Chapter 7: Afraid? No, terrified

By: Alexa V.

At the Malfoy Manor, Narcisa is restless. It's the first ball she and her husband, Lucius, have ever held as a married couple. To say that she wanted everything to be perfect was an understatement, she wanted it to be flawless.

"No, no, Dobby! I said I wanted the chandelier with encrusted diamonds of two millimeters, not four! Bring this back into the manor vault and take the two millimeter!" Yelled Narcisa at Dobby, who looked distressed at making such a mistake.

"Yes, Mistress! Dobby will punish himself right after Dobby gets chandelier Mistress wants." Dobby said, in a quivering manner.

Narcissa sighed, bringing a hand to her forehead, pressing the skin in between her brows.

"No, Dobby, you don't need to. It was an honest mistake. Just make sure you don't make mistakes like this in front of my husband, you out of everyone here should be aware how cruel he is when mistakes are made. Now off you go. There is more that needs to be done." Narcissa said, dismissing Dobby.

"Thank you, Mistress." Dobby gulped as he thanked Narcissa, disappearing with the chandelier in a snap.

Narcissa let out another sigh, walking away from the dance floor, she ascends the grand staircase, curving inwards to the ballroom. Standing over the balcony overlooking the grand ballroom where guests will be introduced out loud. Dark green curtains that reach the length of the ceiling float around the ballroom, hanging themselves into place. Narcissa was so caught up trying to navigate how each and every table should be positioned around the dance floor, she did not notice a presence come up from behind her. She felt a hand curl over her stomach and embrace her from behind.

"I must say, you've outdone yourself this time my dear." Whispered Lucius to Narcissa's ear. She revels in his embrace, relieving the tension she never knew she held in her shoulders.

"Don't flatter me, love. It's not yet complete. Something is missing, but I don't know what." Narcissa says, as Lucius moves to her side to garner her full attention.

"Yes, it does seem that way. Perhaps, a live orchestra?" Lucius suggested, Narcissa's eyes immediately lit up.

"Of course! How could I have forgotten something to trivial, so needed! Thank you, my love." Narcissa says, kissing Lucius as she thanked him. Lucius looked at his wife with loving eyes and towards the grand ballroom.

"No need, to thank me, my dear. I am just as excited as you are. We will be having an important guest in our house and I too, want the night to be splendid." Lucius says, walking down the marble steps into the grand ballroom, his cane clicking in sync with his steps.

"Oh? Are you speaking of the heiress from France?" Narcissa asks, following Lucius from behind. Approaching one of the tables close to the dance floor, Lucius sweeps his gloved hand over the white fabric of the table.

"No, my dear, someone even better." Lucius said with a glint in his eyes.

From the look in his eyes alone Narcissa knew who he meant, his excitement irked her. Approaching him cautiously, she speaks.

"My love, I know that you think of this man with such great promise. But… what if… he fails?" Narcissa asks, Lucius turns to face her abruptly, bringing a finger to her lips and clutching her hand with the other.

"Shhh… Don't say such things, my dear. I see promise in his plans. You and I have already discussed this, and even if we were to decide to step back, I can't easily do so." Lucius said.

Narcissa looked at him, wide eyed. As if the air in her lungs was cut short.

"You didn't…" She whispered, bewildered by his words. She stared at Lucius with fear in her eyes as she watched him slowly lift his sleeve to show her what could most either be their success or their demise. "Oh, Lucius…" She whispered, in a quivering voice.

"You don't have to take it if you don't want to. But I have no doubt in him, and my love, I am doing this for us." Lucius said, bringing Narcissa close to him. Leading her unto the dance floor.

"When he rules over the wizarding world, I will stand by his side as his right hand man." Lucius says, swaying Narcissa into a waltz to non-existent music on the dance floor.

"When they will all bow to him, we will be recognized as one of the greatest families who have aided his cause-" As Lucius twirls Narcissa, floating candles that were putting themselves into place surrounded them, he continues. "And I will shower you in riches unknown to both wizard and muggle alike. You will be most loved." Lucius says, grasping Narcissa from behind as they continue to sway, whispering the last sentence to her ears like how he'd whisper sweet nothings to her in the early mornings and late evenings in their chambers. Coming to a halt in the middle of the dance floor, Lucius bows to kiss his wife's hand slow and loving, his lips grazing her skin. "So do not worry, I am positive of this outcome."

Narcissa however, was still hesitant, but she didn't want to ruin their moment any more than she already has. With a weak smile she nods at him.

"Alright, love, I trust your judgement." Narcissa says.

Lucius was so delighted of her answer, he pulled her into a tight embrace. Not realizing the doubt and hesitance that glazed over her eyes as they continued to hold each other.

In a little tailoring shop at Hogsmeade. Students, particularly girls, where doing some early shopping, searching through the many piles of dresses for the awaited yule ball. At the far end of the shop, was a cleaner and more well kept private dressing room. Inside, Iris was sitting lazily on a small velvet couch that positions itself in front of a round curtain, while eating a bag of smoked chestnuts. The curtain swishing from time to time from the movement from behind it. Tsking in annoyance she yells out to the person behind the curtain.

"Viper, would you please just pull back the curtain? It's taking you forever to put on a robe and this is only your second one! You have two more robes waiting in line!" Iris said, taking another chestnut from the paper bag and popping it into her mouth, a loud crunch following it.

"I look ridiculous! How did you even convince me to come here?" Severus yelled back on the other side of the curtain.

Iris, fed up, rose from her seat and approached the curtain.

"For eternity's sake! You will not look ridiculous!" Iris yells, pulling back the curtain abruptly in a swift motion. A moment's pause comes through between them as she continues to stare at Severus. Iris cringed at the sight before her. "Oh my, you do look ridiculous."

Severus wore a gold robe with black linings, it had tassels on the shoulders and puffy feathers on the ends of the wrists.

"I told you!" Severus says, pulling back the curtains to take off the robe. "Iris this whole thing just screams bloody foolish, can't we just call it off?" Severus asks. Iris walks back to the couch and grabs the third robe and hands it to him.

"No, we are following through with the plan. Look I get how nervous you are, but I imagined you to be a bit more ballsy after all the things you did in your other future." Iris says, standing on the other side of the curtain.

"Excuse me, for being terrified of the man who killed me with a giant snake." Severus says rolling his eyes.

"So you're afraid of your murderer, fair enough. But I already said I would be with you, and what other greater protection could you have other than a goddess herself?" Iris says, pushing her white locks back and walking to look at the other robes the tailor brought in.

"Oh I don't know, maybe a goddess who can only use her powers at a limit?" Severus says, mocking her with sarcasm.

"Don't push it." Iris says in a firm tone, both sigh in exhaustion. "Are you done already?"

"Give me a moment, I can't reach the buttons on the back. Ugh! why are there so many?" Severus says, Iris could clearly hear him struggle from behind the curtain. Walking towards the curtain, she pulls it back again abruptly.

"Okay seriously, do you not have any shame, woman? At this rate this is sexual assault!" Severus says, blocking Iris' sight of him who was still in the middle of changing.

"Oh, pipe it down you're making it weird. Turn around, I'll help you. Just so that we can get this over with." Iris says.

Severus remains still, as he stared at Iris, hesitating whether he should accept her help or not. But he couldn't deny that trying to reach for the back of his robes was already giving him a cramp. Iris could see the hesitance in Severus, sighing, she spoke to him in a more gentle voice.

"If you're worried I'll see your scars, don't bother. I already know of them." Iris says, gently extending a hand towards Severus.

"You know about them?" Severus says, slowly turning around as he follows Iris hand.

"Of course, I'm a goddess. I've watched you." Iris says, taking in a full view of Severus' back. His pale skin laced with slashes and marks of various lengths, bumps, and sizes. All of them were from his father.

"Oh, right, how stupid of me." Severus says quietly, chuckling. The silence was awkward as Iris continued to button him up.

"Do you hate him?" Iris asked, after a while.

"My father?" Severus asked. Iris nodded. He pondered over his answer for awhile. "Yes and no."

This answer caught Iris off guard, she paused at buttoning his robes. Glancing at him through the glass in front of them. "I don't understand?" She asks. Severus sighs.

"Yes, I hate him because of what he did to mother, what he did to me. Just because he couldn't understand magic didn't mean that he had to deal with it through his fists and anger. To the point it took mother's life." Severus paused, trying to collect himself from the memory of his mother. Taking in another deep breath he continues. "But at the same time, no, I can't blame him for everything. My mother never told him the truth until it was too late, he was married and I was born. I am aware that he could have been a tremendous father, he treated me wonderfully until my magic began to surface. He didn't and couldn't understand magic and that part is where my mother went wrong. So no, I can't blame him for everything." Severus finishes, silence met the two again as Iris struggled to fasten the last two buttons close to his neck.

"There that should do it." Iris said, stepping back to look at Severus. "This actually looks pretty decent, just without so many buttons on your back and maybe in a better color than just black?"

Severus however, seemed to really like the robe he was wearing.

"What's wrong with just black?" Severus asks, turning to face Iris. "I think I like this one, just without the buttons."

"Well I don't want you to look like a dead man looking for his coffin." Iris said, rolling her eyes. "And plain black alone also looks really stale on you since you have very dark hair and eyes." She continued, bringing a hand up to his hair. Iris immediately recoils her hand at a moments touch. She was so quick even Severus flinched at her movement.

"What?" Severus asked, nervously staring at Iris. Who looked at him wide eyed.

"You… when was the last time you washed your hair?" Iris asked, looking at her hand and back at Severus.

"Last week?" Severus said, hesitating, looking away from Iris.

"These oils do not accumulate in just over a week." Iris said, grabbing a hanky from her clutch and cleaning her hand. Severus looked back at her as if he was offended.

"Excuse you, it's not my fault Hogwarts shampoos aren't strong enough to get rid of potion fumes." Severus said.

"I am not allowing you to go to the ball with so much oil in your hair." Iris said firmly, like a mother scolding a child. "You will wash that mister." Severus huffed, but did not verbally agree. Before Iris could chew him out further, the tailor walked in.

"Excuse me Miss Alarie, Mr. Snape, but there are other people who wish to use the VIP room. Have you two chosen any robes?" He asked in a thick French accent, slightly bending down as he talked, as if too afraid to stand in full height against Iris.

"Yes, we'll take these two." Iris said, pointing at the black robe Severus was currently wearing and the royal blue robe he didn't get to put on.

"Ah yes, yes. I'll wrap these up immediately." The tailor said, approaching Iris with his hands stretched out.

"What is taking so long!" A voice could be heard grunting from behind the door to the VIP room. The tailor flinched, glancing at Iris he immediately apologized.

"I'm sorry for the nuisance, but another student has reserved the room but they just arrived five minutes earlier than expected."

Iris grabbed her clutch and gave the tailor the amount needed for the robes, additionally she added 10 gold galleons as a tip. The tailor, surprised looked up at Iris.

"For your troubles, and I would like these robes mailed to my dorm as soon as you can." Iris said, the tailor simply nodded fervently and delighted at such a large tip.

Severus who had finally changed back into his clothes opened the door to walk out first. Immediately he was met by the marauders.

"If it isn't good ol' Snivellus. What brings you here to this part of Hogsmeade? Trying out robes for the yule ball?" James said, all up in Severus' face. Severus ignored James and opted to leave, but Sirius blocked his path.

"What's the rush snake? Your trousers on fire?" Sirius said, while Peter chuckled. Severus was close to retaliating but Remus entered the conversation.

"Enough you two, we're just here to try on some robes per request from James. Not to look for trouble." Remus said, dissuading his friends.

"Oh come on Moony, you know they're just having fun." Peter said, trying to sidle up to Remus' side. But Remus was having none of it, and he clearly was not in the mood, he looked exhausted and disheveled. While Sirius was ready to back off, James was just starting to warm up.

Severus stared at Remus and his disheveled form, Remus suddenly felt naked at Severus' boring stare. Severus opened his mouth to speak but James interrupted him.

"Where's your little girlfriend, Snivellus? I thought you two were stuck to the hip-" James taunted, but was cut off mid sentence.

"I am not his girlfriend, and yes I am still stuck to his hip. Now if you don't mind we have places we need to be. Not something a relou like you could understand." Iris interjected, walking up from behind Severus with her arms crossed. All four boys had immediately flinched at the sound of her voice. Glancing at James she nods her head at him with a sly grin on her face, "Potter."

"Alarie." James returned the greeting, but the tension between them was thick.

Moving out of their way, Severus and Iris were able to walk away from the group.

"What did she just call me?" James whispered to Peter. Who shrugged at him. While the half French tailor tried his best to hold in his chuckle.

Grabbing their coats from the hanger by the doors, Severus handed Iris' coat to her. Walking outside in the chilly air, no one spoke for awhile as they walked in silence. It was only until they had passed a jewelry shop did Severus pause to look at the windows on display. Iris, noticing the absence of Severus' presence next to her, turned back to see him staring at a gold necklace with a blooming sunflower in the crystal. She approached him.

"Do you want to get that for her?" Iris asks.

"Lily loves sunflowers, but no, I can't afford it." Severus says, walking away from the window.

"I can buy it for you." Iris suggested. But Severus shook his head.

"No thank you, anything that I want to give to her I want it to come from my own efforts alone. It's more meaningful that way." Severus said, Iris chuckles, she never expected to see such a cute side to Severus. It intrigued her.

"Alright then, if you say so." Iris said, walking back next to Severus.

As they continued to walk through Hogsmeade passing through various pubs and shops. Iris couldn't help but buy bags of multiple candies and treats. Chewing her little delights as they continued to walk back to the castle. Severus glanced at Iris and her handful of treats.

"You know, you never got to tell me where you got your last name. You can imagine my surprise when you started speaking in a French accent in front of everyone at the lake and they all keep saying you're the last of an important French Pureblood line. Is that name even real?" Severus asks.

Iris who was licking a blood-flavored lollipop, glanced at Severus. Her lips and tongue garnering a dark bloody color. Giving the lollipop one last licked, she answers him.

"It is a real name, and they were real wizards." Reaching into her bag she takes out a peppermint frog, wriggling in her clutch, as she pops it into her mouth without a second thought.

"Were?" Severus asks, trying to clarify, while cringing as he stared at Iris who kept eating without a pause.

"Yes, were. They're all dead. But I had already asked their souls permission to use their name and riches before they could cross the bridge between worlds. They were more than happy to allow me to do so. It's one of the first things I settled before I went to you." Iris said, in between chews, swallowing the candy frog, she continues back to licking the blood lollipop.

"For a goddess I didn't take you to be such an eater. I already feel my teeth ache just by watching you." Severus said, disgust on his face as he watched Iris eat sweet after sweet.

"Let me be, gods don't have a wide range of food choices. We mostly just drink enchanted nectar, and it's quite boring once you've gone through a millennia of drinking the same thing over and over again. So your food items are always such a luxury. Imagine being immortal but having to only eat runny eggs for the rest of your life, and you can't alter it whatsoever." Iris said, pointing at him with her lollipop.

"If you say it like that, even I would probably be fed up with life in just a year of living." Severus said, tilting his head in acknowledgement to her explanation.

"Mhm, oui." Iris agreed, sucking unto the blood lollipop until it finally unlatched itself from the stick, as they entered Hogwarts.

The following week in the Slytherin dorms, while Severus was browsing through his clothes in his trunk.

"Digging for gold?" Iris said, suddenly appearing atop his bed. This gave Severus a slight fright, it was the first time she had ever done this.

"Iris, what are you doing here? Do you have any idea what could have happened had there been someone else in the room other than me?" Severus said, whispering through greeted teeth as he tried to scold the carefree goddess.

"Oh would you please relax a bit." Iris said, she notices a bag next to Severus and could smell the contents of it. "Why do you have a bag with ingredients for a Wolfsbane Potion?" Iris asks Severus, eyeing with a lift of her brow. Severus hides the bag from her line of sight.

"No reason." Severus replies. Iris doubted that, but she had better things to discuss with Severus.

"Well anyway, I'm here to give you this." Iris says, handing Severus a school pass.

"School passes for the night of the ball? I was just looking through my trunk for extra Sickles so I could get Slughorn a bottle of firewhiskey to allow me a pass. How did you get it so easily?" Severus asked, jumping off his bed Iris stretches like a cat.

"Dumbledore, nothing a little convincing couldn't fix." Iris said, at the exact moment her eyes shimmered, signifying her use of her powers on Dumbledore. Severus sighed at her.

"Iris we've been through this, you can't keep using your powers to get the easy way out. What if you got caught?" Severus scolded, but Iris only pouted at him.

"It was an emergency, and you know how long and intrusive Mcgonagall gets with her questions. I didn't want to wait." Iris says, crossing her arms.

"Ugh, fine. But that's the last time you're doing it." Severus says, placing his school pass in his bag. Looking up he still finds Iris standing across the bed from him.

"I have a surprise for you." Iris says, as she pulls out from behind her a Navy blue robe with silver designer linings that etch over the elegant robe. Shiny gold buttons line the front of the robe to give it a tight fitting look.

"Where did you- how-" Severus stuttered to ask, as he stared at his robe in awe.

"I simply combined the third robe you wore and the royal blue one that you never got to wear. I thought that royal blue looked ugly on both of us and black was too plane. So I decided to combine both into a navy blue." Iris said, she looked proud of her work and stuck her nose up in the air.

"I'll say, you've out done yourself this time, Iris." Severus said, carefully placing the robe into his trunk.

"Wait till you see what I made for your yule ball." Iris said, proudly, happy to have garnered the reaction she had expected from Severus.

After Severus locked the trunk and cast protection spells around it, he looked up to find Iris still remained across from him, but she was fidgeting with her hands behind her back.

"What's wrong with you?" Severus asks, he didn't know why but he suddenly felt on guard.

"Viper." Iris says, in a firm tone. Pulling her hands out from behind she held a bottle of pink sparkling liquid. "You need to wash your hair."

Severus froze. Like a dog who was told he needed a bath.

"I don't need to wash my hair, I don't need to look good in front of all those blasted fools. I'm not joining them anyway." Severus said, eyeing the bottle of shampoo in Iris' hand.

"If not for them, then do it for me. I concocted this shampoo myself. Don't embarrass me at the ball, Viper. WASH. YOUR. HAIR." Iris said, inching closer to Severus. He flinched at her movement, like a rabbit about to pounce away at any moment.

"No." Severus said, firmly.

"Either you wash your hair or I'm washing it for you with or without your consent." Iris threatened, her blue eyes beginning to shimmer.

"No!" Severus yelled, looking away from her eyes immediately, bolting out into a sprint, making a bee line for the door.

Iris chased after him, passing various Slytherin students on their way into the common room and out the Slytherin house.

"Was that a Gryffindor?"

"How'd she get in here?!"

"Did she just come from the boys dorms?"

"Was she chasing Snape?"

Students from the Slytherin house all spoke in unison at the bewildering sight. While Severus and Iris were still at chase. Severus ran from the dungeons and unto the ground floor, he was exhausted but looking from behind him Iris was still chasing him. Running into the great hall, Severus thinks he could lose her through the throng of students entering and exiting the great hall, since it was already lunch. The many group of students exiting the great hall had managed to separate them a distance. Iris decided to pass to the side avoiding the incoming group who began to crowd to the door at the sight of Severus running for his life.

"Don't you dare!" Iris yelled, aiming her hand at the space ahead of Severus. A wide shield similar to Protego was cast in front of Severus who almost ran into it. Swiveling behind him he tries to escape through the path he just came from but Iris had already anticipated it, another shield was cast behind Severus. Both students tried to catch their breath, the Gryffindor table in between them. Students who sat on the table in between the two immediately parted like the red sea. The now empty table acting as no man's land. Many watched, curious as to what was going on.

'Curse this mortal body.' Iris thought to herself. Regaining her composure she chuckles at Severus who still eyed her every movement.

"Now, now, Viper. Calm yourself, you wouldn't want me dragging you into the bath with me now do you?" Iris said in a seductive manner, dragging her fingers over the table as she spoke.

Numerous students gasped, some choked, while one girl with red hair on the Gryffindor table screamed, "What?!"

Severus was beet red, he didn't know whether it was because he was exhausted or because of what Iris said. 'Two can play it that game.' Severus thought.

"You can't make me, Snowflake!" Severus yelled back at Iris, who this time was embarrassed of having her nickname screamed out loud, taking his wand out he dispels the shield from behind him in a quick maneuver. Running again towards the doors and out the great hall.

"Get back here, and let me wash you!" Iris screams at him, jumping over the table and running after Severus.

Other students also chased after the two, they didn't want to miss out on what was to happen. Severus didn't realize where he had run off to until he heard the loud chime of the clock, he was under the clock tower and had ended up out into the clock tower courtyard. He was so distracted by the loud chime, Iris had caught up to him. Tackling him, she pushes his head into the fountain.

"I've been aching to do this since the day I learned how oily your hair gets." Iris said, popping the shampoo lid off, she pours it all over Severus' wait hair.

"Iris!… *blub* *blub*… IT'S COLD!… *blub* *blub*…"

Severus tried to protest but his head was mostly underwater as Iris scrubbed as much of his hair as she could.

"Miss Alarie, what is the meaning of this?!" Mcgonagall exclaims, pushing through the crowd of students who have gathered to watch.

Iris let go of Severus, standing in attention. Severus spitting out water also stood in attention as soon as he noticed Professor Mcgonagall. His dripping wet hair soaking his cloak.

"I had expected more from the both of you, this whole thing was very childish and in-appropriate. Coming out of the boys dorms, and jumping over tables, while speaking of such scandalous words-" Mcgonagall continued to scold them, firm and furious at their behaviors.

Severus and Iris however, were conversing through telepathy while Mcgonagall kept talking.

'This is all your fault.' Severus said.

'My fault? We wouldn't be in this mess had you just washed your hair like I asked you to. At this rate she'll take away our passes.' Iris replied.

'Your powers seem to look really helpful by now.' Severus slowly suggested.

'Oh, really? I thought you said I can't always use the easy way out.' Iris said, trying hard not to roll her eyes.

'Maybe just this once.' Severus said.

"-I ought to take house points away from the both of you. What do you two have to say for yourselves?!" Mcgonagall finished. Clearing her throat Iris began to apologize earnestly.

"We are deeply sorry for our lack of conduct today, Professor. Sevy and I were just in the midst of an argument and it got out of hand. We swear it will never happen again." Iris said, as she spoke her eyes began to shimmer, staring at Mcgonagall directly to her eyes.

At a distance one would never notice the glazed look that slowly took over Mcgonagall's eyes as Iris continued to speak. Blinking, Mcgonagall shook her head at the two.

"Alright, I do admit it's very rare for the two of you to ever commit such acts. This will be my final and only warning to the both of you. You will both make sure that this never happens again or I will take house points from the two of you." Mcgonagall said, turning away from the two to walk back into the castle.

"Yes Professor." Both students said.

The onlookers however, looked bewildered that Mcgongall did not so much as give them detention.

"Well that was close." Iris said, exhaling a sigh of relief.

"I'll say, if she had punished us I wouldn't be able to do this." Severus said, pushing Iris into the fountain with a push of his hand.

Falling in head first, Iris looked like a wet cat struggling in the water. While Severus burst out laughing. Spitting out a mouth full of water, she splashes him.

"You little-"

"Now we're even." Severus said, crouching down to her level with a smirk on his face.

Rolling her eyes at him Iris extends a hand out to him.

"Fair enough, come on, help me up. My robes feel heavy when they're wet." Iris said, asking for help.

At the exact moment he held her hand she pulls him back down into the fountain with her. Iris gave out a hearty laugh at Severus for believing her so easily. While Severus struggled as well like Iris did earlier, he didn't expect the school robes to feel this heavy when wet.

"It's about time you took a bath Snivellus. I could smell you from a mile away." James yelled out, as he and the rest of his group walked pass them. Sirius smirked, while Peter laughed. Some onlookers giggled as well. While Remus continued to read his book.

Severus' mood immediately soured and stood up to get out of the fountain. But Iris held his arm, turning to her she lifts a brow and nods her head at the Marauders. Severus looks back at them, Iris coughed and suddenly Peter trips on nothing and falls face first on a dirty puddle. The rest of the boys followed like dominoes save for Remus, who walked at the far back, was able to avoid crashing into Sirius.

"Oh my, it seems like you need a bath. I could've sworn I saw Professor Sprout drop a dragon dung there." Iris said, chuckling. Severus gave a barking laugh at the three boys who struggled to get up but kept on slipping. Students surrounding them laughed as much as Severus did.

"You bitch, you did that!" Sirius barked, Iris put a hand to her chest as if she were offended.

"Me? But I'm all the way over here? I didn't take you to blame your stupidity on others, Black." Iris replied. Further amplifying the snickers and laughter of the students around them. Sirius blushed in embarrassment.

"At least we don't smell as bad as Snivellus." James tried to save face.

"What are you talking about?" Iris said, pulling Severus close to her smelling the back of his ear. "I think he smells absolutely wonderful."

Severus blushed at how touchy Iris was, lightly pushing her off of him. Extending a hand he helps her up from the fountain. Casting a drying spell on them, making their hair poof and fluffy. This made both of them chuckle, as they walked back into the castle together, a scent of strawberries, mint, and vanilla in their wake.

Lily who was one of the bystanders, felt as if her stomach dropped from a 5 storey building, as she watched Severus laugh and enjoy himself without her.

'We're fighting and yet he seems to be enjoying himself.' Thought Lily.

"You know Snape doesn't look to bad if his hair was like that all the time." Whispered a Hufflepuff to a Ravenclaw, within earshot of Lily.

"He's smart too so that's a plus, and he seems to be putting on a bit of weight, it looks good on him. It's a shame that Iris girl is always stuck to him. I'd have asked him to the yule ball." The Ravenclaw replied back to her friend.

Lily felt as if a hole was drilling in her heart, it had started small when Iris had first arrived, but by now she felt like the hole grew bigger. She never felt this way before, and it scared her. She didn't know what was wrong with her.

"Lils? You okay?" Mary asked Lily.

Lily only nodded her head as a reply, then slowly followed her friends back into the castle.

Saturday evening at Hogwarts, the night of the Malfoy's ball. Severus was waiting for Iris on the ground floor next to Dobby, who was instructed to bring Severus and Iris to the ball. He wore the navy blue robe Iris made for him, it was a tight perfect fit to him. Partnering the robe with fitting black trousers and dress boots. Upon wearing it he realized that Iris had placed white faux fur on the rims of his tall collared robe, it accented the navy blue wonderfully. Severus looked like a distinguished man, students who passed by him, particularly girls, giggled as they tried to get longer glances at him. Some even stayed at a distance just to look at him. Severus sighed, he wasn't used to garnering this much attention to himself, he felt uncomfortable.

"What is taking her so long?" Severus mutters to himself.

"Sev?" A small voice called out to Severus, turning to his side, he couldn't hide the look of surprise on his face when he realized Lily was talking to him again.

"Lily…" Severus whispered. A brief moment of silence passed them, it was beginning to feel awkward, until Lily spoke again.

"Are you going somewhere?" She asked, approaching a bit closer to him.

"Yes, I've been invited to the Malfoy's to a ball. I'm waiting for Iris." Severus answered, at the mention of the Malfoy's, Lily flinched, this did not go unnoticed by Severus. The two of them stood there in silence for awhile, until this time it was Severus who spoke first.

"I'm not joining them." He says.

Lily looked up at him, surprised.

"What?" She asks, trying to process what he just said.

"I'm not joining them, and I have been planning not to for awhile. I wanted to tell you at the alcove, but…" Severus said, going into a sad pause at the end of his words.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blown up at you like that, and I shouldn't have said all those vile things about you, you were right." Lily began to apologize.

"Lily, it's alright-" Severus tried to say, but Lily cut him off.

"No, it's not, you were right. I was naive, and wasn't looking at the whole picture. In fact it was more like, I didn't want to see the picture. But if you don't plan on joining them, then why are you still going to the ball?" Lily asked.

Severus stared down at his dress shoes and simply muttered.

"Iris and I… have important matters to take care of."

"If there is any way that I can help you-" Lily began to say. But was interrupted by Severus.

"No, it's too dangerous, and there's nothing you can do right now to help me." Severus said.

"But even so, I want to help-"

"Sorry I'm late, Viper." Iris said. Both Lily and Severus looked up to find Iris coming down the stairs.

She wore a matching navy blue dress robe, but the design was enough to take anyone's breath away. From her waist above was translucent designer lace that spiraled around her skin up to her wrist in a long sleeved fashion, and around the side of her body, while her breast and stomach where covered with a more solid cloth of Navy blue. A silver belt around her waist with loose diamonds hung unto it. From her waist below the solid cloth of her dress traveled down to floor length with slits on both sides, showing her elegant pale legs. On her left thigh was a designer diamond chain attached to it. Layered on top was a translucent skirt with a slit on her right leg, it was longer than the first layer, slightly dragging on the floor. She wore a coat of a similar color but with larger faux white fur that covered her shoulders. She tied her hair up in a messy bun, baby diamonds adorned her hair. Wearing heals with the same lace pattern as the one she wore.

"She looks-" Lily began to whisper, wide eyed.

"Surprisingly wonderful and elegantly rich." Severus finished, in a choked voice. Lily turned to look at Severus from what he said.

"Forgive me for being a bit late, Viper. But I was crowded by numerous boys who wanted to ask me to the yule ball as I was coming downstairs, I had to literally stick them unto the walls." Iris said, chuckling.

"Are masters' Snape and Alarie ready to go?" Dobby quietly asks.

Before either of them could reply, a loud voice could be heard coming down the stairs, accompanied by many footsteps. "Iris, wait!"

"Tsk! Magic must have worn off, they're here. We have to go." Iris said in a hurry, tsking in annoyance at the boys who were trying to run after them.

Dobby grabs hold unto Severus. Before they left, Iris grabs Lily's shoulder and whispers into her ear. "It's not the right time, don't be reckless."

Lily was perplexed, but before she could ask what Iris meant. Iris had grabbed a hold on Dobby and they disappeared.

"We have arrived, masters' Snape and Alarie." Dobby says.

Severus felt like his head was swimming, it was the first time in this life he had experienced disapparating and his body did not like it one bit.

"Now I recall why I prefer flying rather than disapparating." Severus says, between dry heaves.

"Better get used to it, Viper. Since it's the best form of transportation there is to your kind." Iris said, patting Severus' back. "Now look sharp, we're here."

Looking up, tall metal gates stood before them with a cursive MM engraved on it's front, hedges taller than the gate surrounding them in a straight line, leading straight to the Manor. The Malfoy Manor looked lively, a far cry from how it looked like from when Severus last saw it in his future. Gulping air, he composes himself, standing upright, holding his arm out for Iris to take. The gates swung open, Dobby walks ahead of them.

"Are you afraid?" Iris whispers, wrapping an arm around his.

"Afraid?" Severus says, chuckling as they followed Dobby. "No, terrified."

Author's Note:

Hi guys! I'm going to be busy for the whole week since I'm close to finishing my summer subjects. I hope you guys can wait for a little while longer. I also want the next chapter to be good so my perfectionist ass might take a while to finish, I really want to make you guys happy HAHAHA! Anyway stay safe, drink water, and eat healthy guys! See you all, as soon as I'm finished with summer class and my perfectionism approves the next chapter.