I'm not going to pause for a long A/N here- let's dive right in! I'll see you all at the end of the chapter!
Anne took a deep breath as Severus' Patronus stared at her impassively, awaiting a reply. She swallowed and lifted her chin in an unconscious expression of defiance. "Black is here," she said, forcing her voice to remain steady. "All is well."
The doe vanished in a wisp of silvery smoke, and Sirius blinked slowly and turned away, the spell between them broken with the appearance of the Patronus. Anne was grateful that he did not comment on the form Severus' spell took, saying only, "Well, I'm sure he will be here momentarily to discuss whatever this is with you. I'll make myself scarce; I wouldn't want to cause a row."
He walked heavily down the stairs, and she watched the slumped figure tread the boards of the hallway towards the library. Before she could call out to him- perhaps to explain her resistance, or beg him to take her in his arms again- a flash of green light in the kitchen told her that Severus had arrived through the Floo. He swept into the hallway, peering up at her and frowning. "Were you asleep?" he asked shortly.
"N-" Anne cleared her throat and willed the crimson blush that stained her cheeks to fade. "No. What's wrong?"
"Where's Black?" he asked with characteristic impatience.
"In the library. Why-?" Before she could finish her question, Severus had turned and strode down the hallway towards the closed door. She heard Sirius' exclamation of surprise when he flung it open and disappeared inside, but was immediately distracted by the sound of several people Apparating onto the top step of the house, tumbling inside in a gale of laughter and good humor. She stood frozen at the top of the stairs, wondering just what was going on, when Lupin spotted her and stopped in his tracks. "Is everything all right?" he asked, frowning. "You look flushed."
Anne refused to meet his eyes. "Severus is here," she said, by way of response. "Something must be wrong for him to come unannounced like this."
"Where?" Lupin asked.
She gestured feebly down the hallway. "In the library. With Sirius."
"With-?" Lupin paled and hurtled down the hallway, fearing the worst.
Behind him, Tonks, Mad Eye Moody, and Kingsley Shacklebolt all gazed dumbly up at her. Anne ignored them and continued to stare down the hallway at the door to the library. Raised voices reached them, and presently the three men emerged. Severus wore a cold, calculating look, while Remus looked determined. Anne's eyes went directly to Sirius, who was clutching his wand in one hand while a muscle twitched at his jawline. He didn't look up at her as he said loudly, "I'm going! My godson needs me! I won't just sit here-"
"By all means," Severus cut in silkily. "Go. Expose yourself to the Ministry that has been hunting you, and to the Dark Lord, whom I am certain would pay a pretty penny to have the real Sirius Black in hand. He knows what you mean to Potter. He will use you to hurt him- as I daresay he already has. Besides, you need to remain here to explain to Dumbledore what has happened. He should be here momentarily."
Sirius turned and shoved his wand under Severus' hooked nose. "Don't act so damned superior," he growled. "I notice you aren't in any rush to actually expose your greasy hide to any sort of danger."
Severus refused to be baited. "I have a reputation as a loyal follower of the Dark Lord," he replied easily. "I cannot risk exposing my work for the Order. Of course I shall remain here." He looked up at where Anne stood by the banister. "The same goes for you," he called. "The Dark Lord is aware of our relationship, and He must remain convinced that you are, in fact, a good little Death Eater."
"What's going on?" she asked bravely.
Both Sirius and Severus ignored her. "I'm going, and that's final," Sirius spat, before turning to the other Order members. "Harry and his friends are most likely in the Department of Mysteries. I don't have time to explain why, but Malfoy and his minions are there, as well. My godson is in danger. We have to go." He strode towards the door. As he laid a hand on the knob, he turned and looked at Anne over his shoulder. "We'll be back soon," he assured her confidently, and winked. "Don't get too cozy with Snivellus."
"Sirius-" Anne started, but he opened the door and Disapparated from the top step.
As the other Order members followed, Severus raised an eyebrow. When the last of them had gone, he gestured for Anne to join him. She descended the stairs slowly, guilt gnawing at her insides. She hadn't done anything wrong, she told herself. It was a mistake, only a momentary lapse of judgment-
When she reached the bottom step, she looked up to see Severus watching her strangely. He examined her face closely for a long moment before speaking. "What did Black mean by that?" he asked softly, his tone an indication of the anger and suspicion boiling beneath the surface.
Anne tossed her head. "Nothing. You know him. Always so arrogant." She forced a laugh, but Severus wasn't fooled. "Did I make a mistake sending you here?" he asked quietly, his black eyes narrowing. "Did I perhaps not see something that I should have?" He paused. "I distinctly remember you begging me not to send you to Grimmauld Place, even though I assured you it was for your own safety. Have you changed your mind about that?" He sneered at her. "Maybe you would like to remain here for good?"
"I've stayed at your side for twenty years, and this is how you repay me for my loyalty?" Anne shot back. "Accusations and distrust?"
"Do I have cause to mistrust you?" Severus asked cautiously.
She lifted her chin defiantly. "None whatsoever."
Severus considered her for a moment, before wrapping her wrist in his tight grip and pulling her down the hallway to the library. He threw her in unceremoniously before him, slamming the door behind them and locking it with an ominous click. He turned to her, his black eyes glittering in a way that made Anne realize with a shock what it was about Sirius that had attracted her to him in the first place. Severus was pale with fury, and she knew she would pay for her transgressions. Determined not to appear weak, she straightened her shoulders and fixed him with a haughty glare. "How dare you."
Severus raised an eyebrow. "How dare I?" he repeated incredulously. "I told you once before, Anne," he said softly, moving across the room to fill a glass tumbler with Firewhiskey from the bottle on the sideboard. He turned back to her, downing his drink in one swallow. "I do not share." When she didn't respond, his face twitched, giving Anne just enough warning to duck as he hurled the tumbler at her. It shattered on the back wall, and shards of broken glass showered down, mixed with drops of sticky liquor.
She straightened, lifting her chin and forcing herself to hold his gaze. "I have done nothing wrong."
Severus didn't look away. "Oh, I think you have," he replied softly. "And I intend to find out just what it was." Without warning, he whispered, "Legilimens," and delved into her mind.
Moments later, Anne stood panting, holding on to the back of the black leather couch for support. Severus looked mutinous. "Nothing wrong?" he taunted. "I suppose it is a good thing that Dumbledore didn't ask you to teach Potter Occlumency. You failed horribly to hide what you did not want seen."
Anne felt hot tears begin to trickle down her cheeks. "You promised," she whispered brokenly.
"What did I promise?" Severus spat. "I promised you that I would find out what you tried so embarrassingly and unsuccessfully to hide from me, and I have."
"You promised you would never do that," Anne said accusingly. "We are friends, what trust can we have if you feel entitled to search my memories whenever you feel like it? Twenty years of friendship, Severus-"
"And you throw it away with Black, of all people?" A vein was throbbing dangerously at his temple.
"I didn't mean to-"
"I have heard enough," Severus spat, moving towards her again. She knew he meant to leave, and pushed herself between his outstretched hand and the door. He raised an eyebrow, but let his arm drop. "Desperation does not become you, Anne," he said warningly.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, the tears flowing freely. "I wasn't thinking. I just- I never get to see you anymore, you're never here, and-"
"I am busy doing work for the Order, convincing the Dark Lord that I am still his loyal follower," Severus retorted. "I am occupied doing what I must to protect the boy- to keep you alive- and this is how you repay me?"
"I don't love him," Anne said, keeping her voice low, her blue eyes fixed on his. "It was a mistake, Severus." She knocked his hand aside when he tried again for the door knob. "Don't walk away from me," she begged. "You can't just walk away."
"What would you have me do?" Severus asked her, and she thought she detected a note of pain in his voice. That romantic idea was quickly dispelled when he reached out and grabbed a handful of her hair, tilting her head back to gaze up at him in fear. He was livid. "Do you want me to kiss you like Black did? Is that what you want?" He bent his head and bit her hard on the side of her neck. "Do you want me to be more like him?" he whispered against her ear, and yanked hard on her hair again when she tried to pull away. "Am I not enough for you?" He took her earlobe between his teeth and bit down sharply. She cried out in pain and fear. "Are you disappointed, little Veela?" he asked gruffly, pushing against her so that his body weight pinned her to the door. "You waited twenty years for me- am I not what you expected?"
"Severus," Anne whispered, crying in earnest. "Please."
"Please what?" he cried, fixing his furious gaze on her face again. "What? What more could I possibly do for you? What more do you want from me?"
"What do you want from me?" Anne shot back. "I told you I am sorry- I've told you for years that I love you. Why won't you love me back? Why must you look at me as some possession- some toy- that you can't bear to share, but refuse to claim for your own?"
Before Severus could reply, Dumbledore's voice reached them from the other side of the door. "Severus! I need to speak with you immediately!"
Dropping her hair with a sneer, Severus pushed her aside and yanked the door open, striding down the hallway to where Dumbledore waited by the entry to the kitchen. Anne, shaking, stumbled to the sideboard and poured a large glass full of Firewhiskey. She gulped the liquid, spilling some down the front of her robes. Severus had truly frightened her with his anger. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. She had deserved it; she had been a fool.
She remained in the library until her hands stopped shaking, before tossing her head and pasting a pleasant smile on her face. She moved through the door that Severus had left open in his haste to get to the kitchen, and walked swiftly down the hallway. When she rounded the corner into the kitchen, Severus and Dumbledore were questioning the ancient house elf that belonged to Sirius' family. She furrowed her brow. The little elf was cackling with laughter. Severus shot her a glare over Dumbledore's shoulder, but the Headmaster turned to face her with a grim look. "Ah, Miss Davenport," he said, looking rather distracted. "I am afraid I will have to leave you just as quickly as I arrived. I think it best that you remain here, for the time being."
"What's going on?" Anne asked for the second time that night.
Once again, her question was ignored. "Severus will be returning to Hogwarts," Dumbledore explained as he swept past her and back out into the hallway. "He has a task to complete for me." He turned and winked at her. "Don't worry, I will send him back to you as soon as possible."
Anne dipped in a tiny curtsy, making Dumbledore smile. As he let himself out the front door, a flash of emerald-green flames erupted behind her. She turned, but Severus had already disappeared.
Anne met Severus as he climbed back out of the grate a few hours later. "It's late," she reprimanded softly. When he glanced over at the radio playing Celestina Warbeck's song, "A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love", she explained hurriedly, "I was listening to the wireless. I was hoping for news," she continued, as he walked past her. "No one will tell me what is going on."
Severus spun on his heel and fixed her with a glare. "Sirius Black is dead," he said softly, watching her face carefully for any sign of distress.
Anne's ears filled with a sort of buzzing, and she shook her head to clear her hearing. "What?"
Severus kept his face impassive. "Black is dead," he repeated. He paused, sneering at her lack of response. "I should think you would be devastated."
Anne blinked, her eyes filling with hot tears. "Dead?"
Severus smirked. "That's what Dumbledore said."
The tears finally spilled over, and Anne shook her head, her golden hair cascading over her shoulders. "How can you just stand there?" she demanded. "We've lost a vital member of the Order! No matter what your personal feelings are or were towards him, Sev-"
Severus frowned. "A vital member?" he asked incredulously. "He sat here in his mother's house and expected us to do the hard work!"
"Jealousy will eat you alive, Sev," Anne spat. "I told you I was sorry. A ghost can't harm you anymore."
"I will not discuss this with you further," Severus replied, turning away. "I am here to debrief Lupin and Shacklebolt."
"Where's Tonks?" Anne asked impulsively.
"St. Mungo's," Severus shrugged. "I expect she will recover."
"Sev-" Anne started, but he had vanished around the corner. He did not speak to her again that night.
Oh, no! Poor Sirius. Shameless story plug here- if you would like to read a fanfiction where Sirius gets a much better ending, try my story (it definitely needs a makeover, being my first fanfic ever!) The Unattainable, or For the Love of Grace (Part 1 deals with his brother, Regulus, and Part 2 focuses on Sirius). Another update to come very soon- I have been writing all day, and hope to have another chapter done in the next day or so! Also, I've saved the best for last: special special thanks to our latest follower, Tora18- I hope you enjoy the story, and everyone, please leave a review if you have a moment!
