Chapter Seven
On Tuesday she still hasn't told them she'll be leaving for some hours on three days. She enjoys this new lifestyle and she doesn't want to ruin the mood – especially with a suspicious Ron spying on her all the time. After all, for the first time in centuries, she doesn't have to worry about anything. Not checking each and every corner she passes, not having to look over her shoulder all the time, no restless nights,… It's refreshing, to say the least. She has a feeling she'll never get used to this, as she's been on the run for so long. But for now, she forces herself to relax – at least for a few days. She knows reality will hit her hard when she needs to return to it. For these few hours, however, these few days, she enjoys each moment she spends with her new friends.
The next day at noon she finally announces she's going away for the afternoon.
"But you only just got here," Mrs Weasley protests.
"Yes, I know, but I'm not leaving for long. I'll be back in the late afternoon or evening."
"Where are you going?" Hermione asks the question everybody is wondering about.
"The exact place doesn't matter," she answers, "I just have some personal business to attend to."
"Surely you don't have to do that during the holidays?" Ron asks. He's been talking to her again since yesterday, albeit rather coldly. And he's still suspiciously watching her every move.
"When should I do it, then? When school starts again? Because I'm quite sure I won't be allowed to leave Hogwarts."
"Are you sure you aren't leaving to meet up with some Death Eaters?"
"Ronald!" Mrs Weasley hisses.
She knew he would take this news badly, "Seriously? Are you still going on about that? If you really want to know, I'm leaving because I have to do a few things concerning my parents' affairs, as they're dead, if you hadn't noticed. I'm an only child, and there isn't any other family I have that I know about. So I'm the one who has to take care of it."
The room is dead-silent after she has finished. She knows she was a bit harsh, but his behaviour has gotten truly annoying and she is sick of it. Though today she won't actually go on business concerning her parents, she will on Friday.
"I'm going to the library. Anyone cares to join me?" She then asks, getting up from her chair.
Hermione follows her, while Harry seems to hesitate and Ron angrily remains seated. Ginny stays at the table too, with a look to the two boys.
Sasha stops at the door, "Ron, I genuinely think you are a nice guy, so please, stop being this suspicious and join us. I'd love to have another friend. I never really had any friends, after all, as I was home-schooled."
He doesn't look up, but he does seem ashamed of himself. She hopes he'll finally come to grips with the fact that she doesn't mean any of them any harm.
In the library Hermione joins her on a couch with a book. Soon, Harry and Ginny enter the room as well and occupy the other couch together. They talk silently among themselves.
After a while the door opens. A sheepish Ron is standing in the opening, hesitantly looking at them.
"Hi, guys."
"Hello, Ron," Sasha greets him, "Why don't you join us?"
He smiles slightly, nodding. The boy closes the door behind him and takes a seat in an armchair. He takes a deep breath, "So… Have you guys heard about Fred and George's latest invention?"
And just like that, their group is complete again. Sasha is happy. Despite her lies about her actual 'backstory', as Ron once referred to it, to them, she did mean what she said earlier. The last friend she had, was a girl who lived in her village, almost three hundred years ago.
At exactly two o'clock the door to the room they reside in opens harshly. Severus is standing exactly where Ron stood, a bit over an hour ago. The look on his face, however, is completely different from the one the redhead was sporting. He's wearing black pants, his black dragon-hide boots, a black shirt and a black jacket, in order to blend in when they'll be in a muggle area.
"Ms Louhi," he speaks, "I hope you did not forget about our appointment."
"I didn't, actually, I just lost track of time," she smiles to him, while she puts down her book on potions and gets up.
"What are you doing here?"
"Mr Weasley, may I suggest you heed your mother's warning and show some more respect to you elders?"
Sasha honestly tries to suppress it, but she can't help the smile on her face.
Ron catches it, unfortunately, "See! She's laughing at his remarks again!" the boy exclaims.
In a bored tone Severus asks Sasha, "Shall we go?"
She nods.
"Wait a minute, he's coming with you? Why?"
"Ron, this really isn't the moment—"
"No, Hermione, this just proves my point. She's meeting up with—" He stops talking when he sees Severus' warning glare. Hermione, too, narrows her eyes at him.
"I'll be back soon. Do try not to kill the boy, Hermione. See you all later."
Once outside they walk to the small park near the house. The ground is covered in a thin layer of snow and the air smells like the cold, pure and fresh. Concealed by the trees, they needn't fear curious muggles.
"We will have to apparate, but I do not know where to go. Would you mind me looking at your memory to see the destination?"
"Apparating is indeed better, as it's quicker. It's okay, you may. Is it easier if I focus on the place I want to go to?"
"Indeed."
She concentrates for a second. Imagining the place she needs to be. She sees the simple house with its small front yard before her mind's eye.
"Ready?" She nods. "Legilimens!"
Once more he's in her mind. The feeling is as strange as the last time, though now she knows what to expect – it's less uncomfortable, at least. She shields her other ideas and memories and just focuses on the one they need. He looks around inside the memory for a bit, searching for a safe place to apparate, somewhere they won't have anyone to obliviate. She sees what he sees; he mentally walks down the street, examining the area. He soon finds an adequate spot and leaves her mind.
This time they don't stumble – lucky for her, as there isn't a chair to catch her, here – since this memory, isn't deeply influenced by emotions, unlike the last one Severus viewed.
Without another word he offers her his black-clad arm. Not quite happy with the nauseating experience she'll go through once more, she grabs it. She soon feels the choking sensation, but as soon as it started it's over and they're standing in the tiniest, shadowy alleyway.
"I much prefer muggle transportation, no offence."
"None taken. Come, this way."
"Wait, before we go: You should know I'm called Sasha Wilson, around here, in case it comes up."
They leave the alleyway, making sure no-one's around to see them come out of there. In the street, Sasha takes the lead. They continue down the road and turn into the next street. Soon enough they're standing in front of a simple one-family home. The small garden is well-kept.
Sasha rings the doorbell. Severus stays behind her, subtly watching the street. Everything is calm at this hour. A small, middle-aged woman with short brown hair cut in a bob opens the door. Her smile upon seeing Sasha disappears when she spots the dark man behind her.
"Hello Sasha and…?"
"Hello Ann, this is Severus. May we come in?"
"Yes, sure."
Her house is decorated simply but tastefully. The main colours are brown, beige and white. It isn't very big, but it isn't stuffy at all, it's rather cosy. They sit down in the living room. The floor is one big plush carpet in a light brown. The walls are covered in broken-white wallpaper. A closet is pushed against the far wall. To the left of the door there's a fireplace.
Ann claims the armchair, the visitors lower themselves into the two-seat couch. Between the couch and the armchair a coffee table is placed.
"I haven't seen you in quite some time, Sasha, how are you?"
"I'm fine. Is your daughter home?"
"No, she's gone out with friends. I actually thought you went with them."
"I was sick, this last week," she explains, "so I didn't even know about their outing."
"Oh, are you well now, then, dear? What was it, the flu?"
Severus snorts at the woman's worried tone. It makes her look up, "Severus, was it? Who are you, exactly?"
"I'm a friend of Ms Wilson."
"Ms Wilson? You call your friends by their last names?"
"I apologize," he responds gruffly, "Sasha."
Sasha smirks at him, she's not heard him apologize before. He dares her to speak, raising an eyebrow.
"Hm," the middle-aged woman eyes him strangely, "So," she then continues, "why are you here? Do you want to wait for Danni? Oh, you might want her notes, no?"
Severus looks thoroughly annoyed by all of the questions.
"No, those are not the reasons."
"But—"
Gods, she forgot how much this woman talks.
"No. Mrs Johnson," Sasha moves to the edge of her seat, she focuses her eyes on the unsuspecting woman, "Look at me," she looks up, "That's it… Straight in the eyes…" She's talking slowly, articulately. Once Ann is caught by her stare, she doesn't move anymore.
Sasha moves both her hands to above her knees, palms to Mrs Johnson.
"Do you remember what I told you?"
"Yes." Her voice is an eerie monotone.
"Do you know what to do?"
"Yes."
"Ne kaiken."
Ann's eyes close suddenly.
Sasha gets up, "Come on, we should go before she awakes."
He doesn't question her yet.
They return to the alley in silence. She walks before him into the shadowy place. Severus grips her arm and turns her around.
"Explain," he orders, wanting to know what she did, what just happened.
She raises her eyebrows at his harsh tone, but tells him anyway, "When I arrived in this town, I linked the minds of each person I met to the next. This way, whenever I want, I can make them forget about me."
"Like obliviate, but on a mass scale?"
"Indeed."
"What language was that? It wasn't Latin."
"It was Finnish. My mother tongue. It's also our family's magical language. Sometimes, depending on the spell, we use Sumerian instead, thanks to an ancestor of mine. She researched old Magic and found out about the Sumerian people. She taught her findings to her offspring. Since then, we use magic from both cultures. Usually I don't need to speak the spell aloud, but with some rather powerful spells, like the one I just did, it is necessary to be certain it works."
He nods understandingly.
"Now we should go and book our tickets for Friday. Do you know where to go?"
"I do," he replies.
The two of them disapparate to London and find a traveling agency, where everything is readied for Friday and Saturday.
They disapparate again, afterwards, and are soon back in the small park near Grimmauld Place. In silence, no doubt still pondering the newly acquired information about her magic, he escorts her back to the house. They go inside. Sasha is about to say goodbye, so Severus can leave, when Molly comes into the hall from the kitchen. The woman instantly notices them and exclaims, "Oh! You're back already! Come on in, both of you, get warm again. It's freezing outside. I was just going to call the kids down for tea. And no, Severus, I don't want to hear it. You're staying for tea. End of story," she adds good-naturedly when she sees he opens his mouth to protest. Molly goes up the stairs and disappears. Meanwhile Sasha, smiling because of the interaction between Molly and her new friend, and Severus enter the kitchen and take their usual seats.
"What was it you said on Friday," he starts, "about not having to see the dunderheads?" He raises an eyebrow questioningly. His face appears serious, but she notices a spark of amusement in his dark eyes anyway.
"Well, yes, I couldn't exactly predict this, could I?"
"Hm," he grumbles, "Sadly. I'd deposited you outside at the door, had I known."
"And left me?" She pretends to be offended.
He smirks.
"See? They're at it again!"
Sasha rolls her eyes, immediately knowing who said it. "Still haven't matured, I see?" she responds as the others enter the room as well.
All of the 'kids', as Molly called them, are there, except the twins. They're probably working on another invention, in their room. Molly waves her wand towards the kettle. The hot object is carefully levitated, it serves everyone and returns to its place. A few plates appear in the middle of the old, wooden table with milk, sugar, scones, clotted cream and jam. Ronald grabs some food right away. He doesn't say anything more, ignoring them while he eats. Severus does answer to her question, though,
"Obviously," he drawls.
That gets the redhead's attention, "Oi!" he exclaims, his mouth full of cream.
"Ronald. Don't talk with your mouth full. I raised you better than this."
He doesn't dare react to his mother's reprimand, so he just sits quietly and continues munching on his scones.
[To be continued]