The Deity's Favorite
By: Alexa V.
Chapter 3: Ropes to the shallows
As Severus silently walked to the Slytherin house, with Regulus not too far behind him. Ever since the moment Regulus mentioned the Dark lord to Severus, the air between them became so dense one could cut it with a knife. Once they arrived at a blank wall, Severus simply stood there.
'I can't remember the password… After Arianrhod made me live my future, I completely forgot my present's password. Out of all things I could fucking forget. It just had to be the password. Shit.' Severus cursed himself, Arianrhod included.
Regulus who was watching him from behind was confused.
'Why hasn't he opened it yet?' Thought Regulus.
Severus looked behind him to find Regulus still there. Glaring at Regulus he moves to the side with a hmph, leaning on the wall with his arms crossed.
'Does he seriously want me to open the door for him?' Thought Regulus, who felt completely appalled of the pale boy's audacity.
"Have you, Severus Snape, forgotten our password? Or are you just 'that' mad to make me open it for you." Regulus said eyeing Severus.
'How dare this half-blood tell me what to do.' Regulus thought.
"Then we can stand here all night if you want." Severus said, daring the younger Black sibling in a game of chicken. Regulus could feel the cold catching up to them and he didn't want to run into Peeves who'd tease them for forgetting the password to their own house. With reluctance Regulus leaned into the wall and whispered. "True blood."
The walls opened and Severus felt like kicking himself for forgetting a password that sounded so stupid.
'This is such a phase.' Severus thought to himself as he inwardly cringed at his youth.
He entered the common room first and was immediately met by Mulciber and Avery who were sitting by the couches.
"Ah, look who it is, the star of the show. Didn't bring your little girlfriend to introduce to us? I'm hurt." Mulciber said, while fingering and twirling his wand.
Mulciber always had a sadistic glint in his eyes that, now after living through his future, did Severus understand what Lily meant by the word creepy.
"She is none of your business and she is not my girlfriend." Severus said, walking away from the three boys to head to his dorm.
"Then I suppose the mudblood is?" Avery chimed in, Mulciber chuckled. While Regulus stood silent.
Severus grabbed his wand and pointed it at both boys, who in turn also pointed their wands at Severus. He was furious, as if a blood vessel had popped the second that slur was dropped. He knew they were talking about Lily.
"Don't you ever, say that word, in my presence." Severus threatened.
"Why not? You used to say it all the time yourself. Pity though, you never could say it in front of that mudblooded red head." Avery added, malice thick in his voice.
"Or you'll what? You couldn't even defend yourself from those blasted Gryffindors back at the lake. What could you possibly do?" Mulciber challenged.
Severus who felt the years of work and skills coursing within him didn't back down, not even for a second.
"You have no idea." Severus replied, menacingly.
All the Slytherin students stood to watch, the first years had already moved out of the way the moment wands were drawn out. It was so quiet one could hear a pin drop, and the atmosphere was so thick it felt like a wall had formed between the three boys. The first to throw a spell was Mulciber, followed by Avery. Severus could foresee their every move, they were wide open. Had they been his students in the Dark Arts he would have failed them both. He wordlessly cast Protego on himself, blocking both incoming spells. In a swift motion, he casted Expelliarmus, disarming both boys. Everyone was aghast, this wasn't the normal Severus Snape they knew. He was different. He felt different.
Mulciber and Avery, were beyond appalled with what had just happened. Standing so still as Severus marched towards them with his wand still in hand. Aiming at their throats.
"Apologize." Severus demanded.
"You'll be sorry." Mulciber said, with gritted teeth.
"What are you going to do Mulciber? Tell daddy you and Avery lost to a half-blood? Oh I bet he'll really be happy about that. Apologize, and we'll pretend it never happened." Severus said, gesturing his wand.
It took awhile but Mulciber finally relented. Hesitant and with grinding teeth he said. "I'm sorry."
Pointing his wand at Avery next, he waited with cocky a lift of his brow. Like how he looked whenever he was correcting a student. Avery, like Mulciber, was hesitant, but unlike Mulciber, he was always taught to acknowledge a formidable foe, especially when the win was fairly won, "I'm sorry." He apologized.
Severus accepted both apologies and withdrew his wand. Turning away from the two, he walked towards his dorms leaving the common room in silence. His school robes bellowing like how he would walk with his cloak as a teacher. Upon entering his room, and checking that he was truly alone, he sat for a moment to collect himself.
'Arianrhod wasn't kidding. The skills and experience remain with me as if it never left.' Severus tried a few breathing exercises to calm himself down, but he couldn't easily do so, not after living the future. Ever since Lily's death, the very slur was like a blade that never left his heart. Once touched, it ached. Taking out his wand he uttered a spell that could always calm him down whenever he was in a moment of pain or suffering. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on his favorite memories of Lily. "Expecto Patronum."
A burst of bright white mist came out the tip of Severus' wand and out came a beautiful doe, who pranced and galloped around the room, jumping over walls and beds. After awhile it stopped to stare at him, walking closer to nudge its misty nose at his hand. Although Severus could never actually physically feel the doe, he felt its warmth at the tip of his fingers as it slowly spread to his whole body. Finally, he was calm.
"Lily..." He muttered out in a sigh.
Canceling the spell before any of his Slytherin dorm mates could walk in on him with a Patronus. He stood up to change into a more comfortable attire for sleep. Casting a silencing and protection charm around his bed. Severus pulled his curtains closed. Once his head hit the pillows he didn't realize how exhausted he actually was, and quickly fell asleep.
Back at the seventh floor. Remus and Lily finally finished the tour and all that was left now was a tour of the Gryffindor tower.
"Alright, here we are. Iris, this is the secret passageway to the Gryffindor House. Ready to enter?" Remus said, gesturing to the portrait of the fat lady.
"Ready as I'll ever be." Iris said, without glancing at Remus.
"Password?" The portrait asked.
"Quid Agis." Replied Lily. The portrait swung open, leading to the Gryffindor common room. "Now don't forget that password. It changes every week, understand?" Lily instructed Iris. Iris simply replied with a nod and entered ahead of the two prefects.
Inside, Iris was greeted with a cheery welcome from the Gryffindors who wanted to celebrate again despite already celebrating at the great hall.
"Welcome newbie!" Sirius cried out as everyone else cheered.
"Is it always this loud here?" Iris asked Lily.
"Not all the time. They're probably just excited." Lily answered.
"Had I known it'd be this loud I'd have asked to be placed with viper." Muttered Iris under her breath.
"What was that?" Lily asked.
"Nothing of your concern." Iris said, without so much as looking at her. Walking ahead, she plastered a smile on her face as she thanked everyone for the welcome, a mug of butter beer was handed to her by a second year. As the niceties continued, James and Sirius were about to bring out a bottle of firewhiskey they smuggled from Hogsmeade, when Remus interfered before they could.
"Alright time for bed you guys. Prefects, please usher our younger companions to their dorms for bed." Remus said, a groan came out of Sirius and James' mouth, secretly hiding the bottle again.
"Lily, I almost forgot since everyone started celebrating, could you please show Iris around the girl's dorms and bathrooms?" Remus asked Lily who lead a few first years back into the dorms.
"Do I have to? Remus she scares me. I don't trust her enough to be alone with her. Especially not after what happened with Peeves." Lily complained.
"And you expect me to do it for you? I'm terrified of her as well. Even more than you probably might be." Remus said, whispering the last sentence to himself, turning back to Lily he continued. "I'm not a girl. I can't show her around that part of the tower unless you want the stairs to turn into a slide. Come on Lils, just a quick tour of the bathroom and rooms." Pleaded Remus. With a groan and huff Lily relented, nodding her head.
"Great. See you tomorrow Lily, good night." Remus said.
"Good night, Remus." Lily greeted back.
Lily found Iris sitting on the couch alone at the common room, in front of the fireplace. She was about to call out to her, when she noticed that Iris was giggling by herself. She thought she must have been on the floo network with someone but she couldn't hear anything other than Iris giggling and muttering to herself. Lily approached quietly, walking slowly so that Iris wouldn't notice her, only when she had approached a good distance did she realize that in the flames was Severus' sleeping form, with Iris muttering. "I have so many things planned out for you, Viper. You have no idea."
When the prefects were ushering everyone to their dorms. Iris remained in the common room, other than the fact she didn't know anything else about the tower other than the common room, she found this as the perfect opportunity to see what Severus was up to. As people got up to leave and wishing her good night. She waited until everyone had left, making sure she was alone. Using the flames she conjured it to show her Severus. She was just in time to see him withdrawing his wand from Mulciber and Avery's necks, and continued to watch him as he entered his dorm. It excited her to see him stand up for himself, she giggled at the excitement. She watched as he conjured up a patronus to calm himself.
"So that's how you survived the lonely nights. The more I watch you, the further I wish to see more. How amusing." Iris muttered to herself. Continuing to watch until he finally fell asleep. Slowly tilting her head, still eyeing Severus' sleeping form, she mutters.
"I have so many things planned out for you, Viper. You have no idea."
Iris heard a thud behind her, and with a quick wave of her hand the fire turned back to normal. She swiveled her head to look behind her to find Lily holding a fallen vase. Lily looked up at her in a panic.
"Yes?" Iris asked, lifting an eyebrow at Lily.
"Y-your tour… for the girl's bathroom and dorms… We haven't finished." Lily stuttered as she propped the vase back upright.
"Ah I see, finally. I am in need of a bath." Iris said, walking ahead of Lily. Ignoring the questioning look in Lily's eyes.
The tour ended with Lily showing Iris her bed. The rest of their dorm mates where very excited to see a new face.
"So this is where you'll be sleeping in, Iris." Pointed Lily to the empty bed in between her and Mary's bed. A large suitcase was propped next to the bed.
"Let me introduce you to everyone." Lily said as she began to introduce her roommates to the new student.
"This is Dorcas Meadowes."
"Hi."
"Alice Fortescue."
"Hey."
"And next to your bed, is Mary Mcdonald." Iris greeted them all and waved at Mary.
Mary who stared at the very large suitcase asked Iris.
"What is in this thing?" Mary asked, pointing at the suitcase. Iris giggled as she walked over to the suitcase.
"If we're going to be spending the rest of our school years together, then some of you must know that I am a woman of fashion." Tapping the suitcase, it extended itself to look like a closet, expanding until it could touch her bed and Mary's. All the girls stared in awe as Iris opened the doors to reveal a whole walk-in wardrobe that magically expanded infinitely inside.
"Would you like to help yourselves? As thank you for welcoming me so genuinely?" Iris said gesturing to her wardrobe with a smile. The girls practically clamored to get in first like dogs who heard the dinner bell.
"You may take one dress, two jewelry pieces, and a pair of shoes that is to your liking." said Iris, as she watched the girls fawn over the many pretty robes and dresses.
The only girl who didn't seem to be too excited about the whole thing was Lily who couldn't get the image, of seeing Iris spy over Severus in his sleep, off her head. To say she was skeptical of Iris from the moment she arrived was an understatement. This time she was highly suspicious of her intentions. She watched Iris, as she grabbed a towel and white bathrobe from another part of the wardrobe to leave for the girl's bathrooms. Lily wanted to confront Iris, she thought catching her alone in the bath was the perfect opportunity to confront her. But before Lily could follow after Iris, Dorcas and Mary had pulled her with them into the wardrobe to find the perfect dress for their friend.
"What are you doing just standing there? This is a once in a lifetime opportunity." Mary asked, jolly and excited.
"I was just-" Lily tried to say, but Dorcas cut her off.
"Well whatever it is, it better be much more important that getting your share. I knew Iris was rich but I didn't think she was rich-RICH." Dorcas said as she was trying on every jewelry she could grab a hold on to see what fit her better.
"All these dresses seem to be enchanted too. No matter what I wear it fits like a glove." Alice said, admiring herself in front of the full body mirror that floated in the middle of the walk-in wardrobe.
"They repair themselves too." Mary chimed in, after accidentally pulling on a dress too hard off the rack, ripping it. She watched the dress repair itself as if nothing happened.
"I know, it sounds great you guys, but-" Lily tried to explain, but was cut off by Dorcas yet again.
"Lily's probably just jealous of Iris, I heard what she said to Snape awhile ago outside the great hall." Dorcas said smirking at Lily, teasing her.
"I- I am not jealous of her!" Lily defended, her face heating up.
"Well who am I to say so. You already have the Quidditch heartthrob wrapped around your little finger, anyway. Right?" Dorcas said, turning back to the assorted jewelries.
"And isn't this good? With Iris here, she can keep Snape busy. You don't have to keep hanging out with him. Don't forget that he's still into the dark arts despite your frequent pleas." Mary added, approaching Lily with a beautiful green dress handing it to her. "Here, try this on. It matches your eyes."
Lily was reluctant but she thought her friends were probably right. Severus was and is, still very interested in the Dark arts despite her pleading him to stay away from it. So with reluctance she joined her friends trying on dresses. But she really wasn't in the mood for any of it.
Iris who was watching the whole thing through a floating soap bubble giggled in amusement.
"She's smart. But, she's like Lupin-" Iris leaned back into the bath tub she conjured up, "-she gets carried away by her friends." Iris said, lifting her right leg up. Warm soapy water dripping down her foot to her thigh and back into the tub. Floating soap bubbles all around the bathroom were still portraying Lily and her friends in Iris' wardrobe. A soap bubble floating in front of Iris, focused only on Lily.
"How careless of me to not even notice her. How much did she see and hear, I wonder." Iris muttered, popping the soap bubble with her long manicured nail. She sighs, trying to relax into the water. Bringing her hands up she stares at her hands and fingers.
"Why do mortal bodies tire so easily?"
Glancing at the bubbles she huffs at them.
"I'm tired of watching them. Show me viper." She orders.
The bubbles immediately presented a sleeping Severus. Iris saw a dark figure standing next to Severus' bed. Mulciber, stared at the curtains covering Severus with so much malice, his eyes looked inhuman. Angered by his quick defeat, he aims his wand at Severus but Avery stops him. Shaking his head side to side, pointing at the slightly glowing protection spell around the boy's bed. Tsking, Mulciber puts his wand down and decides to sleep his anger off, for there is always a tomorrow. Iris hummed at what she just witnessed, she began to slowly understand Severus' ways.
"It's no wonder you tried to get along with your housemates in the past, despite not believing in their cause at first." Bringing her palm up to the floating bubble, it lands on her palm softly. "By following them, you throw them off your tail. It's bad enough to have enemies outside your dorm, you didn't need any more inside as well." Iris said, standing up from the tub to rinse herself in the shower, "However, in the end, you were pushed to believe in them in the hopes of power and protection. After the big cats kept pawing at you, like some kind of play toy. While your best friend easily gave up on you." Turning off the shower knob and wrapping herself with a bathrobe she mutters. "Only to regret it in the end."
Conjuring a cup of golden elixir, she drinks it heavily while thinking about what to do with the death eaters as well as Tom Riddle.
"A troubled young boy who doesn't know where he belongs, so he creates his own faction consisting of only purebloods. How ironic-" Setting the cup down and conjuring a plate of assorted fruits and cheese slices, she pops a grape in her mouth. "-he's not even pure himself." Glancing at a bubble floating close to her, she orders.
"Show me Tom Riddle."
The bubbles present to her Tom Riddle, who had just killed a secretary from the Ministry of magic, to use for his next horcrux, she was pregnant.
"How dare you use my essence this way, Tom. No matter what you do, you will never achieve immortality. Death will always be breathing down your neck." Iris waves her hand in a quick and sharp move. All the floating bubbles showing Tom Riddle's dark gaze, simultaneously popped. The bath tub and food disappearing as well. Iris now stood alone in the old girl's bathroom.
"But there are fates worse than death Tom." Iris said, a promising tone in her voice as she walks out of the bathroom to head back into the dorms.
Severus who was in a deep slumber began to have a nightmare, it was the same nightmare that haunted him every night as an adult in the future. Watching the Dark Lord kill Lily right in front of him, while he could do nothing, but watch as it repeats itself. No matter what he did or tried, he can never move. Seeing Lily's lifeless eyes stare right back at him. He could hear his name being called out to him in a whisper.
"Severus… Severus… Viper!"
Waking up in a cold sweat, right in front of him he sees a floating figure staring right back at him, only inches away from his face.
"Boo."
Severus screamed, he didn't know he could scream that loud. Jumping out of bed he fell unto the hard stone floor. The floating figure clutching her ears tight with her palms, floated into an upright position so that her feet could land on the floor.
"Oblivion's despair, had I not thought of stopping time before doing that to you, your scream would have woken the giant squid." Arianrhod said, walking to Severus while wiggling a finger in her damaged eardrum.
"Arianrhod?! Why in blazes do you look like that?!" Severus yelped.
Arianrhod had arrived in her celestial form, but her height was that the same as her mortal body.
"Oh, do you like it? This is my celestial form. It's what I always look." Arianrhod said, while throwing back strands of her galaxy hair over her shoulder. Her starlight dress twinkling in the dim lit dorm as she walked. Her eyes where that of pure glowing light.
"To be frank, you are terrifying to look at. As a matter of fact horrendous." Severus said, eyeing Arianrhod while trying to stand up from his fall.
"Excuse you, but I am the most beautiful among the gods and goddesses. Well I do admit, mortals can't easily handle witnessing a deity's celestial form." Arianrhod said huffing at Severus' comment.
"I'm here in my celestial form because I needed to leave, Iris, my mortal body back in the gryffindor dorm, as if I'm asleep. Your knight in red armor, Lily, was her name, is suspicious of me. I can feel her stare at my mortal back as we speak. I needed to find another way to talk to you."
"What time is it? There's still class tomorrow." Severus said trying his best not to stare at Arianrhod for too long.
"In this world, it's approximately 2AM. Basically tomorrow is already today." Arianrhod replied, Severus rolled his eyes.
"Great, not only am I lacking sleep because of nightmares, but you're here too. What are you doing here anyway?" Severus asked, trying to massage the area between his brows.
"I needed to discuss with you about something." Arianrhod said, her demeanor turning very serious. This threw Severus off, giving her his full attention.
"I have plans to rid of Tom Riddle's reign, as well as of his death eaters." Arianrhod said.
"Tom Riddle? That's the dark lord's name? It doesn't sound so terrifying once you say it out loud. It's no wonder he changed it into Voldemort." Severus snickered. Throwing the serious atmosphere off. Arianrhod couldn't help but chortle as well.
"Anyway! I need you to gather information for me, I need to know where he is using the mortal way." Arianrhod explained. Severus looked at her perplexed.
"I thought you were a goddess. Don't tell me the whole 'see all, know all' thing was a bluff?" Severus asked, folding his arms across his chest. Arianrhod blew a raspberry, her galaxy hair swishing at the notion.
"Oh trust me, it's as real, as the existence of your kind. However, I can't apply that here. Tom's an excellent hider. If I were to expand my sight across this earth just to look for him. My power will overflow this world, the other gods will be able to find me, bring me back to the celestial world and erase your memories to continue the cycle of the wheel." Arianrhod explained, approaching closer to Severus. "And we don't want that, now do we?"
"No, we don't." Severus replied, sternly. He easily understood the gravity of the situation if that were to happen, he couldn't bare to go through that dark path again. "So you only need to know where he is?"
"Yes, but I'll have to deal with him the mortal way. Such as anonymously tipping off his whereabouts to a certain 'powerful' wizard." Arianrhod said, rolling her eyes at the word 'powerful'. Severus looked at her as if she had just asked him to conjure a dog to shit an egg.
"What?" Arianrhod asked.
"That's your plan? Tipping off Dumbledore of his whereabouts and that's it?" Severus asked, almost yelling at her.
"Well what do you expect me to do? As I've just explained to you, I can't exactly bring out my celestial wrath upon them. Despite wanting to. The amount power I would have to use would be enough for the others to know where I am, and that's not a lot. Do you have a better plan? Cause if you have one I'm all ears, but if I can recall that blasted old coot, Dumbledore, kept you just as in the dark as he did the next dementor." Arianrhod argued back.
Severus flinched, she was right. Especially what she mentioned about Albus keeping him in the dark. Groaning and ruffling his hair, he paced back and forth while Arianrhod sat cross legged, floating over his bed.
"Fine! I'll find out what I can. But I don't want to buddy up with Mulciber, Rosier, or Avery. I have no intention of taking the dark mark all over again just for the sake of being a spy. I'd rather slit my throat." Severus said, pointing at Mulciber's sleeping form.
"Don't worry, we can find information through a different source. One that isn't too deep in the dark just like you." Arianrhod said, while reassuring Severus. Floating over his head as if she were in a pool.
"And who exactly would that be?" Severus asked her lazily, while rolling his eyes. He didn't know anyone else that could harbor doubt against the Dark lord in this era. Many highly believed in Tom.
Arianrhod giggled, floating to the door, that opened by itself. Pointing at another door across from Severus' dorm was the fourth year Slytherin dorms. Like the door to Severus' dorm, the door opened by itself, showing a sleeping Regulus. Whose bed sat in line to Severus' bed, across the hall.
"Regulus Black? You must be joking." Severus said approaching Regulus' sleeping form, looking at Arianrhod, who floated next to him, doubtfully.
Arianrhod tutted at him. Moving to float above the younger Black sibling.
"Do not judge what you have not seen beyond the physical yet. You out of everyone should know that." Arianrhod said, gently caressing the hair off of Regulus' face. "He hasn't dived in too deep in the dark yet, he still clings to the ropes that leads to the shallows. With his love for the help, you can bring him back to land." Arianrhod continued, floating back to Severus' side.
With what Arianrhod said, it reminded Severus that Regulus had a fond affinity for house elves. Severus now understood why Regulus was still doubting the Dark Lord, Tom was exceptionally mean to the help.
"I see, but that's easier said than done. What rivals his love for house elves, is the position he is pressured to fill, that Sirius Black never did, being an heir to the Black household." Severus said turning to face Arianrhod. "What has been taught to him by his family has been hammered into the bones. He may love the house elves, but he has a known bias for purebloods. What makes you think I can drive him away from the path that he has been trained to follow since birth?" Severus continued, questioning Arianrhod's judgement.
Arianrhod simply smiled as she approached him slowly, caressing his face with the palm of her hand, thumbing his cheek.
"I'm sure you'll find a way, just like how you always do. You haven't disappointed me yet, Viper. In fact, you keep surprising me. So surprise me with this." Arianrhod said, snapping her fingers after.
Severus awoke to find himself in his bed. He was awake before anyone else was, he noticed that the protection spells around his bed hadn't been tripped at all. He was confused whether, Arianrhod visiting him and the conversation they had, was all just a dream or not. But his doubts were immediately extinguished when he found glowing streaks inscribed at the palm of his hand. It read, "To approach ones target, one must think like their target. You know what to do."
As soon as he read it, it disappeared as if it was never there. Severus sighed, it wasn't a dream, he needed to get Regulus to his side.
"One must think like their target…" Severus said, quietly getting out of bed and into the showers to clean himself up. "I have my work cut out for me."
Author's Note:
Hi guys! How are you? I know I said that I might only post once or twice a week but it's because I usually pour my stress through writing do I get the chapters done quicker. But please don't hope I get more stressed out in the hopes of me writing faster (-.-'). Anyway! I hope you like this chapter, you're all free to leave any reviews you want. I will read all of them. Just please don't spam any unnecessary stuff:( Have a happy day and stay safe. Byeeeee~ ^-^