Disclaimer: Again, I do not own HP nor any of the characters in the book or movie as they are property of JK Rowling. Part 2 of…many…enjoy
It was the full moon; the ground was covered by a misty fog and outside it was becoming chilly. Severus had bundled himself up and escaped outside to see if Lily would come to the Sidhe as promised, but as he neared the paddock, he found the deer to be hiding out under the large oak in her enclosure. The hind hardly moved a muscle, her ears stood straight up along with her guard hairs; she was busy staring into the abyss. He moved towards the wall to hide, trying to figure out what she was staring at, and then he noticed it. It was a Centaur holding a crossbow in his hands; he was busy pawing at the earth, his dark eyes scanning the area around him. What was he looking for? The creature moved off and into the darkness, Severus ran to the paddock to see what the matter was, but the closer he got to the oak, the more fidgety she became until he stopped a good distance from her.
"Has Lily been here?" He questioned, but the doe was far too busy to be plagued by this child in these current circumstances.
"SHHH!" Her ears tilted backwards against her skull, then strained forward waiting for the right moment. Finally she turned to Severus and let her ears relax, but they were constantly twitching at no particular sound.
"Lily has been here?"
"No." She replied as she went to stand up and shake herself off.
"What were you doing hiding under the oak tree?" A thousand questions with this boy, the hind thought.
"That Centaur was watching something, I wanted to find out what it was but you interrupted my patrol." She started to walk around the area and sniffed at a rock and a few other bits of nature.
"You? Patrolling? Ha, ha, I doubt you could protect the school against anything." He folded his arms and began to relax a little before she shot her head up and stood there like a statue.
"I smell it, I hear it, but I cannot see it. It's not safe for you out here. Go back inside where you belong. I have my tree to hide in, you're mortal and I can't risk you getting killed tonight." She turned to him, "Go while you can, it's not a good night to come see me."
"What is it you're looking for? What does it smell like?" He hunkered down close to the oak while she stood on patrol.
"Death. I fear it is a very bad omen indeed. Something foul is running afoot, and…There it is. Quick get in that tree!" As soon as the hind said it, he backed into the hole in the tree and the doe jumped in there in a flash.
It suddenly became freezing out and the wind kicked up, the night seemed deathly still. No creature made a sound, not even a post owl would dare make a peep, the hind seemed very uneasy and once more all the guard hairs on her back stood up. The silence was almost killing him, for he could not see out the hole as the doe shielded him with her entire body but making sure she didn't touch him or he her.
"Alright, come out, it's alright." She stepped out of the dart hole and he came out after her.
"What was it you saw?" He asked, the doe shook her head and sighed. She glanced at him for a moment and then spoke.
"Death. Now go back to the Castle before I take you back myself." The boy groaned and began walking back when all of a sudden it seemed like he was being launched forward. The next thing he knew he was back in his room at the Castle, so the doe could perform magic.
The next morning the sun was out and it had warmed up a little before the mid afternoon and the students were out loafing about the grounds doing homework or chatting. Severus of course, went to go see the hind, a carrot in his pocket and a relaxed demeanor this morning.
The hind stood out in her usual corner of the paddock, nosing about some roots and then digging at the earth with a careful eye looking for more of the delicacy underground.
He whistled for her and a casual ear pricked up but she ignored his call and kept pursuing her business. Her left side of vision watched as the one called Lily approached Severus, the hind sorted. Mortals and their silly love games, she rolled her eyes and resumed "normal" deer duties.
"Sev." Lily said, the boy finally turned around and blushed.
"Oh, hello Lily." He was a bit taken back by her sudden urge to appear but he was glad by some count. Usually they would make plans after breakfast, but today she had left without a word off to her first class.
"Sev, you don't really think that…deer is really the Sidhe? I mean…-it's just a fairy tale."
Ah yes, the girl had made a very good point. However the hind expected something like this from a girl with no "pure" magical blood. She carefully lifted her head and watched the two interact while placidly munching on cud.
"You can't believe that. I mean, come on, it spoke to you." The boy began but the girl shook her head.
"I'm sorry Sev; I think maybe the Gryffindor boys pulled a prank on you. I mean, it's not too hard to enchant an animal to speak or at least, to appear as if it's speaking." She had started to walk away when he grabbed at her arm, pleading with her.
"You mustn't believe that! I know Lily, I know it sounds crazy, but you have to believe me—I swear it! It's the Sidhe!" Lily put a hand to his mouth. Tears in her eyes as she drew away from him and started to turn away, flailing her arms as she turned to get away from him.
"No Severus, no."
He watched her disappear before he turned to the doe; who had an amused expression on her mug. Those cold black eyes stalked Lily's form until the girl was out of her sight, and then they turned to him. The boy climbed the wall and then slipped down to his knees and sat on the ground, his face covered by his hair. The hind knew better than to question him now, for in her delicate ears she could hear him sniffling and attempting not to cry any harder than he already was. The doe lifted her head to scout the area before speaking.
"Stop your crying. She's just a girl, you'll find more." Those being the only real words of wisdom she could give to him before she moved close to his face.
"She's not just any girl, Sidhe." He replied through his tears. The hind moved closer to his ear but far enough to where he couldn't grab her, before making a return statement.
"From what I see, she's mortal like the rest of them. Sure she's brainy and sure she's attractive, but she's a girl. She's not as mature as you." The deer strained her neck to glance at the Gryffindor Gang gamboling on the grounds near the entrance. With a soft sigh she flopped down next to him on the earth.
"Why doesn't she believe me?" He questioned sadly, finally brushing the hair from his eyes. The doe's ears went down a moment.
"She's from the world of the mundane, she doesn't understand the concept of magic just yet, but she will. Her world is one based in reality, ours, yours and mine is based in fantasy, and we're used to having magic. She's not. In time she will become accustomed to her powers, and in time, she'll believe with you, but for now, now she is mundane. She is as mundane as the rain, there's nothing magical in the rain it just exists without any permission. It falls, it goes, it creates life, it's non magical and it's like her, it's mundane." Came the jumbled reply. Severus could not understand now, but one day he would recall her words and completely comprehend it.
"I have to go now." He said quietly, the hind stood up and glanced over at where the Gang of boys had been, all gone now of course.
"You never asked me what was in the forest last night." She casually began, moving back and forth in her patrol pace.
"It's not that important is it?" He responded quickly, one eyebrow lifted curiously at his Sidhe.
"When you get older you may be persuaded that the darker things will bring you the greatest power. It's not true young Severus. Dark things will cloud your judgment and bring you nothing but problems with those who will fear you. You have light in you; don't be persuaded to the dark."
"Is this about Tom Riddle? He's just a half blood who wants to make sure the true magical blood stays where it belongs." Severus responded gently, but the hind shook her head and barked at him.
"Tom Riddle is a mad man who will stop at nothing to achieve absolute power. You, child, cannot foresee the damage and destruction that man will cause. His message has fooled plenty already and there shall be plenty more to follow." She paused short and whispered to him, "James comes this way. Only the Potter boy."
"For what reason?" Severus remarked angrily, the hind silenced herself as James came to the gate.
"Snivellus, a word. If I can manage to steal you from your precious 'Sidhe' for a moment." His tone was commanding, the hind's ears went flat and her guard hairs went up. But she could not reveal herself to this boy, one day perhaps, but not today. Snape stood up to face James, his face slightly blotchy from the tears he had shed, but there was that glare of hatred in his eyes.
"What Potter."
"You think by telling Evans that this obvious deer is the Sidhe is liable to make her fall for your pathetic arse? Think again Snivelly; she will never go for you. Ever." James replied, folding his arms. Severus took a few steps forward before James jumped the gate and rushed him; both boys went down in a fight. James managed to get on top of Sev and started to beat him, while Sev tried to get his hands up to block his face, James kept finding soft spots to hit him. Only after Severus began to bleed from his mouth and nose did the hind bark and kick James. Potter went flying back, as soon as he hit solid ground, the hind began to drive her forelegs into his chest, repeatedly kicking him and barking.
"A FIGHT! A FIGHT!" It was some Slytherins who came running to help Severus until they realized the deer was kicking the shit out of James Potter.
"Get him! Get him!" The Slytherins cheered as the hind kicked James one last time square in the jaw, knocking him out cold on the ground. The hind kept barking until some other Gryffindors came to collect James's unconscious body.
"YOU BLOODY BASTARD!" it was Sirius Black along with some of the others who figured Severus and the Slytherins had done this to James.
"YOU MOBBED HIM!" screamed one of the third years in the flock.
"YOU SLYTHERINS ARE SICK!" yelled Sirius again, coming after Severus himself when Bellatrix yelled back.
"You arse, his bloody pet deer did this to your beloved James. So back off."
"THAT'S BULLSHIT IF I EVER HEARD IT!" Sirius blasted as he took his own cousin down and thus began a second fight.
The Slytherin and the Gryffindor boys were hard at battle, there were second years fighting fourth years. It started with fists at first, as to be expected, until someone brought out a wand and started a whole new fight. By this time a large crowd had gathered and was cheering on their favorite side, the Slytherin girls got in it next. It wasn't until Dumbledore himself came out to put an end to it, did peace ensue.
"ENOUGH! I'm disappointed, you all are acting like grade school children, and you should be ashamed of yourselves. Enough of this fighting, now tell me who started this war between two houses?" Everyone fell silent and James finally came to.
"The deer did." He said as he rose from the ground, Severus shouted back at James, rolling up his sleeves.
"You jumped me!"
"Prove it!"
"YOU ATTACKED ME OVER EVANS!"
Dead silence.
"Prove it." James finished finally, he looked at Dumbledore with his bloody face and the headmaster nodded.
"Severus I believe this creature is violent."
"Headmaster you know she's not! Headmaster you have to believe me, Potter attacked me and then she set herself upon him. How else did I end up with this bloody nose?" Severus pleaded with Dumbledore who nodded in agreement.
"I'll see both of you boys in my office, in the mean time Severus; release her so I won't have to worry about more students being at the mercy of a mad deer." The headmaster started to walk away as both sides moved away and went off to either go to the nurse or back to their dwellings, leaving Severus alone with the Sidhe.
"How could you attack him like that? Now everyone thinks your dangerous and I could get in trouble, serious trouble SIDHE!" He stepped towards her and she backed away, coyly side stepping him and wandering off.
"He knows what I am." Came the riddled response as she coolly looked off in the direction of the mountains then to the castle.
"Who's he?" Severus demanded chucking a rock at her to make her turn around to answer him.
"Dumbledore. Albus Dumbledore. He knows." She twisted away from the boy and walked towards the far edge of the paddock.
"How?"
"He came and he spoke to me. About two nights ago, before the full moon, I did not respond to him but he knows. He wouldn't have visited me if he didn't believe there was something seriously strange with a hind that comes up to his waist. I'm not big like normal deer, haven't you noticed? And what other deer speaks, what other deer is so small and fawn looking. I'm only two and a half foot at the shoulder Severus. That's tiny compared to the red deer who roam here. He knows I'm the Sidhe." Her ears flickered, the sunlight glinting off of the black tips at the top.
"Then why must you go away somewhere where I cannot see you or speak to you?"
"It'll be temporary," she responded, "he won't keep me away forever, just until the danger passes."
"Danger? At Hogwarts? Codswallop." The boy folded his arms and shook his head, what she had said was so ridiculous to him.
"What do you think was watching me in the paddock young Severus, it was no creature who often roams these woods, no my child, that was a Dementor last night in our midst. You fool; you think Dumbledore really thinks I'm dangerous? I will be close to you, though not here."
"A—a Dementor? No, they're only at Azkaban. Not here in Hogwarts territory, they're bound by the ministry." He stammered but the hind shushed him.
"Not all are bound by that, there are rogue everything these days. Rogue unicorns, rogue wizards, and so on and so forth. I know what I smelled and saw." She moved away again, circling him a few moments before clipping at the grass.
"Why would a Dementor come here of all places?"
"The Sidhe," she returned coldly, "someone must have informed the darker powers that be, so I must leave for a time until it is safe to come out of hiding."
"But," he began and then hesitated before shaking his head, "where will you go?"
"I will be in Dumbledore's office for a short time. A few days perhaps, while he studies me and amuses himself with my stories, I could speak to him I suppose, he seems to have no interest in capturing me. I will leave this place after that. But once the snows come I can hide fairly well in the paddock, as long as I stay under my oak during the night and come out during the day."
"We have to find a better solution than that." Severus said, pacing in his long drawn out thoughts. The hind watched him for a long while as he wiped the drying blood from his nostrils and chin and had that look of genius on his face.
"What is your plan?" She questioned, eyeing him cautiously.
He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. Severus Snape was an exceptional thinker, capable of coming up with a good solution to any ordeal, the hind admired that but it seemed to be taking him forever. She moved around him, waiting patiently for an answer which seemed to take forever.
"I'll have to do research."
"Research?" The hind was quizzical about this, what sort of research for a Sidhe? Had she eyebrows, they would have risen most curiously.
"It's a complicated and delicate process that I have to study, I know you have magical powers that are far greater than any other but your bound by limitations. How long has it been since you fully used your power?" The look in those young boy's eyes, he had quite a brain on him, oh yes. If only he would get off Lily, he could perhaps find a nice witch to settle with and that would be the end of that.
"It's been a very long time. Not since the Roman Empire began, but I'm afraid they are too much for you to see or handle at this point. What was your idea?" She chewed cud and pawed at the earth lazily with a foreleg, the boy said nothing for a while but when he did, it was sheer brilliance.
"If you could change your physical form to something as mundane and routine as a house cat you'd fit right in, and out here, if you could do that, the camouflage created by turning into something else would be endless. One minute you're a young tree, the next a rock, and the next a bird. Endless." The hind nodded enthusiastically and laughed.
"You are bloody brilliant. Yes, yes, I used to do that in times of old. However once my stories in the Muggle world died out, well, I had no use for that trick anymore."
"Go and be hidden where you must, but if I need you, you'll be there?" He questioned, the hind's ears tipped back and she snorted.
"I'm only watching you; I know your every movement." Eventually she would return but for now, she would be out of sight and out of mind, for now. She knew the boy would eventually land himself in a heap of trouble, as the visions foretold—and she'd be back again.