_smoke_ (![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} _smoke_) wrote,@ 2004-05-20 11:48:00 |
 |
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Title: The Wizard’s Tale: A Continuation
Part 12 contains chapters 51-54
Chapter 51: And The Time Is Upon Us
The day before Christmas dawned gray and cloudy. The Great Hall was full of enormous Christmas trees, every one at least 20 feet tall, each more extravagantly decorated than the one before. Enchanted icicles hung from the branches of some, while real fairies provided the winking lights for others. Delicate ornaments of spun glass hung in place of pride along with centuries old children’s handcrafts covered in faded and chipped paint. Small birds nestled in the branches of the trees, where there was seed and dried fruit treats for them. Garlands of greens were everywhere, wound with red ribbon and hung with bells. The elves had created special vents so the aroma of roasting ham and turkey, and the sweet smells of baking drifted through the school, making the air smell like home. The ghosts drifted about singing carols and jingling sleigh bells.
There was to be a large meal at mid-day, with a smaller one in the evening for those who were still at the school. Tonks and Kat arrived for the feast. There were few students, so the Hall was set with a single table in the center, instead of separating the students and staff. A couple of first-years seemed rather frightened to be at the table with the teachers, but Dumbledore and Hagrid soon had them feeling at ease.
Afterwards, they all went down to the lake. The ice had been cleared of snow for skating and people were laughing and whirling around the ice in bright dots of color.
Hagrid had decorated an ancient fir tree on the far side of the lake with suet balls and dried cranberries. Seed was strewn underneath as well as carrots and apples and the birds kept up a noisy conversation all day. The smaller creatures of the wood came cautiously out of hiding now and then to steal a goody and then slip away unnoticed.
There was a huge bonfire surrounded by benches, and the house elves kept a good supply of hot chocolate and spiced cider on hand along with plenty of cakes and cookies. Professor McGonagall surreptitiously added a large dollop of whiskey to the cider Snape had gotten for Lillith and himself.
“Takes more than apple juice to keep you warm out here.” She winked and hid the flask back inside her robe before gliding off in a stately fashion on the Headmaster’s arm.
Tonks slipped and slid, windmilled her arms and fell. Again and again she tried, always with the same results. Kat tried to steady her, but ended up in a pile on the ice with her. Snape streaked by, circled back and slid to a halt spraying them with crystals of ice.
Tonks held out a hand to him, but he scowled and pulled away.
“Oh, no! I’m not ending up down there with you two.”
Kat came gracefully to his feet and helped Tonks up. She stood with her feet wide, a slightly panicked look on her face.
Snape raised a questioning eyebrow at Kat, who moved aside. Snape put one arm around Tonks’ waist, then reached the other across to take her hand. She put her arm around him, and hung on for dear life.
“No! Don’t hang on, just use me for balance.” He waited until she loosened her death grip on his frock coat. “Now, close your eyes.”
She looked at him pleadingly, but he scowled at her and she obeyed.
“Can you hear it?” His voice was pitched low; his breath stirred the hair by her ear.
“No. Hear what?”
“The music.”
“What music?” Her eyes popped open.
He growled at her and she shut them tight. “Listen, Tonks, listen for the music. Skating is just like dancing.”
He moved off slowly, towing Tonks’ rigid body.
“Relax; follow my lead. You command any floor on which you dance, Tonks. The ice need not be different.”
She started to move, tentatively at first, then with more assurance.
“That’s right.” He guided her through a few gentle turns. “Just listen to the music in your head, and follow my lead.”
She relaxed slowly, her movements becoming more fluid, more confident.
“Want to try it with your eyes open?”
She opened them and immediately stiffened.
“The music, Tonks. Listen to the music.” His voice was hypnotic.
She gradually relaxed and smiled into his eyes.
“This isn’t so bad.”
He quirked an eyebrow at her and waved to Kat. When the young man skated up beside Snape, he handed Tonks off to him.
“Just like dancing!” He called after the pair as they skated away.
Lillith came to a halt beside him, and he smiled down at her. He offered her his arm, and they skated away in perfect unison.
Snape and Lillith were laughing over their attempt at ice dancing when an orange and green streak whizzed by. Tonks let out a whoop, skidded around and slid to an ungraceful but steady halt beside them.
“You’re right! This is fun!” She was off, sprinting down the lake.
“She’s learning more and more to tap into her physical skills.” Lillith shook her head. “That must make you feel good, since you recommended her for the Aurors and all.”
Snape looked rather smug, then grimaced. “I was getting ready to despair until Kat taught her to dance. I think she’ll be able to use that experience more and more. When we were at the Malfoy’s, and she was concentrating on other things, she was perfectly fine.” He shook his head. “Maybe by the time she’s seventy...”
Lillith snorted. “Long before then, I think.” She studied Snape, noting the slightly pinched look of his face that didn’t have anything to do with the winter air. “Do you mind if we go in? I’m getting chilled.”
He did a good job at hiding his relief, but neither one was fooled.
Taking her arm, he helped her to the bench to change out of their skates. Tying the laces together, they slung the skates over their shoulders and headed for the school.
“Have I told you today that I love you?” His voice was casual as he studied the heavy overcast.
“I think so. But it’s always nice to hear.” She leaned on his shoulder as they slowly climbed the hill.
Lillith and Snape were curled up on the couch together, reading, when Tonks and Kat came back from skating. They were laughing, red-faced from the cold, and full of stories of Tonks’ rapidly growing skill on the ice. Kat insisted she would be an excellent hockey player, and briefly explained the Muggle game that was so popular in Canada. They shed coats, gloves and scarves, then settled in by the fire with mugs of hot buttered rum and big wedges of spice cake sent up by the obliging house elves.
After they were warm and relaxed, Tonks looked from Lillith to Snape and rubbed her hands together.
“Presents!”
“Before dinner?” Kat protested.
“Why not?” Snape’s expression was bland. “That way you’ll leave earlier – taking her with you.”
“Yeah.” Tonks grinned at Snape. “The old man’s still not up to snuff, and could probably use an early bedtime.”
“Perhaps I simply prefer to spend my Christmas Eve in more congenial company?”
Tonks spread her hands. “Better than me?”
He pitched a cushion at her. “You are an insufferable wench!” He turned to Kat. “How can you stand her? Honestly?”
At first Kat look slightly taken aback, then a slow smile spread over his face. “Oh, she’s not so bad.” He threw Tonks an affectionate look. “You just have to know how to handle her.” He winked at Snape.
“Excuse me?” Tonks had not seen the wink.
The men laughed, and Kat slipped an arm around her shoulders. “I’m just teasing, Honey. You know that.”
Tonks looked from one man to the other, a mock frown on her face. “Humph!”
Snape lifted a hand to summon a stack of gaily wrapped packages from the corner. He and Lillith had agreed to open their gifts to each other in the morning.
Lillith gave Kat and Tonks their gifts from her, and they presented her with a package from the two of them.
Tonks went first. She tore into the paper with the glee of a child. From the nest of brightly colored tissue paper pulled a silver chain with a small stone set in a simple but elegant silver setting. The stone sparkled and shimmered, and seemed to change color before their eyes.
“It’s Chameleon Stone. It will change color to match your eyes – whatever color they may be.”
Tonks laughed and hugged her aunt. “The perfect gift for a Metamorphmagus!”
Kat’s gift was a book on ancient charms, with beautiful hand-colored illuminations, and spidery script.
Lillith opened her gift carefully. It was clearly a large book, and when the cover came into view she gasped. The well worn leather with barely legible gold lettering was instantly recognizable to her. She had seen the book months before in Flourish and Blotts. It was an old text on magical plants. The illustrations not only moved, but they showed each plant in every stage of growth. Before her eyes, the seeds sprouted, the plant grew, flowered, went to seed and died, only to start the cycle again. She thanked the young people sincerely.
Snape picked up a package, and after weighing it in his hand for a moment, passed it to Tonks. She opened it cautiously, almost as if expecting it to bite. She slipped the lid off the box, and with a slightly puzzled look, withdrew a pair of shoes. They had a medium heel and a strappy design and were nothing like what she ever wore. She turned them over and ran a finger over the bottom.
“Suede?” Suddenly her face lit up. “Dancing slippers! They’re made just for dancing!” She threw herself on Snape and gave him a hug. He tried to look irritated and failed.
Snape picked up the other package, wrapped in red paper and tied with a white ribbon, which he passed to Kat. The young man studied his face for a moment but there was nothing to read.
He pulled the ribbon and watched it fall away, then slid a finger under the edge of the paper, parting the tape but leaving the paper intact. The paper, too, fell away and he stared at the picture in the simple silver frame. For long minutes he simply stared, then gently ran his thumb over the image. When he looked at Snape his eyes were unusually bright.
“Thank you.” It was softly spoken.
Snape gave a brief nod.
Tonks leaned over to look at the picture. She, too, studied it for several seconds.
“That’s your Mum?”
Kat nodded.
“And you.” Tonks looked at Snape.
He cocked an eyebrow at her.
“So!” Kat set the picture aside after one more look. Drawing a long black box from an inner pocket, he handed it to Snape.
“From the three of us.”
Snape looked askance at them all, but they just smiled back with expectant faces.
The box was unwrapped; a plain black velvet. The hinged lid opened to reveal an interior of royal purple satin, on which rested a heavy chain of braided silver. With a thoughtful frown he picked it up. It flowed like quicksilver in his hand, and was warm on his skin. Moving the lamp closer, he examined it closely.
The other three sat motionless.
In the light of the lamp, he could make out fine threads braided in with the silver. Two shades of brown and two threads of black. Suddenly he recognized what he held in his hands.
“The Circle of Invincibility.” The three beamed at him. He went on thoughtfully, letting the chain flow between his fingers from one hand to the other. “The ancient clans believed that a necklace braided of hair from each member of the clan would protect the leader from death at the hands of the enemy.” He looked up. “I thought that was myth?”
“Professor Flitwick has been researching it for years,” Kat said, “I’ve been helping for the last few months. It seems that the ancient ones were wizards, and cast many charms on the necklace. It was believed to be myth, because it didn’t seem to work, but we believe that the only reason for it to fail would be if one of the members whose hair was contained in the charm was false to the leader. They didn’t even need to be a traitor, just not true in heart.” He swallowed. “There is a hair from each of us, and one of yours. We had it braided with the silver for strength by the elfin silversmiths of Middle Europe. Professor Flitwick coached me, and I cast the charms.”
He held out his hand. “May I?”
With a slightly numb look, Snape handed him the chain, then they rose and Snape turned his back. Kat lowered the chain over Snape’s head while Snape tilted his head forward, shaking the hair off the back of his neck. Kat brought the ends of the chain together, enclosing them and the tip of his wand in one hand. Closing his eyes Kat softly recited the charms in the old language of the Northern tribes. When he finished, the chain seemed to glow briefly, growing warmer in his hand. When he released it, the ends were braided together in a single loop of silver.
Snape fingered the chain, a thoughtful look on his face.
“This is said to work if all members whose hair is included are true?”
Kat nodded.
Snape studied each face in turn. Lillith’s, open and serene. Tonks’, wide-eyed and trusting. Kat’s, watchful but calm. He could tell the young man’s mind would be open to him if he probed. He did not.
“Thank you, all of you.” He took a deep breath. “Let’s hope I never need to test it.”
***********************
Chapter 52: Today Is Forever...
Lillith stood and with a wave of her wand, cleared the coffee table.
Food appeared on the dining table, and they moved to see what the house elves had provided for the ‘light’ evening meal. There was cold roast beef, ham and turkey. Warm rolls nestled in a basket under a clean linen towel. There was a tossed salad of fresh mixed greens from the kitchen greenhouse, ambrosia, and Waldorf salad. Potato salad, and a pilaf, and asparagus tips salad rounded out the dinner. For dessert there was mince, pumpkin and apple pie, trifle, chocolate mousse, a plate of warm sugar cookies and fresh gingerbread men. A selection of wines was placed about the table as well.
Tonks laughed. “Not bad for a snack.”
They filled their plates, then returned to the living room to sit comfortably by the fire.
Tonks finally groaned and sat back. “Do we have to go back tonight?” She asked Kat. “I don’t think I can move.”
“Well you are not staying on the couch.” Snape scowled at her but she laughed.
“The Headmaster said we could stay at the school.” Kat reached over and moved a strand of hair from her face. She had left it natural today, and the brown locks just brushed her shoulders.
Snape suddenly grunted in pain and doubled over, his left arm clutched across his chest.
“Oh, no!” Lillith’s whisper was full of dread.
Kat and Tonks looked at each other in bewilderment for a second before understanding dawned on Tonks’ face.
“No!” They were all on their feet, and Snape was heading for the door. “No, he can’t! Not tonight, not now, not you. You’re not strong enough!” Tonks was beside herself.
Snape pulled Lillith into a one-armed hug, swept the others with a glance, grabbed the box containing his miniaturized Death Eater uniform and bolted.
“Oh, gods, he’s moved up the raid. I gotta go!” Tonks grabbed her jacket. “Kat, take care of Aunt Lilly.” Tonks flew out the door.
“What?” Kat was almost frantic.
Lillith’s knees gave out. She stumbled to the couch and sank down, her face in her hands. Kat sat beside her, silently chafing with impatience.
“Voldemort has summoned him. Tonks’ guess is that he’s moved the Boxing Day raid up to tonight.” She suddenly bolted to her feet.
“Dobby!!” It came out a shriek.
The little elf popped into being, dizzy from the urgency of the summons.
“Tell Dumbledore the raid’s been moved up. The Professor has just been summoned and Tonks has already gone.”
Dobby disappeared.
Lillith dropped back to the couch, her eyes glazed.
“He’s not strong. The bastard nearly killed him a week ago and now he’s sending him off on a raid. He knows he’s not strong.” She struck her fist on her thigh.
Kat dropped to one knee in front of Lillith.
“Lillith, I’ve got to go. Dumbledore’s called the Order.”
Lillith nodded. One of the coins with the Protean Charm that Dumbledore had given members of the Order was in her pocket as well.
“Will you be all right?” He was edging toward the door.
“Yes, go!”
Kat was about to go out the door when he paused.
“Bunks!” The elf arrived instantly. “Stay with Lillith.”
Kat was gone.
The little elf came and sat next to Lillith on the couch, clasping her hands together.
“Oh, gods!” Lillith gave a choked laugh. “I don’t know what to pray for. I want the Aurors to get there at once to help the poor people being attacked, but I want them to be so late the Death Eaters will be gone.” She twisted a handkerchief in her hands. “I want the Aurors there, but not Dori. I want them to protect the victims but not hurt Severus.”
“The Aurors don’t aim to kill.” Bunks’ voice was hesitant.
“No, but the Death Eaters certainly do. And some of the Aurors can get a bit carried away, though I don’t suppose you can really blame them under the circumstances.”
Bunks reached over and held Lillith’s hand. Together they waited in silence.
Tonks had sent a warning to her boss, and the Aurors met in the house in London where Dumbledore had worked with them to set up an alarm system among the families of Muggleborns. They had barely arrived when the alarm came, sending them off to a small village north of Liverpool.
The Aurors took a moment to gather in the shadow of a large barn where they could check the surroundings. It was cold with an inch of snow on the ground. Overhead, the stars crowded the clear night sky. The sweet smell of apple smoke drifted on the air as smoke rose straight up from one of the two chimneys.
Two teams of two took off to circle the old three story house in opposite directions. They returned without encountering anything suspicious.
The house was ablaze with lights and a large group of people could be seen through the windows, crowding one of the front rooms. A fire burned merrily in the fireplace, across from a large decorated tree that stood in the corner. A huge pile of gifts in bright paper and ribbons was stacked under the tree, and a group of children ran round the house accompanied by a spaniel. The sound of laughter and the excited barking of the dog could be heard clearly on the still air.
Tonks felt her heart sink as she recognized Andy Meadows through the window, a Gryffindor who had been a year ahead of her at Hogwarts. She knew he had a wife and two small children.
Adam, Tonks’ boss, was sending them out in groups of three to surround the house.
“Tonks, Carver, Kingsley – to the back door.”
With a crash, one of the windows in the front room blew out. Green light flooded the room and people started screaming.
“Go!” Adam yelled heading for the front.
Tonks and her partners ran for the back door not bothering to keep to cover. They were rounding the corner of the house when the back door was flung open and a woman emerged at a run, a small child clutched in her arms. Close on her heels came two Death Eaters, frightening with their faceless masks and swirling robes. The one in the front raised his wand and pointed it at the back of the fleeing woman. The Death Eater behind him stumbled on the step and bumped his partner, knocking his aim off. It was all Tonks needed to see.
“Second!” She yelled, claiming her target.
“Leader!” Carver yelled at almost the same time and their stunning spells cut the air simultaneously. Tonks’ spell, however, wouldn’t have knocked over a cat.
The Death Eaters crumpled to the ground and the Aurors ran for the house. Carver dropped a binding spell on his target as he jumped over him and Tonks went to do the same on her man, but tripped over the hem of his cloak. Appearing to use the still body to prop herself up she gave his shoulder a squeeze.
“You alright?” She whispered at the mask.
“Upstairs!” He hissed back at her.
Tonks entered the house’s kitchen to find it empty. She was about to push open the swinging door to the rest of the house when there was a blast of light and sound, and flames roared to life on the other side of the door. She found herself flung to the floor, but unhurt. Going through to the stairs that way was out of the question so she backtracked outside. She noticed that “her” Death Eater was no longer lying on the ground with his stunned partner.
About to head around the house, the high pitched scream of a terrified child stopped her in her tracks. Looking up, she saw a girl of about 7 leaning out a third story window. Smoke and flames were already starting to show on the second floor.
“Shit!” Tonks muttered to herself and headed back into the kitchen. A lot of big old houses had a set of back stairs leading to the kitchen. The first door Tonks yanked open was to a pantry. The one in the corner yielded a narrow flight of stairs leading up. Smoke was starting to drift downward as Tonks bolted up the steps two at a time. At the top of the stairs she spotted a Death Eater leaving a room and dropped him with a body bind. Grabbing the knob of a door next to her, she lucked out, finding the stairs that continued upward. The smoke was thicker here, and Tonks cast a Bubble Head charm to keep from choking as she ran upward. She yanked open the first door she came to, and was greeted with a wall of fire. Slamming the door shut again, she paused a moment to get her bearings. She was off down the carpeted hall in a sprint, praying the child was still in the same room where Tonks had first seen her. She was. Tonks grabbed her and was back in the hall in an instant, but flames were coming up the stairs, now, licking at the ceiling. She looked around franticly.
“There!” The little girl pointed to a ladder against the wall. Overhead was a trap door. Tonks blasted the trap door off and boosted the girl up and out into the fresh air. Waving away her bubble, she scrambled up the ladder, her wand in her teeth.
The little girl huddled by one of the chimneys. Tonks ran to the edge to look over. Three stories below, the Aurors and the Death Eaters were dueling it out. Mostly, the Death Eaters were just trying to run. Flashes of red and green light from wands flickered and stuttered through the cold air. The flames from the burning house cast a dancing light on the snow, giving faces and masks the same anonymous, eerie glow. Steam was rising from the melting snow and Tonks couldn’t help but wonder if this was what hell might look like from above.
There was a roar behind her as of a maddened beast as the fire erupted through the hole of the trapdoor. The little girl screamed, and Tonks turned toward her to see that she was not looking at the fire but behind where Tonks stood. Tonks whirled, dropping into a crouch to see a Death Eater approaching her. He had his wand at his side and Tonks was almost dizzy with relief. It was a short-lived feeling, however as part of the roof caved in showering them with sparks.
Tonks ducked. When she lifted her head it was to see Snape’s wand pointed at the child who was now limp on the roof.
“What..?!”
“She can’t tell people a Death Eater helped her escape.” Snape lifted the little girl and shoved her into Tonks’ arms.
“Jump; I’ll break your fall.”
Tonks stared at the eyes behind the mask but saw only reflected flames. With a brief nod, she took two short steps to the edge of the roof and jumped.
Everything seemed to slow down as she drifted toward the ground. The shouting and yelling below faded, and everyone seemed to be moving in slow motion. Tonks used the opportunity to look around. A couple of Death Eaters were still fighting their way to the trees on the hill behind the house, but most of the Aurors and assorted other people were helping the injured. The people who had been inside and escaped were huddled together with someone Tonks guessed was a mediwitch.
Her eyes flickered over the edge of the trees and Tonks felt her insides freeze. A tall, thin figure in Death Eater garb was standing watching the commotion. No, that wasn’t right. He was watching Snape control Tonks’ fall. As though in super slow motion Tonks saw him raise his hand and point his wand upwards.
“Look out!” Tonks twisted her head and screamed upwards. A bolt of green light sizzled out from Voldemort’s wand and struck Snape. The spell cushioning her fall evaporated and she fell like a stone for the last fifteen feet. Trying to shield the child, Tonks heard and felt the bones in her left leg snap.
At the same moment, an explosion of green and silver sparks enveloped Snape and obscured him from sight. A pillar of intense white light burned for a few brief seconds then went out. When the sparks dissipated, Snape was gone.
“Noooo!” Tonks shoved the child into helping arms, and scrambled upright. At that moment, with the roar of a freight train, the roof of the house caved in, bringing the third and second floors with it. A tower of sparks hundreds of feet high spiraled into the night sky, a hideous parody of the afternoon’s friendly bonfire.
Tonks ran toward the raging furnace that had been the house but her leg buckled on the first step and she dropped into the muddy snow with a cry of pain. A pair of strong arms grabbed her. It was Kat.
“He’s up there! He’s on the roof!” Even in her terror she did not use Snape’s name while amongst the others.
Kat looked at the wreck of the building, his face ashen even in the flickering orange glow.
“There is no roof.” His voice was choked.
Tonks tried to get to her feet again, but this time the pain was too much and she slumped, unconscious, in Kat’s arms.
**********************
Chapter 53: Tomorrow Is Just One Of Yesterday’s Dreams
Lillith felt white-hot pain slam into her just before the world went dark.
She could hear people speaking in hushed tones. Several voices, but not the one she strained to hear. She tried to move but a blinding pain seared through her before she once again fell into the emptiness.
Pain. Her world existed in degrees and shades of pain. If anyone touched her she screamed. She could hear voices, sometimes, but couldn’t understand the words.
Lillith blinked and squinted against the light. Her eyes hurt. Every part of her body hurt. She blinked again. Tonks was curled up in a chair, reading. What seemed to be late afternoon sun streamed over the young woman’s shoulder to light the page. Lillith tried to move her head just a little. There was no wave of dizziness and pain as there had been in the recent past. Slight as it was, the motion caught Tonks’ attention.
“Aunt Lilly?” She dropped to one knee by the bed.
Lillith tried to swallow but found her throat was too dry. She looked longingly at the glass of water by the bedside and Tonks was quick to get it for her, holding the bent straw so she could drink.
"Where's Severus?" Lillith's voice was a barely audible croak.
Tonks eyes filled with tears. "He gone, Aunt Lilly. I was on the roof, with a child. I don't know how he got there through the flames, but he did. He made me jump and was breaking my fall when the Dark Lord saw him. He struck Snape down." She was crying openly. "The roof collapsed."
Lillith closed her eyes in pain. "No!" She swallowed and forced more volume into her voice. "No. He's not dead."
"Aunt Lilly," Tonks wiped her eyes on a corner of the sheet. "I saw it. I saw him hit; I saw him fall."
"No!" Lillith closed her eyes. "If he were dead, I'd know. If he is dead, why am I in pain?"
"Professor Dumbledore thinks you got a part of the killing curse through the scar. Enough to make you really sick."
"He had the Circle." Tears started in Lillith's eyes. "He was safe..." Her voice trailed away.
"Dumbledore thinks the magic of the Circle just wasn't strong enough to protect him. The Dark Lord is one of the most powerful wizards to ever live."
Lillith closed her eyes as her world whirled around her. Severus was gone. A cold pain gripped her heart as she sank into oblivion.
When next she awoke it was Dumbledore who sat by her side.
"He's not dead, Albus!" Her raspy whisper startled the old wizard.
"Lillith, I'm so sorry." Dumbledore appeared to have aged ten years.
“No, he’s not dead. I’d know if he was.” Why couldn’t people understand!
“Lillith, I saw Voldemort strike him down. I saw the roof collapse. This is all we could find.” He held out Snape’s wand, balanced across his palm.
Lillith looked at it, puzzled.
“You can touch it.” Dumbledore encouraged her. “The enchantments are gone.”
Lillith reached out, taking the wand cautiously. It was still and cold in her hand.
“Enough of the curse came through the wand to injure you. You have magic sickness, that’s all.”
Lillith turned the heavy wand in her hand, slowly shaking her head.
“No.” It was barely a whisper.
“Let him go, Lillith.” Dumbledore shifted position. “Voldemort struck Severus down as a traitor. If he thought for one instant that Severus was still alive, he wouldn’t rest until he had hunted him down.”
Lillith’s head came up with a jerk. “Then he is alive?”
Dumbledore shook his head sadly. “No, Lillith. He’s gone.”
Lillith struggled to prop herself up in bed.
“Tell me, Albus! Just tell he’s alive somewhere; hidden. You have to tell me that!”
Dumbledore sighed and rested a hand on her arm. “Let him go.” It was a soft whisper.
Lillith rolled onto her side, drawing her knees to her chest. An aching loneliness such as she had never thought possible washed over her, and she cried herself senseless.
Madam Pomfrey kept her in the hospital another week and a half, on top of the two she’d already been there. Tonks came every evening to talk or just to sit in silence. Kat came with her frequently, his face drawn and pale. One night, when Tonks went off to the kitchens to beg a snack from the house elves, Lillith motioned Kat to sit on the edge of the bed.
“You’re not blaming yourself, are you?”
Kat sighed. “I must have done something wrong. He should have been safe.”
“Is that what Professor Flitwick says? That you did something wrong?”
“No,” Kat’s smile was sad. “He said the charms simply weren’t strong enough to resist someone of the Dark Lord’s power.”
“So, why do you think it’s your fault?”
Kat looked out the window, but didn’t answer.
“You’re so much like him.” Lillith laid her hand on his. “Taking on the weight of the world.”
Kat looked back at her, his eyes bright. “I’m sorry, Lillith.”
She gripped his hand hard. “So am I, Kat. So am I.”
Lillith was relieved to be back in her rooms. To be alone with her grief. She would wrap herself in Snape’s robe and curl up in a chair by the fire, staring at the flames for hours. Bunks saw to it that she ate once in awhile, although she did so mostly just to please the distressed elf. Everyone left her alone for about a week, then people started dropping by. They would bring things and talk, and when they left, Lillith would have no idea what they had said. Dumbledore insisted that they needed her; that Professor Sprout needed her in the greenhouses; that they needed her in the potion classes. She went, although she doubted the students benefited. Often, she would find herself staring at the wall or out a window with tears running down her face and no idea what she had been doing. And always the horrible emptiness inside, as though her soul had been torn away. The physical pain faded slowly, but she hardly noticed it, eclipsed as it was by her grief.
Slowly, things seemed to draw themselves together. The fragments of her life came back into focus, once again knitting themselves into a pattern.
Spring came. Lillith went home to her house and gardens. She took little with her except the Headmaster’s insistence that she return in the fall; that she was needed. Tonks moved in with her, and Kat was there most evenings. Their light banter washed over Lillith, but even though she sometimes tried, she couldn’t join in.
But the earth worked its timeless magic. Planting, tending, weeding, long hours spent in the sun with the rich earth and the growing plants soothed her ragged soul, and brought a measure of peace. All too soon, it seemed, she was packing her plants and supplies, preparing to head back to Hogwarts.
She didn’t want to go. Their rooms awaited her. Dumbledore had offered to have her things moved to different quarters, but she refused. She knew she needed to go back. She wanted to, and dreaded it at the same time.
The elves had cleaned and aired the rooms until they were fresh and sparkling. Chrysanthemums, her favorites, filled vases in every room. She laid Snape’s wand on the bedside table, and went back to the living room.
A fire was lit against the late evening chill; a tray of tea things sat on the coffee table. She went to hang her cloak behind the door, but her hand froze half way to the coat rack. Her cloak fell to the floor unnoticed as her fingers closed on the smooth wool of Snape’s frockcoat. The elves had cleaned everything, but they hadn’t touched his things. Slowly, Lillith lifted the coat, turned the lapels back and pressed her face to the lining. His scent filled her world, and for a moment she wasn’t alone. Then reality came crashing back, and her tears flowed as though they would never stop. She rushed into the bedroom, pulled off her clothes with shaking fingers, wrapped herself in his coat and fell into bed. She cried herself to sleep, and dreamt of him for the first time. Dreamt that he was holding her; that she was sleeping in his arms with his warmth pressed against her back.
She awoke late, feeling sluggish and worn. A hot bath and a simple breakfast by the fire made her feel somewhat better. She sat curled in her chair, a mug of tea in her hands, looking at Snape’s empty chair on the other side of the hearth.
“I miss you, Severus.” Her voice was a whisper. “I long for you so; for the sound of your voice; the feel of your touch.” She lay her head back and closed her eyes.
“Are you there, Severus? Are you out there, somewhere?” Her eyes swept the room, taking in his books, his armchair, his things.
“Are you alive?” It was barely breathed.
Her ears strained for an answer that didn’t come.
Lillith was walking through the halls one afternoon after class, trying to remember just where it was she was going and why, when she heard someone clear his throat behind her. She turned to find a nervous-looking Harry Potter.
“Did you want something, Mr. Potter?” She smiled at him gently. She liked the boy. Make that young man, she corrected herself. He was still rather short and skinny, and as the expected savior of the wizarding world, he looked rather a long shot. Right now he was shuffling his feet, looking embarrassed.
“Uh, I just wanted to say. Well, I never liked Professor Snape a lot.” This masterful understatement was delivered rather sheepishly. “But that doesn’t mean he didn’t have his good points. I guess.” He ran a hand through his unruly hair. “The thing is, I know you were friends and I’m sorry about your loss.”
Lillith looked into green eyes that knew far too much about loss, and managed a genuine smile.
“Thank you. That’s very kind of you.”
Harry shrugged self-consciously and moved off down the hall with a nervous, jerky gait. He was in his seventh year. Voldemort was gaining power, becoming more restless. The members of the Order knew of the prophecy, but didn’t understand its meaning. Most felt that Harry wasn’t going to survive the confrontation they all knew was coming. They were pinning their lives, and their futures, on this kid who had barely started shaving. She took a deep breath. Severus hadn’t exactly been fond of Harry; actually he’d rather despised him, but he had been willing to put his life on the line to protect the boy. She shivered. So many lost already. So many more would die.
Christmas was approaching. Lillith tried not to think about it, but with the school decorated like a Dickensian tale, it was difficult. Tonks and Kat came for Christmas Eve, and begged her to come with them to London the next day. She refused. At least at the school she could hide her tears and her loneliness from the eyes of strangers.
A few days after the Holiday break found Lillith in one of the greenhouses, sorting through some empty pots.
“Miss Marshbank?” The timid voice was soft.
She turned to find Neville Longbottom standing just inside the door, book bag on his shoulder and an art portfolio under his arm.
“Come in, Mr. Longbottom.” She smiled at him. Neville was growing up with a vengeance. He had become tall and thin. His round face had lengthened, and while the brown eyes were still gentle, there was an adult confidence and determination to his expression. Another child forced to grow up before his time.
“I, uh, I made something for you.”
He started searching through the portfolio. Neville was a gifted artist. His sketches of plants and flowers were detailed and exact. He wanted, some day, to write and illustrate a book on the native plants of the British Isles.
He found what he wanted and withdrew it, holding it out shyly.
“I’ve never tried a portrait before. I’m afraid it’s not very good.” In his hand was a charcoal sketch of Snape. Unlike his drawings of plants, that were exact down to the smallest detail, this picture was drawn with a minimal amount of simple bold lines that caught the Potions Master’s scowl exactly.
“I tried to get a different expression, but...” he shuffled uncomfortably, “I’ve never seen anything else.”
Lillith couldn’t help smiling. “It’s very good, Mr. Longbottom. It was kind of you to think of me.”
“I made it over the Hols.” He suddenly looked bleak, and Lillith knew he had been with his parents in the hospital.
She laid a hand on his arm. “Thank you, Neville.”
He nodded briefly, and turning, hurried out.
Lillith stood staring at the sketch. Severus glared back at her as though defying her to smile. She did, though, through her tears as she hurried back to her room with her gift.
Without Snape’s information, the Order was hard-pressed to try to protect the Muggleborns. The attacks came without warning, and they floundered trying to keep up. They knew the final battle was coming. Nerves were stretched to the breaking point.
When it came in early spring, the end was quick and violent. Voldemort fell, taking Dumbledore and many others with him. Kat and Tonks came through unscathed.
Finally, back in her rooms after the long and hideous day, Lillith paced, starting at every sound. Had Snape been in hiding, surely he would return now that Voldemort was gone. All night she paced the rooms, stopping only to stare out into the blackness. Near dawn, exhaustion overtook her. She crumpled into Snape’s chair by the fire and slept.
When Lillith awoke, she didn’t want to open her eyes. She didn’t want to see the empty room. For more than an hour she lay in the chair with her eyes closed, her mind numb. Finally, it was the practicalities of life that forced her up. In the bathroom, she stared into the mirror. A haunted, hollow-eyed reflection looked back. The dark circles under her eyes contrasted with the ashen look of the rest of her face. Friends had died and she couldn’t mourn them; could barely spare them a thought. She had been so sure. So sure Snape was still alive.
Her eyes fastened on the pendant at her throat. She raised a trembling hand and fingered the crystal. The flower and the lichen. Lifetime companions. Snape’s pledge to her. Abruptly, she turned and fled into her room. Yanking on jeans and an old jumper, she drove her feet into hiking shoes, and bolted out the door.
She ran until she could run no further. Her lungs burned and her legs screamed in protest as she continued to scramble up the steep hill at a slower pace. She had not gone to Snape’s place on the mountain at all last summer; had not been back since he had fallen. Now she couldn’t wait to get there. She had to see for herself.
Brief fits of rain dampened her as she toiled up the trail. Clouds scuttled across the sky in the way of spring in the high country, alternating sun and rain. When the sun shone, the earth sparkled in brilliant colors, washed clean for a little while. She saw none of the beauty that surrounded her; saw only the ground in front of her as she climbed ever higher.
At last she was there. Panting and shaking, she looked out over the rolling hills. For a brief moment the beauty and stillness calmed her soul. Taking a deep breath, she plunged down the slope over the rocks by the stream. The stream was swollen with water from melting snow, making it splash and roar as it hurried to meet the river at the bottom of the mountain.
Lillith found the place where she had first discovered the tiny Alpine flower. She dropped to her knees, brushing aside the old leaves of last year, searching. The lichen grew in a gray-green blanket among the rocks. Lush and healthy, it grew alone. She moved to another spot, frantically searching among the boulders. The lichen grew in abundance, but it’s surface was unbroken by the tiny nodding flowers.
************************
Chapter 54: A New Beginning
Finally, exhausted and unable to see through her tears, Lillith sat back on her heels and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. The wind shifted a cloud allowing the sun to shine warmly on her back. It fell over her shoulder and into a crevice in the rocks. It fell on a tiny white flower. She reached a shaking hand to the blossom and suddenly laughed. Of course! It was too early for the flowers to be blooming! Looking more closely at the blanket of lichen, she saw the fuzzy oval leaves of the Alpine flower nestled on top. The same color as its companion, the rare plant had hidden from her eyes, which sought only its flowers. Looking around, she realized the little plant was flourishing.
Touching the plant gently, she brushed away tears of happiness with her other hand. Feeling somehow soothed, she looked around her for the first time since starting her search. The sun had finally vanquished the clouds and the earth steamed gently under its warmth.
Above her, at the edge of the trees, a figure watched. She froze; her heart standing still for a second. Tall and thin, wrapped in a heavy cloak, stood the figure she had so longed to see. But her eyes had played tricks on her before; seeing his image where none stood. She blinked, but the figure remained. She unconsciously took in details. The hair was a bit longer and he was leaning heavily on a stout walking stick. But he was there. He didn’t vanish when she blinked.
She dove up the hill. Falling and scrambling over the rocks, she skinned hands and knees and never felt it happen. On her feet, on all fours, she swarmed up the rocky slope to run headlong to the man waiting for her.
She saw him brace himself and pulled up just short of colliding with him. Swaying on her feet she reached up a trembling hand to touch his cheek for a moment before melting against him, her sobs mingling with her laughter.
He dropped the walking stick and folded his arms around her, touching her hair, her arms, her shoulders, her back. Stroking and soothing her, he rocked her gently, waiting patiently for the storm to subside.
“I am so sorry.” The beloved voice whispered in her hair. “I only learned this morning that you didn’t know I was alive.” He gently pried her face form his chest and stroked her cheek. “If Dumbledore were still alive, I’d kill him with my bare hands for doing that to you.”
Lillith shook her head. “It doesn’t matter any more. Nothing matters except that you’re alive.” She gave his face a long look. “Where have you been? You were badly hurt; are you all right now?”
He nodded. “A bit the worse for wear, but still here. I need a wand, though. I lost mine and Dumbledore kept me from getting another one.” He scowled into the distance.
The look was so familiar that Lillith couldn’t help laughing. “I have your wand. Dumbledore gave it to me.” She was shivering from the wet and reaction.
“Come. Apparate us back to the school. You need to get out of those wet clothes. We have all the time in the world to catch up.”
He dropped his head and kissed her. A gentle, lingering, loving kiss that spoke more than any words.
They slipped back to their rooms without being seen. Things were chaotic after the battle, and Professor McGonagall was trying to get everything under control so they could finish out the few weeks of the school year that were left.
They agreed that Snape’s story could wait until later, so he wouldn’t have to tell it twice. They sent owls asking Kat and Tonks to come that afternoon.
The bathroom filled with steam as they stood entwined in each other’s arms under the shower’s spray of hot water. Gently and lovingly, they explored each other anew. Lillith was aghast as how thin Snape was, and he claimed that she wasn’t much better. He declared himself to be whole, just weak and with a decided limp. That too, he promised, would heal.
Finally, having enough of the water, they moved to the bedroom where they lay in each other’s arms.
Lillith ran her hand down Snape’s belly, and wrapped her warm fingers around his stiff cock.
“I see this part of you is functioning just fine.” She teased his ear with her tongue.
He groaned and rolled onto his side facing her.
“Do you know how much I missed you?”
“As much as I missed you?” Lillith was kissing her way down his neck.
He slid a hand between her legs and discovered just how much she was wanting him. He gave her thigh a tug and she willingly wrapped her leg around his hips. Maneuvering slightly, he slid himself inside her, pulling her hips close. She moaned into his chest.
“Severus...” Her tears started to flow again.
“Hush, my love.” He moved inside her slowly. “I promise, I’ll never leave you again.”
Lillith clung to him as they lay on their sides, moving together in a slow dance of love.
They were still tangled in each others arms when a loud knocking sounded on the door.
Snape groaned and rolled away from Lillith.
“How can they be over an hour early? Don’t they have any manners?”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have been the one to write the notes.” Lillith got up, hurriedly throwing on some clothes. “Seems someone must have recognized your writing.” She leaned over and kissed him as he lay on the bed.
“Go fend them off, will you? I’ll be there in a minute.”
Lillith turned away to give Snape privacy as he rose. He was still weak and moved as though much of his body was painful.
Lillith went into the living room and opened the door. Tonks and Kat tumbled into the room, both a little pale and looking strained.
“I’m sorry we’re so early, Lillith.” Kat hung their coats behind the door.
Tonks was looking around hopefully.
“Aunt Lilly, that was Snape’s writing on the note. I know it was. I’ve seen it too many times making nasty remarks on my school papers not to recognize it.”
For the first time she took in her aunt’s shining face.
“Oh, my gods! He is alive. He’s here!” She looked around frantically. “Where?!”
“Are you incapable of telling time?” Snape entered the room wearing jeans and a bulky white sweater.
Tonks shrieked and threw herself at him. His hand came up, pointing his wand squarely at her chest, freezing her in her tracks.
“I have had enough physical abuse to last me several lifetimes. I will not be mauled by you.” His scowl was deadly.
Tonks laughed and approaching him at a slightly more decorous pace, she pushed the wand aside and enveloped him in a hug. After a moment’s hesitation, he hugged her briefly before pushing her away.
Kat was standing rigidly by the door. Snape approached him, limping heavily. A few feet away, he stopped.
“Your skill saved my life.” He held out his hand. “Thank you.”
Kat took his hand in a brief clasp and nodded.
“The story!” Tonks was fairly bouncing up and down. “Tell us what happened; where you’ve been!”
Snape moved painfully to his favorite chair and sat heavily.
“For Merlin’s sake, woman, sit down! I shall throw you out if you don’t behave.”
“No you won’t,” Tonks tossed back at him. But she grabbed Kat’s hand and pulled him down on the couch beside her.
Lillith rapped the table twice, then twice more, and tea and cakes appeared, courtesy of the house elves.
Lillith got everyone settled with tea and something to eat.
Severus took a breath to start his tale when he was interrupted by a fierce knocking at the door.
"I know you're in there, Severus Snape. Open this door at once!" Professor McGonagall’s stern voice was at its most demanding.
Snape lifted his wand and opened the door. Minerva swept in and stopped in front of his chair. He tipped his head back and grinned up at her.
"Hello, Minerva."
She looked as though she were about to explode.
"Where have you been? I suppose your disappearing act was all Albus' doing?"
She suddenly seemed to take in his appearance; the gaunt frame, the pale, strained face, the walking stick propped by the chair. The color drained from her face and she swayed slightly.
"Are you alright?" Her voice was soft.
"Sit down, Minerva. Having one of us likely to fall over is enough." He waved her to a chair. "I'm recovering. Let's leave it at that."
McGonagall sank into a comfortable chair, and Lillith reached for the teapot.
"Would you like some tea, Minerva?"
"Tea!" McGonagall was still pale. "What I would like is some of Severus' Glenfiddich."
Snape chuckled, and with a wave of his wand, fetched her a drink. "I assume you still drink it neat?"
"You haven't been gone that long." McGonagall took a large fortifying gulp.
"I was just about to report. I'm glad you're here, as I don't feel like repeating myself."
McGonagall nodded, and settled back with her drink as Snape began.
"The Dark Lord had his doubts about me, it seemed, so he came on the raid to observe first hand. When he saw me help Tonks and the child off the roof, he decided I was not fit to serve him any longer." This last was said with a sneer. "Our Headmaster was apparently on the spot but not quick enough to deflect the Arvada Kedavra that the Dark Lord threw my way." He took a sip of tea. "That's where your gift came in." His eyes swept the three on the couch. "Kat's skill with charms saved me from being fried, as it were, but since I was already weak, the curse did some rather serious damage." He frowned at Lillith for a moment. "Did you...?"
She nodded but waved him off. "I'm fine."
He gave her a long look before returning to his story.
“Albus pulled what was left of me off the roof just before it collapsed. He hustled me off into hiding, far more dead than alive, where I spent almost four months unconscious. When I did come to, it was to fade in and out for a few more months. I finally pulled out of it but was too weak to undergo any... repair work for several more months.” He sighed and took a drink of tea. “It seems most everything was damaged to some degree. As I was told that any wizard of decent disposition would have had the courtesy to die in the first two weeks, I gather I was not the best of patients.”
Lillith hid a smile behind her teacup but Tonks snorted outright.
“Where have you been?”
Snape fixed Lillith with a look that asked understanding. “I was with Meredith and Jon.”
“Meredith?” Lillith sat up straight in surprise.
“She couldn’t tell you. Albus made them promise, as he did me. He wanted me to stay hidden until either the Dark Lord fell, or I was at least strong enough – in his opinion, to take care of myself. He was my secret keeper.”
They sat in silence; Lillith with a stunned look on her face.
Professor McGonagall set her glass down with a thump and rose from her chair.
“Let’s go, you two.” She gestured at Kat and Tonks.
There was a general rising and rearranging of bodies toward the door.
“Severus?” Kat stopped near his father who raised an inquiring eyebrow. Kat took a deep breath. “Tonks and I are getting married. I’d like you to stand witness for me.”
Snape studied the young man for a moment, then glanced at Lillith who gave the smallest of nods.
“On one condition.”
Kat raised an eyebrow in a gesture so like his father’s that Professor McGonagall had to cough into her hand to hide a chuckle.
“That would be?”
“That you do the same for me.”
Kat’s reply was drowned out by Tonks’ whoop of glee, but his smile spoke for him. She flung herself on Lillith and gave her a huge hug, then turned to Snape. She almost fell over backward as she pulled up short to avoid impaling herself on his wand.
“Oh, all right!” She laughed. “I won’t hug you. I guess once a year is enough, eh?”
“More than enough.” He reply was sour, but his eyes betrayed him.
Kat and Tonks left with promises of returning the next evening, and Professor McGonagall turned to Snape.
“You’re to be Deputy Headmaster, you know.” She looked at him sternly.
He gave her a crooked smile. “Of course, Minerva. You know I’ll support you in any way I can.”
Her face twisted before she got control of it. “I know it’s an awful lot to ask, but could you come to the Great Hall for dinner? I think it would be good for the students to see you.”
He took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. “All right. But it will be your fault if I fall over.”
She laid a hand against his face and reached up to plant a gentle kiss on his other cheek.
“Welcome home, Severus.”
He caught her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “It’s good to be back.”
She turned, and after giving Lillith’s arm a pat, left the room.
***********************
To be continued in Part 13