Disclaimer - Harry Potter, and all the characters from the books belong to
J.K. Rowling not me. All other characters are mine.
Snape was miserable for the rest of the week, whereas Celeste was getting a lot of attention from the students as well as a few other teachers. She had a few meetings with Dumbledore about the arrangements of her stay. She was to meet with him and tell him all about the tornado and the reasons for her stay. She agreed to meet him that Friday after most of the students vacated away to Hogsmead.
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Friday was here and Celeste was anticipating her meeting with Dumbledore, she wasn't exactly sure what she was going to tell him on her reasons for staying. She decided she would start at the beginning and just see where it went from there. Earlier that week she had made arrangements with Dumbledore to have Severus present when they had their meeting. She didn't want to have to explain herself twice.
"Celeste, come on in. Severus and I have been anxiously awaiting for you."
"Thank you, professor. Well now, where should we begin?"
"I would like to start by asking a few questions. Answer them however you would like. Severus may have a few questions to ask you too after I am finished."
"Alright."
"First, explain the tornado. How is it at all possible what you were able to do?"
Celeste told them that while she was attending Hogwarts she discovered on her own that she could enter people's dreams. She told them that she couldn't control minds, but once inside someone's mind she could talk to them and kind of "make suggestions"; she could also see people's secrets. She had no control over whether or not the person did what she asked. She also explained that she never once asked anyone to do anything bad. And that's how the tornado comes into play. Celeste told them that it was an ancient way to travel by those who perfected the art of dream stealing. It was a process that involved entering a person's mind and making them dream about you. Once the person dreams about you a tornado starts to form that travels, with you inside of it, towards the person that is dreaming. It's not the fastest way to travel, but you go straight to the person you are looking for, even if they are in hiding or have a secret keeper. She explained that she knew Snape worked at Hogwarts, and that he was her ticket there.
"But why did you need to come to Hogwarts in the first place?" Snape asked her.
"I needed protection. You see, when Voldemort was in power he tried to recruit me. Thought that I would teach him how to dream steal. When I told him that it wasn't something that could be taught, he asked me to join him so that he could use my abilities. I refused and I became his enemy."
"What did he need your abilities for?" Snape asked.
"James and Lily Potter."
"What about them?"
"He wanted me to find out who their secret keeper was; and I did. I refused to tell him and he sent a group of death eaters after me. I went into hiding, living amongst muggles. When I heard that Sirius Black escaped Azkaban I had a feeling he would try to find Harry. A few years ago I heard about an incident here at the school involving Voldemort and Harry. I decided it would be best to wait a while before attempting to find Sirius. When I did find him, I found that he had in fact contacted Harry. He's near here, but I needed a direct link to the school. That's why I chose Severus."
"Well," Snape began "that explains some things, but what does Sirius have to do with anything?"
"I know for a fact that it wasn't him that betrayed the Potters. I also know that some of Voldemort's followers know where Sirius is too. They will go after Harry to get to him. I can clear his name, but I needed to be somewhere safe to be able to do so. That's why I have come back here to Hogwarts."
Dumbledore grabbed Snape's arm as a signal to not ask any more questions. It was his turn to talk.
"Have you already spoken to Sirius?"
"I have talked to him in his dreams, but not in person. It would be too risky for me to see him in person, especially with my means of traveling."
"Have you talked to Harry about any of this?"
"No. I will if you think he should know what's going on."
"I think he should know your purpose here since it involves him and his godfather, but I don't think there's any rush. Feel free to tell him whenever you feel it is appropriate. Take the time you need to decide exactly what you will tell him."
"I will professor."
"Well, I am glad we had the chance to have this talk. I am glad you were honest about your reasons for coming here. You are welcome to stay here as long as needed." Snape looked at the headmaster as if the old man had done gone and lost his mind. "I'm sure everyone will be glad to have you around. Isn't that right Severus?"
Dumbledore looked up at Snape with a humorous twinkle in his eyes. "Of course. I know I for one am just absolutely delighted," he said with a large amount of detectable sarcasm in his voice.
Once outside Dumbledore's office Snape grabbed Celeste's arm and turned her to face him. Neither one of them said a word, just stared. His eyes were demanding, demanding her to stop teasing him, and hers were inviting, inviting him to try to stop her.
"I can't believe a man, such as yourself, can be so jealous over someone who you have no right to be jealous over in the first place."
"What on earth are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about the jealousy you feel towards Sirius."
"I'm not jealous of him. Never have I been jealous of him, nor will I ever be. I despise the man. I never liked him when he attended Hogwarts, and I certainly don't like him now."
"You were jealous of him when we were in school; just as you are jealous of him now."
"What reason do I have to be jealous of him?"
"Now? Because you know I have entered his mind to talk to him, but you think there's more to it than that. Then? I never figured it out. That was your secret. Not for me to know."
"I don't care about you talking to him, or whatever else you choose to do with him."
"Would it make you feel better if I told you that I entered his mind in dirty rags for clothes, instead of the satin gown I come to you in?"
"I don't care what you wear or whose mind you enter. Just don't enter mine again."
"Fine then Severus. If you want to act like a foolish child then so be it. I won't enter your mind at night anymore."
"What about reading my mind?"
Celeste turned around to start heading to her chambers. Her footsteps were the only sounds in the hallway. She stopped at the edge of the stairs, turned back around to look at Severus, and slipped her hands behind her back. "No, I will not read your mind anymore." The fingers that were crossed behind her back came undone and she left him standing there.
Snape was miserable for the rest of the week, whereas Celeste was getting a lot of attention from the students as well as a few other teachers. She had a few meetings with Dumbledore about the arrangements of her stay. She was to meet with him and tell him all about the tornado and the reasons for her stay. She agreed to meet him that Friday after most of the students vacated away to Hogsmead.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Friday was here and Celeste was anticipating her meeting with Dumbledore, she wasn't exactly sure what she was going to tell him on her reasons for staying. She decided she would start at the beginning and just see where it went from there. Earlier that week she had made arrangements with Dumbledore to have Severus present when they had their meeting. She didn't want to have to explain herself twice.
"Celeste, come on in. Severus and I have been anxiously awaiting for you."
"Thank you, professor. Well now, where should we begin?"
"I would like to start by asking a few questions. Answer them however you would like. Severus may have a few questions to ask you too after I am finished."
"Alright."
"First, explain the tornado. How is it at all possible what you were able to do?"
Celeste told them that while she was attending Hogwarts she discovered on her own that she could enter people's dreams. She told them that she couldn't control minds, but once inside someone's mind she could talk to them and kind of "make suggestions"; she could also see people's secrets. She had no control over whether or not the person did what she asked. She also explained that she never once asked anyone to do anything bad. And that's how the tornado comes into play. Celeste told them that it was an ancient way to travel by those who perfected the art of dream stealing. It was a process that involved entering a person's mind and making them dream about you. Once the person dreams about you a tornado starts to form that travels, with you inside of it, towards the person that is dreaming. It's not the fastest way to travel, but you go straight to the person you are looking for, even if they are in hiding or have a secret keeper. She explained that she knew Snape worked at Hogwarts, and that he was her ticket there.
"But why did you need to come to Hogwarts in the first place?" Snape asked her.
"I needed protection. You see, when Voldemort was in power he tried to recruit me. Thought that I would teach him how to dream steal. When I told him that it wasn't something that could be taught, he asked me to join him so that he could use my abilities. I refused and I became his enemy."
"What did he need your abilities for?" Snape asked.
"James and Lily Potter."
"What about them?"
"He wanted me to find out who their secret keeper was; and I did. I refused to tell him and he sent a group of death eaters after me. I went into hiding, living amongst muggles. When I heard that Sirius Black escaped Azkaban I had a feeling he would try to find Harry. A few years ago I heard about an incident here at the school involving Voldemort and Harry. I decided it would be best to wait a while before attempting to find Sirius. When I did find him, I found that he had in fact contacted Harry. He's near here, but I needed a direct link to the school. That's why I chose Severus."
"Well," Snape began "that explains some things, but what does Sirius have to do with anything?"
"I know for a fact that it wasn't him that betrayed the Potters. I also know that some of Voldemort's followers know where Sirius is too. They will go after Harry to get to him. I can clear his name, but I needed to be somewhere safe to be able to do so. That's why I have come back here to Hogwarts."
Dumbledore grabbed Snape's arm as a signal to not ask any more questions. It was his turn to talk.
"Have you already spoken to Sirius?"
"I have talked to him in his dreams, but not in person. It would be too risky for me to see him in person, especially with my means of traveling."
"Have you talked to Harry about any of this?"
"No. I will if you think he should know what's going on."
"I think he should know your purpose here since it involves him and his godfather, but I don't think there's any rush. Feel free to tell him whenever you feel it is appropriate. Take the time you need to decide exactly what you will tell him."
"I will professor."
"Well, I am glad we had the chance to have this talk. I am glad you were honest about your reasons for coming here. You are welcome to stay here as long as needed." Snape looked at the headmaster as if the old man had done gone and lost his mind. "I'm sure everyone will be glad to have you around. Isn't that right Severus?"
Dumbledore looked up at Snape with a humorous twinkle in his eyes. "Of course. I know I for one am just absolutely delighted," he said with a large amount of detectable sarcasm in his voice.
Once outside Dumbledore's office Snape grabbed Celeste's arm and turned her to face him. Neither one of them said a word, just stared. His eyes were demanding, demanding her to stop teasing him, and hers were inviting, inviting him to try to stop her.
"I can't believe a man, such as yourself, can be so jealous over someone who you have no right to be jealous over in the first place."
"What on earth are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about the jealousy you feel towards Sirius."
"I'm not jealous of him. Never have I been jealous of him, nor will I ever be. I despise the man. I never liked him when he attended Hogwarts, and I certainly don't like him now."
"You were jealous of him when we were in school; just as you are jealous of him now."
"What reason do I have to be jealous of him?"
"Now? Because you know I have entered his mind to talk to him, but you think there's more to it than that. Then? I never figured it out. That was your secret. Not for me to know."
"I don't care about you talking to him, or whatever else you choose to do with him."
"Would it make you feel better if I told you that I entered his mind in dirty rags for clothes, instead of the satin gown I come to you in?"
"I don't care what you wear or whose mind you enter. Just don't enter mine again."
"Fine then Severus. If you want to act like a foolish child then so be it. I won't enter your mind at night anymore."
"What about reading my mind?"
Celeste turned around to start heading to her chambers. Her footsteps were the only sounds in the hallway. She stopped at the edge of the stairs, turned back around to look at Severus, and slipped her hands behind her back. "No, I will not read your mind anymore." The fingers that were crossed behind her back came undone and she left him standing there.