Chapter 64, King Of The Quill, And Master Of The Mind

WestCraven manor nearly felt like a second home for Severus. Raislen's parents were always so warm, friendly and easy to talk to. And there was, of course, the precious library. Like a sentient being, it loved him. It always welcomed him home with that intense feeling of power, excitement and a vast all encompassing sense of belonging. Not to mention the floor literally vibrated like a cat purring as soon as he set foot onto it. Raislen, ever amused by the way Severus described his library, swore that he could not feel this vibrating floor Phenomena. Severus decided that it must just be the room's reaction to him and him alone. As no one could possibly love that library the way he did, this was only fitting. As soon as he and Raislen put their things upstairs, they headed directly for the library. "Don't get too comfortable, because dinner is in less than an hour," Mrs. Westcraven called as they walked passed the parlor.

"That's alright, because we have some business to attend to before Severus sees all the new books we've gotten. That bit can wait for after dinner," Raislen replied.

"Business?" Severus gave him a curious look. Rather than answering right away, Raislen led the way over to two comfortable armchairs near the fire rather than heading directly for the book shelves.

"Well you need help with Transfiguration O. , right, Kid? We need to sort that out here where no one can overhear. If anyone did, we'd both be done for. They take cheating super seriously when it comes to the O.W.L.S or N.E. . We've got to do this carefully."

Severus felt his stomach flip. "We're actually going to do this?"

"You want to pass that class and be done with it, don't you? None of us want a low grade hurting our chances for anything in the future."

Severus nodded. The bit concerning the possibility of professors looking back at all his marks, and a low Transfiguration mark preventing him from taking something else that he wished to study in his sixth and seventh years at Hogwarts was the only reason he worried about the bloody class in the first place. "So you already have a plan sorted, then?" He asked.

Though the idea was exciting and filled him with relief and hope, it was also terrifying. He did not at all mind the concept of cheating. The class was stupid and he knew he would never use Transfiguration in his daily life. Nothing one transfigured was real anyway, so it was more unsettling and freakish than anything else. Cheating in a class that he would actually need one day was more harmful than helpful, and he knew it, but this was not the case for the subject that had ever been only a thorn in his side!

"I do as a matter of fact," Raislen said, leaning back in his chair and somehow managing to radiate an air of satisfaction. "I have been contemplating it for a few years. As a result, I have had and rejected several ideas before settling on the one." He grinned. "It's quite complicated, because the more complicated it gets the less likely it is that we'll be caught."

"Less likely? Are we risking getting caught? Because I thought the goal was not to get caught," Severus said. As he spoke, his panic grew with each word.

"We're not getting caught. I have a safeguard for in the event that I am wrong and we do. So with the safeguard in place, we can't get caught. Relax, Kid. What do you take me for? That's both of our futures on the line! I'd never do that to either of us."

Severus let out a small sigh of relief as he nodded. That was reassuring to hear. "So what is the plan? And thanks by the way. I can't express enough how grateful I am that you bothered to put this much time into helping me." He glanced away, embarrassed to be expressing such emotion even if it did feel necessary.

Raislen grinned, shrugging wide shoulders. "It's what friends do. They have one another's backs and they lift one another up, in this case, making sure a grade score doesn't hurt future opportunities. I know you'd do the same for me."

"Always," Severus said fervently. It was a rare happiness that surged through him, lifting his spirits in a pure, free sort of joy that he felt far too infrequently. He'd experienced it most when with his father as a young child, and now sometimes when having family time with just him and Eileen. A sort of security high, he supposed. He knew that Raislen and Heather always had his back. He'd always suspected as much, but when they'd come to rescue him from Grandfather Prince on a bloody flying carpet of all things, he'd known it! He would do anything for them too.

"So are you ready to hear my brilliant plan," Raislen asked excitedly.

Severus grinned. Raislen was clearly pleased with his plan, which caused Severus's own confidence in the success of how it would all end to rise in leaps and bounds. He was going to survive bloody Transfiguration! "Yes," he answered fervently. Leaning forward, he found himself practically holding his breath in anticipation to hear whatever Raislen had come up with.

Raislen lifted his hand and called, "Accio Transfiguration quill!" A few seconds passed, then a basic nondescript quill pen flew into his hand of the sort everyone used at Hogwarts. "I wanted to get something fancy, but we cant' risk drawing notice even if my brilliant idea deserves a nice quill. I have enchanted this quill to hold information, then I have layered a few million concealment charms onto that charm," Raislen explained.

"A few million?" Severus laughed.

"Very well only a few thousand, but let me finish! Once that was done, I had my dad borrow a Pensieve from work and I used it to store my memories of my Transfiguration O.W.L. Even though I couldn't recall all the questions on the exam, they were all in my memory, so I got them from the Pensieve and stored them in the quill!"

"When did you do that," Severus asked.

"That one Hogsmeade weekend when I said I had to go shoe shopping with my dad. I did have to, but then we went home for about an hour so I could handle that bit of the quill enchanting."

Severus's jaw dropped momentarily. "Your dad knows that you're helping me cheat?"

Raislen shrugged. "Sure. He's a Slytherin too, you know. He doesn't care. He knows you're smart. He knows that your marks are high and that you only struggle with stupid Transfiguration. So I stored the memories and tucked the quill away in my room until I could give it to you today. It is enchanted to write the answer to each question when you place it on the page of your exam. Once it's over, give the quill back to me.

When I get back home at end of term, I shall use the Pensieve to put the memories back into my head. Memory holes are weird, and you won't be needing it after the Transfiguration O. W. L. so there is no reason not to put them back into my head even if I won't be using them again."

For a moment Severus just stared as he silently processed, taking it all in. "Amazing," he breathed at last.

Raislen practically grinned from ear to ear. "Isn't it, though? I was so proud of the idea, and I am very pleased with how it came out. Enchanting quills to write stored information actually wasn't as difficult as I expected it to be. Of course don't forget to take it with you out of the room just in case. I mean I did hide my tracks well, but still."

"Of course," Severus said fervently. "I'd eat it before I let you get caught out."

Raislen snickered. "Sorry. Something about that concept struck me as funny!" Raislen's laughter was contagious and suddenly, Severus was laughing too. The two boys rocked back and forth in their armchairs, laughing harder and harder, quite unable to stop! When Mrs. WestCraven opened the door to the library to announce that dinner was ready, both were clutching their sides and rocking back and forth.

"Sorry to interrupt," she said dryly.

"That's alright," Raislen managed, rising to his feet as he spoke. "That was really beginning to hurt."

For some reason, Severus found the true note of pain in Raislen's voice funny. He chuckled as he stood, sending Raislen into another round of laughter. Mrs. WestCraven shook her head at them as though they'd both lost their minds. The three left the library together and headed down the long stately hall to the dining room. It felt nice just being so happy and relaxed when walking through a manor to have a meal.

At Prince manor, all was cold and one could never relax, not even for meal times which were supposed to be relaxing. If one even came close to relaxing over food at Prince Manor, Grandfather would surprise one with some outlandishly mean and unwarranted comment about something as petty as the way one held one's fork or the expression on one's face. If one ignored said comment, one was in for it for ignoring something being addressed to them. Of course anything one said was wrong, thus the initial urge not to comment, so one could never win. This went for Eileen as much as for Severus.

The drastic change in atmosphere of WestCraven manor was just one more plus on the long list of reasons Severus loved visiting Raislen. The evening's meal consisted of Chinese style orange chicken over rice and vegetables, which Severus found quite the delightful novelty. After a few moments of silent eating, Raislen suggested inviting Regulus, Kreacher, and Heather over for one afternoon for lunch and a game day. "I felt a bit bad leaving Regulus out, though I knew he'd want to spend time with Kreacher, so I thought at least one lunch invite would remedy that," he explained.

Severus smiled, nodding. "Yes, that's nice." He chuckled. "And it allows you to see Heather Toy."

"I mean we can't leave her out." Raislen grinned.

"By the by, I am extremely impressed that you've managed to stop calling her that," Severus said.

"Yes, the girl finally giving in and dating the boy always does wonders for how well he treats her," Mrs. WestCraven chimed in. "That's just how it works."

"I was nice to you before you dated me," Mr. WestCraven huffed, biting back a smile.

"Yes, but you bought me more pretty things after," Mrs. WestCraven pointed out.

"It would've been odd to buy you pretty things before."

"Not so."

"Yes so," Mr. WestCraven declared. "It could've seemed stalker!"

Raislen sighed and rolled his eyes. "Somehow they always manage to make it about them." Severus just grinned happily, because he was truly enjoying the light-hearted banter. It felt wholesome and normal, like all the things he always wanted and never got. He'd have had them too, if Tobias had lived, but though it was no fault of his Mum's, at Prince manor, there was never laughter or good-natured banter. Mrs. WestCraven's sudden question had him wondering if any of this had shown on his face. "How is your dear Mum doing, Severus?"

Startled, Severus looked up from his plate to meet her gaze. "She is fine," he said, after a brief second of hesitation. "Just, you know, working and such."

Mrs. WestCraven smiled. "That is good. She seems like a very nice lady, just... Just a bit sad." Severus nodded awkwardly, not sure of what to say. To keep himself from needing to speak, he hastily filled his mouth with delicious orange chicken.

"She has plenty of reason to be sad," Raislen said. "A dead husband because of Voldemort and a shit father who is controlling and hates all Muggles to an insane degree, even the good ones who are able to appreciate magic."

"This sort of unfairness reminds me, if uncomfortably of how very fortunate we all are to have had a better hand dealt to us," Mrs. WestCraven said somberly. "Severus, if there is ever anything we can do to help, do not hesitate to ask, and do tell your dear Mum the same."

Severus nodded as he swallowed his mouthful of chicken. "Thank you, Ma'am," he said politely, knowing even as he spoke, that his Mum would never accept such help without dire need of it. Eileen was too proud, and Severus knew it. Not only that, he could relate.

Seeming to sense his discomfort, Mr. WestCraven jovially changed the subject. "I remembered where you like to sleep, and your cot has been put in the library," he told Severus. His wide smile was contagious, causing Severus to smile in return as his heart leapt at the thought of prowling the library late into the night to discover any new additions the WestCravens had added, as well as older books he'd missed on previous visits. There were far too many books in that glorious library for him to believe he'd seen them all. "My wife did not understand why I would provide a small cot in the library rather than a nice comfortable overly large bed in an upstairs guest room, but I told her she did not have to understand."

"This is true," Severus agreed. Turning to Mrs. WestCraven he added, "Trust me, I am more than happy sleeping in the library."

"And if he doesn't, he shall just fall asleep in it anyway, remember," Raislen said with an amused chuckle.

Severus nodded, grinning in spite of still feeling embarrassed about that first time he'd fallen asleep with the book about Merlin. "What can I say? It is my happy place." Even as he spoke, he was filled with anticipation at the thought of spending long hours in the library before falling to sleep on his cozy cot with some delightful book or other in his hands. The library felt like home, only a very special loving, accepting home full of magic, inspiration and endless possibilities, not to mention an escape from any displeasing parts of reality.