Bastila received a surprise at breakfast the next morning. Along with her usual atrophy potion from St. Mungos, there was also a letter attached from Nurse Sarah.
It read: "Bastila, I'd like to meet with you soon to talk to you and to check up on how you've been doing. Though from the sounds of things in the Prophet, you've been doing remarkably well. I wish you luck in the final task, and that you have a peaceful Summer after. Send the owl back to me with the time and place you'd like to meet."
That was it. No mention of Bastila's appearance in St. Mungos last night. No word on Astoria. Bastila felt relieved. She hadn't been recognized. Or Sarah was simply unwilling to talk about it through Owl post. And if she was withholding the fact that she knew it had been Bastila the other night, then that probably meant that Sarah didn't have any intention of telling Dumbledore or Severus about what she had seen.
Bastila wrote a quick letter back, telling Sarah they could meet next weekend in Hogsmeade at the Three Broomsticks, and attached it to the owl's leg. The owl gave an annoyed hoot. Bastila took out a few stray Galleons from her jeans pocket and put them in the pouch tied to the owl's leg next to her letter. The owl flew out of the Hall after giving another hoot, leaving Bastila alone with her thoughts and worries.
That is, until Daphne entered the Great Hall a few minutes later.
"You're up early." Daphne said by way of greeting. She stifled a yawn as she sat down next to Bastila, and then snatched up a piece of toast.
"No, you're just late." Bastila smiled. She gave Daphne a little nudge with an elbow, causing the blond girl to smile back. "I got a letter from Sarah. You know, the one who took care of me at St. Mungos during my coma. I think she might have recognized me last night. She was there in the lobby."
Daphne frowned "Did she say anything about it?"
"No." Bastila admitted. "But she says she wants to meet with me. She spent years taking care of me. If anyone could recognize me on the fly, even with me being partially shape-shifted, it would be her."
"So what do you want to do about it?"
"Meet with her, of course. Figure out what she knows. I've already sent her a letter back. And besides, I've missed her. Getting the chance to talk to her again after so long will be nice."
"She really cares about you doesn't she?" Daphne asked.
Bastila smiled, remembering how she had been treated when she had first woken up, when she had been so afraid and confused. "She's really nice. Hmm...I wonder if Severus would like to date her..."
"I don't think he even knows HOW to date." Daphne laughed.
"You're probably right." Said Bastila, laughing as well.
"I'd like to meet her." Daphne said after a brief silence while they ate.
"Really?" Bastila asked, surprised.
Daphne gave her a long stare. "Bastila, if it's important to you then it's important to me."
Bastila smiled. "We'll be meeting her in Hogsmeade on Saturday, if that's okay with you."
"I can't wait."
The day went by far too slowly for Bastila's liking, so it was a relief when evening finally came, and she made her way down to the dungeons for her latest Occlumency session with Severus. When she entered his office, Severus was sitting at his desk. But the chairs they used during their Occlumency lessons weren't set up.
"Are we still having the session?" Bastila asked, feeling confused.
Severus gave her a brief smile, but his eyes were troubled. "I think you have all but mastered Occlumency."
'What? After only a year?' Bastila thought. "That can't be true." She protested aloud.
"You will not find a better teacher than I when it comes to Occlumency, nor will I ever find a better student than you, so believe me when I say we have done all that we can to ensure your mind is protected."
Bastila stood dumbly for a moment, wondering why she was even arguing about this. Was it because she didn't want to lose this quality time spent with her father every night, where she had come to know him so well, where they had shared their hearts and minds, literally? Or was it because...Something felt wrong to her about this entire situation?
"Occlumency took you years to master. Why would I master it in just one year?" Bastila questioned as her mind began to whirl with thoughts, with possibilities and scenarios.
"You are an exceptional student." Severus replied in his usual tones, though his eyes still betrayed his true emotions to Bastila, who was watching him closely.
"Why are you so worried about teaching me Occlumency now?"
There was a long silence between them.
"I'm worried about you." Severus said bluntly. "I do not feel it would be right to subject you to having your mind broken into considering recent events. Surely there are things in there that you would rather not have me force you to relive every week that we meet?"
Bastila felt shock course through her body. She was shocked that she hadn't considered such a thing herself, and shocked at the fact that Severus would end their sessions simply in order to protect her from her own childhood terrors.
"Thanks for being so considerate of me." Bastila whispered, lowering her gaze to the floor.
"That's what fathers do." Came Severus's quiet reply.
*And magical snakes.* Hissed a female voice as a large and familiar winged snake appeared out of thin air, hovering in front of a rack of potions.
"Nyssa?!" Bastila stared at her, uncomprehending.
*Do you know any other magical snakes?* Nyssa replied, hissing with laughter. She stopped herself at the sight of the hurt look on Bastila's face.
"You told him about my nightmares, didn't you? Now he's gone and overreacted because I've had a few bad dreams!" Bastila accused.
*Yes, I told him. Waking up in the night and screaming as if you are being attacked is not just having a few bad dreams.*
"You've been spying on me?!" Bastila exclaimed, her voice rising into a high pitched shriek. She felt angry. Betrayed. HURT, by her companion. Her PET. No, this LOWER LIFE FORM! This SNAKE. Barely audible voices whispered inside her head, but Bastila payed them no mind.
Nyssa simply lowered her head in a bow. *I'm sorry, Bastila. But you would not tell him about something so important...Somebody had to. For your well being.*
"It doesn't matter if it was important or not!" Bastila suddenly screamed. "It was MY problem, MY secret to tell or not, and I chose not to!"
"Bastila-" Severus began, only to be cut off.
"Screw you!" Bastila snapped at Severus, feeling her rage boil over. She raised a shaking finger and pointed at Nyssa. "WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, YOU PATHETIC BEAST?!"
"BASTILA! REGAIN CONTROL OF YOURSELF THIS INSTANT!" Severus shouted, his voice sharp as he rose from his chair, placing one hand on the desk, and the other drawing his wand. "I will not lose you again to whatever dark force is preying upon you! This isn't you, and I know you can fight against it!"
Bastila continued to draw her wand from its holster.
"Try to think. You know that this behavior goes against everything that you are." Severus pressed on in a quieter voice. "You are an intelligent, well mannered and calm individual. Do not let your reasoning skills be overcome by whatever is causing you to have these dangerous outbursts."
Try to think? Bastila froze. A small bubble of confusion pushed its way up through her rage and cut through the voices that were now screaming at her within her mind. 'Why am I doing this?' She thought to herself. 'Severus is right. This isn't me. I'd never attack the people I love over something so...So...'
Bastila's rage released its hold, slipping away into the dark recesses of her mind. And with the anger gone, the voices were replaced with silence. She fell to her knees on the stone floor, not even caring about the pain. "Why the hell does this keep happening to me?" She said quietly, closing her eyes. "I would NEVER attack you daddy. I'd never hurt you, OR Nyssa. Not for anything or anyone! What the hell is wrong with me?"
"I don't know, but I will do everything I can to find out what is affecting you." Severus said gently, stowing his wand away in the folds of his cloak.
*I'll help as well.*
Bastila opened her eyes, looking at Nyssa with anguish. *I'm so sorry...I can't believe I was just about to curse you...And you were only helping me by telling Severus what was going on with me...Both of you were just trying to help me...*
*You were the one who made me impervious to magical attacks. I would have been fine.* Nyssa replied, giving a faint siss of laughter.
*I'm not so sure...* Bastila said shakily. She got to her feet again, but didn't she move from where she stood.
"Are you alright?" Severus asked, walking over to her.
Bastila took an involuntary step back and shook her head, fearful. Not of Severus, but of herself. "I don't know...It comes over me so fast that I don't even know it's happening. Please don't come any closer. If it happens again and I hurt you..."
But Severus never broke his stride. He stopped right in front of Bastila and held out his hand. Bastila stared at him for a long moment, then tentatively reached out and placed her smooth hand in his.
"You see? You are not hurting me." Said Severus gently.
Bastila sighed and pulled her hand back. "For the moment. But who knows when I'll go off next? I have to figure out what this thing is and how to make it stop, but I don't know where to even start."
Nyssa glided over to the two and butted her head against Bastila. *You start by letting people help you. You are not alone, Bastila. And, while we are on the subject, I'll tell you right now that two school children cannot possibly win against the Death Eaters.* Nyssa ignored Bastila's gasp of shock. *However, two school children and a magical serpent might have a chance at success...*
*How do you know-*
*Please, I can turn invisible, and I can do it with or without your permission. I'm not a dog, you know.* Nyssa huffed.
*Good point. Okay, look, if you really want to be in on this, then I'll explain things to your more fully back in the dormitory.* Bastila was still getting over the shock at what Nyssa had revealed, but she pushed it aside and gathered herself quickly. "Nyssa and I are going to head back to the dormitory." She told Severus, giving him a radiant smile. "She and I really need to talk, and I need to get some studying in for History of Magic class."
Severus looked at her intently for a moment, then he smiled. "If you are certain that you are alright, then I won't stop you."
"I'm back to normal, so for now I'll be fine." Bastila assured before she and Nyssa headed for the door. Bastila opened the door and paused, her hand on the doorknob as she turned back to Severus. "And I agree with you daddy. I don't think it's a good idea to continue my Occlumency sessions. At least not until I deal with my...Mental problems." Without waiting for a reply, Bastila strode out of the office, with Nyssa trailing along through the air behind her.
"This is where we're operating from." Bastila proclaimed, waving a hand theatrically at the interior of the apartment.
*When did you learn how to do a Blood Lock and an Undetectable Extension Charm?* Said Nyssa, staring around the apartment, clearly impressed.
"I didn't. I got the trunk from a shop in Diagon Alley. It's custom made." Bastila grinned as she sat on the bed, where Daphne was sprawled out unceremoniously.
*You really are serious about this...* Sighed Nyssa, curling up in front of the currently empty bookshelf.
"We've already gone on a mission." Bastila replied.
Nyssa stared at Bastila. *When did you even get the time to do all of this? I follow you around!*
"You don't follow us around ALL the time." Bastila said with a laugh.
"Which is a huge blessing." Daphne added, still laying flat on her back.
*Daphne's parents were found dead in their home this morning. Last night, two masked vigilantes apparated into St Mungos and left an Astoria Greengrass at the Hospital. It's believed that these two women also committed the murders. It was in the daily prophet. I assume you've read it.* Nyssa paused for the longest time. Then- *Was that your doing?*
Bastila met Nyssa's gaze unflinchingly. "Yeah, that was us." She glanced at Daphne and switched to Parseltongue. *But they deserved it. They were evil, Nyssa...They were torturing Daphne and her little sister, and had been for YEARS.* Bastila unconsciously put a comforting hand on Daphne's leg.
"What was us?" Daphne asked, looking at Bastila in surprise.
"Your parents' deaths."
Daphne smiled. "Oh. Yeah, that was definitely us. And it was long overdue. You're not going to report us to Dumbledore, are you?" She added, sending a half worried half angry look at Nyssa. "There's no link to us whatsoever unless you squeal. Because I know me and Bas will never tell anyone."
*If you don't want to wait on the Ministry to find justice then I will not stop you. But if you cross any lines, I will not hesitate to turn all of us in. Death Eaters and confirmed criminals like your parents will be our only targets.*
Bastila translated for Daphne.
"We're not out to become the monsters we're taking down. We just want to take them down. We know what we're doing, and what we won't do." Daphne said, her voice firm.
Nyssa stared at Daphne for a moment before nodding. *I just don't want the two of you to lose yourselves...*
Bastila gave Nyssa a reassuring look. "We'll be okay. I promise."
"So who are we going after next?" Daphne asked.
Bastila shook her head. "We're not. We need a break. We need to recover from the last few nights of hard work. We should just relax and enjoy the next few days until we meet with Sarah. Then we can figure out what to do afterwards."
"Sounds good to me." Daphne said with a yawn. "I really could use a break. Between schoolwork and saving the world, I'm tired out."
"You had to mention schoolwork." Bastila said, shaking her head and groaning.
"I could have mentioned the Final Task that you still need to win."
"It doesn't matter if I win or not. We have bigger things to worry about now than school competitions." Bastila replied. "But it WOULD still be nice to win." She added after a short pause.
Daphne smiled. "That's my girl."
"How long do we have to wait?" Daphne complained.
"As long as it takes." Bastila replied, sipping her butterbeer while she stared out the window of the Three Broomsticks.
Daphne paused. "What time did you tell her we were going to meet?"
A little smirk played across Bastila's face. "I didn't. I just told her to meet us here on the weekend. She could have already been here and left, or she won't be here for a few hours."
Daphne laughed. "Or she just got here." She pointed Sarah out to Bastila. But there was no need. Bastila had spotted Sarah coming into the Three Broomsticks at the exact same time as Daphne.
Bastila rose from her seat and waved to Sarah. Sarah smiled and made her way over to Bastila's table at the very back of the Three Broomsticks.
"Bastila, oh, you look..." Sarah began, sitting across from Bastila and Daphne. "Healthy."
"You were going to say something else!" Bastila said, smiling widely. "Say it!"
Sarah smiled back. "I was going to tell you that you looked beautiful. You really ARE doing well for yourself."
Daphne chose that moment to cough.
"Oh, right, ahem!" Bastila giggled. "Sarah, this is Daphne Greengrass, my girlfriend, and Daphne, this is Sarah, my favorite person in St. Mungos, and the one who got me up and running again."
Woman and girl regarded each other for a moment, then they smiled.
"It's good to finally meet you and all." Said Daphne. "All it's been is Sarah this and Sarah that- Ow." Bastila had elbowed her in the ribs.
Sarah laughed at the girls. "It's good to meet you, too." She told Daphne, her voice sincere. "I'm glad Bastila has someone she's so obviously in love with."
"Love? Yeah, you could call it that." Daphne said with a grin. Then she gasped as Bastila elbowed her again. "See?"
"How have you been doing?" Bastila asked Sarah, giving her another smile.
"Oh it's just been business as usual, now that I haven't had you, my little pet project." Sarah joked, letting out a laugh.
"I read in the Prophet...That my sister was...Rescued, I guess, by some people who are rumored to have killed my parents." Daphne said suddenly, carefully, staring at Sarah.
Sarah looked surprised, but quickly composed herself. "Oh, of course you'd want to...I've only been in to check on Astoria twice, myself, but she seems to be recovering well."
"Pretty weird, right? Why kill them off, but save my sister? Why not kill her?" Daphne said off-handedly.
Sarah was quiet for a long time. "One possibility is that someone else committed the murders, and these...Vigilantes, saved Astoria from whoever attacked your parents. At least, that would make a bit more sense to me than the Prophet's insinuation that the rescuers and the murderers are one and the same."
Bastila felt surprise at Sarah's frank terms, but she supposed Sarah was just taking her cue from Daphne's own bluntness about the situation.
"Has my sister said anything yet, to anyone?" Daphne asked.
Sarah shook her head. "I'm afraid not. She hasn't been in any state to talk."
"But you said she was recovering well." Bastila put in, confused.
"I'm sorry. To be specific, her physical injuries."
"I get the feeling that you're holding a lot back. Don't hold out on me about my little sis, Doc." Daphne said, letting out a frustrated breath.
Bastila slipped her hand into Daphne's. Daphne squeezed her hand tight.
"Alright." Sarah said finally. "Your sister's physical injuries, while startling, are healing well. Her...Mental injuries, aren't."
Daphne squeezed Bastila's hand tighter than ever. "Are you saying my sister is crazy or something?"
"We don't use that term-" Sarah began.
Daphne silenced her with a glare.
Sarah sighed. "Yes. Diagnostic spells revealed that she's been put under the Cruciatus Curse for hours at a time. And, I'm sure you know that the curse can cause insanity, due to its nature of destroying nerves..."
"I get it, yeah." Daphne's eyes were unfocused. She seemed to be staring through Sarah instead of AT her. "I know what happened to the Longbottoms."
"If it's any comfort, the damage done to your sister isn't nearly as severe as what was done to the Longbottoms." Sarah said quietly.
Daphne blinked, and then she was staring at Sarah, as if noticing her for the first time. "Your bedside manner is terrible, but yeah...That's a comfort. Thanks." Daphne replied, smiling weakly.
"You're welcome."
"Check my parents' wands." Daphne said suddenly.
"What?"
"Standard procedure, isn't it? Investigating Aurors should have checked their wands at the scene, and then they should've questioned Astoria."
"We were interviewed about the patient, and an Auror did TRY to talk with her..."
"Did the Aurors say anything about my parents wands?"
"Of course not. They're still investigating, and attempting to find the vigilantes." Sarah looked down at the table, then back up at Daphne. "I think I know what you're implying, but..."
"I'll say it right out for you. My parents did this to Astoria." Daphne said, her voice flat.
Sarah's eyes were serious. "You know that I have to ask how you know that."
Daphne took a deep breath, and Bastila thought she was about to tell Sarah what they had done. But what Daphne said was something entirely different.
"I know because they did the same thing to me. And I'm glad they're dead. Overjoyed, actually. If I could meet whoever did it, or those vigilantes who saved my sister from my parents...I'd thank them a thousand times over." Daphne's voice was strangled and soft. She even let out a sob. Bastila knew it wasn't an act. The emotions were real. And Bastila admired Daphne's ability not to let anything slip, even while dealing with such an emotional topic.
Sarah reached across the table and took Daphne's free hand, to the surprise of Daphne and Bastila. "Freedom, relief, elation. You're just glad that your suffering and the suffering of the ones you love is over. No matter how it ended. It feels like justice, doesn't it? It feels good to be free?"
"How do you know how I feel?" Daphne choked out, looking down at the table.
Sarah leaned across the table, her eyes soft. "Because it happened to me, too." She whispered.
Daphne's head whipped up so fast her hair hit Bastila in the face. "What do you mean?"
A long silence stretched between them, and just when Bastila thought Sarah wouldn't answer, she said, "I had a good husband, once. A good family. Until someone came along and destroyed us. They took my husband from me. My children. The one who did it got away with it. For years, I wallowed and suffered. All I wanted was for my suffering to end. I thought that, as long as the person who took them from me was still alive, that I would never feel good again. But one day, the man who took my family from me was killed. Murdered. But it had nothing to do with me. It was another criminal who killed the man, for their own reasons. But I still felt relieved, I felt happy. He was dead, and I could live. I could move on."
"So I moved on." Sarah finished. "I became a nurse. I dedicated my life to helping people that I COULD help, instead of being grief-stricken over the ones I couldn't."
"So, what? Is it wrong for me to be happy about it?" Daphne said after a long silence.
"It's not wrong or right. It's just how it is."
"Thanks, that's helpful."
Sarah let go of Daphne's hand. "I'm sorry I couldn't give you any comfort-"
"No, I really mean it! I wasn't being flippant." Daphne said, laughing. "Thank you for telling me all that. It really IS helpful. I think I can process all of what's going on in my head a little better now."
"You're welcome, then." Sarah replied, smiling.
"Miss Nightingale?" A familiar voice said.
Bastila looked over her shoulder and saw Severus swooping over to the table, having just entered the Three Broomsticks. He came to a halt in front of the table. His eyes were fixed on Sarah.
"Hello, Mr. Snape. Whatever happened to 'Nurse'?" Sarah greeted Severus with a smile.
"I...Miss Nightingale is...More respectful..." Severus murmured, his face flushing uncharacteristically. "My behavior towards you at the start of the year was atrocious and I...I would like to make up for that."
Daphne's face brightened considerably as she watched Severus and Sarah's exchange. She elbowed Bastila, smirking as she jerked her head at Severus.
Bastila smirked, too.
It didn't take a genius to see the beginnings of a romance between Severus and Sarah. Or at least, the beginning of Severus pining after Sarah, with her being completely oblivious to it, or ignoring his behavior on purpose.
Bastila would just have to wait and see which way it would go.
"...I appreciate that, Mr. Snape." Sarah was saying when Bastila tuned back in to the conversation.
"Please, call me Severus."
"Only if you'll start calling me Sarah."
Severus looked uncomfortable now. "Miss Nightingale I...Alright, Sarah, then. You're here on a social visit, yes?"
Bastila almost pitied her adoptive father.
Sarah smiled again at Severus. "Yes. I've been reading the Prophet, but I wanted to hear everything that's been happening in Bastila's life from her own perspective. The Prophet doesn't know everything."
"I see." Said Severus. He seemed to be at a total loss as to what he should say.
"Okay, well, I think we've gotten all we can out of this conversation." Bastila said loudly, finally taking pity on her father and Sarah. "It was nice seeing you again, Sarah."
"We didn't even talk about your classes, or the Triwizard-" Sarah started in confusion.
Bastila froze. Then she smiled. "Classes? Classes are great! I'm learning a lot and I'm doing great in them. Oh, and I'm going to win the Third Task and make it a flawless victory. There's not much to say past that. Okay see you later bye!" Bastila jumped out of her seat and grabbed hold of Severus's arm and started dragging him towards the exit to the Three Broomsticks.
"Thanks for the pep talk." Daphne told a bewildered Sarah, getting to her feet and following Bastila. "Hope you can find the time to stop by Snape Manor this summer! That's where I'll be, what with me being an orphan and all now."
Bastila glared hard at Daphne, mentally willing her to shut up. Whatever skills Daphne had, matchmaking clearly wasn't one of them. She was about as subtle as...Nothing! Daphne wasn't being subtle at all. And if Daphne tried too hard to push Severus and Sarah together she would just end up driving them apart.
Bastila sighed with relief when they were finally out the door and into the sunny streets of Hogsmeade. The attraction was clearly there, at least on Severus's end. Now Bastila had to let it sit for a while, to see if the feelings would either grow, or die out, before making any efforts to put Severus and Sarah in the same room together again.