Scarlet Night: A Harry Potter Tale

~ 5 ~

She sat up and looked around bleary-eyed. The room seemed lighter somehow, though there were no windows anywhere in Severus's underground chamber. As she awoke further, she registered Severus's form hunched over papers on his desk. His face was blotchy again, she observed; however he did not seem to have noticed that Scarlet was watching. 

"I'm sorry." he whispered to the parchment. "Had I not been so blind..." he paused and took a breath. "...I have your daughter. I will keep her safe, on my life. She looks so very much like you." He stopped speaking and a sob escaped him. Pity rose high into Scarlet's throat. My mother. she thought. She was watching his heard break. He had to be a close friend of hers.

Suddenly, Severus took a sharp intake of breath and raised his head. "Was she your friend?" Scarlet asked automatically, and without warning, Severus moved from his desk and swooped towards her, pausing a frighteningly close distance from her face. She could feel some of his long black hair tickling her cheekbone and she gasped in surprise. 

"No one must hear of what you have seen this morning, are we clear?" his voice was low, but it had so much menace in it that she dared not speak. She nodded. "Very good." Severus stood and swept back to his desk. By the time he sat, he had regained his resolve, and said, "You will have your first Potions examination this afternoon on the potions we covered last night."

"Is that how you got me to rest then?" Scarlet asked. 

"I supposed that if my lessons could sedate a number of Ravenclaw fourth years, then it would do the same for yourself." Severus's mouth twitched as though he wished to smile, but thought better of it. "We will go to the Great Hall to eat in a moment, and then I must teach my classes."

"Where will I go?" Scarlet asked.

"I suppose you will remain in my office." he replied.

"Does Hagrid teach any classes?" was the quick reply.

"He is the grounds keeper, not a Professor."

"Could I spend that time with him?"

"Perhaps." Severus's face scrunched up. He didn't like the idea. "But it is essential that you return before nightfall. Do remember, your examination."

Scarlet nodded and said nothing more until they left for the Great Hall, thankful he had allowed her the freedom. On their way, Severus said offhand, "I will have a better change of clothes for you after breakfast. So don't run off so soon."

They had not traveled the way that Scarlet had been led by Filius the previous night. This must be the alternate route he spoke of. Scarlet thought as Severus opened a chamber-like door, and he sound of chatter reached Scarlet's ears. Food was already on the tables when they entered the Hall from behind the Professors' table. Many faces turned to scare at her, including the gaunt witch Scarlet had seen in Godric's Hollow. Albus stood and turned around. 

"Good morning Scarlet, Severus." he nodded at the both of them, and they returned his nods. "Accio, chair." Albus said plainly, flourishing the wand he'd just pulled from his robes. A wooden chair came scooting from the space behind the table, and followed the direction of Albus's wand until it came to rest beside his own. "I assume you wish to stay with Severus?" he asked. 

Scarlet nodded. "Yes please."

He smiled in response and looked over Scarlet's head; she could feel Severus understand the look from behind her, and pull her chair out for her. He moved his own to the left, closer to a short, bright-eyed, rather round witch. 

"Here you are, Scarlet." said Albus.

She nodded her thanks and took her seat, Severus following suit. She had no sooner pulled herself up to the table when Albus addressed her again. "Scarlet, I would like for you to meet Professor McGonagall." The witch on Albus's left side, who Scarlet had recognized from the night before, leaned up so that she could look Scarlet in the face.

"Good to meet you, Miss Potter." she said, and smiled. Seeing her smile made her seem less daunting, but Scarlet could sense that it would be a fatal mistake to upset her. 

"Good to meet you, Professor." Scarlet replied and smiled in return. The meal itself passed without much discussion, however when everyone began to rise - presumably to go to their respective classes - Scarlet was surrounded by several of the professors who were curious to know who she was and why she was with "Professor Snape" as they all called him.

Why were they asking so many questions? She began to answer them, but Severus continually talked over her, telling them incorrect information; she was about to ask him why he was lying to them when she felt his wand against her side, poking into her skin forcefully. She shut her mouth as quickly as she'd opened it. There was a reason why Severus told them her name was Scarlet Night instead of Scarlet Potter, and told them that Albus had requested her presence for a purpose which was "nothing [they] needed to bother [themselves] with." 

So she put a smile onto her face and froze it there, nodding whenever the particularly persistent professors Trelawney and Sprout looked to her for confirmation of Severus's words. At last, professor McGonagall shooed them away, and Severus and Scarlet were able to exit the Hall. Severus reminded her of the new clothes he had for her and they turned towards his classroom. 

"Why did you not tell them who I am?" she asked him as they walked; he didn't look down when he answered. 

"You must be kept a secret."

"What for?" she asked. 

"Because that wizard..." he paused, then continued. "...the wizard who visited you last night, has followers. They're in hiding, for now. But Albus seems to believe that they, and the dark wizard who commanded them, will return. And if any whispers of your existence reaches any of his followers, you will have placed a target right between your precious eyes." his tone had become sarcastic, however, Scarlet knew how serious he must be, for his lips had curled up over some of his teeth. 

"Isn't my brother in danger of the same thing?" Scarlet ventured to ask in response. 

"Not as much as you are. Since he has been extradited into the world of the non-magical, he will not be focused on for several years."

"Severus, there is still something you are keeping from me, I know it!" Scarlet cried. At this point, they had reached his classroom door, and he opened it and began down the stairs, almost determined not to answer her. She followed him and persisted. "If there wasn't a specific reason you brought me here then I would be right there in muggle-land with my brother!"

He had reached the bottom of the stairs and he swiveled around to face her. For a moment she wondered if he was going to raise his wand and curse her, but instead he opened his mouth and said quietly, "I will have no more of these foolish questions."

A realization hit Scarlet then, so fast that she didn't even consider how it sounded until it rolled off her tongue. "You cared for her, didn't you?" she said, staring at Severus, who looked both menacing and vulnerable. "My mother." It was true, she was a true visage of Lily Potter; it made sense to Scarlet now why Severus had been speaking to her in his study earlier. He looked as though he were about to implode on himself, then turned his terrifying fury on her. "Do not worry, Severus." she said quietly. "Not a word will ever escape my lips."

He stared at her for a few moments, as though he was unsure of whether or not to trust her word, but footsteps had begun to clatter close to Severus's door, so he turned his back to her and said, "Your robes are in my office. Change into them. If you are asked any questions, your name is Scarlet Night, you are a second year, and you are a part of my house, Slytherin. If by chance, any students have an... issue with you, they can answer directly, to me." Scarlet nodded and ducked into Severus's office hurriedly.