* * * *
Ten days later they were still staying in the tiny room, each student taking turns sleeping on the floor. Snape had protested the first night that Kendra had climbed into the bed with Harry, but learned soon enough that he had nothing to worry about. As he voiced his concerns, Kendra had looked more disgusted than he'd ever seen her and Harry had actually begun to laugh.
"Have you never had a female friend?" Harry had asked.
Snape glared at him. "Mind your own business Potter," he growled and the conversation had ended there.
"I'm hungry," Ron groused aloud, flipping through an old Quidditch book he and Harry had found in one of the shops. That was before Snape had forbidden them to leave the Inn.
Now they remained in the room night and day, watching for any activity at the Malfoy house. Snape wasn't even sure what he was looking for but there had to be some kind of meeting that they were waiting for. The Five couldn't just walk into the Malfoy's home and expect to find Voldemort ready and waiting for them.
Instead of letting them do anything rash, he bought a pair of Omnioculars and watched the house as closely as possibly, replaying the shot of anyone who went in the front doors. So far he'd seen two delivery men, one Wizard with crates of milk, another trying to sell Lucius a self cleaning bathroom, (You don't even have to lift your wand!) and two Death Eaters with their robes pulled so tightly that Snape had no chance of seeing their faces.
"Anything yet, Professor?" Kendra asked from behind him.
Snape shook his head. "Two have gone in, but I haven't seen either of them come back out. Either they were betrayers and now they're . . ." he trailed off, then sighed. "Or they're part of the inner circle."
"Oh," Kendra replied, sitting beside him. "What does that mean?"
"Either way, it points to the fact that Voldemort is indeed in Lucius' home. If they had betrayed him, they would be brought directly to him. If they are part of his inner circle, they'd gather where he is."
"We're on the right track then," Ron said, before adding, "But I'm still hungry."
Snape waved his hand impatiently. "I'll get something to eat later. This is far more important, Mr Weasley."
"For you maybe," Ron muttered.
Kendra stared at him. "For the world, Ron." Her gaze remained unwavering for a few moments until Ron turned away from her, shifting uncomfortably. Kendra sighed and glanced back at Snape, then touched his shoulder lightly and held out her hand for the Omnioculars. He saw her outstretched hand and shook his head, then turned his back on her.
"Professor," she said softly.
"Yes?" he asked without looking at her.
"You need a break. You've been glued to this window for three days straight. Give someone else a turn to watch."
Snape shook his head, still refusing to look at her. "You won't know what you should be watching for."
Kendra laughed. "Oh really? Well, let me guess. Death Eaters, perhaps? A large gathering of them maybe? Any strange behaviour from Lucius . . . possibly Draco coming home."
Snape sighed, then relented and handed the Omnioculars to Kendra.
"Draco will already be there," he said, as she knelt in front of the window and studied the house. "Lucius would not let him fend for himself, not at a time like this when they are all so sorely needed to help Voldemort."
"That's disgusting," Hermione muttered. "Lucius let him kill Narcissa and then he'd protect him?"
Snape turned to her. "I would not be so certain that Lucius didn't help in that murder, Miss Granger."
Hermione's head bobbed. "I know, I just can't believe it sometimes. I don't understand where this hatred for Muggles comes from."
Kendra nodded her agreement. "I guess I'm the only one who really understands what you mean. We're the only ones here who aren't pureblood."
"But that doesn't matter to us," Harry protested.
Hermione glanced at him. "We know it doesn't matter to you Harry, but it matters to other people. We'll never be as good as others because we're not purebloods." She shook her head slightly. "You wouldn't understand."
"I, on the other hand, understand perfectly," Snape snapped suddenly and The Five glanced at him.
Kendra frowned. "Are you telling us you're not a pureblood, Professor?"
"Yes," he snarled. "So the both of you should stop feeling so bloody sorry for yourselves. This isn't about you anymore. It's about everyone else . . . keeping them safe. Stop being teenagers just for a moment and try to become the world saviours you're supposed to be."
There was nothing but silence as The Five stared at Snape, then Hermione slowly glanced away, looking very ashamed. She went back to the book she had been reading and began randomly flipping pages, trying very hard to look as if she wasn't hurt by what Snape had said.
He sighed and turned away from her to find Kendra staring at him with wide eyes. She glanced away quickly as well, turning back to the window and pressing her eyes into the Omnioculars. Everywhere he looked, one of the students was avoiding his eyes and for a moment, Snape was glad. Things had temporarily gone back to the way they had been before The Five had been discovered. The students were scared of him and wouldn't meet his gaze, he intimidated them.
Then Hermione raised one hand to her face and brushed away a tear that had managed to escape. "We're just scared, Professor," she said quietly. "That's all."
Snape swallowed hard, then went for the door. "I'll go find us something to eat," he said gruffly and stepped into the hall. With a deep breath he leaned against the closed door and put a hand to his forehead. This wasn't right . . . it wasn't him. Never before had he felt guilty after making a student cry, it was his nature to be cold and mean to them. On the other hand, he had never known five students as well as he knew the ones inside the room behind him. He spent so much time with them that he had to get to know them, and, unfortunately, Snape found himself enjoying their company from time to time.
Ignoring the muffled voices he could now hear coming from inside the room, Snape hurried down the hall in search of their next meal.
* * * *
Ten days later they were still staying in the tiny room, each student taking turns sleeping on the floor. Snape had protested the first night that Kendra had climbed into the bed with Harry, but learned soon enough that he had nothing to worry about. As he voiced his concerns, Kendra had looked more disgusted than he'd ever seen her and Harry had actually begun to laugh.
"Have you never had a female friend?" Harry had asked.
Snape glared at him. "Mind your own business Potter," he growled and the conversation had ended there.
"I'm hungry," Ron groused aloud, flipping through an old Quidditch book he and Harry had found in one of the shops. That was before Snape had forbidden them to leave the Inn.
Now they remained in the room night and day, watching for any activity at the Malfoy house. Snape wasn't even sure what he was looking for but there had to be some kind of meeting that they were waiting for. The Five couldn't just walk into the Malfoy's home and expect to find Voldemort ready and waiting for them.
Instead of letting them do anything rash, he bought a pair of Omnioculars and watched the house as closely as possibly, replaying the shot of anyone who went in the front doors. So far he'd seen two delivery men, one Wizard with crates of milk, another trying to sell Lucius a self cleaning bathroom, (You don't even have to lift your wand!) and two Death Eaters with their robes pulled so tightly that Snape had no chance of seeing their faces.
"Anything yet, Professor?" Kendra asked from behind him.
Snape shook his head. "Two have gone in, but I haven't seen either of them come back out. Either they were betrayers and now they're . . ." he trailed off, then sighed. "Or they're part of the inner circle."
"Oh," Kendra replied, sitting beside him. "What does that mean?"
"Either way, it points to the fact that Voldemort is indeed in Lucius' home. If they had betrayed him, they would be brought directly to him. If they are part of his inner circle, they'd gather where he is."
"We're on the right track then," Ron said, before adding, "But I'm still hungry."
Snape waved his hand impatiently. "I'll get something to eat later. This is far more important, Mr Weasley."
"For you maybe," Ron muttered.
Kendra stared at him. "For the world, Ron." Her gaze remained unwavering for a few moments until Ron turned away from her, shifting uncomfortably. Kendra sighed and glanced back at Snape, then touched his shoulder lightly and held out her hand for the Omnioculars. He saw her outstretched hand and shook his head, then turned his back on her.
"Professor," she said softly.
"Yes?" he asked without looking at her.
"You need a break. You've been glued to this window for three days straight. Give someone else a turn to watch."
Snape shook his head, still refusing to look at her. "You won't know what you should be watching for."
Kendra laughed. "Oh really? Well, let me guess. Death Eaters, perhaps? A large gathering of them maybe? Any strange behaviour from Lucius . . . possibly Draco coming home."
Snape sighed, then relented and handed the Omnioculars to Kendra.
"Draco will already be there," he said, as she knelt in front of the window and studied the house. "Lucius would not let him fend for himself, not at a time like this when they are all so sorely needed to help Voldemort."
"That's disgusting," Hermione muttered. "Lucius let him kill Narcissa and then he'd protect him?"
Snape turned to her. "I would not be so certain that Lucius didn't help in that murder, Miss Granger."
Hermione's head bobbed. "I know, I just can't believe it sometimes. I don't understand where this hatred for Muggles comes from."
Kendra nodded her agreement. "I guess I'm the only one who really understands what you mean. We're the only ones here who aren't pureblood."
"But that doesn't matter to us," Harry protested.
Hermione glanced at him. "We know it doesn't matter to you Harry, but it matters to other people. We'll never be as good as others because we're not purebloods." She shook her head slightly. "You wouldn't understand."
"I, on the other hand, understand perfectly," Snape snapped suddenly and The Five glanced at him.
Kendra frowned. "Are you telling us you're not a pureblood, Professor?"
"Yes," he snarled. "So the both of you should stop feeling so bloody sorry for yourselves. This isn't about you anymore. It's about everyone else . . . keeping them safe. Stop being teenagers just for a moment and try to become the world saviours you're supposed to be."
There was nothing but silence as The Five stared at Snape, then Hermione slowly glanced away, looking very ashamed. She went back to the book she had been reading and began randomly flipping pages, trying very hard to look as if she wasn't hurt by what Snape had said.
He sighed and turned away from her to find Kendra staring at him with wide eyes. She glanced away quickly as well, turning back to the window and pressing her eyes into the Omnioculars. Everywhere he looked, one of the students was avoiding his eyes and for a moment, Snape was glad. Things had temporarily gone back to the way they had been before The Five had been discovered. The students were scared of him and wouldn't meet his gaze, he intimidated them.
Then Hermione raised one hand to her face and brushed away a tear that had managed to escape. "We're just scared, Professor," she said quietly. "That's all."
Snape swallowed hard, then went for the door. "I'll go find us something to eat," he said gruffly and stepped into the hall. With a deep breath he leaned against the closed door and put a hand to his forehead. This wasn't right . . . it wasn't him. Never before had he felt guilty after making a student cry, it was his nature to be cold and mean to them. On the other hand, he had never known five students as well as he knew the ones inside the room behind him. He spent so much time with them that he had to get to know them, and, unfortunately, Snape found himself enjoying their company from time to time.
Ignoring the muffled voices he could now hear coming from inside the room, Snape hurried down the hall in search of their next meal.
* * * *