May 12, 1991
Serenity was to meet with Minerva for morning tea today. To pay homage to her old house of Gryffindor, she had chosen to wear a simple, red knee high, sleeveless dress. She accessorized with matching red ribbon bows around her hair buns and a crescent moon necklace. Before heading to her fireplace, she picked her matching small clutch up and checked she had everything. With a pinch of floo powder, she stepped into the green flames and floo'ed to Professor McGonagall's office. Mere seconds later, the blonde stepped out of the fireplace to be greeted by her old head of house.
"Punctual as always, Miss Tsukino." The professor smiled as an elf appeared with tea and other refreshments. "Please, sit." She gestured to the chairs on the opposite side of her desk as she sat in her chair.
"It's a habit ingrained in me at this point after seven years of punctuality being required within these walls, Professor." Serenity chuckled as she took a seat.
"It's not a habit too many make a point to continue after graduation." McGonagall pointed out as she poured tea for the both of them. "So, how is working at the ministry treating you?"
Serenity sipped her tea before she gave her response. "It's...work. And a distraction. Even after all these years. It's become routine. Enough so that I'm mostly on autopilot."
"You're suffering still." McGonagall looked at her over her own cup of tea in sympathy. "Almost an entire circle of friends gone within a week. You were all so tight-knit, I'm not surprised you're still hurting."
Serenity bit her lip in silence. "They were basically family." She looked down and blinked her eyes a few times, fighting back tears.
"I spoke with Mister Lupin last week."McGonagall surrendered.
"How...how is he?" Serenity murmured softly.
It was only because of Minerva's animagus ability that she was even able to hear Serenity's whispered words. "He's looking worse for the wear. Years of loneliness have not been kind to him it seems." She regarded Serenity while nibbling on one of the small sandwiches provided with their tea. "I have not seen him look so bad since you all were second years."
Serenity slightly winced at the news about Remus' condition. She knew instantly what Minerva was referring to. And if Serenity remembered right, last week was a full moon, which meant that Moony had not gone easy on Remus. Unconsciously, she fingered the crescent moon pendant around her neck.
"You still miss him. And he misses you as well." Minerva frowned in concern.
"Yes I do." Serenity sighed in defeat. "I meant it when I said we were like family, Professor. And I'm sure I don't have to tell you what that would mean to a werewolf."
"A pack." Minerva nodded in agreement. "And it's high time you start calling me Minerva." She gently placed a hand on Serenity's other hand that had rested on the desk with her tea cup. "And if my memory serves me correctly, that pack extended to young Harry, didn't it?"
"It did." Serenity looked up at the professor. "And only if you call me, Serenity." She smiled. "I know Harry was hidden away after Lily and James were majority of the pack is gone, but I'm sure that Remus' inner wolf has been….antsy after all this time without knowing that the youngest member...the pack cub essentially, Harry, is truly safe."
It was Minerva's turn to become tight-lipped and tense at the mention of Harry Potter's safety. Serenity noticed these changes and realized she had to try to gently ease whatever information she could out of the older woman.
"Professor….Minerva. You know where Professor Dumbledore hid Harry,... don't you?" Serenity bit her lip in hesitation
Minerva sighed and nodded. "I've known from the beginning."
"Is it a place where you trust his caretakers to properly care for him?" Serenity asked the painful question.
Minerva opened her mouth to answer, only to find herself tongue-tied all of a sudden. Serenity's eyes narrowed at the obvious sign that Minerva being tongue-tied was an attempt to keep the information safe.
"So...Professor Dumbledore took some big precautions with you too…" Serenity mused. "Hmm...if he made sure you couldn't say it, it's probably likely that you can't write it either."
"So it seems."Minerva sighed. "You can't really blame him when he's trying to keep Harry safe."
"Minerva...can I look into your mind and try to get the answer that way? I studied Legilimency and Occlumency," Serenity offered.
"We can try. I'll see if I can push the right part to the forefront." Minerva nodded.
"That would be helpful. Ready?" Serenity raised her wand.
"I'm ready." Minerva answered, having straightened in her chair as she thought of the memory of the day Harry had been delivered to his hiding place.
"Legilimens." Serenity murmured with a steady hand.
Gently, she pushed into the mind of her former head of house. It wasn't long before she caught the memory that Minerva had wanted her to see. At the realization that the memory depicted a heavyset muggle man that was extremely familiar to Serenity, she quickly pulled from Minerva's mind.
"No. For fuck's sake, tell me he didn't really leave Harry, let alone any magical child with Lily's sister?" Serenity sank in her chair, her eyes brimming with tears.
"I wish I could say that." Minerva held her head in shame.
"He can't stay there. It was well known that Lily did not get along with her sister. Petunia hates magic and her husband does too." Serenity repeatedly clenched and unclenched her fists. "I'm going to try to get Harry out of there. Damn whatever supposed protections Dumbledore has in place. They won't do anything to protect him from the horrors within."
Minerva's expression hardened. "I did tell Albus that they were the worst kind of Muggles." She looked to a side table where a quill was magically writing out the envelopes for the new first years that would be starting in September. "I wonder…" She grabbed a stack of the completed envelopes that were to the side from the empty stack and flipped through. When she found the one she had been searching for, she let out a string of curses, throwing the offending envelope to the desk.
Serenity's eyes grew wide at the language spewing forth from the usually reserved Transfiguration professor while picking up the envelope to see what about it had upset the older woman. "A cupboard under the stairs?!"
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
"Enter." Minerva called out.
Severus Snape stepped into the room, a look of distaste on his face as he noticed who Minerva's company was.
"Tsukino." He addressed Serenity
Serenity's eyes narrowed. "Last name basis now, Severus?"
"You ran with the Marauders and definitely spared me no glance after the last incident." Severus explained before looking to Minerva. "I wasn't interrupting anything too important, was I?"
"We were actually discussing the whereabouts of one Harry Potter." Minerva explained.
"Ah. The little pampered spawn of Potter." Severus sneered.
"I'm quite sure even you would agree that no magical child would ever be spoiled by dear 'Tuney'. Because the last I checked, no 'spoiled' child would ever sleep in a cupboard under the stairs!" Serenity glared.
Severus' stone facade broke briefly at the mention of the nickname that both he and Serenity had used in the past whenever referring to, or addressing Lily's sister, Petunia.
"And what proof do you have that such a cupboard is the brat's room?" Severus questioned
"The envelope automatically addressed to him for his Hogwarts letter." Serenity held out the envelope.
Severus looked between the envelope and Minerva skeptically.
Minerva nodded. "You know the quill doesn't lie for this. As for the proof that it's Lily's sister Harry is with, I was there when Albus left Harry there. And well, I'm sure you know how persuasive Albus can be."
Severus narrowed his eyes before taking the envelope and looking it over. Frowning at seeing the words on the envelope did indeed say what Serenity had claimed.
"I may not have gotten along with the Marauders but even I would not wish their spawn to be put in the care of that woman." He shook his head with a sigh. "What in the world was that man thinking?"
"Nothing that was truly in the best interests of Harry." Serenity answered matter of factly.
"Indeed." Severus sneered.
"Don't make me assign you both detention." Minerva threatened. "Are you sure the two of you aren't related? You fight like siblings."
Both younger adults had the decency to look properly scolded.
"Now, what are we going to do about getting Harry from his relatives?" Minerva asked as she gestured to Severus to sit down and join them in the planning.
Severus waved his wand and wordlessly cast a couple more spells as he sat with the two women to plan. By the time they had finished all the planning, it was two hours later. Serenity said her goodbyes to both Professors and headed on back home to rest up and gather supplies. For they would be bringing Harry back home where he belonged.