Chapter Three - The Past Becomes Present
~*~
Shortly after Dumbledore said goodbye to Donna he summond his Potions Master over to his chamber. Two minutes later he heard a knock on his door.
"Come in, Severus."
Severus Snape entered the chamber. He looked exhausted.
"You called?," Severus asked.
"Yes, I did. Please sit down and have a drink with me."
As Severus took a seat in the large chair opposite his Head Master, Albus conjured up two glasses filled with firewhisky and gave one to Severus. Severus looked down at the glass and then puzzeled at his headmaster.
"Albus, isn't it a bit early for whisky? Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the gesture...."
"Rough night, Severus?" Albus said while taking a sip from his glass.
"You could say that. Been up half the night grading the tests I gave the second years yesterday. I tell you, I tried looking for something to grade, but it is utter nonsense what they have cooked up. That Hufflepuff girl, what's her name, Clumpsy? She is the worst of them all."
"It's Clooney, Joanna Clooney, and you know her name. She just needs some extra attention, and I am sure you will give that to her."
"Oh I will, I assure you, I will," Severus said while taking a large gulp of whisky from his glass. "So, why have you called me?"
Albus looked down at his drink.
"I need you help, Severus."
"No problem, with what?," Severus took another sip from his glass.
Albus looked up at Severus "I need you to guard Donna Avery for a while."
Severus nearly choked on the whisky "Donna?" he spit out. "You can't be serious!"
As Albus told Severus the story what happend earlier that morning, the expression on Severus his face changed from exhaustion to worry.
"Dantalion? You know he will find her no matter where she will go. And for me to protect her. That's just crazy!"
"I know the ugly history you have with her and her family, but the chapter hasn't ended yet. Neither for you or her." Albus looked intensely at his Potions Master. "You owe it to her, Severus."
Severus sighed, "I know I do, I just wished.....I had hoped that that part of my life could be forgotten. But you are right. I do owe her something....anything..."
Severus stood up and placed his glass on Albus his desk.
Albus looked relieved. "Good," he said. "You need to gather some of your things and be back here in five minutes. I will summon Remus Lupin over to cover for you in class while you are away."
"Remus? Albus, please!", but Severus quickly turned around and headed for his dungeon after recieving a 'don't even think about argueing with me'-look from Albus.
***
Hurrying downstairs to gather his things, Severus could not believe what just happend. Donna Avery. Ofcourse her face (and screams) still haunts his nights but he was really hoping that he would never have to lay eyes on her again. As he reached his dungeon, he walked in and grabbed his cloak which was resting on a wooden chair next to the door. His eye fell on the label, Cloaks Ltd.
Cloaks Ltd is a very succesful international company who manufactures clothing for the wizard community. It also happens to be the company Donna's father, Anthony Avery, founded twenty-eight years ago.
As Severus looked at the label all kind of different feelings came flowing through him. Sadness....regret.... but mostly hate. Hate of himself. Something he had done, something he would never forgive himself for....something...
"Severus, pull yourself together", he muttered to himself and he put on the cloak. He walked over to the bathroom and his lab and put all the things he needed in a safe (magical) compartment in his cloak. When he reached the outer door he turned around to face his room. He gave it one last glare, as if he would never see it again, and then turned around to head up for Albus his chamber once more.
As he reached the chamber, the front door was still open. He walked through it and saw Minerva McGonagall standing next to Albus by the fireplace.
"Oh, Severus, I just heard what happend to Donna. You take good care of that girl you hear!", Minerva said looking worried and angry at the same time.
"Don't worry, Minerva. I will guard that girl with my life. Albus, any final thoughts?"
"No, just take her to my place, you'll be save there for a while. Remember, don't use any owls. Dantalion will follow them."
"Allright, I have to go now. Minerva, look after that old fool will you," Severus grinned at the shocked expression on Minerva's face. "Well, I never," he heared her mutter.
"Albus, I will talk to you soon".
"Look after yourself, my boy, and please, take good care of her."
Severus turned around and grabbed some flee power. He threw down the powder, faced Albus and Minerva and walked back into the fireplace. "Donna Avery's house", he said and with a pop he was gone.
"I hope you are right about him, Albus", Minerva said still staring at the fireplace.
"If I trust Donna with anyone in the world right now, it's Severus. Don't worry it will all be alright."
Albus turned around an took a seat in his chair. He looked at the whisky and said "Hmmm, I prefer hot chocolate over whisky any time," and changed the whisky to hot chocolate.
"Now, where is Remus?" he asked himself with a smile on his face.
***
Donna was upstairs in her bedroom packing all her essential items when she heard something moving downstairs. She quickly grabbed her wand and slowly made her way down the stairs.
Head first and wand sticking out she looked down in the livingroom where the fireplace was still burning. She saw nothing.
She turned her head to the left and glared into the kitchen. Again she saw nothing. When she reached the bottom of the stairs she turned right. As she passed the livingroom she headed for the diningroom. It's door was slighty open and when she walked up to the crack she saw something large and black walk by.
With her heart beating fast and her hand clutched around her wand she slowly reached the door and looked inside. The shadow she saw was gone. She pushed the door open and looked around. Everything looked normal but the door which lead to the kitchen was open. She carefully walked to the kitchen and glared inside.
Empty.
She was just about to enter the kitchen as something grabbed her right shoulder from behind.
Quickly she turned around and yelled 'Petrificus Totalus!' at her attacker.
As her attacker completely froze she looked into his eyes, and they did not look friendly.
~*~
TBC
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~*~
Shortly after Dumbledore said goodbye to Donna he summond his Potions Master over to his chamber. Two minutes later he heard a knock on his door.
"Come in, Severus."
Severus Snape entered the chamber. He looked exhausted.
"You called?," Severus asked.
"Yes, I did. Please sit down and have a drink with me."
As Severus took a seat in the large chair opposite his Head Master, Albus conjured up two glasses filled with firewhisky and gave one to Severus. Severus looked down at the glass and then puzzeled at his headmaster.
"Albus, isn't it a bit early for whisky? Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the gesture...."
"Rough night, Severus?" Albus said while taking a sip from his glass.
"You could say that. Been up half the night grading the tests I gave the second years yesterday. I tell you, I tried looking for something to grade, but it is utter nonsense what they have cooked up. That Hufflepuff girl, what's her name, Clumpsy? She is the worst of them all."
"It's Clooney, Joanna Clooney, and you know her name. She just needs some extra attention, and I am sure you will give that to her."
"Oh I will, I assure you, I will," Severus said while taking a large gulp of whisky from his glass. "So, why have you called me?"
Albus looked down at his drink.
"I need you help, Severus."
"No problem, with what?," Severus took another sip from his glass.
Albus looked up at Severus "I need you to guard Donna Avery for a while."
Severus nearly choked on the whisky "Donna?" he spit out. "You can't be serious!"
As Albus told Severus the story what happend earlier that morning, the expression on Severus his face changed from exhaustion to worry.
"Dantalion? You know he will find her no matter where she will go. And for me to protect her. That's just crazy!"
"I know the ugly history you have with her and her family, but the chapter hasn't ended yet. Neither for you or her." Albus looked intensely at his Potions Master. "You owe it to her, Severus."
Severus sighed, "I know I do, I just wished.....I had hoped that that part of my life could be forgotten. But you are right. I do owe her something....anything..."
Severus stood up and placed his glass on Albus his desk.
Albus looked relieved. "Good," he said. "You need to gather some of your things and be back here in five minutes. I will summon Remus Lupin over to cover for you in class while you are away."
"Remus? Albus, please!", but Severus quickly turned around and headed for his dungeon after recieving a 'don't even think about argueing with me'-look from Albus.
***
Hurrying downstairs to gather his things, Severus could not believe what just happend. Donna Avery. Ofcourse her face (and screams) still haunts his nights but he was really hoping that he would never have to lay eyes on her again. As he reached his dungeon, he walked in and grabbed his cloak which was resting on a wooden chair next to the door. His eye fell on the label, Cloaks Ltd.
Cloaks Ltd is a very succesful international company who manufactures clothing for the wizard community. It also happens to be the company Donna's father, Anthony Avery, founded twenty-eight years ago.
As Severus looked at the label all kind of different feelings came flowing through him. Sadness....regret.... but mostly hate. Hate of himself. Something he had done, something he would never forgive himself for....something...
"Severus, pull yourself together", he muttered to himself and he put on the cloak. He walked over to the bathroom and his lab and put all the things he needed in a safe (magical) compartment in his cloak. When he reached the outer door he turned around to face his room. He gave it one last glare, as if he would never see it again, and then turned around to head up for Albus his chamber once more.
As he reached the chamber, the front door was still open. He walked through it and saw Minerva McGonagall standing next to Albus by the fireplace.
"Oh, Severus, I just heard what happend to Donna. You take good care of that girl you hear!", Minerva said looking worried and angry at the same time.
"Don't worry, Minerva. I will guard that girl with my life. Albus, any final thoughts?"
"No, just take her to my place, you'll be save there for a while. Remember, don't use any owls. Dantalion will follow them."
"Allright, I have to go now. Minerva, look after that old fool will you," Severus grinned at the shocked expression on Minerva's face. "Well, I never," he heared her mutter.
"Albus, I will talk to you soon".
"Look after yourself, my boy, and please, take good care of her."
Severus turned around and grabbed some flee power. He threw down the powder, faced Albus and Minerva and walked back into the fireplace. "Donna Avery's house", he said and with a pop he was gone.
"I hope you are right about him, Albus", Minerva said still staring at the fireplace.
"If I trust Donna with anyone in the world right now, it's Severus. Don't worry it will all be alright."
Albus turned around an took a seat in his chair. He looked at the whisky and said "Hmmm, I prefer hot chocolate over whisky any time," and changed the whisky to hot chocolate.
"Now, where is Remus?" he asked himself with a smile on his face.
***
Donna was upstairs in her bedroom packing all her essential items when she heard something moving downstairs. She quickly grabbed her wand and slowly made her way down the stairs.
Head first and wand sticking out she looked down in the livingroom where the fireplace was still burning. She saw nothing.
She turned her head to the left and glared into the kitchen. Again she saw nothing. When she reached the bottom of the stairs she turned right. As she passed the livingroom she headed for the diningroom. It's door was slighty open and when she walked up to the crack she saw something large and black walk by.
With her heart beating fast and her hand clutched around her wand she slowly reached the door and looked inside. The shadow she saw was gone. She pushed the door open and looked around. Everything looked normal but the door which lead to the kitchen was open. She carefully walked to the kitchen and glared inside.
Empty.
She was just about to enter the kitchen as something grabbed her right shoulder from behind.
Quickly she turned around and yelled 'Petrificus Totalus!' at her attacker.
As her attacker completely froze she looked into his eyes, and they did not look friendly.
~*~
TBC
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