CHAPTER: Merlin's Beard.

Severus turned the corner and headed down the street where Lily lived. He was holding his bag. This was what they came up with to make it looked like he went home at least some of the times. He just left Lily's room early in the morning and came around a little later after waiting in the park. They never suspected that he was basically living in her room. He rang the doorbell and her mother let him in.

"Hello Severus, you're here bright and early."

"Yes, I came early for her birthday," he said.

It was Lily's birthday. They were having a small party for her and inviting a few kids from the neighbourhood. Petunia was making a big fuss about how she looked and the fact that Conner was coming over. Severus couldn't help but wonder how on earth she was keeping this up for long. He thought he would have kicked her to the curb by now.

When he reached up to Lily's room she was basically pushing an owl out the window. "Who are you sending an owl to?" he asked sitting on his desk.

"No one, I mean Alice."

She was acting strange which meant she was absolutely up to something. "So how does it feel to be sixteen?" he asked her.

She bit her bottom lip. "I feel pretty much the same. I am excited for tomorrow though."

"You can't wait for you parents to leave?"

"Well yeah, so I don't have to hide you anymore."

"Wouldn't Petunia tell them?"

"When you left this morning I saw Conner creeping out of her room. Let's just say that I have a lot on her."

He snorted. "That's really disturbing."

"That's funny; she said the same thing about you."

He allowed himself to smile at that, although he didn't have much reason to smile these days. "Do you know what I wanted to buy for you?" he asked out of the blue.

"Huh?"

"I was going to buy those moonboots that you like so much. I was going to buy it in green."

"Well thank you; that was a brilliant idea."

"You're thanking me for something you didn't get."

"Well I'm sure I would have gotten it if you were able to get me it and I admire the thought."

"I still have something for you."

"You didn't have to."

"No I had to."

"What is it?"

"You'll see, later tonight."

-o-o-o-

Severus and Lily stayed on her bed opening her presents. So far she had received a diary, a peasant top, an Abba cassette tape, money and a large pack of something she hid from Severus. She opened the gifts that came by owl post next. She got a brand new quill form Alice and a roll of pink parchment form Ermilliene.

"So she is culprit," Severus said.

"Yes, she always gets me these."

She took up a large parcel that came from James. He needed to send three owls with it. Severus was certain that it was something cool, and fancy, something that a rich boy could get her. She pealed the wrapping paper and pulled out a box. Inside the box there was a pair of red moonboots. Severus cursed under his breath.

"Oh my, how did he know?" she asked staring at them in amazement.

Severus was certain that James figured out he was looking at the boots so he could buy one for Lily. The bastard must have decided to get one for her as well. Severus said nothing he just sat there with his arms folded. Lily didn't seem to notice him, she slipped the shoes on her feet and stood up and looked in her reflection in the mirror. "They're cute, aren't they?" she asked. When she saw that he was less than enthusiastic she kicked them off her feet and went to him. "Sorry, sometimes I can't help myself," she said. "What did you get me?" she asked finally.

"Are you sure you don't want to enjoy your shoes more?" he asked.

"Sev," she warned.

He sighed and got off the bed and pulled his trunk from under the bed. He opened it and pulled out form it the large old book he had placed at the top of all his things. "Granted it's not what you wanted but..." He took the book and placed it on the bed. She looked at it and passed her hand over the leather casing and opened it. "Magic theory." She said aloud. "Where have I heard this before?"

"It's the only book..."

"Merlin's beard Severus this is the book Merlin wrote."

He nodded.

"I thought there were only three known copies. I know Albus Dumbledore has one but no one knows where the other two are."

"I know my grandfather was extremely paranoid. He never told a soul he had it. He never even told his family. My mother was his favourite, he left her the book and she gave it to me when I turned sixteen."

She opened the page and began to browse through it. "Severus this has instruction on every branch of magic there is. Do you know how much people would kill for this?"

He snorted. "I know, and that's why you can't tell a soul that you have it. It's worth more money than the all the gold in Gringotts. No one knew my grandfather had it. He won it form a drunken man who challenged him to a life duel; he spared his life and took the book."

She continued to flip through the pages slowly. "Severus, I can't take this form you."

"Yes you can, I read the whole thing already anyway."

"You know it all."

"Yes, I finished it at the start of the summer. I took notes."

"I'm afraid," she said closing it and looking at it.

"That someone would come looking for it?"

"No, I heard that the knowledge in this book has driven men crazy. I heard that it's too much. I heard that even you know who read it."

Severus shook his head. "I read it, I'm not crazy, Dumbledore read it and he's...okay well he's a little crazy but he's not like a bad crazy."

"Okay I guess you're right, I just have to be selective in what I choose to read."

"Oh, you shouldn't read chapter 17. I didn't even read one."

She flipped through the book and stopped at chapter seventeen. " Immortality: Horcurxes and the Elixar of Life. Why shouldn't I read this?"

"My mother said that I shouldn't, it was the condition on which she gave me the book. I think you shouldn't either. Can you promise me that you will not read it?"

She shrugged. "I guess." She flipped to another chapter of the book. "Promises, Secrets and Debts: The laws of a wizard." She read the title of the chapter and read the title of a couple of essays. "This is the best but by far the scariest thing I have ever had in my possession."

"You'll get over the shock eventually."

NOTE: I have to admit that this chapter was pretty much insignificant. There was really one little thing that would carry over to the next chapter but oh well... Next week Monday.