Harry spent the next few days roaming the castle aimlessly. Ron was still in London with his mother and Hermione, their time taken up with fruitless visits to St Mungo’s where Arthur lay unconscious. The news had not been quite as bad as they had first surmised but from Molly’s point of view it was hard enough; one son dead and her husband the victim of a charm that no one could find a cure for. She was running herself ragged trying to care for Ron, Ginny and Hermione, although the older girl had proved to be an invaluable help with the general chores around Grimmauld Place and of course she provided a sympathetic ear for Ron. Harry missed his friends dreadfully. He wanted to provide some support for Ron because he knew only too well just how bad Ron would be feeling and in some way it alleviated his own grief, which was still sharp even though the months were passing quickly.
He had managed to avoid Professor Snape although annoyingly Snape seemed to be monopolising Maeve’s time and Harry barely saw her either. He was rather put out by this; what could they possibly be talking about that took up so much time? All Harry had ever seen them do was argue and snipe at each other so he couldn’t understand this sudden closeness. Hagrid was equally preoccupied with something that he was keeping secret from everyone. He had constructed what looked like a stable using wood cut from the forest. There was no doubt he had used a little magic in the building because there wasn’t a nail in sight and this added further to Harry’s suspicions that Hagrid’s battered umbrella was indeed the remnants of the wand that had been snapped years ago when Hagrid had been expelled.
Three days after they had arrived back at Hogwarts Harry decided to take a walk in the grounds. He decided that as long as he kept close to the school building he would get away with it. Dumbledore had spared two Aurors who regularly patrolled the grounds and building but they had been keeping a closer eye on Maeve than on him, which was quite all right as far as Harry was concerned. He could hear the clatter of buckets and the noise of hooves from behind Hagrid’s hut. Harry wondered what Hagrid was doing with the Thestrals but before he could head off to find out he heard a slightly raised voice and recognised it as that of the Potions master. The voice came from a bench that was partially shielded by several tall conifers and he found if he moved closer he could hear without being seen.
“You would be mad to even try it.” Snape was saying. “When you mentioned it before I thought you were talking abstractions not reality.”
“But Albus is convinced it would work,” Harry was unsurprised to hear the voice of Maeve.
“Professor Dumbledore is a great man, however when it comes to Potions he is not an expert. The combination of an untested potion with Wolfsbane could be disastrous.”
Harry was instantly intrigued. They must be talking about something to do with Werewolves and that could mean only one person.
“But he could stop taking the Wolfsbane. We could conduct a controlled experiment, keep Remus safe while we tried the new potion.” She was pleading with Snape now and Harry could just imagine the tall man’s frosty face as he looked down his long nose at her.
“A controlled experiment on a Werewolf? That’s one of the most foolish things I have ever heard you say. And I seem to remember you chastising me when I referred to Remus as anything other than Remus yet here you are planning to use him like a laboratory experiment to prove a point about a potion.”
“That is not true!” Maeve’s voice rose angrily. “It’s to help Remus, I don’t care if I never use the potion again as long as it’s of some benefit to him.”
“Get a grip on yourself,” he sneered. “You would be more likely to kill him than cure him. A witch as skilled in Potions as you should be well aware of the dangers of such a rash idea.”
“It was Dumbledore’s idea.” She reminded him. “He mentioned it to me when I first arrived here and he mentioned it to me again the other day.”
Harry heard her stand up and was about to move away when Snape seemed to give in a little.
“Where is this formula?” he asked coldly. “I suppose there is little harm in taking a look. At least then I will have firm grounds for dismissing the idea.”
“It’s in my room in one of my grandmothers old books. I can fetch it for you later if you like,” Maeve replied with a satisfied ring in her voice.
“I don’t particularly like, however if it stops another of your madcap schemes then I fear I must,” he replied sourly.
Harry could hear the soft rustle of Snape’s robe as he moved so Harry quickly stepped back, unfortunately he didn’t see the tree stump behind him and as he flew backwards he couldn’t help but give a small yelp of surprise. A hot feeling crept up his face as he realised he was about to be discovered eavesdropping, but fate stepped in in the form of Hagrid whose voice rang out just as Snape was about to shoot round the edge of the trees. The slight hesitation caused by Hagrid’s call gave Harry the time to scramble back along the path and round the corner of the school just as Snape reached the place Harry had been standing.
Snape looked around warily but the footprints left in the snow only confirmed that someone had been there; they left no indication as to whom that person may have been, although Snape had his suspicions.
“Mr Potter,” he whispered under his breath. “Sneaking around again are we?”
He quickly returned to Maeve, answering her questioning glance with a shake of his head.
“No idea,” he said. “Probably a stray student, there are a few of them around.”
“Now then!” Hagrid boomed as he reached them. “I’ve got a surprise for you Professor O’Malley and I think yer goin’ ter like it.”
“Really?” Maeve asked apprehensively. She was only too aware of Hagrid’s reputation when it came to surprises and she didn’t know whether to be pleased or afraid.
“I do,” he said, with a very satisfied expression on his face. “An I’ll take yer to it now if you’d like.”
“Ermm,” she glanced at Severus who allowed a rare smile to play on his lips.
“Oh, yes,” he breathed. “I think you should go with Hagrid. I’m sure that whatever it is you will love it.”
He gave a little snort of amusement before turning around and heading back to the school. He was still smiling when he walked through the main doors.
“Well then, Hagrid.” Maeve watched Snape walk away with a disgusted expression on her face. “I suppose we had better see what you have got for me hadn’t we?” She forced a smile as she followed the shuffling giant of a man back to his hut.
She couldn’t help but be curious when she clapped eyes on the haphazard construction that had been erected behind Hagrid’s home. It was a square structure that was undoubtedly a stable but quite unlike any stable she had ever seen before. The wood was roughly cut planks that still had their bark on them and the occasional bit of moss; the roof was made from the branches of fir trees that sat atop the stable with no obvious means of anchoring them down. The bottom door was closed but the top door hung open, apparently without the need for hinges or bolts.
“It’s lovely,” she said, looking up at Hagrid with a questioning expression on her face. “But what’s it for?”
“Well why don’t yer ‘ave a look?” Hagrid asked. His grin grew ever wider, making Maeve even more nervous. There was now a faint rustle coming from the stable as something moved around inside it.
“It won’t bite will it? Whatever it is?” Maeve asked, as she walked hesitantly towards the doors.
Hagrid frowned for a moment as if the question had never occurred to him before.
“Well now, I don’t know,” he said. “It’s got a lot of teeth but they’re not right sharp so yer should be fine.” He gave her an encouraging smile and folded his huge arms across his ample chest.
She reached the door and heard a soft whickering sound as a large head loomed across the open half. Huge brown eyes stared out and the head suddenly bobbed up and down merrily as the animal pawed the ground in excitement.
“Oh!” Maeve exclaimed. “Oh I don’t believe it! Saoirse.”
Her face radiated happiness as she ran her hand down the warm neck of her horse who immediately began rooting around in her robes for a treat.
“No, you naughty beast,” she laughed, tapping the chestnut nose playfully.
“See, I knew you’d be pleased,” Hagrid said proudly. “Brought her back meself, took a ruddy good concealment charm to get her out of that old ‘ouse of yours. There were a few hairy moments I can tell yeh. But here she is.”
Hagrid watched as Maeve opened the door and led the horse out onto the grass.
“She’s very pretty like,” he said as watched the happy reunion. “Very pretty, but doesn’t do much though. Just eats from what I can see, do they ‘ave any magic in them?”
“No,” Maeve smiled. “No magic. They are just good friends and fun to ride, exhilarating in fact.”
The horse whirled around her, clearly ready for a trip out that didn’t involve a huge human staring at her waiting for her to do something unusual.
“But how on earth did you know about her? Why get her out now after all this time?” Maeve was looking at the protruding ribs and the welts that scarred her flank and with a sinking feeling realised she had not been treated well.
“It were Professor Dumbledore that ordered it. Said he wanted everything of yours out of that place and we managed it,” Hagrid said, with a pleased look on his face. “Every last thing, it’s all up in yer rooms now.”
She shook her head in disbelief.
“I can’t believe Albus would risk someone’s life to get my things away from Abbeylara. That’s just madness, Hagrid.” She looked at him with a puzzled expression on her face.
“He’d ‘ave had a reason. Professor Dumbledore always as a reason. Maybe there’s something in there he thinks you should ‘ave.”
“Well I can’t imagine what,” she grabbed at the animal’s halter. “Not today madam,” she said to the horse before leading her back into the stable and closing the door. The horse’s head dropped sadly but Maeve rubbed her nose and promised to come back the following day. Saoirse was the perfect name for her. It meant freedom in the Irish language, for many years Maeve had only felt free when she rode the horse across the fields and hills of Abbeylara
“All her things are in the hut, the saddle and whatnot. I’ll give ‘em a polish for you later.” Hagrid glanced up at the sky as snow began to fall again. “You’d best be getting yerself back up to the castle, you don’t want ter be out in this weather again.”
Maeve felt the first flakes land on her face and couldn’t agree more, the storms they had endured when they had flown up here contained enough snow to last her a lifetime. With several more hurried words of appreciation to Hagrid Maeve sped away towards the school entrance.
The school was still very much an echoing, empty place with only a handful of students and one or two teachers. A shadow in an alcove reminded her that there were also two aurors around and they were dogging her steps wherever she went. They were very good at their job as she rarely saw them but she could feel their presence and it was unsettling. Firenze met her as he came out of the staff room and bowed his head to her.
“I was sorry to hear about your friends,” he said quietly.
“Well,” she began, “I barely knew them but I do know Molly Weasley quite well and of course Ron Weasley is one of my students. What happened is a sad but inevitable outcome of this war.”
“I understand that Azkaban is now open,” he said, keeping his luminous eyes on her face.
“Yes, apparently so.” Her own eyes wavered as she caught another glimpse of a shadow by the door. “It will be no easy task for the Aurors keeping track of all those criminals.”
“You seem distracted,” he observed.
“Oh, it’s these Aurors,” she explained. “I know they are here for my own good but it’s so odd knowing they are following me around. You would think Harry would be far more important than I am.”
“Ah,” Firenze gave her a knowing look. “But you see Voldemort knows that now you are alive he must eliminate you before he can get to Harry. For him to face Harry with you alive would be a dangerous move on his part.”
“Well I don’t know why,” she said irritably. “All these bloody prophecies! It’s all so vague, how can one know what they mean?”
“The future is not for us to know in detail,” Firenze closed his eyes for a moment as if looking into another world. “It is enough to know that you must keep yourself safe, if only for Harry’s sake.”
She regarded him with dissatisfaction for a moment before hurriedly excusing herself. There had been members of her own family who claimed to have the gift when she was growing up and it had always been so annoying to be told of hazy, distant events that may or may not happen. She would much rather have gone through life blissfully and totally unaware of what might or might not befall her. As she climbed the stairs she found Harry going in the opposite direction with several library books under his arm, he grinned sheepishly at her and she couldn’t help wondering why he looked so guilty.
“Loose end, Harry?” she asked brightly.
“Very, all I seem to have are loose ends these days.” He stopped walking, feeling a degree of pleasure at finally finding her alone. “Are you busy?”
“No, not especially,” she admitted. “Do you want to come to my rooms for a pumpkin juice, perhaps a bit of Occlumency practice?”
He grimaced at the latter but was more than pleased to accept the offer of a drink and with a bit of luck Snape wouldn’t stick his nose in for a decent interval. They walked together to her rooms and she broached the subject of Ron very gently.
“Have you heard anything from London?” she asked carefully, her voice light.
“Yes,” he replied in a mumble. “Hermione sent me an Owl yesterday. Ron’s gone a bit quiet but it’s Mrs Weasley she’s most worried about.”
“Molly’s had an awful shock.” Maeve acknowledged with a shake of her head. “It’s even worse having poor Arthur in hospital.”
“I think that’s what is really getting to them all. They have to go there every day and just watch him. Hermione says he just lies in the bed, all grey-faced and not moving.” Harry stopped walking and looked uncomfortable. He clearly wanted to say something but having been soundly told off by Hermione a few days before for his bluntness with Maeve over Snape’s mother he was reluctant to dive in.
“What is it Harry?” she asked encouragingly.
“Well I just wondered if it was anything like… you know… Snape’s Mum.” He looked at her in confusion. “If she could just let go then maybe Mr Weasley could do the same, maybe he’s tired of lying there and will just give up.”
“Oh, I don’t think so,” she said. Her face wore a very intense expression. “I think Arthur Weasley has got far too much to hang on for, don’t you? I don’t think he is about to walk away from his family now. Let’s hope the Healers can come up with a solution to the problem, I’m positive Arthur will be patient in the meantime.”
“Do you really think they will come up with a cure?” Harry asked doubtfully, his recent experiences had made him believe you shouldn’t expect too much from life.
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “There’s nothing certain in life is there, but St Mungo’s has the best Healers in their fields so if they can’t come up with a cure I shouldn’t imagine anyone can.”
Harry began to walk on again and she followed him, he looked tired and ill at ease. If she was having trouble coping with the realisation that this was the start of the real horror then how on earth was he managing?
“Hermione’s asked if I will be going to Bill’s funeral,” he said, stopping outside her door and waiting for her to push it open.
“And do you want to?”
“It’s not a question of wanting to is it,” he retorted. “Professor Dumbledore won’t let me, I’m not allowed to leave Hogwarts.”
She made a sympathetic face and closed the door behind them, knowing only too well that enforced confinement was hard to take. Harry gasped at the scene that greeted them and even Maeve took a step back.
“What happened?” Harry said, his mouth gaping at the mess that covered every conceivable surface in the office.
“Hagrid happened,” she said, reaching down to touch the edge of a dark table that stood between them and the rest of the room. “These are all my things from home. Hagrid was sent to get them.” She couldn’t believe how much had been deposited on the floor. There were tables and chairs, books, clothes, curtains, items of silver and huge oak chests that she knew would be stuffed with linen and sewing items. As she moved through the disorder she could see a few items that weren’t even hers; there was a gold pen that belonged to Niall and a painting that she knew belonged to the older O’Malleys but which had always been her favourite.
“You have a lot of stuff!” Harry exclaimed, as he followed her through to the other room. She had gone on through to the bedroom and her scream made Harry run after her to find her hugging an oldish man with greying hair, tears of joy rolling down her face and gibberish coming from her mouth. Harry’s face clouded, he couldn’t believe this, just when he had thought he would be able to have a few hours of her company top himself he found he was thwarted yet again. He stood clenching and unclenching his fists in frustration as she continued gabbling in a language he didn’t understand and from the sound of it didn’t want to. He guessed it was Irish. It was the old man who finally coughed and pushed her gently away, bringing her to her senses. She turned round to Harry with glistening eyes.
“This is Liam,” she said breathlessly. “He was my butler at Abbeylara… I just can’t believe it.”
Harry nodded sullenly but she didn’t notice his dark mood and turned back to Liam who stood there thoroughly embarrassed but at the same time pleased that he was receiving such a warm welcome.
“Liam, this is Harry Potter,” she introduced Harry with a proud gleam in her eye. “He may not be my best student but he’s certainly my favourite.”
“Pleased to meet you, Harry” Liam inclined his head towards Harry who immediately felt like he was being very selfish for begrudging her this reunion.
“Pleased to meet you too,” he said in a shy voice.
“Liam has known me since I was a child,” she said to Harry. “If you want to know what a horrid child I was Liam is your man. He could tell you all the stories.”
It was only then that she noticed Liam was holding a duster, as she looked around the bedroom she realised it was immaculately tidy and filled with appropriate items from Abbeylara. A cut glass vase filled with flowers and foliage stood on the windowsill and the large portrait of her mother took pride of place over the fire.
“Oh my goodness,” she said as her mother smiled down on her. Grainne O’Malley then gave Harry a very affectionate look and he didn’t need telling who she was, the eyes said it all. Maeve felt a surge of wild anger across her heart as Grainne’s peaceful eyes gazed down. It was far harder to deal with her death now she knew the truth. She couldn’t help wondering if Liam knew the truth, he had been with the family all her life. She would have to ask him at some point, but only when she was ready to deal with it.
“I’m having a tidy up Miss,” Liam said. “It’s a bit of a midden at the moment what with all the things we brought but sure I’ll have it sorted out soon. Why don’t you take Mr Potter away out somewhere while I’ve finished. It’ll not take me long.” He winked at Harry who smiled back in gratitude.
“Well, if you are sure.” She looked again at the old man. “We have a lot of catching up to do don’t we? I want to know everything.”
“Aye well,” he said with a bitter look on his face. “I’m not certain you do, Miss, not certain you do at all.”
*
Abbeylara was dressed in a shadow of darkness that had been growing in intensity since Niall O’Malley had returned, brandishing a piece of parchment bearing Maeve’s signature. This was the one thing he needed before he felt Abbeylara could be used for the purposes he intended. Not only would he gain a degree of power by allowing the house to be used as a gathering place he would also become something of a confidante of the head of the rising force of dark magic that threatened to eclipse all else. He had only seen the black-cloaked figure once; it had been the briefest of glimpses as Voldemort swept through the entrance and up the stairs with a gibbering man and a tall, splendid looking woman trailing in his wake. He had felt the potency of their darkness as they made his house their home and he had the occasional moment of delicious fear when he though of the path he had taken. This made his earlier escapades with dark magic pale into insignificance; the dalliances with mysterious figures in dingy pubs had been nothing compared to his current situation.
Niall allowed himself to dream. He dreamt of playing host to the legendary Death Eaters of the past and the new heroes of the future. He could see the stunning dark witches that would pander to his every need, he could see the money and the influence he would have courtesy of Voldemort and best of all he would make Voldemort give him that bitch Maeve. He would see that the daughter went the same way as the mother only this time he would watch it himself and take a great deal of pleasure from it.
Niall had never been a very clever man. He lost endless gambles and had managed to lose most of the O’Malley fortune. Despite spending years trying to find it, he had never located Grainne’s money and so wresting the house from her daughter had been something of a coup for him. At least he now had an asset to be used if things ever got really out of hand. His last crop of friends had all drifted on as the man’s money had dwindled and so when Malachy Meany had approached him with this current plan he had been only to happy to comply.
He knew something serious was about to happen when the flock of Death Eaters had gathered on the main lawn on the morning of St Stephen’s day. The day before had been spent not opening Christmas presents or eating large dinners but pouring over plans and lots of loud battle practice in the paddock, which was now pock marked from the effects of many stray spells. There was a low buzz of excitement from the younger men and women; the newest faces were the keenest to get started that morning as they received their instructions. Niall watched as the imperious looking woman he had seen trailing behind Voldemort assembled them all in front of the steps and began to bark out last minute instructions and encouragement. She finished her pep talk, sweeping back into the house with a click of shoes on the parquet floor and the vague odour of lilies floating around her. She slipped into the library and he quietly left his position in the ballroom, crossing the entrance hall so that he was in a position to listen to her ensuing conversation.
“Are they ready, Bella?” The voice made him shiver with excitement. It had a slick quality to it but always with an undertone of immense control. This was the sort of man Niall would have liked to have been had he not been born a squib. He had told no one about this yet and it was a problem he was repeatedly pushing to the back of his mind but if things carried on the way they were going he may never get found out. The only thing that mattered was that he was a Pureblood, without that he was nothing to these people but with it his magical ability seemed not to matter to them overly much.
“They are.” Her voice was cold. It was like being bathed in a shower of ice when she spoke and he could only imagine what it was like to look directly into her hooded eyes.
“And we will succeed.” The last word came out in a long hiss that coiled through the air. It wasn’t a question; it was a declaration of intent.
“Of course, our preparations are complete,” she said silkily. “Do you have any last minute instructions for me?”
“If the half-blood Lupin is there I want him alive. I feel he may be of use to us.” There was a long, rasping intake of breath. “If we cannot kill the woman and Meany fails then he will be the perfect lure.”
“Meany will not fail my Lord.” The assurance was immediate and to Niall perfectly convincing but apparently it wasn’t enough for Lord Voldemort.
“He has failed once already.” The chill in the hiss was threatening in its intensity. “If he fails again, my use for him will be over.”
“Yes, yes, Master.” She was impatient now. Bella was eager to get on with the job she had been asked to do. The sounds of cheers and jeers from outside were getting louder; the troops were becoming restless.
“Go then, and I expect nothing but the very best news.”
Niall shrank away from his hiding place and began to climb the stairs but he couldn’t fail to catch the last thing Voldemort said. “And if that traitorous coward is there you may kill him, you know his weaknesses so play to them.”
“Would he not perhaps make a better lure for the woman,” she asked quietly.
“Yes probably, but I want him dead and as long as we have one piece of bait it will be enough.”
Niall had reached the first floor by the time Bellatrix Lestrange left the library with her broom clutched in a skeletal, long-fingered hand. He listened as the sound of the crowd diminished. From the balcony window he watched them stream across the sky like a huge group of bats braving the daylight in order to gain a very exceptional prize.
“Mr O’Malley.” The voice from the foot of the stairs caught him unawares and he reeled round quickly. The ghastly red eyes burned through him and it was only with a great effort of will that he managed to retain his composure. “I don’t believe we have met.”
Niall O’Malley had been waiting for this moment with eager expectancy so he couldn’t understand why he was suddenly filled with fear that was beyond all comprehension.
*
“And off the House-Elf went,” Liam said as he swigged his butterbeer. “I’ve never seen a man so angry in all my life, I thought O’Malley was going to have a fit.”
Maeve laughed at the memory of the time she had set free their House-Elf, Prinny. Her father had threatened to whip her but her mother had intervened. She had got of lightly in the end with just a week of chores and no puddings. Harry smiled at the thought of a rebellious ten-year-old Maeve handing over her t-shirt and giving the gift of freedom, it reminded him vividly of the time he had set Lucius Malfoy’s House-Elf free. The look of anger on Malfoy’s face had been priceless when he realised he had been tricked and it had been a rare moment of triumph over the worst wizarding family Harry had the displeasure to know.
They had gathered in Maeve’s sitting room and she had drinks brought up for them all. Liam proved to be a very entertaining storyteller and Harry couldn’t remember laughing this much in a long time. It was true that laughter was the best medicine as he forgot all his worries and troubles for an evening. He allowed the warm atmosphere and the happy company to cheer him up. Candles flickered as the fire blazed warmly in the grate. Snow was falling thickly outside muffling all sound from beyond the castle walls. Liam had spent a very busy afternoon sorting through all of Maeve’s many possessions, working a minor miracle in bringing order to the rooms. For the first time in months Maeve allowed herself to sink back into the sofa and be truly happy with only the faintest touch of sadness that there were some people absent who would also have enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere.
It was approaching nine o’clock when Harry yawned widely and stood up reluctantly.
“I should get to bed,” he announced. “It’s late and I shouldn’t be roaming the corridors at this time.”
“I’ll escort you back, young Mr Potter,” Liam said. The old man stood stiffly, suddenly becoming the butler again. He brushed invisible crumbs off his coat and quickly tidied away the glasses before standing by the door to wait for Harry.
“Thank you, Harry, I’ve really enjoyed your company tonight,” Maeve said as she stood up to give Harry a hug. He hugged her back so that she didn’t see the guilty look on his face as he looked over her shoulder. They parted and she was sad that the evening had broken up so abruptly. She was just about to close the door when she heard footsteps coming down the corridor. Maeve peeped out, expecting to see an Auror float by. Instead the black robed figure of Severus came flapping down on her with a smirk on his face.
“Guests gone?” he asked when he reached her door.
“How did you know I had guests?” she enquired defensively.
“It’s my business to know what you are doing,” he said cryptically. “And I did come by earlier but I heard laughter so left.”
“How like you to avoid a bit of fun,” she said, stepping aside to allow him into the room. She heard a rustle on the corridor and knew that this time it was an Auror moving around.
“I thought I would drop by and pick up this book of yours,” he said, sitting on her desk chair and smoothing his robes down. He looked around the room with an appraising look in his eye. “Been shopping?”
“No, they are my things from home. Hagrid was sent out to get them by Albus for some reason known only to Albus.”
“Professor Dumbledore risked Hagrid for a few trinkets?” Snape looked incredulous.
“I know, that’s exactly what I thought,” she agreed as she crossed to the bookcase to get her grandmother’s book containing the formula for Remus’ potion. “Hagrid seemed to be of the opinion there would be something in all of this that I need to have. It’s all very mysterious.”
“Nice clock,” he said, his eye caught by the timepiece that now hung were the portrait of the unnamed wizard had once been. The flirtatious painting had been disgusted with his sudden demotion to a corridor on the first floor. He had given Maeve a very wounded look as he was moved from the room but she was very glad to see the back of him, his eyes had followed her everywhere in a very lascivious fashion.
“It was my mother’s,” she said absently, her fingers running along the spines of the books in a searching manner.
“What’s that wood… it looks black?”
“Bog oak… now that is really funny,” she said straightening up.
“Bog oak is funny?” Severus arched an eyebrow.
“No, I can’t find my book.” She looked perplexed for a few moments. “Perhaps Liam moved it when he tidied up, I’ll have to ask him tomorrow.”
“I’ve had a wasted journey then?” he queried.
“I’m sorry, but it would seem so, Severus. It was there this morning.” She frowned and turned away from the books. “You could stay for a drink, just to make the walk up here worth your while.”
“Hmm, very well then,” he acquiesced almost reluctantly.
Maeve poured a couple of drinks, her eyes occasionally sliding to the bookcase with a concerned expression in their glowing depths. They settled down for a companionable chat and it was eleven before Severus left leaving her tired and ready for bed. As she closed her eyes the last thing she saw was a shadow at the end of the corridor, a flick of red that disappeared into the darkness.