Nightbirds

And when the wind draws strong

Across the cypress tress

The Nightbirds cease their songs

So gathers memories.

-Loreena McKennitt, "Courtyard Lullaby"

It was very early the next morning when Snape emerged from his room, having hardly slept the night before. He spent most of it pacing restlessly like a caged animal, unable to think clearly enough after the bout of shocks that he had received the night before.  Even now, after having talked and touched her, it would still not sink in that Tinuvial was alive after all these years.
 

No one else seemed to be up now. Glancing out a window, Snape could see that the sky was still somewhat dark.  Rather than risk waking anyone up (not that it was likely to happen), he ended up in the teacher's lounge. 

It would be a stormy day, perhaps, as the sky seemed exceptionally overcast right now.  Snape muttered a few words and the candles all lit up.  He was surprised to see that someone had been in there the night before, looking at the photo albums, as the books were scattered all over on the tables.  He looked at the pile irritably, but realized that all of the books were, in fact, pictures of students from over the years.  And every one the open books showed a few people in particular.

With a quick jolt to his stomach, Snape realized that every page had a picture of the Potters.  Each book was of the years they had been at Hogwarts.  His trembling hands snapped shut the book with the Seventh Year James Potter and Lily Evans sitting together and waving after a Quidditch match, looking young and healthy and alive.  Each picture… both of them smiling and waving or laughing animatedly.  Mocking him.

Savagely, he slammed each book shut and practically threw them back on the shelf where they belonged.  To his surprise, he realized that he was shaking violently.  Someone had done this one purpose.  It had to be.  Somehow, someone knew he would be the first to see these pictures.  Most everyone knew he came here first thing in the morning nearly every day.

But who would have done this?  Who could have done this?  For a second, he considered Peeves the Poltergeist was the culprit, but dismissed the notion as ridiculous.  This did not seem like something he would do.  None of the other professors would leave books out like this.

Then his mind settled on Tinuvial.  It was possible, he was forced to admit, but improbable. Then again, perhaps she still blamed him for the deaths of the Potters.  She said last night that she forgave him and even apologized for what she didn't need to apologize for, but still… He tried to shake the thought off. 

There was no reason for her to have done this.  Or anyone, for that matter.  But it was too much of a coincidence that he be the one to find all of these books open to pictures of two people whose deaths he felt somewhat responsible for. Damn you, Tinuvial, he thought with a touch of anger.  If it hadn't been for her, he would not feel this guilt.  But the notion of being angry with her over something that he had brought onto himself was even more ridiculous than her setting out these pictures. 


He began to hear movement in the halls and knew that some people were up.  With a final glance at the books, he composed himself and left the room, refusing to think on the strange event anymore.

***

Looking around, Tinuvial realized that Hogwarts had changed very little since she left.  It would take a few days until she was completely comfortable with finding her way around again, but because she had been good friends with James and Sirius, she knew every secret passage and escape route like the back of her hand. She smiled slightly at the thought of seeing Sirius again. And Remus.  She refused to dwell on the fact that their little "group" had shrunk dramatically in a few years.  James and Lily, Pettigrew… she quelled the surge of anger she felt at the thought of Peter Pettigrew.  If she should be the one to catch up with him, he would realize that he would be better off having Voldemort as an enemy. 

But before she could dwell on these thoughts, she nearly ran into Severus Snape exiting the teacher's lounge.  "Hello, Severus," she said evenly.  She thought he looked a bit anxious for it being this early in the morning.

"Hello," he said in a rather tight, controlled tone.

"Something wrong?"


"Nothing," he said quickly, clenching his jaw.  "How are you feeling today?"

"Better," she said, still not entirely believing his claim that nothing was wrong.  "Tired, still, but it will take awhile until I feel normal or somewhat normal again."  He nodded somewhat shortly.


"By any chance, Tinuvial, did you come in here last night or early this morning?" he asked suddenly.

She raised an eyebrow.  "And why would I?  I went to bed after you walked me to my room and only awakened a quarter hour ago.  What happened?"

He paused and then smiled with (to her eyes) some relief. "It's nothing," he said, relaxing a bit.  There was an awkward silence between them.  "I will…see you later today, I suppose."

Tinuvial blinked. "I suppose," she repeated. Snape gave a shadow of a smile and walked from her quickly.  She looked at his retreating form, somewhat perplexed.  His behavior had been a little strange, even for him.  She shook her head in exasperation and walked in the opposite direction.

                                                                                         ***

Snape closed the door to the classrooms in the dungeons, somewhat unsure of why he had just acted in that manner.  Of course it hadn't been Tinuvial to lay those pictures out.  He knew that, but who did do it then?

He had to admit, it had been a bit of a shock to see her outside the door like that, as if trying to convince him that the previous night had not been a dream.  He began to relax somewhat, feeling the strange sense of peace and power he always felt when in the classrooms he commanded.  He would try to talk to her later.