The Liber Severi
Liber I - Severus Snape's True Love
Copyright (c) 2001 by Cassandra Houston
Illustrations by Gabriel (http://www.angelfire.com/art/angelgabriel/)
Author's Notes:
Most of the characters within belong to JK Rowling. Amethyst Rayne Black Snape, Lapis Meaker and some others belong to me, Cassandra Houston. I will not accept money for this book, nor any others made with the wonderful characters JK Rowling has created. I am only putting on paper my interpretation and theory of what the Rowling characters may have been like before the Harry Potter series and what they may be like after. I am not trying to insult or steal from Rowling. I am only having fun here.
If you like what you read (and I certainly hope you do), please feel free to forward a copy of this ebook along to friends, family and anyone else who may enjoy its contents.
I must take the time here to thank Gabriel. Gabriel! You are a saint and I am forever in your debt!
I now give you Severus Snape's True Love, the first in the Liber Severi series.
Cassandra Houston
Chapter Thirteen: Plots and Schemes
"I am telling you," Severus said, sounding extremely frustrated, "That we have to get to him by invitation. He has increased the security around his home since he's been back in Britain, but he is still too arrogant to secure himself against much within his walls. He believes nothing can touch him inside his home."
He was lying on his back, on the sofa, lecturing to the ceiling. Amethyst was sitting on the kitchen counter, between kitchen and sitting room. Her head was lowered between her shoulder blades and she was scowling. Sirius was thrown in one of two large armchairs. One leg thrown carelessly over an arm and head thrown over the other. Harry was in the other armchair, watching with absolute fascination.
They'd been at this for an hour. The problem they were having was that Sirius wanted to be as covert as possible with the murder of Lucius. Severus and Amethyst had been telling him that a covert strike would never work. They would have to get in his house.
"In his face." Amethyst said.
"Fine, then." Sirius said. "You win, Severus. We'll have to get in his house."
"Thank you." Severus said to the ceiling.
"So now what? Another hour long discussion about exactly what we're going to do once we get on the property?" Sirius said, irritated.
A small pop caused Harry to look at Amethyst. She had disappeared.
"Where'd she go?" he asked, alarmed.
Sirius sighed. "Probably went to do the job without us."
Severus was chuckling and when Harry looked at him, his eyes were closed. "She went home." he announced. "She is plotting something." he said. And he opened his eyes.
"What is she plotting, is the question." Sirius said.
"Well, she was headed for my laboratory if that tells you anything." Severus said, throwing his long legs off the sofa and sitting up.
It was full dark now. The moon was up. Severus went to the window, which faced the front of the apartment building and looked up. "Full moon." he said. "Shame, we won't be able to let Remus in on this."
"I doubt he'd do it." Sirius said, dragging himself from his chair and joining Severus at the window. He glanced down. "What's this?" and he knocked Severus on the arm, getting his attention.
A shifty looking fellow was looking at Amethysts car. "He better not touch it." Severus said. "She has a nasty security charm on that car."
The man was definitely looking at the car. He looked left and right and even up, but as there was no light in Sirius' apartment, he could not see the two men looking at him.
"Don't be a fool." Sirius said. "My sister knows her security charms."
Harry got up, but Sirius half turned and said. "You don't want to see this, Harry. Amethyst takes her car very seriously and I wouldn't be surprised if the charm on it is deadly."
Harry went to the window anyway.
The man was wearing a trench coat, against the early December chill, which he opened and took something from.
"He's going to try and steal the car." Harry said.
The man looked all around him again, and then touched the car door.
"He's disappeared." Harry said. "What happened to him?"
But Severus and Sirius were scanning the street below. "There he is." Severus said, pointing.
A mouse, that looked like it had a black jacket on, was running in circles on the sidewalk, apparently frantic.
"She turned him into a mouse?" Harry said. "What for?"
"Shhhhhhhh," Sirius said, "Wait, watch and learn. Amethyst should be a security expert. Probably would be if her charms weren't so dangerous."
Harry saw movement out of the corner of his eye. A huge cat was prowling up the street, he followed Sirius' gaze and saw another cat. Severus was watching the progress of the third. The cats were stalking the mouse. The biggest one swiped at it. The smallest one did also.
"Are you boys planning on watching that mouse get played to death?" Amethyst had returned, unnoticed.
Severus was shaking his head. "You are one cold lady." he said, but Harry heard reverence in his voice.
Amethyst smiled a smile that made Harry's blood run cold. She had two bottles of some potion or other and a huge black owl with her.
"Remind me never to make you angry," said Harry, looking at the owl and the bottles.
Amethyst ignored him and addressed Severus. "Flattery will get you everywhere." she said. She let the owl lose and it flew to the chair Harry had just vacated. She put the bottles on the coffee table.
"You think that was cold?" she said, motioning to the window where the car thief/mouse was still being played like a pre-dinner snack. "Just wait until you hear what I'm scheming now."
Melissa Malone answered the door. She hated her job. The pay was horrible. Now that everyone else had been sacked and she was the single remaining servant, you would think she would get a raise in pay, but none had come. At this rate, she would never have enough money saved to move into her own place and away from her boss. Provided her boss would allow her to leave the house. Since he got so much pleasure from her, after his wife went to bed, she doubted it.
She opened the door and found herself facing a black robed stomach. She looked up and found herself looking into the scowling face of Severus Snape. She remembered him from the days of the Dark Lord. He terrified her. The only smile she'd ever seen on his face was when he'd cursed people in this very house -- a regular occurrence several years ago, when he came regularly to this place. She had not seen him in over two years, and she had not missed him one bit.
"Severus Snape to see Lucius Malfoy." he growled at her, quietly, as if talking to himself.
Melissa let him in and took him into the drawing room, where her boss waited with his wife. Lucius looked at Severus and said, "Ah, Snape, what a surprise. You have news, I assume. Where is your lovely wife?"
Snape gave Malfoy an evil looking grin. "We decided she would not come. Remember, she seems to have a negative effect on your mental faculties."
Lucius turned red. "Melissa, bring extra wine for our guest."
Before Melissa could even flinch, Severus said, "No, Malfoy, I did not come here for wine. I came with news."
Lucius Malfoy dismissed Melissa with a wave, and she returned to the kitchen. She was preparing to bring out the bottle of wine her boss and his wife liked so much. They would drink it, then they would switch to port. Then Narcissa would retire and Lucius would come to her. The idea made her sick.
She heard a scratching and whining at the kitchen door. "One of those horrible dogs?" she thought than decided it wasn't. They never came near the house unless there was food. She opened the door and saw an enormous black dog grinning up at her. It was whining and whimpering and seemed to be hurt. It was holding up one of its paws.
Melissa loved dogs, except those of her boss and his family. They were mean, terrible animals. This one was looking at her with big sad eyes that made her trust and pity it. She bent over and patted the dog on the head. "Hurt yourself big fella?" she crooned. "Those mean dogs of the Mister attack you?"
She was jerked up by her hair. A woman she had never seen before had her by her shoulder length blonde hair. Melissa saw a determined look on the woman's face and murder in her eyes.
"I need this." she whispered as she yanked a handful of hair out of Melissa's head. Melissa would have screamed but the woman stuffed a rag in her mouth the second she's opened it.
She pushed Melissa back gently and Melissa saw her pull out a wand. As she raised her hand to remove the rag and scream for help, when she heard a whispered, "Deleo."
Melissa Malone ceased to exist.
"Tell me your news, then." Lucius said, amicable.
"Sirius Black has a friend in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement." Snape said, slowly. "As big a fool as Sirius Black, maybe even more of one."
Lucius laughed, "You oughtn't speak ill of your brother-in-law. Makes for a cold bed at night."
"I was giving you my wife's impression, not mine." Severus said. "Anyway, this friend will be making all the arrangements to release Draco. Give it a week, and he should be home."
Narcissa smiled broadly. "Thank you so much, Severus." she said.
Lucius agreed. "Yes, Snape, thank you." he motioned to the bottle. "Would you care to join us for a drink?"
The servant girl had returned with a bottle of wine. She poured for Lucius and Narcissa then stayed right by Lucius' side.
"No, thank you, Lucius." Severus said. "I prefer port in any event and I oughtn't drink tonight. My wife insisted I make it here with all haste and so I drove that wretched car of hers, since you have made it impossible to Apparate on your property."
Lucius laughed and drained his glass. His wife did the same. Melissa refilled them immediately. "I would love to see you drive that car off, Severus." he drained his glass again, and stood. "We shall see you to the door."
Narcissa drained her glass also and stood to walk Severus to the door. They stood watching Severus as he walked up to his car. "Oh, yes, Malfoy, there is one other thing." he said, turning to face them.
Lucius and Narcissa were suddenly taken with unbearable pains in their stomachs. They doubled over. Narcissa landed on her knees, grasping for her husbands robes, but Lucius was no help. He was also on his knees, then on his side, writhing in agony. They screamed their pain, and Melissa appeared in the doorway. She looked down on her employers, emotionless.
They stood there for another forty minutes, watching the Malfoys die. They had bled from the nose, eyes and ears. They died crumpled from their writhing.
"Never mind, Lucius." Severus said, softly. "I guess it wasn't that important, really."
He looked up at Melissa. "Come, my dear." he said, walking to the passenger side of the car and opening the door. The huge black dog ran around the corner of the house and jumped in the car before Severus. Melissa got in the car and started it.
Pulling up in front Sirius' apartment building, Sirius got out and went home. Amethyst, her true form back, sped off so fast that it was like the car had never been there. She and Severus were home less than an hour later.
When Severus got out of bed and left their bedchamber, Amethyst did not move and did not acknowledge that she knew he'd moved. She opened her eyes when she heard his feet on the stairs, heading for the attic. She knew he was probably going onto the roof for air. They were both sopping wet with the sweat of their passion and Amethyst was not a millisecond from sleep when Severus moved, disturbing her.
She sat up and closed her eyes. Severus was in the attic, all right. She looked through his eyes as he approached a trunk. She watched as he opened the trunk. Then a very slow smile spread across her face. She saw his hand reach for the case and she cut the connection she had with him.
She got out of bed and left the room. She was climbing the attic stairs when the music began. She paused and listened to him for a full minute before she continued up the stairs. The saw the open trunk and approached it. The night was cool and she was feeling the beginnings of a chill. She took one of the shirts that had been cushioning the cello in its case. She put it on, but did not pull her long hair out of it. She saw the open attic window and went through it.
Severus was propped against one of the chimneys, oblivious to the December air. The moonlight glistened off of his wet hair. He'd put on one of the old shirts he'd most likely found in the trunk also. He was playing his old cello. Amethyst had not seen this cello since the last night they'd seen each other, before she'd gone to America. They'd sat up here, on this roof, on the houses old site, and he'd played for her. This very melody as a matter of fact. She would never forget that. For the last time, as it turned out.
The music suddenly stopped and Amethyst was brought back to the here and now. They looked at each other for a very long time.
"I didn't mean to wake you." he said, "I'm sorry."
"You never have needed to apologise to me."
"I was suddenly overcome with the desire to come up here and play. It was like the old cello was calling to me."
Amethyst said nothing, but nodded once.
"I haven't played since the last night we were together. Before you died." he glanced down at the cello. "Before I died." he sighed, "I haven't touched it since. Haven't even looked at it since."
Amethyst climbed from where she stood at the open window up to the chimney. She sat a little away from him, facing forward, not looking at him. "I was here." she whispered. "We'd been up half the night making love and we came up here to cool down. You played that very tune for me."
Severus switched the bow from his right hand to his left, where he held it with the cello. With his free hand, he pulled Amethysts hair out of her shirt. He then caressed her face. He took Amethysts' chin in her hand, leaned towards her and kissed her gently.
"Play for me, Severus." she whispered.
He did.
Liber I - Severus Snape's True Love
Copyright (c) 2001 by Cassandra Houston
Illustrations by Gabriel (http://www.angelfire.com/art/angelgabriel/)
Author's Notes:
Most of the characters within belong to JK Rowling. Amethyst Rayne Black Snape, Lapis Meaker and some others belong to me, Cassandra Houston. I will not accept money for this book, nor any others made with the wonderful characters JK Rowling has created. I am only putting on paper my interpretation and theory of what the Rowling characters may have been like before the Harry Potter series and what they may be like after. I am not trying to insult or steal from Rowling. I am only having fun here.
If you like what you read (and I certainly hope you do), please feel free to forward a copy of this ebook along to friends, family and anyone else who may enjoy its contents.
I must take the time here to thank Gabriel. Gabriel! You are a saint and I am forever in your debt!
I now give you Severus Snape's True Love, the first in the Liber Severi series.
Cassandra Houston
Chapter Thirteen: Plots and Schemes
"I am telling you," Severus said, sounding extremely frustrated, "That we have to get to him by invitation. He has increased the security around his home since he's been back in Britain, but he is still too arrogant to secure himself against much within his walls. He believes nothing can touch him inside his home."
He was lying on his back, on the sofa, lecturing to the ceiling. Amethyst was sitting on the kitchen counter, between kitchen and sitting room. Her head was lowered between her shoulder blades and she was scowling. Sirius was thrown in one of two large armchairs. One leg thrown carelessly over an arm and head thrown over the other. Harry was in the other armchair, watching with absolute fascination.
They'd been at this for an hour. The problem they were having was that Sirius wanted to be as covert as possible with the murder of Lucius. Severus and Amethyst had been telling him that a covert strike would never work. They would have to get in his house.
"In his face." Amethyst said.
"Fine, then." Sirius said. "You win, Severus. We'll have to get in his house."
"Thank you." Severus said to the ceiling.
"So now what? Another hour long discussion about exactly what we're going to do once we get on the property?" Sirius said, irritated.
A small pop caused Harry to look at Amethyst. She had disappeared.
"Where'd she go?" he asked, alarmed.
Sirius sighed. "Probably went to do the job without us."
Severus was chuckling and when Harry looked at him, his eyes were closed. "She went home." he announced. "She is plotting something." he said. And he opened his eyes.
"What is she plotting, is the question." Sirius said.
"Well, she was headed for my laboratory if that tells you anything." Severus said, throwing his long legs off the sofa and sitting up.
It was full dark now. The moon was up. Severus went to the window, which faced the front of the apartment building and looked up. "Full moon." he said. "Shame, we won't be able to let Remus in on this."
"I doubt he'd do it." Sirius said, dragging himself from his chair and joining Severus at the window. He glanced down. "What's this?" and he knocked Severus on the arm, getting his attention.
A shifty looking fellow was looking at Amethysts car. "He better not touch it." Severus said. "She has a nasty security charm on that car."
The man was definitely looking at the car. He looked left and right and even up, but as there was no light in Sirius' apartment, he could not see the two men looking at him.
"Don't be a fool." Sirius said. "My sister knows her security charms."
Harry got up, but Sirius half turned and said. "You don't want to see this, Harry. Amethyst takes her car very seriously and I wouldn't be surprised if the charm on it is deadly."
Harry went to the window anyway.
The man was wearing a trench coat, against the early December chill, which he opened and took something from.
"He's going to try and steal the car." Harry said.
The man looked all around him again, and then touched the car door.
"He's disappeared." Harry said. "What happened to him?"
But Severus and Sirius were scanning the street below. "There he is." Severus said, pointing.
A mouse, that looked like it had a black jacket on, was running in circles on the sidewalk, apparently frantic.
"She turned him into a mouse?" Harry said. "What for?"
"Shhhhhhhh," Sirius said, "Wait, watch and learn. Amethyst should be a security expert. Probably would be if her charms weren't so dangerous."
Harry saw movement out of the corner of his eye. A huge cat was prowling up the street, he followed Sirius' gaze and saw another cat. Severus was watching the progress of the third. The cats were stalking the mouse. The biggest one swiped at it. The smallest one did also.
"Are you boys planning on watching that mouse get played to death?" Amethyst had returned, unnoticed.
Severus was shaking his head. "You are one cold lady." he said, but Harry heard reverence in his voice.
Amethyst smiled a smile that made Harry's blood run cold. She had two bottles of some potion or other and a huge black owl with her.
"Remind me never to make you angry," said Harry, looking at the owl and the bottles.
Amethyst ignored him and addressed Severus. "Flattery will get you everywhere." she said. She let the owl lose and it flew to the chair Harry had just vacated. She put the bottles on the coffee table.
"You think that was cold?" she said, motioning to the window where the car thief/mouse was still being played like a pre-dinner snack. "Just wait until you hear what I'm scheming now."
Melissa Malone answered the door. She hated her job. The pay was horrible. Now that everyone else had been sacked and she was the single remaining servant, you would think she would get a raise in pay, but none had come. At this rate, she would never have enough money saved to move into her own place and away from her boss. Provided her boss would allow her to leave the house. Since he got so much pleasure from her, after his wife went to bed, she doubted it.
She opened the door and found herself facing a black robed stomach. She looked up and found herself looking into the scowling face of Severus Snape. She remembered him from the days of the Dark Lord. He terrified her. The only smile she'd ever seen on his face was when he'd cursed people in this very house -- a regular occurrence several years ago, when he came regularly to this place. She had not seen him in over two years, and she had not missed him one bit.
"Severus Snape to see Lucius Malfoy." he growled at her, quietly, as if talking to himself.
Melissa let him in and took him into the drawing room, where her boss waited with his wife. Lucius looked at Severus and said, "Ah, Snape, what a surprise. You have news, I assume. Where is your lovely wife?"
Snape gave Malfoy an evil looking grin. "We decided she would not come. Remember, she seems to have a negative effect on your mental faculties."
Lucius turned red. "Melissa, bring extra wine for our guest."
Before Melissa could even flinch, Severus said, "No, Malfoy, I did not come here for wine. I came with news."
Lucius Malfoy dismissed Melissa with a wave, and she returned to the kitchen. She was preparing to bring out the bottle of wine her boss and his wife liked so much. They would drink it, then they would switch to port. Then Narcissa would retire and Lucius would come to her. The idea made her sick.
She heard a scratching and whining at the kitchen door. "One of those horrible dogs?" she thought than decided it wasn't. They never came near the house unless there was food. She opened the door and saw an enormous black dog grinning up at her. It was whining and whimpering and seemed to be hurt. It was holding up one of its paws.
Melissa loved dogs, except those of her boss and his family. They were mean, terrible animals. This one was looking at her with big sad eyes that made her trust and pity it. She bent over and patted the dog on the head. "Hurt yourself big fella?" she crooned. "Those mean dogs of the Mister attack you?"
She was jerked up by her hair. A woman she had never seen before had her by her shoulder length blonde hair. Melissa saw a determined look on the woman's face and murder in her eyes.
"I need this." she whispered as she yanked a handful of hair out of Melissa's head. Melissa would have screamed but the woman stuffed a rag in her mouth the second she's opened it.
She pushed Melissa back gently and Melissa saw her pull out a wand. As she raised her hand to remove the rag and scream for help, when she heard a whispered, "Deleo."
Melissa Malone ceased to exist.
"Tell me your news, then." Lucius said, amicable.
"Sirius Black has a friend in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement." Snape said, slowly. "As big a fool as Sirius Black, maybe even more of one."
Lucius laughed, "You oughtn't speak ill of your brother-in-law. Makes for a cold bed at night."
"I was giving you my wife's impression, not mine." Severus said. "Anyway, this friend will be making all the arrangements to release Draco. Give it a week, and he should be home."
Narcissa smiled broadly. "Thank you so much, Severus." she said.
Lucius agreed. "Yes, Snape, thank you." he motioned to the bottle. "Would you care to join us for a drink?"
The servant girl had returned with a bottle of wine. She poured for Lucius and Narcissa then stayed right by Lucius' side.
"No, thank you, Lucius." Severus said. "I prefer port in any event and I oughtn't drink tonight. My wife insisted I make it here with all haste and so I drove that wretched car of hers, since you have made it impossible to Apparate on your property."
Lucius laughed and drained his glass. His wife did the same. Melissa refilled them immediately. "I would love to see you drive that car off, Severus." he drained his glass again, and stood. "We shall see you to the door."
Narcissa drained her glass also and stood to walk Severus to the door. They stood watching Severus as he walked up to his car. "Oh, yes, Malfoy, there is one other thing." he said, turning to face them.
Lucius and Narcissa were suddenly taken with unbearable pains in their stomachs. They doubled over. Narcissa landed on her knees, grasping for her husbands robes, but Lucius was no help. He was also on his knees, then on his side, writhing in agony. They screamed their pain, and Melissa appeared in the doorway. She looked down on her employers, emotionless.
They stood there for another forty minutes, watching the Malfoys die. They had bled from the nose, eyes and ears. They died crumpled from their writhing.
"Never mind, Lucius." Severus said, softly. "I guess it wasn't that important, really."
He looked up at Melissa. "Come, my dear." he said, walking to the passenger side of the car and opening the door. The huge black dog ran around the corner of the house and jumped in the car before Severus. Melissa got in the car and started it.
Pulling up in front Sirius' apartment building, Sirius got out and went home. Amethyst, her true form back, sped off so fast that it was like the car had never been there. She and Severus were home less than an hour later.
When Severus got out of bed and left their bedchamber, Amethyst did not move and did not acknowledge that she knew he'd moved. She opened her eyes when she heard his feet on the stairs, heading for the attic. She knew he was probably going onto the roof for air. They were both sopping wet with the sweat of their passion and Amethyst was not a millisecond from sleep when Severus moved, disturbing her.
She sat up and closed her eyes. Severus was in the attic, all right. She looked through his eyes as he approached a trunk. She watched as he opened the trunk. Then a very slow smile spread across her face. She saw his hand reach for the case and she cut the connection she had with him.
She got out of bed and left the room. She was climbing the attic stairs when the music began. She paused and listened to him for a full minute before she continued up the stairs. The saw the open trunk and approached it. The night was cool and she was feeling the beginnings of a chill. She took one of the shirts that had been cushioning the cello in its case. She put it on, but did not pull her long hair out of it. She saw the open attic window and went through it.
Severus was propped against one of the chimneys, oblivious to the December air. The moonlight glistened off of his wet hair. He'd put on one of the old shirts he'd most likely found in the trunk also. He was playing his old cello. Amethyst had not seen this cello since the last night they'd seen each other, before she'd gone to America. They'd sat up here, on this roof, on the houses old site, and he'd played for her. This very melody as a matter of fact. She would never forget that. For the last time, as it turned out.
The music suddenly stopped and Amethyst was brought back to the here and now. They looked at each other for a very long time.
"I didn't mean to wake you." he said, "I'm sorry."
"You never have needed to apologise to me."
"I was suddenly overcome with the desire to come up here and play. It was like the old cello was calling to me."
Amethyst said nothing, but nodded once.
"I haven't played since the last night we were together. Before you died." he glanced down at the cello. "Before I died." he sighed, "I haven't touched it since. Haven't even looked at it since."
Amethyst climbed from where she stood at the open window up to the chimney. She sat a little away from him, facing forward, not looking at him. "I was here." she whispered. "We'd been up half the night making love and we came up here to cool down. You played that very tune for me."
Severus switched the bow from his right hand to his left, where he held it with the cello. With his free hand, he pulled Amethysts hair out of her shirt. He then caressed her face. He took Amethysts' chin in her hand, leaned towards her and kissed her gently.
"Play for me, Severus." she whispered.
He did.