A/N: I am still blank. Try this one. Hope it's alright.

Chapter 15: Dealing with Godfathers

Harry did not know whether he was going to take Malfoy seriously or not. Malfoy was trying to say that he could get Voldemort to do the dirty work for him. He wanted Rose. Would he fire off his tongue at Voldemort and ask him to kidnap Rose at the least? Hell, it didn't matter. Rose was one of Voldemort's two main targets, the other being Harry. Voldemort would be glad to hear that Malfoy could easily hand Rose over to him, and when he was done getting the information, or power, he needed from her, Draco Malfoy would get her, or what's left of her.

"So, you're saying Rose is now in your ol' master's hands and he's baby-sitting her for you?" Harry decided to sneer at Malfoy's implication.

He was getting worried, now that Malfoy had reminded him of the dangers, but Harry was not about to reveal that Malfoy's statement got him jumpy in the slightest.

"You think I'm joking, Potter?" Malfoy sneered back. "Hah, wait 'til Rose comes back. Or… wait forever and never see her come back."

Malfoy's laugh was low, but it reverberated in Harry's brain all through the day. He had told Hermione and Ron about it.

"He's just bluffing," said Ron with a shrug. "You know, he likes to make people think he's all powerful and stuff. He isn't. And Rose isn't foolish enough to fall into his trap, whatever it is."

"But think about it," Hermione now said. "Rose is arguably friendly, past her obnoxious façade. What if Malfoy used that to his advantage? For all we know, Rose could not be coming back tonight."

"Hermione?"

"Sorry, Harry. I'm just thinking of the possibilities, of course I'm not hoping! It's just baffling how Malfoy meant when he said that to you."

Harry received a letter before dinner.

Harry –

You are in danger. Keep your eyes open.

Snuffles

Harry's eyes widened. Now, he seriously thought, somebody was playing a trick on him.

"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked, concerned. Harry did not reply.

"Who's it from?" said Ron, pouring himself tea. Harry handed him the paper.

Ron almost spat his tea upon reading the letter. She gave it to Hermione.

"This is a… sick joke…" Ron coughed. "They've no respect for the dead."

"No other name? No return address?" Hermione said. Harry vaguely humored himself that Hermione was asking for a return address when it was only used in Muggle posts.

"What do you think?" Harry asked Hermione. He was angered, but he was more curious who could be the one behind the letter. Even the handwriting looked like Sirius'.

"I don't know…" Hermione said, her eyes glazed over. "Who else knows about Snuffles?"

"The Order," Ron said. And after a few more moments, said, "Snape!"

"Shhh!" Harry and Hermione said in unison.

"Sorry," Ron mumbled.

"Great. Snape? What's he up to now?"

"He's up to livin' up to Voldemort's 'xpectations, an' no persuasion's 'bout to avert'im from'is ultimate goal," said Rose's voice from behind Harry.

"Rose!" Ron exclaimed.

"Oh thank goodness you're finally here!" said Hermione.

Harry was not able to speak, out of relief. Malfoy was bluffing, just as Ron said.

"Mind if I sit'ere?" Rose said, pointing at the chair beside Harry's. Harry nodded, still lost for words.

"Since when did ya go mute?" Rose said, picking up her chopsticks and starting to eat. Hermione laughed and Ron slapped Harry's shoulder.

"What?" Harry said with a start. Rose laughed as well.

"It's Malfoy. He said things. Well, unusual things," Hermione explained.

"Unusual how?"

"Like, he ordered You-Know-Who to kidnap you for him," Ron snorted. Rose frowned.

"That mighta been the original plan, y'know," Rose said jokingly.

"What? How do you mean original plan?" Harry now asked. "Where did you go anyway?"

"I met with Severus," Rose replied simply.

"What!" Harry actually yelled, but other people did not notice because of the chatter in the hall and the clatter of bowls and chopsticks. "Why did you do that?"

"What?" Rose said, startled. She stared at Harry. Ron and Hermione averted their eyes and started eating quietly.

"He could have done anything to you!" Rose continued to stare. "Who wanted to meet up, you or him?"

"Him."

"Why did you come!"

"What's so wrong wi'that?"

"He could have planned the meeting to hand you to Voldemort!" Harry hissed.

"He won't try tha' jus' yet."

"How do you know he won't?"

"How do ya know he will?" Rose glared. Harry was not about to give up. He waved the note he'd just received at Rose in the face.

"You said it yourself! The original plan for today might have been for Snape to bring you to Voldemort, and then when he's done with you, he'd give you away to Malfoy!"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Ever heard of sense of humor?"

"Do you see this? This is from Snape. He sent this to play tricks on me. Who knows what he's up to, trying to fool me using my godfather's name. He's not trustworthy. He's dangerous – "

"He's my godfather!"

Rose slammed her chopsticks down on the table. Still, no one noticed.

"I dunno what kind of history ya an' Severus left back at Hogwarts, 'right? An' I don' care either! Severus is my godfather. Hell, no one trusts'im coz he's an idiot to join Voldemort, but I do."

Harry did not understand why Rose was thinking the way she was. Was it hard to understand that Snape was in league with Voldemort? Was it hard to understand that Voldemort was out to get at Harry and Rose? Was it hard to understand that Voldemort is most probably using Snape to get Rose?

"I dunno who sent tha' note to ya, but am sure 't's'not my godfather," Rose hissed. "An' don't ya dare charge Severus for any sick intuition again."

Rose got up and walked away from their table, her walking hurried and obviously hotheaded. She left behind an open-mouthed Harry, who just stared in disbelief.

"How blind can she get?" Harry turned to Ron and Hermione, both who were staring back at him blankly.

Harry was walking down the dark rickety stairway again. When he arrived at the foot of the stairs, Sirius was already waiting for him.

"Sirius, can you now tell me what's happening?" Harry asked.

"Harry, I told you to protect the people around you," Sirius replied in the same pressing voice as the previous time.

"Yeah, I didn't know what you meant – "

"You've lost her."

"What? How do you mean? Whom did I lose?"

"But it's not too late. Talk to Rose. Tell her you understand. Do not try to get into an argument. Get her faith back."

"Sirius, what are you talking about?"

Harry was back in bed. Sweat was coming off him. His heart was racing.

What was Sirius trying to say?

Harry racked his brain. He got off his bed and started dressing himself to go down.

You've lost her.

He said Harry lost Rose. What did he mean? Harry got out of his room uncertainly.

Talk to her. Get her faith back.

Harry did not know why Sirius had ordered him to do so, but he was going to follow. He started going down the stairs, planning to proceed to Rose's room.

Sirius… Harry wished he could have spent more time with his godfather.

"So you trust me, but you don't want other people to trust their godfathers?"

Harry arrived at the foot of the stairs and almost fainted. Standing by the fire was Sirius, his godfather, not a day older than the last time Harry had seen him.

A/N: Okay, I know I promised a longer chapter, but I'm still blank at the moment, and I can't quite put my finger on what I want to happen. So, hang on there. Chill! m/ punks not dead