"Are you sure?!" Hermione asked. She then looked to Harry, who was nodding her head slowly.
"That explains it. I knew he looked familiar. That hair, that build… the intensity of his eyes. It all fits." The ebony-haired girl replied.
"But that doesn't make any sense…" Hermione muttered. "The diary was destroyed so unless-" She stopped suddenly, her brown eyes wide, "We should get out of here. We need to get out of here. That was him. You-Know-Who himself!"
The group went deathly quiet. Could it really have been Lord Voldemort that had just visited their table? He had paid attention mainly to Harry, staring her down with a look of hatred that the girl knew only from him. And the man had also been paying attention to Gin and Remus. Just what was going on?
"Is something the matter?" The waiter came over to the table, a concerned look on his face.
"We would like to pay for the meal right now. Please bring some boxes for the rest of the food. As quickly as possible, please. Family emergency." Severus said as he got up, letting Remus out from where she sat.
The group filed out of the booth and soon picked up their packages and food. They quickly made their way home and then locked the door, just for good measure.
"Severus, did you know anything of Voldemort getting his younger body back?" Remus asked.
The man shook his head, "He did not say anything to me about it. Of course, he believes that my loyalty is faltering and thus does not entrust such great secrets to me anymore. He must have found some sort of spell… Something…"
"My scar didn't even hurt, either. He could be right next to me and I wouldn't know it until he had his wand out and casting the Killing Curse…" Harry whispered, sitting down on the couch heavily.
Neville sat down next to her, rubbing her back soothingly, "We will figure something out, Harry. Don't worry."
"I don't like this." Gin said, his voice on the bridge of terrified. "I really don't like this. He can pop up whenever he wants. No one knows that it is him. No one except those who knew Tom Riddle, and knew that Tom Riddle was then You-Know-Who."
"I am going to go see Dumbledore and tell him of these recent events. You five, stay alert. I don't like this any better than you and I…" he faltered, not really wanting to express his opinion that Voldemort had more than likely followed them to Grimmauld Place. "I will see you all later." He improvised. He then strode out of the kitchen into the backyard and Disapparated.
((The Pretender))
Voldemort entered his private chambers, waving a hand over his clothes, changing them from Muggle to Wizard. His robes billowed behind him as he swiftly made his way to the bookshelf on the opposite side of the large room. He scanned the titles and then took down one particularly large text, placing it upon a book stand and opening it. The book then flipped itself to the page that he needed and his eyes scanned the paper, taking in the contents over and over again. A smile curled his lips.
((The Pretender))
Severus stood in Dumbledore's office, waiting for the man to come to a conclusion about what he had just told him.
The man's fingers were steepled and his blue eyes were dark and calculating.
"We must move them. They shall stay at Hogwarts. There are only two more weeks to their holidays anyway. Have you spoken to Remus about taking the Defense Against the Dark Arts position once again? I think that it would be necessary for her safety to be here and I cannot justify a strange woman staying here just because she happens to be my Potions Master's lover."
"I haven't spoken to her yet. Though, I have a feeling that she will insist upon being known under a different name." Severus replied.
"If this were not such a serious conversation, I would suggest that we give her your name and say that she is your wife. The students would have a near heart attack."
"Yes, well…" the obsidian-eyed man swallowed. That was the thing that had always unnerved him about the old man; he always seemed to know what was going on in his mind without using even a hint of Legilamency.
"They shall be moved here. I think that I will also have a few House-elves following them around, just to be safe.
"You say that he looks as he did when he was of about twenty five years of age?" Dumbledore asked.
Severus nodded, knowing that he meant the Dark Lord. "Even his eyes. There was no trace of red to them whatsoever. I do not know of any potion that could have done that. And as I said before, I had not been informed that he had gone under such a transformation. He most likely wears a glamour at meetings."
Dumbledore nodded and then looked out the window.
Severus took this as a dismissal and left.
I'm sorry that it took so long for me to put this chapter up. I have been very busy with college and have unfortunately been unable to really concentrate on writing fanfiction.
I doubt that I am going to continue with this story, for I have lost interest and am not sure where else this story can go.