Chapter 42

"So are we going to try and be friends this time, or is that too much to ask," Sekhmet asked Severus.

He blinked. That question wasn't one often put to him...often was an understatement. So why did it have to be put to him now by someone who was stark raving mad? He obviously took too long to answer because Sekhmet sighed. "I take that as a no. I can't say I'm surprised, you were never reasonable or compromising. I was hoping we could work out our differences for Mag...but I can roll with it either way." Sekhmet shrugged dismissively, moving to lean on the ship's rail on the other side of Mag. Like Mag she was slender, but not quite as tall. Her hair was long, black and straight and her face wasn't ugly until she opened her mouth. Severus thought she'd make a pleasant statue.

"So are you on vacation as well, then," Mag asked.

"No, I just thought this would be a relaxing way to go back home. I was visiting my aunt," Sekhmet replied.

"So you visit England often," Mag asked.

Sekhmet shrugged then grinned. "Probably more often now if we end up hanging out..." Her grin widened wolfishly as her dark eyes fell on Severus. "If only to annoy him. I think it will keep me motivated during those down times that hit us all in life." Nightshade made that low coughing sound in the back of his throat that served as a laugh. "I owe him for trying to kill me for centuries, after all. The least I can be is a pain in his ass," Sekhmet continued.

Severus let out an explosive sigh of pure frustration. "I haven't tried to kill anyone...until now! Right now helping you over that rail into the ocean is very tempting, however. "Had he just said that? Apparently crazy people made him lose it a little, he thought regretfully as he silently struggled for self control.

"You tried to kill me several times in spirit and continued to haunt me through three of my lives in which you also tried to kill me."

"Do you even realize how insane that sounds," Severus demanded.

"YES," Sekhmet said fervently. "You had a lot of hate as a ghost. You just couldn't let it go...And I mean even worse than you have it right now...You were a nasty violent spirit and I had to layer myself in magical protections in those three lives to survive all of your insane attempts. Not to mention trying to kill me when we were both spirits. That was really insane because the spirit is immortal. You were just that pissed off, though. I'm just glad you called it, because I really am trying to be polite this go around...For Mag."

Severus blinked. He'd meant her insanity, not that he was insane!

/Sorry, Prof but this is really funny!/

/Whose side are you on?/

/Yours, as always,/ Nightshade hastily assured. /But it's still funny. And it's not like she's Sirius Asswipe Black or anything, cause I can see into her head and she really does think you started it./

At the mention of Sirius, Severus couldn't help but smile, remembering Mag's graduation party last night and Raislen raising a toast to Sirius's death. That had been a peace offering if anything was. They could both share a moment of happiness over someone they both hated being no more. Black was such a Git! The party had been as much for Sirius's death as Mag's graduation for many of them present.

"He's smiling," Sekhmet said pensively. "That means he's plotting. Are you going to try to kill me again," she asked Severus. "Because I have some protective amulets that will royally fuck you up if you try, so I really advise against it," she concluded almost gently.

Severus took several deep breaths. Had the world gone mad? Why wasn't Mag saying anything? "I am not trying to kill you, unless wanting to counts," he ground out.

Sekhmet shook her head. "Nah, it doesn't."

"So is everyone going to get along," Mag asked and Severus blinked again.

She was into Muggle psychology, so why wasn't she understanding that they needed to get away from the crazy Egyptian girl? Or did she have some sort of plan to escape her peacefully? They didn't want to get thrown off the ship for being involved in insane...commotions, after all. "Sure," he said, giving a noncommittal shrug.

"That's an I am planning to stab you in your sleep sort of sure if I ever heard one," Sekhmet predicted dryly.

"Good then," Mag said. "It's all settled, and everyone is getting along."

"Fine, but if I end up dead, you know who probably did it," Sekhmet said doubtfully. "See you at dinner maybe. I'm going to go see who they've got for entertainment. Ship entertainment usually sucks so I want to be prepared." With a little wave she meandered away.

Severus slumped against the rail with a sigh. "Gods I never thought that madness would end! We must figure out a way to avoid her at dinner at all cost."

"Why? She'd make an excellent tour guide and we'll probably get far more out of the trip," Mag objected calmly.

"Magritte! She's stark raving mad. You're the psychology expert. Why do I need to tell you this?"

Mag frowned thoughtfully. "I'm not so sure," she mused. "They say we're drawn to the places in which we spent our most important past lives and you and I are both really into Egypt. Sekhmet seems to know a lot and she even picked up on Nightshade's...extra attributes without anyone saying a word. That's rather impressive, you must admit."

"Or dangerous," Severus said peevishly.

Mag went still suddenly, color draining from her face. "Are you saying that you fear she may be one of...his," she asked in a hushed tone.

Severus shook his head. "No, actually. Nightshade said he looked into her mind and he'd have seen as much." /Right Nightshade,/ he asked, just in case.

/Right,/ the owl agreed, looking up from where he was preening his feathers on the rail.

"Let's go unpack," Mag suggested, holding out her arm to Nightshade to come along.

Severus nodded, still not thrilled with the Sekhmet related turn of events, but figuring he was stuck with her for the moment to at least some degree.

They nearly ran into a couple of drunk wizards on the way to their room, and Severus had to struggle not to hex the louts due to the mood he was in. The gentle motion of the ship lulled him during the unpacking and a glass of wine at the bar before dinner improved his mood greatly as well. He even dared to hope that Sekhmet would have found herself some other form of entertainment for the evening meal, but no such luck. She spotted them where they were sitting with a group of scholarly seeming wizards with room at their table. At least the dinner conversation revolved around Egyptian history. When Sekhmet corrected one of the scholars on a point concerning Set, Severus found himself nodding in agreement because the girl was right. Like everyone, the Egyptians loved to rearrange their religion to fit their political needs as they grew and changed. Set was only seen as a dark god later. Previously he was the God of riches, of desert storms, of change, and he was one of Ra's main protectors from the evil serpent.

"You both used to worship him. I assume that hasn't changed then," Sekhmet asked, upon seeing Severus's nod of agreement to her words.

"No, it hasn't changed at all," Mag agreed with a smile.

She knew the scholars at the table would have no idea they were talking about past lives. She knew that Severus didn't like Sekhmet, but that didn't mean she was insane. She made sense and Mag found herself believing her. Of course hearing that she'd once been an Egyptian princess and was involved with Severus even then didn't hurt. As for how they'd ended back then, one was supposed to learn from the past and not repeat it. That was the whole point of doing it all over again in another life, after all. Severus may not like most people, but he certainly didn't go around killing them with dark magic. So that meant things were already different, she thought with a pleased smile. The rest of the cruise was much like the first day. It had its peaceful restful moments, its interesting moments full of wine and various intellectual conversations with other passengers, and Severus and Sekhmet snarking at one another from time to time. Sekhmet spent enough time with them but she enjoyed being alone as well, so Mag and Severus had enough privacy. Mag liked Sekhmet and indeed felt a pull as if she'd known her before. She trusted her as well. Sekhmet was more open than most about her disdain for Voldemort and that was a hard plus in Mag's book. Not every bloody dark wizard wanted to follow Voldemort and it annoyed her that so many not so dark wizards seemed to think the opposite of that. Wizards like Voldemort made issues for the rest of them and it wasn't right.

Once they arrived in Egypt, they had three days on land before setting sail for home. True to her word, Sekhmet insisted they skip the basic tour and let her show them the good stuff. First they went to an underground, literally, book shop. It sold translations of rare Egyptian scrolls that covered anything from the daily correspondences of Ramses The Great, to some of the first written rituals performed for Osiris, Ra, Set, and Thoth.

"I mean you won't find shit like this anywhere else and it's real... So its expensive, but it's the real deal and gives you a true and accurate glimpse into...just about anything you want to know about," Sekhmet enthused. Needless to say, both Severus and Mag dropped a lot of gold in that shop! Next Sekhmet took them to a gem and mineral shop.

"You'll never want to leave this place," she told Mag with a grin, taking her arm and drawing her inside. "They have pieces cut and crafted by the locals but in the back there are even some pieces owned by Pharaohs...Or at least the scribe of one of them...for sure."

Both Mag and Severus dropped a goodly amount of gold in that shop as well. Then there were the clothing shops! The Egyptian robes were the softest Mag had ever felt. They practically glided like air over the skin. She got one embroidered with Set in his animal form, one with the eye of Ra and one with a sphinx on the chest. Severus got the same three in a more masculine design as well as one with Bast. "Ah now the two of you can be one of those disgusting couples who like to dress alike," Sekhmet said with a laugh.

"That wasn't intentional," Severus said. "We just have similar taste."

"We can wear them at different times when we don't want to match," Mag suggested and Severus nodded gratefully.

"Yes, that will work!"

They stayed at a very nice hotel, but the price was affordable because it was off the beaten path for tourists. Again Sekhmet had come in useful for it was she who had taken them there. The hotel served meals, and the food was in the style of what the ancients ate because they were big on upholding tradition in that area. Dinner consisted of a delicious bread, figs, nuts, and roast pork.

The next day, Sekhmet met them after breakfast looking sleepy and mildly grumpy. "If you want to see some original temples, we can do that today," she suggested. Severus and Mag both nodded eagerly.

/Hey are there any statues of me,/ Nightshade asked. /Like of me in that past life./

Sekhmet laughed. "I said you were a unique wizard, not a fucking god!"

/Yeah but if I made my head like an owl to show how god damn wise I am, what if people thought I was a god and made a fuckin' statue of me,/ Nightshade persisted.

"That's about as logical as all the prattle you fed us on the ship," Severus defended the owl's logic with a straight face.

"Logical or not, it still isn't true and I can't shit out a statue for him," Sekhmet protested with a frown.