Disclaimer: J.K.R. owns pretty much everything except for a few characters and the plot.
Chapter Seven: Faeries and Dragon-Hide
Harry sat at a table watching Gabrielle dance with the England Keeper, a Robbie "Justin" Time, a long time friend of his who had been with him when he was playing Quidditch in France. That had been years ago when Gabrielle had been a young teenager though, Justin had been rather surprised to find that she had grown up.
Lyca Lupin approached his table and sat down, giving him a warm smile, "Hello, Harry," she said in perfect English, but with her rather heavy Italian accent. "Looking for a certain German Seeker?"
"Actually I'm looking for a number of people," said Harry, peering around the dancing couples.
"Well Sabine Cisseus and the rest of the German team aren't meant to be arriving for another half an hour," said Lyca. "I just heard it from McGonagall and Snape."
"Celea Leone?" asked Harry.
"Fashionably late no doubt," said Lyca.
"Okay then –how are you?" asked Harry, with a smile.
Lyca smiled back at him, "Well I've just had the most fascinating conversation with that friend of yours, Ron, about Auror tactics and various curses employed, comparably."
"Sounds incredibly interesting," said Harry with a sigh.
Lyca laughed, "Why don't you go and dance with someone, Harry."
"You want to?" he asked.
"Me?"
"Yeah, you look alright – got all your teeth I see," said Harry sarcastically.
"Quite an accomplishment for an Auror I assure you, Harry," said Lyca still chuckling. "Why don't you ask the girl in red, Ron's little sister. Oh, what's her name – Ginny Weasley,"
Harry's face darkened slightly and he shook his head, "No," he said softly. "I can't dance with her."
Lyca gave him a sad look, "Why, Harry? She's a lovely girl. Remus told me you used to really like her."
"It's a long story," said Harry.
Before Lyca could ask him what exactly this long story was he spotted Sabine Cisseus entering the hall, just as a song stopped. Harry suspected that Sabine timed her entrances for maximum effect, if not she had incredible luck. One day he would catch her hanging around outside waiting to make the perfect entrance. Everyone turned to see her walk in and the hall was fill was the buzz of whispers.
Sabine's rather exotic dress sense hadn't altered much since Harry had known her and tonight's robe was a testament to that. Her robe probably a robe by technicality, and her robe-maker was probably very talented and just as daring as Sabine. The robe was made of dragon hide, the soft under belly scale of a Swedish Short-Snout cut on a bias – if that was possible with dragon hide – and low at the front and back. Strips of dragon skin from the shoulders curled tightly around her arms, making it technically a robe. Filling her long black hair were thousands of tiny silver stars to match the silver-blue of her robe and the long robe that was gathered elegantly at her shoulders had been enchanted to show a frosty, crescent mooned night.
"You're beautiful as ever," said Harry as they reached each other.
"De same goes for you, Harry," said Sabine, smiling at him.
With a laugh from both of them Harry swept her up into his arms and kissed her, even if it was rather chaste the rumours would be flying tomorrow. As he let her go the orchestra struck up again and Harry quite willingly joined the dancing with Sabine.
"Got a little silver lippy there, Harry," said Ron as he twirled past with Hermione. "Nice to see you again, Sabine."
"Yeah, I hope you can come back with us after the Ball," said Hermione.
"I voot love too," said Sabine, with a smile. "Dis is vonderful… I have dinner reservations alreaty."
Hermione and Ron danced on and Harry spun Sabine, bringing her gently back into his arms, "It's amazing how much we can change in a few years…" commented Harry.
"Ah, Harry," said Sabine, giving him a smile. "Ve have not datet since ve vere still teenagers, do not be startink dis again."
"You're right," said Harry. "You were always right."
"Of course!" laughed Sabine, kissing him briefly again.
"I can see the articles," said Harry. "German Girl Gets Gorgeous – something else beginning with 'G'…"
Sabine laughed her beautiful musical laughter again, "You alvays mate me laugh, Harry… I am still thinkink dat breakink up vas for de best though… I do not vish –"
"To start this again," cut off Harry. "Neither do I – but I do want to dance with you. Can you still swing dance, I remember the fun we had when I was playing in Germany."
"I voot, but my dress," said Sabine, giving him a weak smile.
"Always were very adventurous when it came to your robes weren't you," said Harry. "Stretching the actual term 'robe' as far as possible at all times, hmm."
"Thank-you… I have alvays triet."
"Indeed," said Harry.
Sabine gave him a playful glare and they continued to sweep around the hall, quite a striking couple if they actually realised it. Neither of them did, they never did. Harry had fallen in love with Sabine in the first place because she didn't know she was so incredible and Sabine had fallen for Harry for exactly the same reasons.
*****
"Ginny," wept Harry. "I didn't mean for this to happen… You shouldn't have died like this – you shouldn't have died at all!"
His tears fell onto her face and mingled with the droplets of his blood that were falling onto her too. She looked up at him blankly with her once bright brown eyes missing their spark. He ran his forefinger over her long, soft lashes and let his face drop into her robes.
"Poor girl – so young," said a soft, musical voice.
Harry's head jerked up and he came face to face with an ancient looking man, leaning heavily on a hard staff of ash, bound with leather. It took a few moments for Harry to realise through his grief that he knew this man, and he was not at all welcome here.
"You can't, Arawn," choked Harry softly.
"I have not come for her, Harry," the old man assured him. "You broke Voldemort's wand and released all of the spirits, I have come for them… They deserve to be allowed to the Otherworld now."
"But she's dead," said Harry. "Aren't you going to take her?"
"No," said Arawn, shaking his head. "Lily would never forgive me if I took her from you…"
"You'll bring her back?" asked Harry, eyeing the staff Arawn held, he knew it's power.
"I cannot bring someone back after they have been cursed in such a manner," said Arawn. "But you may be able to… She is not quite dead yet, her soul is yet to flee her body. Come, Harry, we must see what we can do for you."
Arawn rose to his feet and Harry recalled what a heavily built man he was, with broad shoulders and a deep chest. Harry picked up Ginny's limp form and looked sadly down at her pale features. He looked back up at Arawn, who gave him a pleasant smile.
"Isn't my grandfather going to be angry with you for doing this?" asked Harry.
"Beli can go hang," snapped Arawn. "He was stupid enough to let his daughter go and live with the Muggles and he couldn't convince Dumbledore to let you stay in Annwn when you were a baby. He knows nought about the dead and he can't tell me what to do."
Harry smiled at his Great Uncle, at least someone in Annwn was on his side. He was going to save Ginny and everything was going to be alright again. As Arawn hit his staff on the flags and Harry saw everything go white and wind rush him by he suddenly felt a lot better, a weight had been lifted from him… But how was he going to bring Ginny back?
*****
Ginny allowed Jonathon to twirl her and looked over at Harry and Sabine. She had watched them both through her fifth and sixth years, they had hardly been joined at the hip as that was impossible, but it had always seemed like they were the perfect couple. They were matched perfectly for each other.
Sabine was beautiful, her body was as perfectly sculpted as her Quidditch skills. She was also as intelligent and witty as any Ravenclaw. She was always rather independent, that suited Harry of course, because he was too. She also was immensely fun loving and had an uncanny ability to bring Harry out of his shell. After what had happen in Harry's fourth and fifth year she had been just what Harry needed. Added to all that she obviously adored Harry.
Harry was gorgeous, even outside Ginny's rather biased opinion. Slightly tanned with his black, shoulder length hair that developed copper highlights in the sun and those fathomless green eyes. He was also widely rumoured to be worth a fortune, he had earned an absolute fortune from playing Quidditch for various teams, Ginny knew that for sure, she had caught a glimpse at his pay cheque once. And he could make Sabine laugh and had a fantastic time with her every time they met without fail.
What made it all so much more annoying was that Ginny couldn't dislike Sabine at all. Even when Sabine and Harry had been seeing more of each other and Harry let his friends from Hogwarts slip a bit, Ginny had liked her and it was incredibly irritating. She owed most of her intelligence about Harry from Sabine as well, even Hermione had listened to some of that information. Fred and George, who had somehow found out what Sabine had said, had teased Harry for days.
"How do you think he does it?" asked Jonathon.
"Sorry?" asked Ginny, suddenly becoming aware that she hadn't being paying any attention to her own boyfriend.
"Harry Potter, he brought one gorgeous girl and now he's got another one who looks as though she'd die for him," said Jonathon. "Look at the faces of all those single women – they look about ready to kill that woman."
Ginny smiled, "Well no-one stands a chance against Sabine Cisseus," she explained. "She was Harry's first girlfriend and everyone knows Harry will be in love with her forever."
"Why'd he break up with her then?"
"Nobody knows, it's one of the mysteries of Harry Potter, I suppose," said Ginny.
"Well I'm lucky I've got you," said Jonathon, kissing her.
*****
"May I?" asked Justin.
"Certainly," said Harry, swapping partners with his friend.
"I shall see you later, Harry," said Sabine.
Gabrielle grinned at him as he took her in his arms and he raised an eyebrow at her, "What?"
"You look very 'appy," said Gabrielle, grinning at him. "I 'ave never seen you looking so 'appy, 'Arry."
"Well I am happy, Elle. I've got you," he said, kissing her nose, "I've got my other friends, I have just been dancing with an old friend, renewing a friendship, and everyone I know is wonderfully happy. If that's not a good reason to be happy then I don't know what is."
Gabrielle smiled at him sweetly, "I do not zink you 'ave everyzing yet, 'Arry – I should keep going."
"Pick one at random, hmm, Elle?" asked Harry.
"Per'aps close your eyes and zen point," offered Gabrielle.
"No – that's how my mum picked my name and if they hadn't changed it from Ari to Harry, who knows what I might have been called."
"Bel," said Gabrielle, pressing her face into his shoulder, shaking with silent laughter.
"It was my grandfather's name," said Harry. "And it's not funny."
"Okay eet is not funny," conceded Gabrielle, giving him a mock serious look, which Harry returned with a glare.
"May I cut in?" asked Lavender Brown, smiling at Harry beautifully.
"Of course," said Gabrielle and Harry gave her another glare.
He was left dancing with Lavender and it was much slower than with Gabrielle or Sabine. Apparently Lavender had thought extraordinarily high heels would be just the thing to wear to a Ball where dancing figured largely in the events. Harry couldn't' say he enjoyed the conversation too much either, he would much have preferred to be dancing with Gabrielle, Hermione or Sabine and quite happily with Medea, Lyca and Brizo.
"So you're playing Seeker for England again," said Lavender. "Poor, Ginny, her boyfriend won't get a look in will he."
"I've seen him fly – he's alright. And it's not as though I'm going to be flying in every single match," said Harry, rather tense on the subject of anything to do with Ginny.
"And who are you going to be playing for when the new Quidditch season starts? All of the teams are fighting over you, I hear."
"I haven't decided yet," said Harry. "I mean I have the entire Tournament to decide… In the end I might well go back to flying abroad."
"Parvati said she met you in Italy and you spoke Italian like a native," said Lavender, smiling at him.
"A bit of an over exaggeration, but I did study and I spent a lot of time living there with the Lupins," said Harry, smiling weakly back at her.
The dance ended at that moment and Harry was gratefully rescued by Brizo, who grinned at him broadly and gave Parvati a rather mocking curtsey. "Thank-you," whispered Harry.
"Don't mention it," said Brizo. "You were always my best student and James would have wanted me to rescue you from the horrors of being the most eligible bachelor at a Ball… And Sirius and Remus asked me to do it," she admitted.
"Well thank-you. But isn't this going to annoy your husband though?" he asked, glancing over at Snape who was talking with a few former students.
"I was one of your father's friends, you know, Harry." Said Brizo. "Now that annoys him, but I think he'll let me dance with you."
"Really? I was looking forward to annoying Snape," said Harry, pretending to be disappointed.
"He only stands it now because his sister or I would kill him if he lost his temper with you," said Brizo.
"Ah, but if it wasn't for me annoying him you would have never come back to England to calm him down after my third year and Mnemosyne would not exist… Let's drop that there though, shall we, I don't want that image in my head. Shame you didn't tell him Memo was his until my seventh year – he might have been nicer to me if he knew that the detention I got in my fifth year involved me looking after his daughter, and being good at it."
Brizo laughed, "She liked the story about the Chamber of Secrets the best as I recall – wouldn't go to sleep without hearing ''bout de really big an' nasty snake dat tried to eat 'Arry'."
"Scarred her for life that," said Harry.
"No doubt about it, Harry," chuckled Brizo.
*****
Harry sat by the window in Medea McKinnon's office. She had chosen not to take Snape's old office and had found a large old room in one of the southern towers. She had done a good job renovating it, enlarging the tiny window to a huge size and putting a comfortable leather sofa against one wall. After sealing up all the cracks and casting a few spells on the crumbling plaster she had covered the walls with photographs of various people, including one of Harry from when he had won the Inter-School Quidditch cup for Hogwarts in his sixth year.
"Hello, Harry, how was your day?" asked Medea, entering her office and flopping down on the sofa.
"Obviously better than yours," said Harry, grinning at her.
She laughed weakly, "I'm getting old, you know."
"You're not that old, Medea," Harry assured her.
"Flattery will get you everywhere, Harry," Medea told him. "Now what brings you all the way up here? The idea of having my office up a long flight of stairs is to deter students from coming up…"
"I wanted to ask you about my parents," said Harry.
"Always a pleasure," said Medea. "Please continue."
"I know that you and my mum never really knew my dad until later on in school, 'cause you were a year younger than him, Sirius, Lupin, Brizo and Ari. But how come when I asked Sirius why Snape hated my dad he said it was because of you and my mum… He didn't tell me anything else."
"Come here, lad," said Medea, patted the sofa next to her and Harry obediently went and sat. "My grandmother, Harry, was Professor Dumbledore's niece and she married my grandfather and they and their children, among them my mother, all worked for him gathering intelligence on Voldemort as he was gathering strength… My mother was the ideal of a Gryffindor, unfortunately she had no Ravenclaw tendencies in her and when she fell for one of Voldemort's supporters she wasn't too smart about it. There's no need to go into what exactly happen, because I myself never really knew. Suffice to say I was conceived, but before my mother had me her brother, my uncle, took her back to McKinnon Castle and after I was born she continued to work as a spy for Dumbledore.
"And now we get to the other part that was going on at the same time. Your family, Harry, as you no doubt know already, were superb Quidditch players, born and bred that way. And your grandfather was no exception, he played for England as a Chaser and was a bloody good one at that. However, he may have been an excellent Chaser, but he was a womaniser and during the long tours away from England he wasn't entirely faithful to your grandmother. Eventually he left your grandmother for his mistress, also married.
"This mistress was married to my mother's Death Eater and together they were of course the well-known and socially recognised Snapes, Sophassa and Sparsus," said Medea and grinned. "I always thought that the triple 'S' was really funny when I was a kid."
Harry gaped at her, "That's why Snape hates me? Because my grandfather took his mother away from him when he was small?"
"Well then there was your father," continued Medea. "Here is Severus, poor Sev, brought up to hate the man who took his mother away from him and the wife from his father. And then he arrives at Hogwarts and whom does he meet but James Potter, the son of the man that took his mother from him and deprived him of all of her comfort and affection. They were rivals from then on and then I came to Hogwarts next year and Sparsus had told his son to look after me, I think in some twisted way Sparsus really did love my mother you know. But, shock horror, I was put into Gryffindor and made friends with your mother there.
"We soon met the Marauders and Brizo, Ari and Leah – shame about Leah, you never even met her – and we were in awe of them. James Potter and Sirius Black were gods, simple as that. Severus hated that, seeing his little sister in awe of the boy he hated. In his eyes James was taking his little sister from him too and when he saw that James flew just like his father it rather strengthened his conviction that James was going to take me.
"That wasn't true of course, but he was rather screwed up. Whenever James did pay any attention to me it had some how involved your mother and it was really Sirius and Remus who talked to us at all. James Potter was nether the less a divine being, the rest of the girls in school agreed with us.
"While we were at school Voldemort was gaining power, but you know that don't you, and Snape was picked to be a Death Eater because of his father, who was by this point dead. He tried to convince me to join him too, but it didn't work, I had been corrupted by James Potter after all… Damn, even when James married Lily he was certain he had stolen me from him, bit stupid really."
"That's what it was all about?" asked Harry. "Snape was trying to get a girl who my dad wasn't even interested in? That's why he tried to get my dad and the others expelled?"
"Yep," said Medea with a chuckle. "He was a daft lad…. But now you know why Sirius tried to kill him don't you…"
"Er – why?" asked Harry, not understanding this bit at all.
Medea grinned sleepily and patted his shoulder, "Because the poor boy was in love with me!"
"That's it?" asked Harry. "They were all fighting over you and my dad didn't even realise it?"
"Well in the end, yeah," said Medea. "That's why he dragged Snape out of the Shrieking Shack and wasn't as mean to him as Sirius. He tried to tell Sev that he didn't want me at all."
"Well… Thanks, you always tell me things when I ask," said Harry, smiling at her.
"But in the end you know what, Harry," said Medea as he got up. "I corrupted Severus and turned him to our side! He never even saw it coming."
Harry smiled at Medea's rather twisted sense of humour and left her office. As he walked back down the winding stairs he mused over how stupid people really could be. He hoped he would never be stupid enough to be angry at someone for something they had had no part in and no control over.
REALLY LONG A/N: That took me a surprisingly long time to write, I had the idea of why Snape hated the Potters in my head, but I wasn't entirely sure how to write it down. The way I wrote this is far better than some of the other ideas I had for it, I thought a sleepy Medea who isn't entirely sure what she was saying would go down well.
And I normally don't go into long clothing descriptions, but I had Sabine's robe in my mind and I wanted to get the idea across to you guys. Lyca is Remus Lupin's wife if you haven't guessed by the way and Brizo is Snape's – I'm afraid I thought the greasy, big nosed git deserved to be happy. I'm not entirely sure what Remus does for a living and I have no idea what Brizo, who I'm saying was the DADA professor in Harry's fifth year, works as, so suggestions are welcomed.
Finally I have to admit that I will be corrupting mythology in future chapters. I don't have any decent books on Welsh myth so I'm improvising with other Celtic stuff and taking some of the characters from the Classical myths. If you're studying Celtic myth or something like that don't yell at me and just remember that I am managing to stick to the Harry Potter books very well, if not ancient myths passed down the generations. Bards will no doubt me spinning in their graves by the end of my story.
Thanks to my lovely reviewers and curses to the luck that put my last chapter on the fifth page or something. Hopefully this time I'll be on the first page ::crosses fingers::
