"The Phoenix and the Raven"
a post-final battle fanfic by Seventia Snape
Chapter Seven, "You're Not The Boss Of Me"
Siobheann stood as if petrified, her face as white as new parchment and her eyes wide. Severus could only stare at her, horrified at the words he'd just blurted out. He didn't need Leglimency at all to tell what she was feeling, for he could see it all too plainly in the enormous red eyes. Shock and disbelief painted every feature, and he felt guilty at bringing this on, and also unnerved by how still she was. He felt a sudden sharp pain in his chest, and he half wondered if the tension and stress of the moment had given him a stroke. He would have to see Poppy about this tomorrow, as it was a completely new pain, yet it reminded him of the Cruciatus curse, which made him worry.
He saw something move in his peripheral vision, and he shifted his eyes over to see the beast Richard rising from his curled up position under one of the chairs. The cat stretched, ignored by his 'ward', and tiptoed out of the room, only pausing once to throw a thought at Severus.
Well, human, it looks like you've got this all under control, so if you don't mind, I will be saying goodnight.
Severus couldn't help but glare at the animal's retreating back, but then turned his eyes back to Siobheann's face, and he felt dismay at the emotions flashing through her eyes. At a devastating pace, she was alternating between denial, despair, rage, jealousy, and hurt, and her cheeks flushed as her eyes brimmed with tears. Severus sighed, and took a breath to try to talk some sense into her, concerned that she would go mad from her rapid mood swings, but before he could utter a single word, she snapped her eyes to glare into his and denial took over completely.
"You lie!" She cried, crossing her arms and fixing him with a look that he instantly knew meant that she was waiting for a response. He took another deep breath and finally spoke, relief at being able to fill the vibrating silence in the room.
"Unfortunately, I do not, miss Dewar. They have tried to be as subtle about it as possible, but they are both about as subtle as a pair of hippogriffs in heat."
Siobheann's eyes finally released the tears that had been swimming in her vision, and she stood quietly, trying to decide on a counter-argument, anything that would prove him wrong. Severus continued, hoping to soften the mad fire in her eyes.
"Miss Dewar, if I may say so, I have ever had difficulty with this attraction you so obviously feel for Mr. Longbottom. A witch as talented and intelligent as yourself can do so much better, and I knew that his attentions were elsewhere, so I had hoped that it would run its course before you got hurt. I am very sorry that I didn't tell you before now, as it seems that it's not to be the case at all."
He allowed his silky bass to caress her, hoping that it would comfort her. He was not at all comfortable with physical things, but he was good with words and hoped that they would be sufficient until the girl could go cry to Minerva or Poppy or someone, anyone but him! But he saw that his words had done no good, and she had gone from denial to rage in the meantime. The fire in her eyes glowed even more fiercely, and he found himself noting that she was exceptionally striking when she was feeling passionate about something. He shook the thought from his head as she screeched at him furiously.
"How DARE you speak about Neville like that! As if I could ever do better than to give all of my affections to someone so kind and wise and brave. Why, for the past three years he's built this place up again from the ground almost, banded everyone together again, and he has been such a good friend to me. How could I do better than the love of my life? And excuse me, you have had difficulty? I'm the one that's been waiting all these years to be noticed by him, knowing that once he saw the depth of my devotion that he would love me too, and besides that Trelawney predicted that I would be forever bonded to one of the professors here, and that my love would triumph over great difficulties! And what do you know of love, anyways? Your heart is as hard and dry as the stones this castle is built of! You know nothing! And as for Luna, trust me, there's nothing there. They're just good friends."
And with eyes flashing dangerously and her cheeks even more flushed, she whipped around and fled their quarters, leaving Severus with his head in his hands, remembering the anger of another Gryffindor witch that he had hurt. What was it with Gryffindors anyways, always getting hopped up over things? Slytherins were so calm, and thought things over before going into a rage. Why couldn't Gryffindors, particularly the women, be more like Slytherins? He sighed again and crossed the room to the ebony cabinet that housed his liquor. He poured himself a large Firewhiskey and slumped back into the chair, taking the bottle with him. By the time he was half way through, he was even more assured of how right he was, and he reached for the bottle, intending to refill his glass, when suddenly he felt fur, and then a sharp set of small fangs snapping on his fingertips. He jumped up yelling with surprise and indignation, and turned to see that the damned beast Richard had returned and was eyeing him with serious dissaproval. Severus sneered at the animal, but the cat didn't even blink, but rather fixed Severus with his eyes, thinking furiously.
What exactly do you think you're doing, drinking yourself into this state? My ward is out there, wandering the corridors, or worse, the grounds of this castle, most certainly wild with grief, and it's your fault. You should never have said anything and just let her prattle on about the other human, you fool. Now, go find her and bring her home!
Severus briefly considered ignoring the beast and finishing his bottle, but there was a fierce glare in the cat's eyes and he did indeed feel terrible at the thought of Siobheann wandering around crying her heart out, or worse, if someone should see her like that! The poor girl would make a fool of herself. Severus hurriedly fastened his cloak around him and departed the quarters in search of her, employing Leglimency to find her thoughts and then Siobheann herself.
The first thing he heard, he identified as Minerva pacing in her office, worrying about a particular group of first years that had been eerily alike to Fred and George Weasley in mischief, and then he could hear Filch studying his idiotic "Magic for Beginners" book, that he still hadn't managed to finish. Then he heard something that made the strange new pain pierce him again. Neville Longbottom.
Oh, I wonder what Siobheann is doing wandering the corridors like this, it's not her turn to do rounds until Thursday. Oh....she's crying. What do I do? I hate it when girls cry. Come on, Neville, where's that Gryffindor courage you're supposed to have?
Severus found himself suddenly snorting quietly at the 'Gryffindor courage', and he decided to make himself invisible for now, just so he could see as well as hear what was going on. He looked around the pillar he'd been hiding behind to see Neville looking uncertainly at Siobheann, who looked an utter wreck with mascara on her cheeks and a wild look in her eyes. Severus suddenly realized with annoyance that the dunderhead was actually a bit afraid of Siobheann. But yet, he screwed up his courage and spoke to her.
"Er...Siobheann? Are you alright? Um..what happened?" Severus felt a pang of dissapointment when Siobheann's eyes glazed over in that syrupy way all of a sudden, and she replied to Longbottom with a sweet but broken voice.
"Professor Snape." was all she managed to enunciate before bursting into tears all over again.
Oh, that's understandable, Neville's thoughts ran in Severus' head, This I can handle. I think.
"Er..yes, he can be quite intimidating, can't he? I have always been rather terrified of him myself, if I do say so. But there, Siobheann, it's alright. Just let him have his temper, I'm sure it will blow over by tomorrow."
Merlin's beard, she's still crying! I don't know what to do with her! She's just so...intense...I wish Luna were here. Siobheann is scary enough at the best of times, when all she does is watch people like a hawk, even me, but this is even worse. Oh god, she's crying even harder now! Quick, I've got to think of something. What would Harry do?
Just as Severus snorted silently again at Neville's foolishness, he immediately found his pain intensifying, just as Neville stepped over to Siobheann and put his arms around her akwardly in what Severus knew was meant to be a brotherly hug. Unfortunately, Severus also knew that Siobheann would see it as anything but brotherly, and her eyes glazed over even more as Neville akwardly patted her shoulder with a martyred expression on his face. Severus was furious! This would only make things worse, and now she'd have even farther to fall when those two dunderheads finally went public with their relationship. He had half a mind to stride over and whack Neville up the back of the head as if he were a boy again, but held himself back, hoping with all his might that Siobheann wouldn't get her hopes up.
His hopes were all in vain. Siobheann finally separated from Neville, her eyes shining and her face glowing. She looked up at him shyly.
"Thank you Neville. I feel so much better about everything. You are so kind." Neville smiled akwardly down at Siobheann and wished her a good night. Severus watched with a rapidly sinking heart as Siobheann watched Neville dissapear around a corner, and then she hugged herself and began to skip back to their quarters. Severus panicked and raced past her silently and invisibly to their quarters, where he sat himself down with a book and waited for her to return. He picked up the bottle he'd left on the floor and took a quick swig, praying to whatever god might be listening that the strange pain would stop soon and not send him to hospital in a stretcher.
Siobheann pranced in and briefly graced him with a smug and condescending look as she waltzed off to her bedchamber, humming off key again. This time Severus made no cracks about her singing abilities, for Richard pounced into the sitting room just as Siobheann closed her bedchamber door, tentatively reaching out to Severus' thoughts.
Human, it would appear that my ward is rather joyful, contrary to all reasoning. I do not like this.
Richard, believe me, I do not like it any more than you do. I found her talking to that dunderhead in one of the corridors.
.....Oh dear....
My thoughts exactly. She was bawling her eyes out and she blamed me and that idiot decided to comfort her with a brotherly hug.
But she wouldn't see it that way!
Exactly my point. I am aggravated beyond belief! She is foolish to the extreme. I do not know how you have dealt with her all these years.
She is my ward, we chose eachother. I have no choice but to protect her. But I have failed in this instance. I could've prevented this.
Far be it from me to comfort you, beast, but I doubt anyone could've prevented this. She's so stubborn and contrary. I'm going to meet with McGonagall...AND Dumbledore, and discuss this matter with them. This needs to be stopped before things get worse.
I couldn't agree with you more, human, as loathe as I am to admit it.
I will go see them now.
It's near midnight! You can't go out there now, they're both probably sleeping right now and won't welcome the interruption. I know this is vastly important but we can't be hasty.
I will not have Siobheann ruining herself over someone else's foolishness, beast! This needs to be dealt with now, and I am going to go and deal with it the best I can, and then we can all rest a while!
And with that parting thought, Severus stalked away towards McGonagall's office, leaving the cat behind. The cat basked in the warmth of the room, recalling with amusement and approval the furious and protective look he'd seen in the human male's eyes. This could only be good for his ward and the human, providing they weren't too stubborn to realize it. He tiptoed into his ward's bedchamber and curled up under the bed, satisfied at the end of the day, which has been rather too intense and emotional for his liking. Humans were such strange and foolish creatures. Why couldn't they be simple, like himself? The cat pondered this as he nodded off to sleep, and Severus pounded on McGonagall's door, demanding to speak to her about a vital matter concerning Siobheann.
Siobheann herself was at that moment tip toeing into the sitting room, having heard Snape stomp away from their quarters, probably mad that he was wrong. She put wards on the corridor outside their door to warn her when he returned, and sat down in a chair, summoning Dumbledore's portrait from the shelf. She'd never indulged in girly talk, but had always felt happy when she'd confided in Albus. But now, she was going to tell him something that he didn't know, something that nobody knew...well, except for Snape, but he was such a git right now. She would punish him by not speaking to him again. She laughed with relief when Dumbledore's kindly eyes gazed at her, and she began.
"Professor Dumbledore, I have a secret for you. I am so happy. You see, I'm in love with Neville Longbottom....." and she continued late into the night, detailing every word or gesture that Neville had ever directed at her, not noticing the sad and concerned look in the elderly wizard's eyes.
