Chapter Two: Back to the Shrieking Shack
"So what did he want, anyway?" Ron asked Hermione later in the owlery.
"He wanted to know how I was getting on with my essay." Hermione replied, scratching Pigwidgeon on the neck.
"Done!" exclaimed Harry, throwing down his quill.
"Remind me," said Ron, "Why are you writing to Sirius?"
"To find out if he knows how things are going with Voldemort."
"There's another Hogsmeade weekend coming up. Why don't you ask him to meet us?" Suggested Hermione thoughtfully.
"I did." Harry replied, tying the envelope to Pig's leg and throwing him out the window.
***
After two fairly uneventful days, if one doesn't count Neville melting his ninth cauldron in Potions and proving that Snape's new-found kindness had its limits, Hedwig returned at breakfast with Sirius's reply. Harry, Ron and Hermione snatched at it eagerly.
Harry-
I do have some news, but I would prefer to tell you in person. Meet me in the Shrieking Shack at one next weekend with Ron and Hermione. I'll see you then!
Sirius
Harry looked at Ron and Hermione, who both nodded. He borrowed a quill from Neville and scribbled "OK, great!" on the back of the note before sending Hedwig out again. With the anticipation of meeting Sirius, the three forgot about their questions about Snape.
***
Severus Snape knew that he couldn't open his eyes. If he did, he wouldn't be able to think. He couldn't change the plans. In three months, he was going to marry Dumbledore's daughter. It wasn't a question of love. Every time he looked at her, he loved her more. All he felt for the girl was lust. That was it. He would marry Dumbledore's daughter, and they would be happy. But maybe-just maybe-one night with the girl-could that satisfy his lust? No-no, it wouldn't. And aside from that, the girl would never consent. He just had to forget her.
Snape opened his eyes, and blinked. "What are you doing here?" he asked, rubbing his fists against his eyes.
"Well, good morning to you, too!" replied the redhead sitting in the chair across from his bed, legs and arms crossed. "I'm on my way into Hogsmeade and I wanted to stop by and say hello to you and my father. Your office wasn't exactly the hardest to break into."
Snape chuckled to himself. He should have known. Rayna Dumbledore had been Mad-Eye Moody's protégée, and since he retired, she was widely regarded as the best Auror in the wizarding world. "Sorry." He smiled at his fiancée.
Rayna got up. "No-I'm sorry. I've got to be off. I love you."
"I love you too."
"I'll probably be back for dinner." After a brief kiss, she was gone as suddenly as she had come, and leaving Severus all the more confused by their brief visit.
***
"Well do you?" Sirius's unusually low voice floated out of the Shrieking Shack, finding Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanging looks of utter bewilderment.
"Nothing's changed, Sirius." A more brisk female voice followed, its speaker soon appearing through the trapdoor. She held it open for the three students before walking down the passageway to the school.
"What was that about?" Harry asked Sirius.
"That was Rayna Dumbledore. She was in my year at school. Now she works for the Ministry."
"Oh. I didn't-" Harry began before he was cut off by Ron asking Sirius what he knew about Voldemort.
"Pettigrew has abandoned him." Sirius launched. "Also-unbelievably- the Malfoys aren't giving him as much support. When Percy Weasley was killed, Voldemort suffered a lot. I think it's stiffened Fudge's resolve, junior minister and all."
"That's everything?" asked Harry.
Sirius shrugged. "That's all I know."
"Do you know anything about Professor Snape?" asked Hermione, "He's been acting odd."
"Not much. Supposedly, his job is getting more dangerous. Oh-and he's getting married."
"WHAT?!" exclaimed Hermione shrilly. She blushed furiously as Ron and Harry stared at her. "Sorry-to who?"
"Rayna. She's the Auror that originally caught him. From what I've heard, they fell in love and he pretty much turned himself in." Sirius was staring, very determinedly, at the floor, but Harry thought he saw a tear in the corner of his eye begin to trace a slow path down his cheek.
"Wait a second!" Harry exclaimed, "Dumbledore's daughter caught him, and Dumbledore still trusts him?"
"Rayna is the reason Dumbledore trusts him. After Snape realized she was after him, he just about showed her the Dark Mark, and then he swore that he had renounced Voldemort and asked her to marry him. Rayna said she wouldn't unless he turned spy against Voldemort. He agreed. This all happened after I went to Azkaban, but Rayna would know if he wasn't holding that up."
"Well, that explains a lot." Ron observed, though still looking confused. "Did you know Rayna?"
"Yes. She was Lily's best friend and her maid of honor. We-we were pretty close."
***
Harry, Ron and Hermione may have been the only students left in the Great Hall, as Hermioned turned to ask Harry what he thought of their visit with Sirius, who noticed what was going on up at the staff table. Rayna Dumbledore was becoming increasingly more irritated as Snape's eyes repeatedly flashed towards them-no, not them, thought Ron, Hermione. A pink tinge began to creep into Hermione's cheeks, growing deeper every time they made eye contact.
Finally, Rayna turned away from Snape and began talking to Professor McGonagall. She ignored all of Snape's attempts to console her. Eventually, she said something to him and began walking out of the Great Hall, with Snape staring after her before following. When he caught her up, he put his hands on her shoulders and talked to her for a while before they walked out arm in arm.
TBC
*Thank you to all of my reviewers!
"So what did he want, anyway?" Ron asked Hermione later in the owlery.
"He wanted to know how I was getting on with my essay." Hermione replied, scratching Pigwidgeon on the neck.
"Done!" exclaimed Harry, throwing down his quill.
"Remind me," said Ron, "Why are you writing to Sirius?"
"To find out if he knows how things are going with Voldemort."
"There's another Hogsmeade weekend coming up. Why don't you ask him to meet us?" Suggested Hermione thoughtfully.
"I did." Harry replied, tying the envelope to Pig's leg and throwing him out the window.
***
After two fairly uneventful days, if one doesn't count Neville melting his ninth cauldron in Potions and proving that Snape's new-found kindness had its limits, Hedwig returned at breakfast with Sirius's reply. Harry, Ron and Hermione snatched at it eagerly.
Harry-
I do have some news, but I would prefer to tell you in person. Meet me in the Shrieking Shack at one next weekend with Ron and Hermione. I'll see you then!
Sirius
Harry looked at Ron and Hermione, who both nodded. He borrowed a quill from Neville and scribbled "OK, great!" on the back of the note before sending Hedwig out again. With the anticipation of meeting Sirius, the three forgot about their questions about Snape.
***
Severus Snape knew that he couldn't open his eyes. If he did, he wouldn't be able to think. He couldn't change the plans. In three months, he was going to marry Dumbledore's daughter. It wasn't a question of love. Every time he looked at her, he loved her more. All he felt for the girl was lust. That was it. He would marry Dumbledore's daughter, and they would be happy. But maybe-just maybe-one night with the girl-could that satisfy his lust? No-no, it wouldn't. And aside from that, the girl would never consent. He just had to forget her.
Snape opened his eyes, and blinked. "What are you doing here?" he asked, rubbing his fists against his eyes.
"Well, good morning to you, too!" replied the redhead sitting in the chair across from his bed, legs and arms crossed. "I'm on my way into Hogsmeade and I wanted to stop by and say hello to you and my father. Your office wasn't exactly the hardest to break into."
Snape chuckled to himself. He should have known. Rayna Dumbledore had been Mad-Eye Moody's protégée, and since he retired, she was widely regarded as the best Auror in the wizarding world. "Sorry." He smiled at his fiancée.
Rayna got up. "No-I'm sorry. I've got to be off. I love you."
"I love you too."
"I'll probably be back for dinner." After a brief kiss, she was gone as suddenly as she had come, and leaving Severus all the more confused by their brief visit.
***
"Well do you?" Sirius's unusually low voice floated out of the Shrieking Shack, finding Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanging looks of utter bewilderment.
"Nothing's changed, Sirius." A more brisk female voice followed, its speaker soon appearing through the trapdoor. She held it open for the three students before walking down the passageway to the school.
"What was that about?" Harry asked Sirius.
"That was Rayna Dumbledore. She was in my year at school. Now she works for the Ministry."
"Oh. I didn't-" Harry began before he was cut off by Ron asking Sirius what he knew about Voldemort.
"Pettigrew has abandoned him." Sirius launched. "Also-unbelievably- the Malfoys aren't giving him as much support. When Percy Weasley was killed, Voldemort suffered a lot. I think it's stiffened Fudge's resolve, junior minister and all."
"That's everything?" asked Harry.
Sirius shrugged. "That's all I know."
"Do you know anything about Professor Snape?" asked Hermione, "He's been acting odd."
"Not much. Supposedly, his job is getting more dangerous. Oh-and he's getting married."
"WHAT?!" exclaimed Hermione shrilly. She blushed furiously as Ron and Harry stared at her. "Sorry-to who?"
"Rayna. She's the Auror that originally caught him. From what I've heard, they fell in love and he pretty much turned himself in." Sirius was staring, very determinedly, at the floor, but Harry thought he saw a tear in the corner of his eye begin to trace a slow path down his cheek.
"Wait a second!" Harry exclaimed, "Dumbledore's daughter caught him, and Dumbledore still trusts him?"
"Rayna is the reason Dumbledore trusts him. After Snape realized she was after him, he just about showed her the Dark Mark, and then he swore that he had renounced Voldemort and asked her to marry him. Rayna said she wouldn't unless he turned spy against Voldemort. He agreed. This all happened after I went to Azkaban, but Rayna would know if he wasn't holding that up."
"Well, that explains a lot." Ron observed, though still looking confused. "Did you know Rayna?"
"Yes. She was Lily's best friend and her maid of honor. We-we were pretty close."
***
Harry, Ron and Hermione may have been the only students left in the Great Hall, as Hermioned turned to ask Harry what he thought of their visit with Sirius, who noticed what was going on up at the staff table. Rayna Dumbledore was becoming increasingly more irritated as Snape's eyes repeatedly flashed towards them-no, not them, thought Ron, Hermione. A pink tinge began to creep into Hermione's cheeks, growing deeper every time they made eye contact.
Finally, Rayna turned away from Snape and began talking to Professor McGonagall. She ignored all of Snape's attempts to console her. Eventually, she said something to him and began walking out of the Great Hall, with Snape staring after her before following. When he caught her up, he put his hands on her shoulders and talked to her for a while before they walked out arm in arm.
TBC
*Thank you to all of my reviewers!