For a moment, leaving Hogwarts, just for a little while, seemed like a wonderful prospect to Emma. With the distraction of end-of-term exams, Emma didn't have the time to think of what was coming up. She didn't think about the full moon, didn't bother to think much about the potential custody nightmare that awaited her, and certainly didn't think about Elara's trial. Her time was spent revising in small groups with her classmates, taking the time to slowly pack her things, and sleeping as much as possible. It wasn't until she set foot on the Hogwarts Express back to London that reality began to set in.
She stayed in a compartment with Persephone and a few of the other Slytherin girls, reading silently instead of interacting. Emma could have joined some of the Hufflepuffs, but the ones she cared most about were staying back at the castle for the holiday. The long trip back to London was the perfect time for her to think, but her thoughts were a jumbled mess, and she was still unsure of what to do. Everything about her interaction with Fenrir had been just as confusing as it usually was, but there was much more for her to lose. The only benefit to being so lost in her thoughts was how quickly the trip back to London would be. If only she could meet Remus on the platform with the other parents.
Emma was relieved that it was Sage that came to collect them at the platform. If it was anyone else, she might have tried to run. She knew it would be a foolish and pointless move, but in her mind, it would have felt safer. Sage was at least the safe option. With a quick walk to the Leaky Cauldron and a trip through the Floo, Emma found herself back in the Moon household. She wanted to be anywhere else.
The house was quiet, but everything about it seemed loud. Each step up the staircase seemed to echo just a little louder than usual; Emma's breathing was so noisy that she was sure everyone could hear her. She promptly forced herself to stop breathing until she made it into her old room, letting out a long breath when she closed the door behind her. Being closed off in her little section of the house didn't bring the solace she had hoped for. Instead, the cold feeling of dread seeped into her veins, trickling in from the tips of her toes to the very end of the hair on her head. Emma dropped her back on the floor beside her and lifted her head to look around the room.
Nothing had changed.
Emma sighed, brushing her fingers over the dresses in her closet. Everything had truly been left exactly as it was, as if she had always been expected to return, each dress exactly where she had left it. Perhaps whatever plan had been laid out on the other end of things had fallen into place exactly how it was meant to. It almost felt like she was meant to be a permanent fixture in the Moon household, but Emma didn't want that at all. As beautiful and spacious as the home was, it felt too big and too small all at once.
She traced a finger over the table near the sofa, touching the gouge in the wood that had come from Fenrir and his rare moment of fidgeting. Emma had spent many nights watching him dig a claw into the table and scratch. It reminded her of Figaro doing the exact same thing, claws digging into the rope.
With a sigh, Emma started to make her way over to the edge of her bed to sit down for a moment, but her door opened. She let out a yelp of surprise, pressing her hand to her chest to still her beating heart, and glared at Persephone as she popped her head around the corner.
"Sorry," Persephone said sheepishly, casting a curious glance around the room and looking back over at Emma. Emma wondered if she was thinking the same thing about the room being untouched but wasn't remarking on it. Persephone looked down at her watch and gave a slight shrug. "Uhm, Mum said that we're all having dinner together. At about half-past, she expects us all."
"Oh," Emma said, glancing over at her closet still full of dresses from her stay in the summer. "Are we getting dressed, still?"
"You know how Mum is," Persephone said with an apologetic shrug. "Wants to see how school has been, check in on us. Though I suppose you wish it were Remus."
"Of course I wish it were my Dad," Emma said sharply. "That's where I should be, but –"
"You'll get there," Persephone said gently, cutting Emma off before she went off on the rant that was on the tip of her tongue. "Take a shower. Get yourself back into somewhat of a routine. With the full –"
"Please don't remind me," Emma snapped, absent-mindedly scratching at an arm. She felt the moon's pull a little stronger with all of her stress, and the Wolfsbane didn't help her much. She looked over at Persephone and gave her an apologetic smile at the confused look on her face. "Sorry, I'm just –"
"You're nervous," Persephone replied, keeping her tone light. "I get it. I'll, uhm…I'll leave you to it then." Persephone started to close the door but popped her head back into the room, nodding at Emma's arm. "Best you stop doing that. Don't need you getting back in that habit again."
Emma huffed, ripping her fingers away and crossing her arms as the door closed. She hadn't felt the need to scratch herself in months, and Persephone had a point. She didn't want to get back into the habit again. Wanting to keep herself accountable, Emma picked out her outfit for the night and headed to her bathroom to shower. The less time she had to think, the better she would be.
She mused to herself as she made her way down to the dining room. Emma had sworn to herself that she would forget the layout of the house the moment she left it, but she remembered it far too well. She sighed as she walked, listening to the clicking of her shoes that made a sharp scraping noise the moment she stepped into the dining room.
"Shit," Emma hissed to herself, brow furrowing as she met Fenrir's eyes from across the room. She didn't think that Fenrir would be there, and based on the pinched look on Sage's face, she didn't either. Emma's gaze flicked over to the back of Jude's head, silently grateful that he wasn't turning around to acknowledge her presence.
"Language, Emma," Fenrir drawled, his tone haughty. "Mind your manners."
Sage huffed in annoyance, shooting Fenrir a look and lifting her glass of wine to her lips, and taking a drink. She gestured for Emma to join them, looking unamused by the entire situation.
"Just come join us, love," Sage said, placing her glass of wine down and rubbing her forehead. "I apologize – I was unaware that we would have any extra guests."
"Anywhere Emma can be found is where I'll be," Fenrir said with a slight shrug, taking a quick drink of his wine. He stood up, positioning himself behind Emma's usual chair and pulling it out, giving her a pointed look. "Now, come join us."
Emma had half a mind to turn around and head back to her room. She didn't care too much about looking rude, and she knew that Mitzy would bring her something to eat. However, she felt compelled to join the others and dutifully took her seat. It was only then that she finally decided to look at Jude, surprised at what she saw.
All along his arms were thick scars that Emma knew only came from the claws of a werewolf. He sneered at her as he rolled down his shirt sleeves as if he expected for her to not notice. It was difficult not to. His face was untouched, but Emma wondered just how much damage was hidden that she couldn't see. Emma doubted that the only part of his body that was scarred was his arms – it wasn't the way Fenrir worked. She cast Fenrir a sidelong look, almost wanting to ask right at the table, but thought better of it. One glance at Sage told her not to dare bring it up. Emma didn't particularly want to irritate Sage any more than she already was.
"So, children," Sage said, putting on an air of someone entirely unbothered by the entire situation, "how has school been? I imagine the Tri-Wizard Tournament has been exciting."
"Em's friends with the Hufflepuff champion," Caspian said, perking up as dinner appeared on the table in front of them. Emma purposely avoided Fenrir's gaze when she took in their steak dinner – made perfectly just as she hoped.
"Is that so?" Sage asked, turning her attention to Emma.
"It's a wonder anyone would even be friends with her," Jude muttered, plastering on a pained smile at the look of aggravation that crossed Sage's face. "I'm just saying, wouldn't consider it a good thing to be friends with a dog." Ellis remained silent, taking slow sips of his beer as he looked around the table.
"Uhm, yeah," Persephone said, pushing through the awkward silence that fell. "Emma's really close friends with Cedric Diggory. Just about everyone's in love with him, except for Emma, of course."
Emma shot Persephone a glare, only giving Fenrir a passing half-glance to gauge his reaction. Persephone looked back at Emma in confusion for a long moment before realization dawned on her face. She sunk back in her chair, her face turning red. Emma was glad that Fenrir continued eating as if nothing of note had happened.
"And Potter?" Ellis asked, sounding far more curious than Emma thought necessary.
"Not at all," Emma said, trying to ignore the curious look on Jude's face. "He and his friends aren't exactly in my group. I prefer it that way." There was no mistaking the looks of disappointment on Jude and Ellis's faces.
The rest of dinner went by uneventfully, Emma mostly keeping to herself and allowing Persephone and Caspian to speak. The three men seemed intrigued to hear about Moody, but that didn't surprise Emma much at all. With Fenrir's presence next to her, it was hard to forget about the Death Eaters. She wondered just how many times Fenrir had been at the other end of Moody's wand and wondered if it was worth asking. She very quickly decided that it wasn't.
As soon as dinner was over, Emma practically launched herself from her chair. She raced up the staircase, dead set on slamming the door shut behind her, but Fenrir was close behind. The door was halfway towards being slammed closed when Fenrir's massive hand stopped it in its tracks. All Emma could do was stare helplessly as he pushed the door open, an eyebrow raised in disproval of her actions.
"Really?" Fenrir questioned, entering the room as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Emma remained where she stood, watching as Fenrir dropped himself on the couch and he eyed her curiously. His eyes roved over the front of her dress, and Emma crossed her arms to try and cover herself.
"Are you planning on staying in that all night?" Fenrir asked.
"No," Emma muttered, slowly grabbing her pajamas to change into. She ran into the bathroom to get changed and launched herself into her oversized bed with a frown. Emma kept herself in the dead-center of her bed, watching Fenrir closely as he got himself settled. She wasn't exactly sure how she missed his rucksack in the room and frowned. It wasn't like her to be so oblivious.
"Why are you here, Fen? I thought I was on my own," Emma finally said.
"Need to get you through the next week at the bare minimum," Fenrir grumbled. "Figured I got this far."
"Why?"
Fenrir shrugged in response, standing up and setting a few of his things on the table. He pulled his shirt off, dropping it over the top of one of the chairs and sat back down on the couch, and continued going through his things. Emma continued to stare, waiting for him to elaborate, but he changed the topic entirely.
"Where's the cat?" Fenrir asked.
"Didn't bring her," Emma replied in surprise. "Felt stupid to pack her up when she would be fine at the castle."
Fenrir grunted again in response, ignoring Emma's curious look. If Emma didn't know any better, he was pretending as if she wasn't there, and that just wouldn't do. He had been rough with her the previous week, and she couldn't see him being any calmer. What were Fenrir's true intentions?
"I don't understand why me, Fen," Emma huffed, crossing her arms and glaring at Fenrir.
"Don't understand what?" Fenrir asked gruffly.
"You have your own child."
Emma flinched slightly when Fenrir's eyes snapped up to meet hers. His gaze was sharp as he searched her face.
"You're not meant to understand," he said after a pause. Fenrir stared at Emma for a few moments longer and leaned back against the couch cushions, pulling his rucksack onto his lap. "We had this conversation already."
"It was different then," Emma insisted.
"But is it really?"
"It is. Not that I know –"
"Enough," Fenrir barked out. Emma froze when Fenrir lifted himself from the couch and crossed the room to her bed. He leaned down over the edge, planting his hands on the mattress, and stared hard until Emma met his gaze.
"I am going to say this one time and one time only," Fenrir said slowly, drawing out his words. "I do not want to hear another word from you. Do not talk to me, do not ask me questions. Don't you dare ask me to do anything for you. I am only here because we had our deal, and I can't have my property being damaged."
"But I'm not –" Emma was silenced quickly as one of Fenrir's hands came up as if he meant to hit her, but he pointed a finger at her instead. He held his hand there for a moment before reaching forward to grip her chin firmly between his fingers.
"You are mine," Fenrir growled. "If I tell you to do something, you will do it without question. The next few days must be approached carefully, and I will not have wasted this much time keeping you alive to have you screw it up. Do you understand me?"
"Yes," Emma whispered, surprised at how small her voice sounded.
"Good," Fenrir said, letting go of Emma's face roughly and returning to his couch. "Go to sleep and stop staring at me."
Emma opened her mouth to speak, reeling from how hot and cold Fenrir acted with her just that night. She hated just how much Soleil kept telling her to listen even more. It wasn't like Emma to want to listen and submit to Fenrir, but she feared that sometimes Soleil knew best. Even though she wasn't tired, she shifted herself under her blanket and laid down. Nothing was going to stop her from eying Fenrir warily, even if it annoyed him that she kept watching him. Emma planned to stay up all night watching Fenrir to ensure he wouldn't do anything to her. She was frustrated when she found herself waking up early the following day.
The first full day went as well as it could have in the Moon household. Emma was able to make her Wolfsbane Potion without issue and was pleased when Fenrir didn't ask her to brew for him as well. She mainly kept to herself, hiding in her room with Fenrir looming on the couch like a silent guard. Each time she tried to open her mouth to speak, he immediately shut her down. Fenrir seemed determined to make sure that she didn't talk to him just as he said. However, if she ventured out of her room, Fenrir was guaranteed to follow. Dinner was a mundane affair with only a few select comments from Jude that Fenrir immediately shut down. Sage seemed almost grateful for Fenrir's interference.
The next day went just about the same. Emma woke up and had Fenrir following on her heels wherever she went. She didn't mind whenever Jude was around and wanted to say something snide to her, but when Jude noticed Fenrir and went off to find Ellis, she was at a loss. To keep herself from worrying about the upcoming appointment at the Ministry, Emma decided to borrow a broom and go flying. She found it was easier to ignore Fenrir's presence a little easier that way. Dinner was a slightly quieter affair with only a few choice comments from Jude. Emma didn't mind but was just as quick to run back upstairs. Just like before, Fenrir followed close behind, not even batting an eye when Emma flung herself into bed.
Emma stared at Fenrir for a long time, watching as he read through a piece of parchment in front of him. She had seen the letter arrive that morning with one of the strange owls Fenrir sent with letters to her. Emma could only assume that it was a message from Raoul, and it made her think of one of the questions she desperately wanted to ask.
"What exactly happened to Jude?" Emma blurted out quickly, making sure to not give Fenrir a moment to tell her off for trying to speak to him.
Fenrir looked up from the parchment laid out in front of him with a snort. "Surprised you even bothered to ask," he said, reaching behind him to grab his carton of cigarettes sitting on the couch. He took one out and put it in his mouth, lighting it quickly. "Didn't think you cared enough."
"I'm curious," Emma replied slowly.
"Well, unfortunately for you, you're going to know nothing," Fenrir said with a shrug. "Not much to tell when I don't know much myself."
"What do you mean you don't know?"
"I was too busy watching for you."
Emma frowned, her body growing cold. She pulled her blanket up to cover herself and shot Fenrir a glare. "And just how much did you see?"
"Oh, please," Fenrir snorted, returning to his reading. "As if there's anything I haven't already seen on you – remember I dealt with you as a brat. I took my leave the moment I realized what was happening, knowing you would have a fit."
"Not sure that makes it that much better."
Fenrir snorted once more, his lips twitching into a very rare smile. Emma wasn't sure that she had seen his expression be anything but brooding the entire time they were at the house. She stared at him for a moment before shifting herself to lay down. Emma planned to just go to sleep, but then Fenrir surprised her.
"You fly well," Fenrir said, reaching over for a quill and flipping his letter over and starting to write.
"I…thank you," Emma said slowly, propping herself up on her elbows. "You know, if you didn't know, Grey–"
"Enough, Soleil," Fenrir said sharply, forcing Emma to fall silent quickly. Emma wanted to open her mouth to speak, but something was keeping her from doing so. Fenrir barely looked up from what he was writing, giving Emma a once over with a hum. "Was beginning to wonder…."
Emma bit back a growl, annoyed that Soleil was so quick to obey Fenrir. She was even more annoyed that Soleil, who was ordinarily talkative, was so silent. The smallest of growls crept through her lips at the traitorous twitch of her nose, which Fenrir chuckled at.
"Just like a rabbit," he said to himself. He stood up and made his way over to his bag. "Go to sleep."
It wasn't as though Emma had much choice.
Emma was silently relieved that the entirety of the following day was quiet. She went about her day, making the Wolfsbane Potion in the morning and deciding to occupy her time by reading. It meant being stuck in a room with Fenrir once more, but it was better than the alternative of having to see Jude or Ellis. She wanted to go out and do something with Persephone or Caspian, but Emma figured it could be worse. The less she stayed out of trouble, the better. At the very least, Emma was able to convince Fenrir to talk about mundane things.
She was thrilled when neither Jude nor Ellis were at dinner and was even more thrilled when Fenrir decided to take his leave. Dinner was much more relaxed with Sage being the only adult present, and Emma was surprised by her laughter.
Fenrir didn't bother looking up from what he was reading when she stepped back into her room. She stared at him for a few moments before getting ready for bed. Emma fully prepared to spend the rest of her night reading, but the moment she stepped out of the bathroom, Fenrir was waiting for her.
Emma took a few steps back, startled to have him standing just outside the door.
"Is there a problem?" Emma asked, wondering if she had done something. Fenrir grunted, stepping back to let Emma out past him.
"I have to do something," he said, watching Emma closely. He didn't speak again until she got herself back in her bed. "You are not to leave this room. When I return, I expect to find you right where you are. Do you understand?"
"What do you have to do?"
"Do you understand?"
"Yes," Emma grumbled, reaching over to her nightstand and grabbing her book. She opened it, plopping it down on her lap, but watched Fenrir out of the corner of her eye. His gaze was settled on her wand for a long moment before he made his way to the door.
"Keep that with you at all times," Fenrir said roughly, closing the door behind him.
Emma waited to hear for the lock to click, but when it didn't, she perked up. She was never one to listen too well if she didn't have to. She was cooped up and stressed – there were only a few days left until she had to be at the Ministry. Any bit of fun she could have, she wanted.
She waited several very long minutes before leaping out of bed. Emma ran to the door, opening it slowly and peering out into the hallway. When she didn't see anything, she grinned; she was in the clear. Emma dashed across the hall to Persephone's room with a giggle, fully prepared to bother her. If Fenrir was in another part of the house, then she could do whatever she wanted. All she had to do was make sure she was back in her room before he noticed.
Without a second thought, Emma whipped open Persephone's door, wand out, and prepared to cast a tickling jinx on her. However, Persephone was nowhere to be found.
Emma stared into Persephone's room, lowering her wand slowly. She thought that perhaps Persephone was taking a shower, but the door was open. Her bed looked untouched, and it looked as though she hadn't been at her desk either. Had Persephone even gone into her room after dinner?
Confused by the sudden turn of events, Emma decided to wander. She went down the long hallway, peering into the open doors and frowning when she found no one. Emma stopped near Caspian's door, leaning in close to listen for Persephone's voice, but all she heard was Caspian's wireless playing. As she listened to Caspian's terrible rendition of the newest The Weird Sisters song, a smile crept across her lips. If he was singing to himself, then Persephone wasn't in her brother's room. Emma continued her journey with a sigh until the only option left was to make her way downstairs.
She was nearly to the staircase when Persephone was making her way down the hall. Persephone seemed lost in thought until Emma let out a soft giggle, leaning against the wall and twirling her wand.
Persephone's eyes flew open wide, and she paused for a moment, jaw-dropping. She rushed over to Emma, reaching out to grab Emma and letting out a moan as she ducked out of the way and towards the stairs.
"Emma, don't go downstairs!" Persephone hissed, grabbing onto the back of Emma's shirt to stop her in her tracks.
"Why not?" Emma asked, tugging her shirt out of Persephone's scrambling hands and backing up so she couldn't grab her. She felt mischievous and thought it was a brilliant idea to play an impromptu game of tag. "I've been stuck in my room the entire time I've been here. If Fenrir's not there, then I'm out. Besides – catch me if you can!" Before Persephone could reach out to grab her again, Emma bolted.
She sprinted down the hallway and rushed down the stairs with Persephone hissing her name the entire way. Emma giggled as she nearly tripped, catching herself quickly on the handrail before jumping down the last few steps. She paused to figure out which way to go, but it was long enough for Persephone to catch up to her.
"Em, come on," Persephone said pleadingly, grabbing Emma's arm and trying to pull her back up the stairs. "Let's just go back upstairs."
"No!" Emma replied, casting sparks at Persephone and giggling when she yelped in surprise. Emma took another look around and grinned when she noticed a light down one of the hallways. Jackpot.
Emma made sure to keep her steps as silent as possible, but Persephone was a little less quiet. For every silent step Emma took as she ran, Persephone's practically echoed in the otherwise quiet hallway. It wasn't until they got closer towards the light that Persephone's steps grew quieter and much slower; Emma got just close enough to listen to what was being said. Her stomach dropped at the first thing that she heard.
"This is ridiculous, Fenrir," Emma heard Ellis say. "Persephone's done her part. You heard her!"
"Not well enough," Fenrir growled. "Your brat said she was going to keep her away, and now look at what's happened."
Persephone finally caught up to Emma, silently grabbing her arm and trying to pull her away from the door. Emma planted her feet firmly on the ground and shook off Persephone's hold on her. The girls had a quiet scuffle with each other, Persephone continuing to try and grab Emma and pull her back and Emma pushing Persephone's hands away. Emma was sure that even the slightest of noises would draw Fenrir's attention, but none of the shadows moved. Emma was about to try and cast a silent spell to keep Persephone off of her, but she froze when Jude began to speak.
"It was bound to happen at some point," Jude said with a yawn. "It was a miracle they never met years ago."
"My daughter did exactly as she was supposed to," Ellis said sharply. "We decided that she was not at fault. In fact, Barty said it happened entirely on their own."
"Are we going to go on about this all night?" Jude asked, sounding bored. "I think there are more important things to discuss."
"You're not taking her, Judas," Fenrir growled. "You might have ignored every single part of our deal, but –"
"Were you not saying a few weeks ago that you didn't care what happened with her?" Jude questioned, ignoring Fenrir's growl of aggravation. "In fact, I believe you mentioned that Persephone's plan was perfect. Would be fitting for her to go exactly like her mother."
Emma turned her head slowly to look at Persephone over her shoulder, eyes narrowed and brow furrowed in confusion. Persephone stared back at Emma, paling considerably. She was staring at Emma as if she had seen a ghost, her expression frozen in wide-eyed horror. Emma found herself staring harder at Persephone, listening closely to what was being said. Persephone only tried harder to pull Emma away, but Emma wasn't moving. She needed to know.
"Oh, please," Fenrir scoffed. "The plan that you couldn't even come up with? You had to let a twelve-year-old girl come up with it? Never were very clever, were you?"
"Jude was still the one to do it," Ellis said. "Doesn't matter that Persephone came up with it."
"And just think of how much easier it will be," Jude said with a sigh. "I would humor you and make sure the brat wouldn't even feel a thing if it would make you feel better. It could be the coup de grâce if you will – just one dose of Draught of Living Dead, and that's it."
"Persephone said it would be quicker," Ellis added. "Much quicker than the one she said to use for Margaret. After what Emma did, it would just look like a suicide, and they wouldn't look much further into it. It really is the most humane for your kind."
Whatever was said after that point, Emma wasn't sure. She knew that it was Fenrir who spoke next, his voice the roughest between the three men, but she heard nothing. Time felt as though it had frozen completely, both girls staring at each other. Emma's entire body ran cold as if her blood had turned to ice, and her stomach practically dropped through the floor. She blinked owlishly at Persephone, taking in the tears in her eyes with confusion. It wasn't until Persephone mouthed the words "I'm sorry" and released her hold on Emma that she understood.
Everything Fenrir ever tried to tell her hit her like a ton of bricks. Emma wasn't sure that it was possible to be any more broken-hearted.
"It was you?" Emma whispered shakily. "You're the reason my mother died?"
Persephone opened her mouth to speak, looking crestfallen. She looked over Emma's shoulder as a shadow shifted in the hallway and then stopped. Persephone sobered up quickly, standing up straighter and promptly wiping away her tears. Emma couldn't believe what she was seeing, couldn't understand how Persephone just seemed to turn her emotions off so quickly.
"It appears we have company," Emma heard Jude say from behind her. She felt a hand grab roughly onto the back of her neck and pull her backward and into the room. It didn't take long for Jude's hand to be pried off her as Fenrir rushed across the room and pulled Jude away.
"You are not to touch her," Fenrir growled, gripping hard to Jude's wrist and shooting Emma a furious look. "And I told you to stay where you were."
"Well, we all know that she's a troublemaker," Ellis muttered.
"Yes, well, I'm just going to have to fix that, now won't I?"
Fenrir released Jude's wrist with a hard shove and immediately placed himself at Emma's side. Emma felt herself curl in on herself as Fenrir wrapped his hand around the back of her neck. His hold was more in warning than anything, but she didn't like it. She was moments away from lifting her wand in her overly limp arm to get him off her, but Fenrir plucked it from her hand with ease.
Jude's lip curled as he looked at Fenrir and Emma, rubbing his wrist. "Yes, well," Jude muttered. He gave Emma a once over and scoffed. "It doesn't matter if you're here. Suppose it would be more enjoyable if you were to know exactly what I plan to do with you when I get ahold of you."
"I wouldn't count on it, Judas," Fenrir sighed.
"You seem quite optimistic, dog."
"You're not getting her."
"And who's going to stop me?"
Fenrir shrugged, tugging Emma a little closer and not saying a word. Jude rolled his eyes and looked at Persephone.
"So, I guess you know that your little friend has never been your friend, then?" Jude asked, his lips twitching slightly into a smile.
Emma glanced over at Persephone, who avoided looking in her direction and stood like a statue next to her father. Jude hummed quietly, taking a seat in one of the plush armchairs. It gave Emma just enough time to realize they were in an office, the walls dark and covered in just as many books as the library. The room was furnished simply with light-colored wood furniture and ornate armchairs that were covered in blue velvet. Emma thought it looked like a very stereotypical Ravenclaw-styled room.
"I have to say, Persephone's been quite brilliant over the years. Since you're here, let me tell you just how marvelous she's been, especially when it came to your poor mother," Jude said with a happy sigh. "But you see, there's an important thing for you to know first. Your mother was weak. It was effortless to keep her under the Imperius curse for as long as possible. Eventually, she just stopped trying to resist, and I didn't have to do a thing."
"And what does that mean?" Emma snapped. "She was not weak."
"Oh, but she was," Jude said with a smile that made Emma's stomach knot up. "If she wasn't, she would have mustered up the will to talk to you all of those visits herself." Jude leaned forward in his chair with his elbows on his knees. "All of those times, she was perfectly fine. Especially that first very unexpected visit – oh, that one was brilliant. Aggravating because I didn't think you would be an issue, but oh, was it wonderful to see how poor little Maggie was broken after you left."
Emma wasn't sure where to look – at Persephone, who was staring at the floor, at Ellis, at Jude, who looked entirely too pleased with himself, or at Fenrir. She shook her head in sheer disbelief.
"You're lying," Emma said, glaring at Jude. "She was sick."
"She wasn't sick, Emma," Persephone said quietly. Persephone slowly lifted her eyes to meet Emma's. "She never was."
"Oh, well, not until you mentioned the Draught of Despair, of course," Jude said with glee. "Such a brilliant little idea of yours. It was so simple –just the smallest bit of potion would send her into her mind, and there was nothing she could do. And the best part is it's so uncommon no one would ever think to test for it. Not to say that a few didn't try, but –" Jude pulled his wand out with a flourish that had Fenrir's hand squeeze the back of Emma's neck a little tighter "– it was nothing to wipe their memories. Speaking of which, maybe we should just take a few of yours again."
"Point that wand in her direction and see how fast I break your neck," Fenrir growled.
Jude sighed, lips pursing almost into a pout. "All bark and no bite, dog," Jude said, twirling his wand between his fingers. "Remember, it wasn't even you that decided to meet me the night I tried to end things."
"I had more important things to take care of."
"Yes, well, that went over quite well if I recall."
Emma couldn't pull her eyes away from Persephone's, her mind spinning from what she was told. She remembered browsing books with Persephone their first year and stumbling across the Draught of Despair and lamenting over it. Neither of them could understand how a potion so cruel could exist.
"Now, what to do with you," Jude said slowly. "Ah, yes – well, it was decided that we would keep you alive just long enough to see everything unfold and the Dark Lord's return. Oh, yes – it will be brilliant when you all see the truth that's right in front of you."
"Jude –" Ellis said sharply, almost in a warning.
"Oh, what are you worried about?"
"We don't need the information getting into the wrong hands."
"And who's going to believe her? She's surrounded by dogs; her reputation is non-existent as it is, you heard Persephone tell you herself. So many of their classmates refuse to say a word to her because they don't want to be next, but they all talk about it. No one wants to be associated with a werewolf."
"Is that true?" Emma asked Persephone.
"I mean, yeah," Persephone said, shifting slightly and looking over at Fenrir. "I mean…no one wants to look like you or have to deal with, well, Fen. Your kind is…dangerous, and considering your relationship –"
"Anyway, enough of that," Jude said, gesturing for Persephone to be quiet. "I wouldn't have to deal with you until the summer, and by then, the Dark Lord will have returned. I'm sure the others have a lot of pent-up energy, and a revel sounds perfect. What better subject than a new dog to play with?"
"A new dog to play with?" Fenrir asked, his voice low. "And tell me, were you planning on having other dogs at this revel of yours?"
"Well, it's never just one, is it?"
Emma braced herself when Fenrir released her from his grip. She expected him to shove her to the side with all the roughness he usually used with her, but he was careful.
"Leave," Fenrir said, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. He tossed her back his wand and raised his eyebrows when Emma didn't move to leave. "Leave and stay exactly where you are. Now, Soleil."
Just like when Fenrir told her to go to sleep, Emma found herself walking out of the room and heading up the stairs. She was confused, and her eyes were filled with tears, but they refused to fall. Nothing made any sense, and she didn't understand anything she was told. Emma was positively reeling, and she was overwhelmed. When she stepped back into the room, her tears finally started to fall silently down her face.
How was Persephone a part of things? How was her mother even more all right than she thought? Was Jude telling the truth, and they could have talked the entire time? The more Emma tried to work through the information she was given, the more she was confused. All she could do was wait. She spun on her heel, crossing her arms and staring hard at the door for when Fenrir would arrive.
It felt like it took hours for Fenrir to return, and all Emma wanted to do was yell at him. She wanted to kick and scream and cry, but she was tired. Emma opened her mouth, ready to shout at Fenrir the moment he looked at her, but she clamped her mouth shut. She was more than tired – she was exhausted.
"You knew I would leave," Emma finally said, turning so that her back was facing Fenrir. "I fell right back into one of your tricks again. You wanted me to go down there."
"You're predictable," Fenrir said in response.
"You knew everything," Emma said, looking over her shoulder to glare at Fenrir. She rubbed her eyes hard to clear her tears. "And is it true?"
"It is."
"All of it?"
"Just as I always said."
"You've known this entire time? And you never told me?"
"You had to learn on your own," Fenrir said with a shrug. "Times are changing, and you need to figure out what side you're on before it's too late. Your best bet is to follow my lead if you want any hopes in surviving any of this."
"Oh, come on," Emma scoffed. "You can't tell me you're about to tell me Voldemort's coming back again."
"He is," Fenrir said slowly. "And he has one of his own in the castle walls, and you've had no idea." Fenrir let out a long sigh and shrugged again. "You'll all learn soon enough. The rat's been quite busy, but he isn't the only one. But right now, you're getting out of her."
"And how am I getting out of here, Fen? There's nowhere for me to go!"
A twisted smile crossed Fenrir's face, and Emma's stomach dropped for what felt like the millionth time that night. She turned herself to face him slightly, watching as he crossed the room slowly. He grabbed Emma's shoulders and turned her to face him fully, and leaned down to be on her level.
"Funny that," he said, running his tongue over his teeth. "I'll get you out of here, but I'm not doing that without getting something in return."
"What do you want?" Emma asked, worried about what Fenrir would want from her. "I didn't think you would want to make another deal with me."
"Oh, you aren't," Fenrir smirked. "Soleil is. I'm not letting you get around another deal again. Now, do you want to know my conditions? It's a formality at this point, really."
Emma wasn't sure that her night could get any worse, and she nodded. Fenrir's smile grew, and Emma listened to exactly what Fenrir was proposing. The more he told her, the less she wished she knew. It was no wonder that Fenrir would go past her and go directly to the source of what he wanted. She swallowed hard when Fenrir finished speaking, looking at everything besides Fenrir as she tried to figure out what to do. Emma didn't think she had much choice.
"So what do we do for this one?" Emma asked. "Do we…do we shake on this one?"
"Not needed," Fenrir said, his expression smug. "Soleil's already agreed."
Emma huffed out a bitter laugh and shook her head. She shouldn't have been surprised – Soleil was notorious for making her own decisions.
"Then how do I get out of here?" Emma asked, crossing her arms and taking a few steps back as Fenrir released his hold on her. He straightened up, looking impossibly more delighted than before.
"Well, do you recall the quickest one-way ticket to Saint Mungo's?"
"A werewolf bite," Emma said slowly.
"Exactly."
a/n: Oops. Long chapter long. Forgot my usual spiel at the end of the last one because stress. We're good now, though. Lots of changes going on, join the Discord to find out what the dealio is. Ask for the link or check the bio EITHER OR WORKS.
Three more chapters left. Ow. Then year five. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT? Anyway~
To my late night readers - please go to sleep.
For my afternoon readers - I hope you've had a wonderful day so far.
For my morning readers - Have a wonderful day!
I love you all~
Xoxo, Cat
