Beyond the Darkness

45. A Walk Down Memory Lane

Sasha returned about an hour later.  Severus was in the Potions classroom when she orbed in.  He thought that she must have sensed him before she came back.  She frowned as she walked up to him.  He had a cauldron on front of him and a variety of ingredients spread around it.  A sweet aroma was in the air all around him.

"I'm glad you're back," Severus told her.

Sasha smiled.  "Me too.  Everyone at Grimmauld Place was in an uproar over what happened.  Especially Sirius and Remus."

He frowned.  "Remus was there?"

"Yes.  Dumbledore called him there, plus Mad-Eye Moody, Tonks, and Kingsley, who already knew what was going on.  Apparently he was present when it happened.  Fudge wanted him and Dawlish to take Albus to Azkaban!" Sasha said with a chuckle.  "Can you believe that?  I know Harry told us that Fudge wanted him sent there, but not that the two of them were to take him.  Can you imagine Kingsley taking him to prison?"

"No," Severus answered.  "I can't say that I can."

Sasha sighed.  "Everything is such a mess, Severus."

"I know."  He dropped a few things into the cauldron.  It sizzled fiercely for a moment then the noise subsided.

"What are you making?" she asked him, leaning closer.

Severus took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet smell of her perfume.  It drove him crazy sometimes, that smell.  All he wanted to do was be close to her.  But he had to focus right now on the task in front of him.  "It's Veritaserum," he answered.

Sasha cocked her head curiously to the side.  "Why are you brewing that?"

"Umbridge paid me a visit while you were gone.  She wants me to brew some for her in case she needs it.  I'm only brewing enough for four vials.  I'll keep three and she can have one.  I'm not going to be responsible for the havoc she might cause with this stuff.  One drop and even Voldemort would spill his deepest and darkest secrets."

"I don't think I could stand to sit and listen to that."

"Nor could I."  Severus shuddered.  "I hate to even think about what he's been hiding all these years."

Sasha laughed.  "How long will it take you?"

He looked up at her, his eyebrows raised.  "Why?"

"Because I want you to go for a walk with me."

He smiled.  "I think that would be wonderful."

"Great," she commented with a grin.  "Hurry this up.  I'm excited."

Severus laughed.  He didn't say out loud, but a long walk alone with her under the stars excited him too.

~ * ~

April 1996

The continued detentions with Dolores were agonizing to say the least.  Sasha was so worn out by the time she healed each and every one of the students from the D.A. that she usually ended up going straight back to her office to rest.  She hadn't gotten to see a whole lot of Severus since they had taken their walk.  Umbridge took up a lot of his time, asking him endless questions about various things.  Sasha didn't like it one bit, but there was nothing she could do about it.  It was necessary that Severus be close so he could keep an eye on things.  She knew that, but she didn't like it anyway.  And when he wasn't by Umbridge's side, he was focused on teaching Harry Occulumency.

This was the third lesson of the week and Severus was nervous about it.  

"It's hard for me to control my anger sometimes, Sasha," he confessed sitting there at his desk.  "I gave him something to focus on just like I did you that day.  Still, he can't seem to do it.  He can't block me.  It's really frustrating."