Severus Snape: The Half Blood Prince

*(85) Altering the Fabric of Fate

"Explain yourself, now," Moody growled, his eye fixed on her intently as he leaned down to meet her eye-to-eye.

"Well," she began, her voice trembling slightly, "The last thing I remember is..." She hesitated, trying to hold back a surge of emotions threatening to spill over. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she continued, "...Sirius..."

Moody, ever vigilant and cautious, didn't hold back in his skepticism. He stepped forward, his weathered face marked by the unmistakable scars of his past battles. Raising his wand, he brought the tip to her throat, tilting her chin up to meet his piercing gaze. Sophie felt a shiver run down her spine, but she refused to back down.

"You'll have to do better than that," Moody gruffly stated, his voice laced with a hint of impatience. He was not one to be easily fooled or swayed by emotional pleas.

Sophie took a deep breath, trying to steady her emotions as the memories threatened to overwhelm her. The room seemed to close in around her, and she felt the weight of every eye on her, their curiosity and concern palpable. With a tremor in her voice, she continued, "I remember talking with Sirius in the drawing-room, looking at the old family portraits..."

As Moody stepped forward, his stern demeanor intensified, and he leveled his wand at her throat. Sophie swallowed hard, feeling the cold metal of the wand against her skin. The gravity of the situation hit her, and she knew she had to be careful with her words. There was no room for mistakes or misunderstandings.

But then she looked towards Sirius, her heart aching at the pain in his eyes. He appeared torn between wanting to believe her and fearing it was too good to be true. His hand covered his mouth, a reflexive gesture that betrayed his emotions. The vulnerability she saw in him touched her deeply.

Then, in a swift motion, Sirius turned back with a forced cheeriness. "That's exactly when she disappeared," he confirmed to the others, "so this is truly her."

Moody withdrew his wand and slammed his umbrella back onto the ground before storming off towards the kitchen, leaving Sophie with a mix of relief and trepidation. The tension in the room began to ease, but Sophie couldn't help but feel a pang of awkwardness. She was now much younger than everyone else present, which only accentuated the surreal nature of her return.

However, her thoughts were momentarily diverted when new members of the Order arrived, and she caught sight of a staggered Harry Potter among them. Her eyes widened in surprise, and both Remus and Sirius noticed her reaction. Sirius opened his mouth to explain, but Remus beat him to it, sensing that Sophie needed to understand the situation.

Remus began to speak, "Sophie, his may be confusing, but-"

Sophie nodded, a sad smile tugging at her lips. "I know, Remus. I know everything that has happened between the time I disappeared and now," she said, her voice tinged with sorrow. "It's just... strange to see how much Harry resembles James."

As she took a few steps towards the two marauders, memories of their time together flooded her mind. They were a tight-knit group, bound by friendship, loyalty, and mischief. The adventures they had shared felt like a lifetime ago, but in that moment, she could almost feel the warmth of their camaraderie enveloping her once again.

With a mix of emotions swirling within her, Sophie looked at the faces of those she had missed so dearly. The events that had transpired since her disappearance were both familiar and foreign, and she couldn't shake the feeling that things had changed in ways she couldn't fully grasp.

Sophie entered the kitchen with a mixture of trepidation and nostalgia. Her eyes swept across the familiar faces of the older and new marauders, all of whom she had shared countless adventures with, all of whom had become her second family. But one person was missing, and that absence gnawed at her heart.