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Hermione shook her head as if to clear all her thoughts away. "What does Professor Snape have to do with this, sir?"
Ginny stared at Lupin's feet as he paced the room again.
"He was with the group of Death-Eaters that attacked Cole and Benjy that night."
Before she could help herself, Ginny shouted. "Snape killed your sister?"
"It's Professor Snape, Ginny. And no he didn't kill her; he was simply with the group that did it."
The room fell silent as Remus took to retracing his path around the room and the girls turned over the information in their minds. "You said it was why he left. What did you mean?" Ginny was determined to know what was going on. Hermione nodded in agreement.
Remus did not speak immediately, but took a seat behind the desk and put his head in his hands. "Well, I can see there is no getting around this now. Not if it's true, and there really isn't much doubt is there?" He turned his attention to the girls. "Alright, I'll tell you everything from the beginning. You have to swear that this doesn't leave this room. At least not until I can figure out what exactly happened. And there are other people to consider in this matter. Many lives could be changed."
Hermione and Ginny nodded. They weren't stupid; they knew that if they stayed silent they would finally be treated like adults.
"Now there are many parts of it that I don't know. Nicolette was my younger sister. She was a year behind me in school, but she was a Ravenclaw. She was a genius. She actually began her Auror training in her last year at Hogwarts. But, by then Voldemort was at his height of power. Dumbledore knew she would be an excellent addition to the Order. I protested, I thought she was too young and she was the only family I had left. However, Cole was very independent and hated being told what not to do. She joined against my wishes and dared me to say anything else about the matter. It turned out that she was a very great asset to our cause. She broke down the theory behind the Imperious Curse and allowed us to find away to be able to fight it. She was working on the other Unforgivables as well; she nearly broke through the Cruciatus curse. She could break into any building undetected; she performed charms only the likes of Dumbledore and Voldemort have ever mastered. I was proud of her, but I was so scared that something would go wrong." Remus became quiet and stared out the window. A moment later he continued.
"One morning I woke up to find her gone. She had left a note saying she had important business to take care of and she would tell me all about it when she returned. We had celebrated her 19th birthday only a few days before. But the night she left I was sent undercover for several months. I had no contact with her. When I returned she was happier than I had ever seen her. She refused to tell me, saying that she would tell her little secret at the next Order meeting. She set off for her next mission with Benjy. I was looking forward to finding out what had made my sister so happy. A week later I got word that the hideout had been attacked and she had been killed. I was given the bits of her wand in a box."
As Remus broke off again, Hermione wiped her eyes. Ginny only stared in horror. "Did you ever find out what her secret was?"
"Yes, a few days after the funeral the source of her sudden happiness came to find me. My sister had ran away to get married. She knew that I wouldn't approve of it, so she didn't give me a chance to try and change her mind."
"Who did she marry?" Hermione had stopped crying finally.
Remus gave a small laugh. "To the last person in the world I would have allowed her to go near. Severus Snape."
Thunk...thunk. Hermione and Ginny now took turns falling off the bed. "Your sister married Professor Snape? She married a Death-eater?" Ginny's couldn't help her voice trembling with amusement.
"Yes she did. Snape told me that they had dated secretly for several years. They were very good; no one ever knew about them." Remus gave a small laugh.
"Professor, you said that it was why he left. Did Snape leave the Death-Eaters because of what happened that night? I mean he saw her supposedly die. That had to be horrible for him."
"Yes that was why he left. He told me that neither of them knew about the other. He had no idea that she was in the Order, and she knew nothing of him being a servant of Voldemort. Of course, if she had I doubt they would have been married. He realized who she was a second to late to stop the attack. You see girls, I found out that the only reason Severus joined the Death-Eaters was to protect her. He knew that she could have been used as a weapon against the Order. Of course he didn't care about us, but he knew that she could be used to lure us out into the open. So he joined to ensure that she wouldn't be used for that purpose. He of course didn't know that she was a member of the Order." Remus left his chair and stood in front of the window. "That's the why the two of us have been at odds for years. Well, there as are various reasons, of course. I was a friend of James's, me being what I am, but this was simply too much. He blamed me for her death."
"But, how could he blame you? He was there! He knew who..." Ginny fell silent when Hermione slapped her knee.
"He said that it was my fault that she had been there that night. Severus said that she had joined the Order because of me. And, of course, I blamed him for the situation. I blamed him for not stopping the attack. Years have passed and neither of us have been able to forget or forgive. But, if this really is her then..."
"Alright, if this woman is your sister, then why is she here? If she didn't die that night in Hogsmeade, then why has she been living here all these years?" Hermione had taken to pacing the room, now.
"I haven't any idea, Hermione. I can't find any logical excuse for it."
The room fell into another dark silence. Suddenly, Hermione gave a loud shriek and ran across the room. Tearing open the door that adjoined the girls' room to the Grangers', she disappeared. Seconds later she flew back into the room and waved a piece of paper in the air. "Ginny, the ceremony!"
Ginny yawned. "It's not until Sunday, Hermione! Stop worrying."
Hermione stomped her foot. "No, she's going to be there! Look, it says so right here. I knew I had heard her name before! I read it when Mum and Dad got this letter." Ginny's eyes became wide and she snatched the paper from Hermione and scanned it.
"What are you talking about? What ceremony?"
"My parents are going to this ceremony. It's why we're in New York. There is this society that gets together every year and presents awards to people who have done a lot of work for charities and such. They honor people from all over the world. My Mum and Dad are being honored for all the work they've done with the homeless in London. And this woman, Nicole, is being honored for her work with kids here in the city! She's going to be at the ceremony on Sunday! We'll have a chance to talk to her!" Hermione looked as if someone had just told her that she had been named Head Girl.
"Wait, wait, what do you mean...we?" Remus gave each girl a dark piercing look.
Ginny's temper flared. "Oh no, we were kept out of everything last year and look at the mess it caused! No, we are a part of this. I refuse to be treated like a child! Besides, we are the ones who are going to be at this ceremony. How do you plan on getting close to her without us?"
Hermione did not seem shocked at all at Ginny's outburst. If anything, she looked on the verge of having one herself.
"Alright, I'll give you that one. I don't like it, but I am going to need your help for this. Now, how do you plan on getting close enough to talk to her?"
Hermione smiled sweetly and looked at Ginny, who was grinning mischievously. "Well, it shouldn't be too hard for us. After all, we are Harry Potter's friends and we're witches. There aren't a lot of barriers that have been able to hold us back in the past. And with you being a fully qualified wizard I can't see anything standing in our way."
Remus shook his head and laughed. "Well, you got me there. If the two of you insist on being a part of this I don't see what I can do to stop you. If I tell you to sit here like good little girls and behave; I guarantee you'd be out there and have her cornered before I could so much as shut the door."
"Well, first of all we're going to have to get her alone. The question is how?" Hermione said.
"I've got just the plan. I know it's gonna sound really strange but trust me; this will work." Ginny was smiling and looking positively sinister.
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Mr. and Mr. Granger, Hermione, and Ginny entered into the hotel's ballroom together. The room was filled with dozen's of small round tables each seating about six people.
"This reminds me of the Yule Ball." Hermione whispered.
"Yeah, but we would have looked rather silly showing up at the Ball dressed like this." Ginny indicated her formal dress. "Remind me again why we had to wear these."
"Because this is how muggles dress when they attend things like this. Now, shh!" Hermione scanned the small crowd. "Alright she isn't here yet. Let's see how else is seated at our table."
After settling at their table, the girls promptly checked the names on the other place cards.
"Well, she isn't sitting here. Ginny, give Professor Lupin the signal."
Ginny pushed back her chair, stood, and gave a long stretch. Remus, who was tucked behind a large potted plant hidden under an invisibility cloak, noticed her signal. He pointed his wand at the table and immediately the words on the card next to Hermione read, "Ms. Nicole Bombeck and Guest." Hermione tugged Ginny's skirt and Ginny resumed her seat.
"Alright, now be sure to not gain anyone else's attention when you talk to her. Just casually drop hints."
"I know, Ginny, I know! We've went over this hundreds of times. You just sit there and pretend you know nothing. When she gets up and leaves follow her. Professor Lupin will follow behind you."
"Shh, look here she comes."
Hermione turned in her seat to face the direction in which Ginny was watching. A very pretty woman entered the room. Her light hair hung past the waist of her blue dress. She stopped to talk to a man with a clipboard in his hand. "Yes, Ms. Bombeck, it looks like you are seated at table number 4." He pointed towards The Granger's table and she started towards it.
"She looks like him don't you think. Professor Lupin, I mean. She doesn't look anywhere near 36, does she? She barely looks older than Fleur." Hermione fell silent as Nicole approached the table.
Nicole introduced herself around the table and soon fell silent. Hermione and Ginny exchanged nervous glances. The table remained silent throughout numerous speeches, but soon Hermione saw her first chance. As the room applauded the speaker on stage Hermione leaned slightly to her left and whispered, "This is better than eating in the Great Hall." Quickly Hermione sat back up straight as if nothing had happened.
Nicole's eyes widened; she looked unnerved. "What did you say?"
Hermione looked as if she had no clue what the woman to her left was talking about. "I'm sorry?"
"You said something about a great hall." Nicole's hands were shaking slightly on the table.
"Oh, I said this is a great hall for a function like this. Don't you think so?"
"Oh, oh yes. It...It's beautiful." She removed her hands from the table and began to twist her napkin.
Hermione waited until she spotted her next chance. An old man with a white beard appeared onstage. Ginny had told her to make things up as she went along, and this seemed like a perfect opportunity. Again leaning slightly to the left, she whispered, "Looks a bit like Dumbledore, doesn't he?"
Nicole slipped sideways on her seat and stared at Hermione. "What?"
"Hermione smiled and said, "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you would be able to hear me. I said 'Looks like he was stung by a bumblebee, doesn't he?'" She tried very hard not to laugh at the terrified expression Nicole was wearing.
Nicole nodded her head weekly and said vaguely, "Yes, I suppose he does."
Hermione let a half an hour pass before her next comment. She wanted to give the woman time to collect herself before she tried again. Next to her, she could tell Nicole was giving her quick frightened glances. She looked as if she were terrified that Hermione would turn and bite her at any given moment. Hermione's parents were called upon the stage to receive their award, so Hermione put her plan aside for a moment.
Finally, just as Nicole's name was called, Hermione saw her chance. Nicole looked still disturbed as she went up and received her Humanitarian Award. As applause filled the room, Nicole returned to her seat. Hermione, clapping loudly, leaned in once again and whispered, "Congratulations, Ms. Lupin."
Nicole jumped and stared at Hermione. However, this time Hermione did not act surprised in her behavior. "What did you call me?" Nicole's voice shook with pure terror.
Hermione stared intently into Nicole's eyes and said, very patiently, "I called you Ms. Bombeck. Isn't that your name? Is something wrong Ms. Bombeck? You look frightened about something."
Nicole shook her head and said, "No, everything is alright. I just thought I heard you call me Ms. Lupin."
"Why would I call you that?" Hermione reached to kick Ginny's foot to make sure she was watching for her sign to leave.
"I don't know. Would you excuse me for a second?" Hermione nodded and Nicole left the table.
"Alright, Ginny. There she goes, Professor Lupin will follow you."
Ginny stood and excused herself to the Granger's and followed in Nicole's footsteps. A slight brush against the back of her hand let her now that Remus was right behind her. She watched Nicole turn into the women's bathroom.
"Alright, she's in there. Shall we go and get her?"
"I can't go into a women's lavatory!" A bodiless voice whispered urgently behind Ginny.
"Just let me go and make sure that there isn't anyone else in there. Stay here and don't move." Ginny opened the door slightly and looked around. There were only on pair of feet visible under the stall doors. She ducked back out. "Okay, she's all alone. It's now or never." She felt the brush against her shoulder this time, and knew he had gone around her and into the bathroom.
Ginny stood at the sink with the pre-text of washing her hands. When Nicole came out of the stall and took up the sink next to Ginny, Ginny gave a little nod to the corner. She heard the door give a small "click" as it locked. "I'm sorry if my friend was bothering you out there. She can be a bit funny when it comes to others like us."
"Wh...what do you mean 'others like us'?" Nicole stared at Ginny's reflection tin the mirror.
"Well, witches of course. That's what you are right?"
Nicole now turned to face Ginny. "An...and...just who...t...told you...that?"
Ginny nodded towards the corner and Remus pulled off the cloak. "Your brother told me."
Nicole spun around and covered her mouth with her hand. "Oh my...Remus..."
Remus walked forward. "Hello, Cole. It's been a long time. I think we need to talk."
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A/N: Spaci-Thanks so much! I have not had the privilege to see it myself, but I happened to have had it's soundtrack in front of me and I decided to use it.
Rainbow- I'm glad you liked it so far. And I agree about Ginny, she is so under appreciated. I'm glad she came across as a stronger character in the fifth book. And I think the girls have a wonderful friendship, I wish we could see more of it. (WAAA!! I miss him, too!!) LOL
hpfreak, Amy, Beak, Susan b., Sweetgirl, Wytil, F75, and k00lgirl1808-Thank you all so much for reviewing!!
moony391-as you can tell it's not Lily; I'm a firm believer that the Potters' are gone forever. But don't think that this woman won't be just as important as Lily...
micki- Thanks so much. I see a lot of myself in Hermione, so it's not hard to write about her. I just think, "What would I do here?" and it comes pretty easy.
Marggie, moonystruck, moony391, Emily, raiining, and anyone else I missed...THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!