Not Alone After All

Chapter XXVII

Hermione let out a scream. Sirius was quickly out of the bed and on his feet. Laura took a step forward when she noticed Harry was frozen in place. She walked to stand in front of him, side by side with Remus, who was being threatened to stay put by Snape's wand pointing at his head.

"I found this on the ground next to the Whomping Willow," Snape said, throwing the cloak on the ground, his wand never leaving Lupin's face. "Very useful, Potter. Thank you very much." He looked out of breath, but that didn't stop him from talking. "You are all probably wondering how I knew where you were."

"Not really-" Laura chimed in, but she was interrupted, and completely ignored by Snape.

"I was making a stop at your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your potion tonight, so I brought you a goblet. Lucky me... In your office, there was the supposedly harmless piece of parchment. And with only one look, I learned everything I needed to learn. And then I saw yours and Potter's names." He had said Laura's name with so much contempt Laura fought the urge to take a step back. "And the two of you were running off in this tunnel, and suddenly disappeared..."

"Severus," Lupin tried, but Snape did not let him continue.

"I told the head-master time and time again that you had helped your old friend Black to come into the castle, Lupin, and here's the proof. I didn't think you'd have the courage to hide in this place, though."

"Severus, you're making a mistake," Lupin said, despair filling his voice. "You don't know everything... I'll explain... Sirius didn't come here to kill Laura and Harry..."

"Azkaban will get two prisoners tonight. I'd like to see Dumbledore's reaction when he finds out that the harmless Lupin is a criminal as well..."

"You idiot," Lupin said, his voice softer than before. "Are you really letting an old school grudge make you sent an innocent to Azkaban?"

Everyone jumped in surprise when sparks came out of Snape's wand, sending ropes towards Remus' ankles, wrists and mouth. He quickly lost his balance and fell on his knees on the ground, fully immobilized.

In a growl of rage, Sirius Black charged towards Snape, but he stopped as soon as Snape's wand was pointed towards him. Snape almost did it. He almost killed Sirius Black. He had longed to be the one to kill him with his own hands, and he almost did. But once he saw the terrified look on Laura Potter's face, he hesitated. She looked exactly like Lily on the day he said the worst thing he could have ever said to her, so he stopped, took a breath and turned his attention back to Black.

"Give me one good reason," Snape mumbled to Sirius. "I swear, give me one little good reason to do it and I will." Sirius decided not to act. His godson had already witnessed his parents die in front of him, he didn't want to add to the list.

"Professor Snape," Hermione's shaky voice said. "Maybe... maybe we could hear what they have to say?" she tried to reason with him.

"Miss. Granger, you might be expelled from this school," he replied dryly. "You, Weasley and the Potters, you four are outside of school grounds without the divided authorisation, and you're in the company of a criminal and a werewolf."

"But," she spoke up again. "If there was a misunderstanding-"

"Shut up, you stupid girl!" he suddenly yelled out. "Do not speak of what you don't know!" His wand had a few sparkles coming out of it, but no spell was cast. He still had his arm pointed to Sirius Black. "Such a sweet vengeance, Black. I always wished to be the one that caught you."

"You never got over that stupid joke, Severus," Sirius growled at him. "If this boy brings that rat back into the castle," he said, nodding towards Ron, "I will follow you without any struggle."

"Into the castle?" Snape asked, an innocent tone to his voice that made Lura shiver. "I don't think we'll have to go that far. We just have to call for the Dementors as soon as we step foot out of this haunted house. Actually, we won't even need to call them, they'll naturally come after us, seeing as the two people they seem to go after the most are right here," he said, sending a nasty look to both Laura and Harry. "I'm sure they'll be glad to see you, Black... They'll be glad to give you a kiss..."

And just like that, all the colour drained from Sirius' face. "Look... Look... Severus, listen," Sirius said, his voice hoarse. "The rat... look at the rat..."

"Come with me," Severus told them all. He snapped his fingers and the roped that held Remus flew right to his hand. "I'll take the werewolf too, maybe the Dementors will enjoy kissing him as well."