CHAPTER 12: SUMMER SNOW
(Severus POV)
It was one o'clock in the afternoon. Ilya and Severus were currently eating lunch, eggs and sausages, a large loaf of bread. Still, the raven-haired boy couldn't believe their (his) luck.
For the entire summer, Severus Snape, in a tight financial situation, had been living off old biscuits and the three-months-from-expiration coffee in his house. The only time he ate a slight decent meal was the day before when he bought Ilya and herself some hamburger (which was actually a difficult choice on his part, considering how he needed to spend his money wisely).
While far from rich, and between being poor and average (In other words, not rich, but not poor either), Severus managed to handle all his financial problems. He managed to pay the taxes on his house, water and electricity bill, he even finished paying off all of his father's debts, and had enough to continue supporting himself for schooling, although he had to mostly settle for second-hand items.
This was due to the fact that he was smart and hardworking. It all started when Severus Snape entered his third year of schooling. At Hogwarts, his classmates (and even students from the lower and higher years, as well as students in the other Houses) would ask him to do their homework for them from time to time, especially in Potions (Severus' Potions skills was probably already at or beyond N.E.W.T level, as it was his favorite subject, and therefore studied on it far beyond the Hogwarts-required textbooks). The raven-haired man saw this as a good opportunity and thus started his little business, getting paid for doing their responsibility for them. One Galleon for essays, two Galleons for simple potions, four for more complex ones, and so on and so forth. The little sideline has greatly helped him.
Still, things had not been going so well in the past month. Summer vacation means no school, and no school means no work for him. While they were still loaded with homework for the break, the other students had enough time to do it themselves.
The summer before, while Severus mostly lived off cheap food, Lily would sometimes visit, bringing snacks with her, and the raven-haired boy would be occasionally invited to dine with the Evans. Now that Severus was no longer on good terms with her… well, he still managed to survive from the meager rations he could afford for himself.
After they finished their meal (the amount would have been enough for five people), Severus finally stated the question he had been wanting to ask the white-haired girl.
"I think a 'thank you' should be in order," said a white-haired girl cheerfully. "Now you don't have to eat those stale cookies all the time."
"How did you that?" the raven-haired boy inquired.
"Magic," replied the girl simply.
"I know that," said Severus in a slightly irritated tone, as he noticed that Ilya was smirking maliciously, apparently teasing him. "I mean what kind of magic did you use?"
Severus was both confused and amazed. The white-haired girl seemed to be able to fix so many things, his phonograph, his radioset, Ilya was even able to get vehicles up and running. The raven haired man could not do something like that even with the reparo spell.
Flashback
It was nine in the morning. Severus was starting to get annoyed as the white-haired girl began complaining about the biscuits and coffee again. He was just about to open his mouth when they heard someone calling.
"Is anybody home?" a middle-aged man was yelling.
Severus and Ilya stood. Despite her complains, the white-haired girl actually finished everything on her plate.
The man and his wife, apparently, were just passing through when their car broke down near their house. The man asked if they could point him out to where the nearest telephone booth was located, so that they can call a mechanic.
Ilya, however, approached the truck, and was staring at it.
"Have you tried fixing it yourself?" the girl asked the middle-aged lady.
"Yes,he has been on it for a while now, but nothing he tried seemed to work. Our truck is an old tin can after all, just like me and my husband.
"No, I think you're both still young and good-looking actually, Madam," replied the girl smiling sweetly, the old lady returning it. "Anyway, can I borrow a wrench? I might be able to do something."
Ten minutes later, the man and his wife thanked the Severus and a coal-faced Ilya, who quickly wiped her face clean with a towel (the raven-haired boy feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed, as not only did he not help, he let a girl do all the work), as they were once again about to start on the road, the man commenting loudly that the engine feels like the way it did when they first bought the truck.
Ilya did not accept the money that the couple offered to them in payment, saying that she was doing what anyone else would do, and advised that they still get a mechanic to check on the truck later (Severus was dismayed, but decided to keep quiet since the right to the decision belonged solely to the one who did the repairing)…
Then a loud rumbling sound was heard, and it was loud enough to be heard even the truck's engine running.
"Haven't had breakfast yet dear?" the old lady asked.
"Yes, but we only have some biscuits at the house so…" said the white-haired girl.
"I understand," replied the middle-aged woman, a gentle pitying expression on her face. "You must have been starving then."
Before they left, the old couple left a box with them. In it were food products, enough for a week for two people.
"THANK YOU VERY MUCH!" The white haired shouted after the truck, and bowed, as Severus did the same, before the kind middle-aged couple was out of earshot…
End of Flashback
"Reinforcement," replied the girl. "It's a way in which you repair or strengthen objects by channeling prana into them."
"Prana?"
"In terms you could understand, it's magical energy which naturally exists in nature. It's different to od, which is magical energy that exists within a magus' body."
"Od?" asked the raven-haired boy. Severus was confused. Apparently there was a lot of difference between the kind of magic he and the wizarding world as he knows it use to the kind of magic that Ilya utilizes. Apparently, the white-haired girl was thinking the same thing.
"Hmmm…" she mused. "It seems like your witchcraft and wizardry follow a different set of requirements and conditions to my magecraft. For one thing, a spellcaster who utilize your kind of magic is able to cast it without putting his life in danger."
"What do you mean?" asked Severus, who was indeed very curious.
"You see, Sev," began Ilya. "For me, to utilize magic, to walk the path of magus, means to walk with death constantly by your side."
"To walk with death constantly by your side?" asked Severus, who seemed slightly shaken.
"In simpler terms, if you use magic, there is a chance that you could die at any time," said the girl seriously. "It may due to various reasons. People persecuting you if your magic is discovered, other magi trying to kill you, but I've witnessed many cases when a magus' own magic is the cause of their own deaths. Using magic is already dangerous in itself."
Unbidden images went through Severus' mind. Ilya using her blood to fix his china and cabinet…using blood to draw a magic circle for a ritual of some sort…a lonely girl, freezing in a cold terrain…
"Merlin," gasped Severus, as he remembered the dream he had the night before.
"Merlin, you know Merlin?" asked the white-haired girl suddenly, bringing Severus back to reality. The girl's emerald eyes seemed to light up as she heard the name.
"Of course, every wizard knows Merlin," said Severus automatically. "After all, he was the greatest of all times, and he had great contribution in the formation of the British Wizarding Society, the Order of Merlin the Ministry hands out is also named after him."
"Order of Merlin?"
"It is a kind of award or ranking given to wizards who accomplished great things. Originally it supposedly referred to an organization Merlin set up that defended the rights of the non-magical community during the medieval times, but now..."
"Then that means you also know the legend of Arturia…I mean King Arthur?" the girl cut in.
Severus raised an eyebrow. He noticed that Ilya had called King Arthur 'Arturia', and the white-haired girl's tone seemed to suggest familiarity, as if Ilya knew him(her?) personally. That's impossible though, thought Severus. Anyway…
"Merlin was a great and famous wizard," said Severus. "He is well known even in the Muggle world, although they only talk about him as if he were a myth. I know of the story of King Arthur as well, from fictional tales in both the magical and non-magical community. The Wizarding World, accepting the story as a good children's fairy tale, while it accepts Merlin as a founder and ancestor as a fact, probably consider Arthur as nothing more than fantasy, though I'm not so sure with the last part," Severus ended.
"I see," replied Ilya. Severus could see that the girl was deep in thought.
Moments of silence passed…
"Ilya," said Severus, finally, unable to bear with the uneasiness. "I have a suggestion. Although I am still just a student, and I'm probably far from being a high class wizard, I think I may be able to teach more about our magic… I can teach you about my kind of magic, and you can teach me about your magecraft? What do you think?"
"Sev, are you sure you want to?" asked Ilya, her voice serious. "The kind of magic we magi use, as I think I've already told you, is very dangerous. You might end up losing your life in the process."
"It's a risk I'm willing to take," said Severus sincerely. "And besides, with you as my teacher, there is nothing for me to worry about."
The white-haired girl's face suddenly turned red.
"You don't know that," pouted the girl, still blushing, puffing her cheeks. "Besides, I've never taught anyone before…"
"It'll be fine," replied Severus, struggling to keep his voice calm. His face was also red, after seeing such a cute expression on Ilya's face. "So, do we have a deal then?" Severus held out a hand.
"Okay then, deal," said the white-haired girl as she accepted the hand and shook it, for formality's sake. "Just don't blame me if you end up losing a limb or two."
"Of course I won't," said Severus bluntly. "If you're my teacher, I'm sure I'm in safe hands. As for me though, I hope I don't end up boring you, and turn out to be a pathetic instructor…"
"Don't underestimate yourself," said Ilya, smiling. "After all, you did spend a lot of time teaching Lily Evans about magic, and you weren't a bad a teacher at all."
Severus froze.
"How did you know that?" he inquired.
"Oh, you told me about it last night, remember?" replied the white-haired girl quickly. "Besides, you two were childhood friends, she was, as you call it a Muggleborn, and you were the one who first introduced her to the world of magic."
"Oh, right, sorry, I forgot" stated the raven-haired boy, as he recalled himself crying as he poured out his frustrations. Severus flushed, feeling embarrassed, that he, a guy, actually ended up crying, not just in front of a girl, but on her chest at that. Well, Ilya did the same to me first, so we're even, thought Severus. But I'm a guy though...and she's…she's a girl…
The raven-haired boy sighed.
"Anyway," said the white girl casually, yawning as she stretched out her arms. "I want to take a walk. It's always best to familiarize yourself with the place you're staying in. Would mind showing me around?"
"Sure, I'll show you around," said Severus, as Ilya took the arm the raven-haired boy offered her.
"This will be a lot of fun," the white-haired girl said happily.
Severus couldn't help but smile.
"Hmmm… Sev?"
Still… After all, you did spend a lot of time teaching Lily Evans about magic, Severus remembered what Ilya said just a few moments ago… and you weren't a bad a teacher at all…
"Sev?"
Severus felt slightly uneasy. There was something strange about it…something strange in Ilya's tone, the way she said it.
"Sev?"
It was true, Severus did tell Ilya that he was the one who told Lily that was a witch, was the one who introduced his former best friend to the world magic. Still, the way Ilya talked…
It was as she herself had witnessed me teaching Lily magic, thought Severus. But when I taught spells to Lily, we were always alone, and I only her when we were at Hogwarts. How…
"HEY! SEV!"
"OUCH! THAT HURT" winced the raven-haired boy, as Ilya painfully pinched his cheek with her left arm, the right still clutched onto his, and it now felt like a crab's pincer. "Ilya, what did you do that fo…"
"YOU'RE MY GUIDE! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO SHOW ME AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT YOU WERE SPACING OUT! YOU WERE IGNORING ME AGAIN!" the girl was shouting. Ilya was pulling a tantrum, just like a kid, and unfortunately for Severus, he was weak against this kind of attack.
"Waaa! Ouch! I'm sorry!" said Severus, panicking, as the girl started to pull hard on his left arm with remarkable strength, that the raven-haired boy became afraid that it might get dislocated. "I'll make it up to you somehow!"
Severus was thinking as fast as he could, as he could see that the girl was filling her lungs with air again. "I know, since it's summer, I'll buy you some ice cream to make up for my behavior…alright?" added Severus hopefully.
"You'll buy me some ice cream," asked Ilya, her irritation can still be heard clearly in her voice.
"Sure I will, as many as you like," replied Severus.
A moment passed. Then…
"Sure, okay," replied the white-haired girl in a cheerful, as she started dragging Severus, apparently completing forgetting how angry she was just a couple of seconds before.
Merlin, that was a close one, thought the raven-haired man to himself. I don't think my eardrums could have survived another beating.
Severus let out a deep sigh. Women and their mood swings…one moment they're like a Chinese Fireball about to burn you alive and the next they appear so innocent and carefree like a fairy…why are they so unpredictable?
Ilya…how she knew about me teaching Lily magic, I'll just try and find out later…
-BREAK-
(Severus POV)
Severus spent the rest of the afternoon showing Ilya around the neighborhood. He pointed at the houses and told the white-haired girl who lived there. He showed her the different stores in the neighborhood, the wet market, the jewelry shop (Severus told Ilya he'd rather not enter the shop, since his father once attempted to steal some of the man's jewelry, and was probably on bad terms with them, although Severus wished he had pressed the charges then.), the clothes boutique, and the ice cream parlor, where Severus (as promised) bought Ilya the largest size chocolate sundae (I really don't like spending too much, but it can't be helped, sighed Severus inwardly. At least she's happy.), while he bought himself a cheap vanilla ice cream in a cone.
Severus then continued 'tour-guiding' Ilya about the area where he lived, passing by Lily Evan's house, (Severus felt a wave of sadness as he remembered the lake incident) along the way.
In all the places they visited, there were people staring at him and Ilya. Severus guessed that they were probably mistaking her for Lily, and for once the raven-haired boy was thankful that he was normally unsociable and unapproachable, as they stared but remained silent on the issue. (If Severus had appeared friendly to them, he and Ilya would have already been hassled with many things, like calling the girl Lily, asking her why she changed her hair color, was she Lily's sister? relative, etc.).
After Severus had finished showing the white-haired girl around, he thought it would be better to take a rest in the park first before heading home.
Why does she have a lot of stamina? thought Severus. He was sweating, breathing heavily, while the white-haired girl appeared fine and still full of energy, Ilya balancing herself on a beam, humming merrily, as Severus sat down on a swing to rest.
The raven-haired young man check his watch. It was already four o'clock. It would be best to head back soon.
Severus watched the white-haired girl as she skipped to and fro in the center of the park.
"Ilya?" said the raven-haired young man.
"Hmmm?" replied the girl.
"Your eyes, were your eyes always like that?" inquired Severus.
"What do mean?" wondered the white-haired girl.
"Did you change the color of your eyes, with magic perhaps?" continued the raven-haired boy, unable to stop himself.
"Why do you ask?" asked Ilya, her voice still thankfully cheerful and friendly.
"No particular reason." replied the raven-haired boy.
"Okay, then." said the white-haired girl. She was not angry. Her voice still sounded happy, but it had a finality to its tone. She did not want to talk about the issue.
Severus decided to drop the subject, as he started to focus his eyes on the ground. He was thankful that Ilya did not seem offended by him raising the issue, but it seemed that she did not want to talk about it either. Ilya neither affirmed nor denied the raven-haired boy's query.
Still, it only strengthened the raven-hair's suspicion.
She evaded the question, thought Severus. And that was almost as good as saying yes.
She did not want to talk about it, the raven-haired young man continued with his reverie. Something must have happened. Was it caused by magic? Was it caused by trauma?
Severus suddenly felt a chill, as he remembered the dream. The frozen forest… the white-haired girl rolling around, kicking in pain…
"IT'S SNOWING!" the white haired girl suddenly.
Snowing? In summer? thought Severus incredulously, but then a white flake dropped on his shoulder.
Severus froze. The snow-filled hell… The raven-haired boy looked up and quickly scanned around for Ilya, remembering the dream, frightened that the white-haired girl might be going into shock.
Instead, it was Severus who was shocked. He looked up to see Ilya, her silvery-white hair almost blending perfectly with the snow, twirling about , as she sung the song she was singing on the night Severus first met her, her voice apparently with a mixture of joy and sorrow:
1. Ich weiß nicht, was soll es bedeuten,
Daß ich so traurig bin,
Ein Märchen aus uralten Zeiten,
Das kommt mir nicht aus dem Sinn.
Die Luft ist kühl und es dunkelt,
Und ruhig fließt der Rhein;
Der Gipfel des Berges funkelt,
Im Abendsonnenschein.
2. Die schönste Jungfrau sitzet
Dort oben wunderbar,
Ihr gold'nes Geschmeide blitzet,
Sie kämmt ihr goldenes Haar,
Sie kämmt es mit goldenem Kamme,
Und singt ein Lied dabei;
Das hat eine wundersame,
Gewalt'ge Melodei.
3. Den Schiffer im kleinen Schiffe,
Ergreift es mit wildem Weh;
Er schaut nicht die Felsenriffe,
Er schaut nur hinauf in die Höh'.
Ich glaube, die Wellen verschlingen
Am Ende Schiffer und Kahn,
Und das hat mit ihrem Singen,
Die Loreley getan.
(Heinrich Heine, 1822 (1799-1856))
-BREAK-
(Severus POV)
"You seem to like snow," said Severus to the white-haired girl, after she finished singing. The white-haired girl was now sitting beside him, swinging her legs to and fro, as the snow continued to fall.
"In a way I do, in a way I don't," replied the girl absentmindedly.
"What do you mean in a way you like it, and in a way you don't?" Severus couldn't help but inquire.
"I don't like snow, I hate it because it's cold, I really hate the cold," said Ilya, the note of whose voice carried some bitterness in it, and Severus noticed it, even though the girl tried to hide it. "But I also love it in a way, because it reminds me of my mother's hair."
"Your mother's hair?"
"Yes, my mother's hair," said the girl. "I like snow because it reminds me of my mom. My hair is like that too, almost white as snow, though it's a bit different now… ah… I hope I'm not boring you Sev, talking about something silly like this."
"No, it's fine," the raven-haired man replied. "Anyway, I think we should head home now."
"Okay, then," replied Ilya.
As they left the park, the snow finally stopped. It was the third of August, it was late summer, and for snow to fall was highly unlikely.
Still, even though the snow has finally stopped falling, Severus' mind was still focused on a cold winter, on the vision that he saw.
Ilya's hair..they do seem to a bit darker now...not that there's much of a difference...they still look so much like snow...but her eyes...they have the same shape as before as well, but they were like rubies in the past...winter...snow...loving and hating it at the same time... The raven-haired young man was deep in thought…
-BREAK-
(Ilya POV)
It has been two weeks since Ilya first met Sev. The white-haired girl was currently on a swing in the park, as she waited for Sev to return from his jog.
"You know… it's rude to spy on people," said Ilya suddenly in a cold voice, as she jumped up from the swing and turned around to face a tree. "Come out, I know you're there. I know you've been watching us for a while now."
A person appeared from behind a tree, realizing it was useless to keep on hiding. She started walking towards Ilya, her dark red hair slightly flowing in the breeze, until she was about two meters from the white-haired girl.
It was as if time stopped, as a pair of emerald eyes stared into another pair of emerald eyes, each a mirror-image of the other…
AUTHOR'S NOTES
I guess I better add this part for now. I got the conversations a bit mixed up. You see, my intention was for there to be a story behind the change in Ilya's eye and hair color. Yes, if you read the Fate Stay Night Visual Novel you will notice from the drawings that her hair was really silvery white. My intention was to make a plot wherein Ilya's hair, while still almost the same as before, becomes a bit darker and silvery and less white (And it upsets her somewhat since it makes it more distant to her mother, perhaps...blablabla). However, as I cannot back this with an actual image of the present Ilya (I'm not that good at drawing, I admit, and most people will hardly be able to tell the difference between silvery-white and darker silvery-white, so the plot relevance goes down the drain.), I decided to drop the hair color change issue since it might get confusing, both for the readers and for me, the author as well (As well as the fact that there is hardly any significant difference.). ^_^
Anyway advanced Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year people. Hope you enjoyed this chapter... ^_^