AN/- hey everybody, how is the new year treating you-my start sucks- all the crash dieting and exercise is killing me—so if I don't die by a heart attack I will surely die trying not to get one-well anyways I need to get back to my vegetable stock soup and toast-trust me don't try it at home if you're not desperate like me. Anyways you don't have to care about all that go on and read this and review
Disclaimer- JKR-so funny, that reminds me of JFK-anyways she's the boss of the real thing-this is just the way I see it. =p
Chapter 25
There was another week till Christmas and 12 Grimmauld Place had already been decorated with every possible Christmas decoration that the inmates of the house could charm or transfigure. In addition to the holiday spirit, Mr. Weasley had been discharged from Mungo's a day ago and so everyone had decided to place their thinking caps aside and join in the Christmas cheer. Every night, dinner had become a feast where people laughed and made merry. It brought a new hope to Sirius, he had never seen people celebrate like an after war scenario-he wasn't there to see it and Azkaban hardly offered a front row seat in a joy ride.
His eyes shifted to his wife wondering and thanking his stars for her loyalty to him, he loved her so much and he was pleased to know that she reciprocated the same, but he knew that she shared half his pain, with him being in Azkaban most of their 'married' life they hadn't had time for each other as man and wife at all. Caroline looked back at him, she slowly lowered herself into his lap and kissed him softly.
"What's up?" she asked, she had noticed him looking at her since the past few minutes.
"This is nice isn't it-," he asked softly smiling at her as she nodded.
"Merlin, I missed you Siri!" she said a little moan escaping her as he joint their foreheads.
"I missed you to Carol" he said kissing her passionately, pulling her closer.
Harry's eyes scanned the room, these parties weren't supposed to be happening, they were supposed to be devising plans against Voldemort and yet they were celebrating like it was all over. It wasn't! But when his eyes found his godfather and Caroline snuggled into each other, his thoughts softened, maybe it was good to celebrate-maybe now was the best time to celebrate! After all who knew what tomorrow would bring. He smiled turning his eyes away from them and moved to the other corner of the room. He found Severus sitting there alone turning an empty glass around on the table, it was obvious that he was bored and probably a bit disturbed, but the funny thing that Harry noticed was when Annabeth walked up to him and started talking about something only she found funny, Severus didn't even acknowledge her presence because every time he heard some woman laugh his eyes found some sort of spark and darted around the room and towards the fireplace as if waiting for someone to pop out of it.
Harry knew that Snape loved Zelda and he would bet all his galleons in his account that she loved him back, but what Harry didn't understand was that if Snape really did like Zelda so much, than why did he not tell her. "You couldn't tell Cho either!" said his head but he shook that thought out, they weren't like him and Cho they were more like an older version of Ron and Hermione, they fought but in the end they knew that they loved each other and they'd rather die fighting with each other than be married to someone else,-well at least Harry knew it was that way.
"Bed time," announced Mrs. Weasley clearing the living room of the empty glasses and mugs with a flick of her wand as the children lifted themselves of their behinds and walked up still laughing at some odd jocks that the twins had cracked, but in the middle of all this Harry could hear the adults talking.
"Wasn't Zelda supposed to be back by now?" asked Mrs. Weasley in a whisper.
"Yes, I suppose so," replied Carol getting off Sirius, who reluctantly let go of her.
"I guess it isn't that easy to find such a thing," said Sirius clearing his throat.
"Hmm...do you think she must have found it by now?" asked Tonks a little worried.
"It's Zelda we're talking about-wherever she is-she'll live," barked Moody laughing a little tipsy with all the fire whiskey down his system.
"I wouldn't be so sure, she hasn't been herself lately," said Carol looking at Severus who looked away instantly.
"She'll find it-I trust her," said Remus smiling as everyone agreed to his statement.
"I don't know why they even bother-what is she some sort of princess?" asked Annabeth snidely, but her remark could only be heard by Severus and oddly by Harry.
"Bedtime!" shouted Mrs. Weasley again frowning as she tried chasing the twins and Harry to their bedrooms.
Next morning
Zelda didn't know what mess she had gotten herself into this time, but it was alright now-it would be alright, she had found the diadem-the bloody diadem and she was going home now. She was dirty from head to toe, she hadn't slept properly for a whole week and now she'd be able to rest her head on a pillow and not a rock. But it hadn't been easy, fighting the inferi, getting through force fields, she had put all her life experience to test and gotten through it, she knew she could do it and she was pleased that she had accomplished the task assigned to her, it made her feel a cut above the rest, but she knew Dumbledore hadn't sent her on the mission because of that there was some different reason that he had sent her away from London, there was something cooking back at home and she knew it, she just hoped that it would be over by now, because she knew her mission was over and done with.
Grimmauld place
"I see you understand the plan then?" said Albus as Severus nodded over his bowl of cereal
Everyone was sitting around the table jabbering about how excited they were for Christmas next week as they dug into their pancakes, Minerva had come over for breakfast today and even Krecher the house elf seemed merrier than anyone had ever seen him, which obviously meant that he had found something and hidden it in his 'secret' place. But no one expected the main door to open and therefore no one noticed Zelda walk in, climb the stairs and open the door to the rooms she now shared with Severus.
Zelda looked around to see whether he was in the room or not, he wasn't there but she had a feeling that he had been confined in this room for a really long time, because every where she stepped she found parchment, some with diagrams of a some sort of pendent on them, some scribbled with orders for potions ingredients and several empty mugs of tea with used teabags sitting in them lay over the parchments staining some. She placed her bag carefully on the bed and removed the Gryffindor's sword along with Ravenclaw's diadem, it felt weird to be holding those objects because one had only heard stories of these objects, Zelda had got to touch them, she had got to 'save' them. Maybe that would make a tale of her own someday, she quickly put the objects back in her bag that said 'Auror in town' and charmed it shut, she didn't want people touching her loot while she went for a shower.
She entered the bathroom, which had been used before her, because the floor was still wet and she could get a very distinct scent of cologne mixed with aftershave or what seemed to be a very obvious old spice fragrance. She showered quickly and walked out of the bathroom her hair still wet but she dried it with her wand. She quickly wrapped the diadem and the sword in a box and covered it with gift paper, she found it quite funny actually and the weird ways Dumbledore thought off presentation and hiding things made her laugh in her head. She lifted the box and walked down the staircase were she crashed into the twins.
"Mrs. Snape!" they grinned together as she rolled her eyes and glared at them, but Fred helped her up.
"We hear you were on a secret mission-what's in the box?" smiled George cheekily.
"Nothing that concerns you two!" she said smiling back at them.
"Really now-wouldn't it be nice if you just told us?" they chorused.
"It's a gift for the headmaster," replied Zelda smirking because she knew that the twins knew that it wasn't a real gift at all.
"Liar," they chorused their eyes shrinking to slits.
"See you-" she said smiling as she went down the steps.
"We're sure you'll be welcomed a hero Mrs. Snape!" they chorused again laughing as Zelda threw them another dirty look for calling her Mrs. Snape.
Zelda entered the kitchen where breakfast seemed to have just ended, she entered the room and handed Dumbledore the parcel. Albus looked at her expectantly.
"It's done," she replied smiling.
"Aunt Zel!" shouted Harry running to crush her into a hug.
"How are you buddy?" she asked returning the hug.
"Never better," he replied smiling and letting go of her as Sirius was next in line to give her a rib crushing hug followed by Caroline.
"Do sit down-I doubt you got to eat much," smiled Mrs. Weasley as Zelda bowed a thank you sitting down next to Remus who helped serve Zelda.
Hermione entered the room hurriedly and whispered something into Harry's ears who told Ron something and they all dashed up to the library in a hurry. Once outside Hermione asked Harry to put his cloak on the three of them. They entered the library; the library was a huge circular room, the sides of which were all covered with large bookshelves, with dusty and possibly unused books on them. In the heart of the room was a long table with chairs, the table was similar to the one in the kitchen but it was longer.
Harry noticed the reason Hermione had asked to be hidden was that Snape was sitting in the -library his head low into the parchment that he was scribbling on, Harry wanted to read what Snape was writing but he got pulled along with his friends as Hermione lead them to a bookshelf in the corner and unnoticeably pulled a book under the robe. She opened the book to page 345 and asked Harry to read-
The Slytherine's locket
Not yet proven to have existed, the Slytherine's locket like the sword of Godric Gryffindor was one of the many treasure of the four founders of the Hogwarts School of Witch craft and Wizardry. The locket is myth-logically known to have an emerald on its front with the alphabet 'S' engraved inside the gem in such a way that the 'S' to the opposite person looks like a snake-the very same symbol of Salazar Slytherine and his house.
This locket however is generally termed to be a myth because it has never been seen, heard or talked about largely in comparison to the other treasures of the four founders like Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem, Helga Hufflepuff's cup and Godric Gryffindor's sword.
The only thing known to wizard kind about this mystical piece of treasure is that it is said to have magical powers, dark powers that none of us can really hear off or as divination will have it dream off...
"Isn't this the same thing you saw around her neck?" asked Hermione worriedly as Harry nodded vigorously and just as they were going to walk out and tell the others about their new discovery, the very person they were worried about walked in, her heals clicked on the wooden floor as she walked towards Snape and sat down next to him, the locket out and gleaming on her black sweater.
Severus looked up to see her. Annabeth smiled at him as she pulled the parchment he was writing on towards her.
"Writing to your mum?" she asked as he nodded.
"Yes, I need to explain as to why I'm not in France for Christmas," he replied lightly. The trio noticed Snape's shoulders ease a bit as he rocked his chair up and down with his feet.
"It would have been so much better with family-I miss my dad too," replied Annabeth sitting up on top of the table, Severus smiled; he didn't know what to say to that, he was pathetic at consoling people.
"Sev!" she said softly clearing his face of hair as he backed a bit, he really didn't know what to react to that she was being overtly seductive and he didn't want to give her the wrong idea.
"Yea-?" he said lightly.
"I love you," she said in all innocence as Severus chuckled shaking his head.
Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing and nor could Ron-what did the chic's find so hot about Snape? He was a total git! No one liked gits-did they need to be gits to get a girl?
"What-!" came a late response from Ron as Hermione gave him a terrible look and a hit in the stomach as they continued to eavesdrop on Snape and Annabeth's conversation.
"I'm married Annabeth," he replied pushing his chair behind.
"To someone you don't love," she sniffed, twirling a loose hair around her finger.
"I wouldn't want to put it that way," he replied sharply ignoring her sniffs.
"Fine then!—really Sev—she hates you-and I have absolutely no idea as to what you see in her anyways," she said adamant to let go of the topic.
"—Why can't you see the same in me?" she added battering her eyelashes.
"Because you're not her" he said trying to put it as simply as possible.
"I don't need to be like her-I got much more than she can ever offer," she said sitting up straight.
"We've had our shot Ann-this is ridiculous" he said a little annoyed.
"But—I love you" she repeated stubbornly.
"And I don't-and nor do you" he said rolling his eyes.
"Which makes me want you more?" she said seductively.
"Really?-Ann are you sure it's not my bank balance that you want?" he said sternly a short smile on his face.
"Oh—shut up!" she said jumping on him her mouth crashing into his, Severus tried to push her off him but she was tactful and experienced in so many ways that instead of falling off him she slid deeper into the chair and into his lap pressing herself against him in every possible way as the trio looked on shocked as to what they were seeing, but what came after that tensed up the situation even more.
It was the last place Zelda would have ever come looking for them- but she knew Hermione would have forced the boys into some holiday homework for which they needed reference. But she had never thought she'd ever see what she saw, it was as if she was eating his face off.
"No-bloody hell- no!" whispered Harry as Severus finally managed to push Annabeth off him and his eyes darted to the door, he shook his head trying to deny what had happened—of course it had but what was he supposed to do?
"Right—sorry—I was just—never mind," she said slamming the door behind her furiously.
"No! Zelda wait-" he ran behind her leaving Annabeth smirking on the table re-doing her lipstick.
"Bloody hell," said Ron oddly, he didn't know how to react, his response was jumbled up, but Hermione like always was the only one observant enough to know what had actually happened, while the boys had paid attention to Annabeth's mouth and cleavage, Hermione had seen Severus's hands in the whole ordeal.
"-Merlin, cant you two see?" she said rolling her eyes.
"Oh! We saw everything—it's not Snape's fault, we've got to tell my aunt," said Harry.
"True-but also observe that Snape was way ahead of us-Annabeth's missing her locket and she doesn't even know it," smiled Hermione as Ron and Harry turned to look at Annabeth and noticed what Hermione had seen along with much more but they noticed the missing locket as well.
"Come on," said as Harry as he and the other two left Annabeth there all alone in the library.