She ran, she had barely stopped when giving the password up to the Headmaster's office. She dashed up the stairs, almost falling over thin air and leapt up the last three.
Jade Everest banged Albus Dumbledore's office door open without a knock while saying. "They're not going to give him a trial?" She skidded to a halt in front of his desk with no good afternoon or hello, looking as though she had run all the way from Hogsmeade without stopping, which, she had.
Dumbledore looked over his half moon glasses at the brunette gasping for air in front of his desk, bent over with her hands on her knees, sky gaze peering at him through the curtain of hair that had fallen in her face. The twinkle that normally shown in professor Dumbledore's blue eyes was gone. "No," he finally said after glancing his former student up and down.
Jade's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Sir, he wasn't one of them. I knew him," she said in a soft voice.
Professor Dumbledore gave her a sad smile, "You can never be sure Ms. Everest. You weren't always in Voldemort's circle."
Jade's head jerked up so fast she got lightheaded for a brief moment. After a minute she recovered and gave the Headmaster an incredulous look. "You're suggesting that Sirius Black betrayed his best friend? I-I-why? I would've known. He never would've done that. He was constantly concerned, worried about them. I would have known," before she could fall to the office floor, Dumbledore waved his Wand causing a chair to appear out of nowhere behind her. Jade's knees buckled and she fell back, face buried in her hands. "I would've known," she continued saying.
Dumbledore leaned forward, lacing his fingers together and peering over his spectacles at her. "Are you saying you and Mr. Black were more than friends?" He asked, the twinkle returning to his eyes.
Jade shook her head.
They both knew she was lying.
Dumbledore nodded. "I'd like to extend the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts to you for next year," he said reaching for a bowl of little round yellow candies, he opened one and popped it in his mouth.
Jade was already shaking her head. "No," she said, "I don't want it."
"Just think on it," he said opening another candy.
Jade narrowed her eyes at the yellow thing in defense. "What is that?" She said wrinkling her nose.
Dumbledore beamed at her. "Lemon Drop. Want one?" He held one out to her.
"I'l—" Jade was cut off as the evil hard candy was shot into her mouth. First, her reaction was to spit it back out. Then, to gag. Then, she just sat there trying to keep a straight expression on her face.
"I'll be seeing you Jade," Professor Dumbledore said waving the Slytherin out of his office.
Jade nodded as she stumbled out trying not to vomit.
Dumbledore turned to a sniff on the wall behind his desk.
"Playing therapist to 20 year olds, Headmaster?" Said the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black.
The chilly November wind bit at Jade's unprotected face as she made her way back through Hogsmeade toward the Three Broomsticks for a drink.
The fact that she never seemed to be prepared for the weather was aggravating to her, and— and how Dumbledore had acted had . . . it had irked her, but she was cold. And she didn't know what to think about his behavior if she was being completely honest with herself. He had offered her a teaching position at Hogwarts, how odd. She wasn't overly fond of children, except with Harry . . . or Draco, until the hair pulling began, of course.
Jade sighed, running a hand through her brunette waves, she could smell the fresh scent of rain in the air. She quickened her pace.
Jade pushed the door open and was instantly assaulted with the different scents of food and drink, witches and wizards talking of the boy who lived, and the loud clatter of utensils and chairs. Jade was reminded why she wasn't a Gryffindor as she stood there for several minutes in fear until someone recognized her and called her over.
"Jade? Jade Everest," some guy with blond hair yelled waving frantically at her.
Jade frowned, she didn't recognize him. She scowled and gave a half shrug in his direction before sliding down along side the wall until she got to a table tucked away in the corner.
Sliding into a chair, Jade glanced briefly up toward the counter to see several witches and wizards standing around talking with glasses of Butterbeer in their hands. She quickly looked away, resting her eyes on the surface of the table in front of her, she was starting to think it was a mistake to stop in Hogsmeade. Maybe she should have gone to the Hogshead.
"Jade, don't you remember me?"
Jade looked up with an exasperated sigh, it was the blond from earlier. "No," she said bluntly.
He tried giving her a charming smile, but it came off looking more like a pig sucking a lemon. "Red Knight, Ravenclaw. You used to love finding excuses to take points from me," he held his hand out for her to shake.
Jade narrowed her eyes at the tanned appendage.
Knight smiled at her even bigger. "I never took offense to it, of course, I figured you did it because you had a crush on me," he quirked his head slightly to the right, taking Jade's hand from the table.
Jade found herself instantly wanting to know his blood status, she felt uncomfortable.
"I assume this because you did this to Black, as well, and you two went out for three weeks. Well, now, Mr. Black is out of the picture now. Here I am. Want to go out with me?"
"Wow," Jade muttered under her breath, "I'm good at forgetting a nitwit like you."
Clearly not hearing her, he pressed on. "C'mon, Jade?" He pleaded.
Jade shook her head, missing grey eyes, the smell of Fire Whisky, the feel of callus fingers. She gritted her teeth together, yanking her hand from Knight's grip. "No," she snapped.
"Jade," he began, but someone stepped toward the table saying.
"Knight, leave her be . . . now."
The blond glanced over his shoulder his face instantly going pale. "Sev-Severus," he stuttered out before looking back at Jade, who was studying her fingernails. Red looked back around before making a mad dash back over to his table.
Jade sighed in relief, not noticing the chill that fell over the room.
To be honest with herself, she didn't remember a Ravenclaw named Red Knight, that was such a foolish name. She wrinkled her nose in disgust at the unfortunate pleasure of meeting him, and never wanting to again. She cringed internally.
If he had been around Hogwarts in the three years that she reigned as Prefect, then yes, she probably did take points from him for his childish behavior.
"Jade?"
Jade looked back up, Knight had said Severus before running off, but it couldm— her blue eyes widened as they fell on the young man before her, barely out of his teens, hardly in his twenties.
"Sev?" She breathed, her eyes going even wider, "is that you?"
He didn't look much different from when she had parted from him in Knockturn Alley after. . . after. . . they had been doing something for Lucius Malfoy, nothing good, probably. He hadn't lost the wearing all black thing, except today it was black robes, not jeans.
She frowned, tilting her head at him.
"What?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
Jade shrugged. "You look . . . interesting," she looked away, her hair falling in her face like a curtain, hiding it from him.
Severus pulled the chair across from her out, taking a seat. "You saw the Headmaster," he said, straight to the point.
Sighing, Jade brushed her hair back. "Yes," she whispered, "why?"
"You ran faster than Black drove his bike."
"How did you get that impression?"
Severus sighed. "You nearly threw me in a wall when Professor Dumbledore dismissed you," he groaned.
Jade looked up, meeting his gaze. "Oh, Sev, I'm sorry. I'm," she cut herself off with a sigh shaking her head, he didn't want to hear her problems, he hated Black. She shrugged, "it doesn't matter." She stared down at the table, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, "I'm just tired."
Severus snorted, "yeah, right."
She glanced back up to see him rolling his dark eyes at her. Jade gave him a puzzled expression.
He gave her a weary sigh, looking twice his age of 21 as he ran a hand down his pale face. "You were there about Black," he confessed, "I eavesdropped on your conversation," he admitted to a not surprised Jade.
Everest nodded, "You're good at that."
Silence fell over them.
Jade turned, looking out the window at the darkening sky. The clouds were blanketing the sky in a thick dark grey-blue and wind and rain was beginning to howl outside, sending leaves flying across the ground. Jade could feel her mounting fear as lightning struck the sky, she spun away from the window, her eyes fixed on Severus.
"Jade, it's just a storm," said Severus.
"I want to go home," she said laying her head on the table. Jade wanted to sit on the sofa in front of the fireplace that rested in the library of Everest Manor, with a cup of tea in her hand and a book on her lap. She wanted to run into her mother's embrace of warmth and never let go, telling her of how sorry she was of everything she did from the time the Hat fell on her head. She wanted to talk to her sister, make the House Elves mad with her cooking.
"Why don't you go home?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
He watched her for a long moment before shaking his head while she wallowed in her thoughts.
"Jade," Severus began after another minute of silence, "are you going to accept the position?"
Jade didn't have to ask what he was asking about, she remembered his fascination with the dark arts. How he was enamored with it, she knew it was one of his best subjects, she assumed if he were to ever teach at Hogwarts . . . well. "No," she replied dryly.
A look of relief crossed Severus' face before being replaced with a smirk. "You, a Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor?" He snorted for the second time that afternoon, "Charms, even Potions. Not the Dark Arts."
Jade reached across the table, giving him a swift whack on the arm. "Be careful, I'll feed you burnt toast again," she warned him, reminding him of the summer before their sixth year.
Severus visibly gagged. "Anything but that," he begged.
Jade gave him a sympathetic smile. "Get me a drink? You're braver than me," she gave him puppy eyes.
Severus groaned as he got to his feet and headed to the counter, regretting coming to see her and save her from the Ravenclaw, probably. But, when you lose friends and those you care about, you'll go after the last person you know, even if you won't admit it.
Jade looked over to see Severus standing about second in line to order from Madam Rosmerta. Nodding to herself, Jade looked away.
She supposed if Sirius was going off and ending up in Azkaban because of that hot temper of his, there was nothing she could do. But she couldn't repress the thoughts of if she had only been there, then— then what? What would she had done to stop him? Coax him out of following Pettigrew? She knew with every fiber of her being that the Ministry was sending an innocent man to the worst place imaginable.
A thud of drinks on the table in front of her brought her attention back to reality.
Severus gave her an odd look before pushing a steaming mug of tea into her hands.
Jade blinked up at him while lifting the mug to her lips, she took a small sip, letting the warmth of the tea chase away the chill. "Thanks," she finally said after a minute, giving him a grateful smile.
He shrugged, sitting back down across from her. "Why won't you go home?" He asked, tracing small patterns on the table with his fingers from the residue left by drinks.
Jade sighed, for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Setting her tea down, she gazed at him through her long lashes. "Because of my choices, my House. All that," she waved her hand dismissively, giving him the shortest version possible and known to man.
"Oh," was all he said.
Jade stood, finishing her tea quickly before placing the empty mug back on the table with a few Sickles along side it. As she turned away, she glanced back over her shoulder at him. "Try not to go three years without saying hi this time," And she spun away, shoving her way through the throng of people, trying to make it out onto the streets of Hogsmeade.
And as Jade pushed the doors of the Three Broomsticks open, to be pelted in the face with heavy drops of freezing rain, she decided, she would find a way to move on from him. Sirius probably wouldn't do the same. No, he'd go on an angry rampage through London, still throwing himself in Azkaban. She was different, she was far too used to losing people she cared about or family rejecting her. That empty void was one she could live with. She didn't like living with it, of course, but she could, she would manage. It wouldn't take long for her to move on, for her to be back in the right state of mind at the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes where she worked at the Ministry.
Oh, if only she knew the stances she'd be making for a certain boy over a decade from now.
Jade frowned, walking from the walkway toward the street. Spinning on her heel, she disappeared in the rain with a (crack.)
