CHAPTER 16: NEVER!

Good evening, my love. How was your day?

Quite interesting actually.

How so?

I had kind of a discussion during Care of Magical Creatures. Well not really a discussion, but let's say that what I learned there today, was quite shocking.

Aragorn was all ears now as they both walked across the Hogwarts Grounds and towards the Forbidden Forest.

They actually kill unicorns here to make profit! Legolas told him, looking very upset

NO!

Yes it is true. That is why I am going to talk to them. Maybe I can do something to help.

I am not sure if one person can change their stars, love. The Man remarked. But you can always try of course. He quickly added when he saw the determined look on his lover's face. And if it is any consolation  I will do everything in my power to help you, alright? Besides two can accomplish more than one, true?

Legolas embraced him gratefully.

What would I do without you? He said looking him deeply in the eye before kissing him passionately. Let's go and see if we can find some unicorns then, shall we?

The Elf suggested, grasping Aragorn's hand pulling him with him.

When they were deep into the Forbidden Forest they finally spotted a Unicorn, well actually several Unicorns. They hadn't seen one before as they are very shy of most people. But thankfully when they sensed the couple's good intentions and Legolas' Elven powers they decided to approach them.

Look... Look there they are. Legolas spoke excitingly, nudging Aragorn in the ribs.

They both bowed gracefully before the creatures.

We are glad you found us worthy enough to speak to.

We know you don't mean to do us harm. As you are from the Elven race and you helped one of my kin a few days ago. Also Albus told us about your mission and asked us to keep an eye out for you. The only thing we do not know is the reason you wanted to speak to us.

Hagrid, I believe most of you know who he is, Most of the unicorns nodded. told me today they hunt you because your blood is of great value. Is this true? Why and how could one kill such a magnificent creature such as yourself?

The people are different in this world, my dear Woodland Elf. They do not respect certain things like they should. Thankfully it does not happen very often that one of us is caught. But that does not mean they do not try as it only makes us more valuable when they do catch one of us.

This of course is very frustrating, because we have to be on our guard every waking and sleeping moment.

Things used to be different, but that was a long time ago. A time when no one had ever heard of the Dark Lord Voldemort, who himself killed quite a few unicorns some years back. The days before his existence were merry days, days which only few of us remember. Maybe if you succeed in your quest things will change for us magical creatures, but we can only speculate about that for now. I hope some day everything will go back to the way it used to be.

The unicorn sighed, shaking its head.

I know you want to help us, but I do not see how. I am glad to have met you nonetheless. We will remember the kind gesture. With a last nod, the unicorns ran away, leaving human eye side in mere seconds.

Legolas stared ahead of him clearly deep in thought.

You at least showed them you care, love. Aragorn said softly, resting his hand on the other's shoulder.

I didn't want to meet with them to give them my pity! Legolas sighed disappointed.

I know. Remember what the unicorn told us. Perhaps we are already helping his kin by aiding Dumbledore on his quest to defeat Voldemort?

I suppose you are right. And what better way to help them now, then to patrol the forest and kill every foul creature we come across? The Elf said with a smile.

That's the spirit! Aragorn grinned, giving him a pat on the back.

 

Time seemed to fly that particular weekend as Monday, the day of the Ball, arrived in no time.

"Ah Severus, thank you for coming, take a seat please."

"Headmaster why am I here?" Snape asked, sitting down with a humph.

"I wanted to ask about the ball: Are the students ready for their performances tonight?"

"Yes, although some of them are quite nervous. Speaking of the ball; you do remember what we agreed to a few weeks ago?" Severus asked, eyeing him carefully.

"Yes I do Severus, but are you still sure about it?" Dumbledore questioned thoughtfully.

"Yes I am!" Came the confident reply.

"But Voldemort specifically ordered you to get rid off your bad image and I really think this is the perfect opportunity, don't you agree?"

"No! Helping those kids was bad enough!" The younger man fumed.

"You can't deceive me Severus, so stop lying to me." Dumbledore remarked, his eyes twinkling like they always did, when he was enjoying himself.

"Alright I did like playing the good guy  for once." The Potions master reluctantly agreed. "Some kids are quite talented actually, especially Ginny Weasley."

"She reminds you of her, doesn't she?" Albus suddenly asked in a serious tone of voice.

"I don't know who you are talking about." Severus answered quickly, going quite pale.

"Your sister. I've seen it too, they do look awfully alike."

"Albus if you don't mind I don't want to talk about my sister. Not now not ever. It's in the past, there's nothing I can change about anything." The younger wizard sighed sadly.

"But you never talk about her. You should, you know. She left your life in an awful way. And it is totally understandable if all the uncertainties are driving you crazy. I am sure there are plenty of people to whom you could talk, me being one of them." Albus told him, squeezing the younger man's hand for a second, before Severus withdrew it roughly from the table again.

"Albus there is nothing to talk about. It happened over fifteen years ago. My father got what he deserved and we did what we could. So please I beg of you: do not speak of it again.

Anyway playing the piano will probably be enough to give my image a boost!" Severus said, switching the subject.

"Did he do anything to you as well?" Albus asked concerned.

"No, not the things he did to her, but other things yes." Severus said looking at his hands, his mind clearly being miles away.

"Like?"

"Most of the time he'd just beat me up. Oh, how I wish I had known sooner what he was doing to my sister. I would have killed him, I'm sure of it. I did have some suspicions of course, but still….." The younger wizard sighed again, before realizing what he just had said. He glared at Albus: "Now that's enough. I don't and won't live in the past! We were talking about the Ball so let's continue on that topic or I'll just leave!"

"Alright, we will continue our previous conversation." Albus said looking him in the eye encouragingly, before switching back to the other topic: "So Severus do you not see that playing the piano will do absolutely nothing to change your image as you are wearing a mask remember. Who will recognize you?" Dumbledore remarked. "I don't want anything to happen to you, my boy, especially not because of this."

"Nothing is going to happen to me, Albus and if it something would, I'm sure no one will really care anyway, which I totally understand and don't mind of course, but just to….."

"I care." Dumbledore interrupted him.

"Of course you do. I'm your most valuable spy. At least I was… now you have an entire fellowship of allies. Besides I don't even care about my own life, so why should anyone else?."

"My dear boy, stop staying such things!" Albus exclaimed, looking quite concerned.

"Remember it'll all be over soon. This time we will succeed and defeat Voldemort once and for all, but 'till then I need you to keep a low profile and follow his orders closely. So that means being nice to the students, especially the Gryffindors, like Voldemort requested."

"Alright, fine! I'll try to be more civil towards them from now on. But only because he thinks I'm looking too suspicious being a teacher and despising them for not being a Slytherin, which I honestly do not understand as he was the one who ordered me to act that way in the first place." Severus remarked, rubbing his temples.

"Maybe you were just too extreme harsh towards them?" the older wizard suggested.

"Hmmm, maybe, but he…" he was interrupted by a soft knock on the door.

It was Remus Lupin

Severus stood up abruptly. "Was that all, Albus?"

"No actually it was not."

Severus who already had his hand on the doorknob, turned around surprised. "I'm sorry?"

"If you could wait outside for a moment please…. Thank you."

"No, it's alright Sev may stay." Remus told the headmaster kindly.

"Don't call me that!" Severus snapped furious, slamming the door shut with a bang. He was already agitated as it was with Albus's quest to turn him into a bubbly balloon of sunshine rays.

"What?" Remus asked confused.

"Sev." Snape spit out his own name, like it was some kind of poison.

"Oh sorry, I hadn't even realized I called you that, Sev-erus." Remus grinned at a glaring Snape. "Anyway the reason of my visit is that Brandon Singong has taken the flue and a very severe one I might add. So he is not to leave the hospital for a couple of days."

"But he…"

"Yes, I just heard. He was supposed to sing many lead and smaller parts from different performances. So I'd say we have a major problem here as I presume no one else knows his exact lines and the Ball is in mere hours!" Remus said alarmed. "Do you by any chance know anyone who could fill in for him, professor?"

"Well actually I do know a certain someone who knows the lines as he wrote the songs himself, plus he is in need of a better image so this could be one hell of a chance to prove himself." Albus said looking distinctively at Severus.

"No bloody way, Albus!"

"But…."

"No! And that's my final answer!"

"But you are the only one who could fill in for him Severus. Think of how disappointed the students will be. Plus all your work and the student's will have been in vain. Think of all the time they spend practicing, think of all the talent, think of Ginny Weasley." Albus remembered him.

"Fine! But I AM going to wear a mask and I am NOT going to dance along alright. Yes I know I do know the dance moves they make, but still… I won't make one dance move for the entire night is that understood? I'm just going to sit behind my piano and play." Snape snapped, treating Albus like he was one of his students.

"Alright and I also want no one to know about me singing on stage, so if one soul finds out about it I'll poison your Wolfsbane Lupin!"

Remus who just stared at him surprised, couldn't believe Snape was so into music: playing the piano, writing songs, he could actually sing for crying out loud. Well that remained to be seen, but still Dumbledore would never have suggested him if he sucked BIG time.

"Lupin?"

"Yeah sure Sev, whatever you say." He said in a distant voice.

Snape glared back at him, which he didn't even notice.

"Well, did you want to talk to me about anything else Albus?" Snape asked irritated. "And if it is about my sister I'll pass, thank you very much."

"Then this was all Severus. Good luck tonight."

"Thank you."

Severus quickly descended the stairs and started to walk towards the dungeons to prepare himself for tonight, when…

"Severus, please wait!"

"Argh what do you want wolf?"

Lupin looked taken aback by his hostility for a second before he quickly masked his emotions and changed his face into a mask of indifference.

"I only wanted to ask you if you needed any help."

Severus looked at him surprised or rather shocked, which he hit very well in mere seconds. He never knew Lupin could take on such a mask. It didn't suit him. The Remus he knew showed his emotions freely; like an open book. But now to see such a cold face from such a loving being came as quite a shock to the Potions master. He wondered what had happened to him in the last couple of years.

"Oh…uh, let's see.." he said thinking hard. He had to give the man something to do, something to make him happy. He was pleased to see a surprised look on Lupin's face, when the man saw that Severus actually considered his offer of help. "There are so many things that still need to be done that I just can't think of something. Maybe you can go and check how all the students are doing. If they need anything, if they want to talk to me, etcetera. If you like you can make a list and give it to me when you're done, that would really save me a lot of time."

"Okay, no problem."

"Alright, follow me and I'll give you the list of students, who will perform tonight."

Remus smiled at him. "Lead the way." He said gesturing with his hand.