DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter, nor do I claim to. Ish copyright the genius that is JKR!!
DOUBLE TROUBLE
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
"What about Melody?" Draco whirled about, glancing at Hermione with hope.
Hermione rocked back on her heels, a guilty expression crossing her face. "Draco, I—I don't know. I wasn't there when they took her away. My guess would be she's somewhere in the house." She bit her lip, her gaze dropping to the floor. "I'm sorry, Draco. . .I should have protected her."
"No." Draco's voice was faint, his gray eyes infinitely sad. "No, it's not your fault, Hermione. It is mine. I should have never dragged her into this in the first place." He slumped against the wall, his shoulders sagging. "She's just a baby. Do—do you know what they'll do to her?"
Pansy gripped Draco's arm tightly, "Draco, we WILL find her."
He continued on as if he hadn't heard her. "They'll make her go into trances, sap all her strength so that she can See for them. Voldemort will use her until she is nothing more than a shadow, and then he'll get rid of her." His voice came out strangled.
"We WON'T let that happen." Pansy asserted, followed by a round of yeas from the rest. "Draco, if she is in the house, then I know where they will have kept her." Without waiting for a reply, she took off, racing up a tunnel to the left.
"Pansy!" Draco took off after the girl, with Fred following close behind, hoping to catch up.
"Okay." Remus straightened his clothes. "Let's get this over with. Harry, you, Ron, and Hermione need to stay here, wait for Pansy, Draco, and. . .Fred, or was it George?. . .to return. We will make our way down the tunnel that leads to the grounds, scout around and hopefully find an apparition point." He indicated himself, Sirius, and Bill. "You three girls can go to down the tunnel that leads to the dungeons, see if there is someone being held here that we can help."
Ginny looked at Remus, her brows knitted. "And what do George and I do?"
"You two will go back the way we came and try to get some help from Hogwarts."
"No!" George glared at Remus. "I don't think so. I am not leaving Mya, Harry, or my brother here, all by themselves to face any Deatheaters. We will be staying here thank you very much."
Ginny shook her head. "No, George, you stay, but I will go." She glanced at Harry. "Someone needs to warn the Professors. If I know Thomas like I think I do, then he will head directly there."
Harry raised a brow. "Thomas?"
Ginny ducked her head, not meeting Harry's eyes. "I'll go now."
Elizabeth trailed her fingers down the wall, memorizing every little nook and cranny of the dark tunnel. She stumbled sharply as the wall suddenly disappeared beneath her fingers, as her hand caught a hidden latch.
Charlie rushed to her side, "Are you alright?"
"Yes, yes, I'm fine. Shhh. . ." She cupped her ear. "Do you hear that?"
Charlie stilled his breathing, all of his attention focused on his hearing. The faint sound of voices met his ears. Nodding softly, he pulled Elizabeth to her feet, shuffling forward soundlessly.
Light filtered through the dark tunnel, growing brighter as they continued on.
"I'm telling you, we're marching on Hogwarts!" A voice said a bit louder than intended.
"What of it?" Another replied flippantly.
"That means that our Lord has finally fulfilled the last of the Twelve Prophecies. And we will be by his side as he leads us to victory!" The first voice declared hotly, proudly.
The second voice mumbled something inaudible.
"Don't you be nay-speaking our Lord, Weasley!"
Charlie stiffened, his eyes widening, his fists clenching. "That little bast—"He leapt into the room, ignoring Elizabeth's hissing at him to stop. "Percival Ulysses Weasley!" He thundered.
"Charlie?" Percy looked up, his blue eyes wide.
"Oh, is this your Dragon Taming brother?" The first speaker turned, his voice snide. "How lovely to meet you." Raising his wand, he leveled it at Charlie. "Hey, Weasley, do you want dibs? Or should we take him to our Lord? I'm sure he'd love to wring a couple secrets from him."
Percy's breath caught in his chest. "Er. . .Lennox, don't you think you're being a bit rash?"
"Oh, going to protect your Mudblood loving relatives?" Lennox laughed. "Sure, go ahead, maybe we ought to test your loyalty. Why don't you have the honors and finish him off."
Charlie glared at Percy. "How could you?! How could you sit there, knowing everything that. . .that abomination. . .stands for, and join his. . .ranks?!"
"Don't you be downing our Lord!" Lennox declared hotly. "I'll finish you! Avad—"
"NO!" Percy flung himself bodily at the Deatheater, hitting the man squarely in the jaw. "YOU DON'T THREATEN MY FAMILY!" Percy's declaration echoed in the tunnel as the man grunted, slipping into unconsciousness. Percy stood, aiming a well-placed kick at the man's ribs.
"Percy!" Charlie stared at his brother as if he had grown two heads. "What are you—"
"Shut up, Charlie. Just get me the hell out of here, I'll explain on the way."
"Me get YOU out of here?!" Charlie stared at him as if it was a ludicrous idea.
Percy shrugged, "Fine then, follow me."
Pansy stopped a moment, catching her breath, slinking into the shadows. She knew exactly where they would keep the girl. Most likely in the nursery that had been for her own younger sister, before the accident.
She hadn't been back in the room since she was thirteen, memories still fresh in her mind. No one had actually been in the nursery, except the house elves, and that was to clean it up.
"Pansy?"
She turned, hissing. "Shut up! Okay, now, c'mon." She grabbed Draco's arm, more for support than to actually guide him. She nodded softly at Fred and inched forward, her fingers searching the wall for a hidden seam.
The clicking sound of a latch being depressed echoed in the silence. Carefully, she pushed open the door, sticking her head out to make sure that no one was in the room before creeping further in.
"Mel?" She closed her eyes tightly, making her way towards the bed by feel. "Mel, are you in here?"
Draco glanced about the room, only to have his breath catch in his throat. "Pansy, Gods, why didn't you tell me?"
Pansy turned, opening her eyes, a tear trailing down one of her pale cheeks. "It's the only obvious place to look, is it not?"
"But. . .this was. . .Caitlin's room."
"Who's Caitlin?" Fred looked perplexed. "Perhaps we should get out of here, there's obviously no child in here."
"But there was." Pansy answered, glancing at the unmade bed and a few of the scattered toys. "They did have her in here, but she's gone now. . .I don't know where they could have taken her."
"My father has probably taken her back to the Manor." Draco answered, his heart sinking. "When we get back to Hogwarts, I'll be heading for the Manor."
Pansy nodded her head slowly, reaching out to caress Draco's cheek. "It will be alright, I promise." She smiled softly, ignoring the lone tear that threatened to drip of her chin. "She will be fine, and we will get her back."
"A little after Angelina's party, I had to do something for the Order. I've been in deep since then. Actually, no one but Dad and Dumbledore knew that I was actually on assignment. Mum thought I had disappeared again. . ."
Charlie leaned against the wall. "Let me get this straight. You've been spying for the Order in the midst of the Deatheaters?"
Percy nodded, rubbing at his temples, a haunted look creeping on his face. "It's horrible, what they do to Muggles." He swallowed reflexively. "I've done my best to make sure that the children. . .didn't suffer." He turned hollow eyes on his brother. "There was a girl that looked just like Ginny when she was six." His face contorted. "They. . .they. . ." He shook his head. "They raped her until she was half-dead, then they dismembered her slowly, keeping her alive to feel all the pain."
"Oh, Gods!" Elizabeth clamped a hand over her mouth, looking ill.
"I. . .I killed her, Charlie, to end her pain. I killed. . .a child." He turned away, wrapping his arms about his body. "And all for the sake of the Order." A bitter laugh escaped him before he could stop it.
Charlie stared at his brother in a mixture of horror and admiration. He knew he could have never infiltrated the Deatheater ranks; much less end someone's suffering. Percy looked so fragile standing there. It was the Percy he remembered as a child, the little boy that would save the butterflies that Fred and George would torture, giving them each a decent burial.
Stepping forward, he pulled his brother into a strong embrace, holding him, shielding him from the World for just a moment. Percy stiffened, then relaxed into the embrace, a sense of brotherly warmth washing over him.
"Oh hell!" Ginny stumbled over a tree root, sprawling on the ground. Lying on her back, she stared up at the twisted, massive trees. "How am I supposed to even get back to Hogwarts?!"
Sighing, she sat up, scrubbing her face with her hands. "I don't know what I'm doing!" Shaking her head, she wracked her brain for any idea that would come to her. She couldn't apparate, nor was she sure how to make a portkey.
"Where is my Knight in Shining Armor when I need him?!" She moaned, grasping her wand tightly. Then it hit her! Lifting her wand to the air, "Lumos!"
With a pop, the monstrous double-decker bus appeared. Ginny fell backwards.
"Hello. . .I'm Stan—Blimey!" He looked down at Ginny. "Are ye alright, Miss?"
"Fine, fine." Ginny muttered, climbing to her feet. "I need to get to Hogwarts, like five minutes ago."
Stan raised a brow, stepping back to allow Ginny access to the bus. "We won't be stopping there for at least a few hours."
Hissing, she stepped up until she was eye to eye with the gangly man. "I suggest, if you value your family jewels, you will get me there in under three minutes!"
"Y-you heard the woman." Stan muttered to the driver, "To Hogwarts!"
Ginny gave him a bright smile, making her way to an unoccupied bed.
"I don't like waiting. . ." Harry muttered crossly.
Ron sighed, leaning back against the wall, scraping his nails down Nagini's back. "Harry, what else is there for us to do?" Nagini nipped at Ron's fingers softly, purring in a very cat-like manner.
"We can always NOT wait." Harry suggest brightly. "We can go and finish Voldemort ourselves."
"Are you mad?!" Hermione shook her head, "We're nowhere near strong enough to be taking on Voldemort!"
Harry snorted. "Let's not forget Fourth Year." He answered bitterly.
"Harry, you were helped out by. . ."
"By what, Hermione?" Harry asked stiffly. "By the souls of my parents trapped in his wand?! By the SOULS of my DEAD PARENTS!! Parents that HE KILLED!!!" Harry jumped to his feet. "Parents I never had the pleasure of knowing, parents that were never able to save me from my aunt and uncle, parents that could not be there for me when I needed them! BECAUSE HE KILLED THEM!!"
"Don't yell at her like that!" George jumped to his feet. "Harry, we understand that you have had a very hard life, but she's right! We can't just go and attack V-Vol. . .He who must not be named, he's probably expecting it."
"The best defense is a good offense." Harry replied sulkily.
Hermione crossed her arms over her chest, staring at Harry oddly. "Y'know, you're right. You're absolutely right!" She rose slowly. "The best defense is a good offense! That's probably the MOST sensible thing I've ever heard you say!"
The other three stared at Hermione as if she had gone mad. "What are you talking about?"
"Harry, I'm with you. Let's go. . ."
Harry raised a brow. "What?"
"Indeed." George added, and Ron nodded.
"I said, let's go." She smirked, appearing very slytherinesque for a moment. "If the best defense is a good offense, then would it not be the best of offenses to put him on guard, then strike when he expects it?"
"That really doesn't make any sense, Mione." Ron mumbled.
"Of course it does. Only, he'll be expecting me to kill you." She grinned sardonically. "You need to thank my cousins later, Harry."
"What?!"
Hermione pulled Harry to his feet. "C'mon, you three, let's do this."
Skylar shivered slightly. "What exactly are we supposed to be looking for again?"
"Prisoners of War." Danielle replied dully.
"Oh, yeah."
Raya shook her head, "It's getting a bit lighter."
"What's the odds that there are some Deatheaters there?" Skylar asked.
"Probably very good." Raya answered, chewing on her lip nervously.
"Well, what's a rescue mission without a good fight?" Danielle grinned at her sisters. "We're more than a match for a couple of Deatheaters, we're Elementals for Gods' sakes!"
Snape stared at Melody, his lip curling. "What am I supposed to do with an infant?"
"Care for her, love her. . ."
Snape jumped, turning to glare at the older woman. "Minerva, did I ask you?"
"Did you have to?" She replied, adjusting her wire-frame glasses.
"Pwetty Kitty." Melody giggled, holding her arms out to be picked up. "Pwetty, pwetty, pwetty."
McGonnagall walked over, picking up the child, settling her deftly on her hip. "Is it that hard to look after her, Severus?" She turned, cooing softly at Melody, who only raised a brow. "Yes, who's a good girl?"
Snape guffawed. "Minerva, she's staring at you like you've lost your mind!"
Melody giggled softly. "Uncle Sev. . ." She brought her hand up to her face, "Mwah!" She blew a kiss at him.
He blushed, staring at the little girl with a mixture of loathing and curiosity. "What did she just do?" He turned obsidian eyes on Minerva, slightly confused. "Why did she do it?"
"She blew you a kiss, and because she likes you." McGonnagall replied patiently. "Is it so hard to believe that puppies, kittens, and children might actually be drawn to your sunny disposition?"
"Screw you Minerva."
DOUBLE TROUBLE
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
"What about Melody?" Draco whirled about, glancing at Hermione with hope.
Hermione rocked back on her heels, a guilty expression crossing her face. "Draco, I—I don't know. I wasn't there when they took her away. My guess would be she's somewhere in the house." She bit her lip, her gaze dropping to the floor. "I'm sorry, Draco. . .I should have protected her."
"No." Draco's voice was faint, his gray eyes infinitely sad. "No, it's not your fault, Hermione. It is mine. I should have never dragged her into this in the first place." He slumped against the wall, his shoulders sagging. "She's just a baby. Do—do you know what they'll do to her?"
Pansy gripped Draco's arm tightly, "Draco, we WILL find her."
He continued on as if he hadn't heard her. "They'll make her go into trances, sap all her strength so that she can See for them. Voldemort will use her until she is nothing more than a shadow, and then he'll get rid of her." His voice came out strangled.
"We WON'T let that happen." Pansy asserted, followed by a round of yeas from the rest. "Draco, if she is in the house, then I know where they will have kept her." Without waiting for a reply, she took off, racing up a tunnel to the left.
"Pansy!" Draco took off after the girl, with Fred following close behind, hoping to catch up.
"Okay." Remus straightened his clothes. "Let's get this over with. Harry, you, Ron, and Hermione need to stay here, wait for Pansy, Draco, and. . .Fred, or was it George?. . .to return. We will make our way down the tunnel that leads to the grounds, scout around and hopefully find an apparition point." He indicated himself, Sirius, and Bill. "You three girls can go to down the tunnel that leads to the dungeons, see if there is someone being held here that we can help."
Ginny looked at Remus, her brows knitted. "And what do George and I do?"
"You two will go back the way we came and try to get some help from Hogwarts."
"No!" George glared at Remus. "I don't think so. I am not leaving Mya, Harry, or my brother here, all by themselves to face any Deatheaters. We will be staying here thank you very much."
Ginny shook her head. "No, George, you stay, but I will go." She glanced at Harry. "Someone needs to warn the Professors. If I know Thomas like I think I do, then he will head directly there."
Harry raised a brow. "Thomas?"
Ginny ducked her head, not meeting Harry's eyes. "I'll go now."
Elizabeth trailed her fingers down the wall, memorizing every little nook and cranny of the dark tunnel. She stumbled sharply as the wall suddenly disappeared beneath her fingers, as her hand caught a hidden latch.
Charlie rushed to her side, "Are you alright?"
"Yes, yes, I'm fine. Shhh. . ." She cupped her ear. "Do you hear that?"
Charlie stilled his breathing, all of his attention focused on his hearing. The faint sound of voices met his ears. Nodding softly, he pulled Elizabeth to her feet, shuffling forward soundlessly.
Light filtered through the dark tunnel, growing brighter as they continued on.
"I'm telling you, we're marching on Hogwarts!" A voice said a bit louder than intended.
"What of it?" Another replied flippantly.
"That means that our Lord has finally fulfilled the last of the Twelve Prophecies. And we will be by his side as he leads us to victory!" The first voice declared hotly, proudly.
The second voice mumbled something inaudible.
"Don't you be nay-speaking our Lord, Weasley!"
Charlie stiffened, his eyes widening, his fists clenching. "That little bast—"He leapt into the room, ignoring Elizabeth's hissing at him to stop. "Percival Ulysses Weasley!" He thundered.
"Charlie?" Percy looked up, his blue eyes wide.
"Oh, is this your Dragon Taming brother?" The first speaker turned, his voice snide. "How lovely to meet you." Raising his wand, he leveled it at Charlie. "Hey, Weasley, do you want dibs? Or should we take him to our Lord? I'm sure he'd love to wring a couple secrets from him."
Percy's breath caught in his chest. "Er. . .Lennox, don't you think you're being a bit rash?"
"Oh, going to protect your Mudblood loving relatives?" Lennox laughed. "Sure, go ahead, maybe we ought to test your loyalty. Why don't you have the honors and finish him off."
Charlie glared at Percy. "How could you?! How could you sit there, knowing everything that. . .that abomination. . .stands for, and join his. . .ranks?!"
"Don't you be downing our Lord!" Lennox declared hotly. "I'll finish you! Avad—"
"NO!" Percy flung himself bodily at the Deatheater, hitting the man squarely in the jaw. "YOU DON'T THREATEN MY FAMILY!" Percy's declaration echoed in the tunnel as the man grunted, slipping into unconsciousness. Percy stood, aiming a well-placed kick at the man's ribs.
"Percy!" Charlie stared at his brother as if he had grown two heads. "What are you—"
"Shut up, Charlie. Just get me the hell out of here, I'll explain on the way."
"Me get YOU out of here?!" Charlie stared at him as if it was a ludicrous idea.
Percy shrugged, "Fine then, follow me."
Pansy stopped a moment, catching her breath, slinking into the shadows. She knew exactly where they would keep the girl. Most likely in the nursery that had been for her own younger sister, before the accident.
She hadn't been back in the room since she was thirteen, memories still fresh in her mind. No one had actually been in the nursery, except the house elves, and that was to clean it up.
"Pansy?"
She turned, hissing. "Shut up! Okay, now, c'mon." She grabbed Draco's arm, more for support than to actually guide him. She nodded softly at Fred and inched forward, her fingers searching the wall for a hidden seam.
The clicking sound of a latch being depressed echoed in the silence. Carefully, she pushed open the door, sticking her head out to make sure that no one was in the room before creeping further in.
"Mel?" She closed her eyes tightly, making her way towards the bed by feel. "Mel, are you in here?"
Draco glanced about the room, only to have his breath catch in his throat. "Pansy, Gods, why didn't you tell me?"
Pansy turned, opening her eyes, a tear trailing down one of her pale cheeks. "It's the only obvious place to look, is it not?"
"But. . .this was. . .Caitlin's room."
"Who's Caitlin?" Fred looked perplexed. "Perhaps we should get out of here, there's obviously no child in here."
"But there was." Pansy answered, glancing at the unmade bed and a few of the scattered toys. "They did have her in here, but she's gone now. . .I don't know where they could have taken her."
"My father has probably taken her back to the Manor." Draco answered, his heart sinking. "When we get back to Hogwarts, I'll be heading for the Manor."
Pansy nodded her head slowly, reaching out to caress Draco's cheek. "It will be alright, I promise." She smiled softly, ignoring the lone tear that threatened to drip of her chin. "She will be fine, and we will get her back."
"A little after Angelina's party, I had to do something for the Order. I've been in deep since then. Actually, no one but Dad and Dumbledore knew that I was actually on assignment. Mum thought I had disappeared again. . ."
Charlie leaned against the wall. "Let me get this straight. You've been spying for the Order in the midst of the Deatheaters?"
Percy nodded, rubbing at his temples, a haunted look creeping on his face. "It's horrible, what they do to Muggles." He swallowed reflexively. "I've done my best to make sure that the children. . .didn't suffer." He turned hollow eyes on his brother. "There was a girl that looked just like Ginny when she was six." His face contorted. "They. . .they. . ." He shook his head. "They raped her until she was half-dead, then they dismembered her slowly, keeping her alive to feel all the pain."
"Oh, Gods!" Elizabeth clamped a hand over her mouth, looking ill.
"I. . .I killed her, Charlie, to end her pain. I killed. . .a child." He turned away, wrapping his arms about his body. "And all for the sake of the Order." A bitter laugh escaped him before he could stop it.
Charlie stared at his brother in a mixture of horror and admiration. He knew he could have never infiltrated the Deatheater ranks; much less end someone's suffering. Percy looked so fragile standing there. It was the Percy he remembered as a child, the little boy that would save the butterflies that Fred and George would torture, giving them each a decent burial.
Stepping forward, he pulled his brother into a strong embrace, holding him, shielding him from the World for just a moment. Percy stiffened, then relaxed into the embrace, a sense of brotherly warmth washing over him.
"Oh hell!" Ginny stumbled over a tree root, sprawling on the ground. Lying on her back, she stared up at the twisted, massive trees. "How am I supposed to even get back to Hogwarts?!"
Sighing, she sat up, scrubbing her face with her hands. "I don't know what I'm doing!" Shaking her head, she wracked her brain for any idea that would come to her. She couldn't apparate, nor was she sure how to make a portkey.
"Where is my Knight in Shining Armor when I need him?!" She moaned, grasping her wand tightly. Then it hit her! Lifting her wand to the air, "Lumos!"
With a pop, the monstrous double-decker bus appeared. Ginny fell backwards.
"Hello. . .I'm Stan—Blimey!" He looked down at Ginny. "Are ye alright, Miss?"
"Fine, fine." Ginny muttered, climbing to her feet. "I need to get to Hogwarts, like five minutes ago."
Stan raised a brow, stepping back to allow Ginny access to the bus. "We won't be stopping there for at least a few hours."
Hissing, she stepped up until she was eye to eye with the gangly man. "I suggest, if you value your family jewels, you will get me there in under three minutes!"
"Y-you heard the woman." Stan muttered to the driver, "To Hogwarts!"
Ginny gave him a bright smile, making her way to an unoccupied bed.
"I don't like waiting. . ." Harry muttered crossly.
Ron sighed, leaning back against the wall, scraping his nails down Nagini's back. "Harry, what else is there for us to do?" Nagini nipped at Ron's fingers softly, purring in a very cat-like manner.
"We can always NOT wait." Harry suggest brightly. "We can go and finish Voldemort ourselves."
"Are you mad?!" Hermione shook her head, "We're nowhere near strong enough to be taking on Voldemort!"
Harry snorted. "Let's not forget Fourth Year." He answered bitterly.
"Harry, you were helped out by. . ."
"By what, Hermione?" Harry asked stiffly. "By the souls of my parents trapped in his wand?! By the SOULS of my DEAD PARENTS!! Parents that HE KILLED!!!" Harry jumped to his feet. "Parents I never had the pleasure of knowing, parents that were never able to save me from my aunt and uncle, parents that could not be there for me when I needed them! BECAUSE HE KILLED THEM!!"
"Don't yell at her like that!" George jumped to his feet. "Harry, we understand that you have had a very hard life, but she's right! We can't just go and attack V-Vol. . .He who must not be named, he's probably expecting it."
"The best defense is a good offense." Harry replied sulkily.
Hermione crossed her arms over her chest, staring at Harry oddly. "Y'know, you're right. You're absolutely right!" She rose slowly. "The best defense is a good offense! That's probably the MOST sensible thing I've ever heard you say!"
The other three stared at Hermione as if she had gone mad. "What are you talking about?"
"Harry, I'm with you. Let's go. . ."
Harry raised a brow. "What?"
"Indeed." George added, and Ron nodded.
"I said, let's go." She smirked, appearing very slytherinesque for a moment. "If the best defense is a good offense, then would it not be the best of offenses to put him on guard, then strike when he expects it?"
"That really doesn't make any sense, Mione." Ron mumbled.
"Of course it does. Only, he'll be expecting me to kill you." She grinned sardonically. "You need to thank my cousins later, Harry."
"What?!"
Hermione pulled Harry to his feet. "C'mon, you three, let's do this."
Skylar shivered slightly. "What exactly are we supposed to be looking for again?"
"Prisoners of War." Danielle replied dully.
"Oh, yeah."
Raya shook her head, "It's getting a bit lighter."
"What's the odds that there are some Deatheaters there?" Skylar asked.
"Probably very good." Raya answered, chewing on her lip nervously.
"Well, what's a rescue mission without a good fight?" Danielle grinned at her sisters. "We're more than a match for a couple of Deatheaters, we're Elementals for Gods' sakes!"
Snape stared at Melody, his lip curling. "What am I supposed to do with an infant?"
"Care for her, love her. . ."
Snape jumped, turning to glare at the older woman. "Minerva, did I ask you?"
"Did you have to?" She replied, adjusting her wire-frame glasses.
"Pwetty Kitty." Melody giggled, holding her arms out to be picked up. "Pwetty, pwetty, pwetty."
McGonnagall walked over, picking up the child, settling her deftly on her hip. "Is it that hard to look after her, Severus?" She turned, cooing softly at Melody, who only raised a brow. "Yes, who's a good girl?"
Snape guffawed. "Minerva, she's staring at you like you've lost your mind!"
Melody giggled softly. "Uncle Sev. . ." She brought her hand up to her face, "Mwah!" She blew a kiss at him.
He blushed, staring at the little girl with a mixture of loathing and curiosity. "What did she just do?" He turned obsidian eyes on Minerva, slightly confused. "Why did she do it?"
"She blew you a kiss, and because she likes you." McGonnagall replied patiently. "Is it so hard to believe that puppies, kittens, and children might actually be drawn to your sunny disposition?"
"Screw you Minerva."
