Chapter 36
September 10, 1996
Emily took a long drink of tea and looked idly around Dumbledore's office. Rain pelted against the windows, obscuring the dark clouds that rolled across the sky, casting them in shadow. There was nothing new in his collection of trinkets - on the shelves at least. She glanced at the gold ring on his dead, grey hand. There was no denying he was cursed. The Dark magic eating away at him was overwhelming. In contrast he wore pink robes embroidered with blooming white flowers and a matching hat, looking the picture of calm.
"You look well, Emily," he said. "I hope your transition to the present has been a smooth one."
"I've caught up fine, thank you, the Daily Prophet has an art for rehashing old news along with the new," she said briskly, smoothing out the wrinkles on her emerald green robes. "I'm curious why you wanted to see me alone. Sirius was quite upset that he had to stay behind in Hogsmeade."
Dumbledore chuckled, "I have no doubt, however the topic is one I would like you to speak freely on. I will let you determine how much Sirius will know after."
Emily put down her cup and said, "I assume you want to know about my time in the locket."
"Yes," he said without hesitation and lifted his good hand. Behind him a shallow basin carved in stone floated over them, nestling between them on the desk.
"A Pensieve?" she asked and stood, examining the magical instrument in awe. "These are very rare. These runes, they're Saxon, but they've been modified..." Even knowing their origin Emily couldn't decipher the patterns with one look. The contents defied natural laws: light pouring in like a waterfall, floating over the bottom of the basin like smoke, and shimmering like still lake.
"Legend tells the founders discovered this Pensieve half buried in the ground at this very location," Dumbledore said. He sounded happy she was so interested. "And supposedly this was one of the reasons the school was built here."
She nodded, absorbing the information. Was he going to show her something?
Then it clicked.
"You want to put my memories in here," she said, taking a step back.
"I do," he said, surveying her closely. "Seeing your interaction with Tom Riddle inside the Horcrux will give us another clue about Voldemort and could lead us to other Horcruxes. Selfishly, I am curious to see more."
"But this means anyone will be able to see them." It wasn't a question. She knew how this magical object worked.
"I can prevent most people from being able to see, but yes, I am asking you to put yourself in a vulnerable position. However I also hope this will help ease your burden. Facing the pain inside of you, the darkness, can be easier with some distance. This is not the way for every memory, only those that will offer us wisdom in our future choices, but you are holding onto a darkness that is not your own. Riddle pulled you into a piece of his soul and kept you alive using Dark magic. I dreaded the worst, feeling your magic fade slowly year after year, but I waited to destroy the locket. I knew you would not want Riddle to return in another form, and that I may have hesitated to destroy the Horcrux with you inside, but thankfully you never stopped fighting. Something you did stopped him and I am asking you to show me. I hope you can humour an old man in solving his puzzles."
Emily let out a cross between a laugh and a surprised breath. She never expected he'd plead for her memories when she was already prepared to tell him everything. Perhaps this method could be better. If this could make everything easier for her to move on - like Sirius was always telling her to do - maybe it was the correct choice.
... On the other hand ... This was the only valuable information she had left. Once he knew everything ...
He won't need you anymore.
A cold, gentle touch grazed the back of her neck and goosebumps rose across her skin.
He'll figure everything out himself. Without you.
Her mind went blank and the sounds of the room faded, the candlelight dimmed, and the warmth radiating from the fireplace no longer reached her. Something moved out of the corner of her eye and she turned. It was only shadows, flickering in the firelight. The longer she stared, the larger and darker the shadows grew, stretching out like a clawed hand, beckoning her.
"Emily? Is everything alright?"
She jumped and turned back, her head spinning. "I - I thought I saw... there was..." she shook her head and took another drink of tea, the warmth easing some tension. "It's nothing. Once you have my memories, then what?"
"I hope to show Harry-"
"No," she said without thinking, panic rising. "He can't see."
Dumbledore's eyebrows furrowed. "I implore you, Emily, there may be details about Riddle that could help Harry. He needs to know everything that brought Riddle to becoming Lord Voldemort. This is the only way to defeat him."
"I know," she said, her frustration more apparent than she liked. "I know how important this is... That I'm being selfish, but you're asking me to leave myself exposed for anyone to see." She shivered and took another drink, but the tea was suddenly ice cold. She put the cup down quickly. "If I must, I have a condition," she said, pretending nothing happened. "Tell me everything you know already."
He mulled over her request.
"The insolence!" Phineas burst from his portrait, not even pretending not to listen. "How dare you make demands like the headmaster owes you anything, you silly girl. I told you that you needed to have my nephew here, Dumbledore. He seems to know how to reign this one in. Better than my other nephew did, anyway."
Emily clenched her teeth.
"I will show you everything Harry is meant to see," Dumbledore said, ignoring the interruption. "But you must let me tell Harry as I see fit."
"Fine," she agreed, her heart jumping in excitement. "I will add my memories to your little collection after I see."
"Very well," Dumbledore said, looking amused, like they were playing a game. He touched the surface of the Pensieve's contents with his wand, gathering the memories, and said, "In order to defeat Voldemort, we must know his true motivations, we must know his history. I have been collecting Tom Riddle's past from the memories of those who encountered him before he became the Dark Lord. I believe each Horcrux was made at different points in Tom's life," he paused and motioned to the Pensieve, pulling his wand free. "Take a look for yourself."
Emily gently submerged her face. The feeling was unlike anything she'd ever had felt before. Like she was weightless, swimming through a fog. Suddenly memories played one after the other in front of her, like her muggle movies, except she was in the scene as well, seeing, but unseen. Dumbledore stayed by her side, explaining everything as it appeared.
First came the demise of Tom Riddle's family, Marvolo, Morfin and Merope Gaunt, the last descendants of Salazar Slytherin. They mostly spoke in Parseltongue and showed off Slytherin's locket and a gold ring inset with a black stone, the same ring Dumbledore wore now, but the stone was undamaged.
Merope Gaunt, an ugly, frail witch, fell in love with Tom Riddle Sr, a rich and handsome muggle. They eloped, but the muggle later returned to his village, claiming he had been lied to, tricked into marrying her, and he left Merope alone and pregnant.
Time jumped and they were in a tiny room inside a dirty muggle orphanage, witnessing Dumbledore's first meeting with Tom Riddle Jr. - a boy completely devoid of love.
Riddle morphed into a teenager, standing inside the Gaunt home, paying a visit to Morfin, where he stole the ring and killed his muggle father and grandparents. In doing so he created his first Horcrux, placing his soul in the ring. The next day, Morfin was taken to Azkaban by a member of the Magical Law enforcement for the crime.
The setting shifted to Hogwarts; Slughorn's office. Riddle spoke about Horcruxes and asked an unknown question. Then the memory played back awkwardly, obviously altered.
The next memory Riddle grew older and Emily's blood ran cold at the sight. He looked the same as the Riddle from the locket. In the memory he visited an older woman who looked to enjoy more than her fair share of desserts. She wore a ghastly ginger wig and florescent pink robes which flowed around her like a tent. Riddle spoke and Emily flinched. He sounded the same as well. She pushed that aside and focused on the memory. He worked at Borgin and Burkes and this was a client, a rich collector, Hepzibah Smith. Riddle used all of his charms to get closer to the objects she owned: Helga Hufflepuff's cup and Salazar Slytherin's locket. Then he killed the woman for them and framed the house-elf.
The memories ended there, swept away into the endless fog.
Emily pulled her face from the Pensieve, deep in thought, and said, "Riddle, as a young man, with Hepzibah Smith, that's how he appeared to me in the locket. And the ring..." her eyes dropped to Dumbledore's hand. "It was his first Horcrux."
Dumbledore nodded grimly and lifted the dead hand the ring sat on to give her a better view. Upon closer inspection Emily saw a coat of arms engraved on the ring; the Peverell coat of arms. She recognized it from the books her father read them as a child. He would brag often about their relation to the family many many many generations back. Given the state of the Pureblood community she wouldn't be surprised to discover most of them were related to one of the three brothers.
"I pieced together the location of the Gaunt shack and found this there," Dumbledore said, lowering his hand, hiding it in his sleeve. "As well as the magical protection it bore. I used the Sword of Gryffindor to destroy it, but not without some consequences."
And that seemed like all he was willing to tell her, but Emily didn't want this to end there. "What type of power does the ring hold now that it's not a Horcrux? The diary and locket have no power after being destroyed, but I can sense that the ring is still magical. Is the Dark Magic from the protection curse or the ring itself?"
"Can you now? That is interesting," he said, but didn't elaborate. "Alas, that is a discussion for another day. For now we stay on the topic of Horcruxes."
Emily had a million more questions about the ring, but there was no use fighting him. At least now she knew he had more to tell her, and a lead to research on her own. "So what about Hufflepuff's cup?" she asked. "He turned that into a Horcrux too?"
"Perhaps, we will have to find the cup to be sure. A large task with no leads yet."
Emily nodded, thinking over the memories. "You think he would use the cherished possessions of Gryffindor or Ravenclaw?"
"I do," he said, smiling like she answered a question correctly in class.
Her eyebrows furrowed. "I understand the locket, wanting his family heirloom, but why does he care so much about the other founders?"
"Riddle considered Hogwarts his home, maybe he is seeking objects related to it. Rowena Ravenclaw left little to her descendants. Aside from the diadem, there are no other powerful objects known to belong to her. I tried to seek the diadem myself, and failed. It is unlikely Riddle succeeded without telling anyone. His greatest fault is his desire to be known, even by a few."
"And Gryffindor?"
"I know only of the sword, and as we know, the sword only appears to those with the quality of a true Gryffindor," he said, his eyes twinkling at her knowingly.
She ignored the pointed remark and said, "So the task for Harry, involving Slughorn, you're trying to get the real memory showing what was really said."
"Correct again,"
"How is Harry doing?"
Dumbledore paused. Not a good sign. "Harry seems... distracted."
Emily sighed knowingly, "With Draco Malfoy no doubt. Harry's under the impression he's a Death Eater. Which wouldn't surprise me, but the boy is hardly a threat."
"I have someone looking into this," he said simply. "As for Harry, I need you to keep him focused. We need to find out how many Horcruxes have been made and locate them before Voldemort realises what we are doing. We can be one step closer once we have your memories."
She applauded his ability to bring the conversation back around to what he wanted. She had hoped he would want to talk longer about Malfoy. It seems her time stalling was over.
"I understand your apprehension," he said. "Bringing these memories forth will be physically and mentally draining, but giving them away may bring you a small bit of peace."
"Something you know from personal experience?" she asked. From what he told her before, the Pensieve held some of his darkest memories, and those of all the headmasters and headmistresses that came before him. Was this how he became such an optimistic old fool? Storing away all of his pain? Could she really do the same?
"I do what I can to live with the horrors of my own past, yes," he said seriously, his pleasant smile fading. "I am asking you to trust me with yours as well."
Emily knew there was no other option, so she nodded and closed her eyes, lowering her defences and opening her mind to the memories. Just as she showed Harry how to do. Just as she had done so many times. Putting memories away and pulling them out when she needed them. This was no different. She lifted her wand and placed the tip on her temple, thinking the incantation.
Turning inward, she forcefully pulled open every mental door formed to block the memories until she was in front of a large black door with a gold door handle in the shape of a snake. She hesitated, but then pulled the door open as she pulled her wand from her temple. She could feel the spell slip inside and take hold of the memories within. She opened her eyes and saw a stream of white light strung between her temple and the tip of her wand. It was working. She sighed in relief. The more she pulled the memories out, the less she wanted to hold them in. Dumbledore was right. This was a good decision after all.
Suddenly, the stream went taunt and harshly pulled back, whipping her head. Emily gasped in surprise and pain.
Ruby whined and pawed at her leg in concern.
"It's stuck," Emily said, the memory digging in like a weed with deep roots. To her horror, the stream slowly turned black and gripped her mind harder. "Professor! What's happening?"
"Let the memory go, Emily," Dumbledore instructed. His voice sounded muffled. "You have control."
She closed her eyes, trying to regain concentration, and pulled. A horrible pain followed and she cried out, "It hurts!"
"You freed yourself once, you can do it again. Focus on letting go."
Riddle's face appeared and she heard his high pitched laugh fill the room. Or was it all in her mind?
Emily used all of her mental and physical strength to pull and the pain spread through every nerve in her body. She screamed, hunching over the desk. Ruby barked, panicked, and the sound was louder than everything else. Emily groaned. She needed to finish this, but she couldn't move. It was as if she was swimming through thick, icy water, unable to go forward or back.
She was trapped.
"... professor..." she said, her voice a little more than a whisper. "... help me..."
"It's alright, Emily, I'm here," Dumbledore said, his voice suddenly closer, and her face lifted. "Look at me."
Doing so was not easy, but after what felt like ages she pried her eyes open. His clear blue eyes were all she saw, as vast as the ocean and as wide as the sky, the power behind them terrifying, yet inviting, containing knowledge she only dreamed of knowing. She opened her mind to him, desperate for him to step in and push the darkness back. When he did she gasped for air, like she was drowning, and had to catch her breath.
As she did, shame rocked through her. She wasn't strong enough. He expected too much from her. She tried her best and look at her now - crying in his arms like a pathetic child. He would see her for what she truly was.
Weak.
Useless.
The black stream held her tighter, like it was holding a dog on a leash.
"You are not weak," Dumbledore said, placing his hand over hers, holding her wand with her. "And you are anything but useless. Just breathe. Clear your mind." He took a slow encouraging breath and she copied him. Again. And again. Until her breaths slowed and her body relaxed slightly. Then he slowly guided the tip of her wand back to her temple.
Emily let out a shuttering gasp as the black stream slithered back into her mind. She quickly slammed every mental door shut, running as far away from the memories as possible. The world around her slowly returned to normal. Sweat coated her entire body. Tears streamed down her cheeks. The pain was gone, but the shame remained. She stared at the ground in disbelief.
"I-I failed," she said, her heart beating so fast she was afraid it would explode. "I wasn't strong enough. I-I'm sorry."
Ruby whined and laid at her feet, placing her chin on the top of her boot and looking up at her sadly. Emily reached out a hand and Ruby met her with an enthusiastic nuzzle. Emily smiled at her sadly. Thankfully Ruby never cared if she failed.
"I told you she would find a way to make things difficult, did I not Dumbledore?" Phineas said. "She can't even do a simple memory charm correctly."
"Oh leave the poor girl alone, Black, she's obviously been cursed as well," another portrait chastised.
Emily sighed. Apparently she had not escaped the locket consequence free after all. Riddle left yet another mark on her he would never let her forget.
"This was not a failure, Emily," Dumbledore said, speaking only to her, and put a hand on her shoulder. "But a valiant effort. I am proud of you for trying."
His words hit her harder than she expected. He wasn't upset with her. This relieved her, but made the tears continue to fall at the same time. "That's kind of you to say," she said, wiping her face with her sleeve.
"Do you need to see Madame Pomfrey?" he asked, handing her a fresh cup of tea and a handkerchief conjured out of thin air.
"No, I'm fine, I just need a moment," she said and took both. He may have added something to the tea because she felt warmth spread across her entire body when she took a sip. She drank the entire cup before she said, "I know I need to try again, but... I can't do that again today. I'm not - I need to get stronger."
"I understand," he said and stepped back around his desk. "You have given me enough to think about. If Riddle appeared to you as he looked when he stole the locket and ring from Hepzibah Smith, this means he created two Horcruxes around the same time. That is enough for now. Though if I may offer one last piece of advice before you go?"
It didn't really feel like a question she could say no to so she sat down, too tired to stand if it turned into a long speech. Ruby sat in front of her and put her head on her lap, her own way of comforting her. Emily petted her, almost feeling back to her normal self again.
"You cannot hide from your past forever, Emily," Dumbledore said, drawing her full attention. "I know you regret many decisions and want to protect Sirius and Harry from harm, however the world is bigger than you, bigger than me, and Harry, and Tom Riddle. Regretting and hiding from the past will only cloud your present and time will move on without you. That is the beautiful tragedy of life. There is no set place for any of us. We must all forge our own paths and continue to move forward, even when we wish events went differently. I encourage you to truly see this as an opportunity to grow. Mistakes are not the end, they are a chance at a new beginning. You will get stronger if you keep trying, but remember you have already succeeded. There is now one less Horcrux because of you and Voldemort is unaware the locket has been stolen and destroyed. You have given us a great advantage and should be proud of yourself as well."
Emily absorbed everything he said. So many emotions ran through her she couldn't process them all at once. He was praising her, like he really did believe in her, like he wasn't just pretending to care. And she believed him.
Finally she said, "I will keep all of that in mind moving forward," she paused and added a quiet, "thank you."
"You are quite welcome, Emily," he said and motioned to the door, which opened for her. "I will call on you soon. Tell Sirius I send my regards."
The walk to the entrance hall was a blur. She hardly saw the students and the portraits that pointed to her, whispering behind their hands as she passed. Her focus was on getting out of the castle as quickly as possible. Being there brought back nothing but bad memories. Her pace quickened, not seeing anything else. In her haste she missed the black cloaked figure striding up the stairs towards her until-
'Bam!'
The person stumbled and dropped the bag they were holding.
"Oh no! I'm so sor-" she stopped when she saw who it was and frowned. "Oh, it's you."
Snape sneered at her, his hair falling into his face as he righted himself.
Emily sneered back. With a flick of her wrist his bag opened and the contents scattered across the stairs.
A student nearby gasped and whispers followed.
His hand twitched and his bag magically collected itself and returned to him. She noticed he looked paler than before, his hair greasier, however that was possible, and he had horrible dark circles under his eyes. Before she could comment on his utter lack of self-care, he said, "I see your time with the mutt has encouraged your childish behaviour."
She smirked and drawled, "Really Severus? Still pining after Sirius all these years later?"
He sniffed, his giant hook-nose flaring, and looked as if he smelled something repulsive. "It's quite brave of you to be out in the open like this, with so many enemies having just witnessed your attention seeking return in the Department of Mysteries. You would have done us a favour if you had stayed wherever you were. It's not like you ever offer anything to the fight. But now your idiotic nephew is the Chosen One. Oh you must love that. More attention for you too."
"What would you know about anything, you have no family, no friends, you're all alone still playing both sides," she mocked. "Whether or not you're actually on our side remains to be seen."
He scoffed, "Like I would ever wish for what you have. Living in the shadow of your brother, and now your nephew. Scrounging for the attention you so desperately crave. And where is Lupin these days? Ah yes, hiding with his own kind. He doesn't need you, and Black was quick to find his distractions while you were gone." Her eyebrows rose and he smirked, delighting in her confusion, casting a look of superiority over her, like he knew something she didn't. "I'm not surprised Black made yet another foolish mistake that landed you at Death's door. He seems to love putting Potters in peril to try and play the hero. Ironic that it happened at twelve, Grimmauld Place. I heard how you arrived together and he left all alone. We were so sure you would not make it, but Dumbledore never gave up hope. A pity."
Emily froze. How would he know all that, unless-
"Dumbledore told you?" she asked. Had she wrongfully trusted him?
"No, but you've confirmed a theory," he said, his lips curling, and she cursed herself for letting that slip. Snape continued to loom over her like a scavenger. "I thought it was a strange time for you to return, just as his power grows even stronger, but it was never your decision on when you'd return, was it? Seeing Black crying over your imminent demise, looking so guilty, giving into his indulgences, tipped me off you weren't in some far off land, you were somewhere else. And it was all his fault." A sinister glee shined in his beady eyes and he leaned closer to whisper, "Perhaps you shouldn't have killed Regulus, he was always the less idiotic of the two."
Her hand itched to draw her wand, but she resisted. He wanted her to react, but she couldn't give him the pleasure of that. There were other ways to get under his skin. "And perhaps you shouldn't have turned your back on Lily, maybe she'd still be alive," she said coldly, pushing past him to get down the last flight of stairs. "Now, get out of my - Ah!"
Snape grabbed her left forearm, holding her at the edge of the stairs, and squeezed exactly where the Dark Mark lay. Ruby growled, leaning back, like she was getting ready to strike, but Emily lifted a hand to stop her. She couldn't have her attacking a teacher in a school. Snape would no doubt report Ruby to the Board of Governors immediately.
"Don't delude yourself to think you'll end up any different than me," he spat. "You can surround yourself with all your pets and protections, but you took the mark, the same as me, and will face the consequences of your arrogant decisions. I was intuitive enough not to burn every bridge I had before the Dark Lord's return. Nothing good awaits you and your pathetic family. Black will let you down when you need him most, just as he did with your foolish brother, and Dumbledore will not be around to protect you or your precious nephew forever. You need to watch your back."
She tried to pull away, but he held on tighter. "Is that a threat?" she hissed. Maybe she should let Ruby attack him.
"A warning," he said, his face unreadable. "Bellatrix is very interested to know where you've been these last three years. Care to pass on a message?"
Her body stiffened, the black door in the back of her mind rattling.
"Aunt Emily?"
She jumped in surprise. Harry and his friends stood at the bottom of the stairs, their mouths agape as they looked between her and Snape, their close proximity and his hand on her arm.
Snape let go of her like she burned him and stormed up the stairs without another word or look, his cape snapping at her as he passed.
The trio stared at her with a range of emotion: confusion, shock, disgust.
"What are you doing here?" Harry demanded, "And where's Sirius?"
"I had a meeting with Dumbledore," she said, joining them at the bottom of the stairs. Ruby jumped around Harry happily and he greeted the dog in a much nicer manner than he addressed her. She didn't like the way he questioned her like he caught her doing something wrong. "Sirius is waiting for me in Hogsmeade. I best not keep him-"
"What were you doing alone with Snape?" Ron asked, his tone even more accusatory.
"Plotting the end of days," she said criptically, enjoying the way his eyes widened in horror and jaw dropped.
"She's joking, Ron,' Hermione said, rolling her eyes, and greeted Ruby as well, who seemed just as excited to see her. "They were hardly alone in the middle of the entrance hall. It was probably Order business."
"How would you know?" he shot back, reaching a hand out to Ruby, but she ignored him and took a seat next to Emily, lifting her nose in the air.
Emily smiled down at her approvingly.
"What did you talk to Dumbledore about?" Harry asked, no longer interested in Snape. "Did you ask him?"
"About?" Emily prompted, unsure what he was referring to.
"About Malfoy!" he burst, like it was the only thing on his mind.
"Harry, keep your voice down," Hermione hissed, glancing nervously at a group of Slytherins walking by.
"Oh, that," Emily said, sighing in disappointment. "He said he has someone on it."
"Who?"
"I don't know, I didn't ask," she said shortly.
"You didn't ask," he repeated, the disappointment apparent. "Why not?"
"Because you have more important things to worry about," she said, unable to believe they were having this conversation again. "Leave it alone Harry. You need to focus on your upcoming lessons. Dumbledore asked me to help you with that, not this other nonsense."
"That's what I told him," Hermione said, giving Harry a matching look. "Mr. Weasley didn't find anything either, remember Harry? The Prophet said there was nothing in Malfoy Manor."
"That's because whatever it is, it's here!"
Ron sighed like this was not a new discussion. "Give it a rest mate, I'm sick of always going on about Malfoy. We have Quidditch tryouts to focus on."
"Oh, Ronald, can't you think about anything else besides Quidditch?" Hermione chastised.
"No, Hermione, because this year is my chance!"
And this was Emily's chance to slip away. "You seem busy. I will let you all get back to, uh, whatever you were doing. Goodbye Harry." Then she practically ran for the exit, Ruby at her heels.
"Aunt Emily, wait!"
Thankfully Hermione grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him up the stairs, her voice echoing through the hall. "Come on, Harry, we can't be late for Professor Snape's Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson!"
Emily left the castle and walked down the front path, shuddering at the thought of learning anything from Snape. The slimy git. Sirius would have so much to say once she told him everything that happened. She sent a patronus to notify him she was done. He would be at the gate momentarily, no doubt waiting impatiently to hear what happened. She could tell him everything once they were in the safety of their home.
When she reached the front gate she was surprised to find Tonks waiting for her.
"Where's Sirius?" Emily asked immediately.
"Well hello to you too," Tonks said, giving her a look. "I'm fine, thanks for asking. Hello Ruby."
Ruby gave her a wary look. Tonks sighed sadly.
"Has something happened?" Emily asked.
"Relax, he's at the Three Broomsticks having a good old time. He sent me to get you."
Emily's eyes narrowed and Snape's words crept in. "Is he really so easily distracted while I'm gone?" she asked bitterly.
"What's wrong?" Tonks asked, her head tilting in concern. "Did something happen with Dumbledore?"
"Yes, I-" she stopped, almost letting the truth out. Tonks had a way of asking things so quickly she would answer without thinking. She knew about the meeting, but nothing of the Horcruxes or where she really was these last few years. "No, I ran into Snape," she said instead.
Tonks groaned, "Ugh, did he say something to you? He loves rubbing salt in wounds, the slimy git. Ignore him, he just wants everyone to be as miserable as him. Now come on, let's get you out of here." She held out an arm, offering to side-along apparate.
Emily took hold of Tonk's arm and put a hand on Ruby, glad she didn't press for more. They disappeared together and reappeared in front of The Three Broomsticks. Tonks opened the door and Emily was hit by a blast of warm air. The crowd inside was large, the noise deafening. They entered and Emily wasn't surprised to find Sirius in the middle of the calamity, boisterously talking to a group of wizards, a half-empty drink in his hand.
"I'll drop you here, I need to go patrol," Tonks said and headed out. "Don't have too much fun."
"Not going to be a problem." Emily said, looking around the noisy, crowded bar with distaste.
Tonks paused and said, "You know what, since it's you, I command you to have loads more fun than you ever would. That should bring you up to an average amount."
"Off you go," Emily shooed. "You have work to do, Nymphadora."
Tonks gave her a mock salute and said, "Yes ma'am."
Emily choked, "Do not call me ma'am."
"Don't call me Nymphadora!" Tonks said and turned quickly to make a dramatic exit, almost knocking into the door frame. She recovered clumsily and called over her shoulder, "I'll see you soon for tea!" and closed the door.
Emily chuckled, unable to stop the small smile from forming. Tonks was much easier to be around than most of the people. She seemed genuinely interested to get to know her, a rarity for most people around Emily.
That's when she noticed the heads turn in her direction and Emily's smile dropped. She was lingering in the doorway too long, drawing too much attention, but she didn't want to venture into the crowd. Someone could be lurking in the shadows who meant her harm. She shivered, crossing her arms.
"Emily!" Sirius yelled, spotting her from across the room, and made a beeline through the crowd of villagers. "Madame Rosmerta, one more for my ... my ..." he paused, his face becoming thoughtful for a brief moment, then said brightly, "For my beautiful lady!"
The barmaid, a buxom blonde with big eyes and full lips, gave him a wide smile and a wink. "Coming right up, Sirius!" She waved her wand and a drink poured itself and flew into his outstretched hand.
"Thanks, love," Sirius called, moving through the crowd easily, people moving aside for him and sharing a quick laugh or conversation. Sirius was in his element, the life of the party, while she stood at the edge of them all -
Alone.
Emily's lips tightened into a thin line.
"Here I am!" Sirius said, bursting from the crowd towards her. Ruby jumped at him with the same amount of enthusiasm. Sirius caught her and bumped into a table to prevent from falling, clumsier than usual. Or rather drunker.
"Ruby, down!" Emily said, putting an arm around Sirius's waist to steady him. "You alright?"
He smiled down at her like there wasn't a room full of people watching them. "Fine now that you're here," he slurred, leaning closer to kiss her, but she avoided him, aware of all the eyes on them. She could see now why he sent Tonks to meet her. He could hardly apparate anywhere like this. She took the drinks in his hands and set them down on the nearest table.
A few people stopped talking and stared at them with interest, like they were some spectacle, a sight out of the ordinary, and a feeling like pin pricks on her skin washed over her. A few were bold enough to speak loud enough for her to overhear.
"It's her... the Black Widow."
"That's the one who-"
"shh!"
"I thought she died."
"-suddenly abandoned the Ministry and her family."
"-came back just as Harry became the Chosen One."
"Hmm, convenient timing."
"What's a nice bloke like that doing with a witch like her?"
"Sirius must have a death wish."
Emily moved away from Sirius, the smallest of movements, and his hand suddenly found hers, squeezing. Emily couldn't deny his touch made her feel slightly more at ease. She didn't care about what others thought. People liked to make up stories to entertain themselves. They didn't know her, not like Sirius did. He knew the truth and accepted her. That was all she needed. That and to get the bloody memories out of her head and into Dumbledore's hands. Before anything worse happened.
Someone bumped her back hard as they passed and Emily jolted forward. A cold and wet sensation slid down her back, the sound of a goblet hitting the floor behind her.
"Oh, Merlin, I am so sorry!" Madame Rosmerta exclaimed, brushing off Emily's back like that would do any good to clean the drink she just spilled on her.
"Don't touch me," Emily said and jerked away,
Madame Rosmerta drew back her hands like she was burned. "Sorry, let me just," she drew her wand and cleaned the mess and Emily's robes, but there was still a stain. Her cleaning charms were below average at best. "Sorry again," she said and disappeared into the crowd.
Emily sighed in frustration and cleaned herself with a snap of her fingers.
"It's alright, love, have a drink," Sirius said.
"I'm not thirsty," she said, giving him a look. "We need to leave."
"But you just got here," he said, surprised.
"And I've already wasted far too much time here."
Sirius rolled his eyes, "Come on, Emily, don't be such a downer."
She stared at him, unable to think of a response, her chest squeezing painfully.
"Bless my stars! Is that Emily Potter I see?" A familiar voice boomed from behind her.
Emily turned, a polite smile in place as Professor Slughorn appeared .
"Emily, my dear, it has been too long!" he said and took her hand, placing a kiss on the back of it and looking just as sloshed as Sirius. "It's good to see you too Sirius, m'boy," Slughorn went on, patting him on the back. "I tried catching your attention earlier. If I didn't know any better I'd say you were trying to give me the slip for a moment there."
Sirius leaned over to her and failed to whisper, "That's because I was."
Slughorn laughed like it was a joke.
Emily hid her laugh behind a cough. "It's lovely to see you as always, Professor Slughorn. I hope you're enjoying your return to the classroom."
"Yes, yes, nothing much has changed," Slughorn said, brushing the topic aside, and looked between them with a secretive smile. "I see you're both enjoying your time together. I'm delighted for you both. A shining example of what can happen when we look past our grievances. And while I have you here, I know it's a bit early to be planning, but I am putting together a get together for Christmas. I would love it if you both could come. Sirius, you can finally attend one of my famous Slug Club parties. It will be a roaring good time!"
"Uh," Sirius said, looking anywhere but Slughorn. "Right, I will have to check my schedule."
"We would be happy to come, professor," she said, ignoring the look Sirius shot her.
"Wonderful!" he exclaimed, waving to Madame Rosmerta as she passed. She seemed to be hovering around them more than other patrons. "Another round over here!"
"Coming right up!" she called back, smiling at Sirius.
Slughorn sighed, staring after her. "If I was ten years younger."
"Make that thirty," Sirius muttered, but Emily suddenly wasn't as amused by his commentary.
"What was that, Sirius?" Slughorn asked.
"Nothing, sir," Sirius said innocently.
Madame Rosmerta popped back up with more drinks and Emily waved her away. "Thank you, professor, but we really must be going."
"Oh, but you can't go yet!" Madame Rosmerta said like Emily cared about her opinion. "I made this special for Sirius."
"He's had enough," Emily said, blocking her path, towering over the blonde.
For a split second the barmaid seemed distressed, but the look was quickly replaced by a polite smile. The goblet in her hand turned into a bottle and she went around Emily to hand it to Sirius. "Be sure to come back and tell me if you like it," she said and kissed his cheek. She pulled back and smiled so brightly it was like a light had turned on. Many men looked on with jealousy. Emily's heart twisted when Sirius smiled widely back.
"My thanks, Madame. I will do just that."
She giggled and disappeared into the crowd.
Emily felt another cold brush against the back of her neck. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. The room became noisier, overwhelming. She cleared her throat uncomfortably.
"Alright Sirius, you've had your fun, time to go home," Emily said, reaching for the bottle, but he pulled back, hugging it to his chest.
"No, Madame Rosmerta gave this to me," he said, like it mattered to him.
"I see," she said coldly. "Maybe she can help you get home then."
"Oh my," Slughorn said, awkwardly looking around. "Was that- Why yes, someone is calling my name. Better go mingle. Hope to see you both for Christmas." And then he was gone.
Emily stared at Sirius expectantly, her hands on her hips.
He sighed like a child, "Alright love, you win, let's go." Then he looped his arm through hers, cradling the bottle in his other arm.
"Thank you," she said, holding onto Sirius and Ruby tightly before they disappeared.