Kristin slipped further into the warm bathwater and thought of the past fight. It was the first battle the two of them had that didn't involve their angry feelings. They were still stubborn, considering neither side was willing to surrender, but there was an air of fun. And for some reason, Kristin could tell that that air hadn't been around this palace in a while. She smiled, though, at the memory of the reason why the fight eventually ended.
"Give up yet?" Severus asked, cautiously peaking over the top of his fort to spy on his enemy.
"Never!" Kristin yelled back. She hurtled a snowball over, just missing him. "I will get you!"
Severus perked up and went to throw another ball, when he suddenly dropped it. A suspicious Kristin didn't put down her snowball. She held it tighter when the Beast hopped over his fort and ran into hers. "No fair, you can't do that!" she yelled.
"I'm surrendering!" he retorted, catching her off-guard. "You're turning blue and I want you to go inside." With that, he grabbed her hand and tugged her inside the castle.
That was so sweet! To give up some of his own dignity by surrendering during a snowball battle to make sure she didn't stay out in the cold too long. After all, he had fur, she had a cloak and had been out there longer than he had.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the entrance of Harmony. The napkin made her way to the tub to give Kristin a message. "The Master said that when you are done with your bath to meet him in the lobby. He has something to show you." Harmony curtsied and turned to leave.
Kristin slunk down into the tub, leaning on the rim, smiling. He had something to show her? It had to be good, she hoped. Before the napkin left, she remembered to call out a thank you to Harmony.
Severus was about to start pacing if Kristin didn't show up in two more minutes. Luckily, she came running down, a blur of yellow, white and black coming towards him. She stopped in front, panting but smiling. Her dress was of a yellow velvet skirt and a white shirt. But what amazed Severus was Kristin's hair. Of course, it was still in her usual ponytail, tied back with a yellow ribbon. But today, yellow streaks were added into her hair.
"Good Merlin," Severus said, "how did you do that with your hair?"
Kristin smiled as she ran her hand through her hair. "My mother taught me how to charm it when I was young, so she didn't always have to do it. She did it once for a town celebration and I liked so much. I just hadn't done it in a while, but I decided to start again. You like?"
"It's lovely," Severus responded. But then he shook his head. "But I haven't called you here to marvel at your hair."
"I know that," Kristin replied. "Harmony said in her transmittance of your message that you wished to show me something."
Severus marveled at the amount of words Kristin had strung together. "I am an avid reader," Kristin explained.
"Wonderful! That makes my surprise even better!" Severus grabbed Kristin's hand, and ran down a corridor with her in tow. They came to a big double oak door. "Close your eyes," he ordered. "It is a surprise after all."
Once Severus was sure Kristin's eyes were shut tight, he pushed open the doors. He led her to the middle of the room and went to open the curtains flooding the room with light. He turned to his guest and said, "Okay, you can open your eyes."
Kristin opened her eyes and they grew wide. The room was obviously the palace the library. The chamber was covered with shelves filled to capacity with books of all types, extending from the beautifully blue carpeted floors to the marble ceiling. And the room was certainly a large one.
"Merlin!" she said, still in awe of Severus' surprise. "I've never seen so many books in my entire life."
"Do you like it?" Severus asked her.
Kristin turned towards him. "No, I don't like it." She paused. "I love it! Thank you so much!" She hugged him.
Severus smiled. "Then it's yours."
"Mine?"
"I insist!"
"But I couldn't! Are you serious?" she asked, concerned for her host's sanity at the moment.
"Completely. I have no use for it anymore," he said, extending his hands. "I can't read anymore. These claws have destroyed quite a few books."
Kristin could hear the sorrow in his voice. She walked up to the shelf and pulled out a red covered book. She held it close to her. "How about we read together?" she asked, turning around.
She could tell she caught him off guard. "What?" he stuttered out, shocked.
"A reading hour. We can get together in the parlor and I can read a chapter or two a day. Then we both get to enjoy these books," Kristin said. "I can tell you miss them. So what do you say?"
She extended her hand, waiting for Severus to shake it. "Deal," he said, grabbing her hand. Kristin smiled and realized she had crossed another barrier with the Beast.
Severus came to enjoy having Kristin around, even in the former off limits dungeon. She was able to read him new potions and she actually had an appreciation for the subject. His subjects never liked his potions except for Lily. But her hands were useless. Remus and Harmony had the intellect to help, but both were prone to potions' accidents. James' attention could never be held long enough for Severus to finish his projects and Mrs. Weasley couldn't be asked to.
But Kristin would read him the instructions and watch in awe as he executed each item she read with painstaking perfection. And after the potion was done, they would retreat upstairs to his parlor and she would read some more. This time, it was of the fairy tales and other fiction stories his ancient library housed.
Hero after hero, slaying monster after monster, rescuing fair maiden after fair maiden. Dragon upon dragon, slain by knight after knight. Or maybe it was just the same knight killing the same dragon in all these stories, Severus once thought. The mortal conception of witches and wizards was laughable, but Severus still remained embroiled in their half-witted schemes. A once upon a time always ended with a happily ever after.
"Incredible!"
"What's incredible?"
"What these books can do!" Severus said, holding one in his hands. "I always loved books, but for an educational purpose not for this new one."
Kristin appeared intrigued. "What new purpose are you talking about?" she asked.
Severus beamed at her. "An escape. It makes me forget for that time it takes for you to read what I really am." As he finished this sentiment, his voice grew somber.
Kristin stood up and laid her hand on his arm, which Severus noted she had been doing a lot lately. "If it helps, I don't think you're a 'what' but a 'who.' And we've something in common. I'm not the most popular in town." She suddenly became pensive. "Besides Papa, I highly doubt anyone cares that I've gone missing."
Severus twirled quickly around, catching Kristin off guard. He couldn't imagine this woman not being liked by anyone. "Then they are idiots and don't deserve to have you in their presence," he told her.
She smiled. "I would like to ask you for something."
"Name it and it's yours."
"A second chance," Kristin requested. "Would you care to have dinner with me? It seems to be the one meal we haven't eaten together."
"Dinner?" Severus asked in disbelief. "Of course. Tomorrow night alright?"
Kristin threw her arms around him. "Thank you!" she cried. "And tomorrow night is perfect." With a kiss on his cheek, Kristin bounded out of the room. Severus watched her and plopped down, smiling like an idiot while holding his cheek.
The more important members of the household were casually eavesdropping on the couple. Each was filled with hope as they heard Kristin's request and as they watched their Master's reaction.
"Splendid!" Remus cried, twirling Harmony around. The napkin laughed as the clock just repeated that one word over and over.
James watched his friend in curiosity. He leaned over to Mrs. Weasley and whispered, "I fear the stress has finally gotten to Remus. He's snapped completely!"
"Oh no, dear," the teapot responded, "he's still quite sane. He's realized we are almost on the verge of being freed."
James stepped back, joined by a shocked Lily and Billy. "What makes you say so?" he asked.
"Just look at them," Harmony said. "It's quite plain! They're falling in love. We may be human by tomorrow night!" She and Lily rushed towards each other and continued the spinning Remus had done with Harmony moments earlier.
"Mama, is that true?" Billy asked his mother, the teacup cuddling close. "Could we be human again soon?"
Mrs. Weasley smiled maternally. "Yes," she replied, "I do believe it could be soon."
"What may be soon?" Madame Femme Gras asked as she waddled to wear the others were standing.
"Shh! Not so loud. We're technically eavesdropping," Remus advised the bureau. "We don't need the master knowing we're out here."
Madame Femme Gras' mouth formed an "O." She lowered her voice a bit and asked, "So, what will be soon?"
"Our freedom!" Lily cried. "Kristin just asked Severus to have dinner with her tomorrow night. And look at his face!"
Madame Femme Gras peeked into the library, trying hard to remain in the shadows. She smiled happily and turned back. "I'll be normal sized within two mornings!"
"I'll have hands!"
"Legs!"
"Hair!"
"Lips!"
"James!"
"What?"
"We'll be ourselves again," Mrs. Weasley said, changing the mood Lily and James had created. "Ourselves."
Back in town, Sirius was beginning to put his plan into action. In the dead of the night, he and Peter sat in the back room of Madame Rosmerta's. It had taking much of Sirius' charm to win the barkeep over, but it was eventually won.
They heard the front door open and shut before a cloaked man appeared in the doorway. Sirius motioned to the figure to shut the door behind him. Once the door was closed, the only light was from a single candle that Peter had lit on the table.
The cloaked man sat down across from Sirius. "I normally don't leave the institution this late in the night," the man said, his voice having a creepy undertone. "But, sir, you said it would be worthwhile."
"Yes," Sirius said. "You see, I have my eyes on this girl. The most beautiful one in town. There's one small snag—she needs some more persuation, if you please."
"Turned him down and left him to wallow in the mud. Literally," Peter smirked. Sirius smacked his smaller friend upside his blonde head.
"Now, everyone knows that her father isn't the sanest man in the town. But Kristin is completely devoted to the man, Merlin knows why. So, I thought what better way to persuade the girl by turning to the good people at the Hogsmead Institute for the Crazy and its curator, Mister Alastor Moody," Sirius said.
"I think I see where you are going with this," Moody replied, throwing back his cloak to reveal his magical eye. "But what are you going to give me to soothe my conscience about locking up a harmless, if somewhat dazed, wizard?"
Sirius threw down a bag of gold coins onto the table. "Will that do?" he asked. "Will you help me?"
"Absolutely," Moody replied. "I come and declare Arthur unfit to live amongst the good people of Hogsmeade. I prepare to cart him away and you make your move on his hysterical daughter."
"Who would do anything to save her poor, defenseless father. Even if it means marrying me," Sirius said, smiling deviously.
"She'd rather die," Peter interjected. When Sirius raised his hand again, the man quickly added, "Than see her father in the nuthouse!" Sirius placed his hand on Peter's shoulder in gratitude.
"Then it's a deal. Pleasure doing business with you, sir," Moody said, collecting his coins. With a slight nod of his head, the man disappeared into the darkness of the tavern and then of the night.
Meanwhile, across town, Arthur was packing a small bag. His daughter had been kept prisoner for two weeks. His cold had gone and he was determined to go and rescue her. Since no one believed his story about the Beast plus the fact no one seemed to miss his daughter, Arthur was prepared to go on alone.
He pulled his cloak on and packed a map into his bag. Arthur closed his cottage's door and faced the Forbidden Forest. He knew it would be a little safer this trip around since the full moon was far off. He figured that it would only take the night to get to the castle—the problem was getting into the castle. But he would worry about that when he came to it.
So, taking a deep breath, Arthur started out for the Forbidden Forest to save Kristin.
A/N: Thanks again to Sweet 16 Movie Buff…I'm back!!! You're still my ONLY reviewer…I hope you and my other friend (who reads these somewhat ahead of time) are enjoying these…look for more chapters coming soon…Mac
