Beyond the Darkness

30. An Invitation

December 1994

November came and went.  Harry kept his promise to Sasha and Severus that he wouldn't tell a soul about their relationship, though every time he saw them together now he did look at them funny.  Still, not a single person other than the three of them knew, with the exception of maybe Dumbledore who was a little more perceptive than most.  It didn't make Severus worry about it any less though.  Sasha thought perhaps that was why he had called her to him one evening.  It was late.  Darkness had fallen and classes were over.  It couldn't have been about that.  Of course he never needed a reason to call for her, she just found it strange that he had.  It was the first time to her knowledge.  Normally he would just come to see her face to face.  She orbed the moment he said her name, sensing that Severus was anxious about something.

Sasha reappeared solidly in the corridor outside of his storage closet, the place where he kept all of his potion ingredients.  She frowned in confusion as he stepped down from the ladder.

"I came as soon as I heard you call," Sasha told him.  "What's up?"

"I hoped you would come right away.  There seems to be some items missing from my stores, Sasha," Severus revealed.  "Items needed to brew Polyjuice Potion.  You don't think Harry is up to old tricks again?"

She smiled as she remembered hearing about Ron, Hermione, and Harry brewing that very same potion their second year at Hogwarts, all to find out about the Chamber of Secrets.  Her forehead creased in deep thought.  "What in the world would anyone need with that?"

He lifted an eyebrow.  "Can you think of no reason?"

Suddenly it struck her.  "Oh no.  Someone is trying to be or is someone else."

He nodded proudly, a smirk on his face.  "Exactly."

"You seem awfully cheerful, Severus."  He was grinning like he was a cat that had just swallowed a canary.  "Wait," Sasha said.  "That's not good."

He frowned.  "What?  That I'm cheerful?"

She flashed him a you-know-better-than-that expression.  "No.  That somebody is brewing Polyjuice Potion and becoming someone their not."

"I know," he stated seriously.  "That means that someone here isn't who they say they are.  Just like Cassius warned you about."

Sasha sighed wearily.  "Should we go to Dumbledore with this?"

"I already have.  He thanked me and said he would keep an eye on the situation."

"Any suspects?"

"Karkaroff and of course you mentioned Moody."

"Yeah, I did.  I reckon he scared me a little when he pinned me against the wall like that."

Severus scowled.  "Like I said, he was lucky I was ignorant of that little incident until after the fact."

Sasha smiled.  He sighed.  She could tell there was something weighing on his mind.  Curious, she asked him about it.

"So, is this the only reason you called me?  To tell me about your missing potion ingredients?"

His eyes met hers.  A corner of his mouth lifted in a sly smile all of a sudden, like she had reminded him of a deep dark secret.  "Not entirely.  This was information I knew you needed to know.  The reason I actually called you has nothing to do with Polyjuice Potion or Igor or Alastor."

Her curiosity was officially peaked.  "Okay.  What was it then?"

Severus placed the ladder back in the corner of the tiny storage room and closed the closet door.  He locked it with a wave of his wand.  He didn't answer Sasha's question.  He was afraid that if he did he would lose his nerve.  He wasn't saying much of anything until she was back in his office with him where he had wanted her to be in the first place.  Gently, he took her hand into his.  His dark eyes burned intensely into her dark brown pupils.  She was staring at him like he was mad, but he didn't care.  In the end, if things went according to plan, it would all be worth it.