AN: Sorry this Chappy has taken so long, I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think, I love your opinions! -Mirioux
Chapter Twelve: Lylan's Mysterious Visitor
'Lylan, we need a safe place to speak, now!' the voice resounded in her head; she shot out of bed and quickly threw on some robes,
'Alright, my room is safe for now,' she telepathically told him as she opened the door to find her mysterious visitor standing there looking rather ragged and older than she had remembered him being. "You have news?" she asked taking his hand and guiding him to a chair.
"Yes, and it is not good news. Two nights ago the dark lord branded a member of our own. I don't think he's to be a spy for our side either. I came as soon as I could without being suspected, I am now under close surveillance, and I'm to aid the new recruit if need be," He explained, "Lylan, it is imperative that the other order members know immediately, please, you have to summon the others now, but do not let Potter or any of the other students attend."
"Of course I will, but you must eat, and get yourself cleaned up…I knew I should have taken this mission with you, you're white as a sheet, thin as a rail, hardly the man I met five years ago, but still the man that has managed to capture my heart." Lylan whispered kissing his lips softly, and then gazing in to his eyes.
"Go and get the head mistress, this can not wait any longer." He panted; she obeyed and then left to fetch the head mistress.
Lylan Grimm emerged from her quarters and sprinted straight to Professor McGonagall's room, when she met Remus Lupin along the way. "Lylan, what brings you here so late tonight?" He questioned.
"He's returned with dire news that just cannot wait any longer." She heaved, Remus wasn't sure if it was from excitement that her fiancé had returned or if it was from the fact that she had been running.
"Then I shall round everyone up…"
"No, not the students! It involves one of our own, and I don't want Potter and his gang getting any ideas. He said it's imperative to exclude the students,"
"Then they shall be excluded." Remus assured her, sweeping away to the teacher's dorms.
Lylan came to the Headmistress's office, "Peppermint Schnapps," she said as the gargoyle opened.
"Well, Lylan, what a surprise to see you here tonight. To what do I own this unexpected visit?" Minerva asked without glancing up from her paper work.
"How…?"
"That purple aura of yours is hard to miss,"
"He's back with some urgent news. I believe it involves one of the students. HE told me they were not to be present."
"Where is Severus?"
"In my quarters, I told him I would summon everyone and bring them to him," Lylan told the Head mistress.
"Then let us waste no more time," Professor McGonagall said as they left her office.
"Remus is arousing the other teachers," Lylan informed as they reached her portrait and the group of groggy educators. She chanted the password and entered as all the teachers settled in.
"Head Mistress," Severus Snape nodded as he stood up to greet Professor McGonagall.
"What news Severus?" She asked worriedly.
"Voldemort has taken another underling, and has placed him in my care if the need be. I'm not going to lie, I hardly believed it myself, and I witnessed the branding. Ronald Weasley was given the dark mark two nights ago," Severus explained.
"Weasley, that's impossible, he must have been under the imperious curse…" Lylan protested.
"No, he came of free will, speaking of you Lylan, as well as Zabini and Granger. The dark lord wishes to meet Miss Granger, and I'm afraid that if she doesn't comply to the dark lord's wishes she will suffer the same way that Aurora did."
"What do you suggest we do then?" Minerva questioned.
"There's only one thing we can do, quarantine them, until we find out what to do about Weasley without bringing Severus out of hiding." Lylan decided.
"How do we explain this to them without revealing any information?" McGonagall asked.
"I'm sure we shall think of something," Lylan commented not quite positive how they would accomplish such a feat.
"Alright then, Remus, I shall expect you to keep an extra eye out for Weasley sneaking out at night, and I shall prepare a set of dormitories for the quarantine area, we also need to decide whom we are going to hold quarantined."
"Let's put Zabini, Potter, Grimm, Malfoy, and the Weasley girl in together, now we won't have anything to lose, all parties in questionable danger are placed in safety." Professor Slughorn suggested.
"Good plan, until Potter and Malfoy blast each other to hell and back," Professor Lupin remarked.
"Actually, they've gotten on quite well from what I've noticed." Lylan put in, "Besides, this is where we have the chance to encourage school unity."
"Its most definitely worth taking the chance over." Severus agreed with Lylan, as much as he hated to favor Potter, it was dire times like these that forced him to come to terms with relying on Dumbledore's 'Golden Boy'.
"Those five then. Tomorrow morning following breakfast the quarantine will begin," Minerva decided finally. "I bid you all a pleasant rest of the night."
All of the teachers filed out of Lylan's room and bid each other a final good night. She sighed with relief once she and Severus were left to themselves. The held each other for a moment, perhaps afraid that it was all just a dream, or possibly a nightmare considering the predicament Weasley had placed every one in.
"I was afraid for you," She whispered in his ear. "I thought maybe he had found out the truth…"
"No, but he may have if I had not followed Dumbledore's plan as he had instructed. Especially since Weasley has shown the colors that lie with in his heart. What did Granger do to infuriate him so?" Severus questioned.
"I'm not entirely sure, I think it was a series of things, but I do believe that the breaking point was what happened to her on the train."
"Which was…?"
"Weasley advanced on her, she refused him, and so he attacked her. She chose your star pupil Malfoy over him no less." Lylan teased him slightly.
"Really, when did that phenomenon take place?" Severus wondered; amazed to know his top two students had finally found the good in one another.
"Apparently, a couple weeks before school started they were stranded on an island for a week, with no one but each other. They were able to set aside their hostilities and work together to get off the island alive." Lylan explained, "I was quite surprised as well, after hearing about their mutual hate for each other. But they became quite close after that. He told me that he loves her dearly, and he plans on marrying her one day…" She sighed.
"Lylan, you know I love you don't you?" Severus wondered, she nodded her head in response, "I've wanted to marry you since the day I met you, it's been five years since we met and two years since I asked you to be my wife, I think it's time for us to finally be married."
"But you wanted…"
" I know, I wanted to wait until after the war was over, but it has worried me that one of us might not make it through at all, and I don't wasn't to regret not marrying you when I had the chance. I don't want to miss out on being happy with you now…" he interrupted her.
"Severus…I don't know what to say…"She started, but then cut off.
"Just say that you will marry me on Christmas Eve…"
"Or course I will…oh Severus, you don't know how happy you've just made me!" Lylan squealed tackling the man that was eleven years her senior.
"Well, considering I haven't heard your Scottish accent that thick in quite a while, I'd say you are the happiest woman in the world." He chuckled slightly as they kissed.
"Professor Grimm looks rather light hearted today, what do you think is going on?" Neville wondered as the group minus Ron, Luna, Blaise, and Draco sat at the Gryffindor table.
"I'm not sure, but maybe Ron will get a break from her wrath," Harry commented feeling a little sorry for his friend.
"Lylan looks like a woman in love if you ask me," Ginny whispered to Hermione, "Kind of like you."
"What on Earth, Ginny Weasley, is that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked giving her the look that said 'I haven't the faintest idea what you're implying.'
"Just that something must have happened between you and Draco, other wise you two wouldn't be so bloody lovey dovey with each other. Before two weeks or so a go, you could hardly stand for him to touch you because of my vile older brother, and now you can't stop looking at him when you two aren't constantly attached at the hip." Ginny explained; inquiring to Hermione's lighter hearted self and much happier disposition.
"Well, we just had a serious heart to heart talk about our feelings that's all."
"Right and I'm a death eater." Ginny teased sarcastically, "Come on tell me what really happened,"
"Nothing that is appropriate breakfast conversation," she laughed when she saw the flabbergasted look on Ginny's face after hearing her response.
Ginny was about to reply when Professor McGonagall stood up to make an announcement. "Attention students, it has been revealed to me that a few of the students have been exposed to some rather dangerous chemicals in Mr. Filch's attempt to rid the castle of Nifflers, so if your name is called please come join Professors Grimm and Lupin to be escorted to your Quarantine area. Hermione Grimm, Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter, Ginerva Weasley, and Blaise Zabini. Every one else is free to go to classes."
"Bloody hell, I didn't even know they used chemicals to get rid of Nifflers." Blaise snorted.
"You don't. Something's up, and they don't want anyone to know what it is," Draco said staring blankly across the room as they approached the two professors.
"What do you think is going on?" Blaise wondered.
"No idea, unless there's a death eater in the school, but then they'd be sending everyone home."
"Unless it was a dim wit like Crabbe or Goyle, then they'd just expel them," Blaise snickered, quite impressed with his nimble come back.
"Shut up you idiot!" Hermione snapped as she smacked his arm from behind him.
"You're rubbing off on her a lot mate; did you see how violent she was with me?" Blaise laughed as both Draco and Hermione gave him the glare of death.
"I can't believe I'm related to that bumbling imbecile," Hermione muttered as the group reached the teacher's table.
"Tell me about it," Lylan remarked raising an eyebrow in disgust at her cousin. "What did you feed him?"
"What the bloody hell are you looking at me for? I'm not that nutter head's baby sitter, thank god! I would kill myself if he was my responsibility!" Draco protested as he was now on the receiving end of the death stares.
"What a typical answer from a Slytherin, never take responsibility for anything," Lylan teased with a half smile lighting up her face.
"Dear god did Professor Grimm just crack a smile! Summon the Daily Prophet it's a bloody miracle!" Blaise announced laughing hysterically.
"Now I see why we are being quarantined, we hang out with that way too much," Ginny giggled to Hermione and Draco, pointing at Blaise's strange antics.
"No, he's like this more often than you think. I don't know what his excuse for this extreme outburst today, and I personally don't understand why he's so bloody happy. But whatever the reason we've got to get this under control." Draco decided, with the sarcasm dripping from his voice.
"I agree."
