Briar ⋆ Fred Weasley (2)

━ twelve: there and then

     Remus began, "Severus—"

     "I've told the headmaster again and again that you're helping your old friend 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," said Remus. "You haven't heard everything — I can explain — Sirius is not here to kill Harry —"

     "Two more for Azkaban tonight," said Snape. Briar was close to tears. She looked at Sirius, who looked back at her and shook his head urgently. "I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this... He was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin... a tame werewolf —"

     "You fool," said Remus. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?"

     There was a bang. Briar flinched. Cords slid out from Snape's wand and coiled around Remus. He fell to the ground, and Laurel darted to stop him from properly hitting himself in the crash. As they moved, Briar jumped forwards, and Sirius went to stop her, but Snape already had his wand pointed in between Sirius' eyes.

     "Give me a reason," whispered Snape. "Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will."

     Briar let out, "Are you that pathetic that you can't drop a joke between two teenage boys? Does this mean that I should worry for my life because of something that Fred and George have done? Are Fred, George, and I going to have to worry about any greasy pathetic dirtballs like you wanting us dead for something we did as children? Do you have the mental age of a fifteen-year-old still?"

     Snape stared at her. Briar didn't regret any of it.

     Hermione said, "Professor Snape — it wouldn't hurt to hear what they've got to say, w-would it?"

     "Miss Granger, you are already facing suspension from this school," said Snape. "You, Potter, and Weasley are out-of-bounds, in the company of a convicted murderer and a werewolf. For once in your life, hold your tongue." He turned to Briar. "And you, Lupin, will be lucky if you're just expelled, and not thrown into Azkaban like the last of the marauders."

     Briar stayed quiet. Hermione continued, "But if — if there was a mistake —"

     "KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!" shouted Snape. Briar, unlike all of the other times, didn't flinch. She didn't know about the other teenagers in the room, but she was used to hearing Snape shout. And, considering her past comment, the age-old intimidation that resided in every student had been cured inside Briar — Snape was just a bully, she didn't need to feel on-edge around a dick like him. "DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" He turned to Sirius. "Vengeance is very sweet. How I hoped I would be the one to catch you..."

     "The joke's on you again, Severus," said Sirius. He nodded in the direction of Ron. "As long as this boy brings his rat up to the castle, I'll come quietly."

     Snape said, "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 Willow. They'll be very pleased to see you, Black... pleased enough to give you a little kiss, I daresay..."

     She had glanced towards Sirius, who lacked any colour on his facial features. Briar felt like she was close to tears again. She bitterly anguished her current inability to do anything but cry. Goddamned emotions.

     "You — you've got to hear me out. The rat — look at the rat —"

     "Come on, all of you," said Snape. As he clicked his fingers together, the cords tied around Remus floated upwards. Snape held onto the ends, just as Laurel kept an arm awkwardly around Remus. It would've been more helpful, if she wasn't shorter than him, and was embarrassingly weaker. Snape glowered at Laurel. "I'll drag the werewolf—"