Title: Eyes of the Chosen
Author: Emcee
Summary: Three conversations reveal Severus and Remus' pasts.... And Ron's future.
Author's Note: Thank-you to my muses, Rae and Fre and my beta and Pablo. This story is AU to "Order of the Phoenix". It is the sequel to Labyrinth of Illusion.

Disclaimer: "Harry Potter" and the characters, places and things related to it do not belong to me. They are from the brilliant mind of JK Rowling. They belong to her and her publishers. I am not making any profit from this fan fiction.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Night-time Conversations

The darkness was slowly lifting. A dull ache spread throughout Ron's body. His fingers tingled as the sensation came back to him.

Derek... Derek had done this to him. He was against him!

Ron sat up with a start, his hands flying to his face. They would not get his eyes, not without a fight!

"Be careful." His vision was still fuzzy. He couldn't make out who the person speaking to him was. It was definitely not Derek. It was gentle, feminine.

He felt something cool on his head. A wet cloth. "I'm sorry we had to go to such extremes to get you here. I should have come to get you myself. Then my fool of a son wouldn't have brought a Malfoy in."

Ron blinked, his vision clearing. It was Machka Kalderasha who was tending to him. Of course. She was Derek's mother. But why had she wanted him stunned? "I'm very confused... Malfoy... Extremes... What's going on? I thought you were on our side."

"I am on your side," Machka replied. "I needed to get you here. It was of the utmost importance. I didn't think Sirius or the Headmaster would be to happy with me wanting you here."

Ron reached up, pushing Machka's hand away. "Why do you want me here?"

Machka nodded. "All right. This may be hard for you to believe. About fifty years ago, there was a wizard in our camp who made a prophecy--"

"Thagari," Ron supplied, nodding. "I saw the prophecy. Professor Trelawney had it. That's why she blinded herself. Because she's not the Chosen."

Machka nodded solemnly, studying Ron's closely. "You are, you know that?"

Ron shifted, Machka's gaze making him uncomfortable. "I... I thought I might be. How are you sure?"

"You died last year."

Ron looked down at his hands, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks. "Well, umm... Yes. But only a little. I came back right away."

Machka nodded. "You're a Gryffindor. You have the heart of a lion. Your hair..." She ran her fingers through Ron's red locks. "You're marked by fire. Now tell me... Did your visions start after your death?"

Ron nodded slowly.

Machka tipped Ron's chin up, smiling at him. "See? I was right. You are the Chosen."

Ron felt light headed. He had his suspicions, but here was someone telling him outright. Not just anyone-- An expert! He needed to make sure this was true. It had to be a mistake. "I... I've never really had a vision of the future. I've had feelings. Thoughts. Most of my visions are of the present."

Machka nodded, her smile growing. "That's what makes you special, Ron. The future is an intangible. I've been teaching Divinations for sixteen years and I still don't believe anyone can see a perfect, clear future." She ran a hand over Ron's cheek. "Your powers are different. The past, the present, thoughts, emotions... Potential outcomes. You cover it all. The visions you've seen are innate talent."

Ron rubbed the back of his head. "Are you going to teach me to have more? Because they kill my head."

Machka's smile grew even larger. "Give me some time to train you, and it won't hurt. It will be as natural as breathing. The visions are just the beginning."

****

Remus led Harry, Neville and Severus down a dingy street in London. The only light was from the street lamps. Before leaving St. Mungo's, they had transfigured their clothes to Mugglewear. While Remus, Harry and Neville felt comfortable walking the streets in jeans and sweatshirts, Severus had never looked more odd.

He kept pulling his black trenchcoat shut, his face in a permanent scowl. He tugged on his button-down shirt, snarling. "I don't understand how these Muggles wear such dreadful clothes."

"It doesn't matter," Remus said lightly. He stopped walking down the street, turning to a small townhouse. "We're here."

He walked up the steps, stopping on the stoop.

Harry, Neville and Severus looked up at him, confused.

"Umm... Professor-- err, Mr. Lupin." Neville cleared his throat. "Where are we?"

"Come on." Remus reached into his pocket, drawing out a set of keys. He slipped one into the door, opening it.

Harry, Neville and Severus followed him, looking around.

As soon as he stepped inside, Severus' lip curled in distaste. "This place is a pigsty."

Remus smiled, flipping on lights. "Yes, but it's my pigsty. Give me a bit of a break, I haven't lived here in almost a year."

Harry looked around, smiling. Despite what Severus said, Remus' house was actually very comfortable. It reminded him of Remus' old office, from when he was still working at Hogwarts. There were charts and pictures of dark creatures on the walls. Books were piled on the floor, almost coming up to Harry's elbows.

Oddly enough, despite the number of books, there were no bookshelves to be seen. To Harry, this seemed like something only Remus Lupin would do. He would rather have lots of books spread around the floor, then to get shelves and go without one of his precious volumes.

Remus turned to his three guests. "Harry and Neville, you two can take the spare bedroom. Severus, you may stay in my room. I will sleep on the couch."

Without another word, Severus swept up the stairs. After a few minutes, Neville gave Remus and Harry a nervous smile. "I think I'll go now too."

He went up the stairs slowly, as if worried he would run into Severus.

Harry kept looking around, watching Remus out of the corner of his eye.

"I know it's not very impressive." Remus was almost apologetic.

"I like it." Harry picked up a picture frame, looking over the inhabitants waving out. His parents, holding each other close and waving. His mother's stomach was swelled, pregnant with him. Sirius was clutching a small, black-haired girl in one hand, his other hand on James' shoulder. That girl... Could it really be that crazy girl he had just seen at St. Mungos? Beside Sirius was Remus, looking very young and pale. He had his arm around Sakura's waist. The beauty that had come with the Kitsune possession was even more evident in Sakura as a young woman.

"Why do you trust her?" Harry blurted out, his eyes riveted to the image of the pretty Japanese woman.

"What?" Remus was taken aback by the question, his eyebrow quirking up. He looked over at who Harry was focusing on. "Sakura? You don't think I should?"

"She did try to kill all of us only a few months ago. It doesn't really instil confidence." Harry looked up from the picture to look at Remus. "You didn't see her when she was fighting Macnair."

Remus' eyes narrowed. He reached over, taking the picture from Harry. "What exactly are you implying, Harry?"

"Miss Tsukino just... Did it. One quick movement and she killed Macnair. With her bare hands. She had that creature in her for almost her whole life. Maybe she got used to it, liked killing." Harry shook his head.

Remus raked a hand through his hair, sitting down on the floor. "Do you think I've gotten used to it, Harry? What Sakura did to Macnair had nothing to do with the Kitsune. It was lack of options. You know full well Walden Macnair was one of the evillest men to ever serve Voldemort. She had no wand and a group of underage wizards to protect. She did what she had to do."

Harry fell down beside Remus, looking at his hands. "It just doesn't seem right to me. To take someone's life like that. Even someone like Macnair."

"Sometimes you run out of alternatives. I do not doubt for one moment if she had another choice she would have taken it." Remus ran his fingers over Sakura's picture. "She's not a killer. I know that. The only evil I have seen from her came from the Kitsune."

The small, sad smile on Remus' face connected with other things in Harry's mind. He remembered his conversations with Gwendolyn last year, his conversation with Sakura shortly after their return from the Labyrinth. It suddenly made sense to him. "Do you still love her?"

Remus' head jerked up, shocked by the question. "Do I still-- How did you know?"

Harry shrugged slightly, giving Remus a small smile. "I'm not that oblivious."

Remus nodded, placing the picture back in its place. "There is a connection, that's all I can say. Whether or not it will lead to anything..." He shrugged.

Harry wrung his hands. "What's wrong with Savori?"

Remus sighed again, his hands going back to his hair. The light caught the grey highlights. "No one is quite sure. There are many things that can make a mind snap. Enviroment, upbringing, curses... But the mind is one of the few things magic cannot give the answers to. Sometimes it happens for no reason at all."

Harry rested his hands on his knees. "So it doesn't have to do with Sirius being put in Azkaban?"

Remus shook his head. "I'm sure that didn't help her, but I don't think that was the reason for it. It was just... What was supposed to happen."

"Why does she hate Professor Snape so much?"

Remus sighed again, giving a bitter laugh. "Asking the tough question tonight, eh Harry?" He rested his chin on his hand. "Well, Severus of course had some nasty things to say to her about Sirius when she entered school. Much like he has been known to do to you. Savori-- err-- did not know how to take it in stride. There is also the issue of..." Remus trailed off, shaking his head. "I probably should not tell you."

"No, tell me," Harry begged. "I want to know what's going on."

Remus nodded. "All right. From what I've heard from Machka, Savori's gypsy side is another sore point for Severus. You heard what she called him at the hospital-- 'Gazda'."

Harry nodded. "I figured that was a gypsy curse. Kind of like how Miss Tsukino swears at him Japanese."

"I suppose Severus would see it as a curse." Remus cracked a small smile. "Actually, Gazda is Severus' gypsy name. He only took the name Severus Snape when he began to attend Hogwarts."

Harry blinked, thinking about that sentence. "Snape is a Gypsy?"

Remus nodded. "Half, from what I understand. His father was one of our kind. Machka has told me Severus' gypsy line has a direct lineage to Grindelwald. He, however, rejected his Gypsy blood. He clings to his-- as the Romany put it-- Merlin side. This was something Savori didn't like. She did the opposite."

"How did she get--"

Remus shut his eyes, a pained looked on his face. "I'm surprise you never heard anything from the Weasley twins, they would have been in school at the time. Savori's battles with Snape grew so fierce, her hold on her mind grew so tenuous, she tried to kill him. Set fire to his dungeons. Many potion ingredients are highly volatile, you know. They fought among the flames and both of them were terribly burned. Severus had his scars healed magically, but Savori has never let anyone touch hers. She says she's earned every one. After that, she was expelled from Hogwarts and put into St. Mungo's."

Harry hugged his legs close to him. "Sirius doesn't know this, does he?"

Remus shook his head. "He would blame himself. Since escaping, Sirius has told me many times how badly he feels about leaving his family for so long. I can't bear to tell him how they fared without him." He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Sadly, I don't believe I'll be able to hide the truth from him for much longer."

****

Draco stormed through the courtyard back to the school. His high polished boots sank slightly into the moist ground. "Your mum is a real crab. I was there, trying to help you, and she goes and throws me out! Some gratitude!" He brought his hand to his silver-blonde hair, which was streaked with mud. He tried to adjust the mussed hair.

Derek sighed, trying vainly to catch up with the older boy. "Well, I probably shouldn't have brought you to the camp. The wards are set up in such a way that only a member of the clan can invite an outsider in. It shows extreme trust to invite an outsider in. Once the outsider is allowed in, they can come and go as they please. They can also bring in whoever they want. It's really hard to reverse the invitation."

Draco cocked an eyebrow, turning back to look at Derek. He stopped, crossing his arms over his chest. "What's so bad about me being able to get into the camp."

"Personally, I have no problem with you," Derek replied. He paused for a moment, shaking his head. "Wow. I never thought the day would come where I would say that. Me getting along with Draco Malfoy. Who knew?" He shrugged. "It's not so much you. You're harmless."

Draco snarled. "Am not."

Derek rolled his eyes, continuing. "It has to do with your father. Lucius Malfoy isn't well liked among my people."

"My father isn't well liked among most people," Draco said haughtily. "Jealousy, I suspect. My father demands a certain respect. People in that sort of position always draw disdain."

Derek just stared at Draco, examining his stance. His chin had tipped up, his nose high in the air. Derek rubbed the bridge of his nose, shaking his head. "I don't know how you think you can change, considering your condescending attitude. You still think your father is the greatest guy in the world!"

Draco's heart sank. He turned away from Derek, continuing through the courtyard. He didn't want the Gypsy to see his cocky demeanour crumble. He was right, wasn't he? If he was going to work with Dumbledore, he was against his father. Lucius wouldn't be able to go back this time. He wouldn't be able to pretend he never worked for the Dark Lord. "I don't think he's the greatest. I think he's a very powerful man."

"He's a very powerful man who's killed my people." Derek didn't bother masking the angry growl in his voice. "And I'm not talking about Jakhori, the work he's doing for his precious Dark Lord. How many servants do you have, Malfoy?"

Draco didn't answer. He couldn't. He didn't know how many the family had, or how many had been dismissed.

"Did any of them ever disappear?" Derek demanded. "One day you woke up and they were just gone? I have news for you... They weren't fired! The bodies get thrown at the border of our camp, abandoned! They went into the Merlin world to find a better life... All they got was servitude and death."

Draco laughed hollowly. Of course he had known that. He hadn't put a lot of thought into it before. He never cared about the servants the Malfoys possessed. Why should he? Now that he focused on it, he realised just how many had disappeared. "My father is not alone in that practice. Hundreds of people in the real world treat Gypsies the same way. You're leeches on our society."

"We don't do anything!" Derek snarled. "We just want a safe place to live. My people owe a debt to Professor Dumbledore. We stay in the forest so we may aid him when we are needed. All we want is respect."

"You'll be waiting a long time." Draco smirked in satisfaction. There was no way he was going to allowed Derek the final word in this conversation. "So do your people have problems with all of the Wizards who keep Gypsy servants, or just my father?"

"Lucius Malfoy did more than just keep slaves," Derek growled out the last word. He hands were balled into fists. "He turned one of our own into a Death Eater."

"What are you raving about?" Draco tried to keep a disdainful tone in his voice, vainly attempting to hid his curiosity. "There has never been a Gypsy Death Eater. My father would never work beside one of your lot."

Derek's laughter was cold and bitter. "So you think. It's never actually been proven, it's impossible to tell who's a Death Eater or not." He rolled up his sleeve, showing off his clan's tattoo on his arm. "Each one of my clan has a mark like this. One of our people, Gazda... He no longer responds to our clan's mark. Because the Dark Mark overrides it-- replaced it."

Draco's lip curled and his nose crinkled as he looked down at the moon and star tattoo on Derek's pale flesh. "I have never heard of a friend of my father's named Gazda."

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