DISCLAIMER: All characters except Sev and Iphi belong to J.K. The middle portion of this chapter (the Conversation dealing with Iphi, Severa, Snape, and Quirrell) is taken from Normandie M's "Redemption" but twisted to take on the girls' POV.
Chapter X
Iphi sat at the Slytherin table, done up in her school robes and the little pointy black hat. This was it, this was graduation. The moment she walks in front of the high table, receives her diploma from the Headmaster, she will be a fully-fledged Witch. At the moment, Dumbledore was giving the graduates one final speech about the future, responsibility, etc. Even though it was the same lesson she has been getting her entire life, it was bringing tears to her eyes. She sniffed and looked at Severa. The blonde rested her head in her hand and looked positively bored. Severa glanced at Iphi, saw her tears, and scoffed.
"What?" Iphi whispered, sniffling.
"Why are you being so bloody emotional?"
"Because it's an end of an era! A Crossroads!"
Severa rolled her eyes. "It's nothing more but another stage in life. First stage was before any school. Secondly came primary school, after that we had Hogwarts. No big deal, just one more step on the ladder. Next will be university, we'll graduate from that then we're off making to make our name in the world. I accept the stages as the come and for the next. 'Era' indeed."
Iphi glared. "Has anyone ever told you-"
"Yes, I'm sure they have. Now shush, McGonagall is reading of the names, wouldn't want to miss ours now would we?"
Iphi brushed away the tears from her face. She wanted to look her glowing best as she received her reward for sevens years hard work. She watched her friend turn her attention back to the high table. Iphi couldn't help but notice how Severa's expression saddened when her eyes fell on Snape.
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Severa fidgeted in her seat, waiting for the End of Year feast to officially finish. "What are you so twitchy about?" Iphi asked.
"I want to catch Snape and Will for one last good-bye." She but her lip and watched her two now former teachers stand to leave. "Come on." She said, grabbing Iphi's arm and drug her to intercept the man and the ghost.
Snape saw
them approach and smiled. "Miss Lister, Miss Rimmer,
congratulations...."
Oh his voice, this would probably be the last moment she'll ever heard voice! But Severa couldn't help but smile at those gorgeous tones no matter how sad she was feeling. Damn, she could feel her face get hot.
Iphi rolled her eyes at her friend and smiled at Snape. She confidently clasped his hand in an almost businessman like manner. "It was an unsurmounted honour having you as a teacher, Professor Snape." Severa suppressed a giggle as Iphi used her most mature voice.
"As it was teaching you, Miss Lister," Snape replied cordially, "I hope you manage to get that philosophy degree you used to day-dream about in class." Severa suppressed another giggle as she watched her friend's mouth gape like a fish, the mature posture completely gone.
"I know more than you think, Miss
Lister," he said. "In any case, you're welcome to come back to
Hogwarts and discuss what you learn at any time."
Iphi
stuttered, "W-Well, thank you, Professor." Then she turned to the
ghost of Quirrell. "I would've never thought I'd see you again Professor,
but here we are. I hope you and Professor Sinistra will be happy
together," she said, once again offering her hand, which he shook.
"Thank
you for the sentiments, Miss Lister. You have someone waiting for you,"
Will said, looking over their shoulders.
Severa and Iphi turned and saw Lee standing in the doorway. Lee waved, and after giving her former professors a brief smile, she dashed off to join her boyfriend. Severa glared at them, but her happy thoughts of Gryffindor skinning were interrupted by her favourite voice.
"Nice to know that some Slytherins don't bear grudges the way others do." Snape stated.
Severa thought that was an odd sentiment coming form him. She turned back and
just looked at them: Snape, so gorgeous and Will, so cute and such a good
friend. She didn't want to leave. She wanted to stay where she could be near
them forever! Severa felt her heart breaking, and the unshed tears from graduation
were pushing their way into the outside world.
She gave into impulse and grabbed both of them into a hug. She could
feel Snape squirm at the awkwardness, and even hear the laughter of some
underclassmen. She didn't care. She sniffed and backed up a bit to give space.
"I...I will miss both of you Professors so much!"
Snape
smiled, taking her hand in his. Severa's throat went dry at his touch. "I
really wish you wouldn't make such a spectacle of it, Miss-"
"Call
me Severa. I'm not your student anymore!"
Snape
paused and carefully said it. "Severa..."
She drew in a sharp breath. He said it! Oh to hear him call her by her given name. She wanted to hear him say it again. She didn't care if he never said another word in his entire life!
Snape
cleared his throat and asked, "What will you be doing in the future?"
"Potions."
she replied quickly. She smiled in the way she did whenever she was having
happy stabbing: Happy, but slightly unsettling. "You know, if you need a
teaching assistant..."
Snape sighed.
"Yes, yes Miss Rimmer," Severa frowned at his already forgetting to use
her first name. "You'll be my first choice. Guaranteed if you're more careful
around the glassware than you were this year."
Severa frowned again, not liking being reminded of the incident with the lizard potion that turned her hands and arms scaly for a week. "Of course, Professor," she mumbled.
She lifted her head at the sound of approaching carriages, disappointment spread over her face. She turned back to Wilton and hugged him one last time. "You must promise me that you'll write to me...send an owl...tell me what you're up to and everything with Professor Sinistra."
Wilton laughed, "Did you really expect me not to?" he gave her a
quick kiss on the cheek and she smiled at him warmly. She was so glad for him.
He deserved a happy ending/ She turned her attention back to Snape.
"Yes, I'll owl you," Snape interrupted, holding up a hand before she could even ask the question, "Don't you worry about that. Yes, I'll miss you...as annoying as you were." The he pulled her into another quick hug.
Oh, the close contact was torture! "You have no idea, Professor..." she murmured. She gasped and her heart almost forced its way up her pharynx when he did the last thing she'd ever expect the potions master to do. Holding her at arms length, he gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"I understand that you went through a lot this year Miss Rimmer...if there
was a good side to it, it's a very good way of preparing for the real world.
Let's see you continue the Salazar's legacy," he said.
Shaking
slightly from the effect the touch of his lips on her skin caused, she stepped
away from him. She swallowed. "Goodbye Will...Goodbye, Professor."
She turned to go, but a thought struck her. "Can't I just call you-"
"Not until you're teaching here." Snape cut in.
Severa gave her ghostly friend and disappointed look and finally turned to
leave. She figured she ought to leave them with some dramatic, memorable quote,
of her own invention or otherwise. But for some reason the only that was going
through her head was the silliest thing from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.
What the Hell, she thought, Might as well go with what you got.
She took a deep breath and sang at the top of her voice, "We are now the Knights who say...
'Ekki-Ekki-Ekki-Ekki-PTANG! Zoom-Boing! Z'nourrwringmm!'"
"Shut
up, Severa!" Iphigenia said as she joined her and Lee at the door. As they
left, Sev could hear Will's light laughter.
"What was that about?" Lee asked.
Iphi sighed. "Never try to fathom the mind of the demented."
"Speaking of Dementia…" Severa muttered, spotting Fred and George coming their way. The group of them talked idly of summer plans, how though their finals were ad nauseum. All except Fred who walked a little too close to Severa for her liking. When they got outside, Fred tugged on Severa's arm. She immediately recoiled.
"Can I talk to you?" Fred asked.
Sev looked at Iphi, and Iphi actually nodded in encouragement. Sev turned back to Fred in disgust, but said, "Oh, alright," and allowed him to lead her away from the other three.
Severa leaned against a tree and folded her arms. "Make this quick."
Fred ran a hand through his red hair. "Well, there's something I've been wanting to say to you."
"Obviously," she said impatiently.
"Well, you see, the past couple of moths I've been getting fond of you. And I was hoping if over the summer we could do some things together and stuff."
Severa's eyes widened, "Are you asking me out?"
"Yeah."
Then she started laughing. "Oh, congratulations Weasley," she gasped, "for once you managed to amuse me."
"But I'm being serious!"
"I know!" She said, laughing harder, "that's what makes it so bloody hilarious!" Fred's face fell and started turning the shade of his hair. "You're nuttier than I thought! What did you think, impaling your hand is my quirking way of flirting?"
"Knowing you, I wouldn't be surprised," he snapped.
Severa sobered and stared at him. "You're the most disturbing boy I have ever met. Good-bye." She stalked back to the carriages, passing George on the way.
"And you're the most disturbing girl I ever met!" Fred called after her. "See? We're perfect!" He pouted as his twin stood next to him.
George smiled smugly. "What did I tell you?"
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On her final trip on the Hogwarts Express Severa smiled weakly at Lee and Iphi who were asleep together on their seat. Journey's end…Severa contemplated, and yet there was one more thing she thought needed to be done. She got up and stretched.
As she started for the compartment door, Iphi stirred. "Where are you going?"
"Just some business to take care of."
Iphi smiled. "Severa Rimmer, haven't you learned anything, especially this year?"
"Yeah, I learned not to do anything violent when teachers are close at hand to punish you." And she left.
Iphi muttered something about going to help except that she was too comfortable, and then put her head back on Lee's shoulder.
Severa glanced in compartment after compartment, seeking her prey. She finally found him. "Mafloy," she smiled sweetly, "Come on out here, I need a word or two with you."
Draco sneered at her. "I have nothing to say to you."
"Oh, but I think you should. It's something important to all of Slytherin and especially Hogwarts itself. And leave the goons."
Draco huffed, got up, and followed her out to the hall. "So, what?" he asked.
Severa turned, punched him in the face, and sent him sprawling unconscious on the floor. She dragged his limp body back into the compartment and dumped him at Crabbe's and Goyle's feet. "Have a good summer boys," she winked.
She headed back to her own compartment, singing to herself "Red Moon".
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Extensive Author's Note and Thank You:
Well, this is the end of "Rubida Luna". Hope you liked it. I must say the concept of a stupid inside- joke story that was only suppose about three chapters got totally blown out of proportion! I was not expecting the feedback that I received and people besides my close friends wanting more. So, here we are, ten chapters and 60+ reviews later! Thanks for all your support!
If this story didn't get out of hand, the Girls as characters certainly did. It's amazing how Normandie M's story about the ghost of Quirrell returning to Hogwarts seeking his redemption, became this silly piece's sister story! So, thanks to Normandie for expanding their world!
Extra special thanks to Iphigenia, my momma bear, and inspiration for this fic and the song that started it all! This story in all it's fun would not have existed without you!
Sequel Information:
So, you want more of the Girls? As always, there is "Redemption" by Normandie M (pay me for the pluggery later) and right now it's sequel "Love of Finished Years". In progress is a group of short stories collections that will give tidbits out of the eleven years between "RL"/"Redemption" and "LoFY" and what our heroines have been up to. This collection will be called "Bridges". When certain stories will come up is at random, but will always give where in the timeline it takes place (i.e. Four years after Rubida Luna or two years before Love of Finished Years. So keep on the look out for them!
Peace out!
~Severa Evadne Rimmer