Chapter 8
Lily began staying in her dormitory more and more often, mostly to avoid James. Not that the dormitory was a safe sanctuary anymore, she reminded herself.
The love potion had yet to fade. It jarred her balance in life and swayed her decisions. She spent a lot of time avoiding him and when she had to be in his presence, she looked to the floor and tried to block out his voice. She wouldn't look or listen or speak more than she had to. It bothered her that he could change her so much. Alice was worried about her even though Lily's grades had never been higher.
Biting cold December came and with it, fluffy white snow. The castle was splendidly decorated with all the wonderful ornaments of the season that students came to count on. Lily had written an excuse to her mother as why she couldn't come home for Christmas this year. Alice, Sirius and James had stayed also. They decided to spend as little time together as possible so no one would suspect anything.
The plan was to take the fastest route into Slytherin Dungeon by way of the kitchens. There was a direct chute from there to each of the four House common rooms. James and Sirius made a grand introduction of the kitchens to Lily and Alice. Well, as grand as it could get from behind a child- sized table as they ducked their way to the tunnels while trying to dodge house-elves. Once they'd found the correct hole, the three of them began a difficult journey.
"My arms hurt," Lily whined as the four made a slow belly-crawl through the tight tunnel.
"Need a massage?" offered James innocently.
"No thank you," she replied sourly.
The tunnel made a sharp down curve suddenly. Lily had to carefully hold the sides of the tunnel to keep her face from falling into Sirius' butt. It leveled out for a couple of meters before abruptly ending with a small room containing a ladder. They peered up. They were under a stone trap door.
"I'll go first," whispered Sirius. In his hand, he held the Marauder's Map. "No one's in the room, but we can't be sure." He crawled up the ladder nimbly and forced the trap door.
"Good idea bringing them, actually," whispered Alice. "Quite useful."
"It's all good," Sirius' voice came from above. Alice went next, then Lily, then James.
The biggest difference from the girl's dorm was that the color scheme was green. The duvets were green, the curtains were green and the canopies were green. There was no vanity, but an extra bureau. Also, a big difference was in the center there was a furnace, going the length of the ceiling to the floor like a giant tree in the middle of the room.
There was no problem finding Severus' bed. Malfoy's bed was set apart by the luxurious bedding and a rose set on the pillow. The other Slytherins' beds looked normal enough. Severus' bed had a bureau next to it that was covered with flasks and test tubes. Scrawny little words were compressed on page after page of extra credit.
Under his bed were lots of books. Jackpot.
"You two," she said, pointing to the boys, "go back down the ladder. We'll hand you down books." The boys nodded and Lily began delving.
Many of the books were written in runic language. Some were stained in blood. Most were Dark Arts books. Lily selected all the potions books and whenever possible, cross-referenced with Dark Arts. She had taken a decent chunk of the books when the heard footsteps right on the other side of the door.
"He's coming! He's coming!" James hissed from down the ladder. But it was too late. Alice and Lily looked frantically for hiding places, but there was only one-on the opposite side of the furnace from the door.
"Hide," advised Alice. "He loves me, remember? I'll be able to calm him." Lily wasted no time in ducking behind the tree-like apparatus. She heard the heavy stone door opened and a gasp of surprise come from the intruder.
"Alice!" cried the oily voice.
"Hello, Severus," Alice said nervously.
"Have you come to see me?" he asked hopefully. Lily was astounded. No suspicions? No anger?
"Yes, of course," she said, taking the opportunity. "I hardly see you anymore. Well, now that I've seen you, I'd better be going."
"Wait!" Severus cried. Lily heard a soft slap, like flesh on flesh. Not a face slap, just a gentle contact tap.
"Don't touch me!" Alice shrieked. Lily tensed. Would she have to reveal herself to save Alice?
"So nervous," he said teasingly.
"Bite your tongue, snake," she hissed at him.
"Huntress," he whispered. "A wild thing that stalks that night hunting snakes."
"Shut up!" she cried.
" O so fair, so cold," he muttered so quietly Lily had to strain to hear him. Lily couldn't help it. She chanced being seen.
She saw the shriveled teenager. He was close to Alice, his hand touching her cheek softly. Alice was gazing into his eyes and tears were welling in her eyes. He took a deep breath and exhaled in her face, as if taking in her essence. "Like a cool air of spring."
Lily tensed. If he kissed Alice, Lily would act.
"Your words are poison," said Alice boldly. With that, she wrenched out of his grip and fled out the door. Lily had no idea what to do now. She watched Severus carefully. As he made his way toward his bed, she turned around the circular furnace to match it. He let himself fall upon the bed. To her great surprise, he burst out in tears. They were quiet and strong and filled with all sorts of anger. He didn't cry out, but breathed deeply. Lily felt her heart moved in pity for him.
Lily, quietly as a shadow, glided across the room and out the door. Instead of going down, like the Gryffindor steps, the Slytherin steps ascended to the common room. Thankfully, no one was in the old dungeon because it was the holidays. Lily passed through the guard going out and went back to Gryffindor Tower.
Reference: a bit of dialogue from the Two Towers (excellent movie) between Grima Wormtongue and Eowyn. Come on, when you saw the movie you thought of Snape too, right?
Lily began staying in her dormitory more and more often, mostly to avoid James. Not that the dormitory was a safe sanctuary anymore, she reminded herself.
The love potion had yet to fade. It jarred her balance in life and swayed her decisions. She spent a lot of time avoiding him and when she had to be in his presence, she looked to the floor and tried to block out his voice. She wouldn't look or listen or speak more than she had to. It bothered her that he could change her so much. Alice was worried about her even though Lily's grades had never been higher.
Biting cold December came and with it, fluffy white snow. The castle was splendidly decorated with all the wonderful ornaments of the season that students came to count on. Lily had written an excuse to her mother as why she couldn't come home for Christmas this year. Alice, Sirius and James had stayed also. They decided to spend as little time together as possible so no one would suspect anything.
The plan was to take the fastest route into Slytherin Dungeon by way of the kitchens. There was a direct chute from there to each of the four House common rooms. James and Sirius made a grand introduction of the kitchens to Lily and Alice. Well, as grand as it could get from behind a child- sized table as they ducked their way to the tunnels while trying to dodge house-elves. Once they'd found the correct hole, the three of them began a difficult journey.
"My arms hurt," Lily whined as the four made a slow belly-crawl through the tight tunnel.
"Need a massage?" offered James innocently.
"No thank you," she replied sourly.
The tunnel made a sharp down curve suddenly. Lily had to carefully hold the sides of the tunnel to keep her face from falling into Sirius' butt. It leveled out for a couple of meters before abruptly ending with a small room containing a ladder. They peered up. They were under a stone trap door.
"I'll go first," whispered Sirius. In his hand, he held the Marauder's Map. "No one's in the room, but we can't be sure." He crawled up the ladder nimbly and forced the trap door.
"Good idea bringing them, actually," whispered Alice. "Quite useful."
"It's all good," Sirius' voice came from above. Alice went next, then Lily, then James.
The biggest difference from the girl's dorm was that the color scheme was green. The duvets were green, the curtains were green and the canopies were green. There was no vanity, but an extra bureau. Also, a big difference was in the center there was a furnace, going the length of the ceiling to the floor like a giant tree in the middle of the room.
There was no problem finding Severus' bed. Malfoy's bed was set apart by the luxurious bedding and a rose set on the pillow. The other Slytherins' beds looked normal enough. Severus' bed had a bureau next to it that was covered with flasks and test tubes. Scrawny little words were compressed on page after page of extra credit.
Under his bed were lots of books. Jackpot.
"You two," she said, pointing to the boys, "go back down the ladder. We'll hand you down books." The boys nodded and Lily began delving.
Many of the books were written in runic language. Some were stained in blood. Most were Dark Arts books. Lily selected all the potions books and whenever possible, cross-referenced with Dark Arts. She had taken a decent chunk of the books when the heard footsteps right on the other side of the door.
"He's coming! He's coming!" James hissed from down the ladder. But it was too late. Alice and Lily looked frantically for hiding places, but there was only one-on the opposite side of the furnace from the door.
"Hide," advised Alice. "He loves me, remember? I'll be able to calm him." Lily wasted no time in ducking behind the tree-like apparatus. She heard the heavy stone door opened and a gasp of surprise come from the intruder.
"Alice!" cried the oily voice.
"Hello, Severus," Alice said nervously.
"Have you come to see me?" he asked hopefully. Lily was astounded. No suspicions? No anger?
"Yes, of course," she said, taking the opportunity. "I hardly see you anymore. Well, now that I've seen you, I'd better be going."
"Wait!" Severus cried. Lily heard a soft slap, like flesh on flesh. Not a face slap, just a gentle contact tap.
"Don't touch me!" Alice shrieked. Lily tensed. Would she have to reveal herself to save Alice?
"So nervous," he said teasingly.
"Bite your tongue, snake," she hissed at him.
"Huntress," he whispered. "A wild thing that stalks that night hunting snakes."
"Shut up!" she cried.
" O so fair, so cold," he muttered so quietly Lily had to strain to hear him. Lily couldn't help it. She chanced being seen.
She saw the shriveled teenager. He was close to Alice, his hand touching her cheek softly. Alice was gazing into his eyes and tears were welling in her eyes. He took a deep breath and exhaled in her face, as if taking in her essence. "Like a cool air of spring."
Lily tensed. If he kissed Alice, Lily would act.
"Your words are poison," said Alice boldly. With that, she wrenched out of his grip and fled out the door. Lily had no idea what to do now. She watched Severus carefully. As he made his way toward his bed, she turned around the circular furnace to match it. He let himself fall upon the bed. To her great surprise, he burst out in tears. They were quiet and strong and filled with all sorts of anger. He didn't cry out, but breathed deeply. Lily felt her heart moved in pity for him.
Lily, quietly as a shadow, glided across the room and out the door. Instead of going down, like the Gryffindor steps, the Slytherin steps ascended to the common room. Thankfully, no one was in the old dungeon because it was the holidays. Lily passed through the guard going out and went back to Gryffindor Tower.
Reference: a bit of dialogue from the Two Towers (excellent movie) between Grima Wormtongue and Eowyn. Come on, when you saw the movie you thought of Snape too, right?