Disclaimer: I'm not lucky enough to own Harry Potter & the gang—they all belong to the incomparable JK Rowling!
What happens when your boyfriend's 'spare bit of parchment' takes you and your arch-nemesis twenty years back in time? With the Marauders involved, things can get pretty interesting. ..
Mischief Managed: Ch. 9—Discovery & Therapy Sessions
Back in 1996, another boy with glasses and messy hair was wearing an identical expression of disbelief.
"But where could she have gotten off to?" Harry said, scratching his head.
"It's all right, stop panicking guys," Hermione said firmly, " I mean, she couldn't have gone too far, and this is a huge hotel."
"She did say something about the Lounge," Ron said vaguely, "wherever that is."
"Really, well that's on the ground floor," Hermione said knowingly, "we shall start there, then."
The Golden Trio made their way to the elevator, an invention which Ron was still quite uncertain about.
"It's so small," Ron said in awe, "imagine if we got stuck in here…"
"It happens," Harry said knowledgably.
"Oh Harry," Hermione chided, "quit scaring him."
"Why are we stopping?" Ron said worriedly as the elevator's bright buttons lit up.
"We're here!" Harry and Hermione said simultaneously, laughing as a blush appeared on Ron's face that rivaled his hair.
"This way," Hermione said, "wait a minute. What are all those people standing there for?"
"Potter!" a weedy looking boy with a bad case of acne stood out of the crowd.
"What's Zambini doing here?" Ron said.
"Potter, Weasley," the boy said, "Have you seen Malfoy? He's been missing since last night, and I wouldn't be surprised if the likes of you had something to do with it."
"We wouldn't touch Malfoy if you paid us," Harry replied with a scowl.
"He probably has finally decided to hook up with You-Know-Who," Ron said cruelly, causing Hermione to jab him in the stomach.
"That is not funny, Ronald," Hermione said sternly
"You're right Hermione. It's not funny, it's true!"
"Blaise, have you seen Ginny?" said Hermione in a very business-like tone, ignoring Ron completely.
"Ginny?" his brow furrowed, "little redhead, used to go out with Dean Thomas?"
"Yea," Ron glared at the Slytherin boy, "my little sister."
"Easy Weasley. I haven't seen her, when did she go missing?"
"Last night," Harry blushed as he remembered the previous events of the evening.
"And Draco went missing the same time…" The wheels in Hermione's head were turning, giving her an idea as to what might have happened.
"Hey Zambini, whose jacket is this?" Goyle waved the faded green jacket in the air madly, contents spilling from its pockets.
"Hey!" Harry said loudly, "that's MINE!"
"And look!" squealed a girl, who Hermione recognized immediately as Pansy Parkinson, "it's Drakey's wand!"
"Wait a second," Harry began, "Ginny was wearing my jacket. Oh shit!"
Harry ripped his jacket out of Goyle's hammy hand and examined it furiously, checking each of the pockets.
"The map!" he said with panic in his eyes, "where is the map? It's gone!"
"What's going on down here?" Remus Lupin had appeared suddenly wearing only an old sweatshirt and a pair of boxers, which exposed his skinny, pallid legs. Tonks was with him, in all her blue-haired glory and was sporting a polka-dotted dressing gown.
"Harry, are you all right?"
"The map!" Harry said frantically, "Ginny's gone and so is the map!"
"So is Drakey!" squealed Pansy indignantly.
"THE MAP!" Remus said with horror, not paying any attention to the distraught Slytherin.
"What map? Who cares about some silly map, when Draco is gone?" said Pansy Parkinson.
"NOTHING!" Ron, Harry, and Remus said simultaneously.
"But how did Malfoy's wand land here?" Zambini said, obviously quite perplexed.
"He's kidnapped my sister. That's what happened!" Ron said furiously.
"Oh you think so, Weasley—"
"I'll kill him!" Ron bellowed, "He'll wish he'd never been born!"
"I'm going to find him," Harry said through clenched teeth, "and when I do, I'm going to kill him."
"Am I the only one who remembers what happened when Sirius went 'missing'? I'll not let you ignore my advice again, Harry," Hermione said firmly, "Ginny is an intelligent individual who is quite capable of handling herself, and she does not need your interference."
"Hermione is right Harry," Remus said, "but we've got to get to the bottom of this. Severus, just the man I needed to speak with!"
Snape was wearing a black overcoat with a matching hat and seemed to be trying very hard to get past the group without being seen.
"What now, Lupin?"
"Severus, you might be interested to know that one of YOUR students is missing."
"Oh really, and who might that be?" he said, feigning disinterest.
"Draco Malfoy," Remus said.
"WHAT?" Severus bellowed.
"And my sister!" Ron yelled back.
"Draco and the Weasley girl! Impossible! The two of them have no connection whatsoever."
"Well, Severus, both of them are obviously gone."
"Oh please Lupin, you can't be implying that they are somehow together in this. Draco has better taste than that."
"HEY!" Ron snapped.
"Honestly Severus, it really was quite rude of you to embarrass her like that in front of all those people! And just because they're missing together doesn't mean they are interested in one another. I believe you made that implication yourself."
"Did you not SEE her Lupin? I apologize if I do not wish to see my fifteen year old student expose herself in front of 100,000 people."
"But didn't it occur to you to wait until a more appropriate time, Severus?"
Harry knew that if he had been on the receiving end of the look Snape was giving Lupin, he would have been running in the opposite direction. Snape wasscary, his face sweaty, palms shaking, eyes glittering madly.
"THAT DOES IT! I AM SICK AND TIRED OF BEING OVERWORKED, UNAPPRICIATED, AND NOT TO MENTION RIDCULOUSLY UNDERPAID!"
Snape exited the hotel, completely outraged and completely in disbelief of what just happened. He had just spilled his guts out in front of Potter, Lupin, and half of his students. On top of that, he'd have to explain to Narcissa that his godson had up and run off with Ginny Weasley; and as usual, it would be all his fault. The pressure was too much. Severus didn't really know where he was going. He just kept walking…and walking. Then like magic, there it was, like an omen. A large sign seemed to appear out of nowhere, baring the inscription: Fiona Fitch, Doctor of Psychology.
He gingerly touched the door of the small clinic, which was situated between the neat little Muggle-style flats. He opened the door and stuck his head inside, unsure of whether he was ready for psychotherapy.
A woman with sandy brown hair was sitting behind a desk in the center of the room.
"May I help you?" she said in a thick Welsh accent.
"I...I hope so," Severus sighed despairingly.
"Oh, you must be Corinne's mate; she said you'd drop by to make an appointment."
"I'll require some very potent medicinal aids," Severus said carefully, "I am having a mental breakdown, and I want it to go away—quickly, if you don't mind."
"I think we should talk before I write a prescription dear," the Doctor said kindly, "now, what's on your mind; and please, have a seat."
"I will not sit down! That's how you people work isn't it, trying to play with people's minds? I'll have you know that I am a very accomplished Legilimens."
"Ahh...I see," the Doctor wrote something down, "you have a name for yourself! Fascinating, and how does that make you feel?"
"You're doing it again!" Severus bellowed, "Trying to break my mental defenses."
Dr. Fitch massaged her temple; this was going to be a long hour.
A good three and one half hours later, Severus Snape was being pushed out the door.
"Now, I expect you back here in one week," the Doctor said firmly.
"But I won't be here next week," Snape groaned, holding the prescription for said very powerful medication in his hand.
"Tsk tsk," she scolded, "you are not going to intimidate me with suicide threats. And, in the meantime, I want you to remember what we practiced. Go on, say it for me."
"Violence is not the answer!" Snape repeated faithfully, filled with immense clarity.
As he strolled off, humming the tune of "I'm a Slave for You", Dr. Fitch was immensely relieved that all of her patients were not quite so…difficult. After all it wasn't often that you had someone walk in with a paranoid personality disorder, dissociative identity disorder, abusive childhood, bully complex, and ADD all in one! That Severus character was going to give some poor girl a headache one day…