Chapter 5 ~ Missing
The last two days of break flew by. Bella had not made another appearance. After a brief encounter with Regalus, who went back to school with his feet on the wrong legs, Muriel made a point to clear almost all the images from the mirror in her room. Then she finished packing and enchanted her trunk to follow her downstairs. It wasn't a long walk to King's Cross Station, but Sirius and Muriel walked on either side of Mrs. Black in case they ran into any of their friends. They had decided that it would be best if everyone knew they were each seeing SOMEONE but no one knew they were seeing each other.
Muriel thanked Mrs. Black again for letting her stay. Mrs. Black was kind to her and invited her to come back. Muriel noticed, however, that she said nothing at all to Sirius, but doted on Regalus and Muriel before sending them all off to the train. Regalus got away from them as quickly as he could on his mis-matched feet.
Sirius found James and Peter right away and headed off down the train looking for an empty compartment. They were already discussing Quidditch loudly. Muriel shook her head. She was glad that there were no major tests for 6th years. Between classes, Quidditch, and trying to spend time with Black, she was sure she wouldn't have been able to pass them! She hadn't mentioned to him that she was trying out for the team again this year. You just can't trust a boy to keep his head when it comes to Quidditch team rivalries. She headed for the Prefect cabin at the front, anxious to see Severus.
After listening to the Head Boy and Girl explain everything to the new 5th year prefects, she left the cabin hurriedly. Severus hadn't been there. She stuck her head in the door of every compartment, but he didn't seem to be on the train. She was nearing the end of the train when Remus grabbed her shoulder, startling her. "Looking for Snape?"
"Yes, have you seen him?"
Remus shook his head. "No, and that's not all. The 5th year Slytherin prefect is missing too." They exchanged a worried glance before Remus opened the door to the next compartment. He stuck his head inside. "Hey mates, have you seen Snape?" Muriel could hear the other marauders inside telling him that even if they had they'd be trying to forget about it by now. Remus closed the door quickly, and looked apologetically at Muriel.
"Go on, I'll just finish looking in the rest of the compartments." She smiled at him as he pulled open the door again and disappeared. She looked, but Severus was definitely not on the train. When she'd gone up and down the corridor twice more, she sat down in the small space behind the doors of the last two cabins and wrapped her arms around her knees. There weren't very many reasons why a student would fail to get onto the Hogwarts Express.
She sat quietly for so long that she was startled when she looked up and realized that it was beginning to get dark. 'Must be almost there,' she thought. She heard someone whispering and pulled out her father's mirror to find him hissing her name frantically.
"Mur, are you there?"
"Yes, Papa!" She could see worry lines etched deeply into her father's face. She hadn't seen him since halfway through the summer when he'd told her to stay with the Blacks. It looked as though he'd aged several years since then. His eyes were dark.
"Severus is here at the Ministry. They're interrogating him, and he told them that - " He stopped, remembering that he'd been keeping his identity as a Death Eater secret from her all this time.
"It's all right, Papa, I know." His eyes widened but he nodded.
"I'm sure they'll be bringing you in next to confirm it. They're using veritaserum, so it isn't likely to go very well. I'm going to have to disappear for a while, if I can," he added ruefully.
Muriel nodded mutely. It was her greatest fear finally coming true. Then she sat up a bit straighter. "No, Papa, don't do anything yet. I have an idea."
* * * * * * *
"SEVERUS!" Muriel was running from the Great Hall at top speed. She'd looked for him all through dinner, but he hadn't appeared until just before it finished. "Severus, where've you been?" Her voice was strained and she looked worried. Severus turned from the 1st year Slytherins he was leading to the dormitory. The 5th year prefect had not turned up at school this year, so the job of showing the first years their dorms was his yet again.
"I haven't been anywhere, and I'm busy just now, Mur." His voice was cool. He was still very upset with her spotty explanation of where she'd spent half the summer.
"What is your password?" she demanded, loudly enough to startle him into telling them.
"Hatless Hag!" he exclaimed.
"Thank you." She said briskly, turning to the 1st years. "The corridor is that way, look for the picture of a snake charmer." The first years looked terrified, but not a soul among them moved. They all turned to Severus, who looked rather shocked. Muriel was already impatient, and this delay was more than she could take. The Gryffindors were coming out of the Great Hall now too. Her wand was up. "Petrificus Totalus, Mobilius Corpus." Severus immediately went rigid and began to float ahead of her. "Now get out of here!" she snapped at the gaping first years. They ran.
Muriel steered them into the secret corridor that led to the Potion Master's dungeons, and closed the portrait quietly behind them. "Look, I know you're angry, but I'm not releasing you until you hear me out. Papa just contacted me with the mirror. He said you were taken to the Ministry for questioning this morning, and as a result, he's in custody." Severus couldn't move or speak, as Muriel's curses had not yet worn off, but his eyes were wide. "You told them everything. It was veritaserum." She was crying now, more out of frustration than anything. "I'll be next. I'm sure they're already on their way, and I've got to hide." She paused. "He'll be sent to Azkaban, Sev." With a flick of her wand she set him gently on his feet again, noticing that he seemed to be regaining movement. She waited.
Finally, when his lips would move, he said, "I don't remember anything before the feast. I must not have been on the train at all. Oh, Mur, I'm sorry." His coldness of moments ago had vanished. He knew that she loved her father more than anything. He sank down to the floor, as much in relief as worry. At least they hadn't asked him about himself. If they had, they certainly wouldn't have sent him back to school.
"Good, then you'll help me fix it! Listen, I need the counter serum for their truth potion. I need to be able to go in there and tell them that I told you Papa was a Death Eater when we were children to scare you. I'll collaborate what you told them about your dad. He's already in hiding, and we can send Gypsy to warn him tonight." Severus nodded. Everyone knew about his father anyway. He looked up.
"You'll need to know what I told them," he said quietly.
Muriel nodded slowly. "It's no where near the full moon. We'll use the Shrieking Shack. The locals are used to hearing weird noises from there." She swallowed, not sure what else to say.
"All right. I'll get the potion ingredients and meet you there." Severus stood, but stared at the floor as he spoke. He could feel the fear radiating from her. He turned before he opened the portrait, and went back to her. She fell against him hard and he held her for a moment. "Don't get weak on me now, Mur," he whispered into her hair. "We can do this."
The last two days of break flew by. Bella had not made another appearance. After a brief encounter with Regalus, who went back to school with his feet on the wrong legs, Muriel made a point to clear almost all the images from the mirror in her room. Then she finished packing and enchanted her trunk to follow her downstairs. It wasn't a long walk to King's Cross Station, but Sirius and Muriel walked on either side of Mrs. Black in case they ran into any of their friends. They had decided that it would be best if everyone knew they were each seeing SOMEONE but no one knew they were seeing each other.
Muriel thanked Mrs. Black again for letting her stay. Mrs. Black was kind to her and invited her to come back. Muriel noticed, however, that she said nothing at all to Sirius, but doted on Regalus and Muriel before sending them all off to the train. Regalus got away from them as quickly as he could on his mis-matched feet.
Sirius found James and Peter right away and headed off down the train looking for an empty compartment. They were already discussing Quidditch loudly. Muriel shook her head. She was glad that there were no major tests for 6th years. Between classes, Quidditch, and trying to spend time with Black, she was sure she wouldn't have been able to pass them! She hadn't mentioned to him that she was trying out for the team again this year. You just can't trust a boy to keep his head when it comes to Quidditch team rivalries. She headed for the Prefect cabin at the front, anxious to see Severus.
After listening to the Head Boy and Girl explain everything to the new 5th year prefects, she left the cabin hurriedly. Severus hadn't been there. She stuck her head in the door of every compartment, but he didn't seem to be on the train. She was nearing the end of the train when Remus grabbed her shoulder, startling her. "Looking for Snape?"
"Yes, have you seen him?"
Remus shook his head. "No, and that's not all. The 5th year Slytherin prefect is missing too." They exchanged a worried glance before Remus opened the door to the next compartment. He stuck his head inside. "Hey mates, have you seen Snape?" Muriel could hear the other marauders inside telling him that even if they had they'd be trying to forget about it by now. Remus closed the door quickly, and looked apologetically at Muriel.
"Go on, I'll just finish looking in the rest of the compartments." She smiled at him as he pulled open the door again and disappeared. She looked, but Severus was definitely not on the train. When she'd gone up and down the corridor twice more, she sat down in the small space behind the doors of the last two cabins and wrapped her arms around her knees. There weren't very many reasons why a student would fail to get onto the Hogwarts Express.
She sat quietly for so long that she was startled when she looked up and realized that it was beginning to get dark. 'Must be almost there,' she thought. She heard someone whispering and pulled out her father's mirror to find him hissing her name frantically.
"Mur, are you there?"
"Yes, Papa!" She could see worry lines etched deeply into her father's face. She hadn't seen him since halfway through the summer when he'd told her to stay with the Blacks. It looked as though he'd aged several years since then. His eyes were dark.
"Severus is here at the Ministry. They're interrogating him, and he told them that - " He stopped, remembering that he'd been keeping his identity as a Death Eater secret from her all this time.
"It's all right, Papa, I know." His eyes widened but he nodded.
"I'm sure they'll be bringing you in next to confirm it. They're using veritaserum, so it isn't likely to go very well. I'm going to have to disappear for a while, if I can," he added ruefully.
Muriel nodded mutely. It was her greatest fear finally coming true. Then she sat up a bit straighter. "No, Papa, don't do anything yet. I have an idea."
* * * * * * *
"SEVERUS!" Muriel was running from the Great Hall at top speed. She'd looked for him all through dinner, but he hadn't appeared until just before it finished. "Severus, where've you been?" Her voice was strained and she looked worried. Severus turned from the 1st year Slytherins he was leading to the dormitory. The 5th year prefect had not turned up at school this year, so the job of showing the first years their dorms was his yet again.
"I haven't been anywhere, and I'm busy just now, Mur." His voice was cool. He was still very upset with her spotty explanation of where she'd spent half the summer.
"What is your password?" she demanded, loudly enough to startle him into telling them.
"Hatless Hag!" he exclaimed.
"Thank you." She said briskly, turning to the 1st years. "The corridor is that way, look for the picture of a snake charmer." The first years looked terrified, but not a soul among them moved. They all turned to Severus, who looked rather shocked. Muriel was already impatient, and this delay was more than she could take. The Gryffindors were coming out of the Great Hall now too. Her wand was up. "Petrificus Totalus, Mobilius Corpus." Severus immediately went rigid and began to float ahead of her. "Now get out of here!" she snapped at the gaping first years. They ran.
Muriel steered them into the secret corridor that led to the Potion Master's dungeons, and closed the portrait quietly behind them. "Look, I know you're angry, but I'm not releasing you until you hear me out. Papa just contacted me with the mirror. He said you were taken to the Ministry for questioning this morning, and as a result, he's in custody." Severus couldn't move or speak, as Muriel's curses had not yet worn off, but his eyes were wide. "You told them everything. It was veritaserum." She was crying now, more out of frustration than anything. "I'll be next. I'm sure they're already on their way, and I've got to hide." She paused. "He'll be sent to Azkaban, Sev." With a flick of her wand she set him gently on his feet again, noticing that he seemed to be regaining movement. She waited.
Finally, when his lips would move, he said, "I don't remember anything before the feast. I must not have been on the train at all. Oh, Mur, I'm sorry." His coldness of moments ago had vanished. He knew that she loved her father more than anything. He sank down to the floor, as much in relief as worry. At least they hadn't asked him about himself. If they had, they certainly wouldn't have sent him back to school.
"Good, then you'll help me fix it! Listen, I need the counter serum for their truth potion. I need to be able to go in there and tell them that I told you Papa was a Death Eater when we were children to scare you. I'll collaborate what you told them about your dad. He's already in hiding, and we can send Gypsy to warn him tonight." Severus nodded. Everyone knew about his father anyway. He looked up.
"You'll need to know what I told them," he said quietly.
Muriel nodded slowly. "It's no where near the full moon. We'll use the Shrieking Shack. The locals are used to hearing weird noises from there." She swallowed, not sure what else to say.
"All right. I'll get the potion ingredients and meet you there." Severus stood, but stared at the floor as he spoke. He could feel the fear radiating from her. He turned before he opened the portrait, and went back to her. She fell against him hard and he held her for a moment. "Don't get weak on me now, Mur," he whispered into her hair. "We can do this."