Harry and I had to stop on the stairs and lean against the railing just to stay upright. My stomach ached from endless laughter. "And then Lockhart approved absolutely everything! He didn't remember a thing," Harry gasped between breaths. "I never would've thought Ron's clumsiness would save us like this one day."
Passing students stared at us blankly, at two Gryffindors who couldn't even catch their breath.
We were nearing the Great Hall when Professor McGonagall stopped us. She looked as stern as ever; you usually couldn't read a single thing from her expression. Her gaze flitted from Harry to me and back again. "Good evening, Professor," I blurted out enthusiastically, still caught in the aftershocks of laughter and oblivious to her tense expression. "Good evening, Miss Black, Mr. Potter," she nodded at us. Then she looked fixedly at me. Suddenly, a flush of heat washed over me and I began to feel nervous. I started fiddling with the hem of my sweater. I expected her to ask about Harry's tutoring and let us move on, but Minerva clearly had other plans.
"Miss Black," she scanned me from head to toe. In that moment, I felt smaller than a house-elf. That look terrified me, it suggested I'd done something wrong. Damn it, did Riddle decide he'd rather report me than blackmail me? "Follow me, please. And you, Mr. Potter, go to dinner. Miss Black will join you later," she commanded. Why did it sound like a death sentence?
The walk to her office took place in total silence. My insides twisted with anxiety. I kept my eyes glued to the ground, trying not to think about what awaited me. As soon as we were far enough away from the other students, however, Minerva dropped her strict mask. Suddenly, the woman walking beside me was my worried aunt, whom I had known my whole life. It was that expression that put me even more on edge.
When she opened the door to her office, I froze. Severus was leaning against her desk. His arms were crossed over his chest, his face an unreadable, stony mask. In my head, I frantically cycled through a hundred reasons why he might be here that didn't involve that textbook that Slytherin idiot had confiscated from me.
I looked around the room. Although I'd spent much of my childhood here, today it felt foreign. Moonlight fell onto the red carpet, casting ghostly patterns on the floor through the stained-glass windows. Rows of books stood on the oak cabinet, I knew my beloved A Little Princess was on the very edge. Its corners were worn from how often they used to read it to me. It was one of the few things the two of them agreed on, even if they each interpreted it differently. Minerva always highlighted Sara's courage, while Severus would tell me: "You must be like Sara, not to be 'good,' but to be stronger than those who want to break you."
I smiled involuntarily at the memory. The door clicked shut behind me. "Sit down, Elyse," Minerva prompted, pointing to a chair directly across from Severus. Brilliant.
"Why is Uncle Severus here?" I asked irritably. Usually, when they were both here and the topic was Harry, he'd immediately scold me for even talking to him. "Well, good evening to you too, dear Elyse," he said in his typical biting tone. "Your uncle, like myself, is your legal guardian. When it comes to your safety, we must both be present," Minerva explained calmly. "How can tutoring Harry be a life-threatening danger?" I burst out in bewilderment.
"Sit down," my aunt repeated, pointing to the empty chair.
Luckily for me, Severus decided not to intimidate me further and stepped back, moving closer to Minerva as she sat behind her desk.
"Miss Black," she began, her voice carefully measured, "we believe you are in a... unique position."
I didn't like that pause. Not one bit.
"That already sounds like something I won't enjoy."
Severus let out a quiet, humorless breath. "Your instincts remain your strongest quality. Pity you ignore them so often."
I shot him a glare. "Charming as ever."
McGonagall continued before this could turn into a full argument. "We need someone close to Mr. Riddle, "
"No." I shook my head immediately. "No, don't even finish that sentence."
"Unfortunately," Severus cut in smoothly, "your guess is entirely correct. That is exactly what we're asking."
I stared at them. "You've lost your minds."
"We are running out of options," McGonagall said quietly.
That, more than anything, made my stomach twist.
Silence stretched for a second too long.
"You're not asking," I said finally.
Neither of them answered.
"Right," I muttered. "Thought so."
"You have a considerable advantage," Minerva continued, "not to mention your talent for more... subtle spells."
I visibly relaxed. So, if this was just about my abilities, maybe...
"We have agreed, as your guardians," she added, shooting a brief glance at Severus, "that this is the best course of action. But no one must know why you, specifically, have been given this task."
Severus let out a quiet, unimpressed breath. "If anything happens to you because of that Potter boy, I will deal with him personally."
"Severus!" Minerva snapped.
He only rolled his eyes. Despite everything, I felt a faint smile tug at my lips.
Silence fell again. I looked anywhere but at them.
They both cleared their throats in unison.
"Ely," Minerva said gently, "the decision is yours. We won't force you if you don't want to."
There it was. The unspoken but hung heavy in the air.
She folded her hands. "You can hide it behind your tutoring sessions with Mr. Potter. No one will question it."
Minerva shot Severus a warning look before he could speak again.
I huffed out a quiet laugh. "Good to know I'm not the only one being threatened today."
Minerva began shuffling papers, far too calmly. "Excellent, excellent."
"Can I go to dinner now?" I asked innocently, already halfway out of my chair.
"Sit down," she said.
I didn't move.
"Elyse."
Reluctantly, I dropped back into the chair.
"You are the only one we trust with this," she continued. "Your Occlumency, your spellwork, "
"If this is about Harry," I interrupted, "then fine. I'll help him. But don't pretend this is just tutoring."
Severus's eyes flickered, just for a moment. Approval, maybe.
"It is not," he said. "And you will not forget that."
A brief pause.
"Now," he continued, his voice sharpening slightly, "we will address your remarkable ability to lose things."
"I didn't lose anything."
"No?" he said softly.
That tone was worse than shouting.
"I have it," I insisted quickly. "It's in my room..."
"No," he cut in. "You don't."
I froze.
"Elyse," Minerva said quietly.
"I said I..."
"The boy I saw standing over you," Severus interrupted, each word precise, "was not searching your dormitory."
Silence.
I looked away.
"Fine," I muttered. "I don't have it."
"Progress," he said coldly.
"But how do you know about Riddle?" I asked. "I know you saw... that, but..."
"I saw you picking yourself up off the ground," he said. "Combined with your inability to hold your tongue and his temperament, the conclusion was not difficult."
I snorted. "I can hold my tongue."
Neither of them looked convinced.
Minerva leaned forward slightly. "And if we are correct, Riddle is now blackmailing you."
My expression gave me away instantly.
"Ely, we are not completely oblivious," Severus said dryly. "At least not as much as you are, at times."
I shot him a murderous look.
"Elyse," Minerva continued, more gently, "officially, you were never meant to have that textbook. And Severus certainly wasn't meant to give it to you. Given his... well-known preferences, no one would believe he did so willingly. Which leaves only one explanation, that you took it without his knowledge. Riddle knows this. And because you are close to Potter, you are the ideal intermediary."
"And if we are correct," she added carefully, "he is already using that to his advantage."
I didn't even try to hide it this time.
"Subtle as ever," Severus muttered.
"I don't even know what he wants," I said. "He just threatened that if I said anything against him, he'd destroy the book."
They exchanged a look.
"You have a project with him, don't you?" Minerva asked suddenly. "When are you meeting?"
"In three days."
The silence that followed was heavier.
"And what exactly am I supposed to do?" I asked. "Smile and hope he confesses everything over tea?"
"You will gain his trust," she said.
I let out a short laugh. "He hates me."
"He underestimates you," Severus corrected.
"That's not better."
"I don't believe you are in a position to argue, young lady" he said coolly. "Be grateful I am not handing you over to Filch."
I looked between them.
"This is insane."
"Yes," Severus said flatly.
At least someone was honest.
"But why him specifically?" I protested. "He's unbelievably arrogant."
"We need you inside Riddle's circle," Minerva said firmly, in a tone that left no room for argument.
"But why?" The mere idea of having to smile at him made me want to gag.
"Dumbledore believes, and we agree," she said, glancing at Severus, whose grip on the edge of the desk had tightened visibly, "that the Dark Lord will return. And if that happens, we need someone the young Death Eaters will trust."
I stared at Severus. I couldn't believe he had agreed to this. He had always kept me as far from danger as possible. He barely tolerated me thinking about Slytherin, and now he was sending me straight into the middle of it.
"But I'm in Gryffindor! They'll never let me in. None of them would willingly talk to me," I argued, throwing excuses like shields.
"They will," Severus said. "They have to. Riddle needs information."
"You've lost your minds. You want me to play both sides?" I shot back. "What happens if they find out? That's a fate worse than death."
I turned to him. "And what happened to me staying inconspicuous and not drawing attention to myself?"
"If it were up to me, you would be studying at home in complete safety and your only companions would be house-elves," Severus muttered. "But someone," he added pointedly, looking at Minerva, "insisted you experience 'the true wizarding life.'"
Minerva lightly swatted his arm. "Enough, Severus. Elyse, as long as you give them no reason to suspect anything, they will see exactly what we need them to see, a Gryffindor with access to useful information."
"And you truly think no one will question that?"
"I know my students," Severus said calmly. "They are observant, yes. But they are also arrogant. They won't consider the possibility that someone could outplay them."
If only they could hear him now.
"So my job is to spend time with them, earn their trust, report back to you, and feed them controlled information about Harry?" I clarified.
"Exactly," Minerva said. "We will tell you what you can safely reveal. Enough to gain trust. Never enough to cause harm."
"And you expect Riddle to just... tell me things?" I asked skeptically.
"He will lie," Severus said. "But once you are close enough, you will see him when he is not prepared. That is when you use your Legilimency. He underestimates you. He will not expect it."
"Right. Perfect," I muttered. "Do I even have a choice?"
"No," they answered in unison.
A pause followed.
"But," Severus added, quieter now, "the moment this becomes dangerous, you withdraw."
"And if I can't?" I asked before I could stop myself.
That changed everything.
They both went still.
Minerva's expression softened, though it didn't bring me much comfort.
"You will," she said, but the certainty wasn't quite there.
Severus's jaw tightened. "If it becomes dangerous, you leave. Immediately. That is not a suggestion."
I rolled my eyes. "You banned me from going to the Quidditch World Cup because it was 'too dangerous,' and now you're sending me to spy on Riddle and his followers?"
"Be grateful we didn't let you go," Severus replied sharply. "You remember what happened there."
"Thank you for your concern," I muttered under my breath.
I pushed myself out of the chair, nearly knocking it over, and headed for the door. The thought of working with Riddle made my stomach turn. My appetite for dinner had completely vanished.
"Elyse," Severus called before I could leave. "I expect that textbook on my desk. Do not test my patience."
I forced a tight smile and reached for the handle.
"And Ely?" Minerva's voice stopped me.
"Yes?" I said, already tired.
"We love you."
That made me pause.
A small smile slipped through before I could stop it, but I quickly hid it.
"I love you too," I said quietly. Then, after a beat, I added, „ But I'm not doing this for you."
Minerva didn't react, but I saw it in her eyes.
"I'm doing it for Harry."
"Of course you are," Severus said dryly.
"But remember," he added, and for the first time there was no sharpness in his voice, only concern, "the moment this even approaches real danger, you leave and you tell us. Immediately."
I nodded.
"And try not to end up against the wall again," he added, as if attempting humor.
I snorted quietly.
Some habits, unfortunately, were clearly inherited.