"Could Claire have been in your office without you knowing?" Mette asked.

"I don't think so. Only I can unlock it," Severus said.

"Maybe she was there when we were? Invisible or something?"

"It doesn't seem likely. She would need a cloak or some very advanced magic. Most spells and so-called 'invisibility' cloaks offer more of a sophisticated form of camouflage than true invisibility."

"Like a cuttlefish or a chameleon?"

"Exactly."

"So, we would have seen her when she moved."

They were silent for a while, then Severus asked, "Could she have put something in your computer?"

"No. If I don't have it with me, I lock it in at home. I'm quite paranoid about it getting stolen because it has all my research on it, so I check on it very frequently." After a small pause, Mette chuckled and said, "Maybe Claire microchipped us or something."

"What does that mean?"

Mette shook her head, saying, "It was just a silly joke. In spy films, the hero always sticks some tiny microphone on the villain's clothes to listen in on their conversations. But I'm pretty sure they would get destroyed in the wash."

Severus frowned and slowly said, "There are ways to do things like this by magic. Did Claire ever touch you?"

"Oh, I don't know, did she ever touch you?" Mette asked sarcastically.

"Fair enough," Severus let out a humourless laugh. "We should both check ourselves for anything unusual."

"I have had a number of showers since she last touched me. I'm pretty sure anything stuck to my body would have come off by now."

"If she is using a magical device, it likely won't come off as easily as that. And she might have touched you since then, just in a less obvious way. Let me try something." Severus took out his wand and moved it around Mette's head, muttering an incantation. At first, she followed his wand with her eyes, but then switched to looking at his face. Feeling her gaze upon him made his blood rush into his cheeks and almost broke his focus on the incantation. He moved to her side, out of her immediate field of vision.

There, behind her left ear, something gleamed with a soft, blue light as he moved his wand past the spot. He ran his finger over it. Mette inhaled audibly, and softly said, "That tickles."

Exsolvo, Severus thought while pointing his wand at the glowing spot. A thin, colourless patch detached itself from Mette's skin. He caught it in his palm and showed it to her.

"Are you sure this is it?" she asked

He held a forefinger to his mouth. Mette pressed her lips together and nodded. Then, with a questioning look, she pointed at him. He inclined his head and proceeded to move his wand across and around his own head while Mette closely examined the skin it passed over. She tapped him on the back to signal him to stop. She helped him direct his wand to the right spot so he could detach the patch. Severus conjured up a small box into which he placed the two patches, then put it in his pocket.

He gestured for Mette to come closer. "She might still be able to hear us regardless," he whispered into her ear almost soundlessly.

She turned around, bringing her mouth close to his ear. Her warm breath brushed him when she spoke, just as softly as he had. "Let's just go back quietly then."

They exchanged a look. While the situation was serious, Severus felt a small flutter of excitement in his stomach. They were in this together.

Severus took the lead, taking big strides. He resolved that, as soon as they got back, he would find Claire and march her to Minerva. Hopefully she would get fired on the spot so he wouldn't have to see her anymore. Her, and the taaffeite around her neck, that reminder of his latest mistake.

Suddenly, Mette called his name. He turned to see her give him a fearful look. He closed the distance between them so she could whisper, "If Claire has heard everything I have heard..." She didn't need to finish her sentence. He could feel the blood drain from his face and his hands go numb.

"The Pensieve," he said tonelessly.

"Apparate. Take me with you," Mette demanded in an urgent whisper.

"I don't know if I can. It's too dangerous, I might Splinch you."

"Then go alone. I'll meet you there."

"It's too late anyway. She knows everything."

"Are we sure that's what these patches were for? Maybe they weren't hers?" Mette said.

Severus gave her a very doubtful look, to which Mette lifted her shoulders, a helpless look on her face. Severus turned and started walking again.

Finally, they entered Hogsmeade village. The only path back to Hogwarts was through it. They could already see the school gates in the distance.

Severus had just cleared the first houses, when he was blinded by a flash of lightning. He jerked up his arm to protect his eyes. Another flash, and a third. He stumbled backwards and almost tripped over Mette. A torrent of voices started up, bombarding them with questions.

"How did you resurrect yourself?"

"Is it true you sold out the Potters to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?"

"How can you sleep at night after all you have done?"

"Have you always been fascinated by the Dark Arts?"

"How many Horcruxes did you make?"

"How does Minerva McGonagall justify allowing someone like you around Hogwarts students?"

"Do you still have your Dark Mark?"

"Is this woman your girlfriend? What is her opinion on your crimes?"

"Is it true you're a Squib?"

Severus unfroze and snarled, "Leave her out of it!" Mette pushed him from behind, shouting, "Go! Go!"

He started forward, elbowing his way through the reporters who stood three deep, cameras still flashing and enchanted quills dancing over parchment suspended in mid-air. He heard Mette's footsteps behind him. The two of them were running towards the gates, the reporters following suit. Luckily, there were too many of them and each tried to get to their prey first, which sent them stumbling over each other.

Mette and Severus did not stop running until they were in the middle of school grounds. The magic of Hogwarts repelled the reporters, most of whom had collapsed into a heap of arms, legs, and cameras. Severus and Mette stood doubled over, wheezing and gasping for air.

"Where... did they... come from?" Mette panted.

Severus tapped his forefinger to the side of his neck, where his patch had been, to indicate that he thought Claire was responsible. He jerked his head towards the castle. Mette understood and started walking again.

When they arrived at the castle, all was quiet. Apparently, no one had noticed what was going on in Hogsmeade. While they made their way down to the dungeons, Severus cast Homenum Revelio before they turned any corners. The spell would show anyone in a certain radius around the caster, even through walls. They met no one on their way, but Severus kept feeling apprehensive. Claire might have some other surprise prepared for them.

As soon as they set foot into his office, Severus took an empty glass jar out of a cupboard and put the small box with the magical listening devices inside it. After he had screwed the lid back onto the jar and tapping it with his wand, he said, in his normal voice, "I enchanted this jar to be hermetically sealed. No sound can get in. We should be safe."

Mette looked like she had tasted something bitter. "I never thought Claire would go to such lengths. Why would she call those reporters on you and tell them everything?"

Severus slowly shook his head. "Not everything, I think. They would have asked different questions if they truly knew all of it."

"This is so unfair!" Mette exclaimed. "I have half a mind to go out there and set them right."

"Don't do that!"

"I won't, I know it's pointless. They will believe what they want to believe."

Severus exhaled, then said, "We need to talk to the Headmistress."

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"I'm afraid all I can do on short notice is to keep members of the press a certain distance away from you two and your accommodation," Minerva said while looking over her glasses at Mette. "I do not have the authority to keep them from talking to you altogether or to forbid them from entering Hogsmeade."

"That's better than nothing," Mette said. "Thank you, Minerva."

"What about Claire?" Severus interjected.

"If you do not have any hard evidence, I'm afraid I have to regard your allegations against Professor Blanchard as baseless."

Severus clenched his jaw. "We have the listening devices. Aren't they evidence enough?"

Minerva shot him a glance. "No, Severus, they are not. How do you even know what they do? And how long have they been on your respective skins?"

Neither of them could answer her.

"And can you be sure that they have not gotten there in other ways? You spent a considerable number of days in a hospital, barely conscious. The both of you also went to different Muggle places. No, the mere existence of some strange patches behind your ears does in no way incriminate Claire Blanchard." Minerva's gaze softened. "I'm sorry," she added. "All I can do for you is to investigate those patches and see if I can find out something about their nature and origin. You better bring them to me."

Severus summoned Bimky and asked her to get the jar. Minerva promised that she would do her best to find out what the patches were for and who had handled them.

Disgruntled, Mette and Severus descended the stairs.

"What now?" Mette asked.

"I suppose we wait," Severus said.

"Wait? No, can't you do something? Can't you confront Claire?"

"Minerva is right. Technically speaking, we cannot know whether it really was Claire."

Mette stopped walking, "You don't think it was her?"

"I do. I'm just saying we can't prove it."

"That one time, you told me about that potion, Veritaserum? Can't you—"

"It's illegal. Also, I don't have any, and it takes a long time to make."

Mette groaned, "I know you're right, I just wish we could speed things up. I just want to..." She sighed and gave him a quick look before turning her eyes to the floor. "Anyway... Would you like to spend some time together? I don't want to go back to Hogsmeade just yet. I'd like to wait for dark, maybe I can hide from the reporters then."

Severus was happy to invite her to his office. They sat and talked, mainly about Mette's work as a biophysicist. Severus stopped calling it "Muggle science" in his head. At the ground level, it was indistinguishable from wizard science.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

On Monday, just as Mette had predicted, a letter from Xanimus arrived, saying how pleased he was to hear that Severus wanted to continue his treatment and that he, Xanimus, would come to Hogwarts the following day.

Xanimus and Severus met in the old classroom, just like before. How innocent Severus had been all those months ago, in his state of oblivion! Now, he was guilty beyond measure. Would Xanimus act differently now that he had had time to reflect?

When the Healer arrived, Severus stuck out his hand for him to shake. A shadow of confusion passed over Xanimus' face when he shook the offered hand.

"You're very formal today," he said with a small smile.

"Well, I wasn't sure if you... how you... It wasn't right to refuse treatment after I woke up at the hospital," he blurted out.

"I wouldn't call it 'not right'. More like, 'not smart'. But we're here now, and that's what counts!" Xanimus smiled. "Now, why don't you tell me how you've been coping with your memories the last few days."

"Both better and worse. It's been a little easier because I've been talking to Mette. But yesterday, it got much worse again."

"Did something happen?"

Severus told him about the reporters and his suspicions toward Claire.

Xanimus asked, "So, there are people out there, in the world, who might know intimate details from your life. In what way is this a problem for you?"

Severus frowned, saying, "Isn't it obvious? They are reporters, they will write about me in the newspaper! And that means that soon, everyone will know. And they will judge me."

"So?" Xanimus asked.

The Healer's cluelessness was infuriating. "I don't want to be judged. I don't want to explain everything to everyone, it's impossible! I can't even justify it to myself! It took me a long time to find a way to tell Mette, but she's...Mette."

"How did you explain it to her?"

Severus told the story of the Pensieve and how his wand had chosen many of the memories of its own accord.

"Giving her a full account of your deeds... That was a courageous thing to do," Xanimus said. "I assume she interpreted what she saw in your favour, since you two are speaking again?"

Severus thought for a minute, then said, "I don't think so. It was more like... she accepted that I had done all those things. But she can forgive me because I am trying to work on myself."

Xanimus nodded slowly. "Not many people would see it this way. They might either condemn you forever, or, if they want to stay on good terms with you, would find a way to convince themselves that none of it was really your fault. You are lucky to have a friend who sees you for who you are."

"I know," Severus said. "I can finally appreciate that."

Xanimus said, "It's safe to assume that none of those reporters will do you the same favour."

"Exactly, they won't. I finally feel like I can maybe move on from what I have done. I want to get better. I want to live a real life. But they will never let me do this. I will have to spend my life justifying myself to them, over and over, and it will never be enough."

"You don't have to explain yourself at all if you don't want to."

"But... I can't just let them make up whatever story they want!"

"They will always do that, no matter how much you explain. There will always be those who don't believe you or have their own logic about how to judge and interpret your actions. You need to stick to the people you trust and stop caring about the opinions of those who want to tear you down."

Severus jumped up and started pacing. "I thought the whole point of this second life was for me to be content! To not be the person hated by everyone! Now this—" he bit back the word he wanted to say – "Claire has given the world all the weapons they will ever need to condemn me!"

Xanimus looked at him thoughtfully, then said, "Let me tell you something: I've seen and heard a lot of people's stories during my training as a Healer. In my experience, most people regard their own moral principles very highly, but have no idea how quickly those principles would deteriorate if they were placed under such dire circumstances as you were. People are quick to judge – especially those who know nothing about themselves – because they don't realize what they themselves are capable of. The verdict of strangers does not shape your life. You decide who is in your life and gives it form."

Severus stopped his pacing. "It's not that simple."

"No, it's extremely hard. But not impossible."

"Minerva will want me to start teaching here again. My past will cause all kinds of problems!"

"Who says you have to start teaching again?"

Poor Sev, fighting battles on several fronts! Let's hope they don't take another toll on his friendship to Mette. Subscribe so you'll never miss a new chapter!
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