Krenya: I gave you complete access to my brain?

Lamei: Yes, you did. It was agreed, if I got a higher score than you on Faerie Bubbles—

Krenya: All right, all right.

Lamei: And let me tell you, it wasn't the best prize I ever won. Your mind is scary.

Krenya: Welcome to my world.

The chibi-dirgewolf backs away, eyes darting towards all possible exits.

Lamei: Uh, that's okay. The game was probably a fluke anyway. Who knows, maybe we just read the score wrong—

Krenya: It's a saying, Lamei. You're not stuck in here.

Lamei sighs in relief. Then her eyes widen, and she begins looking for an emergency escape again.

Krenya: What now?

Lamei: Uh, nothing, heh, nothing at all.

Krenya: What? Oh, yeah, you're one of my creations, aren't you? So I guess you are stuck in here, kind of. Unless I share you with other people, preferably in a story…

The chibi-dirge jumps on top of Krenya's head.

Lamei: Yes, put me in a story, any story, as long as I'm not trapped here! And as long as I can have my bed.

Krenya winces and pulls Lamei away, gingerly disentangling the dirge's limbs and claws from her hair.

Krenya: Fine. You can be Di's dirgewolf, happy?

Lamei: Yeah!

Krenya: Oh, hi, again. Yeah, you know the drill, don't own HP, never did, never will, Selcah's mine, please respect my creations, etc, etc.

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Chapter 10

Letters

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Selcah sat at her desk, tapping the quill against a piece of parchment. Jareth, the family owl, cocked his head. "Well, I don't know if I should write or not," Selcah said. She sighed. "But it can't hurt, hopefully."

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Snape sat in the corner of his dormitory room, looking over some scribbled notes in his Potions textbook. The door opened.

"Hey, Snape, you got a letter," Rob said. A barn owl flew past him to circle the room before sitting on a bedpost. Rob held out a letter, and Severus took it. He opened it.

'S. Snape,

Hi. I was just wondering what happened last Friday. I understand that something might have come up, or you might have forgotten, especially with the break coming up. Do you want to continue working together, or are you ready to stop tutoring? I hope I was able to help, and thank you so much for your help during the semester.

Sincerely,

Selcah Taylor'

Snape's eyebrows pulled together. "Yeah, right," he muttered. The hair rose on the back of his neck, and he turned.

Rob pulled back. "Whose it from?" he asked.

"Nobody." Snape folded the letter and put it in his pocket. He turned back to his book. The owl fluttered over, settled on his shoulder, and nipped his ear. "Ow. Hey."

Rob laughed. "I guess you're gonna have to answer it, whatever it is. What, is it a scolding from your mommy?"

Severus scowled. "Leave off." The owl nipped again.

Rob smirked.

"Go!"

"Fine, fine." Rob left.

Severus pulled out a blank parchment, his quill, and the inkpot. He tapped his quill against his chin, and he started writing.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"There you are, Jareth." Selcah took the letter from the barn owl, and she opened it.

'I don't think you need my help in Potions anymore. With O.W.L.S. coming up, I'm sure you have more important things to do than tutor me.

Snape'

Selcah blinked and reread the letter. "Hm." She ruffled Jareth's feathers. He pulled away with a disgruntled hoot. "Well…" She pulled out parchment to reply.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Severus glared at the barn owl sitting on the dining room table before him. He turned back to his food. The owl dropped the letter on top of his hand. He glared at it, then opened the letter.

'S. Snape,

I appreciate your faith in me, and I wish I could say Professor Brand would agree. However, my confidence and my grades are not strong enough in Potions to call tutoring unnecessary. In fact, if you are willing, I would very much like to continue our Potions sessions.

Even with O.W.L.S., I have time to tutor you. One can always make time to do what one wants or needs to.

Selcah Taylor'

Severus stared. Was she serious? No, she had been backstabbing him with those Gryffindors…or had she?

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Jareth swooped through the kitchen window, and he dropped a letter on Selcah's porridge. He perched with a hoot, his back turned on her. She opened the small parchment.

'Taylor,

Fine, then. I'll see you the second Wednesday after the new term starts.

Snape'

Selcah smiled.