Swept From the Past

Chapter 58: The Emerald's Heart -- part eleven

Remus stood in the Entrance Hall of Hogwarts. He felt confused and worried. Confused because he had not witnessed the end of the battle and didn't know what had happened exactly. And worried because he feared something awful had happened to Katarina. Dumbledore had told him to have faith, but Remus couldn't prevent himself from being terrified. Who was the woman who had screamed a few hours ago? Was it Bellatrix? Or was it Katarina? What had happened near the Quidditch Pitch? If only Remus had been there! He was furious with himself. He felt helpless... useless... Last year, Sirius... it had been a terrible loss. Remus wasn't prepared to lose his little sister too.

He looked around. The Aurors were levitating the Death Eaters' bodies bound with ropes.

"We'll bring them to Azkaban," an Auror said. "With the new security measures, they won't be able to escape."

Remus hoped so, but he knew Voldemort wouldn't allow his most faithful servants to remain imprisoned for long. What if Bellatrix Lestrange -- if she was still alive -- managed to free them once more? Remus fought the rush of anguish that was about to overwhelm him. He listened, trying to hear something -- anything -- that would put his mind at ease. He focused his attention on the closest conversation.

"... did you see Jimmy when the Dementor attacked him?" a young man with short blond hair and a small goatee said to a muscular bald pirate with a tattooed chest. "He produced an impressive Patronus. A huge duck!"

"A duck?" the pirate replied. "I thought it was a pheasant."

"A duck, a pheasant..." the young man responded, "it's all the same!"

"Truly, Greg," the bald pirate said, laughing, "you have no talent for spotting Patronuses. Don't tell Jimmy he produced a duck or he'll hang you by the ankles until you manage to produce your own Patronus."

"I don't think he'll manage to do much now, Hans," Greg replied. "When Alphonso found Jimmy, he was in a bad state. Think someone used the Cruciatus Curse on him. You know, the old man with the freaky magical eye..."

"Moody?" Hans interrupted.

"Yeah, Moody," Greg responded, "well he said he saved Jimmy in time. One of the Death Eaters was about to kill Jim' when the old git arrived. Dunno what Moody did exactly, but he said he'd knocked out the Death Eater."

"Knocked out only?" Hans asked, disappointment in his voice.

"Dunno," Greg replied. "At first, probably. You know what it means in our jargon. I didn't ask. Don't think he wanted me to be too curious."

So Moody had killed the Death Eater? Remus wasn't surprised. Mad-Eye would have never let a Death Eater live during a dangerous battle. For Moody, sparing an enemy was like uttering the Killing Curse against an ally.

"Lucky the reinforcements arrived in time," Hans said. "I'm not sure we'd have managed to hold out much longer."

"All cowards, those Death Eaters," Greg replied. "Unable to fight us with honour. They had to send us Giants, trolls, vampires and Dementors first."

"Yeah," Hans responded. "All bastards! But when help came for us, they just ran like rabbits to the Forest."

"Scared rabbits," Greg replied. "They didn't expect members of that Order what's-its-name to attack them, nor the Aurors. What a shame so many Death Eaters have escaped."

Yes, it was a shame. Would Remus have managed to stop one or two of them if he'd stayed at Hogwarts? Or would he have been killed? He'd never know.

"Hey!" someone shouted suddenly behind Remus, making him jump. "I found this!" Remus turned around. A thin, blond wizard with an eye-patch had arrived. He held a long sword in his hand.

"The Capt'n's sword!" Joachim exclaimed. He gasped. "She wouldn't have dropped it without a good reason."

"Where did you find it, Taz?" Johann asked.

"In the corridors," Taz replied, "on the second floor. There must have been a fight there. A part of the ceiling has collapsed."

Remus gulped. What had happened?

"I've also found found something else," a man with long curly dark hair said. "A dagger. It could belong to the Capt'n. I found it buried in a dead snake. The body had been lacerated."

"Why didn't you say so earlier, Mike?" a voice said behind Remus. Remus turned around and recognised Alphonso. The man appeared to be wounded. He limped and held his left arm strangely against his chest, as if he was injured. He glared at Mike. "You wanted to keep the dagger for yourself, didn't you?"

Mike grimaced.

"I didn't even touch it," he said. "It's still somewhere in the corridors. But of course, Mr. Second-in-command Alphonso wants to show his authority and accuse me of being a thief." He snorted.

"You'll regret that!" Alphonso shouted. He pointed his wand at Mike.

"Don't!" Taz exclaimed. "This is not the time! We must find out what happened to the Capt'n!"

Alphonso didn't curse Mike, but his wand was still raised. He appeared to be waiting for an occasion to hex the man. Remus wasn't surprised. Alphonso seemed to be very proud and impulsive. After all, he had attacked Severus a few hours ago when the Potions master wasn't looking. If Remus hadn't thrown himself in the path of the spell, who knows what would have happened...

"Don't ruin the spectacle, Taz," someone said. "It was getting interesting." Remus noticed a young man with red hair, who really could have belonged to the Weasley family, except that he had a provocative smile Remus didn't like.

"Don't overdo it, Rob," Taz said sharply. "We've fought enough for today."

"But I didn't overdo anything," Rob replied. "Mike just said what everyone here thinks."

"Everyone thinks you're an idiot, Rob," Hans said, "and Mike a bloody thief."

"A thief?" a blond man said sarcastically. "How ironic, coming from you, Hans. As if I didn't know that you had stolen my sword. Greg told me."

"Me?" Greg exclaimed furiously. "You're a bloody liar, Loyd!" He aimed his wand at Loyd.

"A bloody liar?" Loyd replied with rage, raising his own wand. "You said it in front of Karl and Jimmy, just after Mike called Alphonso a bastard!"

The stare Alphonso cast at Mike became murderous.

"You'll pay for this, Mike," he said.

"I don't understand what you're talking about," Greg shouted at Loyd. "I've never said anything like that!"

Remus felt ill at ease. If no one stopped them, the men would fight against each other. The situation was getting out of hand.

"That's enough," Taz snapped reproachfully. "Alphonso, Mike, Greg, Loyd and you all... We are The Lost Pirates. We are a team. The Capt'n wouldn't tolerate such behaviour. Not alive... or dead..."

Alphonso lowered his wand slowly, but he kept staring at Mike crossly. The other men imitated him and gave up the fight... or maybe they were just postponing it. An awkward silence followed.

"Do you think... the Capt'n... is dead...?" a tall, black-haired man asked finally. His face had paled.

"No, Mox," Greg cut him short. "She can't be dead. I mean..." He looked around with a worried look. "Do you think she could?"

"I don't know," Taz replied.

Remus had heard enough. He let the group of pirates talk and stepped away. What could he do? Dumbledore had surely seen Katarina's name on the Marauder's Map, which meant she was in the castle. But it didn't mean that she was alive. Remus had to search for her and...

Dumbledore's words came back to his mind, 'You should not try to learn too much,' the Headmaster had said. 'There are things that are beyond your power. Sometimes we must allow others to do what must be done. In certain situations, it is better not to intervene. Do not forget what I said. Some things must be postponed until morning...'

What did Dumbledore mean? That Remus had to wait until morning? Remus was tempted not to listen to Dumbledore's advice, but his common sense stopped him. Dumbledore didn't do or say things without a good reason. He must have known what had happened to Katarina. Reluctantly, Remus decided to postpone his research a few hours.

He walked in the corridors, not knowing exactly what to do, when he heard a voice calling for him. He turned around. Ginny was standing a few meters from him. She looked pale.

"Professor Lupin," Ginny repeated, anguish in her voice. She stepped to him.

"What are you doing here?" Remus asked. "You should be in the Hospital Wing with the other students."

"The battle is over," Ginny replied. "The pirates have stopped watching the corridors. I left when Madam Pomfrey wasn't looking. She won't notice, anyway." Ginny looked apprehensive. "Where is Harry?" she asked. "Is he... feeling well?"

Remus smiled gently. He knew that Ginny was very worried about Harry. Judging from his own anguish for Katarina, he couldn't blame the girl for her reaction.

"Yes," he replied, "he's feeling well. He's safe in Grimmauld Place."

"Could I go there?" Ginny said. "I... I'd like to see him."

Remus couldn't refuse her. After all, he had noticed Harry's attachment to Ginny. If he had been Harry, Remus would have wanted to see that Ginny cared so much about him.

"All right," Remus said. "Come with me. I'm sure Harry will be pleased to see you."

They both walked to the staff room and used the Floo Network. When Remus entered Grimmauld Place, he saw McGonagall, standing in the room with Harry, Ron and Hermione. Hestia Jones had left. The Transfiguration teacher looked at Ginny sternly and cast a disapproving stare at Remus.

"Er," he said with embarrassment, "Ginny worried about her brother and her friends. I thought it would do no harm to bring her, since she already knew about Grimmauld Place. I'll bring her back to Hogwarts later."

"Fine," McGonagall snapped. "You will stay here while I go upstairs to look after Albus. Don't leave the room."

Remus nodded, knowing that he didn't have choice. The Transfiguration teacher left the room almost immediately.

"So," Remus said, "are you feeling well, Harry?"

"Yeah," Harry replied. "But I'd feel better if I could return to Hogwarts."

"There's nothing much to see in Hogwarts, now," Remus replied. "The battle is over."

"Really?" Hermione asked. "I mean, is the castle really safe now?"

"Yes," Remus replied. "I think so."

"And Bellatrix?" Harry asked.

"We're not sure," Remus replied awkwardly. Thinking of Bellatrix dug up his fears about Katarina. He shivered. "Either she's gone..." he added, "or dead. We're waiting for more information."

"It'd be better if she was dead," Ron said.

"Ron!" Hermione said reproachfully.

"What?" he asked. "We all hope that she's dead! Don't tell me you don't!"

Hermione didn't reply.

"Are the Aurors and Pirates still guarding Hogwarts?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Remus responded. "The Aurors have trapped the last Death Eaters and brought them--"

"... to Azkaban?" Harry added. His eyes flashed. "They'll escape as soon as they enter!"

Remus sighed. "Maybe," he said. "Maybe not. I don't know if they'll be imprisoned in Azkaban. After the Death Eaters' escape last summer, perhaps the Ministry has decided to change its plans. Without the Dementors, Azkaban is not as secure as before."

"Did the Death Eaters kill lots of people?" Harry asked.

"Not the students," Remus replied.

"But they killed people all the same," Harry responded. "How many?"

"I don't know," Remus replied honestly.

"What about Burns' crew?" Ron asked. "We fought the trolls with the pirates. Hope they're all right."

"I saw a few pirates alive," Remus replied. "They weren't all here and I don't know all their names, but... if I remember, there were... Joachim, Taz, Greg, Mox, Alphonso..."

"Alphonso too?" Ginny asked.

Remus noticed the grimace on Harry's face. He looked both displeased and disappointed.

"Alphonso must have been wounded in the battle," Harry said coldly. "Why don't you return to Hogwarts? I'm sure he'll need a nurse to take care of him."

An awkward silence followed.

"Come on, Ron," Hermione whispered, "let's go to the kitchen." She grabbed Ron's hand and led him out of the room before he could utter a word.

Remus felt he should leave the room too, but McGonagall had told him not to move. He stepped to the threshold of the door and turned the corner. He could still hear their conversation and check that Harry did not leave; but at least they would have some privacy.

"Er," Ginny said. Her voice betrayed her embarrassment. "Maybe Alphonso is wounded... but I'm sure Madam Pomfrey will take care of him. I prefer to stay here. Alphonso is not so... er... interesting..."

"Really?" Harry asked, his voice still very cold. Remus perceived irony in it.

Remus heard Ginny's steps in the room; then a muffled sound, as if she'd sat somewhere on an armchair or on the couch.

"I..." Ginny replied, "I haven't thought about him since Hogwarts was attacked. Not a single time. I... worried so much about you that I couldn't think of anyone else..."

Harry didn't reply. Remus hoped James' son would say something, although he could imagine how difficult it was for Harry.

"Harry?" Ginny's voice called timidly.

"You worried about me?" Harry asked. He sounded shocked.

"I was terrified," Ginny responded. "I thought... I'd never see you again..."

"Well, er," Harry replied, "I'm here now."

Then Remus didn't hear anything for several seconds except the crumple of clothes. He discreetly had a look within the room and smiled. Without a word, Ginny had taken Harry in her arms. The boy looked flabbergasted, but he returned her embrace.

"I'm here now," he repeated so low that Remus barely heard him.

***

Severus Snape woke up. He was alone in his bed. Where had Katarina gone? What had his silly pirate girl decided to do? Severus felt a rush of panic. Suddenly, he heard the sound of the shower coming from the bathroom. He sighed in relief. Katarina hadn't left.

Why the hell hadn't she woken him up? There was room for two in this shower! Severus felt irritated. He grabbed his wand and conjured a hot cup of tea to calm his nerves. What did Katarina's attitude mean? Would she come out of the bathroom and say their relationship was over?

Severus took little sips of his tea. The warm liquid was agreeable, but it didn't make the lump in his stomach disappear. Suddenly, Severus heard the sound of water in the shower stop. He made his cup of tea disappear, put his wand under his pillow, and lay back in his bed as if he was sleeping. Would Katarina try to leave? He wanted to know.

A few minutes later, the bathroom door opened. Severus heard the crumple of Katarina's clothes and a strange stratching noise... Then he heard the sound of her steps on the floor. The steps went away from him, then... they came close. The mattress bent under her weight; the springs creaked. Severus felt Katarina was crawling slowly against him, as if she wanted to check if he was still asleep and she didn't want to wake him up. Then she kissed his cheek softly.

Severus was terrified. Was it a goodbye kiss? Would she leave him? Suddenly, he grabbed her waist and made her roll over him so that he was on top of her. Katarina gasped.

"Bloody hell!" she exclaimed. "You scared me! I thought that you were asleep!"

"I wasn't," Severus hissed. He was hurt. "So you wanted to leave me? While I was sleeping?"

"No," Katarina replied. She looked shocked. "I wanted to leave the room while you were sleeping. I wrote a note for you. I had planned to come back."

She gave him a piece of crumpled parchment she held in her hand. Severus read it:

"Good morning, sleeping fiancé,

People must be searching for us, so I've gone downstairs. Everyone must know that we are all right (and I hate the idea that an army of pirates could enter your quarters anytime). I'll come back as soon as possible. If you read this note before I'm back, don't worry and try to get some sleep. I'll wake you up when I'm back.

Love you,

K. Burns"

So... Katarina hadn't planned to leave him at all? Severus' anger faded, although he still felt apprehensive. He'd have wanted her to wake him up and tell him her plans.

"I..." he said, embarrassed to have lost his temper so quickly. The last thing he wanted was to scare her and make her run away.

"I know," Katarina interrupted. "I feel the same." She sighed. "Us back together... It's confusing..."

"I guess we both need time," Severus replied. It would require time and much effort for the both of them. Would his fear of losing her ever go away? He wasn't even sure.

"Yes," Katarina whispered. "Time..."

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Severus asked. "We could have taken this shower together."

"Much too tempting," Katarina replied. "We wouldn't have left your quarters for hours. And it would have been wrong."

"Wrong?" Severus asked.

He frowned. Did she regret their night together? Did she think their relationship was wrong?

"What do you mean?" he queried anxiously.

"This is not the time to be so... close to each other," she replied. "Last night, many people died. I shouldn't feel or act as if I was on my honeymoon."

"Honeymoon?" Severus repeated, relieved by her answer. He arched an eyebrow suggestively. Was she starting to accept his idea of marriage?

"Don't make me say what I didn't say," Katarina replied, an glint of amusement in her eyes. "You know what I mean when I say 'honeymoon'. Being naked with you in a bed when Hogwarts was attacked... It was very unprofessional."

"Technically, it wasn't," Severus responded. "You were in mortal peril. I am the Potions master in this school. I had to find the best potion to cure you, and it appeared to be me. Very professional, I would say." He smirked.

"Always finding the appropriate response," Katarina replied teasingly. "But I shouldn't feel like this after last night's terrible battle. I shouldn't feel... so happy. It's wrong to feel like this in such circumstances."

"You're happy?" Severus asked. Was it true? Had he managed to give her that happiness she'd lacked for so long?

"I feel many bloody confusing emotions at the same time," Katarina responded. "But... yes, I guess... happiness is one of them. I don't want to leave this room. I wish I could stop time and stay here forever." She sighed. Severus detected guilt in her eyes.

"Don't feel guilty, silly girl," he said softly. "You, more than anyone, deserve to be happy. What we feel now has nothing to do with people who died last night. It is about us."

"I don't want to leave this room," Katarina repeated in a whisper.

'I don't want to leave you,' he read in her eyes. 'Never again.'

Her emotions warmed his heart. She had no intention of leaving him. And he had no intention of letting him leave. They had been separated enough. Actually, he wouldn't let her leave his room without him...

"Give me five minutes," he said. "I'll take a shower and I'll go with you."

"Are you sure?" Katarina asked. She looked worried.

'People will notice that something has changed,' he read in her eyes. 'How will I explain them that we are together, after the way I treated you? Why does it have to be so complicated?'

"Do you want to act as if we weren't together?" Severus asked coldly. A part of him was upset. Was Katarina ashamed of herself? Or simply ashamed of him?

"No," Katarina responded. "I don't want to pretend we're not together. But people could ask embarrassing questions or say awful things about us... About you..."

"About me?" Severus asked, more and more infuriated. So she was really ashamed of him!

"I was so... well... horrible with you," Katarina muttered. She looked ill at ease. "Everyone will have trouble believing that we love each other. We both have the reputation of being heartless, and everyone thinks we hate each other deeply."

So Katarina was afraid of what people would think and say? Severus couldn't believe his ears.

"I don't care about people," he hissed. "They can talk. I didn't think you'd be bothered by your reputation! That you'd be ashamed of me! Humiliated that I'd be y--"

"Bloody hell!" Katarina cut him short. "I'm not a loving person, Snape!"

Ouch! Severus hadn't expected that punch. Had Katarina just him called him Snape? It was an awful step backwards. He felt his insides twitch.

"I'm Captain Burns," Katarina continued with heat, "a dangerous Dark Sorceress! My whole crew will think you drugged me with one of your potions or controlled me with the Imperius Curse! There could be a mutiny! They wouldn't obey a chief whom they think is under the control of an enemy! I don't want them to attack you because of my mistakes!"

Severus hadn't thought of that. Could their relationship really cause so much trouble? But Katarina's eyes weren't lying. She feared the worst would happen. Severus' fear of rejection had almost made him miss her true intentions.

"And if you want to know," Katarina added sharply, "admitting that I was totally wrong about you will be humiliating. Not because it's you, but because it's me! Because I'm not used to back-peddling when I've shown my dislike for someone. You, above all, should understand this, bloody Slytherin mule! Do you think it'll be easy to admit in front of everyone I'm bloody in love with you? It's still so difficult to admit it in front of you!"

An awkward silence followed.

Severus was taken aback. He hadn't thought of that. How would he react in her place? If he had to tell the whole school he was wrong about someone he disliked? If it was Potter... No, not Potter... Potter was an unsufferable kid with no brains. Katarina was in love with Severus. It was not the same.

Severus observed Katarina. She stared at him with a hard expression. Was it really she in front of him? Not entirely. She was Katarina... and Burns. A mix of two personalities he definitely loved. But Katarina Burns was proud, hardened by the false conviction Severus had toyed with her. She had become like the schoolboy he used to be. Clumsy when expressing what mattered the most to her. Severus saw in her eyes that it costed her to show him her inner scars. She had revealed her fragility to him, and he realised it hadn't been an insignificant gesture. It was a proof of trust. Maybe not the same kind of trust as before, but surely all that she could give him for the moment.

"I hadn't realised what it meant for you," he whispered under his breath, trying to repair his mistake. Again, he had reacted heatedly, taking Katarina's response for rejection. Damn! He had proved to be a talented spy, able to fool the Dark Lord himself, but he wasn't able to control himself in front of her! If he kept reacting that way, their second chance would just last for a couple of hours!

The tension between them eased. Katarina's expression relaxed. She sighed, as if she regretted her angry outburst.

"You called me Snape," Severus said, disappointed.

"I lost my temper," Katarina replied calmly. "You didn't want to understand. I... replied clumsily." She paused. "You're really scared, aren't you?"

"Scared?" Severus repeated, not exactly knowing which part she was referring to.

"That our relationship will fail," she replied. "That our temperaments don't match."

She looked at him with a questioning stare.

Severus felt a rush of panic and took control over his emotions. Had she read them? He didn't like that she'd noticed his weaknesses. How could he reassure her about their future together if she knew he was apprehensive? His pride was put to the test. He had to protect her, to show he was self-confident about their relationship and controlled the situation. But he had also promised to be honest with her, which meant not lying anymore. What was the most important? What did Katarina expect from him? How would she react in either case?

He looked her straight in the eye, hoping to find a response, but her stare was blank. He couldn't read her emotions. The Potions master realised it was not his pride which was put to the test. It was him. 'No more lies?' Katarina had asked. 'No more lies,' he had promised. Was he really about to make the same mistake as before? Severus felt he was about to lose everything again. He wouldn't let it happen.

"Scared to lose you," he admitted, allowing her the access to his mind again. "I don't want to spoil everything because of my... difficult temperament," he admitted, "I get paranoid when it's about you. What if you've had enough of me? If we quarrel..."

"We certainly will," Katarina replied. Severus felt she was lowering her defences too.

Severus realised she'd been anxious about the way he would answer, but satisfied and relieved at his reaction. He sighed inwardly.

"I don't expect us to agree all the time," Katarina said. "I can bear the quarrels. I've dealt with them before. It's the lies I can't take. But you replied honestly. Wise choice. Very wise choice."

Severus gulped, realising he'd just avoided what he feared the most.

"I can bear the bad temper of a wise man," Katarina continued. A smile stretched out on her face.

Severus arched an eyebrow. Had he just won points?

"I really think we should go downstairs together," Katarina said. "If someone asks questions, I'm ready to face my responsibilities. Why should I deny my affection for the wise man who saved my life?"

"Affection?" Severus repeated to tease her. "Tut, tut, I preferred the 'bloody in love with you'." Not waiting for her response, he bent his head and kissed her.

"Hmmm, Severus," Katarina said, breaking off the kiss after a few minutes.

Severus grunted, wondering why she'd stopped him.

"The shower..." Katarina whispered.

"What?" he asked, trying to remember what she was talking about.

"You're supposed to take a shower and dress," Katarina responded, an amused expression on her face, "not to undress me after I took a shower."

Severus stared at her now visible cleavage, realising he had undone half of the buttons on her shirt.

"We must go downstairs," Katarina reminded him.

Severus groused, remembering what they had to do. "Yes, I suppose..." he said, and straightened up reluctantly. "But you'll stay in this room while I'm in the bathroom, will you?"

Katarina nodded.

Severus grabbed his wand, still hidden under his pillow. Suddenly, a strange idea occured to him. How had Katarina managed to get dressed without using his wand? He'd made most of her clothes disappear. She wasn't dressed like that last night, except for her dark green cloak.

"What happened to your clothes?" he asked. "I made most of them disappear last night. Technically, you should be wearing only underwear under your cloak..." Severus' mouth twitched at this interesting thought.

"I Apparated to my quarters before I used your shower," Katarina replied.

What? Severus got angry. She had used such magic in her state? Was she silly?

"You Apparated to your quarters?" he hissed. "You shouldn't have! Apparating requires energy. Maybe you think you feel better, but you are still very fragile. I don't want you to faint or become ill. You should have awakened me! I'd have reactivated the Floo Network!"

"I know I must restrain my use of magic," Katarina replied softly, "but I needed to bring a few things back. New clothes... New wand... And as I said, I didn't want to wake you up."

Severus was about to reply that she'd been very imprudent, when he realised with astonishment something he hadn't thought of before. She had prepared herself in his quarters and not in hers.

"So," he said, "you didn't stay long in your quarters and you came back here? Why?"

"Because I had a good reason to come back," Katarina responded, staring at him with a slight smile. "And I didn't want you to wake up alone and think I had dumped you when you were asleep." She paused. "And after all," she continued, "if I'd had all my clothes with me, I'd have taken my shower here. I thought you'd have appreciated that I'd invite myself in your den, instead of running away."

"I appreciate it," Severus replied. "You are more than welcome here. It is your place as well as mine. But tell me, silly girl, if you didn't want me to wake up alone, why did you write a note saying you'd be downstairs?"

Katarina sighed. "I felt panic, I admit," she responded. "At the last moment, I feared that going downstairs with you, showing everyone that we have a relationship would lead to a disaster." She paused. "Fate can be cruel. My crew... who knows how they could react. That's why I wrote this note for you. I wanted to go downstairs alone. But I had really planned to come back here as soon as possible."

Severus observed her. Just the day before, she would have left him without any explanation and would have refused to speak with him again. So today, if she hadn't broken up with him when he was asleep, he supposed she wouldn't leave him now that he was awake. Could he trust her?

"Fine," he said. "Don't leave. I'll be back in five minutes."

When he entered the room a few minutes later, he sighed in relief. Katarina was still here. She was seated on the bed, looking at what appeared to be golden cards.

"See," Katarina said. "I haven't moved. You didn't need to hurry so much."

"Next time I enter the bathroom," Severus replied with a silky voice, "you'll come with me. And believe me, I'll take my time."

Katarina giggled. "And I thought I was the frustrated one," she said. "Silly."

"What's this?" Severus asked, looking at the cards. They intrigued him.

"A family tradition," Katarina replied. "A useful Dark arrangement. You'll see."

"It's a secret?" Severus asked, a little upset that she didn't tell him more.

"Mostly," Katarina responded. She raised her eyes from her cards and met Severus' stare. She seemed to realise he didn't like her short responses. She rolled her eyes.

"Okay," she said, looking as if she was ready to confide in him. "Let's play a little riddle, if I can use that word. Trolls, giants, vampires and Death Eaters -- I don't count the Dementors -- made it past all the powerful and invisible spells that protect the Hogwarts grounds. The question is: How did they enter?"

"Portkeys," Severus replied. He remembered that Katarina had mentioned it before and had even accused him of having put them in the forest. He frowned. "I didn't do anything, if that's what you think."

"This is not what I meant," Katarina responded. "And I was... er... wrong to accuse you," she murmured, and cleared her throat.

Severus smirked, satisfied to hear she didn't suspect him anymore.

"Anyway," she said louder, "here is the point. How did the Portkeys come here? They don't grow in the woods."

"Someone obviously put them there," Severus replied.

"Bellatrix?" Katarina asked with an unconvinced look. "Is that possible? To enter the forest, she had to get rid of many defensive spells. Do you know any Dark curse which could remove the combined defences?"

"You're asking me something about Dark Magic?" Severus queried, surprised.

"I don't know... all," Katarina replied with effort. "I learnt from Grindelwald's archives. Some of them were destroyed when he was alive. I also destroyed some of them by accident when I... er... suffered a crisis..." She looked embarrassed. "A second opinion would be welcomed."

"Did it happen often?" Severus asked.

"What?" Katarina asked.

"The crises," he replied.

"I... suppose," Katarina responded. Severus noticed the sad expression in her eyes. "The first years, I lost track of time. Maybe three days... maybe three weeks... I don't remember. Sometimes, I woke up on the floor, not knowing what had happened or how long I had been lying there." She shook her head and looked away. "Who cares. It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me," he replied. "Keep talking."

"There's nothing much to say," she continued. "I spent my days and nights studying Dark Magic and training to fight. Then, after a few years of complete loneliness, I left my ship and fought real creatures, forging the reputation I have. I hired people who, like me, had lost everything because of the war, and I re-formed Grindelwald's Lost Pirates."

"And the crises?" Severus asked, pained to hear what Katarina's life had been because of him -- not that his life had been much better.

"I bought Potions to ease the pain," Katarina replied. "Most of them didn't work at all. None could stop the crises. Two years ago, I discovered an old manuscript Grindelwald had hidden. Among the Dark Magic incantations, he'd written something about Firewhisky. Probably the only medicine I hadn't tried. And the only thing which worked."

"Not the only one," Severus replied. He had been the medecine she had always needed.

"That's right," Katarina responded, a forced smile on her face. She looked tired, as if remembering her life had been exhausting. "But I didn't know it," she continued. "And if I had known, I wouldn't have believed it, anyway." Her breath seemed a bit chaotic. "Let's talk about something else. I don't want to... think of those years anymore."

"All right," Severus responded. He was curious about her life, but he would come back to the subject later. Now was still too early.

"So," Katarina said, "what do you think about the Portkeys?"

The Potions master tried to focus his attention on Katarina's question. He thought of all the magical ways he knew to break off defences, but none was satisfying. He had placed some of the jinxes on the Hogwarts' grounds in person and was pretty sure no one knew how to counter them. And Dumbledore had added his own protective spells. A direct attack against such powerful defences would have failed. He doubted that Bellatrix had managed to get rid of them. She'd lacked the delicacy required for such work. Power alone wasn't enough.

The Potions master shook his head. "I don't have any satisfactory response," he replied.

"I agree," Katarina responded. "So... if the Portkeys didn't come from outside, they came from inside. And if they came from inside...

"... there must be a traitor in Hogwarts," Severus continued.

"And judging from Dumbledore's constant watch over the castle, which includes constant vigilance on students and... er... teachers," Katarina said, casting a quick and embarrassed look at Severus, "I fear that the traitor belongs to my team." She frowned and bit her lip. "I should have noticed it," she said. "I was so busy... er... watching you that I got blinded and didn't see the real danger. I missed the real spy."

"Alphonso?" Severus asked, hopefully.

"No," Katarina responded. "He has many flaws, but not this one."

"He increased his Veela Charm to seduce you," the Potions master said. Severus wouldn't miss an occasion for revenge. "He knew what he was doing!" he continued. "He pretended that it was a mistake, but he did it on purpose!"

Katarina didn't reply. She appeared to be thoughtful.

"As I said," she responded finally, "he has many flaws. But he's definitely not a traitor."

"You're not angry?" Severus snapped, revolted.

"I'm searching for the person who put the Portkeys in the forest," Katarina replied. "Such things, like attempts to seduce me, don't interest me for the moment. I'll deal with this Veela problem later."

"How can you be sure Alphonso is not the traitor?" Severus groused. "If he used Zingibe--"

"He's my second-in-command," Katarina cut him short. "Grindelwald cursed the post a long time ago. Only a faithful soldier can handle it. If Alphonso had tried to betray me, he'd have suffered a horrible death."

"But he was removed from his duties!" Severus retorted. "He could have placed the Portkeys when he was not your second-in-command anymore."

"Impossible," Katarina responded. "He's been promoted since. If he'd had any intention of hurting me or making our mission fail, the curse would have worked immediately, even if he'd betrayed me when he was not my second-in-command anymore. I'm not stupid. I wouldn't have risked giving such a crucial post to an enemy. Alphonso is my most faithful ally. His life depends on his fidelity to me."

Severus' jaw clenched. Alphonso was Katarina's most faithful ally? What about him?

Katarina seemed to have noticed his reaction.

"Jealous, are you?" she asked, with a satisfied expression. "Good."

'Good?' Severus was astonished. How dare she provoke him like that? Especially now that they were dressed and about to leave his bedroom! She really took pleasure in playing with his nerves!

"It means you'll make more efforts to convince me you're more faithful than he," Katarina continued on the same tone. "Interesting perspective."

Clever girl. Indeed, he would...

"Has there ever been anything between you and Alphonso?" Severus asked, just in case.

"Oh, yes," Katarina replied ironically. "We sleep together all the time." She pouted.

Severus scowled. "This is not funny," he said.

"Why are you asking me that?" Katarina replied. "You already know the response. He's not my type. Too many muscles, no snarky comments. He doesn't stand a chance against you. I've never been attracted to him and I'll never be. Why would I ever want him if I can have you?"

"I just wanted to check," Severus replied, totally satisfied with her second answer. "So, who is the traitor, if it's not that Casanova," he said disdainfully.

"I don't know," Katarina replied. "But these cards will give me the response."

"How?" Severus asked.

"You'll see," Katarina replied, with an expression of mystery. "Let's go now."

***

Katarina Burns walked to the ground floor with Severus. She squeezed her cards in her gloved hands, knowing what using them meant for her and her crew. Never before had she been forced to use them the way she would now. Once the process was started, she couldn't stop it. For Grindelwald, there was no pity for traitors.

"You look preoccupied," Severus said.

"I am," she replied.

"Are you still worried about your crew?" Severus asked. "The way they'll react when they realise we are together..."

"Among other things," Katarina responded. She looked at him. "I'm also worried about the traitor in my crew. I have a bad feeling about this."

"Capt'n!" someone exclaimed. "Hey, guys, the Capt'n is here!"

Burns turned around. Taz stepped to her, followed closely by a huge group of pirates. Burns put the cards discreetly in her cloak's pocket. She'd use them later.

"Are you all right, Capt'n?" Taz asked.

"Yes," Burns replied. "I..."

"Capt'n!" Mox interrupted. "You have a bruise on your neck. Did a vampire try to bite you?"

Katarina gasped. "Oh," she replied. She placed her hand quickly on her neck. "Yes," she added. "A... vampire..." She felt she was blushing. A vampire? Sort of... Surely Severus' work. Bloody hell, when had he given her this mark? She hadn't noticed. No doubt he had done it on purpose. She could almost hear him chuckle in her head.

"Did you get rid of him easily?" Greg asked.

"Get rid of whom?" Burns asked, still in her thoughts.

"The vampire," Greg replied.

"Oh," Burns responded, "er... no. Not really. You know vampires. Naughty stubborn creatures... They'll never give up. But be sure I'll find this vampire again and give him the lesson he deserves." Burns looked away and tried not to meet Severus' stare.

"Capt'n!" a voice called.

It was Alphonso. The man hurried up to her with a large smile on his face. But he stopped suddenly a few meters from her, as if he'd been struck in his stomach. His smile faded and his face turned livid. He appeared to have noticed Severus' presence. Had he understood that Severus and Katarina were together? His reaction became almost embarrassing.

"Er," Taz said, breaking the heavy silence to Katarina's great relief, "I found your sword in the corridors, Capt'n." He handed her sword to her. Katarina grabbed its handle and looked at her reflection in the blade.

"You cleaned the lath?" she asked.

"Yes, Capt'n," Taz replied. "I thought you'd appreciate it."

"I do," she replied.

This sword had belonged to Lord Grindelwald and almost never left Burns. Now that the Emerald Star had sunk, this sword was probably the last real symbol of Grindelwald's power. And it represented a lot for Burns and her crew.

"I suppose this is time for a speech," Burns said. She turned to Severus. "Professor Snape," she said, "could you please conjure a table on which I could stand?"

Katarina was still tired from the night's events. There was no need for her to use magic and fatigue herself now. Using her cards would be exhausting enough.

Severus raised an eyebrow. Was he shocked to hear her call him so formally? Probably. But she couldn't call him 'Severus' in front of her all crew. She didn't want to hide their relationship, but she didn't want to expose it either.

"Sure, Professor Burns," he replied almost coldly. He uttered an incantation. A large table and a chair appeared just behind Katarina.

It was Burns' turn to raise an eyebrow. A chair to climb on the table? She could have done without it!

A bit irritated, Burns stepped forward to climb up the chair, but Severus stopped her.

"If I might," he said, offering her his hand.

"Thank you, Professor," she said sarcastically, "but I really think I can get on this table without your generous help. I'm not a five year old girl. And I'm not a ninety-five year old grandmother either."

He quickly looked at her from head to foot.

"Obviously not," he replied with a suggestive smirk.

Katarina caught the hidden message, but with her crew all around, she tried to act indifferently. She finally accepted his help, not wanting him to take her cold reaction for rejection. Then she faced her crew and spoke.

"My Hearties," she said, "we have won a difficult fight. Many of us died or have been wounded. You knew it would happen, but none of you deserted the battlefield. You all deserve great honour for fighting like you did. The Great Lord Grindelwald himself would have been proud of you." She paused. "It was only a battle. Not the war. But today at least, our enemies have been defeated."

"What happened to Bellatrix Lestrange?" someone asked.

"Bellatrix Lestrange is dead," Burns replied.

"Dead?" someone exclaimed, and gasped.

"Bloody great!" a pirate shouted.

"Yeah," someone replied. "The bitch's been killed!"

"Are you sure she's dead?" someone else asked. "She was very powerful. She could have feigned her death."

The pirates stared at Katarina. Of course, they wanted a full explanation.

Burns took a deep breath. She didn't want to talk about Bellatrix and explain how she'd killed her. How Grindelwald had killed her. It was still painful for Katarina to relive that memory. To recall the pain of betrayal. But she had to tell her crew something. To assure them Bellatrix would never come back. And to ensure they wouldn't turn against her, she had to act as if she was very powerful and dangerous.

"Bellatrix Lestrange..." Burns said, "Bellatrix Lestrange was a horrible insane woman, who murdered many innocent people. She brought pain wherever she went. I took care of her. I not only killed her, I destroyed her completely, as she'd destroyed many of us. There's nothing left of her in this world. She will never come back."

The effect of her words was immediate. No one said anything for several seconds. The pirates looked both impressed and shocked. Then the silence was suddenly broken.

"All hail the Capt'n!" Taz cried out.

"All hail the Capt'n!" the other pirates shouted. They raised their swords high in the air.

In other circumstances, Burns would have done the same, but she was tired. And deep inside, she didn't feel proud of herself. She felt satisfied that Bellatrix had been destroyed. The bitch had deserved what had happened to her. But Burns hadn't managed to hurt her when she had wanted to. It was Grindelwald who had done all. He was the Heart of the Emerald. Without him, Bellatrix would have killed Katarina easily...

"A flask of Firewhisky for all of us!" someone shouted. "A flask of Firewhisky for the Capt'n! Let's drink in her name!"

"Yeah!" the men replied.

Before she could realise what was going on, someone brought her a bottle of Firewhisky. All the men raised the flasks they had just conjured into the air.

"In the name of the Capt'n!" Taz exclaimed.

"In the name of the Capt'n!" the other men replied, and chinked their flasks together.

Burns stared at her bottle without saying a word. Firewhisky. The symbol of her previous life. Now she would never need it anymore. And more importantly, alcohol was incompatible with pregnancy. She couldn't help smiling slightly, thinking of that baby she'd always wanted. Was she already pregnant? Probably not. But thinking she might be warmed her heart.

"Don't you drink with us, Capt'n?" Mox asked.

"Drink it in my place," she replied, giving the bottle to Mox. "I want to be sober and enjoy this moment fully."

"What about the Emerald Star?" Taz asked. "Can we rebuild it? With your powers, maybe we could..."

"The Emerald Star has gone," Katarina replied. "Forever, I think. It was a masterpiece, built by powerful wizards who knew the art of building great ships. I don't have enough power, knowledge, or will to bring it to life. But the Galleon has had the glorious end it deserved. You will remember it as the best ship ever commissioned."

"But," Taz continued, "is there a way to rebuild it? With time, couldn't we fix what has been broken and burnt? It was our home. Are all things broken definitely lost? Can't we rebuild a new ship from the remains of the Emerald Star? Something stronger? Greater? Can't we give the ship a second chance?"

A second chance? Katarina was thinking... The Emerald Star was more a pile of ashes than a ship. There was not much to save. But there was not much to save for Severus and her either, and yet... From the ashes of their relationship, they had found the material to rebuild something. Time would tell if their relationship would work or not, but at least she wanted to try. Could she condemn the Emerald Star so fast?

"Fine," Burns replied. "I think we can try to give this old ship a second chance. Some things are worth the effort."

She cast a quick glance at Severus. Their eyes met for half a second, but it was enough for them to understand each other.

"Now," she said, returning to the pirates, "there's something else we must talk about, my Hearties. Something important."

She pulled her golden cards out of her cloak and showed them to her men.

"You know what these cards are," she continued. "Each of them is a magical pact which binds you to me."

"A magical pact?" Severus asked.

Burns noticed the surprise in his voice and couldn't prevent herself from laughing.

"One woman alone among all these men," she replied. "I'm not stupid, Professor Snape. These cards are my best protection against sexual harassment. And actually the best way to select candidates for my crew. I only accept serious fighters in my service. Only those who agreed to sign this pact and all it implies."

She paused. With a large movement of her arm, she designated the assembly of pirates in front of her.

"These are the elite of those who tried to enlist," she continued. "Many tried; many failed. I only accepted the best ones." Burns paused again.

Yes, only the best ones. People who had lost everything and wanted to revenge from the Death Eaters. Helpless men who hadn't found redress in either the Ministry or society. People who could fight Voldemort instead of living alone and miserable in the streets with their sorrow. Yes, she was proud of her army of 'useless' men in whom no one believed. An army the Minstry had finally been glad to register in a special department, when they'd realised that Burns' group of fighters was not as useless as they'd thought.

"Time to check on your loyalties," she continued with a sneer which meant the pirates had to be frightened. "You know, guys," she said to her crew, "if someone here had the bad idea to fraternize with the enemy, I will know it... and I'll get very, very angry..."

"What does it mean?" a pirate exclaimed.

"Is there a traitor among us?" someone else shouted.

The rumour started to grow. The pirates appeared to be very worried and suspicious with each other.

"Hush!" Burns ordered with a loud voice.

Silence returned.

Katarina pulled her wand out of her cloak and tapped the tip of it on the cards.

"Fidelitas Domini Grindelwald," she uttered.

The cards flashed and flew in the air. They stopped a few meters from her, forming perfect horizontal and vertical lines. Each card represented the engagement of a man in her crew; his history. Each card contained his potential death, since no one could stop the process of the cards once it was activated; not even Burns. But now, she didn't have any choice. The cards would reveal if there was a traitor in her crew. And if they did, the chastisement would be awful, chosen by the card itself. The traitor would live the torture he feared the most.

Burns closed her eyes and gathered her courage. Many innocent people had died in the past day. The man responsible for their death had to pay now, or he would kill other people. Burns' responsibility was to stop him.

Opening her eyes again, Burns pointed her wand at the cards.

"Mortui," she uttered.

A green pale sparkle of light shot from her wand and hit the cards. They flew pell-mell in the air and reorganised themselves in two huge separated blocks, one made of golden cards and the other, a little smaller, made of green cards.

"The dead," Katarina commented, staring at the green cards.

"Veritas," she uttered, pointing at the smallest block of cards. Deep inside, she hoped that one of these cards would turn black, sign that the traitor had already been killed in the battle.

A violet ray of light escaped her wand and hit the cards, but nothing happened.

"No traitor among the dead," she said. She sighed in disappointment.

A swirl of her wand and the green cards flew in the air. They landed on the table in a perfectly straight package.

Burns turned to the golden package and raised her wand. There was no going back. In a couple of seconds she would know the truth about the spy.

"Veritas," she uttered.

The violet ray of light hit the golden cards. Five of them turned red.

"Eh?" she exclaimed, surprised. She hadn't expected this result. "Red?" she exclaimed gain. "What's that bloody joke?"

One card was supposed to turn black. Who could have guessed that five cards would have turned red? What was red for? She didn't have any idea!

"So, who's the traitor?" Alphonso asked.

"Good question," Burns grumbled. Another swirl of her wand and the golden cards flew straight to the packet of green cards, while the five red cards flew to her hands. When she grabbed them, invisible ink appeared, revealing the names of their owners: Mike, Rob, Greg, Jimmy, and Hugo. But the question was 'why'? Clearly, they weren't spies. The cards had not turned black, and their owners had not been killed.

Burns frowned.

"There is no traitor," she said. "No traitor, but lots of questions." She paused. "I'll come back to that subject later. For now, you can return to your stations. The speech is over."

The rumour increased again, but Burns didn't care. She was more preoccupied with the results she'd got with the cards. She picked up the last cards, put them in her cloak, and jumped from the table.

"What is going on?" Severus asked.

"I don't know," Katarina replied, bringing him away from the chattering group, "but I don't like it."

"What do red cards mean?" Severus asked.

"I don't know," Burns responded. "It wasn't explained in Gridelwald's archives. I suppose it's a special feature he failed to note." She bit her lip. "I really looked like an idiot with those stupid cards."

"You couldn't have guessed," Severus replied.

"I should have," she muttered. "I really should ha--"

"THAT'S FOR MY WIFE!" a man shouted behind her, so suddenly that she didn't realise the meaning of the words. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Burns felt Severus push her violently onto the floor and fall with her. She saw a blinding green light shine everywhere and heard a sound of explosion.

"Avada Kedavra!" Severus' voice shouted.

Another sparkling light shone, and Burns heard a thudding sound, as if someone had fallen onto the floor. What had happened? She could feel Severus' arm clench her waist tightly; the movements of his chest on her back, indicating that he was breathing rapidly.

"Are you all right?" he asked. His voice sounded like a strangled whisper.

"Capt'n," a man said, "it's Rob!"

Rob? Burns couldn't believe her ears. Young Robbie Artz had...? How was it possible?

She sat up so that she was not lying on the floor anymore. Shocked, she kept looking from Rob's corpse to Severus. Her heart pounded fast in her breast. The traitor had attacked her, wanting her death... And Severus had protected her. Rob could have killed the man she loved! She stared at Severus and gasped, realizing she could have lost him. A feeling of pure terror overwhelmed her. Suddenly, she wound her arms around his neck and kissed him. She felt Severus' body stiffen against hers; but he didn't push her back. He returned her kiss and embraced her possessively.

Then she heard gasps and murmurs around her and broke off the kiss. Damn! Her crew had been watching her! She'd been so scared that she hadn't been able to control herself. She felt her face redden to the top of her head.

"Bloody hell!" she whispered, hiding her face between Severus' hair and shoulder. She didn't dare to look around. "Bloody hell," she repeated, mortified. "That's so embarrassing... But if he had killed you..." Her body shivered.

"Killed me?" Severus asked. He chuckled in her ear. "Silly girl..."

"This is not amusing," Katarina replied. "This is just... scary... and bloody embarrassing..."

"Time to face your responsibilities, Captain," Severus murmured silkily.

***

6