Disclaimer: Ugh! Do I have to? Do I really need to remind you every chapter that I don't own them? It just makes me more depressed every time I type it.
"Talk."
'Thought.'
Parseltongue
(x-Maggot-x's Notes. Beta has had another name change.)
Ebony
Chapter 4
He had to be losing his mind…
He just had to be…
There could be no other explanation…
Severus just could not wrap his mind around the fact that he was willingly doing this. He would never do this for just anyone (in fact at one time he might've never done it at all); he rarely ever went to the Leaky Cauldron for that matter. He found that the service and customers was a little neanderthal for his taste. But for some reason here he was sitting at a table drinking herbal tea. And the reason why you ask? One reason:
She asked him to.
Two weeks after Severus had last seen her, he had gotten a letter from his goddaughter, asking him to be here for one special reason: to help her shop. Severus took the folded letter out of his cloak pocket and read it for the thousandth time that day.
Dear Severus,
Even though I said I wouldn't need any help… well… I do. I just got the list tonight and just looking at it tells me that I might just need that help that Dumbass (he snorted at the name) had offered. Though the only person I could trust to take me was you. I was just wondering if you could meet me somewhere like the Leaky Cauldron or something and then help me shop for school supplies. Think about it… you sort of owe me for talking me into going to this school. Well nothing else to talk about here. Just reply ASAP if you're available.
Sooner or Later,
E.M.R.
He had gotten this letter last week and it was only a week before school started. He had replied the next day telling her to meet her on Saturday (the day he was least busy) at ten o'clock the next week.
And today was Saturday at 9:50 right now. Even though he didn't have to be he decided to come early in case she was too so they could start early if they wanted-
Speak of the devil.
There she was, walking through the front door the Leaky Cauldron. She walked in tentatively, sparing a glance to every table before landing her blue eyes on him. She was in her Cascilla guise and was wearing very peculiar clothing once again. She smiled and walked hurriedly over to him. She stopped an inch in front of the table and leaned over the table so that Severus' and hers noses were almost touching.
"Hey Severus. You ready to go?" she said with a cheery voice.
Severus couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her tone and replied with, "Do you have your list?"
"I sure do." She reached into a blood red bag which had a black cross on it that lay on her side from a strap on her shoulder and pulled out a piece of folded parchment.
"Let us go then." He stood and turned on his heel. He sensed that Cascilla was following close behind him as he walked to the back of the shop and stood to a brick wall. He moved his wand across the wall in the necessary formation and the brick wall of course moved aside. Severus stole a glance at the girl who stood beside him. Even though her face didn't show it her eyes showed how amazed she was at Diagon Alley.
"Let's get this over with." He muttered as he walked inside.
"Of course, Uncle Sev." She said mock cheerily again as she walked ahead of him when he stopped suddenly at the name.
"What?" he said in a seemingly calm voice.
Cascilla stopped and turned towards him. She gave him a sly grin. "Ever since I had heard of you from mom, I've always wanted to call you Uncle Sev. So now you're stuck with it." And with that she turned back around and continued to walk. After a few moments, Severus followed her; a frown on his face, but for some reason he couldn't ignore the feeling of his heart rising slightly at the endearing name.
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Ebony was putting the finishing touches on her outfit before she went out. Today she would be going with her godfather to get her school supplies.
She still couldn't believe that she was doing this.
She hadn't gone to school since she had left the orphanage. And now she was going to. The closest she's ever gotten to kids her age was during concerts and public appearances; nothing more. Now she was going to be surrounded by them almost everywhere she went. Loud, obnoxious children all over the place.
She shuddered just thinking about it. Although she conveniently forgot that she herself was still a kid.
But Severus asked her to do it so suffer she would.
After finishing her tour last week, she finally had time to look at her supplies list to see what she would need for the year. One look and she knew she would definitely need help tracking all these things down. She knew that the list was adapted for the local magical marketplace for the school and after doing some research she found that it was called Diagon Alley. So she asked the first person she could think of that could definitely help her: Severus Snape. She told the band as soon as she got back from writing her letter and even though they were happy that she had finally met her godfather (she spoke of him a lot around them before she actually met him) and was getting a true education they were also slightly unhappy that they wouldn't see her for about ten months or so. They didn't want her go almost as much as she didn't want to go herself. She decided to not tell the full details of her past life; too much drama; but she just told them she was reluctantly going to this school out of obligation since her mother had gone to it when she was a kid. So here she was in the same hotel that she went to three weeks ago for her concert in London.
After finishing up her make up, she stood back and looked herself over in the mirror. She had her hair tied in a messy ponytail ponytail, a few wisps of hair framing her face. Ebony had two red hairpins in her bangs to hold from her face: one a heart and the other a cross. She wore a black short-sleeve shirt with lace under a white tank top that had a red cross on the front and a black skirt that reached her knees with white lace. She was wearing long socks up to her thighs that were striped red and white, black leg warmers and red converses. On one arm, she wore a thin arm warmer that was striped black and white under a thick black arm warmer, and on the other she had a thin arm warmer that was striped red and black under a thick black arm warmer. Her nails were a blood red. Her lips were a simple shiny red while her eyes were decorated with thick black eyeliner and red eye shadow. (Hmmmm red much? Hehehe.) (what's wrong with that?)
Ebony tapped a finger to her chin thoughtfully as she stared at her reflection. It looked good but it was missing something… but what?
She stared for a few moments before her eyes widened and she snapped her fingers in realization. "That's it!" she said aloud with a smile as she ran from the bathroom and to her bag that sat in front of her bed. She wrenched it open and search through of all her clothes. A couple minutes of sifting through her messy bag, she found what she was looking for.
An incredibly look black scarf with a red cross on each end of it. It worked perfectly with the outfit. She wrapped it two times around her neck and even then it still reached down to her calves.
Ebony picked up her red bag from her bed and went out the door. She snapped her fingers once she got into the elevator turning instantly into Cascilla. She decided to walk to The Leaky Cauldron seeing as it was only a few blocks away for the hotel. She garnered a few looks from the people she walked by; either because of her overall look or because she was warmers and a scarf during summer; she didn't really know nor really care either.
She stopped in front of her destination and looked at it. It looked like a regular tavern and on the front was dust-covered sign that read: The Leaky Cauldron. She looked around at the people walking around her, noticing that people simple walked by it as if it wasn't there. 'Must be muggle proof.' She thought idly as she walked inside.
It was dimly lit with only a few candles lit throughout the entire tavern. There was a bar to the right wall and a set of stairs in the far back, meaning that it could possibly be an inn. Some people looked at her as she entered before returning to their conversation. Cas swept her eyes across each table looking for the one person she came for.
Severus was sitting at a table in the far back. He was wearing black clothing and was covered with a heavy black cloak. He was staring at her as she walked over to him. Cas noticed slightly that he had raised an eyebrow at her choice of clothing. 'He can't say anything. I mean he's wearing heavy black clothing in the summer for Christ's sake!' she thought.
Quickly showing him her folded list of school supplies, they went through the secret passageway to Diagon Alley. Even though she would never say it aloud, Cas had to admit that Diagon Alley was a pretty mesmerizing sight. They were people walking everywhere from one shop to another in all kinds of different sizes and different colored robes. Cas didn't really get to spend too much time in one place to check out any magical communities like this; she usually just ordered her stuff by owl to wherever she was. But now she was able to slow down for a bit and see the magic for what it was: magnificent. As they walked further Cas tried to look at all the shops at once, but to no avail. Many young witches and wizards froze in their shopping at seeing the strangely dressed girl and the 'evil' Potions' Professor walking side by side toward Gringotts.
Severus froze in his steps after a few minutes of walking and turned towards her. "Did you bring any money? I doubt that you have a vault considering you didn't really spend much time here when you were born and I couldn't have left you any money to use since he thinks you're dead…"
Cas gave him a cheeky grin before reaching into her bag and taking out a small red card that, on closer inspection, had a signature that read Cascilla Rose. "Don't have to. I can charge all my purchases and the money gets taken straight out of my vault in America." She gave him the card to study for himself. Cas had two cards for when she went shopping; One with her real signature, Ebony Mora Riddle, and the other with her fake name, Cascilla Tilly Rose. That way she can buy whatever she wants in whatever look she has on and not give herself away to nosy merchants. Severus gave it back to her shortly after sparing it a glance and stuck out his hand once again, obviously wanting something from her.
Cas looked at it for a second before realizing what he wanted. With an "Oh!" of comprehension she pulled back out her list of materials that she would need for the year.
Severus opened it curtly and skimmed it before returning to her. "You carry the list and read it to me so we know what we're looking for next."
Cas answered him with a small nod.
"First you need robes so come along." And with another billow of his robes he walked forward, Cas following close behind, idly wondering how he did that robe thing.
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'That took way longer than it needed to be.' Cas thought irritably as she walked out of the bookstore and by the sour look on her godfather's face he was thinking the same. She had already bought her school robes and schoolbooks. And for some reason each task took about an hour each to fulfill. Madame Malkins had been working on more than one customer in the shop so fitting took an awfully long time and then her book buying was held up by a long line and then the clerk had to go back in the storage room to find two of her books so by the time they were finished with those two tasks it was already time for lunch.
They were making their way back to The Leaky Cauldron to eat there when Cas suddenly tripped; her books and robes fell out of their bags. Cas stood up on scraped arms and looked around at the mess with a groan. 'Dammit! Me and my fucking clumsiness!' She thought with a grimace as she looked at her arms. 'A few scratches here and there but I'll live.' she threw her arms to her sides in annoyance and pulled her feet in front of her to see that one of her shoes was untied. 'Great… just fucking great!' She hurriedly retied it and then looked up to see if Severus was still around. He had disappeared in the crowd of people walking around. With a tired sigh she began to pick up her school robes first before they were completely covered in footprints.
Once done with that, she began putting her books back in a bag when a hand shot in front of her, holding one of her books under her nose. "Did you drop this?" a deep gentle voice said from in front of her. Cas looked up and right into a pair of emerald green eyes.
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Harry, Hermione, and Ron were just leaving the apothecary with their purchases. After a bit a begging, Ron had convinced his mom that they could shop on their own for school things in Diagon Alley, leaving her with Ginny (to Ginny's displeasure) to shop with. They had only gotten their potions' ingredients since they been there since 11:30. They were walking over to the bookstore when Harry stopped suddenly making Hermione who was behind him bump into his back.
"Umph! Harry! What's the big i-!"
"Look!" he said as he pointed in front of him.
Both Ron and Hermione followed his finger to see a teenaged blonde girl on the ground trying to hastily put her books and clothes that were strewn around her stooping body back into the bags hanging off her arms. Seeing the sight, Hermione looked at her watch and silently counted the seconds before…
"Come on… let's help her." Harry said, already walking over to the girl.
'Hm… six seconds. Must be a new record. It's usually later.' Hermione thought as she put her arm down and followed her raven-haired friend.
Ron of course was against it. "Come on, Harry!" he whined lightly. "I want to get this shopping over with so we can play quidditch afterward. And beside she looks like she has a handle on it anyway." The girl struggling to put her books properly in the bag was proving the exact opposite. Harry didn't stop though Ron did and Hermione did as well.
They watched as Harry picked up one of her books and put it in front of the girl's face.
Harry gained a shocked face as she looked into the girl's familiar sapphire orbs. The girl's eyes widened as well as the pointed at each other's faces from where they crouched and said in unison, "You!" in surprised voices.
"You're that girl from the Order." Harry whispered.
"You're that guy from the Order." The girl whispered back.
The girl turned back to her book, if only to turn her eyes away from his and put it in one of her bags. "Thanks." She mumbled as Harry continued to help her with her books. A few minutes later they were finished and they both stood from the grounds. They girl was about to walk away when Harry said in a hurried voice, "Wait!" The girl stopped in her tracks and turned towards him. That's when he noticed what the girl was wearing. He strangely felt kind of awkward, him wearing a simple teal t-shirt and jeans and she wearing all those layers, warmers and, for some reason, a scarf. It was not very hot outside but on the other hand it wasn't very cold either nor windy.
Harry ignored that small detail as he said, "I never got your name the last time we met. What is it?"
The girl seemed to consider him for a second before answering with, "What's yours?" she said with a sly grin.
Harry gulped already knowing what the outcome of telling his name would be, "Harry… Harry Potter."
Surprisingly, the girl didn't even spare a glance to his scar or show any sign of recognizing the name. She still held her gaze with his as they spoke.
The girl smiled faintly and said, "Cascilla Rose." as she stuck out a hand, "Pleased to meet ya." They shook hand briefly before letting go.
Harry gave her friendly smile before saying, "Hey, you want to meet my friends? They're just over there." He pointed over his shoulder to Hermione and Ron.
The girl seemed to look apprehensive at first, turning her gaze back to the Leaky Cauldron a few times, "I don't know if I should…" she said slowly. After a pause, she said, "Okay."
Harry walked over to Hermione and Ron who were waiting (in Ron's case) impatiently and curiously as they openly stared at Cascilla who had followed him.
"You guys, this Cascilla Rose. Cascilla, this is Hermione and Ron: my best friends."
Cascilla shook both of their hand, "Nice to meet ya." she said absentmindedly as she looked at the Leaky Cauldron wall again.
"What are you wearing?" Ron blurted out rudely. Hermione and Harry glared at him when they thought Cascilla wasn't looking.
Cascilla looked down at herself before looking back at Ron with a confused look, "What do ya mean?"
"I mean what's with that outfit? It's the middle of summer and you're wearing warmers and a scarf. What are you? Allergic to the sun." Ron seemed to find it funny and laughed raunchily, but all it earned him was a light punch in the arm from Harry. "Ow! Harry that was that for?" he said he rubbed his injured arm.
"Shut up!" Harry grounded out through his teeth. (Hehehe… Harry's got a cruuuuuush… Harry's got a cruuuuush!) (too obvious?)
Cascilla seemed to ignore them both to answer Ron's first question. "I like wearing clothes like this. Always have and always will." She said with smile.
Hermione butted in with a question of her own. "But what's with the make-up and colors. I mean red and black are so… dark."(Good loser!) She said as she continued staring at her clothes.
"Excuse me! I'm a punk rocker (Punk rocker… Punk… Rocker)for you're information and red and black happen to be my favorite colors!"
"You're a punk rocker?!" Hermione shouted sounding absolutely scandalized.
"Yes I am!"
Harry in order to diffuse the impending argument about to take place tried to change the subject, "Ahem… so… Cascilla… why do you have so many books? What are they for?" 'Stupid question but anything to stop those two.' Harry thought.
Cascilla
looked towards him in surprise as if almost forgetting he was there
before answering,
Oh. They're schoolbooks. I start Hogwarts in
a week or so."
"What do you mean 'starting Hogwarts'? How old are you?" Hermione asked skeptically. Harry was wondering the same thing. Cascilla looked their age, which meant she would probably go to her fourth or fifth year at Hogwarts. Why would she be just now starting school?
"Oh well… I'm fifteen. I've been home schooled til now so I'll be starting in my fifth year in Hogwarts."
"What a coincidence. We're starting our fifth year t-" Harry started to say before being interrupted by Hermione.
"You were home schooled?" she said rather snootily. Harry looked at her incredulously. 'What is her problem? Why is she acting like this?' Harry thought.
"Uh… yeah… I was." Cascilla looked like she was feeling the bad vibe coming from the Hermione as well.
"Ya know, wearing too much make-up can make you look like a scarlet woman. You might want to watch that." Ron said cheekily.
Harry was about to give him another punch to the arm when they heard a person yelling, "Cascilla! Cascilla where are you?"
Cascilla looked towards the Leaky Cauldron again. Harry, Hermione, and Ron followed her gaze to see to their surprise…
Professor Snape!! (E-gad)
"I'm right here Uncle Sev! I'll be there in less than a moment! Scout's honor!" She yelled over the chattering people, gaining a few stares. She put two fingers to her forehead in mock salute to which Snape rolled his eyes and he disappeared behind the Leaky Cauldron enchanted wall again.
Cascilla turned towards their shocked faces, "Let you in on a secret," she put her hand to the side of her mouth and whispered, "I've never been a scout." She chuckled a little before sobering up quickly.
"Snape is your uncle?!" Ron yelled appallingly with surprised revulsion written across his face.
Looking like she didn't notice his tone of voice or really care, Cascilla replied with an innocent, "Well… he's not really my uncle. He's my godfather and I just call him Uncle Sev, do you know him?"
"Do we know him!? Of course we do! He's the most slimiest, most greasiest, most evil teacher you could ever have!" Ron yelled.
"He's the potions' professor of Hogwarts." Hermione clarified.
"And he hates me with a passion." Harry finished.
Cascilla didn't look at all shocked as if she had expected that they would say that. "Yeah he told me that some students would say that about him and I'm not saying I don't believe you. I just don't really care. See you at school, Harry, and thanks again for the help. Hermione. Ron." She smiled at Harry and nodded politely to Hermione and Ron before walking away to the Leaky Cauldron.
Harry turned towards his friends once Cascilla was out of earshot, a glare apparent on his face from his friends' behavior.
"That was really rude you guys. What is you guy's problems?" he said.
"Come on mate," Ron yelled as they walked to the Borgin and Burkes. "Her godfather is Snape! The guy who had hated your very existence since the very first moment he saw you! She's probably a death eater in training or something."
Harry was shocked into silence before regaining his voice, "Ron! What sense does that make?" His dropped a few decibels when they entered the book store, "Just because her godfather is Snape doesn't mean that she is evil! She was actually very nice. It was you two who were being rude."
"I have to agree with Ron, Harry. I think we should stay away from her." Hermione was the one to say this, which really shocked Harry. Hermione was usually the voice of reason in the group and now she was agreeing with Ron about exiling a girl just because of who her godfather is.
"Are you saying that we shouldn't talk to her just because of who her godfather is? Hermione that's very prejudiced, even for you."
Hermione looked down at the ground in uncertain before replying with, "Well… it's not just because her godfather is Professor Snape… actually the reason I think we shouldn't see her is because she's a… punk rocker."
"What!" Harry whispered loudly. "That's it!"
"Harry, you don't understand. I used to have punk rockers at my old grade school before I went to Hogwarts. They're all nothing but bad news. They're almost as bad as goths! All they do all day is smoke, skip classes, or not go to school all together. They vandalize things and beat up kids just for fun. They disrespect authority-!"
"So do the twins!" Harry shouted.
"There's a difference, the twins play harmless little pranks but still stay behind the line of respecting authority. They've never badmouthed any teachers to their faces. But punk rockers do that and then some. And I doubt that girl had been home schooled if she is a punk rocker. She was probably expelled from her first magical school and is going to this one just because Snape is a teacher there. She's no good and I don't think we should hang around with that sort of riff-raff!"
"But Hermione, didn't you say that Ebony was a punk rocker as well. And you like her." Harry said in irritation.
"I said she's dresses punk. Punk is a style of dress, Harry. Nothing more." (Can I hit her… Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease!?) And with that she walked away to look for and buy her books.
Ron looked at Harry as well and said, "She's right, ya know. And besides she dresses like she's the sister of Looney Lovegood for Merlin's sake. Definitely a person that we don't want to mixed up with." Ron then turned to get his own books.
Harry looked at each direction that his friends had gone. 'I'm just gonna have to work at. Cascilla seemed really nice. She could be a very good friend no matter whom or what she is.' He thought as he joined his friend to shop for their schoolbooks.
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"Thank you, Connel," Severus sneered at the senile old man, "That was a very… enlightening lecture conversation about frogs' eyes. Now if you excuse me I have to take my charge to get some dinner-."
"Oh that's nice Severus!" The elder stated cheerily. He looked around the area behind Severus and then all around himself. "Where is your charge? I would love to meet them!"
As Severus looked around in shock as he heard those words, it struck him like a bludger across the head; Cascilla was nowhere to be seen!
"If you would excuse me, Connel. I have to find my charge." He said hurriedly, leaving the bewildered elder behind. He looked around the entire bar and as he saw no sign of the girl he started feeling an emotion that he never thought he would feel for anyone but himself creep into his very soul.
Panic.
He tried to hide his frantic search under a cool façade, but inside he was a wreck. He was secretly praying that she was safe and just wondered off somewhere.
He reentered Diagon Alley to see if she was still there and yelled her name to see if she would answer. A few moments later she answered back. She was a few feet away right outside of the pet store and was talking to few children her age but since their backs were to him, he couldn't tell who they were.
He suddenly felt relief wash over him, his panic replace instantly by irritation and annoyance. Cascilla was here the entire time! What the blood hell took her so long?! She nearly gave him a heart attack from worrying about her.
The girl looked fine and seemed to be enjoying herself as she responded back saying that she would be with him shortly. He couldn't stop himself from rolling his eyes as she saluted to him. 'I seriously doubt a girl like her was ever a scout.' He thought as he turned on his heel and walked back into the tavern, his sneer deepened as he waited beside the secret passage.
The girl entered a few minutes later carrying her bags. As soon as she stepped inside, he started in on her instantaneously.
"What took you so long, girl?" Severus snarled, obviously angered (and secretly shaken) by the girl's sudden disappearance.
Cascilla considered him for a moment before turning away from him and saying, "Chill, Uncle Sev. I tripped and all of my stuff fell out. No big." She scoffed.
"It is too 'a big' young lady! Would if someone had snatched you up! Don't take Diagon Alley as just an innocent little delight! It is also full of dangerous people who could hurt you!"
"Oh whatever dude! There's nothing that I can't handle with a little snap of the fingers here and a little punch there-."
"I don't care what you can do! Don't ever worry me like that again!"
"Oh like you really care! The only reason you took me shopping is because I'm the daughter of your late best friend-!"
"That's not true!" Severus snapped. Noticing his temper rising, Cascilla seemed to subdue considerably as she took a step back and looked down at the wooden floor. Her body tensed up, which struck Severus by surprise and he instantly composed in an attempt to calm the distressed teenager.
To not attract anymore attention than they already had from their quarrel, he grabbed her arm and dragged her upstairs. He opened a random room door and pushed Cascilla inside before going in himself. He directed her to an empty bed and sat her down beside him.
She still would not look at him, was shaking lightly as well and as he sat her down she started to hug herself. Now Severus was really worried about his goddaughter. He cast a silencing charm on the room before speaking to Cascilla.
"Cascilla…?" No answer. "Cascilla… Ebony? What is wrong?" Still no answer and she still had not even glanced at him.
Growing somewhat impatient by her silence, Severus took her chin in his hand and pulled it up to make her look at him. And what she saw shocked him.
Her eyes had somehow reverted to their red hue, but they were clouded over with fear and something else he couldn't discern. She was looking through his head as if she were in trance.
"I'll ask you again. What is wrong, child?" Severus repeated softly.
His voice seemed to finally get through to the girl as she appeared to break out of her stupor and focus on him, the fear still evident in her eyes. It took another moment to register in her head what he had asked and who had said it.
"It's… it's nothing. Just forget about…" she said as she looked away and was about to stand.
But Severus wouldn't let her get off that easily. He grabbed her arm again so she wouldn't get away and then asked again. "What is going on?"
"Nothing." She urged, wanting this conversation to end immediately.
"It has to be something for it to put you in such a state. Now what is-?"
"It's nothing okay!" Ebony yelled in earnest, tears brimming over her eyelids, the fear in her eyes replaced with anger and pain as she stared at Severus. "Just leave it alone!" She wrenched her arms out of his grip and ran out of the room before he could object.
Severus sat there and gazed at the door that she had left through; his mind in heavy thought over what could have the cause of his goddaughter's pain. Why would she be fearful all of a sudden when all they were doing was arguing? 'I'll give her her space and leave it alone for now; but if it happens again. I will speak with her about it.' He stood up from the bed, it mildly squeaking from the loss of weight, and walking out of the room.
As he walked downstairs he saw, he saw Ebony already sitting at the bar talking to Tom, the bartender, probably ordering her lunch.
He sat beside her without a word to her and ordered his food as well. As Tom left they sat in silence until Ebony couldn't take it anymore.
"I'm sorry." She muttered. Severus turned his head to see that she wasn't even looking at him but looking in the opposite direction and knowing her, she probably had a scowl on her face.
"I shouldn't have worried you." She continued.
Severus studied the back of her golden head before putting a hand on her shoulder, making her turn towards him. As she looked at him, he noticed that her eyes had turned back to blue.
He sighed and said, "You are not the only one at fault. I'll admit that I was bit harsh just now.
But I will tell you that I do care for you deeply. And not because you are the daughter of a lost friend, as you have already said you are your own person, but because I am your
Godfather, therefore, it is my duty to care for you and keep you safe no matter what. You really worried me when I noticed that you were gone. You're reason behind your absence was plausible, but still, you had worried me greatly."
When he had finished he just stared at Ebony to see what her reaction would be. She had been listening intently, but as he spoke further her eyes had moved to his chest to avoid looking at him.
"Cascilla…?" he said quietly.
"I know okay and I said I was sorry. Can we just… drop it now?" Cascilla whined. She took her chin out of his hand turned back to the bar.
Severus was going to say more, but that's when Tom returned with their lunches.
They ate in relative silence until Severus decided to ask another question. "Who were those people you were talking to? I didn't see them."
Ebony looked at him through the corner of her eye before looking back at her sandwich. "Just some students of Hogwarts…" She had answered so vaguely that Severus started to wonder if the students were people he wouldn't want her to talk to.
"Did you get their names?" he asked slyly.
"Yes." She said simply as she went back to eating.
"Who were they?" Severus slightly irritated by her averting his questions.
"Oh… um… I think they were Harry, Hermione, and Ron." She said quickly as she went back to eating immediately after she finished.
Severus tightened his grip around his fork, knowing exactly who she had been talking to (even if she hadn't addressed their last names). He hid his irritation from her but his voice was still tight when he spoke again. "That's… fine. Were they nice?"
Ebony looked at him as if he had grown horns. "Uh… yeah… they were… nice…" She said slowly. "Harry helped me pick up my things and then he introduced me to his friends." She gave him a nervous smile.
Severus calmed at that. 'Harry bloody Potter helping others? Hm… I guess all things are possible.' He thought as he finished his salad.
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When they finished their lunch and paid the bill, they decided to finish shopping. To Severus' hidden surprise, Cas indeed already had a wand; she just chose not to bring it sometimes. She carried it in her bag (to Severus' disapproval) in a cushioned case so as not to jostle it.
After going to the apothecary for potions' ingredients (plus a whole lot more that Severus' thought she should buy for his class), Severus said that she should get a familiar for school so they stopped by the pet store. Severus, greatly disliking the smell of the place stood outside while Cas walked in by herself. The clerk desk was to the right wall being seated by a scruffy looking man clipping an owl's talons. She walked further into the store she was surrounded by owl cages. 'Severus' said that an owl is a good choice, but there's no harm in looking around a bit.' She smirked at her logic as she walked aisle after aisle. She walked passed all the birds, cats, rats, mice, frogs cages until she reached the back of the store where there was the least light.
'I guess that's it…' she thought with a bored sigh. 'I'll get an owl I guess… and maybe a nice black cat…'
She was about to turn around to walk back when she heard it. Ha! Just another stupid human. We can be more useful than the birds with the small brains, in yet no one wants to have us as familiars. This human is just another gullible sap for foolish rumors.
Cas stopped in her tracks at the sound. 'A snake?!' she turned towards the direction the words came from and walked briskly toward it. She looked around until she saw it.
It was a snake that was easily five feet long. It was in a cage and had its coils around wrapped around a log branch. It was the only one and it was in the very last row of the store as if was meant to be hidden from customers.
Cas walked towards the snake and kneeled so that she was eye level with it. Were you talking about me?
The snake cocked his head slightly in surprise at her understanding and talking back to it. You're a snake speaker?
Yes I am. Cas responded, smiling dejectedly as she remember how she had learned of her ability.
Flashback
"Come out! Come out wherever you are, ya little freak."
"Yeah you can't hide from us forever, Riddle!"
Ten-year-old Ebony ran as fast as she could from the voices, dodging branches and jumping over logs. Her lungs were burning from the exertion and her legs held scrapes from endless bushes, but she wouldn't stop because she knew that if she did pain was the thing to instantly follow.
She made the mistake of looking behind her to see if they were close to her and tripped horrible over a stem. She shrieked in pain as her ankle twisted and she fell to the ground in heap. Not even a few second later, her bully ran up to her. Ebony sat up to look at her attackers fear written all over her face and tears flowing down her cheeks.
The biggest guy, Tarou, otherwise known as walked in front of the other four guys that surrounded her, a malevolent grin on his face. "Well look what we have here; the devil's child in a pickle."
Ebony widened at the name. "That's right. I heard Sister Keiko say that you were Satan's child with those freaky eyes of yours."
Ebony looked down at her knees, fists clenching at the grass beside her. "That's not true." she whispered.
The boy kicked her hard in the stomach, making her fall on her back. She grasped he middle gasping for breathe and coughing.
The group laughed at her pain as more tears fell from her eyes.
Tarou took a long piece of wood from one of the boys' hands and held it over Ebony's chest.
His eyes glinted as Ebony stared at the wood with fright in her red orbs.
He raised it above his head and said to his comrades, "Hey, you guy want to hear a riddle?" They snickered stupidly at the lame joke just to not get Tarou's wrath. Tarou was the biggest and dumbest bully at the orphanage so when he made a joke, no matter how stupid it was, you had to laugh or get a punch in the face. He may have seemed a dense angel in front of the grown-ups but he was the exact opposite when they were gone.
"Okay then. Here's one." He laughed as he brought the wood on Ebony middle, causing the poor girl to cry out in pain. That hit initiated the beating that Ebony knew was to come.
They kicked and punched her in every place they could reach; using makeshift weapons that they had gotten from the playground, classroom, and dormitories. Ebony was bordering on passing out from her suffering but every time she almost reached it another hit to her battered body woke her. Ebony knew that if they continued, she would surely die. She had no more strength to scream for help and knew that they were too far in the forest for anyone to hear them. She closed her eyes as if to hide from her attackers. This was worse than she had ever gotten for sure. Something hot leaked out of her mouth and she knew it was blood.
Then she heard a pain-filled scream that wasn't hers for once. She opened her eyes weakly to see that Tarou was on the ground holding a bleeding arm against his chest; his eyes screwed as he moaned in pain. She heard another scream and moved as far as her eyes could to see a snake biting another boy on the arm the wrap its body around his middle squeezing him. The boy wet his pants and fell to a dead faint and the snake slithered away from him. Before the snake could do anymore damage to anyone else, the rest of the group ran away (Tarou still clutching his arm and the snoozing boy being dragged) with their tails between their legs, screaming bloody murder as they went. They left Ebony behind of course.
Ebony stared the snake, trying to keep the snake in her sights as much as she could. This snake was going to kill her… she just knew it. When it slithered closer to her, she found her voice in her need to live.
Please don't hurt me. she said in a shallow whisper; she could raise it any further.
The snake stopped in its tracks… furrows as she said those words. You're a speaker. It began to move toward her again but at a slower pace.
Ebony eyes widened at understanding the snake. What d…do mean b…by that? she visibly tensed her body as the snake licked her face.
Calm down snake child. I just saved you from a violent death death. Why would I want to hurt you?
Ebony tried to move any part of her body, but all she met was agony. She knew at least a rib and a leg were broken from her ordeal; she just hoped they headed as fast as they usually do (for her anyway). She whimpered as more tears escape her eyes. The snake licked them away.
Don't move you stupid child! the snake admonished.
Thank you… Ebony whispered.
Don't talk either snake child. You are suffering too much. Go to sleep and all will be well when you wake. The snake slithered up her body and wrapped her as much as it could around her body and settled its head on her shoulder.
Ebony knew that she should have been freaked out of her mind. There was a snake not only talking to her but also wrapped around her body. It could easily kill her if it wanted to and she couldn't exactly protect herself now. But for some reason it felt right… to be talking to the snake and for it to protect her. It was as if she felt that it was natural; for a snake to speak to you and for you to speak back to it. It felt apart of her somehow and for some reason… she liked it.
She closed her eyes and fell into a dreamless, the snake strangely calming her restless mind.
End of FlashbackWhen she next awoke she the snake was gone, but for some weird reason she was fully healed. Okay maybe not that weird… to her anyway. This always seemed to happen when she was in serious injury from a beating. That fact made her prone to more beatings since that was considered "freaky" to the other kids. It wasn't until later on her life that she found out it was her magic that was helping her.
She could've gone back to the orphanage to let them know that she was okay, but she knew better. They wouldn't have cared if she had lived or died. They wouldn't have cared if she was safe. Knowing the staff, once they found out that she had gone most of the night they would have sent to her room. The other children would have beaten her if they saw that she had healed so quickly. She didn't want to go through that… not again. So she did the first thing she could think of.
She ran further into the forest and never looked back. It was a while before she reached the city and then she started her life as the lowest of the low, a street urchin as they call them. There she was with people who were her equal in status. She didn't talk to anyone or make friends; she was just… there…
Cascilla shook her head of her memories and focused once again the snake in front of her. It was a beautiful thing; its scales a midnight black with white stripes on the back.
Cas smiled friendly at it and asked, What is your name?
I have no name. These humans killed by nest mother before I was hatched. I refuse to take the name that they have given me. It is absolutely ludicrous. It said with a feminine voice.
What was it?
Zebra.
Cas stifled a laugh at that one. 'Wow… just wow…'
The snake certainly didn't appreciate the laughter and turned its head away and tucked it under one of its coils.
Cas sobered immediately at angering it and said, I'm sorry. I should've have laughed.
The snake didn't answer and just pretended to sleep. Cascilla frowned at that and said, How about this? Would you like to be my familiar? I am in need of one since I am starting school. I promise if you let me have you, I'll give you a respectable name. One worthy of a gorgeous snake such as yourself. 'That's it… stroke its ego a little.' She thought.
Cas waited with a baited breath.
The snake uncovered its head and looked at her. Are you sure you wish to do that? Many in this society believe that snake or evil conniving creature that should be eradicated. Would you really want to go through the burden of that over your shoulder? The snake said mockingly.
Cas smirked at that and replied, Yeah. Whatever. I hear about that all the time. I speak snake so what's so damn wrong with having one. I really don't give fuck what others say about it. So will you come with me?
The snake seemed to be in thought before asking, If I was yours, what would you name me?
Cas fell in silence as she thought of the answer after a minute of thought, I would name you Velcora. To most people it would be impossible to tell of a snakes gender for, but for a snake speaker like Cas, it was all to too obvious that this one was female.
The snake succumbed to silence as she thought of her choices. Cascilla waited patiently for her to respond. The snake spoke up again as she said, Such an usual name. I don't think I have ever met another snake with a name like that. Although that's not saying much since I have lived in this store all my life and have only seen a few snakes.
Cas smiled at that statement and replied with, Well, I thought you deserved something a bit less conventional. Name's starting with a 'S' is so played out so I tried something different. What do you think?
The snake thought for a moment before saying sharply, You shall have the honor of being my master, human. But one bit of disrespect and I shall leave.
Cas smirked at the warning and said, Oh you don't have to worry about that. And with that she picked up its big cage and hauled all the way back to the front of the store where the cashier stood. She put the cage lightly on the table but still it caused a loud pounding on the desk that brought the man attention. He looked at her with watery eyes and then at the cage where the sake slithered to attention. The man looked back at Cas warily before saying, "Is this some sort of joke?"
"Nope. I want to buy this snake. How much is it?" Cas said, already brandishing her card.
The man grunted and mumbled, "You don't want this. I'm sure a young woman like you would like a nice cat, very intelligent company. Or maybe a owl, dead useful ya know." He said as he tried to steer her away from the cage to the owl section.
Cas weaved her arm out of weak grip and turned back to the snake cage. "No. I think I would rather have this. I think a snake would be a great familiar for school."
The man ran a hand down his face in what could be interpreted as frustration. "I'm not sure you would want one these things. They're very bad luck, ya know." He said with a toothy (or lack thereof) grin that made Cas twitch involuntarily and suppress an eye roll.
'So now they're bad luck. What's next? They contract disease?'
She smirked smartly and said, "I don't believe in luck." She walked back to the desk put her hand on top of the cage in a definite choice of actions. "I want the snake. I'm willing to pay any price." She flashed her card to make her point and held it in front of his face.
The man followed it with his eyes before giving a heaving sigh and mumbling, "Thirty galleons. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Deal."
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AN: This was going to be so much longer but I'm already late enough as it is. Summoner's Anguish is becoming more popular than I thought it would be so I'm working on that next. Sorry it took so long to finish this chapter. So much was going on that I couldn't finish it. But now that soccer season is over I think I can get more done. Well Cya. Until next time.