Black // Marauders

64. Toad

Persie sat on the sofa, cupping the mug of coffee that had appeared on her table at five o'clock this morning after she woke up screaming from another nightmare. The fire had begun to die down as the sunlight began to rise and flood through the windows to her left appearing out from behind the Whomping Willow.

She got dressed even though she wasn't expecting anyone and flexed her still bound hands to try and get some feeling back into them.

"Accio." She spoke as the Invisibility Cloak moved to her left hand and her wand to the other before she moved to the door out into the corridor and threw the cloak over her head before glancing over the room one last time and slipping out into the corridor. Everywhere was eerily quiet this early in the morning and it took her by surprise when a group of students would skip past as they went for an early breakfast. She wound her way around, just familiarizing herself with the school again.

It felt different. Weird. Like she no longer went here. She didn't go here. And she had to keep telling herself. She abruptly stopped herself when she wound up in the place her feet had been taking her to and took a few steps back as the Fat Lady swung open in front of her and a group of third years all piled out of the corridor, giggling and chatting. She stumbled into the barrier stopping her from falling down into the Entrance Hall and put out a hand to steady herself. She swallowed nervously before standing herself up again.

The Fat Lady scratched her nose and narrowed her eyes in her direction before turning away and laughing at the painting next to her. Persie's shoulders dropped in relaxation before she turned her head to the side and glanced over at Professor McGonagall's office door.

I was screaming and crying and so were Alastor and Professor McGonagall. Sirius' voice echoed around her head before she pushed herself off of the stone and walked over to the oak door. She swallowed before reaching out a hand and knocking and then taking a few steps back.

Professor McGonagall came to the door and looked around either side of her as Persie stood underneath the Invisibility Cloak watching. She noticed a pot of ink on the desk behind her and just as she was about to turn to go inside, Persie flipped it so it knocked over on to the blank portion of her desk.

Professor McGonagall sighed and cursed under her breath before turning to right the ink pot, leaving the door slightly ajar. Persie slipped inside shutting the door behind her, before taking off the Invisibility Cloak, "Sorry ... about the ink."

The professor jumped about a foot in the air as she turned around in fear and Persie put her hands up suddenly in innocence, "Didn't mean to scare you-"

"Potter?" She asked in shock as she took a few steps closer and Persie nodded, "Yeah."

"What are you doing here?" Professor McGonagall said as she stopped in front of her and furrowed her eyebrows, "Something about Ava and Death Eaters and hospitals-"

"Yes. I know. I know about that. It was my idea to bring you here. I mean, here. In my office." She said gesturing around her before Persie shrugged, "I get bored."

"You have been in that room for one day, Persephone." Minerva exclaimed before Persie rolled her eyes, "It's boring. I am not good with small spaces."

"Nobody knows your here, do they?" She questioned as Persie paused for a moment before shaking her head, "And no one saw you come here?"

"No. I'm not stupid." Persie replied as she sat on the sofa opposite McGonagall's desk and sighed, "Sorry. I shouldn't have come. I know. But I can't speak to anyone if I'm stuck in that room all day. It will drive me crazy and then that wouldn't help anyone."

She stood for a second in silence before Professor McGonagall slumped herself in her chair behind her desk and shook her head, "Fine. I suppose... Tea?"