Chapter 17: Talking It Through

Meli, Snape, and Dumbledore remained in the Great Hall after everyone else had left, then walked silently together to the headmaster's office. Meli noticed immediately the absence of all things sweet and sweet-smelling; Dumbledore had prepared for this meeting.

"Please, both of you, take a seat," he offered, indicating chairs near his desk. Snape and Meli did as bidden, the latter feeling a peculiar sense of anticipation as she did so. "And now, Meli," Dumbledore said gravely, sitting in his own chair. "What news from London?"

Meli forced her voice to detach from her heart; there was no need for quavering words here. "It is, indeed, Crimson Fell," she affirmed, quite calmly. "I feigned complete ignorance for the Muggles' benefit, and partial ignorance for the Auror's, but it's safe to tell you that she died from a Sangriatus Internum. She was killed by Dirk Pierce, and her body was found with a Dark Mark and Pierce's initials carved on one arm."

"Which Aurors have been assigned to the case?" Snape asked.

Meli smiled coolly. "I doubt either of you would know them," she replied. "Crim acquired American citizenship several years ago, allowing Aurors posing as FBI agents to enter the situation should she die by foul play. Two American Aurors—Agents Kimberly Hiller and Kevin Lane—are handling the investigation."

"That is a stunt worthy of Miss Fell," Dumbledore remarked, smiling faintly.

"I thought so, too," Meli rejoined. "I've met Agent Hiller, and there are a few things I should tell you about her." She took a deep breath, well aware that Andrea would not appreciate her warning Snape about any of this. "Kimberly Hiller is an assumed name that allows her to blend in with Muggles and hide from Death Eaters." She shot Snape a pointed look. "Her actual name is Andrea Underhill, and she was my roommate at university in America. I would describe her as hyper-analytic, even compared with a Ravenclaw. She had me pegged as a witch and a potential threat less than five minutes after meeting me."

Snape seemed darkly amused. "She considered you a potential threat," he repeated dryly.

Meli smirked. "I'm going to let that one pass this once," she told him. "But keep in mind that if she considers me Death Eater potential, she'll do no less for either you or Zarekael." She looked now to Dumbledore. "I think it highly likely that she will come to Hogwarts shortly after the Christmas holidays. She'll want to compile as much information as possible on Pierce and Crim, and as long as she's in the neighborhood, she'll run up a file for Collum Fell, as well."

"Why Collum?" Dumbledore inquired.

"He and Crim went missing about the same time," she answered. "Andrea will want to see if he could possibly have had something to do with Crim's death, or if he himself is a victim and just hasn't been found yet."

Dumbledore looked thoughtfully at her for a moment, then asked, "Do you think it possible that Collum Fell is dead?"

Meli narrowed her eyes. "I very much doubt it," she replied. "I've recently heard from him." She bit her lip. "But I am placed in an awkward position. If Collum was told all of the particulars of Crim's death, he would leave off hiding to hunt down and try to kill Dirk Pierce. Even if I only told him that Death Eaters in general had killed her, he would still behave stupidly and end up dead himself in under a week. But not to tell him about his sister's death at all . . . that's just plain cruel."

She thought she could almost read Snape's thoughts: Cruelty was a small price to pay for safety. Dumbledore was a harder read, though his eyes were tempered with compassion. Had she never known such sharp loss herself, she might have been inclined to agree with Snape; however, she had known such a loss, and, to her partial shame, that emotional tie kept her from fully appreciating the calculation of the matter.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. "If I were to write a letter to Collum, could you see that he gets it, Meli?"

She nodded. "I'd have to deliver it by hand," she said, "but he would receive it as soon as is reasonably possible."

"Then I shall notify him," the headmaster decided. "I flatter myself that I can word it in such a way as to prevent unwarranted rashness on his part." His eyes twinkled briefly. "And it lets you off the hook, Meli."

"For which I am eternally grateful," she replied sincerely. "Thank you, sir."

Now Dumbledore's gaze turned to Snape. "I trust you will apprise Zarekael of the coming storm, Severus?" he said mildly.

"Yes." Snape's eyes flicked to Meli's. "Though I would appreciate any possible advance warning of the Aurors' coming."

"I doubt there will be much of one," she warned. "Still, I'll do what I can." She smiled sardonically and looked from one of them to the other. "And to answer your next question, sirs, yes, I am both able and willing to teach tomorrow."

Snape smirked. "Neither of us had any notion of asking you that, Meli." he countered mildly.

"Oh, no?"

"No."

"And why, pray tell, is that?" She arched an amused eyebrow.

Snape came dangerously close to smiling. "Tomorrow is Saturday, Meli."

Thanks to long practice, it took little effort to maintain her mask. "Already?"

And how stupid do I feel? she thought lightly as she left the tower and headed for the dungeons. Really, not very much at all, she decided after a moment. It's been far too long a day; I'm too tired to care.

The next morning, Meli received from Dumbledore the letter addressed to Collum. It was just as well that she didn't have to teach; she didn't think she could have done it. As soon as breakfast was over, she excused herself and departed.

Collum smiled in greeting when she arrived, but she had no smile for him. Instead, she wordlessly handed him the letter and watched as he read it, feeling herself to be somehow the worst kind of traitor.

"Sharpie did it," he whispered incredulously, the paper slipping from his hands. "I don't believe it." He shook his head. "Even after what you told me, Meli, I thought he was a spy. I never thought he'd betray us that way."

Meli bit her lip. "Not Sharpie, Collum," she said firmly. "Pierce. Sharpie was our friend. Pierce only fooled us into thinking he was Sharpie."

"He killed her, Meli," Collum said hollowly. "He did it because of You-Know-Who. He had no bloody problem killing her!" He slammed his fist down on an end table, smashing a teacup, but he seemed to feel none of it. "How could we be so fooled, Meli?" he asked, his eyes beginning to fill with angry tears which he still fought to keep at bay. "How?"

"I don't know," she replied mournfully. "I wish I had answers for you, Collum, but I don't."

Collum dropped into a chair, his head in his hands. "Crim was the best sister anyone could ever have," he murmured. "She was my best friend besides you."

Meli stood beside him for several minutes, but when it became clear that he had completely forgotten she was there, she departed silently, leaving him alone with his grief for a time.

DECEMBER 1981, THIRD YEAR

Meli was waiting patiently at the end of the line to sign up to remain at Hogwarts over Christmas holiday when Crim materialized at her side.

"And what do you think you're doing?" the Slytherin inquired.

Meli turned dead, solemn eyes on her. "I'm doing precisely what it appears I'm doing," she replied flatly.

"Oh, no, you're not."

Even that didn't draw a spark of life to the Gryffindor's eyes. "Then where do you suggest I go for Christmas?" she asked, her voice hollow.

"My house, of course," Crim informed her. "Mum and Dad wrote to say they'd be thrilled to have you." She raised a pointed eyebrow. "And you don't want to disappoint my Mum and Dad, do you?"

Meli made no reaction whatsoever. She looked measuringly at Crim for a silent moment, then at last spoke, still in a flat, solemn tone devoid of any emotion. "And are they aware of what happened to my parents?" she countered.

Crim narrowed her eyes. "Yes, as a matter of fact," she answered. "In a case like this, I tell my parents everything so they can make an informed decision."

"Then their invitation is obviously not serious."

Had Crim at all suspected that Meli had intended an insult, a nasty fight would most certainly have ensued; however, she was not Collum, and her temper had the advantage of a much longer fuse. She knew Meli well enough to understand her intent; Meli's first concern, now more than ever, was to protect others from the deadly penalties of association with her. Thus, Crim took the remark in the spirit in which it was intended and conveniently ignored the rest of it.

"Oh, they're quite serious," she replied firmly. "And just you consider this: my parents are a Slytherin and a Ravenclaw who, between them, taught Collum and me everything we know." She frowned thoughtfully. "They tried with Donald the Hufflepuff, they really did, but he's a thorough idiot when it comes to stealth and cunning—thinks no one needs them! Imagine that." She zeroed in on her goal again, and offered Meli a deadly smile. "But between you and me, it'll be a suicidal Death Eater that comes sniffing around our house looking for trouble."

By now, Meli stood beside the sign-up sheet, the quill ready at-hand, but the first trace of indecision had crept into her marble expression. Crim took a deep breath, fully prepared to embark upon another speech, but she was spared by the arrival of Professor Snape.

"Good afternoon, Miss Fell, Miss Ebony," he said softly. "Will you both be remaining with us for Christmas?"

Yes, there is a God! Crim thought. And He looks with favor on conniving and helpful Slytherins. She carefully contained her excitement beneath her trademark Skulker deadpan. "That depends entirely upon Meli, sir," she replied. "Or perhaps not."

This cryptic answer elicited confusion from Meli and a probing look from the Head of Slytherin House, who must certainly have smelled a setup. "Indeed?" the latter inquired.

"Indeed," Crim confirmed. "You see, I had intended to try and convince her to come home with me and spend Christmas with my family, but she's not sure it's a good idea." She dashed a skeptical sidewise look at the other girl. "Or so I at first thought. But now, on consideration, I think perhaps there's more Slytherin to her than most would suspect."

Snape was probably as yet unsure of her actual goal, but he knew enough to play his part masterfully. He crossed his arms and looked appraisingly at Meli. "It is possible," he allowed after a moment. "She certainly wears innocent confusion well enough to mask most dark motives."

Meli's stony face at last cracked in a nonplused half-smile. "I'm glad you believe so, sir, but I honestly don't know what either of you is talking about."

Crim gave Snape a knowing look. "She's a natural," she observed. "Perhaps she should be re-Sorted."

"Which has what to do with Christmas?" Meli asked, beginning to sound a touch exasperated.

"Oh, you needn't play that way," Crim chided. "I've found you out, so it's really no good." She turned confidingly to the Potions master. "You see, Professor Snape, Meli knows quite well that I won't leave her to mope about at Christmas. So, even though it means she'll have to suffer through others' company—including that of Donald the Hufflepuff—she's contrived a way to scrape me off."

"What?!"

She ignored Meli's incredulous exclamation. "She's perfected a technique for getting rid of Collum, and Donald the Hufflepuff already keeps out of her way; I'm sure she's positive she can shake my parents, as well. I, however, am impossible; I freely admit it. I know that, whatever she wants, solitude is the absolute worst thing for her." By now, Meli was rolling her eyes, a clear denial of any intention to scrape Crim off, and just as clear an indication that she had no idea what Crim was playing at. Her Slytherin friend, delighted at this, continued, "And so, Professor, knowing full well that if she stays here, I will, too, she's signing up to stay at Hogwarts, fully intending to withdraw her name at the last minute and go home with Collum, leaving me to a perfectly miserable solitary Christmas here."

"I most certainly am not," Meli declared through her teeth. "And if you do sign up after me, I'll remove your name at the last minute, not mine. Solitude has nothing to do with it."

In Snape's eyes Crim read veiled approval and a possible addition of points to Slytherin House, but more importantly she saw an understanding of the situation and a concern for Meli to match hers. "In that event," he said dryly, "I have no doubt that Mis Fell would find a way to remain anyway."

"She'd be in a great deal of trouble for it," Meli grumbled.

Snape nodded sagely. "But only if no teacher stepped in to intercede in her behalf," he pointed out.

And then Meli did something of which Crim would never have thought her capable: she glared at a teacher. "So that's the way of it then," she seethed. "Semi-Slytherin that I am, I can't contend with two full Slytherins when it comes to blackmail."

"My dear Meli, you couldn't contend with us anyway," Crim told her with a grin. "The fact that we're both Slytherins merely determined our means of flummoxing you. Had we both been Ravenclaws, we'd have logicked you to death. Had we been Gryffindors, I'm sure we'd have done something brazen and stupid, yet splendidly successful. Had we been—never mind." She shuddered. "That's something I don't even want to theorize about; it's far too horrifying to comprehend."

Snape bestowed a mild smirk on her, then turned to Meli. "And if solitude is not your motivation, you should have no objection to Miss Fell remaining here with you," he pointed out.

Meli looked thoroughly disgusted. "With her badgering me the whole time about not letting her go home and not going myself?" she said archly. "No, thanks."

Now it was Crim's turn to look disgusted, although in reality she could have cheered. "I had no idea my techniques were so obvious," she grumbled.

"Only to an honorary Slytherin like Miss Ebony," Snape assured her wryly. "But now that the difficulty seems to be resolved, I'll leave the two of you to work out details. Happy Christmas."

Both girls maintained cordial smiles until Snape was out of earshot. Then Meli's countenance turned sour and she looked balefully at her best friend. "Crimson Fell, I'm going to kill you."

Crim shrugged. "You can, if you like," she replied airily. "But keep in mind that ghosts don't need passwords to get into Gryffindor Tower. I'll torment you until you give in."

Meli stared at her, then slowly shook her head and sighed. "Someday, somehow, I'm going to win an argument with you."

"Put it on your Christmas list," Crim suggested helpfully. "That'll save me the trouble of buying and wrapping something for you."

Meli moaned and rested her forehead on the stone wall in front of her.

"Happy Christmas, Meli," Crim said cheerily. "You know you can't live without me."