President Lincoln Says

"Miss Arthur." I flew out of my bed, slamming my feet to the floor and grabbing my wand. I could nearly hear my heart beating, and I felt sure whoever just spoke to me could hear it too.

"Who are you?" I turned toward a person-sized shadow beyond the faint light of the window. The shadow stepped forward and coalesced into a man: a black robe, black gloves, black hair, and a pale face. Severus. "Holy Mary, Severus, you scared the hell out of me."

"Just as you say, Miss Arthur." The smallest lift at one corner of his mouth showed his amusement at my floundering. I glanced toward Fred's sleeping form—and failed to find it.

"Now where…" I muttered.

"Mr. Weasley was in the kitchen when I arrived." Severus intoned. Yes, that's what he does. He intones. I wiped a hand over my face, and noticed my forehead had broken a sweat during my momentary fright. I tugged my tank top back down over my stomach and hiked the waistband of my pajama pants back into place.

"Maybe we should join him." I blinked hard, trying to force my limbs to wake up and move.

"Mr. Potter already has."

"Oh fuck." I blinked a few more times. "Fuck." Boy did I not want to see Harry at four in the morning while wearing my garden gnome pajamas. "Could you wait for me in the hall for a minute?"

"Of course." Severus' shadow moved across the room and out the door. I shot a locking charm at the latch after he was gone, then dressed in the first clothes I could find. I wandered out of the room, still pulling up the zipper on my sweatshirt. He motioned for me to follow him.

He led us down a back staircase and into the back garden, then around the house to the street. We walked to the end before I felt like talking—heck, before I even felt awake. "I know a twenty-four hour place across town," I offered. Severus just nodded. I latched onto him to apparate us, deciding not to think about the fact that I was grabbing Severus Snape.

We took a table toward the back of the café. Severus just seemed thankful the place wasn't muggle, and didn't even comment about the loud drunks. In fact, he hadn't commented much since rousting me from my sleep. I sat with my fingers wrapped around my mug and waited for him to explain himself.

"You were not involved in the war, Miss Arthur." He began.

"Not really." Where were we going with this? "I didn't have most of my healer training yet. I worked at a shelter for women and children. I never fought; I patched people up." I took a sip of my coffee and shook the images of the kids from the shelter out of my mind. "I'm aware of some of what you did."

"As many are." He ran a long finger around the rim of his cup, pausing at a chip. "Miss Arthur, you are no liar."

"What?" I blurted.

"You were not in Idaho. You did not travel to America. You were in Grimmauld Place the entire time you were not at Hogwarts." His eyes pinned me; I sucked my lower lip into my mouth.

"You're right." Oh the hell with it, I thought. Severus doesn't care enough to try to stop me from doing what I'm going to do. "I was. I didn't make that decision until after I spoke with you, though." I shifted my grip on my mug. "And I can't tell you why I stayed because it isn't my secret."

"It's Potter's." He stated, his voice low.

"And a few others.' It's not mine. I've got to ask you not to ask me any more." I tried to look him dead in the eye, but found it nearly impossible. I was relieved when he inclined his head, signaling his willingness to drop the matter. I took another sip of my coffee. "Why did you ask about my involvement in the war?"

"Because you cannot lie." He switched his gaze to the plate glass window onto the empty street.

"My father used to quote Lincoln, the American president, about lying." Severus turned back to me. "I can't remember the real quote, but it was something about not trying to lie unless you could remember every single thing you'd ever said. Otherwise you're bound to contradict yourself and get caught." Severus inclined his head. "I've got the memory of a hamster, Severus. I wouldn't have a prayer." He gave a grim smile.

"Yet you propose to pose for PlayWizard, in the guise of a completely different woman." I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I would do so under my own name, as the original offer states."

"Your name, perhaps, but not yourself," he demurred.

"What are you saying, exactly?"

"I am saying that your plan to entrap Wade will require you to lie far more convincingly than you have shown yourself capable of doing." He sat forward, suddenly towering over the table. "I am saying Tonks and Potter cannot keep you safe if even I could discover your intentions in barely a week of your absence."

"I don't pretend to think it's safe, Severus." I glared.

"But do you recognize that it's foolish?" He glared back.

"How did you find out?" I snapped.

"I am the head of Slytherin, and you are plotting with Gryffindors." He smirked.

"That's nothing to me. I'm neither." I grumbled. "Did you just figure out what must've happened?"

"No." He stopped to sip his drink. "Wade's lackeys talk, even if Wade does not." I puzzled. Clearly he wasn't going to tell me what he knew. What would he tell me?

"You think something will happen if I pose." I tried.

"No." He smirked. "I think you will embroil yourself in too great a conflict if you pose to get information about Wade. If you merely pose, you may be in a position to provide useful information."

"I don't understand."

"You are no liar, Miss Arthur." He repeated. "If you try to become one, you will be found out. If you pose as a nervous healer from Hogwarts, you will not be found out."

"I see." I thought of how his advice would play out. It'd certainly be easier than the hazy imaginings I had of trying to act like I belonged in a men's magazine. "If I give them what they expect, they won't pay attention to me."

"Exactly." He sat back in his chair, instantly becoming less intimidating. "You have," he paused, "thought of the consequences of your decision, I assume?"

"I have." I looked out the window for a moment. "And I don't think it will matter. I don't think I'll find someone to marry in time. No one in the muggle world will know or care that I was once in PlayWizard."

"Perhaps not," he said. "But you have discounted your friends, the Gryffindors."

"Huh?" I said stupidly.

"Potter. Think, Miss Arthur." I opened and closed my mouth, then looked out the window for a moment. A shopkeeper down two storefronts unlocked the rolling metal shutter over his doors and sent it clattering upward. I shook my head.

"I don't think so." I took the last sip of my coffee. "And anyway, I've decided not to make a final decision for a month." Severus met my eyes for a moment, then pulled a platinum watch from his pocket and flipped it open.

"We should return."

"We should," I agreed. I started to slide down the bench to the aisle of the café, but stopped to frown down at my lap.

"Something amiss, Miss Arthur?" Severus stood at the end of the table.

"I don't think these are my pants." Severus' face twisted comically. "I found them on the floor. I think they're Fred's."

"Perhaps you'd like to…" his face twisted further, "return them?"

"Yes." I stood and put some coins on the table. "Shall we?"