A/N: Chapter three. I am overly proud of my promptness.

Disclaimer: I own nothing (except Miranda Kent)… but especially not Harry Potter

Happy Reading!

Chapter Three: Your Personal Stalker

"So you're sure?"

"Yes, I am quite sure. Severus has already told me."

"What are we going to do?"

"Well, there is really only one thing for us to do and that is –"

The door to the Order of the Phoenix headquarters suddenly opened and everyone stopped talking. Severus walked in, limping slightly and wearing his Death Eater's robes. All eyes were on him as he took a seat and dropped his mask onto the floor.

"Well, what are we looking at? Let's get this over with." Severus snapped.

Dumbledore stood up and opened his arms.

"Let the meeting begin," he said.

The Order members began talking about their various projects and problems. Lupin got up and fixed Severus a cup of tea. Severus took it with a short word of thanks, not taking his eyes off Dumbledore, who was talking to him about their latest problem.

"You see, Severus, if you are right and he knows that Miranda is currently at Hogwarts, then we will need to place someone as a bodyguard of sorts. Since you've already been ordered by Voldemort –" Almost everyone flinched as Dumbledore said the name, "– to keep a sharp eye on her, I think it would be best for you to be said bodyguard."

Severus placed his tea down on the table delicately, taking a deep breath to keep from exploding.

"Albus, I don't think that's such a good idea," Severus said gently. "I personally cannot stand the woman, and our schedules do not coincide enough for me to possibly stalk – I mean guard – her."

"It's been taken care of," McGonagall piped up. "We've changed her schedule so that you will be able to escort her to every class."

Severus rubbed his face angrily with his hands.

"Alright, alright," He finally agreed. "I'll follow her around. I tell you, she's perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She doesn't need my help."

"Maybe not, but a little extra security never hurt anybody," Arthur Weasley said helpfully.

Severus glared at him.

"It won't hurt her, but it'll be the death of me."

"So you don't think you can handle a young, vivacious woman, Severus?" McGonagall said with a strange glint in her eye.

Severus, who had been drinking his tea, proceeded to gag on it.

"Of course I can, don't be ridiculous," Severus spat, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "Is she to know of this?"

"Yes," Dumbledore said. "You shall tell her tonight after your last class."

Severus stood up and headed for the door.

"Yes, well if that's all, I'm going to change out of these stupid robes," Severus said, and once he got a nod of approval from Dumbledore, apparated away.

o-o-o

Miranda was in her office correcting her latest papers when the door was kicked open and Severus strode in, looking flustered. She placed down her red quill and smiled warmly.

"Ahh good, you're learning!" She said pleasantly, but Severus didn't look amused.

"I am not here to joke around," Severus snapped. "I have something important to discuss with you. What the -?"

He had stopped in his tracks at the sight of Miranda's sticky-note-covered wall. He raised a brow at her and she giggled.

"Don't ask," She said.

"I didn't intend to," He replied in a snappy voice. "Like I said, I have an important matter to discuss with you."

"Fine, oh Serpent King of Cruelty," Miranda said, and then added as Severus shot her a look of loathing, "Take a seat."

Severus sat down gingerly in the chair in front of her desk and sighed.

"I have been ordered as your personal protector – a bodyguard, we'll call it. I'm supposed to follow you around and escort you to all your classes and make sure you don't get injured."

Miranda looked down at the schedule on her desk that she had received this morning.

"Well that explains my changed schedule," Miranda said. "Well, I can't say I haven't always wanted a stalker."

Severus raised his eyebrows in shock and forgot what he was going to say. Miranda's comments often left him feeling this way. Or maybe it was just Miranda in general and the way she was.

"You've always wanted a stalker?"

"I was kidding."

"Oh. Well anyway, I'm your protector now, not that you need it," Severus added with a strange look.

She positively glowed with pride.

"Thank you," She said. "Now if you don't mind, I need to finish these papers. We'll have plenty of time to talk later."

Severus rose from his chair and bowed to her.

"Your servant," Severus said, and started for the door. He stopped in the doorway, however, and turned around. He raised a finger and added, "Try not to get into any trouble while you're under my watch."

Miranda saluted him and he walked away. She watched his robes swish around the corner and chuckled to herself before picking up her quill and marking up Ron's Dementor essay. Severus was a strange, strange man to her, but she couldn't pretend she wasn't intrigued.

Harry's Occlumency lessons were doing well. They would meditate briefly and then Miranda would attempt to get into his mind. He would hold her off briefly before he finally gave in. Her Legilimency skills were improving as well, which was a feat she never thought she would accomplish.

A few weeks passed and not very much changed. After every class, Severus would come to her and escort her to her next class, to lunch, and to her bedroom at night. At first Miranda found this slightly irksome, for she was rather independent, but eventually she came to adapt to and even enjoy his presence. Not to mention he was very handy when she couldn't get out of bed in the morning…

"Wake up, you're running late."

"Again."

"Yes, again. Now get up."

Miranda grumbled and Severus raised his wand. All her sheets flew off the bed and he transfigured her mattress into ice. She yelped and jumped out of bed, causing Severus to laugh unsuitably.

"I'll be right outside,' He said, still chuckling, and then left so that she could get properly dressed for the day.

Miranda scowled and got ready before transfiguring her melting ice-bed back into a mattress and putting the sheets back on it. She opened her bedside table in search for her new package of sticky notes and proceeded to throw several quills, a picture in a frame, and countless numbers of lollipops onto the floor before she found it. By this time, Severus had come back into the room and was looking around with interest. His black eyes landed on a picture of a small girl and, presumably, her parents – the picture that Miranda had carelessly tossed to the floor in her search for the sticky notes. He strode over to the picture and picked it up off the floor, only to find something that made his blood run cold. The little girl in the picture was undoubtedly Miranda, for she had the same smile and eyes, but the man and woman in the picture. No, they couldn't be…

"Marcus and Penelope Kent," Severus breathed, and turned around to see Miranda standing behind him with her hat in her hand, looking nervous.

"I can't believe it," Severus said, turning back to the picture. "Don't – please don't – tell me these are your parents?"

Miranda, looking very scared, nodded once. Severus turned back to the picture, eyes narrowed in disbelief. It surely couldn't be, not Miranda Kent. She was too young, too bold; he could only imagine what she must have had to go through, why she had been hidden for so long and he, Severus, had not known. If only he had known from the beginning. Slowly he turned back to her and saw in her eyes that she was afraid. Then again, why shouldn't she be? It all made sense now, everything – from the wandless magic to the secrecy to the peculiar spells.

"I thought they were…. Are you the last?" Severus asked in a somewhat shaky voice.

Miranda nodded.

"The very last."

Severus looked at her as if he had never seen her properly before.

"The Progenitor Veneficium," Severus said, even more quietly.

Miranda nodded and before he knew it, she was crying into his chest with her arms wrapped around him as if he were some kind of cuddly teddy bear. Her hat was lying forgotten on the floor.

"I'm so scared!" Miranda choked, sobbing. "I don't want to, Severus, if he finds me –"

Severus placed the picture on the nearby mantle, took Miranda by the shoulders, and held her at arms length. She continued to sob. He shook her, hard.

"He won't find you," Severus said sternly. "I promise he won't – not while you're under my supervision. Now pull yourself together!"

He let Miranda go and she stood there, breathing heavily and regaining control over herself. She placed a hand lightly on her chest and continued to breathe slowly until she was back to normal. The bell rang, signaling that they were late again.

"That was the bell," Severus noted. "We're late again. Come on, are you ready?"

Miranda nodded, placed a finger on her face, and disappeared any signs of crying. They walked out of the room and he walked her to her classroom, where he left her with one last bow and a kiss on the hand. Miranda stood there for a moment, as if in a trance, and then kicked open the classroom door.

"Sorry for being late, class, I was held up later than I had imagined by a less-than-desirable incident."

o-o-o

Halloween approached and the feast was just as Miranda had remembered. Food, live bats, and pumpkins. What else could she ask for? Not only was the food great, but Miranda teamed up with Dumbledore, Professor Sprout, and an extremely reluctant Snape to go as the four founders for the feast. With Dumbledore as Gryffindor, Severus as Slytherin, Sprout as Hufflepuff and Miranda as Ravenclaw, they all reenacted the founding, feuding, and eventual separation of Hogwarts and the people in it. The audience laughed and egged them on as they acted. Miranda had more fun than she had ever had since she had been discovered and went into hiding.

After the feast, Harry and Ron, accompanied by Hermione, sat in the boy's dormitory, talking about the feast.

"What an experience!" Hermione exclaimed in excitement, nearly tumbling off Ron's bed. "I never knew that Slytherin did that!"

"I'm sure he didn't want people to find out," Ron said, laughing slightly. "I'd never show my face again if I was him."

Harry laughed, too, but he couldn't help but feel that something about Miranda was strange. Something, he realized tonight, that he would eventually find out when he accomplished Occlumency. Harry practiced that night after Hermione had left and Ron's snores could be heard through his hangings.

o-o-o

Miranda wanted badly to get away from Severus. He wasn't doing anything wrong, really, it was just that she knew he would never allow her to leave the grounds, and she desperately wanted to go. So, one morning, she faked ill and Severus left for his lesson.

"I will be back around lunch to make sure you're still here," He had warned before closing Miranda's door with a sharp snap.

Miranda smiled. Severus, after having found out why Miranda was hiding, had taken much more authority in keeping her safe. Miranda found this both sweet and thoughtful, though she knew Severus would be greatly insulted if she told him this. She chuckled, rolled out of bed, dressed, and waited for the bell to ring. When it did, Miranda poked her head out of the door to check that nobody was watching, and slipped out into the corridor. She walked quickly, as she didn't want to seem suspicious to anybody who might be in the corridors, and eventually reached the great oak front doors. She pushed one of them open and stepped out into the cool, autumn weather. Once outside, Miranda jogged down towards the front gates, opened them with several complicated spells, and took her animagus form of a fox. As a fox, she trotted freely across the countryside, knowing by the sun when she had to be back at the castle.

After an hour, she stopped at a stream to take a drink. A chuckle from behind made her hair stand on end, and she turned around. There, standing with his arms crossed, was Lucius Malfoy.

I thought he was in Azkaban, Miranda thought as she began to panic. Malfoy took a step forward and she stepped back. He laughed coldly.

"Hello, little fox," Malfoy said. "Don't try and hide from me, I know who you are. Now, Miranda Kent, why don't you just come here like a good girl and let me take you to my master. He's so excited to finally have you… after all these years…"

Miranda turned around to run. But Malfoy hit her with a charm. It didn't stop her from running, but she found she was unable to turn into a person again. She was stuck. This wasn't so bad at the moment, for she was much faster as a fox, but it would prove to be annoying later when she was trying to explain to Severus where she had run off to.

Another hex hit her and Miranda let out a yelp of pain. Though she felt as if hot knives were stabbing her everywhere, she managed to sprint until she could no longer hear Malfoy's footfalls behind her. She stopped running and fell back against a tree, panting in pain and tiredness, but knew she must get back up to the castle. After summoning the rest of her strength, she managed to apparate back to the gates.

McGonagall was standing at the gates, preparing to lock them back up. When she saw Miranda, though, her expression became less puzzled and she sent a patronus up to the castle. She allowed Miranda to enter and then locked up the gates.

"Miranda, go to Severus; he'll take care of that nasty wound. Albus will come down and have a chat with you after," McGonagall said, and Miranda noted that McGonagall did not sound happy at all.

Miranda, not knowing how she was supposed to have a chat if she couldn't speak, merely nodded and began limping up to the castle.

Harry was gazing about the grounds, occasionally casting an eye over Ron, who was sprawled out on the grass, sleeping, and Hermione, who was reading. Suddenly, an interesting sight caught his eye. It was a red fox with a long gash in its side, limping up towards the castle.

"What the -?" Harry said, causing Hermione to look up.

When she saw the fox, her expression became rather anxious.

"The poor thing, it looks terrible. Should we do something?"

"It's headed for the castle," Harry noted, but stopped talking when he saw the doors open.

Snape strode out, looking angry.

Harry jabbed Ron in the side, and he instantly awoke.

"What was that for?" Ron asked, rubbing his ribs.

"Look," Hermione said, pointing towards the castle.

Snape was yelling at the fox, which looked rather guilty (if a fox could look guilty, Harry mused). Then Snape turned and beckoned the fox to follow. The fox did follow – limping, with its tail between its legs. After a moment, the doors slammed shut and the trio faced each other.

"Weird," Harry said.

"Very," Hermione added.

Ron was already sleeping again. Hermione watched Ron for a moment or two longer before picking up her book again, but Harry's eyes were glued to the castle doors. Since when did foxes have the intelligence to know where they're going and take insults and raving from Snape? Harry had a feeling that he would be seeing this fox again soon, and he was right.

Miranda followed a very angry Snape to his office, leaving behind the occasional spatter of blood that she could not see. In fact, though she knew she was injured, she could not see the injury because she was, in fact, a fox, and the gash was in a blind spot. Severus opened his office door and held it open.

"In," He said, and Miranda, with her ears flat against her skull in apprehension, complied.

"Sit." He said, pointing to his floor.

Miranda sat. Severus did nothing, but stared at her with menacing eyes until there was a knock on the door. Severus told the person to enter, and Dumbledore stepped inside, looking grave. He got down on his haunches and became level with Miranda, who found that she could not meet his eyes. She felt terrible.

"Miranda, this is very grave," Dumbledore said. "It is important that you do not ever leave the grounds again without being assisted. Worse could have happened – you were lucky."

Dumbledore made several motions with his wand, but nothing happened.

"Ah, I see you've been hit by an interesting charm, Miranda."

At this, Miranda looked up to see disappointment etched on Dumbledore's face.

"You are stuck as a fox until the charm wears off," he said. "How long this will be, I do not know. It could be an hour, a day, a week; it depends on who performed the charm and who received it. I can, however, do one thing for you."

Dumbledore waved his wand and a funny feeling came into Miranda's throat.

"Whoa, that is the weirdest feeling," She said.

Dumbledore smiled warmly and relief washed over her; she was not in too much trouble. Severus, who was now anxiously pacing the room, said nothing. Dumbledore rose to his feet and turned to Severus.

"Severus, I have no doubt in your ability to heal Miranda properly – the magic is dark, however. I apologize for not fixing it myself, but I really must be going; an important matter has been called to my attention and I'm afraid I cannot postpone it."

Severus nodded and watched as Dumbledore left the office. When the door had closed and locked, Severus looked down his hooked nose at Miranda.

"I can't believe you are so thick as to try to escape," Severus spat, dropping his knees and summoning his necessary to heal Miranda.

Miranda was quick to defend herself with saying, "I am trapped in this place night and day! I can't go anywhere or do anything. I'm a prisoner. You shouldn't be talking – you don't know what it's like to be a prisoner."

Severus stopped what he was doing and pulled back his sleeve with a jerk. There, branded on his left arm, was the Dark Mark. Miranda gasped and looked up to see Snape's eyes filled with anger.

"I am a prisoner, Miranda Kent, and I will be a prisoner until the day I die."

Miranda gaped, then slowly closed her mouth and winced as she felt the pain sear through her flesh.

"I'm sorry," She whispered. "I didn't know."

"No damage done – learn to think before you open your mouth next time," Severus said, and she was taken aback by his lack of spiteful comment. "Now lay on your side – I've got a wound to heal and it will hurt you a lot more than it will hurt me. Eat this."

He shoved something into her mouth that she recognized as dittany. She was careful to nip his finger with her sharp little teeth when he withdrew his hand.

Miranda flopped onto her side, whining slightly like a fox, and Severus began to work. His hands were gentle, but the pain was terrible. In order to keep her mind off the pain, she spoke.

"So – so you're the double agent then? The one Albus spoke of?"

Severus made brief eye contact with her before going back to work.

"Yes, yes I am," He replied. "I cannot leave the Death Eaters for my life, but I can still work for the Order without being caught. I have been useful; I have played my part well."

"Right – ow! Watch where you poke that thing!"

Severus, who had been tracing her wound with his wand, gave her a hard jab in the throat before continuing his work. Slowly the pain eased and Miranda became rather comfortable. She closed her eyes and relaxed. As she listened to him work, she became aware of how gentle his hands were, and how careful he was being, trying not to hurt her. Miranda sighed and drifted off to sleep.

Severus sighed and capped the bottle of antibacterial potion he had been dabbing on her scar. He stared down at the little fox he had just healed and wondered if he should wake her. No, he decided, he would let her sleep for a moment longer – after all, she had had a very trying day.

o-o-o

The next day, Harry was sitting in Defense Against the Dark Arts class, waiting for Kent to show up. Kent was often late, so he was not surprised, but he had not seen her at dinner last night. In fact, Harry realized, he had not seen her since the day before last. Suddenly, Harry heard a scratching at the door. Neville, who was closest to the door at the time, leapt up to answer it. He opened the door and jumped at what he saw. A small fox, the same one that Harry had seen yesterday, stole into the room and hopped up on the teacher's desk. Neville, who looked as if he wasn't sure what to do, slowly closed the door and resumed his seat.

The fox sat on the desk, gazing out across the classroom at the baffled students. Finally, after about thirty seconds, someone spoke out.

"What's it in here for?"

"I don't remember Kent telling us about this," said Dean.

"Maybe it's a pop quiz – maybe it's going to turn into some sort of dark animal," Ron said in half excitement and half unease.

The fox, not to Harry's surprise, rolled its eyes and gave an aggravated sigh.

"Or maybe," the fox said in a voice that was exactly like Miranda's, "Your stupid Defense teacher got herself stuck as a fox."

Several people laughed, others gasped.

"How'd you get like that, professor?" Harry asked.

"Bad encounter with some dark magic," Miranda replied shortly. "Next question."

"We saw you limping up the stairs yesterday," Ron said. "Why?"

"I was stuck as a fox and I had a run-in with some less desirable magic," Miranda said. "Next question."

"Is that your animagus form?" Hermione asked.

"Yes. Next question." Miranda replied in the same hasty, terse voice.

"How come your animagus is a fox?" Lavender Brown asked.

"Because foxes can be cunning and amusing, and yet still somehow be complete arseholes whenever they want to be. Next question."

"Why are you in such a bad mood?" Hannah Abbot asked.

"I'll turn you into a fox and see how you like it," Miranda replied.

The class laughed. Miranda proceeded with the lesson, occasionally needing someone to grab something or help her with something. At the end of the lesson she shook her head sadly.

"Lesson of the day: You will never learn to appreciate your thumbs until they are gone," Kent said, and everyone chuckled.

Later, Miranda was sitting on her bed, curled up and reading. The door opened and Severus stuck his head inside. Miranda smiled at him (which must have looked strange coming from a fox) and Severus walked into the room. He closed the door behind him and took a seat on Miranda's bed. Miranda continued reading, occasionally turning the page with her nose, until Severus spoke.

"I have a proposition."

Miranda looked up.

"Oh? And what might that be?"

Severus fidgeted a little, staring down at his hands, before looking back to the fox.

"I know some self-defense that might come in handy should you someday need it," Severus said. "Non-magical self-defense."

Miranda looked up at him and her eyes sparkled.

"What did you have in mind?" She asked, feeling mischievous for the first time since she got stuck as a fox.

A/N: What does he have in mind? Find out soon!