Chapter 17 – 7th Year
"Fourteen owls in one single year, Sirius! How dare you… it's outrageous! It's…"
Whatever else the receiving of fourteen-owls was, Sirius never found out. He was fingering his wand idly about in his fingers, and had murmured a spell to silence his mother out of his attention span. By now, Sirius was already seventeen (his birthday was in mid-April) and could legally conjure spells outside of school grounds. He sat at his kitchen table, glancing up from his pile of mashed potatoes and steak to glance at his mother, still mouthing off soundlessly at the head of the table. Sirius glanced across from him and saw his younger brother grinning quite smugly. He had a sudden urge to reach across and grip his brother by the throat, but knew that it would be inappropriate.
Judging by the time the House elves brought in the dessert; Sirius figured that his mother would be done yelling. He removed his spell as discreetly as he had placed it upon himself, only to find out that he was quite wrong.
"-And think of what Cronus would say…"
Sirius was wondering when his father would be drawn into the ordeal. "Mum, enough already, just leave dad out of it."
"Enough? Already? Preposterous, Sirius Zephyrus Black… you're seventeen! When are you going to grow and mature to the point where you realize that trouble is nothing but what it's called?" his mother yelled towards Sirius, who shirked at being addressed by his full name. Regulus sniggered, toying with a spoon in his bowl of lemon sherbet.
"And you too, Regulus Apollo Tistrya Delphinius Black." Their mother remarked, glowering down at her youngest son. He too turned pink at being addressed by his whole name.
Sirius turned to get a good glance at his mother. She had changed drastically from when he was eleven and when Regulus was nine. Their father, Cronus Black, had died a few months before Sirius entered into Hogwarts. Their mother, who's own name was Atalanta Kail-Black, both boys knew was a complete control-freak. Tall, skinny and somewhat frail with dark hair and eyes, she was very power demanding and ambitious. Sirius secretly knew that she had always wanted a daughter, and he also knew that she despised the fact that she had two sons. To her, just one son (for her beloved Cronus) would have been enough to continue the Black family name upon. But Atalanta didn't just have one… she had two. And so, she was bitter and always had been ever since she realized that her chances for a daughter were very slim.
Sirius and Regulus grazed eyes for a brief second, before they both turned their eyes back downward on their melting plates of sherbet.
Both boys also knew that because of the fact that their mother, Atalanta, was so headstrong… she adapted and made things go her way. And since she always wanted a daughter more than anything else… she got one. Or at least a makeshift one… even if it wasn't Atalanta's own. Cronus' brother had three daughters, all of which were different and all of which who were talented in their own different ways. And of course, Atalanta adapted to the oldest girl… the one who reminded her most of herself at a young age… the most sinister niece…
Bellatrix.
And thus, she replaced Sirius as the favorite. In fact, just for the sake of Sirius being replaced as most important in their household, he planned to be in Gryffindor to spite his mother. Bellatrix absorbed the attention, of course, and flaunted it. And how Sirius hated her… for taking his limelight… for being despicable and making his own mother hate him just for living…
Sirius' wand hand clenched and unclenched as he came out of his thoughts. The same time he looked up and blinked was the same time his mother's palm collided with the side of his face.
"Bloody bastard!" Atalanta screamed at her eldest son, "Ruddy failure! You don't deserve to be that of your father's blood! After all the suffering Cronus went through to raise his beloved sons proper… you go and waste it by conforming into Gryffindor and seeming like a mindless waste!"
Sirius could scarcely believe his mother had hit him. Blood was pounding in his ear, and what seemed to be heat was rising about his face. He grazed his left cheek with his own hand, and goggled at his mother as if she were mad. The expression on his face must have drew up some strong memories, because before Sirius knew what was happening again – he was being shoved out of his seat. The young man sprawled backwards on the floor; surprised at the sudden attack from his mother and marveled at how strong she seemed to be for a woman nearing fifty.
"Ruining your life like Bellatrix's horrid sister… that… Andromeda… the Ravenclaw… she's just as bad as you are!" Atalanta barked. Sirius saw Regulus get to his feet, curiously and somewhat astonished as his older brother sat on the floor, scowling. Sirius' own temper was rising – he was perfectly used to his mother badgering him all the time… but drawing Andromeda into the equation?
"Don't you speak ill of her." Sirius growled, narrowing his eyes dangerously, now getting to his feet. "Andy's a good person and she has never done anything to you."
"It's more of the fact that she exists, not to be a proper pureblood," sneered his mother in return, folding her arms defiantly.
"Andromeda is so a proper pureblood! We all are!"
"She is not! She married a Muggle!"
"And what does it matter to you if she did? And Theodore isn't a Muggle… he's a Muggle-born!"
"It's really all the same." Atalanta argued stiffly.
"No, it really isn't!" Sirius replied back.
Perhaps his mother's speech against Andromeda, his cousin (the sister to both Bellatrix and Narcissa), had provoked Sirius more than anything. He loved Andromeda ("Andy" as he so called her) and she was his favorite cousin. He knew his mother despised her for being a family oddity and being sorted into Ravenclaw… but to take up an issue in her personal business? What was it to anyone if Andy was involved with a Muggle-born?
"I disown you, Sirius!"
Sirius snapped back to reality, a chill trickling throughout every vein in his body when he heard and processed the words his mother just yelled.
"W…what?" answered the small voice of Regulus. "Mother, listen to yourself, you're being daft… you're just angry, that's all… calm down…"
"I am NOT angry! I said what I meant… and I disown Sirius! I will take your name off of your father's will and Bellatrix'll get the house as inheritance instead of you!" Atalanta argued.
Sirius face paled, and then purpled. "How… dare… you…" he managed to growl out, his eyes dangerously narrowed, "How dare you try to change what father put in his will… all because I chose a different life path than what you wanted!"
"You're being unfair, mother!" Regulus argued, and Sirius glanced at him in gratitude. "Father left the house to Sirius because he's the eldest son to carry on the Black name!"
"And you too, Regulus?" their mother scowled, "The rudeness of it all! Both of you are against me!"
Sirius rose to his full height… he had to be somewhere above six-foot-three by now… and glowered down over his mother who was much shorter than he. He raised his arm to strike her… than thought better of it. He even tucked his wand inside of his robes pocket so he wouldn't be tempted to hex her.
"Listen." The eldest Black growled in such a tone that it struck fear into his mother. Sirius could see his reflection in his mother's dark eyes as he stood staring into them, trying to make his point.
"Ever since I was younger I could always tell that every moment of our lives would always be revolved around one thing… and that's you." Sirius began. Atalanta opened her mouth as if to speak, but Sirius shook his head and interrupted.
"You married father because he was a pureblood and you knew it was good for your image. You produced pureblood children to carry on your family name in our future lineages! You made sure that by the time father passed away… that… that you would have enough money to live on in his last testament!"
"How dare you, Sirius…" Atalanta hissed.
"He's right mum, it makes perfect sense!" Regulus agreed, taking side by his brother. He was a great deal shorter than Sirius, but not by much. Regulus was still taller than their mother.
"You keep your nose out of this, Regulus. You're my proper Slytherin boy and you have no right to be in this argument right now!"
Regulus looked put out, but he did stay out of the argument. He took his place back at the dinner table, and murmured, "Yes mum," when he finally sat down.
"You're no longer welcome at this house!"
"Fine!" Sirius argued back, eyes bulging as he strode around his mother. "I'm going to pack and I'll be out of this house before you can say Bertie Bott's Beans backwards!"
No one said a word as Sirius stomped to his room, and indeed packed his stuff. Things were flying into his Hogwarts trunk as the enraged boy flicked his wand at all of his belongings. Sirius had his things arranged in a matter of seconds, as he stormed back down into the main hallway. With his free hand, he reached for the doorknob and then glanced back towards his mother with a look of pure malice.
"You'll live to regret this decision. Mark my words." Sirius snarled.
Atalanta scoffed, and folded her arms. She doubted that her eldest son was actually going to leave.
"G'bye." Sirius bid his brother, and Regulus gave a curt nod back.
Then, all was unknown as Sirius flung the door open and plunged himself unbeknownst into the summer dusk.
-x-
The doorbell of 23 Sphinx Claw Road rung once… twice… then again and again. The residents sitting about the rather long rectangular dinner table looked at each other as one of the House Elves went to answer the door.
There was a pause, then a shuffle. A thunderclap of lightening flashed outside as one of the female elves scampered into the dining room.
"'Cuses me… but… young master…a… a visitor requests sir's presence at the main lobby door." Squeaked the young elf, curtsying at her arrival.
The 'young master' looked over in the direction of his parents. His father was getting to his feet, and the younger man felt himself rising too.
"Excuse us," the young man told the remaining family members about the table, as he hurriedly followed his father and the elf back to the main lobby doors.
Another flash of lightening clasped as the two men of the manor gathered about the door. A soggy person goggled up at them from the outside, and the young man gasped unexpectedly at the shock.
The person at the door was Sirius.
-x-
"So… because of what she said… you ended up running away from home?"
"Not running away – I was disowned. I had no choice but to leave. I wasn't going to stay and be unwelcome in a place where I obviously was not wanted for the last seventeen years of my life!"
"Don't say that, Padfoot."
"What'd you mean, 'don't say that'? It's true!" the boy Padfoot scowled. He snatched a cup of cocoa from a male elf that was serving the two young men. The elf jumped, and then served his master before finally scampering out of the room.
"No need to be hostile with the service, they mean you no harm."
"Shut up, Prongs."
James grinned, and adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose. The two boys were sitting on the second floor of the Potter manor in James' den. The heir had a floor all to himself, unbelievingly. Inside the room was a rather large fireplace (with a portrait of Godric Gryffindor above it) and many comfortable scarlet armchairs trimmed in gold. Sirius indeed thought it was a rather nice change from his house back on Grimmauld Place… and not as depressing.
The two teenagers sat in silence for a bit, and Sirius stretched out on the recliner he was sitting in. His fingers brushed a bunch of parchment on a nearby end table and as they fell Sirius' reflexes kicked in and he grabbed a roll.
"What's this?" Sirius asked his friend, unrolling the parchment. There were lots of flourishes on the paper as his eyes scanned over it, and there was a very sickening footnote on the bottom.
"It's mine!" James yelped quickly, snatching the parchment out of his hands. "They're all mine."
Sirius smirked, "What're they? Secret love letters, Prongs?" he teased.
"N…no!" James argued back, jumbling as many pieces of parchment as he could muster into his arms. "Just letters, that's all."
"Mmm, sure." Sirius grinned back, snatching up another sheet. " 'Dear James,'" he read, " 'It has been nearly a week that I've wrote to you. I apologize, mainly because my family has taken abroad on a trip to the Germany…'"
James went to snatch the paper out of his hands. "Give it back!"
Sirius lunged his friend's grip. "What kind of rubbish is this, Prongs? Why don't you want me to see… oh…"
A horrible grin flew across Sirius' face. "Oh. From Lily."
"Shut up!" James whined, his face now a radish-purple. "Don't tease me about it."
"You've been writing to the Ragweed?" Sirius teased, "Why Prongs, I'm appalled."
"Don't rub it in, mate," James said, piling up the numerous parchments in a corner. "You know I fancy the girl."
"So what's going on between you both?" Sirius edged on, "Make a love connection yet?"
Before James could reply, Sirius had scanned another letter and made a disgusted face.
"Why doesn't it surprise me that they chose Ragweed for Head Girl?" Sirius grumbled.
"Because she's brilliant, that's why." James added, snatching that paper too out of his best friend's hands, and looking kind of sheepish.
"Who's Head Boy, d'you know?" Sirius added, quite bored. "Did Ragweed mention it?"
"Perhaps, but I may not remember." James lied smoothly.
"Liar," Sirius called him out at once, smirking. "Who is it? Tell me!"
"No," James teased, folding his arms.
"Is it Moony? I always figured he'd be Head Boy." Sirius added quietly.
"It isn't Moony."
"NOT Moony? Than who?" asked the astounded young man.
James couldn't help but to grin from ear to ear. Sirius blinked, and then matched his friend's smirk almost identically.
"I KNEW IT! That's why you didn't tell me straightaway! When'd you find out the news?"
"Yesterday." James gloated, proudly.
"And I imagine that Lily wrote to you at once to ask you if you got the spot?" reasoned Sirius. "Once she got her letter?"
"Of course."
"Why don't you both just elope?"
"Shut it, you." James grumbled, even though he was pleased. "C'mon. I'll show you to my guest room."
"Don't change the subject!"
"Shut it!"
"Aww, c'mon… spill!"
James raised his wand to cut off the lighting in the room. "If you don't stop talking, then I'm going to let you sleep in this room. Nox!"
Sirius grinned, and scrambled out of the room. "So I take it that you're not going to tell me what's really going on between you and Ragweed?"
"No, I'm not going to tell you. This is your room. G'night, Padfoot." James said, grinning as he ushered his best friend into his room. "And welcome to Sphinx Claw manor."
-x-
Severus sat in the library at a rather large table across from Alanze. He wasn't quite divulged in his book as he would've been usually. He kept looking out of the corner of his eyes towards Alanze, who was humming to herself peacefully as she read an outdated copy of Witch Weekly.
After fifteen minutes of thinking she was being watched, Alanze finally looked up and saw Severus staring directly at her.
"What?" the paranoid girl questioned, eyes surveying the room a bit.
"Nothing," Severus added sheepishly, before forcing himself to cast his eyes back downwards into Black Magic; An Anthology. Alanze eyed him warily, before turning the page of her magazine and going back to reading it.
Five minutes later, after struggling to read the same word over and over again… Severus found himself looking over at Alanze once again. Something was different about her…
When had he first noticed it?
It was the day when they both came home for summer break. They had entered Snape Manor and separated. She hadn't even spoken that much to him. There was tenseness between them, and Severus didn't understand why. What had he done to offend her? Why didn't he have the same effect on Alanze like he seemed to have earlier on in the year? Why was Alanze shunning him instead of showering him in attention like she used to?
He had scarcely realized that for a few minutes into his thoughts, Alanze was staring at him too.
"Severus, you're worrying me. Why do you keep staring like that?" she asked in a very small voice.
"Because I was thinking about you," Severus answered truthfully, "It seems to me as if you've changed this year."
"I have," Alanze admitted, "I matured to a reasonable potential and I also learned much more than I knew."
Severus closed his book with a noise making 'slam!'. Alanze jumped, and it did scare her a bit to see Severus in such a trance-like state towards her. The young girl had a sudden urge to bolt towards the exit doors as Severus rose up out of his seat and begun to head around the table towards her.
"No, I meant personality-wise. You've changed a lot… especially towards me." Severus admitted, looking at her as he drew in nearer. "Have you noticed it?"
"No…" Alanze said, now actually getting to her feet and backing away from her. "What's going on, Severus… you're scaring me!"
"Nothing is going on, and I don't mean to scare you." Severus said, sitting on the table directly in front of Alanze's vacant seat. "I just wanted to know if you had any feelings for me, is all."
Alanze felt heat rising up among her cheeks. Her hand flew to her forehead, and she began stuttering nervously. "What'd… what'd… what'd you mean Severus?"
"Do you fancy me, Alanze?" Severus asked, not knowing why he was feeling so caught-up into knowing. He felt different too… as if the sudden past months had had a drastic effect on him also.
"Do I fancy you?" Alanze said, watching as Severus got up off the table and took a couple more steps towards her. "I… I don't know, Severus."
"Oh," Severus added, quite putout. He took two rather large strides towards Alanze, and caught her by the shoulder. Severus, being stronger than the girl, held her quite firmly in his grip.
"Ouch, Severus," Alanze complained, trying to shrug off his grip, "Let me go! Why are you holding me… ow! Let go!"
Severus barely heard her. He was looking at her neck… at the silver necklace about it. There was a heart-shaped pendant at the end and Severus had never saw it before.
"When'd you get that necklace?" Severus questioned, goggling at the fine chain about her neck.
"Last Christmas, from… Mystère." Alanze added quietly, her hand automatically reaching up to grab at the pendant on the end of her necklace.
"Who is Mystère again?" Severus asked, raising his eyebrows at her. "The bloke who went to the dance with you last year, right?"
"Yes." Alanze said, a small blush creeping on her face.
"So this is why you don't fancy me like you did." Severus said softly, staring into Alanze's dark hand, which held the pendant. "Because of this… Mystère person who scarcely talks to you anymore?"
Alanze gave him a look that he couldn't quite explain. It looked as if she… hated him… just for that one moment as she opened her mouth to reply. "Don't speak ill of him." The girl argued dangerously.
There was a very tense silence, in which, Severus let go of Alanze's shoulder. The girl relaxed, but immediately froze when she felt his hand over hers on top of the necklace heart pendant.
"Let me see it." Severus reasoned, "I promise I won't rip it from your neck. I'm a tad bit jealous, but I swear I won't do anything mad."
"No!" Alanze snapped defensively. Severus' hand faltered for a moment, as if he were going to remove it… then it tightened a bit against her small fingers.
"Please?" asked the dark-haired young man, looking into the younger girls eyes. "I promise I won't do anything crazy."
"Well…" Alanze reasoned, moving her hand.
And the last thing that she knew of after Severus had touched the necklace was an explosion and something propelling her backwards. Then, Alanze hit her head on the cold marble floor… and blacked out.
-x-
"Sir?"
He stirred. He felt a feeling deep in his left hand fingers… as if he had just been electrocuted.
"SIR!"
His eyes opened, and he glanced about. He was still in the library… but how'd he end up on his back?
He sat up quickly, and startled the house elf that was glowering over him.
"Sir, I is coming to seeing that you and the mistress were sleep on the floor!" the house elf explained, "I hears a loud noise and runned here straight at once!"
Severus felt his forehead with his right hand. He felt hot, and sweaty… and he didn't know why. One moment he was talking to Alanze, and then the next…
He had touched the necklace.
Was it the necklace that had did this to them?
Severus surveyed his left hand, which was now covered in blistering red bruises, still looking as if it had been electrocuted. Shaking slightly, Severus clambered as best as he could over to Alanze… who was unconscious very far away from him on the opposite side of the library.
"Miss!" squeaked the same house elf, reaching Alanze before Severus could. "Miss is to be waking up now!"
Alanze moaned, then subconsciously grabbed the heart shaped pendant once more. She didn't open her eyes, but Severus knew that it wouldn't be common sense to touch her or her necklace again in a hurry.
"Hurry, get more help so we can move her into a bedroom! She's ill!" Severus barked at the elf, which bowed himself out of the room immediately. "Hurry!"
And that's all he really remembered, because the last thing he knew… the pain in his hand was overwhelming… and he blacked out again.
-x-
"Alanze?"
"Mmhm?"
"Alanze…"
"Yes? I'd love to dance with you!"
"Alanze!"
"No thanks, I don't want any punch…"
"ALANZE!"
The girl's eyes flew open. She gazed at her surroundings. She noticed she was in a four-poster… in the bedroom Severus had managed to scrape for her. Her right hand was wrapped about her necklace, rather tightly… and her left hand was interlaced with someone's…
She looked over to her left, and saw a very concerned-looking Severus smiling down politely at her. Her eyes filled with worry as she spotted bandages on Severus' left hand, but Severus shook his head and dismissed the case.
"What… happened?" Alanze said, blinking as Severus took his bandaged hand and wiped her bangs out of her face. "What…?"
"I touched your necklace and we both got… stunned." Severus assumed, "Or that's at least what I thought up."
"It seems pretty accurate," Alanze moaned, finally releasing the pendant and rubbing her forehead. "I feel like I've been run over by a herd of elephants."
Severus chuckled lightly. "Well, you look like it also, if it helps any." He teased gently. "But I still reckon something's strange about that necklace.
Alanze paused, and then went to grab the pendant again. "What'd you mean?"
"It's charmed! I'm pretty sure the bloody thing has never affected you before… and then… when I touch it – it stuns us both! It's charmed to repel me, Alanze." Severus told her his theory.
Alanze sat in silence for a few minutes, then reached up to undo the toggle that kept her sacred necklace about her neck. She looked at the rather long chain, then sighed and put it in her nearby nightstand.
"I'm ashamed." Alanze began softly, "I would never think that Mystère would have done a thing like that. Am I that big of a fool?"
Severus sighed softly, as Alanze folded her hand in his. It felt nice… no! What was he thinking? He had to keep in mind that getting her to remove that necklace was part of his ultimate plan…
"Perhaps, but now that we know that it was the necklace, let's not try to get us both stunned to death." Severus added just as soft as Alanze was speaking to him. "Now that I know what's been keeping you away from me."
"What'd you mean?" Alanze questioned, wanting to know further into the older boy's mind.
"Remember how I said you seemed different? Now I know why." Severus told her, getting to his feet. "Go to sleep, Alanze. We're off to Diagon Alley tomorrow."
Alanze shuffled further under the many volumes of blankets on her bed. "Alright, Severus. I will. G'night to you."
"Night." Severus whispered, letting the girl's hand go as he left towards the door.
And as he left, Severus had a sudden urge to just ask himself aloud why he hadn't kissed her and why he really wanted to in the first place.
-x-
September 1st… always a joyful, yet chaotic day for students coming back to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As usual, Remus rode the carriage back to school with James, Sirius and Peter and Lily. They sat exchanging summer stories and jokes, with James and Lily's badges glimmering in the moonlight. Remus patted the lunarscope in his pocket. He knew that it was just a few days before a transformation…
"And with the gold and the new motorbike my uncle left for me, I'm pretty sure I'm going to be more than able to get about after this year."
Remus snapped out of his thoughts, to hear Sirius talking avidly to James about their future after Hogwarts. Remus sighed as he left the carriage lastly after Lily, not knowing what was in store for him in his future. He ran to catch up, and took a place nearby James as the Quintet began walking into the Entrance Hall.
"I plan to keep on with my Auroring, m'self." James ranted on, smirking and wrapping his left arm around Lily. "Keep going with Auroring for a while, get gold and have my name recognized… then settle down and have a family."
Lily turned fuchsia, and broke away from the four boys as they entered the Great Hall. She was smiling nervously, but still looked pleased all the same as she sat down with some friends that shared her dorm. James grinned sheepishly, and Sirius elbowed both him and Remus.
"So is it official between you both, then?" Sirius asked eagerly. "Moony and I are dying to find out the truth!"
Remus grinned despite himself. "Amuse us, Prongs."
James turned pink a bit in his cheeks, this time. "Well… yes."
Peter giggled feebly as they took their usual seats towards the middle of the table in the Great Hall. Remus felt himself laughing too, as he and Sirius scrambled James' hair some more and teased him. Perhaps things were looking up, after all…
-x-
Dumbledore's speech was over, and all the houses were excused to go to bed. Remus felt the pit of his stomach sinking as he took a deep breath and stood up from the table. He gave James a pat on the shoulder, and reassured that he would meet them up in the dorms as soon as he dealt with… something.
He rushed as quickly as he could, scanning the crowds of people for one person in particular. He spotted a group of people that she was constantly around, and tapped one of the girls on the shoulder.
She was wearing her short hair in two golden pigtails. The young girl turned around, and blushed a bit when she saw Remus about to speak to her.
"Hello." Remus greeted, scanning the people walking by them.
"Hi," the girl cheered, smiling a bit. There was an awkward silence between the two as they kept walking.
"You're Alanze's mate, right?" Remus questioned, and the girl's face fell a bit. The three on the other side of the golden-haired girl giggled. Remus felt like rolling his eyes.
"Yes." The blonde girl answered. "I'm Dawn… and this is Beth, Anna, and Sara."
The three girls giggled in response. Remus sighed.
"I'm Remus. Do you know where Alanze would be at the moment?" the sandy-haired young man questioned Alanze's comrades.
"She said she was going to meet up with her Slytherin boy." A girl with spectacles and short brown hair spoke up. "Out in the Entrance Hall, nearby the entrance to the dungeons."
"Sara, you weren't supposed to tell him that!" an orange-haired girl spoke up, tapping the brown-haired girl 'Sara' on her shoulder.
"What'd you expect me to tell him, Anna? He asked where she was! I wasn't going to lie to him!" Sara scolded back.
"You shouldn't have told him anything, and now Alanze's going to be mad at all of us!" a darker-blonde haired girl barked at all three of her other friends.
"Shut it, Beth! No one even asked you!" chimed in the first girl, Dawn.
"Er… thanks anyway," Remus bid the girls goodbye, before he caused more feuding. "Bye."
The four didn't even hear him speaking; they were too busy quarreling.
With blood pumping in his ears, Remus ran in the opposite direction than he would've if he were traveling to the Gryffindor Common Room. He spotted a group of Slytherins ahead of him… but they weren't who he was looking for. Finally, he spotted a lone figure sitting on a nearby windowsill. With a deep breath, Remus started to head over towards her.
"Hello, Alanze." Remus spoke broadly, startling the younger girl.
"Remus!" Alanze screamed, eyes-wide and trembling slightly. "Hel... hello!"
It unnerved Remus a bit to see her reaction to him. She slid his hands into his Muggle jeans pockets nervously, after pushing a few strands of hair out of his eyes.
"What's new?" Remus asked shyly. "No, I didn't mean that… it's just that – I came here to say that-"
"Don't say 'sorry', Remus, I don't want to hear it." Alanze cut in, "Mainly because it is I who should be saying sorry to you."
Remus paused, then felt a slight smile appearing on his face. "What'd you mean?"
Alanze launched into her explanation, as Remus joined her by the windowsill. While they were talking, they failed to overhear the footsteps rushing up from the dungeon entrance.
"Alanze I'm-" a very masculine voice started, but the speaker caught himself.
The speaker was Severus. He was originally planning to meet up with Alanze in the Entrance Hall to fetch food out of the kitchens. His skin felt enflamed as he watched his plans being interrupted by some other boy…
The boy laughed and joined Alanze by the windowsill. She was still talking, and in the faint moonlight Severus noticed who the other man was.
Remus. Remus Lupin, the Gryffindor goody-good that used to be Alanze's best friend. But… what was he doing with her right now? And why was he with Alanze, alone… in the dark?
Severus pressed himself on the space between the two doors opposite the entry from the Great Hall. He was easily concealed, and could see and hear enough through the thin crack in the middle of the huge, wooden doors so that he wouldn't be caught eavesdropping. He bit his lip and held his breath as Alanze stopped talking and Remus took an intake of breath to speak.
"I understand what you mean, fully… but I don't see why we can't just take this as a new beginning and start over. I'm going to be out of Hogwarts this year, so it'll be my last year to spend any time with you in school… and even though we had that big fight years ago, I still think there may be some sparks of friendship that we had still about."
Remus spoke in a clear voice, sometimes stopping to re-think what he was about to say. He also spoke with a lot of detail and hand motioning. It was just enough to make Severus sick to his stomach.
"You're right, Remus… but if you hadn't overreacted to my Hogwarts letter, than a whole page in my life could have been prevented." Alanze hissed at her former friend, quite angrily.
"I know." Remus answered sadly, pausing to think. There was silence before he spoke up again, "Are you sure you just cannot tell me what happened over the years?"
"NO!" Alanze barked without hesitation. Remus jumped, and even in the shadows… Severus flinched. An uneasy feeling hit him the same time Remus' question had sunk into his mind. He was praying Alanze wouldn't tell… and for both of their sakes… she didn't.
"Fine, I won't press the matter," the Gryffindor answered sadly. "Just… when you're ready, give me an answer to my deal, alright, mate?"
Alanze smiled sadly, folding and unfolding her hands. Remus got up from the windowsill and began to walk away, his head bowed low like a defeated dog. Severus felt a smirk edging onto his face as the Gryffindor turned towards the Grand Staircase… until he saw Alanze suddenly dart up and run after him. The grin soon left Severus' face as he saw Alanze leave and as he realized an important factor in his spying suddenly gone wrong. The two had moved out of his range of vision behind the door. He could no longer see them.
"Remus!" Alanze whispered, so that they would not get caught, "Oh… Remus! Wait!"
The saddened Gryffindor young man turned sorrowfully to look at her. He had already climbed up nearly half the staircase, and was surprised to see the fifth-year Ravenclaw clambering up after him.
"Oh!" the smaller girl cried out, running right into Remus' chest. The older boy caught his balance as Alanze flung her arms about his stomach and hugged him dearly. He managed to smile a bit as he hugged her back, even though he was still a good five to seven inches taller than she was.
"Don't cry," Remus tried to soothe Alanze, as she balled in his arms. His ears perked up at the sound of a door opening. He used his keen senses to smell and/or hear any signs of an intruder… but picked up nothing.
But… Severus was watching. He opened the door and managed to make it halfway up the hall without being heard. He watched them, in each other's arms – for what seemed like an eternity. A flood of emotions ran through the unknowing Slytherin all at once: pain, anger, embarrassment, rage, and sorrow…
And what was that last one? The one that hurt Severus the most?
Jealousy.
Like it always had.
"I lost you once… I don't want to lose you again, Remus." Alanze bawled. Remus sighed, grateful for his long-lost friendship being restored but also not wanting to be a human handkerchief for a crying teenage girl.
"You won't lose me again… and I bet you've never truly had me lost. Who knows what goes on in that mind of yours? Maybe after all these years, I could've been in your thoughts." Remus added simply.
Alanze sniffled, and laughed. "Unsurprisingly, you're right as always… R.J."
Remus stiffened at the usage of his old nickname, but let it slide… just this once.
"C'mon, 'Lan." The older boy ushered the girl up the stairs, with a comforting arm about her shoulders. "I'll take you back up to your dormitory. It's late."
"Tha…Thank you." Alanze said, smiling under Remus' warmth and drowning in a trail of his cologne as she let him lead her.
And in the midst of reuniting of old friends, Severus had accidentally slipped from Alanze's mind. She forgot why she was down in the Entrance Hall in the first place she as she and Remus walked back up to the Ravenclaw Common Room.
And even after they had gone, Severus stood in the shadows, staring up at the staircase in malice. He didn't know why he felt such a way about Alanze now on speaking-terms with the Gryffindor… but Severus did know one thing.
He didn't like feeling as if he were being put out of his place.
And with an ongoing plan and some devious thoughts towards the Gryffindors, Severus was going to dissemble that feeling… even if it took the strength of every entire bone in his body.
-x-
A month passed. Remus was amazed at how quickly the time was going, and he couldn't believe his luck with the way events seemed to be in his favor. He now had a reestablished friendship with Alanze that was going well, and his parading with his fellow Marauders was exceptionally flourishing. Just last week, Sirius had discovered one final passageway to the dungeons that had to be charted just so on the Marauder's Map, of course. They had named the hallway 'Snape's' paradise' – mainly because it was so horrid with it's cobwebs and mold growing from the walls… they thought it would only be a home worthy enough for that big grease ball named Severus Snape.
One day after a History of Magic class, Alanze caught up with the four marauders and went to walk with them to lunch.
"Good afternoon, Marauders!" The Ravenclaw greeted the older men.
"Morning," Sirius retorted, ruffling James' hair.
"Hallo!" James scoffed, ducking out of Sirius' reach and running into a 6th year Hufflepuff, who blushed when James said a rushed 'sorry!' to her in passing.
"Greetings." Peter squeaked, his nose firmly buried in one of his textbooks.
"Hello 'Lanze," Remus greeted finally, pulling his friend into a one-armed hug. "How be thee today?"
"I be well," Alanze grinned back. She enjoyed spending time about the Marauders; they were a great group to be around and they always made her laugh. Just being under Remus' arm as she walked down the hall with the most popular group in the whole school made her feel special.
"James Winthrop Harold Potter!"
Sirius sniggered, and Remus almost stopped dead.
"Your second middle name is Winthrop?" Remus grinned, laughing loudly. Sirius burst into untimely tears of ridiculous laughter, just as Lily came running over to the four young men, looking somewhat pleased and somewhat outraged.
"How dare you write me this note!" Lily growled at James, who stood a few good inches taller than her. "It's disgusting."
"Oh, c'mon Lils." James grinned, advancing on his girlfriend. His cheeks were still red from being addressed his full name. "Don't pretend like you didn't like what you read."
"Well… but…" this time, Lily grew red in the face. "It was a tad bit out of order in History of Magic, don't you think?"
"I didn't think, actually, mate. I just wrote what my hormones felt and sent the message along to you." James teased. Sirius was guffawing in the background, and Remus was rolling his eyes to his friend's comment. Alanze watched in amusement; it was always great to watch the scenes between Lily and the Marauders.
"It's about time too. I think Padfoot and I were getting tired of him trying to tell us his sexual frustrations." Remus joked along. Sirius' eyes grew wide, and he elbowed Remus playfully on the arm… James turned and narrowed his eyes at the two of his best friends… but they both knew Prongs was joking. Peter, all the while, said nothing and kept to his book.
"Who told you my second first name?" James asked, changing the mild silence. Lily grinned a smile that was almost too identical to the one James knew of one his best friends… she didn't even need to speak because James knew what the answer was.
"SIRIUS ZEPHYRUS BLACK!" James roared, then launched himself on his cackling friend. The two gangly boys fumbled about, before toppling over and causing a bit of a scene. A few oncoming Slytherins ignored the two friends when they realized they were not actually fighting. A select group of Hufflepuff girls giggled and tossed their hair hopefully at the skirmishing boys. Alanze sighed, and watched along with Remus and Lily who were both looking amused.
"Well, last time I checked this was a school… not a zoo."
James and Sirius both stopped tussling, and looking up. They were wearing identical glares, even though James had his fist in Sirius' ribcage with askew glasses, and though Sirius had a handful of James' hair.
"I was just saying to Regulus how some of the Gryffindors reminded me of primates." Said the same drawling voice, "And I guess the Head boy and his lackey just proved my point."
The boys gathered around the speaker guffawed in the background. Remus' eyes narrowed too as soon as he realized the speaker was Severus Snape. James and Sirius hopped attentively to their feet, eying the Slytherin carefully… and getting their wand hands ready.
"Oh yay, it's my stalker!" James giggled, a grin on his face. He still had harsh eyes and it was a large contrast to the attitude he just expressed towards his play-fight with Sirius. Remus grinned at the comment, and stuffed one hand into his pocket where he usually kept his wand… just in case.
"Don't you have a hair-cleaning to attend to… or something?" Sirius added in smoothly. There was a definite crowd about the groups of enemies; some people (knowing the routine between the Marauders and Severus Snape) expected a fight. A lot of the crowd backing the Gryffindors giggled. Sirius ran his fingers through his lengthy ponytail and a lot of the girls in the mob cooed at his sly grin.
"Witty, Black. Raving, Potter." Severus replied, folding his arms. "Did you think of those 'insults' all on your own?"
Remus smirked this time. He forgot that Alanze was right at his shoulder, and was about to speak… when she spoke up instead.
"Don't you have something better to do, Severus?"
Severus jumped at being addressed by his first name by a girl. He didn't spot Alanze in the midst of the taller young men, and his smirk faltered slightly at seeing her amongst the Gryffindors.
"You've adopted another pet, Marauders?" Severus questioned smoothly, "Surely, you had enough of tagalongs… just look at Pettigrew."
Peter turned pink, and broke away from the throng in the direction of the Great Hall. He wanted no say in this argument; he already knew his chances were slimming – his friendship with the other three Marauders wasn't as good as it used to be. Alanze's cheek grew warm and she puffed up slightly, as to reply – but couldn't think of anything to say.
"We do have a bond called friendship in Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff, you know." Remus contorted, resting his arm about Alanze's shoulders again. Severus began to feel his own heat rising under the collar of his shirt. "Not everyone backstabs their fellow mates outside of Slytherin, Snape."
A lot of the surrounding Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs began to clap appreciatively. Remus grinned a bit and gave respective nods towards each of the groups. James and Sirius exchanged high-fives with each other.
"Keep your hands off of her…" Severus growled to himself, eyes narrowing dangerously. He didn't realize that his left hand was slowly rising out of his pocket and that he was aiming it in the general direction of Remus.
"What're you saying?" Remus said, knowing he had struck a nerve. Upon seeing the wand, James, Sirius and he had already withdrawn their own and had them all pointed in his direction.
"Bloody pillocks..." Severus murmured, "Why can't you lot be like normal people and stop blocking the hallway?"
"Because we think annoying you is much better than eating a dull lunch, Snivellus." Sirius mocked, smiling coyly. "And besides, we were here first. You came in and interrupted our get-together."
Severus' sneer was back on his face. He folded his arms again, wand still in hand. "It's bloody nonsense from a bunch of ruddy bastards."
A lot of the crowd gasped at Severus' sudden launch of profanities. The three Marauders exchanged dark looks, but eventually their part of the crowd began to disperse towards the Great Hall. James nudged Remus as he and Sirius walked by, but Remus didn't move. He was looking down at Alanze who was shaken with hidden emotions. Sensing his delay, Sirius and James slowed down to wait for their fellow Marauder.
"Severus Snape, I can't believe you're angry at me – and this is the only way you know of to let out your anger! I expected better from a man of your status!" Alanze yelled at her friend, moving out from under Remus' arm. She shook an angry finger at Severus, and was walking towards him menacingly. Severus began backing away from her.
"You just have to be mature enough to accept the fact that Remus is my friend now, Severus!" Alanze told him, still walking up to him. Severus backed into a nearby wall and the smaller girl walked until she was dead in front of him. With the same finger she had extended, she began prodding him in his upper chest.
"If you were half as decent as I expected you to be, you would be as nice to him and the rest of his friends as you are to me!" Alanze yelled at him, emphasizing each word with a poke between Severus' ribs.
"Ouch, you loony girl – stop prodding me!" Severus said softly, though he let Alanze poke him. He watched as she walked away with the three Marauders, a twisted emotion on his face.
If nice was what Alanze wanted… then nice she would get.
Even if it amused Severus to do so.
-x-
And she hated to watch him this way. Alanze would occasionally be about Remus and if Severus were nearby – he'd go out of his way to be sickeningly sweet towards the Gryffindors:
"It's a nice day for Herbology, don't you think?"
"The Astrology quiz is pretty tough… make sure you know the other stages of a star… that's definitely on the quiz!"
"Oh hello, Gryffindors! Let me hold the door open for you!"
Basically… it was all getting on Alanze's (and the Marauder's) last nerves.
Alanze had to corner Severus to get this little fad to stop, also.
"Severus." Alanze began gently, blinking slowly and folding her eyes as she approached him before dinner, three weeks after the first incident in the hallway.
"Good evening Alanze, how are you fairing?" Severus answered in his mocking monotone, a sneer crossing his facial features.
"Enough games, Severus. You took my meaning too literal."
"Have I? I do remember you telling me to be as nice to your new friends as I am to you?" Severus replied, as he was walking towards the Great Hall.
"I know, but that's not exactly what I meant, Severus. When I said it – I only meant… could you at least try and show them some respect? They're decent people… just like you and I."
Severus snorted, and rolled his eyes. He kept walking, holding his head upright as if he were ignoring the fluttering younger Ravenclaw that was walking beside him.
"What I mean to say… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to point fingers… literally… and I didn't mean to embarrass you." Alanze apologized, smiling up at him with the innocence of a child. "I'm sorry, Sev."
"Apology accepted, Alanze. Just… don't forget about your original friend before the Gryffindor took you back… alright?" the Slytherin added softly, tucking his hands into his pockets. That was all he said, and he left Alanze staring after him, puzzled.
-x-
Why had he agreed to stay after class and help McGonagall clear up her animal cages from her 4th year lessons?
Remus hurried towards the Great Hall – it was already twenty minutes into dinner and he was starving. Scarcely watching where he was going as he headed about the Entrance Hall, Remus ran instantly into another person.
"Sorry, mate." Remus apologized, scrambling to grab some of the books that he knocked out of the opposite boys' arms. "What else did you lose?"
"Just that copybook over there," the boy pointed out, grabbing two more books on his left. "Thank you,"
In the candlelight, Remus smiled slightly as he went to reach for the copybook. The boy he had fumbled into was very pale… they had to be about the same age. He had wiry, short cut black hair and dark eyes with a splash of freckles across his face. He also spoke in a soft accent that he was trying to conceal. Remus couldn't quite put his finger on the trace of where he had heard that accent before.
"Thank you again." The boy smiled, and Remus noticed his robes. They were orange – which meant Hufflepuff. Remus was about to just go about his business when something clicked in his mind.
"Don't I know you from somewhere?" the Gryffindor asked.
The Hufflepuff boy cocked his head to the side as if he were surveying Remus. "I don't think so." He added nervously, and then tried to go about his business as well.
Remus wouldn't hear of it. "I do know you from somewhere!"
"What… what're you talking about?" the boy questioned nervously.
"What's your name, kid?"
"Rod Affez… and yours?"
"Remus… Lupin…" the Gryffindor replied.
Then his memory came flooding back to him.
--
…"You want to play a game with me?"…
…"I'm Remus Lupin… I'm six too!"…
…"Cripes, don't you know? There are nastier lots than us Wizards out there. All sorts of strange folk. Vampires and Werewolves and shite like that…"…
…"Can't we just get the ball? And then we can go inside."
…"I don't know, Rod. It's not safe enough… it's a full moon tonight…"…
…"I think we came from this way… I am sure of it."…
…Rod screamed bloody murder and ran away in the opposite direction as the creature advanced on him…
…Without warning it howled and pounced instantly on his left leg…
…Leaving the mark and the curse that would scar him for the rest of his life…
-x-
Without evening stopping to think of the situation, Remus had gripped the front of Rod's robes and flung him against the nearest wall. The smaller boy tried to run, but Remus grabbed him again and held him a few feet above the floor so he couldn't escape.
"Give me one good reason I shouldn't just throw you out this window right now." The enraged Gryffindor growled, "After what you did to me in that forest so many years ago."
"When… When I found out what happened to you… that night… I felt horrible…. I thought of never showing my face to you again." Rod gasped, panting for breath. He was now sweating, and talking in a thicker accent than he was before.
"And you had good reason, because I'm actually considering MURDER, right now!" Remus yelled, and the shorter boy flinched.
"Should I assume that your bloody uncle, the one who came from London was this Fenrir Greyback fellow that they charged for my bite?" snarled Remus. Rod slowly nodded, and Remus saw red for a moment. They didn't speak for nearly five minutes, but Remus refused to let him go.
Remus collected his thoughts, and then lowered Rod to the floor slowly. He hadn't let go of the front of the boy's robes.
"No." Remus spoke aloud softly, "Not even death would be equal to the amount of pain you've put me through over all these years."
"I'm sorry." Rod apologized, "I had no idea that-"
"YOU HAD AN IDEA!" Remus roared at the cowering boy. "YOU KNEW THAT YOUR UNCLE WOULD BE IN THAT FOREST… YOU KNEW WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN HIM AND MY FATHER… AND YET YOU STILL LURED ME IN WITH YOU!"
For what seemed like an eternity, there was utter silence. Remus stood staring down into the pale young man's eyes as he just took the punishment he had deserved.
"I am sorry." Rod murmured quietly, after a while. He broke the eye contact with Remus and Remus slowly began releasing the front of Rod's robes. "I had to – I had to help him or my uncle would've bit me!"
"Sorry still doesn't account for the torture I've been through these last ten years, Rod." Remus whispered silently, letting the boy go finally.
"Galeria a binecuvânta vostru inimã." Rod added softly, casting Remus one last look before finally walking away down the dark hallway.
Remus paused to himself, ten years rusty on his Romanian. Suddenly, he wasn't as hungry as he thought he was… and he began heading back to his dormitory. He suddenly felt very sick to his stomach. First Alanze… and now Rod… what other parts of his past would soon be catching up with him?
And truthfully, Remus didn't want the answer of that question to be known.
-x-
He had owled Lucius and told Regulus of his plans… just to make sure it was the right thing to do. It was Halloween… and the timing was right. A thunderstorm was brewing outside the castle, and Severus was on a mission… he just had to find Alanze to complete what he had been planning to do.
"Alanze! Wait!"
Alanze turned, as well did Dawn, her friend who she was walking to the Halloween feast. Alanze's brow furrowed a bit, and she bid Dawn to go on inside the Great Hall without her.
"Have you noticed, that we seem to be having a lot of conversations just outside the Great Hall?" Alanze teased as Severus grew near. She embraced him in a brief hug and Severus sneered a bit as she let him go.
"Well… what'd you ruddy call me for?" questioned the younger girl, pouting and sporting a look that Severus knew was oh-so-Marauder worthy.
"Hanging about those Gryffindors have really improved your vocabulary." Severus drawled, with a sigh. Alanze took this as a complement, and smiled a full-tooth smile that made Severus want to strangle her… once again it was a look that was oh-so-Marauder.
"You should smile like that more often." Severus remarked honestly, after a few seconds of awkward silence. "It makes you look rather dashing, you know."
"Go on." Alanze felt the heat rising up in her cheeks. "But really, Severus – what'd you call me out for?"
"Maybe I should just get to the point." Severus said, taking a deep intake of breath for a dramatic pause. He had rehearsed this scene several times in his head and on his own in the bathroom; by now he had it perfected.
"What?"
"Alanze – I miss you." Severus spoke to her softly, taking her hand in his. He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, and began to gaze at it. "I admit – I'm a little jealous you are now spending more time with the Gryffindors than with me."
Alanze, naïve as always couldn't see what Severus was leading to. She asked him.
"What're you going on about?" she questioned softly, then paused and caught herself holding her breath as Severus brushed his lips across her fingertips. Alanze's stomach burned slightly… which was weird… she had only felt that way about one other person before…
"I want you to be my girlfriend." Severus asked.
And Alanze could have sworn time stopped as he waited for her answer.
The Romanian Spoke by Rod to Remus:
The Gods bless your heart