Lupin, Severus checked his watch.
How could he be late? He had to take this potion for a span of days every bloody month. How hard could it be to remember? Severus rolled his eyes and ladled the purple mixture into a goblet. He'd just take it up to him in his office.
Walking up the stairs into the entrance hall he paused. What was he looking at?
A band of students from different houses holding signs and banners filing out in an orderly fashion. Angelina Johnson and Deirdre Delaney lead the march onto the grounds while the cluster of maybe fifty students followed them. He scanned the protesters to see if he spied Hermione's bushy head or Potter, who stuck out like a sore thumb in his own right.
Hermione isn't at a protest to save Hagrid's hippogriff? That is odd...
Stranger still, he found every other Weasley, the Jordan boy, Sloan child, O'Malley and Luna Lovegood. Everyone Hermione knew but Potter and Weasley were in attendance. That didn't sit right with him.
Stop a werewolf from rampaging on the grounds then see to your daughter before she does something stupid.
Severus left the protesters to their business and made his way to Lupin's office.
He hadn't made any attempt to speak to him since Lupin brought up Lily. It was still something he wasn't ready or willing to speak of. Not when things were so muddled to begin with. Severus wanted to go back to hating the self righteous prat, that was easier.
He knocked on the door. After a minute or two passed, his patience growing thinner, he opened the door.
"Lupin!" he called. "You forgot your bloody-"
The office was empty. He glanced around to see an open window, and a familiar piece of parchment sitting open on his desk.
I knew it, he thought setting the goblet on the desk and picking up the parchment.
An intricate map of Hogwarts unfolded before him. Names of the students and faculty alike displayed as they walked the corridors and grounds. The truly fascinating part was the passages highlighted. He scanned the map for ones on the grounds. Hermione might have been plotting to use one to escort Hagrid's hippogirff away.
The Whomping Willow passage? he thought as a series of names appeared within it. Moving at an incredible speed, Hermione and Potter trailed...
Severus's blood froze in his veins and stopped breathing for a fraction of a second.
"Shit, Hermione, no!" he gasped.
Severus moved as fast as his feet could carry him from the office to the Whomping Willow.
Hermione froze staring up at the gaunt, bearded face of Sirius Black. She could see the madness lingering behind his eyes. She knew he didn't kill Pettigrew, but she truly believed the man opposite her was capable of murder now. The skeletal form moved as if he was carried solely for vengeance. Hermione drove her nails into her clasped hands wishing she could do so much as breathe.
Your friends need you! Move, you stupid piece of shit! She commanded, but her body refused to answer. It was the troll all over again. Even the blood in her veins refused to move to her muscles. The very air in her lungs were at a stand still. Two years of finding herself in peril and still all she could do was watch.
"If you're going to kill Harry," Ron grunted as he rose on broken legs, bracing himself against a wall. "You're going to have to kill us too."
"Ron, don't!" Harry snapped.
Black let out a vile laugh that rattled Hermione's bones.
"Only one will die tonight!" he cackled. "Sit down, boy!"
Harry, no! Hermione grabbed her wand with a shaking hand. "Back the fuck off!" she shrieked.
"Careful who you threaten with that thing, girl!" Black barked.
"My parents..." Harry seethed. "You killed them. Your best mate. What did they say when you betrayed them?"
Hermione turned back to Harry, his eyes a flame in a way Hermione had not seen in nearly three years. Colour drained from his face and his teeth clenched together in a grimace while his whole body shook.
"You've got it all wrong, Harry," Black said. "But your parents' killer is here tonight!"
Harry launched himself at Black like a ferrel animal. It was as if he didn't know he was a scrawny, shorter, thirteen-year-old square up with a trained adult and a history of violence. Or perhaps, he just didn't care.
Black countered the attack, pushing him off, but Harry was determined.
Separate them, he might not have his wand, but he does still have the knife.
Hermione catalogued her known spells, something that didn't risk hitting Harry. She dove between the two of them, blocking Harry with her own body.
"He killed my parents! Hermione!" Harry roared.
"And he will pay for it," Hermione gasped. "They wouldn't want this for you." She then turned to Black liquefying the wooden planks beneath him.
"The hell!" Black seethed as the wood solidfied around his knees.
Hermione could only stare at the deranged, and now confused man before her.
"I should kill you!" Harry cried. "They trusted you!"
Black looked up, some semblance of cognition returning to his dark eyes. "I didn't kill them, Harry. But the murderer is in the room with us."
"What?" Harry spat. "I doubt Hermione or Ron-"
"No, it's-"
The door below them creaked open. Footsteps rushed up the stairs and Hermione exchanged a concerned look with Harry and the injured Ron.
"Who are you expecting!" Harry hissed.
"Who ever it is," Hermione whispered, pressing herself against the door frame. "It can't be good. Get on the bed and cover yourself and Ron with the invisibility cloak."
"I'm not hiding!" Harry spat. "Even if I wanted to, we lost it in the struggle, remember?"
Fuck! "Honestly!" Hermione hissed. "You're too valuable. You know this. Just cover yourself and Ron. Now!"
"Hermione!" Harry protested. "Don't you think it's better if-"
"You know I'm-"
"I swear to fuck if say the word 'expendable', Hermione!" Harry snapped.
Hermione conjured a gust of wind blowing Harry into the bed with Ron. "Protego!"
Please don't know the shield's only temporary...
Harry placed a hand on the invisible shield, staring at her before turning his ire back to Black. Black opened his mouth to say something when a tall, thin man with greying brown hair and greyish skin entered the room.
"Remus?" Black choked.
"Sirius," Lupin looked at him before turning his attention to Harry and Ron.
Hermione lowered her wand.
Lupin waved his wand liquefying the wood around Black's knees and pulling him out of the wood. "You have to get out of here."
"What are you doing?!" Harry coughed.
Hermione called out "Yamate Kudasai!" feeling as though she were the one stuck in the floor.
"You three don't understand. I'll explain everything later, but, Sirius, you have to get out of here. Sn-"
"I can't believe I trusted you!" Harry cried, echoing Hermione's thoughts.
Hermione never trusted an adult, Lupin-she thought Lupin was different. He was always so kind and-of fucking course it was all a front! He just wanted to get close to Harry to hurt him!
But I have to try...it can't all have been a lie, could it have?
"Lupin-sensei," Hermione swallowed, continuing in Japanese. "I don't know everything, but I don't think you want to hurt anyone. You're not a monster, you can walk away from this. Being a werewolf doesn't mean you have to side with him! I know you care about Harry."
"I promise, I'll explain everything later," Lupin sighed. "Sirius, you need to get out of here!"
"Not until I commit the crime I've been sentenced for!" Black clutched his knife approaching Harry and Ron.
"You can't, old friend," Lupin pleaded. "Get out of here. Snape is-"
Black let out a crude laugh. "What's he got to do with anything?"
"He's a teacher at the school and has an axe to grind, he'll be coming after you."
"Let him!"
Not until he's committed the crime he's been sentenced for? Hermione bit her lip, tightening her grip on her wand. "Son of a bitch! It's Pettigrew, isn't it?!"
"Wait," Black coughed. "How do you know-Merlin, Remus, does the whole fucking Wizarding World know he was still alive while I rotted away in Azkaban?"
Lupin shook his head. "She came to me with that theory on her own. I was looking for proof."
"Fuck!" Black cried. "You're what? Fuckin' twelve? And you figured-Merlin on a bloody crucifix!"
"Wait," Ron quivered. "So, Hermione's not mad? But I don't-Scabbers has been in my family for twelve years! How is that possible?"
"Twelve years is a bit long for your garden variety rat, isn't it?" Black snapped. "The coward gave Voldemort your parents' location, Harry. Not me."
Harry choked, his face draining of colour and eyes growing larger. "B-but, there were witnesses. People said they saw you coming after Pettigrew."
Black nodded. "I did, Harry. You dad was my best mate since we were eleven. I loved that fucking idiot-" he chuckled before turning back to Harry and drawing a deep breath. "When I found out they were attacked, and our other best friend was the traitor, I was out for blood. I didn't care what happened after. He transformed to a rat, I reckon the bastard cut his own finger off for evidence."
"'Only one will die tonight'," Harry mused. "Couldn't you have been more specific?"
"I just-I just want- just give me the damn rat, boy."
Ron scanned the room, his face a flurry of confusion as his eyes darted from person to person in the room.
"We can all do this later!" Lupin hissed. "You need to leave before Snape finds you!"
"Couldn't we just explain everything to him?" Hermione ventured. "If you're innocent, we can present evidence to everyone and clear your name."
Black threw his head back in laughter. "I don't think you know-what did you say, Lupin, Professor?-well at all. He'd love to get his greasy little hands on me for vengeance."
Hermione thought of explaining she was certain she knew her father better than some bloke who went to school with him a life-time ago. But as much as she wanted to say that, she wasn't as certain.
"What did you do to him?" Hermione managed.
Black rolled his eyes. "That prat was always sticking his overlong nose in the business of others. I reckoned he should be taught a lesson. I let slip when I knew he was listening that Remus comes here on the full moon. He followed his way here to be face-to-face with Remus, as a werewolf. Your dad tried to tell him to turn around, Harry, but Severus Snape would never listen James Potter."
"That sounds right," Harry muttered.
She isn't hurt, thank god...
Severus entered the room, creeping along as silently as he could under Potter's conveniently dropped cloak. He drew his wand and surveyed the decrepit room. Weasley laid on a bed with hastily bandaged, swollen legs. Potter knelt next to him but looked at Black and-
Lupin!
Severus looked at Remus fucking Lupin, his blood damn near boiling. Lupin spent so much time with him. Acting as if they were friends. Severus trusted him with his daughter and this was how he repaid him? All those days and nights spent together, the advice he sought and gave, did it all mean nothing? What was worse, all this time he knew where Sirius Black was. Even after he attacked a his daughter Lupin said nothing.
Hermione...
What was she doing? She stood there, her wand clenched in her hand, but she made no attempt to flee.
"That sounds right," Potter muttered. "So he hates you that much because of a little prank?"
Severus ensured he had accounted for everyone in the room before launching black tendrils from his wand at both men before throwing the cloak to Hermione.
He ignored the string of surprised curses from the five of them and turned to Hermione. "Run. Take the cloak and the boys and get back to the school. Now."
"Wait," Hermione protested. "You don't have the full-"
"This is neither the time or place!" he hissed. "Go!"
"Please, if you would just listen," Hermione placed a hand on his wand arm, looking up at him.
"H-"
"Expelliarmus!" Potter and Weasley cried sending both himself and his wand back.
Severus hit the wall behind him, falling back with some force. Pain shot through his body. He groaned struggling to rise.
"Dad!" Hermione cried running to his side.
"I'll be fine," he gasped, placing a hand on her head. "Go."
Severus rose to his knees searching for his wand. Lupin and Black were now free, why weren't they going after Potter?
Black lunged and picked up Severus's wand, pointing it at him. "Did she just say-?"
"Sirius," Lupin set his hand on Black's shoulder. "Don't. Just go."
While Black was distracted Severus rammed his elbow into the emaciated man's gut. He then grabbed his wand back from him, pointing it at the now Gasping and doubled over Black.
"Neither of you are going anywhere," he turned to Hermione. "But you three are. Now."
"But Sirius didn't do it!" Potter insisted.
"What the hell are you-" he shook his head. "Could you for once in your miserable little lives just listen to me?"
"But he's telling the truth!" Hermione insisted. "If you just-"
"Shut up, you stupid little girl!" he hissed. "Before you get yourself killed. Leave!"
Lupin narrowed his pale green eyes at him, setting a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "Maybe for once in her miserable little life you listen to what your daughter has to say!"
"Get your fucking hands off of her!" Severus summoned the tendrils once more which bound Lupin, allowing him to throw him across the room.
"Lupin!" Potter called.
"I'm fine, Harry," he gasped. "Sev-"
"Don't fucking talk to me!" he seethed.
Hermione turned from him and approached the boys. Perhaps she'd listen. Whatever happened if she got to safety, it didn't matter.
What the fuck are you doing!
Hermione pointed her wand at Weasley and Potter. The boys paled, both trying to reason with her.
"Did you confound my fucking daughter?!" Severus snarled at Black.
No, Black stared, his dark eyes huge and mouth agape at the small girl, just as confused as everyone else there.
"Forum Vero Revelare!" Hermione cried.
Weasley cried as a short fat man, balding man with protruding teeth and pointed ears with gnarled hands that ended with claws, one of hand missing an index finger. His beady black eyes seemed more rat like than human, and his shaggy grey hair looked to be the same texture as rat fur. Even with all of these traits, Severus recognized the snivelling man as the most unremarkable member of Potter's little crew.
A dead man stood before them, cowering.
Peter fucking Pettigrew.