Title: Blue October, Volume Two – Chapter Four.
Author: Woodland Goddess.
Rated: M
Author's Notes: Hope the last chapter was okay. Here's another.
Chapter Four: Monsters and Magic
Severus ducked into the library on quick feet at the end of November and spelled the doors locked with a burst of silent and instinctual magic. He pressed himself against the wall and held his breath as footsteps thundered to a stop outside the door. His heart pounded a furious beat against his ribcage as his lungs began to burn from the strain. The sound of his heartbeat was so deafening it would surely alert Potter and his thugs as to his location. Obsidian eyes squeezed shut in quiet terror when Potter said, "Maybe he's in the library."
The iron knockers rattled and the heavy wood shuddered as Potter attempted to pull the doors open. Blistered hands curled into tight fists, pain exploding white-hot across Severus' nerve-endings. Pale nostrils flared as he dragged in a sharp breath before covering his mouth with hands that were now cracked and weeping both blood and clear fluid. Though he would rather fling himself off the Astronomy Tower than admit it aloud, he was impressed by the curse Black had used.
According to The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble, a good example would generally result in a bad case of sunburn. A painful experience and handy against angry Merfolk, certainly, but it would not normally have caused the burns that Black had managed to inflict upon him. Even Potter had looked at his friend in surprise. Lupin had looked a little green around the gills, which was more than understandable. After all, the level of power the boy had was nothing short of remarkable. Black would be a frightening opponent as an adult and fully-trained wizard – but Severus hoped he would fall through a false step on the moving staircase before that could happen.
The doors shuddered a second time and the young wizard released a slow breath as the faintest flicker of relief coursed through him. His Locking Charm was holding. His relief, however, was short-lived as Potter unnecessarily stated the obvious by declaring that the doors were locked. Excitement sparked in the horrid boy's voice a moment later. "Snivellus has to be in here!"
"Actually," said Lupin with a nervous laugh, "I saw Pince leaving the grounds this afternoon in a hurry. That's probably why the doors are locked."
"But –"
"Come on, James," interrupted Black irritably, "that woman wouldn't trust her own sister to look after her precious books."
"You're probably right," answered Potter in an amused manner. "Let's go. He's got to be somewhere around here." His voice grew muffled and distant as his footsteps moved away, two of his friends following after him. A fourth set scuffed against the stone briefly as a few muffled words attempted to breach the locked doors and then moved off, steps light and quick.
A second wave of relief washed through Severus as the corridor fell silent. He lowered his hands and stared down at the damage, knowing he would have to visit the Hospital Wing. A simple cut would not have been a problem for him, but the burns Black had inflicted upon him were a different equation altogether; it required a much more in-depth knowledge of Healing Charms. Which Severus lacked.
"For now," he grumbled to himself as he moved away from the wall. Going back out into the corridor was absolutely out of the question for the moment.
The young wizard crossed the library and sat down by the nearest window, his limbs beginning to tremble as the adrenaline faded. The pain in his hands, which had been less noticeable while he fled Potter and his merciless gang, flared to life in an instant. His lungs ached as Severus dragged in several ragged breaths, trying to focus on anything but the agony searing his hands. The glass was cool against his flushed forehead when he rested his head against the window. His heart clenched painfully in his chest when he spotted a familiar mane of crimson hair down below.
Lily.
Walking alongside the Burke and MacDonald girls and laughing at something one of them said.
Dark eyebrows knitted in a severe frown as something indescribable settled heavily in his stomach. When he had asked his friend if she wanted to go over the material they had covered in Transfiguration, Lily had said she would be studying in the Gryffindor Common Room with the girls. Severus tore his gaze away from the windowpane and stared down at the table beside him. He struggled to swallow past the lump lodged in his throat and sucked in a sharp breath. Somehow the pain in his hands had faded. Numbness settled over him like a blanket and slowly smothered him.
When a hand landed upon his shoulder an explosion of energy escaped him as he flinched violently. An expletive was hissed in an infuriatingly familiar voice. Severus lurched out of his chair, whirling around to see Lucius Malfoy clutching his own hand tightly.
"Impressive Stinging Hex," said the Head Boy after a long moment. His aristocratic voice was clipped but not without a small measure of sincerity. Dark suspicion flooded Severus' obsidian gaze as he accepted the compliment with tight-lipped gratitude. His face twitched in pain as Severus hid his hands behind his back instinctively, his cracked and blistered flesh pulsing agonisingly as it brushed against the fabric of his robes. Grey eyes narrowed sharply. "Show me your hands."
The frostbitten command tightened something deep within his chest and the young wizard took an immediate step backwards. His face drained of colour. Lucius' lips thinned in displeasure and he strode forward. He ignored the strangled noise that issued from Severus' rapidly constricting throat.
White-hot fear flooded him as Lucius closed the distance between them with barely two long strides. Elegant hands seized him before he could escape, vice-like and confident upon his wrists. Severus struggled for his freedom, but the Head Boy remained unmoved as he dragged Severus' hands into view. Lucius inhaled sharply and his arrogant nostrils flared. The glacial fury burning in his eyes was the stuff of nightmares and Severus dropped his gaze immediately. Staring at the floor seemed a far safer option than allowing himself to stare down into that fathomless darkness.
"Tell me who did this."
Though the Head Boy spoke softly, there was an unmistakable threat in his voice: a promise of dark retribution. For a moment Severus entertained the idea of ratting on Potter and unleashing all that dark power, but he quickly pushed it aside. It would only backfire upon himself two-fold. So, he remained silent on the subject and struggled to breathe evenly despite the lump of terror lodged securely in his throat. Several moments passed in which neither of them said a word as an imperious gaze remained fastened upon him expectantly.
"Very well. Keep your secrets," Lucius said quietly, releasing one of Severus' wrists without preamble.
A graceful hand produced an elm wand with barely a flourish. Severus flinched away, dark eyes locking instantly upon Lucius' aristocratic face as the elder boy aimed it at him. The Head Boy paused. Something unrecognisable flickered across his pointed features. His cruel mouth thinned further, and then a murmured incantation lit up the end of his wand. Warm magic bathed Severus' hands, capturing his attention effortlessly, and in moments there remained no trace of the curse Black had inflicted upon him. His pale hands glowed in the ebbing flow of magic.
The young wizard muttered his gratitude as Lucius straightened to his full height. Platinum-blond hair gleamed in the waning sunlight streaming through the windowpanes and sprawling across the ancient stones beneath their feet. For a long moment he looked down at Severus in silence before finally speaking.
"Whoever did that to you...don't allow them to get away with it." A smirk curled his mouth and grey eyes gleamed dangerously. Black fabric swirled as Lucius turned on his heel and vacated the library, his spine rigid and his head held high like royalty, his last words almost a command: get even.
A week later those words still plagued Severus, burrowing deep into his mind like the claws of a beast. Severus glanced across the Great Hall while he absentmindedly stirred his bowl of French onion soup. Potter and his gang were just sitting down to lunch and soon Black would be stuffing his face with everything sitting in front of him – including a healthy portion of lettuce. It was a habit that must have been instilled at home. Or else he was simply strange. The latter would not have surprised Severus in the slightest: there was something not quite right about that boy, no matter what anyone else thought.
Returning his attention to his lunch was a challenge, but he managed eventually. The croutons cut delicately through the sweet of the onion as he focused on his soup, his ears pricked for the vaguest hint of his success. He hid his smirk behind his goblet of pumpkin juice when the first chuckles drifted their way across the vast chamber, echoing off the stone walls. The chuckles soon evolved into a full bray of laughter that seemed ceaseless. Severus risked another glance at his rival and noted the bewildered expressions of Potter, Lupin and Pettigrew, while their peers stared.
Dark glee burned hotly inside him as Black clutched a stitch in his side and gasped in pain before his laughter doubled in intensity. A number of expressions flickered across the boy's face as he almost fell off the bench in his haste to get up, feet tangling in his own robes. Black's face had gone from a healthy pink to a dangerous scarlet in merely a few moments. He could hardly walk for laughing, one arm wrapped tightly around himself as he doubled over in pain even as tears of mirth streamed down his cheeks. Severus hid another smirk behind his goblet and took a drink to stop himself from laughing at Black's misfortune. Watching the alarm spread across Potter's face was like being gifted with a box of chocolates.
Professor Dumbledore and the other professors watched in growing concern. Madam Pomfrey was just rising from her chair – followed quickly by Professor Sprout in Professor McGonagall's place during one of her rare absences from the Great Hall – when Alice Burke jumped up, shrieking, "Black wet himself!"
Evan snorted in amusement beside Severus and hastily concealed it within a coughing fit when Narcissa looked down the table at them. Disapproval radiated from her form in thick waves. Her pale eyebrows drew together in a frown while Lucius tossed his platinum-blond hair back over his shoulder, laughing at something one of his companions said under their breath.
Assured of his success in hurting and humiliating Potter's most loyal thug, Severus returned to his lunch with a practiced air of nonchalance as Professor Sprout and Madam Pomfrey ushered Black quickly out through the double doors. The French onion soup tasted twice as good as it had a moment ago and he enjoyed a bread roll slathered in butter and jam afterwards, considering it a dessert of sorts. He was one of the first to leave the Great Hall when lunch drew to a close, his satchel slung haphazardly from his shoulder as he made his way towards the third floor for Defence Against the Dark Arts.
Lily caught up to him quickly, her cheeks darkened with faint exertion.
"I know you tampered with the salad, Sev," she finally whispered as they climbed the moving staircases together, her indignant face almost as red as her hair, "and he never deserved what you did to him!" Green eyes glanced nervously towards the portraits upon the walls. She stepped closer to Severus as they slipped into the third floor corridor, gripping his arm to emphasis her urgency, her expression growing more severe. "You can't tell me you weren't aware people can die from laughing too much."
A disdainful snort escaped him.
As if he would make such a grievous error!
Severus looked askance at his friend with the intention of refuting her melodramatic exclamation...and fell silent as Professor Chiharu Sato appeared at the other end of the corridor. A pair of rectangular glasses sat delicately over the bridge of her nose and glinted faintly as the woman flicked her gaze in their direction. His hand tightened around the strap of his satchel. Professor Sato smiled broadly at the sight of them before disappearing into her classroom in a swirl of fabric, arms laden with textbooks and parchment.
Lily huffed irritably in his wake as his steps quickened marginally, an odd sensation blooming in his abdomen. A dull light filtered through the windowpanes when they slipped inside the classroom. The hazy pools on the stone floor and desks mirrored the splashes of rain pattering against the glass. The room was warm and welcoming despite the dreary weather, though Severus attributed that to the large Japanese tapestry on the wall opposite the windows. The tapestry depicted an impossibly long serpentine Dragon, whose crimson and gold scales undulated as the beast breathed. Steam and flames curled out of its gaping maw as it roared in absolute silence.
The pair of them made a beeline for their usual spot while Professor Sato deposited her burden upon her desk. Teal threads shimmered at the hem of her robes as Professor Sato crossed the classroom and came to stand beside the wisteria bonsai in the corner of the room. Her copper hair was pinned artfully in place by clips adorned with stylised Mokumokuren, which stared across the room in unending malevolence.
The Japanese spirits, both unnerving and fascinating in equal measure, had been the subject of their last lesson. Lily had suffered nightmares afterwards and Severus had spent more than an hour in the library, researching the Mokumokuren in even greater detail. Fortune favoured the prepared, after all.
He set his satchel down on his desk and withdrew his textbook, parchment, inkwell and quill. A surreptitious glance revealed Professor Sato watering her bonsai, humming quietly as she did so.
The Professor was a strange woman, whose warm smile belied the severe lines and angles of her face, and whose clumsiness was continuously at odds with the precision of her spell-work. She seemed quiet and timid at first glance, but controlled the classroom with an iron fist. Her temper could easily rival a Dragon's. A dreamy expression washed over her face as she leaned into her bonsai and inhaled a lungful of wisteria. Her fingertips fondly touched the purple petals.
"Afternoon, everyone," said Professor Sato as she turned towards the students now flooding into the classroom. Her hand fell to rest at her side. The smile that lit up her face could not hide the steel in her gaze as the mix of Gryffindors and Slytherins took their seats. "I hope you're not all too sluggish after lunch; I won't be going easy on you."
Her strong Southern Welsh accent was the subject of numerous jokes in the corridors, but none were stupid enough to laugh in class. Not after the Dragon had tried to claw its way out of the tapestry during the introductory class, sending the students into a panic as they lunged out of their seats and screamed their lungs out. Potter had tripped over the leg of his own chair and sent himself and Black to the floor in a tangled sprawl. The corner of Severus' mouth quirked upwards at the recollection. But even Severus would admit to having been alarmed by the very real teeth that had glistened with saliva before Professor Sato had authoritatively ordered both the Dragon and the students to calm down at once. No one had dared to disrupt her class since.
Severus could hardly blame them.
Professor Sato tripped on her way to her desk and muttered a curse as she caught her balance with a quick hand.
"Today," she announced as she turned to face the class brightly, her copper hair gleaming with equal intensity, "we'll be focusing on the Smokescreen Charm." Amusement sparked behind her glasses as a number of students groaned. "I'm aware that the spell isn't flashy or very impressive, but I can personally attest to its advantages in combat." Her expression darkened for an instant. "Evasive tactics are always helpful when faced with an enemy whose ability exceeds your own; none of you should be too proud to dodge and run." A smile seemed to force its way upon her face when several students – the Muggleborns in particular – glanced at each other anxiously. "Now, don't be shy; get your wands out!"
Her smile turned warm and genuine as the grumbled complaints dwindled away to nothing, the class complying with the instruction without having to be ordered twice. There was not a witch or wizard that preferred to study the theory when offered the opportunity to practice magic. Professor Sato twirled her cherry wand between dexterous fingers when their attention returned to her. Her gaze flicked around the classroom searchingly before landing upon Severus with an air of finality, expression contemplative and quietly encouraging.
"Mr Snape," she commanded firmly, "come here."
He rose from his chair abruptly and approached the front of the classroom without question or argument. Severus glanced over his shoulder when Lily huffed. A knot of discomfort formed in his stomach as green eyes sparkled angrily. Lily looked away after a moment and folded her arms across her chest. He squashed the fleeting thought that flashed through his mind immediately; the notion went beyond the mere improbable and dived straight into the realm of impossibility. Severus forced himself to focus upon the matter at hand and awaited further instruction as he looked up at the teacher.
"Now," Professor Sato continued as she turned on her heel and walked fifteen paces away. A thrust of her hand cleared the area by sending chairs and desks and students back several feet. An impenetrable barrier burst into existence a moment later and shielded the rest of the students, whose expressions were now rapt. "The pair of us will demonstrate the advantages of the Smokescreen Charm in combat. You will attempt to strike me with any and every curse and hex you can think of and I will attempt to evade your efforts. Do you have any objections, Mr Snape?"
His answer came in the form of a rapidly fired hex.
"Fumos," bellowed Professor Sato as she twirled out of the way and swivelled her wrist in the requisite manner. Dark grey smoke billowed from the end of her wand as black fabric whirled impressively. Soon Severus could hardly breathe for the thick smoke pervading the air and still he fired hex after hex, curse after curse, coloured lights exploding through the gloom in every direction. But Professor Sato never went down: on and on she taunted him, her steps seeming to echo from a dozen places at once.
A Leg-Locker Curse struck him from behind less than five minutes later. The smoke abruptly vanished as Severus toppled forward and he abandoned his wand in favour of preventing his face from smashing against the stone floor. Several students beyond the barrier erupted into raucous cheers. Severus snatched up his wand and scrambled to his feet as soon as he could. His face flooded with mortification as he brushed dust from his robes and fixed his tie.
"Mr Snape, that was more fun than I've had in a while," said Professor Sato cheerfully. A brisk wave of her wand dismantled the barrier and returned the furniture to their original locations. She clapped her hand on his shoulder in a congratulatory manner and Severus struggled not to flinch at the unexpected touch. However, Professor Sato hardly seemed to notice his discomfort and ploughed onwards without hesitation. "Ten points to Slytherin for good reflexes and five more for your enthusiastic participation!"
The young wizard drew himself up with pride and a deep sense of satisfaction at the announcement. A wave of awkward pleasure washed through him when Lily and all but one Slytherin student grinned winningly at him. He hurried back to his seat and smiled at his companion when she whispered, "Well done, Sev!"
But Severus knew her congratulations would be short-lived: there was nothing quite like competition between friends...
To Be Continued.
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