Just Coincidental
Disclaimer: Ankaris ordinary teenager/fanfic writer wannabe doesn't own stuff sad
WARNING: Uh Death Scene! Blood and stuff! Don't read if you're squeamish about death and uh different dividers since fanfiction is hating me right now…
Reviewers:
womp lover: well, if this was quicker then I'd say your wish was granted, if it wasn't then blame my muse, he was ever so nice to leave a note that he's going away for a while and told me not to look for him, something about the espionage of coffee, enjoy the chapter!
Jade: Congrats on writing the longest review I've gotten ever :smiles: Most reviews have commented that the story is quite original, I actually had one of those really cliché plotlined HPCSS crossovers once, gotten 57 reviews for it, how that happened I don't know. I don't recall Snape liking Lily…I'be checked Mugglenet just to see if they had anything on their relationship, didn't find anything. I suppose you can say I'm basing it off the one scene with the pensieve and Snape calling her mudblood, which might be, in your case, a false front. Odd though…since I can't remember anything else that mentions about them, but you can say that this Snape is trying to convincing himself otherwise. He just seemed that way to me, so I went along with it. Thanks for saying this silly story is well written.
dani: Yup, Snape's going to have a Harry problem for a bit longer, until I can tweak out the loopholes and you're welcome!
PersonaJXT: Muse left me a note saying he'll going for a while on something of an espionage of coffee. If you catch him running your way, lure him with coffee and ship him back to me, kay? Thanks :grin:
Shadowkeeper113: Awesome writer? Me? You people are so kind. I've always considered myself an amateur at writing, but I do have a really good imagination, I tend to such difficult times typing it down as accurately as I see it in my head. In fact, I use to be able to make some good beginnings and ends but lack in the middle so my stories fall hopelessly apart. I envy those uber awesome writers on I'm sure you can do it! My teacher said I have potential…Here's an update!
Cat, Avatar for the DCG: Oh, thanks for catching it that! What's my beta doing? Taking a nap? DevArt has some really good artists :grin: Enjoy!
A/N: Well, it's being a while, not too long of a while, but still a while. I've been ducking around DevArt some more but mostly stuck on beating Kingdom Hearts II which I did, and trying to beat Okage: Shadow King (Boku to Maou Me and the Demon) which I haven't yet, and with the acceptance of my brother, started on Final Fantasy VII. Busy times, busy times, well I'll stop blabbering now. Go Read!
Please Enjoy!
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"Finally!"
At long last, our ditzy, if not diligent, card mistress came across a package in the volume 10 of the 14 volume series.
Her hair was slightly rumpled from constant pained raking of hair, and layered in dust. The short sleeved, pale pink shirt was also grayed with debris. Similarly, her short cut jeans were creased in folds from sitting too long and the red sandals caked with clumps of dust on the soles from grinding against the floor; the results of five hours in a gloomy library, a flustered teen, and the possible answer to a great dilemma.
Clearly happy with her discovery, she ran over the title of the section again.
'Binding Spells, Curses, and Contracts'.
She couldn't hold down the grin as she slipped in a blank piece of parchment as a bookmark and snapped it shut. This could be it. This could be the solution.
With higher spirits than when she entered, Sakura nearly flew through the aisles and out the wooden double doors, completely deaf to the angry yelling from Madam Pince about proper etiquette when in a library.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Eriol wandered the hallways with a small smile gracing his face. He could remember his past visits in the mysterious castle. Passing a long window, he realized how high the sun was and pulled out a large silver pocket watch and checked the time.
It was five to eleven.
Pocketing it, he continued wistfully down the hall. He needn't rush to his appointment with the aged headmaster. He had a feeling the old man was busying himself with something else.
Regardless, in almost no time at all, the blue haired sorcerer reached the area where the statue of the stone gargoyle stood erected.
"Lemon Sherbet," Eriol said. The gargoyle leapt to life and moved aside to reveal the corkscrew winding of stairs. He wondered just a little what he and the wizard would discuss about as he ascended the stone steps. The other had not taken the liberty to inform him of such.
Eriol blinked, came to reality, and found himself in front of the door. With his figure poised, he knocked politely and a voice answered.
"Come in." And he did so.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
He didn't know how he did it, but it happened all in quick succession. In a mere moment he was devising some sort of plan to get himself from the confines of Diagon Alley to an area close to the Wizarding School in which his target resided.
He, who was already too weak and misled to apparate, crouched in the stony lonesome of a dank cave just on the outskirts of Hogsmeade. With a maniacal grin, eyes wide with a touch of insane happiness, he recalled what he had done.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Wandering for some time, he had come across a small, hardly noticeable store that looked very much out of business. The thin tall window was dusty and the contents that were displayed behind it were indistinguishable.
Yes…a perfect place for my plan…yes…
He wrenched the door open, a very soft tinkle came from the bell hung above the door, and staggered in. Inside the cramped store, barely more than a metre and a half in width. He wedged between the two haphazardly placed long shelves of objects buried in dust. Here and there cobwebs were built thicker and thicker. He then reached the counter and saw, with a chipped teeth grin, the prone figure before him.
Merely two or so feet from him, laid the old man who would seem to be the storekeeper. His balding head was covered in a wisp of pure white hair, and his plain shabby brown outfit was loose and ill-fitting. He was also sleeping, arms folded, on the counter. His grin stretched wider, showing more yellow and blackened teeth.
Yes…good…he is just asking to be a victim…how long has it been since I've seen the flash of life and the flooding of blood…
His beady eyes flickered to the left and just barely made out the outline of a knife under the particles of dirt and whatnot. It was the perfect situation. An insane giggle erupted from his throat as he pulled the dagger from its shelf.
Pulling it out of its sheath, he examined the foot long blade. It was a little rusty and dull. The faded leather grip was worn a bit. It will do.
Turning back to the dozing unsuspecting man, the room seemed to dim ever so slightly. Stepping closer with a quiet step, he raised the dagger above his head, the blade pointing downwards.
Sleep…I wonder…is that all you do? Sleep the day away? No matter…if you love sleeping so much…then I shall grant your wish…
His steady hands poised ready to strike. Giddiness welled in his stomach and tingled his senses.
….you never
have to part with your dreams again…
His hands came down in a swoop.
He continued to smile as the knife struck, the shopkeepers' eyes opened in shock, mouth gaping wide. There was a momentary flash that went through his eyes, and then he was gone. Crimson liquid pooled around the old man's head, soaking the snow white hair, dying it a bright red.
It flowed over the counter, dripping in streams onto the floor, mingling with the dust. He giggled as his vision became red and unsteady. A horrible bubbling of glee racked through-out his body, making him shiver with contentment.
He wanted more. More and more. There just wasn't enough!
Grasping the knife once again, yanking the blade out of the disconnected spinal cord. He watched with fascination at the red liquid dripped from its tip, splashing onto the cooling skin of the corpse's stiff facial expression. The dull eyes saw nothing of its life essence pooling around him.
I want more….more! More!
Blindly, he wiped the blade around, slashing and puncturing. In seemingly too short of a moment, the image of present reality became concrete. The carcass had long since fallen to the ground, unchanged from its past position due to the stiff limbs.
Edging his way around the counter with the dagger tucked into his ragged shawl, he cast one last look of longing at the ruby sap that was steadily congealing on the floor, coming in contact with his bare, coarse skinned feet. He could not feel the liquid for he had long since lost feeling in his lower appendages.
He limped into the back room where there was a small bed, a cluttered desk and surprisingly enough, a fireplace. Snatching the velvet bag from the mantle, he confirmed its contents to be that of floo powder. He cursed colorfully at the unlit fireplace and ransacked the room for the man's wand.
After going through everything, he concluded that the wand must still be on the body. Creeping over, he roughly tossed the man over, blood coating the palm of his hands. He quickly grabbed the wooden wand from the deceased's pocket and hobbled over to the fireplace, crouching to prod the coal black cinders and firewood.
A bright red fire burst to life, startling him. Tossing the powder into the fire, which promptly turned a brilliant emerald green, he cast a deranged simper to the dead and gave a little wave before getting into the fire. In a whirl and a flicker, he was gone, leaving behind at the scene of the crime, a rustled up room and misshapen bloody footprints.
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He licked his lips at the thought of the blood. Right after tumbling out of the fireplace situated on the roadside of Hogsmeade, he darted down the street, ignoring the squeals of fright from the young children that he brushed pass. He had taken refuge in the cave for the time being. There was not much he can do until he found a way to sneak into the castle.
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Rubber soles slapped on stone floors as she tore through the corridors with excitement. The thick, heavy tome threatened to slip out of her grasp every now and then from the jostling. Turning the corner in a delighted twirl, she nearly missed stepping on a scruffy cat.
"Raowww!" the cat yelled, circling to hide behind pale purple stocking-covered legs.
"Oh, sorry!"
"Sakura-chan!"
Tomoyo beamed happily, walking up to her. She took in her best friend's flustered and grimy state. The bright twinkle of joy and the excited expression on her face was the most noticeable even under the dust and dirt. She noted with curiosity the battered black book that her friend was holding, fingers dancing across its cover, jittery.
"Tomoyo-chan! I've found it! The possible solution to breaking the curse!" Sakura held up the book towards her.
"That's great, Sakura-chan," she said. Mrs. Norris sat shocked, quietly still behind her with glassy eyes. Sakura grabbed her friend's hand and continued walking briskly.
"Where are we going?" Tomoyo questioned. Sakura flashed her another smile and said, "To see Dumbledore-san! Come on!" She gave another tug.
Hesitating for a moment, Tomoyo bent up and scooped up the cat and allowed her best friend to drag her through the castle.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
In mere moments they found themselves in front of the stone gargoyle that guarded the headmaster's office. Sakura tapped her head thoughtfully for the password.
"Um…it was something like Lemon Sherbet, wasn't it?" she asked to no one in particular. Tomoyo answered with a nod. Shifting the book from one hand to the other, she cleared her throat and said the password.
The gargoyle remained still.
Sakura blinked.
Had she done something wrong? Was the password incorrect? Maybe this wasn't the right gargoyle; was there another one in this castle?
She tried again. And again.
Tomoyo watched worriedly as her friend furrowed her brow in frustration. Mrs. Norris nudged her hand for her attention. She smiled at the cat and started stroking her coarse fur.
Sakura glared at the statue as if that would make it work.
"Lemon Sherbet! Open already!" she growled.
"Mind your temper, Miss Kinomoto."
Walking towards them with his robe billowing like the wings of a bat, came the potions master, a look of pure irritation stuck to his visage.
"Lemon Sherbet," he said, coyly. The gargoyle sprang to life and opened the passage to the twisting stairway.
"Wha-? How-?" The teacher smirked.
"It's merely the pronunciation; your accent is rather thick."
Sakura pouted. She didn't like how the man was trying to put her down to size. It was just then, did she notice the mop of raven black hair that was camouflaged behind the man's figure.
"Harry?" The little boy peered out from behind Snape, fidgeting to fix his glasses in place, one of his hands held onto Snape's black robe.
Snape growled in discontentment.
"The little brat has being following me around for hours, kindly take him off my hands." Sakura held out her hand for him to take, but he didn't. Instead, he tugged on the robe with a pout.
The two girls giggled.
He started heading up the stairs with a scowl as the little one stuck to him like a leech. When arriving at the door, with the two teens behind him, he rapped the wooden surface with his knuckles.
"Come in."
Opening the door, he shuffled in, followed by the other three. Inside, Eriol was sitting in one of the armchairs next to Dumbledore's desk, sipping a cup of tea. Behind the mentioned desk sat the headmaster, stacking the small odd instruments on his desk to make some space on the somewhat cluttered table top.
A light flick of his wand and four chairs were conjured out of thin air, settling in front of him. Several sets of cups flew from the cupboard and the teapot proceeded to fill them.
"Dumbledore-san! Eriol-kun! I've found something!" Sakura babbled enthusiastically. She plopped the book down on the square of cleared space left on the desk.
"I found this series of books on theories and possible effects of spells, curses, etcetera, and I came across this section," she rattled on, flipping through the pages. Eriol and Dumbledore leaned in closely to watch. Snape scoffed, and sat down in one of the offered seats. Tomoyo and Harry did as well.
She finally stopped flicking through it and tapped the heading on the page. Binding Spells, Curses, and Contracts.
She stood back and let the wiser of them look through it.
"An excellent discovery, Sakura-san," Eriol spoke in a soft voice, eyes flitting left to right, following the direction of the text. "I'm sure we'll be able to use this."
"Yes, with this, my girl, we might be able to solve it before the beginning of term," Dumbledore concluded, flipping through the 50 paged chapter. "Then you can be back home where you belong."
In that instant, Sakura realized something with a dreadful feeling.
If the binding curse is lifted, what would happen to Harry?
She cast a concerned look over her shoulder at the boy who occupied one of the chairs behind her.
She would have to leave him when it's over right? But who is to take care of him? Surely not his relatives, they sounded like awful people.
Sakura recalled the discussion of Harry's guardians back in the manor and the basic details about the blood magic that protects him.
An irritated cough broke the silence and concentration of the two men and one girl of plowing through the pages.
"Ah yes, what may I do for you, Severus?" Dumbledore said, leaning back into his chair.
"I would appreciate it if you can take this child," Snape glanced over at Harry, "away from me. He's been following me around for the whole day."
Harry caught the glance and smiled shyly, dropping his gaze to look at his lap.
"But it seems that Harry likes you very much, sir," Tomoyo commented, patting the child's head. "Isn't that right?"
Harry blushed in embarrassment. He remained silent and pretended to be occupied by examining Mrs. Norris who slept soundly in the purple haired girl's lap.
A low rumble echoed in the room. Everyone looked towards the auburn haired girl, who flushed under their gaze.
"I propose that we grab a few bites to eat in the Great Hall."
Everyone else murmured in agreement. They then filed out of the office and headed to the above mentioned destination.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
"Nakuruuuuuuuuu."
"Aw, stop whining."
"I'm hungry!"
"I know! You said that a bazillion times by now!"
"Cut Keroberos some slack, you've been at it since morning, you even skipped breakfast."
"Yeah! I'm not the only one who's hungry, right, Suppi?"
"Don't call me that."
"I think Suppi-chan is a charming name."
"I don't need your opinion on it, Nakuru."
"But Kero gets a nice nickname, it's short for Keroberos, so Suppi is short for Spinel Sun! See? It works!"
"……"
"I'm hungry!"
Nakuru stuck Kero back into her pocket as he tried to escape. Not that he could; a bright red ribbon was tied around his neck, looped around a belt loop and attached to Suppi. He battered against the button closed pocket.
"Lemme out!"
Suppi hovered outside the pocket and sighed.
"You know if I do, she'll just put you back in again."
"Too right I am."
"Foooooood."
"Oh just stop it, Kero, we'll go to the Great Hall after we take a look inside this room," Nakuru said, fidgeting with the old fashioned door handle. She successfully opened it.
"But, but…"
Nakuru bounded cheerfully into the room, making Suppi bounce limply, whilst attached to her belt loop.
She froze in her tracks when she saw who occupied the room.
"Oh, well, well, what do we have here?" she smiled coyly, shutting the door behind her with her heel.
Freeing himself from the confinement of the pocket, Kero burst out angrily and ravished.
"It…it's you!"
"Well, isn't this quite a surprise, eh?"
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A/N: Weeeeeeeee I finished it. I'm silly. France won 1-0 I heard. Yam is very happy about that. So is my brother. Summer is catching up on me, I'm getting more and more lazy once again. Not sure if it'll last very long with the possibilities of new things happening. Mmmm…I love reading fanfiction……
Yam's Note (Beta-er): Yeah, VIVA LA FRANCE, BABY! Too bad Germany lost though, I was sure they would win the whole thing. Alas, July 9th- the Italians shall lose. After all, they DIVE- they belong in a pool, not a soccer field. Anyway, OMG Harry + Snape, haha. JK, cya.
Please Review if you can! Thanks!