Seduction

It was Lily who opened the door for them, and she flung herself into Eileen's arms. She hadn't seen her since Sunday, when they barely spent an hour together, and before that, she had talked to her at Christmas and the previous July, when Sev was distant from her. And it was the first time since they both knew what they knew, they were almost crying with joy, and also Sev.

Lily's parents watched them discreetly from the doorway of the living room, smiling. When they parted and Lily and Sev couldn't help but hug too, Violet was contagious and hugged Eileen as well. She shyed away a bit, not used to displays of affection.

"Welcome, Mrs. Snape, you're in your home," Violet told her.

"Thank you for inviting me, you have been very kind, Mrs. Evans," Eileen said.

"Call me Violet, enough of the formalities."

"It's okay, Violet. This is for you," she gave her the bundle of violets. "They are enchanted so that they never wither."

"Oh! What detail! Thank you very much."

Peter hugged her too. "We're glad to see you here at last, Mrs. Snape."

"Please call me Eileen."

"Okay, Eileen, I'm Peter. Come on, take off your coat and let's make ourselves comfortable in the living room."

Sev had already hung up his, and with Lily they watched the scene. He whispered in her ear, "Now you'll see…"

Peter was helping Eileen to remove her coat. When Violet saw her, she couldn't suppress a little gasp of surprise. "Eileen, you look beautiful. You look like a modern witch."

"It's just that I am…"

They laughed. Violet and Peter for appreciating the profound change experienced by this woman whom they had also loved for a long time because of what her daughter told them, and Eileen a bit nervous and embarrassed, but also grateful for the warmth they showed her.

Sev was thinking, Poor Lily, the lioness in the snakes' pit.

They settled in the room. Sev and Lily insisted that their parents do it on the couch, with Eileen in the middle, and they did it in the armchairs, facing each other, since the initial plan was for the witch to explain the Druid Magic book in more detail, that she had spent the last few nights studying.

Lily's parents were interested, asking her questions, and she showed them some spells that had changed her invocation to Latin and could be performed with a wand, which she had selected herself. Peter and Violet were in awe, amazed, open-mouthed. They hadn't seen magic since Lily and Sev were little.

She even showed them, standing up, the Protego. "This is Defense," she explained to them. "No harmful spell can pass through it. With this magic it can be done with the hands, forming a complete sphere that preserves whoever is inside." As the book explained and Sev himself had discovered by chance.

Later they talked about the meanings of the rituals and of the sacred natural places, and the talk began to take a deeper turn, she even spoke to them, without explicitly mentioning the Magic of the Moon and of Love, how it had arisen at the dawn of humanity and its development and subsequent decline.

Violet and Peter commented that it was a pity what had happened, because they thought that if the witches had not been forced to hide and had been able to continue using their power correctly, many evils that affected the world would have been avoided.

The subject came up as to why Hogwarts didn't teach such magic. Sev and Lily had agreed that as soon as school was mentioned they would be absent, so that Eileen could reassure Peter and Violet as much as possible on that subject, letting them have an adult chat. I fully trust my Mum's cunning and tact and that Peter and Violet will not embarrass her, Sev thought. I know that among snakes they will understand each other.

So Lily apologized, "We are going upstairs for a moment, parents, we have to talk about some things."

"Sure, kids. Take the time you want." With that Peter confirmed to them that they too wanted to be alone with Eileen for a while.

As soon as they closed her bedroom door, Lily pushed Sev until he fell on the bed. "Stop the car, Lily," he said hilariously. "It is true that we have to talk about something."

"More strategies?"

"No... It was lucky that I stayed at home this afternoon. I bring news of Jack." He took the note out of his trousers pocket and showed it to her, sitting on the edge of the bed.

Lily's face lit up. "The sixth-year warriors! They have accepted you without knowing you."

"You already know that Jack is a born leader, he knows how to treat people and win them over."

"And he's also found a way to increase the Guard…"

"Yeah… what could have occurred to him?" Sev wondered. "The truth is, he could have told me instead of keeping me on my toes."

"Ah… Take your own medicine."

"What do you mean by that?"

"That you are not the only one who knows how to play mysterious," Lily replied.

"You're absolutely right." He laughed.

"Let's see if the letter doesn't arrive this month and you have time…"

The right mood to drop the bomb. Whatever she feels, relief will prevail, Sev thought, who was showing an enigmatic smile.

"What? Tell me, come on, always the same," Lily complained. "Do you know anything else…"

And curiosity. The mysterious smile turned wicked.

"Come on!"

"It is not the only owl that I have got this afternoon," he said, took out the small piece of parchment from Lauren and handed it over to her.

Lily read it, and the graceful feminine handwriting confirmed what she almost certainly already knew, but she didn't care at all. She knew that without Parkinson, Sev might never have freed himself, and not only that.

Without the Mind Arts, they would not have been able to control the snakes with Legilimency and meet often, read allies, guard against the danger of knowing Druid Magic by learning Occlumency, nor could they now communicate through Projection at the peak of risk.

She had been aware of it for a long time, and she knew that this girl, whom she hated for a brief period months ago, was the heart of the great team they had formed, a heart that beat alone. And also now the short word written on the small piece of parchment confirmed the risk she was taking in exchange for almost nothing, because she knew with total certainty that Sev had not been with her more than as a friend and student, because he would never deceive her in something like that.

Parkinson had probably loved him long before she herself had, if she had been willing to take such a risk for him, and she was settling for his friendship and his company. She wasn't jealous at all, but rather felt a deep appreciation and empathy. And so much relief… they had almost a month and a half ahead of them. She already had misty eyes.

"From your ally, right?" Lily asked.

She's been moved, Sev thought. "Yeah."

"And you haven't even been able to answer him."

She is about to cry. "No."

"Do you want us to send Puck to him if only so that he knows that you has get it?"

Merlin… she's worried about her… and I'm about to cry too. "I don't have his address, it would be dangerous for him."

Lily broke down and hugged Sev crying her eyes out. He did too.

"I'm very sorry, Sev, he must feel so alone…"

"Don't worry, Lily, he is strong and has his family."

"Yeah… but at school he only has you."

"Well, maybe soon I can put him in touch with someone from the Guard."

Lily understood that he was referring to Jack, because Sev told her, before the web of secrets was established, how Anthony told him about the relationship between Parkinson and Jack after the Potions row, and that Sev was willing to give up that precious, generous girl and completely devoted to save him, to continue with her.

"Of course… but never stop being his friend."

"Of course not, Lily, I will never leave him."

And from this response and the emotion that Sev was feeling she knew that he loved Parkinson too. The pureblood girl had everything he admired, kindness, talent, generosity, and beauty. She knew that she must learn to share his heart with her, as the ancient warlocks did to create powerful bonds. And she wanted so much to meet her and also give her her support…

"Maybe one day I can be his friend too," Lily said.

Sev thought, It seems to me that very soon, but this is not the time to talk about it, we must take it with time.And she must already be realizing that I love Lauren too, from how I'm crying. "Maybe... When we finish school and he'll be no longer in danger." So that she understands that knowing Lauren's secret she is putting her at risk.

Lily understood that Sev didn't want to make her jealous. And she would have wanted to tell him that she knew who his ally was and that she didn't care. But she didn't want to put him in that bind. He is crying desperately, he really loves her, and rightfully, too. So selfless.She deserves him much more than me.

Surely they continually project to each other, share all the classes and the Dungeon Room and sit close in the Great Hall. And yet, Sev has chosen me, being so difficult to be together. I want to tell him that he loves her too, but my selfishness gets the better of me. We are going to spend more than two months without meeting and I fear losing him.

So she told him, "When we finish school we will all be friends, a big family, like prehistoric tribes."

Merlin... the Magic of the Moon has permeated her, she would be willing to share me, Sev thought. What a relief, she's not jealous at all.Maybe one day I will be able, thanks to the Ancestral Magics, to share all the love I have to give. He didn't answer, but held Lily tighter and she knew what he was thinking and that he appreciated it, and she clung to him too.

Should I bring up the subject of it is Lauren now? Sev wondered. Lily doesn't dare tell me. We are both too sensitive, it is something that we must talk about relaxed and calmly. The moment will arise, perhaps on the weekend excursion.

At last they calmed down. Sev, washed of all hatred, pride and mistrust, because of the relief he felt thanks to her sixteen friends, thought of someone else that at that moment was also perhaps alone. I'm going for the seventeenth, to heal Lily's wound, since she has done it with so many of mine, and to inspire her even more in generosity and dedication.

"Is your sister at home?" he asked.

"She is, why?"

"She is going to spend hours alone and without have dinner."

Lily snorted.

Difficult, Sev thought.

"It's her problem, nobody forces her to lock herself up," she said.

Lily's absolutely right, but I can understand Petunia.I was like that too, sullen and obnoxious, until very recently, and I have missed many happy moments because of it. "Don't you think she would like to see Hogwarts in the Pensieve? Remember that she wanted to attend. She went so far as to write to Dumbledore," he insisted.

"Are you thinking of inviting her? Sev, she hates you, she's not going to listen to you. Besides, if she sees it, she's going to be even more envious."

It is possible, but trying it would be a first step, planting a seed, as Ariel helped me do with the Guard, Sev thought. I don't have siblings and I would have liked to, and Lily and Petunia are going to lost each other forever if they don't fix it.

"I'll write her a note,· he said. "Even if it's useless today, it'll make her think, and maybe later she'll start to accept us."

Lily rolled her eyes. "Do what you want, she's not even going to read it." Lily was disappointed because she was thinking to spend that time kissing Sev. She understood his ally thing, but not that at this point in life he was trying to fix things with her sister, it seemed like a wasted effort to her.

Sev sat down at the desk, took out a Muggle paper and a pen like the ones he had used to copy the spells for Peter, and putting his whole heart into it, he wrote:

Petunia:

We haven't talked in many years, and the few times we did it was to argue. I apologize for that and for having attacked you with magic once when we were little. I really regret doing it.

I know that you would have liked to be a witch like us, and I am sure that if you had gone to Hogwarts the way you wanted, we would have been very good friends. It's not our fault that it wasn't like that, but it's our fault that we don't get along as we are. I want to do it, and I ask you to give me a chance.

Come down to dinner with us, my Mum is going to show us the castle in a magical artifact. It will be as if you were there, you can walk through it and see what it was like when she was studying. Few people without magic have the opportunity, don't miss it.

If today you don't feel like it, nothing happens. We will bring it back in the summer and as many times as necessary until you cheer up, which I hope will be soon.

A hug,

Sev

Sev was misty-eyed when he finished. And how many go today?Four or five.Shame on me, I'm becoming a crybaby.

He folded the page and asked Lily, who was still sitting on the bed, waiting for him, "Which is your sister's room?"

"Aren't you going to show me what you've written to her?"

Not at all, if she sees that I apologize to her, she won't allow me. "No. This is between her and me."

Lily sighed. Always with his mysteries. "Next door," nonchalantly.

"I'll take a minute. Get ready for the kisses."

Sev went outside and knocked on Petunia's door. Knock knock knock.

"What?" A nasty scream from the other side.

Ugh… if she answers like that thinking that it is her Mum or her Dad, how would she do it if she knew it was me?If I answer she won't open me. Knock knock knock.

"What do you want, Mum? I already told you I wasn't going to come downstairs!"

Ugh… last chance.Three times three, nine, my number.If she doesn't open, I'll pass it under the door, there's a hole. Knock knock knock.

"How tiresome! You're distracting me from stu…!" Petunia broke off the sentence as she flung open the door, changing her expression from annoyance to one of huge astonishment.

The last one she expected. Sev took advantage of the second of her bewilderment to put his foot on the door frame so that she couldn't close it again.

She reacted and looked at him and spoke scornfully as he plunged the deep black wells into her, still wet. "What the hell do you want?"

What a miracle, she has spoken to me and has not tried to slam the door in my face.

He spoke to her with his silkiest voice, the one he only used with his beloved ones, holding out the folded sheet of paper. "Just read this."

Petunia was torn between hostility and bewilderment, looking alternately at the paper and at his eyes, which he never took from her.

"Please," Sev said, still staring at her.

She tore the paper from his hand and he withdrew his foot just in time for her to not catch it with the slam of the door.

Good! He returned to Lily, with a smirk.

"What a miracle! She has opened to you," she said very surprised. "How did you do it?"

"Testing luck."

"And did she take the note?"

"Of course. Can't you see I don't have it?"

"How did you convince her?" Lily was already having fun.

"Looking at her... and talking to her like to you."

"Oh…! Now I explain it to myself. Sev, you are incredible, quite a seducer. Don't hook up with my sister…" The two laughed.

"I'm sure she's going to read it, she's going to be curious."

"Come on, close the door and the latch and come here, we'll have to go downstairs soon to set the table," she said, lying down on the bed still laughing.