Telling off
Sev sat at the table, next to Ariel. His first course appeared.
"Hi honey, how about the first one?" Sev asked the boy.
"It is very tasty, Sev, today you are going to like it."
(Yes, today, when I'm barely hungry because I had breakfast just over an hour ago and I'm going to spend the whole lunch in absolute tension. Let's see if I can at least finish it. In the afternoon I'll ask my little one to bring me a snack from the kitchens, I don't want anything from Jack anymore.) "Okay, so continue eating calmly. We'll talk after lunch."
"Okay, Sev."
(Today I won't be able to dedicate a minute to him, luckily I'm going to be with him this afternoon.) He began to eat. (Well, that's yummy, I'll get finish it. I'm going to start by talking to Lily in private, so I give Lauren time to read. I'd better be the one to tell her off than Albus, he's going to be too soft. I won't look at her, otherwise I too will soften.)
Lily saw Sev and his escort walk into the Great Hall a minute and a half after she started eating. Well, he's hardly late, but they come with wands in hand. I said, something big has happened. And he's already deposed Jack, he's flanked by Valerie and Andrew and Anthony behind him, despite being a worse duelist. He no longer trusts him to protect him, and rightly, Jack wouldn't know how to keep his cool in a stressful situation, as he demonstrated this morning.
Let's see how Sev does with the summer escort, luckily he has Alice and Frank. And he will also be left without a mate to accompany him to play the piano. What a ruin, how Jack has failed him.
He has studied the terrain while he was approaching the table, he has already realized that the malefics are there, that Lauren has changed places and is reading them and that Albus is also present. Surely he projects to me first to give her time to read, perhaps they have already talked at home. I'll wait for him doing it, let's see how I keep up.
Passing by Lauren, he has looked at her, they have projected to each other. Jack was also looking at her, if she has looked at Sev, he will have realized that they have. Let him get upset. He is not up to her, to neither of them. I have to go look at myself in the mirror in the Room of Requirement one day, that way I also take Remus and Cecile, I'm sure I won't see Jack anymore.
She saw Sev sit down, next to Frank's head. He's talking to Ariel, probably telling him that today he won't be able to pay attention to him. Poor man, lookhow many troubles we give him, this can't go on like this. He starts to eat, let's see if he looks at me. No, he does not. He's going to tell me off but fine. Well, to endure the downpour, because he is absolutely right. I won't look at him either.
Sev projected to Lily, "Hi, honey, what's up?"
Lily thought, Dryly. He is very upset. "Fine, Sev."
"Well, you shouldn't be."
"Yeah. I already know it."
Sev thought, (Maybe she's already talked to Albus. I don't care, I'm on my own.) "You've been screwing up all morning," vehement and angry.
"I know, Sev."
He thought, (Afraid and terrified. Albus hasn't told her the good news yet. Better give her a scare, like I've had.)
They continued in the same tone throughout the conversation, neither of them eating.
"You have done fatally, Lily. You have put yourself at risk of death too."
"The malefics have seen us with your escort, right?"
"Yes, Lily, from the Library. They were waiting for me."
"Ugh, Sev. How awful."
"You can't do this to me, Lily, you must learn to protect yourself. You know that you are more important than me. If you fall, I go behind. I've told you a thousand times."
She thought, He is absolutely right. How wrong I have done, how wrong I have done. I do not know what to tell him. I'm about to cry but I have to hold it back, he can't see me crying if he looks at me.
(She does not answer me, I have put fear in her body but fine,) Sev thought. (I'll let her recover a bit and take the opportunity to eat another spoonful. I am going to tell her everything, to finish intimidating her. Let her know the real danger she is running, not only in school, and get used to the idea of what awaits her this summer, that she has a whole month to prepare.) "Lily, are you listening to me?"
"Of course, Sev."
"Then listen to this carefully. Do you know who is going to go for you this summer?"
No, I do not know. "You tell me, Sev."
(She doesn't know anything.) "You should already imagine it."
I have no idea. I do not know what to tell him, Lily thought.
(She doesn't respond, she doesn't even imagine, and I told her everything Lauren knew before the mess. I'll eat another spoonful.) "Are you listening to me?"
"Yes, Sev."
"Bellatrix Lestrange, Voldemort's right hand, who was spiteful for me and is going to be jealous of you when the malefics tell her about you."
No wonder he's so angry. "Booaah…"
Sev smirked to himself. (That is. A good scare, like the one I've had. I'll continue.) "And Malfoy won't be able to defend you from her. She's ahead of him on the scale."
Lily thought, He is right. What a summer we are going to spend. And I don't have an escort.
(She doesn't answer me. I'm going to tell her that they tortured him, so that she finds out what others are suffering for us.) "Do you know what they did to Lucius the day after the mess, Voldemort and her?"
I can already imagine it. "What, Sev?"
"They sewed him with Crucios to find out everything he knew about me."
"Booaah…"
(I'm going to tell her everything. Let her know what it takes to put up with this.) "And do you know what he did meanwhile?"
"What, Sev?"
"Read them. while they tortured him. To find out as much as he could and continue to protect me."
"Booah… poor man."
"No. Poor, no," he said. "He is very proud of what he did, because he managed to avoid being discovered, and they delegated the reprisals against me to him. I was safe."
How have I screwed it up. "Oh, Sev. Very sorry."
"And not only that. He found out that Bellatrix wasn't going to be interested in me anymore and Voldemort looked down on me. I was safe."
"I'm so sorry, Sev."
"You can't screw it up like this while there are people who are risking their lives for us. He doesn't know anything about you and he can't protect you."
My… that's true, Lily thought. The letter that the Ministry sent me to Sev's house. They're going to catch him connecting with me. He won't be able to be at his house in the summer. I'm not telling him yet. I can't help crying anymore, even though he sees me.
(She doesn't answer me, I take the opportunity to eat a little more. Lucius will also find out and protect her, but for the moment I won't tell her, nor that Albus has erased her tracks from the Ministry. Let her be scared, I'm going to get on with what she did wrong today.) "Are you listening to me?"
"Yes, Sev."
"You have continued to screw it up also after training, waiting to be the last ones to come out. The malefics haven't seen you reach the Hall for minutes."
"Yeah, I know, Sev."
"You should have left first."
"I was very nervous for you."
"I already know. But you go first, Lily, I already know how to take care of myself. I've told you a thousand times."
"You're right, Sev."
"My Map is better than yours, I've been watching it since I woke up, and Lauren the malefics since they left the Great Hall. She has spent the entire morning reading and watching that I did not pass by the door of the Library so that she could defend me if they attacked me. I was safe and you weren't. Have I made it clear?"
"Yes, Sev."
"Well, from now on stop thinking about me, think about yourself. You go first, then Lauren, and then me. Are you aware?
"Yes, Sev."
(Enough, I'm going to let her recover for a bit. I'll talk to Lauren privately, to see if she's finished reading. And in the meantime, I'm eating a little more, it's yummy.)
He looked at Lauren, changed his tone to silky and continued to eat while talking to her alone. "Lauren, can you talk?"
"Sure, Severus."
(She is calm and eating normally, she does keep her cool, snake.) "I have told Lily off, because this morning she has screwed it completely."
"Yeah, I know, Severus."
"Not only before training, but also after, when coming to the Great Hall."
"Oh…"
"They haven't caught her with an escort for a couple of minutes," he said.
"Yeah."
(She doesn't want to turn against Lily, but she has to help me scare her.) "I have told her that Lucius was tortured."
"Ugh, Severus... you shouldn't have done that."
"Yes, Lauren. So that she knows that Bellatrix is going to go for her as soon as the malefics tell on her."
"Sure, you are right. I will notify my parents so that they can update him as soon as possible. Let him understand that I found out through a rumour."
(No. I don't want her to take any more risks, it's not necessary.) "Don't put yourself in evidence, Lauren. She is safe. Albus also covered her tracks from the Ministry." (Tracks that would have led to my house and not hers, but they would have deduced that we are neighbors.)
"Sure."
"And he is going to teach us to make ourselves invisible between now and the summer."
"Wow!" she exclaimed, admired.
"I will teach you too. You probably won't appear on the Map like the Disillusioner does."
"That's good, Severus."
(What joy I have just given her. In the end, the apparent misfortune has turned out to be lucky. Another stroke of luck. There are already thirteen.) "But don't tell Lily yet, neither of those things. Let her be scared for a while, until she talks to the old man."
"Okay."
(She trusts my judgment. Very good,) he thought. "One last question before talking to her, to face the talk I have to have this afternoon with Jack. Have you already told him everything about your family?"
"Severus, please don't talk to Jack about me."
"Yes, Lauren, I'm going to do it. I swore I would take care of you and I never go back on my word," emphatically without ceasing to be sweet. "You are far ahead of him on my list of priorities. Have I made it clear or am I going to have to tell you off too?"
(She doesn't answer me, she's already starting to turn it about. And I don't have a minute to waste.) He stopped eating. "Lauren, answer my question, so I don't slip the secrets, but now, there's a lot to talk about," a bit more altered.
"Yes, it was the first thing I did when I contacted him."
"And does he know anything about Lucius?" going back to smoothness.
"He doesn't," she replied.
"Thank you, Lauren. Let's talk among the three of us and tell us what you've found out, the biggest thing. It's past twenty to one now and we need to talk to Dumbledore as well."
"Okay, Severus, I'll summarize."
"At dinner you'll tell us in detail. Don't get in the way of my tone with Lily, she deserves it."
"Okay, here I go."
(Perfect.)
Lauren projected to both of them, "Hello, Lily. How are you?"
(Neutral, impartial. I like it that way,) Sev thought.
Lily thought, Neutral. Sev has warned her not to go soft on me. And rightly so, too. I'm not going to show myself weak, I have to live up to them. "Recovering from the shock, Lauren."
Sev thought, (Lily is not projecting to me, she has responded only to Lauren.)
"Are you projecting to Severus too?" Lauren projected to both of them.
She's not going to talk to me alone, Lily thought. They have not been able to talk to each other at home and we have little time."
"I'm not," she projected only to Lauren.
"Well, let's talk among the three of us."
"Sure," Lily projected to both of them.
(Okay, she's recovered enough,) Sev thought.(Now let's see if I don't get angry again with the news that Lauren gives us.)
"I am going to tell you what I have read. A summary," Lauren projected.
"Come on, Lauren," Sev projected, also neutral.
Sev has calmed down enough already. Good thing, Lily thought.
"The malefics planned to ambush you at the exit of the Library when you passed by there," Lauren said.
Booah… Lily thought.
(I'm not interested in that, I'm interested in Lily and Lauren,) Sev thought. "I already imagine that, Lauren. Have they seen Lily with my escort?"
"No, but they have seen Remus, Cecile and Lily at the bottom of the stairs when they left the Great Hall, waiting for them."
(Ugh… what a faux pas. I've already gotten angry again,) Sev thought. "So at the bottom of the stairs, Lily, in full view of everyone," terribly angry. "What else, Lauren?" holding back.
Lily thought, I have to resist, learn from Sev's self-control, he knows how to treat each one of us properly.
"Then they saw them all go by together and Remus and Cecile and they deduced that she was also with them," Lauren continued.
"Obviously. What do you think, Lily?" Sev asked.
He already holds back with me too. "That I've screwed up to the bottom, Sev," Lily said.
(Well, she's whole, but I'm not,) Sev thought. "Are they planning to do something to her?"
"Not at school at the moment, but they plan to tell the Death Eaters," Lauren answered.
"Are you aware, Lily?" Sev asked desperately.
God… how am I making him suffer, Lily thought. I'm about to cry again… "Yes, Sev," she said holding back.
"Lauren, do they have any contact outside the school?" mastering himself.
"No, they don't have it. They won't do anything against Lily until they leave Hogwarts," Lauren replied.
"Would they not write to The Prophet?"
"No, Severus."
"Oof… Lauren, what a relief. That's the seventh-years, right?" Sev asked.
"Yeah."
"And the sixth-year will stay in charge of something?"
"Yes, to continue watching if you are still together," Lauren answered.
"Are you aware, Lily?" he asked, desperate again. "We won't be able to come out into the open for more than a year, and that's if more Death Eaters don't come out between now and then."
"Booah, Sev. How I've screwed it up," said Lily, also desperate.
(Indeed, you screwed it up completely, I don't feel like talking to you anymore,) he thought. (I'm even regretting putting you ahead of Lauren.)
Lily thought, And Lauren, too, because she's going to have to keep reading them in case they change their plans, and she already told me that she's not going to be with Sev freely until we get out and we can do it too. I'm crying again, luckily Sev still isn't looking at me. I have to force myself him not to notice it in my mental voice. "I'm so sorry, Lauren, Sev. I've screwed up your life completely," she said.
"No, Lily. You've screwed up yourself," said Sev, vehemently. "Lauren has been reading almost the entire school year so we wouldn't get caught, you know, and for a few minute blunder you've ruined everything."
"I know, Sev."
"Well, let's see if you are aware how things are done," he said, and changing to neutral. "Anything else about Lily, Lauren?"
"No that's all," she replied.
"Okay. Now tell us about yourself, because I have noticed with my Map that first you were facing them and very close, and then you have changed places and you have turned your back to them where you could still read them."
"Yeah. They thought that I would be on their side and that I have you much more within reach."
"And have they talked to you, Lauren? Tell us everything," Sev asked.
"Yes, they have spoken with me."
"Are you aware, Lily?" angry again. "Fortunately Lauren didn't appear on Albus' Map, otherwise he would have caught her. For protecting us."
"Ugh, Sev. What a mess," said Lily.
"What exactly did they ask you, Lauren? Tell us everything, also what you have answered them," again in a neutral tone.
"If I was your classmate, and I said I am," she answered.
"Obviously, you can't lie about that. What else?"
"Why had I stayed at school when all the Sly malefics had left."
"They have gone to the point," he said.
"Yeah."
"And what did you answer them?"
"I want to finish my studies," Lauren replied.
"Anything else?"
"Yeah. It was the handsome guy who approached me, the one who got involved with Cecile. He has tried to flirt with me."
"Oh. And what have you done?" Sev asked.
"I gave him pumpkins. I told him that I'm only interested in studying and changed places, he has given me the perfect excuse."
"Are you aware what a disguise is, Lily?" angry again.
"Yes, Sev," she replied.
"But now you've sat right behind him. He may come back to bother you if he notices. Is he going to leave you alone?" Sev asked Lauren.
"Yes, I have given him a good cut. He is not used to being rejected by women, he is the typical womanizer."
"Are you aware, Lily?" a bit less altered. "He's going to leave her alone and Albus will too when he reads them. She alone has saved herself, while she protected us both. Like Lucius."
Lily thought, I'd like to hear about Sev too, but I couldn't bear it, I've only had a few bites. "Let's leave it now, Sev."
"No, Lily, Cecile and Remus are missing. Anything on them, Lauren?"
"Nothing, Severus. They don't consider them important," she replied.
"Wonderful. Now we really are leaving it, Lauren, because we need to talk to Dumbledore. You'll tell us about me at dinner, I'm safe, I won't leave the house. Read on for what's left of lunch and if they plan to do something to Lily, tell us at the end. Too bad you can only read the Raves from there and the most dangerous for her are the Gryffs."
"Yeah, but they won't do anything alone. They don't dare with the Longbottoms and it hasn't occurred to them that hurting her could be useful, they think that if they did, all of Sly would turn against them."
Sev thought, (Oof… what a relief. In the end it almost turned out better. She is more protected having related her to me, at least in school. In the end it hasn't been that bad.) "How lucky you have been, Lily," now calm. "The luck you won't have in summer."
He told me calmly. He already knows that in summer I am safe too, Lily thought.
"Lauren, we cut up," Sev continued. "Don't leave until we project to you again."
"It's alright, Severus. I'll keep reading."
He projected only to Lily, in a neutral tone, "Lily, we're in private." And authoritative and vehement, "Let me and Albus talk." And threatening, "If you slip any of Lauren's secrets, forget about me."
She thought, He puts her ahead of me, and rightly so, what a mess I've gotten them into. "I understand, Sev. Don't worry, I won't."
"I'm going there."
He projected to Dumbledore and Lily at the same time, in a neutral tone, "Albus, we can talk now, project to both of us."
"How are you, Lily?" the Headmaster asked.
She thought, Neutral too, but he doesn't call me Lillian like he said he would when he has to scold me, he's going to be nice to me, despite the seriousness of the matter. Of course, he still hasn't read the malefics, nor does he know what we did after training.
"Fine, Albus," Lily replied, sheepish.
"Has Prince told you the bad news?"
"Yes, Albus."
"And the good ones?"
"No."
"Oh, Prince. I see that you have given her a good scolding as well," with a certain reproachful tone.
"Of course, Albus," Sev said vehement and very self-assured. "She can't put himself in danger like that. I already told you yesterday, if something happens to her, I'll go after her. Go ahead, tell her about it."
"Your tracks in the Ministry are erased, Lily. The letter that was sent to you at Prince's house last year, months ago."
Oof… what a relief, she thought. "Thank you, Albus."
"What would we have done without Albus, Lily?" Sev asked, angry again.
"Prince, don't push her," Dumbledore said, sharp but not authoritarian.
"Yes, Albus, let herbe aware about the danger she's in," with absolute certainty. "She has stopped having the freedom to choose whether or not to be with me, which would have ensured her a peaceful life."
The Headmaster replied, neutrally, "That is not the case either, she is in the spotlight because of her origin. In the long run she will be more protected with you."
(And in the short term too, but don't let her realize it yet. Let her learn to take care of herself.) "In the long run, but for that there is still a lot of time. Go on, Albus."
"On Monday we are going to go together to the fir tree to transmit my talent for Transfiguration. I will teach you from here to summer to become invisible."
Lily thought,Ugh… more work for Sev and Albus. But what a relief… "Thank you, Albus," she said, pulling herself together.
"What would we do without Albus, Lily?" Sev asked angry, but feigned.
"Prince, stop now," the Headmaster said, dry and emphatic.
"No," vehement and sure. "Let herbe aware that many depend on us and we depend on many. Each one must learn to take care of themselves so as not to constitute a burden for others," and changing the tone to explanatory. "You didn't find out because you were already in the Great Hall, as you had to do to avoid giving yourself away, but they have returned to screw it up after training, the Gryffs and the Slys. They have come out the last ones and the malefics have not seen her with an escort for two minutes."
"Come on, Lillian... after more than two hours to reconsider," said the old man, with fatherly reproach.
She thought,I've already earned being called Lillian, like my father, in just two weeks. I'm not up to it. I have to be or Sev will end up disregarding me, I can't give him problems like that with everything he has on top of him. "Well yes, Albus," Lily said, admitting and recovering. "I've screwed it up completely, because I was the one who made them stay, thinking that maybe they had to go rescue Prince."
"But Lillian… If Prince has the Map and knows how to take care of himself perfectly. You better than anyone should know."
He's absolutely right. He has judged him better in two weeks than I have in seven years. And it is true, until a year ago I hardly knew anything about him, despite being together all the time. "Yeah. I have become very nervous, Albus."
Sev projected, calm, while he continued to eat his first, already cold. "What we were talking about before, Albus. The very deep feelings that make you lose your cool."
The anger has passed and he is eating, I am going to try to eat too. Lily continued to eat her first, already cold as well.
"Understand her, Prince. She's not a snake like you," Dumbledore said, also calm.
"I know, Albus, but she's been with me for half her life, something should have rubbed off on her," Sev replied. "I do let myself be influenced by her."
"Prince is right, Lily. You must sharpen your mind, stay one step ahead of your enemies. You are a brilliant witch, use your intelligence. Have you ever played chess?"
"No," she replied.
"But you know it, right?"
"Yes, Albus."
"In chess, players think several moves of their own and the opponent's in advance. They plan," explained the Headmaster.
"Sure, Albus."
"As I did as I watched Prince's progress with the Guard. Prepare everything that seemed necessary to me for when they were uncovered."
"Sure, Albus."
"I can understand you, you have had little time, especially after breakfast, you should have let me project to Jack," Dumbledore continued.
"I know that, Albus."
"It was mainly his fault, but in cases like this you shouldn't trust or worry about anyone, just think of yourself. Survival instinct."
"Sure, Albus."
"That you preserve your life is fundamental, Lily. Prince would sink without you," said the Headmaster.
I'm not so sure about that anymore, Lily thought. He has Lauren, who deep down, she's a lot more up there than me. If they could be together freely, both of them would be fine, but I'm in the middle, just to screw it. She stopped eating. "I already know it. I meditated on it in the cave," subdued again.
"Then worry only about yourself. Preserve your life, it is essential. Prince, have you calmed down a bit?"
"Yes, Albus, I'm perfectly fine. I just wanted to tell her off to her to wake up," Sev answered totally calm.
"Well, then talk to each other for the time that is left of lunch, so that Lily doesn't worry between here and dinner."
"Wait, I would like you to advise her what she should do next, I haven't had time to think."
"I think that if she is with Remus, Cecile, Alice and Frank, they can go study together at the Library without any problem from now until dinner, that she doesn't stay at home locked in her bedroom as if she were afraid," the Headmaster advised. "And after dinner yes, that they stay at home and Cecile and she go to the bedroom and continue studying there, so I can stop watching the Map for a while and appoint one of the Raves to read him."
"Wonderful, Albus. A perfect play."
"Do not go home after the Library, take the backpacks to the Great Hall. The Library is a relatively safe place, many people would side with you if there is a duel, since they have seen you in training. You run the greatest risk coming and going."
(Ugh… I'm getting angry again, I'm going to choke.) Sev stopped eating. "Are you listening, Lily?" very upset. "As your dear Gryffs used to catch me, coming and going from places. You must not remain in the open in the corridors, at the bottom of the stairs, etc., etc..."
Ugh, he's angry again, Lily thought.
"Come on, Prince. Leave it alone," the old man said patiently.
"Okay, Albus," Sev said, mastering himself. "Thank you very much for everything. We cut."
"We'll continue at dinner if you have any problem, Prince."
"Always, Albus," Sev projected.
"Thank you, Albus," Lily projected.
"Thanks to you, guys."
Sev thought, (I won't project anything to her, I'll wait for her to do it. That our first conversation with Albus had to be like this, I'm still very angry. And then it's Jack's turn, I need to relax for a while. It's getting out of hand for me too. In the end I didn't finish the course even by forcing myself and Lily perhaps hasn't even eaten, in fact, she's not eating and she won't be able to stop by the kitchens for a snack. I've crossed the line again as always, I have been comforted when I have been scared and she has not. I am going to project to her, I have to fix it.) "Lily, honey, how are you?" silky and worried.
He's already talking to me like always, she thought. He's over it now and he's worried about me. I'm going to look at him. He is looking at me. I smile at him. He does too. They spoke looking at each other.
"Much calmer, my love," she replied, also sweet.
"Do you want me to leave you alone so you can eat?"
"No, Sev, I prefer that you talk to me."
"Forgive me for being like that," he apologized. "I was scared to death when Albus told me what had happened at breakfast and afterwards, I have cried a lot, until he gave me solutions. I wanted you too to suffer for a while the feeling of danger. Do you understand, right?"
"Sure, Sev."
"You are safe. We're both safe at the moment, but it's because we have a lot of help, you know. We cannot fail all the people who trust us."
"We won't, Sev. We must be strong for everyone else," Lily said.
"That is my lioness. I can't wait to make our Patronuses together."
"We can do them on Monday in the fir tree."
"True, on Monday we are going to see each other," Sev said. "Cecile and Remus are coming too. We will repeat the January joint ritual."
"Wow, great. What an illusion, Sev."
"And you and I will do it alone with more time, to give us strength to resist the month we have left until summer."
"That's good, Sev. I'm looking forward to it," she said.
(I've left her broken-down, weak. After fighting all morning, and she's barely eaten. I've got a lot overboard, humiliating her in front of Lauren and Albus. That's not the temper she needs to face the next few days, which will be the ones with the highest tension.) "Lioness, wake up..." courageous. "Where is my lioness?"
"Here, my love," more animated.
"We will also cast some curses on Monday in the fir tree," he suggested, wickedly. "What do you think?"
How I like him when he gets like that, defiant, what a look, I'm already getting horny, amazing, just with his eyes. I'll give it back to him, Lily thought. "Great, Sev, so as not to lose practice."
(Wow… how she looks at me. I love it, the lioness has already awakened.) "Well, we'll escape for a while while Albus, Cecile and Remus do their individual rituals, we'll throw some Sectumsempras and then we'll do the Patronuses, like that night I teach them to you. Something very ugly and something very beautiful. How about?"
"I can not wait."
(She is already happy and horny. When summer comes it will be spectacular. I can't wait.) "My escort is already with dessert. Shall we chat with Lauren for what's left of lunch, about nice things?"
"Of course, Sev, for her to rest from reading, she must have had a very tense morning."
"Unless she has read something new about you."
"Sure."
"First I will tell you something very nice," he said.
Let's see, let's see… "Tell me."
"I have finally given her a real kiss," with an excited smile.
"Oh!" she exclaimed very cheerful, smiling openly.
(Great, she doesn't get jealous at all, how lucky I am, and how I mistreated her again. I'm going to explain everything to her well.) "But interrupting us every thirty seconds to look at the Map," with a sad smile.
"Jo... what a pity," she too.
"Yes, and we were both afraid, because we had not yet spoken about what each of us knew. We have only had ten minutes and we have preferred to spend them on that. It's been a bit of a disaster."
"Well. Next time you meet, fix it."
"I hope so, but you know how she is, next time she might not dare," Sev said. "Today it has been like that because she was very afraid for me."
"Yeah."
"Let's cheat her. I'll ask her if she has read something new and then I'll tell her to talk privately with you, but you project to me too and only me every sentence she answers you."
Lily laughed. "Buah… what a mess, Sev."
"Try it, Lily, please..." pleading. "I want to know what she thinks, get her out."
Lily thought, Of course I'm going to try, Sev needs to vent, then he has another row with Jack. "Okay, Sev. I'll do."
"Thank you, Lily. I'm going there."
They both started to finish their dishes. Sev projected to them both, "Lauren, talk to both of us. Is there something new about Lily?"
"No, nothing immediate or recent, they haven't thought about her for almost three hours, when they decided what they were going to do with the information."
"Great. Thank you Lauren. Chat with Lily for a while, about nice, very nice things. She needs it. We'll continue at dinner."
"Sure, Severus."
Lauren projected only to Lily. Lily repeated only to Sev everything Lauren said to her and to both of them what she said to Lauren. She was capable, she was an excellent witch.
"Honey, are you better?" Lauren told her very sweetly.
"Much better, Lauren. How are you?" she too.
"Wonderfully, Lily."
"Sev told me that you have meet for a while at home, how about?"
"Spectacular."
"How glad I am, Lauren. You have to let yourself go."
Lauren thought, Severus's told her everything and she's projecting the conversation to him. To both what she tells me and repeating to him what I answer. Sev's idea, to get me out, I'm going to allow them. How smart he is, what good taste I have. I caught him as soon as I saw him, at the age of eleven.
And she is a wonder, being able to hold a conversation like this when she learned to project only a few months ago. And she's so generous, rejoicing at what's happened between us and helping us connect, after the upset she's just had.
I adore them both, they are worth all the sacrifices I make for them. I will live for them and I will die for them. They are going to make me cry with emotion.
Lily thought, She's thinking about it, let's see what she says.
"Yes, honey, you're right," Lauren replied.
"Have you both agreed when to meet again?"
"He has told me that Thursday or Friday without fail."
"Great. Reserve your energy to be comfortable with him," Lily advised.
"Of course, Lily."
Lily continued to ask Lauren discreet questions and give her discreet advice, to which she returned discreet but utterly honest answers. She was the only one of the three who had eaten both of her courses and finished because she didn't have dessert either. Soon Sev finished his first and Lily was able to do it too that while.
Sev listened in Lily's mental voice to her words and to Lauren's and watched the latter smile excitedly, with an excited smile too, that Lily could see.