A/N: a late chapter, but then again OotP is so depressing, that this cost
me more to write than several of the longer chapters... oh, I'm depressed
and bitter, so don't expect shinny-happy things today!
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the other characters and settings written by Ms. J.K. Rowling... if I did, I wouldn't be half so evil!
PART XXVI: SMALL PROBLEMS LEAD TO BIGGER ONES
It was late, and Svetlana was tired. She had many, many worries in her mind, two being foremost: how to tell Oleg to exorcise the ghost of her latest victim, and how to direct her husband's suspicions towards someone who wasn't her. Siena's residual remembrance of the supplies cabinet she had dismissed as childish fears, and Serguei's anger at seeing his parents getting along she had quelled with one very cold, very dark look. But before she could get into bed and try to work out solutions to her two problems, there was a pressing issue which had to be resolved: to which bed was she going to go?
Severus was reading in the living-room, comfortably settled in his armchair, and she had the suspicion he wasn't going to go to bed for a long time. But if she followed her impulses and went to her own bed, what would be left of the encounter they had had in the early afternoon? And if she went to his bed, without invitation, he could feel molested, and it would spoil everything... //Why can't things be simple, just for once?// She decided to put on her nightclothes and *then* make a decision; it was cheap trick, but she hoped that those five minutes somehow solved things: they didn't, and she found herself going into the living room to say good-night to Severus with a faint sense of annoyance and ridicule.
"I'm exhausted" she said when he raised his eyes to look at her "Are you going to stay here long?"
"Possibly" answered Severus, looking at the half-read book on his lap.
"Would you like a cup of tea, then?" She was absolutely unaccustomed to playing the role of a loving wife, but at the same time there was something comforting in saying what she was expected to say.
"No, I'm fine" Severus understood that he should say something else "Why don't you go to bed now, since you are so tired? I won't take that long..." It hadn't come out as pleasant as he had intended it, but in some way it answered Svetlana's unspoken question.
As she laid in Severus' bed, she kept thinking and thinking about all she had to do still, about the thousand-and-one scenarios that could arise, about the difficulties, the obstacles, the lies to be told, the excuses to be made, the alibis to be invented in case something, anything, went wrong... she was exhausted by the possibilities turning in her head, and she promptly fell asleep. That's how Severus found her, two hours later, when he finally went to bed.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It was morning, and Severus had already gone when Svetlana woke up. There was a note on the bedside table, telling her that she looked too tired, so he hadn't woken her up. Svetlana laid back down and looked at the clock: it wasn't late yet, and she could afford a couple of minutes to see if she could contact Oleg by means of the emergency channel.
The emergency channel basically consisted of a very strong poison which would put Svetlana in a death-trance, which in turn would set off the alarms at Les Fleurs du Mal headquarters and make them contact her. Once they contacted her, she could take a counter poison and hope for the best. Svetlana got up and went to her room, to get the potions, and heard a small whimper coming from Siena's room. Rolling her eyes, she walked past her daughter and went into her own room: she had things to do, and the girl had been nothing but a nuisance lately.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The inhabitants of the Ngaoundéré Reserve for Werewolves and Dark Creatures were surprised by a group of more than twenty men that invaded the grounds on the early morning. Caught unaware, Ahmadou and the other wizards in charge of the place could do next to nothing against the men who kicked down doors, pushed people and searched everywhere. They were armed men to take care of the animals, and wizards to take care of the people, and the group of huts were soon under the complete control of the invading force. Everyone was soon forced into a line and disarmed, and the leader of the invaders began pacing up and down in front of his prisoners.
"Who are the werewolves in here?" asked the man in a strong-accented English.
"Why do you want to know?" asked Ahmadou in return. Without warning, one of the men who were taking care of them pointed his wand at him and preformed the Cruciatus curse. Once the old wizard had stopped writhing on the ground, the man spoke again.
"All werewolves step forward" Five men, including Remus Lupin, stepped out of the line. "Take them away" The werewolves were magically bound and carried into a truck which was waiting nearby.
As Remus Lupin tried to find a more comfortable position than the one they had thrown him in, he heard the man shouting more orders, and soon a group of girls were thrown in too.
"They're taking us for experimentation" whispered a German girl who was in treatment for vampirism "I know the man, he's under the orders of the Acme group..."
Remus didn't hear anything else but the quiet sobs of the girl, and the sound of the truck driving off into the jungle. The werewolf sighed in desperation: he had heard terrifying stories about the Experimentation Program of the Acme group on Dark Creatures, and he couldn't believe his bad luck. It seemed as if there was someone behind all of it.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Unfortunately for many, Svetlana survived her attempt to contact her boss. In fact, she woke up from the trance in a good mood and with an even better appetite, although a bit weak. She had not only ensured the exorcism of Weasley's ghost, but also received the news of Remus Lupin disappearance. The Acme group had financed some research for Les Fleurs, and in repayment, the African agents of the Fleurs had provided a group of Dark creatures for experimentation. It all worked out.
Svetlana was in such a good mood that she spared Siena a smile as she went past her room with a piece of fruit in her hand, and out into the corridor. She was due to pick up the Vector babies, and maybe inquire into Willow's sudden depression, to see if she could use it to her advantage. But not all was going to be good for her that day. In front of Severus' office, she found Harry Potter lurking in a corner. She attempted to bypass him with a haughty glare, but he stopped her, looking awfully serious and apparently having gotten over his induced trauma with her.
"Mrs Snape, can I talk to you for a minute?" he said.
"If you think it's necessary, but I beg you not to take too long, for I have other engagements" Svetlana replied, following him into a secondary corridor "And allow me to present you my condolences for the death of your friend yesterday"
"Thanks" muttered Harry; with the pain he had forgotten his manners "Where were you yesterday in the afternoon?"
"Mr Potter, I understand you are in mourning, sad and angry, but I don't think you have the right to ask me those questions, which I should only answer to Ministry officials" Svetlana looked down at Harry, her blue eyes burning with cold fire, and then softening all of a sudden "However, I understand your situation. Yesterday afternoon I spent with my husband until about four o'clock, when I left to visit Willow Vector; about half-an- hour later, I returned to my quarters down a corridor I didn't know until then, and then visited the Slytherin common room until Professor Snape came to tell me of the disappearance of your friend"
"He wasn't my friend anymore" said Harry under his breath.
"Well, that is your loss, I believe" Svetlana looked at him more closely and had a sudden moment of commiseration; it only lasted a minute "Is there anything else you want to ask me?"
"Can you tell me where Professor Snape was all afternoon?"
"He was with me until four, and then I saw him about... about seven, I think. I do not know what he did in those three hours, but I believe you could ask him" She smoothed her skirt and walked towards the door "Why are you asking, Mr Potter?"
"Ron didn't kill himself" said Harry, not looking at the witch.
"Didn't he? Is this your own assumption, or has the Ministry said something about it?" //Arrogant child, stop asking questions!//
"I know he didn't kill himself. Someone killed him, the same person who killed Mandy and Sirius..."
"The werewolf, you mean?" Harry nodded the negative, and Svetlana shrugged elegantly "I thought that the werewolf had been the one to kill your godfather, Mr Potter"
"He wasn't! Remus wouldn't hurt a fly! Someone else, someone who has access to the Wolfsbane potion, someone who..."
"Mr Potter!" Svetlana effectively silenced Harry's crazed rant "I don't know why you are telling me this, but I assure you I don't want to know. I trust the Aurors to do their job, and I think you should too... as for your suspicions, I'd rather if you left me and my husband out of them"
Harry kept silence as Svetlana gave him a cold look and started walking away. She had just reached the main corridor, when who should she find but Draco Malfoy.
"Svetlana, are you OK? You are blushing and..." Draco looked to see where she was coming from, and his grey eyes sent spark flying towards Harry "Don't tell me this idiot has been bothering you again!"
"Draco, let's go. Never mind Mr Potter, come on!" begged Svetlana, thanking all the gods she didn't believe in for young Malfoy's opportune appearance.
"Svetlana, is he bothering you? I can't believe this! But..." Draco shot a last cold look to the Gryffindor and followed Svetlana as she pulled his hand.
"Draco, come on! Leave Mr Potter to his fantasies and come on!" Dragging Draco with her, Svetlana left Harry behind and stopped where she was sure no-one could hear them "Draco, please, promise not to say anything! Not to Severus, not to anyone! I can't believe you saw this, but..."
"What did he say to you, Svetlana?" asked Drcao, between fury and worry.
"I don't know... first he said something about Weasley's death, and me and Severus, and then... oh, Merlin, what can I do?" Svetlana didn't dare look at Draco, for fear he saw the mirth in her eyes.
"I will kill him!" spat the blonde boy.
"Draco, don't be silly! He is Harry Potter. He can do anything he wants, and no-one is going to say a thing... don't worry about it, I will take care of not meeting him again... and don't do anything stupid, Draco" Svetlana smiled softly to him and caressed his soft hair "I have to go now. Take care"
Svetlana walked out of the dungeons and into the North Tower, where she met a few Aurors; calmly she gave them her movements the previous afternoon, and the things she had heard of the constant fights between Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. She was reassured to know they were basically thinking about suicide, with only Harry's insistence vouching for murder, and she was back in a good mood by the time she knocked on the door leading to Willow Vector's room.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Harry was desperate. In everyone's eyes he saw suspicion and accusations and his mind kept replaying the last time he saw Ron alive, the furious and hurt look the red-head had given him, and then Hermione's angry words in Dumbledore's office. But after his conversation with Svetlana Snape (which was quite coincidental, because he had really been waiting for Snape), there was something else: he was definitely starting to suspect the dark- haired family living in the dungeons. He suspected Snape himself for Remus' ruined potion, and he suspected Svetlana for Mandy's murder; he couldn't forget that she was the only one to have touched Mandy and left the Hall. Of course, there were tons of contrary evidence, since the attack on Svetlana's life in Russia, to Snape's proved loyalty to the Light Side, but Harry just needed someone to blame, and those two gave him the perfect victim.
That's why he followed Svetlana after her conversation with Malfoy. That the blond boy hated him, but Harry didn't care anymore. He covered himself in his Invisibility Cloak and went behind Svetlana up to Professor Vector's room. Once she went in, he settled on a corner and waited. He didn't have to wait long, though, until the suspect himself, Severus Snape, appeared and concealed himself in a corner not far away from Harry's hiding place. The Gryffindor's heart began to pound in his chest and he took a deep breath. Was he watching how a murder was being planned? Was Mrs Snape Stunning Mrs Vector inside the room? Would she open the door next and let Snape through, to finish the work? Was the quiet wife of the Arithmancy Professor the next victim?
He remembered Ron, and swore he wouldn't let another death take place.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"Oh, Svetlana, I really can't go on like this much longer!" exclaimed Willow, putting her face between her hands. Svetlana blinked once, then twice: she had only gone in and asked her friend how she was, and then she had started crying.
"Calm down, Willow, what is it? Are you worried about your family? I know you must be so scared because of this dreadful death, but I think that the boy threw himself off the tower, it wasn't murder..." Svetlana sat by Willow and tried to reassure her. To reassure her enough so that she started speaking.
"It isn't that!" wailed Mrs Vector "It's Vitrius that's worrying me!" //Well, that's a relief... what has the man done now?//
"What is it, Willow? What's wrong with Vitrius?"
"I think he's seeing someone!" said Willow in a low voice, afraid the babies would hear her "One of the students!"
"A student?!" asked Svetlana in surprise: the Arithmancy teacher was the last man she thought could be running after a student, and getting what he wanted.
"The Head Girl!" affirmed Willow crying.
"But, Willow, she had a boyfriend... the boy who..."
"I know! I think that is why he... he did what he did! He might have seen them, they spend so much time together, in tutoring, he says..." Willow was still sobbing, and the babies in the other room started getting restless.
"Calm down, Willow, think about what you're saying. I frankly don't think Vitrius would do something like that... and I don't think the girl would do something like that either. He loves you, Willow!"
"Oh, I don't know, after we've had the babies he seems so distant!" If Svetlana had ever actually *lived* with her husband, she could have told Willow that Professor Vector's reaction was normal. But she hadn't.
"Oh, Willow, I am so sorry! But you mustn't go saying that out loud, I definitely don't think you right, and people..." Svetlana's discreet considerations were interrupted by Willow.
"Oh, I'd never tell anyone else! I'd rather be convicted of murder than let people know that I suspect Vitrius!"
//Well, that can be arranged// "Willow, please calm down... Vitrius loves you, and Miss Granger would never get involved with a teacher, and we really don't need people suspecting anything, do we?" Willow nodded the negative and Svetlana stood up: she had had enough patience already "Today is my turn with the babies... why don't you have a nice hot bath and then have lunch with Vitrius? I'll expect you about six to pick up the little darlings.. and don't worry, Willow, everything is going just fine!"
If Mrs Vector wasn't so busy wallowing in self-pity, she would have noticed the impatience colouring Svetlana's voice, or the mocking smile she let out as soon as she turned her back on her. But in Willow's mind there was nothing but gratefulness to the only friend she had in Hogwarts, and anticipation for her husband's arrival, and she didn't even notice Svetlana leaving, the door closing behind her or the Russian witch's slip into coarseness as she asked:
"What the Hell is happening here?"
**********************************************************************
A/N: Ha! Now you'll be left wondering what surprised Svetlana so much... don't worry, it's not a dead body. Not yet, at least.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the other characters and settings written by Ms. J.K. Rowling... if I did, I wouldn't be half so evil!
PART XXVI: SMALL PROBLEMS LEAD TO BIGGER ONES
It was late, and Svetlana was tired. She had many, many worries in her mind, two being foremost: how to tell Oleg to exorcise the ghost of her latest victim, and how to direct her husband's suspicions towards someone who wasn't her. Siena's residual remembrance of the supplies cabinet she had dismissed as childish fears, and Serguei's anger at seeing his parents getting along she had quelled with one very cold, very dark look. But before she could get into bed and try to work out solutions to her two problems, there was a pressing issue which had to be resolved: to which bed was she going to go?
Severus was reading in the living-room, comfortably settled in his armchair, and she had the suspicion he wasn't going to go to bed for a long time. But if she followed her impulses and went to her own bed, what would be left of the encounter they had had in the early afternoon? And if she went to his bed, without invitation, he could feel molested, and it would spoil everything... //Why can't things be simple, just for once?// She decided to put on her nightclothes and *then* make a decision; it was cheap trick, but she hoped that those five minutes somehow solved things: they didn't, and she found herself going into the living room to say good-night to Severus with a faint sense of annoyance and ridicule.
"I'm exhausted" she said when he raised his eyes to look at her "Are you going to stay here long?"
"Possibly" answered Severus, looking at the half-read book on his lap.
"Would you like a cup of tea, then?" She was absolutely unaccustomed to playing the role of a loving wife, but at the same time there was something comforting in saying what she was expected to say.
"No, I'm fine" Severus understood that he should say something else "Why don't you go to bed now, since you are so tired? I won't take that long..." It hadn't come out as pleasant as he had intended it, but in some way it answered Svetlana's unspoken question.
As she laid in Severus' bed, she kept thinking and thinking about all she had to do still, about the thousand-and-one scenarios that could arise, about the difficulties, the obstacles, the lies to be told, the excuses to be made, the alibis to be invented in case something, anything, went wrong... she was exhausted by the possibilities turning in her head, and she promptly fell asleep. That's how Severus found her, two hours later, when he finally went to bed.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
It was morning, and Severus had already gone when Svetlana woke up. There was a note on the bedside table, telling her that she looked too tired, so he hadn't woken her up. Svetlana laid back down and looked at the clock: it wasn't late yet, and she could afford a couple of minutes to see if she could contact Oleg by means of the emergency channel.
The emergency channel basically consisted of a very strong poison which would put Svetlana in a death-trance, which in turn would set off the alarms at Les Fleurs du Mal headquarters and make them contact her. Once they contacted her, she could take a counter poison and hope for the best. Svetlana got up and went to her room, to get the potions, and heard a small whimper coming from Siena's room. Rolling her eyes, she walked past her daughter and went into her own room: she had things to do, and the girl had been nothing but a nuisance lately.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The inhabitants of the Ngaoundéré Reserve for Werewolves and Dark Creatures were surprised by a group of more than twenty men that invaded the grounds on the early morning. Caught unaware, Ahmadou and the other wizards in charge of the place could do next to nothing against the men who kicked down doors, pushed people and searched everywhere. They were armed men to take care of the animals, and wizards to take care of the people, and the group of huts were soon under the complete control of the invading force. Everyone was soon forced into a line and disarmed, and the leader of the invaders began pacing up and down in front of his prisoners.
"Who are the werewolves in here?" asked the man in a strong-accented English.
"Why do you want to know?" asked Ahmadou in return. Without warning, one of the men who were taking care of them pointed his wand at him and preformed the Cruciatus curse. Once the old wizard had stopped writhing on the ground, the man spoke again.
"All werewolves step forward" Five men, including Remus Lupin, stepped out of the line. "Take them away" The werewolves were magically bound and carried into a truck which was waiting nearby.
As Remus Lupin tried to find a more comfortable position than the one they had thrown him in, he heard the man shouting more orders, and soon a group of girls were thrown in too.
"They're taking us for experimentation" whispered a German girl who was in treatment for vampirism "I know the man, he's under the orders of the Acme group..."
Remus didn't hear anything else but the quiet sobs of the girl, and the sound of the truck driving off into the jungle. The werewolf sighed in desperation: he had heard terrifying stories about the Experimentation Program of the Acme group on Dark Creatures, and he couldn't believe his bad luck. It seemed as if there was someone behind all of it.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Unfortunately for many, Svetlana survived her attempt to contact her boss. In fact, she woke up from the trance in a good mood and with an even better appetite, although a bit weak. She had not only ensured the exorcism of Weasley's ghost, but also received the news of Remus Lupin disappearance. The Acme group had financed some research for Les Fleurs, and in repayment, the African agents of the Fleurs had provided a group of Dark creatures for experimentation. It all worked out.
Svetlana was in such a good mood that she spared Siena a smile as she went past her room with a piece of fruit in her hand, and out into the corridor. She was due to pick up the Vector babies, and maybe inquire into Willow's sudden depression, to see if she could use it to her advantage. But not all was going to be good for her that day. In front of Severus' office, she found Harry Potter lurking in a corner. She attempted to bypass him with a haughty glare, but he stopped her, looking awfully serious and apparently having gotten over his induced trauma with her.
"Mrs Snape, can I talk to you for a minute?" he said.
"If you think it's necessary, but I beg you not to take too long, for I have other engagements" Svetlana replied, following him into a secondary corridor "And allow me to present you my condolences for the death of your friend yesterday"
"Thanks" muttered Harry; with the pain he had forgotten his manners "Where were you yesterday in the afternoon?"
"Mr Potter, I understand you are in mourning, sad and angry, but I don't think you have the right to ask me those questions, which I should only answer to Ministry officials" Svetlana looked down at Harry, her blue eyes burning with cold fire, and then softening all of a sudden "However, I understand your situation. Yesterday afternoon I spent with my husband until about four o'clock, when I left to visit Willow Vector; about half-an- hour later, I returned to my quarters down a corridor I didn't know until then, and then visited the Slytherin common room until Professor Snape came to tell me of the disappearance of your friend"
"He wasn't my friend anymore" said Harry under his breath.
"Well, that is your loss, I believe" Svetlana looked at him more closely and had a sudden moment of commiseration; it only lasted a minute "Is there anything else you want to ask me?"
"Can you tell me where Professor Snape was all afternoon?"
"He was with me until four, and then I saw him about... about seven, I think. I do not know what he did in those three hours, but I believe you could ask him" She smoothed her skirt and walked towards the door "Why are you asking, Mr Potter?"
"Ron didn't kill himself" said Harry, not looking at the witch.
"Didn't he? Is this your own assumption, or has the Ministry said something about it?" //Arrogant child, stop asking questions!//
"I know he didn't kill himself. Someone killed him, the same person who killed Mandy and Sirius..."
"The werewolf, you mean?" Harry nodded the negative, and Svetlana shrugged elegantly "I thought that the werewolf had been the one to kill your godfather, Mr Potter"
"He wasn't! Remus wouldn't hurt a fly! Someone else, someone who has access to the Wolfsbane potion, someone who..."
"Mr Potter!" Svetlana effectively silenced Harry's crazed rant "I don't know why you are telling me this, but I assure you I don't want to know. I trust the Aurors to do their job, and I think you should too... as for your suspicions, I'd rather if you left me and my husband out of them"
Harry kept silence as Svetlana gave him a cold look and started walking away. She had just reached the main corridor, when who should she find but Draco Malfoy.
"Svetlana, are you OK? You are blushing and..." Draco looked to see where she was coming from, and his grey eyes sent spark flying towards Harry "Don't tell me this idiot has been bothering you again!"
"Draco, let's go. Never mind Mr Potter, come on!" begged Svetlana, thanking all the gods she didn't believe in for young Malfoy's opportune appearance.
"Svetlana, is he bothering you? I can't believe this! But..." Draco shot a last cold look to the Gryffindor and followed Svetlana as she pulled his hand.
"Draco, come on! Leave Mr Potter to his fantasies and come on!" Dragging Draco with her, Svetlana left Harry behind and stopped where she was sure no-one could hear them "Draco, please, promise not to say anything! Not to Severus, not to anyone! I can't believe you saw this, but..."
"What did he say to you, Svetlana?" asked Drcao, between fury and worry.
"I don't know... first he said something about Weasley's death, and me and Severus, and then... oh, Merlin, what can I do?" Svetlana didn't dare look at Draco, for fear he saw the mirth in her eyes.
"I will kill him!" spat the blonde boy.
"Draco, don't be silly! He is Harry Potter. He can do anything he wants, and no-one is going to say a thing... don't worry about it, I will take care of not meeting him again... and don't do anything stupid, Draco" Svetlana smiled softly to him and caressed his soft hair "I have to go now. Take care"
Svetlana walked out of the dungeons and into the North Tower, where she met a few Aurors; calmly she gave them her movements the previous afternoon, and the things she had heard of the constant fights between Harry Potter and Ron Weasley. She was reassured to know they were basically thinking about suicide, with only Harry's insistence vouching for murder, and she was back in a good mood by the time she knocked on the door leading to Willow Vector's room.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Harry was desperate. In everyone's eyes he saw suspicion and accusations and his mind kept replaying the last time he saw Ron alive, the furious and hurt look the red-head had given him, and then Hermione's angry words in Dumbledore's office. But after his conversation with Svetlana Snape (which was quite coincidental, because he had really been waiting for Snape), there was something else: he was definitely starting to suspect the dark- haired family living in the dungeons. He suspected Snape himself for Remus' ruined potion, and he suspected Svetlana for Mandy's murder; he couldn't forget that she was the only one to have touched Mandy and left the Hall. Of course, there were tons of contrary evidence, since the attack on Svetlana's life in Russia, to Snape's proved loyalty to the Light Side, but Harry just needed someone to blame, and those two gave him the perfect victim.
That's why he followed Svetlana after her conversation with Malfoy. That the blond boy hated him, but Harry didn't care anymore. He covered himself in his Invisibility Cloak and went behind Svetlana up to Professor Vector's room. Once she went in, he settled on a corner and waited. He didn't have to wait long, though, until the suspect himself, Severus Snape, appeared and concealed himself in a corner not far away from Harry's hiding place. The Gryffindor's heart began to pound in his chest and he took a deep breath. Was he watching how a murder was being planned? Was Mrs Snape Stunning Mrs Vector inside the room? Would she open the door next and let Snape through, to finish the work? Was the quiet wife of the Arithmancy Professor the next victim?
He remembered Ron, and swore he wouldn't let another death take place.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^*^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"Oh, Svetlana, I really can't go on like this much longer!" exclaimed Willow, putting her face between her hands. Svetlana blinked once, then twice: she had only gone in and asked her friend how she was, and then she had started crying.
"Calm down, Willow, what is it? Are you worried about your family? I know you must be so scared because of this dreadful death, but I think that the boy threw himself off the tower, it wasn't murder..." Svetlana sat by Willow and tried to reassure her. To reassure her enough so that she started speaking.
"It isn't that!" wailed Mrs Vector "It's Vitrius that's worrying me!" //Well, that's a relief... what has the man done now?//
"What is it, Willow? What's wrong with Vitrius?"
"I think he's seeing someone!" said Willow in a low voice, afraid the babies would hear her "One of the students!"
"A student?!" asked Svetlana in surprise: the Arithmancy teacher was the last man she thought could be running after a student, and getting what he wanted.
"The Head Girl!" affirmed Willow crying.
"But, Willow, she had a boyfriend... the boy who..."
"I know! I think that is why he... he did what he did! He might have seen them, they spend so much time together, in tutoring, he says..." Willow was still sobbing, and the babies in the other room started getting restless.
"Calm down, Willow, think about what you're saying. I frankly don't think Vitrius would do something like that... and I don't think the girl would do something like that either. He loves you, Willow!"
"Oh, I don't know, after we've had the babies he seems so distant!" If Svetlana had ever actually *lived* with her husband, she could have told Willow that Professor Vector's reaction was normal. But she hadn't.
"Oh, Willow, I am so sorry! But you mustn't go saying that out loud, I definitely don't think you right, and people..." Svetlana's discreet considerations were interrupted by Willow.
"Oh, I'd never tell anyone else! I'd rather be convicted of murder than let people know that I suspect Vitrius!"
//Well, that can be arranged// "Willow, please calm down... Vitrius loves you, and Miss Granger would never get involved with a teacher, and we really don't need people suspecting anything, do we?" Willow nodded the negative and Svetlana stood up: she had had enough patience already "Today is my turn with the babies... why don't you have a nice hot bath and then have lunch with Vitrius? I'll expect you about six to pick up the little darlings.. and don't worry, Willow, everything is going just fine!"
If Mrs Vector wasn't so busy wallowing in self-pity, she would have noticed the impatience colouring Svetlana's voice, or the mocking smile she let out as soon as she turned her back on her. But in Willow's mind there was nothing but gratefulness to the only friend she had in Hogwarts, and anticipation for her husband's arrival, and she didn't even notice Svetlana leaving, the door closing behind her or the Russian witch's slip into coarseness as she asked:
"What the Hell is happening here?"
**********************************************************************
A/N: Ha! Now you'll be left wondering what surprised Svetlana so much... don't worry, it's not a dead body. Not yet, at least.