Chapter 4 ~ Maverick
Severus kept his broom steady, weaving between trees with very little difficulty. Muriel wondered again why he hadn't tried out for the Slytherin Quiddich team, but didn't ask. As much as he enjoyed watching it, he never seemed to want to play.
They found the berries with little problem, and Severus picked two from the highest branches, never getting near the ground. The nightshade bloomed only at midnight every full moon, so they had parked themselves in a tree to wait for the flowers to open when they heard a mournful howl. Muriel suppressed a shudder, and drew her dangling legs up onto the branch.
It couldn't even be 11:00 yet. They'd found the berries quickly. "I had an owl from Aunt Rosa," Muriel whispered into the silence. The moon was bright enough that she could see it shining off her friend's hair as he sat on a branch somewhat lower than hers. He turned his face to her, and she could see his eyes, shining black in the moonlight.
He didn't respond, so she continued. "She's worried about Papa. I think he told her something about Mother's friends. I think - " she stopped. Severus' father had taken the Dark Mark and vowed to serve the Dark Lord only two years before. "She said she was glad I was keeping busy at school, which means she's pleased I'm not home for Christmas. Something must be happening."
Severus nodded into the darkness. He had known it would only be a matter of time before Mrs. Deesia took the mark as well. She was a powerful witch, and Riddle had been wooing her to his cause for ages. "Does she think Papa will take the mark too?" he asked finally.
"I couldn't tell. But if he doesn't, he could be in a lot of danger. With your father and my mother both involved, it will be hard for him to say no. Your mother has the excuse of feminine weakness, but Papa - " she trailed off. She loved Severus' mother, but the woman had been pretending to be a weak witch for years. She'd succeeded in convincing both her husband and the Dark Lord that she would be of little use as their pawn. Muriel had a hard time respecting that. Why not just say no and face the consequences?
Severus looked away. His mother was not weak. If anything, he was impressed that she could live through what she did, and he knew that she only stayed with Father because of him. However, Mur was right. His mother put on a good act, but Papa wouldn't be able to use the same excuses.
He heard her whisper an apology from above him, but didn't turn his eyes back to her.
When the flowers finally opened, they glided to the ground on their brooms, Muriel holding a wand in each hand and keeping watch while Severus picked the first bloom. They only needed one petal, so they were in the air again in a moment.
As they turned their brooms back toward the school, they heard several howls and a frantic neighing, along with shouts. Werewolves.
Without a word, they turned their brooms toward the sound and arrived in a small clearing a few minutes later. The clearing was glowing with a silver light, and their eyes were drawn to the beautiful unicorn, which was stamping angrily in the midst of a circle of wolves.
They hovered at the edge of the trees, watching as the unicorn lunged at first one wolf, then another. "Werewolves don't attack other animals," Severus whispered. As the unicorn charged a third wolf, her body shifted out of their line of sight to reveal a man, silhouetted against her glow. He was brandishing a wand, but his spells were glancing harmlessly off the crouching figures around him.
Severus shot toward them without thinking. Pulling his broom to a halt above them, he hollered down to the trapped man. "Grab my broom, I'll get you into the trees!"
The man looked up, startled. "But!" he gestured wildly at the unicorn.
"They're after you, they'll leave her alone when you're gone!" Severus shouted back. Muriel watched with worry as the man grabbed the front of Sev's broom and let himself be hauled out of the closing circle. When they were high enough in the air, Sev brought him back into the trees. The wolves followed, leaving the unicorn to stand serenely in the center of the clearing, watching.
Severus brought the man close to a branch, which he scrambled onto gratefully, as Muriel flew to meet them.
"Werewolves don't run in packs," Severus said accusingly to the frazzled young man. Sure enough, when they looked below, none of the wolves had followed them into the trees.
To their surprise, the man's wild look disappeared to be replaced by a wide grin. "That's a fact, young sir," he said, without a trace of remorse. Muriel was confused.
"Then, what were they?"
It was Severus who answered her. "Illusions. He wanted to see what we'd do. He must have noticed us in the forest." The man was nodding. Muriel noticed that his hair, which he had obviously charmed to be the odd mixture of brown and red that shone strangely in the moonlight, was very long. It fell over his eyes. He was younger than she'd expected, probably in his early twenties. He was very handsome.
"Had to find out just what kind of people would be out gathering nightshade so close to my cabin, now didn't I?"
"You live here?" she asked incredulously. Severus was looking at her oddly now and she couldn't help but blush. Had he caught something of what she was feeling just now? She hoped not, and quickly thrust the thoughts away, looking at the man again with a colder gaze. "Who would want to live in the forest anyway?" she asked haughtily.
A half an hour later found Muriel and Severus slipping into a small cabin, much like the gamekeepers hut back at Hogwarts. Their host began making tea and Severus threw his cloak over the back of the first chair.
"Now, then," the man said happily, "who are you two and who are you trying to poison with that nightshade?" Severus and Muriel exchanged an anxious glance before introducing themselves.
Sev proceeded to explain the potion he hoped to make. He even showed him that they hadn't gathered enough of either ingredient to make a deadly poison.
"Thanks," Muriel said, accepting the teacup the man offered her. His eyes were very blue, and wide, and she couldn't help smiling as he looked down at her.
"You never mentioned your name," she said quietly as Severus scowled at her. She ignored him.
"Riddel," he said, "But everyone calls me - " he stopped speaking as Muriel's cup crashed to the floor and she fumbled for her wand. When he turned, he saw that Severus had also drawn his wand and was pointing it at him, his face deadly calm.
"Maverick," he finished, still smiling. My name is Tomkin Maverick Riddel, but everyone calls me Maverick."
Severus scowled, then put away his wand. "I guess you were named before anyone had ever heard of the Dark Lord?" he asked coldly. He watched as Muriel fixed her cup, and used the hem of her robes to soak up the tea she'd spilled. Her cheeks were very red and he scowled as the older man laughed.
"No one had ever heard of Tom Riddle when I was born. He was just getting out of school himself."
Muriel listened as the boys talked, too embarrassed to join in. Neither the Snapes nor the Deesias had ever introduced Tom Riddle to her or Severus, so they couldn't have known what he looked like. It wasn't until the subject of unicorns came up that she found the courage to speak again.
"How did you get so close to that unicorn? I read somewhere that they prefer girls," she said quietly.
"I live here in the woods because I wanted to study unicorns. I've lived here ever since I finished school. I met Adella Grace, the unicorn you saw tonight, in my 6th year during one of my more reckless moments. She ran off several centaurs, but then left. I've been following her around ever since. Every year she lets me get a little closer.
Muriel looked up sharply. There was more to it than that. She could feel that Maverick cared a great deal for this particular unicorn, and thought that was a bit odd. Still, unicorns were purity incarnate, and she had loved them all her life as well.
Severus set down his tea and picked up his cloak. "If we don't want to get caught, we'd better get back to the castle."
Maverick looked disappointed, and Muriel thought suddenly that it must be very lonely out here, with no humans around. A moment later, the look vanished and he smiled at them again. "Well, you two don't seem to have much trouble traversing the forest. Maybe you'll come back and see me again some time?"
"Sure," Severus said gruffly as Muriel blushed and stood up.
"Of course!" she exclaimed, glad to have been invited back. She ignored the look Severus was giving her as she shook Maverick's hand primly.
Maverick watched them fly off, shaking his head. Second year students in the forbidden forest on the full moon. No one would ever believe him.
Severus kept his broom steady, weaving between trees with very little difficulty. Muriel wondered again why he hadn't tried out for the Slytherin Quiddich team, but didn't ask. As much as he enjoyed watching it, he never seemed to want to play.
They found the berries with little problem, and Severus picked two from the highest branches, never getting near the ground. The nightshade bloomed only at midnight every full moon, so they had parked themselves in a tree to wait for the flowers to open when they heard a mournful howl. Muriel suppressed a shudder, and drew her dangling legs up onto the branch.
It couldn't even be 11:00 yet. They'd found the berries quickly. "I had an owl from Aunt Rosa," Muriel whispered into the silence. The moon was bright enough that she could see it shining off her friend's hair as he sat on a branch somewhat lower than hers. He turned his face to her, and she could see his eyes, shining black in the moonlight.
He didn't respond, so she continued. "She's worried about Papa. I think he told her something about Mother's friends. I think - " she stopped. Severus' father had taken the Dark Mark and vowed to serve the Dark Lord only two years before. "She said she was glad I was keeping busy at school, which means she's pleased I'm not home for Christmas. Something must be happening."
Severus nodded into the darkness. He had known it would only be a matter of time before Mrs. Deesia took the mark as well. She was a powerful witch, and Riddle had been wooing her to his cause for ages. "Does she think Papa will take the mark too?" he asked finally.
"I couldn't tell. But if he doesn't, he could be in a lot of danger. With your father and my mother both involved, it will be hard for him to say no. Your mother has the excuse of feminine weakness, but Papa - " she trailed off. She loved Severus' mother, but the woman had been pretending to be a weak witch for years. She'd succeeded in convincing both her husband and the Dark Lord that she would be of little use as their pawn. Muriel had a hard time respecting that. Why not just say no and face the consequences?
Severus looked away. His mother was not weak. If anything, he was impressed that she could live through what she did, and he knew that she only stayed with Father because of him. However, Mur was right. His mother put on a good act, but Papa wouldn't be able to use the same excuses.
He heard her whisper an apology from above him, but didn't turn his eyes back to her.
When the flowers finally opened, they glided to the ground on their brooms, Muriel holding a wand in each hand and keeping watch while Severus picked the first bloom. They only needed one petal, so they were in the air again in a moment.
As they turned their brooms back toward the school, they heard several howls and a frantic neighing, along with shouts. Werewolves.
Without a word, they turned their brooms toward the sound and arrived in a small clearing a few minutes later. The clearing was glowing with a silver light, and their eyes were drawn to the beautiful unicorn, which was stamping angrily in the midst of a circle of wolves.
They hovered at the edge of the trees, watching as the unicorn lunged at first one wolf, then another. "Werewolves don't attack other animals," Severus whispered. As the unicorn charged a third wolf, her body shifted out of their line of sight to reveal a man, silhouetted against her glow. He was brandishing a wand, but his spells were glancing harmlessly off the crouching figures around him.
Severus shot toward them without thinking. Pulling his broom to a halt above them, he hollered down to the trapped man. "Grab my broom, I'll get you into the trees!"
The man looked up, startled. "But!" he gestured wildly at the unicorn.
"They're after you, they'll leave her alone when you're gone!" Severus shouted back. Muriel watched with worry as the man grabbed the front of Sev's broom and let himself be hauled out of the closing circle. When they were high enough in the air, Sev brought him back into the trees. The wolves followed, leaving the unicorn to stand serenely in the center of the clearing, watching.
Severus brought the man close to a branch, which he scrambled onto gratefully, as Muriel flew to meet them.
"Werewolves don't run in packs," Severus said accusingly to the frazzled young man. Sure enough, when they looked below, none of the wolves had followed them into the trees.
To their surprise, the man's wild look disappeared to be replaced by a wide grin. "That's a fact, young sir," he said, without a trace of remorse. Muriel was confused.
"Then, what were they?"
It was Severus who answered her. "Illusions. He wanted to see what we'd do. He must have noticed us in the forest." The man was nodding. Muriel noticed that his hair, which he had obviously charmed to be the odd mixture of brown and red that shone strangely in the moonlight, was very long. It fell over his eyes. He was younger than she'd expected, probably in his early twenties. He was very handsome.
"Had to find out just what kind of people would be out gathering nightshade so close to my cabin, now didn't I?"
"You live here?" she asked incredulously. Severus was looking at her oddly now and she couldn't help but blush. Had he caught something of what she was feeling just now? She hoped not, and quickly thrust the thoughts away, looking at the man again with a colder gaze. "Who would want to live in the forest anyway?" she asked haughtily.
A half an hour later found Muriel and Severus slipping into a small cabin, much like the gamekeepers hut back at Hogwarts. Their host began making tea and Severus threw his cloak over the back of the first chair.
"Now, then," the man said happily, "who are you two and who are you trying to poison with that nightshade?" Severus and Muriel exchanged an anxious glance before introducing themselves.
Sev proceeded to explain the potion he hoped to make. He even showed him that they hadn't gathered enough of either ingredient to make a deadly poison.
"Thanks," Muriel said, accepting the teacup the man offered her. His eyes were very blue, and wide, and she couldn't help smiling as he looked down at her.
"You never mentioned your name," she said quietly as Severus scowled at her. She ignored him.
"Riddel," he said, "But everyone calls me - " he stopped speaking as Muriel's cup crashed to the floor and she fumbled for her wand. When he turned, he saw that Severus had also drawn his wand and was pointing it at him, his face deadly calm.
"Maverick," he finished, still smiling. My name is Tomkin Maverick Riddel, but everyone calls me Maverick."
Severus scowled, then put away his wand. "I guess you were named before anyone had ever heard of the Dark Lord?" he asked coldly. He watched as Muriel fixed her cup, and used the hem of her robes to soak up the tea she'd spilled. Her cheeks were very red and he scowled as the older man laughed.
"No one had ever heard of Tom Riddle when I was born. He was just getting out of school himself."
Muriel listened as the boys talked, too embarrassed to join in. Neither the Snapes nor the Deesias had ever introduced Tom Riddle to her or Severus, so they couldn't have known what he looked like. It wasn't until the subject of unicorns came up that she found the courage to speak again.
"How did you get so close to that unicorn? I read somewhere that they prefer girls," she said quietly.
"I live here in the woods because I wanted to study unicorns. I've lived here ever since I finished school. I met Adella Grace, the unicorn you saw tonight, in my 6th year during one of my more reckless moments. She ran off several centaurs, but then left. I've been following her around ever since. Every year she lets me get a little closer.
Muriel looked up sharply. There was more to it than that. She could feel that Maverick cared a great deal for this particular unicorn, and thought that was a bit odd. Still, unicorns were purity incarnate, and she had loved them all her life as well.
Severus set down his tea and picked up his cloak. "If we don't want to get caught, we'd better get back to the castle."
Maverick looked disappointed, and Muriel thought suddenly that it must be very lonely out here, with no humans around. A moment later, the look vanished and he smiled at them again. "Well, you two don't seem to have much trouble traversing the forest. Maybe you'll come back and see me again some time?"
"Sure," Severus said gruffly as Muriel blushed and stood up.
"Of course!" she exclaimed, glad to have been invited back. She ignored the look Severus was giving her as she shook Maverick's hand primly.
Maverick watched them fly off, shaking his head. Second year students in the forbidden forest on the full moon. No one would ever believe him.