Lucius and Narcissa had noticed the unusual friendship that seemed to be striking up between Severus and Maleficent. Though they rarely ever spoke to one another, they were often seen studying together in the Slytherin Common Room or in the library. Thought they were together quite a bit, they rarely ever said anything to each other. Lucius decided that it would be up to him and Narcissa to find out everything they could about this unusual relationship. Lucius had gotten to know Severus a bit and didn't think he would mind being asked a few questions. Narcissa felt the same about Maleficent. One afternoon, Lucius located Severus in the Common Room while Narcissa found Maleficent outside by the lake.
"Hey Severus, I need to ask you something," Lucius said as he approached Severus. Severus looked up from his Transfiguration book and said, "Well? What is it?" Lucius sat down and said, "It looks to me like you've been spending a lot of time with that Maleficent girl lately. What's going on between the two of you?" Severus narrowed his eyes and said, "What does it look like? We are study partners. She's good at Transfiguration but hopeless at Potions. I'm good at Potions but lost in Transfiguration. We help each other out. Why do you ask?" Severus was annoyed by the question but it set his mind in motion. Lucius said, "No real reason. I just wondered what was the deal." Severus glared at him and said, "The deal is that I want to do well on my exams. She can help me in the subject that I need the most help with. I help her because she helps me. That's all there is to it. AND I MEAN IT!" Severus raised his voice for the final sentence. A few other people in the Common Room looked in his direction, wondering what the problem was. Lucius held up his hands and said, "Okay, okay! I get the point. She's just a study partner." He got up and left Severus to his reading.
Meanwhile, Narcissa had gone down to the lake to talk to Maleficent. Maleficent was lying on her stomach at the edge of the lake, propped up on her elbows. She was reading her about one of the many Goblin Rebellions. She looked up when she heard Narcissa approaching. "Hi," she said to Narcissa. Narcissa sat down next to her and said, "Hi, Maleficent. Could we talk about something, if you're not too busy?" Maleficent closed her book, sat up, and said, "Of course, Narcissa. What do you want to talk about?" Narcissa took a deep breath and said, "Severus Snape's what I want to talk about." At the mention of his name, Maleficent's attention was fully on Narcissa. "What about him?" asked Maleficent. Narcissa quietly asked, "What's going on between you two? You're almost always together. Do you have a 'thing' for him?" Maleficent rolled her eyes and said, "No, I don't have a 'thing' for him. He just looked like he needed a friend and I thought, since I didn't know anyone else here, that I would try and accomodate that need." Narcissa said, "You're with him constantly but rarely ever say anything. If you're trying to be a friend, why not talk to him." Maleficent smiled slightly and said, "But we do talk. Quiet a bit. Mostly about school stuff but we talk." Narcissa cocked her head to one side and asked, "When? I never see you talking." Maleficent said, "Narcissa, if I tell you this, will you promise not to tell everyone else?" Narcissa moved closer. She loved a good secret. "Sure, I promise. What's up?" she asked.
Maleficent took a deep breath and said, "Now I am telling you the truth about this. Don't think I'm lying because I'm not. Severus and I talk to each other through our minds." Narcissa looked at her quizzically and said, "You're both telepaths?" Maleficent nodded and said, "Yes, but it only works between him and me. I can't talk to anyone else through my mind but I can talk to Severus that way. He's the same way. I'm the only one he can talk mentally with, to my knowledge." Narcissa sat back. Could this be true? It was obvious to her but Maleficent was totally clueless. "Maleficent, do you know what this means?" Narcissa asked excitedly. Maleficent shook her head. "It means that you are soulmates! It's really rare but it does happen from time to time. It's a well-known wizarding tradition. If two people find each other and can speak through their minds, then they are meant to be together for all eternity! Not even death will truly separate them!" Maleficent was amazed. Maleficent said, "So you mean....." she trailed off as Narcissa finished her sentence. "Yes, you are Severus are meant to be together! This is so cool," Narcissa exclaimed. "Does Severus know this?" Maleficent asked. Narcissa said, "I don't know. Most wizarding families do but it's so rare that some probably have never discussed it."
After Lucius left, Severus heard Maleficent's thoughts in his own mind. He heard the conversation between her and Narcissa. The whole soulmate thing seemed pretty weird to him. He went down to the library and asked Madam Pince for a book that discussed it in depth. She found one for him and he sat at a table, immersed in reading. Sure enough, Narcissa was right. This book did indeed talk about the rarity of such a thing and how it was inevitable that the two who were capable of such things were soulmates. "Soulmates? How can this be?" Severus thought to himself.
"Soulmates? How can this be?" Maleficent heard in her mind. "Narcissa, he knows! Severus knows about our conversation! He's in the library now looking up the concept. He's found a book that confirms this," Maleficent said softly. A voice spoke very clearly in her mind. "I want you to know that I'm not looking for a relationship, Maleficent. Just a study partner. ONLY!" Severus said to her telepathically. Maleficent replied, "Neither am I, Severus. We will just be friends and study partners." She relayed the information to Narcissa who laughed lightly and said, "That may be, but as Professor Trelawney says, the Fates have spoken!" She headed back to the castle, leaving Maleficent to her thoughts (and the thoughts of Severus Snape).
"Hey Severus, I need to ask you something," Lucius said as he approached Severus. Severus looked up from his Transfiguration book and said, "Well? What is it?" Lucius sat down and said, "It looks to me like you've been spending a lot of time with that Maleficent girl lately. What's going on between the two of you?" Severus narrowed his eyes and said, "What does it look like? We are study partners. She's good at Transfiguration but hopeless at Potions. I'm good at Potions but lost in Transfiguration. We help each other out. Why do you ask?" Severus was annoyed by the question but it set his mind in motion. Lucius said, "No real reason. I just wondered what was the deal." Severus glared at him and said, "The deal is that I want to do well on my exams. She can help me in the subject that I need the most help with. I help her because she helps me. That's all there is to it. AND I MEAN IT!" Severus raised his voice for the final sentence. A few other people in the Common Room looked in his direction, wondering what the problem was. Lucius held up his hands and said, "Okay, okay! I get the point. She's just a study partner." He got up and left Severus to his reading.
Meanwhile, Narcissa had gone down to the lake to talk to Maleficent. Maleficent was lying on her stomach at the edge of the lake, propped up on her elbows. She was reading her about one of the many Goblin Rebellions. She looked up when she heard Narcissa approaching. "Hi," she said to Narcissa. Narcissa sat down next to her and said, "Hi, Maleficent. Could we talk about something, if you're not too busy?" Maleficent closed her book, sat up, and said, "Of course, Narcissa. What do you want to talk about?" Narcissa took a deep breath and said, "Severus Snape's what I want to talk about." At the mention of his name, Maleficent's attention was fully on Narcissa. "What about him?" asked Maleficent. Narcissa quietly asked, "What's going on between you two? You're almost always together. Do you have a 'thing' for him?" Maleficent rolled her eyes and said, "No, I don't have a 'thing' for him. He just looked like he needed a friend and I thought, since I didn't know anyone else here, that I would try and accomodate that need." Narcissa said, "You're with him constantly but rarely ever say anything. If you're trying to be a friend, why not talk to him." Maleficent smiled slightly and said, "But we do talk. Quiet a bit. Mostly about school stuff but we talk." Narcissa cocked her head to one side and asked, "When? I never see you talking." Maleficent said, "Narcissa, if I tell you this, will you promise not to tell everyone else?" Narcissa moved closer. She loved a good secret. "Sure, I promise. What's up?" she asked.
Maleficent took a deep breath and said, "Now I am telling you the truth about this. Don't think I'm lying because I'm not. Severus and I talk to each other through our minds." Narcissa looked at her quizzically and said, "You're both telepaths?" Maleficent nodded and said, "Yes, but it only works between him and me. I can't talk to anyone else through my mind but I can talk to Severus that way. He's the same way. I'm the only one he can talk mentally with, to my knowledge." Narcissa sat back. Could this be true? It was obvious to her but Maleficent was totally clueless. "Maleficent, do you know what this means?" Narcissa asked excitedly. Maleficent shook her head. "It means that you are soulmates! It's really rare but it does happen from time to time. It's a well-known wizarding tradition. If two people find each other and can speak through their minds, then they are meant to be together for all eternity! Not even death will truly separate them!" Maleficent was amazed. Maleficent said, "So you mean....." she trailed off as Narcissa finished her sentence. "Yes, you are Severus are meant to be together! This is so cool," Narcissa exclaimed. "Does Severus know this?" Maleficent asked. Narcissa said, "I don't know. Most wizarding families do but it's so rare that some probably have never discussed it."
After Lucius left, Severus heard Maleficent's thoughts in his own mind. He heard the conversation between her and Narcissa. The whole soulmate thing seemed pretty weird to him. He went down to the library and asked Madam Pince for a book that discussed it in depth. She found one for him and he sat at a table, immersed in reading. Sure enough, Narcissa was right. This book did indeed talk about the rarity of such a thing and how it was inevitable that the two who were capable of such things were soulmates. "Soulmates? How can this be?" Severus thought to himself.
"Soulmates? How can this be?" Maleficent heard in her mind. "Narcissa, he knows! Severus knows about our conversation! He's in the library now looking up the concept. He's found a book that confirms this," Maleficent said softly. A voice spoke very clearly in her mind. "I want you to know that I'm not looking for a relationship, Maleficent. Just a study partner. ONLY!" Severus said to her telepathically. Maleficent replied, "Neither am I, Severus. We will just be friends and study partners." She relayed the information to Narcissa who laughed lightly and said, "That may be, but as Professor Trelawney says, the Fates have spoken!" She headed back to the castle, leaving Maleficent to her thoughts (and the thoughts of Severus Snape).