Disclaimer: J.K.R. owns Harry Potter and co., not me (I wouldn't mind owning Sev though). This story is slightly (basically bits of the plot ideas; just technical stuff) inspired by Minnionette's A Gutter Rat's Tale and Dauphin's Let History Repeat Itself. Niamh O'Feir, Jardin, Mika Davids, Darcorn's, and anything you don't recognize belong to me.
Not Myself by Saerry Snape
Chapter 131 – Deep Thoughts, a Planning of Visits, and a Surprise
Midnight found Niamh sitting in the Hexer's Corner, a cup of what had once been hot tea cupped in her hands. It was now cold from sitting idle for a half hour.
The reason for its coldness was the fact that the dark-haired girl's thought processes were elsewhere. She had been sitting in the Corner since 11:15, which was when everyone in Slytherin House had vacated the common room. Not able to sleep, she'd curled up on the couch and summoned Dobby (a trick that Harry had picked up from living in his father's quarters and taught her how to perform). The house-elf had happily brought the tea she'd requested and a small plate of éclairs as well.
The éclairs had been eaten long ago but the tea remained.
Niamh finally sighed and gave the cup a small swish before she downed the cold tea. Idly, she peered the leaves left at the bottom. The cup flew through the air a moment later and shattered against the stones of the fireplace.
"Damned tea-leaves," she snarled quietly. "You can't tell the future anymore than I can."
She sank back into the couch with a sigh and her inner voice said, But that's not true, is it?
Shut up, snapped Niamh to it.
You know that you have the Sight.
Bull!
What about fourth year?
Niamh scowled and grabbed a mental axe to kill her inner voice. Her fourth year at Hogwarts had been her best and worst at the same time. She'd found someone she really cared for and then had then taken away from her.
And you saw them vanish before it happened, said the voice and Niamh shouted, SHUT UP!!!
You know its true…
SHUT. UP.
The voice seemed to smirk.
Moon means "love", dearie. And a ring means "marriage". Tea-leaves don't lie in the hands of a true Seer.
Shut up, repeated Niamh. She didn't want to believe it.
But that boy she'd seen… He'd had her face. Hers. And that wild crop of dark hair…
Niamh gently touched her own hair then let her hand fall limply away. Her hair had a life of its own.
And it had been her hair on that little boy's head…
"Oh God," she whispered to herself.
The moment after she and Harry had left the East Tower, she'd begun to deny what she'd seen. But now, thinking back on it, she knew that she had seen the future.
The future, however, could be changed.
The question was, did she want to change it?
* * * *
"You spoke to him, I gather?"
"Yes. Albus…we can't let this out."
Dumbledore slowly nodded and looked down at Severus' head, which was bobbing in his fireplace.
"I know, Severus. Cornelius would have Harry out of Hogwarts in a moment's notice."
"And probably in the hands of that Umbridge woman," sneered Severus. "Merlin, Albus, he might even try to get Harry thrown in Azkaban!"
"Severus," said Dumbledore seriously, "aren't you going a little far?"
"He did it to Black."
"But this is Harry…"
"My son!" snapped Severus. "Who believes what he did was murder."
"He takes everything upon himself. Much like a young man I used to know."
Severus glared at the older wizard and growled, "This is not about me, Albus. This is about my son."
"I know. We are safe, Severus. Only myself, you, Harry, and Miss O'Feir know of this incident. Though he might have told Mister Davids…"
Severus shook his head.
"No. Albus, Harry is ashamed of what he did. Surely you noticed."
"I did."
"Then you see how he would not have told anyone else. You told me he barely told you."
Dumbledore nodded slowly and said, "We are safe. There is no need to panic."
"I'm not panicking. Just worried. Father's have that right, as you well know."
The old wizard chuckled at that.
"Yes, I do know of a father's worry." He then frowned and said, "Did he mention his eyes?"
Severus' brow furrowed and he said, "What of them?"
"Severus…they were completely black."
Those words seemed to hit the Potion's Master like a sledgehammer. He disappeared from the fireplace for a moment then reappeared.
"Albus, you will need to find someone to cover my classes for a few days. Three at the most."
"Severus…" began Dumbledore.
"I have questions I need answered," said Severus sternly. "And there is only one to whom I can turn for matters such as these."
"Severus, you're not suggesting Sheen?"
"She is my cousin, Albus. She's respectable."
"But…"
"I will not be turned away from my decision, old man," snarled Severus, his eyes flashing fire. He glared at the Headmaster with a look that Dumbledore remembered seeing many times upon the face of Septimius Snape. It was an expression that rarely showed up on the face of his son but when it did, one knew not to contradict him.
"Very well. Travel safe."
Severus simply nodded and his head vanished from the fireplace. Dumbledore stared at the flickering flames for a moment before he looked at Fawkes, who sat on his perch near the window.
"What do you think, old friend?"
Of your black knight visiting the White Queen? Fawkes rustled his feathers and continued, Disconcerting. Especially since he cannot leave the grounds.
"Ah, yes. That," said Dumbledore. He opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a hastily sketched map of the castle and surrounding area. There was a circle drawn about the Hogwarts grounds that was pulsating gently with an orange light. He tapped his wand against the circle and a small black thread appeared. It separated itself from the glowing circle then vanished. "There."
Are you going to tell the boy? asked Fawkes. Or shall I have the snapdragon inform him?
"Tell Jardin."
Shall I simply tell him that your knight has left?
Dumbledore nodded and said, "Yes."
Very well, said Fawkes, whisking his tail feathers. I shall go inform the snapdragon. I just hope that I do not interrupt anything…
Dumbledore blinked as the phoenix disappeared in a puff of flame then began to chuckle softly as he realized the implications of the bird's words.
* * * *
"'Lo, Ni," said Harry the next morning as he sat down beside her at the Slytherin table. The dark-haired girl jumped and stared at him as though he'd grown another head. He blinked, noticing that she had dark circles underneath her eyes.
"Ni…are ye alrigh'?"
"Fine," mumbled Niamh, not quite looking at him.
"Ye sure? Ye seen a bi' off."
"I'm fine," said Niamh. "How about you?"
Harry shrugged and replied, "Alrigh'. Same as usual, Ah s'pose."
"You suppose?"
"Yeh."
"Harry…"
"Ni, drop i'," said Harry in a slightly harsh tone. "Ah'm fine. Leave off."
"Okay," said Niamh. "But remember, Harry, your not a…"
Ginny suddenly dropped into the seat across from them and Niamh's jaw snapped shut. Harry scowled lightly at her for nearly speaking aloud then turned towards the younger girl.
"'Lo, Gin."
"Neh," replied the redhead.
"Ba' mornin'?"
"Yeah."
"Dormmates?"
"No," came the reply. "Cho Chang."
"Chang?" exclaimed Harry. "Wha' di' she wan'?"
Ginny looked at him and replied, "She was looking for you."
"Why?"
"Didn't say."
"Heh."
Jardin suddenly landed on the table in front of Harry, looking rather pleased with himself. Niamh arched an eyebrow at him and said, "What are you so pleased about?"
Nothing in particular, replied the raven.
"Oh, really?" said Harry, giving the bird a skeptical look. Jardin fluffed his feathers and began to idly preen a wing at this.
I have nothing to say.
"POTTER!"
Eep.
"Eep?" repeated Niamh as Jardin attempted to hide behind a pitcher of orange juice. Harry and Ginny, meanwhile, were looking at the approaching storm that was Cho Chang.
"Wou' this be abou' wha' she wanted me for?" asked Harry, leaning slightly towards Ginny.
The redhead nodded and replied, "I'd think so."
Cho stormed over to the spot where they were sitting and fixed first Harry with a glare then Jardin. Her upper lip pulled back from her teeth in a snarl at the sight of the bird and she spat, "That bird…"
"Whot does Jar 'ave ter to wi' ye?" asked Harry hotly. He hadn't meant for it to come out that way but since she was looking at Jardin in a way that suggested wanting to roast him over a spit, it had. The bond with the raven not only brought a mental connection between them but one sort of like that of siblings. It gave them the need to protect each other.
Cho bristled and snapped, "That bird of yours got mine pregnant, Potter!!"
Harry blinked.
Niamh blinked.
Ginny blinked.
Jardin blushed beneath his feathers.
You're trying to get us killed, aren't you? thought Niamh, flicking her eyes towards the raven.
I think he is, thought Harry. He glared at Jardin then turned to Cho.
"Ah'm sorry bu' Ah doan see wha' ye wan' me ter do…"
"I want you to keep your damned bird away from mine! Is. That. Clear!"
"Yeh," said Harry shortly as Jardin raged, She can't do that!
Apparently she can.
Humph. Thank the gods Mordi is more open-minded than Chang.
Ginny arched an eyebrow at that.
Excuse me, she thought. Mordi?
Jardin gave her a sheepish look and replied, That's her name. Or…my nickname for her.
Ah, ravens in love, said Niamh with a mental laugh.
Actually she's a crow.
Chang has a crow? Since when?
Last year. Pay attention, Harry.
I'm sorry, I don't keep a list of all the birds in the Owlery.
Jardin snorted and fluffed his feathers irritably in response. Harry rolled his eyes lightly then looked at Cho.
"Alrigh', Chang. Ah'll do me best bu' Ah can'na say Ah c'n keep Jar away."
Cho seemed about to grab the front of Harry's robes then thought better of it and just jabbed a finger at him.
"You'd better, Potter," she growled before she turned and stormed off. The three Slytherins looked at each other then at Jardin then back again.
After a few moments of silence, Niamh finally mentally crowed, Way t' go, Jar!
The raven tucked his head under a wing and mumbled, I feel so embarrassed.
"Well," said Ginny aloud, "now everyone currently in the Hall knows that you…er, had a fling with Chang's crow."
"Hmm," said Harry. "Tha swee' lull of bir' romance."
The two girls looked at the dark-haired boy and then burst out laughing. Harry just grinned and reached out to run his fingers over Jardin's inky black feathers.