Ariadne's Thread ⭒ h. potter

One More Step

She threw herself forward at once, launching her good elbow onto Black's ribcage. He heaved a deep breath, gasping for air, and released his fingers involuntarily. Harry took the opportunity to grab onto his wand and, standing in front of her now, pushed Black off of the bed and onto the floor beneath them.

Harry stayed in front of her, blocking her vision, but Ariadne could see at least that Harry's wand was raised, pointed at her father's throat.

"Going to kill me Harry?" she heard him whisper. Harry did not respond. Ariadne flinched as the grasp on his wand tightened.

And as she watched Harry stand with his wand raised in front of Sirius Black's prone, pathetic body, Ariadne realized with a dawning horror that in spite of all that he had done, in spite of all that he had done to Harry, only now was she able to admit to herself that she did not want her father to die.

Yet as the seconds passed with agonizing deliberation, Harry's arm remaining steadily pointed, Ariadne continued to merely watch, tears pricking behind her eyes and words lodged in her throat where Hermione was open with her sobs, where Ron was vocal with his yells. And Ariadne was even sicker with herself when she realized what was worse: she did not want her father to die, but she would do nothing to stop it.

The tell-tale thump of footsteps approaching once more was the only warning that Ariadne had of Professor Lupin's approach before he shoved the door open and Disarmed Harry in one fell swoop.

A sigh of relief escaped Ariadne, and she cursed herself at the instinct. Sirius Black deserved to die. He was a murderer, a monster. And you're a coward.

"Professor Lupin," pleaded Hermione with a broken sob. "You've got to – he'll kill us."

Ariadne's relief did not last long, and she watched with narrow eyes as Professor Lupin ignored Hermione and moved straight towards her father. She did not trust Professor Lupin before, and she would not begin to trust him now. She did not drop her wand, as Hermione and Ron had, but lowered it to a discreet position by her thigh.

"Where is he, Sirius?" he asked through clenched teeth. Her father stared up at Professor Lupin from his position on the ground for a long moment, drinking in the sight of his old friend, before gesturing towards Ariadne. He?

Professor Lupin evidently did not share the same confusion as she did, for he nodded once tersely, maintaining careful contact with her father. His eyes widened as he looked, hurt pouring from every feature.

"Why did he not– did you switch? Without telling me?"

Sirius nodded once, and Professor Lupin crumbled. He was a man no longer, transformed into a boy by the wound of betrayal, and he fell to his knees in front of her father.

"Forgive me, Sirius," he whispered, reaching for her father. Her father returned the embrace, pressing his face into Lupin's worn collar.

"Remus, my old friend. There's nothing to forgive."

Ariadne watched the emotions flit across Harry's face. Disappointment, sure, and hurt as well, but he was not surprised either. They had been Marauders together, after all.

Ariadne had known, known, that something had been off with Professor Lupin. Something other than his being a werewolf, something that kept her at arm's length while pretending to hold her close. And here it was.

Lupin broke from her father's embrace first, teary brown eyes meeting her own. He studiously ignored her recoil.

"May we have him, please, Ariadne?"

"You're mad," breathed Ariadne, eyes flitting between the two men as they watched her expectantly from the centre of the room. Absolutely barmy. She narrowed her eyes and raised her voice as she continued. "We'll die before you can have Harry."