Disclaimer: see someone who cares…
A/N: Hello. I'm glad this chapter gets to go up. It had been sitting around half-finished before the last few chaps of You Bloody Stupid Bastard. But it lives now!
Sellow Vitae
-Chapter 3-
Pteropus Giganteus
September 20th 2007
Finun Crook - PRP Education Center
1:15 pm
(half moon)
The back room of the lecture hall is surprisingly large. It has storage room enough that the only things which lay upon the bureaus are quills and papers that have been left unfinished.
Even so, there is enough floor space left that the teachers who visit it could waltz if they should desire to. Not that they do.
Contrary to his surroundings, Severus feels closed in. The complete lack of light isn't the problem it used to be. His eyes can see the adult student standing before him as clear as day.
That's the trouble. This Tamasine man is becoming difficult to withstand. Not that Severus finds him intimidating in some way.
No… Kalai Tamasine is… an unsettling person.
He doesn't get intimidated or confrontational. The young man appears completely at ease in Severus's presence, which he is not at all used to.
It isn't as if he's grown used to Snape's demeanour from months of understanding… It's been three days!
-Alright… (exasperation) once more and you've had it for today, Tamasine.
-Kalai.
-Excuse me?
-I'd rather you called me Kalai.
-(tersely) As I am well aware. Do the spell… use your wand and the word I've taught you.
no movement
-Tamsine? (said man crosses his arms decisively)
-(unintelligible grumbling) Kalai?
-Yes, sir? (brightly)
-The spell!
-Right, uh— Lumos!
Severus shields his eyes as, to his amazement; the room fills with a pale, almost milky blue light.
-I did it! (Kalai smiles proudly)
Severus eyes the luminescence critically. It's strong, radiating from Kalai to fill the entire room.
-No, you didn't. Turn it off.
When the light vanishes, Severus takes out his wand and says 'Lumos' quietly.
-This is what the spell looks like: a steady, illuminated area… barely more potent than a candle flame. Do you realise that your inability to use a wand may keep you from wizarding-society?
Kalai's expression falters at these words and-
What?!
Severus's mind prompts him to react, a notion he quickly rejects.
Sympathy?
Impossible.
September 20th 2007
Diagon Alley – Margaret's Assorted Trade Items
2:30 pm
(half moon)
-Okay, read me off the list. (distant shouting caused by being buried in a heap of containers in storage)
Kalai puts down the quill and blows softly on the ink. Inventory seems specifically designed to torture him.
-Can't we go drop off the orders now? This is duller than watching baseball!
Remus laughs.
-Fine! Next time we'll swap jobs and then see if it's dull, eh?
-(raspberry)
-Come on! We'll go after you read the bloody list.
-Fine. Ahem… Vervain: two pouches, sellowan beads: one jar, toad's milk: five litres- yeesh do we really need so much? Blegh.
-Kalai… (threateningly)
-Thorn grass: nine pouches, nightshade: fifty grams, vitum powder: three jars, veritaserum: one phial, fern seed: one pouch, mandrake fertilizer: four kilograms, ground crow: two jars… and a wolfsbane kit- just add boiling water.
He considers this for a moment.
-That'd be handy… why can't all potions come in kits? Then I wouldn't have to learn them!
After a couple of very stern cleaning spells, Remus emerges from the storage area, carrying the kit in its leather bag.
-Scratch the wolfsbane kit off the list, please.
-You're taking it? (surprise)
-Yes…
-You can't steal from your own store!
-I'm buying the kit, Kalai.
-(accusatory) I thought you said you couldn't afford it…
-I can't. That's why I need to ask a favour from you.
Remus sets the kit down on the front counter. He approaches the leaning tower of packages for delivery. He begins shrinking them one by one and placing them in his jacket pocket. Kalai springs over and swings an arm around Remus's shoulders.
-Ask away, Pokey, I'm full of favours.
Remus nearly hits Kalai for use of the ridiculous nickname… but changes his mind in the hopes of getting his way.
-This is really hard for me to say, but… I kept my rent money for this month to pay for that kit. My landlord hit the ceiling- even worse than the first three times I did it. Now he's only giving me five days to move out. The fact-
-(interruption) Wait! Before you go on, there's something I meant to tell you.
-Yeah? What is it?
-Well you see, it gets really creepy at my place sometimes and I was wondering if you could stay with me for a little while. You know… to scare the spooky things away?
Remus smiles gratefully and gives Kalai a quick hug.
-Thank you so much, mate.
-No thanks necessary, you're the one doing me a favour.
-Kalai, you're wonderful.
-I know…
Remus hits his friend on the head with the nearest package.
September 20th 2007
Odin Street - Sharps
8:36 pm
(half moon)
Sure, the ministry has been through its reform… but Severus still doesn't find them all that competent.
The post-Newt education is a good idea. The rate of muggle to wizard knowledge is embarrassing. To be ignorant of practical or sophisticated knowledge merely because they don't involve magic has always seemed foolish.
The reintegration? It is necessary… but Severus privately feels that St. Mungo's might be better equipped to deal with the young, shell-shocked wizards and witches that were caught in the middle of the Voldemort-Dumbledore confrontation.
But to put the two together and stick Severus with the worst shifts?
Well, it's one of the reasons why he's at the bar of a club instead of at home.
-You look like shit. (a voice from behind)
Severus isn't in the mood to fire back at who ever it is. Any non-humans in the place can pick up how much of a wreck he is.
Emotionally and mentally exhausted. Being leached by phantom parasites… a special treat reserved for the suffering of immortals.
Not to mention how badly he needs more Sellow Vitae.
-(a voice intent on pestering) What's a matter then, vamp? Low on fluids?
Severus turns; ready to tell this asshole how many different ways he can fuck off, only to find himself looking into the face of a man with bright red eyes and a fierce green Mohawk.
-Xero!
He flashes Severus a quick glimpse of his fangs, the habitual greeting of one vampire to another.
Severus returns the gesture, with his more of a grimace than a grin.
-Hey. (as he slides onto a stool) I didn't think you liked it here.
-(Shrugging.) It's somewhere. And at least people here can sense why I want them to piss off.
-Not all of them. (Sourly.) A couple of girls came in and I'm telling you… so ignorant and untainted! Even the human regulars could tell they were sheep. I can't wait for tomorrow night. Ah, Friday… freaks only.
-(...)
Severus shifts in his seat and takes another sip of his drink. He watches listlessly as the deep red liquid swishes around in his glass. Xero moves to put a hand on his shoulder, but Severus ducks away from the contact.
-You're still going through after-affects from the change? (Concern)
-I seem to be. (Though he doesn't know for sure.) I'm afraid I have to leave. Maybe the three of us could meet here next week. Talk a little…
Pretty soon, the pain will be too much to handle. It feels like someone is stabbing Severus behind the ears. He silently offers his nearly full glass to Pawn Xero.
-(Taking the glass in hand) Is it straight?
-No, there's a bit of whiskey in with it. I don't like it so thick when it's cold.
-Kampai. (Takes a swig.) This stuff beats trying to find an unsuspecting drunk…
The vicious stabbing refuses to cease. Severus mutely takes his leave of Xero. He walks out of Sharps, down the street and back onto Diagon alley before apparating home.
Maybe it's the after-affects of the change… or maybe he's doing it to himself now. Either way, it's the Sellow Vitae that can help him cope. Illegalities be damned.
September 20th 2007
Siita Dr. – Severus's place
11:48 pm
(half moon)
As the tan-coloured concoction begins to cool, Severus can feel his anticipation building up.
He takes the precise measurement of powdered silver and adds it to the liquid in the cauldron. He is careful to select a wooden spoon to mix the final ingredients together.
The first time Severus had made Sellow Vitae he had picked up a metal spoon at random. The unlucky utensil being made of silver, it had disintegrated into the mix.
With a final scrape around the sides, it's ready. With the addition of the powdered silver, the tan liquid has become an acid-blue paste. Severus gathers the paste onto the spoon. He spreads the Sellow Vitae along his tongue, moving quickly so as to set the spoon down as soon as possible. He backs away from the counter towards the armchair in his living room.
The wicked blue drug takes full effect a moment later and Severus just barely manages to fall back into his chair.
It feels like sparks are exploding inside his mouth. By contrast, the back of his throat feels like ice and Severus coughs as his breathing is constricted.
The crackling is all over his body now and his mind begins to leak in and out of reality. The rush, the high, buzzes through his system, spinning him away from everything… all that grief, all that pain, all that loneliness, all that truth… There is electricity in his eyes and Severus feels as if he's being flung upwards into the sky.
The second stage is starting take over. Severus blacks out as his body starts to twitch and spasm out of control.
September 23st 2007
Reveille Cr. – Remus's apartment
6:31 am
(waxing gibbous -or, ¾- moon)
Remus was asleep, just a moment ago. But now he can't seem to drift off again. Something has woken him. It sounded like-
-(a multitude of scratches and scrapings from an unknown source)
There it is again! Remus sits up straight in his bed. He looks wildly around the room, only to find it as he had left it: full of half-packed luggage and boxes for the move.
Remus is edging back down to his pillow, in full mind of sleeping for another hour or so, when something falls from the ceiling onto his bed.
Remus looks up.
-Bleeding hell!
A creature roughly the size of a cat is crawling across the ceiling. It drops from the ceiling, opening its wings and flying through the window at tremendous speed.
His heart still beating against his ribs from the surprise, Remus opens the envelope the flying beast has left behind.
Hi Pokey! (Remus sighs to himself)
Look, I send letters like a wizard now!
That was my pretty Pteropus Giganteus who delivered the letter. (That's a flying fox, in case you didn't know.)
Do you like him? His name is Danny. I wouldn't leave fruit sitting out on the table though, just in case. You have to help me build him a bat box so that he feels more comfortable.
Oh, I better write down what I meant to tell you.Professor Snape would like you to go over to the PRP center so that he can talk to you. It has something to do with my learning progress.
Maybe he'll have things you can help me learn!
We'd have a ball!
Wait, I just remembered…
Are you okay to go see him? You two knew each other before, didn't you?
If he was like a bad fling or something you just let me know. I wouldn't want you to go if that's the case.
Friends don't let friends talk to scary exes, right?
See you at work, Pokey Puppy!
-Kalai
Remus shakes his head, smiling as he folds the letter up.
Severus, an ex he needed protection from?
The whole idea was just too… bizarre.
Besides, things between them had never gone nearly that far. At one point he might have thought…
-(Quietly to himself) But that was just me and my idealistic mind.
A/N:
-)Dancing to my big band music from the 40's(-
Hee hee hee! I update like a madwoman! Mwahahahahaha!
I'm being a bad child… taking an exercise is blasphemy(not that I'm religious). Hee hee… I'm cooking up some bible fanfiction. People are gonna flame me and it's gonna be so fun!
Uh, anyway, I'm happy to see people here from YBSB.
Welcome to the party! Help yourself to pint of whiskey and blood or spoonful of Sellow Vitae… at your own risk!
Ah, so many things to happen in the story and I have to be good and tell it in order. :p
Tah,
(bat)
-Sike