Chapter Eight: To Hate and To Love
Dear Son,
Gwen is the name of a transfer student from my seventh year, how you came across the name is a mystery to me.
She vanished before the year was over, and I found out later that she didn't even exist.
But here is what I know about her.
She outsmarted me and made me become friends with her, and not the usual other way around. She and Severus had a rather odd relationship, I wouldn't say that he was taken by her, but he was definitely more then a friend.
He always seemed to know more then he should about where she was, and about her period. She appeared to like him as well. I honestly say that I have never seen him happier then at that time. Once she left, he became darkness it seemed. Before he just drifted in the shadows, after she was gone, he seemed to have this look of knowing about him.
He joined Voldemort shortly after school ended.
Once again, I haven't seen or heard about Gwen since she left. I doubt that she even existed. However, I owe her a debt. She saved my life. So if you have any information about her, let me know, I need to pay her back so I have no more debts hanging over my head.
See you this summer
Lucius
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hermione returned to the library in 1977, gifts in tow.
Severus was right; a lot of people had missed her.
She wrote quick thank you notes to Harry and Ron then left.
Boy if only she could see the looks on their faces when they read them!
"Welcome back." A voice yawned at her.
"Severus!" she looked shocked at him then smiled. "I should have guessed, you said that I would see you here."
"My future self?"
"Yes, he said that I would tell you that you were meeting me, to help me with my gifts. Also, he brought along Malfoy to help."
"Lucius?"
"No!" she covered. "His son, Draco."
"He has a son?!" Severus stood up shocked. "Who on earth would want to marry him?"
"Apparently Narcissia." She answered.
"Wow, those two. This Draco must look rather pale and stuck up." He mused.
"He does." She laughed. "He acts stuck up as well."
"I see." He looked down at the gifts at her feet. "What are these?"
"Gifts from my family and friends."
"Ah, so that's what you were up to."
"Yeah."
"Come on; let's get them up to your tower."
"We'll need some help." She informed him. "If both of us couldn't manage in the future, think about now."
"Point taken."
"So who will help?"
"Remus will, I'll fetch him." And he was about to leave when Hermione grabbed his hand.
"He'll ask questions."
"He knows how to keep his yap shut, Gwen." Snape countered.
"Alright, I'll stay here."
"Be right back." And he swept out of the room.
"alone are we Gwen?" a shadow walked into the moonlight to reveal Lucius. "I didn't realize that you could apparate on school grounds."
"You can't." she answered back. "what brings you here?"
"A bit of night reading, I wasn't feeling well earlier today and I thought I might as well get out of my chambers. Did you enjoy my gift?"
"Very much so, thank you."
"I too enjoyed yours. I didn't realize half of those curses existed."
"They do." Or the will, she thought to herself.
She gave him 101 curses, she had just picked it up the day before she left.
"It hasn't been published yet."
She looked up at him in shock. "It hasn't?"
"No," he gave her an odd look, "Didn't you realize?"
"No I guess not." She play hit her head. "I should have checked, sorry, it won't ruin the gift I hope?"
"No, it makes it better."
"glad." She breathed a sigh of relief. "How's the reading going?"
"Don't play dumb Gwen."
She blinked twice. "What in Merlin's name do you mean?"
"I saw you vanish, and then appear with that stack of gifts, and you yourself said you can't Apperate on school grounds, so how did you do it?"
"It's a gift of mine; I can go where ever I want by thinking."
"That's apperation."
"No, its not, I was checked when I started. I just can be somewhere else whenever I want to."
"I see, is it teachable?"
"No, it's a part of my magic that's unique."
"Ok, I'll leave you Severus should be returning soon." And he left with a smirk on his face. "You are the most secretive person I have ever met."
"No," she answered back before she realized what she had said.
Lucius stopped and looked back at her. "How do you figure?"
"There are people you've met who tell you lie as if they were words."
"And you don't?"
"No, I don't. I lie only half the time."
"then you could be lying now."
"I'm not though."
"Name them."
"Who?"
"the people who tell me lies like words?"
"Tom Riddle, Your Father, many more that I wont bother naming."
"Tom Riddle? I have never heard that name before."
"He won't likely be going by that name. He doesn't particularly like it."
"I see, how will I recognize him." He asked honestly
"He will give you an offer you can't refuse, and where he walks shadows will follow." She thought for a second and decided on something. "Lucius?"
"Yes, Gwen?"
"I want you to take some advise, no ifs ands or buts, I want you to follow it to the T got it?"
"Sure what is it?"
"Live. Make sure Snape follows it as well."
"Live, sure I can do that."
"You might not want to at a point in your life." Her eyes were dark. "You'll find death far more suitable, but whatever it takes; don't die until you do it naturally."
"Sure, but what did you mean about Severus?"
"To you, death will appear to be wonderful, but Snape might start lusting after it, talk about me then, talk about whatever gives him life, makes him happy, keeps him living. Keep Snape alive for me."
"For you?"
"I'll be leaving soon, less then a month, and when I do, you wont hear from me until you can't recognize me. For that reason I can't protect him. He is frail as it is, no one will admit it lest of all him, but every time you or anyone else downcasts him, I see him recede a little from the world."
"Sure."
"He doesn't trust you, you know?"
"Yes. Our fathers forced us to be friends, we would hate each other if not for that."
"Your fathers are wise beyond what they know. Snape needs your strength, you need something he can give you and only he can give you. I'm sure you'll figure it out next time I see you after I'm gone."
"I really should go, Fare Well Gwen. You hold knowledge beyond your years." He bowed and left.
Hermione breathed again.
She hoped she had helped.
"Snape! Where ya taking me? Its near Midnight!"
"Remus." Hermione smiled greeting her friend.
"Gwen," he saw the presents "Ahh, so that's why you need me." He started sorting and grabbed the larger objects, Snape, slightly weaker than the werewolf grabbed the medium sized ones and Hermione took hold of the rest. Together they snuck back to Gryffindor Tower.
Lucius hadn't left, he watched.
Snape did seem different around them then he ever was around him or anyone else. Maybe he did need a big brother, to make him stronger, to help make him powerful.
Snape knew charms and curses, more than any one else to enter hogworts. But that was not the power his dear friend needed.
He needed the leadership kind, the power you get over others. True to his word, he would find a way to get that type of strength for his friend.
Then again, he didn't need it now. She had mentioned, after she was gone.
He went back to Slytherin common room.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Hermione walking into the common room hoped that she made the right decision.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
AN:
Anyone figure it out yet?
I hope you did, but if you didn't next chappie will clear it up.
So sorry for having this out so late, forgive me!
Remember to review!
Relena
Dear Son,
Gwen is the name of a transfer student from my seventh year, how you came across the name is a mystery to me.
She vanished before the year was over, and I found out later that she didn't even exist.
But here is what I know about her.
She outsmarted me and made me become friends with her, and not the usual other way around. She and Severus had a rather odd relationship, I wouldn't say that he was taken by her, but he was definitely more then a friend.
He always seemed to know more then he should about where she was, and about her period. She appeared to like him as well. I honestly say that I have never seen him happier then at that time. Once she left, he became darkness it seemed. Before he just drifted in the shadows, after she was gone, he seemed to have this look of knowing about him.
He joined Voldemort shortly after school ended.
Once again, I haven't seen or heard about Gwen since she left. I doubt that she even existed. However, I owe her a debt. She saved my life. So if you have any information about her, let me know, I need to pay her back so I have no more debts hanging over my head.
See you this summer
Lucius
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Hermione returned to the library in 1977, gifts in tow.
Severus was right; a lot of people had missed her.
She wrote quick thank you notes to Harry and Ron then left.
Boy if only she could see the looks on their faces when they read them!
"Welcome back." A voice yawned at her.
"Severus!" she looked shocked at him then smiled. "I should have guessed, you said that I would see you here."
"My future self?"
"Yes, he said that I would tell you that you were meeting me, to help me with my gifts. Also, he brought along Malfoy to help."
"Lucius?"
"No!" she covered. "His son, Draco."
"He has a son?!" Severus stood up shocked. "Who on earth would want to marry him?"
"Apparently Narcissia." She answered.
"Wow, those two. This Draco must look rather pale and stuck up." He mused.
"He does." She laughed. "He acts stuck up as well."
"I see." He looked down at the gifts at her feet. "What are these?"
"Gifts from my family and friends."
"Ah, so that's what you were up to."
"Yeah."
"Come on; let's get them up to your tower."
"We'll need some help." She informed him. "If both of us couldn't manage in the future, think about now."
"Point taken."
"So who will help?"
"Remus will, I'll fetch him." And he was about to leave when Hermione grabbed his hand.
"He'll ask questions."
"He knows how to keep his yap shut, Gwen." Snape countered.
"Alright, I'll stay here."
"Be right back." And he swept out of the room.
"alone are we Gwen?" a shadow walked into the moonlight to reveal Lucius. "I didn't realize that you could apparate on school grounds."
"You can't." she answered back. "what brings you here?"
"A bit of night reading, I wasn't feeling well earlier today and I thought I might as well get out of my chambers. Did you enjoy my gift?"
"Very much so, thank you."
"I too enjoyed yours. I didn't realize half of those curses existed."
"They do." Or the will, she thought to herself.
She gave him 101 curses, she had just picked it up the day before she left.
"It hasn't been published yet."
She looked up at him in shock. "It hasn't?"
"No," he gave her an odd look, "Didn't you realize?"
"No I guess not." She play hit her head. "I should have checked, sorry, it won't ruin the gift I hope?"
"No, it makes it better."
"glad." She breathed a sigh of relief. "How's the reading going?"
"Don't play dumb Gwen."
She blinked twice. "What in Merlin's name do you mean?"
"I saw you vanish, and then appear with that stack of gifts, and you yourself said you can't Apperate on school grounds, so how did you do it?"
"It's a gift of mine; I can go where ever I want by thinking."
"That's apperation."
"No, its not, I was checked when I started. I just can be somewhere else whenever I want to."
"I see, is it teachable?"
"No, it's a part of my magic that's unique."
"Ok, I'll leave you Severus should be returning soon." And he left with a smirk on his face. "You are the most secretive person I have ever met."
"No," she answered back before she realized what she had said.
Lucius stopped and looked back at her. "How do you figure?"
"There are people you've met who tell you lie as if they were words."
"And you don't?"
"No, I don't. I lie only half the time."
"then you could be lying now."
"I'm not though."
"Name them."
"Who?"
"the people who tell me lies like words?"
"Tom Riddle, Your Father, many more that I wont bother naming."
"Tom Riddle? I have never heard that name before."
"He won't likely be going by that name. He doesn't particularly like it."
"I see, how will I recognize him." He asked honestly
"He will give you an offer you can't refuse, and where he walks shadows will follow." She thought for a second and decided on something. "Lucius?"
"Yes, Gwen?"
"I want you to take some advise, no ifs ands or buts, I want you to follow it to the T got it?"
"Sure what is it?"
"Live. Make sure Snape follows it as well."
"Live, sure I can do that."
"You might not want to at a point in your life." Her eyes were dark. "You'll find death far more suitable, but whatever it takes; don't die until you do it naturally."
"Sure, but what did you mean about Severus?"
"To you, death will appear to be wonderful, but Snape might start lusting after it, talk about me then, talk about whatever gives him life, makes him happy, keeps him living. Keep Snape alive for me."
"For you?"
"I'll be leaving soon, less then a month, and when I do, you wont hear from me until you can't recognize me. For that reason I can't protect him. He is frail as it is, no one will admit it lest of all him, but every time you or anyone else downcasts him, I see him recede a little from the world."
"Sure."
"He doesn't trust you, you know?"
"Yes. Our fathers forced us to be friends, we would hate each other if not for that."
"Your fathers are wise beyond what they know. Snape needs your strength, you need something he can give you and only he can give you. I'm sure you'll figure it out next time I see you after I'm gone."
"I really should go, Fare Well Gwen. You hold knowledge beyond your years." He bowed and left.
Hermione breathed again.
She hoped she had helped.
"Snape! Where ya taking me? Its near Midnight!"
"Remus." Hermione smiled greeting her friend.
"Gwen," he saw the presents "Ahh, so that's why you need me." He started sorting and grabbed the larger objects, Snape, slightly weaker than the werewolf grabbed the medium sized ones and Hermione took hold of the rest. Together they snuck back to Gryffindor Tower.
Lucius hadn't left, he watched.
Snape did seem different around them then he ever was around him or anyone else. Maybe he did need a big brother, to make him stronger, to help make him powerful.
Snape knew charms and curses, more than any one else to enter hogworts. But that was not the power his dear friend needed.
He needed the leadership kind, the power you get over others. True to his word, he would find a way to get that type of strength for his friend.
Then again, he didn't need it now. She had mentioned, after she was gone.
He went back to Slytherin common room.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Hermione walking into the common room hoped that she made the right decision.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
AN:
Anyone figure it out yet?
I hope you did, but if you didn't next chappie will clear it up.
So sorry for having this out so late, forgive me!
Remember to review!
Relena