Call it what you want {Theodore Nott}

chapter thirty-one

Once she felt ground underneath her feet again, she stood up straight but wobbled a bit. "Merlin I hate apparating." Amy mumbled.

Once she was steady, she took in her surroundings. They were in the middle of a secluded road which was surrounding by rows of muggle houses which didn't look too welcoming. Some of them had broken windows, glimmering dully in the light from the street lamps , paint was peeling from many of the doors and heaps of rubbish lay outside several sets of front steps.

"Yeah great safe house." Amy said sarcastically

She looked closer to the buildings in front of them and saw that they were outside of number eleven.

She was too busy looking around that she didn't hear what Snape had just mumbled.
"What?" She asked. But he wasn't looking at her, he was looking at the building in-front of them.

Then suddenly a battered door emerged out of nowhere between numbers eleven and thirteen, followed swiftly by dirty walls and grimy windows. It was as though an extra house had inflated, pushing those on either side out of its way.

Amy gaped at it. After fifteen years, magic never failed to amaze her.

"Inside." Snape said.

They walked up the worn stone steps, staring at the newly materialised door. It's black paint was shabby and scratched. The silver door knocker was in the form of a twisted serpent. This cause Amy to smile slightly. There was no keyhole or letterbox.

Snape pulled out his wand and tapped on the door once. Amy heard many loud, metallic clicks and what sounded like the clatter of a chain. The door creaked open.

He motioned for her to go inside.  She hesitated for a second then stepped over the threshold into the almost total darkness of the corridor. She could smell damp, dust and a sweetish, rotting smell; the place had the feeling of a derelict building. She looked over her shoulder and saw Snape walking in behind her. He mumbled something again, how is he a teacher? She thought to herself.

Amy heard a soft hissing noise and then old-fashioned gas lamps sputtered into life along the walls, casting a flickering insubstantial light over the peeling wallpaper and threadbare carpet of a long, gloomy hallway, where a cobwebby chandelier glimmered overhead and age-blackened portraits hung crooked on the walls. Amy heard something scuttling behind the skirting board. Both the chandelier and candelabra on a rickety table nearby were shaped like serpents. She suddenly felt a lot more at home.

Once they got to the end of the corridor there was another door, cautiously Amy pushed it open.

She was met with many pairs of eyes. One belonging to someone she had only seen in the daily prophet, Sirius Black. She immediately felt her stomach drop. No way. These can't be the people I'm  staying with. She scanned the room silently and met a lot more familiar faces. Professor Lupin, her old defence against the dark arts teacher was seated at a long table. He smiled to her causing a slight feeling of comfort, however it didn't outweigh the judgment she felt.

"Miss Griffin here with her....many...bags ." Snape announced bluntly. They looked down and saw the amount of bags the two were holding. Sirius laughed to himself.

Snape then turned to the blonde next to him. "If you require anything let me know....other than that....I shall see you at the beginning of term." He said hesitantly.

She nodded and whispered a small "thank you."

He scanned the room one last time with a certain look before turning around and shutting the door behind him. Leaving her there.

She watched him leave then turned back and saw the other people in the room. One of them was a ginger woman who was cooking some sort of stew which smelt good.

"Oh Amy dear." She said as she approached her and took her bags from her. "You head upstairs we'll sort these out for you."

"Are you sure?" Amy asked as she looked at Lupin and Sirius as they didn't exactly look like they were volunteering. "Of course, of course now you just get some rest, it's up and the door on the left, I'll call you for dinner" She said shooing her out.

Just before the door was about to close she got one last look at Sirius who was smirking at her.

Once again she was left alone. She looked up the the creepy looking stairs then made her way up. There was a creaking sound with every step she took. She eventually made it to the dingy landing and crossed it to the left. She turned the bedroom doorknob which was shaped like a serpents head, and she opened the door.

She caught a glimpse of a gloomy high-ceilinged, twin-bedded room; there was small chatter which died as soon as she walked in. She looked over and saw Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley sitting on the floor playing some sort of card game. Amy felt extremely awkward which she could see Ron did too.

"Oh Amy!" Hermione shrieked surprised as she placed her cards down, got up and made her way over to her. "How have you been?" She asked

"Uh...I- yeah...been good ." She replied surprised. She do not think that she would have been seeing anyone she knows. "What are you guys doing here?" She asked.

"Could ask you the same thing." Ron replied bluntly. "Ronald." Hermione said sternly, "sorry about him, he's worried for Harry."

Amy immediately forgot the question she just asked them. "Why? What's wrong with Harry?" She rambled.

"No he's fine," Hermione quickly reassured, "it's just he has hearing soon at the ministry for underage magic." She explained.

"Since when are there hearings for that?" Amy asked confused. "Exactly." Hermione agreed, "but it's because he has been expelled."

Amy's eyes widened, "expelled? Hogwarts is the safest place for him right now." She protested.

"We know it's ridiculous." Hermione stated.

A silence dropped over them all for a second until the heard a voice from downstairs shouting, "DINNER!"

"about time." Ron said as he made his way out. Hermione rolled her eyes then laughed with Amy shortly joining in after.