See previous disclaimers
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Chapter nine: results and no results
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It took Sarah and Sirius almost three more days before they were seen alone. For three days they spent every single moment together. She seemed to be terrified to be without him. He even spent the nights in her bed, just the two of them, as she still wouldn't let anyone but him touch her.
She still refused to talk about what she had seen, but Trelawney knew and had given Snape and Lupin an explination, a small mirror into the hell that she had been dragged into. Snape understood why she refused to have anyone but Sirius touch her, but he still wished so desperatly that he had been her hero, instead of the one that had made things worse for her.
After about a week, Sarah finally felt safe enough to sleep alone at nights.
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The morning after her second night alone, she was brushing her teeth, when a folded paper crane came fluttering into the bathroom.
It was a note from Dumbledore. It asked her to come to his office at once. Sarah checked the time. It was only five past six in the morning, but she decided that when Dumbledore said at once, he meant at once. Not even bothering to get dressed, she threw a dressing gown over her t-shirt and didn't even give her self time to put on trousers before she rushed off to see the headmaster.
« Come in, come in, good morning Sarah, I have a little something for you here», Dumbledore said as she came in, and was looking through an enourmous pile of parchment.
« Ah here it is!», he looked at the parchment he had withdrewn from the pile and smiled. « your O.W.L results are in, here you are and congratulations », he handed her the letter. Sarah browsed it and was shocked. « Can I... may I...» she stuttered.
« Oh yes run along and tell him my dear, I do believe I have is password here somewhere», Dumbledore said, and quickly shuffled through some papers.
As Sarah vanished out the door, Dumbledore was smiling and thinking that maybe finally things would start to happen.
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« Severus! Severus! My results are here!»
She had run into his bedroom and jumped up onto his bed. « Sarah...? What is...how...?» he sat up, looking at her jumping up and down like a child on christmas morning. She had a letter in her hand.
« My results! My grades are here!», she exclaimed, still jumping. Now it dawned on him what she was talking about. « Well, how did you do...?»
She stopped jumping and sat down on his lap, one leg on either side of his. He could feel the warmth of her bare thighs and gulped. « Are you ready for this...?» she asked and started reading outloud. « Ordinary wizaring level results... bla bla bla...here it is. Sarah Kessler has achevied...» Then she listed her results subject by subject. Ten Outstandings.
« Sarah! Thats just... wait, Potions...how did you do in Potions...?»
Sarah smiled at him and started pretend to search down the list, still sitting on him, only inches away from him. « Potions...potions... let's see... where is it?».
«give me that!»
He ripped the letter out of her hand. The list of O's looked like a small black chain, and there it was; Potions: O.
ooo
« Why, Miss Kessler, I do believe you lost our bet», he remembered. Sarah threw her arms aroung him, squeezing the life out of him, while kissing him on both cheeks, over and over again.
« Thank you! Thankyouthankyouthankyou! Thank you for being absolutely merciless with your standards and constantly pushing me beyond what I think I can do».
« You are welcome», he said with a sleepy smile.
She smiled back, and as she was sitting on him, forgotten were all reservations, and ackwardness. It felt like she belonged there, like she had always been straddling him like that. She still had her arms around his neck, and suddenly she was kissing him.
And this was no little kiss either. It was so fierce and passionate that Snape couldn't remember if he had ever kissed anyone before her. It eradicated anything and everything that had preceded it.
She was pressing her body against him, as if she couldn't get close enough. His hands acted completely on their own as they moved down towards her bottom. He lifted her even closer to him. They were almost merged together. He untied the belt on her dressing gown and slid his his hands under the back of her tshirt. Her back was smooth and silkysoft, her hair smelling of jasmine, the sweet taste of her lips, her warm tounge. Her fingers were entangled in his hair, and she was pulling at it to the point where it hurt.
He loved it! All of it!
The room around them seemed to have vanished, he could hear fireworks. He could feel his heart exploding with love. He felt her breasts pressed tightly against his bare chest, and yearned to touch them, to caress them. He longed to kiss them, to taste her skin. His hands were still wrapped around her back, and as he moved one hand forward to further explore Sarah's body, he felt his own body really wakening and beckoning for her. That's when he panicked.
On the other side of the kiss, Sarah could hardly breathe. She had never imagined in her wildest dreams that kissing Snape could have such an effect on her. The second their lips touched, it had set her entire being on fire. At same time she was going crazy. She could feel him holding back, and could not understand why. How could it not be clear how much she wanted him. She wanted him so much that it hurt. She wanted those hands that were clutching at her back to make their way all over her body, to completely take posession of her. She wanted Snape to just claim her for his.
She pressed down on him, and could feel him harden beneath her. His pulse was pounding hard, making every inch of her skin vibrate with excitement, with lust. She pressed against his growing erection even more, and her hands trailed down towards it, when all of a sudden Snape froze completely, and pulled back.
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Snape was so flustered all of a sudden, that he didn't see the endless dissappointment in Sarah's face when he broke the connection. « Oh... », Sarah said and backed down too. She turned beet red and looking downright mortified. « I... I am so sorry... I'll just.. I shouldn't have done that. I guess I better leave...», she stammered.
Snape didn't want her to leave. He wanted to roll her over on her back, and explore every inch of her with kisses. He wanted her to be his, and only his. He longed to stay in that bed with her the rest of the day, the rest of the summer, the rest of his life!
She climbed off him, fixed her dressing gown, and said in a low thin voice, « See you at breakfast, Severus...», then she left him there.
If Snape had not been so caught up in his own frustration and disappointment at her leaving so suddenly, he would have noticed how down right sad she looked as she left, but he threw himself back on the bed and let out a cry of exasperation. « I scared her off! Dammit!» His desire and love for her was still throbbing in his veins.
He got to his feet, and made his way to the shower. He would have to try and pull himself together before going to breakfast. The cold water felt harsh and rough compared to her warm soft body.
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Since it was summer, there were only about 10 people left at the school. The great hall was closed off, and all meals were served at the smaller meeting table in the staffroom.
Snape came last to breakfast and was happy to see that Sarah was deep in conversation with Lupin and did not seem to notice him. He thanked his lucky stars for this. He didn't know if he would be able to look into her eyes, ever again.
Dumbledore told the table about Sarah's results, and while everyone were congratulating her, Snape couldn't help but notice that both Sirius and Lupin seemed surprised.
«So you didn't run to tell them? Like you ran to me?»
He liked that thought. That he was the one person she wanted to share it with first. The one person she had kissed. The thought of their kiss made the room brigther somehow, made his skin burn with longing for her touch. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sarah glance at him, but the second she saw him look back, she looked away and appeared to be very uncomfortable.
«Maybe she regrets it? Maybe thats why she pulled away so suddenly and left. That's it isn't it. In her thrill, she kissed me without meaning to do it... Oh no, the way I reacted to her. Of course she felt that... no wonder she can't look at me».
Sarah was stealing glances to see if there was any reaction at all in Snapes face. He had completely ignored her from the moment he had entered the room. She caught him glaring at her once and just wanted to disapparate. « He must be furious at me for jumping him like that...»
And Dumbledore, who could easily see the increased tension between the two, shook his head and hoped that they would dare be honest with each other by the end of the summer, or he would loose his bet with Trelawney. He had been a damn fool to bet with her in the first place.
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« Oh, Remus, I' ve made such a damn fool of myself!», Sarah exclaimed and let her self fall back onto the sand.
They had gone done for a swim in the lake. Sirius was already in the water, but Sarah wanted to talk first.
« What have you done now?»
« When I got my results, I got really excited and ran to tell him. So I got a little carried away, and burst into his room without knocking, jumped onto his bed and his lap, and as if that wasn't bad enough. I got really carried away...and I kissed him».
« You kissed Snape?!», Lupin laughed.
«Oh, I didn't just kiss him. I was about two seconds away from raping him», she said and buried her face in her hands.
« Really? How did he take it?»
« not at all the way I hoped he would. At first he kissed me back, but I think I just caught him off guard, because he just froze and pushed me away».
« What? What do you mean?», Lupin asked, genuinely surprised.
« I mean just that. As soon as it became rather apparent that I wanted more than just a kiss, he all but threw me off the bed. It was so utterly embarracing. I really thought he fancied me, and now I've really made a mess», she complained.
« It was all just so confusing. One second he is completely in on it, or so it seemed, and then he did a complete 180, and you should have seen him at breakfast. He was glaring at me, and he seemed so angry... I don't know if I ever dare talk to him again ».
« If you are confused, why not read him and find out how he really feels?», Lupin suggested.
« Because I can't. He blocks me out. Trying to read Snape, feels like running head first into the castle wall. He has a fortress around his thoughts and feelings, and except for a rare crack here or there, he is a complete blank».
She looked at him all frustrated.
« Sarah, I think you are looking at this from the wrong angle. This is Snape we are talking about. You can't expect him to act like normal men would. I've never even seen him show interest in any particular woman, not that I'm saying he dosen't like girls, but he seems very peculiar in these matters. I say it again. This is Snape! You invaded his most private domain at six in the morning, and all but raped him, as you say. If he hadn't been pleased about that, at least to some level, he would have cursed you into next month. I think he might in fact fancy you, but you need to be patient, give him time to come around and figure it out».
Sarah gave a loud exasperated cry. « But I want him now!»,
« Was it that good a kiss?», Lupin smirked.
« Oh, it was the best kiss! Just like his potions. Full of nuances and subtleties. It felt like being hit with a Fiend Fire curse. I had stand under an ice cold shower for half an hour just to cool off again!», she said and decided the cold lake might help with that. So she got up and ran in to join Sirius.
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Another week passed, without a word uttered between them about what had happened that morning. They were both being polite to eachother, but by now everyone had noticed how things between them had changed. They would never be alone together anymore. Even in the corridors, if one turned a corner and noticed the other one, he or she would turn back and take another path.
None of them dared look into the others eyes. They both missed each others company greatly, but none of them dared be the one to take the first step.
Snape was his usual cranky self, snapping at anyone and everyone, and Sarah always seemed unaturally cheerful, but she would spend a lot of time alone. Subconciously waiting for him to come to her.
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Snape was in Dumbledores office, going over some plans for next term when out of nowhere Dumbledore said, « When are you going to stop be so damn proud?».
« I'm sorry headmaster, I'm not quite sure I know what you are talking about?»
« Don't act a fool, Severus, you know perfectly well that I am talking about Sarah. Why don't you just tell the girl how you feel?», Dumbledore gazed at him over the top of his half-moon spectacles.
Snape had long ago stopped asking Dumbledore how he somehow knew everything that went on at Hogwarts.
«...but it's not that easy, she... she does not want me and I would rather have her as a friend than not have her at all». He tried to explain, but Dumbledore just said, « and what a glorious friendship you have now, barely saying a word to eachother. I am not blind, I see how she looks at you, hoping you'll say something other than 'would you please pass the coffee' and how do you know that she does not want you? Have you ever actually asked her?»
« Well...no not in so many words, but she probably knows how...I figured that she.. », Snape was struggling to to the words to explain.
« You figured that she what? I tell you this, Severus, I'm not exactly the right man to know how relationships with women work, but I do know this. If a girl jumped on to my bed at six o'clock in the morning and kissed me. I'd take that as a pretty sure sign that she fancies me...».
« But there were circumstances around that, she had just got her exam results back and she got a bit carried away that's all. She didn't mean anything by it».
« And yet...», Dumbledore got up from his chair, following Snape to the door, « she could have run to anyone. Why didn't she run to Sirius or Remus? Why, she was here in my office first, why didn't she kiss me? Why did she come running straight to you? Think about that, Severus, and stop being so damn proud. Sometimes one must dare make the first move, even if it does mean leaving oneself completely vulnerable».
Snape left Dumbledores office, deep in his own thoughts, arguing with himself. Was Dumbledore right? Or was he? He was not paying any attention to where he was going, and as he turned a corner, he crashed into a stack of books.
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It was Sarah behind the books. « I am so sorry! I didn't see you», she said and dove down to gather the books. She didn't look at him. Snape knelt down on the floor with her, « Here let me help you..». « No, I can manage, it's quite alright, I don't want to keep you from where you were going and-».
Snape took her hand and she fell silent.
« Let me help you Sarah» He looked at her. She smiled at him. « Alright, if you insist...». He nodded and smiled back, « I insist»
She piled the books in his arms, took a few herself and they headed for her room.
« Do you always buy books by the wagonload?», he teased.
« Usually no. I ordered all the advanced text books, so I can use the summer to really understand the theory, and have a head start when the term starts», she said, « and while I was going over Flourish and Blotts booklists, I found around a dozen books that just seemed intruiging, so naturally I had to buy them as well, then it got a little out of hand. Long story short, I've spent an entire months wages on books».
He had to smile. He had been in that situation himself a couple of times. Going to the shop with one particular book in mind and coming out with twenty that caught his attention.
« Sacra Forda!», Sarah said as they reached her door, and it clicked open. « That's your password?», Snape chuckled. « why not? No worse than your 'Cave Fatuos'», she said.
She held the door open for him, and he stepped into what was now an almost empty room. All the furniture was gone, except for the bookcases and the rug on the floor.
«What have you done?».
« I started redecorating one day, but got distracted, and I havent had time to finish it. I don't even know how I want it yet...», she said and looked around the half empty room.
She went into the study, and placed her pile of books on her already over cluttered desk. He followed and when he didn't know what to say or do next, he said, « I better be off then».
«Wait! ehrm.. I was about to play a game of wizards chess, and it's alot more fun to be two. Care to join me?»
« I'd love to! I mean... yes».
They took the chess board to her bed, as it was much more comfortable than sitting on the floor. Now that he was with her again, he realised just how much he had missed her this past week. He was so at ease around her, like her mere presence lifted an enourmous weight off his shoulders.
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« I give up», he sighed as she in one move shot his game plan to pieces. « There is just no beating you is there?». It was their third game and Sarahs third victory.
« Where the hell did you learn to play like that?», he asked and leaned onto his side.
« My dad is a chess fanatic. When Roxy and I were kids, chess lessons were just as mandatory as learning how to read. My dad and Roxy have won dozens of tournaments and things like that, but I only play for fun. The rules are exactly the same in both games... only difference I find is the live pieces», she said and looked at her black pieces that cheering for their victory.
She moved the board off the bed and onto the dresser, and came to lie down next to him.
« Why do you always insist on being black?», he asked and streched out beside her.
She turned on her side to face him. « Because there is , in my opinion, a great tactical advantage to forcing your enemy to make the first move. Then I can step back and with a greater overview, know where I should position myself ».
Snape turned to face her as well. He took her hand and entwined his fingers into hers. « So...am I your enemy then, Sarah..?», he asked softly. She looked into the deep pools of sable, and could feel the warmth of his hand melting her. Quietly her breath hitched. « Are we still talking about che-» BANG!
Her main door was slammed open, and Lupin came running in to find her. « Come on little sister, we have a surprise for you!»
Both Snape and Sarah were up in a hearbeat.
« Remus, what the... you can't just come barging in like this... what if... you know..», she glanced in Snapes direction, but Lupin just laughed. « You better not be! Now come on!»
He dragged her with him. She gave a small wave at Snape before dissappearing out the door.
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« So what's the big surprise?» she asked while running to keep up with Lupin. « Can't say, come on, down to Hagrid's».
Hagrid and Sirius were waiting outside the hut. They both beamed at her, looking almost giddy.
« I had to drag her out of bed with Snape», Lupin told Sirius, and they both gave a chuckle.
« It was NOT like that, we were playing chess». Sarah punched Lupin a lot harder than ususal. «OUCH! ...meanwhile the chess board was on the dresser, way out of reach», he laughed and rubbed his arm.
«Alright settle down you three... they'll be gone if we don't hurry», Hagrid said and started walking towards the forest. « What? What'll be gone? Sirius, tell me!», Sarah pleaded but he just shook his head and motioned for her to come. She saw Lupin wasn't coming with them, and asked Sirius why.
« They sense the wolf and it frightens them», he replied.
« Who? Who senses it?», but he didn't answer this, just shooshed her and made her follow.
They walked in complete silence for what seemed ages.
ooo
Sarah saw light, behind bushes and trees in the distance. She looked questioningly at Sirius but he shooshed her again. They slowly drew closer, cowering so far down they were almost crawling.
And then she saw what all the fuss was about. Unicorns! A whole herd of unicorns.
Sarah was so awestruck by the sheer beauty, that she fell to her knees.
« Stallions...», Hagrid whispered in her ear, « they are a bit more trusting, specially of girls, so you could try and move a little closer. We'll wait for you here».
It took Sarah almost a minute to be able to move her limbs, tears were flooding her eyes. Tears of joy, happiness and love. It felt like she was standing before divinity itself.
She had read about unicorns and knew that their presence strengthened all the good in their surroundings. She moved closer inch by inch, she was still cowering behind a big bush. She wanted so badly to be closer to them.
An idea was slowly forming in her head, but she didn't know if she dared. She moved a bit closer, out of Sirius and Hagrids reach, and quietly turned into the black mare. She then, step by step, headed towards the unicorns, all the while focusing solely on anything good and pure she could think of.
A large stallion noticed her, he took a step back. She stopped. She could sense his emotions like she could sense Sabines. This was what she had hoped for, Trelawney had told her that magical creatures often choose to talk to Seers, because they knew they were listening.
«Not one of us...»,another stallion lifted his head. One by one the unicorns where lifting their heads and curiously looking at her.
She so badly wanted this to work. She didn't move a muscle, and she thought of every happy moment in her life, she thought of love, of laughter, running in the woods with Sirius, making potions with Snape, hugging her sister. She showed them every single good emotion she could think of, hoping they would understand she was no threat to them.
A stallion approached her, she felt he was the head of the herd. He greated her much like horses do. Putting his head against her neck and mane. She did the same. « ...run with us black mare..»
They flocked around her, neighing and wrinsking, and they all took off at once including Sarah.
Sarah was galloping with every ounce of her strength to keep up. The unicorns ran so fast, they were but a silvery white blur around her. She felt as if she was flying, she could no longer feel the ground under her hoves, and even though she was crashing through bushes and branches, she couldn't feel it.
They galloped for what seemes like forever, and yet only a second. The unicorns stopped to graze in a clearing. She had no idea where she was. It was the deepest she had ever gone into the woods, and the first time she didn't have someone with her. She did not care about this. She could stay here forever, and the world outside would never be missed.
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Suddenly the unicorns seemed uneasy, eager to run off again. She so badly wanted to go with them, but she could hear Trelawney whispering to her that it was time to come home. She probably wouldn't have listened had it not been that she had completely drained herself trying to keep up with the unicorns. They took off again, and Sarah stayed behind.
Too tired to stay in animal form, she changed back to human, and sat down on a rock, panting from exhaustion. Now that the unicorns were gone, she realised how truly dark the forest was. Pitch black as night it was, and her human eyes were not nearly as strong as her animal ones.
She rested for a while until she was certain she could feel which path led to the castle, then she slowly headed down that way.
« You are far from home human!» a voice cried behind her. She turned around and saw a centaur standing there, bow and arrow at the ready.
She bowed her head just a little, knowing she must show them the utmost respect and in no way offend them. « Greetings centaur», she said humbly.
« Why are you here? You are not welcome here!» he still had his bow raised, aiming at her. « Forgive me if I have unknowingly strayed into your territory. I was running with the unicorns and I seemed to have lost my way. I am only trying to get back to Hogwarts.» she said very calmly.
« She lies! No human could keep up with the unicorns!», a second centaur snarled. She hadn't even seen him, standing behind the first one. He stepped forward now. His horselike body much bigger than her sleek arab forms. He was dark grey, with a black tail. The skin on his torso and face, a lighter shade of grey. He had black eyes and hair.
« I was not in human shape, I was...» she decided against explaining and transformed once again. « I was in this shape», she hoped he would talk to her like this.
« I saw you, you were the black mare with the unicorn stallions...». The first centaur seemed astounded. He lowered his bow, only slightly and took a step forward, examining her, reading her.
« The unicorns trusted me to not be a threat, can't you do the same. I do not lie when I say that I did not mean to trespass on your grounds centaur...» She felt a bit more confident now, at least he knew she was not lying.
« If you only point me in the direction, I shall make my way to Hogwarts at once»
« I still do not like that you are here. Our woods are not for humans!». He tensed up again.
« Surely these are not really your woods, or ours. Does not this forest, like all things on our planet, belong to all of it inhabitants?», she said still trying not to offend, but she felt she made a good point.
« You seem less obtuse than most humans», the black haired centaur said.
« Coming from a centaur, I will take that as the deepest compliment»
« What is you name, Seer?», the front centaur asked as he lowered his bow completely. Sarah gave him her name, and knew enough not to ask him his. In centaurian tradition, only the superior is allowed to ask someones name, she remembered reading.
« I am Magorian, to my herd, and now to you. My second-in-command is Bane, and he shall make sure you return to your own herd», he said, and left with further delays.
Bane gave her a disgruntled look and galloped off. Sarah blindly followed.
ooo
Sirius and Hagrid had watched Sarah move closer and closer to the unicorns. To their shock she turned into the arab mare and started approching the stallions.
« Sarah...no. come back!», Sirius whispered, but she didn't hear him. They watched helplessly as one by one the stallions took notice of her. Hagrid made his way to Sirius.
« That girl never stops amazing me...», he whispered as the head stallion greated her. Then the stallions gathered around her, and they all took off.
« Sarah!»
Sirius got up and cried after her. She was gone, the light of the unicorns dimming away as they galloped further and further away from them.
« What is she thinking!? She can't just take off like that!». Sirius was furious with her. « She'll be back, we'll wait for her here, and she'll come back», Hagrid tried to calm him, but Sirius was too worried for her. « She's never been in these parts of the woods before, and never been alone. The unicorns were headed straight for the centaurs territories. Wait here, I'll see if I can catch up to them».
He transformed into the dog, and ran of in the direction Sarah and the unicorns had gone.
ooo
Sirius came back about an hour later. « I can't see her anywhere, nor the unicorns. They are gone»
He sounded worried and scared. Suddenly there was a loud crack. A houseelf stood before them. « Note from Miss Trelawney to Master Black», he handed them the note and was gone. The note said: 'don't worry about Sarah, she is safe'
« That Sybill creeps me out sometimes..», Hagrid said and shook his head. « But if she says Sarah's safe, then Sarah is safe. Come on, lets to back to the hut and wait for her there.»
Sirius was somewhat reluctant, but came anyway.
ooo
Lupin who had been sitting alone in Hagrids hut, having tea, saw them coming out of the forest, but couldn't understand why it was just the two of them.
He came out of the hut, « where is Sarah?». « She ran off with the unicorns», Hagrid said proudly. « She did what?».
Lupin looked from one to the other in amazement, then started looking around, as if he was excepting Sarah to jump out from behind one of the pumpkins or something like that.
« She just took off, just like that. Without any concideration to her safety alone in the woods», Sirius said angrily. « But I'm sure she is safe around the unicorns, no forest creature would harm her while she is with them», Lupin tried to assure his friend.
« And what if she comes away from them? What then?», Sirius cried and kicked a hole in a pumpkin.
« Hey! Don't be taking your anger out on my pumpkins! Let's go in and have tea, I'm sure she'll be back soon. Sybill told us not to worry». Hagrid led Sirius back to the hut. « Sybill? Where did you..?», Lupin started to ask, but Sirius just handed him the note and went in.
« that woman is scary!», Lupin exclaimed as he came back in after them.
ooo
Hours went by and still there was no sign of Sarah. Sirius was pacing the room now, desperately waiting for her arrival. He was wringing his hands in anger and mumbling incoherently.
« I can't take this anymore» he exclaimed, threw a handfull of Floo powder in the fireplace and poked his head in. After about fifteen minutes he extracted his head from the green fire and said, « Sybill still insists that Sarah is safe. She tells us to go to dinner and not to worry».
« Well I still say that if Sybill says not to worry, we need not worry», Hagrid said and got up.
« Let's go have dinner, I'm sure Sarah will be back soon». Lupin agreed with Hagrid and they went up to the castle to have dinner.
ooo
At dinner Sirius did not say much, he kept his gaze out the window and towards the edge of the forest.
Sprout was the last to come to dinner, along with Flitwick. « Where is Sarah? I have the greatest little story to tell her», she said as she sat down in the chair Flitwick held out for her. « Well... we took her to see the unicorns, you know how they come near here sometimes, and well...she ran off with them», Hagrid answered.
At this there was alot of «What's» and «hows» and «whys» around the table.
« She was closer to them than us», Sirius explained, still looking out the window, « and I don't know what got into her, but she transformed into that horse, and walked right up into the herd. I tried calling her back, but as I had to whisper so that I wouldn't scare the unicorns, she didn't hear me. The herd somehow accepted her presence and they all ran off together».
« Why didn't you run after her!? She can't be out there alone, she doesn't know nearly enough to be able to protect herself!», Snape roared at him.
« Of course I ran after her! Do you think I was about to just leave her there? I could not see them after a while, and unfortunately-». «What?! Let's all hear your brilliant excuse», Snape was becoming furious now.
« Well, if you let me finish! I could not see them as I said, and I was following her scent, but I lost track of her...I lost her scent, so I went back to Hagrid thinking maybe she would be back by now, but she was not. And then a houself brought a note from Trelawney telling us not to worry, that Sarah was safe».
Snape snorted at him, « Even as a dog you are useless..».
« At least I am not useless as a man...», Sirius shot back. « I think you have time and time proven that that is exactly what you are», Snape sneered.
« You talk to me about being a man, when you are thirty-eight years old and can't even grow a beard?», Sirius sniggered.
Ignoring the last remark, Snape leaned over the table, towards Sirius. « If anything happens to her, I will kill you with my bare hands», he whispered, just high enough for Sirius to barely hear what he said.
« What makes you think you have any right to say something like THAT!?», Sirius shouted. He got up so fast his chair fell back, and drew his wand instantly, but Snape was faster. No sooner had Sirius got his wand out and Snape was already pointing his at him.
Then an earsplitting 'SMACK', made everyone jump. Hagrid had slammed his palm on the table and was now glaring angrily at the both of them. « Sit down», he said calmly, but his eyes were on fire. As if someone had turned a switch, both wizards tucked away their wands, and sat back down.
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Dumbledore gave Hagrid an appreciative smile. « If Sybill says she is safe, then I see no reason for us to worry about her. Although running off with unicorns... that is rather an amazing feat, is it not..?», he said and gave a chuckle. Before anyone could answer, he said, « there she is now, isn't that her, the black mare?»
Pretending he needed to shift to see her out of the window, Dumbledore moved one chair over, making an empty space between him and Snape.
Everyone got up from their seats and looked out the windows, and sure enough, at the edge of the forest was a black arab mare, and a centaur. They saw the centaur give her a short bow, and head back into the woods and the horse turned and headed for the castle. A few minutes after the staff room door, one of them, opened and Sarah came in. She looked positively radiant.
« Hello, have I missed dinner?» Sarah said, as if she had merely lost track of time in the library.
« No my dear, you are just in time» Dumbledore said and waved her over to sit in the empty place he had made.
Sirius glared at her. « Where the hell did you run off to? Don't you know how worried I was when you just vanished?!». « Oh come on Sirius, the unicorns asked me to run with them. How could I possibly turn down such a thing?». « What do you mean, they asked you?» Snape said, for Sirius was not saying anything, just glaring at her with his arms crossed.
« well... I talked to them, the same way I talk to Sabine. They were uneasy at first, saying that I was not one of them, but I showed them that I too knew of love and laughter, and well they decided to trust me after that and asked me to come running with them. So I did »
« I thought you could only talk to snakes?» Lupin asked.
« No, no, you are mistaking it with parseltounge. Seers can communicate with all creatures that have a soul», said McGonagall.
« Exactly, I remembered that today, and figured that if I could just show them that I was no threat. That they would let me near them..», Sarah said and poured herself some water.
« It was still a dimwitted thing to do», Sirius grumbled. « Alright mommy! I know that it was a stupid thing to do, to run off deep into the forbidden forest without you, but you have to understand. How could I possibly not do it? The most amazing creatures in the history of the world, asked me to come with them. When would I ever get another chance to do something like that again?»
Sirius had to smile now. She did make a damn good point, he would have done the exact same thing.
« And the centaur?» Dumbledore asked. Sarah told them how she had been practially held at arrowpoint while they interrogated her about why she was trespassing on their territories.
« Believe it or not, you probably saved my life today», she said to Snape. « I told you that book would come in handy...», he said with a faint smile.
Weeks earlier, Snape had lent her a book on centaurs, saying that if she insisted on running around in the forest with Sirius, she would need to know how to handle them if she were to run into one. « Maybe there is a little Seer blood in you», she said with a smile.
« So that was Bane with you. I thought I recognised him. He is a mean creature that one!», Hagrid said.
« Actually I thought he was rather pleasant. Once he trusted the fact that I really didn't mean to trespass. He calmed down, and led me all the way home. He even said that I was welcome to explore the forest, but it would mean my head if I strayed into their areas again»
« And from that you gathered that he was pleasant?», Hagrid laughed.
«Well, maybe I just have a soft spot for mean and cranky», Sarah said with a certain smile.
She looked at Hagrid while saying this, but under the table, she gently placed her hand on Snape's thigh and squeezed it. She had put her hand a bit further up on his thigh than she had meant to. Snape said nothing, but was happy that the tablecloth hid his reaction to her touch.
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Password-translations:
Sacra Forda!: Holy Pregnant Cow!
Cave Fatuos: Beware of fools
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Chapt 10: Things soon become more tense between the two, and when Snape comes to his room one day to find Sarah there... what will he do?