A/N: Well, after the once a summer (at least) power outage of ffnet, here is chapter seven, complete with deleted scene! Read and enjoy.
Chapter Seven
"But I'm a yearling, a callow schoolboy;
in the eyes of love, a pallid virgin.
Just a newborn, barely breathing,
in the eyes of love, I'm a yearling."
-Jump Little Children, Yearling
"So here you are. Back at last, " Snape said a little bitterly to Sylvia, who was just coming in to the room.
"What on earth do you mean?" She walked to the window, and stared out of it absentmindedly. Snow was falling thickly on the December ground, and the hills beyond the castle were veiled by the white. Christmas had come and gone, and the holidays were slipping away all too quickly. In a few more days, the new term would begin.
"I mean that you're never around. There's always something more important than me," he replied, looking up briefly from his Kant, and pushing his reading glasses up his nose.
"I'm sorry, darling," she said, sounding as if she didn't really mean it. "I guess I've just been busy." She walked past him to pick up a copy of Aristotle, and then lay down on the bed to begin it.
"Yes. Well, everyone takes precedence over me," he murmured, lost in A Critique of Pure Reason.
"What?" she asked, looking up from the Nicomachean Ethics.
"Oh, nothing," he said breezily, enjoying the fact that there was about to be quite a row between them. There were a few minutes of silence, but he knew it was coming.
"Severus Snape, I hate you!" she exploded. "I hate the way you treat me, I hate the way you treat others! I HATE YOU!"
"Excuse me?" he said coolly, putting down his book as gently as if it were blown glass. He knew it would infuriate her.
"How can I hate you, though? What's wrong with me, Severus? What's wrong?" she asked desperately, burying her face in her hands.
"I don't know, but I'm not surprised. No one could love me for long, Sylvia. I don't really inspire love, I suppose." Even as he said it so offhand, he could feel his own words coming home to his soul and realized that they must be absolutely true.
"That's not true, Sevy, it really isn't. You just make me so…so…so FRUSTRATED sometimes! The way you treat me—you can be so cruel sometimes. You're not like any of my other lovers." She said it so frankly that he was surprised. He thought she would be at least a little embarrassed to mention all the other men she had been with.
"You forget that I'm new to this, Sylv—Andromache. I've never really had a lover before. Unlike you, darling, who has serviced more men than a common whore." She had hurt him, he thought as he said the bitter words, or had he hurt himself? Lost in pondering, he did not notice her hand come down heavy against his face, but felt the slap. He rubbed it ruefully.
"Severus Snape!" she said, angry and swollen with power, and he looked up. As he did, his breath caught in his throat. She had stood up and seemed to almost be glowing, as something of great beauty and danger shone through her skin, pulsing with anger. Outside, he heard thunder rumble loudly, and saw that the gentle snowstorm had quickly turned to a raging blizzard. "HOW DARE YOU?" she asked, raising her right hand, and hail began to crash against the roof. In spite of himself, he backed away from her as much as he could. She looked dangerous. *
"I'm sorry, Sylvia. That was uncalled-for. But it's true that you have much more experience than me."
As he said the words that he hoped would assuage her anger, he noticed her right hand drop, and her whole body sag as if with exhaustion. The thunder and hail ceased, and the snow became a soft swirl once again.
"No, I'm sorry, Severus. I haven't been paying you enough attention. I've been so occupied with Tom, and with Draco, and everything that's happening. I must admit I'm a little frightened, and I didn't want you to know." She collapsed on the bed, and suddenly everything that had been troubling him vanished at the sight of her so vulnerable.
"Uh…Sylvia... Don't ever think you have to conceal that from me. I've been—I've been frightened too, you know," he said gruffly, not used to saying sentimental things. "Was that the right thing to say?"
"I think so, yes," she said, smiling weakly at him.
"Are you all right?" he asked, becoming a little concerned for her.
She nodded. "I haven't used my power in a long time. I didn't mean to, it was just that I got so angry—I wonder if everyone felt it."
He didn't know what she meant, but was quickly enlightened. Sophie came racing into the room.
"Andi, what's wrong? I felt it immediately," she asked, grabbing Sylvia's hand.
"Nothing's wrong, Art," she replied sheepishly. "I just got a little…angry…with Severus. We had an argument, but we've resolved it now."
Have we? Severus wondered. As much as things had been patched up for the moment, that was all it was—a patch. He was afraid it might break open again soon. But he quickly dismissed this as being too negative.
It wasn't long before another figure was entering as hastily as age allowed—Albus Dumbledore. "Sylvia, is everything all right? I could swear that there was just some great disturbance, unless my gift has totally left me. Was it you, or was it Sophie?"
"Me," she admitted.
Sophie added, "I'm not strong enough yet to do that kind of damage, sir. Only the eldest of The Three could make such a storm."
"What happened?" Dumbledore asked, and Sylvia recounted the embarrassing tale to him. As she finished, there was yet another visitor at the door, this time knocking much more politely.
"Come in," Snape called mock-gaily, at this point mortified by the attention that their lovers' spat was getting.
At the door was none other than Draco Malfoy, looking into the room awkwardly. His hesitation increased as he noticed the headmaster was present.
"Please do come in," Sylvia said, and Sophie nodded her assent.
"Doctor…I mean, Sylvia, this is going to sound really stupid, I know. I probably shouldn't even mention it. But I kinda felt this…uh…feeling in my…never mind. It was dumb."
"No, Draco, you're quite right. You felt pain in your scar, didn't you?" Sylvia asked kindly, as he nodded quickly. "I used my power, which I do very rarely. I'm sorry I had to disturb you. There's nothing wrong, don't worry."
The haphazard group talked about the situation for a few more minutes until there was another knock at the door. This time the guest was, surprisingly, Harry Potter, who looked almost as awkward as Draco had, and even more so, once he saw his arch-nemesis was in the room.
"Oh, good lord," Severus muttered, his nerves about to break.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, Dr. Oliver," he said slowly. "Professor McGonagall said that Professor Dumbledore went running out of a meeting to your room, and I need to talk to him."
"What is it, Harry?" Dumbledore asked.
"Well, Hermione told me—told me I had to come tell you, sir. It's just that my scar…it hurt really bad just now." He looked as if he gave this news quite begrudgingly.
"HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE THERE IN THIS BLOODY CASTLE WHO HAVE TO FEEL THIS BLOODY POWER?" Snape yelled, and everyone turned to look at him, surprised.
"Sophie," Harry whispered, "What's he talking about?" He looked at Snape as if he was insane, then muttered, "This is the weirdest thing that's happened since Ludo Bagman sang to me in the Three Broomsticks." **
"Severus," Dumbledore said quite calmly, "We can be assured if Harry felt this, then Voldemort felt it as well. It is my belief that the two are connected through Harry's curse scar. I imagine that Rosamund felt it as well, wherever she is."
"Would that it would bring her here," Sylvia said impulsively, in a voice of unguarded desperation, a voice that showed it was something about which she had been worrying for quite some time.
"She'll turn up, Andi," Sophie murmured, patting Sylvia's arm reassuringly. "It's not the first time she's done it, you know."
"Well, everyone," Dumbledore said briskly, rubbing his hands together, "I imagine we've given Dr. Oliver and Professor Snape about all the company they can stand for right now. I'm sure it would be best for us to go."
However, as everyone trooped out of the room, Dumbledore remained behind, waiting for a moment to speak to them alone.
"Yes, Albus?" Sylvia asked, after the rest of the intruders had vanished.
"Has Voldemort summoned you yet? I should think that he certainly felt that great rush of power."
"Yes, I would think that he undoubtedly did. It's so strange. I thought for sure he would have summoned me by now, to find out what had happened. He's not above being frightened. He might think I was performing some ceremony against him. Or he might think I've finally followed through with my promise and killed poor Sevy."
"Well, we can't always have what we want," Snape said dryly.
"I do wonder what he's up to," Sylvia continued, bestowing a half-smile on Severus and taking his hand.
"As do I," Dumbledore replied grimly. "It hardly seems like him. It must be something important indeed he's doing or planning, that would distract him from you. I just wish I knew what it was."
*Deleted Scene—This is an alternate version of Sylvia and Severus' fight scene, as suggested by my darling Severa.
"Severus Snape!" she said, angry and swollen with power, and he looked up. As he did, his breath caught in his throat. She had stood up and seemed to almost be glowing, as something of great beauty and danger shone through her skin, pulsing with anger. Outside, he heard thunder rumble loudly, and saw that the gentle snowstorm had quickly turned to a raging blizzard. "HOW DARE YOU?" she asked, raising her right hand, and hail began to crash against the roof. In spite of himself, he backed away from her as much as he could. She looked dangerous.
Without any warning, a slight, theatrical looking man rushed into the room, and held up his hands to ward off Sylvia's anger.
"Stop!" he cried.
"Who are you?" Severus asked, incredulously.
"I know who you are! Remus and I saw you in that Muggle film when we were in London. You're Derek Jacobi!"
The renowned Shakespearean actor nodded grimly. "And I'm here to make sure that you two make up. I would hate to see you fighting."
"This is just ridiculous," Snape said. "I've had enough of it!" He reached behind his pillow where he always kept a rotten tomato handy. "Take this, you Ken Branagh-loving punk!"
"Severus, NO!!!!" Sylvia cried, and then the events seemed to happen in slow motion. The tomato revolved end over end, coming closer and closer to the shocked Derek, who turned to the ceiling in supplication.
"But, Iphigenia, I was going to make you a giant, plush doll of myself," he promised, and the writer repented.
Suddenly, orangutans entered the room, foaming at the mouth, as they were rabid. They seized Derek Jacobi without the slightest grunt, and carried him off just in time to avoid the rotten tomato, which hit the wall harmlessly.
"Thank youuuuuuuuuu…" Sylvia and Severus heard Derek yell as he was carried away.
"Well," Sylvia said, sitting down primly on the bed. "That was weird."
"Agreed." Snape said.
**A reference to my songfic, "Easy Money", which involves Ludo singing a Billy Joel song to Harry, Ron, and Hermione
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Much thanks to Severa for the inspiration for the deleted scene. The next chapter should be up quite soon, as it is almost half finished, in which Sylvia reveals an important part of the plan to Draco (Karen, I know I told you it was going to be about Rosamund, but I wuz wrong. That'll come soon enough). And if anyone feels a burning need to write their review in the form of a rap song, I'll understand. However, I take all reviews, whether legible or no. Gratias vobis!