Depression hit her hard. When she wasn't awake and barely taking care of herself, she was sleeping. And sleeping was hard. After the dementors rummaged through her mind and brought bad memories to the surface she was having nightmares every time she drifted off. Not only were there nightmares that belonged to the stirred up souls in her body, but Rune began to have vivid dreams of torture that felt very familiar. The person tormenting her was unclear, and the most that was left of the memories were emotions of pain and fear, but she couldn't shake the feeling that they were personal experiences. The blurred figure was undoubtedly female, but every time she tried to think on it more she felt like her head was splitting open and she got a migraine so severe she would be forced to quit.
Months passed. She read the Daily Prophet article about Sirius' grand escape from captivity with relief. While she was off hiding her brother had almost been subjected to a dementor's kiss. Luckily he was narrowly saved by his godson.
Rune felt she owed Harry Potter a debt now, and she wondered if she would ever have the chance to pay him back.
Still, it was bitter that Sirius didn't manage to capture Pettigrew and prove his innocence. After resigning Lupin came and explained everything that had happened at the end of the school year. She also received a letter from Sirius telling her he was safe, he regretted not punching Snape once for her, and that he would see her soon. In the letter he included a dried hibiscus flower and a hippogriff feather.
It was just like him to include little souvenirs. Warmed by his old behavior, she put the items in an unused ingredient jar for safekeeping.
But even the good news of her brother couldn't shake her from her melancholy. She missed Severus terribly and she hated herself for it. Every day she curled into her bed and wished she would vanish so that her pitiful longing would go with her. Some days she would cry about not being good enough. Other days she would cry about how terrible he was.
The fact she didn't have to work and had an abundance of money just fueled her self destructive cycle. Rune didn't have to do anything. She only had to exist. And that was hard enough. There were days where she forgot to clean herself or eat. Remus came to care for her a few times, worried for her health.
Happy to have some purpose, she looked forward to his visits and brewed his potions like clockwork.
It was early August when she received a letter. A letter she couldn't ignore like she had ignored the rest of the mail which was now piling up by her fireplace, ready to burn. The only things she had opened were letters from Sirius or Remus and the rest were tossed aside.
But this time she had no choice. It had the Hogwarts special seal. It could only be from Dumbledore.
With a heavy sigh, cursing her own weakness to the old man, she cut the wax and unfolded it.
Miss Baines:
I found the way you left Hogwarts to be very regretful. I am in London on some business and I would very much like to meet you for a drink at the Leaky Cauldron. Please come this evening after dusk.
Albus Dumbledore
"Fuck." She grumbled, running a hand through her unkept hair. It was one invitation she wouldn't refuse. No wizard in their right mind would ignore a personal request from Dumbledore.
Reluctantly she cleaned herself up, making herself presentable. She was still lovely beyond reason, thanks to her status as a guinea pig, but now she was dangerously thin. Even the unnatural youth and beauty couldn't offset how much weight she had lost. While she had stopped caring about looking perfect while she was locked away, her anxious habit returned in force with the knowledge that she would have to meet someone. Rune primped in the mirror, tucking stray strands of hair away and brushing lint from her dress.
"This will have to do." She grumbled, throwing on a cloak to pull over her head.
When she approached the Leaky Cauldron she was right on time, dusk lighting up the streets with a dull glow. The bar had hit it's stride, the evening hours perfect for recreation and drinking. Many wizards milled inside, and there was a dull hum of conversation as soon as she entered. The dull lighting was great for ambiance, but even better for concealing her face. She saw an empty stretch of stools at the end of the bar and slid into one of them. Eager to have anything to help numb her chaotic mind, she ordered a hard butterbeer from the bartender who served up the alcoholic brew in a huge frothy pitcher.
"Miss Baines." Dumbledore's voice grabbed her attention and she glanced over to acknowledge him. He was not dressed as elaborately as usual, likely to keep people from noticing him. Without his jeweled robes and fez hat he did look remarkably like a normal old man. Instead he wore a simple suit in plain grey with no remarkable patterns and a bowler cap.
"Hello, Professor." She dipped her head in respect. Once he ordered a butterbeer, Rune realized she was in a very strange predicament. Never in her life had she imagined that she would end up at a bar with the great wizard. Especially not a Dumbledore who no one recognized in public.
For a long while they sat in silence, Rune growing more and more nervous as she pondered just what he wanted to tell her. Anxiously she sipped the drink, the alcohol doing nothing to calm her nerves. Instead a keen buzzing sounded in her eardrums, reacting to her stressed heartrate. At some point she broke, unable to wait patiently, and babbled whatever came to mind.
"First of all, I should apologize for leaving my post like I did. It was really irresponsible of me and I shouldn't have-"
"Miss Baines." He wryly interjected, a little smile quirking his lips. "I am not here to admonish you for leaving. I understand why you did. But I am here to ask you a favor."
"...a… favor?" All of the synapses in her brain failed at once and she tried to rewire just to understand just what he was saying. She didn't think she was in the position to grant anyone favors.
"I have been informed by the Ministry that we are bringing back the notorious Triwizard Tournament this year."
"The… Triwizard Tournament?" Rune wracked her mind. She thought she head read about it once. "Wasn't it discontinued in 1792 because a rampaging cockatrice caused a huge death toll?"
"You have a remarkable memory as always." Dumbledore chuckled. "That is the very same Tournament. The Ministry wants to bring it back with more rules and restrictions to protect the contestants. Hogwarts has been asked to host it."
"No kidding?" Rune sipped at her butterbeer, the alcohol warming her empty belly.
"Because we are to host both Durmstrang and Beauxbatons students we are overtaxed. I have the post for Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor filled, though regrettably Professor Lupin refused to return. The problem is that Professor Snape will be horribly overworked. Not only will the increase in students cause a drain on our ingredients and potions storage, there is bound to be injuries in the tournament that will need extra potions to treat."
"Please don't say you want me to return to my position…" Rune tried to head him off, her stomach falling and her heart fluttering in her throat at the thought, but he continued and only acknowledging her protest with a knowing smile.
"We desperately need an extra hand in the potions department."
A long pause followed as Rune avoided his gaze, staring instead at the rich white foam on the top of her butterbeer.
"I know you aren't unaware of the complexities of my relationship with Severus." She quietly protested. "I left because it was too hard to stay. I can't return now."
"With all due respect, Miss Baines, you don't seem to be doing any better alone. Running away has made you just as miserable as staying." He gestured to her thin wrist and she frowned, pulling her sleeve down to hide it.
"I… I don't know. I doubt Severus wants to see me any more than I want to see him. Working so closely with him will only be a bother for both of us." Feeling self-conscious now, she tugged at her hood, hiding her face, and nervously gripped her potion bottle necklace.
"Severus has been in a sorry state as well." Dumbledore easily dropped that bomb of info as if it wasn't the most absurd thing she had ever heard. She peeked out from the hood, her jaw dropping.
"Surely not. I think you are mistaken. He's more likely to just be upset that my brother escaped. I'm not significant enough. What we had… it meant nothing to him at all." She got quiet, gripping the handle to the beer mug tightly. "It meant…nothing. Not to him."
"Miss Baines..." Dumbledore tried to interject her pitiful rant, but she continued.
"I let him get too close. I know he didn't mean to make me feel small, but he did. He didn't take anything seriously from the beginning. It's all my fault for letting it happen." Tears pricked at her vision. "I am paying for my foolishness."
"I do not think it meant nothing to him..." He lightly quipped like her damn armchair therapist. Frowning, she watched while he sipped his own drink before speaking again.
"Did you know, Miss Baines?" Out of respect for the tough subject matter he didn't look at her, as if he were addressing the air. "The heart is complex. It is so complex that wizards have tried to figure it out for thousands of years and never learned the secret. It is more profound than magic. It is why Amortentia always breeds misfortune. You cannot replicate the intricacies of the heart, and you cannot predict love."
"What do you mean?" Her brow furrowed, wondering where this tangent was going. The mention of a potion did easily get her attention, and she patiently listened for me.
"Some people love so fully they can't let go of it. Slytherins like you are notorious for it. You will love until your body gives out. To the point of obsession. The self destruction you are experiencing now is a form of this love. Severus is also guilty of this."
"I know." Rune clutched the glass so intently that the handle cracked, her gaze driving into the golden brew. "I know that he loves Lily. You don't have to remind me."
Dumbledore waved his hand, the crack repairing. The simple fix still startled her and she came out of the poisons of her mind to stare at the spot that had been fixed.
"But what those of you who love intensely and obsessively? So much so that you don't know is it is possible to love more than one person in your life? Sometimes love comes softly. So softly you do not notice it. Like a whisper in a crowded hall that you can only find if you listen."
"There isn't anything soft about this love. It's hard and painful." Rune complained, hating this analogy.
"I'm talking about Severus." He bluntly added. "What I am getting at is that you cannot live up to the same standards as Lily Evans. Because Severus lost her in the worst way he will always remember her. But that does not mean that he doesn't care for you in a different way. Unlike the heart breaking obsession he has for Lily, which he is strangled by, his connection with you is soft and warm. It's what he needs, even if he is not aware of it yet."
Tears sprung in her eyes. She hadn't realized just how deeply his speech cut until her body reacted. Rubbing at her face, she tried to control her emotions.
Sometimes love comes softly.
It was a concept she couldn't understand. For Rune, her admiration for Severus happened nearly the moment they met. It was such a stark difference to her reality that she couldn't help but to acknowledge it. Those feelings remained a steady fact through her life no matter how she tried to fight it. Severus acted the same way about his feelings for Lily, so it never occurred to Rune that love could be different.
"He truly has been insufferable in your absence. Grumpy. Intolerable. I am sure you can imagine it. It is easy to see that he is upset. Severus does not show much of his own feelings and emotions until he is unhappy, and then the world suffers." Dumbledore sighed. "If I had not come to retrieve you his pride would kept you both suffering indefinitely."
"...do you really think he'd forgive me?" She whispered, her voice barely audible. Perhaps that was what she had been scared of all along. Severus had to be angry at her for lying about her animagus form. And he had to be angry at her for her soul use. She could stand the judgement of anyone else, but facing his displeasure was the worst punishment she could imagine.
"I think you are the only person on this planet that he would forgive for any offense."
Rune looked over to the Professor, gauging his look. And he seemed very earnest and genuine. Dumbledore truly believed that Severus would forgive. And Rune trusted Dumbledore implicitly.
"… alright. If you truly need my help, I will come." It was a promise that made her heart thud with excitement. She would see Severus again.
She hated that her body reacted positively at the thought.
But it also made her feel anxiety. What if Dumbledore was wrong? What if she came out of this encounter in a worse state than before? Could she handle the devastation?
After getting her affairs in order, not that she had started much of anything while she was moping, she packed her bag again for the castle. Just before leaving she sent a note to Remus and Sirius, sure to let them know that she returned to Hogwarts. If she had told Remus in person he would pitch a fit, a firsthand witness to her depression because of Severus. Sirius would have be even more opposed than Remus, considering he hated Severus before he hurt Rune.
Once in the castle, by traveling directly through the Floo Network to Hogsmeade and walking the path there, she trudged down to the Dungeons. She knew the way by heart now and proceeded down the corridor to the little attache for the Head of House. Pulling her suitcase into the last room, she noticed that nothing had changed since she had left.
As she set to work cleaning up the space of dust to make it livable again, she was so focused that she didn't hear someone approach.
"Who's there?!" Severus tossed open the heavy wooden door, his wand out.
Rune squeaked, her wide eyes locking on the door. The sudden invasion made her speechless. He froze, his eyes locked on her and recognition brightening his expression. For a moment they stared, an awkward air falling over them. Rune wanted to start off well, so she decided to break their stand off.
"I hardly thinking cleaning some dust is a punishable offense, Sev. You can put your wand down." She attempted to joke to lighten the mood but her nerves were making her weak, her heart pounding in her chest.
"Rune." Her name held so much weight the way he said it, his wand arm dropping limp to his side.
She waited for the yelling. For the cold rebuff to tell her she wasn't welcome and to go away. The accusations that called her out on all her lies.
But instead he dropped his wand altogether and rushed forward, wrapping his arms around her in an exhuberant embrace.
"I was worried." He breathed into her hair. "You left in the rain without your wand… I didn't know what to do."
"I'm sorry for lying to you." She whispered, her stomach flipping with anxiety. "I.. I shouldn't have hid that I was an animagus."
"I already knew." Severus smirked. "I figured it out the day I chased you into the forest. I was just waiting for you to tell me."
"And I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about the... souls." Her voice was raw and raspy now, the trembling hinting that she could burst into tears.
"...no." Severus held her, his chin resting on her head as he fit her perfectly into the crook of his neck. "It wasn't your fault. It was never your fault and I shouldn't have said what I did. You did what you had to survive."
"So I'm not an abomination?" A tear fell down her face and she burrowed into his shoulder, trying to hide it. But he could hear her voice tremble.
"No. I should have never said that. I didn't mean it." He pulled back from her and rubbed his thumb along her cheek, brushing away her stray teardrop.
"Listen, Rune. This might seem a hallow confession. I know you were hurt by my…continued attachment to Lily. But that doesn't mean what I feel for you is any less. It is horribly selfish of me. I just... feel so much more at ease with you by my side where I can see you." His eyes swam with desperation and she sniffled, listening to him intently.
"This is the only thing I will ever ask of you." He continued. "Please. Be patient with me and stay by my side. You are the only good thing left for me in this life."
It was an earnest plea. Perhaps the closest she will ever get to 'I love you' from him. And she could only accept it. She had no desire to run anymore.
Holding his hand to her cheek she smiled through her tears.
"Alright."
Again he pulled her into a hug and she took in every nuance about him. His smell. His warmth. His strength. His stature.
After a long moment in his arms she decided to lighten the mood.
"Well. Dumbledore personally requested I come back since Hogwarts will be hosting multiple guests this year. I sure hope the storage isn't in complete disarray."
At her mention of work he pulled away again and cleared his throat, not meeting her gaze.
"Sev?" His guilty behavior made her suspicious. "You did restock the storage and take inventory after final exams last year, didn't you?"
"That isn't completely my fault, is it?" The man grumbled, disliking being put on the spot. "I had an assistant who took care of that for me and she up and vanished. And I was so preoccupied with her disappearance that I let a few things slip."
Rune paled.
"Oh, Merlin. No wonder Dumbledore came to find me. We areverybehind. We have less than a month before classes begin." Rune stepped away, frantically pulling out her watch to look at the time while she anxiously thumbed the potion bottle at her neck.
"Rune."
"It's almost dinnertime. Maybe I have enough time to look over the potion storage. It's easier to count than the ingredients." She mumbled to herself, trying to formulate a plan of action.
"Rune!" Snape wrapped his arms around her shoulders to get her attention, keeping her in place.
"What?" She sighed, tucking her pocket watch away. Already she felt exhausted and she hasn't even begun.
"Everything can wait until tomorrow. I just want to spend the evening together." He tightened his hold on her, his vulnerable request taking her by surprise.
"I thought you just said you would never ask me for anything again." The statement was said with a light heart, but she was half serious. "There really isn't any time to delay."
"An evening won't make a big difference, especially if we work together." A desperation tilted his voice. "Just stay. You lost so much weight… lets get dinner and rest. Just for tonight."
At the mention of weight, Rune realized that Severus looked thinner as well. She stared down at the arm around her and noticed that his wrist bone was more pronounced. His cheek bones were sharper and he had dark circles under his eyes.
Perhaps he truly was suffering just as Dumbledore had mentioned and that was the reason why the storage was in disarray...
With a long, stress-controlling sigh she relaxed in his grip.
"Alright. Let's do that."
They spent the evening just enjoying the company and recuperating. At dinner the other professors were delighted to see her. Severus made sure to say a stiff word of thanks to Dumbledore for his 'interference', and Dumbledore looked absolutely elated at his employee's cat-like gratitude.
The next morning they dove straight into the task list to prepare for the new school year. After talking with Severus they both agreed she could take a more active role this year with the students since she didn't need to hide anymore. Sirius was no longer a threat, and with Severus around she wasn't really afraid of Lucius or Avery. While she wasn't about to teach any classes solo, she could be more than a nameless shadow in the potions department.
That freedom felt short lived. One morning she had been woken up by one of her nightmares, the faceless familiar woman haunting her. Unwilling to wake up Severus, who was sleeping soundly beside her and needed the rest, she slipped out of bed and went to get some food. It was earlier than most professors cared to have breakfast, but the house elves were accommodating and brought her a bowl of oatmeal and some toast.
Because it was so early she was shocked to get mail. Usually it was dispensed at a set time, but she didn't miss the shriek of an owl as it came into the great hall and looked up curiously. As the owl landed at the breakfast table she knew instantly that it belonged to Remus. It was carrying a Daily Prophet. Shakily untying it, nervous at the ominous offering, she gave the owl a treat from the table and looked at the headline.
It read:Terror at the Quidditch World Cup
Her heart dropped at the moving image. It was a dark mark in the sky, the snake slithering through the eye sockets of a skull. Clear as could be. Gasping, she dropped the newspaper in a flutter onto the table. Panic welled in her stomach, her mind churning. Her hands trembled as she picked it up again, bile in her throat as she tried to avoid looking at the picture, and skimmed the article.
It was a riot and an attack. Muggles and Muggle-born were tortured. Chaos and crowd crushing ensued. It was done by group of men dressed in Death Eater robes…
None of them were apprehended. They were still at large.
At the bottom of the paper she saw Remus' messy scrawl.
Stel- please be careful. I don't think this bodes well.
The oatmeal didn't bode well either. Her heart squeezed painfully in her chest and her stomach turned. Slamming up from the table she ran outside, leaning into the grass to vomit up what she just ate. Just seeing the dark mark was enough to send her into a fit, partly why she kept hers so meticulously covered. But the mention of Death Eaters really made her feel a terror she didn't know she still had reserved in her body.
Trembling and beyond all reason she crumpled into a ball, her breath ragged.
What if…
What if this meant Voldemort was coming back? What if the Death Eaters were signaling his return?
He was dead. But what if... he wasn't? If anyone could come back from the dead, it would be him.
Another gasp, her chest clenching. Her vision blinked and blackened with her furiously pounding heart, the sound loud in her ears.
Before she could hyperventilate she felt a presence come to her, his large hand rubbing up and down her back. Everything sounded like it was underwater but she thought she heard him say her name. Blurred vision and wild eyes tried to focus on him.
Severus.
"It's okay. Take deep breaths."
His advice was solid and she did just that, trying actively to regulate her breathing. After a few minutes she came back to herself, her extremities still shaking but her mind at least calming. The ringing in her ears stopped and she was able to hear clearly again.
"Sev…" Her voice was tight and on the verge of tears. "What if… what if he isn't really gone. You-Know-Who. What will I do?"
"It'll be okay." His solemn voice told her that he knew of the news. He either heard of it from Dumbledore or saw the article himself.
"But what if it isn't? What if the Death Eaters find me?"
"You are with me at Hogwarts. You will be fine." He helped her to her feet before wrapping her in a hug. His large black cape felt like a shield for her petite form and she snuggled closer.
"Yeah… you're right." She didn't come back to Hogwarts for protection, but now that she saw the article she realized that it was the best place to be.
"Just to be safe, until we know more, I'll do any excursions into town to restock ingredients." The failsafe measure was a smart one, but it was also telling. It told Rune that Severus was nervous. He also sensed something was off.
And it was with that unsettled feeling that the Hogwarts year approached. She had the inventory and potion storage regulated down to an art, and everything was stocked to the brim. Together they had come up with a lesson plan, and an ambitious one at that. With her more active role in assistant teaching they could do more complex potion crafting. They developed and pitched a new class to Dumbledore, Creative Potioncrafting, and easily added it to the roster.
A class that was sure to impress their guests.
It was all going well up until the day before classes, when Dumbledore introduced the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher over dinner.
There was something very disquieting and familiar about him, though she had never met him before. She felt him watching her across the hall, his mechanical eye focusing on her face. Nervous, she gripped Severus' robes under the table, her palms sweating at the attention.
"What is it?" He asked. They were less touchy as a rule outside of their quarters and during school hours, so her initiating contact was significant. In his bid for professionalism he kept his tone cold and dry, just like the Snape everyone was acquainted with.
"Don't you feel uneasy?" Rune tried to speak low and out of the corner of her mouth so no one could overhear. "There's something up with that Moody guy."
Snape glanced up at him, raising a brow.
"He's always been eccentric."
"No, not that. He's… familiar, right?"
"I'm acquainted with Moody. Though I have to say he's jumpier than he used to be." Snape realized where Moody was looking and followed the gaze to Rune, a frown blooming on his face. "Are you acquainted with him?"
"No." She nervously picked at her meal.
"… well he seems to be interested in you." Severus' hand tightened on his fork.
"But isn't something off?" Rune hissed.
"Well." He dabbed at his mouth with a napkin. "While I don't really like the attention you gather, it's to be expected. You are incredibly lovely."
Her face flushed at the sudden compliment. Because of his disposition he knew he was referring to her unique condition that made her look different, but hearing him speak such sweet words melted her heart. She forgot about her discomfort for a moment.
Once they left the hall she made a mental note to avoid that Moody guy altogether.
Despite her positive take on Severus' compliment, her looks wound up being an obstacle for her in the end.
At the beginning of classes, Severus introduced her as his teaching assistant. The teenagers were immediately enamored with her. The teenage girls were focused on admiring her and idolizing her, but the teenage boys were absolutely giddy at her addition. The little brats would purposefully mess up to have her come to their aid, leaning over their cauldron within touching distance.
"Perhaps having you as a more active part of the lessons was a mistake." Severus grumbled as he overheard the chattering of the students.
"Isn't the assistant teacher beautiful?"
"I would let her order me around any day!"
"I come to class just to see Miss Baines."
"What did Snape ever do to deserve such a hottie for an assistant?"
"She's so nice! How can she stand to work with him?"
"I wonder if she will tell us how she takes care of her hair? She must use the Black Skin Tonic."
Rune smiled at him, a little uneasy with the attention.
"I'm sure the novelty will wear off soon."
It didn't. The students showed up to class eager and excited to see the assistant and more than ready to learn if she helped teach. It must be a pretty person privilege to achieve the instant adoration of impressionable youths. Though they thought it might become a distraction for the students, when they graded homework they noticed that the students were retaining the lessons at an impressive pace to receive accolades from her.
Despite the success of her integration into the lesson plan, she still refused to help teach the class Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy was in. While she could eventually get over the discomfort that seeing Harry caused, she was still nervous that Draco would recognize her in some capacity or talk to his father about her. She was still a background character to the fourth year Gryffindor and Slytherin students, and that was how she liked it.
Things continued in that manner for the first month of classes: Rune helping during the lessons, keeping inventory of ingredients and brewing the potions needed for back stock, and then spending time with Severus outside of work.
Most importantly she managed to avoid Moody.
She had all but forgotten the ominous Daily Prophet article she had received.
Finally it was time to welcome the delegation of students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. It was a grand sight to see, the huge boat from Durmstrang slamming into the Black Lake and the carriages pulled by Abraxans flying through the sky.
"You know, Severus. I never asked." Rune stared up at the flying horses as they descended, her mind working. "Why exactly did they decide to hold the Triwizard Tournament again this year? It's been hundreds of years."
"I'm not sure." Snape frowned at her inquiry, her question a valid one.
"Isn't it strange?" She continued, the carriages touching down. "There was that weird attack at the Quiddich World Cup and now there is this Tournament. Surely it's not a coincidence?"
"Maybe it's nothing. Perhaps they planned this Tournament as a distraction. There has been a lot of concerns recently with your brother's situation and the Chamber of Secrets. Perhaps the Minister of Magic was trying to generate good press. This was planned before the World Cup incident, so I doubt they are connected."
"Good press?" Rune scoffed. "I saw Rita Skeeter milling around earlier. Good press is a pipe dream. I just hope she doesn't recognize me."
"I'll be sure to keep an eye on you." It was a flippant statement, but she felt very comforted by it. She could only smile.
And then her smile faded when she saw the Headmaster of Durmstrang storm off the ship.
"Merlin's Beard, that's Karkaroff isn't it?" Unwittingly her hand darted out and clutched at his cape. Snape noticed her trepidation.
"Do you know him?"
"Well besides the fact he's an ex-Death Eater, my mother used to adore him. She ate up his pureblood dark arts nonsense." Rune grimaced. "He was always invited to all her boorish parties. For a while there was talk of my engagement with him. Before mother decided on Avery, that is."
"What?!" Severus whipped around, his face drawn into a scowl. His calm demeanor he was trying to cultivate in public faded, anger rewriting his actions. "She must have been mad! He's at least 20 years older than you are! And you were engaged to Avery when you were 13! Was she planning this when you were younger than that?!"
"Yes, well, clearly it fell through. Thankfully." Rune sighed. "This will be pretty awkward, though. And I'm not sure how I feel about running into someone who knows other Death Eaters."
"Well you don't have to worry about that, at least." Severus reached down, obscuring their arms with his cloak, and grabbed her hand. The way he was standing no one could see their connection but she blushed, trying her best to watch what was happening instead of her lover so no one would be suspicious.
"What do you mean?" She squeaked.
"The other Death Eaters absolutely hate him. He gave up a lot of names to the Ministry to get out of being sent to Azkaban. There is a lot of wizards rotting away in cells because of him. He's more likely to avoid them then give them any information about you."
"Oh." She looked at the man and pondered the new information. "Actually, that's just like him. He's got a silver tongue and is more charismatic than a veela, but he is certainly a coward."
Luckily he was too focused on diplomacy to notice her. They did the Durmstrang staff display and strutted around like the meatheads they were, and the frilly Beauxbaton girls pranced about. It was all unimpressive and dull to Rune, but the students looked awed and that was all that mattered.
Dumbledore explained the rules for entering the Tournament, wrapping up the dinner. Rune thought she was going to be able to leave the Great Hall without incident. Severus was kept behind by Dumbledore, so she thought to meet him at their quarters and attempted to slip out.
Until she heard Karkaroff's familiar suave tone calling out.
"Runestella Black? Is that you?"
"Igor." She sighed, putting her hand up to her temple and cursing under her breathe. This was about to be insufferable.
"Why, you look as lovely as the day I last saw you! What is the little Princess of the Black Family doing here of all places?" His smarmy smirk gave her goosebumps. She recalled how he had first looked her over like an object when her mother introduced her and she felt her blood run cold. Even if he avoided prison, he was not a good man. He had considered marrying a little girl, after all.
"I don't go by that name anymore. It's Rune Baines now." Still, she stayed to chat, trying her best to give the Headmaster of Durmstrang some respect. They were guests of Dumbledore.
"Ah, yes. It is probably best to distance yourself aftereverything…" Karkaroff trailed off, the conversation reaching a painful phase of awkward banter. It wasn't long before Severus noticed her plight and he swiftly walked over, his robes swooping behind him, to stand at Rune's side.
"Igor. I was unaware that you started teaching at Durmstrang. They must like ex-convicts." Snape was biting as always, his words cold as he stared down his nose at the man. Karkaroff didn't miss how Snape had positioned his body between Rune and the interloper. His eyes lit up at the implications.
"Interesting." Instead of taking the insult poorly, Karkaroff looked like he opened a trove of gold, his face splitting in a grin.
"Severus. I didn't think you had it in you to steal your friend's fiance. How scandalous."
"That's enough, Igor." Rune snapped, her head throbbing.
"You're still fun." He laughed.
"Come, Rune. We have some things to do to prepare for classes tomorrow." Severus turned around, slowing his pace enough that she knew to follow. Without even sending her regards to her old acquaintance she followed close to him. Once they were out of earshot she spoke.
"I told you it would be awkward."
"I think it would be best for the both of us to keep our distance." Severus agreed.
Great.Rune thought.Add Karkaroff to the list of people to avoid. Along with Moody. And Avery. And Lucius. And every Death Eater loyal to the Dark Lord.
She was truly collecting adversaries.
They managed to avoid him fairly easily because of the ensuing chaos of the cup selection. Harry Potter was chosen to compete, despite the cups restrictions for three champions and students over seventeen. Everything was completely out of hand. Dumbledore had to send the students to their dorms, sans Harry Potter, and the professors argued about the implications of the sorting. Rune was not an official professor so she excused herself and waited in her quarters for Severus to come back.
While she waited her mind raced.
In order for Harry Potter to be selected he would have had to bypass the age restriction. It was a charm that no fourth year student would know how to break. A simplefinite incantatumwouldn't have busted that spell. It wasn't trick-able either. And then for the spell to be recast after the initial break… it was impossible for someone of his skill set.
Someone over seventeen to begin with had to put the name in.
But it shouldn't work for a proxy to add the name...
Harry wasn't the only Champion for Hogwarts. Some Cedric Diggory kid had been chosen as well. The number of competitors was off on top of everything else suspicious.
When Severus entered she was overtaken by frustration, her brow in a deep furrow as she kneaded her temple.
"Well?" She asked, crossing her arms. He looked skittish, unsure of what she wanted.
"Well,what?"
"What was the end result? Is that kid competing?" Rune asked, tilting her head.
"Of course he is." Severus sighed. "It's a magically binding contract. If your name comes out of the cup it's as good as an unbreakable vow. I don't know how that knucklehead inherited every negative trait of his father, but I remain unsurprised that he'd do something as foolhardy as enter the competition for attention."
"Do you truly think that?" Rune mused. "Harry might be James' son, but he's still only fourteen years old. There's no way he managed to bypass the age charm."
"I don't know how he did it. The little brat insists he didn't put his name in, but there's no other way his name could have been entered."
"Sev, think about it. Maybe he's telling the truth. Put your dislike aside and just think." She shook her head. "Beyond the age charm, there is also the fact there is an extra champion to a tournament that has ever only been held with three participants. Someone had to bypass the age charm, bypass the charm that invalided entries by a third party, and then charm the cup to believe that there were four schools instead of three. If Harry was entered under another school he would have been the only name in the pool and thus guaranteed to be chosen. That's why he is the fourth champion, not the sole representative of Hogwarts instead of that Diggory kid."
"It seems fairly unlikely that someone did all of things." Severus retorted.
"More likely than some fourteen-year-old kid managing to break age restrictions and the cup malfunctioning to add an extra competitor." Rune shrugged.
"Let's say your theory is correct and Potter didn't enter his name… who did? Why?" He was intrigued by her line of thought. Rune had a brilliant mind so she had already contemplated every angle of the incident before Severus even appeared.
"I have no idea. I'm not close enough to anyone except for you, so I don't know much about motives and I can't definitively point out a suspect. But the most likely 'why' is to harm the Potter kid. The Tournament was discontinued because of casualties after all, and the age restriction was put in because of the danger. If someone made sure Harry Potter was chosen, they were making sure he would be directly in the line of fire."
"I...see." Severus contemplated what she said and decided it was all true. With a heavy sigh he sat on her bed, unbuttoning his collar to breathe better. "You're right. As usual. I'll have to keep an extra close watch on him. Or at the very least ask Dumbledore to."