Typical Disclaimers Apply

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"I knew it!" Ginny cried. "I knew you were in here! The moment I saw that girl in the halls, I knew she was you!" Her face flushed and she could feel her hands shaking.

"Ginny, I recommend you close that door before I tell you our story," Esme said, raising her eyebrows toward the wide open door.

"Oops, sorry," Ginny shut the door hurriedly. "So what's up? Why were you disguisedas some Slytherin girl skulking about in the halls?"

"It's kind of a long story," both Ginny and Neville raised their eyebrows expectantly. "Alright, alright. You see, Sirius and I needed to get food, and since the house elves are forbidden to do anything for us, I've been using that disguise to sneak food from the kitchen."

"But how—?"

"Self transfiguration. You'll learn it next year," then she added, under her breath, "if the school's still standing." After a few moments of awkward, frightened silence, she continued, "So, how'd you know it was me in the halls?"

"Well, duh," Ginny snorted. "Anyone who, like, loves you and knows you and stuff would have seen right through your Slytherin façade! Plus you were walking and talking the same way that you always do: sort of jaunty and with a cool confidence. I was surprised no one else noticed you."

"Wait," Neville interjected. "I don't quite understand. You used a disguise as a means to get food, even though you're in the Room of Requirement, which is designed to get you anything you need?"

"The room can't get us food," Sirius said. "And even if it does, we couldn't eat it; it'd be of no nutritional value."

"Why didn't you just ask it for a way to get to food?" Neville inquired. Esme was about to answer ("Well, we hadn't really thought of that.") when a loud clanking noise made them all whip their heads to the back of the room. A large, empty frame had appeared on the back wall, opening slightly to reveal a passageway.

Everyone was stunned silent for a few moments, until Esme said cheerfully, "We can check that out later, but now I'd like to know why you're here."

"Neville was about to be murdered by the Carrows," Ginny responded just as cheerfully.

"Oh really? What'd you do right?"

"I was defending your honor, ma'am. Alecto called you a skank. I couldn't let that stand."

"Oh, Neville!" Esme cried, throwing her arms around him. He stiffened and she pulled away gently, "Sorry." Then she turned towards her sister, "And what about you? Please tell me no one's out to kill you."

"No, well yeah, someone probably is. I was just in the right place at the right time." Both Esme and Sirius narrowed their eyes, obviously believing that that was not an exceptional explanation. "Okay, it's more than that." She sighed, "I was ditching class. I was supposed to be with Amycus, but I'm so bloody tired of learning about the 'correct circumstances' in which to use the Cruciatus curse, which is whenever you're fighting someone from the 'other' side. I'm tired of the ignorance, Esme. I couldn't stay there anymore."

Esme sighed, defeated, "Fine. You can stay. But before you celebrate, know that Sirius and I will keep giving you lessons on whatever we can: Potions, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts, the list goes on." She attempted to keep her "strict face" on while they celebrated, but eventually broke into a smile along with her husband.

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The news of Neville's escape spread like wildfire. In their 'safe' classes (everything but Muggle Studies and DADA) they spoke freely until the professor quieted them; which would sometimes be never. Even in the Carrows' classes they passed notes, flourishing his escape and adding details that no one could have seen. If either professor were to catch them, they'd quickly burn the message and innocently ask, "Note? What note?"

This put several more students in Amycus's detentions.

Neville's rebellion had inspired many to fight against Alecto. However, not too many stories were as successful. Seamus Finnigan had stood up to argue, and had proved unable to outrun her. He'd been tortured horribly. When he was in the bathroom cleaning up his sores, a tiny note had been pressed under the door. It told him to come to the Room of Requirement if he desired safety. Not thinking twice, Seamus had run across the school to the old room.

Rumors of his disappearance had also spread all over the castle. Many theorized he was dead. Fortunately, brighter students realized the occurrence, and soon began flocking to the blank wall in the empty hall. Many brought younger siblings with them.

Soon Esme and Sirius were sharing their room with nearly four dozen teenagers. Sure, they had their privacy; a little room on the side with a lock on the door, but the crowded quarters were leading to high tensions. They attempted to teach the masses, but most students were too distracted by the outside world to learn. Many even wanted to ban together to take down the Carrows and Snape; none of them would accept that that plan would do more harm than good.

They'd learned that the portrait hole led to Hogsmeade, and a lot of students also wanted to climb through it and invade the town; again, not even thinking about the dangers. Neville, who seemed to have a good head on his shoulders, was in charge of bringing in food. However, it was extremely difficult to get food for four dozen and still be discreet about it. Fortunately, for those who whined, saying that they were "starving to death", many of the older, more stressed out students, along with Esme and Sirius, were eating very little.

The worst part was the fighting. The students, of course, attempted to stay calm and kind, but all of the extra pressure of keeping nearly fifty students safe was getting to the adults. During classes, the rising anger between Esme and Sirius was almost tangible. Students were growing increasingly anxious, especially at the times when the two would stand up and leave a meal, walk straight over to their room, and cast a silencing charm. Sometimes they even forgot to cast it, and the kids would hear them fight about nothing almost all through the night. It was terrible to watch two people, who at one time had been so in love, fight like enemies.

One night, after a particularly bad day, Sirius cornered Esme in their room. The day had started out fine; a fifth year Ravenclaw had gone through the portrait hole to get food. The "Grocery Days" as they called them were always better than other days. Everyone loved fresh food. However, the girl hadn't returned today. She wasn't in Hogwarts robes and she was pureblooded, so it was unlikely she'd been kidnapped by anyone more dangerous than her worried aunt, but it still wasn't safe to send another student out there.

The lack of the promised fresh food was making everyone irritable. They'd had to delay Grocery Days before, but those weren't as important as this one. The weather had been bad the day before, when someone was supposed to go out. Now it was pleasant, but they wouldn't have enough food to go around. Come dinnertime, instead of breaking slices of bread and sharing vegetables, people were fighting over who got what and how much. Sirius and Esme settled this by simply giving the younger students, the ones more likely to start sobbing like small children, the larger portions. This left them, along with several older students, with no food, and little energy.

After dinner, Sirius and Esme retired to their private bedchamber.

"Esme," Sirius said cautiously, "I think it's time we left."

"What do you mean?" she turned quickly, a fire igniting in her eyes. She'd made it clear since the beginning that leaving was out of the question.

"I mean, I think these kids would be better off taking care of themselves."

She scrutinized him, looking him straight in the eyes. He looked away. "You're lying to me!" she cried.

"Yes, I'm lying, okay? It's just, I think we'd be better off on our own," he said softly.

"I cannot believe you," she said. "I can't believe you would want to just abandon our students!" she yelled.

"Esme…"

"No! How can you even say that?"

"Like you even care about them!" he snapped. "All you care about is getting your precious revenge on Snape! Well, let me make one thing clear to you: Snape doesn't give a damn about anything we do! He's not your friend Esme! I doubt you even register on his radar!"

"How can you say I don't care?" she shrieked.

"You wanted me to tell the truth," he answered coolly. She stared at him for a few moments, then turned around and stormed out of the smaller room. "Esme, come on!" he yelled, following her into the main room. "You think this is going to help anything?" She stopped at the door and turned to her husband.

"Sirius…" she whispered. "Die." Then she stormed into the halls. Ginny stared at her for a moment, her brown eyes wide. She glanced at Sirius, who was already returning to his room. Quietly, she got off her bed and slipped into the corridor.

When the darkness of the halls cast over her, Ginny immediately began to regret her decision. But there was no way she was going back to that room a coward. She glanced around nervously, still not seeing her sister.

Then she heard footsteps.

Her heart almost leaping out of her chest, Ginny ducked behind a wall. She could still see the halls, but no one would be able to see her. She craned her neck, attempting to see the figure. It was too tall to be Esme. If it was McGonagall they'd both be saved. McGonagall would simply calm Esme down and bring her back to the Room of Requirement. But the shoulders were much too broad to be McGonagall. Perhaps Trelawney? But she'd be of no help. Who else could it be? Snape. It could definitely be Snape. And he'd help Esme, wouldn't he? Because he loved her, right? Before she could mull this over, a lamp illuminated the person's face.

No. Please God no.

Alecto walked even closer to Ginny's hiding spot. She pressed herself hard against the wall, feeling like her heart was ready to jump out her throat and do a tap dance on the tiles. Alecto was less than a meter away from her, Jesus, Allah, Buddha, please don't let her— The footsteps stopped. Ginny nearly screamed when she heard her whisper, "Lumos."

Oh gods, this is so not the way I wanted to die.

Alecto began to walk away, and Ginny's heart finally slowed to a normal pulse. She peeked out from behind the wall, and nearly exploded with fear when she saw Esme, sitting by a wall, defenseless and dejected. Alecto didn't seem to see her though, and turned around, aiming directly towards Ginny.

Esme coughed. The world froze.

"I knew it," Alecto sneered, turning around. The light finally caught on Esme, lighting up her eyes like blue flames.

"And to think, you nearly walked right past me," Esme half-laughed, sounding exhausted.

"I wouldn't be laughing if I were you," Esme just stared at her, smirking. "Quit that smirking! Get up and duel like a real witch!"

"I'm not going to fight you," she said. Ginny could still hear a sad smile in her voice. "I haven't any wand."

"Not going to fight? Fine, then I shall make you beg for mercy," she spat.

"Do as you wish."

"Crucio!" Ginny watched her sister's body writhe in the air, doing all she could not to cry out. When the curse was lifted, Esme fell to the ground, looked up at Alecto, and laughed.

"That's all you've got?" Alecto, enraged, repeated the curse, and Esme was nearly torn apart in the air again, but still she didn't cry out or beg. Even as she crouched on the cold floor, she still smiled. "You're nothing but a coward," she rasped. "A coward who—"

"SECTUMSEMPRA!" Esme stopped, her eyes trailing down to the wounds opening up across her body. She was no longer smiling. Alecto laughed hysterically, "That wiped the smirk clean off your face, didn't it?" Esme stayed silent, examining her body. "Answer me!" Still, she didn't respond. "Crucio!" Tears slipped down Ginny's face as Esme twisted in agony in the air once more, this time blood flying from the holes that the curse had formed.

She didn't get up.

Alecto examined her immobile body with displeasure. She stared at the broken, bleeding creature on the floor, as if she were deep in thought. Then she drew her knife. Ginny screamed inwardly as she lowered the knife to Esme's collarbone, slicing it into the skin and bone, and pulling out to reveal a long gash. Alecto smiled at her work, pleased. Then she walked away, a spring in her step, muttering, "That felt good."

Ginny waited until she was sure Alecto was out of hearing range. Then, with urgency pounding through her veins, she bolted.

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A/N: This would be the serious plot I'm talking about. Please don't flame it until you've read the next few chapters. Oh, but please do review.