Chapter 10 ~ Lost
They decided it was best to pretend that they'd fallen for Avery's trick. Muriel even asked him Monday morning at breakfast why he hadn't gone to Hogsmeade. He had only sneered at her angrily.
She and Severus chose a desk far from the door for their potions lesson. Something was wrong. Somehow Avery knew, and they didn't want him throwing anything nasty into their potion again.
Muriel left Rena in the dormitory on days when they had potions. Sometimes the fumes were strong and she didn't want to make the poor bird sick.
It wasn't until she got to Divination that she got an indication that something was far more wrong than she'd thought. "I didn't see Rena in the room when I went back for my books after lunch," Marisa whispered to her.
Mur had told her about the bird's new found interest in annoying Avery. "She's probably breaking into the Slytherin common room again," Mur said, not worried. Rena had gotten away with so much this year that it never occurred to her that the bird might get caught.
But when a week had passed with no sign of the little creature, Muriel found herself wondering if she had managed to get into trouble. Sometimes, after she'd been trained, she would disappear for a day or two and come back with one of Malfoy's dark arts toys, or a Gryffindor prefect badge, hoping for a pile of blue treats. But she'd never been gone so long before.
Mur sat morosely in Divination, waiting for the professor to show up and ignoring the sympathetic looks Marisa was giving her. She'd asked everyone if they'd seen the bird, but no one had.
The marauders came in and Muriel instinctively put her wand on the desk. She didn't even have to think about it anymore. She was surprised, however, when James cleared his throat and Sirius walked over to stand in front of her table. Muriel watched with amusement as Marisa got all misty eyed. She kicked her under the table.
"What?" Marisa exclaimed. Sirius thought she meant him and looked at her strangely for a moment before turning to Muriel.
"Mur? We found out something about your bird." Muriel narrowed her eyes. She had taken great care to search the marauders thoughts and make sure they hadn't taken her. Sirius honestly liked Rena, so she'd been sure that he hadn't done it. But then, she'd mistaken Avery for Severus too, so she knew her abilities weren't infallible.
"What did you find out?" she asked quietly.
"We heard Avery and Malfoy talking. They have her." Apparently the marauders had learned their lesson about what was fair game to tease about and what wasn't. There was no hint of humor in Sirius' expression. He didn't tell her that he and Remus had gotten detention for trying to break into the Slytherin dormitory last night and get Rena back, but she heard him thinking about it and smiled wanly.
"Thanks. Sev and I will take care of it." She replied as the professor arrived to begin class.
Sirius nodded shortly and went back to his friends, the hand in his pocket releasing his wand. You never knew when you walked up to that girl whether she'd let you talk or just hex you. He wondered briefly why she hadn't just cursed him. She was obviously in a bad enough mood because of her bird.
For Muriel's part, she was connecting several events in her mind. Black had caught her on the stairs under an invisibility cloak first year. Now he had gotten detention trying to get her bird back for her. She thought back to the Christmas party. She'd concentrated hard on everyone who stood around the fire after Severus had taken Avery inside. None of them had done it. But she remembered now that Sirius hadn't been standing with them near the fire. He had disappeared after the snowball fight. Maybe that had been him as well. When she realized that she was still staring at Sirius, she snapped her eyes down to her book and flipped it open as James sniggered.
She caught Severus' attention at dinner and beckoned to them, unwilling to talk at the Slytherin table. Marisa moved over as he sat down. She never quite knew what to do around Severus and generally preferred to stay out of their conversations. "I think Avery has Rena," she whispered.
"But I searched his room two days ago."
"Did you search Malfoy's?" Severus looked at her in alarm. Of course he hadn't searched Malfoy's room. Was she crazy? "Then that's where she is." Mur said glumly. It meant that at least three Slytherin 6th years, the ones that roomed with Malfoy, had lied to her when she asked them about Rena.
Severus waited patiently while Muriel thought. She would come up with something, he was sure. After a few long moments, she looked back up at him. "Meet me in Myrtle's bathroom at 11."
He nodded and went back to his house table. He was an excellent actor, and when he caught Avery giving him a very satisfied smirk, he took care to look puzzled. "What are you looking at?" he asked in an annoyed tone. He watched as Malfoy nudged Avery and they both turned away. Severus wondered how Muriel had known.
At 11, he was pacing Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. By 11:15 he had mortally (oh, well, not really) offended Myrtle, and was pacing the bathroom with his drenched robes clinging to his legs. He was getting very annoyed.
He'd finally flopped down on the only dry span of floor to wait when the bathroom door opened and closed. No one came in. 'Has she really gotten that good at the spell?' he thought.
"Yes, I have," came the answer a moment before Muriel appeared. "Ten minutes! It's my new record."
"You need me to open the portrait hole." He didn't ask. It was obvious what she planned to do.
"Twice," she confirmed. "I've got to be able to get back out. I can't exactly hide in your room, I'm sure your dorm mates are as anxious to impress the next head boy as the rest of the Slytherins."
Severus looked at her hard. "You understand that you aren't sneaking into Gryffindor Tower to hex brooms. Messing with the marauders is different from dealing with Malfoy. Gryffindors don't torture people for invading their privacy." She almost smiled at the intensity in his voice. He was worried about her. But she understood the risks as well as he did.
"Let's go," she said shortly. "And think up a reason why you're not in there now. Stay in the common room where everyone can see you and then when I tap you, offer to get everyone butter beers from the kitchen."
Severus stayed quiet as they made their way to the dungeons. As usual, she had thought out all the excuses he'd need.
He greeted his house mates coldly, as he always did, and threw himself into a chair by the fire which Rosier had purposely vacated a moment before. Then he waited, making gruff conversation and trying not to watch the staircase to the boys' dormitory.
Muriel ran soundlessly up to the door marked "6th years." She took out her wand and cast several unlocking charms on the door, then whispered, "Finite incantem," just in case the doorknob had been enchanted to harm her. She and Marisa had done that once when Vanessa had made fun of Marisa for being skinny. It had been both useful and amusing.
But if she got caught today, it would be neither. Finally she opened the door. Only Minchew was inside. He was sitting on his bed, reading something that looked an awful lot like that Mad Muggle comic book that had just come out. Muriel stored the information away for later use and crept to the other side of the room.
She found Rena, her tiny feet chained to nails driven into Malfoy's dresser, and her wings bound to her body with spell-o-tape. The poor bird was lying down sideways and Muriel could see that she'd been through a lot. They hadn't just caught her. They'd hurt her.
She pried open the chains and tenderly took her feet out, though she left her wings bound. She wouldn't be flying for a while anyway. Muriel took the little bird behind Malfoy's bed hangings. She would have to recast the invisibility spell to include the bird. She hoped Minchew wouldn't notice.
She dropped the spell and cast it again, then walked quickly for the door. Minchew looked up. For a moment she was afraid that the spell hadn't worked, but then she realized that he was looking right through her, at Malfoy's dresser.
Minchew swore vehemently. Where had the damn bird gone? It couldn't have flown away! He scrambled out of bed and started looking on the floor, under the dresser and under the beds.
Muriel pulled his door closed behind her as she left and tapped Severus quickly on the shoulder. They needed to get out of there before Minchew sent up the alarm.
"Well, I think I'll go down to the kitchens and see about getting us some butter beer," Severus began in a disinterested voice. He stood, but never got to ask who would like one, as Minchew was racing down the stairs.
"Malfoy? Where's Malfoy?" None of the younger students knew, but some 5th years in the corner sniggered and pointed toward the girl's dormitory. "Well go get him," Minchew snapped at one of the girls. Her eyes widened a bit and she hurried up the stairs. Muriel didn't even want to know how he had managed to get into the girl's dormitory.
It didn't matter. There was no way Severus could leave now without arousing suspicion, and she was starting to feel the spell draining her. She set off for his dormitory before Malfoy could arrive. Thankfully, both his dorm mates appeared to be asleep. She cast a silencing charm on his bed hangings before pulling them closed around her and dropping the spell. Then she thought hard. How was she going to get out of this?
She heard footsteps running up the stairs, and the boys in the room sat up groggily. Severus stuck his head in the door. "Either of you see a bird flying around?" he asked sharply. "Malfoy's lost one." They shook their heads, and one of them began to roll over to go back to sleep. "Don't you think it would be wise to help us look?" Severus asked pointedly.
The boys groaned, but knew better than to appear as if they didn't care about whatever Malfoy cared about. They got up and followed him upstairs. A moment later, Severus stuck his head back in the door. "Take my broom and go out the window," he whispered before pulling the door closed again.
Muriel smirked into the darkness as she flew away toward her own house's tower. Why hadn't she thought of that?
They decided it was best to pretend that they'd fallen for Avery's trick. Muriel even asked him Monday morning at breakfast why he hadn't gone to Hogsmeade. He had only sneered at her angrily.
She and Severus chose a desk far from the door for their potions lesson. Something was wrong. Somehow Avery knew, and they didn't want him throwing anything nasty into their potion again.
Muriel left Rena in the dormitory on days when they had potions. Sometimes the fumes were strong and she didn't want to make the poor bird sick.
It wasn't until she got to Divination that she got an indication that something was far more wrong than she'd thought. "I didn't see Rena in the room when I went back for my books after lunch," Marisa whispered to her.
Mur had told her about the bird's new found interest in annoying Avery. "She's probably breaking into the Slytherin common room again," Mur said, not worried. Rena had gotten away with so much this year that it never occurred to her that the bird might get caught.
But when a week had passed with no sign of the little creature, Muriel found herself wondering if she had managed to get into trouble. Sometimes, after she'd been trained, she would disappear for a day or two and come back with one of Malfoy's dark arts toys, or a Gryffindor prefect badge, hoping for a pile of blue treats. But she'd never been gone so long before.
Mur sat morosely in Divination, waiting for the professor to show up and ignoring the sympathetic looks Marisa was giving her. She'd asked everyone if they'd seen the bird, but no one had.
The marauders came in and Muriel instinctively put her wand on the desk. She didn't even have to think about it anymore. She was surprised, however, when James cleared his throat and Sirius walked over to stand in front of her table. Muriel watched with amusement as Marisa got all misty eyed. She kicked her under the table.
"What?" Marisa exclaimed. Sirius thought she meant him and looked at her strangely for a moment before turning to Muriel.
"Mur? We found out something about your bird." Muriel narrowed her eyes. She had taken great care to search the marauders thoughts and make sure they hadn't taken her. Sirius honestly liked Rena, so she'd been sure that he hadn't done it. But then, she'd mistaken Avery for Severus too, so she knew her abilities weren't infallible.
"What did you find out?" she asked quietly.
"We heard Avery and Malfoy talking. They have her." Apparently the marauders had learned their lesson about what was fair game to tease about and what wasn't. There was no hint of humor in Sirius' expression. He didn't tell her that he and Remus had gotten detention for trying to break into the Slytherin dormitory last night and get Rena back, but she heard him thinking about it and smiled wanly.
"Thanks. Sev and I will take care of it." She replied as the professor arrived to begin class.
Sirius nodded shortly and went back to his friends, the hand in his pocket releasing his wand. You never knew when you walked up to that girl whether she'd let you talk or just hex you. He wondered briefly why she hadn't just cursed him. She was obviously in a bad enough mood because of her bird.
For Muriel's part, she was connecting several events in her mind. Black had caught her on the stairs under an invisibility cloak first year. Now he had gotten detention trying to get her bird back for her. She thought back to the Christmas party. She'd concentrated hard on everyone who stood around the fire after Severus had taken Avery inside. None of them had done it. But she remembered now that Sirius hadn't been standing with them near the fire. He had disappeared after the snowball fight. Maybe that had been him as well. When she realized that she was still staring at Sirius, she snapped her eyes down to her book and flipped it open as James sniggered.
She caught Severus' attention at dinner and beckoned to them, unwilling to talk at the Slytherin table. Marisa moved over as he sat down. She never quite knew what to do around Severus and generally preferred to stay out of their conversations. "I think Avery has Rena," she whispered.
"But I searched his room two days ago."
"Did you search Malfoy's?" Severus looked at her in alarm. Of course he hadn't searched Malfoy's room. Was she crazy? "Then that's where she is." Mur said glumly. It meant that at least three Slytherin 6th years, the ones that roomed with Malfoy, had lied to her when she asked them about Rena.
Severus waited patiently while Muriel thought. She would come up with something, he was sure. After a few long moments, she looked back up at him. "Meet me in Myrtle's bathroom at 11."
He nodded and went back to his house table. He was an excellent actor, and when he caught Avery giving him a very satisfied smirk, he took care to look puzzled. "What are you looking at?" he asked in an annoyed tone. He watched as Malfoy nudged Avery and they both turned away. Severus wondered how Muriel had known.
At 11, he was pacing Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. By 11:15 he had mortally (oh, well, not really) offended Myrtle, and was pacing the bathroom with his drenched robes clinging to his legs. He was getting very annoyed.
He'd finally flopped down on the only dry span of floor to wait when the bathroom door opened and closed. No one came in. 'Has she really gotten that good at the spell?' he thought.
"Yes, I have," came the answer a moment before Muriel appeared. "Ten minutes! It's my new record."
"You need me to open the portrait hole." He didn't ask. It was obvious what she planned to do.
"Twice," she confirmed. "I've got to be able to get back out. I can't exactly hide in your room, I'm sure your dorm mates are as anxious to impress the next head boy as the rest of the Slytherins."
Severus looked at her hard. "You understand that you aren't sneaking into Gryffindor Tower to hex brooms. Messing with the marauders is different from dealing with Malfoy. Gryffindors don't torture people for invading their privacy." She almost smiled at the intensity in his voice. He was worried about her. But she understood the risks as well as he did.
"Let's go," she said shortly. "And think up a reason why you're not in there now. Stay in the common room where everyone can see you and then when I tap you, offer to get everyone butter beers from the kitchen."
Severus stayed quiet as they made their way to the dungeons. As usual, she had thought out all the excuses he'd need.
He greeted his house mates coldly, as he always did, and threw himself into a chair by the fire which Rosier had purposely vacated a moment before. Then he waited, making gruff conversation and trying not to watch the staircase to the boys' dormitory.
Muriel ran soundlessly up to the door marked "6th years." She took out her wand and cast several unlocking charms on the door, then whispered, "Finite incantem," just in case the doorknob had been enchanted to harm her. She and Marisa had done that once when Vanessa had made fun of Marisa for being skinny. It had been both useful and amusing.
But if she got caught today, it would be neither. Finally she opened the door. Only Minchew was inside. He was sitting on his bed, reading something that looked an awful lot like that Mad Muggle comic book that had just come out. Muriel stored the information away for later use and crept to the other side of the room.
She found Rena, her tiny feet chained to nails driven into Malfoy's dresser, and her wings bound to her body with spell-o-tape. The poor bird was lying down sideways and Muriel could see that she'd been through a lot. They hadn't just caught her. They'd hurt her.
She pried open the chains and tenderly took her feet out, though she left her wings bound. She wouldn't be flying for a while anyway. Muriel took the little bird behind Malfoy's bed hangings. She would have to recast the invisibility spell to include the bird. She hoped Minchew wouldn't notice.
She dropped the spell and cast it again, then walked quickly for the door. Minchew looked up. For a moment she was afraid that the spell hadn't worked, but then she realized that he was looking right through her, at Malfoy's dresser.
Minchew swore vehemently. Where had the damn bird gone? It couldn't have flown away! He scrambled out of bed and started looking on the floor, under the dresser and under the beds.
Muriel pulled his door closed behind her as she left and tapped Severus quickly on the shoulder. They needed to get out of there before Minchew sent up the alarm.
"Well, I think I'll go down to the kitchens and see about getting us some butter beer," Severus began in a disinterested voice. He stood, but never got to ask who would like one, as Minchew was racing down the stairs.
"Malfoy? Where's Malfoy?" None of the younger students knew, but some 5th years in the corner sniggered and pointed toward the girl's dormitory. "Well go get him," Minchew snapped at one of the girls. Her eyes widened a bit and she hurried up the stairs. Muriel didn't even want to know how he had managed to get into the girl's dormitory.
It didn't matter. There was no way Severus could leave now without arousing suspicion, and she was starting to feel the spell draining her. She set off for his dormitory before Malfoy could arrive. Thankfully, both his dorm mates appeared to be asleep. She cast a silencing charm on his bed hangings before pulling them closed around her and dropping the spell. Then she thought hard. How was she going to get out of this?
She heard footsteps running up the stairs, and the boys in the room sat up groggily. Severus stuck his head in the door. "Either of you see a bird flying around?" he asked sharply. "Malfoy's lost one." They shook their heads, and one of them began to roll over to go back to sleep. "Don't you think it would be wise to help us look?" Severus asked pointedly.
The boys groaned, but knew better than to appear as if they didn't care about whatever Malfoy cared about. They got up and followed him upstairs. A moment later, Severus stuck his head back in the door. "Take my broom and go out the window," he whispered before pulling the door closed again.
Muriel smirked into the darkness as she flew away toward her own house's tower. Why hadn't she thought of that?