I decided to break pattern this week. After all, it's our favourite fictional characters birthday today! Happy birthday Remus Lupin!

I hope you enjoy this chapter :)

Chapter nineteen: I spy

Alicia slowly woke from a wonderful dream that she forgot the moment she opened her eyes. All she remembered was a feeling of peace. When she looked up and noticed the other person in the bed with her, she understood why she felt that way. There was no place more peaceful to her than in the arms of Remus Lupin.

He was still sleeping. His chest raised slowly with every breath. She turned to her side and laid a hand on his chest, letting herself fall into his rhythm. It was so nice that she felt her eyes flutter shut again, ready for some more sleep.

What she failed to realise, was that there was a reason she had woken up. There had been a noise in the room. As she fell asleep again, the noise was repeated. Alicia snuggled close to Remus as someone turned the doorknob and entered her office.

'Professor?' said a voice in the office. The intruder walked closer to the bedroom. The door hadn't been closed yesterday.

'Ahem. Professor Doreen?' said the voice louder now.

'WHAA!,' both people in the bed exclaimed. Alicia grabbed for the blankets to cover her naked body as Remus just looked with terror in his eyes.

'Minerva!' Alicia yelled in a high-pitched voice.

'Mr. Lupin?' Minerva McGonagall said. Her eyebrows disappeared in her hairline.

'H-hello,' he said sheepishly.

There was a moment of awkward silence. Then Minerva seemed to remember where she was. 'Right, sorry for barging in. I'll wait here in your office while you get dressed.' As she said it she closed the door with her wand and then it was silent again.

The two exchanged a look.

'What just happened?' Remus said sleepily as he rubbed at his eyes. 'Don't you lock your office?'

'I do. She must really want to see me,' Alicia said, still clutching the blankets in her hands. 'I should go out there.'

'Me too?' Remus asked.

She answered as she got out of bed. 'Well, she knows now anyway. We might as well explain ourselves.'

Ten minutes later they opened the door. Minerva had taken the liberty to pour herself some tea. Three cups were sitting on the table between the armchairs. She looked up with an amused expression. 'I guess I don't have to ask you anymore why you weren't at the staff meeting last night.'

Alicia slapped her palm to her face. 'I totally forgot! Such an idiot. I'm really sorry.'

'You have to be careful with those things Alicia,' Remus told her quietly. She cast her eyes down in shame.

The older witch waved it away. 'Please sit, both of you. It is good to see you again, Mr. Lupin.'

'You know, after all these years you might as well call me Remus,' he said with a smirk as he sat down. Minerva replied with: 'Very well.'

'Did you come to check on me, because I disappeared last night?' Alicia asked. Her cheeks were burning and she couldn't meet Minerva's eye.

'Partly, yes. But I also wanted to speak with you personally. About…Professor Umbridge and some things she told me about you. I must say…with this new knowledge here I'm not sure I really understand anymore. Dolores told me you very much agree with her…medieval ideas.'

Alicia sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She had decided to make two small braids from her temples to meet in the back, where it ran down in one thicker braid. Her pinkie finger got stuck. 'I think I can be honest with you…I'm lying to Umbridge every day. I want her to see me as an ally.'

Minerva nodded. 'To secure your job.'

'Partly, yes,' Alicia started while picking up her cup of tea. 'But also because Dumbledore asked me to.'

This surprised her. 'Dumbledore? Do you mean you are part of the Order too?'

'She signed up this summer,' Remus said calmly as he sipped his tea.

Minerva didn't know where to look. 'I don't usually participate in the meetings but I thought I got all the information from Albus and Severus. Why wouldn't they tell me you were an ally? I was starting to think…'

Alicia got up and turned her back to the others. 'You were thinking I was like Umbridge. That I hated half-breeds and want Dumbledore gone from this school.'

It was quiet for a moment. Then Remus breathed in deeply and said: 'Are you telling people you hate half-breeds?'

She whirled around. 'I had to agree with her through gritted teeth! She actually asked me the worst possible question and I had to play along. Of course I don't mean it,' she defended herself quickly.

Remus sat perfectly still. 'I'm not saying that you mean it. But if there are many people out there who think you do…well it might affect you in a bad way.'

'Don't think I don't hate myself for having to do this,' Alicia whispered, suddenly tired again. The moment of bliss she had with Remus already felt far away again as her problems resurfaced. She also felt a little annoyed with Remus for being so two-sided. On the one hand he wanted her to keep the job, while on the other he was shocked to hear what she had to do.

Remus got up and held her close to him. 'I just want to keep you safe, that is all.'

Minerva watched them silently when Remus released her and helped her back in her chair. 'How long have you two been together?'

Both of them blushed furiously. 'Since…uhm since this summer,' Remus said quickly. 'Since she has joined the Order. She spent quite some time at Headquarters and we…connected.'

It was better this way, Alicia agreed. Minerva already had two shocking truths hurled her way today, better not add their morally debatable past. She seemed satisfied with that answer though, luckily.

'So I take it you have no prejudices about werewolves at all then,' Minerva said. 'You are a convincing liar Alicia. Dolores can't stop repeating that some teachers full-heartedly agree with her.'

Alicia rubbed her temples. 'It will have to do for now, until Hagrid is back. If I wasn't buttering her up so much she would put a lot more question marks after my age and experience in teaching. I am trying to keep up with everything…'

'I know,' Minerva was quick to say. 'I have seen you study and prepare and consult help and do everything a new teacher should be doing. Usually we would have more time to ease you in, like an assistant or intern. This was just…an unique situation. But I agree. You are doing everything in your power to teach well. I am very proud of you.'

Alicia smiled warmly at her. 'Thank you. That means a lot.'

'Well,' she said while putting her cup down, 'I better leave you two alone. My apologies for disrupting your Saturday morning.'

Alicia and Remus stood up too. 'I guess it goes without saying, but no one can know that Remus is here…with me.'

Minerva smiled slightly before she left the office. 'Oh don't worry. I'm a convincing liar too, Professor Doreen.'

Her mind was once more filled with things she had to do. December was getting close and so were the half-year exams for the fifth- and seventh-years. There was still so much to prepare. Her mind was overflowing. She wandered through the seventh-floor which was completely deserted. The only sound was that of her heels tapping against the stone floor. Even in her distracted state she was sure she had been alone.

Still, there were voices right behind her.

'Someone's there!'

'It's just Nessie.'

Alicia turned on her heels to see a small group of students suddenly standing behind her. To their left was an open door, which had not been there before. Right? Or am I that distracted?

A small boy gasped as he saw her. 'That is Professor Doreen! She is with Umbridge!'

'Pff no she's not,' said Fred, who was also part of the group. 'It's cool guys. Let's go.'

Not just Fred, but also George, Neville and a whole other group of students from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw filed through the door and into the hallway. They all looked at Alicia. Some hurried on, some stood there like they weren't sure what to do with her existence.

'What the bloody hell…' Alicia started. She walked closer to the doors and saw a massive room behind it. One she had never seen before. 'There was never a door here!'

'You never found the Room of Requirement? I thought you would have. You always liked to wander around the castle, right?' Fred said with a careless attitude.

'Are you sure we should show her?' Angelina whispered to Fred. 'Michael has a point. She said some extreme stuff about half-breeds the other day.'

George giggled. 'You don't know half of the extreme stuff she does to half-breeds.'

Alicia turned around to give him a dirty look. Angelina rolled her eyes and walked away.

'Room of Requirement,' Alicia said in bewilderment as she stroked the door. 'Why did you never show yourself to me?'

'Guess you weren't in need of it,' George said. The twins left too. Alicia thought back to her time with Remus while she was in school. I could have really used a room for the both of us! But I suppose we had his office…

She walked in. The room was large and lined with bookshelves. There were practicing dummies and cushions scattered around the room. Inside were three people left, and it didn't surprise her at all to see them.

'Hi Harry,' Alicia said while stepping into the room.

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked up, similarly astounded. 'Professor!' Hermione shrieked before tucking her wand away like it was the only suspicious thing. 'How did you find this room?'

Alicia chuckled. 'The door opened just as I walked by.'

Hermione's expression became dark. 'And I told them to look first! Ron your brothers are not careful enough. Do they understand the kind of trouble we are in when we are caught?'

Ron shrugged innocently. 'Hey don't look at me! I don't control Fred and George!'

'Are we caught?' Harry asked, ignoring his friends.

'What by me?' Alicia said with a smile. 'Who do you think I am? I'm frankly amazed by it! So you guys started your own duelling class?'

'We are not being taught how to defend ourselves this year,' Harry said with his arms crossed and a defiant look in his eyes. 'So we decided to do it without a professor.' He gave Alicia a hard stare. 'And to answer your first question: I think some of them are afraid you actually agree with Umbridge. They think you will tell her about us.'

With 'some of them' it was clear he meant Hermione. She became red in the face. 'I'm just being careful! We are doing this without anyone knowing! It's nothing personal…'

Hermione wasn't meeting Alicia's eye. Suddenly Alicia's heart felt heavy. She remembered being study partners with Hermione. Hours spent in the library helping each other out. In a time where none of Hermione's friends encouraged her eagerness to study, Alicia and her Ravenclaw friends had been there. Now she looked at Hermione and realised she had lost all the respect the bushy haired girl once had for her.

Alicia took a step in her direction. 'Hermione, I'm not taking it personally. It is very wise to be safe about this. It might have been someone else in the hallway. I completely agree. Also, I understand it is hard to understand my intentions lately. I must be like a shapeshifter to you! First I study dragons, then you find out I date a werewolf, then I suddenly become your teacher without having said a word about it and then at school you hear me agreeing with Dolores about her racist ideas.'

She stopped for a moment. Hermione finally looked up at her. She nodded.

'I can't explain all my intentions. But I can assure you this: I will not tell a soul about this…uh group duelling you're doing.' She had said it, and she had meant it. Screw you Dumbledore.

That actually earned her a smile. 'Thank you professor. I guess we should go now.'

'You go ahead, I'll catch up,' Harry told them. Hermione and Ron left the room and closed the door. The room was eerily quiet.

'You okay, Harry?' Alicia asked as she sat down on the stone steps by the door. Harry was pacing back and forth, feeling restless.

'Not really. There are still a lot of things bothering me. But most of all it's the dreams,' he said.

Taken aback, she asked: 'Dreams? What do you dream about?'

Harry stopped pacing. 'I don't think they are dreams. I think they are more. Like…visions. Maybe distorted versions of the future.' He stood right in front of her, looking down. 'It's really scary. But at the same time very useful. I…I was wondering if you ever heard of such things.'

The first thing that came to mind was her own scary dream that she had in Romania. One in which Harry was dead and everyone said that it was Alicia's fault. It had played a part in her return to England to be closer to Harry and be able to protect him. She didn't tell him this, nonetheless.

'It sounds like a subject more suited for a Divination professor. All I can tell you is that there are many things in the magical world that could cause this. Certain potions make you clairvoyant. You could have a bit of the Sight in you. You could also be sleep deprived. And of course, there is Legilimency.'

Harry looked confused. 'What is that? The last thing you said?'

Alicia rubbed her hands together. 'Legilimency is the act of magically navigating through someone's mind. Some wizards and witches are born with that ability, but you can also learn it like you learn an incantation. It is however very advanced. Not a lot of people bother to learn it. Also because it is a morally grey area. Should you ever be able to enter someone's mind without consent?'

'I never knew this,' Harry confessed. He sat down next to her and looked around the room with a thoughtful look. 'So someone could read my mind while I'm sleeping?'

Alicia scratched her cheek. 'I don't exactly know what is and what isn't possible. But I know that apart from reading, you can also learn to implant images or ideas in someone's mind. And I suppose you are more willing to accept this when asleep. In dreams everything is possible.'

A silence stretched between them. A little bird was whistling outside the window. Snow was softly drifting down and piling up on the window sills.

'I think it has something to do with Voldemort,' Harry said.

Alicia flinched. She couldn't help it. Everyone always flinched at that name, even though she started saying it herself. 'That is plausible. It wouldn't surprise me if he is a Legilimens.'

'Did you ever have dreams that you thought were visions?' Harry asked next. Caught off guard, he could see the guilty look in her eyes. 'You have, haven't you?'

Alicia sighed deeply. 'Once. It scared the shit out of me. It was a nightmare.'

'Did it come true?' Harry asked.

She shook her head. 'No, and I hope not ever. Part of the dream was about something I already changed…my relationship with Remus. But I guess part of it still applies. I'm trying to fight for it every day.'

He nodded. 'Let's hope it doesn't come true then.'

'Did you talk to Padfoot about this?' she asked, wanting to change the subject.

'Yeah. I wish I could talk with him more often. It is so hard to find a moment when the common room is deserted. We talk through the fireplace,' Harry explained. 'And Hermione…well she keeps saying that Sirius is not in his right mind or something. Keeps bringing up that he is going insane in that house. She says I shouldn't trust his judgement.'

Alicia's heart felt heavy again. 'Do you agree with her?'

Harry seemed doubtful. 'I don't know. I understand her but…I really want to trust him. I need more time with him.'

This made her smile a bit. 'Yeah, you do. I'm going to help you get more time with him.'

'Really? How?' he asked bewildered.

Alicia bumped her shoulder into his. 'I have a private fireplace, remember? I'll get a note to him to be there tomorrow evening. Then you can come to my office and I'll leave you two to it. Sounds good?'

Harry beamed at her. 'That's amazing! Thank you professor…Alicia…Nessie.'

She let out a booming laugh that echoed through the room. 'Yes that sums it up, doesn't it? It's hard to remember who I am these days.'

Harry smiled. 'No. I just think…you are all these things at once. A dragon handler. I mean, I still see your dragon or uhh dog with you every day. A teacher. Of course I don't want to get rid of Hagrid, but you are pretty amazing too. And Nessie. The cool person who helps people in need. Look at me, I am helped.'

They laughed together. Alicia stood up and saluted him. 'Glad to be of service, Mr. Potter.'

He took her hand. 'Thank you for listening, professor.'

Dutifully, Alicia had sent Professor Dumbledore a letter that she had information to share. She agreed to come by after dinner to talk to him. She needed to practice what parts she was going to tell and what parts didn't concern him. Even though Harry had told her that their group was called Dumbledore's Army, the man in question didn't have to know about it. She had promised that to Hermione.

At dinner, she sat next to Dolores as per usual. After a while of sitting next to her and knowing that meals were time for her mask to be on, she actually started to get used to it. It really helped that she considered herself a spy, hearing every thought Dolores had. At this point the woman believed Alicia to be a protégé ministry witch.

If anything, it beat sitting next to Severus.

'I have reason to believe,' Dolores said in a hushed voice so that only Alicia could hear her, 'That a band of students is meeting up. A group that is not authorized by me. I think they are practicing duelling spells.'

Alicia gasped. 'I can't believe it. Who do you suspect is in this group?'

As expected, her eyes went straight to the Boy Who Lived. 'As always, Potter is the big troublemaker. You can just see the lack of authority he had in his life. He has no respect. He is a free scoundrel like his father was. When I started as a student at Hogwarts he was in his fifth year, with that group of friends. There was quite the legend around them, but to me they seemed like a bunch of careless lunatics.'

Alicia had the greatest trouble imagining Dolores Umbridge as a eleven-year old girl. Actually, to picture her as a child in general. Was she always like this or was there a time in which she was pleasant? It didn't sound like it.

'I can keep an eye on him if you want,' Alicia murmured back to her.

'No,' she said quickly. 'No that won't be necessary. He is not going to disturb my plan.'

Alicia doubted it, but didn't say so.

After dinner she wandered the halls a bit before going up to meet with the Headmaster. She wasn't looking forward to this at all, but she had to give him something.

'Fizzing whizzbee,' Alicia said to the gargoyle guarding Dumbledore's office. She took the stairs up and knocked.

'Come in.'

Alicia stepped into the room. The last time she had spoken to Dumbledore was a rushed moment in the Staff Room. And in her time as a student she was never good or bad enough to end up in this office. So she took the room in for the first time.

It was a spacious tower with many items in it. The walls were covered with portraits. Cabinets full of strange objects were surrounding the office. It looked like every drawer and every cupboard had its own secrets to tell.

Albus Dumbledore was dressed in lime green robes, the same one he had been wearing at dinner. A pointed hat stood on his head to top the outfit. He beckoned Alicia to come closer to his desk, where he was sitting.

As the room was so much to take in, it took her a moment to realise they were not alone. There were two chairs in front of his desk, and one of them was occupied by Severus Snape. He hardly looked around to acknowledge her arrival.

'Please sit. Would you like a fudge fly?' the Headmaster offered a bowl with candies. Alicia took one and sat down. She nodded to Severus, who decided to further ignore her.

'How are you Alicia?' Dumbledore asked kindly. He seemed to be in a comfortable state. But he couldn't be, not with Dolores in the school.

Alicia shrugged. 'I'm fine. Things are going well.'

He leaned a bit more over his desk. 'Are they? Minerva said to me that you are sometimes swallowed in the work. Was it very overwhelming for you to teach here, so soon after leaving school yourself?'

Severus made a small noise and the corner of his lip curled upward. Alicia's face grew a bit red. 'I'm not swallowed by work. I'm coping. Yes, it was overwhelming. It still is sometimes. But I can handle it.'

She was getting rather annoyed. Not only did he presume she wasn't trying hard enough, he was saying it in front of Severus. A man who did not respect her at all and probably never would respect a woman. Giving him this evidence was very wrong. On top of that, she wondered why Dumbledore suddenly cared. He hadn't asked her whether it was too overwhelming when he asked her to come. He hadn't asked her in the beginning, when she was so clearly struggling. Was this his idea of small talk or were these two assholes trying to push her down?

'I came here because I have information about Harry. Let me be blunt here, I thought this was between you and me. Why is he here?' Alicia said as she gave Severus a look.

'As you know Severus is also working towards the same goal as us. Harry's connection to Voldemort is very important right now. We should all be aware of the situation,' Dumbledore explained.

'What about Minerva then? She is part of the Order too, right?' Alicia said defiantly.

'Minerva wishes to stay out until no longer possible. We give her information but she doesn't need to attend meetings. This was by her request. Now, what would you like to share with us?'

The situation was definitely uncomfortable. Alicia was sitting forward in her chair, her torso partly turned so that she could escape quickly if she needed to. After her talk with Harry about Legilimency, she realised that not only You-Know-Who, but also Dumbledore could very well be trained in the art. He was absolutely the type of person that would invade someone's mind.

Alicia carefully told them about the dream Harry had talked about. That he thought they were visions. Also that he felt very alone and angry a big deal of the time. She told them that Harry had already figured out that the dreams had something to do with You-Know-Who.

'Were you the only person he talked to about this?' Dumbledore asked her pensively.

She shook her head. 'Also with Sirius. And of course Ron and Hermione, but that goes without saying.'

'Hmm. Interesting. What did you tell him it could be?' he asked.

'I have no clue, now do I? I don't know how someone can influence the dreams of someone else, who is very far away in a warded castle. I am no Legilimens neither do I have the knowledge. But Harry was foreign to the term so I explained the basics.'

'His mind is weak,' Severus suddenly said. 'He is an easy prey to the Dark Lord. We should… interfere.' His eyes were fixed on Dumbledore. Clearly, he didn't think Alicia was important enough to include in the decision making.

'We cannot do anything yet. Nothing happened so far. When it does…' Dumbledore was saying before he got interrupted.

'Hold on a second,' Alicia said loudly. 'Nothing happened so far? What do you expect will happen? And why are we letting it happen?'

Dumbledore gave her a long hard look. 'Voldemort will try to alter Harry's dreams so he can show him whatever he wants him to believe. But before he can do that, he first needs to show him something that is real. A reason for Harry to trust in his, as he calls them 'visions'.'

She let out an exasperated gasp. 'Well if you know that, why won't you stop it? Can't anyone learn him Occlumency?'

The two wizards shared a look. 'We will do that when we can wait no longer.'

'Wait for what?!' Alicia nearly shouted. She was so done with these two. 'Do you want to let him dangle on the hook for a bit longer? Do you want him to go mad? He is losing his sanity as we speak!'

'I think we know enough for now. Thank you Alicia. Unless, there is something else you wish to tell me,' Dumbledore said with his hands clasped together on his desk. Severus was still as a statue.

Alicia pushed the chair back and got up. 'Yeah I wish to say something else. You better do something quickly about this situation. It won't be long before Umbridge will work you out of Hogwarts. And you better hope that I won't have changed my mind before that happens. If you don't tell him, I will.'

With that final statement, she stormed out of the room.