Note: Only Crescent and the deceased Moira are my original characters. This
chapter does not follow the storyline in 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of
Azkaban', and is not in the book. Takes place during the week of the full
moon, so Remus Lupin is currently in the Shrieking Shack in his werewolf
transformation, to clear things up.
Midnight Confessions
Part 7
Crescent awoke from a nightmare with sweat running down her face. She was breathing hard, as she looked around wildly. It was a dream, she realized. And a rather frightening one it had been.
She'd dreamt that the Dementors had killed everyone right in front of her. Her father, Uncle Remus, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Professor Snape all lay dead, as did the rest of the teachers and the headmaster. The Dementors then began to chase her, and Crescent ran for her life. But no matter how far she ran, or where she went, they were always there, following her. Wanting to kill her, for who she was.
Crescent was too terrified to stay in the dark tower. She climbed out of her bed, and grabbed her stuffed bear. She made her way out of the room that she shared with the other first-years, and briefly considered going up to see Hermione.
The older girl was fond of her, and had always been very nice. But Crescent didn't want to wake her, so she left the Gryffindor Tower, and began to roam the school.
Crescent wore only her night-shirt and no slippers, as she clutched her bear to her. She wished that Uncle Remus were here so that she could tell him her dream. He would have been able to make her feel better, she knew. But it was the week of the full moon, and Crescent knew what that meant.
Professor Severus Snape was working in his dungeons, when he heard someone walking in the hallway. He took out his wand and crossed over to the door. He peered out, but he could not make out who it was. "Lumos!" Severus said. A light shone, and it saw that it was the girl. "What are you doing up at this hour, child?" he asked. "You know the rules."
Crescent gazed up at him, and Severus saw that she looked scared. "Don't be so frightened, Crescent. I won't hurt you," he said sharply.
"I had a bad dream," Crescent told him. "I can't sleep. And the Tower is too dark and scary."
Severus sighed. He only had one of two options. He could take the girl right back up to Gryffindor Tower, and leave his potion brewing by itself, or he could keep an eye on her for a while. Albus had said that he had to watch her while Remus Lupin was away. "Then keep me company, child, until you can sleep."
"All right," Crescent said quietly. She followed her teacher as he led the way back into the barely lit dungeon.
"Take a seat," Severus said, as he went back to his potion. Crescent sat in a chair, but Severus could barely see her. The child seriously needed a growth spurt. "Sit on one of the tables," he instructed. Again, Crescent did as he said.
She watched him for a while without speaking, as he added ingredients to his potion. "What are you making?" Crescent asked, hoping the question wouldn't anger him.
"The Wolfsbane Potion for your uncle for next month," Severus said. A hint of pain and anger was in his voice as he said the word 'uncle'.
"Oh." Crescent took a deep breath before she asked another question. "Why do you hate my uncle so much?"
Severus froze. Crescent knew how to cut right through to the bone, he realized. "Hate is a strong word, child. I do not hate him."
"But you don't like him, either," Crescent said. "Why?"
Severus said nothing for a few moments, as he stood there. He quickly added the rest of the ingredients to the potion, before he looked at the child. "He betrayed me, Crescent Lupin-Black. He betrayed me when he became involved with your father."
Crescent turned pale, as Severus continued. She held her bear tighter than ever.
"I must admit that I was not truly surprised when Remus told me that he loved Sirius, but it hurt nonetheless. They were together for three months before Sirius was locked up. I had never seen Remus so happy, but that happiness left him," Severus said softly. "Until the day you were born."
"What was my mother like?" Crescent questioned. "No-one will tell me anything, except for Uncle Remus."
Severus disliked divulging his past, but saw no harm in the question. "Moira was a very sweet girl, Crescent. After Sirius and Remus announced their love for each other, your mother took it as best as she could. She did not tell anyone that she was pregnant, for she knew that he would want to marry her to give you his name. Moira wanted him to be happy with Remus, and kept the secret to herself."
Crescent sighed. "And then it turned out to be for naught, for my father was thrown in Azkaban three months later."
Severus nodded. "She had only learned that she was pregnant the day before Sirius left her."
"But you still care for Uncle Remus, don't you?" Crescent said, knowing the truth in her heart.
"Indeed," Severus said. "But we will never be friends, child, for the words we spoke on the day that we broke up were cruel and devastating. I know that I said some things that I regret. The last time we saw each other was when you were born."
"Please," Crescent pleaded. "Call me by my first name, Crescent. I'm not a child. And I'm not my father." She felt guilty for saying that, for she knew her father was innocent, and that it would be proven one day.
"All right, Crescent," Severus said. He glanced up at the clock and realized that it was nearly three in the morning. "You should go back to bed. You do have class tomorrow."
Crescent nodded and stood. "Good night, Professor," she said, before she left the room quietly and headed back towards Gryffindor Tower.
Severus was left alone with his painful memories. "You raised her well, Remus," he whispered. "Crescent truly is nothing like her father."
What Crescent and Severus had not known was that Sirius had watched the entire conversation, in his Anigmus form. He hadn't been close enough to hear the words, but Sirius did not like the thought of his daughter being only with Severus Snape. And Remus was currently unable to watch over her.
Sirius decided to have a talk with Crescent the next time she was outside of the school, and make it clear that he disapproved of Severus Snape.
To be continued
Midnight Confessions
Part 7
Crescent awoke from a nightmare with sweat running down her face. She was breathing hard, as she looked around wildly. It was a dream, she realized. And a rather frightening one it had been.
She'd dreamt that the Dementors had killed everyone right in front of her. Her father, Uncle Remus, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Professor Snape all lay dead, as did the rest of the teachers and the headmaster. The Dementors then began to chase her, and Crescent ran for her life. But no matter how far she ran, or where she went, they were always there, following her. Wanting to kill her, for who she was.
Crescent was too terrified to stay in the dark tower. She climbed out of her bed, and grabbed her stuffed bear. She made her way out of the room that she shared with the other first-years, and briefly considered going up to see Hermione.
The older girl was fond of her, and had always been very nice. But Crescent didn't want to wake her, so she left the Gryffindor Tower, and began to roam the school.
Crescent wore only her night-shirt and no slippers, as she clutched her bear to her. She wished that Uncle Remus were here so that she could tell him her dream. He would have been able to make her feel better, she knew. But it was the week of the full moon, and Crescent knew what that meant.
Professor Severus Snape was working in his dungeons, when he heard someone walking in the hallway. He took out his wand and crossed over to the door. He peered out, but he could not make out who it was. "Lumos!" Severus said. A light shone, and it saw that it was the girl. "What are you doing up at this hour, child?" he asked. "You know the rules."
Crescent gazed up at him, and Severus saw that she looked scared. "Don't be so frightened, Crescent. I won't hurt you," he said sharply.
"I had a bad dream," Crescent told him. "I can't sleep. And the Tower is too dark and scary."
Severus sighed. He only had one of two options. He could take the girl right back up to Gryffindor Tower, and leave his potion brewing by itself, or he could keep an eye on her for a while. Albus had said that he had to watch her while Remus Lupin was away. "Then keep me company, child, until you can sleep."
"All right," Crescent said quietly. She followed her teacher as he led the way back into the barely lit dungeon.
"Take a seat," Severus said, as he went back to his potion. Crescent sat in a chair, but Severus could barely see her. The child seriously needed a growth spurt. "Sit on one of the tables," he instructed. Again, Crescent did as he said.
She watched him for a while without speaking, as he added ingredients to his potion. "What are you making?" Crescent asked, hoping the question wouldn't anger him.
"The Wolfsbane Potion for your uncle for next month," Severus said. A hint of pain and anger was in his voice as he said the word 'uncle'.
"Oh." Crescent took a deep breath before she asked another question. "Why do you hate my uncle so much?"
Severus froze. Crescent knew how to cut right through to the bone, he realized. "Hate is a strong word, child. I do not hate him."
"But you don't like him, either," Crescent said. "Why?"
Severus said nothing for a few moments, as he stood there. He quickly added the rest of the ingredients to the potion, before he looked at the child. "He betrayed me, Crescent Lupin-Black. He betrayed me when he became involved with your father."
Crescent turned pale, as Severus continued. She held her bear tighter than ever.
"I must admit that I was not truly surprised when Remus told me that he loved Sirius, but it hurt nonetheless. They were together for three months before Sirius was locked up. I had never seen Remus so happy, but that happiness left him," Severus said softly. "Until the day you were born."
"What was my mother like?" Crescent questioned. "No-one will tell me anything, except for Uncle Remus."
Severus disliked divulging his past, but saw no harm in the question. "Moira was a very sweet girl, Crescent. After Sirius and Remus announced their love for each other, your mother took it as best as she could. She did not tell anyone that she was pregnant, for she knew that he would want to marry her to give you his name. Moira wanted him to be happy with Remus, and kept the secret to herself."
Crescent sighed. "And then it turned out to be for naught, for my father was thrown in Azkaban three months later."
Severus nodded. "She had only learned that she was pregnant the day before Sirius left her."
"But you still care for Uncle Remus, don't you?" Crescent said, knowing the truth in her heart.
"Indeed," Severus said. "But we will never be friends, child, for the words we spoke on the day that we broke up were cruel and devastating. I know that I said some things that I regret. The last time we saw each other was when you were born."
"Please," Crescent pleaded. "Call me by my first name, Crescent. I'm not a child. And I'm not my father." She felt guilty for saying that, for she knew her father was innocent, and that it would be proven one day.
"All right, Crescent," Severus said. He glanced up at the clock and realized that it was nearly three in the morning. "You should go back to bed. You do have class tomorrow."
Crescent nodded and stood. "Good night, Professor," she said, before she left the room quietly and headed back towards Gryffindor Tower.
Severus was left alone with his painful memories. "You raised her well, Remus," he whispered. "Crescent truly is nothing like her father."
What Crescent and Severus had not known was that Sirius had watched the entire conversation, in his Anigmus form. He hadn't been close enough to hear the words, but Sirius did not like the thought of his daughter being only with Severus Snape. And Remus was currently unable to watch over her.
Sirius decided to have a talk with Crescent the next time she was outside of the school, and make it clear that he disapproved of Severus Snape.
To be continued