Disclaimer: Obviously, J. K. Rowling owns Harry Potter and I clearly do
not.
The next morning, Ron woke early. It couldn't have been past 3:00 am. The sun was not up and it was dark all around. He went to the window and splashed his face with water from the pitcher and looked out the window. His eyes caught something move and he focused in on whatever it was. He saw two shadowy figures in the dark, he squinted to see better. The first wore a cloak which shimmered, even in the dark before morning. Ron knew it was Alisabelle. The second figure was dressed all in black and blended in so well, he could hardly reassure himself that it was even there. Quickly, he grabbed his wand and muttered a spell which allowed him to see in the dark. He looked closer and saw it was Snape. A bubble of anger boiled within him slightly. They were talking below and Ron knew he would not be able to hear them even if he opened the window and used a spell to enhance his hearing. Somehow he knew he would not be able to hear them unless Alisabelle wanted him to hear them. But then he thought, what if she did want him to hear? He opened the window a bit. Snape and Alisabelle had sat down upon the cool grass near the lake and were talking almost silently. Ron muttered a spell to enhance his hearing and could hardly hear a thing. He opened the window a bit more and strained to hear. Finally he heard them speaking.
"It has been so long." Snape said.
"It has been longer for me." Alisabelle whispered, without glancing at Ron, but knowing he was there.
"I did not think you would come again, especially today, of all days. It is rare for an elf to travel on a holiday, especially alone. What was urgent you had to come?" Snape asked.
"The holiday is over now, Severus. I had to come because the boys..." Alisabelle began but Ron could not hear anymore than that. He sighed and strained once more to hear. Alisabelle did not want this part heard. He stood there for a while before he could hear once more, "I will help." She finished.
"I only hope you can. Do you think they will trust you once they find out..." Snape did not finish his sentence.
"Did you trust me after you found out?" She asked.
"It took me a long time. They are both stubborn and scared, it will take longer for them." Snape said quietly.
"Then I will wait to tell them." She said, "Go Severus, you should get back to the castle and get some sleep. You cannot stay up all night to speak to me."
"I could." Snape said.
"We will talk when the sun is up. Please go, and worry not about your students, the Sytherins are all asleep." Alisabelle told him and Snape smiled before heading toward the school. She watched him for a moment, then turned to Ron in his window several stories up. He took a step back, afraid of her stare, then he looked back and knew she was waiting for him to come down. He looked around the room. Harry had once said Ron could use the invisibility cloak if he desperately needed it without asking Harry, but Ron had never taken advantage of that offer. Ron thought about waking Harry, but he knew Harry would want to come down too, and somehow Ron wanted to be alone with Alisabelle. As silently as possible, Ron tugged the cloak from within Harry's trunk, each sound exaggerated by his enhanced hearing, he hurried down the stairs to the common room. He slowed, seeing that Hermione had fallen asleep on the couch. She looked comfortable enough, and not wanting to wake her for fear she would want to come as well, he left her there and snuck out through the hole, covered by the invisibility cloak.
He went quickly out of the building, his enhanced hearing slowly wearing off, along with his night vision, he stumbled in the dark. Then he found her and pulled off the cloak. "It was good of you to come." Alisabelle said, smiling.
"I was up." He said.
"I know. I heard you." She laughed, Ron was relieved to see her loosened up from his last meeting with her. "You're lucky Snape isn't as observant as me! If I hadn't of seen you, he would have positioned himself facing you and you would have been dead for sure." Just her smile made Ron warm up inside.
"I guess I'm not as smooth as I thought I was." Ron said.
"Well, I don't know, you were about as smooth as a freight train. I'm surprised you didn't wake Hermione up." She said.
"How do you know Hermione?" He asked, suddenly suspicious.
"Don't like go on guard or anything! She and I met when we were very young. I think she remembers me as well, perhaps she will not remember fully until she has seen my face, like the others." Alisabelle whispered, thinking, then turning to him, "Sorry about being so formal with you earlier, by the way, it was only out of respect for my people. Elves do not usually travel on holidays, but usually stay at home and celebrate. When we are among those who are not our own, we must celebrate within."
Ron just nodded his head, then he started, "Alisabelle," And he stopped.
"Please, just call me Alisa." She said.
He drew in a breath, he felt very important, "Why are you here?"
"To protect, to help, to stop what has been put into motion." She said quietly. She was pulling from him. That's not what he wanted.
"I mean... I just wish I knew more about all this." He said, utterly confused within his own thoughts.
"I have known Albus for a very long time, Ron, and he is getting older, and he is not getting any stronger as he gets older. He needs my help." She spoke quietly once again.
"How long have you know him?" Ron found himself asking.
"Since I was very, very young. He and I became friends when I was older though. Where I was before this, age was different. I aged in years there, I was fifteen, acting and talking as though I were fifteen, when you had not yet reached eight. I aged until I was sixteen, and I stopped aging. I will be like this until my end. I have lived through more years than you have. Albus and I became friends before I stopped aging. I learned very much from him, and so I took to the sort of magic you do now, with a wand and that sort. I learned a great deal from him when he came, and almost as much when he was gone. I came here for nearly a full two Elvin years after I stopped aging. I met the professors, and I came to be very fond of them, especially Severus." Ron gave her a look, "He is not as terrible as he is perceived." She said, laughing at Ron's face. "He was something of a father figure to me while I was here. He has always been overprotective of me. When it was time for me to leave, I asked everyone to forget me, because I have many terrible things in my past and my future. When I asked them, they somehow took in my request, and forced themselves to forget me, I believe without magic. Severus is the only one who did not forget me for a time." She went silent.
"What kind of things in your past?" Ron asked, then realized he shouldn't have asked.
"Bad people, bad places, bad things, that is all." She said and looked away.
"Please, don't be angry." Ron whispered.
"I am not angry, it is just hard to think of such things now." She said quietly and looked back at him.
"Do you always become formal when you want to be distant?" Ron asked with a smile.
"Only when the Elvish part of me comes out." And she smiled back. The two sat in the dark, close enough to see one another's faces and hear each other's breathing, but did not say a word. Finally, Alisa broke the silence, "You best get back inside, if Severus found you here with me, you wouldn't have time to breath before you were hit with a strong pain curse, not to mention how Harry is going to react when he finds his cloak missing."
Ron's ears flushed and he stood, "Aren't you coming in?" He asked.
"No, I have no place to sleep tonight. I will stay here until the morning sun rises." She said, smiling at him still.
"You can sleep in the Gryffindor common room, if you'd like." Ron suggested, sincerely hoping she would come in so he could spend a few more moments with her.
Her smile widened, "Thank you, but I'd rather be out here. Elves are not really castle people. I will walk you to the door, if you would like."
"I would like that very much." Ron said, picking up the invisibility cloak. Alisa smoothly stood up as though she were not on feet but on water instead. "You are so graceful, it is hard to imagine you have feet." Ron said.
Alisa picked up her dress, below her thin feet with painted toes, the loveliest feet Ron had ever seen, "I assure you that I certainly have feet." She said. She took his hand and they walked together toward the castle.
The next morning, Ron woke early. It couldn't have been past 3:00 am. The sun was not up and it was dark all around. He went to the window and splashed his face with water from the pitcher and looked out the window. His eyes caught something move and he focused in on whatever it was. He saw two shadowy figures in the dark, he squinted to see better. The first wore a cloak which shimmered, even in the dark before morning. Ron knew it was Alisabelle. The second figure was dressed all in black and blended in so well, he could hardly reassure himself that it was even there. Quickly, he grabbed his wand and muttered a spell which allowed him to see in the dark. He looked closer and saw it was Snape. A bubble of anger boiled within him slightly. They were talking below and Ron knew he would not be able to hear them even if he opened the window and used a spell to enhance his hearing. Somehow he knew he would not be able to hear them unless Alisabelle wanted him to hear them. But then he thought, what if she did want him to hear? He opened the window a bit. Snape and Alisabelle had sat down upon the cool grass near the lake and were talking almost silently. Ron muttered a spell to enhance his hearing and could hardly hear a thing. He opened the window a bit more and strained to hear. Finally he heard them speaking.
"It has been so long." Snape said.
"It has been longer for me." Alisabelle whispered, without glancing at Ron, but knowing he was there.
"I did not think you would come again, especially today, of all days. It is rare for an elf to travel on a holiday, especially alone. What was urgent you had to come?" Snape asked.
"The holiday is over now, Severus. I had to come because the boys..." Alisabelle began but Ron could not hear anymore than that. He sighed and strained once more to hear. Alisabelle did not want this part heard. He stood there for a while before he could hear once more, "I will help." She finished.
"I only hope you can. Do you think they will trust you once they find out..." Snape did not finish his sentence.
"Did you trust me after you found out?" She asked.
"It took me a long time. They are both stubborn and scared, it will take longer for them." Snape said quietly.
"Then I will wait to tell them." She said, "Go Severus, you should get back to the castle and get some sleep. You cannot stay up all night to speak to me."
"I could." Snape said.
"We will talk when the sun is up. Please go, and worry not about your students, the Sytherins are all asleep." Alisabelle told him and Snape smiled before heading toward the school. She watched him for a moment, then turned to Ron in his window several stories up. He took a step back, afraid of her stare, then he looked back and knew she was waiting for him to come down. He looked around the room. Harry had once said Ron could use the invisibility cloak if he desperately needed it without asking Harry, but Ron had never taken advantage of that offer. Ron thought about waking Harry, but he knew Harry would want to come down too, and somehow Ron wanted to be alone with Alisabelle. As silently as possible, Ron tugged the cloak from within Harry's trunk, each sound exaggerated by his enhanced hearing, he hurried down the stairs to the common room. He slowed, seeing that Hermione had fallen asleep on the couch. She looked comfortable enough, and not wanting to wake her for fear she would want to come as well, he left her there and snuck out through the hole, covered by the invisibility cloak.
He went quickly out of the building, his enhanced hearing slowly wearing off, along with his night vision, he stumbled in the dark. Then he found her and pulled off the cloak. "It was good of you to come." Alisabelle said, smiling.
"I was up." He said.
"I know. I heard you." She laughed, Ron was relieved to see her loosened up from his last meeting with her. "You're lucky Snape isn't as observant as me! If I hadn't of seen you, he would have positioned himself facing you and you would have been dead for sure." Just her smile made Ron warm up inside.
"I guess I'm not as smooth as I thought I was." Ron said.
"Well, I don't know, you were about as smooth as a freight train. I'm surprised you didn't wake Hermione up." She said.
"How do you know Hermione?" He asked, suddenly suspicious.
"Don't like go on guard or anything! She and I met when we were very young. I think she remembers me as well, perhaps she will not remember fully until she has seen my face, like the others." Alisabelle whispered, thinking, then turning to him, "Sorry about being so formal with you earlier, by the way, it was only out of respect for my people. Elves do not usually travel on holidays, but usually stay at home and celebrate. When we are among those who are not our own, we must celebrate within."
Ron just nodded his head, then he started, "Alisabelle," And he stopped.
"Please, just call me Alisa." She said.
He drew in a breath, he felt very important, "Why are you here?"
"To protect, to help, to stop what has been put into motion." She said quietly. She was pulling from him. That's not what he wanted.
"I mean... I just wish I knew more about all this." He said, utterly confused within his own thoughts.
"I have known Albus for a very long time, Ron, and he is getting older, and he is not getting any stronger as he gets older. He needs my help." She spoke quietly once again.
"How long have you know him?" Ron found himself asking.
"Since I was very, very young. He and I became friends when I was older though. Where I was before this, age was different. I aged in years there, I was fifteen, acting and talking as though I were fifteen, when you had not yet reached eight. I aged until I was sixteen, and I stopped aging. I will be like this until my end. I have lived through more years than you have. Albus and I became friends before I stopped aging. I learned very much from him, and so I took to the sort of magic you do now, with a wand and that sort. I learned a great deal from him when he came, and almost as much when he was gone. I came here for nearly a full two Elvin years after I stopped aging. I met the professors, and I came to be very fond of them, especially Severus." Ron gave her a look, "He is not as terrible as he is perceived." She said, laughing at Ron's face. "He was something of a father figure to me while I was here. He has always been overprotective of me. When it was time for me to leave, I asked everyone to forget me, because I have many terrible things in my past and my future. When I asked them, they somehow took in my request, and forced themselves to forget me, I believe without magic. Severus is the only one who did not forget me for a time." She went silent.
"What kind of things in your past?" Ron asked, then realized he shouldn't have asked.
"Bad people, bad places, bad things, that is all." She said and looked away.
"Please, don't be angry." Ron whispered.
"I am not angry, it is just hard to think of such things now." She said quietly and looked back at him.
"Do you always become formal when you want to be distant?" Ron asked with a smile.
"Only when the Elvish part of me comes out." And she smiled back. The two sat in the dark, close enough to see one another's faces and hear each other's breathing, but did not say a word. Finally, Alisa broke the silence, "You best get back inside, if Severus found you here with me, you wouldn't have time to breath before you were hit with a strong pain curse, not to mention how Harry is going to react when he finds his cloak missing."
Ron's ears flushed and he stood, "Aren't you coming in?" He asked.
"No, I have no place to sleep tonight. I will stay here until the morning sun rises." She said, smiling at him still.
"You can sleep in the Gryffindor common room, if you'd like." Ron suggested, sincerely hoping she would come in so he could spend a few more moments with her.
Her smile widened, "Thank you, but I'd rather be out here. Elves are not really castle people. I will walk you to the door, if you would like."
"I would like that very much." Ron said, picking up the invisibility cloak. Alisa smoothly stood up as though she were not on feet but on water instead. "You are so graceful, it is hard to imagine you have feet." Ron said.
Alisa picked up her dress, below her thin feet with painted toes, the loveliest feet Ron had ever seen, "I assure you that I certainly have feet." She said. She took his hand and they walked together toward the castle.