Gifts Like This One, Chapter 3
After Flying was over with, she went to her Common Room and saw Severus waiting for her to get back from class; she smiled at him and kissed his cheek. The Slytherin Common room was a dungeon and it was atually warm, even in winter (Jackie will find that out in winter). There were desks spread out but only half a dozen; there was also three couches, five armchairs in front of the fire and six coffee tables. Everything had a greenish slivery tint to it, but it still looked good enough to want to see everyday for nine months.
"Why did you do that?" he asked her, she shrugged.
"You deserve it Sev, you did good at flying today. I'm very pleased with that," he frowned and stood up. Uh oh. "Something you need to tell me Severus Snape?" she asked him uncertain if she wanted to know what it was.
Severus was still in his robes, but his tie was undone and his shoes were lose on his feet-he was about to take them off when she entered- as well. His hair was brushed back and his eyes were like black diamonds. "Actually I do. Jackie I'm not afraid of heights, just of making a fool of myself in front of people that I hate. Meaning Potter," he told her. She frowned a little and hugged him, she cried because she knew how her life was going to happen: choosing between her brother or her friend and if she chooses her half brother, she looses her best and first friend. "Jackie I know that you and Potter have nothing in common, but then again you have everything in common-." she put her fingers to his mouth and kissed his cheek again.
"You and I are like this," she crossed her fingers in front of his face, he smiled. "I love you like a brother and always shall Severus Snape. I promise." the first year left the Common Room to meet Sirius Black in the Owerly. Would this be considered a first date? Jackie Cross wasn't sure, but if it did... she was better then her father. His first date was when he was a fifth year in Hogwarts as a Gryffindor [(note from KG: I realized while I read the story that I made a major mistake, I typed something about a Slytherin and a Ravenclaw getting together. I'm deeply sorry: the correct houses are that Chelsea was in Ravenclaw and Jimmy in Gryffindor. Sorry again dear fellow readers and authors!). Jackie smiled at this thought and left the castle again to go to meet Sirius Black.
One thing crossed her mind as she made her way up the stairs to the Owerly: was this a vicious trap set by the Gryffindor to play with her heart and mind and soul? If it was, she would be sooo pissed... She tried not to think of that as she entered through the door of the Owlery. She smiled when she saw that Sirius was there first, at least she wasn't stood up! He turned around and faced her.
"Hi." it was all he could say at the moment.
"Hello," she said back. He laughed making her do the same thing. "Why up here?" she asked trying to sound casual as she went over and looked out the window, he stood by it too, that's why she went to look out the window; he took her hand.
"I like the height thing, it calms me. You- you were really great to Peter today at flying," he said finally. She blushed but the paleness of her skin didn't show it, she only nodded.
Her robes were on her losely, her clip was failing her again; strands of blond hair was falling through the tongs and into her face. She redid it quickly and took his hand again, "There's something you should know about my mum." she whispered, looking sad and scared. He looked at her, "I've asked her so many times about it, but her last name before marring my father was 'Black'." she hesitated, then asked. "Is it legal for relatives to do this?" she asked moving their clasped hands up in front of his eyes so he knew what she meant.
Sirius laughed, "don't worry. I've never heard of a Chelsea Black before so maybe she just wanted a ancient or famed name." Jackie loved that theory but really... was it sanitary for relatives to date? She didn't know but she liked having someone to look forward to seeing everyday, not including Severus; she could see him whenever she wanted. "What are your mum and dad like, you never speak of them?" she asked him, again it was casual to keep the conversation off of herself and on to him.
He smiled and said, "My mum and dad are Pure Blood freaks." he frowned suddenly, it made her sad to see him sad, "They believe what Salazar Slytherin believed: only Pure Bloods should be in Hogwarts and muggle borns should go somewhere else or in other words... not to magic school-."
"That's terrible." Jackie blurted, she let go of his hand and went over a gray owl, a school owl. She put out her hand and the creature climbed onto her hand, he spread his wings then folded them back right away against his body. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?" he nodded and said he had a younger brother by two years.
"Regulus is mother's favourite, he'll be with you in Slytherin I'm sure." he said, she frowned and set the owl down after petting him. Sirius went over to her, "Why are you so afraid of going home?" he asked her, was this why he asked her up here? She faced him and said bravely.
"I'm not, I just prefer to be here. Home and I get along gre- great, but... things happen. My sisters are in Mungo's right now-." she stopped and tried to change the subject back to him but he ignored her questions if he had any pets besides the owl. He begged her to tell him, "Nothing goes on at my home Sirius; I swear." she said calmly. He sighed and took her hand again and kissed her cheek.
"What are you doing?" they both looked over at the door of the Owerly. Before Jackie could say anything Severus turned and sprinted down the stairs. He had seen him kiss her as she kissed him in their Common Room.
"Severus!" she called and went after him. She ran after him and finally, she grabbed him as he neared the Entrance Hall doors. His face was blood red from anger and he seemed to have been crying a little, "Severus you are like my brother, you should be happy for me!" she cried, tears weren't falling but they were close to happing. he saw this and told her to grow up, her jaw dropped. "What about you pretending to be afraid of heights like a child-."
"I am a child Jackie!" he yelled, "You either choose Potter and Black or me, just remember I was there for you first!" he yelled, she closed her eyes.
The decision was happing too fast, she took his hand and fell to her knees, "Forgive me Severus." she looked up at him with water in her eyes. "Do what I ask of you and you'll never see me with Sirius like that again, I swear it on my grave." she said, her voice calmer then when she started. He growled and pulled her to her feet and dragged her back inside to their Slytherin Common Room.
Jackie sat on the edge of the couch with Severus pouting across from her in a different one, he had his elbow on the arm of the couch and head resting on his fist. Jackie was sitting along with the couch and her head on the arm of the couch completely. She wanted to leave and go outside with the remaining sunlight. Finally, she stood and told him where she was going as she left he called to her, "If I catch you with Black we're threw Cross!" She stiffled her tears as she hurried from the dungeon and went outside as she said she was going to do. As she left a few older students whispered something and Severus used his wand's magic to show off what Dark Spells he knew... Before Severus Snape knew it, he made a name forhimself; the Seventh years said they couldn't even do those spells.
She went to where she had gotten from the small boat upon first arriving at her school, she knew now that she had ridden in the same one as Sirius and James; they had ignored her and she them. She skipped rocks on the ledge like on the short of the lake a few hours ago. "It's unfair," she grumbled miserably. "Life is unfair, father you were right." she cried when she realized what she just admitted too, she repeated it a few more times to help it sink in. "it's hard living a lie while trying to make up new ones. If my God is watching please," she stopped and looked around the ledge to see if someone was there. "Please answer me: I cannot and will not survive here without knowing my sisters, my mother, and myself are safe from all harm and from him. If you must take mine to spare Jamie and Jodie's lives then take it, but please help me to get through the pain Jimmy has bestowed upon me. He poisoned my sisters to get me to come home so he can hurt me; if you answer me someway that I can tell, I will give my life for whatever task you set for me." she clutched her teeth in saying this, she made a promise and since the wind picked up, she knew she would have to keep it...
...Somewhere there was a scream and it made Jackie spin so suddenly she slippe and fell into the lake, technically she fell on top of it; she looked around at where she was and she was sure the lake was deeper, much deeper where she was just now. She formed a fist and plunged it into the surface of the lake, it went through but hit something: she was close to the rocks that the stairs were built out of, and now she yelled out and pulled her hand back and saw that it was bleeding. She forced back tears.
"Is this my gift from you?" she whispered, from somewhere there was a noise and she stood up on the lake's surface. Jackie forced herself to say, "Thank you and now I will keep my word and do whatever it is you have set for me." she promised and went over and climbed back onto the solid surface of the stone dock and turned back to the lake. She smiled as she jumped and landed on both feet on the lake surface, she laughed as she ran to the shore on the other side of the lake.
Back in the Slytherin Common room Jackie felt powerful for the first time in her eleven years of life; she liked it and wanted more but strained herself and even pinched herself. Jackie get a grip, listen to yourself. You're acting like a Death Eater begging the Dark Lord for more power! She sighed and the old feeling came back, restraining herself was her main priority and it always had to be; if she let the magic and power combo control her... Jamie and Jodie are as good as dead.
The next day back at the docks again Jackie walked on the water's surface for a while, she walked across and back and got to class just as the bell rang; she had dreamed that a disfigured Jimmy Cross had come to steal her. Kidnap her and treat her like he's treated her mother. Again she woke up her Dorm-mates, this time she didn't apoligize; she had a nightmare, she shouldn't have to apologize for that. The girls claimed she kept saying a name over and over again, 'Jimmy'. She glared at them when they taunghted her with this, then Jimmy's face came clear into her head and she cowered under her sheets and fell back asleep.
But anyway... back to class... Jackie entered as the bell rang and took her spot next to Severus who was closest to Sirius and James this time; he was hoping the less she saw of them the easier it would be to rid her of their disease. Sirius had seen Severus enter the classroom and sit down where he and Jackie always sit, then move over so he was closer to James and his friends so Jackie was on his left instead of his right side. Sirius growled and wanted nothing more then to curse him. She asked why he traded spots with her all of a sudden.
"To get their names and faces out of your head Jackie. You chose me remember?" he snapped in a whisper. She sighed and nodded. Slavick had double DADA with them that day so they were there for an extra hour, in two hours they had used up not even half a parchment roll due to the fact that Slavick loves to talk about nothing and yet everything.
"My mother was a muggle and my father was a wizard, he was in Hufflepuff actually and he loved it." he blabbed, a few students looked at each other when me meantion Helga's house. "My mum hated that I was gone for such a long time for seven years, she got over it when she died unfortunately when I was in my seventh year. How many of you have a deseased parent?" he asked. Only eight people raised a hand, they looked like they were about to cry when remembering they had one parent left.
Severus raised a hand, "does wanting one to be dead count." Jackie's eye widened and turned to Slavick again nodded.
"Yeah, I would like to know too," she said. She and Severus had another thing in common.
Slavick looked at them with a odd face, Snape's and Cross's expressions didn't change: they wanted an anwer. "May I ask which one?"
"My father." they said it at the same time.
Sirius looked at James and he looked at Remus and he looked at Peter. "May I ask why?" he asked them. "Ms. Cross stand up," he said changing his mind. She looked at Severus and stood up. "Are you afraid of Azkaban?" he asked her.
"Can't be afraid of something if you've never seen it, so no."
He frowned, "Well, try to imagine a land with unicorns and hippogriffs... anything great that comes to mind." she nodded. "Now imagine it all... dead. That's what Azkaban is like. Not happy, you feel the wind when there isn't any. Dementors suck the life right out of you and even the undead are afraid of them."
"You mean vampires?" he nodded, "What's under the hood?" she asked sitting back down although he never said she could.
He sighed and turned to the board and then back to her. Today he wore dark pink robes and slippers; his sunglasses were clipped on the front of his robes, he took them and put them on and realizing they weren't real glasses, tosses them on the table next to him. Slavick stood straight, but with caution, "Dementors are vile creatures that fear one thing: the Patronus Charm. Would you like to try Ms. Cross?" she shrugged. "Say 'Expecto Patronum'." Jackie repeated it. "Good, take out the wand you got over the summer and think of something happy, something would make tears to your eyes it made you so happy when it happened..." As he went on she began thinking of something like that, she couldn't think of anything.
Finally giving up, she said, "I'm sorry, I can't think of one." She muttered ashamed, she looked away from her professor wishing she was suddenly home.
"Mr. Snape is there one you can think of right now; a happy memory." He asked him, Severus sneered and shook his head. He glanced over at Lily Evans, when she saw him looking her way- she turned away from him. Lily's red hair covered half of her face. "Hopefully being here at this school for seven years will change that." He said and began lecturing on proper house care, because Clara brought up how her dog piddles in the house to change the subject.
"I doubt that by how you and I are going Severus, happy memories seems inpossible." she whispered so only he could hear her, he glared at her although he wasn't looking at Jackie. "For lunch I'm going to the lake again, if you want to meet me," she added. He said he better things to do. She smiled inside and nodded in real life.
Back by her spot where she was first given her gift, she walked the lake's surface thinking of a happy memory. It was Lunch, she didn't have breakfast, but hunger wasn't the problem with her right now. She's been a Hogwarts student for only a couple days and already she's been given the choice between her brother and Sirius with Severus on the other line... she hated every minute of it and wanted to go home. Jamie and Jodie were still in Mungo's more like it and Jimmy was probably waiting for her response, she prayed for almost a hour last night Chelsea got to her letter before Jimmy. She must have crossed herself twelve times before getting into bed.
The lake was calm and smooth, the trees swayed in the breeze; the water was freezing because the temperature was sort of cold as well. She wondered why Severus wanted his father dead... was he a angel of death like Jimmy. Abusive. Destructive. A potential criminal? She walked the lake for a lot longer then she wanted to and ran back to the castle, before she entered she heard her name being called. She turned and saw Sirius, standing in a gap between the wall and another wall. She made sure no one was around and went over to him, he dragged her deeper into the six foot deep gap; they had to make a sharp turn and finally in a spot where Severus couldn't find him and her, Sirius kissed her on the lips this time.
"I'm sorry about Severus and yesterday." she said after he let her go, he chuckled.
"Don't worry about it Jackie." he told her, they skipped their class after lunch and spent the time together in that deep gap. "What does your dad do to you and you mum and sisters," he whispered. She looked at him and nuzzles closer into him, he lay against a wall and she lay right in front of him. His arms were around her comfortably. "Jackie?" he muttered.
She sighed finally, "he doesn't do anything Sirius." she said trying to smile, "I just don't get along with the man and he's never there for my mother is all. We should get back inside." he agreed and before they left the gap he kissed her again,- no tongue, I mean they are only eleven-. He went first to make sure the coast was clear and then she followed him a moment later when he gave the all clear. They weren't caught by anyone, just got ten house points docked from their next teacher for being late. Severus watched her every move that class and questioned her about it after classes were completely done that day.
"Why were you AND Black late today?" he asked, she had brought her homework from Herbology with her to dinner. She was working on that while he spoke to her, she ignored him but when he placed his hand over her work she looked up at him.
"I was with him I admit but nothing happened, would you rather I lie to you Severus?" he said nothing. "He doesn't treat me like a fool Severus, you and your rules and stupid pathetic way of getting me to stay friends with you: threatening me Severus. Leave the threats to my father okay, he controlls me, even when I'm here." she said and gathered her things and left the Great Hall and went to the library instead. Deep in the shelves she was alone for the first time in a long time (well since lunch anyway when she Water-Walked). She finished her work faster then she would have been if she had been in the Great Hall or in her Common Room or Dormitory.
As she gathered her things again to go down to the dungeons she heard James and Sirius talking quietly. "So what happened after lunch?" James asked his friend. Sirius blushed and told him what happened. "How many times did you kiss Jackie?" he asked.
"Two. I like what we have James, but why is Snivellus so controlling?" he asked disappointed.
"Jackie's just afraid of him hating her, I mean Snivellus does know alot of spells to hurt her with. Maybe she can't decide between you and Snivellus; just becareful she is a Slytherin you know. Like Regulus will be in a couple years," he warned. Jackie felt hurt but got over it quickly, she would have to get used to insults like that one.
Sirius shook his head, "Jackie's different, I can tell James that she is. She and I are like what you and Lily Evans will be someday." James laughed and nodded, Jackie smiled she could see her and Sirius living together for the rest of their lives; rings and kids. She smiled. "How is the Flower anyway?" Sirius asked him.
"Up in our Common Room avoiding me. What is it with her, I know I'll get her someday Sirius. I can feel it!" he said and they began talking about Quidditch tryouts for next when James plans to go for the team.
Jackie moved so she wouldn't be seen by them, but the Librarian found her, she clasped her hand over her mouth to keep from shouting when the woman put her hand on her shoulder, "Settle child, it's just me." she said kindly.
"Sorry, you just startled me." Jackie said quickly, Sirius and James' voicses disappeared. The librarian of the school handed her something and she took it. her father's handwriting was on the front. "Shit," she whispered and went back hurried from the castle to her spot by the lake.
Sirius and James sprinted up to their Dormitory and grabbed James' Invisiblilty Cloak and caught up with her easily.
Jackie, how dare you write to Chelsea! I am your guardian and unless if you want to come home, stop your bullshit and when you write home write to me and only me! Just to let you know: Jamie and Jodie cry every night for their mother, she won't be around for long...
"What does that mean?" she whispered and leanded against the wall of the tiny building. She put her bag down so it leaned against the building wall where she had been leaning.
Chelsea and I have a surprise waiting for you in three months, at that point do NOT address me as father or Jimmy, I would be Justin and your mother will be Rebecca Riddell. Your grandparents in Berlin will have the infants so don't ask about them. By the way, if you have given even the slightest hint about you and James- I'll fulfil your short life destiny. I promise... I always keep my promises- you know that Jackie.
Love from Chelsea and none from Me.
"Gyn," she said she sat on a rock as she waited, her black owl came toward her and landed next to her. His leg as dried blood on it and his feathers were ruffled, "Gyn I never thought Jimmy would hurt you, I'm so sorry." she said and grabbed him and embraced him, "By the way he made this sound," she held up the letter. "Jimmy and Chelsea are coming here, apparently in a few months. When they arrive come and find me right away, even if it's during class. Jamie and Jodie will be with Grandmother in Berlin so they won't be with mother." she whispered to the owl, he nodded by pumping his head up and down. "Go and rest," she said and he lifted off into the air. She grabbed her bag and set it back down again near the ledge of the dock.
As she was about to jump off someone spoke a name, "Cygnus."
"Hyra and Hydro the water twins, great." She muttered, she jumped down and walked on the water's surface as two fairy like creatures flew next to her.
"I heard that!" Hydro snapped. He and his twin sister were Water Fairies and could speak english better then most people becuase they've been alive for over five hundred centuries. Pretty much since Earth and the Mily Way was created. Hydra giggled and settled herself on Jackie's shoulder and Hydro took her other shoulder and whispered in her ear.
"Shut it Hydro, he's lying Cygnus-."
"I hate that name you gave me, it has nothing to do with me," Jackie told them as she climbed up the cliff it was more dangerous, but faster.
They both laughed, she asked why they were laughing. Hydra responded when Hyrdo wouldn't, "Because it's what your animagus would be. I can tell," Jackie snorted. "You hate your name Cygnus?" she asked her.
Jackie nodded, and told them why: "Don't laugh but when I was about six I was with Chelsea as swan attacked me, okay? It was funny but I suffered my first broken arm and i assure you it surely wasn't my last. I've had many since that year. The walking on water thing has nothing to do with my name," she said. They twins looked at each other and burst out laughing.
"We gave you the gift ourselves Cygnus, we can take it back-."
"No."
"Well then..." Hydro said gleeing down at the lake. He took his sisters hand and they flew down to the water. Jackie climbed the last few meters without them behind her or around to distact her; James and Sirius had to hurry to catch up. They saw the water fairies flying back at her with grace and speed.
"Hydro stop it!" Hyrda cried, her brother was trying to throw water balls at her and they usually hit her right in the back. Finally she gathered water from the air and threw one back, one hit Jackie in the arm. She placed her hand over the wet spot on ther robes and when she took her hand away it was dry. "How'd you do that?" Hyrda asked her.
She shrugged, "it's just simple magic. I started doing magic well before Hogwarts; I taught myselft to do alot more then just dry clothing." she laughed. "Well, I'm going to my Common Room, see you at lunch tomorrow." she muttered and hurried off.
"Bye Cygnus!" they screamed. their voices were small so their screams were like loud whispers to humans. The faires wore leaves for clothes and their hair was blue and their skin pale blue. Hydro went down to the lake and made the water dance while his twin sister danced with it in the air above the lake.
