Chapter Eighteen

Revelations and Almosts

This chapter is dedicated to Maggie. Because she asked, and because she has no hope of ever being a lady, I felt I should give her this.

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"Have I mentioned yet tonight how lovely you look?" Snape asked, looking down at Bria, still having a difficult time believing that she had agreed to going to the carnival with him.

"Yes, Snape. Many times." Bria said, also having a difficult time believing that she had actually agreed to go to the carnival with him. "Do you want to go on a ride?"

"No. I detest all muggle things." Snape said, trying to mask his revulsion.

"Well, would you like to go to the…bible reading?" Bria asked. Justin and Samantha had eventually compromised and Samantha got her bible reading, but Justin got his sane activities.

"No." Snape said, providing no further explanation.

"Well, what would you like to do then?" Bria asked feeling rather exasperated.

"We could…you know, get out of here." Snape suggested after a time.

"…Um, no. I am going to get cotton candy. You are staying here. Stay. Good Slytherin." Bria said, quickly scampering away.

Bria slowed her gait as she escaped her insane date, and neared the cotton candy stand. "One blue, please." She turned, and saw Sirius also standing at the stand. "Oh, it's you."

Sirius turned to look at her. "Yeah. It's me. Where's your little death eater date?"

"Severus is standing where I left him, like a good little student. He actually listens to me, and respects me. Unlike some people I could mention."

They stood glaring at each other, completely failing to notice the people waving cotton candy in their faces.

"Bria, I miss you. Can't we stop being fools and go back to how we were?" Sirius asked her, beseechingly.

They both stood looking shocked at his words. "What?" Bria asked, practically in a whisper.

"Um, yeah. I miss you, Brie. We never fight."

"Sirius, I… I just… I can't! I just can't forgive you for what you did." Bria said.

With these words she ran off, back in the direction from which she came, leaving Sirius and her cotton candy behind.

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Peter stood near the Ferris wheel, wondering what made it stay up. "Hey, Pete." Remus said, coming up behind him with his "date", Emma. "What are you doing standing beneath the Ferris wheel?"

Peter turned to look at him. "What keep it from plummeting and killing everyone on it?"

Emma gave a little laugh. "A small metal device, actually. And physics, or so my mum told me."

But one flick of the wrist, and all those people would die. Peter thought to himself.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" Remus asked again, as Peter had been silent for several long moments.

Peter stopped breathing for a moment, trying to think of a good lie. "Popcorn. I think I'll go get some." And with this, Peter dashed off in the direction of the popcorn, suddenly realizing that he was quite famished.

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Remus stared after his friend for a long time. "What in the world is wrong with him these days?" He wondered aloud, forgetting for a moment that he was standing with Emma right there next to him.

"Has he been acting like this for long?" Emma asked, clearly not forgetting about her own existence.

Remus shook himself from his stupor. "Yeah, actually. He has been. He keeps staring off into space, thinking to himself, but then when he's asked, he claims to have been thinking about food, and he runs off."

"Right. Well, that's odd. Maybe you should monitor him, and make sure he's not becoming anorexic." Emma suggested.

"Em, I really doubt Wormtail's developing an eating disorder. He is constantly eating." Remus said, trying desperately to hide the laughter in his voice.

"It could happen! Boys have issues too! It's not just girls." Emma insisted, defensively. "Besides, he has been acting peculiarly lately. It has to be something!"

"Yes, it is certainly something, but not an eating disorder. Not Wormy." Remus insisted vehemently. "Besides, we all know that if anyone had an eating disorder it would be Sirius, because we all know how fat he is." Remus finished sarcastically.

Just as he was finishing his sentence Sirius walked by. "What? You think I'm fat?"

"No, Sirius. You're not fat. I wasn't being serious."

"I mean, I know I eat more than some people, but I also exercise a lot. I am toned."

"Sirius, I did not call you fat."

"I mean, sure I weigh more than you. But what have you lifted in the last day? A book? I lift weights every morning. Proper weights. Not papery weights."

"Sirius, listen to me. I do NOT think you're fat." Remus tried one final time to get through to his mental friend.

Sirius looked in disgust at the candy he was holding. "Here. Have my cotton candy, Rem." He said, handing his candy over.

"I do not want cotton candy, Sirius. Besides, I am sure you need sustenance after all the exercising you have been doing today." Remus said, laughter clearly evident on his face.

"Oh, now you're making fun! Aren't you a kind friend! That is it! I am on a diet." Sirius said, flinging his blue candy to the ground, and storming off. Well, more speed walking, actually. It burns calories.

Remus stared after his other friend for a long moment before turning back to Emma. "What just happened?" He asked her.

"Both of our points were just proven."

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"Wheee!"

…

"Whee!"

…

"Whee!"

"Frank, get off the carousel!" Alice shouted at her boyfriend. "If I had known that this would happen I never would have let you on the stupid ride to begin with!"

"But, Alice! It's so much fun!" Frank exclaimed as he passed her again.

"No, Frank. Off. Look. I have a caramel apple." She showed him the piece of candy.

"Ooh. Thanks." Frank tried to grab it as he passed once again.

"No, this is for once you get OFF the ride. Not for while you're on it."

"But, Alice. I want it now!" Frank whined.

Alice shook her head. "No. Not until you get off. Once you're done we can try one of the other rides."

Frank gasped. "But, Alice!" He cried, hugging the carousel horse he had been riding since the day before. "I love old Steven! I couldn't abandon him!"

"It's okay. He'll acquire a new rider, and be fine. And you will get your apple. And I will get my boyfriend back, but this is really more about you right now."

Frank looked hesitant. "Well, I suppose. If we can go on another ride once I've finished my apple."

"Yes. I'll even let you pick." Alice said, feeling rather relieved that she had finally found a way to coax Frank off his ride.

After he had finished his caramel apple they started wandering around the carnival looking for another ride to go on. Finally he stopped at the biggest ride there. The roller coaster looked huge and terrifying, but it had horses painted on the sides, which reminded Frank of Steven. "Let's go on this one!" Frank said, as he started tugging Alice toward the line.

"Oh, no! Frank, do we have to? I'm scared of roller coasters."

"Oh, Alice. It's okay. You said yourself; muggles go on these things all the time. Besides, you'll have me with you." Frank said, putting his arm around his girlfriend, and steering her toward the huge ride.

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Samantha was sitting, overseeing the bible reading with a look of rapture on her face. Someone was reading her favorite psalm, and it put her in a wondrous mood. As the student finished, she stood up and began clapping emphatically.

"That was wonderful! I have never heard any passage read with more true feelings. Not even in church." She said, rushing over to the youth.

Before she could continue, or even actually reach the student, Justin walked over, blocking her path. "How's your bible thing? Anyone having any actual fun?"

"Yes, actually. Thanks you for your inquiry. I believe that many people have been inspired to seek the path of Our Lord. It is a shame Bria could not be here, for I know of few people who could use guidance more than she." Samantha said, holding her bible to her chest.

"…Right. Well, I am glad that this isn't as bloody boring as it looks from over at the apple bobbing station. Once you get an apple, you can stick it with a Popsicle stick and put either candy or caramel on it. People seem to be having fun." Justin said, feeling rather smug that his ideas were drawing more people than Samantha's. He still didn't think that anyone in their right mind would want to listen to bible passages at a carnival, but that was mostly in the past.

"Yes. I am sure people are. I do believe that I saw Bria with Severus earlier. Maybe you could convince them to come and visit this station when you see them?" Samantha suggested, still thinking of the poor lost souls in the crowd.

Justin visibly paled. "Bria came with Snape?" His voice was scarcely above a whisper.

"Well, I believe so, but knowing her, she might have brought a different date and dumped him somewhere." Samantha said, barely concealing her disgust with her old friend's antics.

"Why would she come with him? Why not me? What's wrong with me? I would kill even to be just a notch in Bria's bedpost! I mean, to be with such a divine being for even one night would be heaven."

"No! You must repent for such sinful thoughts, Justin!" Samantha cried, horrified that anyone could actually have such thoughts. "The Lord will forgive you if you give up your wicked ways now. This is what my pastor told me last summer. The Lord embraces all who embrace Him."

"I think I need to go find her. I need to know why. Why doesn't she want me, even for a time."

"No! You could never give yourself fully to one who is not wed to you! It is sinful! Justin! Repent! REPENT!" Samantha ran quickly after him as he left to find Bria and Snape, shouting all the time about repentance."

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Bria and Snape walked briskly toward the haunted house, which was the only ride Snape would even consider going on.

"Are you sure you don't want to go on the roller coaster? I bet it would be scarier than any lame haunted house, anyway." Bria asked, in one final attempt to do something fun with her date.

"Bria, surely you wouldn't be scared by a muggle contraption? Even wizards have haunted houses. No self respecting wizard would even think about going on a roller coaster." Snape said with contempt.

"Every wizard here has gone on it, I bet." Bria muttered, but she continued to allow him to drag her along behind him.

When they finally arrived at the ride, Snape insisted upon asking about a hundred questions before boarding.

"How long is this ride?"

"I think it's under five minutes." The ticket taker answered in a bored manner.

"Has it been spelled in anyway, or is it purely muggle?"

"I don't know. I am just here to take tickets."

"What are the seats like compared to muggle contraptions?"

"Just here for tickets."

"What…"

As Bria listened to Snape and the ticket taker prattle on, seemingly endlessly, she couldn't help but let her mind wander back to Sirius. Had he been serious when he had said he missed her, and he wanted to go back to being friends? What about Rose? Could she actually forgive him if he actually had slept with her? She knew the answer. No, she couldn't. But what if he had been telling the truth, and not the skanky American? Then she would certainly forgive him, because she realized now that she had missed him, too. She had missed him more than she ever would have been willing to admit, had he not admitted to missing her first.

"Bria! Come now." Snape's voice snapped her back to reality.

"Right. I am still here with Snape." She muttered to herself.

"Yes, you are. I realize this. Now, come to the ride." Snape was looking at her strangely.

"Right. The haunted house."

"Bria, you truly must stop muttering to yourself. I am not certain it is considered healthy." Snape said, looking at her not with concern, but with mild disgust that she should display such a flaw of character.

"Right. I'm coming then, Severus." Bria said, as she walked to the entrance of the ride, and to her waiting date.

As they sat down, the door closed around them, plunging them into complete darkness. The ride started forward, and Snape slowly put his arm around Bria in an unsure gesture. Bria did not shrug him off. As the ride continued Bria felt that Snape was coming closer and closer to her. It was to Bria's great relief when the ride finally released them back to the semi-dark of the carnival.

"Did you find it as scary as it was advertised to be?" Snape asked as he slowly steered her away from the crowds, and toward a more secluded section of the grounds.

"I have seen much more terrifying things than that. I found it bloody dull." Bria said, not paying any attention to where they were going. "Um, where are we? Where did everyone else go?" Bria asked, finally noticing that Snape had steered her away from everything.

"At last, we are alone. I have been wishing to have a moment alone with you all evening." Snape said, turning to face her.

"Now, why the bloody hell would you want to be alone with me? I am not a terribly good conversationalist. Surely it would be more interesting to seek out other company." Bria suggested, beginning to feel slightly apprehensive.

"Well, it is not conversation I seek. You see, Bria, I am not interested in you for your intellect. I am much more interested in you for your reputation." Snape put a hand on her shoulder.

"I should have gone to the carnival with Justin." Bria said, trying to shrug his hand off.

Snape leaned in to kiss her, but Bria dusked under his arm. "Snape, leave me alone. I am not interested."

"I don't think that that really matters, Bria. You see, I don't think there is anyone around anymore. I am in control of this situation." And he grabbed her again.

Sirius, who had been wandering away from the carnival to avoid the temptation of junk food, was walking far away from everywhere else when he thought he heard someone shouting. As he wandered near the sound he realized he could just make out what the person was saying. "No! Get off me!" The voice sounded like Bria!

"No! Bad Slytherin! I said get away! I'll hex you! I will! Get the fuck away from me, you slimy git!"

Yes, he was certain now. Bria was in trouble, and he's be damned if he was going to let anything happen to her. Especially since she was with one of his mortal enemies. "Hang on Bria." He muttered.

He found them incredibly quickly, and what he saw completely disgusted him. Snape was obviously trying to force himself upon Bria, and was winning. Bria was a small girl, and, although she was feisty, she could be easily over powered. He ran over, and punched Snape in the jaw.

"You stay away form Bria, you great git!" He shouted, backing away from his fallen foe.

Snape stumbled, trying to stand again. "Get out of here, Black. She doesn't need you to defend her."

"Obviously she does! I will not let anyone hurt my Bria!" Sirius said, feeling furious that he had ever pushed Bria so far from him that she felt she needed to date SNAPE to make a point.

Did he just call me HIS Bria? Bria thought, completely forgetting the immediate danger, and just backing in the thought of being Sirius's.

"She's not yours, Black. She doesn't want you, or else she would have gone to the carnival with you. Instead she came with me, so just back off." Snape had finally gotten to his feet, and was drawing his wand.

"Expelliarmus!" Bria shouted from the sides.

Sirius turned to stare at her. "He's right. I don't reckon you do need a whole lot of protecting. I didn't even think about using a wand."

"Stupefy! Yes. That's why I am better than you." Bria said, grimacing at the sight of her unconscious attacker.

Sirius rushed over to her side. "I am so glad you're safe. I would have killed myself, had he hurt you."

Bria stood still in his arms for a moment, before returning the embrace. Then she turned her face to his, and kissed him as she had secretly longed to for months.

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Hey, y'all. Thanks so much for all the lovely reviews in advance. About reviews, I just love receiving them, but I would love them even more if I could get some constructive criticism. Don't hesitate to tell us what parts you liked, and what you didn't, and what you'd love to see in the future. We love feedback. We'll update again as soon as we can, but that probably won't be for somewhere in the vicinity of the next month, so we hope the thrills of this chapter are enough to hold you over.