Lazarus Walks
A bright light popped into my vision, quickly followed by a burst of color. I blinked hard, trying to gather my wits and remember what had happened just before the light hit. Nothing came to me. I continued to blink and my vision cleared enough for me to make out a cup of half full of a thick potion that a hand held just under my chin. Automatically, I took the cup.
"Drink all of it." I dragged my focus up to the source of the voice. A woman with brilliant pink hair held a wand on me, unblinking. Somewhere between coming to the house and winding up at wand point I'd lost my robes, too. I looked down at my arms, mystified. "Do it." The woman prompted, pulling my mind back to the cup in my hand.
"Why?" I looked up at her. My vision went to her pink hair. There was something to remember about that. It was important. It had to do with Black. What was it?
"It'll clear your head. Drink it." She repeated, her face starting to look irritated. I couldn't call the thought about her pink hair back to mind, and I wasn't getting anywhere without drinking whatever it was. I looked at it for a moment, trying to think of another option. Then I swallowed all of it.
Almost instantly I knew I'd done something very, very stupid. I recalled being incapacitated by this woman, figuring out that she might be one of the people Black sent me to meet, and getting knocked out cold. I reasoned that she'd taken my robe to remove my wand, and that meant she had all the notes from Black, too. On top of that, I felt funny. Really funny.
"Who are you?" The woman demanded.
"Tavia Dempsey." I said immediately. I must've looked as surprised as I felt. The corners of the woman's mouth twitched. "Why the hell did I tell you that?" I blurted, then snapped my mouth shut. That wasn't supposed to be out loud.
"You're under veritaserum. You'll tell me what I want to know." The woman explained. The stern look had relaxed out of her face somewhat. "Who sent you here?"
"Sirius Black." I blurted. I clapped a hand over my face. The woman, to my surprise, looked as startled at I was. I cursed into my palm.
"Sirius Black is dead." She said sharply.
"He's not." I contradicted, annoyed.
"How?" She snapped. A mixture of worry and surprise cramped her face.
"I don't know how. He's not dead. He found me. He sent me to deliver some information to his friends. He gave me their names and directions to this house," I rattled on, no longer trying to stop myself.
"Where did he find you?" She interrupted.
"Alaska. Where I live. He found me in a bar. Then he followed me home. He knew I was a witch." My renewed attempts to stop talking only succeeded in making my sentences clipped and awkward. Everything I said seemed to alarm the woman.
"When did this happen?" She demanded.
"I left two days ago," I said, "but he's been there a month."
"He's there now?" She cut in.
"Yes. Taking care of the dogs." I could feel some of the pressure to speak releasing; I focused on stalling.
"Where in Alaska?" She asked.
"Where the cruise lines go," I hedged, "in by the wilderness area. There's a town."
"That's enough," she said tersely. "Tell me where he is."
"No." I forced out, grasping my face with my hand. "I have to know who you are." I put my hand tightly over my mouth. She walked toward me, putting her face close to mine. She stared at me in silence for a few long moments. Then she stood without a word and walked out of the room. I dropped my hand to my side and panted, exhausted.
A knock on the door startled me away from my inspection of the small room. After the woman had gone, I started pacing the perimeter, trying to find a weakness. I found nothing. Without my wand I wasn't getting out of there. Damn Black and his threats. I kicked at one of the walls, frustrated at being tricked, hexed, and locked up. More than that, I was frustrated I wasn't able to kick Black himself. I walked toward the door to try the knob again, though I knew it wouldn't do much. Just as I arrived at the door, the knock sounded again.
"Miss Dempsey." A male voice called through the door panel. I backed up, surprised.
"Come in," I tried, feeling ridiculous. Who waits for an invitation to a room where they've trapped someone?
The door opened to admit a tall man with graying brown hair. He immediately struck me as someone who could be reasoned with. I hoped that wasn't just wishful thinking. He stood awkwardly in front of me, leaving the door open behind him. "I am Remus Lupin," he said quietly.
"You are?" I blurted. I knew that name from Black's notes. I winced at my own reaction, and the man's mouth twitched at one corner.
"Yes," he said, inclining his head. "We've read the information from Padf—Sirius. Charlie Weasley and I will accompany you to meet him."
"Wait," I said, putting my hands on my hips. "I don't really know you're who you say you are."
"That's true." He allowed.
"So how do I know you won't do something to him?"
"We won't." He looked mildly annoyed. I crossed my arms in front of me.
"I'll take you to Juneau and tell him you're there. That's all I'll do." I'd had some time to think about this. I figured Black would know what to do if they were already in Alaska, and these people had started to set off my internal alarms.
"Further delay is…" Lupin began, his words somewhat clipped.
"It's what you'll have to accept. If you didn't want me to be suspicious you shouldn't have attacked me." I said stubbornly. The man flicked his gaze to the upper corner of the room; his nostrils flared.
"Your things have been retrieved from the Leaky Cauldron. We leave in the morning." He said calmly, then turned to leave the room. When he shut the door, he didn't set the lock.
I still can't get the hang of this character. Sigh. I'd love some feedback.