Disclaimer: All properties involved in this fan work do not belong to me.
Minerva had broken into a sweat, doing her best to ignore the throbbing of her head as she held Harry close to her, her wand trained squarely at Poppy, gripping it tightly with fierce intent to defend themselves if need be. She's been Imperiused. The Transfiguration Professor could see the signs, Poppy's eyes having sunken with a maddened gleam to them. Albus must have primed the spell, only activating if I was to dispense vital info within earshot. For him to deal with me in such a roundabout way…
"Do I knock her out?" Yuki asked the witch resolutely, her full attention riveted on the hostile healer.
Minerva did not have the luxury to hesitate. "Do it."
Vanishing from sight, Poppy barely had a second to react, much less turn around as Yuki appeared behind her, giving the woman a light chop to the back of the neck. The healer went rigid, eyes widening before glazing over. Falling forward, the sorceress was quick to catch her.
Minerva had felt a pressure the instant after Yuki vanished from sight. Could the girl have…moved that fast? She found herself becoming more fascinated over what these Sorcerers were capable of, their magic so unlike theirs.
Yuki carried the woman to the nearest cot and set her on it gently. "What happened to her?"
"I wonder," was Minerva's vague answer as she examined Poppy's unconscious form. "She's under a curse."
Yuki blinked. "Really?"
Minerva closed her eyes. "It's called the Imperius Curse, one of three that are considered illegal to cast without approval from the Ministry for how dangerous they are," the witch explained. "It functions by placing the victim under the caster's control. The effect is usually immediate, but in Poppy's case, she was placed under a hypnotic suggestion to act only under certain conditions."
"That being the potential disclosure of sensitive information," Yuki surmised. "I see." The fact that it didn't trigger when I was talking with Bill could only mean that the spell was placed for her. The sorceress rubbed her chin contemplatively. The spell certainly fit the criteria of what constituted a curse. Yet, what exactly was a "curse" by magical standards? She would need to give it more thought, but she could set that aside for the time being.
"Do we make a run for it?" Yuki suggested, stealing a glance from the window. "We take Harry with us?"
Minerva was actually considering that option, but she would need to confront Albus. She would have put it off at a much later date, or when she was more confident, but this turn of events had just complicated matters. She froze when another throb of pain in her head came, which wasn't unnoticed by Yuki.
"What's wrong?"
Minerva shook her head. "It's nothing." She certainly hoped it was nothing. The Memory Charm's effects should have long since dissipated by now. Just how much of her memories had Albus buried, she wondered. "We cannot flee. Not yet. I need to-"
"Attention, students. Attention students. This is an urgent announcement."
Both women and boy froze, with Harry clinging to the old witch tightly for security as the words, spoken in an otherwise genial tone, rang throughout the room of the infirmary, and no doubt the rest of the school.
"Albus!" Minerva muttered, aghast.
"An intercom?" Yuki questioned.
"No," Minerva refuted. "Albus is broadcasting his voice throughout the school using magic. You won't find such modern conveniences as an intercom here."
"Seriously? Not even a radio?"
Minerva ignored the girl as she listened, but continued to hold Harry securely against her.
"It has come to my attention that an escapee from Azkaban has managed to infiltrate the school. Do not be alarmed. The DMLE has already undertaken the appropriate measures. The entire perimeter of Hogwarts has been cordoned, and a squad has been dispatched to scour the premises. All students and staff are required to remain inside their respective dorms until further notice. I repeat: Remain inside your dorms until further notice. That will be all."
Minerva was already fuming halfway through the announcement. An escapee from Azkaban? Preposterous! And to even lie about the blonde sorceress. Yuki had also caught on.
"So I'm a criminal now," she scoffed. "Hmph, certainly not the worst thing I've been called."
Minerva wasn't sure if the girl was even serious with that offhand remark. She stole a glance from her and saw the state she was in, not even bothering to cover the opening left behind by Poppy's assault, one hand on her hip. She flicked her wand and summoned one of her old clothes, replacing the ruined hospital gown to make the girl presentable once more.
Yuki looked down at the outfit she was now wearing and frowned. A frilly white dress shirt and a brown long skirt. The upper portions of the sleeves were noticeably puffed and felt awkward to her arm movements, and from the smell, she could tell that they had not seen the light of day in years. "Uh, granny, do you have something I can actually move in?"
Minerva sniffed, conceding that the girl wouldn't want anything to impede her mobility. "Very well."
With another flick, the long skirt was replaced by a pair of brown pantaloons. A white, old-style blouse took the place of the dress shirt, its sleeves seeming less ostentatious. Yuki scanned the apparel with an approving eye, running a hand over the material. The clothing came with a matching pair of brown boots that went up to her knees.
Minerva placed a few reinforcement charms on both of their clothes for added protection, though the spell would only last for an hour at best, requiring a steady supply of mana. It didn't necessarily make clothes invulnerable, only making them more sturdy to wear and tear. Without a word, Yuki came to the bedside where Poppy was laid while Minerva prepared Harry, dressing him in a dark shirt under a long-sleeved coat and dark pants. A flat cap was summoned atop his head. The boy was at a loss over what was even happening, but chose to remain quiet as the witch placed reinforcement charms on him next.
Coming down on one knee, Minvera consoled the undoubtedly confused and perturbed child. "Harry, listen to me. We're all going to leave from this place. Do you understand?"
Harry nodded lightly. "Why?"
"Erm, well-"
"Some bad guys are after us, Harry," Yuki interrupted bluntly.
"Miss Tsukumo!" Minerva hissed in admonition, and blinked when she saw her floating an arm over Poppy's face. "What are you-?"
"Shh," Yuki silenced the witch, initiating RCT to test another theory of hers, a white veil of energy enveloping her hand. "I'm going to break the curse that's afflicting her. Is it still affecting her?"
Minerva's answer was only a silent nod. Yuki continued. "With Reverse Cursed Energy, it should do the trick. Don't worry; she'll be fine. At least she'll wake up without feeling an aching neck, I'll give you that."
Minerva blinked. The Imperius Curse was probably the most difficult curse to break out of all the Unforgivables. Nothing short of the Thieves' Downfall under Gringotts or knocking the caster out could dispel it. Yet, from what she had observed of this Cursed Energy, it only proved itself versatile in combatting magic. "Why do you refer to such a spell that way?"
"To answer that, granny, you must understand that Cursed Energy is formed from negative emotions," Yuki explained as she continued treating Poppy. "Ergo, it is negativity manifested in its purest, most undiluted form. It's naturally destructive, and highly poisonous to people and living things in general. Someone with little to no resistance against it can and will die from exposure."
Minerva became uneasy upon hearing this. "Still, you sorcerers seem to be quite resistant to it. Forget trying to base your entire magic system around it."
Yuki smiled. "'Sorcerer' might as well be a fancy label we use to sugarcoat it. At the end of the day, we are Cursed Humans."
Minerva reeled; and paled, at this reveal.
Yuki continued. "This holds especially true for one's Innate Technique. It's essentially a curse one is born with. Some beneficial, others detrimental, but always a curse. It's only by how our brains are wired that we're able to even control such a power. Reverse Cursed Technique, on the other hand, is positive energy. Don't bother asking me on the intricacies. The process is hard enough to put into words. It's more of a feeling than anything else, hence why only a rare few have been able to learn it. This positive energy is used for healing and restoration, but just as effective at eliminating Curses by virtue that positive energy is naturally lethal to them, so it might just be what the doctor ordered to help Madam Grouch here."
Yuki kept drifting her hand over and around Poppy's face, neck, and chest to be thorough. While that was going on, Minerva darted her eyes to the door. It was strange. An Auror or two should have already appeared by now, yet the infirmary and the outside remained deathly quiet. No doubt the students were already in their dorms, many of whom had apparated as part of lockdown procedures. Could Albus have lied? Was it a bluff to try and lure them out?
Her questions would be answered not a moment later by a sudden chill running up her spine. A literal chill that made her breath foggy as the temperature in the infirmary took an unexpected downturn.
No…he couldn't have!
Yuki sensed it just as well, craning her head to the door. Minerva was sweating despite the cold. For him to even resort to this…
Her fears would be confirmed when she heard it, and saw it: the aged wood creaked open as a dark and ethereal mist fluttered through the widening gap. Harry was trembling, both from the cold and the black shadow that threatened to enter. His stomach sank from recognition.
Little nightmare…
"A… Dementor…" Minerva stammered in disbelief and dread, quickly assuming a stance in preparation for a Patronus. As she was readying the mana needed, she could see Yuki; having finished with Poppy, now moving to place herself between them and the wraith.
"A Cursed Spirit? Here?" Remarked the sorceress. From the moment she regained consciousness, and even before finding herself here, she could sense no Cursed Energy in any person capable of magic, with Minerva serving as a template, so how could there be one - no - two? Three in total? Could the accumulated negative emotions have simply been that strong? Granted, this was a school, a prime breeding ground for Cursed Spirits.
"Not quite," Minerva refuted fearfully. "That is what we call a Dementor. The foulest of Dark Creatures to ever exist-"
"It's a Cursed Spirit," Yuki retorted back. "The Cursed Energy that thing is giving off is unmistakable."
Minerva goggled. What?
The Dementor that Minerva identified, from Yuki's perspective, didn't look any more intimidating than a select few she'd seen and slain back home, with only a tattered black cloak enveloping what appeared to be a skeletal frame. With a lurching of the door, the Dementor let itself in, its entrance heralded by a deep, ghostly wail. It moved slowly as its appearance was revealed in its entirety, giving off an ethereal air as it glided fluidly through the atmosphere, only for it to bolt straight for the blonde with an unforeseen rush of speed.
Yuki couldn't help but smirk.
"Miss Tsukumo!" Minerva cried as she took a step back with Harry behind her, her wand trained at the Dementor, who was on a beeline for the blonde, who continued to look unfazed as she stared the creature down with an impassive grin. "Expecto-"
With a quick swish of her free arm, the Dementor, the most feared of Dark Creatures that had haunted the dreams of many a wizard both inside and outside the dungeons of Azkaban, soaring only a few feet away from giving the girl its dreaded kiss, exploded before Minerva's very eyes, her Patronus barely given a chance to manifest as the wraith's remains dissolved harmlessly into dust swept by the wind.
…
"Eh?"
The whole of the infirmary fell into a thick silence, with no one sure where or even who made the first sound. With one taken care of, Yuki narrowed in on the two remaining ones outside, on the retreat, having sensed the demise of their cohort. She made a race for the door at breakneck speed, slamming it open and seeing one of them flying away in her periphery. The duo had split off. Launching herself off the ground, she closed the gap in a near instant and slammed an axe kick overhead that drove the second one down as if she were smacking an oversized mosquito, the creature colliding with the floor and cratering it. It too dissolved into dust as soon as Yuki followed up with the last, only instead of exorcising it right off the bat, she decided for something else.
Yuki performed a swift series of backflips, and upon flying overhead, she reached down with both arms to hook her fingers around the hood's hem. Continuing in her trajectory, she swung the creature around to slam it against the wall, embedding it deeply enough to leave an indentation.
The creature let out a cry of pain that reached Minerva's ears as soon as she and Harry found themselves outside the infirmary and in the middle of the hallway, having witnessed the tail end of the confrontation and going numb from the shock. For someone to even manhandle a Dementor - a Dementor, of all things.
What are these…Sorcerers?
In spite of having been a witness back at Privet Drive, she was still in abject disbelief over what was happening before her. She could only keep a firm hand on Harry as she watched the Dementor slide down from the cavity in the shape of its form that was once a section of wall, still moaning, though now it sounded less like an ethereal specter, and more like someone in agonizing pain.
With Yuki standing over it, she thrust an arm down and grabbed the Dementor by the hem of its cloak, lifting it up to face her. "Talk," she ordered calmly.
Minerva's mouth opened and closed, before muttering, "M-Miss Tsukumo, Dementors can't-"
"Du-" The tone of its voice was deep, echoing, but shaky. "Dumbledore…didn't mention anything about…a sorcerer…"
She would need to work on her retirement plan forthwith, but first, a calming breath to help steady herself and clear her thoughts. With that done, Minerva fixed the Dementor with the blankest stare she had ever made as her head began to throb even more at this revelation.
"So he put you up to this?" Yuki asked, even though she already had her answer.
The Dementor gave an approximation of a nod, paralyzed from how tightly Yuki was squeezing it by the neck. "He…He…"
"Knock it off with the doom and gloom, cupcake, you're not fooling anyone," Yuki deadpanned with mild irritation, her patience waning as she bore into the Dementor witheringly.
"F-Fine," it said in a much smoother intonation, though there was still an echo to its voice, which was fairly common for less humanoid Cursed Spirits, "Dumbledore…called us in from Azkaban. He said that there was an escapee. Here! In Hogwarts!"
"Would that be referring to me?" Yuki asked. "Is Azkaban some kind of maximum security prison?"
"The maximum security prison! With us as the security! We-We thought it was impossible," the Dementor stammered. "Improbable! Yet, he insisted. We would have denied the old fool had he not…"
"A deal?" Yuki posed, and when the Dementor didn't answer right away, she added, "Blackmail?"
The Dementor began to seethe at the mention of the last part. "That wretch! He threatened to expose us!"
"Expose you? For what? Being able to string more than two sentences together?" Yuki said mockingly.
"You may laugh, sorcerer, but me and my kind have been living like kings amongst these cretins," the Dementor stated, to Minerva's growing shock. "Unimpeded! Thriving! These people tremble at the mere mention…the mere thought of us. Fear…anxiety…despair. We may not be able to digest magic as well as your kind, but such sumptuous emotions only feed us, nourish us. Why would any of us go out of our own way to give all of that up? And to top it all off, we barely have any competition. It was a stroke of good fortune for these nitwits to have 'discovered' us centuries ago."
"Wait…" Minerva finally plucked up the courage to speak. "Y-You Dementors…" The witch licked her lips, still finding the situation she now found herself in jarring, "...do you not consume positive emotions? Happy memories?" Now that she was thinking about it, it didn't really make much sense for Dementors to be terribly averse to the Patronus when they were able to drain positivity to begin with.
The Dementor made a vague motion, and it dawned on the witch that the once fearsome wraith was cringing. "Ugh! We only do that to be rid of them! We prefer to be in an environment steeped in negativity. It's as close to sustaining ourselves with barely any Cursed Energy to begin with."
"I take it that's your Cursed Technique?" Yuki assumed, to which the Dementor grunted in the affirmative.
"We suck out everything positive so that only the negative remains," the Dementor explained. "It's a pain, really, but we have to in order to keep ourselves from weakening. You can pretty much blame it on their lack of Cursed Energy."
"B-But the Patronus!" Minerva stammered, as if she were holding onto it as a lifeline to maintain her sanity.
"As if that ridiculous parlor trick is even a bother," the Dementor scoffed at the witch, watching her stricken expression from that admission. "You know, it's really not as funny when they're actually in on the ploy."
"But…but…" Minerva couldn't form a response, this revelation having far reaching ramifications for the wizarding world at large if true, her entire perspective on what was considered a norm unraveling before her.
"That being said, we still have to flee from a Patronus," the Dementor added, out of begrudging pity for the poor woman, yet it still certainly didn't sound too pleased. "A Binding Vow we formed to help maintain the charade."
"A Binding…" Minerva swallowed. "Do you mean an Unbreakable Vow?"
"A Binding Vow is one of the central tenets of Jujutsu, formed by those with Cursed Energy," Yuki explained. "It's a pact, a contract one makes with others or themselves to gain certain benefits, abide by a restriction, or to fulfill a goal. Didn't think you guys had something similar."
"Ou…Ours are done with the spilling of blood between two people," Minerva aired. "With the consequence of death if broken."
"Well that sucks," Yuki remarked. "Ours are more flexible, like losing use of limbs, for example. Though dying does still happen depending on the kind of vow being made," She returned her attention to the Dementor. "So, basically, you guys have been pulling a gigantic con on a society-wide scale. Color me impressed."
The Dementor couldn't help but preen a little from the backhanded praise. "We've been fooling these ignoramuses for so long, you'd think someone would have figured it out by now. It's only unfortunate that Dumbledore had to be one of them."
As Minerva continued to be floored, Yuki asked, "Where is he now?"
"Where else? His office," the Dementor answered a bit too willingly, having every reason to be honest to both save its own skin, and to throw the treacherous wizard under the bus. "We rendezvoused there first for him to give us the rundown, without the part about you being a Sorcerer of course."
"Huh," Yuki chewed on this information, only to then release her hold on the creature and place both hands on her hips. "Okay. You can go."
"..."
"...What?" The Dementor said with a blink, despite having no visible eyes.
Yuki tilted her head, jerking her thumb to the side. "You can go. As in, you can get out of here."
"...What?" Both the Dementor and Minerva sounded in unison, in exactly identical inflections.
Yuki lowered her head and sighed. "I take it you're not here to cause any real trouble." The Dementor nodded shakily after a pause. "Normally, I'd exorcise you in a heartbeat and go about the rest of the day like nothing," the Dementor gulped at this, "but the way I see it, you were just doing your job. It just so happened that we were about to screw each other over on behalf of someone else. That someone being an old geezer who looks like he's auditioning for the latest live-action Disney movie."
Both Minerva and the Dementor shared confused glances, not really understanding what the girl meant by that last bit. "With that said, there really isn't any reason for me to send you into oblivion, so you're free to go," Yuki concluded.
"...Just like that?" the Dementor asked, his echoing voice laced with suspicion.
"Just like that," Yuki shrugged. "'Course, if you don't want it that way, we could always-"
"Nonononono!" the Dementor stammered, waving its arms in front of itself frantically. "I'll go! I'll go!" Without another word, the Dementor made motions to leave, only for Yuki to block it with a swift motion of her hand right in front of its face, startling both it and Minerva.
"Just one more thing," Yuki said warningly, her eyes having lost all light in them, causing the Dementor to face her for what it hoped wasn't its last. "Don't let me catch you or any of your buddies here again. Ever. Are we clear?"
Both it and Minerva stiffened at the girl's tone, unlike Harry, who had been watching the scene before him in barely constrained awe. The Dementor nodded timidly at the thinly veiled threat, which served as sufficient permission for it to fly off, the creature no longer caring about appearances as it shot through the air and made a beeline for a nearby window, soon vanishing from sight.
Yuki let out another sigh, scratching the back of her head and saying, "I really wasn't expecting to be caught in a conspiracy this soon, but I guess it can't be helped with my track record."
She turned to the elderly woman and young boy accompanying her and scanned them. Harry, despite the harrowing terror that the Dementors must have represented, was gawking at her in equal parts amazement and admiration.
Conversely, Minerva looked as if she had just aged a full decade.
"You okay, Harry?" Yuki asked the boy.
Harry nodded, smiling up at the teenager like she was his hero. "You scared the little nightmares away."
Yuki snorted, having done more than that, but she'll take what she can get. "Little nightmares?"
Harry nodded again, pressing his lips into a thin line. "There were some back home, too."
Hearing this snapped Minerva out of her brooding. Turning to Harry, her mind traveled back to that day. Could he be talking about the monstrosity that Miss Tsukumo had slain? "What little nightmares, Harry?"
"The little nightmares," Harry began in an earnestly soft tone, "in the house. I…would see them…"
"And nobody else seemed to, right?" Yuki guessed to which Harry nodded. "Of course you could."
Minerva looked horrified. "Harry," the Transfiguration Professor asked, "did these Cursed Spirits ever hurt you?" After a pause, Harry shook his head in the negative. "How long were they at the Dursleys?"
Another pause as Harry seemed to go into thought, then shook his head. "I don't know. I just started seeing them."
"Kids Harry's age don't have much of a grasp on time, granny," Yuki reminded Minerva. "Asking him about the when, how, and why won't yield much." She then looked down at Harry. "But like she said, Harry, did these Cursed Spirits ever hurt you?"
That was when Harry froze as a memory struck him, and he told them as best he could of the horrific ordeal he went through. Yuki nuzzled the bottom of her chin with a finger. It must have reacted to his Cursed Energy. Being so close, the thing could have only perceived Harry as a threat.
Minerva could only lament Harry's circumstances. As if the abuse hadn't been bad enough, he had to endure such perilous days living; much less surviving, under one roof with such monstrous beings, and knowing that the Dementors were of the same classification. The underlying horror of it all only multiplied. Any other person's sanity would have eroded, though if Harry's account of it was to be believed, they rarely, if ever, paid him any mind.
Why, though? From what she had gathered of these Cursed Spirits, the most primitive-minded of them were nothing short of vicious to anyone not of their kind, and even then, she had no doubt that infighting wasn't unheard of.
Her hand tightened around her wand, regret filling her over how she had allowed Albus to get away with this much, and dreading what could have happened to the child had she not been present that day, or much earlier.
Yuki froze as she motioned for the two to be quiet, sensing an incoming presence. It felt…familiar. Minerva was quick to react as she pointed her wand in a corner of the hallway out of instinct, and because she had flared her senses upon the sorceress' warning them. "Show yourself!"
Yuki tensed when she first saw a black cloak billowing from the person taking a step forward, and then revealing himself to be none other than Severus Snape. Minerva knitted her brows in both suspicion and alarm, ready to fire a stunner if necessary. Yet, she was worried. She knew Severus to be an exceptional duelist, whose skill could only be matched by the likes of Flitwick and Dumbledore. She glanced briefly at the sorceress, wondering if her spell resistance would be an advantage. Then again, there were ways to circumvent such resilience to magic.
Severus Snape, dressed in his usual dark robes, was surveying the trio with an impassive, almost bored expression, but it belied the danger he posed to Minerva's awareness. Yuki stared at him with an analytical eye, and decided to allow Minerva to be the one to delegate the situation.
"State your business, Severus," Minerva demanded.
Instead of granting the witch a response, his eyes landed on Harry's trembling form, hiding behind Yuki's legs as Minerva stepped forward to confront the man. "Are you headed for the Headmaster's office?" Snape asked.
Minerva's jaw became set. "Am I correct in assuming that you are here to intercept us?"
Severus closed his eyes. "To tell you the truth, Minerva, that was originally my intention. But, you must already have suspected it yourself, hadn't you?"
Minerva's mouth went dry, curious to what the man might be inferring. "Portions of your memories are still buried from when Albus placed a Memory Charm on you. Correct? Well, whatever the impression you may have been under since your…awakening, it is partly incorrect. I was the one who modified your memories. Under his orders, of course."
The witch scowled, her knuckles becoming bone white from how tightly she was gripping her wand. "I assure you, Severus, there won't be a repeat of such an attempt."
"Far be it for me to even do so," Severus drawled. "With the Sorceress present, it would be a futile gesture. My purpose here is not to stop you, but to assist you."
Minerva gaped slightly. "You would betray Albus?"
"Not necessarily," Severus refuted. "It is still in Dumbledore's interest that no harm should come to any of you, much less the boy."
"Press-ganging us into being his pawns does not count as harm?" Minerva argued. "Get to the point, Severus. Or are you here to simply waste our time?"
Severus took a fearless step forward. "I am here…to right a wrong. Just something…I wish to do on a whim, really."
Before she knew it, Severus was already within arm's reach of her, her resolve waning the closer he approached. There was no wand visible on him, though she didn't dare dismiss the likelihood that he was capable of wandless magic, or simply summon the wand to his hand with an Accio.
His expression betrayed no emotion, confident in his stride. He slowly lifted his hand, and paused when Minerva reacted, raising her wand a bit higher in front of her, the tip perfectly aligned between his eyes. She could see no intent behind them.
Once he was sure that there would be no retaliation on their part, he said, "Some of the memories that have come back to you are incomplete, jumbled. Your exposure to Cursed Energy might have shaved away a good bulk of the spell, but you're still missing some. Or rather, harboring some that do not belong."
"Like me being allied with Albus back in the 1930s," Minerva revealed, causing Yuki to cock a brow in interest. For that to be consistent, her date of birth had to have been rendered fraudulent, along with other aspects of her life to corroborate such drastic modifications.
"Seriously? Just how old are you really, granny?" Yuki asked, to which Minerva stiffened, then stifled a cough into her free hand.
"Not important," Minerva said curtly. "Well, Severus? What will it be?"
As Minerva kept her eyes glued to the Potions Master, the wizard merely waved his hand slowly. "Per our meeting the previous night, there is still much that you do not recall. Let me relieve you of such an inconvenience." The witch became miffed when she recalled no such meeting. "Oh, and it was under your orders this time," Severus revealed to her. "I took the memory for safekeeping. A failsafe in case our plan goes awry."
Yuki was honestly impressed. That magic was able to run roughshod on one's memories that mere hypnosis couldn't. It made her wonder if Jujutsu Headquarters had employed magic in the past to keep an acceptable level of secrecy within Japan.
Our plan? Minerva felt a jolt upon that thought crossing her mind, freezing in place as a memory of the previous night came back to her.
The previous night…
Minerva let out a foggy breath, feeling the cold air of the Forbidden Forest chilling her to the bone. She had dressed warmly for such an occasion, but it seemed the forest was keen to make those who were not native feel as unwelcome as possible. She had sat herself on a large outcrop just right of a small cave entrance, not daring to be curious enough to enter.
"Cold, are we?"
Minerva was startled out of her thoughts by Severus's monotone voice, the man having appeared in front of her. She wasn't sure if he had braved the forest or apparated here, but there was not a scratch on him, and lacking his wand. She was anything but complacent, though. She knew the man had no actual need for it.
"As you should be, I take it?" Minerva taunted, to which the man only shrugged, closing his eyes.
"Let's cut to the chase," Snape spoke dryly, "it would seem you've regained some of your memories."
Minerva was on guard immediately. "Yes," she affirmed calmly, but ready to move if need be. "I presume that to be inconvenient for whatever Albus has planned."
Snape made a curt sound, no longer looking at the woman as he swept his gaze across the surface of the forest facing them. "Hardly. Dumbledore is confident that you will continue to offer your assistance."
"Then I fear such confidence to be misplaced," Minerva refuted. "My trust has been betrayed. I cannot, on principle alone, affiliate myself with such a man."
"That is inarguable," Snape conceded. "As an accomplice, I have little choice but to trust him. Maybe not with my life, but enough to ensure my continued freedom."
"Is that why you are here? To beg for leniency?" Minerva scoffed. "You still possess the Dark Mark, Severus. The Ministry would only be too eager for an excuse to throw you into Azkaban."
"Indeed," Severus agreed. "As would you."
"Hm?" Minerva arched a brow, then observed with no shortage of alarm as Severus raised his hand in preparation for what was obviously a spell. She was quicker on the draw, primed to fire a stunner at the man, but he vanished before the blast could land, apparating behind her and crooking his hand around her forehead.
From there, everything began to unravel, the night before her, from how the moonlight bathed the clearing in its captivating glow, to how the sounds around her; or pointed lack thereof, was deafening to her ears.
Like a thick veil that had been ripped off, what remained of the memory charm was completely done away with.
The woman glared daggers at Severus once he turned on her, before her features softened. She was remembering. All of it. At least for now, for a plan was brewing within her. Her years of being undercover would not have been in vain, for she now had all the evidence she needed.
"Just one thing," Snape spoke again, drawing Minerva's attention.
"Name it," Minerva said, her tone harder than normal. Colder.
Snape's lips parted, ready to lay out his terms.