Several weeks had passed since Christmas and all seemed calm. There had been no sightings of Sirius Black. No attacks on students. The perimeter of Hogwarts hadn't been disturbed. The only thing that truly weighed on Ariella's mind was the fate of Hagrid's hippogriff, Buckbeak. She sighed as she watched her sixth year students leave her classroom.
“Professor Cross?” Ariella turned to the doorway where Harry stood, looking unsure of himself. She smiled at him.
“Harry, come in. Have a seat. Although class doesn’t start for another hour,” Ariella remarked as she worked to clear the past class’s notes off of the blackboard. She heard a chair scrape the stone floor and a weighed down bag hit the ground.
“Can I ask you something Professor?”
“Yes, of course,” Ariella answered, still working on the blackboard notes.
“It’s about my parents,” Harry announced as Ariella paused for a moment before turning to face him.
“What is it, Harry?” She questioned as Harry clenched his fists on the desk in front of him. Ariella tilted her head to the side as she brushed a few stray curls away from her eyes. She watched Harry’s jaw tighten as his shoes shuffled beneath the desk.
“Harry?”
“Is it true?” Harry asked suddenly as he looked up at Ariella. His face showed his anger. She frowned.
“Is what true, Harry?”
“Did Sirius Black really betray my parents and sell them out to Voldemort?!” He yelled as Ariella looked toward the open door, willing the wood to close. She waited until she heard the solid thud and light click that told her the door was shut and locked.
“Where did you hear that?”
“Does it matter? I want to know if it’s true,” Harry growled. His knuckles turned white. Ariella watched him for a moment before she let out a soft sigh. Her boots clicked quietly on the floor as she made her way to her godson. His green eyes followed her.
“Harry knowing the truth will not make it easier,” Ariella remarked as Harry shook his head, tousling his unruly black locks.
“I don’t care. I want to know.” He replied in a determined tone. Ariella stopped when she stood in front of him and her eyes watered, but no tears fell.
“Alright. If you really want to know. Yes, Harry, it’s true. Sirius Black betrayed your parents and I. He led Voldemort straight to them. I’m sorry,” Ariella admitted after a moment of silence. Harry stared at her with wide eyes when he saw the raw pain that flashed across his godmother’s countenance. He paused as he remembered something that Professor Lupin had told him during one of their talks.
“Your godmother was very close to both of your father and Sirius. The three of them had practically grown up together. Your father and her especially. You know, when they were younger his parents actually thought that he was going to marry Ariella, instead of your mother.”
“I’m sorry,” the words left his mouth before he had a chance to stop them. He didn’t exactly know what he was sorry for. Harry just knew that he felt guilty for making her tell him the truth. Ariella smiled and Harry watched it soften her features.
“It’s alright. You should know. They were your parents,” she replied easily. Harry climbed to his feet and quickly engulfed himself in a hug from the blonde. Ariella chuckled as she tightened her arms around her godson.
**
Severus stole a glance at Ariella out of the corner of his eye. She was staring dejectedly at her bowl of blood pudding. He saw Remus had noticed her melancholy as well.
“Hey, Elle, you ok?” Remus questioned as Ariella gave a martyred sigh. Remus frowned at his friend’s sadness.
“Elle?”
“He knows about Sirius,” she mumbled lowly. Severus’s hand clenched around the fork in his palm as Remus stared at Ariella.
“What?” He asked, unsure he had heard her correctly. Before Severus or Remus could stop her, Ariella climbed to her feet and stormed out of the Great Hall. Remus and Severus looked at one another before Remus jumped to his feet and chased after the blonde. Severus waited for a few moments before he too followed after her. The rest of the staff stared after the trio in mild surprise and bafflement.
“Elle!” Remus cried out as he jogged to catch up with Ariella. Although the corridor echoed with the bustling and chattering of the Great Hall, it was empty, save for the three professors. Severus stood back, but watched intently. He knew Remus would calm Ariella and find out what had been bothering her.
“You didn’t see him, Remus! You didn’t see the hate in those green eyes! Merlin! I’d never seen that much hate and anger in him before! He is supposed to be pure light and good. He is supposed to be happy and carefree. He is supposed to have parents to bathe him in love and adoration! He’s supposed to have us to brag to and tell secrets to! He would have called us aunt and uncle and we would be a family!” Ariella shouted when Remus gripped her arm and turned her to face them. Severus’s eyes widened.
“Elle, it’s ok,” Remus attempted to soothe as Ariella scoffed viciously at his words. Her action led to Remus stepping away from her. He could only stare at her in shock. Ariella had never turned on him before. He took another step back from her.
“Cross, stop being selfish,” Severus’s cold voice echoed in the hallway. His cruel words struck Ariella with deadly precision. Severus stepped forward past Remus and stood in front of Ariella with his arms folded across his chest. She narrowed her eyes at him.
“What did you say?” She growled darkly. Severus merely regarded her with cool indifference and ignored her question. A few brief seconds passed before Ariella clenched her fists at her sides. That soft swirling in her eyes Severus had always liked was suddenly tumultuous, twisting and crashing.
“Tell me what you said,” she hissed. Severus frowned. He could see her shivering and sweat built up on her brow.
“I told you to stop being selfish,” he replied coolly. Remus opened his mouth to stop the fight he knew would ensue with Severus’s words. However, he couldn’t speak. He noticed Ariella’s skin had taken on a sickening pallor.
“I’m being selfish?” Ariella scoffed mockingly. Severus nodded as he took a step toward the blonde. She didn’t notice the decreased distance between the potions master and herself. A sudden cold chill ran through her body and her breathing became frantic.
“Yes, Cross, selfish. Potter has every right to hate anyone. This perfect life you wanted wouldn’t have happened and you’re just fooling yourself if you think it would,” Severus explained as he took another step closer to her. Ariella shook her head before a wave of nausea swept through her. It only took Severus another step before he was standing within arm’s length of the blonde. Remus felt worry creep up his spine. Something was wrong. He knew it deep in his bones. Ariella had never acted in such a manner before. He watched Severus’s hand reach up and caress her forehead, pushing several stray curls out of her face as he did so. Severus’s frowned deepened when he noticed the heat that radiated off of his companion’s skin. He turned his head and his face confirmed Remus’s fears. Ariella was sick and it was making her volatile and delusional.
“What would you know, Snape? You loved Lily!” Ariella accused suddenly as she prodded his chest with her finger roughly. Severus’s dark eyes widened at her words.
“Cross,” he warned before he watched her eyes haze over before rolling back in her skull. Her body began to crumple to the ground unceremoniously. He barely had time to think before he caught her around her waist and she slumped into his chest, motionless. Her breath was rapid and irregular and her skin felt hot and clammy. Remus rushed forward to help the Potions Master, momentarily forgetting Ariella’s words. Severus easily readjusted Ariella before lifting her into his arms. Her head lolled against his shoulder and a soft moan escaped her lips. Remus frowned as he splayed his hand across her forehead.
“Merlin! She’s burning up!” Remus exclaimed as he took a step back.
“I’ve realized,” Snape replied sourly. He turned to head to the Hospital Wing. Remus followed on his heels, refusing to leave his best friend’s side. They were almost to the Hospital Wing’s double doors before something dawned on Remus.
“Madame Pomfrey is still at dinner,” Remus announced suddenly. Severus paused for a moment before he looked between the Hospital Wing, Ariella’s pained features, and Remus’s concerned countenance. He grunted quietly as he readjusted Ariella in his arms.
“Well, go get her, Lupin,” he growled as he kicked one of the Hospital Wing’s doors open. Remus stared at him in surprise for a moment before sighing and turning back to retrieve Madame Pomfrey from the Great Hall.
Severus Snape laid Ariella’s limp figure into a secluded cot. His fingers traced her face, brushing sweat drenched curls away from her eyes. Her body shivered uncontrollably and he felt apprehension build in his gut. He had never seen Ariella sick. When he saw her like this, it reminded him of the past year when she had been attacked in the Chamber of Secrets. He could see the blood and sweat and dirt still. Merlin, fear like no other had taken ahold of him and he had refused to leave her side for two days.
“What have you done to me, Cross?” He whispered to her unresponsive form. Silence met his question and he felt the shadows around him as a nearby candle went out.