They Didn't Know We Were Seeds
When Cresswell finishes saying their last possible counter-incantation they wait for something to change about the faucet. Unfortunately, as the seconds tick by, they realize nothing is going to happen. Cresswell balls up his list, throws it away from them, and grumbles, "Well, that was a failure."
"Accio Cresswell's list." The crumpled parchment zips into Severus's waiting hand. Turning, he shoves it into the Ravenclaw's chest. "Don't leave this anywhere someone else could find it," he says. "Especially not in here. Someone might become curious." His thoughts going to Rookwood in particular as he finishes his warning. Severus has seen her lurking near him out of the corner of his while going about his business and, sometimes, caught her following Cresswell and Lily. She knows she's been cut out of most of their activities and is doing her best to find out what they are doing by spying on them.
Severus is thankful for his own double-agent days as it makes it easy to spot what she's doing and stay a step ahead of her.
"Sorry," the other mutters, sounding surprisingly sincere, as he takes it from Severus and tucks it into the pocket of his trousers.
He nods. "It might not seem like it would make sense to someone else if they picked it up, but you never know."
"What now?" Lily asks as she hops up to sit on one of the sinks' ledges.
Severus sighs irritably. Isn't it obvious what they have to do next? Since none of the counter-spells they used worked, they will have to go back to the library and start searching for more in earnest. "Clearly we need to go to the library and start researching more passcode spells from the founders' time."
Lily's mouth quirks downward in a frown for a moment and it almost looks as if she'll snip back at Severus, but, instead, she turns her gaze away from him. Soon after Lily begins to drum her fingers on her knee. Her lips part slightly as a look of contemplation comes over her features. Finally, she says, "I think we need to start reading up on Horcruxes themselves and see if we can't find another way to destroy them."
He wants to disagree and say that they should be focusing on this avenue until they reach its end if only to spite Lily, but Severus is relieved she wants to look into their other options as well. Severus would very much like to avoid going into the Chamber of Secrets and having to face the Basilisk beneath. Shifting where he stands, Severus crosses his arms and reminds her, "Information on them that's more than a passing mention will be in the restricted section. We can sneak in, but I only have a slight idea which ones might have something on Horcruxes and we can only take one or two at a time without drawing the attention of Madam Pince and the professors."
She stares at him, an uncertain light coming to her eyes. "Actually…" she starts, drawing out the word as she does so, "I was thinking perhaps we should talk to your grandfather and see if he knows anything about Horcruxes."
"His grandfather?" Cresswell mumbles off to the side.
Severus ignores him and turns away from the two slightly. He rubs his hands up and down his arms a moment as he considers Lily's idea. He isn't keen on it given the old man's past history of trying to take control of things because he thinks he knows better than Severus. He can almost see Demitri finding a snake animagus to imperius so he can open the Secret of Chamber for himself and try to retrieve the Basilisk poison without ever consulting them on his plan. Even so, Lily may be right that it's time they involve him again. When his grandfather looked into the Death Eaters for himself, who knows what else he found out? Maybe he learned something about how to destroy Horcruxes, or where another might be located. And even if it never came up, he should be able to easily look into them for Severus without raising too much suspicion.
Decision made, he turns to face Lily and agrees, "I'll write him tomorrow that'd I like to see him in Hogsmeade for our first-weekend trip to discuss Horcruxes."
She deflates a fraction with dismay. "That's not for another week."
He scowls and tells her, "I'm not going to asks suspicious questions in a letter. You never know what could happen to it between Hogwarts and his home!"
"I'm sorry, I know, I just…" she trails off and shakes her head. "I want it done, you know?" She shivers. "I hate how that… thing is so close to students. It's dangerous and I loathe to think what would happen should one of your dormmates decide to challenge himself by breaking into your trunk."
Severus bristles. The diary is secure and no one is going to make it past the spells on his trunk. He balls his fists and prepares to tell Lily this for the millionth time when Cresswell huffs loudly and moves almost in between him and Lily.
"Hey, it's great you two have decided this is what we are doing next," he jabs. "But do you mind telling me why we're talking to your grandfather about something as dangerous as Horcruxes?" demands Cresswell while he stretches himself to his full height to loom over them. He's so transparent in his attempt to try and intimidate Severus he nearly laughs. Darkening his expression, he says, "Aren't we keeping this all between us?"
Lily and he exchange a look. Severus raises an eyebrow at her, silently inquiring if she is going to explain his grandfather to Cresswell or if she wants him to. She knows more than him who Cresswell will take the news best from. After a moment, Lily nods, accepting the responsibility. "Mr. Prince has taken an Unbreakable Vow," she explains out of order, "so he can't say anything. And he only knows about Severus and I. We haven't been keeping him much up-to-date, truthfully…" she tapers off then, seemingly unsure what to say next now that she's gotten through her assurances that their secret is safe and none of them are in danger of being found out by the world at large.
"Why did you tell him anything in the first place?"
Lily opens and closes her mouth a couple of times before she calls, "Sev? Maybe you'd like to…? It's really your story and I don't want to end up telling more than you're comfortable with."
He just barely resists the urge to roll his eyes, Lily only knows as much as he ever wanted her to know in the first place and that is how much he's comfortable with others knowing. All the same, Severus takes over for the Gryffindor. "I needed his help with my mum. After my dad was murdered she went a little… barmy. She was set on avenging my dad and that would have been devastating for not only her, but for the Montagues and myself. To stop her from going through with her plans, I needed my grandfather's assistance in creating a false memory to replace the one she had of my dad's death. The false memory was created from a template of the memory I have of my dad's passing from our first go. It was nigh impossible to not explain things to him at that point."
Cresswell looks a little mollified by the story, but still unhappy. "This feels like something you should have mentioned earlier than now."
Severus runs his hands through his hair and sighs. "Yes, maybe we should have," he agrees. If he and Lily are ever ousted because his grandfather finds a loophole or decides his life is worth less than the world knowing the truth of them, then Cresswell should know who to run very far away from. And he should have known that from the start, Severus sees now.
The Ravenclaw blinks at his easy agreement. "I'm glad we're on the same page, I guess," he replies.
"Do you think we should tell Rookwood too?" Lily asks.
Severus glowers at his reflection in one of the bathroom's mirror. "We are best off if she knows less at this time, not more. When it comes time go into the Chambers or do some other act to destroy the Horcrux we will include her." Sometimes, Severus still feels that's too much involvement when it comes to the Hufflepuff, but he worries if they don't, what little trust she does have in them will disappear altogether. If that happens, Severus doesn't know what Rookwood might do to ensure what she wants happens.
"If you're certain—"
"—I am," Severus says almost over the top of Lily.
A quiet falls over the three of them; their task for the night completed (if unsuccessfully) and the next steps going forward plotted. With nothing more needing to be said, Severus scans the bathroom to ensure nothing is out of place before he tells them, "Shall we meet in the library tomorrow say four to start researching more spells?"
"All of us?" Cresswell questions, a note of surprise in his tone.
He nods, not sure why the Ravenclaw sounds so shocked. They've researched together before, haven't they? Perhaps not, he realizes after a moment to recollect. At least, not intentionally. "Yes, initially. I want to make sure we don't end up all searching the same two or three books for spells."
"It sounds like a perfect plan," Lily proclaims as she hops down from the sink she's perched on. "I'll see you two tomorrow. I need to return to my dorm. The Gryffindor prefects are having an early morning meeting about contraband and I don't want to be falling asleep through it." Waving as she goes, she calls behind her, "Goodnight, boys."
Severus raises an eyebrow at her rather abrupt declaration and departure. Reluctantly, he concludes it most likely has to do with her not wanting to come off as lingering and upset him after he asked her to leave him be outside of their affairs to better the world. It's actually a relief to know she's listening to him for once and he hopes she continues as time goes by.
He starts to leave himself when Cresswell calls, "Hey, can you wait up a minute?"
Unease starts to prickle on the back of Severus's neck and he wonders if Lily's leaving isn't as innocuous as he first thought. Imbuing his voice with more nonchalance than he feels, Severus faces the Ravenclaw and says, "Yes, of course. What is it you want?"
The other scrubs a hand across his forehead. "I…" he bites his lip. "Lily and I talked after you two…" he makes a little gesture to indicate the breaking up of their relationship. "I know you probably don't want to hear this from me, but I am sorry."
"You're right, I don't," Severus growls, beginning to turn away from Cresswell. He doesn't want the Ravenclaw's pity.
"Hey! Wait!" Cresswell cries.
Severus almost ignores him, but decides in the end to face the other. He doesn't need the Ravenclaw hating him more than he already does. In spite of this understanding, he doesn't bother to hide his annoyance. Severus crosses his arms and glowers at the other. "What?" he snaps. "What can you have to possibly say that I want to hear? And from you?"
He winces and looks down. "Nothing, maybe," he admits. "I just… Look, you have every right to be upset—"
"—Thanks," Severus cuts in, rolling his eyes as he does so.
Undeterred, the other goes on, "She spoke to me, you know. Before you two started dating. We… We were already starting to fancy one another and she wanted to know if I could commit myself to her. I couldn't – can't – do that. Not now. I'm not sure if I ever could, even. All I can think is if there was ever a chance to be with Mei again I would take it no matter what. Lily didn't want to be in a relationship where she knew there's a possibility it could fall apart in a moment.
"She didn't mean to treat you like her second-choice. She had every intention of someday becoming serious with you. She knew you loved her and would stand by her until the end and that is what she wanted and still wants. Someone who will be with her until the end. Lily just wanted to take things slow with you so she could properly fall in love with you. But instead…"
"Lily fell even more in love with you," Severus completes.
Cresswell's shoulders slump and he doesn't seem quite so tall anymore. "We fell more in love."
Severus gather his thoughts. "What now?" he asks.
He shakes his head. "I don't know. Lily doesn't, either, I think. I don't want to start a relationship with her if I can't commit myself to her like she wants and deserves and I think she's in the same place. She doesn't want to start anything if I can't promise myself to her."
"So you're in limbo," he states.
The Ravenclaw barks a laugh. "Yeah, I suppose we are." Offering a half-smile, half-grimace he tells Severus, "Thanks for listening. I know you probably didn't want to."
Severus hadn't. But he can't say it isn't vindicating to know that Lily and Cresswell are no happier now than they were before he and Lily broke things off. Once again, Severus has found misery does love company. He dips his chin at the Ravenclaw. "See you tomorrow, Cresswell."
"Yeah. Goodnight, I guess."
-o-O-o-
As Severus was to speak the password to the Slytherin's dorms, from the shadows steps out Rookwood. He can't say he is surprised. This isn't the first time she's done this since he started to limit which meetings she's allowed to attend. "Hello, Rookwood," he says in a bored tone.
Her eyes tighten with irritation. "Back from another palaver with your girlfriend and her gentleman friend?"
"Lily and I are no more a couple than she and Cresswell are," Severus tells her through clenched teeth for what feels to be the eightieth time.
Rookwood scoffs. "Do you really believe that? Trust me, they're doing something together."
Severus should know better than to give any credence to her words, but he has his own doubts and fears even now and her words are stirring them right back up. He stares straight ahead a moment, attempting to calm down and neutralize his features before he looks at her. When Severus is certain his worries won't show on his face, he looks at Rookwood.
She stares back, brown eyes angry and searching. She's looking for an opening to hurt him even more, he knows, and Severus fixes his countenance into a mask of stone in response. Finally, when her gaze loses some of its hostility, he asks, "Was there something you wanted?"
"I know what spell was used on the faucet and I know the counter too."
He blinks. "Do you now?" he questions, not bothering to hide his doubt from her.
"Grandmother spent an extensive amount of my father and uncle's Hogwarts years collecting relics and antiques from the Founder's time. She also did a lot of research on the witches and wizards as well. She has a draft for a book she never quite got around to publishing gathering dust in her home too." Rookwood looks down a moment and reaches into her robe. A moment later, she pulls out a thick stack of bound parchment. "Until I asked to read it, anyway."
"Again, is there something you wanted?" Severus asks as his mind spins. Should he give whatever it is Rookwood wants to her in return for the spell? Or should he refuse on principle? Or should he wait until he's talked to his grandfather to take her up on her offer one way or another?
She puts it back in her robe. Then, glaring at him, she tells Severus, "I want to know everything you do. From when you began your time as a Death Eater until you died. And I insist I be allowed in all of your conferences with Cresswell and Evans and be kept in the know about what you all are planning." She points at him. "You have a week to make your decision, Snape."
With that, she turns heel and leaves him.
Severus stares after Rookwood, saying nothing. The week to decide is strange and surprisingly generous. Though, he's curious what she might do when the week is over and he has not made a decision? Would she go into the Chamber of Secrets on her own? Stop speaking to him? Reveal them all to the world? There are a plethora of possibilities and Severus cares for none of them.
He decides he will have his decision made by next week.
How did you all enjoy this chapter? Interested to see what Demitri might bring to the table? What do you think Severus is going to do with Priscilla's offer?
So this went up a little later than usual. I wanted to wait for the twenty-eighth to upload because it's the first anniversary of TDKWWS's posting. Amazing, isn't it? I always have to do a double-take whenever I upload at all of the favorites, follows, and reviews. Never did I imagine TDKWWS would become so popular.
Thank you a million for reading :)
Edited: 12/28/19