Saint Valentine's Day broke some of the tension that had created between Madeline and Severus. It seemed like they had both forgotten what had made them fight.
Days passed fastly, then.
All of the sixth years were already studying hard for their final exams when March came.
Madeline spent most of her time in the library with Lily and Remus, and at night-time the Marauders and she would chat until late in the empty Gryffindor Common Room.
She stayed with Severus on the weekends, and she visited Professor Rathbone every thursday. Alastair had started telling her about South Africa, where he had last been before coming to Hogwarts. His words fascinated her like she didn't want to admit.
Severus never talked to her about what had almost happened between them in the Slytherin Common Room. Madeline wanted him to bring up the subject, but the boy was too shy to do so, and she eventually forgot about it.
Spring arrived sooner than they all expected. The snow melted, thr flowers bloomed and Hogwarts looked more radiant and beautiful than ever.
Meanwhile, in the real world, the war was getting tougher. James was informed by his parents that they had increased their partecipation in the fight. As first class Aurors, it was their job not to step back in times of trouble.
The news shocked him and Sirius like they didn't want to admit. Even if they were proud of Charlus and Dorea, it was their parents who were risking their lives.
Things were getting awfully real for them.
"Hey Mads, we haven't spent some quality time together in a while", exclaimed James at lunch, one day, and pointed his fork towards her.
Also Sirius turned away from Marlene to look at the girl. "Yeah, I've been thinking the same lately" he commented, smirking. "The three most beautiful and funny people in Hogwarts not hanging together anymore... We should fix that."
Madeline smiled at them. She too had missed their time together.
"What do you propose?" She asked.
James shrugged, "I don't know... We could spend Saturday together? Quidditch in the morning, Hogsmeade in the afternoon?" He casually said, raising an eyebrow.
Sirius nodded, "That's a nice plan, Prongs"
Remus raised his eyes from "The Catcher in the Rye" and looked at her in his peripheral, "He gave it no thought at all, of course." He mocked James.
Madeline giggled lightly and nodded at Moony before looking back at Padfoot and Prongs. "Sure, babies, we can do that."
Sirius and James gave her their best smiles and went back to their roast beefs, satisfied with her answer.
On Saturday morning, playing Quidditch with the boys made her feel like a simple kid again. Thoughts dissolved from her mind as she raced through the chilly air. The sky was of an idyllic shade of blue, and the sun shone high on the Scottish Castle.
They flew until they were too tired to continue, and then they showered themselves and went to the kitchens to eat something and have a chat with Max and the other elves.
It was four in the afternoon when they wore their cloaks and walked down to Hogsmeade. The day had been perfect since then; they had talked and laughed, and Sirius and Madeline had mocked James as usual. Maximilian had loved seeing them, and he had given them a freshly baked chocolate cake they had devoured. Prongs had spent most of his time talking about Lily Evans, as usual. The red-headed girl was really a part of him, by then. Being desperately in love with someone who didn't reciprocate his feelings was really eating him up inside.
"I can't understand her... Any other girl would die to go on a date with me!"
Madeline had rolled her eyes at that. "So, maybe you should stop rejecting them all... Maybe Lily would be jealous, then."
James' hazel eyes had sparkled with hope. "You think so? Lily could be jealous of me?" He asked, surprised. "I'm not sure..."
Madeline had shrugged. "Well, you won't know unless you try!"
Sirius had voiced his agreement on the tactic she had proposed and James had agreed to think about it.
When they arrived to Hogsmeade, they instinctively directed towards the Three Broomsticks. It was their favourite bar in town, after all. When Rosmerta brought them butterbeers, and James and Sirius made the woman laugh with their silly jokes, Madeline realized how much she had actually missed days like that.
"So... Where's Marlene today?" Asked James, nonchanlantly, while taking a gulp from his butterbeer.
Sirius shrugged, "Don't know... With Amelia, probably? They're always together."
Madeline giggled, "That's what best friends do, Pads."
Sirius and James exchanged a look. "Do they?" Asked the latter, "Because we've noticed you've been distant since New Year's Eve..." he casually said. Madeline knew he was struggling not to mention Snape. He knew that it would annoy her if he did so
She nodded. "I know that and... I'm really sorry, boys. Lots of things happened and... Look, I've missed you both so much, really."
"I hope so" said Sirius, and grinned. He passed an hand through his dark locks and straightened up, in order to appear more charming as he did so. It was a little trick he used with girls.
Madelind rolled her eyes. "Yeah babe I missed you two... Especially Prongsie."
James winked at her while Sirius shot her an annoyed look at that.
Madeline giggled before adding, in a low tone of voice. "Well... We could have a little party tomorrow night in the Gryffindor Common Room? Like in the good old days? With booze and stuff."
Sirius was about to voice his excitement when he seemed to remember something. "That'd be great but... Full Moon's tomorrow."
James nodded, saddened. "Yeah, sorry Mads"
She shook her head, then. "It's okay, boys, I had completely forgotten..." she murmured, and her mind couldn't help but travel back to Severus. She wondered if he still thought about her friends' activity... James and Sirius seemed to notice something was off with the girl, then, and exchanged a questioning look before looking back at her.
"Hey, it's not big deal, we can do that next saturday!" Exclaimed Sirius, as if to cheer her up.
"Yeah, yeah" she replied hastily, and gave a nervous laugh. "Sure, babes."
But James was looking at her intently, and some seconds passed before he asked her. "What's the matter, Mads? What are you thinking about? Why did full moon get you so thoughtful?"
There was confusion in his knitted brows.
She faked a smile and drank some of her butterbeer. She really didn't want to have that conversation.
"It's nothing, James..."
Sirius raised an eyebrow. "You only call him James when something's up."
The other boy nodded, and his hazel eyes showed some impatience. "Yeah, that's true." He stated. "Mads, come on, just tell us what's on your mind."
Madeline took a deep breath.
"Promise me you won't get mad." She blurted out, then. She couldn't have more secrets than she already had with them.
Sirius and James exchanged a knowing look. "What did he do?" Questioned Sirius, crossing his arms.
Madeline sighed. "He did nothing, Pads..." she said. She didn't even realise he hadn't given 'he' a name, but they both knew who he was referring to. "It's just that... He's very curious, and lately he's asked me where did you go once a month... you know, when you leave dinner early... And Remus being 'sick' once every thirty days only fuels his suspicions!"
Sirius' knuckles turned white as he strengthened his grip around his glass. He looked furious.
"Well, tell your boyfriend to keep his abnormally large nose out of our affairs", stated James. He too appeared pretty upset.
"He's not my boyfriend, James..."
"Isn't he?" Asked Sirius, out of gritted teeth. He didn't wait for her answer, though; it seemed like she wouldn't be able to give him the answer he needed. "What did you tell him, when he asked you that?"
Challenge shone in Sirius' grey eyes as Madeline's blue ones settled on them.
"That he had to drop it... Because otherwise he would lose me... And that I wouldn't forgive him if he tried to find out about what you and Moony do..."
Her answer seemed to please and interest him immensely. Especially the 'lose me' part, or so it seemed, but Madeline thought then that she had only imagined that.
James' eyes, on the other hand, simply widened. "Really?"
Madeline tore her eyes away from Sirius to look at him, surprised, and a little hurt. "Well, yeah, really James! You're my best friends! I would do anything to protect you!" She exclaimed. "What did you think? That I would betray you? That I would expose Remus? I would never, in a million years, do that." She almost shouted, and they both looked ashamed of their behaviour.
"No... I didn't think that... Sorry, Mads." Prongs said, and she knew he was sincere, and that he felt guilty about doubting her. "I just... I don't know... I'm afraid of him changing you."
Madeline gave him a sweet smile. "Prongsie... He could never do that. Not for bad, at least. I wouldn't let him..."
Sirius' jaw clenched as it always did when Severus was mentioned. Madeline thought he looked less handsome when he was angry. It didn't suit him, at all... And that said a lot about who Sirius really was.
Prongs took her hand in his and gently squeezed it. "I trust you" he said.
Madeline turned towards Sirius. "I need you to trust me too."
He snorted. "I trust you, love, it's him I don't trust." He simply stated, and evaded her stare. He was about to add something when he caught a movement in his peripheral. "Talk of the devil..." he whispered. James and Madeline turned their eyes and spotted Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy entering the bar.
She looked, confused, at the two men, both sharply dressed in black. Lucius Malfoy was some years older than them; he had graduated from Hogwarts when they all were attending Fourth year. Even if Severus had mentioned him from time to time as a friend of his, Madeline didn't know they actually saw each other. She certainly didn't know they would meet that precise afternoon. Severus' onyx eyes spotted her, and the Slytherin boy raised an eyebrow when he noticed her hand, which still held James's. Sirius' face turned in disgust at seeing Snape. Snape's face acted like a mirror, then.
Lucius had ignored that whole exchange, and after sharing some pleasantries with Rosmerta, he gestured for Severus to follow him upstairs. Only private meetings were held there, because, after all, only the rich could afford that.
The Gryffindor boys and girl immediately understood what that was about. Even if James and Sirius didn't have the certainty that Severus was a Death Eater, Madeline knew they felt that. Plus, everybody knew where the Malfoys' loyalty lied.
Seeing Severus tear his gaze away from her to follow Malfoy upstairs, probably to discuss something Voldemort related, filled her eyes with tears.
She was quick in hiding that. But Sirius had seen it. Rage was burning inside of him fiercely by then.
"The snake has to learn to mind his own business." He stated. "He can't stroll around, thinking he can do what he wants."
Madeline sighed. "He promised me he'd let it go."
"And you believe him?"
"Padfoot" interrupted him James, "Enough." He firmly said.
Sirius looked at him, and seemed to struggle against himself not to add anything. "Right... Sorry Mads." He murmured.
"Don't provoke him on this, Pads. Please." Madeline whispered, and extended her hand for him to take. Sirius looked at it. He appeared torn. "Mads... Sniv-" she shot him a look before he could call him that. "Alright, Snape... He needs to learn a lesson."
"Sirius, please. He promised me."
Sirius sighed deeply, and took her hand in his. He massaged her palm with his thumb for some seconds, while thousands of thoughts crossed his mind. Then she looked up at her. He couldn't keep himself from saying, "Also Remus' sake is debated here... I trust you, Madeline... I already told you that. But I don't trust... his promises." He explained.
Madeline looked at James, then. "What do you think?"
James shrugged. "I don't know anymore... I certainly do notput much hope in Snape... But I guess we'll have to trust his promises for now, won't we? What else can we do? Reveal everything to him? Telling him Moony's a sweet wolf and hope he's so afraid he shits his pants and drop the matter?" He ironically asked, and the girl couldn't help but giggle alongside him. James Potter always knew how to make her feel better.
What they didn't notice, as they laughed, was Sirius' grey eyes pointed on James. What his best friend had said had stuck with him.
Sirius knew what he had to do, then. He had to protect his family. Severus Snape was a threat. He would stop him.
"That could work." He muttered.
Madeline shook her head and smiled at him, bemused. "Now shut up and go get us another round of Butterbeers, love. If we can't get drunk tomorrow night, at least let's get blissfully tipsy now!"
James cheered at that, and Sirius smiled too. When he stood up to go to the bar rail, his heart was both heavy and light. Maybe he could finally show Madeline who Snivellus really was.
He decided to shake away those thoughts for the moment, and grinned at Rosmerta's gorgeous face when she walked to him to get his order.
The Three Broomsticks wasn't a place for angry, sad or thoughtful people.