Part 14:
Quidditch Pitch:
Severus and Septina stood in the field. The darkness embraced them eagerly, though was repulsed by the paleness of their skin. Though it was summer, the night was chilly and they shivered in the breeze reflexively. A mist formed on the field, blanketing it in a gray white cloud.
Lily appeared, robed in a deep green robe. Power radiated off of her. The twins pulled back in reaction to her unveiled power. Red lips flashed in the white night, reminiscent of blood fallen on new snow. "Come." It was not a request. Nor was it a command. But they were compelled to follow.
The gathering mist parted and swallowed them, drawing them further into its silken web. They resisted, fighting against inclusion to something so ephemeral.
"Be still." Now she was commanding.
Still, it was against their wills to let go of their control, but the shields dropped.
"Excellent." She purred. "Did you know that I can see the true you?"
They exchanged looks of horror. What would she do to them now?
Laughter rang and echoed through the night, bouncing back upon them like bells. "Fear me not. I have long suspected that we are more kin than I had first believed."
Silence greeted this stunning statement.
Parting like a curtain, no longer veiling them, the fog revealed a boat floating towards them. Lily stepped into it and they followed suit automatically. A gentle push sent them floating away, cut off from the outside world and heading to a place no one living had set foot on in centuries. The gentle motions ceased once they reached the center.
"Strip and bath." She spoke, gesturing to the clear water. "You must be cleansed of the world before you may enter mine."
Severus looked at her, a half smile on his face. "You aren't Lily, are you?"
"Quite correct, Severus Snape. And now, if you wouldn't mind, the water awaits. Night will not last forever, neither will the Pendragon."
Severus and Septina held out their left arms. "Some part of the world will not be cleansed."
"I am indeed aware of the marks. They are evil, but of no consequence. Voldemort used the pure blood of the unicorn to make them, truly they are not a part of the world." She stared hard at them, then indicated the water.
It was a telling look. The twins finally obeyed her order. Within seconds, they were immersed in the water. It burned like acid as it rushed around them, pulling them further in and underneath. Tenuous rivulets caressed their skin and infiltrated their pores, filling them up with pain. Their senses became drugged on the pain and pleasure the water caused them.
Finally, the lady in the boat called to them. First, Septina emerged and was carefully wrapped in a plain, white robe. Then Severus joined her. He was enfolded in a pale gray one. After sitting down on either side of their guide, they moved forward.
A swan passed by, paused and returned. Wise eyes studied them before the regal head bowed in acknowledgement. "Welcome, my young travelers. Long have we awaited your arrival." A voice of warm honey spoke to them.
It nodded towards the lady in green. "And so, you have returned to us. You have been long missed, Lady. I bid thee welcome as once I did when you were young."
"I humbly honor your words." She murmured, bowing in return.
Floating to the head, the swan led the way to the waiting shore. The boat stopped and the Lady gestured for the twins to exit first. On trembling legs, well hidden by his calm actions, Sev stood and stepped out, extending a hand to his sister. With a small smile, hidden by her hair, she accepted it and got out. The boat pulled back as a brightness formed in the distance and rushed to meet them.
"Let not your fear rule over you. Embrace that which you do not see. In accepting limitations, you will find your strength." The swan counseled. But the words were lost in the brightness which carried them away. Joined hands were violently ripped apart, leaving one twin to fall while the other rose.
"Sept!" Sev called, fear filling him. If there was one thing he feared above all things, it was being alone.
"Sev!" She screamed, listening with held breath. Nothing. "Severus?" Louder. Not even a whisper of breath.
"Sept? Where are you? Don't leave me here!" He was panicking. He knew he was. Running through the vast emptiness, he kept calling for her.
"Severus!" She started to move, reaching out for him.
"Hush, child. There is nothing here that can or will harm you or your brother." A seemingly elderly gentleman soothed. His salt and pepper hair was tied back into a braid that had a green cord woven through it before it bound it together at the bottom with the snake's bite. But it was his gleaming silver eyes that caught her gaze.
The wizard waited for her trembling to slow down and the color to return-somewhat-to her cheeks before he smiled, revealing crooked teeth. "There, that wasn't so hard, was it?"
"Don't I know you?" She asked tentatively, trying to place his accent.
He chuckled, gesturing for her to join him, which she did reluctantly. "Your Slytherin instincts have not been addled by this, I am definitely pleased. Most Slytherins are thrown off by a place like this."
"Salazar Slytherin!" She exclaimed, truly shocked to recognize him.
"At your service." He bowed.
"But you were the guy I told all my worries to. Had I but known who you were, I would have..."
"Bottled it all up inside, slowly killing yourself." He interrupted. "Yes, yes. I know. Godric Gryffindor had the same problem, always tried to carry the world on his shoulders. Never did quite believe that I wouldn't harm him."
"How humiliating is that, to be compared to the leader of that house of incompetent fools himself." Bitter.
"Hush, child. As far as Gryffindors go, he isn't that bad. Mind you, he's the only one I have ever tolerated or will ever tolerate. Mind you, I'd never tell him that. He would become insufferable. Come along, there is much that needs to be done. The Pendragon won't wait forever for us."
The dark haired girl hesitated, looking up.
"Your brother is fine. He has his own path to walk." Using his staff, he impatiently cut the light down to make a passageway. Walking on through, he didn't bother to make sure she followed.
She hurried to stay with him, wishing her brother was near. Wishing she could talk to him. How ironic is it that the older we get, the more susceptible to others we become.
Severus was tired, cold, and frightened. He couldn't stop calling out, no matter how hard his throat hurt. Or the fact that it was so raw that he was spitting up blood. Inner feelings of darkness dimmed and changed the atmosphere around him. Instead of warm and welcoming, it became angry and dark.
Threatening.
Harsh.
Bitter.
"Silence." A voice commanded him. "She can't hear you. It does no good to exhaust yourself like this. Godric Gryffindor at your service, Severus Snape."
"How do I really know its you?" He snapped.
"You don't. That's the point." Golden eyes twinkled in a face framed with bold red hair.
"And why would such a true blue, good boy like you want to help a sneaky, snakelike Slytherin like me?"
He tsked. "House loyalties, while a good idea in school rarely work well outside those same walls."
"Then why have them at all?"
"Competition is good for the blood. Now, come along. You've wasted enough time."
Severus debated. Should he trust this man? Or should he try to find his way on his own?
"Are you going to come willingly or must I make you? Slytherin may be more known for their dirty tricks but in the beginning, there wasn't that much difference between our two houses."
"Tell me one thing, will I meet up with me sister?"
Godric paused, chewing on the end of his moustache. Finally, he nodded. "At the end, you will return to the beginning."
The dark head shook, deciding to riffle through the words as they walked. As they traveled, Godric spoke. It seemed as though they had been walking forever, yet they had spoken only for moments. And Severus was getting tired. His guide seemed to realize this and they stopped by a river. "Sleep. Rest. Your trials will commence soon."
Severus needed no other words. Tired eyes closed and he slept. On the other side of the river, through the bright light, a woman appeared. She walked slowly towards them, feet barely touching the ground.
"Rowena Ravenclaw. I haven't seen you in centuries." Godric was delighted.
"That's because you've been busy traveling the world, doing heaven only knows what, with that shameful excuse for a wizard you call a friend and partner, Salazar Slytherin." She spat out his name.
"Oh, come now. You cannot possibly be mad at him still for transfiguring your whole house into snakes." Godric protested, with an amused grin-which he quickly hid in the face of her glare.
"Nasty, worthless creatures. I don't see why anyone would want to keep them about. Let alone speak to them the way he does." Rowena muttered.
"Hush now, Rowena. I will admit that his methods are rather unorthodox." She snorted. He ignored it and continued. "But anyone who went into his transfiguration classes left knowing what to do and how to avoid unfortunate accidents."
"He's an unfortunate accident!" She sniffed. "Come now, Godric, you know it to be true. His house has taken on some of his more unsavory traits. And he delights in it."
"And the others have become inflated with false pride, shutting out that house. Imprisoning it inside its own reputation, ignoring the dangers inherent in their behaviors." He retorted harshly.
A cool eyebrow raised, accepting the truth in his words. "Godric, control yourself, I just had to have my say. I know how you feel about the man. He's a decent enough sort, in small doses. Get going before Helga punches him again, I don't want to deal with the repercussions of another incident like their last meeting."
Sending her one, last searching look, he disappeared.
***
"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked, fiddling with her hair. The question had been nagging at her for a while, the reason behind his secrecy. "After I became accustomed to talking to you, you could've come to me. I trusted you."
Salazar studied he intently and she squirmed under the power of his gaze. "Would you have believed me?"
"I don't know. But you should have given me that chance." She sighed. "All my life everything has been decided for me. Everything. And the one thing that I thought was real, that didn't have to be controlled, was a lie."
"No. It wasn't."
"How can you say that?" Defensive.
"You needed a friend that you didn't fear for-or who might expose you. You needed someone who would just listen to you." Sharp. "I came to your aid. Septina, I was once where you are now. I know what you are going through, trying to keep your head above the tide."
"You mean, you're prophetic?" Skeptical.
He laughed. "Great Merlyn's ghost, no. I would never claim such a thing. My dear girl, you are looking at the possessor of the world's only seeing stone. I believe you would know it better as a palantir."
Breath that had resumed normal its pace, sped up. Eyes widened and her pupils dilated.
"Steady on there, lass. There's no need for such hysterics." Salazar scolded. "Cease such behavior or I will believe that you are better suited for Hufflepuff. Those Slytherin instincts seem to have fled for you to think that I would sell out one of my own."
It worked. Her spine straightened. Black eyes hardened like a chunk of coal. They walked on, coming to a stream. Sept stopped, recognizing a figure resting across the water. "Sev." Voice faint, nearly disguising the elation she was experiencing.
"Don't approach him." Furious eyes lanced him, stopping the words cold-momentarily. His silver eyes became just as hard. "His path is different from your own. If you go to him now, it will destroy everything."
"Then why allow me to see him?" She asked. "Or is this some cruel joke?"
"Neither."
"Because." A nervous voice answered at the same time. "Well, just because."
"Why if it isn't Helga Hufflepuff." Smirking voice. "You're late, as usual."
"And you are still an uncompassionate git."
"Uncompassionate? Been improving you vocabulary, have you? Now, why is that I wonder? Rowena trouncing you again and your competitive streak can't handle it?" Baiting.
"Salazar, stop heckling her. You should know better." Godric scolded.
Slytherin glared at him. "Oh, come on, Gryff-you should know me better than that. I never heckle. I bait."
Gryff shook his head and walked over to him, resting a hand on his arm. "Slyth, there are rules that must be observed."
"We're dead. Shouldn't we be beyond the laws that govern decent behavior?" His grumbling voice died down as the two walked out of earshot.
Septina looked at her new guide, partly disbelieving. This was the famed head of Hufflepuff? The woman before her did not match that gentle house's image at all. She was tall and muscular with short, spiky hair and ice blue eyes that did nothing to ease the Slytherin girl's nerves. Her tanned features revealed a life lived in the sun.
"Not quite what you expected, am I?" She barked, in a voice that reminded her of smooth whiskey. "I suppose that I should be offended. Luckily, I am not. A lifetime of living around Salazar Slytherin does wonders for the development of thick skin. Or you will die of heartbreak. And that seems to me to be a trifle pathetic and weak spirited."
"And you aren't?"
"Can't play Quidditch and be weak or pathetic, my dear." She strode away. "Well, come on. We don't have a lot of time to waste."
Sept sighed, cast one last look at her brother and followed. "I'm surprised they haven't told me to fetch something yet." She muttered bitterly.
"Don't whine. It is unattractive, ill-mannered, and accomplishes nothing." Helga scolded.
"Where's your fabled loyalty to students?"
Helga stopped and stared at her, hard. "You want my loyalty? Do something worthy of it. Empty loyalty is worth nothing. It is just a cover for pretenses and noises, signifying nothing."
Chastened, Septina bowed her head. Silently, they walked on, clearly heading for the mountains. Without warning, she heard the sound of a bowstring being released. Instinctively, she rolled to the side and scanned the horizon. A flash of movement and then nothing. It was still. "What was that about?"
No answer. She looked around to find that she was alone. I'm really getting irritated with this. Then she wasn't thinking as she found herself on the ground. A figure stood over her, aiming a sword at her throat. Her hands went up and caught the blade, wrestling with her attacker before shoving the blade up. The familiar sound of something breaking cracked loudly in the stillness.
Using the agility she'd honed over the years, she flipped up off the ground-still holding the sword. Her opponent was good and kept her moving in circles. But the unknown assailant finally won the advantage over her, forcing her to the ground. "The way you attack, it is too emotional. You lack stamina for a long fight and you give yourself away." Cold. Assessing.
"But you do have talent and extra-ordinary luck, most of those who come here, die because they fail to sense the arrow. Yes, I will accept you as my student." Turning on her heel, she marched off, leaving Septina to gather the things she'd left behind.
"I don't believe I asked." Snapped.
"It was asked for you." Faint reply.
Gritting her teeth in annoyance, she followed her. "Would you happen to have a name?"
"Atheis."
And that was all she would say.
When Sev awoke, he was met by a pair of cool, violet eyes. Said eyes rested in a motherly face, though there was something that defied that expression. Coiled in a frame around the face was hair of muddy brown. She was a small, though not petite, woman. Worn hands raised him from the ground with surprising strength. A few familiar scents wafted towards him and his nose twitched in recognition. "Sage, with a hint of rosemary and saffron. You've been working on a ti'ichi."
She smiled, but it seemed out of place on her face. "I admit my surprise to find a Slytherin who knows his potions. Who would've thought that such a talent would-or could-exist in his house that thrives on subjects that require less diligence and patience."
Not knowing what to say, he was silent. "So, what happens now?"
"We stare at each other until one of us cracks first. Then the victor gloats over the loser until he crawls away in disgrace." Deadpan.
"A bit over-confident, aren't we?"
"No. I never overstate my own abilities."
"An excellent policy."
"Thank you." Curt. "We could do that. Or we could just get these tests under way."
"You aren't one for words, are you?"
"When words have a purpose, I speak. Otherwise, they are a waste of my time, energy, and merely move air around." Short. "I am not wind, nor do I want to be."
He sighed, from gregarious and garrulous to stoic and silent. Should I be grateful? Finally, he decided that he was, she expressed the self-same belief he and Sept had about the gift of language. It seemed Rowena knew what he was thinking and waited. "Shall we be off?" It didn't surprise him when her answer was to turn and walk off. With a rueful shake of his head, he followed. After a while, they were joined by a white panther. She walked between them, as if to warn Severus to behave himself.
"Calm yourself, Aeris." She commanded, resting her hand in its fur. "He is a friend to us. Extend your hand to her, Severus, and conquer your needless fear of animals. Or you, who despises history, will repeat it endlessly."
Controlling the trembling hand he thought ridiculous, Sev did exactly what she said. No more, no less.
Aeris sniffed suspiciously at the proffered hand. She growled low, testing him. Tentatively, he reached out his hand, resting it near the panther's neck-a sign of vulnerability. Glowing eyes narrowed before moving until his hand rested fully on her neck. Equally vulnerable.
Tense silence. Rowena stood back, waiting.
Finally the delicate fingers moved and stroked the raised fur, following in the direction it should lay. And though a wild animal, she purred before knocking him down. Sev laughed, trying to evade the tongue as they wrestled playfully on the slope. A sharp, piercing whistle stopped the festivities cold. Gracefully, they rose and followed the rapidly disappearing Rowena.
As they walked landscape seemed to form. It didn't so much materialize as appear around them. There was a natural about its happening, not a magical. "Do people live here?" Sev asked, feeling a sense of history in the land.
"At one time."
"What happened?"
Quirked eyebrow, amused eyes faced him. "I thought you didn't care about it."
"There's a different feel here."
"History is history, boy. It does not change." A twinkle entered the eyes, more natural than the smile. "Only one's perception does. So, this place speaks to you?"
He slowly nodded.
"I thought it might. Are you aware of what you are?"
"Star struck."
She nodded. "You will be coming here someday as will your sister. Until then, let it be."
A chill entered his heart at her words. Somehow he knew it wasn't going to be as easy as it sounded. And now Sept's words about a temporary separation returned to his mind. Could their father have meant that they would be parted? Is that why they were tested alone? "This is Sauron's world." It was not a question. He knew that he was on a projected image of Middle-Earth.
Silence.
He was not surprised to find her gone.
Aeris nudged him, meeting his gaze in a clash of black and gold. 'Learn to be like me. You are far from clumsy for your kind. For what you are. But you are still too loud, to careless. Your future mission requires more from you.'
It seemed to Sev that he didn't so much as transform as fall into the panther. He became part of the other world, senses stretched out in all directions, feeling every breath that passed on the wind. Every blade of grass tickled his paw, the ground beneath the blanket was rough to the touch.
Restless energy exploded as a rabbit appeared. Lowering his body to the ground, he crept silently towards it. The rabbit froze, ears low to its back, hearing him. In a burst of frightened energy, it sprang away from him. Severus gave into the impulses flowing inside and lunged after it. Another panther blocked his way. He growled.
'You are not hungry. Come.' Firm.
Bowing his head, respect for the elder in his eyes, he followed behind. Every movement mirrored the leader's and indelibly imprinted itself in him.
An Unknown Length of Time Passed:
Walking along the mountain trails, Septina suddenly found herself falling into the dark. A laugh greeted her upon her ungraceful landing and she looked up into the hazy light. "Lily? I'm going to kill you."
"Sure you are." The young woman extended her hand and helped her up. "It is time to conclude this journey."
"Is that what you call it?"
"You wouldn't?" Challenging.
"Not exactly,"
"Come along." Quiet words. Quiet tread. The two entered a pavilion. When they emerged, Septina wore the pendant and walked slowly-as though in pain. "Your brother is waiting for you."
"I know."
"Remember what I said."
"I will not forget."
She nodded, red hair shimmering in the fading moonlight. "Go. I will see you in school. We will not speak of this again."
Septina's dark head bowed, acknowledging. She disappeared then into the dawning morning.
Lily watched her go, worried about the shadow that still clung to her. The shadow that seemed to stalk Severus, dancing behind his every move, waiting. What else can I do?
"You did what you could for them. No one could ask for more."
She turned, studying Salazar carefully. "No one-except myself."
He was silent. What was there to say?
***
For a moment, they stared at each other, the mist in between them. A tentative smirk crossed Sev's lips at the same time her eyebrow quirked. Tension disappeared and they embraced, holding onto each other until the cold inside dissolved and the balance was restored.
"I missed you." Sept whispered, feeling him inside her soul again.
"No more than I you. I felt dead." He whispered back.
No other words were spoken. On a level understood only by twins, they knew of each other's trials, grief, and sorrows. Quietly, they stepped into the boat and floated to the Hogwarts Express. Leaving behind them on the isle their past, they headed into their new future.
Quidditch Pitch:
Severus and Septina stood in the field. The darkness embraced them eagerly, though was repulsed by the paleness of their skin. Though it was summer, the night was chilly and they shivered in the breeze reflexively. A mist formed on the field, blanketing it in a gray white cloud.
Lily appeared, robed in a deep green robe. Power radiated off of her. The twins pulled back in reaction to her unveiled power. Red lips flashed in the white night, reminiscent of blood fallen on new snow. "Come." It was not a request. Nor was it a command. But they were compelled to follow.
The gathering mist parted and swallowed them, drawing them further into its silken web. They resisted, fighting against inclusion to something so ephemeral.
"Be still." Now she was commanding.
Still, it was against their wills to let go of their control, but the shields dropped.
"Excellent." She purred. "Did you know that I can see the true you?"
They exchanged looks of horror. What would she do to them now?
Laughter rang and echoed through the night, bouncing back upon them like bells. "Fear me not. I have long suspected that we are more kin than I had first believed."
Silence greeted this stunning statement.
Parting like a curtain, no longer veiling them, the fog revealed a boat floating towards them. Lily stepped into it and they followed suit automatically. A gentle push sent them floating away, cut off from the outside world and heading to a place no one living had set foot on in centuries. The gentle motions ceased once they reached the center.
"Strip and bath." She spoke, gesturing to the clear water. "You must be cleansed of the world before you may enter mine."
Severus looked at her, a half smile on his face. "You aren't Lily, are you?"
"Quite correct, Severus Snape. And now, if you wouldn't mind, the water awaits. Night will not last forever, neither will the Pendragon."
Severus and Septina held out their left arms. "Some part of the world will not be cleansed."
"I am indeed aware of the marks. They are evil, but of no consequence. Voldemort used the pure blood of the unicorn to make them, truly they are not a part of the world." She stared hard at them, then indicated the water.
It was a telling look. The twins finally obeyed her order. Within seconds, they were immersed in the water. It burned like acid as it rushed around them, pulling them further in and underneath. Tenuous rivulets caressed their skin and infiltrated their pores, filling them up with pain. Their senses became drugged on the pain and pleasure the water caused them.
Finally, the lady in the boat called to them. First, Septina emerged and was carefully wrapped in a plain, white robe. Then Severus joined her. He was enfolded in a pale gray one. After sitting down on either side of their guide, they moved forward.
A swan passed by, paused and returned. Wise eyes studied them before the regal head bowed in acknowledgement. "Welcome, my young travelers. Long have we awaited your arrival." A voice of warm honey spoke to them.
It nodded towards the lady in green. "And so, you have returned to us. You have been long missed, Lady. I bid thee welcome as once I did when you were young."
"I humbly honor your words." She murmured, bowing in return.
Floating to the head, the swan led the way to the waiting shore. The boat stopped and the Lady gestured for the twins to exit first. On trembling legs, well hidden by his calm actions, Sev stood and stepped out, extending a hand to his sister. With a small smile, hidden by her hair, she accepted it and got out. The boat pulled back as a brightness formed in the distance and rushed to meet them.
"Let not your fear rule over you. Embrace that which you do not see. In accepting limitations, you will find your strength." The swan counseled. But the words were lost in the brightness which carried them away. Joined hands were violently ripped apart, leaving one twin to fall while the other rose.
"Sept!" Sev called, fear filling him. If there was one thing he feared above all things, it was being alone.
"Sev!" She screamed, listening with held breath. Nothing. "Severus?" Louder. Not even a whisper of breath.
"Sept? Where are you? Don't leave me here!" He was panicking. He knew he was. Running through the vast emptiness, he kept calling for her.
"Severus!" She started to move, reaching out for him.
"Hush, child. There is nothing here that can or will harm you or your brother." A seemingly elderly gentleman soothed. His salt and pepper hair was tied back into a braid that had a green cord woven through it before it bound it together at the bottom with the snake's bite. But it was his gleaming silver eyes that caught her gaze.
The wizard waited for her trembling to slow down and the color to return-somewhat-to her cheeks before he smiled, revealing crooked teeth. "There, that wasn't so hard, was it?"
"Don't I know you?" She asked tentatively, trying to place his accent.
He chuckled, gesturing for her to join him, which she did reluctantly. "Your Slytherin instincts have not been addled by this, I am definitely pleased. Most Slytherins are thrown off by a place like this."
"Salazar Slytherin!" She exclaimed, truly shocked to recognize him.
"At your service." He bowed.
"But you were the guy I told all my worries to. Had I but known who you were, I would have..."
"Bottled it all up inside, slowly killing yourself." He interrupted. "Yes, yes. I know. Godric Gryffindor had the same problem, always tried to carry the world on his shoulders. Never did quite believe that I wouldn't harm him."
"How humiliating is that, to be compared to the leader of that house of incompetent fools himself." Bitter.
"Hush, child. As far as Gryffindors go, he isn't that bad. Mind you, he's the only one I have ever tolerated or will ever tolerate. Mind you, I'd never tell him that. He would become insufferable. Come along, there is much that needs to be done. The Pendragon won't wait forever for us."
The dark haired girl hesitated, looking up.
"Your brother is fine. He has his own path to walk." Using his staff, he impatiently cut the light down to make a passageway. Walking on through, he didn't bother to make sure she followed.
She hurried to stay with him, wishing her brother was near. Wishing she could talk to him. How ironic is it that the older we get, the more susceptible to others we become.
Severus was tired, cold, and frightened. He couldn't stop calling out, no matter how hard his throat hurt. Or the fact that it was so raw that he was spitting up blood. Inner feelings of darkness dimmed and changed the atmosphere around him. Instead of warm and welcoming, it became angry and dark.
Threatening.
Harsh.
Bitter.
"Silence." A voice commanded him. "She can't hear you. It does no good to exhaust yourself like this. Godric Gryffindor at your service, Severus Snape."
"How do I really know its you?" He snapped.
"You don't. That's the point." Golden eyes twinkled in a face framed with bold red hair.
"And why would such a true blue, good boy like you want to help a sneaky, snakelike Slytherin like me?"
He tsked. "House loyalties, while a good idea in school rarely work well outside those same walls."
"Then why have them at all?"
"Competition is good for the blood. Now, come along. You've wasted enough time."
Severus debated. Should he trust this man? Or should he try to find his way on his own?
"Are you going to come willingly or must I make you? Slytherin may be more known for their dirty tricks but in the beginning, there wasn't that much difference between our two houses."
"Tell me one thing, will I meet up with me sister?"
Godric paused, chewing on the end of his moustache. Finally, he nodded. "At the end, you will return to the beginning."
The dark head shook, deciding to riffle through the words as they walked. As they traveled, Godric spoke. It seemed as though they had been walking forever, yet they had spoken only for moments. And Severus was getting tired. His guide seemed to realize this and they stopped by a river. "Sleep. Rest. Your trials will commence soon."
Severus needed no other words. Tired eyes closed and he slept. On the other side of the river, through the bright light, a woman appeared. She walked slowly towards them, feet barely touching the ground.
"Rowena Ravenclaw. I haven't seen you in centuries." Godric was delighted.
"That's because you've been busy traveling the world, doing heaven only knows what, with that shameful excuse for a wizard you call a friend and partner, Salazar Slytherin." She spat out his name.
"Oh, come now. You cannot possibly be mad at him still for transfiguring your whole house into snakes." Godric protested, with an amused grin-which he quickly hid in the face of her glare.
"Nasty, worthless creatures. I don't see why anyone would want to keep them about. Let alone speak to them the way he does." Rowena muttered.
"Hush now, Rowena. I will admit that his methods are rather unorthodox." She snorted. He ignored it and continued. "But anyone who went into his transfiguration classes left knowing what to do and how to avoid unfortunate accidents."
"He's an unfortunate accident!" She sniffed. "Come now, Godric, you know it to be true. His house has taken on some of his more unsavory traits. And he delights in it."
"And the others have become inflated with false pride, shutting out that house. Imprisoning it inside its own reputation, ignoring the dangers inherent in their behaviors." He retorted harshly.
A cool eyebrow raised, accepting the truth in his words. "Godric, control yourself, I just had to have my say. I know how you feel about the man. He's a decent enough sort, in small doses. Get going before Helga punches him again, I don't want to deal with the repercussions of another incident like their last meeting."
Sending her one, last searching look, he disappeared.
***
"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked, fiddling with her hair. The question had been nagging at her for a while, the reason behind his secrecy. "After I became accustomed to talking to you, you could've come to me. I trusted you."
Salazar studied he intently and she squirmed under the power of his gaze. "Would you have believed me?"
"I don't know. But you should have given me that chance." She sighed. "All my life everything has been decided for me. Everything. And the one thing that I thought was real, that didn't have to be controlled, was a lie."
"No. It wasn't."
"How can you say that?" Defensive.
"You needed a friend that you didn't fear for-or who might expose you. You needed someone who would just listen to you." Sharp. "I came to your aid. Septina, I was once where you are now. I know what you are going through, trying to keep your head above the tide."
"You mean, you're prophetic?" Skeptical.
He laughed. "Great Merlyn's ghost, no. I would never claim such a thing. My dear girl, you are looking at the possessor of the world's only seeing stone. I believe you would know it better as a palantir."
Breath that had resumed normal its pace, sped up. Eyes widened and her pupils dilated.
"Steady on there, lass. There's no need for such hysterics." Salazar scolded. "Cease such behavior or I will believe that you are better suited for Hufflepuff. Those Slytherin instincts seem to have fled for you to think that I would sell out one of my own."
It worked. Her spine straightened. Black eyes hardened like a chunk of coal. They walked on, coming to a stream. Sept stopped, recognizing a figure resting across the water. "Sev." Voice faint, nearly disguising the elation she was experiencing.
"Don't approach him." Furious eyes lanced him, stopping the words cold-momentarily. His silver eyes became just as hard. "His path is different from your own. If you go to him now, it will destroy everything."
"Then why allow me to see him?" She asked. "Or is this some cruel joke?"
"Neither."
"Because." A nervous voice answered at the same time. "Well, just because."
"Why if it isn't Helga Hufflepuff." Smirking voice. "You're late, as usual."
"And you are still an uncompassionate git."
"Uncompassionate? Been improving you vocabulary, have you? Now, why is that I wonder? Rowena trouncing you again and your competitive streak can't handle it?" Baiting.
"Salazar, stop heckling her. You should know better." Godric scolded.
Slytherin glared at him. "Oh, come on, Gryff-you should know me better than that. I never heckle. I bait."
Gryff shook his head and walked over to him, resting a hand on his arm. "Slyth, there are rules that must be observed."
"We're dead. Shouldn't we be beyond the laws that govern decent behavior?" His grumbling voice died down as the two walked out of earshot.
Septina looked at her new guide, partly disbelieving. This was the famed head of Hufflepuff? The woman before her did not match that gentle house's image at all. She was tall and muscular with short, spiky hair and ice blue eyes that did nothing to ease the Slytherin girl's nerves. Her tanned features revealed a life lived in the sun.
"Not quite what you expected, am I?" She barked, in a voice that reminded her of smooth whiskey. "I suppose that I should be offended. Luckily, I am not. A lifetime of living around Salazar Slytherin does wonders for the development of thick skin. Or you will die of heartbreak. And that seems to me to be a trifle pathetic and weak spirited."
"And you aren't?"
"Can't play Quidditch and be weak or pathetic, my dear." She strode away. "Well, come on. We don't have a lot of time to waste."
Sept sighed, cast one last look at her brother and followed. "I'm surprised they haven't told me to fetch something yet." She muttered bitterly.
"Don't whine. It is unattractive, ill-mannered, and accomplishes nothing." Helga scolded.
"Where's your fabled loyalty to students?"
Helga stopped and stared at her, hard. "You want my loyalty? Do something worthy of it. Empty loyalty is worth nothing. It is just a cover for pretenses and noises, signifying nothing."
Chastened, Septina bowed her head. Silently, they walked on, clearly heading for the mountains. Without warning, she heard the sound of a bowstring being released. Instinctively, she rolled to the side and scanned the horizon. A flash of movement and then nothing. It was still. "What was that about?"
No answer. She looked around to find that she was alone. I'm really getting irritated with this. Then she wasn't thinking as she found herself on the ground. A figure stood over her, aiming a sword at her throat. Her hands went up and caught the blade, wrestling with her attacker before shoving the blade up. The familiar sound of something breaking cracked loudly in the stillness.
Using the agility she'd honed over the years, she flipped up off the ground-still holding the sword. Her opponent was good and kept her moving in circles. But the unknown assailant finally won the advantage over her, forcing her to the ground. "The way you attack, it is too emotional. You lack stamina for a long fight and you give yourself away." Cold. Assessing.
"But you do have talent and extra-ordinary luck, most of those who come here, die because they fail to sense the arrow. Yes, I will accept you as my student." Turning on her heel, she marched off, leaving Septina to gather the things she'd left behind.
"I don't believe I asked." Snapped.
"It was asked for you." Faint reply.
Gritting her teeth in annoyance, she followed her. "Would you happen to have a name?"
"Atheis."
And that was all she would say.
When Sev awoke, he was met by a pair of cool, violet eyes. Said eyes rested in a motherly face, though there was something that defied that expression. Coiled in a frame around the face was hair of muddy brown. She was a small, though not petite, woman. Worn hands raised him from the ground with surprising strength. A few familiar scents wafted towards him and his nose twitched in recognition. "Sage, with a hint of rosemary and saffron. You've been working on a ti'ichi."
She smiled, but it seemed out of place on her face. "I admit my surprise to find a Slytherin who knows his potions. Who would've thought that such a talent would-or could-exist in his house that thrives on subjects that require less diligence and patience."
Not knowing what to say, he was silent. "So, what happens now?"
"We stare at each other until one of us cracks first. Then the victor gloats over the loser until he crawls away in disgrace." Deadpan.
"A bit over-confident, aren't we?"
"No. I never overstate my own abilities."
"An excellent policy."
"Thank you." Curt. "We could do that. Or we could just get these tests under way."
"You aren't one for words, are you?"
"When words have a purpose, I speak. Otherwise, they are a waste of my time, energy, and merely move air around." Short. "I am not wind, nor do I want to be."
He sighed, from gregarious and garrulous to stoic and silent. Should I be grateful? Finally, he decided that he was, she expressed the self-same belief he and Sept had about the gift of language. It seemed Rowena knew what he was thinking and waited. "Shall we be off?" It didn't surprise him when her answer was to turn and walk off. With a rueful shake of his head, he followed. After a while, they were joined by a white panther. She walked between them, as if to warn Severus to behave himself.
"Calm yourself, Aeris." She commanded, resting her hand in its fur. "He is a friend to us. Extend your hand to her, Severus, and conquer your needless fear of animals. Or you, who despises history, will repeat it endlessly."
Controlling the trembling hand he thought ridiculous, Sev did exactly what she said. No more, no less.
Aeris sniffed suspiciously at the proffered hand. She growled low, testing him. Tentatively, he reached out his hand, resting it near the panther's neck-a sign of vulnerability. Glowing eyes narrowed before moving until his hand rested fully on her neck. Equally vulnerable.
Tense silence. Rowena stood back, waiting.
Finally the delicate fingers moved and stroked the raised fur, following in the direction it should lay. And though a wild animal, she purred before knocking him down. Sev laughed, trying to evade the tongue as they wrestled playfully on the slope. A sharp, piercing whistle stopped the festivities cold. Gracefully, they rose and followed the rapidly disappearing Rowena.
As they walked landscape seemed to form. It didn't so much materialize as appear around them. There was a natural about its happening, not a magical. "Do people live here?" Sev asked, feeling a sense of history in the land.
"At one time."
"What happened?"
Quirked eyebrow, amused eyes faced him. "I thought you didn't care about it."
"There's a different feel here."
"History is history, boy. It does not change." A twinkle entered the eyes, more natural than the smile. "Only one's perception does. So, this place speaks to you?"
He slowly nodded.
"I thought it might. Are you aware of what you are?"
"Star struck."
She nodded. "You will be coming here someday as will your sister. Until then, let it be."
A chill entered his heart at her words. Somehow he knew it wasn't going to be as easy as it sounded. And now Sept's words about a temporary separation returned to his mind. Could their father have meant that they would be parted? Is that why they were tested alone? "This is Sauron's world." It was not a question. He knew that he was on a projected image of Middle-Earth.
Silence.
He was not surprised to find her gone.
Aeris nudged him, meeting his gaze in a clash of black and gold. 'Learn to be like me. You are far from clumsy for your kind. For what you are. But you are still too loud, to careless. Your future mission requires more from you.'
It seemed to Sev that he didn't so much as transform as fall into the panther. He became part of the other world, senses stretched out in all directions, feeling every breath that passed on the wind. Every blade of grass tickled his paw, the ground beneath the blanket was rough to the touch.
Restless energy exploded as a rabbit appeared. Lowering his body to the ground, he crept silently towards it. The rabbit froze, ears low to its back, hearing him. In a burst of frightened energy, it sprang away from him. Severus gave into the impulses flowing inside and lunged after it. Another panther blocked his way. He growled.
'You are not hungry. Come.' Firm.
Bowing his head, respect for the elder in his eyes, he followed behind. Every movement mirrored the leader's and indelibly imprinted itself in him.
An Unknown Length of Time Passed:
Walking along the mountain trails, Septina suddenly found herself falling into the dark. A laugh greeted her upon her ungraceful landing and she looked up into the hazy light. "Lily? I'm going to kill you."
"Sure you are." The young woman extended her hand and helped her up. "It is time to conclude this journey."
"Is that what you call it?"
"You wouldn't?" Challenging.
"Not exactly,"
"Come along." Quiet words. Quiet tread. The two entered a pavilion. When they emerged, Septina wore the pendant and walked slowly-as though in pain. "Your brother is waiting for you."
"I know."
"Remember what I said."
"I will not forget."
She nodded, red hair shimmering in the fading moonlight. "Go. I will see you in school. We will not speak of this again."
Septina's dark head bowed, acknowledging. She disappeared then into the dawning morning.
Lily watched her go, worried about the shadow that still clung to her. The shadow that seemed to stalk Severus, dancing behind his every move, waiting. What else can I do?
"You did what you could for them. No one could ask for more."
She turned, studying Salazar carefully. "No one-except myself."
He was silent. What was there to say?
***
For a moment, they stared at each other, the mist in between them. A tentative smirk crossed Sev's lips at the same time her eyebrow quirked. Tension disappeared and they embraced, holding onto each other until the cold inside dissolved and the balance was restored.
"I missed you." Sept whispered, feeling him inside her soul again.
"No more than I you. I felt dead." He whispered back.
No other words were spoken. On a level understood only by twins, they knew of each other's trials, grief, and sorrows. Quietly, they stepped into the boat and floated to the Hogwarts Express. Leaving behind them on the isle their past, they headed into their new future.