Thank you so much to the following for leaving such wonderful reviews on the last chapter: Guest, nenara, kell123, sidk97,Anahit Pearl, animechick247, ColdOnePaul, Guest, HannahHPandDWfanJones, szaboalexandra1991, BabSBerry, quartz21, Ladyxx, kittleighjeannemagnoliabegonia, Guest, Tobiramamara, d'elfe, Janeth16, Psycho Mutt, flashy63, Unbecoming, Shooter312, and Guest. THANK YOU!
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Here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it :)
Two whole days had passed since Severus Snape had departed in a flourish of shadowy black, his departing words echoing ceaselessly inside her head.
'I think it's high time we sorted out this mess.'
What had he meant by that exactly? Did he mean to sort out the mess concerning the truth as to who her actual parents were? Lauren had no idea how he planned to sort that out. That itself was a catastrophic mess.
Could he have meant that he had changed his mind and was now going to help her? Help her change the fate of all those involved in the approaching war?
Lauren couldn't help but fall into the chasm of pessimism and dismiss the idea. Snape had made it perfectly clear that he had no desire to meddle in or change future events. Though a small part of her still held out hope.
But as of right now she had no idea what he was planning, and all she could do was speculate. And wait.
Lauren was currently seated at her kitchen table, her hands cradled protectively around a steaming hot mug of tea. Weak rays of sunlight filtered through the frosted over window, doing little much to dispel the damp chill of winter. Dead silence rand heavy in the air, with neither a ticking clock or a radio to break the quiet. It left the manor feeling eerily and achingly hollow.
Lauren's gaze drifted lazily over the interior, and soon her thoughts drifted to her mother and father. Her true biological parents. Lauren inwardly cringed, for running through her very veins was Grindelwald's blood. She couldn't help but feel tainted, dirty. Diseased. Grindelwald, after all, had been the bad guy. An exceptionally powerful wizard. But a bad guy nonetheless.
Lauren closed her eyes, a groan escaping her lips. Life at Hogwarts was going to be unbearable when the truth was revealed.
Lauren had never cared much for rumours, especially ones concerning her. She had always viewed them as lies spread by petty and miserable people whose sole goal in life was to bring others down. She could ignore those, and had done so successfully in the past.
But this was different. This was personal. Deeply and privately personal. A private emotion that no one else should bear witness to, let alone know about. This was a truth that had damn near crippled her.
Some storms she could weather, and was mentally and emotionally strong enough to do so. But she didn't think she had the strength within her to face this storm just yet.
Lauren suddenly startled as a mental signature nudged within her subconscious, the contents of her mug sloshing onto the table. She instantly recognized the darkly seductive signature as belonging to none other than Severus Snape. Usually there was a certain grace to the Potion Master, but right now there was neither finesse nor decorum. Rather his mental urging to be allowed entrance to her house was brusque and impatient, a hard edge to it.
Lauren wasted no time and allowed him entrance. A few seconds later Snape stormed into the kitchen, his brows furrowed together in a thunderous scowl as he waved his wand over himself, his wrist movements dance-like as he erased all traces of soot from himself. Artemis glided in after him, circling the room once before landing on her shoulder and affectionately rubbing his beak against her cheek.
Lauren stroked the glossy feathers along his back, pleased to see her pet – a pet she rarely saw nowadays and who chose to spend most of his time with the Potion Master. Greetings for his other co-parent now complete, Artemis ruffled his feathers and launched off her shoulder, deciding the loftier ledge of the china cabinet would be a perfect place take a nap.
"I didn't expect you to return so soon," Lauren stated as she watched Artemis settle on the edge of the china cabinet and tuck his beak under his wing.
Snape proceeded to fill the kettle with water and turned to face her once he had switched it on. "I ran out of things to destroy. My house is not as big as yours, Miss Ward," he replied as he folded his arms in front of him.
Lauren eyed him. His shadowy form which was always shrouded in black was suddenly basked in the rays of sunshine filtering through the window, the glow almost giving him an ethereal aura. As he stared back at her, the backdrop of pure white a stark contrast to his all-encompassing black, the fathomless depths of his obsidian eyes seemed to swirl with a powerful and electrifying storm that was brewing within.
It almost took her breath away, and she had to hastily glance away lest her true feeling be revealed in this unguarded moment.
"How...bad?" she asked, masking her emotions by taking a sip of her tea.
"I'm surprised it's still standing, to be honest."
Lauren glanced up at him then, noting that his taut features lacked any humour, and she could very well imagine the current state of his house, if the flashback of the destruction he had laid waste to his office was anything to go by.
Snape, growing impatient after only waiting five seconds for the kettle to boil, pointed his wand at it, causing the it to instantly boil to perfect temperature. Slipping his wand back up the sleeve of his robe, he prepared his tea with fluid and composed motions, and Lauren silently marvelled at his grace.
Snape made his way to the table, settling onto the seat opposite her, placing his mug in front of him.
He lifted his gaze and eyed her for what felt the longest while and Lauren resisted the urge to squirm in her seat.
"We have a lot to discuss," he finally stated.
Lauren remained absolutely still in her chair, waiting for him to continue.
Snape lifted his mug to his lips and took a sip of the hot tea before carefully placing it back down on the table, clasping his hands in front of him. The already serious look in his eyes became more intense, and Lauren was faced with the analogy that she was in the presence of a predatory panther. She could help but reflect on the similarity of her Patronus and the Potion Master, and in an odd sort of way she had come to view both as her protector.
"But first I want you to ward your house against certain...unwanted house-elves."
It would seen that Snape, too, had come to the conclusion that Blinky was acting as spy for Dumbledore.
"Okay...and how do I do that?" she asked.
Snape gave an exaggerated roll of his eyes and muttered, "Do I have to show you everything."
"Yes, because I damn well do not know, and you obviously do," she retorted.
Snape grumble something unintelligible and then withdrew his wand. "Give me your hand," he instructed as he held out his own. "And make sure your Occlumens shields are in place."
Lauren didn't need to be told twice, the draw of their bond progressively getting stronger. They had more important things to focus on right now, and the last thing they needed was to be distracted by their misbehaving magic.
Shields firmly in place, she placed her warm hand in his own cool one. Snape didn't waste time and flipped her hand over so that her palm was facing up and, with intense concentration writ on his features, he proceeded to outline a rune onto the palm of her hand. Once completed, the rune momentarily glowed gold against her pale skin before the light absorbed into her hand.
Lauren stared at her smooth skin. She couldn't see the rune anymore, but she could feel the thrumming power of its magic just below the surface of her skin. She was reminded of what Dumbledore had told her about runes, and how vastly powerful they were as opposed to normal spells. Her thoughts drifted to her mother and which rune she could have possibly used to send her away. It must have been a very powerful one...
"Place your palm against the wall and make a mental command that no house-elves are to enter your premises whilst I am here, otherwise Dumbledore will grow suspicious," Snape commanded as he released her hand.
Lauren, snapped out of her musing, hesitated for a moment but did as he ordered. Placing her palm flat against the cool surface of the wall beside her, she closed her eyes and gave the mental command. She blinked open her eyes in surprise as the shudder of magic course through her arm and blended into the magical wards that protected her house.
"So that should keep our pesky little spy out?" she asked, retracting her hand and no longer able to feel the runic magic within her.
"It should."
Lauren frowned as a thought occurred to her. "Couldn't Dumbledore just override it. He is, after all, my 'guardian'."
Snape gave her look of impatient exasperation. He clearly thought she should now the answers to things like these. "Think, Miss Ward. Magical Law acknowledges you as an adult. And, as an 'adult', you are by all rights the true and legal owner of this house. Dumbledore's 'guardianship' holds no power here and is merely written on paper."
Lauren stared dumbfounded at him. This thought hadn't even occurred to her. "Oh," was all she managed to say.
Snape leaned back in his chair and took another sip of his tea. "So it would seem we are part of a prophecy? One where our bond can be used as a weapon in this upcoming war?"
"It would seem so," Lauren muttered, now focusing on the subject at hand.
There was a hard edge to his look. Snape was stilled beyond pissed at what had transpired. "It was quite the revelation."
Lauren snorted. That's an understatement. "Yeah. And let's not forget that I'm also the daughter of a psychopath."
He frowned. "Is that what's bothering you? That you happen to be the daughter of Gellert Grindelwald?"
"Of course it bothers me! Wouldn't you be upset learning such a thing about yourself?" Tears sprang unbidden to her eyes and she hastily blinked them back. She refused to cry. She refused to break down again in front of him.
Snape studied her, but there was neither scorn nor derision in that look.
"Do you know what I see when I look at you, Miss Ward?" he finally asked.
Lauren sighed. "No, what do you see?" she asked tiredly.
"I see you."
Her brows furrowed down into a frown at her confusion.
"I don't see the daughter of the notorious Gellert Grindelwald and Bethany Anne Ward. Neither one of them matter. They had no active role in your life and played no part in defining who you are today. You did that all by yourself." Snape paused for effect. When he spoke again, his tone was more subdued. "When I look at you, I see you, Miss Ward. Just you."
Lauren stared back incredulously at him. His words had been spoken with a ringing truth, his tone leaving no room for doubt. Rarely was Snape so forthright, and it took her off guard. An indescribable warmth penetrated her core.
"And who is that person?" she ventured, suddenly feeling brave.
"A royal pain in my ass," he shot back. And just like that the moment was broken.
Lauren sighed, not really having expected anything less from the guarded Potion Master. When it came to private emotions, Snape kept them close to his heart and did not feel comfortable discussing such matters.
She decided to let it go and muttered, "I doubt whether the rest of the school is going to think that, though."
"Since when do you care what those dunderheads think of you?"
"I don't. But this time is...different..."
She didn't need to elaborate. Snape seemed to understand what she was trying to say.
Leaning back in his chair, his hands steepled in front of him, he stated, "I highly doubt you have to worry about them. Or anyone else for that matter. The Headmaster will want this information kept secret, this I am certain of, and he'll do anything to ensure that, Miss Ward. After all, the truth about your true parents will only raise further questions as to who you really are and what you know, and Dumbledore will not risk that knowledge getting out and into the wrong hands – especially the truth about the prophecy. He knows as well as you and I do how detrimental it would be if the Dark Lord ever found out about our bond." Snape leaned forward, clasping his hands in front of him as he stared back intently at her, his raven black hair falling around his face like a glossy curtain. "No, I'm damn near certain he'll cover it up with a plausible story of his own creation."
Lauren hadn't thought that far ahead, but clearly Snape had, and what he was saying made perfect sense.
The suffocating tension in her chest eased markedly and Lauren felt as though she could breath again.
And once again Snape ruined the moment.
"Now, Miss Ward, I want you to show me everything."
"What?" Lauren instantly sat up straighter in her chair, confusion flooding her features. "Everything?"
"Yes, Miss Ward," he clarified, his voice dropping to a deeper and darker tone; a tone that made her want to shiver. "Everything." The last word was drawn out slowly, and punctuated perfectly.
There was no need for him to clarify further. She now knew exactly what he meant by 'everything'. Snape wanted her to show him what was going to happen in the future.
Snape stared back at her as he waited, his form still, coiled with tension as though he were ready to pounce. She knew he could spring into action in a blink of an eye, and the calm he was projecting was but a deceptive front.
Artemis stirred and poked his head out from under his wing, sensing the shifting mood in the room. Noting that it was just the temperamental witch and wizard below him, he tucked his beak back under his wing and resumed his nap.
Lauren, on the other hand, was no as unconcerned as her traitorous bird. Shock was quickly followed by anxiety, and so many questions bubbled to the forefront, each desperate to be asked. But she finally settled on one.
"Why?"
"Because I have changed my mind and have decided to help you."
Lauren blinked at the phrase uttered so simply. "Just like that?"
"Yes."
"But...why? You were so against me telling you everything."
Snape was silent for a few seconds, and when he spoke again, his voice was more quiet, subdued. "Recent events have made it apparent that things need to change."
There was a certain resolve in his matter-of-fact statement, and Lauren knew that he had given this considerable thought, probably since she had first come to him for help. Snape did not make decisions lightly – especially life changing ones like this.
"What exactly made you change your mind?" she pressed.
Snape stared back at her with those fathomless dark eyes. Finally he averted his gaze with an almost inaudible sigh. "I have given my vow of loyalty and servitude to the Headmaster; a vow I take very seriously and intend to fulfill until my very last breath."
No further elaboration was needed. Dumbledore withholding this prophecy from Snape – a prophecy that he was very much a part of - showed that the Headmaster did not fully trust the Potion Master. Probably never had.
It saddened Lauren for she knew that Snape had been unwavering loyal right to the very end.
"I'm sorry, Severus," she whispered.
A small smile crept on his thin lips, lacking any humour. "It's Professor Snape, Miss Ward. And honestly, I didn't expect any less from the old coot. I'm am quite used to his treatment and mistrust of me by now. Nothing will ever change that."
Lauren didn't know how to respond to that, a statement made so offhandedly. So she remained silent.
Snape straightened and raised his mug to his lips, taking a sip of the tea before placing it back down on the table. "I can accept him withholding this prophecy from me. The excuse he gave you was quite...plausible." Snape gave a soft, derisive snort. "And I agree. The Dark Lord must never learn of our shared bond, Miss Ward. I cannot stress this enough."
Lauren agreed wholeheartedly with this statement.
"But you wanted to know what changed my mind?"
Lauren waited for him to continue.
"You did."
Confusion washed over her.
"But...but I didn't do anything," she stammered.
"You didn't have to, Miss Ward," he replied, a shadow of a humourless smile ghosting his lips. "From the time you arrived here Dumbledore has shown blatant disregard for your safety. His treatment of you has left much to be desired and, in my opinion, he could have handled things better. Especially when you learned of the prophecy. You were distraught and instead of guiding you, he told you to keep it secret from me. It is one thing to manipulate me. It is another to do so to you." Snape paused, fury burning deep in those dark pits as he stared back at her. "Dumbledore thinks he is doing the right thing by keeping me in the dark, but he fails to realize that this concerns you just as much as it does me. This affects you just as much, if not more so. And by keeping this from me, he is ensuring that you are unprotected. You need to be prepared for what is to come, Miss Ward – not hidden away like an inconvenience."
"You really think that's what Dumbledore's trying to do?"
"He's desperate to keep you uninvolved."
Lauren remained silent, mulling over his words. After a minute or two had ticked by, she glanced up to meet his gaze. Snape was being uncharacteristically patient with her today.
"I want to show you everything, but...aren't you worried about changing things in the timeline?"
"That's the point, Miss Ward. Things need to change. Things are already changing."
"But we could change them for the worse."
At her alarmed expression he assured, "I don't intend to rush in like a destructive Gryffindor. I'm going to do things like a Slytherin: with tact, finesse and shrewdness."
Knowing what was at stake, especially if they fucked up, Lauren couldn't help but feel anxious.
"The last time I saw you I asked you whether you trusted me," he said quietly.
"And I said that did trust. That still holds true, Severus," she whispered.
"Professor Snape," he corrected.
"Whatever."
He gave a long suffering sigh. "Bloody bane of my existence," he muttered under his breath. He drew in a deep breath through his nose and continued more calmly. "I cannot help you with only pieces of the puzzle at my disposal, Miss Ward. I need to see the whole picture in order to be of any help. Do you understand?"
Lauren did understand. And she desperately wanted his help. Yet she hesitated. Three years ago she would have jumped at the chance without hesitation. But being here in the world of Harry Potter and being a Slytherin had matured her on some level and had taught her to act in caution instead of haste. Now that Snape was actually agreeing to help her, the reality of what they were facing was suddenly almost alarmingly daunting.
"I'm asking you to trust me once more, Miss Ward," he pressed.
Lauren stared down at her rapidly cooling tea. She had a choice to make and she had to make it now.
Swallowing hard, she lifted her head and met his gaze once more. "Always."
His reaction was instant, his features hardening and his eyes narrowing in almost spiteful hate that she was using his own word against him. That she dared use his own sacred vow and make it her own. But Lauren needed him to know that just as he took his loyal oath seriously, so did she.
"I'll always trust you."
That pitted fury froze and Snape stilled, studying her.
Lauren decided to diffuse the situation further by adding. "I don't have a Pensieve so you're going to have to use Occlumency. Would you prefer me standing or sitting?"
His expression remained unreadable as he stared back at her, but finally he spoke. "You can remain seated."
Lauren gave a nod of her head and watched as he slowly withdrew his wand from the sleeve of his robe and aimed it at her. He paused, as though waiting for her to change her mind. Instead Lauren mentally dropped her Occlumency shields and gave a single nod of her head, a clear sign of her consent and that she was ready.
Severus spoke the incantation in a clear voice and soon Lauren felt his presence slithering into her mind, his essence dark, seductive and, oddly, safe.
"You've been practising your Occlumency," he mused, his deep voice caressing along her mind.
"Did you ever doubt me?" she asked.
"I had my moments," he remarked snidely.
Lauren gave a mental eye roll. "Arse."
"Stop stating the obvious. Now bring up the memories, Miss Ward. I don't have all day."
"Do you have somewhere better to be?"
"Miss Ward," he warned.
Lauren mentally smirked and then deciding to get to the task at hand, envisioned a lake within her mind, the waters dark and deep. The surface of the lake was still, with nary a ripple, and it was almost like staring down at the polished surface of hard obsidian. Hidden beneath lay the memories that Snape needed to see. It was now up to him to make the first move and dive in.
His presence remained unmoving, almost as though he were waiting. Then with renewed determination, Snape slipped forward like a phantom shadow until he reached the edge of the lake.
The moment hung still in the air. This pivotal moment where he could either change his mind and let things continue as is as they were supposed to, the outcome remaining unchanged. Or he could take the plunge, forever altering the course of future events.
Snape's consciousness moved forward, becoming submerged in the waters of the lake. Lauren's mind instinctively wanted to rebel, protest at the intrusion, but she did not resist. She willingly allowed him access to the memories while she stood patiently to the side, waiting.
Hours, or it could have been minutes, passed. Time seemed to have little to no bearing when one was submerged in their own mind.
Finally Snape emerged from the lake and after a moment of deliberation, he carefully extracted himself from her mind. Lauren gasped at the sensation and blinked open her eyes, squinting against the harsh bright light as she found herself seated once more in her kitchen.
Lauren focused her gaze on Snape and was alarmed to see that he appeared alarmingly pale. He leaned back in his chair, his gaze distant and unseeing. Lauren couldn't much blame him for being in shock, for it was a lot to take in, especially learning the whole truth. And also seeing one's own gruesome death at the hands of Nagini.
Lauren patiently waited for him to process everything.
"I'm going to kill him!" Snape snarled as he rose to his feet, his sudden outburst startling Lauren.
"Who?"
"Peter Pettigrew, that's who!" he snapped. "I'm going to make his death as slow and painful as possible. I'm going to have him begging for mercy by the end..."
Alarmed, Lauren scampered to her feet and came to stand in front of Snape, blocking him from making his way to the fireplace and carrying out his nefarious plans for torturing and murdering the snivelling rat otherwise known as Peter Pettigrew.
"You can't," she pleaded, placing both her palms against his chest in an attempt to stop him. She had forgotten to erect her Occlumency shields back in place and her unshielded magic instantly flared at the contact, greedily clawing at Severus' own magic. Both Lauren and Severus hastily backed away from each other at the forceful reaction.
Lauren gasped, shaking her tingling hands at her side. "You can't. Peter needs to bring Voldemo-" Snape let out a sharp hiss and Lauren quickly amended, "The Dark Lord back to his physical form. Only then can He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named be defeated by Potter."
Snape eyed her, his dark eyes burning with unrestrained hatred for the man who was truly responsible for Lily's death and she could see that her words of reason were not penetrating through his rage fuelled haze. A dangerous growl punctuated the air; a growl that sent goosebumps along her skin. Snape made to push past her and Lauren did the only thing she could think of doing to stop him.
Willing every ounce of magic she possessed to the surface, she grabbed his wrist. Instantly their magic reacted, like a torrential wave crashing down with intent and purpose, yearning for completion. His magic flared in response and rose up to meet hers, the current strong and forceful as it coursed through their very veins like an untempered inferno. It was alluring, almost hypnotic, and all sense of reason seemed to flee from her mind as she stared into the dark depths of his obsidian eyes; dark voids that she could so easily get lost in. Heeding the siren's call that begged for the both of them to complete the bond, Lauren took a tentative step forward, her movements trance-like as she made to close the distance between them.
Suddenly Lauren was flung back with force, all air expelling from her lungs as she landed hard on the stone floor. She gasped in shock as she stared up at the ceiling, the fuzzy haziness leaving her mind, and suddenly she could think clearly.
"Don't ever do that again," Snape growled.
Lauren struggled into a sitting position, watching as he resheathed his wand back up the sleeve of his robe. When he looked back down at her his eyes seemed to be ablaze with a flame that was lit from within.
"I had to," she replied, her voice sounding distant to her ears. But at least she could think rationally again.
"I came very close to not stopping the bond being completed, Miss Ward. What you did was very foolish."
Artemis, who had been awoken by the commotion, eyed the two below him. Sensing that the moment of danger had passed, he turned his back on them and resumed his nap once more.
"Why would you even do something like that?! Do you even know how dangerous that was?"
Lauren rose stiffly to her feet, her whole body aching. Whatever spell or hex Snape had lodged at her, it sure was going to leave a mark in the morning. "It was the only thing I could think of doing that was going to stop you from trying to kill Pettigrew." Lauren gingerly made her way to her chair and sat down heavily, a groan escaping her lips. Snape watched her all the while. "Believe me, I've thought about killing him as well, but you know as well as I do that it's not a good idea."
"Maybe not, but it would be so satisfying," he ground out through clenched teeth.
Lauren gave him a small sad smile, for she did agree with that notion. "Please sit down, Severus."
"No."
Lauren sighed at his stubbornness "Please, Severus," she implored. "I need you to see the bigger picture."
"And what is the bigger picture, Miss Ward?" he pressed, folding his arms in front of him.
"Voldemo- Her Royal Highness is responsible for Lily's death. He is the one that needs to be defeated at all costs. That is the ultimate goal."
Snape stared at her for the longest while, and she could see him visibly fighting the urge to just go and find Pettigrew and kill him. Finally Snape let out a defeated growl and sat down stiffly in his chair opposite her. "And I'm going to have the displeasure of living with that vermin in the future. How the hell do I refrain from dismembering him?"
"Probably because you know what's at stake. You know that by killing him it will blow your cover and derail all other chances of defeating You-Know-Who. And you have the strongest will power I have ever encountered," she replied.
Snape didn't bother responding to that, and instead started drumming his fingers against the surface of the table. "So that's what you meant when you said Sirius Black was not who I thought he was."
Lauren gave a slight nod of her head.
More drumming of his fingers. "I still want the bastard dead, though."
"Can't blame you much there. I'm not a fan of Sirius Black either."
"I find that hard to believe, Miss Ward. Everyone idolized him."
"He was a bully, Severus. Nothing more than a glorified bully that tried to get you eaten by a werewolf. And he got away with it." Lauren sighed. "But he is one of the good guys and needs to live. Doesn't mean I like him, though."
Snape tilted his head to the side, his hair falling around his features in an inky curtain. The look was almost puzzled. Finally he glanced away with a sigh. "Well those memories certainly revealed a lot and there's much I need to think about."
Good, they were getting on the right path now on how to change certain outcomes for the better.
"I've been thinking a lot about the Horcruxes, and maybe we should -."
Snape held up his hand, silencing her. "Kindly shut up, Miss Ward." He rested his elbows on the surface of the table and rubbed tiredly at his temples. "I need time to think of the best way to move forward. To create an ironclad and foolproof plan, it's going to take months and months of planning and brainstorming. Not mere days or weeks."
Lauren felt her hopes plummet. "So we do what in the meantime?"
"Nothing."
"Excuse me?" Lauren had to resist the urge to reach over and bitch slap him, for Snape sounded distinctly like Dumbledore at this very moment.
"We need time to plan and right now we have that time. You are not really involved in events as such for the moment, and not much has changed. And we can't really do much of anything until the Dark Lord has gained a physical form, as you so kindly pointed out. So right now we do nothing."
Lauren blinked. "But things have changed. What about Buckbeak? He didn't attack Draco, therefore he isn't going to be executed, and therefore doesn't get saved and doesn't save Sirius in turn." Lauren stopped, well aware she was rambling.
"That is but a minor detail that can be easily rectified," Snape replied dismissively.
"How?"
"I'll let you know when I figure it out."
Lauren narrowed her eyes. "You are going to make sure Sirius is rescued, aren't you?"
A sardonic smile ghosted his lips. "As tempting as it may be to do otherwise, I will play the part that is required of me, Miss Ward."
Lauren knew he was referring to future events of the shack and what would followed thereafter, and he would ensure that all the pieces would fall into place as they should. But she couldn't help but wonder that he was underhandedly referring to his death, which he had seen in her memories; a death she knew would gladly welcome.
Yes, he would play his part perfectly.
"To the very end?" she asked, her tone going dark.
Snape met her gaze and did not look away. Noting the unasked question that hung in the air between them, he replied evenly, "That is the plan, yes,."
And there was her answer.
Lauren glanced away. Suddenly she felt tired. So very tired.
"So that's it then." Silence hung between them, heavy and ominous. "So I guess we wait just it out now."
"No, Miss Ward. This time will be used wisely to formulate a plan of action. Moves and countermoves. And, as you mentioned, there is the problem of the Horcruxes..."
Lauren was stirred out of her desolate mood by this statement.
"It will take an immensely powerful poison to destroy them," Snape continued, his brows furrowed in thought. "Or a weapon..."
"The sword of Gryffindor."
"Yes, but I doubt I'll be able to get my hands on the sword without rousing Dumbledore's suspicions."
"We could always try and get the Basilisk fang from the Chamber of Secrets," Lauren suggested.
"Do you know how to speak Parseltongue?" Snape asked condescendingly. "Because I don't."
"Well, then...what the hell do we do then?" she snapped in frustration.
Snape eyed her. "You mother was a gifted Potion Mistress, her talents lying in the field of poisons and their antidotes. I want you to go through all her books and notes. Try and find anything pertaining to a poison that is dangerous enough to destroy a Horcrux."
Lauren could already tell that she was going to be spending many hours, possibly days and weeks searching through all the books entombed in the manor. Bethany owned a lot of books.
"And once we have a way to destroy them then we can go Horcruxehunting," Snape mused.
Lauren perked up, feeling as though she was suddenly contribute something useful. "The ring is in the village of Little Hangleton. I got the information from Tracey's dad."
If she was expecting high praise from the Potion Master, she was sorely disappointed.
"Were you even listening?" he snarked. "We first need a way to destroy them and only then we can go after them, Miss Ward."
Lauren slumped back in her chair, glaring at Snape for his rebuke, which he did not notice or chose to ignore.
"And the Horcruxes are dangerous, almost sentient and malicious in nature. I want you to work on your Occlumency shields as well, Miss Ward. This is imperative.
Lauren gave a nod of her head. She had to admire that Snape was playing this with caution and intelligence. He knew how foolhardy it would be to rush into things, especially now.
"Fine," she consented. "Anything else?"
Snape eyed her for a moment and then rose to his feet. "For now, no."
Artemis stirred and, after ruffling his feathers, swooped down to land gracefully on the Potion Master's shoulder.
"Leaving so soon? I thought we were having fun," she muttered sarcastically.
Snape actually smiled before turning his back on her, but not before he remarked over his shoulder, "Time for you to get to work, Miss Ward."
With that Snape exited the room, leaving Lauren alone with her thoughts.
Lauren rose to her feet, her body stiff from the spell Snape had lodged at her, and gingerly made her way to the grand library. She, after all, had work to do.
~oOo~
Lauren was seated in the plush armchair in the library, her legs tucked under her as she leafed through the multitude of pages of one of the many books piled in a tall stack beside her. With her natural talent for potion brewing, she could immediately discern that none of the poisons she had read thus far were going to be of any use.
A vicious headache started pounding in her head and Lauren snapped the book shut in frustration.
A sharp tap startled her and Lauren stood, noting the sound was coming from an owl perched on the other side of the window, a letter clutched in its beak. She made her way to the window and let the bird in, though she hastily shut it tight as a gust of arctic wind blew a shower of snow into the room.
The tawny brown owl made a beeline for the armchair, perching himself neatly on the armrest. Ruffling the snow from its feathers, the owl spread its wings wide and welcomed the warmth from the crackling fire burning in the hearth.
Lauren plucked up a cookie from the plate on the coffee table and offered it to the owl in exchange for the letter, which it readily accepted with a pleased hoot.
Lauren stepped back as she ripped the letter open and read it over. It was from Tracey, who was growing more and more concerned about her friend. It had been four days since Lauren had left with Dumbledore for the status test, and Tracey hadn't heard from her since. Lauren couldn't much blame her for her concern.
Folding up the letter, Lauren knew she needed to respond soon. It wasn't fair keeping Tracey and her parents worrying. But first she would need to contact Dumbledore and find out what excuse he had given them. They needed to keep their stories straight.
Lauren did not relish the thought of speaking with the Headmaster, but she had no other choice.
Lauren grabbed a fistful of Floo powder from the jar resting on the mantle and flung it into the flames, turning the dancing red and orange flames into emerald green. Dropping to her knees, Lauren poked her head into the now harmless green hued flames and called out for the Headmaster.
"Ah, Miss Ward. What a pleasant surprise," his gravelly voice greeted after a moment of waiting on her part.
Lauren blinked open her eyes. She was now staring out into the Headmaster's study at Hogwarts. Various trinkets whistled and whirred on the shelves, some objects glowing and others levitating a few inches in the air. Fawkes was perched on his stand beside the Headmaster's large claw footed desk, and which Dumbledore was currently seated behind, watching her. Behind him were rows upon rows of books that lined the shelves, serving as a backdrop for the Headmaster.
"Hello, Headmaster Dumbledore," she greeted, deciding politeness was the best course of action.
"How are you, Miss Ward?" To Dumbledore's credit, he actually did sound as though he cared.
"As well as to be expected. Considering." Lauren didn't feel the need to elaborate, so she didn't. Dumbledore was smart enough to make his own conclusions. She decided to get straight to the point. "I just wanted to know what excuse you gave Tracey's family. I intend to visit them Christmas day and wanted to make sure our stories were the same."
Dumbledore peered over his half-moon spectacles at her. "I informed them that you were naturally shocked by your pure blood status. But more puzzling was that the spell did not seem to work and the names of your parents are unknown. I then told them that you wished to remain in the manor for a few days with hopes of finding some clues as to who they really are."
"As far as excuses go, that's pretty good," she conceded.
"I have my moments," he replied with a small smile, his blue eyes twinkling.
Well, you had to think of a pretty damn good story, seeing as we cannot have the truth getting out...
"So that's the official story we're going with then? That the spell failed to give the names of my parents?"
"Yes."
"Whelp, that works for me." And that it did. Snape was right. Dumbledore was working hard to keep this all under wraps. And he was saving her some misery along the way, the considerable bastard. Now she didn't have to worry about the taunts and whispers from the dunderheads at Hogwarts, her privacy remaining private.
"I thought it might. Your blood status has been published, as is standard practise in cases like these. Just don't expect it to make the front page of the Daily Prophet."
"Wouldn't dream of it. Okay, I'd best be going..." Lauren said, getting ready to exit the fireplace.
"Miss Ward?"
Lauren stilted her groan. She wanted nothing more than to escape. Her knees were killing her from kneeling on the hard floor.
Dumbledore settled back in his chair, steepling his gnarled fingers in front of him. "Blinky has informed me that she was barred from your house for a brief period of time. Do you know anything about this?"
Lauren contemplated lying, but knew the wizard would not be fooled. "Yeah...I wanted to be alone and didn't to be disturbed."
"I did not know you knew how to bar someone from your house..."
Lauren schooled her features. "What can I say – I'm full of surprises. Well, I had better be off. I need to do Christmas shopping and all." This was not a lie. There were only two days left until Christmas was upon them and she hadn't done a stitch of shopping. She could already feel the panic setting it – panic that only a last minute shopper knew about.
Before Dumbledore could make anther protest, Lauren pulled her head from the fireplace, effectively ending the call.
Rising to her feet, Lauren found a notepad and envelope and quickly scrawled a note to Tracey, informing her friend that she would visit Christmas day.
Lauren struggled to tie the note to the owl's leg as it was more interested in her plate of cookies. Finally succeeding, Lauren marched over to the window and opened it for the owl.
The owl in question did not budge from his spot. Lauren rolled her eyes.
"Fine. Take a cookie and then get out."
The owl let out an elated hoot and flew through the air, snatching up a cookie off the plate before flying out the window.
Lauren shut the window and then went to get dressed. She needed to go to Diagon Alley and do some much needed Christmas shopping.
~oOo~
The next day Lauren was seated on the floor in her room wrapping gifts. For Tracey she had chosen a beautiful gold necklace, the chain thin and delicate and from which hung a gem of swirling misty blue. Tracey's parent were a little more tricky to shop for and Lauren had finally settled on his and hers matching ugly Christmas sweaters.
After much thought and deliberation, Lauren had managed to find a miniature Quidditch cup, and had had Draco's name engraved on it, along with the title, 'Greatest Seeker Ever'. She decided to keep the gift anonymous, as she wasn't sure how receptive Malfoy Senior would be to his son receiving a gift from her, even though she was now classified as a pure blood. She had faith though that Draco would know it was from her.
And lastly was Snape's gift. Lauren had delightedly wandered into a Muggle gag store and had found a voodoo doll, pins and needles provided. With great care she had printed Peter Pettigrew's name on the chest of the doll. She hoped Snape might appreciate the humour in the gift, though part of her wondered if he would actually attempt using it.
Lauren then summoned Artemis and had to bribe him with lots of treats to get him to deliver the gifts.
Christmas morning arrived like something out of a Dickens novel. Snow blanketed the grounds in pure white, the tree limbs clothed in the fluffy stuff. It was still out, a peaceful calm punctuating the crisp air, almost as though Mother nature too was basking in the holy day.
Lauren arrived at the Davis household that afternoon. As she stepped out of the fireplace she was ensconced in a welcoming warmth that seemed to be a permanent fixture in the Davis family. The smell of delicious food cooking wafted through the house, making Lauren's mouth water and her stomach growl in anticipation. Persephone entered the living room and immediately enveloped her in a huge motherly hug and started fussing over her, asking if she was okay and how worried she had been especially when they had not heard from her in a while.
Silas chose that moment to enter the room and he greeted Lauren warmly and thanked her for the sweaters. This was effective in causing Persephone to stop her fussing and thank Lauren for the thoughtful gift.
Tracey, deciding to finally rescue Lauren, grabbed her by the elbow and steered her to the other side of the room where the large ornately decorated Christmas stood tall and proud.
"Any luck on finding out who your parents are?" Tracey asked.
Lauren shook her head.
Tracey's brows furrowed. "It's quite a mystery isn't it. Well, never mind that now. Open your gifts and we're soon going to eat. Mum has gone all out," Tracey stated, pointing to a few neatly wrapped gifts nestled under the Christmas tree.
There were some teenage appropriate clothes from Tracey's parents, which Lauren didn't mind as she had grown accustomed to wearing jeans and shirts. There was no room for fancy attire when one was stuck being a kid again.
Tracey, ever the thoughtful friend that she was, had bought her more school supplies and beautiful silver charm of a raven to go with her charm bracelet.
Afterwards they ate a hearty Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. A large golden roasted turkey took centre stage on the table, along with chunky roast potatoes, honey roasted baby carrots, herb cheese rolls, stuffing, and a healthy serving of rich gravy. Dessert consisted of Christmas pudding, trifle, and ice cream drizzled in chocolate sauce. And who could forget the eggnog.
Lauren was pleasantly full by the time crackers were passed around, cheerful laughter and loud cheering echoing through the room at each pop.
Lauren wanted to capture this moment and keep it for all eternity. She felt truly content and happy here right now with these people that she considered family.
"Why don't you stay here for the rest of the holiday? Silas can arrange for you and Tracey to be Floo'ed back to Hogwarts," Persephone suggested, somehow guessing Lauren's thoughts.
Lauren didn't quite relish the thought of spending the remainder of her holiday cooped up alone in her manor perusing book after book.
I still have time...
"Okay," she agreed. "Let me just go home and pack some clothes and I'll be right back."
Arriving back at her manor, Lauren couldn't help but marvel at how cold it felt here, especially after returning from the welcoming home of the Davis's that was overflowing with warmth and love.
Stepping out of the fireplace, Lauren briefly dusted herself and was about to dash upstairs to her room when she noticed a small package sitting under the Christmas tree.
Where did that come from?
Lauren dropped to her knees and picked it up. It was wrapped in emerald green wrapping and Lauren's heart flipped when she read the familiar spidery handwriting of Severus Snape.
This should be of some use. S.
Lauren tore away the wrapping to reveal two thin books. Her brows furrowed, for these were very worn and obviously used. She flipped over the first book and noted that it was an advanced copy of Occlumnecy. This would be useful if she were to advance in her Occlumency skill, and she doubted Snape would have given it to her if he didn't think her capable.
The other was 'Secrets of the Darkest Arts'. Lauren did not quite like the sound of that and her frown became more pronounced as she flipped open the book to a random page. She instantly dropped it to the floor with a loud thud at the gruesome and horrifying drawing that lay there.
What. The. Fuck?!
She felt absolutely repulsed, nauseated.
Why would Snape give me such a book?
Lauren stared down at it and the answer came to her.
Because he knew it would be of use to you.
Swallowing back the bile in her throat, Lauren gingerly picked it back up and flipped to the index page. And there she had her answer. There was an entire section dedicated to Horcruxes.
Lauren turned the pages to the very front and there, written in that spidery handwriting were the words: Property of Severus Snape.
Lauren snapped the book shut and sat there for the longest while, thinking. She knew Snape had been a Death Eater and had most definitely been involved in some not so good things in the past. But she had never been confronted with any of that, choosing to believe that the past lay in the past. But here was actual proof of the man he had once been, a man who had dabbled in dark sorcery and had probably used a few of these incantations and potions.
It was times like these that she was confronted by the fact that Snape was neither light nor dark. He resided in the shadows, and would forever be a part of the shadow world.
He's not like that now.
This she tried to convince herself of as she went upstairs to pack.
~oOo~
All too soon it was time to return to Hogwarts. Tracey and Lauren didn't have to leave until much later as they were Floo'ing straight to the Headmaster's office in Hogwarts and were foregoing to long trip on the Hogwarts Express.
Persephone fussed all morning, ensuring both girls were fed and dressed smartly in their school uniforms, which had been washed and ironed immaculately. Silas had then miniaturized their trunks and, assured that both girls were ready, extended to them the jar of Floo powder.
"Now straight to the Headmaster's office," he warned. "Maybe I should come with you...make sure you get there safely..."
"Dad, we'll be fine," Tracey groaned, noting with trepidation that her mother was about to start fussing over her again. "Can we go now?"
"Yes, yes. Of course. Just be careful, the both of you."
"And send us an owl letting us know you got there safely," Persephone instructed as she came to stand before Tracey, smoothing down her hair before clutching her daughter's shoulders and kissing her firmly on the forehead.
"Yes, Mum."
"And make sure that she does," Persephone directed at Lauren before pulling her into a smothering embrace without waiting for an answer.
Once released from Persephone's protective fussing, both girls hastily grabbed a fistful of powder each, Lauren beating her friend to the fireplace. Soon she was deposited into the Headmaster's office in a dizzying whirlwind of soot and smoke.
Lauren stepped out of the fireplace, noting absently that Floo'ing no longer made her feel sick to her stomach anymore.
Hmm. I might be getting used to this.
She withdrew her wand to proceeded to cleanse herself, and not too long after Tracey arrived in a billow of soot, coughing up a lungful of black. Her hair that her mother had just smoothed down was now dishevelled looking.
"Best to hold your breath while Floo'ing," Lauren remarked.
Tracey's only response was to cough up more soot.
Dumbledore was nowhere to be seen in his office, so Tracey and Lauren took the initiative and made their way down to the dungeons and to their dormitory.
The castle was eerily deserted, the Hogwarts Express not having arrived yet to deposit the boisterous and noisy students that would soon fill the hallways.
The two girls set about unpacking their trunks, the unnatural quiet almost getting to them.
"Let's go for a walk," Lauren suggested, suddenly in no mood to face her fellow Slytherins that would soon arrive. There were going to be blatant stares and whispers, and probably onslaught of questions that she did not want to answer.
"Sure," Tracey agreed. If she sensed Lauren's disquiet, she made no mention of it.
As soon as they entered the Common Room the doors burst open and in filed the Slytherins, their loud laughter and festive mood from Christmas spilling over into the room.
Suddenly they spotted her and everyone came to a standstill. The silence was almost deafening. It would seem that news of her blood status had reached their ears.
"Move out the way!" came an obnoxious voice and soon Lauren spotted the platinum blonde hair of Draco Malfoy as he pushed his way to the front of the throng.
He paused and eyed Lauren, a calculating look in those ice eyes. "So you're a pureblood?" This was asked loud enough for everyone to hear.
Draco, she knew, didn't care about her blood status and right now he was putting on a show. There was a purpose to all of this, if that cunning look in his eye was anything to go by. Lauren trusted him enough to play along.
"It would seem so, yes," she replied in a clear voice, raising her chin ever so slightly.
There was a poignant pause and a small smile twitched at his lips before quickly schooled it. He shoved his hands into his pockets and stepped forward, closing the distance between them. "My Dad was quite impressed." Again, this was stated loudly for everyone to hear. Lauren highly doubted this statement, for she was damn near certain that Malfoy Senior harboured a distinct disliking for her, especially after her pimp stick comment. But was Draco was slyly telling everyone that Lauren now had his Daddy's approval. No one would dare argue with that. Lauren was actually quite impressed how Draco was playing this, pulling the famous Daddy card.
Then Draco withdrew his hand and extended it towards Lauren. "Welcome back, Ward."
And right there Lauren had been given the stamp of approval. She was being welcomed back into the Slytherin fold. Draco was letting them all know that he was accepting her as one of them, and they had better do the same.
Lauren accepted his hand. "Thanks, Malfoy," she replied, a shadowy smirk pulling at her lips.
Draco, his back turned to the other Slytherins, gave her a wink and then turned his head to look at Tracey, his look softening. It was a look that Lauren had only seen the boy reserve for Tracey and Tracey only. "Hi, Tracey."
"Hello, Draco," Tracey replied, her features lit with an inner joy that she was getting her friend back.
Lauren wanted nothing more than to smack some sense into the other girl and make her see the obvious. But as with all matters of the heart, it would take some time and Lauren had to hope Tracey and Draco would eventually find their way to each other. Maybe she could give them a helpful shove along the way...
Draco smiled at Tracey, his pale cheeks turning slightly pink. He then turned his attention back to Lauren and he inclined his head. "See you around," he declared before sauntering off to his room.
And with that the other Slytherins resumed conversation, the atmosphere of the Common Room becoming filled once more with student activity. Lauren was one of them again and their acceptance of her was absolute.
Lauren caught sight of Pansy and her gang, the three girls shooting Lauren looks of absolute despise as they made their way to their dorm room. But none dared make a comment towards her. At least not in front of everyone. Lauren was after all a pure blood and they were going to have to reserve their maliciousness for others of lesser blood.
Draco's plan had not only ensure her acceptance, but also her safety.
Clever, clever boy, she thought. She really couldn't wait to have her other friend back.
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