Sarah was still livid when she woke the next morning, though she didn't immediately remember why. She held onto it though, figuring if she didn't feel anger she'd feel grief, and anger was more useful.
She climbed out of bed, dressed, and exited the tent, spotting the other tent pitched nearby. Yes. That was why. She drank in the anger, letting it fuel her for whatever shouting or cursing she'd need to be doing that day.
She found Penny sitting by the riverbank and sat down beside her.
"Where are the others?" she asked.
"Having some kind of meeting in the other tent," she said. "But I wanted to stay here and be a friendly face for you when you woke up."
"Where's Sophia?"
"Beatrice is babysitting her for a couple of days. I swear, I nearly fainted when Talbott burst into the room, all sweaty and frantic, shouting that you needed blood potion fast or you would die." She shook her head.
"Sorry to put you through all that."
Penny patted her hand. "Nonsense. I was happy to be of use."
Sarah glanced back at the tent, wondering what the others were up to.
"Why is he still here anyway? I thought I made it perfectly clear I didn't want him around."
"Talbott wanted to speak with him," said Penny. "Well, everyone did. They're exchanging all their knowledge about what on earth has been going on lately."
Sarah picked up a rock and tossed it into the river. It hit the water with a great sploosh and disappeared.
"Sarah?" Penny asked. "Do you remember our sixth year, when Bea started hanging out with Ismelda Murk and wanted nothing to do with me?"
Sarah smirked as she nodded, remembering 12-year-old Beatrice decked out in goth makeup and purposefully tangling up her hair that naturally fell quite neatly. Ismelda Murk was a name she hadn't heard in a while. Sarah wondered what she was up to these days. She wouldn't be surprised if Ismelda had joined Voldemort.
"You gave me really good advice then," Penny continued. "Bea and I might never have reconciled if it weren't for you."
Sarah sighed. She knew where this was going.
"I suppose you have some advice for me now?"
"Your brother's alive. Surely, that's something to be happy about?"
"He's not my brother, Penny. I don't know that wizard. Jacob left our family by choice. I tried for years to bring him back to me, to make us all a family again, but he always chose to leave again. I suppose its nice that he's alive, but I'm done chasing after something I can never have. It's not worth getting hurt again."
Penny nodded, but Sarah could read the unsaid words in her sad, blue eyes.
The girls turned around at the sound of several pairs of feet sliding across the rocky bank. Apparently, the meeting had adjourned. The others filed out of Jacob's tent, but none of them appeared very happy.
Penny jumped to her feet. "Breakfast!"
Sarah followed Penny into the kitchen of their own tent and watched over the bacon while Penny cooked eggs.
"Can I help?" It was the smooth voice with the beautiful, Romanian accent that made Sarah's skin crawl. "Barnaby says I'm quite good in the kitchen."
Sarah spoke before Penny could say anything pleasant.
"No. If you want to help, I suggest you pack up your tent and get lost. Take Jacob with you."
Elena hmphed and took another step into the tent. Sarah got the sense that she was a person who rarely backed down from a fight. Good. She was in the mood for a fight.
"Perhaps you could ask the others how many eggs they'll be wanting," said Penny quickly.
Elena glared at Sarah another moment. Sarah stared unflinchingly back.
Elena tossed her hair over her shoulder and exited the tent just as Merula entered. Merula knocked into Elena's shoulder as as she passed. It could have been an accident, but Sarah knew her too well to be fooled.
Merula chuckled as she took a seat at the kitchen table.
"Looks like you and I are finally in agreement on something. I'm not a fan of our little stowaway either."
"You're both being unfair," said Penny, scooping cooked egg from her pan to a plate. "She's obviously been through a lot."
"We've all been through a lot," said Merula. "That's what gives us the right to be such unpleasant gits, right Spellman?"
Sarah didn't meet her eyes, she just turned over the bacon in her frying pan. "What are you in such a good mood for, anyway?" she asked.
She knew from experience that Merula's satisfied smirked never boded well.
"I suppose because you're in such a fowl mood? I take a lot of enjoyment from your unhappiness. It also amuses me to see you acting like a cow to someone other than me."
"Merula, if you're not going to be helpful, you should wait outside with the others," said Penny.
"I was under the impression you didn't need any help."
She gave Sarah a wink as she stood. Penny levitated the slightly burnt bacon Sarah was neglecting from the pan to another plate as Merula strode across the tent floor.
"This has been fun. I almost missed you people."
"You mean while you were off becoming a Death Eater?" Sarah asked.
Merula halted in the tent's entrance. Sarah braced herself to be hit by a spell, or at least a tirade of shouting, but Merula just turned to look her in the eyes.
"Yes. While I was off becoming a Death Eater."
She let the tent flap fall closed behind her on her way out.
**********
The two groups remained segregated for breakfast, and for the rest of the day, much to Penny's disappointment, but Sarah was relieved. She had no interest in speaking to any of the others.
She spent most of the day napping or sitting by the river watching the ripples in the water as Diego and Tulip skipped rocks. She was still recovering from losing a vast amount of blood, and found she got tired after only a few minutes of pacing back and forth.
When she wasn't sleeping, Talbott informed her on what had transpired when they'd all met in Jacob's tent.
"Your brother's quite tight-lipped," he said. "But in exchange for nearly everything I know about the Auror Office, he confirmed that he and the others have spent months searching for some dark objects. Apparently, they have to be destroyed before You-Know-Who can be killed."
"And have they found any?"
"No. Which is why Merula suggested we join them in the search."
Sarah stared over at Merula. She was talking with Jacob in front of their tent. It looked like they were arguing. Sarah almost didn't believe Merula had asked them for help. The "Most Powerful Witch at Hogwarts" she remembered would never have admitted to needing assistance. What was she planning?
"We can't trust them," she said. "I mean, two of them are Death Eaters. And Merula's betrayed us twice before."
"They were Death Eaters," Penny corrected. "And you yourself told us we needed to let go of Merula's betrayal in our seventh year."
"Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater," snarled Tulip. She was glaring at Elena, but Sarah was certain she was thinking of Alex.
"In any case, if what they're saying is true, there's no point in us carrying on with this war if You-Know-Who can't be killed," said Talbott. "I say we find Dumbledore or someone else in the Order and see what they think about all this, but Jacob isn't keen on involving anyone else."
Sarah scoffed. Of course he wasn't. Working alone had always been Jacob's style. It was easier than explaining yourself to the people that loved you.
"Even if we do believe them, I don't think we should travel with them," said Diego. "The bigger the group, the more difficult it will be for us to go unnoticed." Diego was staring over his shoulder uneasily in the direction of Barnaby.
Talbott sighed. "We don't have do decide now. Jacob agreed to spend another night here while everyone works out what to do next. And we're not going anywhere either. Sarah still shouldn't be apparating for at least another day."
The day passed agonizingly slowly. Finally, as the sun began to fade and a few stars just became visible, Sarah rose to her feet. She couldn't endure Merula and Jacob's bickering, Elena following Barnaby around like a lost kneazle, or Penny's and Diego's worried glances at her any longer.
"I'm going for a walk."
"Alone?" asked Talbott, eyebrows raised.
"I'll go with you," said Diego, jumping to his feet.
"Don't push yourself too hard," Penny called, as Sarah stomped down the bank, Diego trailing after her.
***********************
Barnaby was not happy.
Elena was still upset with him for abandoning her when he'd jumped after Jacob and Merula and disapparated. Shen been cold towards him ever since he went back for her hours later, once he'd been sure Sarah would be alright.
He also couldn't close his eyes without seeing Sarah's accusing stare, like he'd snapped her heart in two. He couldn't decide if he should tell her the rest of what he knew about her brother--how Jacob had been spying on her and interfering in her life somehow, that he was still practicing Dark Magic, and how he'd managed to come back from the dead.
Sarah had disappeared with Diego, so he was left to pace back and forth along the riverbank, glancing every few seconds in the direction she'd taken and wondering what to do.
"It was her, wasn't it?"
He turned to find Elena watching him, her arms folded.
"Huh?"
"I thought you had feelings for Merula in the past, but it was Sarah."
Barnaby swallowed and nodded.
"You were a couple?"
"Yeah."
"When?"
"We started dating in our fifth year."
Elena nodded. "When did you stop dating?"
Barnaby had to think about that for a while. Had it only been a few weeks ago, or had decades passed? Both felt correct.
"Just before I came to Romania."
Another nod. She stepped forward to take his hand. "It must be hard to let all those feelings go, after being together for so long."
"Maybe."
"Have you?"
"Have I what?"
"Let those feelings go."
He had to think again. Had he? He supposed he hadn't thought as much about Sarah in the recent months. Back in Romania, hardly a second had passed that he didn't dwell on her, even with the blissful distraction of trying not to be roasted alive.
Now, he had Elena. He liked the feel of her hand in his, her warmth as she snuggled up to him at night, her quick kisses as soon as she noticed they'd been left alone. She helped fight the nightmares he had nearly every night of being back in his family's cellar.
Seeing Sarah again had awakened old feelings within him, but they weren't really romantic, now that he thought about it. Not exactly. He'd worried for her, nearly lost his mind with panic when he saw her unconscious and soaked in blood. He wanted to protect her, comfort her, keep her safe. It hadn't been exactly pleasant last night, when he held her in his arms again, sharing her grief. He hadn't done it because he wanted it; he'd done it because he'd known that was what she'd needed.
"Well?"
He pulled himself out of his thoughts to find Elena still staring up at him. Her jaw jutted out slightly as she waited for his answer.
He was saved from giving her one by Sarah's return. She was stomping up the bank, her face red with anger. Diego was stumbling behind after her.
"That's not a real answer," he was saying. "I want to know why!"
Sarah hissed something back, but too quietly for Barnaby to hear.
"No!" said Diego, his voice rising passionately. "I'm can't keep quiet about this anymore! You know I want to be with you. So why not? Is it because of him?" He pointed at Barnaby. "You deserve better than him, Sarah! He strung you along for years and then left you the minute he found someone else! I'll get down on one knee right now if I have to!"
By this time, the argument had drawn the attention of the others and unconsciously they gathered closer to be an audience to the display. Sarah glanced around at them all, her hands shaking with embarrassment. Barnaby wanted to punch Diego in his stupid, glistening mouth.
"Please, Diego," said Sarah. "Now's not the time."
"It's never the time! I love you, Sarah. I almost lost you the other night, and I realized I can't wait any longer to be with you. I don't know how long we'll have together, and I want to make the most of every moment of it."
There was a pause. The others glanced around at each other. Sarah seemed to be placed under Petrificus Totalus. She was frozen in place, but he could see that all her muscles were taught, as if she were trying with all her might to escape but an outside force kept her held in place.
Diego took two deep breaths. "So, I guess I'll just do it now."
Barnaby watched as Diego took her shaking hand, then lowered himself to one knee. Penny gasped. Sarah appeared to have stopped breathing entirely.
"So, what will it be? Will you let me make you as happy as I can in this crazy mess of a world, while I still can?"
Silence. Deadly silence. Sarah stared at Diego, eyes glazed over, as he shifted his knee on the rocky surface. Barnaby hoped it was really hurting him.
"And here's me thinking this day was gonna be completely boring," said Merula. No one took any notice of her. Everyone was watching Sarah.
Barnaby jumped to the side. A bright light had shot past him. He grabbed his wand as the light headed for Sarah, but relaxed when he recognized it as a patronus, though not one he recognized. It was some kind of huge dog, and it bounded above the rocks, floating straight through Diego. He yelped and lurched to the side as the dog sat at Sarah's feet. The patronus opened its mouth and spoke in the voice of Nymphadora Tonks.
"Attack on Hogwarts. Death Eaters in the Astronomy Tower. Come quick!"