Defying the Stars

The Marauder's Tale and Attack of the Greaseball

"He's here, Sirius," Pop answers, "He's teaching here as well." Pop sighs, and the room starts spinning and waving, like I was sitting under the water.

But you have to warn them about Snape...how can I do that without speaking? I think hazedly.

"-So that's why Snape doesn't like you," Harry says slowly. I remember. The link.

Pop, Dad, careful, Snape's-

I'm cut off as I'm dragged into the room, wincing as Snape forces my head to move so he can put his wand against my neck. "That's right," he sneers, obviously happy about where he stands at the moment.

"Amara-" Dad goes to move, but Pop holds him-and Harry, which was surprising that he would even look at me-back.

"Severus," Dad says evenly, "Let my daughter go. She has nothing to do with this, and she-she's harmed" he pales even further as he sees the blood that's found it's way onto my head and neck.

"I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow," Snape says, avoiding Pop's question and with the hand that's holding his wand, he pulls out Harry's cloak and throws it aside, his wand resuming it's spot at my neck. "Very useful Potter...I thank you..."

Dad again tries to make a move to get to me as I wince in his grasp, but Snape only digs the wand further into my neck. "You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here?" He says, his eyes glittering. "I've just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your potion tonight, so I took a gobletful along. And very lucky I did...lucky for me, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map. One glance at it told me all I needed to know, I saw you running along this passageway and out of sight."

"Severus-" Pop begins, but Snape cuts him off.

"I told the headmaster again and again that you've been helping your old lover Black into the castle, Lupin, and here's the proof. Not even I dreamed you would have the nerve to use this old place as your hideout-"

"Severus, you're making a mistake," Pop says urgently, eyeing my wound and the wand quickly, "You haven't heard everything-I can explain-Sirius is not here to kill Harry-"

"Three more for Azkaban tonight, "Snape snarls. "You wanted to be together, didn;t you? Maybe the Ministry will have mercy on you and let you have cells next to each other before you get the kiss. I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this...he was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin...a tame werewolf..."

"Dumbledore knows," I croak. "He knows Dad's innocent-"

"Quiet-" Snape growls, digging the wand harder into my neck as I yelp.

"You fool," Pop says, "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting innocent men-and a child inside Azkaban?"

BANG!

I wince from the quick and loud sound. And before I know it, all pressure from the wand is gone, and so is Snape's hold of me as he drops me to the ground, but before I could hit the ground, someone wraps me into their arms. I look up, and I'm met with green eyes.

Harry.

I look over to Snape, following the aim of his wand, and see Pop. Thin, snake-like chords have twisted around his mouth, wrist, and ankles as he falls to the floor with a thump. Snape then points his wand at Dad, who's torn between going to me and helping Pop.

"Niff, I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry Mara..." Harry whispers and he holds me.

"Hey hey hey," I whisper back, shushing him. "It's okay. I'm the one who should be sorry."

"But you didn't tell me because you were protecting me...and I hurt you-"

"I would've done the same thing if it were reversed, Har. It's alright," I smile weakly as I can feel the room spin again.

"BE QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!" Snape's shout brings us out of the space Harry and I made for a few moments. "DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"

Hermione falls silent as Snape points his wand now at her, red sparks threatening to find their way to her.

"Vengeance is very sweet," Snape breathes out, looking at Dad. "How I hoped I would be the one to catch you-" I let my eyes close, exploring the back of my eyelids to pray that the pain will go away.

"Sirius-" Harry says, his voice shaking as I feel myself drift in and out of consciousness.

"Pup," Dad breathes, taking me into his arms. My eyes flutter open long enough to not only see the blood that I've left on Harry, but Dad pulling his hand away from my head, drawing the sticky red back with him.

"The joke's on you again, Severus," Dad snarls, cradling me into his chest. "As long as that boy brings his rat up to the castle, I'll come quietly."

"Up to the castle? I don't think we need to go that far. All I have to do is call the Dementors once we get out of the Whomping Willow. They'll be very pleased to see you, Black...enough to give you and your family a kiss, I daresay..."

"No-" I mutter and try to move, but pain forces me back into my Dad's embrace.

"You-you've got to hear me out," Dad croaks. "That rat-look at the rat-and you can't do that to Amara and Remus-"

"Come on, all of you," Snape says, and I force my eyes back open to see Pop's strings flying to Snape's hand. "I'll drag the werewolf. The Dementors can have him after they've had Black and his daughter-"

Harry crosses the room and stands in front of the doorway.

"Get out of the way, Potter, you're in enough trouble already," Snape snarls. "If I hadn't been there to save your skin-"

"Professor Lupin and Amara could've killed me a hundred times this year-Amara's had three years worth of chances to. I've been alone with them loads of times, having defense lessons against the Dementors with Professor Lupin and hanging out with Amara. If they were helping Sirius, why didn't either of them finish me off then?" Harry states, and I flash him a weak smile as he looks at me.

"Don't ask me to fathom the way a werewolf and a psychopath's mind words," Snape hisses. "Get out of the way, Potter."

"YOU'RE PATHETIC!" Harry yells, and I wince from the volume, flinching into my Dad's arms, who hasn't loosened his grip on me since he took me from Harry, even though he's shaking with everything that's happened. "JUST BECAUSE THEY MADE A FOOL OF YOU AT SCHOOL DOESN'T MEAN-"

"SILENCE! I WILL NOT BE SPOKEN TO LIKE THAT!" Snap shrieks, and this time the volume of his voice causes everything to black out for a moment.

"Pup...Pup...you have to stay awake for me, okay?" Dad whispers, his voice shaky as he gently taps my shoulder.

"I'm so tired...and it hurts...I just want to sleep-"

"I know you do Starshine...I'm sorry but you have to keep your eyes open, just a few more minutes then you can sleep, okay? P-please just stay awake for me...just a few more minutes..."

"Expelliarmus!" Three voices chorus, but they sounded far away, despite us all still being in the same room. I open my eyes, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione have all knocked Snape across the room-they knocked him out onto the bed, and he didn't move.

"You shouldn't have done that," Dad says, looking at them. "You should have left him to me..."

"We attacked a teacher...we attacked a teacher...oh we're going to be in so much trouble!" Hermione mumbles, her frightened eyes seeing everything that's happening.

As promised, here's the next chapter! It's a lot longer than what I thought it was, so I hope that it's okay and that you're all still enjoying the story! I'm still working on finishing this, so maybe three or so more chapters until I'll upload book two! Thank you again if you've read this far, and feel free to comment and vote, the next chapter will be up soon!

~Potterhead