The Book of Lost Tales
By Flittermouse and Fleable
Summary: Snape discovers a book that he did not know he owned. What's inside is a mystery only you can solve.
A/N- please read the author profiles.
DISCLAIMER:
This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
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One day Severus Snape was sitting in his rooms and unusually found himself at a loss. He had no pressing appointments, no urgent potions to brew and since the Voldemort had been defeated a year ago there had been no inconvenient calls to drop everything and 'scraper' at a moment's notice.
Thinking that he should be at least looking as if he were doing something, Snape eyed his bookshelf. He should read something. Yes, a quiet read before a roaring fire while the snow flurries whirled against the thick windows sounded just the thing. He carefully examined the spines of the books that formed his personal library and his gaze fell to a book he could have sworn he had never seen before. He pulled the small book from the shelf and wondered whether or not the elves had misplaced it. Puzzled he sat down in his comfortable wing-backed chair and ran his fingers delicately over the book's cover. It was made of tooled leather and gilt wood; its title was so ornately written that the filigreed words were almost lost in the design.
"The Book of Lost Tales." He managed to read. It did not sound like a book he would own and curiously he opened the cover…
The frontispiece contained a magical picture. In it he could see the faces of a number of people -- mainly women and one person who looked remarkably like Max von Sydow. They all wore Muggle clothes and all appeared sad or wronged.
About the faces a trail of misty writing flowed. In it he saw the makings of a spell:
"Those who have been cast out,
their stories lie within
the jealousy of someone brought,
them to this fate,
Read their writings now
They can be found at 'Lord and Lady Snape'
Quickly now, do it,
Before it is too late!"
The words vanished and Snape scowled as he turned the page to see a story form before him. What was all this? Are these authors political prisoners, some group of free thinkers who had been squished by some multinational Nazis with not an iota of originality in their thinking? To his impressive brain, it certainly seemed that way.
Deciding the only way to know for sure, Snape read the first few lines of the story. He was immediately struck in the stomach by the images the words were forming. He was ruthlessly raping Hermione Granger - of all people.
Boy, had that author 'Fleable' got the wrong end of the stick. Everyone knew he was a great big softie who fostered kittens and painted pink fluffy clouds for a hobby. Shesh, he hurriedly turned the pages in disgust. He would never do that. No matter… (he turned the book onto it's side to look at an illustration), how enticing. Besides, he sniffed, he did not think of Miss. Granger in 'that way'. No, they had a strictly professional relationship. She greased the whips and chains while he simply used them.
He flicked over to the middle of the book and holding it out a good distance from his person continued to read.
This story seemed to be about Hermione Granger. In it Draco Malfoy had turned her into a frog; such a transformation did not bear thinking about, but Snape kept reading, his caterpillar eyebrows almost reaching his hairline in disbelief. The story said he too had been transformed, but into a snake…. A rather dashing one at that, he smugly noted. It was a rather standard tale until Potter's incompetence also transformed Granger into snake and it turned out to be mating season. Egads! Snape gasped, closing the book when it got to the nasty bits. Not again!
His heart pounding Snape forced himself to read a few more stories. Some were decidedly smutty and he felt himself grow uncomfortably hot in his clothing. Dear me, he was holding his breath, what was he doing to Hermione?
More importantly, what was she doing to him!
Squick!
Quickly he flicked to the 'Graphic Violence' section and settled down. The coals were low in the grate by the time he reached the 'Obviously too intelligently adult to be read by a general audience' section, but he was determined to finish this highly entertaining book before he went to sleep.
Finally a few hours later, he closed the book and sighed in satisfaction. He sensed the book was a magical collection that would grow daily with equally fulfilling and interesting tales. He sensed a pattern to the stories within it. They were all about him and Hermione Granger and they were intimately involved – very intimately. Snape knew that by their very nature these tales were 'not' in general circulation, they would not reside in the children's section of the library that's for sure.
What had happened to them? He wondered, where had all these stories gone?
Gosh darn it! He wanted to know, it was important, he needed to show them to Dumbledore. Yes, he was not even convincing himself. He wanted to find out how he ended up with four children and shagging Hermione in the Hall of Mysteries! That's what he wanted to know!
Besides, he reasoned, 'all' the stories were of such quality they needed to be shared- widely and freely with everyone.
Perhaps he and Hermione could have a 'bonding' session and try to locate them? Yes, he decided, closing the book with a snap. It was time for an expedition. Time to leave these dusty insipid walls and find someplace new and fresh.
Now, where had he left his silver and green neckerchief, rucksack and travelling broom?
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The End – Thank you and good night.