8. Hogsmeade
"MAMA! MAMA!"
Siria held out a handful of smashed up crisps. Harriet screamed louder and smacked the hand away, sending the pieces flying across to the other side of the cave.
"MAMA!"
Tears poured down her cheeks and she reached her arms up to the air beyond Siria and Remy.
"It's too cold. There's not enough food. We can't stay with her in a fucking cave!" Siria hissed, reaching out with two gentle fingers to wipe her tears away.
"We'd get arrested as soon as we stepped into Hogsmeade. They know we're here and they know what we look like."
"We can't get to Hogwarts without going through Hogsmeade."
"I think you're forgetting the passage-"
"I tried it while you were asleep. Boarded up."
Remy turned away from Harriet to swear, running a shaking hand through her newly short hair.
"We can disguise ourselves again… but we'd never get to Hogwarts," she mumbled, pulling the remains of the beard out of her pocket and staring out of the cave entrance down on Hogsmeade. "We can't just waltz up the thestral path. We can't take Harriet through the mountains."
"Owl."
Remy turned again to stare quizzically at Siria. "What?"
Harriet screamed again and Siria pulled her up, jiggling her in her arms. Her cries lessened.
"We get an owl and parchment and ink. Send a message to Dumbledore. We're so close, it won't get intercepted. Tell her my side of the story and that I can prove it with the pensieve. Then she can come to us."
Remy paced back and forth. Siria knew better than to interrupt when she had that thinking face on.
"Okay. Okay. I'll go down and-"
"No. You're not going alone." Remy sent Siria a reproachful look but Siria shook her head. Images of Remy frozen on the hotel room floor flashed before her eyes. If Derek had been just a little more zealous, she could have been hurt. Killed. The whole wizarding world thought Remy was a Death Eater – all because of Siria. "No! We stay together."
"And what about Harriet?"
"I'll calm her down."
Remy frowned out of the cave at the dark clouds brewing overhead.
"Ten minutes. Then I'm going."
Siria settled back down on the floor, scooting backwards so she could lean against the uneven rock. Harriet whimpered, fresh tears dribbling from her eyes.
"Hey, Harriet. Shhh." Siria brushed a curl out of her face. "Do you want to hear a story? About your mama?"
She whimpered again, but her green eyes were transfixed on Siria's face. Liam's eyes. Cold. Dead. Staring at nothing. Remy sat down next to the cave entrance and the movement knocked Siria back to the present.
"She was so brave, your mummy. So clever. The best quidditch player I ever saw. She could've played for England if not for the war. I told her to anyway, but she wouldn't. She didn't want to leave you and Liam."
Harriet fidgeted in Siria's lap, but there were no new tears rising up. Siria dived into her memories.
"She didn't care where I came from, who my family were, anything else like that. Our first day at Hogwarts, I got detention. Professor said it was because I was being rude, but Jane argued. She said half the class were whispering so why'd he have to pick on me. Then she got detention too. Next week we hid dungbombs in the professor's desk. We got detention again."
Siria wiped away the leftover tears and snot, trying not to cringe at the sliminess. She eyed Remy from across the cave and lowered her voice.
"She was the one who said we should become animagi when we found out about Remy. And when" – she lowered her voice further – "when she found out about me and Remy, she cheered and said 'about time'. Then when you were all in hiding she said I was an idiot for being suspicious of her. She said it over and over – 'just go talk to her, Siria'. But your mum – your mum was special, Harriet." Siria swallowed down the lump in her throat. "Don't you ever forget it. I couldn't risk anything – even though I wanted to. But I was wrong, the whole time. I never thought Petra – she worshipped Jane. She agreed with everything Jane said. She never did a thing without one of us. How-"
Wetness gathered in Siria's eyes and she swiped at them quickly, before Remy could see. Jane lifted one hand and pressed it against Siria's cheek.
"Iri."
Siria hugged her gently and Harriet wrapped her arms around Siria's neck.
"Ready to go?" Remy asked.
Siria nodded, scrambling to her feet still holding Harriet. Had Remy heard? Her face gave nothing away. She had reattached the beard to her face and pulled on the long overcoat.
"You gonna be quiet, Harri?" she asked with a smile, reaching out for her. Harriet kissed Siria's cheek then squirmed to move over, snuggling into the warmth of the coat. Remy buttoned it up and Siria transformed, immediately scratching at the flea she could feel behind her ears.
The journey to Hogsmeade took double the time it normally would, with Remy clinging onto Harriet and both of them doing their best to not be seen coming down the mountain.
"In and out. Ten minutes," Remy mumbled to herself as the high street appeared.
Siria brushed up against her leg then trotted on. Even in dog form she could feel her heart thudding against her chest. Hogsmeade seemed oddly quiet compared to the excitement that had radiated through Diagon Alley – but maybe that was just because there were no Hogwarts students milling through the streets like every other time she had visited. The four of them had spent countless hours in Zonko's followed by snowball fights, then warming up in the Three Broomsticks. This was different in every way.
She led the way to the post office, eyes darting from side to side. Was that woman watching? Yes, but just with a distasteful glare for the scruffy dog passing her by. The stink of the post office wafted under her nose and she sneezed, then glanced back to check that Remy and Harriet were keeping up. Behind them, stepping out of the Three Broomsticks, was Petra.
Her hackles rose. A growl escaped between bared teeth as she circled. Remy saw, then glanced back too. When she looked at Siria again her face had turned white. She pressed at the front of her coat and it wiggled.
A quick snap of her teeth and Petra would be bleeding on the floor.
"No, Padfoot," Remy hissed, hurrying forward and pushing at Siria's flank to try and turn her. "She'll see. Leave her. Remember Harriet."
Harriet.
With every ounce of self-control she could gather, Siria turned away from the traitor. Petra would not get Harriet. She slunk forward, slipping into the post office by Remy's feet. The man behind the counter frowned down at her and she sat, making an effort to stop baring her teeth.
Emotions swirled in her while Remy bustled around, preparing the letter for Dumbledore. Soon it would be over. Soon everyone would know the truth. But what if Petra escaped? What if she ran away, revealing the true coward Siria now knew her to be? What if this was the only chance Siria would ever have to enact justice?
Not justice. She didn't care about justice. Revenge. She would tear that bitch to pieces for stealing Jane from the world.
"If you cannot keep that dog quiet it's outside with it!" the man behind the counter said to Remy, gesturing at Siria. "It's scaring my owls!"
Remy turned, one hand pressed to her coat again as she knelt next to Siria.
"Shh, Padfoot. Please."
Her fingers caressed through Siria's coat of fur. Siria snapped her mouth shut again and placed her head on her paws. She kept her eyes open though, following Remy's every move around the post office.
Finally, she was done.
"Thanks for the help," she called back to the shopkeeper, polite as ever as she made her way to the door.
Siria jumped up. One more short trip through Hogsmeade, then they were safe. The letter would be with Dumbledore soon enough. He would come to them with the pensieve. The truth would be out.
Remy was first through the door, the bell jingling above their heads, with Siria at her heels. Before them stood Petra, surrounded by a semi-circle of aurors with wands pointed straight at them.