"What do you mean something's happened?" Veruca asked, suddenly very worried. If it was bad enough for him to go forty-something years back in time and spend Merlin knows how long searching for her, well... it had to be serious.
"He discovered James and Lily," Severus stopped, not quite ready to discuss the details.
"What happened?"
There was a short, almost strangled sigh, "They are dead."
Veruca's eyes instantly filled with tears. Lily? Her best friend? Her 'big sister'? Veruca hadn't loved James but after a scolding from Lily, he was nicer to her. In the end, Veruca was just happy that Lily found her happiness in him, she didn't mind him too much.
A few tears fell, then the girls' eyes widened. She had received a letter from Lily a few weeks before she had left the 1980's Hogwarts.
"And what of the baby?" She whispered.
"The boy... lived." Severus seemed bitter about this. Veruca knew about his distaste for James, his anger for the couple. There was a moment of silence as the two mourned the death of a good friend.
"What now?" Veruca asked. "There is hardly a point to my 'mission' anymore, so... what now?"
"You need to stay, it isn't safe for you to come back," Severus sighed as if it were obvious- and had Veruca seen the state of the 1981 wizarding world, it would have been.
"Why not? What do you mean?"
"I mean, Dumbledore believes that the Dark Lord is beginning to suspect that his past is being trifled with."
"What does that mean?" Veruca asked, fearing the answer.
"It means that you need to work quickly, he is only just suspecting, but once he is sure that something is wrong... he will not hesitate." Severus was worried for his friend, he knew this wasn't going to end well.
And even though he knew Veruca deserved the world, he also knew she wasn't going to get it.
YOU ARE READING
Metanoia~ Tom Riddle
Fanfiction[meh- ta- noy- ah] *Greek (n.) the journey of changing one's mind, heart, self or way of life ☆☆☆ Veruca Penderwick is an extraordinary witch. With her powerful magic and strong heart, she will be his second chance. She will be remembered as no mo...
