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Chapter Six: All Over Again
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Reed woke up and was instantly disoriented. Sitting up and gazing around the room, it took her several seconds to realize that she was in a guest room at Hogwarts, not the dusty old abandoned room she had inhabited for longer than she cared to remember.
She shuddered at the thought of all the time she had spent there, completely alone, without anyone to talk to, or even a glimpse of another human face.
She hated being alone.
Being alone gave her entirely too much time to think...for her mind to go places she'd really rather it stayed far away from . . .
Her thoughts drifted back to the people she had met the night before, and she imagined each of their faces in her mind, to help her remember who they were.
Dumbledore. The headmaster of the school. Of course.
McGonagall. Hogwarts teacher. Head of Gryffindor.
Snape. Another teacher. Head of Slytherin. Reed wrinkled her nose as she thought of all the grease the man had had in his hair. She found it repulsive. Or maybe that had just been his attitude.
Sirius. Some man. Reed wasn't sure exactly who he was, though his face did seem somewhat familiar. She shook her head. She could come back to him later.
Then there was the boy whom she had first seen, Harry. Harry Potter. With his lightning bolt scar, he was unmistakable. He had seemed a nice enough young man, humble despite his extraordinary accomplishments.
Then Lupin. Lupin. The man with the gentle gray eyes who had held her much of the night before.
The man who was cursed just as she was. . .
He'd made her feel safe. Reed couldn't even remember the last time she'd felt that foreign emotion, safety. People like her rarely got the luxury.
Lupin must know that too.
Strange to think that someone might actually understand her.
With a sigh, Reed stood up and stretched. Just as she was heading into the bathroom to take a shower, there came a knock on her door.
When she went to open it, she found Lupin standing outside.
"Dumbledore wants to see you," he said gently. "In an hour. That should give you time to clean up first, if you want."
Lupin's voice faltered. "I just want to warn you. He has more Veritaserum. However, I don't know what he's going to ask you this time."
"Damn," Reed whispered softly. "I hate that stuff."
She sighed, then gazed up into his gray eyes. She noted the lines in his face, and his gray hairs. Despite that, Reed realized that he was still a young man, not that much older than she. "Thank you," she said softly. "For warning me, and for last night. I'm sorry I was such a bother - I never meant to be . . ."
Lupin suddenly seized her hand and gaze it a gentle squeeze. "You were not a bother, and don't you dare apologize. I was just glad I could help."
Reed, acting on impulse, threw her arms around his neck and gave him a brief, but fierce, hug. "Thank you," she whispered into his neck, then just as suddenly let go and walked off to take a shower, leaving a startled Lupin behind.
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A short time later, Reed had come out of the shower, changed into fresh clothes she had found in the room, and was nervously pacing from one wall to another.
She was dreading taking more Veritaserum. The last dose she had been forced to take had nearly broken her.
She wasn't ready for that again.
But then again, she really had no choice.
Reed sat down on the bed and buried her face in her hands. "This time, no matter what they ask me, I will not cry," she promised herself in a whisper.
She was embarrassed for having broken down so completely. She couldn't do that. She couldn't afford to. So much was staked on their opinion of her. It would do her no good if they thought she was weak and useless.
But Lupin didn't think I was weak, Reed thought to herself. He understands.
Maybe more than she even knew.
While Reed was pondering this and trying to prepare herself for the coming ordeal, there came another knock at her door.
One again, it was Lupin, come to take her to Dumbledore's office.
"I know this won't be much comfort, but I just want you to know that if you want, I'll stay with you during the questioning. Of course, I would more than understand if you don't want me there . . ." Lupin's voice trailed off.
"No," Reed said quickly. "I want you there."
Lupin reached out and squeezed her hand, sensing her trepidation. "It'll be okay. I'm not going to let them ask you anything you don't want to answer."
"Thanks, but you know they're going to ask whether you say anything or not. It's inevitable."
"It'll still be okay," Lupin insisted. Reed had to laugh.
"I take it you're an optimist. I'm not so sure that's a good trait, but thanks for the encouragement."
Lupin smiled, and led her down the hall.
Several minutes later, they were back at Dumbledore's office. The headmaster was standing outside in the corridor waiting for them.
Reed drew herself up to her full height when she saw him, and nodded respectfully. "Good morning, Headmaster."
Dumbledore noticed the way Lupin was smiling at her for her composure, and he smiled himself. "Good morning, Reed." Despite her fine control and the fact that her apprehension was not at all apparent on her facial expression, Dumbledore could still see it in her eyes. He took her arm and led her gently into his office. Reed stared back at Lupin, who followed right behind them. It was obvious that she was afraid of what awaited her.
Lupin smiled reassuringly and mouthed the words, "It's okay."
She tried to smile back, but found that she could only concentrate on the feeling of ice congealing in her stomach.
A few moments later, she was sitting in Dumbledore's office, Lupin right beside her and the Headmaster at his desk.
"I want you to know something," Dumbledore said without preamble. "I don't believe that you are any threat to this school. However, there are some that do, and many more that will. I don't wish to subject you to any more interrogation, but I'm afraid that I don't have a choice."
Reed sighed, nodding. "I understand."
Dumbledore produced a small vial from somewhere in her desk and handed it to Reed. "You'll need to drink this," he said quietly. "More Veritaserum."
Reed silently took the vial, tilted her head back, and drank.
Chapter Six: All Over Again
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Reed woke up and was instantly disoriented. Sitting up and gazing around the room, it took her several seconds to realize that she was in a guest room at Hogwarts, not the dusty old abandoned room she had inhabited for longer than she cared to remember.
She shuddered at the thought of all the time she had spent there, completely alone, without anyone to talk to, or even a glimpse of another human face.
She hated being alone.
Being alone gave her entirely too much time to think...for her mind to go places she'd really rather it stayed far away from . . .
Her thoughts drifted back to the people she had met the night before, and she imagined each of their faces in her mind, to help her remember who they were.
Dumbledore. The headmaster of the school. Of course.
McGonagall. Hogwarts teacher. Head of Gryffindor.
Snape. Another teacher. Head of Slytherin. Reed wrinkled her nose as she thought of all the grease the man had had in his hair. She found it repulsive. Or maybe that had just been his attitude.
Sirius. Some man. Reed wasn't sure exactly who he was, though his face did seem somewhat familiar. She shook her head. She could come back to him later.
Then there was the boy whom she had first seen, Harry. Harry Potter. With his lightning bolt scar, he was unmistakable. He had seemed a nice enough young man, humble despite his extraordinary accomplishments.
Then Lupin. Lupin. The man with the gentle gray eyes who had held her much of the night before.
The man who was cursed just as she was. . .
He'd made her feel safe. Reed couldn't even remember the last time she'd felt that foreign emotion, safety. People like her rarely got the luxury.
Lupin must know that too.
Strange to think that someone might actually understand her.
With a sigh, Reed stood up and stretched. Just as she was heading into the bathroom to take a shower, there came a knock on her door.
When she went to open it, she found Lupin standing outside.
"Dumbledore wants to see you," he said gently. "In an hour. That should give you time to clean up first, if you want."
Lupin's voice faltered. "I just want to warn you. He has more Veritaserum. However, I don't know what he's going to ask you this time."
"Damn," Reed whispered softly. "I hate that stuff."
She sighed, then gazed up into his gray eyes. She noted the lines in his face, and his gray hairs. Despite that, Reed realized that he was still a young man, not that much older than she. "Thank you," she said softly. "For warning me, and for last night. I'm sorry I was such a bother - I never meant to be . . ."
Lupin suddenly seized her hand and gaze it a gentle squeeze. "You were not a bother, and don't you dare apologize. I was just glad I could help."
Reed, acting on impulse, threw her arms around his neck and gave him a brief, but fierce, hug. "Thank you," she whispered into his neck, then just as suddenly let go and walked off to take a shower, leaving a startled Lupin behind.
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A short time later, Reed had come out of the shower, changed into fresh clothes she had found in the room, and was nervously pacing from one wall to another.
She was dreading taking more Veritaserum. The last dose she had been forced to take had nearly broken her.
She wasn't ready for that again.
But then again, she really had no choice.
Reed sat down on the bed and buried her face in her hands. "This time, no matter what they ask me, I will not cry," she promised herself in a whisper.
She was embarrassed for having broken down so completely. She couldn't do that. She couldn't afford to. So much was staked on their opinion of her. It would do her no good if they thought she was weak and useless.
But Lupin didn't think I was weak, Reed thought to herself. He understands.
Maybe more than she even knew.
While Reed was pondering this and trying to prepare herself for the coming ordeal, there came another knock at her door.
One again, it was Lupin, come to take her to Dumbledore's office.
"I know this won't be much comfort, but I just want you to know that if you want, I'll stay with you during the questioning. Of course, I would more than understand if you don't want me there . . ." Lupin's voice trailed off.
"No," Reed said quickly. "I want you there."
Lupin reached out and squeezed her hand, sensing her trepidation. "It'll be okay. I'm not going to let them ask you anything you don't want to answer."
"Thanks, but you know they're going to ask whether you say anything or not. It's inevitable."
"It'll still be okay," Lupin insisted. Reed had to laugh.
"I take it you're an optimist. I'm not so sure that's a good trait, but thanks for the encouragement."
Lupin smiled, and led her down the hall.
Several minutes later, they were back at Dumbledore's office. The headmaster was standing outside in the corridor waiting for them.
Reed drew herself up to her full height when she saw him, and nodded respectfully. "Good morning, Headmaster."
Dumbledore noticed the way Lupin was smiling at her for her composure, and he smiled himself. "Good morning, Reed." Despite her fine control and the fact that her apprehension was not at all apparent on her facial expression, Dumbledore could still see it in her eyes. He took her arm and led her gently into his office. Reed stared back at Lupin, who followed right behind them. It was obvious that she was afraid of what awaited her.
Lupin smiled reassuringly and mouthed the words, "It's okay."
She tried to smile back, but found that she could only concentrate on the feeling of ice congealing in her stomach.
A few moments later, she was sitting in Dumbledore's office, Lupin right beside her and the Headmaster at his desk.
"I want you to know something," Dumbledore said without preamble. "I don't believe that you are any threat to this school. However, there are some that do, and many more that will. I don't wish to subject you to any more interrogation, but I'm afraid that I don't have a choice."
Reed sighed, nodding. "I understand."
Dumbledore produced a small vial from somewhere in her desk and handed it to Reed. "You'll need to drink this," he said quietly. "More Veritaserum."
Reed silently took the vial, tilted her head back, and drank.