrogating him, and finally the truth came out about how Pettigrew betrayed the Potters. Aileen looked over at Harry, her heart going out to him. The two men held their wands, ready to end Pettigrew's life but Harry stopped them. He was going to spare his life, choosing instead to take him to Hogwarts and turn him in.
The next moment happened so fast it had Aileen's head spinning. She was so caught up in making sure that Snape was okay, she didn't see when Pettigrew reached down and grabbed her until she was already in his clutches. His hand was around her neck, ready to snap it at any moment.
"Get back!" he screamed at Sirius, Harry and Lupin. "Get back or I will kill the girl!"
"Peter, let her go!" Sirius said, stepping back like the man had asked.
Pettigrew walked towards the door, keeping Aileen in front of him and his hand on her neck. "I won't go to Azkaban! I won't!" he screamed.
Aileen was pulled out of the room and away from the others. He dragged her down the stairs and towards the door. When they were outside, she fought against him, trying to get away. She could hear the others running to get to her. Aileen only had a second to decide her next move. Her foot lifted and came down hard on Pettigrew's foot. He howled in pain, throwing her to the ground hard. Once she was free, she began crawling back towards the Shrieking Shack and towards Sirius and Lupin, who were now making their way outside. Sirius grabbed her, pulling her to safety behind him. Aileen looked around and noticed that Pettigrew was nowhere to be found, but the rat was, and it was running away.
"Stop him!" Sirius screamed.
"Sirius!" Lupin whispered.
Aileen turned towards the man, hearing fear in his voice. His face was turned upwards, and she looked to see where he was staring. Above them sat a large, full moon. At that moment, she felt Hermione and Harry beside her. They were helping a wounded Ron. Their eyes turned from the two men to where everyone was staring.
"Full moon," Hermione whispered in fear.
Suddenly, Lupin grabbed his stomach, his face etched in pain. He cried out in pain.
"Remus! Remus, remember who you are!" Sirius screamed at his friend. It was too late. Aileen watched, horrified as Lupin began to change. His clothes tore, being replaced by the body of a hairy, werewolf. His long, angered face looked up to the moon and howled.
Even as Snape came into view, his face red with rage towards Harry, it could not stop Aileen and the others from looking away. He grabbed Harry, ready to teach him a lesson.
"P-P-Professor," Ron cried, pointing towards the werewolf, who now was walking towards them.
Snape turned to see what the commotion was about, and Aileen heard him gasp. He threw himself in front of the children, his arms stretched out before them. Aileen grabbed the back of his robes, fearful of what was to happen. The werewolf was standing before Snape now, his teeth bared. Aileen screamed as he raised his large paw and swiped at them. He caught Snape on the shoulder, sending them all reeling to the ground. She heard Snape let out a cry of pain, and she grabbed his arm, blood seeping through the wound. Through his pain, Snape sat up, ready to put himself in harm's way again, but Sirius, in the form of the dog, came to their aid and got the werewolf's attention. They began to fight and soon, they disappeared from view. Harry stood up, screaming at Hermione to get Ron to the hospital wing and rushed after the other two.
"Come on," Aileen said, grabbing Snape's good arm and helping him to stand up. He allowed her to help him all the way back to Hogwarts. She took him straight to the hospital wing, right behind her came Hermione with Ron. Aileen would stay in the hospital wing with Snape until he was released a few hours later.
It wasn't until the next morning that Aileen learned of what happened. To her horror, Harry had told her that Sirius was captured again and waiting to be taken back to Azkaban. She felt the tears immediately. This wasn't fair, he was an innocent man. "Where is he?" she whispered frantically.
"West tower," Harry said sadly.
Aileen wasted no time hurrying towards the tower and the long, spiral staircase leading to the very top. It took her forty minutes to climb each step but she did it, coming to the top and bursting through the doors. The wind whipped at her hair and face, but she paid it no mind, looking for where they were keeping Sirius. He was in a cage, his head resting on the bars behind him. She did not hesitate to run towards him.
"Sirius," she cried.
His head jerked in her direction and he clambered to his feet, rushing towards her. "What are you doing here?" he asked quietly.
She looked at him, her eyes showing her helplessness. "This isn't right! You shouldn't be in here!" she said miserably.
"Hey, hey, that's enough of that," he said, his hand coming out to rub the tear from her face. "It will be alright, Aileen. Thank you, for everything," he whispered.
"I didn't do anything," she whispered back.
"Yes you did! You believed in me when you didn't have a reason to. Even though we aren't related by blood, you gave me reason to believe in my family again."
"We started a new tradition, remember?" she said, giving him a watery smile.
"Yes, we did!" he whispered emotionally.
Sirius looked passed her, something catching his eye. Aileen looked too, her face scrunching up in confusion. Suddenly, a large animal was landing in front of them and Harry and Hermione climbed down. Aileen's eyes went wide and so did Harry's and Hermione's.
"What?" she whispered.
"There's no time," Hermione said.
Aileen stepped back as Hermione broke Sirius out of his cage. It dawned in her then, and she smiled wide. Sirius would be free. He walked up to her, wrapping his arms around her one more time, whispering his goodbye in her ear. "Blood or not, you are my family." She closed her eyes, hugging him tightly. He bid farewell to Hermione and Harry, offering Harry a place to stay during the summers if he so chose to accept it. Then, he was flying into the air towards freedom.
"Harry," Hermione said frantically, looking at her watch.
Without a word, they ran past Aileen and down the stairs. After one last look towards the sky, Aileen hurried after the two, wanting nothing but an explanation. One minute they were there, and the next they weren't. She ran towards the hospital wing, her mind in a tailspin. The doors came into view, and Aileen saw Dumbledore standing before them. He closed the doors of the hospital wing, but not before Aileen got a glimpse of Harry and Hermione talking to Ron, as if nothing had ever happened. Her jaw dropped to the floor, her mind filled with confusion.
"Time. Strange thing isn't it?" Dumbledore said. A twinkle was evident in his eyes.
Aileen felt herself smile. She realized Dumbledore knew what was going on, and if he knew what was happening, that was all that mattered. "Yeah, almost as strange as changing the course of history," Aileen said chuckling.
"Indeed!" Dumbledore responded brightly. The twinkle intensified. "Come, let us make our way to the Great Hall for the Closing Ceremony! I hear they are serving a delicious Crème Brule."
Well there ya go! Year three is FINALLY over and now it's on to year four! We all know who comes back in that year! What affect will it have on Aileen? Will she learn the truth? Stay tuned!