Second half! Enjoy!
"Severus!" Vesperra said, out of breath as she came to a stop in front of him.
"Vesperra, wha—?" Severus hadn't expected this in the least bit. He was even more surprised that she looked somewhat happy. So many questions circled his mind… "Why aren't you in your dorm? Where have you been?"
"The Room of Requirement," she said bluntly, still trying to catch her breath. She was so anxious to tell him everything that she completely ignored the fact that Severus might be angry with her.
"What—how—?"
"Severus, I know what Slytherin's monster is!" said Vesperra with an urgent yet excited tone. "It's a Basilisk!"
The fear he had felt from her having must been wandering the corridors alone to get to the Room and back disappeared, and was replaced with excitement and relief at this new information as well as confusion.
He frowned. "How did you—?"
"This." Vesperra held up the book she was holding. "I couldn't go in the library, so I went to the Room of Requirement. It's a long story—I would have been able to tell you last night, but…"
Realizing that it was his fault that all this couldn't have been figured out before the Weasley girl was taken, he felt bad. "But I wasn't awake to talk to you, I'm sorry…" And then, hardly thinking about it first, he placed his hand in between her shoulder blades almost roughly and steered her away from the Common Room and towards his office.
"You can tell me everything once I return, and then I'll tell you everything," he said as they walked. "But I have to go tell the rest of the Slytherins was has happened." She nodded, and allowed him to lead her to his office. He let her inside, said "I won't be long," and then closed the door.
Severus went back to the blank stretch of wall and gave it the password, then opened the door that appeared immediately. After he informed the silent room what had happened, many of the Slytherins looked much more worried than they had been the last time he had to come in here to make an announcement.
"I suggest you all start packing your things," he said before leaving.
Vesperra sat on his couch and waited anxiously, but Severus was true to his word and didn't take long. When he came back and sat with her, she launched right into an explanation of how she had gotten curious about her Parselmouth abilities, talked to Slytherin's monster and remembered what a grass snake had told her over the summer, and then thought of the Room of Requirement on her way to Herbology this morning. That's where he interrupted.
"But how did you get to the Room of Requirement without anyone noticing?" he asked.
"That, Severus," she began somewhat proudly, "was a mixture of resources and sheer luck… But I knew no one would miss me even if they had realized I wasn't there. I was nearly caught by a prefect, actually…"
"And you broke school rules, risking punishment just so you could get this information?"
"Well, I had to! I knew something was off… and I was right, wasn't I?"
Yes, she was right… But Severus quickly realized punishment hadn't been the only thing she had risked. In his shock and relief that Vesperra had actually gotten information, he had forgotten about that…
"You put yourself in danger," said Severus in a quiet tone that was neither angry nor dangerous, but Vesperra was frightened by it nevertheless. He was stony-faced, and his gaze was unfathomable. "You could have been attacked, and I told you not to wander off on your own… You broke your promise."
As glad as he was to have her in his office for the first time in weeks and that she had discovered something crucial, he couldn't help but feel angry and hurt. And though she hadn't been harmed, there was fear within him knowing that she could have been.
Vesperra's face fell, but only for how hurt Severus must have been feeling. She turned to face him and grabbed his upper arms, shaking them slightly. "No, Severus, I didn't." He frowned at her, and she paused. "I wasn't putting myself in danger at all, because I knew I would have heard the Basilisk coming. I would have heard it speaking Parseltongue…"
His anger dissipating, Severus suddenly felt proud of her. He watched as she quickly opened the book she had brought from the Room of Requirement to the middle and flipped through. When she got to the chapter on Basilisks, she stopped on that page and handed it to him.
"So I went to the Room of Requirement," she continued explaining, "and told it that I needed books on snakes. I found this one and everything fits! The roosters—You-Know-Who must have strangled them so there was no chance his Basilisk could be killed… Except I'm not sure how it ended up Petrifying those Muggleborns instead of killing them. If they looked at it directly in the eye, then—"
"Unless they didn't look it directly in the eye," Severus said almost automatically, looking up from the page. Though he was well-versed in Dark creatures and already knew about the existence of Basilisks, he read over the page of the book Vesperra had. He mentally slapped himself for not having thought of it before—now that he thought about it, it should have been obvious that Slytherin's monster would be a giant snake.
Vesperra was confused for a moment, but then realized what he must have meant. "You're right—they might have just seen its reflection…" She was suddenly reminded of that story about the Ancient Greek witch, Medusa, but didn't mention it. "But they're all pretty damn lucky to have only been Petrified. What are the chances…?"
And that brought them to what Severus had to tell her. Scowling, he gave the book back to her. "Not all of them were only Petrified, Vesperra," he said, noting the spark in her eyes fade into dread. "The monster took Ginny Weasley directly into the Chamber no longer than an hour ago, and it would be foolish to believe she was still alive. Professor McGonagall has arranged for the Hogwarts Express to take everyone home first thing tomorrow."
"W-what? No…" Vesperra couldn't believe it. Well, not in a figurative sense. She understood that Hogwarts had to be closed for everyone's safety, but she didn't want to believe it. "There has to be something we can do… Wait—"
Having an idea, Vesperra started to focus very hard on imagining that she was about to speak to an actual snake, and it took a minute. Severus looked at her with a very puzzled and slightly disturbed expression, but she hardly noticed it. After a minute, she said, "Where are you?"
But what they both heard was a drawn-out hissing of various inflections. Vesperra bit her lip, waiting for a reply, but there was nothing. She sank further into the couch and let her head fall back, disappointed.
"What exactly were you trying to do?" asked Severus cautiously.
"I was trying to talk to the Basilisk and possibly find out where the Chamber of Secrets was," Vesperra said, frustrated, "but now I realize it was a stupid idea in the first place because the Chamber's probably miles under the school, and it wouldn't be able to hear me."
Both of them hated so much to give up, but there was absolutely nothing to be done. They had no idea where the entrance to the Chamber was, and they wouldn't be able to get inside even if they did. And even if they knew exactly how to get down there, Severus would never allow Vesperra to go. He didn't even know what he intended to do if he ended up facing Voldemort. If time permitted them, they might have been able to get Aurors down there, but it was useless to think about that.
Her expression hardening, Vesperra turned to Severus again. "Two questions, though—how did the Basilisk get around the school without anyone else noticing, and why did You-Know-Who have it take Ginny Weasley? She's a pureblood…"
He had been asking himself the same questions. "Didn't you tell me that the voice sounded like it was coming from the walls?" he said after a moment.
"Yes…" said Vesperra. "But if it was within the walls, then…"
"Pipes," they said at the same time as their eyes locked on each other's.
"And the Weasley girl…" Vesperra was prepared to think long and hard, but she came to a realization in almost no time. "Her older brother is Harry Potter's best friend—what if You-Know-Who's trying to lure Potter down there so he can do what he failed to do last time?"
She said it with only slight worry in her voice, as she was just theorizing. But she knew it must be true, because it was the only probable explanation. Vesperra hated Potter and couldn't care less if he died, but she knew Severus was supposed to protect the school—even students that he hated.
Severus's throat burned again, but when he thought about it rationally, he saw less and less of a reason to be worried. How could Potter possibly know how to get into the Chamber? It was just so unlikely… but with the magnitude of unlikely things that had gone on that year, he couldn't help but feel nervous. No, he told himself, not even Potter is stupid enough to leave his dormitory when this is going on. How would he even manage it? And even if he does know how to get into the Chamber, he should know what the monster is as well. Potter wouldn't be so arrogant so as to think that he could take down a Basilisk…
He stood up without warning, and scowled. "So we now know what the monster is and how it's getting around, but none of that matters because the Dark Lord has killed a student and the school will indefinitely close." He felt that he might as well get that out, however much he hated it. "However, I doubt that the victims would be able to tell us any of that, since they wouldn't have had more than a split second look at the Basilisk before being Petrified. But they still must be revived, obviously."
Severus then held out his hand to help Vesperra up off the couch—not that she needed any help. She appreciated it all the same, and let him pull her up.
"Would you like to help me with the Mandrake Restorative Draught?" he asked. "It's highly advanced and the results would be disastrous if not done properly, but I trust your skills—and you'll only be preparing ingredients. It'll be done more efficiently that way, but if you don't want—"
"Of course I do, Severus… At least then, I'll feel like I'm doing something…"
Vesperra walked with him over to his desk, which she only just noticed had potted Mandrakes on them.
"We can't cut them up while they're alive," he told her, "unless we wanted a bloody mess. So to kill them, you have to pull out a certain leaf that acts as a life-chord for them—it'll be the one that has a white stripe down the center."
For the next five or so minutes, Vesperra and Severus looked through the tangle of purplish green leaves on each of the seven Mandrakes and pulled out the one that kept them alive. Severus conjured earmuffs for both of them to wear when they pulled the Mandrakes out of their pots, just in case one had gone wrong, but they had all been fine.
Since the Restorative Draught called for freshly cut Mandrakes, Severus had had to wait until now to unpot them. Otherwise, he would have done so earlier. The two of them cut up all the Mandrakes into inch-thick chunks, which took at least an hour to get perfect even with both of them working. Those chunks were to be stewed for several hours, so the two of them had a long break.
"So… so Hogwarts is really finished," Vesperra said sadly as she sat down. It wasn't a question, it was a statement. But she was having a hard time accepting it. "And just like Dumbledore said, You-Know-Who is back, and he'll probably gain much more power very soon…"
He sighed. Severus would love to have told her not to say that, and that she shouldn't worry because he would keep her safe, but none of that was true—except that he would keep her safe. Because he always would. But Vesperra was smart and not naïve in the least… She'd accept the truth, however horrible. And he was dreading it as well—if Voldemort really was back, then life would become much, much more difficult than it already was.
They talked for much of the afternoon, but the conversation was quiet. That was mostly because they couldn't bring themselves to speak much louder. Both of them wanted to make the most of the last full day they had together before they had to leave. Vesperra gradually moved closer and closer to Severus on the couch—whether it was on purpose or not he wasn't sure—until finally he put his left arm around her and pulled her as close as possible.
She had calmed down a considerable amount when she had his arm around her and his chest supporting her head. It became easier to accept that she had to leave Hogwarts for good after a while, but only slightly.
During one of the particularly long mutual silences, Severus suddenly had a thought that actually cheered him up, and he squeezed Vesperra tighter for a second. Looking down at her, he said, "I forgot to tell you—we got rid of Lockhart."
"What?" she said, tilting her head so she could see his face and completely forgetting about the Chamber of Secrets for the moment.
"We told him that we would let him deal with the Chamber, since he claimed to know so much about it, and he's likely packing his things as we speak." Severus smirked, but it quickly disappeared. It didn't really matter that Lockhart would no longer be a problem, because he wouldn't even be teaching anymore either.
Vesperra smirked as well, and turned her head so she could lay it against him normally again. "That'll take forever, if he's taking all his clothes, hair products, portraits…" She knew as well as Severus did that it hardly mattered, but she was glad that Lockhart had been scared away. However, she was disappointed that she wouldn't be able to witness it when the curse of his Malignant Card happened.
Throughout the hours before sunset, Severus routinely stood from the couch to check on the simmering Mandrakes. Vesperra hated that he had to get up and then she had to get comfortable with his arm around her all over again, but she didn't argue, as it was necessary. Severus asked her if she was hungry several times, and each time she said no, since she really wasn't in the mood to eat. But when it was very late in the day, she finally succumbed to her aching stomach and let Severus get food for her. House Elves were already delivering food to all the Common Rooms and teacher's offices, anyway.
Sometime after eight o'clock, Severus lightly pushed Vesperra away from him. She looked at him when he didn't immediately stand up to check the cauldron, confused. "I daresay McGonagall would have contacted the Weasley girl's parents and let them come here…" he said. "Though the information isn't necessarily helpful, I should at least tell them what it was that killed their daughter. And I should see whether McGonagall has contacted Dumbledore as well."
Vesperra nodded, and he assured her that he would return in a half an hour at the most. She sat up straight, allowing him to stand, and saw him give her a short sorry look before he left. Though she'd have liked him to stay there or even bring her with him, she realized that she finally had the chance to do something she'd wanted to do ever since she first spent the day in here with him.
Scooting over, she sat in Severus's usual spot, which was still warm from his body heat. Vesperra might have just been imagining it, but that spot was much more comfortable than the rest of the couch.
Part of him couldn't believe that he was actually caring about the feelings of someone other than him or Vesperra, but Severus actually felt a bit sorry for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. If he had hardly even been able to breathe when he had thought Vesperra had been taken by the monster, then he knew they would feel even worse to know that their own daughter had been taken.
Severus walked briskly out of the dungeons and into the Entrance Hall. He decided that he'd check the staffroom first, and then go up to McGonagall's office if she wasn't there. But as he strode through the Entrance Hall, the front doors were pushed open, and he stopped to see who it was. Dumbledore entered, carrying a briefcase in one hand.
"Minerva told me what happened," said Dumbledore as he approached Severus, who was extremely relieved to see him here. "She wrote the school governors as well, and they've agreed that they all want me back here. Except for Lucius Malfoy, of course."
The Headmaster (assuming he was officially the Headmaster again) continued walking through the Entrance Hall, and Severus walked with him. "Do you have anything planned? Is there anything you can actually do?" he said, somewhat angrily. He expected Dumbledore to be looking very grim, but he almost smiled at Severus's words.
"Why, Severus, I think you'd have learned by now not to underestimate me. Just because I choose not to share everything with you does not mean that I don't have a plan."
"So you do have a plan?" said Severus, hopeful that perhaps Hogwarts wouldn't have to close after all.
"Not in the least. However, if I've guessed correctly and not overestimated those that I trust, Hogwarts will not be doomed. We should not worry until all has proven to be lost… But I've learned by now not to believe you capable of not worrying over things you care about, Severus."
He scowled, not even attempting to understand what Dumbledore meant, but the last thing he said reminded him—"Before it happened—before the girl was taken—Vesperra discovered some very important things that it would be helpful for you to know, Albus."
"By all means, Severus, tell me," said Dumbledore, his blue eyes twinkling. They stopped in front of the stone gargoyle that guarded entrance to his office, and Dumbledore gave it the password. It leapt aside and he stepped on, but Severus didn't.
"Do you mind if I go fetch Vesperra so I can bring her?" he asked.
Dumbledore grinned. "Not at all."
She had hardly waited ten minutes when the door flew open again, and Severus said, "Dumbledore's back, come on," holding out his hand. Vesperra took it immediately as she hopped off the couch. It took no longer then six seconds for him to whisk her out of there and through the dungeon corridors.
No longer feeling like she had been earlier, Vesperra was filled with a bit of hope now that Dumbledore was back. Severus didn't even have to pull her along, because she was eager enough that she was practically pulling him. Once in the Headmaster's office, they took the seats that he offered them.
"How nice to see you again, Miss D'Monicas," said Dumbledore. It appeared that he had completely unpacked in the time that it took Severus to fetch Vesperra, but they guessed that he hadn't taken much with him when he left. He must have known that he'd return to Hogwarts soon after his suspension. "Severus tells me that you've discovered things about the Chamber of Secrets."
The old man's eyes twinkled as they always did, and Severus wondered how he could seem pleased in any sense with all that was happening. Sure, he said that he expected things wouldn't turn out horrible, but one of his students had died. Not that Severus was actually upset about the Weasley girl, but Dumbledore was one to care about everyone.
"I have, Headmaster," Vesperra said, getting comfortable in the chair that she remembered sitting in twice before. She then told him everything, starting with the voice she had heard a few times during the year that no one else could hear, and how she found out that only she could hear it because she was a Parselmouth. And she went on with everything that she had told Severus earlier, as well as what they had realized together—that the Basilisk had been getting around via the castle's plumbing, and that Voldemort must have been trying to lure Harry Potter down to the Chamber.
"Sir," said Vesperra hesitantly after mentioning Potter, "do you think it's even possible for Potter to get down into the Chamber?"
Severus took a side-glance at Vesperra and frowned, wondering if she was asking this because she didn't trust his judgment and wanted Dumbledore's opinion instead. If she was, then he was angry. However, he quickly realized that she may have merely figured that Dumbledore would know Potter more personally and therefore have a reason to think differently.
"That, I am afraid, I cannot answer," Dumbledore said. He then leaned forward a bit, and smiled slightly. "But I must say, I am quite impressed that you discovered all of this almost completely on your own. It is rather heartening to see a Slytherin put their resourcefulness to helping others rather than harming them, especially a young one, as children can often be misguided… Severus must be very grateful for you," he added without looking at the man in question.
"I am," said Severus immediately. "I—"
He was about to say that he didn't know what he would do without her, but, sitting on her perch, Fawkes let out a high, musical note. In a single flap of her wings, she flew off the perch and over to a shelf on the wall, clutched the Sorting Hat in her talons, then caught fire and disappeared without a trace—but one feather had fallen onto the floor.
After witnessing that amazing, yet confusing sight, Vesperra and Severus looked to each other, bewildered, and then at Dumbledore, who was still staring vaguely at the spot where Fawkes had disappeared with a small smile.
There was a short, awkward silence, and Vesperra spoke first. "What just happened?"
"Interesting," Dumbledore mused to himself before turning back to Severus and Vesperra, who stared at him expectantly. "I am not sure, Miss D'Monicas… It has only happened twice before, and those were several decades ago. And as to whether it is relevant to the situation at hand… I don't doubt it."
They had both experienced enough with Hogwarts's eccentric Headmaster to know that he was not going to explain further, and did not press it.
"I take it this information will be helpful?" said Severus dryly, seeing no use to continue sitting in Dumbledore's office if there was nothing more to be said.
"It likely will," said Dumbledore. His expression turned grim. "Now, I must get down to Minerva and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley—I believe you two would like to leave as well."
He made for the door, and opened it for them. Severus was closer to the door, but he immediately placed his hand in between Vesperra's shoulder blades and allowed her to leave before him. In spite of the possible doom of Hogwarts and everything in it, she couldn't help but feel strangely happy at how much of a gentleman Severus was. It was especially strange in the fact that she wouldn't accept polite gestures such as helping her up or letting her go first from anyone else—not that anyone else would ever treat her that way.
They waited for the spiral staircase to stop at the exit, and parted ways—Vesperra going with Severus, of course. Even though Dumbledore was annoyingly vague about his plan (or what he 'expected to happen,' whichever) as usual, they felt much more confident as they walked down the corridors and back to his office. There really was a chance that they wouldn't have to leave Hogwarts forever.
Soon, the Mandrakes had been stewed into a paste, and they were able to add the rest of the ingredients—which weren't many, as Mandrakes were the primary ingredient. Though he trusted her abilities more than he might trust one of his own colleagues, Severus had told her not to do anything without him instructing her first, since they couldn't afford any mistakes. The Mandrake Restorative Draught was finished within half an hour, and there was only a slight sense of dread between them. Severus's was definitely stronger, though, since he still had the possibility, however slim, of Potter being in the Chamber of Secrets looming over him. And if the boy was down there, he couldn't do anything about it.
Rather than filling flasks, Severus transferred the potion to a vat, so Madam Pomfrey could ladle it at her leisure, since it would have to be poured directly down the victims' throats.
"Once again, I'll return soon," he told Vesperra before casting a Hover Charm on the vat and leaving.
It was late, and the day that Vesperra had had certainly been a long and stressful one. When Severus left, she went and sat at the couch, thinking of what would happen later. Truthfully, she didn't know at this point. Before long, it became uncomfortable to sit up, so she shifted her body so that she lay on her side on the couch, her head propped up against the arm rests. She closed her eyes, intending only to rest a bit until Severus got back, but her brain decided that she needed some sleep, and she slipped into unconsciousness.
When Severus arrived at the Hospital Wing, he found Madam Pomfrey in her office, looking quite worried. She gave a soft "Oh!" of surprise and relief when she saw him, and thanked him as he set the vat of Mandrake juice on her desk. He left immediately after and went to McGonagall's office, where he told Dumbledore and the rest of them that Madam Pomfrey would be administering the Mandrake Restorative Draught now and the victims would wake soon.
"Excellent," said Dumbledore. "Severus, would you mind informing Argus of this? He will be rather pleased to know that Mrs. Norris will soon be revived."
He gave a sharp nod and tried not to look at the sobbing Mrs. Weasley as he swept himself out of the room and to Filch's office. The caretaker was more irritable and unpleasant as usual when he was rudely woken, but his ugly face broke into a smile of unmistakable happiness when Severus told him the news. His cat appeared to be all he cared about, since he showed no concern for the fact that it was likely Hogwarts itself was finished.
That was the first time he had ever seen Filch smile for any reason other than the prospect of punishing students or expelling Peeves. It was very strange, but as he returned to his office, he realized that he had seen a lot of things he never thought he'd see today.
Entering his office and closing the door behind him, he saw Vesperra asleep on his couch and almost smiled. He knew that she'd still have to pack her things before the Hogwarts Express took everyone home, but he really didn't want to wake her. Besides, if she were to walk into the Slytherin Common Room at this late hour, that would trigger a multitude of questions and suspicions that she didn't need. And he doubted she'd have much to pack, anyway, so he decided to wake her up early in the morning.
Not sure whether his couch would be comfortable enough for her to sleep in, he bent down to scoop her up off the couch and carried her to his room. As he did, he remembered carrying her the same way almost exactly a year ago—but for entirely different reasons that he didn't like to think about. She didn't stir or show any signs of waking up while in his arms, and he figured she must have been very tired.
Severus set her down gently in his bed, and turned to leave so he could sleep on his office couch. But then he saw the picture of him and Lily on his bedside table, and he couldn't have her waking up and seeing that… there was no doubt she'd be curious. So he picked up the picture slowly and quietly, kissed Lily's face in it, then set it back down and cast a Disillusionment Charm on it.
Before leaving, he bent down over his bed and pushed Vesperra's somewhat messy hair away from her face so he could kiss her forehead as well. Goodnight, he thought to her, wondering whether she'd remember that he'd kissed her like he knew she had last time. At that, he grabbed an extra pillow from the floor and went back into his office, feeling rather tired himself. Severus kicked off his shoes and laid long-ways on his couch, which forced him to nearly be in fetal position, but he didn't care. Setting up his pillow, he got comfortable and fell asleep.
About an hour later, Severus was awoken by a loud knocking noise, which he almost immediately realized was from someone at his door. He wondered what might have happened that required his assistance or knowledge of it so urgently. It was no doubt something to do with the Chamber of Secrets…
When he unlocked and opened his door, Dumbledore was on the other side, beaming. "To make a long story short, Severus," he said, "Miss Weasley is alive, the Basilisk is dead, and Lord Voldemort was defeated yet again—by none other than Harry Potter."
Severus had to be dreaming. It was too good to be true… He had spoken to Dumbledore hardly an hour and a half earlier, and now he was telling him that everything was all fine, just like that?
Apparently, Dumbledore had read the look of disbelief on his face, because he chuckled and said, "Like I've told you, don't underestimate me—or Harry, either, because he did beautifully. The entire school is currently in celebration in the Great Hall, which I must get back to, Severus—please wake Miss D'Monicas and come join the feast." And then he smiled before walking away seconds later.
Still trying to wrap his mind around it, Severus spent a minute convincing himself that it was all true. That would have been easier if he hadn't just woken up, and if Dumbledore had explained more. But he didn't waste anymore time, and went into his room, where Vesperra was sleeping soundly on his bed. Upon seeing her face in that peaceful, yet not entirely expressionless state, he was a little reluctant to wake her up. He bent down again and softly shook her shoulder, saying just as softly into her ear, "Vesperra, wake up…"
Vesperra groaned and rolled over as she awoke, still very tired. She obviously couldn't have slept that long… But then she realized that she wasn't in her four-poster bed in her dormitory—she knew not from the surroundings, but from the fact that she was laying on something much more comfortable. It took her a second, and then she remembered everything that had happened and that she hadn't fallen asleep in her dorm, she had fallen asleep on Severus's couch… but she wasn't on his couch, either.
A second later, her vision came into focus and she saw Severus looking down at her.
"Sev…erus… wha—?" said Vesperra, squinting up at him. "Why am I in your bed?"
"I carried you in here earlier so you could sleep more comfortably," he replied, still speaking softly so as to let her adjust as he fully woke up. She gave him a dazed smile at that, and he smiled back. But she also felt slightly awkward speaking to him while lying down, so she put her arms around his neck and pulled herself up to a sitting position.
"So why'd you wake me up?" she asked while yawning.
"Dumbledore just showed up at my door and told me…" He told her, word for word, what the Headmaster had said, and her eyes widened in surprise, relief, happiness, and whatever else would fit into that category. And also confusion, something they'd felt rather frequently that day. "If you'd rather sleep than attend the feast, then—"
But he was cut off as Vesperra practically jumped up to stand on his bed and threw her arms around his neck again in a tight hug. "It's all over, Severus!" she breathed, pressing her cheek into his and smiled. He was somewhat surprised, but he could feel her happiness radiating and felt the same. Hugging her back just as tightly, he smiled and lifted her off the bed, spun her around once, and bent his knees to let her down on the floor.
"And I do want to attend the feast, Severus, I'm starving," she said.
He smirked down at her. "You'd better get going, then. I'll come up in a few minutes."
Nearly everyone at the feast, including the teachers, was in their pajamas. Vesperra stood out even more than usual, as she was fully clad in her school robes despite it being near midnight. The conversation amongst the students was loud and more excited than last year's leaving feast had been, and as disappointed as a lot of the Slytherins were that the monster had been defeated and the Muggleborns revived, they were happy that Hogwarts was not going to be closed. But what they were really interested in was Vesperra.
"Where the hell were you, Grease-perra?" said Malfoy the moment she arrived at the table.
Vesperra had known that would happen when she had been headed to the Common Room earlier—it had only been stalled. She figured the best approach was to play dumb, since she really had no explanation for anything. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said as she sat down, loading her plate with food. "I've been in my dorm the whole time."
"What—you—no you weren't!" Malfoy yelled, mixed with arguments from the other Slytherins.
"You weren't in Herbology—"
"You didn't come back to the Common Room—"
"This proves it!" Daphne shrieked, leaning over the table. "This proves you're the Heir of Slytherin—you left so you could open the Chamber, and you've been down there this whole time!"
There was a murmur—for want of a better word—of assent, but Vesperra met Daphne's frantic look with a glare. "Then why have I not been expelled?" she said. "The monster was killed and the Heir was caught." She then looked down and ate, muttering "Morons…" under her breath.
The rest of the Slytherins were forced to believe that Vesperra had had no part in the Chamber, but they didn't stop asking questions, even though she ignored them. It was much easier than usual, considering that she could hardly hear them over the noise of the Great Hall, and since she had a lot to think about.
With the exception of Slytherin, House tables didn't seem to matter anymore, since students were crossing over to celebrate with their friends from all Houses and talk to the revived Basilisk victims. Vesperra was full after having seconds of desert, but she stayed for the remainder of the feast, which lasted all night. When it had to have been at least four in the morning, McGonagall stood up and everyone looked to her, quieting down.
"As a school treat," she said, smiling as wide as was possible for her, "exams have been cancelled."
The ensuing cheer was deafening, and Malfoy laughed right in Vesperra's scowling face. She was half glad that there wouldn't be any exams, and half frustrated that she had done all that studying for nothing. Throughout the night and into the early hours of the morning, rumors spread of what had actually happened down in the Chamber of Secrets, and people eventually caught wind of Voldemort having been in the school. They were just as confused as she was.
Apparently, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley had been in the Chamber and fought the Basilisk and saved Ginny Weasley… so Dumbledore saw fit to award them two-hundred points each, securing Gryffindor the House Cup. With all that had gone on and the intensity of the celebration, everything that normally would have happened in the Leaving Feast happened then. Just as they had last year, the Slytherin table was the only one not to cheer when it was said that Gryffindor had won with over seven-hundred points.
However, Vesperra had something else to be happy about when Dumbledore announced that Lockhart had to go away and get his memory back. She knew it must have been because of the Twenty-Six Malignant Cards, though she didn't know the details—yet.
Throughout the feast, mixed emotions raged inside Severus. The school was safe, Voldemort would be kept at bay yet again, and no one was dead… But Potter had been down in the Chamber. Potter must have nearly died… and if he had been killed, then Severus would have failed. And just as it had been at the end of last year and the beginning of this school year, he had had absolutely no control over it. The Boy-Who-Lived could have died, and he would have been able to do nothing about it.
Severus felt very angry—at Potter, for being as arrogant as his father and thinking that he could defeat anything, putting himself in life-threatening situations… and at himself, for not keeping a closer eye on the kid during the year. However, there were still so many things left unanswered, and he needed to know the how.
After sunrise, many people left to go take a nap and then unpack, and others went outside to enjoy the day, as all the excitement was keeping them awake. When Dumbledore stood up to finally leave, Severus stood as well, and walked with him. The old man chuckled, then sighed.
"I believe you and Miss D'Monicas would like an explanation," said Dumbledore.
"We would," Severus said shortly, still walking with him. "But I think she would like some sleep first—"
He pushed the door open, and Vesperra was already standing on the other side, leaning against the wall.
Vesperra went straight to the staffroom entrance when she left the Great Hall, since she knew Severus would exit from there. When he did, Dumbledore was with him, so she folded her arms as she leaned against the wall and narrowed her eyes.
"So are you going to tell us everything now, Professor?" she said snidely to the Headmaster.
No less than she expected, he smiled. "I believe I am," he said, glancing at Severus. Though he didn't say anything else, Severus knew he was thinking something along the lines of 'You stand corrected.'
Dumbledore led them up to his office, and since everyone was either in the Common Rooms, sleeping, or outside, they didn't cross paths with anyone (which was highly lucky). They sat down in the same chairs that they had last night, and Dumbledore at his desk, naturally. Fawkes and the Sorting Hat were there once again.
"Would you prefer for me to answer questions as you ask them," he said, "or for me to tell the entire story, from start to finish?"
Severus and Vesperra looked at each other and, without speaking, came to the decision that Severus would choose. They weren't sure how they had done it, since there was no Legilimency involved, but it was only fair that Severus would do the talking after Vesperra had done it all the last time.
"The entire story would be best," said Severus. Dumbledore grinned at them, and they wondered if he knew about their non-verbal communication. He probably did.
"Very well," said Dumbledore, clearing his throat to start. "I suppose this all begins with Lucius Malfoy, who was in Flourish and Blotts on the day of Lockhart's book signing…" For a while, he spoke into the near silence, punctuated by the sounds of Vesperra and Severus shifting in their seats, and very small gasps at certain things he had told them. Vesperra was especially surprised, since she had seen Lucius Malfoy that same day, in Knockturn Alley. But she didn't mention that.
They listened with rapt attention as Dumbledore told them how Malfoy's father had slipped a small, empty diary into Ginny Weasley's cauldron, and how that diary belonged to Voldemort when he was a teenager—when he had opened the Chamber of Secrets. Dumbledore didn't need to explain the Chamber of Secrets story again, so they knew that Voldemort hadn't been expelled. Apparently, he preserved the memory of his sixteen year-old self inside that book, so when the Weasley girl poured her heart out into it, Voldemort's memory was able to possess her and open the Chamber.
That explained how Voldemort had been in the school, and Vesperra and Severus both agreed that that would have been near impossible to find out. But they weren't satisfied—they wanted to know how the hell Potter figured it out.
Dumbledore didn't want to be more than vague about that. "Harry Potter's relatively short journey to discovering everything is his business alone," he said with a finalizing tone. "But I will divulge that none of it would have been solved if it weren't for Miss Hermione Granger. If she had not been Petrified, everything might have been solved several weeks ago. It was rather lucky Messrs Potter and Weasley visited her in the Hospital Wing yesterday."
Of course, thought Vesperra, frowning. Of course Granger solved it… and Potter still got the credit! She continued listening, angry, to Dumbledore telling them what had happened afterwards. The Headmaster still didn't want to tell them everything, as he believed it somewhat personal, but he told them that Potter and Weasley took Lockhart down there with him, and that Lockhart had been hit with a backfired Memory Charm, which caused him to completely forget everything, including who he even was. He was currently in St. Mungo's, but it was likely that he would never leave.
Severus smirked, sure that the man had gotten what he deserved. Vesperra was jumping up and down on the inside. And then Dumbledore continued, saying that the reason Fawkes had left with the Sorting Hat last night was because he was helping Potter, who really needed help at the moment. The Sword of Godric Gryffindor had appeared in the Hat, and Potter had used it to kill the Basilisk—Vesperra remembered reading that the Basilisk could be killed with its own venom, and figured that the Sword's blade must be imbibed with Basilisk venom. And then, with one of the Basilisk's fangs, Potter had stabbed the book and thus killed the memory of Voldemort.
There were other bits of information that they weren't sure of yet, like how the Weasley girl had still been alive and how Potter, Ron Weasley, and Lockhart had gotten out of the Chamber, but they honestly didn't care about those. However, there was one thing that Vesperra wanted to know.
"Professor," she said, "how did Potter get into the Chamber, if only the Heir of Slytherin is supposed to be able to open it?"
"Parseltongue," said Dumbledore simply. "It is a rare gift, so Salazar Slytherin would have thought that only his descendants, who would have inherited the ability, would be able to open it."
It brought Vesperra a strange sense of frustration as well as smugness to know that she could, in fact, have opened the Chamber of Secrets… if they had only known where the entrance was. And though the Basilisk was dead and the Chamber no longer posed any danger, she was sure Dumbledore wouldn't tell her where it was.
Severus, however, was more focused on the fact that Potter had been so close to death. As much as he hated to care, he did. But he didn't want to… He wished he could just appreciate that the boy had lived rather than feel angry that he had nearly died. The situation had been out of his control… And yet, he couldn't help that feeling. Either way, he knew it would pass soon enough, just as it had at the beginning of the year.
"Well, now that you two understand everything that has gone on this hectic year," Dumbledore said cheerfully, "I suggest that the both of you return to your rooms and get some sleep—you look exhausted."
Nodding, Severus led Vesperra out of the Headmaster's office, but Dumbledore added one last thing before he closed the door—"Oh, and I do apologize for the stress I've inadvertently put you two through this year."
Everything went back to normal, and the rest of term passed with what could be considered bliss compared to the stress and fear that filled most of the year. What was best about it (even better than Defense Against the Dark Arts classes being cancelled) was that Lucius Malfoy had been sacked as a school governor. So Malfoy was no longer his usual confidently arrogant self.
Vesperra and Severus were perhaps gladder than everyone that Lucius Malfoy had been sacked, since it was his fault any of this happened in the first place. He had given the diary to Ginny Weasley, and so he had put the entire school in a state of fear and had it threatening to close for good. He was the sole reason that this year had been so awful and, though it only mattered to Severus, he was the sole reason that Potter had been in danger this year.
It gave Vesperra even more of a reason to hate the Malfoy family, and Severus a sense of annoyance that he would still have to pretend to like them in the future. But they didn't have to worry about that now, since it was the end of the school year and the summer holidays were almost upon them.
"Do you suppose it's going to be like this every year?" said Vesperra casually as she searched along the rock edge of the clearing for some thin, flat rocks—preferably limestone.
Severus found a large piece of slate, and easily broke it in two. He walked over to her, handed her one of the halves, and said, "Like what?"
Smiling as she took the rock from him, Vesperra took her stance at the edge of the lake, bending her knees and making sure she had her shoulder at the right angle. With a flick of her wrist, the rock flew out of her hand and skipped once—twice—three times across the water, then sunk. And then she spoke. "You know, everything seems normal, but then something happens that puts the school in danger, and Dumbledore wants you to try and take care of it… Then Potter saves the day anyway, and Dumbledore explains everything to us at the end of the year…"
"You forgot the part where Slytherin loses the House Cup to Gryffindor," he said, taking a stance to skip his own rock. "But as much as I hope it won't be, I don't doubt it… Not with Potter attending Hogwarts." Severus flicked his wrist, and they watched the rock skip across the lake… four times. He looked at Vesperra and smirked.
It was the last day before term ended and everyone went home for the summer, and they had decided to spend it together at the clearing by the lake. Vesperra had already packed, and though she hadn't even left Hogwarts yet, she was already starting to miss it. She and Severus skipped rocks for a while—something Vesperra had never had the chance to do before. But Severus taught her and it didn't take too long to catch on. He noticed with a smirk how she insisted on trying over and over again without breaks, just so she could become good at it. She was always so determined, even with something as simple as this.
Later in the day, they lay in the grass, and Severus could hardly feel the pain of memories of Lily at all. The memories did come to him, but they didn't bring any pain with them. He was just enjoying the last few hours he could spend with Vesperra before she left—but he assured her that it wouldn't be the last time they'd see each other before school started again.
"Like I told you before, you're welcome at my house any time…" said Severus, turning his head to look at her as he laid down. "Although, it would still be good to tell me when you're coming."
"And if my parents don't let me?" she asked, hoping they would.
"I said we'd figure something out… Perhaps I can pay them a little visit."
Vesperra laughed. "That would not be a pleasant sight to see."
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that, then," he said. Pausing to think a moment, he added, "Do you think your parents would be proud of you if they knew what you've done, how clever and brave you've been?"
She didn't know whether he was joking or not, but he seemed serious enough. After giving him an 'Are you kidding me?' look, she turned her face to the sky and said, "Proud? I doubt it… I don't think they've ever been proud of me. And I don't know what you're talking about, brave… I'm not brave."
Severus frowned. "You are when it counts. You're just not foolishly brave, because you don't overestimate your abilities. But you can be brave, I've seen it. And from what else I've seen and heard, you can be pretty bold at times as well."
"You're right, I can…" said Vesperra. She then smirked and, taking what he said as an incentive to be bold, leaned over and kissed his forehead before falling back into her place on the grass.
He looked at her questioningly with a slight smile, and she said, "Yes, I felt it."
The next morning was a surprisingly quick one. At breakfast, they were all given the usual notes that remind them not to use magic outside of Hogwarts. Vesperra disregarded hers, knowing she'd be able to use magic both at home and at Severus's house—if she even went there. After saying goodbye to him, she rode in a horseless carriage back to Hogsmeade station along with the rest of the school. However, she had a feeling that they weren't horseless. There were things she could hear when no one else could because of the way she was, and clearly there was something about Theodore Nott that allowed him to see what no one else couldn't.
It was strange, riding the train back home. It seemed like forever and a day had passed since she last boarded the Hogwarts Express. But it definitely wasn't as bad as last time, when she had known she wouldn't see Severus for two entire months. The day was long, but Vesperra still had some money to buy candy from the trolley, as well as that book on famous snakes to occupy herself with. She had kept it, and wanted to read more in-depth from what she had skimmed in the Room of Requirement.
Several hours passed, and it was dark outside when the Hogwarts Express stopped at Platform 9 ¾. Vesperra grabbed her trunk and sighed, reluctant to go home. But she had to, so she dragged it out of her compartment (she had been lucky enough to find an empty one) and filed out of the cramped corridors of the train. Just before getting off, she saw Luna Lovegood, looking just as out of it as she had at the beginning of the year, though a bit taller. Vesperra had a sudden thought, and quickly got to the Lovegood girl before she could step off the train.
"Hey—Lovegood—" said Vesperra as she walked up to her and stepped off to the side so she wouldn't be in anyone's way.
"Oh, I remember you…" she said in her dreamy voice, smiling. Vesperra wasn't sure whether the girl was actually looking at her, since her eyes were unfocused, but she ignored that. "I met you on the train in September. You're Vesperra."
"Yes, and I actually wanted to ask you about that—You called me 'Vesperra' before we got to Hogwarts, but I hadn't even told you my name. How did you know?" As simple as this was, she was genuinely curious, and figured that she might as well ask now that she had the chance.
"I heard a boy mention you when I passed a compartment," said Luna, nodding slightly to confirm to herself that she remembered correctly. "It was a Slytherin… I think it was Theodore Nott." With that, she smiled vaguely and walked off the train.
Vesperra chose not to think too deeply into that just yet, and instead walked out onto the dark platform, which was full of grotesque displays of affection between family members that hadn't seen each other in a long time. It wasn't difficult to find her mother, who was leaning against a pillar, expressionless as usual. When Vesperra got to her, her mum immediately pulled out her wand and held out her arm.
"We're Apparating," she said. "Now gra—"
"Wait, Mum—" Vesperra surprised both herself and her mother by speaking to her in a non-hostile manner, but she knew it was necessary if she was to get her mother to agree to this. "I wanted to ask you—here, not in front of Dad… Will you let me visit a friend from Hogwarts over the summer? Not for more than a few hours at a time, just—"
"Who is she?" her mother asked, narrowing her eyes.
"He—His name is Severus."
Her mother seemed somewhat surprised that he friend was a boy, but it looked as though she was thinking about it more and realizing that it made sense—Vesperra could tell by her changing facial expression. And it really did make sense, considering that Vesperra had never been very feminine.
"Sev—?" As she glanced at Vesperra's neck, something must have clicked in her mother's head, for she nodded.
"Alright," she said, smirking with a wicked glint in her eye. "Since you'll at least be out of the house… I'll let you visit your boyfriend. Now grab my arm."
Scowling, she muttered, "He's not my boyfriend…" and gripped her mother's arm as tightly as possible. A second later, they Disapparated.
And Book 2 is finally finished! It took me 2 months less than it did to write Book 1, but I'm pretty sure that's because it's the summer and I was able to finish most chapters in about 5 or 6 days. I am SO glad that I'm done with this, because there wasn't much that Severus or Vesperra could do. It was more of a 'stand by and get information, then stress out about things you have no control over' book. But at least I got a lot of character (and relationship) development done, as well as a few major plot points and foreshadowing.
Now excuse me while I celebrate with loads of Firewhiskey... If I had Firewhiskey. :(
But now that Book 2 is over, I'm expecting massive amounts of reviews. Okay, I guess I shouldn't really expect too many, since I don't want to get my hopes up, but I'd like a crapload of reviews, please. I want to know if the ending was unexpected or whether you liked it, what your favorite parts were, what your hopes and expectations for Book 3 are... PLEASE REVIEW, SIRIUSLY. AND IF YOU DON'T READ MY AUTHOR'S NOTES, YOU REALLY SHOULD.
