The Girl Marauder(Book One)

Chapter 18

"We should go the other way- I don't like what's down here." Peter was saying as the three Marauders walked along. While Remus and Luna had adjusted to the darkness, Peter had insisted it was too dark and they had been forced to light their wands. While it was nice to not have the strain on her eyes, it almost made Luna a tad bit unsettled.  It was harder to hide with the light on.

"Peter, we don't know what's down here, that's why we're here-  Now hush. I think I hear something." Luna said, frowning as she approached the corner of one of the halls. "Nox."

Remus was quick to put his light out after hers, and the darkness crept in again. Luna had been right though- There was a sound of shuffling, of someone breathing. Without any concern  for herself Luna stepped out from behind the corner, wand pointed at the shadowy figure she could only just make out.

"Lumos!" She shouted, squinting faintly as the wand relit, lighting up the hall. Facing her now was a rather pissed looking Severus Snape, his lips curled into a snarl as he stared at her, hand held up to shield his eyes from the light.

"Playing hero tonight are we, Swift? Get your wand out of my face." He spat, knocking her arm away. Luna glared at him, keeping the wand lit but moving it lower all the same. She could hex him quickly enough if she needed to.

"What're you doing wandering by yourself?" Luna asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"I could ask you the same."

"The Professors sent us down to help look for Death Eaters. Hiding anything, Snape?"

"Don't be stupid. If I was involved with the Death Eaters, I surely wouldn't be wandering around the dungeons alone."

"Then why are you wandering the halls alone?" Remus asked, and Luna could feel him standing behind her, a reassuring presence in the darkness.

"That's none of your business, Lupin. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to continue on my ways without anymore rude interruptions."

"You should go back to your common room, Snape." Remus's voice was cool. "Don't want anyone mistaking you for a Death Eater. Surprisingly easy to do."

"Half-breed." Snape sneered, brushing past Luna. Luna paused at that as, something inside of her, a part of herself that she normally kept tightly under control snapped. Too much stress in too short of a time span, perhaps.

"What the hell did you just say?" She snapped, grabbing Snape by his robes and slamming him into the wall, digging her wand into his neck and feeling cruel satisfaction when he gasped, trying to squirm out of her grip. "You slimy little cretin."

"Luna, careful-" Remus was saying, his hand on her shoulder, but Luna ignored him, preferring instead to dig Snape further into the wall.

"You ever talk to anyone like that in front of me again and I'll be made the first in an assuredly very long line to kill you." She snarled, chest rumbling with a low growl that she wasn't quite doing on purpose. Snape's dark eyes widened, and when Luna threw him away from her he stumbled a bit, keeping his eyes on her before he took off into the darkness, his footsteps fading at a quick pace.

"You alright Luna?" Remus asked after a moment of silence, and Luna nodded, shoulders stiff as she killed the light in her wand.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just tense." She said, looking back to where she could see Remus's outline in the shadows. "I want tonight to be over."

"That's a shared sentiment- But I hope to think we will find no one else down here. We should see if the professor's have caught anyone yet." Remus advised, squeezing her shoulder gently. Luna nodded once, something caught in her throat- Emotion, a bitter one that made her bite her lip to keep it from escaping.