Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events and/or places that are recognized as being written and created by J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling owns all the characters and places from the Harry Potter books including the ones used in this story.
A/N: Sorry I disgusted alot of people with my Clea and Snape kiss, lol!!! Every story needs a little twist, right? So, this chapter is a little long and also there are some lines right from the book, in other words disclaimer number two:I don't own those lines!!
freakin-person: that review was sooooo funny!! Clea and Remus will snog...its coming soon!
msj: I'm glad you saw the niceness in Snape...if there really is any only J.K. knows! Thanks for the awesome review!
Jelli-baby: I just had to tell you that I love your reviews!!! You rock!!
THANK YOU to everyone else who reviewed too!
Clea's eyes burst open as if they were being held closed for centuries. Tiny blurry dots of red and purple popped before her in the surrounding darkness.
Slowly she felt the weight of heavy fabric lying on top of her head, and the simple function of breathing had become harder and harder to succeed at.
Twisting and flipping around on the soft mattress of her bed, Clea struggled to free herself from the large comforter that was holding her captive.
Clea sat up and realized that she was completely lost underneath the sea of gold fabric. She began pawing at the makeshift tent, furiously pulling the blanket forward over her head.
Her hands picked up speed. Suddenly she felt air hit her back and then a shimmer of light start to flitter across her bed.
Fingers clutched tightly around a fold of the blanket, Clea performed one last great tug and tore the beast away.
The cold sweet relief of fresh air washed over her and flew into her gasping mouth and sucking nostrils.
Clea's hair was a mess of frizzy tangles that flew back and forth along with Clea's head as she realized that she had been lying backwards on her bed. She tried to recall whether she fell asleep with her feet on her pillows, of if she suffered from horrifying nightmares during the night, which is the catalyst for deadly tossing and turning. Clea remembered kissing Snape; it was probably the latter.
Clea pressed the palms of her hands over her eyes, pushing her eyeballs deep into their sockets. The kiss wasn't a passionate one, at least. It wasn't wet, or awe-inspiring. A second, maybe ten, passed and it was over.
Then Snape sprang up from his seat like someone lit a fire underneath him, and mumbled something about wolfsbane. Clea, trying her hardest not to sound hysterical, told him she had to go, and sped out of the room, out of the dungeons and didn't stop till she was safely locked inside her bedroom.
She had stood in front of her mirror for minutes; the tip of her wand brushing back and forth against her lips. She considered what the after effects of performing 'Obliviate' on herself would be. In the end, she decided that a good old fashion toothbrush would work just as fine.
Clea removed her hands from her eyes, and flopped backwards onto the bed. She stared up at the ceiling, blinking her blurry world back into focus.
A small, muffled sound started to penetrate her silence. Clea sat up and swung her legs off the side of her bed. She padded over to her bedroom door and unlocked it. Sticking her ear through the opening, the muffled sound became louder and a more pronounced knocking.
It took nine long steps for Clea to cross her office and get to the source of the knocking. She turned the knob slowly. Please don't be Severus! Anyone but Severus! Clea screamed inside her head.
Wanting to get it over fast, Clea tore the door open, and her eyes took in the tall glorious creature standing before her.
"Remus," Clea sighed, smiling brightly.
Remus laughed. "Hello Clea. You weren't at breakfast, so I brought you some food."
Clea stared at the cup of juice in Remus's right hand to the soft pastry, smothered in dripping white frosting in his left. Pausing a second to compose her drooling mouth, Clea's head tilted up so she could gaze at Remus's sweet, slightly amused face.
Clea rose to the very tip top points of her toes and flung herself at Remus, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.
A sound like a great deal of air escaping from lungs came from Remus, followed by a crisp splash as drops of juice made their escape.
"I am so, so, so, so sorry, Remus," Clea said, squeezing Remus tighter and reaching her head up so that her chin could rest on his shoulders.
"That juice is going to stain. Why are you sorry?"
"Because I kis..." Clea's manic voice halted; "Nevermind."
"Clea?" Remus asked, his voice sounding strained, "The room is starting to spin."
Clea slid down, letting go of Remus. She took the plate and the now half empty glass from him and walked over to her desk. "Do you want to come in?" she asked Remus.
Remus walked further into the room hesitantly. "I actually can't," he said, looking away from Clea and out towards her window. "I should get back to my office. I'm expecting a delivery of a Grindylow; and it would probably be best if I stayed there and waited for it."
"Oh, ok," Clea said. She grazed the side of the pastry with her finger, allowing frosting to coat the side. She turned her hand to the side and licked the white paste completely off.
Remus started at her mouth, unconsciously leaning forward. Clea's eyes flashed up at his.
"Ahem," Remus said, shaking his head. "I better get back to my office." Remus turned and started towards the door.
"Wait!" Clea sprang ahead of him and placed one hand on each side of the doorway, blocking his exit. "Did, um, did Severus say anything to you during breakfast?"
"Not anything note worthy," Remus said, thinking for a moment. "He basically just sat there, sending me his I'm-going-to-kill-you-while-you-sleep look, but that's nothing new."
Clea exhaled heavily. Remus started to wobble with laughter, a bewildered look plastered across his face.
"Listen carefully to me, Remus," Clea said. She reached up and firmly grabbed Remus's right shoulder. "If you ever hear a rumor or a secret about me, if some horrible man with bad hair and a disgruntled look upon the thing he calls a face ever tries to convince you that I did something—"Remus's mouth opened and the beginning of the word 'what' slipped out amongst laughs. "Shh, shh," Clea continued, putting her other hand over Remus's mouth. "Just know that it's only, partially...true. Partially!"
Remus shook his head back and forth with laughter, Clea's hand still hovering over his mouth.
He peeled her hand away from his face, and used it to lead her over to her desk. "Clea, I do not have any idea what you are talking about; but, I do know that I really need to return to my office and that you have been driven delirious, by what I'm assuming is low blood sugar. In conclusion, here," Remus grabbed Clea's chin and pressed down on her bottom jaw line. Into her now open mouth, Remus gently stuffed the pastry.
"I'll come find you later, if I have time," he said, sliding his tongue down the length of his index finger, scooping up the residue frosting, before turning and walking out of the room.
Clea tore off the half of the pastry that was still sticking out of her mouth. After watching Remus attack his frosted finger, she felt like a long hot shower was needed.
Bathing taken care of, food devoured and fresh robes painted onto her body, Clea flopped down into her desk chair. She could no longer put off the inevitable; it was time for the long and boring task of correcting parchments covered in wavering lines her students referred to as writing.
Clea stared at her thirty-seventh paper with burning retinas. An hour had passed. Clea suddenly felt a dusty old light bulb burn with a passionate light high above her head, (which technically would be impossible given where she was), with the genius idea that a break was in the very near future.
Grabbing her cloak, Clea left her office with the intention of visiting Remus and his new pet.
As she got closer to his door, she could make out mumbling voices coming from inside his office. Clea peered around the corner and into the room. She saw Remus searching through a cupboard and Harry taking a seat in front of Remus's desk.
"I've only got teabags, I'm afraid—", Clea heard Remus say. She smiled and walked past his office. Nothing short of Hogwarts burning down would cause her to interrupt Remus's time with Harry.
Changing her plans, Clea decided to visit the house elves and ask them to make her the tallest sandwich in the history of bread.
Clea stepped off the last stair and into the entrance hall when a long shadow ascended up from the dungeons.
Carrying a goblet, steam rising and wavering into the air, Snape walked across the entrance hallway, a look on his face suggesting that he would have rather seen Dumbledore standing in front of him completely naked than Clea.
"Good afternoon, Severus," Clea said, swallowing her nervousness.
"Good afternoon," Snape responded. He moved closer to Clea and the staircases, avoiding her unblinking stare. He stopped dead no more than three inches from her; extending his arm out to his side to hold the goblet away from them.
"Wolfsbane," Snape said, nodding towards his hand.
"So my nose says," Clea said, leaning away from him.
"Cleopatra, I think we need to..."
"No."
"Something needs to be said about..."
"Not really."
"We kis..."
"Shh!"
"You should know that it..."
"Was just a moment Severus. Ok? It was just a moment."
Snape stared at her for a second. He rolled his eyes over to his hand which was held tightly around the goblet. "Where's Lupin?" he spitted maliciously.
"His office," Clea responded before fleeing the hall. She made the immediate decision that fresh air is what she needed now; some good old fashion oxygen.
Outside, the near November air was not without its reminder that winter was approaching. Clea buttoned up her cloak and searched the insides for the pockets, to stick her increasingly numbing hands in. The chill wind felt nice on her face as she walked around the grounds.
Clea went past the Whommping Willow and Hagrid's hut. Skimming the shore of the lake, her path led her to the outer edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Even in mid-afternoon where sunlight was never in short supply, the Forbidden Forest casts gargantuan shadows over those who dare to stand near it.
Clea shuttered, thinking about what dark creatures were in there, hiding themselves in the tight, twisting branches.
She started walking forward, her eyes still captivated by the forest.
Something moved. A big shadow leaped from behind one bush, into another; a closer one.
Heart tripling and lodged somewhere in her esophagus, Clea kept moving, eyes held unblinking on the forest floor.
The shadow moved again; now wavering behind two bushes a little ahead of Clea. Don't panic! Clea told herself. You are trained to handle magical creatures, remember?
Clea was unable to stop herself from walking forward. A sun ray shifted and landed on the massive shadow, its light hitting two glittering objects.
Clea leaned slightly forward and down as she crept past. Fear making her hands shake, but curiosity pushing her to keep going.
As she stepped directly in front of the bushes where the creature was hiding, the two shining circles blinked up at her.
Clea's feet kept moving, although her mind had stopped functioning. Her eyes were locked with the blinking eyes from the forest floor. Not paying attention, Clea tripped over a large, protruding tree root and crashed hard onto the ground.
Clea turned her head quickly back to the forest. The eyes blinked once more, and the massive shadow stepped closer, bathing itself in a line of sunlight. She recognized the creature instantly.
Clea's heart stopped. The muscles in her stomach tightened up and released itself with a flurry of butterflies.
"Sirius...?" Clea whispered.
"Professor!"
Clea sprang up, and looked towards the voice. Harry came bounding towards her.
"Harry," Clea said frantically. She stood up and grabbed Harry's arm, stopping him from getting any closer to the forest.
"Are you ok, Professor? I saw you trip."
"I'm fine. I, I just wasn't looking where I was going," Clea pulled her wand out ready to strike at Sirius if he tried anything. She pulled Harry towards the path that led to the castle. "What are you doing out her?" Clea shouted at him, unable to hide the terror in her voice.
"Everyone is still at Hogsmeade. I was just taking a walk."
"You shouldn't be out walking by yourself, Harry! You know that!" Clea loosened her grip around Harry's arm and glanced over her shoulder. She didn't see the dog anymore.
Harry's head swerved from Clea to the Forbidden Forest, and back. He narrowed his eyes at Clea, a mix of confusion and suspiciousness swimming through them. "Are you looking for something, Professor Patra?" Harry asked her.
Clea realized that she had been staring into the forest. She smiled at Harry, her brain searching for something to say. "I…thought I saw a Clabbert. I was going to try and capture it."
"What's that?" Harry asked, the suspicious look fading into curiosity.
"I'll explain in a second, but you know what?" Clea slinked her arm around Harry's and led him up the path to the castle. "It's about time for everyone to come back from Hogsmeade. So, let's go inside."
Once they got into the castle, Harry excused himself form Clea, and ran over to greet Hermione and Ron.
Clea stalked away slowly around a corner, before she broke out into a sprinting run; she had to find Remus.
Clea shot around the castle, checking Remus's office, classroom, the library, she even popped her head into the male staff's lavatory.
Finally Clea almost collapsed in a dying heap in front of the Great Hall. The Halloween feast would be starting any minute, so Clea gave up her search and decided to sit and wait for Remus.
Like every Halloween, the Great Hall was decorated with floating jack-o-lanterns and flying bats. Clea's eyes drifted down from the ceiling to the center aisle. Remus was walking down towards her, hands stuffed in his pockets and leaning slightly down as he talked to Professor Flitwick, who was walking besides him.
"Remus!" Clea shouted, bounding down the center aisle to meet him. "Where have you been?"
"He was helping me in her, Clea," Flitwick said, tugging on her skirt to get her attention. Remus smiled at him and then at Clea, who was shaking, silent laughter longing to burst out of her.
"You were decorating, Remus?" Clea asked. Remus nodded his head.
Clea couldn't contain herself for one more second. Remus's face relaxed into an annoyed scowl. He turned on his heels and walked away towards the staff table.
"Wait!" Clea giggled, running after him and almost knocking Flitwick down. "Oh, I'm sorry. Remus! Wait one minute!"
Remus pulled out his chair at the table, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth as he continued to purposely ignore Clea's shouts.
Clea grabbed Remus's elbow and pulled him back, stopping him from sitting down. Clea rose up on her toes and leaned against Remus for support. "There's something important I need to tell you," she whispered.
"What?" Remus said, turning to face Clea.
Clea dropped down from her toes and looked up into Remus's eyes. "Remus, I think I saw-"
"Now, move over you two, move over!" Flitwick said, as he pried Clea and Remus apart at the thighs. "I think I'm going to have to sit here in between you love birds tonight."
Clea shook the blush rising on her face away, while Remus tried to stammer out that Clea was just trying to tell him something, but Flitwick wasn't having any of it.
Flitwick climbed up onto the chair next to Remus's and patted the seat of the opposite chair, indicting to Clea that she sit down.
Feeling defeat, Clea sank down into the chair. She looked to her right, expecting to see Snape sitting next to her, but he wasn't there. Instead, Snape was at the opposite end of the table, glaring daggers down at Remus.
The Halloween feast was spectacular, and Remus and Clea were treated to lively conversations with the tiny Charms Professor.
"Well," Flitwick said, as he hopped off his chair at the end of the feast. "Thank you for allowing me to have such an enjoyable evening with two of my all time favorite students!"
"Was I really your favorite student!?" Clea squealed, clasping her hands together and bending down to smile face to face with Flitwick.
"Well, second," Flitwick said, throwing a wide smile up at Remus. "Third actually, if I count Lily; maybe fourth, because I can not forget to consider-"
"All right, that's enough, time for bed," Clea said, her voicing resuming its low, regal tone. She giggled and nudged Flitwick away from the table.
Clea turned back to Remus still smiling. Remus's face was the complete opposite of hers though, as he stepped closer to her, draping his hands over her shoulders.
"Clea," Remus whispered, his tired grayish-blue eyes darting around the room before settling on Clea. "What were you going to tell me before?"
"Uh," Clea mumbled, becoming suddenly still and serious. She screwed her face up and filed through her memories from the day. She felt a feeling of blankness descend upon her brain. "I can't remember, Remus," Clea said, shrugging. "I suppose it mustn't have been that important, if I can't even remember it."
Remus sighed softly. "Clea," he said, squeezing her shoulders. "I'm sorry but, there is a serious situation going on right now. And I know you're having fun being back at Hogwarts, but, you can not afford to be ditzy and forgetful now, ok?"
Clea felt embarrassed. She threw her head back and swallowed the lump in her throat. Clea's head fell back forwards, her eyes leveling with Remus's collar bone, and nodded.
"Let me think," she started, in a hoarse whisper. "I was correcting papers in my office-"
"Professor Dumbledore!" the shrill voice of Lavender Brown, broke Clea's train of thought. "Something has happened to the Fat Lady! You must come quickly!"
Dumbledore whisked around the staff table, and followed Lavender as she ran out of the Great Hall. Over his shoulder, Dumbledore bent his arm back slightly and flicked his hand forward. As if he pressed the play button on a paused screen, every Professor left behind the table went into instant action, trailing close and fast behind Dumbledore.
In seconds, the group weaved in and out of the line of Gryffindors waiting to get into their tower.
Suddenly they all stopped dead. Clea stood on the very tops of her feet, straining to see over Remus's shoulder and around McGonagall's pointy hat.
"We need to find her," Clea heard Dumbledore say. "Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr. Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."
McGonagall shifted to the right and unblocked the small sliver of the Fat Lady's portrait that Clea could see over Remus. Her eyes widened and her breath caught in the back of her throat. The entire top of the portrait was slashed off; leading the way for larger deeper slashes that Clea knew descended the entire painting.
Clea felt a breeze over her head. Tearing her quickly watering eyes away from the portrait, she threw her head up just as Peeves soared over.
"You'll be lucky!" Peeves cackled loudly.
Dumbledore began questioning Peeves about what he saw, and Peeves went into his explanation of the events.
"Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."
The words hit Clea like a swift punch in the stomach. She felt hot goop rise in her throat.
Her shaking hand groped Remus's arm, snaking up against the rough old tweed until her finger found a hole spreading out from the seam on his sleeve. Her middle finger pushed underneath it, and twisted around, grabbing Remus's sleeve and forcing him to bend down and to the side.
"Remus?" Clea swaggered, lips pressed against Remus's earlobe. "I remember what I had to tell you."
Remus's hand covered Clea's mouth quickly; with one swift glance he prevented her from the delirious manic rant that was balancing between her lips.
Dumbledore sent all the students back to the Great Hall. On his way down the steps he told the Professors still standing there to help search the school.
Remus grabbed Clea's hand, and led her up the stairs past the Gryffindor's portrait hole.
"I'm scared, Remus," Clea whispered loudly, digging her fingers into Remus's hand.
"Don't go too far, Lupin," Snape hissed as Clea and Remus past him. "Or maybe we could end this pointless exertion and you can just enlighten us with Black's whereabouts."
Remus's back stiffened and he took a long breath, composing himself. Clea whipped around on her heels, and glared her eyes at Snape.
"Severus, Remus has nothing to do with Sirius! And if you suspect him, then you should suspect me too!"
"More," Snape said, stepping away from the wall, and into the middle of the hallway. "I suspect you more, Cleopatra."
Clea's mouth dropped. She immediatly assumed that Snape must have been trying, completely failing, but trying nonetheless to get her to trust him, and then spill about Sirius; when in reality, Clea of course knew nothing.
Before Clea could defend her innocence, Remus grabbed her hand and dragged her down another corridor. The two didn't stop until they were as far from where Snape was as possible.
"Ok, Clea," Remus whispered, turning to her and staring intently down into her eyes. "Did you see Sirius today?"
"No," Clea said, her head moving back and forth. She leaned in slightly closer to Remus. "I saw Padfoot."
Remus closed his eyes and nodded his head.
"I forgot, Remus," Clea said, her voice rising. "I forgot he was an animagi."
"I haven't," Remus said, pressing his hands over his face. "Everyday I'm battling with this secret, if I should go to Dumbledore or not."
Clea slouched up against the wall, her hands smoothing the creases in her skirt. "Are you?"
Remus looked at her. "I guess you're not going to?" Clea's eyes glossed over. She didn't look away from her lap. "I was the reason he became an animagi. This is my fault."
"No it isn't Remus!" Clea's back shot straight, and she grabbed Remus's arm. "You didn't make him become an animagi, and how were you supposed to know something like this would happen?"
Remus wrapped his left hand over the hand Clea had gripped around his right arm. "It is my responsibility to tell Dumbledore the truth, thought. It is my decision."
Clea straightened up to her most posh stance. She closed her eyes, her mind fighting with its thoughts. She knows Remus's weakness, and the part in her still true to her family's roots screamed at her to use it against him, to save her brother.
"Remus," Clea said slowly, pronouncing every letter in his name. "Please don't say anything to Dumbledore. What would be the point? Sirius is out of Azkaban, he got into the castle. There is nothing Dumbledore can do now."
Remus nodded his head slowly.
"For me, ok? Don't say anything. Don't start more trouble…for yourself. We just have to wait now, and watch out for Harry. That's what's important now making sure nothing happens to Harry," Clea took a deep breath. She felt horrible inside.
"Yes, you're right," Remus said quietly.
Clea reached up and kissed Remus softly on the corner of his mouth. Remus grabbed Clea's hand and led her down another corridor.
"Ok," Clea said, as the two scanned every portrait on the wall. "Now how can I murder Severus and make it look like Sirius did it?"
