Devotion

Sev had the second break in the routine. On Friday afternoon, after school, when he went home to empty his backpack and change books to go to the Library to study, as he had resumed the habit of doing so to see Lily from afar, 'Thesnakes rarely stop by there,' he found inside a sealed envelope, without addressee or sender.

Before opening it, he thought, 'At what time of day have I left my backpack lying around and someone has put it in?It can only have been this morning in Herbology class, during which I have repeatedly moved around the greenhouse, but in those cases I always leave it closed, and that's how I found it when I picked it up.Therefore, whoever it was, went to the trouble of surreptitiously opening it, putting the letter in, and leaving it as it was, so that I wouldn't even notice it myself at the time.'

He was alone in the bedroom, but anyway, he climbed into the four-poster bed and closed and warded the curtains before opening it to read, rather unsettled, because the sword of Damocles hanging over him. 'It could be a threat or blackmail.'

When he opened it and began to read, he was stunned. The very long letter was from Parkinson.

Snape:

I must apologize for my impertinences in Potions and the little scene I made for you. I will regret doing it for the rest of my life. The insults I dedicated to you stick into me like daggers.

'This, although I would never have expected it from my classmate, I believe it at face value, since Lily already told me in a letter the expression of regret that she appreciated when Slughorn subtracted my points and invited her to change places, also warning me that perhaps the girl felt something deeper for me than a mere whim.'

But what came next seemed really incredible to him, Parkinson told him his whole life.

As you already know, I come from a family of the Sacred Twenty-eight, of the most pure blood and very wealthy, very close to Voldemort. In fact, almost all of my older uncles and cousins are Death Eaters.

'That she mentions the Unmentionable by his name already shocks me greatly.'

But my parents, from a young age, when they met in the circles they frequented, discovered in each other that they were contrary to the ideology of the supremacy of blood purity and this affinity made them fall in love. They did not have the courage to turn their backs on their families, and when with the uprising of Voldemort and the organization of his army their respective relatives joined him, they posed as sympathizers, although they did not allow to be marked. So they find themselves in a golden cage, living daily with enemies.

They had previously trained thoroughly in Occlumency, Legilimency and Projection…

'What's that?'

and they instructed me and my two younger brothers in these Arts since we showed our gifts for magic.

'Booaaah… she may have read me…'

They did it as if it was a game, while educating us in the dogma of blood purity so that we wouldn't give ourselves away to the rest of the family.

When I was trained enough and reached the right age to understand it, my parents told me the whole truth, that Voldemort's supporters, far from being powerful, are actually his slaves, that the ideas of blood purity are a fallacy, because very bright warlocks are Half-bloods or Muggle-borns. Rather, not mixing was creating a very harmful inbreeding.

It was difficult for me to adapt to the new perspective, but the relationship with my parents was always very close and I trusted them, so I ended up agreeing with their ideas, because what they had tried educating me like that and equipping me with the weapons to hide my true convictions was to preserve my integrity until I finished my studies.

They do not want for us the invisible prison in which they live, they want me to separate from the family when I graduate and make my own life. But until then I must continue pretending, because at school we are very controlled…

'Of course.'

and my parents and brothers may suffer reprisals if I rebel too soon. I must wait until I finish my studies and be free to give up those ideas as an adult witch, without involving my family.

'What reason does she have for telling me all this? Is it some kind of trap to make me trust her or to continue to charm me?'

I know that you, although you appear otherwise, do not wish to be a Death Eater.

'She has read me.'

Don't worry, I haven't read you, I only do it with enemies and I've never considered you that way, because I always saw you with Evans…

'Again, Lily, the key.'

...and when I stopped, I was testing you, hence my insistence on Potions to get your attention. A Half-blood aspiring to level up would never have missed the attention of a Pureblood like me.

Then I saw you pass notes to Evans and the ring, and I deduced what was already obvious, that you were secretly with her and you had to pretend your loyalty to the snakes. So, in a way, we found ourselves in the same situation, trapped in a world that is not our own, faking and risking not only ourselves, but also our loved ones, to retaliation, but with two fundamental differences.

The first: I am endowed with the most powerful weapons to maintain my cover, and you are not.

The second: ever since my parents updated me, I purposely lowered my academic performance so that when I got out of Hogwarts I wouldn't be considered valuable. I don't care about that, because my family enjoys a very good position and I will not lack for anything even if I don't get a good profession. But I understand that you cannot afford to do the same, since you are of humble origin and you should not waste the immense talent you have.

The fact is that I found out in Christmas, through my parents, because I don't go to meetings of this kind, although I keep them informed of what happens at school and they already knew about you, that Lucius Malfoy mentioned you as a promising adept who should not be allowed to escape.

'Rays! This confirms my suspicions.'

Relax, Voldemort does not mark those who are not completely faithful to him, rather it is those who wish to be Death Eaters who must win his favor…

'Uf…'

although he does propose that brilliant warlocks join him, even those who have never shown him sympathy.

And among those who do want to join or climb the scale, one way to show loyalty and earn points is to get new followers, that's why Malfoy's interest in you and also the blackmail to which our housemates submit you, I have read them.

All this has not yet reached the ears of Voldemort, because they are so afraid of him that they do not dare to promise him something that they cannot achieve.

I don't know if Malfoy has already contacted you, and if that's the case, what did you reply to him, I already told you that I don't want to read you. But I suppose that if he has, you will have put off him for continuing to pretend.

If he hasn't done it yet, he won't take long to do so, to propose you to become a sympathizer as soon as possible. In these cases, he is usually accompanied by Bellatrix Lestrange, Voldemort's right hand and an excellent legeremancer…

'I already knew that.'

to know the loyalty of the future follower. Bellatrix is a true slut, and she tests the applicants not only by reading them, but also by having sex with them…

'Booah!'

since if they are capable of doing it with such a viper, it is because they are truly malefics. So you should avoid that possible interview at all costs. I don't think it will happen at least until the end of winter…

'Uf…'

...as Malfoy is a comfortable one…

'Certain.'

...who will not move to Scotland with such cold. Therefore, you have time to prepare.

In my opinion, you must continue to behave as you have up to now, disassociate yourself from the snakes but not all at once, otherwise they will return to blackmail.

Keep the maximum of secrecy with Evans, they don't know anything, I've read them…

'Uf…'

but I did find out myself, so you have to be more careful.

And finally, try to create alliances with other students to cover your back when the time comes to disassociate yourself completely.

The maximum deadline will be when you receive Malfoy's letter, which you must return to the sender unopened, in case he gives you too much information. If I'm wrong and you've already accepted his invitation, you should decline it as soon as possible. Malfoy will not insist if you return the letter or decline. He is proud and not as evil as he seems, he himself was not willing to have Narcissa Black marked, and I know that he appreciates you and will leave you alone.

'Uf… what a relief… Why the hell is she trying to help me? If all this is true, which is what it seems, because her story is too convoluted to be false and she is very well informed, she is taking a risk by confessing all her secrets to me.'

You'll wonder why I'm doing this after how I treated you. You caught my attention from the beginning because of your talent, but at the same time, educated in the dogma of blood purity, I despised you for being a Half-blood and hanging out with Evans.

But when my parents talked me out of the ideas they had instilled in me, my appreciation for you blossomed and I began to worry about the path you were taking.

When I saw that you didn't sit with your friend at the beginning of the term, it worried me that you had decided on the dark side, so I sat with you in Potions. But that same day, when you didn't pay attention to me and I saw that you weren't still taking your eyes off her, I realized that it wasn't like that.

'Well, there she was wrong... she didn't read me.'

That's why I kept insisting, trying to build trust between us, in case we could become allies while we were at school.

I am very sorry for how I treated you, forcing things, it have never failed to me to try to provoke boys to get closer to them. I'm so ashamed that I did it, I thought you were mad at Evans and I would have a chance that way.

'Is she declaring to me?'

I shouldn't have blackmailed you like that, I didn't understand that you are above that, I underestimated you. And you still had to put up with my reaction and insults, reminiscent of my upbringing. You behaved like a true gentleman, not embarrassing me despite what I was doing to you. I swear that what happened hurts me much more than it hurts you.

I should have opened up to you like I'm doing now. When my parents found out about Malfoy they talked to me, I asked them for advice on approaching you and they recommended that I do like this.

'That is, her family is aware and everyone is taking a risk for me. I don't want to think about what might have happened if someone had found her letter, but I'm sure she's been watching out for it by reading the others.'

They were willing to have me help you because they fear that such a brilliant wizard would end up in Voldemort's service. I could have projected my thought to you…

'Oh! Is that possible to do?'

but they thought you wouldn't listen to me or you'd be scared.

If you're able to trust me despite everything that's happened, I'm willing to do whatever I can for you. Read your enemies and inform you, instruct you in Legilimency, so that you can do it yourself; Occlumency in case you need it in the future, and also Projection, to be able to speak with your mind.

And even taking your side when you have to disassociate yourself, they won't touch me a hair, but better if we don't need to get to that point. If you agree to the rest, we must do so in absolute secrecy. You can tell your girlfriend that you have an ally at home to reassure her, but for what you love most, don't tell her it's me.

You must tell her exactly this:

"I have an ally at home who reads my enemies and is going to instruct me in Mental Arts. I can't tell you who he is because he is endangering his own family by doing it."

Of course, I can't sit with you again or have contact with you before others after my blunder. Therefore, I propose that you think about it calmly, and when you make up your mind, give me a sign, and that same night, go down to your usual corner of the Common Room, where I have seen you so many times, when everyone will go to sleep.

We'll Disillusioned, we'll talk face to face and first of all, I'll teach you to read me so you don't doubt me.

With my sincere appreciation

Lauren Parkinson

P.S. Burn this letter and also the message that you pass on to your girlfriend if you do it in writing.

P.S. How slippery you are, you don't know how hard it is for me to find the moment to pass you the letter.

Sev remained stunned for a while, trying to assimilate the information, since he had read at full speed. He did it again more carefully. 'Clearly she is telling me the truth. How was she going to put all this in writing and risk getting caught if it's not true? She's trusting me blindly, I believe her even when she says she hasn't read me, otherwise she wouldn't have behaved like that in Potions, she would already know that I can read and that I've heard from Malfoy. I feel so indebted to her…'