Chapter Ten: Good-bye
"Sirius!" Rayna exclaimed with relief. "How did you know I was here?" The handsome man in front of her cut the ropes that bound her wrists.
"Your father told me. Come on." He pulled her to her feet and towards the fireplace. He retrieved a handful of Floo powder from his pocket and they stepped into the flames, holding each other tight. "Hogwarts!" Sirius choked, and they were off.
*
Snape stormed toward the door of the great hall, but a tall form stepped in front of him.
"No need, Severus." Dumbledore said gently, placing a hand on the Potions Master's shoulder.
Snape stopped. "What? She's not... She couldn't be..... dead?"
"She's not dead. An old friend beat you to her."
Snape sneered. "In more ways than one, apparently."
"Come to my office."
*
Rayna pulled reluctantly away from Sirius' embrace as Snape entered the room. He glanced at her. "Are you all right?" he asked, his voice, as usual, completely unfeeling.
"I'm fine." Even in these two short sentences, Snape noticed that Sirius had stiffened, and covered Rayna's hand in his possessively. 'You can have her.' Snape thought bitterly.
Dumbledore seated himself behind his desk. "I wanted to get you all here to warn you. You can't keep running into these kind of situations." His words were greeted with a thundering of objections and protests from all occupants of the room, including a rare squawk from Fawkes. He held up a hand. "Sirius, I understand your motives. You've just gotten back something that you lost for fifteen years. But you can't be rash. Rayna, you can't keep seeking out Lucius Malfoy or Voldemort. You know perfectly well that you probably wouldn't survive another Cruciatus Curse. And Severus, you just need to be more careful." With a wave of his hand, the three former schoolmates left the room.
*
Hermione was sitting at Snape's desk, reading, when he re-entered his office. "What happened?" She asked, not looking up.
"The usual. I got bested by someone of inferior skill." Every syllable dripped with bitterness.
Hermione slid out from behind the desk and placed a hand on his shoulder. As she leaned toward him, he pushed her hand away and closed his eyes. "I couldn't get to her in time."
"Is she dead?"
"No. Black got there first and played the hero."
"Then why do you care?" Annoyance was evident in Hermione's voice.
"Because I'm better than him! The reason I'm here and he's in hiding is because I deserve it more! Why shouldn't she want me?"
Hermione's eyes were wide. "I should go."
Snape's old sarcasm was back. "Yes you should. You have someone more able than I waiting in your room, I presume." He didn't look back as she slammed the door.
*
When Ron walked into the common room, Harry's arms were locked around a sobbing Hermione, and Ginny was sitting in the next chair, eyes wide. After several moments, Hermione pulled back.
"I'm sorry. I mean, I know it was just a week or two, but if you'd seen him tonight" she drifted off, crying again.
Ron sat on the table, just out of Hermione's view. "I'm really sorry, Hermione."
She sat bolt upright, and looked at him for a few seconds. "Oh Ron!" exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck. "You were right. I should be sorry for getting mad at you."
Ron looked questioning at Harry around Hermione's head. Harry nodded. Ron took Hermione's hand. "Come here." He led her out of the room.
Ginny looked at Harry. "What was that all about?" she asked. Harry put an arm around her shoulders.
"You'll see."
TBC
A/N: Thank you again to everyone who responded to my author's note. Also again, if you thought I should replace Sirius with Lupin, check out Two Men Shunned. I also thank everyone that I'm sure thought about reviewing but just didn't quite get around to it!! Another new chapter soon, I promise!
"Sirius!" Rayna exclaimed with relief. "How did you know I was here?" The handsome man in front of her cut the ropes that bound her wrists.
"Your father told me. Come on." He pulled her to her feet and towards the fireplace. He retrieved a handful of Floo powder from his pocket and they stepped into the flames, holding each other tight. "Hogwarts!" Sirius choked, and they were off.
*
Snape stormed toward the door of the great hall, but a tall form stepped in front of him.
"No need, Severus." Dumbledore said gently, placing a hand on the Potions Master's shoulder.
Snape stopped. "What? She's not... She couldn't be..... dead?"
"She's not dead. An old friend beat you to her."
Snape sneered. "In more ways than one, apparently."
"Come to my office."
*
Rayna pulled reluctantly away from Sirius' embrace as Snape entered the room. He glanced at her. "Are you all right?" he asked, his voice, as usual, completely unfeeling.
"I'm fine." Even in these two short sentences, Snape noticed that Sirius had stiffened, and covered Rayna's hand in his possessively. 'You can have her.' Snape thought bitterly.
Dumbledore seated himself behind his desk. "I wanted to get you all here to warn you. You can't keep running into these kind of situations." His words were greeted with a thundering of objections and protests from all occupants of the room, including a rare squawk from Fawkes. He held up a hand. "Sirius, I understand your motives. You've just gotten back something that you lost for fifteen years. But you can't be rash. Rayna, you can't keep seeking out Lucius Malfoy or Voldemort. You know perfectly well that you probably wouldn't survive another Cruciatus Curse. And Severus, you just need to be more careful." With a wave of his hand, the three former schoolmates left the room.
*
Hermione was sitting at Snape's desk, reading, when he re-entered his office. "What happened?" She asked, not looking up.
"The usual. I got bested by someone of inferior skill." Every syllable dripped with bitterness.
Hermione slid out from behind the desk and placed a hand on his shoulder. As she leaned toward him, he pushed her hand away and closed his eyes. "I couldn't get to her in time."
"Is she dead?"
"No. Black got there first and played the hero."
"Then why do you care?" Annoyance was evident in Hermione's voice.
"Because I'm better than him! The reason I'm here and he's in hiding is because I deserve it more! Why shouldn't she want me?"
Hermione's eyes were wide. "I should go."
Snape's old sarcasm was back. "Yes you should. You have someone more able than I waiting in your room, I presume." He didn't look back as she slammed the door.
*
When Ron walked into the common room, Harry's arms were locked around a sobbing Hermione, and Ginny was sitting in the next chair, eyes wide. After several moments, Hermione pulled back.
"I'm sorry. I mean, I know it was just a week or two, but if you'd seen him tonight" she drifted off, crying again.
Ron sat on the table, just out of Hermione's view. "I'm really sorry, Hermione."
She sat bolt upright, and looked at him for a few seconds. "Oh Ron!" exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck. "You were right. I should be sorry for getting mad at you."
Ron looked questioning at Harry around Hermione's head. Harry nodded. Ron took Hermione's hand. "Come here." He led her out of the room.
Ginny looked at Harry. "What was that all about?" she asked. Harry put an arm around her shoulders.
"You'll see."
TBC
A/N: Thank you again to everyone who responded to my author's note. Also again, if you thought I should replace Sirius with Lupin, check out Two Men Shunned. I also thank everyone that I'm sure thought about reviewing but just didn't quite get around to it!! Another new chapter soon, I promise!