Chapter 28

Sirius looked across the plain. Kingsley Shacklebolt stood, like Sirius, with his wand out. The field was barren and plain, flat with high grass. The two patrolled the area, inspectingly.

"I don't see anything?" Sirius said needlessly, his eyes desperate to find some source for the distress call which had lead Shacklebolt and himself there. Nothing.

"Let's look around a bit more," Shacklebolt said, his low voice resonating across the plain quite clearly.

Sighing, Sirius nodded, although he was unconvinced they'd find much. Stretching the length of the field, before it hit hills and trees, Sirius kept his eyes alert. It was just as he reached the field edge, that he saw it: Something. Unable to properly see what it was he was looking at, all Sirius could see from the distance was a mound.

It was once he approached the mound, more out of curiosity than worry, that he realized what it was he was looking at. A man laid, his clothes torn and bloody.

"OVER HERE!" Sirius called to Shacklebolt who wasn't far behind him.

Sirius ran to the man.

Once he was closer, he found the man was moaning in pain. "Sir? What happened?" Sirius said, dropping to his knees, his first instinct to heal the clearly grueling and damaging wounds. The man was cut up and down, bleeding from several gashes along his body. His clothes, which Sirius had first thought to be just of dark colors, were fully drenched in blood. The man was young, with a round face and big, deep eyes. His hair was thin and light, and he wore glasses that reminded Sirius of Harry's glasses. The man, trying to speak, appeared unable. His murmurs indistinguishable and faint.

Once he reached them, Shacklebolt said, "Sirius, we should get him to the Ministry–or St. Mungo's!"

Shaking his head, Sirius said distractedly, trying to aid the wounded man who seemed to be trying to push him away, "No, we have to stop the bleeding first." But the more Sirius tried to aid the man, the more he pushed him away, his murmurs growing stronger but not any clearer.

"I'm trying to help," Sirius said to the man, who looked even more fearful with Sirius' words.

"Go–run," the man said at last with a hoarse breath.

"What? Who did this to you?" Sirius asked, jaggedly.

"Sirius, we need to go," Shacklebolt said as he looked around suspiciously, his wand raised.

"Who did this?" Sirius repeated to the man, more aggressively.

"Sirius!" Shacklebolt said, gripping Sirius' shoulder. The man on the ground, coughing, his eyes began to roll back into unconsciousness. Giving in, Sirius conceded to Shacklebolt. The two men beginning to lift the third, as to apparate.

"It's Him," the man murmured, barely audible and barely conscious. Sirius and Shacklebolt exchanged a look, and then the man moaned in a final warning attempt, "He-who…."

But it was too late.

There was a malevolent voice at that moment, unlike anything Sirius had heard for years.

"Foolish. You should've ran," said the bodiless voice.

And like that, Sirius and Shacklebolt were under attack. Figures from all edges around appeared in a sudden mist, and Sirius was sure the sky darkened with the mist's arrival. Shacklebolt and Sirius, releasing the man, who fell to the ground with a humph, their wands were out barely in time for the first strike. It was a sudden onslaught of attacks, from every side. Neither Shacklebolt nor Sirius able to deflect most of the attacks, they scarcely managed to duck out of the way; one spell after the next being fired. It was impossible to tell where the attacks were coming from and only every few minutes could a clear voice be heard performing any given spell or curse.

"Sirius!" Shacklebolt said over the chaos, "We need to get the man, and go."

Sirius, dropping to the ground just in time so that his hair fringed from the oncoming spell, he only replied once he'd jumped back to his feet. The hooded, dark-robed figures in the clouds of mist seemed impossible to target, seemingly disappearing and reappearing on the opposite side. Sirius grabbed the wounded man by the scruff of his tattered coat while Shacklebolt still fended off the oncoming sparks of color.

"Go! I'm right behind you," Shacklebolt instructed firmly.

Sirius hesitated, ready to leave when another flash of light shot towards him. "Kingsley, we need to leave now!" Sirius shouted over the spells and voices casting them.

And with a pop! They disappeared.

XXX

"Hey," Lily greeted as she took a seat beside Severus on the bench.

Severus barely glanced up from his food as she did this, unfazed and unsurprised by her entrance. Over the past week, Lily had joined Severus every day at the very spot for lunch. Severus wasn't exactly sure how this had begun, in truth. The day after Lily had first found him there, Severus had encountered her as he had been heading up to the garden for lunch. After telling Lily where he was off to, in response to her inquiries, Severus had figured it would have been rude not to invite her to join as well. And, apparently the invitation stood as an open-ended one as every lunch since, as she'd been there. Severus wasn't complaining, mind you. He enjoyed her company and it was far more enjoyable than eating alone, as he was used to. In fact, Severus had come to expect her presence in his days, so much so some days when those forty-five minutes of lunch were the only time Severus saw Lily, he was rather grateful for the time.

Severus, who'd been immensely focused on the stabbing of his food, his thoughts had been tainted the past week over his issues with Esmé. It wasn't so much that she still held a grudge with him over last week's events but rather that she even felt she had a right to. Esmé was the one in the wrong, not him. And now, his and everyone else's work was suffering for this. The childish bickering between Esmé and Randall was one thing, but dysfunction between Severus and Esmé was detrimental to the program. It was baffling that Severus could mediate conflict between literal school children within Hogwarts but not handle a simple dispute between himself and Esmé Sinclair–grown adults. Though in his defense, Esmé was excruciatingly stubborn. Almost as stubborn as Lily as it was.

"Hey?" Lily said again, drawing him from his thoughts.

Severus looked up to find Lily closely watching him. Offering a weak laugh, Lily said, "Did you hear anything I said?" It was only then, of course, Severus realized no–he hadn't heard a word she'd said upon her arrival. Lily laughed more genuinely, Severus' expression apparently saying just as much. "No, definitely not then," Lily deducted with amusement, small creases forming as her smile expanded.

"I'm sorry," Severus said with a sharp exhale, his gaze setting past the near plant displays.

"What's going on?" Lily asked, her tone becoming more concerned.

Shaking his head whilst also regaining his usual attentive tone, Severus said, "Nothing, I'm only thinking."

Not an untrue statement.

"About?" Lily prompted as she tilted her face towards him.

Severus considered this before he admitted reluctantly, "Esmé–or, Sinclair to you, I suppose."

When this was greeted with silence, Severus looked to her. Lily looked right back at him with partially squinted eyes. Her brow wrinkled, she said with a small smile, "Ohhh, right." Her tone was different, teasing and light but with a sharp undertone which bothered Severus; it felt almost evasive, despite the rested smile still present. Rubbing the back of his neck, awkwardly, Severus gave a small non-verbal nod. The two continued for another moment in limbo before Lily said as she cleared her throat, "What about Sinclair?" Unsure how to approach the topic, given the professionalism required under the circumstances, Severus hesitated.

"It's probably best I don't disclose it, given her higher rank over you," Severus said, scraping his food about the container needlessly.

"Ohh, I see," Lily said, still sounding so unlike herself. Severus gave a murmur of acknowledgement before Lily continued, "So it's a professional issue then?"

Severus frowned ever so slightly at this and replied, dubiously, "Oppose to?"

Sighing in a bashful manner, Lily shrugged, "I don't know: Personal?" Severus, still uncertain what she was getting at, he could only frown further in question.

"What personal issues would I have with her?" Severus asked eventually, his food more or less forgotten by this point in the conversation.

Shrugging modestly, her eyes raised, Lily said defensively, "Well, I don't know. I know you two are close…."

Severus' body instinctively straightened in response to the manner of Lily's words. Although he wasn't certain, a rather obvious implication seemed to underlay the candid comment.

"Well, I mean, we're friends," Severus said eventually with caution, overtly aware of his own thoughts and where the conversation was leading.

"Only friends?" Lily said at last, her brows raised.

There it was; the question she'd apparently been getting at. Severus set his expression as he met her gaze. Hoping his face was as stoic as he meant it to be, Severus tried to understand Lily's own expression which looked torn between amusement and ambiguity.

His lips twitching, a nervous tick, Severus said, in what he hoped sounded like a cool tone, "What are you implying, Lily?"

Of course, he knew what she was implying. Lily was implying there was an intimate relationship between Esmé and himself, and although the thought was amusing, it was also...disconcerting. Lily's attention to the question brought about many–many–more thoughts on the manner. Obviously Esmé was brilliant and attractive among other things but never had Severus considered such a circumstance between himself and Esmé. They were, and always had been friends–simple as that. Never had there even been the possibility of such a relationship between the two. No, the thought had never crossed his mind nor would it ever–for obvious reasons. Severus didn't have the luxury to ever consider a "relationship"–with anyone–it simply wasn't an option for him.

Forget the fact that his role within the war brought several life threats and risks which prevented him from ever engaging in such a committed nature of relations, it also brought threat upon any person who might engage in such clandestine meetings with Severus. This was something Severus had long ago learned he couldn't have; for all his mistakes, he didn't deserve that kind of life. It was for this reason, Severus had become well accustomed to one-night stands, never allowing any further attachments or commitments, and most definitely not any serious relationships; with the few exceptions….

When Severus looked back to Lily, he was surprised to see Lily blushing. Severus figured this was because of what she said next, which was, "I just figured...I don't know, that you and her were–you know–'together'".

Wiping the smirk from his lips, Severus replied smoothly despite his growing unease, "Well, we're not."

Nodding meaninglessly, Lily said, "Right." Severus studied her for a moment as she took a bite of food to consciously avoid his look. As he did this, Severus didn't miss the undeniable smile on her lips, it was almost indiscernible, but it was there.

"Never? Not even at one point?" Lily asked, suspiciously, although her tone was warmer and less timid as it had been.

Sighing wearily, Severus said, "Why is that surprising?"

Shrugging dramatically, Lily said with a further creeping smile, "Oh I don't know. I just assumed."

Scoffing, Severus offered a humming sound of disregard.

"Why's that so crazy?" Lily laughed softly, pulling her own hair out of her face as her eyes widened at him pointedly.

"I suppose it's not, but she and I have been friends for–well–awhile," Severus said, still consciously monitoring his own tone, unsettlingly aware of his own self in the moment.

"Hmm, sort of like us," Lily said earnestly as her body straightened so that she could face Severus more with the words.

Severus couldn't meet her eyes, he knew if he did, he'd say too much: No, nothing like with you, Lily. Looking away, Severus considered her words unable to offer up anything in response to this. It was as if Lily knew she was treading far too close for comfort around other topics, of which Severus couldn't oblige in.

"Right?" Lily prompted, quietly.

Letting out a breath which Severus hadn't realized he had been holding, he said levelly, "Yes, I suppose so."

Of course this was false, at least from his side; obviously not from hers. When Severus finally gathered himself enough to meet her look, Lily smiled brightly, her eyes still wide and warm. Severus could feel his stomach dip at the sincerity of her expression.

"So, Esmé's not your type then?" Lily exhaled, returning to her own food with a huff of air and slanted smile.

Setting his food aside again, Severus said, clasping his hands as he leaned forward, "No, Lily. She's not."

Severus who looked to her from where he was, Lily's eyes flickered up to him as she said, "Hmmm: Tall, beautiful, intelligent. I can see why not."

Lily's grin was wide as she took the bite of her salad. Rolling his eyes, unable not to smirk at this, Severus said, "I guess not."

Lily laughed further and made a tsk tsk sound, "You're missing out, Severus."

Sitting up a bit restlessly, Severus ran a hand over the side of his face, pausing; and then he said, "You're a bit nosy, aren't you?"

Moving her shoulders, smugly, she said, "Alright, alright. Then what is your type?" Severus didn't laugh as Lily did to this.

Severus considered this, wondering if Lily truly didn't know the answer to that. It was hard to believe she didn't already know the answer, and yet, maybe she really was that thick. Then again, her comparison between herself and Esmé answered that, he supposed. It was truly a case of apple and oranges. But it wasn't exactly as if Severus had been subtle, as a boy. And if Lily didn't realize how blindly he'd followed her, all the way to present date, maybe she never would realize just how much her influence held over him, even still. This reality left Severus feeling a bit hollow, as if all his efforts had gone unnoticed by the one person that mattered. He didn't need Lily to know all he'd done, only to help ensure her safety, he knew that was information that she couldn't be privy to know. It was the fact she apparently still didn't understand what had led him, as a boy, to begin the path he was on now. His thoughts turning sour, and quickly, Severus shuddered.

Acknowledging it had been awhile since Lily's question had been asked, Severus answered with the first thing he could think to say, "Wouldn't you like to know?" It came out more confident than he'd expected or even intended. Lily seemed to contemplate this response as she glanced to Severus.

Dropping her shoulders in motion, Lily over punctuated a verbal laugh, her smile mocking, "Hahaha." Severus rolled his eyes at her artificial display, unable not to smile mildly in return.

It was then that he door leading out into the garden opened loudly. Esmé coming forward, hastily, it didn't take long for Severus to see the fear in her expression.

"Severus," she was out of breath as if she had ran all the way there, "Come quick." Even despite her breathlessness, Severus could hear the urgency and panic in her tone.

"What's happened?" Severus said, already on his feet, meeting her halfway.

Shaking her head, her eyes flashed to Lily ever so briefly before she said, incoherently, "Attack. Downstairs. Death Eaters. Here. "

Severus was off, right behind Esmé with Lily struggling to gather her lunch container and follow in close pursuit.

A/N: Things are heating up, stay tuned! As always, thank you all for reading and for all the lovely reviews. Until the next chapter!

EDIT: I did some slight editing on the format, hopefully this is more readable? I'm still learning how to frame dialogue (clearly) so my apologies and thanks to those who gave some constructive advice.