Muggle Studies

The game's afoot

Nayme and Severus get together with the golden quartet as they analyze a more recent magical terrorist attack.

So. Plot.
After a very emotional chapter (and we are not done with emotions surrounding Severus's past, I'm afraid - nor Nayme's), we go straight to business...

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"Padfoot was here" said the writing on the wall.

It was the first thing she saw when they apparated. Her heart clenched in her chest when she saw it. Sirius. She looked around, imagining him there. It must still have been so much better than Azkaban with those horrible dementors.

She went to the wall and touched the writing, her eyes full of tears.

Severus approached her and she feared he might be upset, but he wasn't - or at least didn't appear to be. He simply pulled her to him and held her close, kissing her head.

Surprising even himself, he wasn't jealous.

"I'm sorry." He said.

"So am I. Such a sad life. Twelve years in Azkaban, then a bit more of... this." She muttered, looking around at the cave.

"Well, he did have you at some point. So it wasn't all bad." Severus said, softly.

She smiled a bit at that.

"I was sorry he died, you know." He said, suddenly. "As much as I despised him, it did seem... unnecessary. I tried to keep it from happening, but he was stubborn and arrogant... reckless idiot." He caught a glance of her 'that's quite enough' face and rolled his eyes. "Well, you knew him. And Potter... Harry. It was the first thing I thought of when I heard - what would be of the boy. I knew he was very attached to his godfather. Not to mention he'd again be stuck with Petunia and no one in the magical world deserves that."

Nay kissed him, caressing his face.

Then they heard someone clearing their throat behind them and jumped, turning around to find Harry standing at the entrance to the cave. How long had he been there?

Eavesdropping. How very Potter-like.

"Harry!" Nay said, wiping her eyes and going to hug him. "I didn't hear you apparate."

"I apparated at the foot of the hill and walked up. I was a bit... distracted. Didn't mean to barge in on you, sorry." The young man explained.

"It's perfectly fine." Severus answered politely, but rather dry.

Ron and Hermione showed up then, apparating right into the cave. Ginny came next.

Nayme greeted them warmly, but all four of them looked somber.

"You were right." Hermione said at first. "Have you heard?"

Anxiety washed over Nay. She looked at Severus nervously; he put an arm around her shoulder, looking nothing but attentive.

"There's been a magical terrorist attack in Trafalgar Square. Someone animated two of the Landseer Lions." Ron said. "They attacked the muggles around them. Two people died, five are in the hospital. The Ministry is still dealing with the repercussions, making it look like a bomb."

There was a long silence after that, as Nay and Sev absorbed the impact of that information.

Like the war times.

" Piertotum locomotor ?" Nay asked. "But the statues are enormous unarticulated hunks of bronze."

"I saw Dumbledore do something similar in the battle in the Ministry. He animated the statues on the Fountain of Magical Brethren, in the atrium." Harry said.