"No, absolutely not," Snape looks to Dumbledore in hopes of getting some backup.
"She would be completely safe. If we just-"
"Nothing. We will do nothing of the sort." He grinds his teeth, glaring at McGonagall.
"We have a lead. If they're willing, why can't we act on it?"
"Severus, we're talking about lives!"
"I thought Gryffindors were supposed to be brave"
"Why haven't you found out who's sending you these notes?!"
"Don't change the subject," He snaps fidgeting with his robe. "This could work, we could put a stop to it right now."
"You may have no scruples, but I will not use a child as bait!"
"Unless it's for a werewolf or just a Slytherin?" He fires back.
"Severus!" Dumbledore's command silences him. It was a low blow, but it's fucking tiring dealing with McGonagall's constant skepticism.
She looks ready to flay him, for a moment he feels like a student again.
"You will return the wards in your office."
"Headmaster-" Dumbledore raises his hand, "We will watch over Miss Granger and make sure she's escorted at all times. Severus, we must find whoever is leaving those notes if we're going to stop this."
"Very well,"
...
Snape takes another sip from his glass and rubs his forehead. The White Rat is not quite the reliever he needs, but Madame Pomfrey had made him promise to try quitting. Apparently last year he'd gone too far, his bank account seems to agree with her.
After Merlin chewed him out for his failure he'd retreated to his room, and indulged in the bad habit he's still allowed.
"A trained Death Eater, who would have thought?"
He drains the glass. Trying to get that look the girl gave him out of his head, but it keeps coming back. A smile; light and easy. The perfect weapon for an unassuming child. Finally pushing the train of thought off the rails he refills the glass.
Maybe it's better to leave it for now. See how her relationship with the werewolf plays out. He'd be sure to try and connect with the children. Unless even that is too much of a commitment for him.
Leaning back in his seat and taking a long drink from his glass, Snape nods to himself.
It would be easier for the werewolf to gain their trust, to find the truth. And manipulating it from him will be a walk in the park compared with that locked off being.
Her haughty expression as she walked out of the cafe with her nose up hits him and he resists the urge to throw the glass.
...
"Is that?"
Sarah takes another look to make sure.
"It totally is."
She ducks away from Mrs. Weasley while she's distracted with Ginny's wardrobe and makes her way to the ticket booth.
"Miss Terry?"
"Yes?" The woman focuses on her then squints, "Ah, you're the little imp who lied to me." She blushes, "Uh-huh, I was expecting you last year."
"Sorry about that, we were in a hurry," She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a galleon. "With interest?" The witch's glare lessens.
"Might be enough to cover that man's visit." She hands over the galleon and looks up.
"Man?"
"Yes, some pale bloke. Scared the hell out of Larry, luckily I hadn't left yet or I think he would've pulled his wand." Terry shakes her head angrily. "I don't suppose he tried to kill you after."
"Was he, um, wearing nothing but black?"
"It was almost two years ago, you think I remember what he was wearing." Snorting she pockets the galleon then shrugs. "No, he had muggle clothes on. Skinny as a rail."
"Greasy black hair?"
"You got it, kid." Sarah clenches her fists
"I guess he didn't say his name,"
"No, but he did call me a bloody idiot."
"Sounds like him, thanks Terry," The woman raises an eyebrow at her, then shrugs.
"I guess, he wasn't that bad. I've had many parents get worked up when kids go missing," Sarah nods until she realizes what Terry's said and shakes her head fervently.
"He's not-"
"Onto the train Sarah, come on." Mrs. Weasley calls,
"He's not-"
"Sarah! We've got to go!" Terry waves her away and she jogs towards Harry and Mrs. Weasley. After squirming out of Mrs. Weasley's hug she climbs on in front of her brother. "Who were you talking to?"
"Um, just Terry. I told you about her," Harry nods but she can tell his mind is elsewhere. "What's up?"
"We've got to talk, you were right."
After settling into a compartment with Hermione, Ron, and a very shabby-looking man Harry tells them what he overheard from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Followed by what Mr. Weasley said before they got on the train. She hadn't told Harry about what happened with Professor Snape, and a stab of guilt hits her as she realizes this would probably be the best opportunity for it. Harry had evidently already forgiven her sharp temper.
"No point in bringing it up now. Maybe later, without Ron and Hermione."
They lapse into a conversation about Hogsmede and she listens in while playing with Crookshanks. Why would Mr. Weasley be worried about Harry chasing after Black? Unless...she considers her brother as he moans about not getting his permission slip signed. Harry who had gone after the Philosopher's Stone himself, who had chased after her in the Chamber of Secrets.
"Guess it makes sense. But then, why wouldn't he want to extract that promise from me?"
The answer to the question is brought on by a look from Harry. He's been giving her that look so often that she's almost able to filter it out. They think she's fragile. The truth might break her. Another bout of unreasonable anger takes over, and she rips open the chocolate frog Harry had given her. Jocunda Sykes jumps out of frame just in time to stop her decapitation.
"Sarah?"
"I'm fine," The door opens and three boys walk in. Harry, Ron, and Hermione jump up at the same time moving in front of her.
"Anyone want to kill me today? Nope? No takers?"
Instead of reacting to the intruders and her brother's protective stance, she leans back and pets Crookshanks. The son of the man who gave her Tom Riddle's diary saunters forward.
"Well, look who it is, Potty and the Weasel." Harry's wand is already drawn, and Ron looks close to doing the same.
"Hello, Draco," A gap opens when Harry looks back at her and she meets Malfoy's eyes. "If you want to make an ass out of yourself, I'd suggest you wait until you're not in front of a Professor." He turns a bit pink, and she goes back to petting Crookshanks, trying to channel her inner Bond Villan. Crookshanks purrs at the perfect moment.
"C'mon," He mutters to his cronies and they slip out the door. Harry tilts his head at her, she rolls her eyes. It answers the unspoken question and they sit down.
"I'm not going to take any shit from Malfoy this year," Ron mutters.
"Are you going to be ok with him?" Harry asks quietly,
"For the hundredth time, yes." He frowns, and she lowers her voice. "I'll have to deal with Draco Malfoy for another five years at least. Might as well get used to it."
"Do you think he knows?" Hermione asks, eyes going wide.
"Maybe, but I don't think he'd tell anyone." She answers, they all stare at her incredulously. "It would bring up too many questions about his dad." Her matter of fact tone settles them. However, Harry shakes his head, it had actually been his suggestion that stopped her from worrying about Malfoy over the summer. Though it seems being face-to-face with blondie seems to have made him forget those comforting words.
"Just, make sure you stay away from him, Sarah." Her eyes flash, but Harry meets them head-on with a glare. "You tried to befriend him last year, and you saw how well that worked out."
"Ouch,"
Part of her wants to point out that she has no idea what he's talking about, but another reminds her that if she brings it up the only response she'll get are those damn sympathetic looks.
The train suddenly slows, "Oh good we're there, I'm starving," Ron exclaims probably a bit louder than necessary.
"We can't be there yet," Hermione answers nervously.
"So why are we stopping?" There's a bang as the train finally screeches to a halt, and Sarah's trunk falls onto the floor staying thankfully closed.
"Oh sorry," she mutters but before she can get up the lights go out in the compartment.
"What's going on?" Ron says across from her,
"Ouch! Ron, that was my foot!" Hermione squeaks; Sarah decides it's safer to stay where she is and gets as close to the corner of the compartment as she can. The compartment door suddenly opens and someone trips over Sarah's trunk.
"Sorry!" Neville speaks into the dark "D'you know what's going on?" Sarah tunes them out, wiping at the window, trying to see anything. It looks like there's a bunch of black rags floating aboard the train.
"Ginny?" Hermione says,
"Hermione?"
"What are you doing?"
"I was looking for Ron,"
"Come in and sit down." Ginny trips over Sarah's trunk,
"Here Ginny," Sarah calls out and scoots to make room. She places Crookshanks on Ginny's lap and starts crawling on her hands and knees to grab her trunk.
"Quiet!" A hoarse voice snaps as she gets hold of it. Her eyes are just adjusting to the dark when flickering flames appear in Professor Lupin's hand. He gets up from his seat. "Stay where you are,"
The door opens as he stands beside her and the same bunch of black rags appears to have gotten to their compartment. Except the black rags have formed into a cloak. Within them is a grey decayed hand. Sarah freezes, unable to look away from the figure. She feels a cold spread through her and hears a dreadfully familiar voice.
"You can do it, Sarah," The voice says, Sarah grabs at the trunk, blackness seems to roll through her. Something falls and she jerks back.
"None of us is hiding Sirius Black under our cloaks. Go!" The voice seems to come from far away, but she holds on to it.
"You want her to like you." Tom Riddle whispers, Sarah grabs at her ears trying to block it out. "Just let go. I'll take care of it." A bright light breaks through her eyelids and Tom Riddle leaves her head with a high laugh. Harry is on the floor unconscious, and everyone else around her has grey terrified faces.
"Harry," She says softly, stealing her eyes against the burning tears.
"He'll be alright," Professor Lupin says. Sarah nods and moves to the side as Hermione and Ron go to try and wake him. She puts her back up against the seat and pulls her knees to her stomach feeling like throwing up.
"W-What?" Harry opens his eyes
"Are you ok?" Ron asks nervously
"Yeah, What happened? Where's that, that thing? Who screamed?" She glances at Harry. A loud snap makes them all jump, her heart thud in her chest. Blocking out Tom Riddle's cruel laugh she takes the piece of chocolate from Professor Lupin
"Here, Eat it, It'll help." He passes chocolate to everyone in the compartment.
"What was that thing?" Harry repeats,
"A Dementor, One of the Dementors of Azkaban," He crumples up the empty chocolate wrapper and puts it in his pocket. "Eat," he repeats looking particularly at Harry. "It'll help, I need to speak to the driver, excuse me." Sarah, not usually one to say no to sweets, feels too sick to eat and only stares at the candy.
"Are you sure you're ok, Harry?" Hermione asks anxiously, she stands and sits in her original spot hoping they'll forget she's there.
"But, didn't any of you, fall off your seats?" Harry asks awkwardly,
"No, Ginny was shaking like mad though." Sarah meets Harry's eyes and realizes she's not the only one who heard voices.
"I haven't poisoned that chocolate, you know." Sarah jumps at Professor Lupin's voice. She brings the chocolate bar to her lips and takes a bite. Warmth spreads through her, and she takes another enjoying the sweet taste. He smiles "We'll be at Hogwarts in ten minutes," He looks about to say more, then stops himself settling back into his seat.
She stares at the man feeling a vague sense of familiarity. This is easier to think about than what just happened, so she dives into her memory trying to pluck the one that contains sandy brown hair and shabby robes.
"Are you alright, Sarah?" She jerks realizing that she'd been staring longer than normal.
"Fine," Harry whips his head around there's a question in his eyes. She nods once and a relieved smile breaks across his face. Not sure whether this is a good or bad thing she continues giving Professor Lupin intermittent glances. Each one is quickly interrupted by him apparently staring right back at her. Though once she caught him staring at Harry as if he were a ghost.
"Just let go. I'll take care of it."
Tom's voice presses at her despite her attempts at distraction. She knows why, too. There have been no nightmares about this. Who was he talking about?
She pushes this away again finding a new project in entertaining Crookshanks. There's no point in going through all that. No point at all.
...
"Severus," McGonagall enters the room without knocking. One glance up from his book confirms that she's still annoyed with him for rejecting her offer. "Did you receive an owl?" He folds the corner of the page over and sets aside Belby's book.
"From who?" He answers mildly.
"Remus," Sitting up with a snort he shakes his head.
"No, the werewolf and I do not correspond."
"Severus," He throws up his hands as she rolls her eyes. "You really mustn't let your past get-"
"What did he write that was so damn important?" She glares but doesn't press him.
"A dementor boarded the train, and guess which compartment it entered."
"Ah, did she make a scene?"
"No, but you know what probably happened." She's waiting for him to say something and he's not completely sure what it is. "I heard you've been checking up on her."
"Damnit,"
"What exactly did you hear?" McGonagall averts her eyes, he senses hints of Occlumancy in place. Not that he'd try and feel her right now. She'd tell him what's on her mind eventually. "From what I've heard you've done your fair share of checking up on Collin Creevey."
"As is appropriate as his Head of House...I was surprised when I heard you'd actually visited Diagon Alley."
"Do you object?"
"Of course not, I'd never tell you how to handle your students." She emphasizes 'you', and he shrugs off the accusation. "Well, I'm going to get Potter to Poppy once he gets off the train."
"Whatever for? Actually nevermind, I don't care,"
"Because he fainted! I'm only telling you," Emphasis on 'you', again. "to ask if you wanted me to take his sister as well."
"Of course not! And you needn't inflate Potter's head either. You're likely to make it pop." McGonagall scowls, "They're with the werewolf, yes?"
"Yes,"
"The moon is not out yet, so they are not currently in mortal peril. I'd assume he has enough sense to make sure they haven't suffered any bodily harm."
"We still need to make sure, Severus," She groans as if this is obvious. "Besides Poppy will have a fit if we don't."
"Let her," This may have come out much darker than he intended, but his last cigarette was three weeks ago.
"Severus,"
"Do what you like then, and leave me alone." Her eyebrows rise and he grabs Delby's book off the desk without a second look.
"Severus,"
"What?" He says without looking up,
"You will be able to work with Remus, won't you?"
"Minerva, I can hardly work with you." His eyes flick up just in time to see hurt cross her face. Steeling himself against it he continues pretending to read. Their relationship hadn't been this rocky since the war ended. "I will get him a properly brewed Wolfsbane every month."
"I suppose that's all I can expect from you." She says contemptuously; he turns the page. "You're a bitter man." His fists clench tightly to the book. No, he will not lose his temper now. There will be plenty of time to unleash it on the proper culprit, but later. Not on Minerva,
"I'm terribly busy making sure no pups are created this year. Please close the door on your way out."
She does so...loudly.
Did you know September 1st of 1993 was a full moon? No wonder he was sleeping on the train.
I do not own Harry Potter,
Thank you for reading!