Siriusly, Time is of the Essence III

Chapter 9

I looked at Severus as he prepared Remus' potion for tonight. "Has this been helping lately?" He asked as he dipped in some wolfsbane.

"Yes, it's not so bad." I said, fiddling with one of my many rings as they glinted in the candle light. "The brute doesn't know his own strength sometimes, but it does help." I rolled my shoulders, popping them as I remembered last month. "Since you've started brewing it, his mind has been staying sharper longer."

"That's good." He jotted that down on a bit of parchment. After a few moments of silence as he stirred counter clockwise for three minutes, he said, "I wish you'd stop staying with him." I raised an eyebrow at his back, which he seemed to have sensed because he continued on. "It's dangerous. He is dangerous."

"Severus, he's my friend, just as you are, despite your opinion of him. Besides, I promised him I would be there for him always- just as I promised for you. He's much worse left on his own." I added as I looked over his shoulder curiously. "Is it finished yet?"

"Nearly." He stirred it a bit more before dipping it into a crystal vial and stoppering it. "There, now leave." He didn't look at me as he pushed it my way.

I looked at him sadly as I took the potion gently from him. "You know, I miss her too." He finally glared at me and pointed to his door. As I turned I went pale, "Is that the time?" He looked at his clock as well, only to run after me to the classroom. "Oh no!" I cried, finding an empty classroom. I came to rest at his desk as Severus ran in behind me. "Where is he?" It was then I noticed the marauder's map wide open. Remus was heading to the tunnel under the tree... I gasped as I saw who he was following. "Oh no!"

I heard Severus running behind me as the sun set, hoping to get there in time. "Immobulus!" I heard him shout in the distance.

It spurred me forward as we neared the whomping willow- frozen as it was. Severus grabbed my cloak and I fell into his chest. "No!" He cried, worry in his eyes, "If he's transformed-"

"You would stand less of a chance than I!" I looked at the whomping willow as I jerked out of his grasp. "You have his potion," I handed it back to him. "I'll go first. If he's transformed, I can buy you some time to run If he hasn't then-." I glared at him as he opened his mouth. "I can handle him!"

I turned and went into the tunnel, the going was difficult for Severus, him not having my vision or my expereinces in this place, but I kept an eye on him. I pointed out roots and rocks, dips and low spots in the ceiling as went farther and farther into the dark. Soon, the hatch finally came into view. We heard nothing immediate, so I lifted the trap door that was set into the floor of the shreiking shack and stepped out. I got a good solid look at the dusty old place I hadn't seen for ages. "Expelliarmus!" I suddenly found myself behind Severus, who had his wand out and looking everywhere for the source of the cry. It took a moment to realise the cry had been upstairs.

"Crap." I gasped as he raced ahead of me up the stairs.

"Come out Peter!" I heard Sirius call. "Come out come out and play!" I entered the hallway as I heard Severus disarm him.

"You bicker like an old married couple." He sneered as I stepped into the doorway. My vision went red as I saw he'd pointed a wand at my husband's throat and threatened him with a dementor's kiss.

With a roar I tackled my old friend and punched him in the face before he managed to throw me off and point his wand at me. "Lynn!" Time froze for a second as I looked into his shocked black eyes. A spell was thrown at him from a few different people and he was blasted backwards into an old rickety bed that collapsed on him. I turned defensivley hissing as Harry pointed a wand at me. Sirius and Remus jumped to my defense as they stepped infront of me.