Fragments of Us
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Warnings: None for this chapter
Chapter 67 – The Danger in Mysteries
Kate was surprised to find that she had, indeed, slept well and awoke feeling ready to pick up where they'd left off in their sleuthing the night before. After showering and dressing in Muggle jeans and a sweater, Kate joined Sirius in the kitchen where he was putting the finishing touches on omelets.
Kissing her soundly, Sirius escorted her to her chair and poured her a cup of steaming coffee. "I've already Floo'd Mooney," he informed her. "He'll be along presently – despite the knowledge that I am in charge of breakfast this morning."
Kate chuckled. "Brave man that Remus."
Sirius sat down with his own mug. "He is that."
"One must be brave to be your friend, Pads," Remus entered the kitchen, stooping to drop a kiss on the top of Kate's head and squeezing Sirius' shoulder as he made his way to the remaining empty chair.
"Hmm. Hungry?" Sirius asked, smiling at his old friend.
"Starved," came the reply. "I was promised breakfast and a mystery, you'll recall."
"As opposed to breakfast that actually is a mystery, I'm presuming," Kate chuckled into her mug.
"Oi, that'll be enough out of you or you'll be wearing your breakfast," Sirius grumbled as he put the plates on the table, but his smile belied his words.
After a bit more good natured ribbing, the three friends tucked into their food taking less than thirty minutes to finish the meal. The lure of the promised conversation was too great to allow them to linger.
As they sat enjoying their third cup of coffee, Kate and Sirius shared their theory with Remus. After asking several pointed questions, Remus finally put his mug down on the table and gave them a slow smile. "It's brilliant," he said as Kate and Sirius shared a congratulatory smile between them. "But we do need to figure out one more thing before we try to prove this theory," Remus commented.
"How did Jarvis benefit?" Sirius queried.
"How did Jarvis benefit," Remus confirmed. "Alright, let's consider what we know about Jarvis. He's divorced with a school-aged, magical child who lives with the ex-wife in Bulgaria, yes?"
Kate nodded. "But she's gravely ill and the child will be coming to live here, with Jarvis and would like to attend Hogwarts. Now, last night, we all seriously considered young Eduard to be the key to Peter's plan to redeem Jarvis' Wizard debt. We've turned that theory around now and Jarvis does not owe Peter a Wizard debt; it is the other way 'round."
"Rather begs us to reconsider blocking the boy's entry to Hogwarts, doesn't it?" Remus asked, rhetorically.
Sirius frowned, unwilling to consider even remotely exposing Harry to further danger. "Let's not cross that line just yet, Mooney. Don't forget, we haven't exactly puzzled out what Jarvis could want from Malfoy or Peter – or why. His son could still be in the picture, after all."
"Point taken, Pads," Remus replied. "So, for the moment, let's look away from the son as the catalyst in this. What else do we really know about Llewellyn Jarvis?"
"Severus might be able to tell us more than we already know," Kate began, but Sirius' snort interrupted her.
"Severus," he said disdainfully. "He was convinced that Voldemort was using Pettigrew as a 'hit wizard' to rid himself of Spear."
"There was no lack of buy-in to that particular theory," Kate admonished him and Sirius had the good grace to blush and look away. "I think that last night's meeting discussion was an exercise in brainstorming and just about everyone who participated dropped a theory on the table."
"You know, perhaps Severus isn't the most logical resource for information on Jarvis," Remus interjected. "But Kingsley just might fit the bill. If we had a bit of data on Jarvis' background and affiliations, it could help us to confirm our theory and, quite possibly, provide some clues as to his motivation."
"Perhaps I could Floo Kingsley now so he could get started," Kate rose from her chair and excused herself, heading to the Great Room fireplace to speak with Kingsley.
"Padfoot," Remus spoke quietly, glancing over his shoulder to make certain Kate was out of earshot. Satisfied that she was, in fact, occupied in conversation with Kingsley, he continued, "I'm truly concerned about Kreacher. I'm certain he's spending time outside Grimmauld Place."
Sirius raised an eyebrow. "And this is a bad thing because…"
Remus never cracked a smile. "…Because we've no idea what he's doing or whom he's seeing. Or why."
"Kreacher serves the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black, Remus. He can't disclose our secrets to anyone; and, as the house is under the Fidelius Charm, he can't even tell anyone where we are. I can't see how he poses much of a threat to the Order," Sirius reasoned. "Besides, there is any number of hidey-holes that little toe rag could be disappearing to. Besides, he's probably spending time doing unspeakable things to the belongings he's squirreled away. If he is leaving the house, Remus, you know very well that he can't stay away – more's the pity; he has to return. Really, don't you think we've more significant things to worry about?"
Remus could easily see that there was no point in pursuing this line of conversation with his friend, as the other man was adamant that Kreacher posed no threat to them. Remus, however, remained unconvinced; he resolved to remain more vigilant in his observations of the surly house elf while staying at Grimmauld Place. With a resigned nod, he dropped the subject.
"Kingsley will get back to us as soon as he knows anything," Kate had returned to the kitchen and accepted a fresh cup of coffee from Sirius. "He believes he has some contacts that can make discreet inquiries on our behalf." Kate picked up on Remus' closed expression. "What's going on, Remus? You've gotten very stern since I left the room."
Sirius smiled and reached for Kate's hand. "Old Mooney here thinks that our least favorite house elf, Kreacher, is conspiring against us."
"Ah," Kate responded, entwining her fingers with his. "And what has led you to this rather disturbing conclusion, Mr. Mooney?"
Remus frowned. "His periodic disappearances from Headquarters seem to point to it."
Kate's face lost some of its amusement. "Have you been able to establish any type of pattern to these disappearances? You know, he's not bound to the house, per se; he's bound to the family. In reality, he…"
"No don't you start," Sirius said, his voice betraying his irritation. "I can assure you that Kreacher doesn't have the brain cells to concoct any type of diabolical plan against me or the Order at large. If he did pose any credible threat, he would probably have murdered us all in our beds long before now. As we're still here, I would suggest that we leave this topic before we all see breakfast again. As I went to quite a bit of trouble to cook for us, I would certainly hate to have that happen. Agreed?"
Kate and Remus exchanged a brief look but dropped the subject; neither wished to provoke Sirius' temper further.
"Much as I hate to eat and run, as they say, I've guard duty in an hour. I believe I'll excuse myself and prepare," Remus said, leaning down to kiss Kate's cheek then turned to Sirius. "Thanks for breakfast, Padfoot. You did yourself proud." Sirius snorted and hugged his friend warmly.
As the trio walked through the Great Room to the fireplace, Kate suggested that Remus check in with them again after his Order assignment was finished for the day.
"I'll stop by on my way back to Headquarters," he promised. "I'll confess that I'm quite anxious to hear what Kingsley uncovers."
XXXXXXXX
As it happened, Kingsley arrived at the Annex scant moments before Remus once again stepped through the hearth; if Kingsley hadn't already been moving to the side, the werewolf would most certainly have sent him face first to the floor.
"'Evening, Remus," the Auror greeted him cordially. "How was your surveillance shift?"
"Uneventful," the other wizard replied. "Thank Merlin!"
As the men moved toward the kitchen of the Annex, where Kate had indicated earlier they would meet, they were somewhat surprised to see Severus and Albus both awaiting them. The atmosphere was tense, a fact confirmed by Sirius' upright and somewhat twitchy presence by the stove.
After greetings had been exchanged, everyone took a seat around the large table – save Sirius, who remained where he was.
"I have the distinct impression that our agenda for this evening has expanded since I last spoke with Kate," Remus ventured, receiving a tense nod from Sirius, on whom his gaze had fallen. The dark-haired wizard lifted his chin in Albus' direction and Remus refocused his attention on Dumbledore.
"Before I yield the floor to Kingsley, I need to discuss a matter of some importance. After considerable effort on her part, Dolores Umbridge has discovered Harry's Defense training. Earlier this evening, she and a band of students who've aligned themselves with her, made a rather impressive entrance into the Room of Requirement. I'm afraid that young Mr. Potter's formal training classes are at an end - as is, temporarily, my tenure as Hogwarts' Headmaster."
Although Dumbledore had alluded to the possibility that he might be removed from his post, those present still uttered small gasps of surprise. Dumbledore was synonymous with Hogwarts and had been for so many years that the thought of another holding the title of 'Headmaster' was almost inconceivable. Equally inconceivable was his next statement.
"Effective immediately, Dolores Umbridge will step in as acting Headmistress of the school."
"Temporarily?" Remus queried, his face pale.
Dumbledore looked at the werewolf, his expression kind. "Yes, son. I very much assure you that this situation is, indeed, temporary," he responded softly then turned to the rest of those assembled. "Now, I can see the questions on each of your faces, so let me explain a bit further. I am, at the moment, something of a fugitive and, as our own Mr. Black can attest, this can be rather limiting when we would much rather move about freely. I have accommodations that will allow me to keep current on activities here at the school and I will remain in communication with several of you. I will not, however, be as present as has been my custom." This last was said as Dumbledore glanced first at Remus and then Severus. Both wizards nodded in response. "As alluded to a short while ago, I am turning over interim Order leadership to Remus. Severus will remain my primary contact within the school." Dumbledore paused. "Does anyone have questions?"
Sirius cleared his throat. "How did Umbridge find out about Harry's training sessions?"
"It would appear that Professor Umbridge has been recruiting various spies amongst the students to follow Harry and the others in hopes of finding out what they were up to. Apparently, her stalking attempts yielded no success so she implemented mass interrogations of all students with any known affiliation to Harry, Ron or Hermione. Under her rather disreputable methods, one of the children disclosed all, making discovery rather inevitable," Dumbledore explained.
"And the consequences to the students?" Sirius asked, voice and posture tense.
"Detention with Professor Umbridge. En masse. Lines, I believe," the former Headmaster commented, his face strangely pale.
"Things are escalating quickly," Kate breathed. "I never thought for a moment that you would have to leave the school."
The old wizard leaned over and squeezed her hand warmly. "I never doubted it for a moment, my dear. Dolores Umbridge had her cap set for my position from the first moment she sat down at the High Table for the Sorting ceremony. It was truly only a matter of time."
"Harry is more vulnerable without you at school," Sirius added, his expression dark.
"Severus will monitor his safety at my request," Dumbledore's tone was bland, but his eyes, trained on Sirius' own, were anything but. Sirius' mouth snapped closed and he retreated back to lean against the stove once again. His face showed his displeasure, however he managed to hold his tongue.
"Now, if there's nothing else, I believe Kingsley has some interesting information about Mr. Jarvis that he would like to share with us." That said, Albus seated himself and yielded the floor to the senior Auror.
Kingsley leaned forward in his chair, clasping his large hands in front of him on the table. "Well, folks, our Mr. Jarvis has some very interesting skeletons in his closet." He paused, looking over in the direction of the stove. "Sirius, would you please come over here and sit down with us? You're making me nervous and, given the fact that I've recently been in the same room with both Fudge and Umbridge, that's saying something!"
While the others chuckled appreciatively at his words, Sirius hesitated only a moment before walking purposefully to a vacant chair between Remus and Kate. When he had settled himself, he looked at Kingsley and raised one eyebrow. "Better?" he asked pointedly.
Kingsley smiled and inclined his head. "Now that we're all here, the first thing you should know about our oily little friend is that he's definitely not the person he claims to be. I was able to take a magical image of his thumb and index fingerprints from the vial Severus confiscated from him at Malfoy's hearing. I am fortunate to have one or two … well, contacts is as good a definition as any, I suppose. They sometimes operate a bit on the fringes as it were, but they are invaluable when stealth, speed and absolute secrecy are required. They did not disappoint."
"Kingsley, for the love of Merlin, man: get on with it!" Sirius exclaimed.
"Turns out, Jarvis was born Viacheslav Jarvik Karkaroff," Kingsley told them and was greeted by wide-eyed stares from all but Severus.
"Related to an old friend of yours, isn't he, Snape?" Sirius said, an edge to his voice.
"Shut up, Sirius," Remus muttered sharply before turning again to Kingsley. "Go on, Kingsley, please." Sirius huffed but was silent, as requested.
With a nod, Kingsley continued. "Viacheslav was better known as 'Sovo' during his years at Durmstrang and, unlike his younger brother, he seemed to keep his head down and take no sides during the first War. Sovo's family made no moves to force him into service and their Pureblood mania was surpassed only by the Blacks'. Active duty in Voldemort's army became the responsibility of Igor, who took to the task with great enthusiasm…until Voldemort was apparently destroyed by Harry Potter and Igor was stupid enough to get himself arrested – and put in Azkaban for his misplaced loyalties."
"But where did Jar – er – Sovo hide himself after he left Durmstrang?" Remus asked.
"Cambridge. He studied Muggle law and then returned to our world to study Magical Law under the tutelage of the Bulgarian Ministry of Magic. He passed with flying colors and began work with the Bulgarian version of our court system, trying only the highest-level cases that came before their Wizengamot. Became quite well known as the solicitor to have when the cards were stacked against you," Kingsley said. "But then Igor got himself into difficulty after being discovered as a Death Eater and sentenced to Azkaban. He was brought from Azkaban before our Wizengamot – you'll remember this Albus –under the guise of naming supposedly reputable wizards who had been in league with the Dark Lord before his fall. He turned on Barty Crouch, Jr. and his sentence was overturned as a result. Igor returned to Bulgaria, but his family had no use for him. He had shamed them by turning on one of Voldemort's most loyal servants and they felt his disloyalty keenly. Sovo's reputation was his livelihood and he feared that Igor would ruin it for him, as well. So, he changed his name and using Dark Magic and potions, permanently altered his appearance, his voice and erased his history with a very fictionalized CV. Under his new identity, Llewellyn Jarvis opened a solicitor's office in London and soon gained the same level of distinction and notoriety he'd enjoyed in Bulgaria, but as a British Wizard of renown this time around."
"Other than a brush with Dark Magic to alter his physical appearance, how does all this connect him with Voldemort?" Remus wanted to know.
"His first British client was Lucius Malfoy. Malfoy was first brought up on charges right after he left Hogwarts – nasty bit of Muggle torture in Staffordshire that came to the attention of local authorities. The Malfoys were pretty influential even in those days and when young Lucius' arrest hit the Daily Prophet, Jarvis jumped at it. He even went so far as to visit the Prophet's editor in chief and insinuate that a very damaging lawsuit was in the offing if a full retraction wasn't printed. Claimed that there was a huge frame-up and that Lucius' family was pursuing the truth at all costs. Needless to say, the whole incident was retracted as a page one story the following morning, with Jarvis' name given as the "authorized source" representing young Lucius. It didn't take long for Malfoy Sr. to visit Jarvis in his offices to vet his attributes. It's generally accepted that he liked what he saw and Jarvis handled the entire Muggle court appearance on Lucius' behalf. It's equally accepted that Jarvis employed a bit of magic in the process, as Lucius walked away with no sentence and no restitution required to the Muggle victim. In fact, the victim's family apologized profusely for their son's rude behavior to Lucius and assured him that it would not happen again."
"I'll bet that got some serious attention from Voldemort's crowd," Sirius spoke up, meeting Kingsley's gaze.
Kingsley smiled and shook his head. "Better than that. It got the attention of Voldemort, himself!"
"And Jarvis was convinced to take the Dark Mark as a result," Sirius again commented.
"Llewellyn Jarvis does not bear the Mark," Severus spoke softly from his seat.
All heads turned to him, but he did not take his eyes from Kingsley, who continued his presentation. "Jarvis was not required to do so. He claimed that he could be more effective and better serve the Dark Lord if he remained untouched. If his service ever came to light, he couldn't be linked to Voldemort and therefore could only help rather than hurt him. Voldemort eventually agreed to it and told no one of the arrangement."
"Then how does Snape…?" Severus cut Sirius off before he could finish.
"After our earlier conversation, I found that I could not reconcile myself to the exact theories we put forth. I began pulling them apart and realigning the pieces. Ultimately, and with Albus' blessing, I owled Jarvis with a request to meet. Thanks to his brother, Jarvis knows who I am – or he thinks he does, at any rate - and he is somewhat intimidated. I made mention of potential retribution by the Dark Lord after he'd failed to administer the tainted Veritaserum to Kate during the trial. I took the chance that he would speak with me, given the fact that I had confiscated – and was holding - the evidence."
"And once you'd made eye contact with him you took a bit of an uninvited stroll through his head, did you?" Sirius asked.
"An exercise for which you should be supremely grateful, Black, as it validates much of what Shacklebolt has discovered through his own unsavory informants," Severus spat, finally losing his patience with Sirius' barbs. "Jarvis had no immediate inkling of my presence and instead prattled on about his lack of connection to the Dark Lord. Tedious, but it did allow me unfettered access to his mind – for a time. And it confirmed the theory that you, Kate and myself – latterly – worked through – that Jarvis, indeed, was at the crux of Spear's death. It also allowed me to go one step further – to divine exactly what Jarvis gained in engaging both Malfoy and Pettigrew in Wizards' Debts."
"We sat and tried to work that one out for awhile, ourselves. What have you come up with?" Kate inquired, her mind flying through the possibilities yet again as she listened for his response.
"Jarvis was acting on behalf of another person," Severus said quietly.
"Who?" Remus asked, his brow furrowed.
"The Dark Lord."
The room was silent for a moment; even Sirius had stopped shifting in his seat to stare at Snape.
"Voldemort! Severus, explain please," Kate asked.
"When Jarvis refused the Dark Mark for the last time, advancing his theory about enhanced effectiveness on behalf of the Dark Lord, it was with much personal risk that he did so. The Dark Lord is, after all, unused to being denied. It was a testament to Jarvis' value to him that he permitted it as long as he did. Anxious to continue to use Jarvis' services for his minions, particularly those caught out in the Muggle world, but reluctant to sacrifice his wishes in the bargain, the Dark Lord appeared to accept Jarvis' explanation and, indeed, to go along with it. The Dark Lord told Jarvis, however, that he would not force him to take the Dark Mark as long as Jarvis understood there was a price to be paid. At some point, the Dark Lord would require something of Jarvis that could not be denied. Anxious to avoid the Mark, Jarvis foolishly agreed," Severus explained.
"And Voldemort is now collecting from him?" Remus asked.
This time, it was Albus who nodded then spoke. "He is, indeed, Remus. Voldemort has long been growing tired of Lucius Malfoy and his inability to deliver when required to do so. His mistake with Kate was the last straw. Pettigrew became expendable the moment Voldemort returned to corporeal form. Spear was a liability and a means to an end."
"'That end being?" Kate asked him.
"An unshakeable link to Harry Potter," Severus responded. "Sirius Black."
"Sirius?"
Severus nodded, his face grim. "Yes. The Dark Lord conceived of the plan to simultaneously kill Spear and ensnare Malfoy and Pettigrew, making them both indebted to Jarvis in the bargain. The debt will be erased through the achievement of Voldemort's ultimate plan to get to Harry through his Godfather."
"And just how does he intend to accomplish this great feat?" Sirius demanded, his face pale.
Severus shrugged. "Jarvis became aware of my presence and broke the connection." The Potions Master turned to Albus and locked eyes with him for a moment. After a barely perceptible nod from the older wizard, he continued. "I am currently attempting to discover the remainder of the plan, but I will not have an opportunity to investigate further until later in the week. You will need to be patient, Black, and take absolutely no risks until you hear from me again."
Sirius' emotions were running high and Snape's final comment was the straw that broke that particular wizard's back. He rose from his chair so suddenly that it tipped backward and landed on the floor with a resounding crash. "I will not take any bloody orders from you, Snape! This is my Godson we're talking about – and the wizard who has tried to kill him on several occasions. I have a responsibility to the boy…"
"Sit down, Sirius," came the calm, but firm voice of Albus Dumbledore. Sirius was breathing heavily and his hands were balled into fists at his sides. Remus righted the chair and touched Sirius' shoulder. "Sit down, Padfoot," he instructed quietly. Once Sirius had re-settled himself, Dumbledore spoke again.
"Sirius, until such time that we know for certain what it is that Voldemort is planning, anything you do could, conceivably, play right into his hands. You can be certain that he has a plan and is operating from a position of strength because we have no idea what it is or how to block him. The only piece of information we have concerns you and therefore we must ensure your safety to, in turn, guaranty that Harry isn't exposed to danger at Voldemort's hand."
"Albus, is there any way Voldemort could know about this place?" Kate asked. Sirius' head shot up and he looked at her, eyes snapping. She looked away from him, as Kate knew he had already guessed where she was heading with her question; he would not lose the freedom he'd gained from his ability to stay at the Annex.
It appeared that Dumbledore, too, had guessed the root of Kate's inquiry. "The Annex is under the Fidelius charm, which means that its location is known only to me, as its Secret Keeper," he said, looking at her kindly. "I see no immediate reason to banish Sirius to Grimmauld Place at the current time. That may change, however, depending upon Severus' success in discovering the remainder of the plan. Sirius, you must continue to maintain the current schedule at Grimmauld, however. I would also ask that you attempt to be a bit more civil to Kreacher. Remus tells me that he's gone missing on several occasions. We do not need to have him sharing your secrets – or ours – with any of your less savory family members."
Although enraged by Snape's comments and desolate about posing yet another risk to Harry's safety, Sirius had the good sense to realize that he was fortunate to be allowed to remain in the Annex with Kate. He therefore did nothing but nod as Dumbledore finished speaking, relieved that he would not be returned to Grimmauld Place permanently. It will be easier to be civil to that toe rag of a house elf if his time in Kreacher's presence was minimized, Sirius thought grimly. As he had thought Dumbledore had said all he'd intended, Sirius had ceased paying attention to the activity in the room. The sound of Harry's name, however, brought him around.
"…contact would be potentially perilous," Dumbledore was saying. He turned to Sirius. "Do you understand, Sirius?"
"I'm sorry, Albus, I didn't hear everything you said," the younger wizard was forced to admit.
"I was telling the others that I inadvertently became aware of a very interesting magical item in young Harry's possession – one you had given to him at the holiday," Dumbledore repeated.
Sirius felt a chill run through his body. Not the mirror. Not the mirror. "Really? And what was that?"
"A magical mirror; one of a pair, I'm told – and keyed to permit the two of you to speak to each other. Given that capability, I'm certain that you have its mate; is that true?" Dumbledore's voice was mild, but his eyes were piercing as they met Sirius'.
"Why, yes, I do have the mate," Sirius said defiantly. "Harry had been so upset at being out of communication with me after all the time we spent together over Christmas. I thought the mirrors would give him a means to contact me if he needed anything."
"An admirable sentiment, Sirius, and totally expected from a man who loves his Godson as much as you do. Given that fact, I'm sure that you can appreciate why I had to confiscate his half – and why I must now ask you to surrender yours," Dumbledore extended his hand toward Sirius and waited.
Kate watched as the emotions played clearly in Sirius' pale face. Defiance, stubbornness and finally, desperate anger flashed across his features before he thrust his hand into an inside pocket of his robes and withdrew his half of the set. He dropped it into Dumbledore's palm without taking his eyes from the older wizard's face. "Is that all?" he gritted out, rising.
Dumbledore nodded.
"May I be excused, then?" Sirius asked in the same tense tone of voice.
"Sirius, this is not meant to punish you. My actions are intended to protect you – and Harry."
"May I go?"
Dumbledore sighed. "Yes, of course."
And Sirius turned and left the room without further comment.
After he had gone, Remus spoke, "I fear that whatever Voldemort's planning, Sirius will make it quite easy for him to succeed."
Dumbledore sat down heavily in his chair. "One of the reasons I confiscated both mirrors is to minimize Sirius' ability to communicate with the boy. Sirius is an enormously powerful wizard and brilliant in the bargain. Had I left even one mirror in his possession, I have no doubt that he would have found a way to contact Harry." He paused and looked around the table, his gaze landing on Kate. "I assure you that I take no pleasure in this as I know the pain it causes to both of them. I will point out, however, that the Dark Lord can find ways to turn even the most innocent of devices into a conduit through which he can implement his own evil plans. We must be on our guard now more than ever. I fear that Voldemort is readying his followers for battle and we must be prepared. Remus, as interim head of the Order, I must ask that you review our surveillance and guard shifts at the Department of Mysteries and increase them if at all possible. We can ill afford to relax our guard over the Prophesy at this late date. Severus, you know what you must do – and as quickly as possible." Both wizards nodded solemnly. Dumbledore inclined his head in return and rose. "I must go. Severus, I will contact you soon to check on your progress. In the meantime, everyone, be on your guard at all times."
Once Dumbledore had gone, the meeting broke up and Severus pulled Kate aside while Remus and Kingsley spoke quietly near the door in the Great Room.
"Kate, you must do everything possible to keep Black in check until I can discover exactly what's being planned," Severus whispered.
Kate nodded. "I understand, Severus, and I'm prepared to do whatever is needed. Do you have any inkling of what Voldemort is plotting?"
Severus nodded once. "I believe I have an idea, but need more time to confirm it. Things will happen quickly once he sets them in motion, Kate. Communication amongst us will be critical to ensure he does not succeed."
Kate nodded and put her hand on his. "Thank you, Severus. I know that I do not have the full picture of your involvement, but I do know the risk in the dual role you play. We've had this conversation before but it seems appropriate to thank you again now that the danger is escalating and it looks like we're getting closer to full-out War once again." She leaned up and placed a small kiss on the dour man's cheek. "Please stay as safe as you can, Severus. I would truly hate to have anything happen to you," she whispered and was surprised to feel his fingers capture hers and squeeze them briefly.
"I will do my best with my end," he said after a moment. "You handle Black. Anything beyond that is out of our hands." And, with a final look, Snape turned and left the Annex.
Kate watched the door close behind him then turned back to the room and, as she did so, caught sight of Sirius, leaning against the doorframe of his room, arms folded across his chest, expression combative. "Getting 'control Sirius Black' pointers from Snape, are we?" he bit out.
It's going to be a long night, Kate thought to herself as she walked slowly toward Sirius, and the confrontation that was sure to come.