Anything that's not blatant is
a riddle
Please read and review if you can!
Author's penname: Elixa Amethyst
Voices of the Past Part II
Written March 2002 onwards, pre Order of the Phoenix.
All characters and things you recognise, are © JKRowling, no infringement
intended.
All references to
"mediwizard" mean healer.
Read Part I at ?storyid1672635
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Chapter Seven
The Celebrations
Susan was in her room with her mother. Timothy waited outside, pacing the landing, one hand to his bottom lip and chin.
"Mr North." I greeted. Timothy looked up. "Something on your mind?" I asked.
"What if it is just temporary Elixa, what if it's not real?" He asked, his face full of worry.
"Let's just hope it isn't. It appears pretty genuine to us all, including Professor McGonagall. Just let her enjoy it if it turns out to be temporary." He nodded and knocked on the door.
"Room in there for me?" I called through the door. Mrs North opened the door and ushered me in. She was like a more grown up version of Susan, but wasn't quite so pathetic as her daughter was. Susan turned from the mirror, wearing wine red robes and the black hat I'd turned the wand box into. There was a big grin across her face.
"Wow." I said in barely a whisper.
"Do I look right?" She asked, looking me up and down once to compare herself. I was wearing the robes I brought in Diagon Alley with Kerry. I asked her a question about the first time we'd met, and the way we'd treated the warts. She answered it without a pause giving the correct answer. It reassured me slightly. I created a pattern of stars and crescent moons on her black hat in a red glittering material to perfect her look.
"Shall we let your father see?" Mrs North asked. She opened the door and Timothy gasped with joy, running forwards to embrace his youngest.
The celebrations lasted well into the night, dancing, feasting, music, and many spells.
"I wonder what house I'll be put into?" Susan asked excitedly. I shrugged. She seemed very Hufflepuff to me. Both her brothers had been Gryffindor.
"Mum was Ravenclaw, and Dad was Gryffindor. Do you think I'll be like your mum and Professor Snape, and be in the same house as my brothers?" I swallowed, trying to disguise it by drinking some pumpkin juice immediately after.
"I don't know, you'll have to see what the sorting hat says." I said quickly. The summer was going to be a big enough shock having to live with Severus, but having a squib who cast her first spell using my wand was going to just make things worse. When darkness fell, I slipped away from the celebrations and walked along to the bridge over the river. I stood looking into the water, sighing and throwing pebbles into the water from the pile I'd created with my wand on the side of the bridge.
"Twenty seven stones, I can wait no longer standing behind you if you're not going to talk to yourself I'll have to say something to find out." Severus made me jump. I looked over my shoulder and saw him standing with his arms folded against the other side of the bridge. He straightened and walked over to where I stood. I turned and looked back at the water. I said nothing in reply. Severus blinked once as he waited studying my face. He reached out a hand and used one long finger to bring my hair away from my face. I blinked hard, trying to hide my emotions. Severus's hand rested on my shoulder. I swallowed, starting to look away.
"Elixa…" He said softly. I couldn't hold it any longer, tears broke from their prisons behind my eyes and Severus saw them. He drew me towards him, and I sobbed into his robes. He waited. His arm around me, and the other hand on the back of my head.
"What is it?" He asked almost silently.
"Not being able to understand. Frustration, confusion." I told him, speaking for the first time since I'd arrived at the bridge. I pulled my head away from him and looked up at his face. He looked down at me, his eyes as dark and unreadable as ever.
"You get used to it." He told me, his expression and tone of voice telling me he was speaking from experience. I closed my eyes, swallowed and nodded.
We returned to the celebrations a while later, where things seemed to be quietening. Minerva was talking with Mrs North across the table, and Susan was dancing with Bobby.
"Where did you two go?" Minerva asked as we sat down beside her.
"Just to get some quiet and think things through." I told her, filling a cup with pumpkin juice.
"Anything changed?" Severus asked. McGonagall shook her head.
"No. We've got a ministry wizard amongst us though." She indicated whom with her eyes.
"Talking to Mr North?" I asked. She nodded. Peterson… What was he doing here? He was potions department… I shot a look at Severus who looked more like I felt.
"He gets about a bit doesn't he?" I asked. Severus nodded, and got up.
"If he goes near Peterson, please help me to restrain him." I asked Minerva. "He's on an official warning after a tiff with Arthur Weasley." Severus didn't go near him, but instead seemed to be heading back to the windmill.
"What's he up to?" Minerva asked. I shrugged. Severus soon disappeared into the darkness in the village outskirts, his black robes disguising him perfectly.
Professor McGonagall and I waited, watching Susan and the others from the table, waiting for Severus to return. I debated whether to go after him, should he be in some sort of difficulty.
"Severus is used to looking after himself Elixa. We'll give him another ten minutes." Peterson was still in view, so we knew the two of them weren't trying to kill each other in the roads behind the one we were sitting in.
"Won't be too long before we are back at Hogwarts will it?" I asked.
"Depends if Severus plans to be back by August 1st. Normally he's pretty prompt to prepare and talk with Dumbledore. You'll be coming with him or travelling with Susan then?" I paused.
"I don't know… I probably will come before term starts, I have a feeling that spending time here with Susan like this will start to get on my nerves just that bit too much." Minerva gave a smile.
"That bad is she?"
"Err… well slightly pathetic, but persistent mind. Determined to get things right, but weak in that she appears to give up easily to get attention and help."
"I'll bare that in mind. Here comes Severus now." He was striding out, cloak billowing behind him and face stormy.
"What's happened?" I asked.
"Nothing particularly, I'm still suspicious that's all, and it doesn't help that Peterson is here. I've had enough of him lately…" Severus sat down again. "He's a Voldemort follower, I'm sure of it."
"And what proof have you got of that Severus?" Minerva asked.
"That's the problem," Severus snarled. "I've got no proof apart from gut feeling." He looked over to where Peterson stood with Mr North still, his black eyes reflecting the flames of the bonfire in a murderous way.
