Continuation of Slithering and Hiding…
Icy and ColdIcy and cold,
That old and worn-down thing,
That ugly and scraped shell
Of a human being…
Young Severus thought to himself while toying with his newly bought wand. The newly bought wand that he had obtained from his trip to Diagon Alley—all by himself. He practiced with it constantly, trying to build and bring out all the energy that he could muster from it. He tried to—show off…
Icy and cold,
Reflecting beauty's parting,
Showing-off one's desiring
To a loneliness unwanted…
"Hello." A small voice caused Severus to turn around, the twitching toad before him scampering off frightfully.
"Uhh… hi." Severus replied unsurely, finding a particularly pretty girl standing behind him.
"I think it's your turn now." The girl smiled. "Madame Malkin told me to send for you." She smiled.
"Thank you." Severus nodded and started off towards the back of the shop for the fitting.
"Sure. Oh yeah, what's your name? Are you going to Hogwarts too?" the girl enthusiastically said.
Severus looked around nervously then shrugged. "I'm going to Hogwarts if that's what you want to know but you'll just hear my name when the sorting begins." He said and with that, he walked off, leaving the girl staring at him curiously.
"My name's Lazuli, by the way!" she called out and Severus heard the gentle chime of the old bell above the shop's door.
Icy and cold,
A blue flame escaping
To warm this frozen thing,
To spread the touch of gentle spring…
"Ah, Hogwarts?" Madam Malkin smiled while adjusting her eyeglasses and taking out a measuring tape. "First year?" Severus only nodded as he was led onto a stool. Madam Malkin called for a girl in bright mauve robes to come around and bring her some robes for the fitting.
"What'll I do with you if you're not going to be good at this?" Madam Malkin scratched her head as the girl stumbled over to her side with a box filled with robes.
"Sorry, nana…" the girl blushed.
"Well, go on now!" Madam Malkin shooed her off. "You have to get the orders from Ollivander's." the girl nodded brightly and ran out of the shop.
"Now then," Madam Malkin smiled at Severus. "I'm sorry about that. She's going to Hogwarts too if you want to know." Severus barely listened to the woman jabber on about the girl proudly as the measuring tape flew all about him magically.
Icy and cold,
Blue flame departing?
Never to return?
How melancholy should we mourn…
"Snape, Severus!" a bright but eccentric voice called out for the young lad. The black-haired boy slowly made his way up to the stool where the Sorting Hat sat quietly, awaiting him and judging him.
After a moment, the hat shouted "SLYTHERIN!" and Severus was sent off to an applauding group of students.
The list went on and Severus heard: "Zarwin, Lazuli!"
"Lazuli?" Severus muttered to himself while eyeing the happy girl trot up to the stool.
"Let me see…" the Hat pondered. "SLYTHERIN!" it finally said. The students at the chosen table cheered and welcomed the brown-haired, green-eyed girl.
Icy and cold,
Bittersweet and harsh,
Cold thing freezing,
Blue flame just brightening…
"Severus!" a cheerful tone called after the sullen boy in the hall.
"What?" Severus shook his head as he turned around to greet the hyper girl.
"Can you help me with this?" Lazuli held up a book entitled: Magic Wars Through the Ages. Severus nodded and they went off to the Slytherin Common Room.
"Professor Dumbledore told me that you were at the top of the class in DADA. He told me that you could help me out with the report since he was too busy to."
"I see…" Severus secretly wanted to hang the professor for giving this girl to him to take care of.
"So why did this guy proclaim a code war against Merlin?" Lazuli pointed to a paragraph on the book.
Icy and cold,
Blue flame dancing
Upon the frozen casing
Of one that is hiding…
She's getting quite on my nerves… Severus thought to himself as he lay back in his bed. The year was passing quickly and he made few friends though Lazuli Zarwin sort of pushed him to be her friend. He was usually scowling around all the time and he had little interest in those few girls that giggled and blushed as he strode by, his usual sardonic expression on his face.
This is getting insane! He thought bitterly while tossing his blankets to his side. He quickly grabbed them and cuddled into them after realizing that if he slept without a blanket, winter's wrath would make him hers.
She doesn't stop smiling at me and she's so hyper! He grumbled quietly. Those bright green eyes, just like Lily Potter—Lily Potter… he frowned, clenching his fist at the name. He despised the smart little git for topping him at charms and Herbology, allowing Longbottom to squeeze between them too, leaving quite an enormous gap in between five more people and him against the charms' class top spell casters. That brought him to a more hideous subject—James Potter. His teeth ground angrily at the thought of the black-haired boy—the messy black-haired boy. Gryffindors… Bah! He nearly spat as he grumbled himself to sleep.
Lazuli! The subject dawned on him again. Potter's antics and cheerful attitude reminded him of the sniveling girl. The girl that tagged along side him everyday. The girl that chased after him in the halls just to ask a question. The girl that tried to defend him against taunts of the Gryffindors: Lupin, Black, Pettigrew and Potter. Does she actually care about me? He wondered thoughtfully. A pang of bitter hate and anxiety went through him and he shoved the thought out.
Icy and cold,
Memories fleeting,
Enraging and annoying,
How tender is spring…
"Lazuli, what in Slytherin's name are you doing?!" Severus stared at the girl that blinked open her eyes after being shaken awake in the Common Room. "Did you sleep here?!"
"H—huh?" Lazuli yawned and stared up at her awakener. "Uh… actually…" she blushed.
"Why did you sleep here Lazuli?" Severus eyed her frankly.
"I was trying to do your assignment and mine since you went up to bed earlier and before I arrived…" the girl yawned again.
"M—my assignment?!" Severus' eyes widened.
Icy and cold,
Blue flame flickering,
Frozen shell guarding
What hides deep beneath…
"You didn't finish it because you were helping me…" Lazuli handed over four pages of scrolls with fine black ink carefully and neatly written on it. Severus could only stare. "Thank you for helping me." She smiled and stood up. "I have to go now… it gets quite uncomfortable—sleeping in the Common Room." She yawned and walked up to the girls' dormitory.
"It's all complete…" Severus blinked as he proofread the report. His fingers shook with fear as well as shock at the memory of the deed done to him just now. At the same time, a tiny crack in his heart broke, letting a ray of light peep out of an old and ugly stone shell.
Icy and cold,
Ice started melting
At the eyes of the blue flame,
What hides, not hidden anymore…
FINI.
