Chapter 27: Facts and Excuses
The days before the Finals had everybody in the school on edge, and it was due to three facts.
Fact One: This was the biggest rivalry match between Gryffindor and Slytherin in over thirty years since the Slytherin Champion of that time, T.M. Riddle, won against the Gryffindor Champion, C.R. Potter (James Potter's grandfather).
Fact Two: Since everyone practically knew about the bet- except for the binding of the Wizard's Deal- they knew that Lily's future House placement depended on either side's victory.
Fact Three: As it turns out, no witch from any House has ever won the Interhouse Dueling Championship, so if Lily won the match, she would be the first witch to ever win since the founding of the event.
"So would Bellatrix if she beat me, but I'm not going to let that happen," Lily thought as she practiced for the umpteenth time in the Room of Requirement.
It was Monday, two days after the second Semi-Final match, and Lily was spending this time looking up more spells and to practice the complex wand movements.
"I probably shouldn't worry too much about this, seeing as how Trixie never really was one for strategy and proper planning. Still," Lily contemplated as she knocked her dummy off its feet and free of its weapon, "with Severus trying to tutor her, it might be difficult to win the Finals, and too much pressure on her feeble little mind might make her more dangerous than usual."
Meanwhile a similiar dueling session was taking place in the unused dungeon classroom a few floors below as Severus was trying to "teach" an irritated Bellatrix a complicated curse that would make the victim become surrounded by purple-flamed ropes. This spell would limit the victim's motions while allowing the caster to deliver the final blow.
Right now the Slytherin Champion was trying to practice the curse on her "volunteer" partner Karkaroff. So far though, instead of the ropes circling his body, only the usual colored flames whipped out at him and burnt his robes, along with some skin.
"Sorry Igor," Bellatrix sighed, though it was clear she did not mean it. "Want me to try again?"
"He, he meh! Nonyqnte apyr 'aogpoboneu'!" Karkaroff cried out in Bulgarian, going over to the far side of the room. "Npoknet nya bewnua!"
"What did he say?" Bellatrix questioned their group's translator.
"I believe he said 'No, not me. Get another volunteer'," Severus interpretted. "'Damned crazy witch'."
Deciding that it was better to end "class" early Severus made a motion for everybody else to leave. Bellatrix smiled gratfully and pulled Rudolphus along by his necktie, a suggestive smirk on her face.
Once they were gone Severus plopped down in a chair and put his head in his hands, massaging his temples.
"This is unbelievable," he murmured. "First I'm drugged during the qualifying duel, then I'm forced to teach that second-class slut how to fight without being expelled, and now I've got a headache and it's not even half past eight."
Then he looked up at the ceiling and thought, "I really and truly wish it was Lily I was teaching these curses. She wouldn't give me a headache."
"Are you alright?" a voice called softly through the open door.
Wand still in hand Severus pointed it at the intruder and faced forward, ready for an attack. Instead, to his relief and pleasant surprise, the woman of his thoughts was standing in the doorway, wand pointed at him as well.
"Lily!" he smiled as he got up from his chair and swiftly closed the distance between them, embracing his love warmly in his arms.
Lily hugged him back and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. Severus then placed his hand on her face and moved it toward his. They kissed, still holding each other as they let the other know how much they were missed.
Pulling away from the kiss first, cheeks slightly red, Lily asked her boyfriend, "What are you doing here?"
"Ladies first, love, what are you doing here?" he replied coyly.
"I'm here to deliver a list of potion ingrediants to Professor Slughorn," Lily said, holding out a scroll of parchment, tied in a white ribbon. "I had just come back from the store rooms to gather an inventory. Apparently he's running out of mint leaves, the cranoc seeds are gone, and the rat bones have turned to dust."
Smirking Severus stated, "If that's so, then why didn't you come earlier? Slughorn is probably asleep by now."
"Well, I... uh..."
Truthfully she did her inventory a few hours prior and had given the list to Slughorn afterwards. She had really just finished her dueling practice, and was using a duplicate list as an excuse to come down to the dungeons where she knew Severus would be.
"Lily, why are you really here?" he asked in a playfully exasperated tone.
"If you must know," she replied, giving him another kiss on the lips before continuing. "I wanted to see you without being hounded by members of my House. Since the Semi-Finals started we haven't had a chance to just be with each other. We were either separated in class because of the bouts, or being pulled into a different hallways by our fellow Housemates. The Head Boy and Girl have even made it so that we can't patrol the corridors together because of the growing tension."
"I know what you mean, and with the Finals coming up I doubt anybody else will be comfortable with the idea of us seeing each other," Severus added, trying to hide the bitterness in his tone.
Lily sensed it though, and decided to comfort him with another kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck tighter as he held her tighter around the waist.
After a few minutes of stolen bliss the Silver and Gold couple parted, each feeling much better as they went to their respective Houses.
On the way Lily's thoughts kept battling for dominance.
"Would really be so bad losing the Finals? You may lose the combined amulets, but you'll gain Severus," Lily's tender thought asked.
"But then they'll be in the hands of Slutatrix and you won't ever have that kind of power coursing through you again," Lily's more decisive thought chimed in.
"It isn't fair though," Lily mumbled to herself. "It's like asking someone to choose between the light of the sun or the light of the moon and stars. I want both, the power and to be with Severus."
That last part made Lily stop at a stone bench halfway toward the portrait hole and made her realize something: whether she won or lost the tournament it would be a bittersweet victory for her either way.
The rest of the week passed by differently for both House Champions, each practicing with various people of their House so they could get a better feel of the different dueling strategies. The Marauders were more than happy to help Lily whereas the LAER Group was not so enthusiastic about helping Bellatrix.
On Wednesday night Professor McGonagall allowed her Champion and the volunteers to use the spacious classroom next door to her office, but making sure they promised to clean up afterwards. Lily's Gryffindor friends came along to help give her moral support, and to see the Marauders duel again.
"Remember you lot," Remus said to the group once the tables were cleared to make room for the "duel". "We're only allowed to practice for an hour a day until the tournament. So that means whoever goes first tonight can help referee for the next night. Got it?"
Nodding in agreement everyone took their position on the "dueling field". Lily at the front of the room and the boys stood in front of her, waiting to see who went first.
"Alright then, who wants to go first?" Lily asked the Marauders.
"Me of course!" Sirius proclaimed, thumbing at himself. "I've should've been the one to face off against you anyways, Roary."
"Ready to think differently Blackie," Lily smirked, wand at-ready.
"That did it," he whispered in a playfully dangerous voice as cast his first spell.
It was not so much fun for the Slytherins, or their Champion, as Severus and his LAER Group were once more in the empty dungeon room. They were becoming rather tarse with their nonchalent student, and Severus came very close to actually keeping his word and Imperuse Bellatrix to win the Finals.
Bellatrix, who was trying to keep her elegantly bored mask intact, was starting to feel the pressures of the upcoming duel.
All week long she had been stomping around the school in a huffy mood; sent a few silent curses in random places without knowing about it; feel asleep in her classes and halfway through her meals; could barely walk in the Slytherin Armor, even with the extra bursts of magic stablizing her, and, to top it all off, she got a message from Voldemort, courtesy of her parents.
It read:
"Ms. Bellatrix Black,
I have been given reports about your current status concerning Ms. Lily Evans's potential membership in the Death Eaters, and, quite frankly, I am very disappointed in your lack of effort, whereas somebody else has made more of an unconscience effort.
However, I will allow this to pass if, and only if, you can win the Interhouse Dueling Tournament.
I have heard from a reliable source that a certain student's future House placement depends on the outcome of the duel between Gryffindor's Champion and Slytherin's Champion, and I am so hoping that our glorious House will be triumphant.
If you manage to win, then I will have no doubt about your ability to join our ranks and that you will deliver me what I have asked.
On the other hand, Ms. Black, if you fail and make a mockery of what it means to be a true Slytherin, I will gladly withdraw my offer to you and will give your assignment to someone else.
I refuse to have nothing less than the best wizards and witches join our cause.
Do not, by any means, tell anybody of this correspondance or it shall be more than just your membership that will be terminated.
You have been warned.
Lord Voldemort"
That was why she was trying her hardest that Friday night as she dueled Severus, who kept deflecting her curses and sending them back to her ten fold. He had been trying to teach her how to master the same manipulations that the current Champion demonstrated. This was proven to be a challenge all its own because, although she would not admit it, Bellatrix was not powerful enough to do something like that.
"Try again," Severus hissed at her after another hour of fruitless attempts.
"I AM TRYING!" Bellatrix shouted, completely red in the face and beyond exhausted. "You're just not telling me how to do it!"
Shaking his head Severus said, "I have been telling you how to do it. You're probably just not powerful enough to..."
"That's it!" the dark girl exclaimed. "That's probably how the Gryffindor Champion did it! The crests give an extra boost of power to applify the spells. I'll just use the combined power of the Ravenclaw and Slytherin crests to strengthen the spell and I'll win the tournament!"
Before Severs could point out the flaws in that plan Bellatrix ran to the door and made her way to the Slytherin dormitories.
There she collapsed on her bed and drifted off to sleep, assuring herself that her plan would work.
A.N. I hope you enjoyed this relaxed chapter because the pressure is really on in the next one.
Thx and don't forget to let me know what you think!