A/N: thanks a lot to my dearest beta, hypnotic inc, and to all of you who have reviewed, subscribed or favoured this story.
marauderhater: According to Wikipedia, 'modified pick up trucks were beginning to become popular and the sports of mud bogging and truck pulling were gaining in popularity' in the late 1970's. To me, that means it's very likely that Reg had indeed watched a monster truck event on TV in 79, even if monster trucks hadn't reached their height of popularity yet. After all, it was screened in the middle of the night. ;) Anyway, thanks for being so attentive! :)))
43- Edie
Regulus was in a sore state of heartache when they boarded the plane that would take them back home to London. He already missed Mellisandre- but he knew they couldn't be together, and knowing that she still loved him didn't make things easier. On the other hand, even without the Voldemort threat looming over their heads, he failed in envisioning a happy future for Mel and him. He knew of her dreams; she wanted to marry and have kids. He didn't know if that was also his dream.
Sometimes, love just wasn't enough. There were too many things that got in the way. First, it had been his parents, who wouldn't have accepted her as a daughter-in-law because they considered her family blood-traitors. And he... he had been too fascinated by the Dark Lord's power. He wouldn't have changed his ways for her, although he had changed his ways in the end. Not for her but because it simply seemed the right thing to do.
Now, he realized, he had changed quite a lot. In fact, he had sort of outpaced Mel in her rather liberal attitude towards Muggles, and he just couldn't imagine her sharing his fascination with Muggle TV or monster truck races. All she wanted was to live a happy family life in a wizarding world without blood superiority.
So he spilled a few secret tears for his lost love and decided to look on the bright side. Mellisandre McMillan was better off without him. She was safe in the States. The threatening grip of the Dark Lord didn't reach that far- at least not yet, and he was determined to not let it happen that his influence grew further than it already was.
Raven reached out to place a comforting hand on his arm; she didn't say much since there was nothing to say. She just knew how he must be feeling, and with that simple gesture she offered sympathy in a quiet way.
It was so typically Raven. She could be a rather gentle person, despite her spitfire attitude. And she really had a knack in figuring out people; she didn't even need Occlumency for that.
Of course, Regulus reasoned, it wasn't very hard to figure out his momentarily mood. Especially not for someone who was in love, too.
He just hoped that things would go... more smoothly... between Raven and Severus, now that they seemed to have reached some sort of an agreement. Fortunately, Snape was not a total idiot, even though he did have some problems to fit into his new role as Raven's boyfriend. But then again, he was Snape, the nerd. Bookish, always up to the eyeballs in potion fumes, socially incompetent.
Nevertheless, Regulus had come to respect him, even like him, and he was beginning to see what Raven saw in him. He guessed that if you managed to gain Severus' trust, he was a great friend who'd never let you down.
-o-
Back in London, entering Raven's and Severus' flat in Soho, the friends were greeted with the most unusual sight. In their kitchen was sitting a blue-haired girl with a Mohican haircut, clad in black army boots and a too short skirt- and Kreacher, Regulus' spiteful but loyal house-elf. They were bickering at each other for all that's worth.
"… nasty scum of Muggle depravity!" Kreacher hissed, to which Edie replied rather calmly, "I told ye, ye've gotta let go of yer petty bourgeoisie way of thinking-" then she turned her head and smiled brightly at Severus and Raven. "Oh, ye're finally back! Were've ye been?"
"Abroad," Severus answered cautiously, glancing from Edie to Kreacher and back. And while the damnable house-elf made a happy dance around Regulus' knees, welcoming his master back, Raven's heart sank into her boots due to the realisation that Edie had found out their secret.
The International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy was broken.
Why was Edie here? Why had Kreacher let her in when he was supposed to not open the door?
On the other hand, Edie had apparently not fainted straight at Kreacher's sight, although he must look rather peculiar to a Muggle. Instead, she seemed to have discussed politics with the house-elf before they had entered the scene. Was that a good sign?
"Anyway," Edie said cheerfully and in spite of Severus' cryptic reply, "I had a very interesting conversation with our dear friend Kreacher. Admittedly, our political and ideological standpoints couldn't differ more- imagine, he's totally obsessed with ranks and blood status-"
"Edie!" Raven interjected.
The Muggle girl glanced at her and shrugged, "So what? I already figured out that ye're kinda different. Kinda... weird- but weird in the most positive way. I mean, more like... mysterious. Magical, Kreacher said. Witch and wizard. And I'm a Muggle now. Alright. So," she turned her eyes at Severus, "that stuff ye gave me for me hair- was that magical, too? A..." again, she was searching for the right word, "...potion?"
"It was just a magically enhanced emulsion," Severus corrected her and was suddenly feeling slightly uncomfortable, now that all eyes were directed at him.
"You gave her a what for her hair?" Raven asked, a hint of jealousy in her voice.
"An emulsion similar to a Muggle hair tinting lotion but with magically enhanced blue pigments," he replied seriously, remembering the rainy day Edie had appeared at his doorstep, looking like a drowned rat tinted in blue because she had used ink on her bleached hair and wasn't pleased about the result. "Edie asked for my help, knowing I was doing some kind of chemical research thing for a living." Severus didn't really feel the need to defend himself. He had deliberated the consequences and decided the risk worth taking, simply because he liked Edie. After all, she had kissed him once...
Now, that was something Raven remembered, too. It only spurred her jealousy, so she moved a possessive step closer to Severus ; she just had to point out that they were an item now, even though Edie had never tried to kiss him again. They were just friends, and if she was honest, she was glad he had friends like Edie or Jeffrey or the other guys they were hanging out with occasionally.
"Oh, woe is poor Kreacher!" The house-elf started wailing all of a sudden, and Regulus had trouble to stop him from banging his head against the wall. "Ugly, horrible, nasty Muggle made Kreacher boil tea! Horrible, nasty Muggle scum insisted to wait until Mistress Scum and her foul, big-nosed half-blood returns. What will good mistress say, Master Regulus?"
"Don't worry about that," Regulus tried to soothe the elf. "You won't tell her." Then he faced Raven and Severus. Admittedly, he found it quite fascinating to meet their friend. A Muggle! He hadn't really met many Muggles before- aside from the passengers and crew of the aeroplane, or in the underground, or pedestrians in the streets on both side of the Atlantic Ocean- at least not personally. And that particular Muggle girl was one of the most... unusual he'd ever seen. Nevertheless, he couldn't help but ask, "Why is there no Muggle-Repelling Charm on this place?"
"Perhaps," Raven quipped sardonically, "because we have Muggle friends that like to come and visit."
And yet she was pondering the consequences, now that Edie had found out their secret. After all, it was dangerous to know in these times.
"But... but the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy-"
"She won't tell anyone," Severus assured him.
"Of course, we have to perform a Memory Modifying Charm on her."
"No."
In spite of Severus' refusal, Regulus reached for his wand. Only an instant later, it dropped from his hand and landed clattering on the kitchen floor, without him even noticing that Severus had intervened.
"I said no," Severus reminded him in a dangerously low, waspish tone. "There won't be any mind-altering of our friend unless it is absolutely necessary. We will explain Edie why it is essential to never speak about the things she learned today, and she will understand because not all Muggles are dumb creatures like the Dark Lord wants to make you believe."
"Wicked!" Edie exclaimed. "There's a Dark Lord who thinks we Muggles are dumb? Because we can't do magic? And who is he anyway? Is he somewhat like yer ruler?"
"Fortunately not. We do have a Minister for Magic, who has about the same job as the British Prime Minister except that he isn't elected in a democratic way by all of the wizarding community," Raven explained while Regulus was picking up his wand and Kreacher let his bat-like ears hang low in misery. "The Dark Lord, however, is eager to overthrow our recent government and install himself as a tyrant ruler with the same depraved ideologies as Hitler in Nazi Germany, only that his Jews are all non-magical persons and creatures..."
"You don't have to give Edie a history lesson ," Severus chided her gently, a slight smirk gracing the corners of his mouth.
"So he's the big, bad, dangerous guy, and that's why it's dangerous for me to know ye've got those funny looking sticks ye can do magic with?"
"Well, there's more to that than just the recent threat. Actually, most wizards and witches are suspicious of Muggles due to historical events, like the widespread persecution of witches in earlier times. So in order to hide our presence from the world, the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy was first signed in 1689 by the International Community of Wizards- sorry, Sev," Raven flashed him an innocent glance, "I just don't know how to explain without throwing in some historical facts."
"I see," Edie nodded thoughtfully, "guess I wouldn't want to become a human pyre either, only because I can do something that others can't."
"People are suspicious of things they don't know or don't understand." Severus said, thinking of his father. If mother had tried to explain it to him, like Raven had just done... but no, it wouldn't have worked either. Mother was a pure-blood witch sharing the same ideology as the Dark Lord, though not in all its extremes. But it was a common way of thinking- most wizards and witches were indeed feeling superior to Muggles because they could do magic. In fact, he had often caught himself having the same resentments due to his miserable childhood, and he had only changed his mind when he had met some of Raven's Muggle friends who had offered him more acceptance than his own peers. Life was strange.
Edie shrugged. "Well, I don't know anything 'bout magic but I really don't care what strange things ye can do with yer wand 'cause I know ye an' Raven are fine guys, and that's all that matters." She turned her eyes to Regulus, focussing him for the first time, and for the fraction of a second her eyebrows (dyed blue just like her hair) went up in delight at the sight of him, for he was quite a handsome fellow. Alas, just as soon as she'd realized that, the corners of her mouth dropped in dismay. "I'm not so certain 'bout yer friend, though. He seems to be quite a posh little one, ain't he? Master Regulus- tsk, shame on ye, boy! What is all that hocus-pocus wand-waving stuff good for if ye have to keep slaves to do yer bidding?"
"Kreacher is not my slave," Regulus protested, but it sounded rather feeble. "House-elves are born with the urge to serve us wizards-"
"Nonsense!"Edie cut in fervently, "No one is born to be a slave. That's a totally priggish and narrow-minded point of view of someone who still believes that classes are all that matters. Or is it the blood status?"
"You don't know anything about us, about our values and traditions!"
"Fortunately not, for the little I found out while sharing Kreacher's company was sick enough. Ye're still living in medieval times, socially."
Meanwhile, Raven and Severus were exchanging glances and debated their need to interfere on a silent basis. In the end, they decided to let them bicker on for a little longer. Raven fetched a bottle of wine and opened it; then she hesitated, lost in thoughts.
Although Edie seemed to be totally unfazed about the fact that they could do magic, and she hadn't run away screaming blue murder upon the sight of Kreacher (even though the sight of a house-elf was not the most common for Muggle eyes) there was still a risk that had to be calculated. All in all, she had taken it very well- but was it right to rely on that? Raven wondered. Was it right to endanger a dear friend with that knowledge? For all that was worth, these were dangerous times and she didn't want Edie to be involved...
"Don't worry," Severus said in a low tone as the took the bottle from her hands and poured her a glass of wine. "She can handle the situation. It simply wouldn't be right to Obliviate her."
"Hm, perhaps." She shrugged; she didn't want to do that either.
"At least she can handle Black."
"Aye, it's like a clash of elements, isn't it? Edie just loathes rich little pampered pricks that never had to work a single day for their living- except that Reg's not really that bad."
"He's quite tolerable for a Black."
Raven glanced at him and he offered her a wry smirk that made him look rather snogworthy. Alas, they weren't alone, and she mightily doubted that Sev would appreciate being snogged in front of an audience.
-o-
"Don't you fear I could hex you into next week for being such a nag?" Regulus asked irritated, thus interrupting Edie's lecture about the injustice of slavery and how all decent modern societies had renounced it, although there was still the arbitrariness of class systems to criticise, which she considered almost as bad as slavery.
"Well, aye, I guess ye could do just that, but that would only prove yer lack of sensible arguments," Edie replied confident, not at all impressed by the threat. She grinned at him. "Besides, I doubt Severus would let that happen- with Raven I'm not that sure. Methinks I was rather short of being hexed that one Christmas when I kissed him and she was quite mad at me..."
"You. Kissed. Snape? Why?" He was dumbfounded. Regulus had gotten used to Raven's weird attraction to the half-blood,but he hadn't expected any other girl to actually fancy Snape, and he had already noticed that Edie was a hard one to impress. At least not with the fact of being magical, as it seemed.
"Why? Are ye daft? Gosh, he's damned hot. Just look at 'is legs in those tight black jeans- rock-star legs... like Iggy, Sid, Joe..."
"I beg your pardon?" Now Regulus was utterly confused. He really had no idea what Edie was talking about. Iggy, Sid and Joe were just as unfamiliar to him as was the Slavery Abolition Act .
"My," Edie groaned dramatically, "ye really are an ignorant little prat, ain't ye? D'ye know anything at all?"
"I am very well educated, thank you very much."
"No doubt 'bout that. I bet ye went to one of these posh, elitist boarding schools."
"I attended Hogwarts," Regulus replied proudly.
"Hog-warts? Sounds like a pig's disease."
"Hex her, Master Regulus," Kreacher interfered, plucking at his master's trouser leg. Then he realized that Master Regulus was still clad in Muggle clothing, so he quickly wiped his hands at his tea towel he was wearing. "Don't let that Muggle scum besmirch the name of the finest School of Wizardry and Witchcraft."
"Ah, a wizard school?" Edie asked and shrugged. "Well, did ye learn anything but hexing people there? And what music d'ye guys listen to if ye don't know Iggy Pop or Sid Vicious?"
Truth to be told, Regulus had to admit silently, grinding his teeth, music had never played a big role in his life. Simply because there weren't many wizarding musicians that really managed to entertain his generation, and Celestina Warbeck was probably not what Edie called a rock star. He realized though, as he recalled the posters on the walls of Raven's room (showing musicians in funny, unmoving poses) that they all seemed to have legs as thin as Snape's. Apparently, Muggles considered that attractive-
"Muggle Studies was optional at Hogwarts," Severus cut in,"although I doubt they would have been able to teach us anything about the popular Muggle music scene."
"Wicked!" Edie exclaimed. "Ye actually went to school with that prat?"
"Indeed."
"And there ye study... er, the lifestyle of Muggles?"
"Like Severus said, it's an optional class," Raven explained. "And it's quite a waste of time, if you ask me. But, you know, most of the wizarding folk have little to no knowledge about non-magical people since we're living in totally different worlds. At best, wizards consider Muggles rather peculiar in their way of mastering life without the help of magic."
"Oh, but we're doing fine with our technology. Or have ye magical folks been to the moon, too?"
"You have been to the moon?" Regulus asked confused, and he didn't understand what was so funny about his question that the girls had to start giggling like mad. Even Snape was grinning.
"Nope." Raven laughed, answering both Edie's and Regulus' question with that. Then she faced the Muggle girl again. "Ah, you see, some of us are quite ignorant about the achievements of modern technology. In fact, most pure-bloods are living in the same ivory-tower as Reg-"
"What's that pure-blood, half-blood or whatever-blood shite all about? Is that something like the old-fashioned idea of someone's blood being blue 'cause an angel o' God had pissed into it, making it holy an' all that crap?"
"Aye, kinda like that- although, science-based there is no such crap like pure or blue blood. It's just a divination humans came up with to classify the world and to justify inbreeding. In case of the wizarding world, those are called pure-bloods who have never mingled with Muggles. Half-bloods are born to mixed couples- just like Sev and I."
"Ah." Edie pondered that for a moment. "Does that mean you can only do half the magic than others?"
"Nah, not at all. Actually, some of the most powerful wizards are half-bloods."
"Interesting, eh?" Edie grinned at Regulus with mischievously twinkling eyes; they were of a softer shade of blue than her hair. "So ye have the edge over these pure-blood pricks since ye know both worlds."
-o-
Interesting indeed, Severus thought, that Edie came to the same conclusion as Raven always did, claiming it was a privilege to know both worlds. It wasn't a flaw to have one non-magical parent. It wasn't a flaw, either- at least not in the sense of carrying an everlasting stigma- to have grown up at Spinner's End. Those were simply things one couldn't change, just like you couldn't choose your parents or the environment in which you grew up. In the end, all that mattered was what you decide to do with your life, the way you chose for yourself.
He'd been wrong about which turn to take so many times. Now, he was feeling quite satisfied with the direction the road of his life had taken. But it wasn't all up his own merit; he couldn't take credit for that since it had been Raven who had set him straight so many times...
Severus stole a glance at her, admiring the patience she was having with him (although she wasn't known to be an overly patient person) and with almost the same patience she explained the basics of the wizarding world to Edie, who listened with interest.
And Edie was a clever girl, even though she hadn't been privileged to enjoy a good education. Nevertheless, she was intelligent enough to understand a fair warning when she heard one- perhaps that was the result of having a troubled childhood akin to his. Only that she hadn't been able to escape the violence at home by attending Hogwarts, or any other boarding school for the matter...
-o-
"Yeah, I got that," she replied after Raven finished instructing her, "I'm not daft, ye know. I won't tell anyone that ye're magical an' I'll pretend to forget I even know it since there won't be no wand-waving hocus-pocus in my presence anyway. For my own safety. And for yers 'cause of that Statute of Secrecy. I got all that."
And she was taking it all rather well. Of course, there had been a moment of- well, not quite shock but something akin to that; probably... bewilderment?... when Kreacher had opened the door to her. She had blinked and stared and blinked again, for he was quite an unusual sight indeed. A sight she had sort of sponged with her eyes because it was feeding her muse, and Edie was an artist.
At least, she liked to call herself an artist when being asked what she was doing for a living. Alas, her skills hadn't been sufficient to grant her a scholarship at the Art Academy- she, however, claimed that her art was either too vanguard or too… subcultural for those petty bourgeois of the scholarship committee. Or, perhaps, her imagination was simply running too wild, too extreme... whatever.
But being an artist also contained her acceptance of the unusual, even the supernatural. She had always liked to believe that there was more between heaven and hell than meets the eye, and having found out her friends' little secret just proved her right. Although she hadn't witnessed a demonstration of their magical skills yet, Edie believed they could do quite remarkable things with that stick of wood of theirs. That was not quite as fascinating as Kreacher, the house-elf, was...
She wished for a pencil and a sheet of paper so that she could draw him- those huge eyes, the bat-shaped ears... all his many wrinkles barely concealed by the tea towel he was wearing instead of real clothes. And then she wondered if there were more interesting looking creatures like him in that strange new world she had been granted a glimpse at... alas, according to Raven it was a dangerous world...
-o-
Raven breathed a sigh of relief when Edie, Regulus and Kreacher finally left. She still didn't know why Edie had come to visit or why Kreacher had opened the door- sometimes, fate just did those things... and there was no sense in quarrelling with fate. Perhaps, there even was some deeper meaning in Edie finding out about the wizarding world. It didn't sit well with her but there was little Raven could do about it, especially since Severus didn't seem to share her concern... and then she got a little bit jealous again.
Of course, after Raven had given her a fair warning that one Christmas, Edie had never tried to hit on Severus again. She hadn't flirted with him, hadn't given him pretty eyes or anything like that- and after a while, Raven had resumed her friendship with Edie, who didn't bear a grudge but was quite understanding. Ever since that very day, Edie knew that Raven was in love with Severus. It was a secret they shared in silence, and Edie had been good at keeping that to herself...
And yet, ever since that very day there also seemed to be a special connection between Severus and Edie. He was more tolerant towards her and her quirks than he was towards others, and she was probably the only one in their group of friends whose friendship he accepted without restraints.
Severus really liked Edie. That much was sure. And apparently, he had also come to trust her, since he saw no need in... messing with her memory. It was alright with him that she knew about them being magical- perhaps it was her acceptance of the facts that caused his lenience. Instead of calling them freaks (like many Muggles would have done) she seemed to consider their magic as a gift, a special skill, just like she was skilled at drawing.
There really was no need to be jealous.
After all, he had promised to give them a try. Raven only wished he would try a little harder. He hadn't kissed her since they had left New York, and she was dying for a kiss. Why was it always her who had to make the first step?
-o-
Severus was feeling a tad insecure now that he was alone with Raven. Before the departure of their friends (meanwhile, he had gotten used to calling Black a friend) their presence had prevented him from taking any action in the direction of proving Raven that he had been serious about giving them a try. He still didn't know if he loved her- what he felt for her differed so much from the feelings he had for Lily- but she was worth finding out if perhaps he could fall in love again. And he really, really wanted to kiss her again...
But if he followed his urge, wouldn't she think he merely wanted to bed her? Of course he wanted to sleep with her- very much so, indeed- but was it right to take advantage of her when he was still uncertain about his feelings? Besides, it was late already and he had to get up early in the morning for he couldn't miss another day at St Mungo's. So he decided to politely say good night and to give her a chaste peck-
It didn't work like he had planned. Her scent- both so familiar and intoxicating- seemed to overwhelm him when he moved closer; it reminded him of their night in Hawaii. Then she turned her head, gazing at him with eyes like summer skies, and instead of giving her a chaste peck on the cheek, his lips met hers. Only an instant later, they were snogging like mad.
How they ended up in her room, in her bed, he couldn't tell. All he remembered was that she whispered, stay with me, and that he did. It was so very easy to forget his resolution to get up early, just like it was so damned easy to forget almost everything- St Mungo's, his apprenticeship, Professor O'Flaherty... even Lily- when he was in her arms.