Snape stood up and cleared his throat. "I am afraid that I don't have much of anything specific. The Dark Lord has been trying to keep a low profile up to now, with only sporadic attacks. One result of that is that recruitment is not going as well as he has been hoping. Not many people are joining the ranks of the Death Eaters. It is a good thing for the Order, but not something that he is satisfied with. So there are rumors of a major attack, something that will demonstrate his power."
Snape stopped in annoyance as whispers and murmurs broke out all around the the table. He stood silently, with an icy expression on his face, until the noise died down and everyone was looking at him again.
"I am afraid that the Dark Lord is suspecting a leak somewhere, and is not giving specific information. All we can do is be ready and alert. To that effect, the Head of the Order has designed a small item that will make communication much easier."
He pulled a pouch out of one of deep pockets in his robe, and untied it. In it were small locket-like pendants, suspended from silver chains. Each one had a slightly different shape, but they all looked plain and innocuous.
"You will see that there is a small tag attached to each one. Please take the one with your name on it." As the bag made its way around the table, each person removed a locket.
"The locket is keyed to each person, and will allow the Head to contact one or all of you as needed. It has been charmed so that the pendant will pulsate very slightly when you are summoned. That will be your signal to make your way to Headquarters immediately, or as soon as you safely can. You will receive further instructions here."
"Please be advised that the device is one-directional, you can neither contact the Head nor each other using it. The Head will only use it in an emergency when immediate action is necessary. Any questions? No? Please put them on then."
Marya turned to Remus. "Could you put it on for me? I am having problems with the clasp." When he had fastened the chain around her neck, she tightened her hand around the pendant, and then dropped it out of sight beneath the collar of her robe. So it was getting serious now.
Snape cleared his throat again. "As I said, we don't have any specific information, but I will let Headmaster Dumbledore know as soon as I find out anything. Now if you will excuse me? I have some other business to attend to tonight, so I will leave you to your dinner." He gathered his things, turned and with a rustle of robes swept out of the room.
After dinner and the rest of the meeting were over, and just about everyone had left, Remus walked over to Marya. "Want to go get a drink?"
"Sounds good," she answered. "There is a Muggle pub around the corner, or we can go to the Leaky Cauldron if you want to..."
"The Leaky Cauldron it is." They apparated to the pub, and settled at a small table in a dark corner.
"So it is Snape, hm?" Remus asked, holding a bottle of butterbeer.
"Afraid so," Marya answered with a sigh. "Doesn't make a whole lot of sense, does it?"
Remus shook his head. "I confess, he doesn't seem like a very likely candidate..."
"Remus, I know what he is like. But you haven't seen him the way I've seen him – there were a couple months that were just wonderful. I like talking to him. I like being around him – well, when he treats me like a human being. " She laughed. "And even now – he gives so much. I can't imagine doing what he is doing ... "
"I am glad somebody can see him like that," Remus said soberly. "I don't think there are many who even like him very much."
"I like him. I like caring for him. I think it is something I wouldn't mind doing forever, if he would only let me. And I think I would like him caring for me. I believe he would be good at it," she said wistfully. "He is much stronger than I am... and I want to feel his arms back around me, and kiss him properly, and I wish I knew how to fix things to the way they were, and... I don't know why I am telling you all this, except that it feels good to tell someone." She laughed shakily and straightened herself up. "So what about you and Tonks?"
"Not much to tell. I think she's – sweet, and fun, and wonderful....but she can do so much better than me. Why would she want an old man who turns into a beast once a month?" There was a hopelessness in his voice that touched Marya's heart. She laid her hand over his. "You don't give yourself enough credit, Remus. I think you are the sweetest, most wonderful man. And she obviously likes you."
"Likes me, yes. I guess I'll take that." He downed half his butterbeer.
Both of them sat, staring at their bottles.
"I love her chin, you know..." Remus said.
Marya chuckled. "I love the way he swoops around a corner..."
"And I love her hair when it is fuchsia..."
"I love his voice – it gives me goose bumps..."
"I love the way her nose wrinkles up when she is thinking really hard...."
"He has wonderful eyes..." They were silent again.
"We are pathetic, you know?" Remus said with a chuckle.
"Yupp. Completely and utterly." Marya raised her bottle and laughed. "A toast to pathetic people"
"Hear, hear." Their bottles clinked together. For a while longer, they talked and laughed, then finally Marya got up.
"I think I better go – I have a class early tomorrow," she said. As he walked her over to the fireplace so she could get back to Hogwarts, she reached up and kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for listening."
Neither one of them noticed a bat-like shadow stop outside the window, watching them.