Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything what you can recognize from the books. I do however own the plot of this story but I don't have profits because of it unless you count improving my English as a profit.
Preview: Mr Black drops several bombs and Severus has to deal with consequences. Harry and the rest have their first potions lesson which proves to be really interesting for Severus but not before Severus receives the humiliation of his life. Mirzam masters the art of telling uncomfortable truths. Chapter losely based on PS/SS chapter eight 'Potions Master' because contrary to popular belief the time is actually flowing in this story and its time for Harry's first lesson with Snape.
So read, enjoy and review (because I love to read your criticism and as long as you are logged in or I have your email I'm answering to your questions).
Thanks for such welcoming reviews.
Chapter seven: Potions Master and the Blacks.
Severus made a grand escape as soon as his recently healed legs allowed him to outrun Pomfrey. It wasn't that he risked running away in her presence, he waited till the moment she had went to Great Hall for dinner and waited at least five minutes before he hastily left hospital wing taking long detour to the dungeons through few secret corridors, just to be on the safe side. He quickly whispered the password to the door and entered his rooms before he locked the door thoroughly and leaned against them with a heavy sigh.
It took him all but one glance to realise that he wasn't in his rooms alone. It seemed that quite a lot of people he didn't expected to find in his private quarters had invited themselves for tea and he wasn't one of them.
"Just the man we were waiting for," said Mr Black jovially. "Regulus assured us that you are going to make grand escape as soon as Madam Pomfrey left the hospital wing," the man motioned his head in Regulus's direction.
Regulus was sitting on Severus's favourite armchair with his legs sprawled on the top of the coffee table. The look on his face was almost unreadable and if Severus's didn't had very trained eyes he would miss the mischievous glint in Regulus's eyes.
Severus quickly examined the room and took in the appearance of Mirzam lounging on the other armchair with her left foot propped on the footstool. Harry was sitting on the right arm of the armchair and was eyeing both Blacks curiously.
Thankfully Charity was nowhere in sight, Severus thought, until he heard a shout coming from the direction of small kitchenette where he usually prepared his tea.
"What kind of pervert drinks toffee flavoured tea?" Charity called out. "Raspberry, lemon, orange, strawberry, blueberry, blackcurrant, mandarin, apple, pear, mint, wild rose, hibiscus, wild strawberry, camomile, ginger, vanilla, Darjeeling, Earl Grey, Green Tea, White Tea, Assam, Yunnan, Ceylon, Madras. Reg, he is even worse than you are and I thought that you were bad."
"Just wait till she founds the plump flavoured tea," Regulus chuckled quietly. "Hey Severus."
"What she is doing in my kitchenette?" Severus asked sternly.
"Looking for coffee," Mirzam snickered. "Don't ask me why she is wanting to drink coffee now but if I was a certain someone," her eyes darted in Regulus's direction, "I would get acquainted with a reasonably sized bottle of Energising Potion."
"Birds of a feather," Regulus snorted. "We are going to patrol the school tonight."
"If it is how you call it these days," Mirzam snorted.
"When I was a lad we called it Practicing Quidditch," Mr Black chuckled.
"Slytherins in my times called it Resolving Unresolved," Severus snorted. "Mirzam?" he looked at her curiously.
"I was fond of the term Practical Anatomy. Sirius just called it Bunny Fever," Mirzam snickered.
"Perverts," Regulus snorted. "There is a kid in this room."
"My aunt always kept talking about sex as matrimonial duty. Though I think that the actual term she was using when she was referring to sex was 'Checking if the Drills Are Still Working'," Harry replied without a shrug.
"How do you know that … that …" Regulus stammered and Severus snorted, it was funny to watch Black at the loss of words.
"Biology lessons at school," Harry replied simply. "Reproduction is part of the course."
"True," Mirzam chuckled. "What? You believed that children are found under the shrub of roses or on the cabbage field, Reg?"
"Mother …" Regulus mumbled grimly. "Father … I had … wet dream. Fourteen … Scared shitless. And you would be scared too if you knew my parents."
"Orion wasn't exactly straightforward when it came to talking about sex. He got it after your namesake, Reggie. I had a very hard time keeping a straight face when Sirius had asked from where kids are coming from and wouldn't take cabbage or hippogriff for an answer," Mr Black chuckled.
"I heard about this one," Mirzam giggled. "Quills and Inks Talk, am I right?"
"Indeed. He got me a bit lost at 'Self-Inking Quills'. Then after he was done, Sior had turned to me and said, 'Please translate what dad just said into plain English, grandpa, I'm just a six years old'. The kid always got the nerve," Mr Black chuckled.
"I always thought that Sexual Education should be a part of Hogwarts intercourse," Severus snorted and he seated himself on the couch. "Less work for me."
"Selfish git," Charity snorted from the direction of the doorway of the kitchenette.
"Try to listen to as many 'Immaculate Conception' stories as I did over the years and trust me that you will support my view," Severus snorted. "The charms on the girls dormitories were supposed to reduce the number of these immaculate conceptions but it is as outdated as Dumbledore's robes. Besides many parents think that their children will absorb the knowledge about sex through photosynthesis and I think that some of them never learned, vide the Weasleys. I used to wonder if its family trait."
"Speaking about the Weasleys, my boy, Mirzam here," Mr Black motioned at Mirzam "has an interesting idea concerning our Prisoner of Azkaban and the Rat. But till we check all theories concerning the rat I suggest that we should take the care of the problem with Harry," Mr Black said solemnly.
"Only your older grandson can ensure that bringing Harry's issue to the Board of Governors won't result in total disaster," Severus pointed out.
"He …" Mr Black said simply, made a long pause as he smiled mischievously and then he added, "Or his wife."
"What?" Severus mumbled in shock, last time he checked Black wasn't married.
"Thanks to Pontius Prince's nice curse with which the Black family had been saddled the marriage in presence of a Ministry Official isn't necessary. If an unmarried couple manages to conceive a child they are recognised by the family charms as a married couple and appropriate document appears in the Ministry of Magic Archives," said Mr Black with an impish smile.
"You were with his child," Severus mumbled to Mirzam. "But wait a moment. If it is true then why it isn't widely known fact that Sirius Black was married by the time he had went to Azkaban?" he turned to Mr Black.
"For two reasons actually," Mr Black sighed. "One: at least of the partners must acknowledge that piece of information. And two: the pair is a truly married couple in the moment when they are acknowledged by at least one member of their families. Generally the closest the relation both in age and blood is to the participant coming from Black family the better for them. It also helps with First Conceived Curse."
"What kind of a curse is that?" asked Mirzam quickly.
"I forgot that Sirius was unaware of the nature of the curse," Mr Black said grimly. "First Conceived Curse is quite ancient curse to which the Black family had been subjected ages ago. It isn't a common knowledge, strictly Black family one, the information is revealed to all male members of the family on the eve of their wedding day. That's why neither you," the man had turned to Regulus, "nor Sirius were informed about it beforehand. First Conceived Curse is a terrible curse, practically evil because it requires blood magic to get rid of it."
"What it does?" asked Mirzam sternly.
"First Conceived Curse was an answer to Pontius Prince's curse to ensure that no heir would be born from the accidental marriages, because no heir makes it easier to annul the marriage. The curse works simply in this case, exactly seven weeks after the conceiving of the child took place the mother is miscarrying the child," Mr Black said gravely. "But it isn't simple miscarriage, my girl. At times it can also kill the mother because the magical origin of the miscarriage rips her womb apart so technically she can't carry another child."
Mirzam palled so drastically that Severus was afraid that she may faint in a moment. But he was distracted from watching Mirzam by the sound of shattered glass coming from the direction in which Regulus was sitting. He looked like he just saw a ghost.
"That's where what we call 'Le Frere les Mains' comes handy. That's why the family was generally fond of having more than one male heir. A brother is generally the closest relation and the most helpful one, sometimes. Once the brother acknowledges the marriage of his brother he also by making the young woman drink his blood ensures that the child she may carry in the future will be safe. Sadly in the case when the woman is already with child it won't save the child but at least it will ensure that she will bear next child without a problem," Mr Black kept explaining.
"And if the womb …" Mirzam whispered weakly.
"There was never a case like that before, I'm sorry Mirzam. Most women either died with their baby or were saved in right time," Mr Black said quietly.
"For our plan to work," Regulus started in strangely calm voice, too strangely to Severus's taste, "Mirzam needs to be acknowledged by me as Sirius's wife, also the blood ritual should be performed to check if it will fix Mirzam's condition."
"Indeed," Mr Black nodded. "But it isn't all. Mirzam's marriage needs to be acknowledged by at least one member of her family."
"I'm an orphan," Mirzam muttered. "And my only living relatives will rather kill me than help me," she snorted.
"Frère et sśur Charm is active in your case my dear," said Mr Black calmly.
"My sister is dead, had been for last nineteen years in fact," Mirzam snorted. "And Frère et ssur Charm can only point you magical siblings, Gemma was complete Muggle, Mr Black."
"The glow around your name wasn't only pink, my girl," Mr Black shook his head. "It was also blue. Somewhere out there is your brother, a wizard, my dear. And I dare to say that your sister is alive"
"That's idiotic," Mirzam muttered. "I'm a Muggle-born, I was born in totally Muggle family. My parents were only children in their families. My father was early orphaned and he grew up in foster family. No magical relatives," she huffed and propped herself on the armchair.
"But you aren't one hundred percent sure that your father didn't looked for pleasure outside the marriage with your mother, are you?" asked Mr Black calmly.
Mirzam didn't answered.
"Is there a way to find that man?" asked Charity calmly.
"Other than looking into the past of Mirzam's father, I'm afraid not. At least a logical one. We can also make random men at random age drink Heritage Potion but that's a rather stupid option. If the parents were the same…" Mr Black sighed. "The man we are looking for is Mirzam's step-brother. Most probably through the father's line."
"I rather doubt it," Mirzam snorted. "If it was my father's line therefore my brother would be carrying the same surname and Verascez isn't a very common surname even in Muggle world. Since we are in the land of what-ifs then we may also assume that my mother could have a romp with another man who might fathered my brother as well as me."
"Mr Black's version is the most probable," said Charity patiently.
"I agree with Charity," Regulus nodded.
"I'm with Mirzam on this one," Severus admitted. "You don't have all necessary knowledge to state that it was a certain parent. The possibilities are on both sides."
"Your case is indeed very tricky, Mirzam, because we aren't talking just about one person but two and while we can claim as a fact the idea that your brother is just your step-brother with your sister the matter is much more trickier she could be either your step-sister or your younger sister. I got myself acquainted with the paperwork concerning the car crash in which your parents had died and the longer I think about it the more I'm inclined to state that Gemma Francesca Verascez is living somewhere out there," Mr Black said pensively.
"If she lives, she is still a Muggle," Mirzam muttered. "No hard feelings but it won't be helpful."
"Frère et sśur Charm has its unique beauty, Mirzam," Mr Black stated. "You mentioned it just a moment ago, it shows magical siblings, just magical siblings. If she lived, Gemma wasn't a Muggle but a witch. I can verify her case for you if you allow me but I need facts. For instance, the date of her birth, the colour of her eyes and hair, known sickness especially something more dangerous than a common cold or pneumonia."
"When she was twelve months old she fell very sick, leukemia … Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia to be exact. She had bone marrow transplanted three times, the first time our father was the donor, the second time it was my mother … I was the third … She went in reemission after that time, the doctors had said the she would make complete recovery," Mirzam explained.
"Curious," Mr Black muttered.
"She was born on 13th December 1964 which makes her younger than me for four years and ten months. She had green eyes, lighter than Harry's are and sometimes, due to emotions, they changed their colour to blue. I remember that when she was an infant she had jet-black hair like me but had changed their colour to brown when she grew up. I was twelve when I saw her for the last time so she had to be nearing to her seventh birthday when she supposedly had died," Mirzam answered.
"Features which I should take into account?" asked Mr Black.
"Freckles," Mirzam said pensively. "I remember that she had seven freckles on the nape of her neck, they reminded in their shape the letter 'C'."
"Is it all?" Mr Black continued prodding. "Did she had a feature that the two of you shared?"
"Same almond-shaped eyes but that's hardly help," Mirzam shrugged. "She might have slightly heart-shaped face, but only slightly."
"It doesn't helps much," Mr Black admitted. "But with what I have now I think that I will be able to locate her. But don't get overexcited Mirzam, a lot could have happened over the years and I should warn you that Gemma might not be the same girl you knew."
"Living in madhouse helps you get over the delusions," Mirzam snorted. "I don't have expectation from neither my sister nor my brother."
"That's good. I trust that any letters addressed to Severus would reach you, my girl?" Mr Black asked as he stood up.
"They will," Severus answered for her.
"Until Mirzam's brother or sister is found there is not very much things which we can do except looking for the rat," Mr Black stated calmly. "Someone should visit Molly Weasley's place and look for the rat."
"I can do it tomorrow," Regulus stated calmly.
"Just be careful, we don't want to scare him," said Mr Black grimly. "I think that we should retire to our beds kids. I will come here in the evening at Saturday because there are few things which I need to check."
After Mr Black's statement the room had cleared out after few 'goodbyes' and 'see you soons' and finally in Severus's quarters remained just him and Mirzam.
"Can I ask a very insensitive question?" Mirzam asked calmly.
"I didn't," Severus answered, knowing very well what kind of question she wanted to ask. "But I didn't stopped them either," he turned away from her to not look at her face. "I should have," he whispered.
"Would you stop them now?" she asked quietly.
"Yes," he replied truthfully.
"Then you are forgiven," she replied. "His death wasn't your fault."
"But …" Severus turned around to face her, she was staring at the fire calmly.
"It was him, not you. If it wasn't for him then you wouldn't be whom you were back then," she replied without looking at him. "He is the one to blame."
"One day we won't be covering in fear about these whom we care about," he whispered as he approached the table and poured a glass full of whiskey before he approached her armchair and handed the glass to her. "Drink up, you need it."
"Do you believe it?" Mirzam asked quietly as her right hand lingered on his fingers.
"I believe it," Severus sighed. "I just don't believe that I would live to see this day."
"Hope springs eternal, Severus," she whispered.
"Hope is deceiving, Mirzam," he replied sourly.
"But we wouldn't last even five minutes without it, would we?" she replied calmly. "Sit with me."
And he did.
Thursday had passed to Harry like a blur and before he realised it was Friday. The look on Regulus's face when he spotted him at the dinner during Thursday's evening indicated that he found nothing at the Weasleys. Snape whom Harry had a chance to see during the meals looked very sulky and Mirzam just weren't around. Thankfully the madness connected to finding Pettigrew and removing Harry from the Dursleys wasn't known by his classmates and after doing their homework the kids spent Thursday's afternoon and early evening at wandering around the castle – just staying away from the forbidden corridor.
"It's a pity that Lemeraude had postponed the session yesterday," Draco muttered during the breakfast on Friday morning. "Think that he will have some time today?" he turned to Harry.
"I rather doubt it," Harry shook his head. "But you are welcome to ask him about it. After Potions of course."
"Is it just me or does professor Snape looks a bit twitchy?" asked Sally-Anne who was sitting nearby.
"Twitchy? He looks like he is about to kill someone," Millicent commented.
"Should we forget that we are having Potions after breakfast?" asked Gregory nervously.
"Risking that he will find us and then do something worse?" asked Hermione sceptically.
Severus was indeed in a mood to kill someone. It wasn't the fact that Regulus found nothing in Devon, no, he didn't gave a damn about Sirius Black but he gave about young Harry. But the problems with Harry didn't put him in his murderous mood, someone else did. Right now he desperately wanted to kill Pomona Sprout or at least plant her latest discovery on her head.
Mirzam of course had said that it was all his fault to touch the plant which ended with her chasing after him around the dungeons for better part of the night. Thank Merlin that all his Slytherins had spent the night in their dormitories because he wasn't sure that he would be able to live with the humiliation he got after he suddenly came back to his own form, naked.
Severus Tobias Snape, the Amazing Runaway Rabbit. Pomona Sprout was officially dead or at least supposed to get severely hexed in near future as soon as he would be able to come with appropriate revenge on her.
Mirzam was no better too, she laughed her head off as soon as she spotted Severus scrambling from his robes in that stupid fluffy form. After being deemed 'cute bunny' and offered a leaf of lettuce, on which he turned his tuft behind at the offering witch, he got chased away by Mrs Norris, who kept chasing him around the dungeons for at least a hour before Mirzam caught him up and carried him back to his quarters. It wouldn't be really bad if he managed to keep the bunny form till they reached the privacy of his rooms but no, he suddenly had to transform back in his human form in the middle of the corridor and of course he had to be naked. At least Mirzam managed to keep a straight face this time as she handed him her cloak. Merlin bless her.
Their spent better part of the night at examining the books concerning the offending plant which was supposed to be either 'Animagi Weed' – a guess with which Severus vehemently deemed as illogical and plainly stupid or 'Bunny Tea' – though Mirzam kept pointing out that the leaves of the plant were a bit off the shade for it to be a Bunny Tea. Severus sincerely hoped that it was Bunny Tea though, he shuddered at the thought of being an Animagi rabbit, it was utterly humiliating, even more humiliating than what James Potter and his bunch of sadists used to come with.
Mirzam offered to keep examining the plant as he was supposed to have his classes and Severus sincerely hoped that next time he will see Mirzam, she will be sporting long ears and tuft tail. Now, she would make a decent rabbit, and actually cute one.
He plainly ignored Regulus's mumblings by plotting the revenge on Sprout. Something humiliating and long lasting at best.
By the time he was supposed to reach the classroom he was in much better mood. But his relative good mood had died a painful death when he spotted the first years. Harry was thrust in the group of his fellow Slytherins who were glaring at the red haired Gryffindor boy (a Weasley if Severus ever saw one). The rest of Gryffindors were having a glaring contests with the Slytherins.
Severus once again cursed mentally the idiot who came with the tradition to teach Slytherins and Gryffindors together the subtle act of potion making. Surely it was a Gryffindort, he was almost sure of that.
He opened the door and let the kids inside.
He reached the desk slowly and turned around. Harry was looking very uncomfortable and Hermione was standing on the other side of the station glaring daggers at the red-haired Gryffindor who looked like he wasn't planning to move.
Time to put Gryffindors in their places. He strode to the station where Harry was sitting and placed his hands on the desk in front of the Gryffindor boy.
"I was under impression that Gryffindor is a house for chivalrous wizards and witches," Severus sneered. "I may posses a bit outdated concept of chivalry but in my times a gentleman wouldn't let the lady stand when he was sitting."
The imbecile didn't bugged off, just stared blankly at him.
"You two," he motioned at Harry and Hermione. "To the front."
Both kids nodded and they quickly were seated in their assigned bench, flanked by the other Slytherins. The Gryffindor idiot had remained alone, too bad for him since Severus decided to have them working in pairs.
It was the time for reading the roll call.
The first year Slytherins made sure to arrive to the classroom before Snape left the Great Hall just to stay on his safe side after hearing numerous stories about man's teaching techniques from older students. First off: Snape, as a Professor, didn't tolerated tardiness, he was disgustingly punctual and expected the same from his students. The sixth years made sure that the kids were familiar with the story about the shouting match between a fourth year student who had a watch who was running late and Snape. Ergo being near the classroom before Snape was a better option than being late. Secondly Snape ignored stupid – at least in his opinion – questions so reading about the particular potion was expected. Thirdly Snape preferred silence, no talks were allowed.
Harry honestly wasn't afraid about his ability of making potions, he was afraid of Snape's interaction with him in the classroom judging by what the man told him and Hermione before. He desperately hoped that he was prepared. He was so lost in his thoughts that he hardly paid attention to his classmates. But suddenly he was snapped out from his thoughts.
"Hello, I'm Ron Weasley," said a red-haired boy who suddenly materialised in front of him, his right hand was extended in Harry's direction.
Harry was about to extend his hand but suddenly a small voice from the back of his head reminded him of Snape's words concerning the Weasleys.
"I rather not," he mumbled. "My hand is dirty."
"More like you get it dirty when you touch him," Draco snorted as he stopped at Harry's side. "You are too polite for your own good."
"I didn't asked you," stated Weasley. "So friends, Harry?" he turned back to Harry.
Even if Harry wanted to extend his hand to Weasley, which he didn't, his classmates had gathered around him successfully preventing him from doing so.
Thankfully the final salvation from answering Weasley's question came in the form of professor Snape who went past them and let them into the classroom. But that's where salvation had ended.
Harry sat down at the bench in second row on the left. He turned his head fully expecting to see Hermione or Neville or Sally-Anne at his side but he found the Weasley boy sitting there. Hermione was there too, she was standing above Weasley and was glaring daggers at Weasley's head. Weasley just seemed oblivious.
Suddenly Harry heard soft footsteps which stopped at their station and a sneer followed it, "I was under impression that Gryffindor is a house for chivalrous wizards and witches. I may posses a bit outdated concept of chivalry but in my times a gentleman wouldn't let the lady stand when he was sitting."
Weasley didn't reacted, he just stared blankly at Snape and Harry thought that it wasn't the best thing to do so unless Weasley was genius at Potions.
"You two," Snape's forefingers motioned at Harry and Hermione. "To the front."
They nodded quickly and seated themselves in the front row on the right side and soon enough they were flanked by the other Slytherins.
Harry acknowledged sadistic smirk on Snape's face and realised that Weasley was in big trouble. But Snape hadn't done anything to the idiot red-head. He simply seated himself at the desk and started reading the roll call. Like Professor Flitwick Snape paused on Harry's name but did nothing except giving him a curious glance, Harry guessed that it was part of the act.
Snape finished calling the names and looked up at the class. His eyes once again had resembled two dark tunnels with no warmth, like they did when Harry meet the man for the first time. Harry found himself very fascinated with it because he knew for a fact that Snape's eyes were able to show the warmth, they did it every time whenever Snape had looked in Mirzam's direction or when he had spoken about Harry's mother. Harry quickly made a mental note to ask Regulus or Mirzam about it since it would be rude to ask Snape himself.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion making," Snape began. He spoke in a tone barely more than a whisper but yet they caught the every word – like Professor McGonagall Snape had the gift of keeping a class silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses … I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death – if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."
Snape's speech was followed by silence and then …
"Weasley!" Snape said suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
The Weasley didn't answered and when Harry glanced at his right he saw Hermione's hand being covered by Daphne's and Daphne shaking her head. If Snape wanted them to answer his questions, he would ask them.
"I don't know, sir," Weasley answered.
"Let's try again. Weasley, where would you look if I told you to find me be a bezoar?"
"I don't know, sir," Weasley answered again.
"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh Weasley?" Snape sneered. "What is the difference, Weasley, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
"I don't know, sir," Weasley answered.
"Pathetic," Snape sneered. "Potter, same questions."
"Asphodele and wormwood together with valerian roots and sopophorous beans gives a very powerful sleeping potion known under the name of the Draught of the Living Death. A bezoar is a stone which can be found in the stomach of a goat and is the simplest antidote for most poisons. There is no difference between monkshood and wolfsbane because they are the same plant which also goes under the name of aconite," Harry answered calmly albeit on one breath.
"At least someone had read the book. Well, why the rest of you aren't writing it down?" Snape commented. "One point to Slytherin, Potter and one point from Gryffindor Weasley."
After they all had Harry's answers written down in their notebooks Snape made them make a Boil-Curing Potion in pairs. Then he spent his time at sweeping around in his long black cloak, watching them weigh dried nettles and crush snake fangs, criticising almost everyone, generally Gryffindors but Gregory and Vincent also got a comment about insensitive way of handling the ingredients. Aside from that the Slytherin was doing splendidly with their potions and surprisingly Gryffindor wasn't far behind them.
Suddenly at some point Snape stopped sweeping around and had settled at his own desk but his eyes followed something around the classroom and judging from the way they were doing it Snape's eyes were following an invisible person and not an object.
Severus had knew that he wasn't alone in the classroom together with twenty-two students from Slytherin and Gryffindor. He was a spy for far too long to not catch the light sweep which followed him around the classroom. Intrigued by it and not wanting to reveal the presence of the intruder because he knew that it couldn't be a teacher because all of them had their own lessons. Ergo the intruder could be Dumbledore, which was a very unlikely guess or Mirzam but if it was Mirzam he didn't know how she managed to get her hands on a wand and make herself invisible so good that even Dumbledore would be surprised.
The kids were so busy with their work that they didn't pay attention to occasional ingredient making its way into the cauldron. Severus spotted few well-timed interruptions which prevented few explosions and melt downs. He had to handle Mirzam that while she wasn't on his or Lily's level of brilliancy she, together with Black, constantly tied in the second place in Potions, right after Lily and him. In potion classroom Mirzam possessed a very useful trait for a potion master, cold blood and probably right now was using that ability on its top.
Making a mental note to lock her up in his rooms and have her study the offending plant like she was supposed to he let the lesson flow uninterrupted.
After the bell the kids had left and as soon as the door had closed behind them his cup of water made its way to invisible mouth.
"I hope that it was one time thing," he commented calmly. "You may get away with the first years but I will be questioned if fourth and fifth years today gave outstanding performance in this classroom, especially if half of them are unable to even boil a kettle of water let alone potion."
"What gave me away?" asked Mirzam as she fully materialised in front of him.
"Draft," he commented dryly. "I presume that you didn't discovered what kind of the plant it was."
"Actually I did, Mr Cute Tail," she snorted. "I need to rummage through your personal stock and during the lunch we can check my theory."
"What do you need from my personal stock?" he asked quickly.
"Animgi Spiritua," she answered. "The simplest solution is always the best."
"The simplest solution would be you touching the plant," he replied ironically.
"Yeah and ending as today's special for dinner, right," she snorted. "Besides me touching the plant might or might not prove that it is Animagi Weed or Bunny Tea. For all we know it might be Animagi Weed and we might be both rabbits. Besides from what I read when you went to Great Hall I spotted something interesting in one of your books. Apparently while Animagi Transformation is based mostly on the character of the one who changes into the animal there is also a very interesting theory which I want to check out. Supposedly the siblings is able to transform in the same type of animal…"
"Which might be not surprising if said siblings was brought up together," Severus finished for her. "In your case we are talking about the man who could be either eighteen years old right now or …"
"Around my age," Mirzam finished. "Give or take five years in worst case."
"I will bring you school yearbooks concerning this time period," Severus said calmly. "There is a very strong possibility that your brother have similar appearance to your own."
"Or that he doesn't," Mirzam pointed out. "For all we know about him he might be a small, fat, balding, blue-eyed blonde."
"Try to be a bit more optimistic, pessimism doesn't becomes you," Severus snorted.
"Birds of a feather," Mirzam replied before she waved her wand and left the classroom, invisible yet again.
After double period of Ancient Runes with his sixth years Regulus went to Severus's quarters to help Mirzam with looking for her brother even if all issues which his grandfather had mentioned during their latest meeting was giving him a mammoth headache.
How far along his dear Hermione was back then, six weeks? Or was it seven? Did the thing which really killed her was the curse not the Death Eaters?
It didn't really matter because the outcome was still the same, replied small voice from the back of his mind.
And there was Mirzam another problem which was giving him a headache. Sure Mirzam might be all forgiving but it doesn't changes the fact that if he traded his place with her for that day when it had happened to her then at least Severus's nose would look even worse than it already did. Of course Severus had saved her from certain madness and possibly a painful death but it changed nothing.
"Stop sulking," Mirzam greeted him from the confines of Severus's couch, left leg propped on a pillow.
"I don't sulk," Regulus snorted. "Anyway as you know Molly doesn't have the rat."
"Did you checked her distant family?" Mirzam asked without raising her eyes from the text. "Children should be checked as well but I think that they will be our last resort."
"Why did you forgive him? Severus?" Regulus blurted out.
"I'm alive," Mirzam shrugged. "I guess that it is hard to explain…"
"No kidding," Regulus snorted.
"It's just a feeling," Mirzam muttered. "I can't really explain it. It's funny … and kind of scary that he was the only person I dreamed of in Bedlam," she sat up on the couch and froze in the mid rise. "That's it, go bother someone else, I have books to read."
Regulus whished that she was less secretive but he knew Mirzam well enough to not interrupt her while she was looking for a trail. And if the thought wasn't as ridiculous he could have sworn that Mimi had a lot in common with Severus.
"Utterly ridiculous," he admitted to himself as he left Severus's quarters. "Sior would have a heart attack if Mimi was Sev's sister."
He tried to imagine both Severus and Mirzam playing as little kids and burst in laughter. No, they weren't playful people, they were survivors both of them. He decided to go to Dumbledore and talk about his ideas concerning the Horcruxes.
Severus entered his quarters after his last lesson of the day fully expecting a rabbit running around but his sitting room looked suspiciously empty and silent. He checked the bedroom, fully expecting to find Mirzam there, catching a nap in either form. He also checked the bathroom and the kitchenette but they were empty too. A quick glance into his private laboratory proved that Mirzam wasn't there either. So that only left his library.
He opened the door and found a hunched figure at the table, surrounded by numerous volumes.
"Did you found something?" he asked curiously as he approached the table.
"The bookshelf in the corner behind me needs a good dusting, besides it I still haven't found what I'm looking for," she replied without raising her eyes from the text as her left hand made a vague movement in the direction she mentioned before.
"I'm sure that the some stupid plant wouldn't make you trying to built a fort at the table," he replied dryly, pausing only for a second to read the titles on the spines of the books. "Especially from books concerning Mencymagic."
"At least half of these books is on the list of banned books," Mirzam muttered.
"Short hair look good on you," he replied with a shrug.
That made her finally look at him as she shoot him a nasty look from under her fringe.
"My mistake," he snorted. "I thought that we were playing a game 'State a Random Fact'."
"You look like you need a bath," she retorted calmly. "That's a random fact."
"Cripple."
"Hooked nose."
"Auror."
"Death Eater," came the last retort. "You won't win this one," she added and she raised her left eyebrow as if she was encouraging him to continue their banter. "I lived with a master of 'State a Random Fact' and I have my share of wins with him."
"I doubt that 'I see boobs' counts as mastery," Severus snorted.
"Men," Mirzam sighed tiredly. "If the level of hate you two have for each other was transferred into magical power then in the world would remain just the two of you and cockroaches because these little buggers would live through everything."
"He started it," Severus snorted.
"Spoke the saint," Mirzam snorted. "You know that if someone left you two wandless and bound to separate chairs in a locked room for a certain amount of time and throw the key out you would actually become good friends."
"The day when I will become Sirius Black's friend will be the day when the Dark Lord woul turn good and start handing everybody sweets and flowers. Won't happen, ever," Severus sneered.
"Never say never," Mirzam replied quickly. "Because I might feel tempted to try it out."
"You wouldn't dare," Severus snorted.
"And you know what is the saddest thing in your relationship?" Mirzam continued without even a smallest blink. "Our past shapes whom we truly are," she added pensively. "Our past choices carry enormous weigh and it's really hard to break that chain. It's really hard to forget whom we were and change … There will always be some people who will gladly remind you of your past misdeeds even if you consider that they were left far behind. We are humans and we make mistakes and our greatest mistakes happen when, after we broke out from our chains … when we don't want or consider ourselves as able to change someone's life, make it better, help someone break from the same chains which bid us previously. That's the saddest thing in your relationship with Sirius."
Severus felt an unyielding need to hex her into new year but part of him was intrigued by what she was saying so he let her talk.
"Your hate is purely psychological," Mirzam stated calmly. "It's in your head, subconscious. You both entered that vicious cycle because your minds pushed you into it. The real depths of these feelings have nothing to do with your background, family history or appearance but with the fact that in your eyes the other represents everything you hate with burning passion."
"You are chasing your own tail, Mirzam," Severus snorted.
"No, I don't," she shook her head. "Let me finish first. You hate each other but at the same time you have so much in common that you just can't stand looking at each other. We hate being reminded about our past misdeeds and bad choices. In the end is all boils up to two negative emotions, fear and envy. Subconsciously you envied him the ability to see through the expectations of the others, that envy has nothing to do with the other people. It's not about Lily Evans or James Potter. It is about just the two of you. Subconsciously you envied him a backbone to rebel against old tradition of his family, you didn't had it … Not then," Severus opened his mouth to cut her off but she raised her left hand and added, "Let me finish and then you can bring my theory down if you want."
"Keep going then but don't expect mercy," Severus muttered.
"He is your mirror image, a personalised 'what if my life had took a different turn' and you are his. You hate in each other things which you hate in yourselves. For Sirius you were a visualisation into whom he could turn if he wasn't sorted … no it had started before," she said calmly. "Around the time of the sorting Sirius was going through a great shock, huge emotional upheaval. He used to believe in things his parents believed until he witnessed something which made his conscience, his heart, mind and soul question the beliefs and views at the world in which he was brought up. But he dealt with it and I'm proud of him, not from the way he did it but the fact that he managed to overcome the demons which haunted him. It is true that someone who needs help and knows it clings for dear life to those who offered that help."
"So Black is blameless because James Potter is fully to blame for the man Black turned out to be?" Severus asked ironically.
"In a way, yes," Mirzam nodded. "But only partly. Sirius had a free will to make his choices and so he did. Someone who is starved emotionally clings to what is offered to him or her. And for Sirius, James's friendship was one of the first things which had came to him with no visible strings attached, there was no expectations and he could be himself or so he thought so that he could be himself with James until James proved to be a bigoted cretin. James hated you because of what his family had riled into his head and the bugger didn't even knew that if Sirius wasn't as starved emotionally as he was back then he would lose his friend. Sirius saw the way James treated you and since he knew that if James fully knew him then the only person who offered Sirius comfort in the times of need would hate him. He couldn't take it, couldn't stand the thought of loosing his friend," Mirzam explained.
"How is that?" Severus asked curiously.
"You know Reggie," Mirzam shrugged. "If Reggie can easily rival your knowledge in Dark Arts then you can imagine whom was young Sirius and until he got sorted into Gryffindor he was always the better son, the more talented one. The rumour of Sirius being the right hand of the Dark Lord didn't came from nothing because if Sirius was indeed a Death Eater he would be that right hand. But Sirius, unlike you and Reggie, chose to not show it, chose to keep some things which had shaped him into whom he was away from people he cared for because of the fear of loosing them."
"Then how do you know it?" Severus asked ironically.
"Because I knew the boy Sirius Black was and I know the man whom he become. I'm not a saint too, I could have helped him if I was there when he needed me the most. I had my own share of demons and so did he and you know that old proverb, birds of a feather. I hated the boy whom he become under the influence of James Potter but he was still my Sirius who kept helping me in getting down from a tree when I was eight, the same Sirius who beat into a bloody pulp the boy who hit me. For some time I thought that I could have bigger influence over him than James ever did and I had forgiven him most of his misdeeds. Then one day he made his choice and I made mine. He wasn't happy," she said pensively. "But I didn't gave a damn, back then at least," she sighed heavily. "I had my share of problems back then and I couldn't handle them, I didn't needed his idiocy. But then I did something really idiotic and he was there. He was my shoulder to cry on, he was my angel of revenge on people who ever hurt me. He was loud, obnoxious, hot-headed and idiotic at times but he was mine loud and obnoxious hot-headed idiot. He was by my side when I needed him the most and surprisingly he tuned out, a bit, but still. He grew up, sorted out the list of his priorities and that was the man I fell in love with," she said and a small smile made a way on her face.
"Love is weird," Severus admitted, feeling completely at loss by her story. He of course could start shooting her logic down but her story brought into him the painful memories about his sweet Lily.
"But the world would be much more duller without it," Mirzam admitted. "Anyway let's change the subject because I need some clarification about Mencymagic."
"What exactly?" Severus sighed.
"I've meet few contradicting statements about Telepathy. Actually there is one thing which makes me curious. It is Gallahan's theory…" Mirzam started.
"Which is accurate for the twins," Severus cut in.
"I know it," Mirzam rolled her eyes. "But what about the other members of the family? Or magic itself?"
"The only known and scientifically approved works on this subject is concerned around the subject of the twins," Severus said and he pinched the bridge of his nose and he paused.
Mirzam was a Ravenclaw and she wouldn't approach a scientific discussion if she didn't had at least vague idea about the subject and her own ideas.
"Stop beating around proverbial bush and get to the point," he sighed.
"I was researching the plant while Reggie came down and we had a little heart to heart which made me realise something," she said cautiously. "It could be completely unrelated but I had to check it out."
"And that would be?" Severus raised his left eyebrow questioningly.
"Bedlam," Mirzam muttered. "How many dreams you had about it before you came there to rescue me?" she asked quietly and looked him straight in the eyes.
Severus would have to be a total fool to not realise what she might be suggesting. It was utterly ridiculous thought. She couldn't be his sister. It was utterly impossible.
She was looking at him and her eyes was shining with an emotion he couldn't name. So amazingly violet eyes, so capturing, so … He could withstand Dark Lord's and Dumbledore's gaze without a single blink and used Legilimency on the other people who were foolish enough to keep an eye contact with him but right now he couldn't bring himself to look in her eyes any moment longer.
He stood up and left the room without a word and a single glance back. He needed to be alone.
There were times when being James Potter's and Sirius Black's favourite victim made him explore the castle at great lengths and the years he spent as a teacher only helped him to gain more knowledge about the areas which the others didn't knew. Today that knowledge had become very handy as he locked himself in an unused classroom on fourth floor.
"Is something troubling you Severus my boy?" he heard Dumbledore's concerned voice and he mentally cursed. He was in a damned castle with hundreds of rooms and he just couldn't be left alone.
"Memories," he muttered unkindly.
"Can best even the strongest men," Dumbledore said and he sat down on the floor next to Severus. "I know that you value your privacy Severus but perhaps if you told me what is consuming you I could help you."
As likely as Gryffindor Quidditch Team wining Quidditch Cup this year, ha-bloody-ha. Telling Dumbledore about Mirzam would jeopardize their plan to remove the kid from the Dursleys and even then Severus would make sure that all parties concerned would be unable to mention his involvement.
"I wonder how many students craved out their undying love on the bottom side of the benches," said Dumbledore suddenly and he pointed at the bench in front of them. "So many names and so little happy endings. Especially for these two."
"Whom?" Severus sighed, he didn't felt like checking the names by himself.
"She was killed in a brutal Death Eater attack. There was never a body but the amount of blood and the wand which was left behind indicated that she didn't lived. He was once a good young man, hot-headed and rash but a loyal friend. Hers death had to cause him great pain, he wasn't the same boy afterwards," Dumbledore sighed tiredly.
"Could you please stop talking riddles and just tell their names?" Severus asked in irritation.
"Mirzam Verascez and Sirius Black. Forever. That's what it says," Dumbledore whispered softly.
That was cruel, utterly cruel. He just left Mirzam behind to not think about her and now the old cot had the audacity to remind him of her.
"She would make great godmother for young Harry. It will be hard for Sirius to bring him up alone," Dumbledore sighed.
"He would manage," Severus snorted half-heartedly. He didn't planned to inform Dumbledore about the truth.
"Did you know who had killed her?" Dumbledore asked softly.
"I did," Severus shrugged. "I stood back when Rastaban and Rodolphus were raping her but I helped them torture her and I cast the curse which had killed her. Later I dropped her in a forest somewhere and that was the last thing which I heard of her."
He felt Dumbledore's gaze on himself and he chose to not look into his eyes.
"I'm not saying that I don't regret it," Severus whispered.
He regretted doing what he did to her back then, torturing her and almost killing her as well as standing back and doing nothing when her dignity was at stake.
"They were nights when I dreamed about her. Locked up somewhere in a cell, thinner and weaker with passing time," he admitted feeling that he could give Dumbledore a bone to chew upon. "Her eyes had haunted me with frequency just slightly lower than Lily's eyes."
"Did these dreams seemed solid, Severus?" Dumbledore asked cautiously. "Could you recognise the details on her cell?"
"As plainly as your wrinkles," Severus muttered. "Stupid nightmares."
"They weren't nightmares, Severus," Dumbledore sighed. "In dreams you hardly care about the details but in visions…" Dumbledore hung his voice. "Frère et sśur visions act as such, especially if the visions are frequent, very detailed and sent at the times of greatest distress."
"Are you suggesting that she might have been my sister?" Severus asked sceptically. "I find that statement lacking logic, you saw her when she was younger. She looked nothing like me."
"She was six weeks younger than you. In that case it's hard to talk about the same parentage or your mother's involvement with it. She would be your sister through your father's side," Dumbledore said calmly.
"Exactly my point," Severus snorted.
"I've meet Mrs Verascez and without a doubt I can say that young Mirzam's face looked like her carbon copy, except the eyes, Mirzam's family was green eyed while she had violet eyes. But her parents were not very tall, both were just under the average high while Mirzam was always taller than average and later she grew up quite quickly. I remember her from few pictures in the Prophet where she was photographed next to Sirius, she was his high or at least less than inch smaller than him and he had solid six feet. If you want final proof there were her hands, you have the same type of hands, long-fingered and slim but her possessed slightly more feminine looks," Dumbledore explained.
"For your information, I already feel guilty about her death and you really don't need to add me a thought that I could have killed my sister," Severus snorted.
"I'm sorry my boy," Dumbledore whispered.
"It doesn't matter, she is gone," Severus shrugged and stood up.
He came back to his quarters via his stocks from where he managed to find that damned Frère et sśur potion, the only vial of it which he had prepared, just once in his life time for the challenge of it because it was one of the hardest potions to make since it had to be precisely make and was very time and money consuming. But with this potion he will have the final proof in his hands. It was far more accurate than that damned Heritage Potion which for siblings, especially step-sibling and especially with no magical blood between their relation could be positive only in one of ten cases.
He found Mirzam where he left her, at the table in the library. The pile of the books around her grew up quite impressively considering how little time had passed since he left.
"Which thought you can't stand more?" Mirzam asked without looking at him. "The one that you might have a sister or the one when supposed sister is in love and had married your enemy?" she asked and she finally raised her eyes. "Or is it both?"
"Frère et sśur potion," Severus said quietly as he approached her. "The final proof regarding the outcome. If you are wrong then the colour of the aura should be red, if you are right it will be gold. We have to keep our hands linked until the aura appears. If you drop it I will kill you and I mean it because it takes ages to make it properly and its ingredients cost a fortune."
"Threat dully noted," Mirzam snorted. "Want to sit on something more comfortable?"
"I don't need to but I think that your bad leg would appreciate it," he muttered.
They moved to the couch in the sitting room and sat down facing each other. Suddenly Severus felt an unyielding urge to run away but he resisted it. There, a gulp of potion and everything will be clear. No assumptions, just facts.
He took Mirzam's right hand with his and strangely it fitted perfectly in his. With his left hand he brought the vial of turquoise liquid to his lips and took a gulp before he passed it to Mirzam. She took a deep breath and let it out before she repeated his action. They eyes connected and Severus recognised the same uncertainty he felt in her eyes.
For a moment nothing had happened. Their hands remained linked and they didn't looked away. Suddenly he felt gentle warmth which spread down his right arm quickly and suddenly his right palm felt like it was buried in a water which was slowly increasing its temperature.
He looked down in the same moment Mirzam did. A split second later they looked in each other's eyes and saw the same conflicting emotions which they felt in their hearts. Neither let go of the other's hand.
Awaiting criticism - like always. I'm replying as long as you leave me your email or you log in while reviewing. Bring my ego down ;)
Sniffy's random ramblings:
(hides behind the couch snigering softly) I'm sooo looking forward to read your reactions to this chapter. The question is: are Severus and Mirzam brother and sister? The other question is where the hell is Gemma (assuming that Arcturus's assumptions are accurate - sorry couldn't resist puting so many As in one sentence)? And if Gemma isn't alive then who is the other sister. I will let you think about it.
Back to Severus and Mirzam, whenever they are siblings or not they still have their history and while quite a big part of it was revealed in this chapter it wasn't revealed fully - there is nothing funny in explaining everything (although you can banish all thoughts concerning romance between them, keep in mind how often Mirzam mentions 'birds of a feather'. I apologise for making this chapter mostly about this two but no matter the outcome of the test Severus and Mirzam will work together in the future, especially on Harry, therfore the air between them needs to be cleared. Plus Severus needs a friend and a friend in someone who can understand him. We all see canon!Snape and I wholeheartedly doubt that he didn't had moments in his life when he was about to fall apart under the avalanche of grief and guilt - despite keeping the appearance of a spy he is in fact a very passionate and emotional man (he just shows it in certain moments and we weren't exactly privy to them). In a way Mirzam is his redemption, she was one of his victims but she is able to distance herself enough from what happened to her to understand Severus (let's talk about Stockholm's Syndrome, shall we?).
What Harry notices during the lesson expresses the dynamic between Severus and Mirzam. For a reason Severus can't exactly name he cares for Mirzam (I call it Stockholm's Syndrome since the mind connection and his often dreams of her staying in Bedlam). Plus Severus needs a friend his age with similar past, there were some things which he wasn't able to discuss with Lily (i.e. his feelings for her, besides Lily was a creature of light - I think that with her happy family she was unable to fully undertsand the darkness in Severus).
Next chapter: Named 'The Spy and the Red-head' for a very good reason. Severus and Mirzam learn whatever or not they are siblings. Regulus gives the kids another flying lesson. Severus and Regulus make first big decision concerning their duties as Head and Deputy Head of Slytherin House. Later Regulus meets one of his friends and pulls a stunt which leaves the merry bunch in awe and at the same time he tries to persuade Mirzam that he would be smashing godfather for Harry (which seeing what he had done for Harry might be quite logical outcome). Ron Weasley comes back and tries to get Harry and Draco into troubles but since Harry and Draco are good little Slytherins they know how to get out from troubles.
