The Stars on the Staircase

Preparations, Precautions, Promises

"Probably wise... she's been pretty touchy lately." I quip, feeling defensive.

"Touchy!? He's been ruling this school like-"

"It was a joke, Letisha." I sighed, my attempts at casual and friendly interaction while tied to my office chair were interrupted by Filius's sudden appearance in my office.

"What is it, Miss Tate?" He asked as he entered, his jaw dropped when he saw what Letisha had done. The air between us was thick and sticky with our history, our fight, the way he had seen me this morning and now tied up by a student.

"I have secured the remaining staff liability." She announced proudly to her Head of House. "She was distributing copies of a spell on these cards if you wish to know what she was up to this morning."

Filius looked at me and back to Letisha. He read the spell. She went to the door and followed the spell's instructions. He experimented with the door knob. "The spell is as described. A securing spell to deter those who wish to do harm. There is no dark magic in it. Letisha... I will have to ask you to leave us for a moment."

"You aren't gonna ... torture her are you?" Letisha asked, suddenly worried, she must still care for me in some measure.

"No, she hasn't done anything wrong. We need to have a frank conversation that is not for your ears."

"Shall I wait outside for you, Professor?"

"No need." He told his brilliant and capable student who had so neatly captured his former brilliant and capable student. When the door shut behind her, his heavy sigh fixed me to the chair. "I wish with all my heart Minerva was doing this instead of me. I can't be the right person for this."

"For what? Interrogating me?" I ask lightly. I know not to appear eager to be released. It will only make him think I have intentions I may not have.

"For deciding." He grit.

"My fate?" I asked with a hint of a grin, it's not like he was about to put me to death for fudging the accuracy of my relationship with the dungeon bat.

"Not your fate, don't be dramatic. Whether you can be trusted to roam. Will fight for us or do you have other allegiances?"

"Of course I can be trusted! I'm not a death eater!" I roll my eyes at my old friend who should know very well I am not. "Do you wish to examine my wrist? I assure you there is no dark mark there."

"Funny, I seem to recall seeing a dark mark on a wrist that was wrapped around you this morning." His stare is ice cold, grey and flat. His blue eyes do not twinkle without their usual smile below them.

"I love him, not dark magic. Not that evil bastard who is coming our way." I mutter and cast my eyes down at my knees, a little cowed by the emotions of this morning being brought back up against me.

"You cannot let dark magic into your heart like that and go unscathed. It would be entirely reasonable to lock you up here. For the mere reason that he has tainted you."

"Filius that's absurd!" I know I should hide my anger, pretend it does not hurt me. I should play calm and reasonable, be willing to assure him that all is well. My anger is likely to get me locked in this room.

"You lied to me. You lied. to. me. for months and months . You knew you were lying in a bed with evil magic flowing through you. It bends, it corrupts. It is old magic. Ancient magic. It can move through people in more ways than you know and you were exposing us all."

"After Christmas Minerva seemed happy enough to expose me to the dark magic if it meant I could move information to your side!"

"Do not attempt to play that card with me as you well know I was against it! Moreover you were in his pocket from the first step you took in this castle, so you will not look me in the face and say it was all above board until then. We were all trusting you and even if you weren't telling him anything, you had the knowledge in your mind and there are ways dark wizards can steal things from its confines. I have long suspected Severus may well have some legilimency skills. He might have been plucking the information out of your pretty head while you slept!"