Remus was late.
In his defense, it had not been his fault. Receiving an Owl from Albus Dumbledore in the middle of the night had not been expected in the slightest. It had sent Remus whirling through time, when people had done such things — sent him Owls — needed him for some reason or another.
He'd been working as a mover in London at night, a bookkeeper by day. He'd found it best to take Muggle jobs, and the extra stamina and strength due to his condition made hard labor most Muggles avoided rather easy for Remus. He never slept more than four hours at a time, so when he got home to his studio apartment (James would've called it a studio shithole) around five in the morning, he felt well rested enough after a cup of cheap coffee to head to his daytime job.
That night, however, sleep had not found Remus. He had sat with the letter in his hands as the sun crept up, lighting up the dirty window to his apartment. He hadn't noticed until his usual alarm for work had gone off and left him scrambling. The last letter he had received from Albus had been to tell him that James and Lily and Peter had been killed. Remus hadn't known who was behind it — aside from Voldemort — until he'd opened up the Daily Prophet to the mugshot.
He'd nearly fallen off the Knight Bus — which he'd avoided if he could, already familiar with the most unsavory characters of the wizarding world, who he was happy to report he hadn't seen in nearly a decade — his nerves fraying his thoughts. Albus had asked to meet Remus in Diagon Alley, at the Leaky Cauldron, which wasn't as nearly as discreet as the places he'd traveled to during the War. The upheaval from place to place, time after time, had felt familiar, in a distant sense. Time was a fickle thing, anyway. Albus had often remarked that they were all at its mercy.
As Remus made his way through the crowded bar, he couldn't help but feel that familiar surge of anxiety and adrenaline that had accompanied him through wartime. Albus was waiting for him in a secluded booth at the back of the pub, hunched over a steaming mug of tea, his eyes twinkling as he looked up at Remus.
The pub was unusually quiet. The bartender, Remus noticed, had been drying the same glass for quite a while as he hung up his cloak by the door. He was staring at Albus, who stuck out like a sore thumb in the dim light of the pub, sporting sky-blue robes with clouds on the sleeves. If Remus looked close enough, he could've sworn that they were moving.
The last time Remus had seen Albus had been at Lily and James' funeral. He barely remembered the day at all, lost in a haze of grief and rage, but he had recalled Albus hand on his shoulder, firm and steady, steadier than anyone else seemed to have been.
"Remus," Albus said in a warm voice, reaching toward him to take Remus' hand in both of his own. "It's delightful to see you again — albeit I regret that it's not under better circumstances."
"Likewise," he gripped his hand back, and maybe it was Remus' imagination, but Albus' grip was firmer than he remembered. He almost didn't hear the last part, but before he could ask, Albus was buying him a drink.
Remus accepted, not that he had much of a say in the matter, feeling his nerves settle slightly at the warmth of the alcohol.
"I'm surprised you're not partaking," Remus gestured to the tea. He was good at small talk, and something told him that Albus wasn't simply here on a social call.
Albus chuckled and shook his head. "Oh, I'm afraid it just doesn't have the same kick as it used to." he said with a smile. He took a thoughtful sip of his drink, his eyes glimmering with amusement. "You know, I must confess that Aberforth is the only one who serves a drink strong enough to truly satisfy my taste."
Remus chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "Ah, Aberforth's special concoctions. I've heard they can make even the bravest of souls wobble on their feet." He recalled James swinging back something one of the patrons had suggested at Aberforth's pub, just after they'd graduated from Hogwarts. Remus remembered what James hadn't, which was James singing to all of Hogsmeade in the middle of the damn night. He'd been too drunk to Apparate, even with Remus. He'd ended up calling —
No, he didn't think of that name anymore, a name lost with time and something far more sinister.
Albus nodded, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "It takes a certain fortitude to handle Aberforth's libations. I had heard that you yourself were bartending in London for a good while."
"I was," Remus admitted. "It was an… interesting experience. It was short-lived after someone found out about my condition. All that talk wasn't very good for business."
"I see." he could've sworn that the clouds on Albus' robes darkened into storm clouds. "What happened, if I might ask?"
"Someone from the Ministry who dabbles in Creature Control recognized my face."
Albus only shook his head, the ghost of a pitiful smile on his lips. "I am sorry, Remus. While your condition is certainly manageable, it would seem the same cannot be said for narrowmindedness."
Remus shrugged, a touch of self-deprecation in his voice. "When the word werewolf got out, the customers became a tad too cautious about the moon phases. I suppose they didn't quite trust me to serve them a drink without a side of howling."
Albus laughed, shaking his hand with a small smile. "I regret not reaching out sooner, my friend. It has been too long."
Remus waited patiently for Albus to speak again, knowing from experience that he liked to take his time getting to the point.
Sure enough, after a few sips of his tea, Albus cleared his throat and leaned in closer to Remus. "I'd imagine that you must have realized that I haven't asked you here to talk about tea or drinks. I have a favor to ask of you, one that I believe you would be uniquely suited to fulfill."
Remus raised an eyebrow, his interest slightly piqued. "What kind of favor?"
Albus leaned back in his seat, his eyes studying Remus carefully. "Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban."
Everything shifted for Remus, then. His sense of time funneled and spun backwards, to a past where Sirius was laughing, roaring, and clutching his side as James tore apart the house looking for the baby, who had fallen asleep under the Invisibility Cloak. This isn't funny, Padfoot! Lily is going to murder me, and then you're next —
The last time Remus had seen the baby, Lily had stood on the stoop of their home and waved, the baby asleep in her arms. The baby — only she wasn't a baby now — she was twelve — no, thirteen — her birthday was —
And just like that, it shifted to Remus opening up the Daily Prophet to a picture of Aurors dragging Sirius away as he cackled, throwing his head back and roaring as he'd done so many times before, but never like this, never —
The words hit Remus like a punch to the gut and he felt as though all of the air had been knocked out of him. He stared at Albus in disbelief, his mind struggling to process what he'd just heard.
Remus swallowed, hard. "He's escaped to finish the job, hasn't he?"
Albus bowed his head solemnly. "It would appear so."
Remus nodded grimly, his mind racing with the implications. If Sirius was indeed on the loose, he needed to be found as soon as possible. But how could Remus help in this situation? He had been struggling to keep himself afloat, taking all those low-paying jobs wherever he could find them. He wasn't exactly in a position to go chasing after escaped convicts.
Albus seemed to read Remus' thoughts and spoke up again. "I know that you may not have much to offer in terms of resources, Remus, but you have something that others do not."
"What do you mean?"
"You knew Black better than anyone," Albus said simply. "And you knew the Potters. I would feel immensely grateful if you would help me in protecting their daughter from Black."
"But what could I —"
"Now," Albus folded his hands together. "I do not offer this lightly, Remus, so please do not take this as an offhanded request. I want you to take on the role as the Defense professor at Hogwarts."
Remus' jaw hung open, unable to form words.
Albus held up a hand before Remus could argue. "You won't hold the job longer than three years, and there is a particular… shall we say, problematic Curse that has caused several unfortunate incidents in the past. But if you are willing to accept it, I believe it would be beneficial in helping keep Ariel safe and catching Black."
Remus didn't care about that. He'd never put much stock into the rumor anyway. What he cared about more than anything was… what James and Lily would have wanted, for the baby.
He closed his eyes and sighed heavily, massaging his face with his hands. He felt the weight of this decision throughout his entire body — on one hand, he found himself pulled towards the idea of seeing the baby again, of being able to protect her against Sirius in a way he hadn't been able to protect Lily and James. On the other hand, Remus felt guilty for even considering it — for not keeping his promise to Lily and staying away from her family. He thought of what Lily would think, if she were here, and nearly balked.
"I'll do it," Remus said quietly. "Of course I'll do it."
Albus nodded in approval but then stopped as he noticed something pass through Remus' face that made him pause.
Remus hesitated for a split second before he asked: "And what about… my furry little problem?"
Albus seemed to immediately recognize the concern in Remus' voice. The question hung heavily over both of them.
"I just so happen to have one of the finest Potion Master's in the country on staff." Albus said, almost cheerfully. "I'm sure you're familiar with the Wolfsbane potion? A rather new invention, one that's quite difficult to brew for most. I'm happy to report that won't be the case here."
Remus blinked — several times. "I — Merlin, Albus, I can't thank you —"
"Splendid!" Albus beamed, finishing off his tea in one swig. He stood and clapped his hands together. "As for the rest, I need to get everything in order before we proceed." Albus checked his pocket watch, then shook his head with a sigh. "I'm afraid I must be leaving you now, I can't leave the Ministry hanging about too long or else they will think something untoward has happened. I had assured them I would do what I could to find Black in a timely manner… they'd be rather cross, knowing I was attending to staffing issues instead."
Remus merely nodded, wishing he could ask Albus to stay longer and chat about anything else but this – Hogwarts, the baby's welfare, Sirius Black – but he knew that now was not the time for such trivial matters.
Albus gave him a sympathetic smile before grabbing his cloak off of its hook on the wall and putting it on. It was as yellow as the sun, completing his ensemble of sky. He patted Remus' shoulder gently. "I will be in touch soon."
He took his leave without another word. Remus glanced at the bartender, who was still drying the same glass from earlier. He'd been watching them the entire time, realization spreading over his face like frost as Albus hurried through the front door.
Remus sat there in stunned silence, his mind reeling with the implications of what Albus had just offered him. For the first time since he had heard of Lily and James' death, Remus felt a sliver of hope that he could at least make up for not being able to save them, that he could protect their daughter. It was something he thought he would never have again — a chance to be responsible for someone's safety and security — something they had fought for during the War. He realized why it felt so strange before — Sirius had disappeared without a trace earlier that day — and no one knew where he had gone — yet here Remus was discussing taking the Defense position to protect a single girl. Remus didn't know how Sirius had done it, but if he was traveling as Padfoot —
He dropped the glass, not hearing the sound it made as it shattered.
"This is really dumb," Ariel said to Hedwig. "I should just go out there, shouldn't I?"
Hedwig regarded Ariel with as much contempt as Snape had earlier. He hadn't allowed Ariel to let Hedwig out tonight, leaving her peevish and moody on her perch. He'd also left Ariel alone to deal with it — as if it were her fault — alone in her bedroom.
Ariel thought about writing to Hermione about all this, but she didn't know what to say. She never mentioned Snape in her letters anyway — he'd forbidden it, the paranoid maniac that he was. How would she even begin a letter like that? Dear Hermione — Snape took me to the place he met my mum, who he doesn't talk about, and when he does, he looks like he's about to vomit. Then he got a letter and told me to piss off. All of this happened on my birthday, which, by the way, I adore the dress you sent, did your mum pick it out?
She dictated all of this to Hedwig, who ruffled her feathers. Ariel took this as a no.
Sighing, she flopped back onto her bed and curled onto her side. She couldn't see anything from her window except the boring brick wall of the house next door, which she was pretty sure was being used by squatters. Most of the time she kept the blinds shut.
As the train passing by shook the floor, making her wand roll around on her desk, Ariel thought about the playground. It had felt like a dream, like it hadn't really happened, partly because of how short-lived it had been.
Snape had actually talked about Mum. He'd shown her a piece of his past — of the puzzle — but still, somehow, Ariel didn't feel any closer to figuring him out. If anything, it only made Ariel more confused. She could've believed an accidental one-night-stand (which Lavender had supplied lots of when reading the Lockhart exposé, just after he'd been sacked for abandoning his post). Ariel had even wondered if they'd dated at some point, but Mum hadn't mentioned that at all, and Snape sure didn't seem like the dating… type.
Mum had mentioned a falling-out between them, though — Ariel remembered that. Something had happened before Ariel had. What could Snape have possibly done to make Mum end their friendship?
Whatever it was, it was bad enough that Snape didn't want to tell her. He'd spent all of First Year trying to get Ariel to leave him alone, going so far as to burn Mum's letter. If what he'd done had been that bad, wouldn't he have told her to try to get her off his back? Something so awful Mum had turned away — would Ariel have, too?
She turned away from the window, deciding that she had enough of being cooped up in her room. She opened the door and stepped out into the dimly lit hallway. As she walked down, she felt a sudden chill run down her spine. Something didn't feel right — there were no lights on, even as the shadows crept from the corners. It was almost dinnertime.
Ariel found Snape smoking in the living room, his back hunched forward, like he was curling his spine into a question mark. Ariel might've mistaken him for a shadow, or maybe a statue, if not for the fact that he was smoking. She stared at him for a moment, partly in disbelief, before marching forward. She grabbed the carton — she'd been steadily trying to get rid of them, but somehow, more and more appeared — and went to throw it into the rubbish bin, but it was flying out of her hand and into Snape's before she could register what was happening.
He tucked them into his pocket without even turning. He was staring out the front window, through the half-broken blinds that he'd slightly lifted. Ariel wondered what he was looking at… or waiting for. His eyes were almost unfocused, narrowed in concentration.
Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban. What did it mean? Who was Snape waiting for?
"Those are horrible for you, you know." Ariel put her hands on her hips and tried to muster together one of those looks Mrs Weasley gave the twins when she found one of their inventions.
Snape took another long, defiant drag.
Ariel's frown deepened. She wondered if that was why his teeth were yellow — from the smoking. "Hermione's mum said those things will give you cancer."
"Wizards can't get cancer." he shot back snidely. His voice was brittle, like ice.
They couldn't? Shit. "Well… I'd reckon they're still not good for you."
He looked like he was trying not to roll his eyes. "I don't remember asking."
"So then… you won't mind if I have one, then?" Ariel eyed his pocket, having absolutely no intention of putting one of those things anywhere near her mouth. They smelt awful; she could only imagine what it was like to suck poison into your lungs… willingly.
Snape's expression grew even more sour. He turned his back to her and stubbed the cigarette out in the ashtray by the window. When he was finished, he shot Ariel daggers before growling in a low voice. "If I see you tampering with these again, I can promise you that what occurs won't be pleasant. Am I clear?"
Ariel crossed her arms at him defiantly. Before she could say anything, Snape fell onto the couch, kneading his forehead tiredly. She hesitated, unsure whether to push on or leave him be, but her curiosity won out. "What's wrong with you?"
Snape gave her a one-eyed glare. "Subtle, Miss Evans."
"I'm serious. What's going on? Who's Sirius Black?"
Snape turned away. The smoke hung around his head like storm clouds. Ariel imagined that was what the inside of his brain looked like, right now.
Ariel stepped closer; she was determined to get an answer out of him. "What? What's going on?"
He ignored her question completely — careful not to make any eye contact with her — and stared out the window into the darkness that had slowly engulfed them as night fell. An intense silence filled the room so thickly that it felt like she could cut it with a knife; all Ariel wanted was some kind of answer from Snape, but he seemed uninterested in responding at all.
Minutes passed by before he finally spoke. "The less you know for now, the better."
Ariel felt the anger bubble up inside her, like a tea kettle. "That's a pretty stupid answer."
Snape's eyes narrowed, his hand falling away from his face. "I would advise trying that again, girl."
"No, I don't think I will." she snapped back. Ariel knew she was treading on dangerous ground, but he was hiding something from her. They had been in this place too many times before for her to have any sort of patience anymore.
She turned on her heel and made her way towards her bedroom door before Snape's voice cut through the air like an arrow. "Stop."
She hesitated for a moment before turning back around and facing him. "What do you want me to do, then? Sit here in silence while you keep secrets from me? No thanks."
"You are not entitled to anything —"
You can't ask me to bear witness to that again
Is that what you believe, then?
You know nothing
I thought it to be understood without words
Something pulsed in her heart — the magic, the magic she'd broken —
"You said it would be different!" Ariel shouted at him.
Snape stood up so quickly it was a wonder he didn't fall over, uncrossing his arms to ball his fists at his side. For a moment, Ariel was certain he was about to let her have it, black eyes glittering dangerously as the muscles in his neck strained. It broke off suddenly, like an elastic band stretched too thin, his glare turning to the floor. Half a beat later his eyes met Ariel's again, and he crossed the room in three long strides and stood in front of her. It reminded Ariel just how short she was (a thought she grumbled to herself) as she craned her neck to glower up at him. From this angle, he looked like a hawk circling his prey.
"I am waiting for more information." Snape said in a forced voice, like he was having trouble getting the words out and past his teeth.
She wasn't buying it. "Seems like you already have some."
Snape's eyes flashed, the storm around him blazing in his eyes like lightning.
"Who's Sirius Black?" Ariel demanded. "What's Azkaban?"
His eyes darkened, if that was somehow possible. It was like Ariel was staring into the bottom of a pit. "Azkaban is the wizard prison."
Ariel swallowed as his words sunk in. "So… so he escaped."
His face did a strange thing then, like it was growing something from behind his eyes. The unabashed hatred that surfaced made Ariel feel faint, like she had back at the playground. She'd never seen Snape wear such an expression before, not with Quirrell or Tom, even. That had been different. He must've felt that if he let anything else besides precision show, that Ariel would be dead.
And then he said something that made her blood run cold. His mouth curved into something that wasn't a smile, but more like an animal baring its fangs. "No one escapes from Azkaban."
Ariel was twice as confused as she was before she'd come out of her room. "But you just said —"
Snape was already turning away from her, his face expressionless as if he'd just revealed nothing. "That is all I can offer you right now. I suggest you be satisfied with that."
As if on cue, a high, clanking sound, almost like bells, filled the room, coming from the direction of the study. Snape turned on his heel and left the room without so much as a backwards glance for her. Ariel was left alone with her confusion and growing anger as she watched Snape disappear down the hallway and slam the study door, feeling like she'd been brushed off like an annoyance.
She wanted to scream. Tears of frustration pricked at the back of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall as she gritted her teeth and swallowed hard against them. She didn't know what was going on or why Snape wasn't telling her more, but she knew one thing — something had definitely changed.
Ariel already hated him — this Sirius Black — for ruining everything.
Severus stormed into his study, slamming the door so hard that several books came tumbling off the bookshelves. From the fireplace came a splash of color rarely seen in this area of Cokeworth — sky blue and snow-white, Dumbledore's golden spectacles glinting in the yellow light of Severus' study, his mouth partly in what undoubtedly about to become pointless pleasantries.
"Where the sodding fuck have you been?" Severus snarled.
Dumbledore had the nerve to look surprised. "I see you received my owl — is everything alright?"
No, everything was not alright, Black was coming for Severus'daughter, because James motherfucking Potter had been too blind to see past this infatuation with Black that he'd been played the whole fucking time — Black Black Black —
He had half expected Dumbledore to make a comment about the girl being here. Severus hadn't asked to take her from Petunia's – he'd barely spoken to Dumbledore all term, until he'd come to share that Lockhart was under investigation for a whole slew of injustices and lies. The Chamber had lingered, like a bad taste in Severus' mouth he couldn't scrub out. Dumbledore hadn't seen the girl wandering the halls at all hours of the night, searching for relief.
"She's fine." Severus' hand twitched in the direction of the door, the girl, and he fought the urge to throw open the door again to check on her after thirty seconds. He felt like he was losing his fucking mind — he'd smoked an entire carton of cigarettes in three hours. "For Christ's sake, what took you so long?"
"I had other matters to attend to." Dumbledore said, far too casually for Severus' liking. "I knew that Ariel would be safe with you, regardless."
Severus balled his fists, the skin on his knuckles turning white with the pressure. He desperately wanted to scream at Dumbledore, to take out all of his frustration and anger on him, but he knew it wouldn't change a damn thing.
He threw up a Silencing Spell, just in case.
"Severus," Dumbledore's voice was calm and it grated on Severus' nerves. "You need to calm down."
"Easy for you to say." Severus spat. "It must be nice, to not have a care in the world. It must be reassuring to know everything and hold it close to you, only allowing those you deem worthy to look upon any sort of matter of importance."
Dumbledore settled into one of the armchairs without another word and Severus began to pace. The knowledge that Black was still on the loose made him feel powerless; Severus had been on the wrong side of the law before, he knew how these things worked. This was a game of cat and mouse, and Black was probably enjoying every minute of it. He'd treated almost murdering Severus similarly, until Potter had shown anger, for once. Potter had been many things, but Severus had never witnessed him lose his temper until that night. Severus could still picture Black moping after Potter for months on end, so much so that even Lily had taken concerned notice. It had driven Severus mad.
Black, begging for forgiveness from a person he'd ended up murdering.
"How?" Severus asked in a low voice, one that came from deep within his chest. "How?"
"We don't know." Dumbledore leaned on the back of the desk chair, looking just as disturbed, and yet, calculating. "It happened this morning – early."
"You don't know how?" Severus demanded through bared teeth. "A man escapes Azkaban and they have no clue as to how he accomplished such a feat?"
"I've been assured that every Auror employed is looking for him at the moment." Dumbledore said seriously, looking grave. "However, if one is able to escape Azkaban, it raises concerns about locating him in a timely fashion."
Severus couldn't speak for a long moment. He leaned against the bookcase beside the door, mind racing, murderous rage growing. Black — it wasn't possible — Black Black Black —
A thrill of fear clutched at his worn and weathered heart. Black would be mad — he'd already been mad — but there would be nothing left after twelve years in Azkaban. Nothing tethering him to reality — nothing to slow him down or stop him, but Severus would, he would find him and —
"He's escaped to find her." Severus finally said. It was the truth, the only logical explanation for this random act, after all this time. Severus supposed there was a chance Black just wanted his freedom, but the timing was too much of a coincidence to ignore — on the girl's bloody birthday, for Christ's sake.
"That's what I suspect, yes." Dumbledore gave him a long look. "He was heard saying 'she's at Hogwarts' in his sleep. Cornelius heard it himself."
His stomach rolled. Severus felt his spirit tug him in the direction of the door, to her, to the girl. He wanted to take her and disappear somewhere far away, flee the country. That would, of course, all be in vain. She would be protected at Hogwarts, better than Severus ever could with every Ward and Spell and Curse in his arsenal —
"You'll need to strengthen the Wards," Severus said quickly, beginning to pace again. "around the school. Black won't have a clue that she's here. She'll keep a low profile until terms starts, no outside contact."
"I think that's a tad overzealous," Dumbledore said gently.
"You said similarly about the Heir and look where that got her." Severus bit out. He would never forgive Dumbledore for what had happened in the Chamber, never.
Dumbledore sighed deeply, his face lined with concern. "I understand your worries, Severus," he said softly. "But we cannot hide her away forever."
"I know that," Severus spat back at him. He stopped pacing and glared at Dumbledore, his eyes narrowed to slits as he spoke through gritted teeth. "But if Black finds a way —"
James and Lily put their trust in the wrong person, much like you did —
"She will remain at Hogwarts until he is found." Dumbledore agreed. "I believe that's best. In the meantime, we should speak with her. She should be aware of the danger."
As if the girl knew they were discussing her, there was a sharp knock at the door. Severus ignored it. "Need to know only."
Dumbledore blinked. "I did not mean to tell her —"
"He's as good as dead to her. If I could, I'd have the fucking thing stripped from the record."
The knock on the door persisted, growing louder and more urgent. Severus turned his attention to the interruption, his annoyance digging into him, like little flecks of embers from a roaring fire catching and spreading. He ripped open the door and canceled the Silencing Spell to find the girl with her hand raised, frozen.
"What?" Severus barked down at her.
Her eyes darted between Severus and Dumbledore before she swallowed audibly.
"You didn't put out your cigarette all the way." she said. "The curtain's caught fire."
Severus craned his neck out of the doorway. She pointed to the curtains, which had started to smoke, without looking away. He gave a dismissive flick of his hand and extinguished them before glowering down at the girl.
"Thank you," she said, sounding almost earnest. "I'd rather not burn to death on my birthday."
"Well, there's no time like the present." Dumbledore said from behind Severus. "Let her come in, Severus."
The girl's dark eyes flickered to Severus warily.
"Well?" Severus said flatly. "We haven't got all night."
Miss Evans scowled as she shouldered past him and strode into the study. She glanced around curiously for a minute or so as Dumbledore gave the girl a beaming smile.
"Happy birthday, my dear." he held his hands out to her and she took them. "I hope your day was not completely ruined by my message."
The girl was doing a terrible job of trying not to look at Severus. "It wasn't. We… went for a walk."
Severus stiffened.
"Oh?" Dumbledore asked lightly. "Where, might I ask?"
She hesitated. "Somewhere… special."
Severus thought about Summoning the cigarette carton. Dumbledore would disapprove greatly, but he was starting to develop a twitch. He cleared his throat instead and Miss Evans scowled at him.
"Is there something you'd like to add, Severus?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes twinkling.
"Probably not." the girl muttered.
Severus shot her a venomous glare before addressing Dumbledore coolly. "I was merely wondering when we would be able to proceed with the plan."
"Plan?" Miss Evans parroted back instantly. "What plan?"
"We wanted to speak with you about something important. Have a seat." Dumbledore gestured towards one of the chairs in front of Severus' desk.
Miss Evans hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly sat down, pulling her legs up to her chest and resting her chin on top of her knees. Severus stood behind her, arms crossed, watching her closely. Severus couldn't sit — he wanted to break something. He thought about putting his hand through the glass window and replayed it over and over again in his mind. He thought about doing something similarly to Black's face.
"What has your father told you?" Dumbledore asked, as though he were discussing his summer holiday. Severus really needed another fucking cigarette.
Miss Evans gave Severus a sideways glare. "Nothing — just that some loony escaped from jail, I guess."
"I see," Dumbledore's blue eyes flickered to him momentarily before diverting back to the girl. "That is true, however, it's a bit more complicated than that."
"What do you mean?"
Dumbledore gave Severus another look, almost an expectant one. Severus stopped pacing and met his eyes with a sharp look before he noticed that Miss Evans was staring up at him. Her face had gone pale, the freckles across her nose disappearing.
"Twelve years ago, when Voldemort was defeated, Sirius Black murdered thirteen people, enraged at the loss of his Master. He was put in Azkaban for these crimes and for aiding Voldemort, prior to his fall." Dumbledore said, almost gently, like he was trying to soften the blow, but there was no softening this — Black Black Black —
The girl's mouth opened and closed several times, like a fish. Severus' chest tightened.
"We believe he's escaped to find you." Dumbledore went on, like he was speaking to a frightened animal.
Miss Evans turned gray. "Why would he come after me?"
"He believes you're the reason he ended up in Azkaban," Severus said, his voice cold and clipped.
She stiffened visibly in her chair. Severus' hand spasmed, as if it had a mind of his own, as if they could physically tear her free of her fear. He wanted to take it by the throat and choke it, cut it out of her.
"So… he wants to kill me." Miss Evans said slowly. "He's coming to find me because of Voldemort."
He'll never touch you — I will make him wish he'd never left that fucking shithole — I will tear his bowels out through his nostrils and strangle him with them —
Dumbledore bowed his head. "It would appear so."
The girl looked to Severus once more. She leaned forward hesitantly before she swallowed hard. "So what's happening? Something's happening, right? That's why he's acting," she gave Severus a pointed look. "Weird."
"Watch it," Severus growled at her.
Dumbledore only smiled. "While I have the utmost faith in Severus' Wards, it means that you cannot remain here while Black is still at large."
"So where —" Miss Evans voice broke off, like she'd had the breath knocked out of her, a fresh layer of panic on her face. "Please don't send me back to the Dursleys. Anywhere but there."
"No," Severus said in a hard voice. His hand found her shoulder, drawing her to him. "You'll stay with me — at Hogwarts." Severus looked to Dumbledore expectantly.
Dumbledore gave a brief nod, his blue eyes twinkling, which Severus ignored. The girl sagged with relief, her head leaning against his side. Severus' head felt surprisingly clear for a moment or so, until he noticed Dumbledore staring like he was looking at a puzzle.
"What are you waiting for, then?" Severus snapped, pulling the girl out of the chair. "Go and pack — we leave in an hour."
She gave a dejected sigh and slid off the chair without another word. She closed the door with a bit too much force, the shelves rattling in her wake. Severus kneaded his forehead forcefully.
"Be patient with her, my boy." Dumbledore said quietly.
"Get out."
"Black will not be able to —"
"I said — get — out."
Severus' heart was pounding in his chest, in his ears and throat and behind his eyes. He didn't even hear Dumbledore leave through the Floo. With each passing moment, he felt like he was losing control of everything he had tried to keep in check for the past twelve years. The fear of losing the girl to the same person who had —
It was too much to bear, and the thought of Black Black Black —
He settled for pacing the length of the room and back, over and over again, until he felt his legs start to ache. He couldn't shake off the sense of dread that was taking hold of him. It was like a weight on his chest that he couldn't ignore.
It would appear so — it would appear so —
Severus thought of Miss Evans learning who Black really was, and pictured her face in Dumbledore's office, the night Severus had destroyed Lily's letter. The girl's face had burned gold, shining with betrayal and rage. He imagined she would wear that same look, should she find out the truth about Black. Severus had always imagined Miss Evans would find out about himself first.
He didn't know which was worse.
A/N: Woo Remus! So happy he's finally here, he's a hot mess but we love him.
Reviews would be loved and appreciated, hope you enjoyed!