Chapter Seventeen

Elaine had never stepped foot in the Gryffindor Common Room, either as a student or a teacher, but standing at the door now, the bright red decorations almost hurt her eyes as she scanned the room for Harry. He wasn't there, but his friend Ronald was, and she called him over to her. "Where is Harry?" she asked of him, and the redhead's eyes refused to meet hers as he responded that he didn't know. Elaine cleared her throat. "I asked you where Mr. Potter is," she repeated, her voice slightly louder now, gaining the attention of more students. "I suggest you tell me."

"He's in the dorm," Ronald finally said, his eyes still not meeting Elaine's.

"Go get him please, Mr. Weasley." He nodded, and ran off. Elaine felt most of the Gryffindors watching her, but she stood her ground, her mind twisting around and around. She could hardly believe Harry had cursed Draco, cursed to the point it was still touch and go on what damage there would be. After a couple of minutes, Ronald and Harry came down the stairs, the redhead going off to sit back down and Harry coming to her. "Follow me, Mr. Potter," Elaine stated calmly. She turned around and, without another word and without looking to check he was following her, headed to her office. She sat behind her desk and waited for Harry to join her. "Where is it, Harry?"

"Where is what?" Harry asked, but he didn't look at her.

"Harry." He finally looked up at her, and the sadness in his eyes made her sigh. "Professor Snape told me everything. You have a book with dangerous information in your possession, and unless you want to have your stuff raided, you need to tell me where it is. Do you understand me?"

"Room of Requirement," Harry said finally. "Snape -"

"Professor Snape," Elaine corrected.

"Professor Snape won't know, will he?" Harry begged her, his hands clenched into fists, resting on his knee. "I - he's already given me detention for the rest of the year, and McGonagall's -"

Elaine sighed, looking up at the ceiling, trying to figure out how to say what she was thinking. "Harry," she said finally, looking back at him. "Do you understand what you did this evening?"

"I-" he paused, and seemingly gave up, shrugging his shoulders.

"Put it this way, then. If Draco had died-"

"But he didn't!" Harry interrupted. "He's alive, isn't he? He'll be fine-"

"That's not the point," Elaine snapped at him. She let her head drop onto her hands, feeling exhaustion creep in. "Harry, you could have killed Draco. Do you understand this? You would have gone to Azkaban, where most of the prisoners would love nothing more than to see you dead. The Dark Lord has access to the prison too, and you would be dead in a matter of hours once the news reached him." Harry's face went pale; clearly the consequences hadn't dawned on him. Elaine paused, tapping her nails on the desk. "Please go bring me the book so I can put it somewhere no one will find it." Harry nodded and took off, and Elaine stood, walking over to the fireplace, debating on if she should floo call Severus now or wait until Harry returned. She chose not to and returned to her seat.

Harry soon came back, and slid a book across the desk. Advanced Potion Making. "My copy got left at the Dursleys and I didn't have time to go back, so I had to borrow that one out of the classroom," Harry explained as Elaine flipped through it, spotting the notes scattered throughout. "Sna- Professor Snape didn't know, or I mean - I didn't tell him. He guessed I had it though, so he probably knew about it anyway." They were silent as Elaine closed the book and looked back up at him. "I can - can I go now?"

"Yes," Elaine said softly. "You can go. But Harry -" Her brother stopped at the door, turning back to her. "Be more careful using spells you don't know. They're dangerous." Harry gave her a quick nod and was gone again.

The days slowly dragged by. Elaine received a small note from Chester, promising her all was well and her child was safe, but that he couldn't communicate again. The morning after Draco was attacked she also received a note from Remus Lupin, asking to meet her in the village for a lunch. She'd initially thought about declining, but as she sat there, quill in hand, she'd decided to go, if only for the fact there was no telling if they'd both survive the war. And so, four days after what was known as the bathroom battle, she found herself sitting in the Three Broomsticks, nervously waiting for Remus Lupin to show.

She'd just ordered her meal when the doors opened and Remus came in. He looked around, spotted her, and came barreling in her direction. He collapsed in the chair across from her, his sandy hair soaking. "Sorry I'm running late," he told her, flagging down Rosmerta and ordering just a drink.

"You're fine," Elaine told him, eyeing him carefully. They sat in silence for a good few minutes. "Why did you want to meet?" She finally asked.

"It's been - it's been a while, and I wanted to get to know my daughter," he informed her. "We don't know what's going to happen in this war, and so - before it's too late-" he paused, clearly trying to get his thoughts in order. "One of us - or both of us - could die, and I don't want any regrets," he finished after a moment's silence.

Elaine took a sip of her drink, then slowly set it down. "I don't know how to get to know you," she confessed. "I - well. You know I grew up in a children's home. I had all these hopes and dreams about what my parents were like, but.. Every year that passed I lost a little bit of that hope." Remus looked away from his daughter as she continued. "I resigned myself to the fact I would never know my parents when I turned fifteen. If I'd met you then, I think this would be easier."

"I would have-"

"I know," Elaine interrupted. "If you weren't - what you are - you would have been there. I get it." They were quiet again, and Elaine ran a nervous hand through her hair. "Do you - is there someone in your life? Romantically, I mean," she added hesitantly as he eyed her.

"There is, but I'm not sure how- if things will progress," Remus said, smiling briefly before taking a swig of his butterbeer. "She's young, and I have - my problems," he explained as Elaine raised her eyebrows. "And with the war-"

"There should be no better chance than now to go for it," Elaine interrupted, thinking of Severus. Remus caught her look.

"Who is it?"

"Severus," Elaine confessed. "We've been - I wouldn't say together, exactly, but-"

"Severus is dangerous," Remus snapped, and Elaine looked at him in surprise. "He's on the wrong side of this war, no matter what Albus believes."

Elaine shook her head. "You don't know everything," she informed him, as her food arrived. Elaine let her meal sit in front of her as she watched Remus. "You can't know."

"I went to school with him, Elaine. Your mother and I both did. He hates muggleborns, he's into dark magic, always has been-"

Elaine stood up. "I think this meal is over," she snapped, tossing her money onto the table. "And perhaps, next time you want to actually get to know me, don't criticize who I choose to spend my time with."

"Elaine, I know him."

"No you don't," Elaine hissed, aware of people watching them. "You don't know him. You think you do, based off of what he was like twenty years ago, but you can't sit here and tell me you're the same person you were when you were young, can you?" Remus didn't respond, and Elaine walked out without looking back.

"He's running out of time," Severus hissed, pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace in his chambers a few days later. Elaine sat patiently in an armchair, a book open in her lap. Her eyes flickered back and forth from the pages and her lover, but she said nothing, letting him rant as much as he needed. "The school year is nearly over, it's almost July." He whirled on Elaine. "I'm going to have to do it, aren't I?"

"He's only a child, Severus," Elaine said gently. "You knew it would probably be on you from the start."

Severus covered his face with his hands, taking a deep breath. "You're right." He sank into the chair next to Elaine, taking one of her hands in his and giving it a light squeeze. "I'd hoped, though."

Elaine squeezed back. "I know," she said. "I know."