She had left the book on the coffee table in the common room it was inconspicuous enough to leave laying around. She had spent the night skimming through it, it was nothing but a history book. A telling of the fear that was present, of not knowing who the enemies were, ways of getting away, the sudden rise and fall of the Dark Lord.
She had closed it after that.
This was where they were heading, she had known this for years. From the moment Harry came to school, the moment they became friends, her life was heading towards war. There was nothing that could stop it. She was ready for it.
Whatever he was up to could be found in that book. She knew it would be there, some insignificant detail that would give him away. Because he couldn't just bloody talk to her. She walked through the Owlery, picking a small owl from the group and wrote a simple message on the parchment she had brought.
This is ridiculous. Use the scroll.
H.
She sent it off, the note and a small scroll of parchment attached to its leg, and out the window it went. A Protean charmed scroll would allow them to communicate quickly. She had a feeling they would need to. She stared down over the frozen lake. Everyone would be coming back tomorrow; the two weeks of vacation had come and gone, the grounds would be full again and she would be forced to hide away. Not that he had been overly acceptable to her being around anyways. She could guarantee that he would be even less now, and that was overly confusing as well. But they couldn't keep meeting in corners, someone would eventually catch on.
She had too much going on in her head.
She made her way back to the common room, wrapping her cloak closer to her to ward off the draft.
"Miss Granger. A word please." she turned, seeing Snape behind her and came closer. "There's a thing to be said about subtlety. You've managed to do the opposite of it." Her heart beat thunderously in her chest, had they been found out already?
"I suspect this new-found breakfast routine will end tomorrow. Be sure of that. I would hate for people to start talking."
"That's the plan, sir. House comradery during the holidays is encouraged, simply doing my part to make things better for all." She nodded to the professor as he sneered and walked away. She sighed and continued her way to the common room. Nothing like feeling threatened to bring in the New Year.
Making her way through the common room door she grabbed her scroll and wrote into it.
I'm rather good at solving puzzles you know. - H.
If he had received it, it would grow warm. Not exactly conspicuous but it was better than owls coming back and forth.
Protean charm. So I see. I don't want your help. Maybe that'll keep you occupied. You could use some reading. Everyone comes back tomorrow, what are you going to do? - D.
Pretend you don't exist. Isn't that what we've always done? Were you going to tell me that Snape knew? -H.
No. -D.
Damn him. She sat the scroll down next to her leg and grabbed the book off the table. She would play this game of his.
There was no way this had happened.
The words had come out of his mouth a hundred times, yet nothing ever happened but this time the apple was gone. It had actually worked, whether that be just vanished into thin air or gone to its destination the damn cabinet had done what its name implied.
He smirked and rolled his shoulders as he shut the cabinet door, turning around to leave, he heard it. The unmistakable thunk of something hitting the floor of the cabinet. Quickly he turned and opened the door, looking down he backed up quickly and tripped over his bag sending himself falling to the floor. This isn't possible.
The apple had been placed there. A bite missing from the side facing him. It had worked. It had met another person and the only other pair was there…with them.
He felt the bile in his throat.
They were now taunting him, someone was on the other side waiting and knew it had been there. The moment it had arrived. Knowing they were waiting somehow made it all worse. Whether they expected him to fail or not he now knew, they knew he was failing.
The sheer panic of it all was overwhelming him. How many people were waiting to come through? How many expected the old man to be dead first? He could feel his heart pounding out of his chest the more he stared at the apple. The cabinet could work.
She would hate him. Would truly hate him by the end of it all. They all would.
Rapidly he stood, pulling the enchanted parchment out of his bag his hand shook as he contemplated his next move. She would find him weak as well. They all did in the end, that why he was in this position. He was weak and easy to manipulate, wasn't that all she was doing anyways? Manipulating him. Clawing at his skin. He wrote the words anyways and gathered his things. He needed her.