One, who has been chosen,
By him that they are scared.
Two is vastly fiery,
Both in heart and in hair.
The third is one of strange descent,
But cleverer than most.
The fourth, a young man torn between,
His duties and his hopes.
The girl may fall for one of those,
Likely person one or four,
As person number two decides
That number three he shall adore.
The woman, ancient but ageless yet,
Shall be there on the side.
Saved by ancient one-horned beasts
To stem the awful tide.
She shall be born of true love failed
Although tried more than thrice.
Her eyes shall be the thing you see,
Those forged of Fire and Ice.
Severus Snape was not a happy man, usually. He felt he had always been a bit... underappreciated, that everyone took his loyalty and talent for granted. Now that he was here, with the one person he trusted over all else dozily draped across a couch clinking a glass of soda, and no requests being made of him whatsoever, he felt that he could almost be happy.
"I want you to take care of the Malfoy Boy."
Or not.
He looked up from the stack of parchment he was halfheartedly grading, incredulous.
"Because the Unbreakable Vow was only a passing fancy."
"Noooo, Severus." She rolled her eyes at him, sitting up straighter to let the full power of her admonishing gaze rest on him. "I mean really take care of him." She averted her eyes. "The way you take care of the Potter boy." He looked up at her sharply, but she just took a quiet sip, giving him a mild glance. "You know, watch out for him and keep him from getting in trouble instead of always getting him out of it."
"Adeline, I'm most certainly trying my best-- if I wasn't, I'd be--"
"Dead, dead, yes I know. But still Severus, love, I mean it. You and I both know that there could be something else you haven't thought about yet, you could have him tailed, maybe, you know, have a firm talk with him or so--"
"Because I haven't tried those things already. Why are you so interested in Draco's well-being, anyway? I didn't think you were even aware of his existence."
"Me not know of a Malfoy? Don't be stupid. The boy's just like his grandfather, and, well, I don't know. I just want to keep him out of trouble."
"Well it's a bit late for that, isn't it?" he said dryly, and she frowned.
"If you do recall, I did make this exact same promise to his mother, of which you seem to forget that if I break, I die."
She scowled into the clear glass, obviously still distressed, and Severus sighed.
She was making the pouty face.
He hated when she made the bloody pouty face.
"Fine. I'll do it. More than I already do, anyway. I'm not promising anything, though. It's hard to help someone who's sure he doesn't need it."
She let out a quick barking laugh, giving him a pointed glare.
"I wonder who that sounds like." He rolled his eyes: she always got like this around the holidays. He shifted in his seat, waiting for a lull in her angry muttering to put in his own two cents.
"Adeline, I've been thinking..."
"Oh, whoa, should I call a doctor?" Her hard-hidden American accent shone through as she spoke, and he glared as she barely covered a snort.
"Amusing, Adeline. I mean it."
"So do I, darling, but, if you must..."
"Thank you." He took a sip from the highball glass on his desk, rolling his tongue around the liquor and wondering how he would phrase his next sentences.
"There's just been a lot of attacks around here lately..."
"And?"
"What do you mean, and? And I think you should be as far away as possible, considering your current... status."
"Oh, screw a donkey, Severus. I've been in danger plenty of times before. Why the hell should you be so concerned now?"
"Will you just do as I say for once instead of going at me about it? There are uprisings, things that are coming up for air, and I'd rather you'd be out of the way when they... ahem, take their first breath, so to speak."
She sighed, pouring herself more of the clear soda that was her vice, chewing her lip between her teeth.
"Good Lord, Severus, will you stop speaking in riddles and just tell me what the hell you mean?"
"I want you out of here, Adeline."
"And where would I go, Severus? I mean, I appreciate the idea, but..."
"Why not go to Hogwarts? I seem to recall there being a need for an Ancient Runes teacher—it wouldn't hurt to start working again, perhaps. Young minds to moulded and such."
She grinned, throwing back her head to let out a pealing laugh.
"You know, I never understood why you taught. You hate kids so much, it just seems a bit masochistic, don't you think?"
"And whatever gave you the impression that I wasn't," he said, giving Zolf, Bradley his grade (C-), grabbing his coat and a small box labelled 'Pall-Mall'.
"It's settled, then. We'll pack your things tomorrow and in the interim you'll stay at Order Headquarters."
"Order Headquarters? Order of wha... Oh, fuck no, Severus, no way in-- no! I don't even know where it is."
"It's a good thing I'm telling you then," he said with a rare smile. "Isn't it?"