Califormia Adventure
Chapter 2
"To dream of what will be and to know what will not"

Artimis dreamt of many things; things she knew were dream because they could never happen. She saw Snape look down at her with a smile on his face, she saw Alexis getting along with Snape, things that would never happen as long as both parties were in their right minds. She finally saw something that shocked her, Death.

Artimis saw Death as she was, and yes Death was a woman. Under a hood of black souls, Death smirked with crimson lips of blood.

"My child, It is not yet your time. Not yet our meeting, when it is I will come for you." The chilling voice of the magic reaper cooed. With that statement, the woman looked up at her, one eye a deeper blue that Artimis's own and the other green as the darkest forest leaves. In those eyes, Artimis saw her death, how she would die, and she grimaced.

"Now you see my child, you time is not soon, but not far. Be back with you to your realm, use your time wisely, for wasted time is crime not looked kindly upon." As the woman spoke she leaned forward reaching a delicate hand towards Artimis face. Artimis drew back in this nightmare and screamed.

"NOOOOOOO! Don't touch ME!" Artimis yelled as she sat up striaght in her bed, sweat pouring of her brow. Next thing she knew the light was on and both Alexis and Remus were at her bedside. Shaking with the feeling that the meeting sahe had was not only a dream, she couldn't hear their words, she could only hear that voice. She rose herself up, her hand at her throut in a protective manner. Alexis's face was in her now.

"Artimis, wake up! I'm right here." Alexis hollered at her.

"D... Death." was the only word Artimis could utter. As the word escaped her lips she heard a chair clatter to the floor and a pale face with black eyes was now in hers. The eyes held an understanding, an almost sorrow for a moment as they peered into hers. Severus looked deeply in her eyes and then truned to Remus.

"Leave her be. I'll watch her. She will be like this for a while."

"But what -"

"You could never fatom what I think she just went through." Was his cold reply. Severus turned to Alexis, a look of contemplation on his face.

"Will you switch beds with me." Was his cold request.

"Uh... Sure." Alexis replied, astonished and curious as to what was going on with Artimis. What scared Alexis the most was the single word emitted from her mindmate, "Death". Alexis took her balnkets and Severus sat on his newly aquired bed, staring at Artimis with intensity.

"Artimis, look at me." He stated.

Artimis heard his voice through the fog of fear and confusion and complied.

"You saw her didn't you?" He questioned. A quick nod was all Artimis could reply, her mind going back to the woman who evoked such fear to make the mighty mountains tremble.

"You looked into her eyes didn't you?" Another nod was her statement.

"I see." Was all he could state. Artimis shivered, and oozed down under her covers, pulling them up to her chin.

"I saw you too..." She mummbled, terrified at his response.

"WHAT?" He cried.

"You... You were there... You saw it... You could do nothing... I... You... We were... I'm terrified. But she said, she told me-"

"She spoke to you!" He stated, now on the edge of her bed, his elbows on the bed and his hands near her head.

"Yes... She... She called me her child... And told me... my time had... not come,... that it... was not... soon,... but... not... far..."She cooed quietly.

"Shhhh. I too have seen her. Just relax. Go to sleep." Severus cooed, feeling true sorrow that this young child in his eyes, had to face a terror that had frightened him.

"Pro... Professor? Can I ask you a favor?" Artimis spoke lowly, her eyes closed tightly as if to hold back tears.

"You can ask, but I make no promises that I can do it." He stated, trying to hold back the compassion that he was feeling at this moment.

"When I was younger, my father, he use to let me lay my head in his lap till I would fall asleep and I was wonderin-"

"Yes. You may." Severus answered her before she could finished her sentence. He was very much on a no-touching policy, but he also knew that Artimis would not sleep if she had no comfort, and he knew what was going through her mind at that moment, so he made consessions.

She lifted her headf and moved down a bit and Severus sat down. leaning his back against the headboard. She placed a pillow in his lap and laid down her head, her hand gently resting on his knee. He flicked of the light and his arms automatically crossed. She curled to his lap and without thought his hand behand to caress her head of raven hair. She sighed and he felt her fall slowly asleep. After a few moments she was out and he began to ponder on how he was to be involved in this girls death, and was hers a factor in his. For he knew how he would die, it was not pretty, no, but then again death wasn't made to be pretty. Yet he distinctly remembered that he died without the presence of Artimis.

"Truly strange, how time folds out."

"Indeed." Remus stated from the doorway.

"How long have you..."
"Since you said that she could sleep on you." Remus replied.

"Ahh. I see."

"Get some sleep, in the morning the girls have their first encounter and we need to be sharp, for their sakes and our." Remus stated and left.

Severus sighed and eased out from under the sleeping girl, moving over to his bed and falling asleep above the covers, noy quite content with his findings.