thanks to hypnotic ink and Alabaster Princess

18- Life's an Elevator

"Come with me." Unceremoniously, Professor Steel ushered the two students out of her office before they even had a chance to enter it. She made an impatient gesture for them to follow her up a staircase that lead straight to the seventh floor. Having arrived there without uttering an unnecessary word, she quickly paced past the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy exactly three times, and all of a sudden a door appeared on the opposite wall.

"Wow!" Raven gasped. "Is that the Come and Go Room?"

"You know about it?" Severus asked, sounding astounded. Although he had probably read Hogwarts: A History just as many times as she had, a Come and Go Room wasn't mentioned there.

"Well... I sort of stumbled across it in second year, when I was trying to hide from," she cast a cautious glance at her Defence against the Dark Arts teacher before she lowered her voice and whispered, "you know who..."

Professor Steel smirked; it gave her scarred face a grim expression. Of course she had overheard the conversation between Lestrange and Snape- she would not have survived in her job for that long if her hearing wasn't astute. And those words seemed to confirm her suspicion that these two were being bullied here at Hogwarts. So I was right, she thought without feeling any triumph.

Now she knew why Miss Lestrange had approached her after class today, asking about the easiest way to learn wandless magic.

'Wandless magic?' She wanted to laugh out loud because that request sounded quite pretentious for a sixth-year. Many of her classmates were still having problems with non-verbal spells... well, but not Lestrange. 'You are aware of the fact that wandless magic is a very advanced form of magic that only a few, exceptionally skilled wizards are able to perform? Except, of course, the unintentional, accidental magic of a child. Once a witch or wizard has learned to control their power, they tend to lose the abilities they had as a child and depend on their wand.'

'Yes, I know all that,' Lestrange replied in a serious tone. 'And it's true, I'm probably not an exceptionally skilled witch- but isn't it nonetheless possible to learn at least one wandless spell? Like, Accio Wand?'

Professor Steel's face was an inscrutable mask. She had been cautioned against Slytherins since theirs was the house that had raised more dark wizards and witches than any other. But she was an observant person, always vigilant due to her job. As an Auror, she was perfectly capable of telling true concern from obvious paranoia, and it was definitely close to hysteria to tar every Slytherin with the same brush, only because some of them had chosen a wrong path. And if the members of Slytherin house were indeed so prone to darkness and the Dark Arts, it was decidedly the wrong strategy to give up on them the moment they got Sorted.

Now there was a young, promising student looking at her with dark-blue eyes, and although Alice Steel was anything but a caring person, she felt tempted to give in to the girl's request.

'Accio Wand?'

'Yes, Madam.'

'And why would you need that?'

Raven Lestrange averted her eyes, and that was all Professor Steel needed to know. She contemplated the girl's wish with a growing feeling of unease- it was obvious that many things weren't in order at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the most famous institution for young wizards and witches. Although she knew it was unlikely that she could actually change anything for the better in that one year she was going to stay, she nevertheless agreed to tutor Raven Lestrange and also her friend, Severus Snape. For one lesson, one evening. She would only waste one evening of her precious spare time, just to see if they were worthy being bothered about.

After all, it had never been her intention to care for her students more than just having to face them in class every day.

"Funny, it was only a broom cabinet, then." Lestrange said, looking around the now much larger and decidedly more comfortably furnished room- although there really wasn't that much furniture either, just some mats on the floor. Nevertheless, anything was better than a broom cabinet.

"This room is called the Room of Requirement," Professor Steel informed her.

"Oh, I guess that's why I could never find it again. You know, I asked the house-elves about it and they called it the Come and Go Room .."

"That's because the Room of Requirement appears and disappears, and you won't be able to find it until you're in need of it. You have to walk past that tapestry of Barmy and the not ballet-dancing trolls three times, concentrating hard on what you need-"

"And then the room will provide me with whatever I need?" Raven glanced at her Defence against the Dark Arts teacher with sparkling eyes.

"That's the theory."

"And if I need to listen to the John Peel Sessions on BBC Radio 1?"

Professor Steel had to bite her lips or she would have laughed out loud. So much about Dark Slytherins! At least this young witch was just a normal teenager. But she didn't laugh and she didn't answer the girl's question either. Instead, she insisted that they focussed solely on what they were here for.

"You want to learn something about the basics of wandless magic, so I suggest you sit down and listen." She made an inviting gesture for them to take a seat on the flat mats. "Make yourselves comfortable. Lie down, close your eyes. Relax. Clear you mind. Dispel all thoughts and try to focus on your magical core, on how it was like when you were just a wee kid and didn't know anything about wands."

She hadn't expected them to be versed in the subtle arts of meditation- usually, sixth years weren't able to occlude their minds. Observing them closely, she wondered about it for only a short moment before it dawned upon her.

"You are Occlumens." It was a statement, not a question. The kids sat up, staring at her as if they had no clue what she was talking about. To satisfy herself that she was indeed right, she tried to probe the mental barriers of her students. Lestrange's defences were solid; they couldn't be broken without adding a violent touch, and that was not Professor Steel's intention. After all, she had agreed to tutor the kids and not to break them. Nevertheless, she had to find out more about it. "Where did you learn to become Occlumens?"

Raven shrugged defiantly. "Nowhere. I found out about it almost accidentally..."

"Accidentally? You woke up one day and discovered you're a natural Occlumens?"

"Yeah, sort of." The girl exchanged glances with her friend, who seemed to be wary about what to tell. Apparently it was their little secret- and apparently, the two of them were capable of communicating without words.

"So you also learned to master Legilimency?" Professor Steel enquired, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

The girl smirked ever so slightly whereas the boy remained totally unfazed. He knew very well how to hide his emotions.

"Well, I wouldn't consider myself a Legilimens..." Lestrange said after a moment of contemplation. "It is not in my interest to go snooping in someone else's mind, if you know what I mean. It's just- well, it seems to work between Sev and I... when he is willing to share, of course."

"I see." Professor Steel decided to not interrogate them any further since it was obvious that they were unwilling to reveal more. It was alright with her- although she would have loved to find out how they had learned the Mind Arts. And, even more important, why? But sometimes, persistence was the wrong way to gain knowledge. Sometimes, you first had to earn the trust of the one you want to figure out and then they'd spill the beans. Alice Steel was a patient person, she could wait.

"Will you tell Dumbledore?" Snape asked.

"No. At least not yet. As far as I know, you have not broken the school rules by being talented students- but I will keep an eye on you two. If I happen to find out that you are using your skills to harm or try to take advantage of others, then you will have to fear my wrath. And now let's get back to the subject at hand. Wandless magic. Please resume to your initial position and lie down. Close your eyes. Remember the task I gave you and focus on your magical core."

While trying to comply to Professor Steel's instructions, Severus recalled how Raven had broached the idea of them having to learn wandless magic, and it had made perfect sense to him. Because never again did he want to feel as helpless and vulnerable as that moment when he was dangling upside down in the air, his pants exposed for everyone to see, totally humiliated by James bloody Potter... if only he had had his wand, then. But no, Potter's Expelliarmus had made it fly out of his hand. Therefore, learning at least a wandless Accio Wand would be decidedly useful.

Unfortunately, they had not succeeded...

… it was summer; he was lying motionless on the floor, and his wand arm was stretched out. Mirroring Raven, who was in exactly the same position opposite of him.. Their wands were lying between them, some mere inches away from their fingers, and they were trying to will them back into their hands...

'What are you doing there?' Mrs Lestrange asked unceremoniously as she entered the room.

'An attempt in wandless magic,' Raven replied casually.

'Oh! Very well, go ahead..' She sat down on the sofa and picked up her knitting.

Severus arched a quizzical brow at her. 'Don't you mind? I mean, we're not allowed to use magic outside of school'.

Mrs Lestrange laughed softly. 'Well, that's not true. Of course, there is that silly Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery- and I don't agree with reasonable, since it is not. It is discriminating, given that magical parents are allowed to home school their children, and although the Trace is on every young wizard and witch under the age of seventeen,the Ministry generally ignores when it is broken by children of wizarding families- whereas Muggleborns are closely monitored.

'Admittedly, I don't know anything about wandless magic, but at least I'm witch enough to supervise your training sessions. So, carry on. I want you to be able to defend yourselves properly.'

He didn't blame Mrs Lestrange- or Nigella, as he'd been asked to call her- for not having succeeded. Although she was a certainly a formidable person, in the end she was just a house wife and not an Auror like Professor Steel. It was simply a matter of competence.

Well, there was no immediate success tonight, either. His wand trembled and moved ever so slightly, but it didn't come shooting straight to his expectant fingers. Professor Steel, however, seemed to be impressed by even that small progress and so she agreed to give them another chance, next week. And then the week after, and once more after that... until meeting Professor Steel for just another secret lesson in the Room of Requirement became part of their weekly agenda.

It never occurred to them to complain about the extra work they had loaded upon themselves, since both of them were grateful for the time Professor Steel granted them. And she really was an extraordinary teacher- mostly, perhaps, because she wasn't tainted by house rivalries like all the others. It was... a refreshing experience.

* .

Raven was reading the Daily Prophet. It had become a habit of her ever since the murder of her aunt and uncle. She wanted to be up to date on what was going on in the wizarding world, although she knew to take the information with a grain of salt, since the Daily Prophet was merely yellow press standard- big headlines, lots of moving pictures, and little text. Also, the Daily Prophet was known to be influenced by whoever was in power. And at the moment, it was the mouthpiece of those in the Ministry who feared the growing influence of the Dark Lord.

She would have loved to read more well-founded, critical articles, but unfortunately, the Daily Prophet was the only newspaper in wizarding Britain, and that was a shame. There should be independent information available.

Today's headline jumped into her face. 'MUGGLEBORN WIZARD KILLED!' it read in blood red letters. The wizard himself wasn't famous or important, so he wouldn't have made it to page one if not for the fact that his murderer had been caught in the act, and he was a Death Eater. There was a picture of the delinquent, a cruel looking fellow, shouting obscenities at the reporters and photographers as he raised his left arm to reveal some sort of a mark.

"Look at that!" There were no fellow Slytherins around when Raven literally shoved the paper into Severus' face. "He marks his followers as if they''re cattle! Honestly, Sev, you cannot possibly want such an ugly pseudo tattoo on your arm! I mean, if you actually do consider getting a tattoo, I know quite a talented artist in London who'd do a much better job."

Oh, that was so typically Lestrange! He almost laughed out loud. That witch was still an enigma to him. Never had she teased him about his unfortunate looks, the much too big nose, his lank and greasy hair, his scrawny build that differed so much from the athletic form of popular Quidditch champions... he was well aware of his many flaws (that's why Lily didn't fancy him the way he would have liked) but Raven considered the very idea of the Dark Mark on his arm affronting!

Severus glanced at the paper. "Sensation-seeking crap."

"I know," she agreed.

He wanted to tell her that only the inner circle of Lord Voldemort's ranks was to receive the Dark Mark- it was an honour, actually (Lucius had told him that when he had showed his Dark Mark to him). But Severus remained silent since he doubted that Raven would be impressed. And once again her objections made perfect sense to him. Honour or not, he didn't want to be branded like cattle.

And yet, he was still hesitant to make a final decision- although he had read Raven's essay at least twice. His reluctance against joining the Dark Lord's forces was growing, and he would have called it an option not worth considering any longer, a stupid idea... if not for Lily. There seemed to be no other way to make her recognise him. Or was there?

Christmas time was approaching, just as inevitably as every year. Severus didn't give a damn about the decorations in the Great Hall or the sentimental feelings that seemed to befall all students that time of the year. As usual, he would spend Christmas in solitude, in the deserted Slytherin common room. And probably he'd be wondering once again why all the pure-bloods of his house were making such a fuss about a festivity created by Muggles, to celebrate the birth of a Muggle martyr. He reckoned it was solely for commercial purpose. His house-mates loved to brag about the expensive presents they got, making it a competition of who had gotten the most presents- as if the amount of galleons a family spent would actually show how much they valued their offspring... well, if that was the benchmark, Severus wasn't valued at all. He couldn't even remember the last time his parents had given him a present.

He didn't care. He wouldn't complain about that, and the pitiful glances of his pure-blooded house-mates would roll off of him just like they usually did. The few gifts he received were precious to him- Raven's were always very thoughtfully chosen, and naturally he treasured everything Lily gave to him... then his mood hit rock bottom as he realized that this year she would not get him anything, wouldn't think of him or include him in her prayers.

Prayers!

Severus rolled his eyes. What an absurd idea! Even if there was an all-mighty something or someone- any deity- somewhere, he was pretty certain the powers that be had better things to do than listening to the prayers of some fools, too scared to take their life into their own hands.

A couple of days before Christmas break, at breakfast, Raven received an owl from her parents. As usual, she would be spending the holidays with her family. Just like every year. At least she had an intact, happy family life to return to... Severus didn't mind.

"For you," she said unceremoniously after having read her letter and handing him one that was addressed to him. "Open it!"

He would have wished for a little more privacy, but that was an invalid request whenever Raven Lestrange was concerned. Sometimes, she was really annoying in her straight-forward way, lurking over his shoulder.

"Isn't that cool! They want you to come over for Christmas."

Yes, he had already figured out that much, since it was an invitation. Mr and Mrs Lestrange- no, Chris and Nigella- were indeed asking him politely if he'd like to spend Christmas with them.

To what point and purpose? Was it merely due to Raven's constant meddling? Had she persuaded them to invite him?

But no, she seemed to be surprised, although her eyes were sparkling with unadulterated joy. These damned, big blue eyes were looking at him so full of expectation and anticipation, as if her happiness depended on his consent. And although he wasn't disinclined to acquiesce the invitation he was nevertheless hesitant... he would have to buy presents for her parents if he accepted their hospitality... and he wasn't very good at that.

Alright, he had saved some galleons. Mulciber and Avery were paying for his help now; they gave him a galleon for each essay he did for them. He hadn't asked for that, and it had taken him some investigation until he found out that Raven had arranged this deal… how someone as clearly unpopular as she had managed to convince them was beyond him imagination, but she had set the rules and the boys had agreed without much grumbling...

'One galleon each,' she repeated calmly.

'I beg your pardon?' Avery gasped dumbfounded..

'I trust in your hearing abilities, Avery, and it's not that hard to understand, isn't it? One galleon. For each essay.'

'But he never charged anything before,' Mulciber interjected, staring at her legs. For someone with a dubious family background she had really nice legs.

Raven was very well aware of the fact that she was- more or less discreetly- playing with her female allures here. Although it was somewhat repugnant, the way they were gaping at her, it nevertheless did serve a purpose and it was an easy way to make them listen... and, in the end, to make them agree.

'Yep, but we're in NEWT classes now, meaning the standard has increased and therefore also the price. Actually, it's a matter of market economy. I guess you're familiar with it, Avery? Isn't your father a high shot at Gringotts? Then you must know about the rules of the market. You want something your own intellect isn't willing to provide, so you must pay for it.'

Mulciber glanced at Avery and shrugged. 'Well, it makes sense to me.'

'Don't you think we should ask Lucius first?'

'Well, if you want to bother an important and likely very busy man like Lucius Malfoy with your petty schoolboys stuff, I reckon he'll be mightily pleased.'

'She's right, mate.'

To her immense surprise, Mulciber and Avery gave in without much further ado.

'You won't regret it, boys. After all, you're investing in your very own future.' Raven hadn't expected it to be that easy. She had, however, expected Severus to protest more about her insufferable meddling... but after all was said and done he simply accepted her efforts without being too difficult about it and- of course- without ever thanking her for it. It didn't matter to Raven. They were friends and he'd done so much for her already- without Severus, she wouldn't have passed her potions OWLS. Without Sev, life at Hogwarts would be unbearable...

And now, Sev would be spending Christmas with her and her family. He hadn't affirmed it yet, but Raven was certain that he would accept the invitation. Which would be great. More than great. It would be her best Christmas present ever...

Of course, Christmas would be different this year, now that Aunt Drusilla and Uncle Horatio were gone. To be honest, Raven had actually considered staying at Hogwarts for the holidays because she couldn't bear the loss and all the memories it evoked... on the other hand, she wanted to be with her parents, wanted to- well, to not mourn her relatives. She wanted to remember them just as fun-loving and warm-hearted as they were, instead of being reminded of their death, and apparently that was precisely what her parents had in mind. A different way of celebrating Christmas. Since they couldn't rewind time, they had decided to start a new tradition by inviting her best friend.

It made Raven smile brightly when Severus finally composed a letter to her parents, telling them that he felt honoured to accept their invitation.

They took the Knight Bus to London- it was much faster than the Hogwarts Express and there were less students to annoy them with their mindless chatter or stupid pranks.

The Lestranges welcomed Severus with open arms. It seemed they were really happy to see him, although he couldn't figure out why. After all, he was just a friend of their daughter and yet they behaved as if he was family. It was a good feeling, though. Never before had he returned to his own home at Spinner's End and felt so accepted, so... well, so at home. The room he had occupied last summer looked as if he had just left it. Nothing had changed, except that it had been dusted and the bedclothes smelled of freshly washed linen. On the bedside table was still lying the book he had read way back then- Muggle literature about the fictional dictator of an equally fictional totalitarian state, where the ruling elite wielded total power over the inhabitants by keeping them under complete surveillance...

Severus remembered how he had sneered about these stupid Muggles. Now however, after having studied Raven's essay a couple of times, he didn't think it a mere piece of fiction anymore. There was some truth to it. He knew of a city divided in two by a huge wall, separating families and friends because of different political ideas. He would have loved to call that a Muggle thing, but he feared it wasn't so. Probably it was just the dark abyss of human nature...

His mood sank, but not for very long. The delicious scent of cinnamon, vanilla and orange filled his nostrils, lingering to remind him that he was supposed to join the Lestranges downstairs. He was here to spend joyful Christmas holidays with them- and not to brood over things that might possibly come true... or probably not...

It was obvious that Mrs Lestrange- Nigella! (it was still new and strange to him, being expected to call his friend's parents by their given names since he had never been on first name terms with Lily's parents, although he knew them for much longer)- had baked Christmas cookies. And she had baked lots of them, many different kinds. Just for the fun of it, as she said, because she liked to try out new recipes from all over the world.

His mother had never done that. Severus couldn't even imagine mother spending more time in the kitchen than absolutely necessary, and most certainly not for the fun of it. And yet... he suddenly recalled a time when home at Spinner's End had not smelled of cold cabbage but of burnt gingerbread... He must have been very young then, since the memory was somewhat vague and slightly blurred by the disappointed expectations of a small boy, yearning for a sweet sensation in form of cookies. But mother had failed him, as she had so often failed him. Whatever had gone wrong that day, it had ended in mother and father shouting at each other, leaving him all alone in the kitchen with the burnt gingerbread...

It was too good a dream to last, since all good things didn't last. At least not with Severus. And therefore he was suspicious. Although this Christmas was the best he ever had, it appeared to him that it was only the calm before the storm, that something would happen. But when the blow came, he wasn't prepared for it.

It was on Boxing Day. They were sitting together in the living room, almost like a real family. Only that he wasn't family and a house elf was sitting on the sofa next to him.

Chris filled their glasses with dark red wine. "I've got something to say," he announced before looking at his wife for reassurance. Nigella reached out to squeeze his hand, a gentle smile on her face.

"Do you want me to leave?" Severus asked insecure.

"No, my dear boy, please stay," Nigella told him.

Chris was glancing at his daughter now. "I told you I had an appointment in Las Vegas last autumn, and it was quite successful. Well, to cut it short, the agency offered me a long-term engagement. They would grant me my own show-"

"Wow, that's cool, Dad!" Raven exclaimed cheerfully before it dawned upon her what that actually meant. "Oh..."

"Oh, indeed. And that's why I hesitated to accept their offer, at first. Then I discussed it at length with your mother, and given the current political circumstances in wizarding Britain, we both agreed that it would be wiser to take a good chance when presented on a silver tray. Mind, it's not about the money, although that is tempting enough. I just don't feel safe here anymore."

Severus stared at Chris in shock, the blood thundering in his ears. Not safe. What did he mean, it wasn't safe here anymore. Surely he couldn't mean Lord Voldemort? And yet he knew that that was exactly what Mr Lestrange was indicating, since he was a Muggle married to a witch and the Dark Lord did not approve to such a marriage. But would he kill to make it undone?

Yes.

He read about it in the papers, every day. And although the Daily Prophet only wrote sensation-seeking crap, there was no denial that Muggleborn wizards or witches were disappearing on a daily basis, as well as Muggles, who were somehow connected to the wizarding world. Sometimes, they found their dead bodies. Mostly... not.

So yes, it made perfect sense for the Lestranges to go to America. As far as Severus knew, the Dark Lord had no followers there. At least not yet.

He hardly listened to the arrangements Chris had already made, nor that Chris left it to Raven to decide what she thought was best for her. All he could think of was that he didn't want to lose her. Despite all her oddities, he had grown fond on her- or perhaps just because of her odd ways that made her an enigma to him. But she was also his best friend. She had stood by his side, unfalteringly, come what may, when Lily had severed ties with him. She had not given up on him, even when he had almost joined that particular group of people that had become a threat to her family now. Instead of chiding him, or calling him evil per se, she had made her point with accurate precision, presenting him with facts based on well-founded research.

And no matter how much he had writhed, reluctant to accept the truth, he knew one thing for sure now: He, Severus Snape, would not join the ranks of Lord Voldemort. For her sake, for the sake of her not leaving him for good, he'd even go shopping with Raven, willingly. And just as willingly he would accompany her to that stupid New Year's party she kept talking about with enthusiasm (although he didn't expect it to be any fun, like she promised)

Falling apart with Lily had taught him one thing, and that was to never take friendship for granted. He had failed Lily. He would not fail Raven.