CHAPTER FIVE: A Friend in Need
Dear Spirals,
Freedom again! Father's going to be gone until after I leave for school! Thank the Gods! Now I can go to school without bruises or broken anything!
Two more weeks. I think I can survive two more weeks.
We have to come up with prank ideas for the Drool Brigade for this year. Have you thought up anything for the Ultimate Prank yet? The sun is actually out today. The entire countryside is bathed in gold light and the grasses seem like an emerald green. The apple orchards are outside my east window and I really can't describe to you how incredible the sight is, with the red and gold apples shining in the sunlight against the dark green leaves. It makes me happy, it's so pretty.
I have to go outside before it clouds up again. Miss you much. See you soon.
Snips
----------
Dear Snips,
Isaura had her wedding. It was huge, nearly everyone on the island was invited (I was told it was because of Mother and Father's influence, but I've yet to see any of that myself) and I was the Maiden for the ceremony.
My friend Dion and I danced together even though he was a full foot taller than me and looked down at me a lot. He annoys me so much because he acts way too much like a boy. At least when you act like a boy you don't rub it in my face. I'm tempted to paint 'Dion's a Drooling Macho Git' in English on the outside wall of his bedroom. I just might.
Yay, the Evil Overlord Snape is gone. Nasty bugger. Yes, you need to run around in the sun as much as possible. The Great Mother knows you need it.
As for the Ultimate Prank ... nothing yet. I'm quite sure once I'm in their noxious presence again, the Marauding Menagerie will inspire something. That's where a lot of my original prank idea came from, just being around them. They provide so much fodder. Almost like hexing fish in a barrel.
Another week, my friend, then it's Snips and Spirals Part Two. Our Five Part Series will culminate into your graduation ceremony, very likely involving at least three different types of goat cheese and the Marauders' underpants. (Laughs.) By then, I should be able to figure out how to sneak into their drawers and wreak some merry havoc.
It'll be glorious once we're together again, you'll see. I have to go - I thought I just heard Artemisia yell at Adonia about sleeping with her best friend. This is odd, considering Artemisia's best friend is female, as is Adonia.
Write more later.
Hug and kiss.
Spirals
----------------
Sev tucked the letters away under the loose floorboard of his room. Any more letters, he thought, and the downstairs parlor ceiling beneath will probably cave in.
It was early morning, and it was cloudy again. Again and again, cloudy. Why was it always sunnier at Hogwarts?
The slam of a door downstairs made him jump out of his skin. The slamming of doors always scared the hell out of him.
Heart pounding, he quickly got up and went to his desk, pulling a potions book out - Just as the door to his bedroom swung open, striking the wall hard enough to make the wood around the lock crack.
Framed in the doorway was his father with nostrils flaring, his face nearly purple, his eyes burning, and his lips set in a thin straight line. His entire body was erect, trembling in barely controlled rage.
"YOU USELESS PIECE OF -"
Sev did not hear the rest of the sentiment as his father's hand smashed into the side of his head, knocking him out of the chair and sprawling him on the floor. Sev felt everything inside his head rearrange itself, sloshing around the blossoming pain. He instinctively tried to crawl away, seeking the darkness under his bed.
His father picked him up by his long hair, forcing him to stare him in the face. "You were never going to tell me about Knockturn Alley, were you?" Confutatis Maledictis Snape hissed. "Of how you and a little girl were escorted out by a pair of Aurors!"
Sev opened his mouth to respond and received a mouthful of his father's fist.
"NO EXCUSES! What did you tell them?!"
----------
Dear Martis,
I hope this arrives before you leave.
He did it again. The bastard ... He came back early.
Beat the crap out of me, and then put several curses on me. Oh, hells.
He knows about us going into Knockturn Alley. And those people that took us out were Aurors. The monster was afraid I had told them about him. I couldn't even tell him that I never got a word in edgewise anyway, but he was too busy making sure I understood how much trouble I was going to put him in.
I went unconscious at some point. Probably between the cruciatus curse and the hits to the solar plexus. He trashed my room after that. All of your drawings and paintings were destroyed. He tore each one into little pieces, and then threw the pieces at me. I'm so sorry.
I can hardly move. The pain in my left shoulder is unbelievable. Father refused to summon a healer for me because he was afraid they would know it was him who hurt me.
Yukie, one of the house-elves, is helping me out. She brought me parchment, quills, and ink -- that's how I'm writing to you. My handwriting is awful – sorry it isn't more legible. The cruciatus makes you twitch. For a long time.
Mother tried her comfort crap. I told her it'd be more comfortable if she got rid of Father. Cowering mouse. I know molds that put up a better fight.
He doesn't know about you. You were identified as a 'little girl' and forgotten. Still, I fear for you. He is very skilled in the Dark arts and there is no end to his vengeance and hate. Watch yourself, Martis.
Oh, Gods. I still feel terrible. I hope I'm well enough to get on the train.
Might have to visit Nurse Pomfrey; I think he may have fractured my clavicle this time. The pain is awful but the only thing I can do is to cry over it, and my eyes were blackened pretty good so salty tears definitely don't help.
Please, please, please be there on the train. I'll probably kill myself if you're not there.
Please, please, please be there. Martis! Please!
I need to sleep again.
The bastard destroyed all of your pictures. What kind of sick monster does that? Answer: Confutatis Maledictis Snape. Gods, I hate him.
Please be on the train, Martis. I need you.
Severus Snape
----------
Martis clenched her teeth, breathing slowly through them to keep herself from sobbing. She placed the last letter from Sev on her desk, reading over the whole thing again.
"Fine," she breathed in a cold voice. "If he wants me, he can try and get me; I'll be ready with a battle-axe and a piece of my mind."
She pressed her palms down on her desk, trying to steady herself as she shook in her own rage.
"And I wish he would - then he'll know nobody hurts my Severus."
Martis prayed for Sev's safety as she began to pack her trunks for the trip back to Hogwarts, wishing the time would hurry so she could hold him and protect him again.
-End
Dear Spirals,
Freedom again! Father's going to be gone until after I leave for school! Thank the Gods! Now I can go to school without bruises or broken anything!
Two more weeks. I think I can survive two more weeks.
We have to come up with prank ideas for the Drool Brigade for this year. Have you thought up anything for the Ultimate Prank yet? The sun is actually out today. The entire countryside is bathed in gold light and the grasses seem like an emerald green. The apple orchards are outside my east window and I really can't describe to you how incredible the sight is, with the red and gold apples shining in the sunlight against the dark green leaves. It makes me happy, it's so pretty.
I have to go outside before it clouds up again. Miss you much. See you soon.
Snips
----------
Dear Snips,
Isaura had her wedding. It was huge, nearly everyone on the island was invited (I was told it was because of Mother and Father's influence, but I've yet to see any of that myself) and I was the Maiden for the ceremony.
My friend Dion and I danced together even though he was a full foot taller than me and looked down at me a lot. He annoys me so much because he acts way too much like a boy. At least when you act like a boy you don't rub it in my face. I'm tempted to paint 'Dion's a Drooling Macho Git' in English on the outside wall of his bedroom. I just might.
Yay, the Evil Overlord Snape is gone. Nasty bugger. Yes, you need to run around in the sun as much as possible. The Great Mother knows you need it.
As for the Ultimate Prank ... nothing yet. I'm quite sure once I'm in their noxious presence again, the Marauding Menagerie will inspire something. That's where a lot of my original prank idea came from, just being around them. They provide so much fodder. Almost like hexing fish in a barrel.
Another week, my friend, then it's Snips and Spirals Part Two. Our Five Part Series will culminate into your graduation ceremony, very likely involving at least three different types of goat cheese and the Marauders' underpants. (Laughs.) By then, I should be able to figure out how to sneak into their drawers and wreak some merry havoc.
It'll be glorious once we're together again, you'll see. I have to go - I thought I just heard Artemisia yell at Adonia about sleeping with her best friend. This is odd, considering Artemisia's best friend is female, as is Adonia.
Write more later.
Hug and kiss.
Spirals
----------------
Sev tucked the letters away under the loose floorboard of his room. Any more letters, he thought, and the downstairs parlor ceiling beneath will probably cave in.
It was early morning, and it was cloudy again. Again and again, cloudy. Why was it always sunnier at Hogwarts?
The slam of a door downstairs made him jump out of his skin. The slamming of doors always scared the hell out of him.
Heart pounding, he quickly got up and went to his desk, pulling a potions book out - Just as the door to his bedroom swung open, striking the wall hard enough to make the wood around the lock crack.
Framed in the doorway was his father with nostrils flaring, his face nearly purple, his eyes burning, and his lips set in a thin straight line. His entire body was erect, trembling in barely controlled rage.
"YOU USELESS PIECE OF -"
Sev did not hear the rest of the sentiment as his father's hand smashed into the side of his head, knocking him out of the chair and sprawling him on the floor. Sev felt everything inside his head rearrange itself, sloshing around the blossoming pain. He instinctively tried to crawl away, seeking the darkness under his bed.
His father picked him up by his long hair, forcing him to stare him in the face. "You were never going to tell me about Knockturn Alley, were you?" Confutatis Maledictis Snape hissed. "Of how you and a little girl were escorted out by a pair of Aurors!"
Sev opened his mouth to respond and received a mouthful of his father's fist.
"NO EXCUSES! What did you tell them?!"
----------
Dear Martis,
I hope this arrives before you leave.
He did it again. The bastard ... He came back early.
Beat the crap out of me, and then put several curses on me. Oh, hells.
He knows about us going into Knockturn Alley. And those people that took us out were Aurors. The monster was afraid I had told them about him. I couldn't even tell him that I never got a word in edgewise anyway, but he was too busy making sure I understood how much trouble I was going to put him in.
I went unconscious at some point. Probably between the cruciatus curse and the hits to the solar plexus. He trashed my room after that. All of your drawings and paintings were destroyed. He tore each one into little pieces, and then threw the pieces at me. I'm so sorry.
I can hardly move. The pain in my left shoulder is unbelievable. Father refused to summon a healer for me because he was afraid they would know it was him who hurt me.
Yukie, one of the house-elves, is helping me out. She brought me parchment, quills, and ink -- that's how I'm writing to you. My handwriting is awful – sorry it isn't more legible. The cruciatus makes you twitch. For a long time.
Mother tried her comfort crap. I told her it'd be more comfortable if she got rid of Father. Cowering mouse. I know molds that put up a better fight.
He doesn't know about you. You were identified as a 'little girl' and forgotten. Still, I fear for you. He is very skilled in the Dark arts and there is no end to his vengeance and hate. Watch yourself, Martis.
Oh, Gods. I still feel terrible. I hope I'm well enough to get on the train.
Might have to visit Nurse Pomfrey; I think he may have fractured my clavicle this time. The pain is awful but the only thing I can do is to cry over it, and my eyes were blackened pretty good so salty tears definitely don't help.
Please, please, please be there on the train. I'll probably kill myself if you're not there.
Please, please, please be there. Martis! Please!
I need to sleep again.
The bastard destroyed all of your pictures. What kind of sick monster does that? Answer: Confutatis Maledictis Snape. Gods, I hate him.
Please be on the train, Martis. I need you.
Severus Snape
----------
Martis clenched her teeth, breathing slowly through them to keep herself from sobbing. She placed the last letter from Sev on her desk, reading over the whole thing again.
"Fine," she breathed in a cold voice. "If he wants me, he can try and get me; I'll be ready with a battle-axe and a piece of my mind."
She pressed her palms down on her desk, trying to steady herself as she shook in her own rage.
"And I wish he would - then he'll know nobody hurts my Severus."
Martis prayed for Sev's safety as she began to pack her trunks for the trip back to Hogwarts, wishing the time would hurry so she could hold him and protect him again.
-End