37. Paper Tigers

"Nice of you to join us," Sirius said, looking up from his and Peter's game of Exploding Snap. "What took you so long? We were starting to think you'd gone back up to the castle."

"Yeah, Sirius was freaking out," Peter said, grinning.

"Shut it," Sirius said, shooting him a dirty look. Vienna sat down without answering, still staring at the envelope. "What have you got there?" Sirius asked. Vienna passed him the envelope, staring in turn at the silver key. She turned it in her fingers experimentally, as if it were something other than a key.

"What the hell?" Sirius asked after he read the note. "Who gave this to you?"

"Dunno," she said, still staring at the key.

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I dunno. They had there hood up." She held the key up to the light.

"So you just go up to some random person who you have no idea who they are and they give you a key and a note telling you to look under the floorboards?"

"Pretty much," she said unconcernedly.

"And that doesn't seem the least bit sketchy to you?"

"Nope."

"Really?" Peter asked, his eyebrows knitting together. "Not in the least?"

Vienna held two of her fingers about an inch apart. "About that much," she said. "Oh and Peter?"

"Yeah?"

"The cards are about to-" The deck of cards in his hand exploded, shrouding him in a thick cloud of smoke. "Never mind."

"Thanks for the heads up."

"Why does it smell like gunpowder in here?" Lily said, sliding open the door."

"You know, the usual," Sirius said, scooting over to make room for Remus. Lily and James sat across from them where Peter was looking stricken, hopelessly stroking the place where his left eyebrow had been only seconds before.

"I reckon that's a good look for you Wormy," James said, smirking. "You'll be raking in the girls."

"Shut it," Peter said, making a face.

"What's that?" Remus said, looking at the note in Sirius's hand. "47 Porchester, that's your apartment, isn't it Vi?

"Haven't the foggiest," Vienna said. "That's the thing about amnesia. You typically can't remember."

Remus stuck his tongue out at her. Vienna mirrored him.

"Seriously, are you guys five?" James said, though he cracked a grin.

"Yes, I'm definitely five," Vienna said. "That's why I beat you on Slughorn's last exam."

"That doesn't count, you totally cheated!" James said, still grinning.

"How did I cheat? Well, other than stealing Snape's notes on antidotes. But that doesn't count, I gave those to you after."

"Vi, who gave this to you?" Remus said holding the note.

"I dunno, someone in a black cloak, they kept their hood up."

"Why'd you go and talk to them in the first place?"

"I didn't talk to them, they just kinda grabbed my attention and then they held up the envelope and stuck it in a tree branch before disappearing. You're right, that does sound a bit sketchy now that I think about it," she said turning back to Sirius.

"Who has a key to your apartment?"

"AMNESIA, REMEMBER?"

"Oh, right. Are you always such a pain?" James said, rolling his eyes.

"Yes, yes indeed," she said grinning.

"This is really odd," Lily said, flipping the note over.

"You're saying that to the girl who can't even remember where she lives? Some bloke in a cloak isn't weird at all in comparison. Some bloke in a flying, time traveling police box, that might be a bit strange, but then again when you consider the fact that we regularly fly around on broomsticks and can make things appear at will, is it really odd? I mean is anything really odd?"

The stared at her blankly.

"I forgot none of you watch the telly," she said. "I think Madame Pomfry may have overdone the pain relief again. I think I'm going to have a run down the corridor," she said getting up.

"Positively barmy," James said as she shut the compartment door. Vienna breathed on the window, writing "James Potter is a floppy wanded dementor boggerer*" on the glass.

"OI!" James yelled, but she was already on her way down the corridor. She walked all the way down to the back of the train, looking into each compartment in turn. Finally she found what she was looking for and slipped inside a compartment.

The voices of the four boys inside died at once as she sat down, staring steadily at the sallow boy in front of her. The next second Avery, Mulciber, and Regulus had drawn their wands, staring at her murderously. She ignored them.

"I know it was you," she snarled. "It had to be you. Tell me what you want. Tell me why you keep doing this."

Snape smiled. "I haven't the foggiest what you mean."

"What the hell do you mean?" Vienna spat. "Get your wand away from me Avery."

"Bet that's not what you say to Sirius," he sniggered. She punched him in the face.

"Are you ever going to learn to keep your mouth shut around me, Avery? It never seems to work out that well for you."

"Ow, you fucking twat!" He said, clutching his now-broken nose.

"You lot, get out of here for a moment," Snape said, still staring at Vienna, his lips curling.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Mulciber said, looking aghast. "I say we hex her. It's not like she wouldn't do us if she had the chance!"

"I most definitely would not 'do you' if I had the chance."

"Why the fuck are you always such a pretentious bitch? You know, you wouldn't be half bad looking if you took the stick out of your arse-"

"Too bad for you, you'd still be ugly," she shot back.

"Come on," Regulus said, getting up. "Let's leave them to it."

"Yeah right," Avery said angrily, still clutching his nose. "She broke my fucking nose. Again!"

"You'd make it easier on yourself if it wasn't such a big target. Then maybe I'd break something else."

"Can you guys just go? I hate listening to your drivel," Snape said.

"She started it-"

"Honestly, sometimes I forget you're not twelve. Still using rudimentary comebacks and getting beat up by girls."

"I thought you were on our side!"

"I am. And I'm assuming Alden is going to talk to me alone one way or the other. Or do you not remember what happened last time?"

They turned and left, slamming the door behind them.

"What'd you want?" Snape drawled.

"You know exactly what I want!"

"I'm sorry, while I might be unbelievably cleverer than you, I haven't the faintest idea about what you are driveling about."

"Yes you do, you said as much at Christmas. Or can't you remember?"

"I can remember it fine thank you," he said, going slightly pink.

"Then stop playing games. You said you knew what I can't remember, and now I get this," she said, holding up the key. "From somebody in a black cloak. Now tell me Severus, how the hell do you know where I live?"

He made a face. "All right, now I really don't know what you're on about."

"Why did you give me this?"

"I didn't."

"Why?"

"I told you, I didn't give you the bloody key!"

"Well than who did? Was is Avery? Mulciber?"

"Don't you think that if I had the key to your place, I don't know, I'd burn it down, or send your knickers to the Minister? I wouldn't just give you back your key you idiot."

Vienna surveyed him closely. "Fine," she said, tucking the key back into her pocket. Snape rolled his eyes and propped his feet up on the wall.

"You want to go now Alden?"

"Shove it greasy," she said, slamming the door. She could hear him laughing.

"So are we allowed to go in now?" Avery asked, acidly. His nose was fixed now but his shirt was still covered in blood.

"Go ask Daddy," she said pushing past.

Vienna marched back to the compartment and sat down without a word.

"Good run then? Where'd you go?" James asked jokingly.

"Another dead end," Vienna said, turning and staring moodily out of the window.

Another chapter and still no answers! Do you think Snape was lying? Who's this mysterious figure? Will Vienna go to 47 Porchester Road or will she ignore our masked informer? Tune in next time for answers and more than likely mounting mystery!

Allons-y

*From Harry Potter Puppet Pals, Wizards Swears