Hey, guys! Sorry it's been so long, but I've a valid reason. Something happened, and I'm afraid I haven't been able to write for quite some time. I'm back in action now, and hopefully nothing else will stand in the way.
OK, so here's a key for the rest of this story:
"Regular speech."
Thought.
Speech between animals, be they in human or animal form.
Oh, and I need a beta. Anyone interested?
Chapter Five
Starry, starry night,
Paint your palette blue and grey.
Look out on a summer's day
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul.
Shadows on the hills,
Sketch the trees and daffodils,
Catch the breeze and the winter chills
In colors on the snowy linen land.
Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free.
They would not listen;
They did not know how.
Perhaps they'll listen now……
Starry, starry night,
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze,
Swirling clouds in violet haze,
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue.
Colors changing hue,
Morning fields of amber-grey,
Weathered faces lined in pain
Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hands.
Now I understand
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free.
They would not listen;
They did not know how.
Perhaps they'll listen now……
For they could not love you,
But still your love was true.
And when no hope was left inside,
On that starry, starry night,
You took your life, as lovers often do.
But I could have told you, Vincent,
This world was never meant
For one as beautiful as you.
Like the strangers that you've met,
The ragged man in ragged clothes,
The silver thorn, a bloody rose
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow.
Now I think I know
What you tried to say to me
And how you suffered for your sanity
And how you tried to set them free.
They would not listen;
They're not listening still.
Perhaps they never will……
(um, I'm not sure what the name is. I just call it Starry Night, for obvious reasons. It's sung by Josh Groban.)
"Hey, guys, wait up!"
Severus and Toboe stopped and turned to see two Gryffindors waving across the herd of students in the corridor. They waved back and waited for the two to catch up.
"So, how was History?" Lily asked.
"Horrible. Binns assigned a four-foot essay on the Goblin wars of the second through eighth centuries, and why they were fought," Toboe shuddered. "How was Charms?"
"We practiced banishing spells," Lily waved her hand dismissively. "I've never heard of any Goblin Wars in that time period. What were they?"
"No one really knows much about them. Only the Goblins themselves know and they're not talking," Severus shrugged.
"Doesn't the Ministry have records?"
"Wizards weren't involved, so there are no records in our systems. Only speculation," he replied.
"Come along, or we'll be late for Defense," Remus spoke up before Lily and Severus could begin bouncing theories off of one another.
"Spoilsport," Lily stuck out her bottom lip.
"Thank you," Toboe mouthed behind their backs.
"No prob," Remus mouthed back.
They entered the defense classroom and sat down next to one another, Severus in his corner with Lily beside him, Toboe beside her, and Remus on the outside. Potter, Black, and Pettigrew soon traipsed in and, making as much noise as possible, claimed the table in front of them. The four friends traded looks. After all, Potter and his gang usually sat near the front. Why would they suddenly change that?
"Hey, babe. Fancy goin' with me to Hogsmeade this weekend?"
"James Potter, how many times must I tell you? Stop hitting on me!" Lily glared at him.
"Aw, come on, Lils. Just hear him out," Black smiled.
"You heard her. If she's not interested, she's not interested," Severus quickly came to his friend's aid.
"What will it take for you to go out with me? Please, just give me a chance," Potter pleaded.
"All right," Lily smiled. "I will go out with you."
Remus and Toboe looked shocked and slightly hurt, but Severus looked decidedly betrayed and hurt, as if his best friend had just stabbed him in the heart with a butcher knife.
"Good! When?" Potter beamed.
"The day Lucius Malfoy shaves his head, dons a punk tutu, and sings 'Man, I Feel Like a Woman' while dancing on the staff table at breakfast," she smiled at him. She then noticed Severus' look. "What? Did you honestly think I was serious?" Severus shrugged. "Sev, you know you're my one and only," she grabbed his shoulders and faked a kiss that, to Black and Potter, looked quite real.
"So," Potter hissed. "That's how it's gonna be, eh? You're going to leave me for that slimeball?"
Lily's eyes narrowed. "Don't call him that. He does have feelings, you know. And how can I leave someone I've never been with in the first place?"
"You're mine! I'll not let you go that easily!"
"Excuse me? You'll not let me go?" Lily practically screeched at him.
"She's not a little dog, you've no say in who she hangs out with!" Severus surprised everyone by yelling at Potter. The entire class, including the professor who had just walked in, was completely silent as they watched Snape come out of his shell and display a side no one had ever seen.
"She is mine! And you're trying to take her away from me, you son of a bitch," Potter growled. He and Black stood to face their foe.
"Stand down, Snape. It's two against one," Black smirked.
"I've fought worse odds," he replied evenly.
"I fight with him," Toboe stood quickly.
"Yes, me also," Remus stood. "That makes it three-on-two."
"No, this is my fight," Severus nodded to them.
"But, Sev," Toboe began, but saw why his brother was so keen on fighting for Lily alone and sat down, Remus shrugging and following suite.
"You have fifteen seconds to sit down before I beat you to a pulp," Severus nodded to his adversaries. Potter and Black drew their wands, but Severus waved his own with a lazy 'Expelliarmus', sending their wands into the air. Potter then drew a knife from his belt and lunged.
"Severus!" Lily screamed.
Severus slipped silkily out of the way and brought the heel of his hand on the back of Potter's head as he lunged past, causing him to collapse unconscious onto the floor. Black then morphed into a great black dog and lunged at Severus' throat. Severus jumped over him and turned to face the foaming beast. Suddenly where he had been standing a solid black wolf stood. He was about half the size of Black, but was still just as dangerous.
He locked eyes with the Gryffindor. Black, this is definitely your last chance. Back down now.
What? Me, back down from you? Look at you; I'm over twice as large.
Size isn't everything. I'd rather not fight you, but I will if I must.
The great dog had had enough of talking. He lunged for the wolf before him, intent on showing him just who was boss. What he didn't count on, however, was that the wolf wasn't going to stand there and allow Black to bite him. The two prowled the traditional circle, occasionally lunging to nip at the other, before they met in the middle to clash jaw on jaw, both trying to knock the other down. They pulled apart and Severus jumped back a few feet. Black watched him, trying to figure out what he was going to do next. Severus just paced back and forth, eyeing him carefully. Suddenly, he lunged at Black, but instead of snapping at him, he rammed his shoulder into Black's. Black let out a surprised yelp as he tumbled to the floor. He hadn't been expecting that. Before he could get up, Severus was standing over him, teeth bared and growling menacingly. He snarled and snapped at Black's exposed neck, stopping just short of closing his teeth on the other's jugular. He snorted and stood back, morphing back into human form again as he returned to his seat. Black transformed also, and blushed as he returned to his seat.
"Wow, Severus, that was awesome!" Lily's eyes were wide as she looked him over. "I didn't know you were an animagus."
"Yes, quite an interesting performance, mate," Remus agreed. "Where did you learn to fight like that?"
"You remember Tsume, Kiba, and Hige?" Remus nodded. "They taught us," he shrugged.
"Well, I don't think they'll be messing with us anytime soon," Remus smiled.
"I wouldn't count on it," Toboe piped up. At his friends' questioning look, he explained, "Like anything could be that easy."
"True," they agreed.
Professor Collins then cleared his throat. "Well, now. That was quite an interesting performance. I should be docking points right about now. Let's see. Ten points from Gryffindor for that blatant attack on Mr. Snape, and ten more for fighting in my classroom. Ten points from Slytherin for fighting in my classroom. And twenty points to Slytherin, for taking up for a fellow student." The balding man smiled. "Now, then. On with the lesson."
So, was it long enough? grins the chapter itself is 4 pages; has 1,182 words; has 5,551 characters without spaces and 6,775 with spaces; has 48 paragraphs; and has 150 lines. The whole thing (including ANs and the song) is 6 pages; has 1,631 words; has 7,557 characters without spaces and 9,190 with spaces; has 107 paragraphs; and has 236 lines. laughs so, let me know what you think ok? Please? sniffle
T2UL8R! Growlithe, out.