A/N: Been feelin' a bit under the weather, so I was on a small hiatus. Sorry for the delay.
Chapter 11: Lost Love
The bitter morning cold scraped against Rosina's cheek as she sat on the carriage looking out the window. Hogwarts' striking towers were slowly vanishing from her sight as the carriage drew onwards; away from what once stood as a safe haven for all Witches and Wizards.
'Never Again" she thought, remembering her promise to veer danger away from the innocent.
It would be hours before the sun would rise and she a few minutes until her deadline. Tightly wrapping her green scarf around her neck and giving her hands a whisper of hot air, she climbed out of the carriage and walked towards her destination.
"So, have you informed the Ministry of your reassignment?" Kale's hot breathe formed misty vapors in the air as he spoke. He stood tall in his black overcoat and dark gloves. In his hand he held two large pieces of parchment and his chained watch, which he would check periodically.
"Yes," she said in a monotonous voice, "they know that I've headed out into the field solitarily."
"Good, then. Everything should be going as planned." Rodrick drew a slight smile. In all the years she'd worked with him, she knew how much timing mattered to him. She saw him slip his hand into his pocket and once again peek at his watch and back to his papers.
Rosina's mind drifted as she stood waiting with Rodrick. She was back in Remus's room, an invisible entity, watching everything unfold. Thoughts running rampant in her mind about the previous night; her last night. Remus's hand caressing her face, brushing back her hair, stroking her lips. A twinge of guilt rushed through her. But not guilt for leaving; she never regretted it, for that, she felt, was the only right thing to do. Her guilt was for lying, for betraying Remus and promising him that she would always be right beside him. Sadly, that promise had to be broken.
Rosina's reverie was interrupted by the deafening sound of the Hogwarts Express. Taking a breath, she picked up her bag and boarded the train with Kale.
They made their way through the narrow passageway, until Rodrick stopped at the very last cabin near the end of the train. He placed their luggage on the overhead rack, locked the doors, and motioned for her to sit. Rosina removed her coat and scarf as she took a seat adjacent to the window.
Rosina was the first to speak. "Where's Lestrange?"
Kale began removing his leather gloves. "She was brought in earlier and placed in the private car behind us, completely incapacitated. She won't be going anywhere... at least, not without this..." he slipped his hand into his coat and took out a wand: Bellatrix's. Kale held it up and twirled it as if admiring it. "Magnificent, isn't it? A 12 ½ inch Holly and Ebony wand enchanted with the Essence of Dragon's Talon."
"Impressive...
What's to become of her?"
Kale, who was still admiring the Bella's wand; blatantly answered,
"Fodder for the Azkaban Dementors, I suppose."
Rosina leaned back in her seat and stared out the window, bidding a mental adieu to what she left behind.
Remus sat at the edge of Rosina's bed; holding the piece of parchment in his hand for what seemed like an eternity. As he read it over and over again, he seemed to feel a pain in his chest; emptiness. He felt his body losing energy and let the parchment fall out of his hand and onto the cold stone floor. 'Why? How could she?' Anger, bitterness, despondence and many other emotions swelled up in his chest. The man whom all thought of as weak put all his might and force and yelled out, piercing the quiet solemnity of the desolate room. It fell silent once again.
Rosina awoke to the thunderous roar of the tempestuous weather outside her window. The sky had transformed from a serene blue to a solemn gray while she slept. As she stretched her arms and arched her back, she noticed Rodrick was gone. He could've gone to eat or speak with the conductor. Tilting her head from side to side so that the crink in her neck would loosen; she walked out of the cart and peered into the passageway. To the left it was all clear, to the right, there was a large steel door leading to a separate car. She made her way slowly to the door. It had but a small square casement to look through. The palms of her hands touched the steel and she raised herself up slightly to get a good view. There she was; crouched down in the middle of her cell, her hair wild and head bent. She seemed unconscious. Rosina peered so close that her nose touched the glass. Like the lightning that struck, Lestrange lifted her head up and glared at Rosina with her glowing eyes. Rosina fell back from shock and felt someone grab her from behind. She gasped.
"You alright there, Soler?" Kale turned her around.
"Yes...I, uh ... I just wanted to see her."
Kale went over and closed the slab of the window and escorted Rosina back to their seats. Rodrick sighed, "I'll be glad when I'm done with this babysitting mission."
"Me too..."
As he walked through the hallway and up the stairs, Remus noticed many of the students that he passed stopped and pointed, he felt their eyes upon them. Even some of the professors seemed to pause and look. He reached the door to his office and was greeted, so to speak, by Snape. "What are you doing here, Severus? I'm not in the mood for your tripe."
"Aggravated, are we? Oh yes, I heard." Severus walked around the classroom he always yearned for all the years he was at Hogwarts.
Remus rubbed his aching forehead with his hand. "It's none of your business, so, if you don't mind, I'd like to prepare for my lessons."
"Oh you won't have to worry about that anymore." Snape stood before a large bookcase and ran his fingers down the spines of a few volumes.
Remus stood there, watching Snape. "What are you talking about?"
"Seems you're quite popular now, Lupin. Just like the old days, when you strutted around here with your little comrades." Severus was ruffling through the pages of a book.
"I don't understand... Popular?"
Snape closed the book and looked up at Remus. "They know."
"WHAT? Severus ... how could you do this?" Remus felt himself reach into his robe and feel his wand...
"Well, since your beloved seems to have absconded, I thought you might have preferred to take the same route. I made it easier for you to resign without any long explanations."
In a flash, his hands thrust out, armed with his wand, but Remus hadn't done what his fury had wanted. Instead he froze, wand in hand, aimed at Snape's neck. Snape's words rung in his ears, in his head. The initial shock of Rosina's departure had left him wondering if he could even go on without her. Could this really be his chance? None the less, the damage had been done, and he would not be able to survive any backlash from the parents. He would have no choice but to resign. Remus let his arm fall down to his side. Severus stood there, rubbing his throat with arrogance and a hint of relief in his eyes. Exhausted by all that was happening, Remus walked over to his desk.
"This gives you a good excuse to go find her." Remus turned his head slightly towards Severus who gave him his usual tight lipped smile and strolled out of the classroom.
Remus slumped into his seat. Out of nowhere, he felt himself smile.
"I will find her Severus... and I think I know someone who might help."