Deserving

A quarter past eleven, John had just been called. Sev apologized to Anthony, "I'm sorry to leave you alone for a while, Anthony, but I have to read Potter. Lily messed up yesterday."

"What happened?"

"It's a very long story and it's not worth worrying about it, I'll take care of it."

"Ugh, Prince... you can't be calm even right before the exam," Anthony lamented.

"It's what I have to do to take care of everyone."

"You didn't have to."

"I do it because I want to," said Sev.

"Do you need to get closer?"

"Yes, better if I'm closer."

"Then I'll accompany you, we both approach and pretend to be talking," his friend proposed.

"Thank you, Anthony."

They did so, approaching James, who was with the rest of the Gryff fifth-years who had not yet taken the exam. Remus, whose turn it was shortly, Macdonald, who was next, then Pettigrew and James last.

Sev told Lauren, bonded, "Lauren, let's go there."

"There we go, Severus."

He read Potter, with his back to him, thoroughly. Ugh… He wants to tell Sirius's off as soon as possible, after finishing the Charms theory exam this afternoon, because they don't have an exam tomorrow.What a mess, there's not going to be time for Lily to advise Sirius tonight.

He's going to do it in private and doesn't plan to say a word to Remus, like Sirius did to him. Well, at least he's becoming discreet, but on the other hand it's a shame, Remus could have made him give up. I did everything the other way around, I should have read him as soon as I entered, to give instructions to Lily since she was going to spend some time alone with Sirius in the Library. Let's see how we do now.

At the moment he is not thinking at all about withdrawing the invitation for Sirius to live in his house starting this summer, so there is a solution to the matter. Let's see about me.

He wants to talk to me for the ten minutes we're going to have from when the rat comes in until it's his turn. Great, but on the other hand, ugh… just before the exam, for him to be worried about something like that, poor guy, we're ruining him.Luckily he is also a very good student, he must handle it very well, better than Sirius did.

Let's see what he wants to tell me. Tell me what he saw yesterday, what Lily has already told me that they did, studying together in the Library, staying in the Common Room practicing while everyone else went down to study, and when they came back, they continued practicing, but later they started to laugh with a Muffliato in front of everyone. Who would think?

James is a bit of a snitch, really, wanting to talk about all this with me before clearing it up with Sirius. But I understand, it's his way of being, his loyalty, now he feels that he owes it to me too, he's not going to see me alone again until training on Saturday and he thinks he should let me know as soon as possible. Although he has no idea what I could do about it, because he keeps thinking, stupid of him, that I have no contact with Lily except in training.

Once again, this confirms to me that he doesn't know Lily at all, he thinks she would fall for Sirius in less than a week, and how sexist she is, what Sirius was saying. Lily has every right to be with whoever she wants, I myself told him that I had another relationship. And how ignorant he is regarding the history of witches, how much to learn.

I'm going to read the rat too, while we're at it. He read Pettigrew. Ugh… I have to make a huge effort not to laugh.What mental chaos… what an unstructured mind…

"What's happening? Why are you holding back your laughter?" Anthony asked him.

"I was trying to read Pettigrew, he has the most chaotic mind I've ever read."

"Oh…"

They both laughed.

"I don't understand how the Gryffs do it every day and clear it up," Sev continued.

"Indeed…"

They laughed again.

"Is it worse than those of vipers?" Anthony asked.

"Of course, much worse, much, much worse."

They couldn't stop.

"I don't know whether to give up," said Sev.

"Try, you won't be able to do it again until the next exam in which you coincide, perhaps until next week."

"Well, you know there is no problem with that, the Gryffs control him daily."

"Try it, go ahead, then tell us and we'll laugh," his friend encouraged him.

"Okay, but it's going to take me a while. If I laugh, laugh with me, to hide it, okay?"

"Okay. It's easy, you have a very contagious laugh."

He tried again to read Pettigrew. Let's see, let's search.He does not plan to become a Death Eater, nor has it crossed his mind.He doesn't suspect anything about Army training.Booaaah… he likes the gossip one, he does it alone every day thinking about her. He laughed, Anthony did too. Well, they would make a good couple, maybe we'll get them together too, if he's with a Muggle-born, he won't become a Death Eater.

Let's see about Lily and Sirius.Ugh... what a feverish mind, he thinks that they are already involved, just because they were alone in the Common Room for a while.What a sick guy. They laughed again.

I don't care at all what he thinks, but with how big a mouth he is, he's going to proclaim it whenever he gets the chance, putting others in trouble. If he has remained silent for the moment it is because last night he went to sleep before them, today he got up later and has not been alone with them at any time.

He was the last one to come down to the Common Room, everyone else was already waiting for him to go to breakfast. How rested they will be when they expel him from school, a real liberation for the Gryffs. Well, enough, I'll get out of this head as soon as possible, I can go crazy if I stay too long.

He asked Lauren, bonded, "Are you finished, gorgeous?"

"Yes a while ago. I've also read Pettigrew and the girl."

"You really are an ace, Lauren. So you've also had time to think."

"Of course."

"Tell me then what you think we should do."

"Talk to Potter without fear," she suggested. "Who was it yesterday who proposed in front of him that you and Black talk alone?"

"It was me."

"Great. Tell him that you suggested to Black, when you were alone, that he befriend Lily so that he could help you get her back, that he is acting as your matchmaker. Even tell him that you yourself made them fight together on Saturday, to take the worry out of his head, to stop thinking that Black is doing something wrong. You nip the problem in the bud and not only that. When you are finally able to come to light, he will see it in some way as a triumph for Black as well. He will never have to know that you have been lying to him, he will believe that you have won over Lily from now on."

"Of course... what a strategy, Lauren..." admired.

"You know, I'm a specialist. And so Lily and Black can continue having all the relationship they want in front of others."

"Great. And with the rat, what do we do?"

"If there is no dissension between Remus, Black and Potter regarding that issue, he can go off on whatever he wants," she opined. "They'll keep it together, they'll stand together and shut him up, and if he talks in front of everyone, Lily herself, the cutting specialist, will do it."

"Of course. Regarding Macdonald?"

"Potter's future girlfriend."

"Yes, Lily already told me at breakfast, she will talk to Sirius about it tonight," he said.

"Great."

"So what do we say to Lily at lunch?"

"Nothing, let her do whatever she wants, you're going to solve it before you leave here," she answered. "And if, despite everything, Potter talks to Black this afternoon, she can advise him without fear, in the time we have before the theoretical exam."

"Wow, Lauren, you are the best."

"Delighted to be able to give you back some of all the good you both do to me."

"What a relief, not having to cut her wings, with the hope she has."

"Yeah, sweetie, don't let what happened to us happen to them," she said.

"Because of me."

"No, my love, in the end it turned out well. If you had become my friend in front of others, it would have been more difficult for the people at home to believe your story. Being always seen alone helped you."

"Of course.You're still miles ahead of me on all these issues," Sev said.

"Well, well, you're not short either. Let's talk about fun things."

"I know about what. About the mind of Pettigrew."

They both burst into laughter. Anthony too.

"No, no," Lauren said. "It's been hard enough for me to contain myself while reading him.You can hide it with Anthony, but they're going to think I'm crazy.What I was missing, the only malefic person in the school and crazy."

"Lauren, you are no longer considered the only malefic person at school, at least in fifth year. I'm sure the Huffles have spread the word that you conjured Patronus. You know Sirius already knew."

"I already know. There you were the one who screwed up to the bottom, making the twin of mine, we attracted much more attention."

"Of course."

"I prefer not to think about the subject, otherwise I won't focus on what I have to do now, which is study," she said. "I could have spent these two hours reading about myself and you see I haven't."

"You're doing well, Lauren. As long as they leave you alone, do your thing. So tell me what fun thing you wanted to talk about."

"How many couples do you already have?"

"I've already lost count."

"It has become a hobby for you," she said.

"Of course, I'm a much better matchmaker than the old man."

"Let's count them."

"Okay," Sev agreed.

"First I'll tell you which I know."

"Go ahead."

"Cecile and Remus, the fourth-year girl from home and the Rave," Lauren began.

"Audrey and Percy."

"That is. The sixth grade commanders."

"Julia and Richard," he clarified.

"Heather and Anthony, Lily and Black, Fiona and John. How many are there?"

"Six, but you have left many."

"Say you," she asked.

"You and Jack, you were the second."

"True."

"Deborah and Paul," Sev continued.

"Of course."

"You and Sirius, he looked at you when he saw you with me in the closet."

"True too, but it came out accidentally," Lauren objected.

"Even more merit. Valerie and Deborah."

"Of course."

"Then I fixed Valerie's situation with Andrew," he added.

"You're right."

"Another one in the project, Macdonald and James. How many are there?"

"Twelve," she replied.

"Plus four of mine and a fifth that is in the pipeline…"

"Do you already have a fifth in project?" amazed.

"Yes, but in the very long term," Sev answered. "I have started working on it now, this one is going to cost me."

"Wow... another one who likes challenges."

"Of course.Seventeen so far this year and those that remain ahead of me." He told her about Deborah's project to teach Red Magic as an elective.

"Wooow… wonderful," Lauren exclaimed. "Get ready to be the best man of many weddings and the godfather of many children."

"What excitement, parties, parties. By the way, I haven't told you that yesterday I looked at myself in Erised."

"Sure!" exalted. "Has it changed?"

"It has changed, they are alive." He told her in detail what he saw.

"Wow… Severus. So yes, family with Black."

"Stop calling him Black, Lauren, he is going to be the father of one of your children, call him Sirius."

"Well, a lot can still happen between now and then. We haven't even come into contact."

"You're right."

"Have you told the old man?" she asked.

"Not yet. If I have time I will talk to him at lunch, we have many pending issues, we have to talk about them little by little."

"Let's leave it, Severus, it's going to be my turn. I suddenly got nervous."

"My, Lauren. Well, continue talking to me until they call you, calm down, nothing happens. You control a lot of Charms."

"I already know. But I'm putting so much at stake, Severus…"

"Of course, we are all doing it. Breathe deeply."

Lauren remained for a long minute in mental silence.

"Are you better?" Sev asked.

"Yes, I was trying to clear my mind. It's the inactivity, it makes me feel terrible, sitting in an armchair for almost two hours doing nothing."

"Well, we talked for a while."

"Yes, at least I was distracted, otherwise I would have been much more nervous," she said.

"My, Lauren. You had never told me that you got nervous in exams."

"Because I had never got. When I was little, when I cared, I had confidence in myself and everything turned out well the first time, and later I didn't care, as long as I passed I had enough. But now I'm going to risk my entire future in five minutes, I've gotten very dizzy."

"Come on, Lauren, you won't have any problems. You're going to blow their minds, you're going to do it all non-verbally."

"If they let me."

"I plan to do it non-verbally even if they don't let me, I've been doing everything non-verbally for two years."

"No, Severus, don't do that. It is an external court, they don't know you at all. They don't know how good you are, worse yet, they may be prejudiced against you. Remember that you are famous, for the moment in a bad way. Don't act smart, be polite and obedient, ask if you can make them non-verbal and obey them in everything, you are even more at risk than me. Dueling Professor, Sly's Head and Hogwarts' Headmaster."

"Ugh… you're going to make me nervous too, Lauren."

They called Lauren. She got up and went to the door that led to the Great Hall. "My turn.Hug Anthony to calm you down."

"Good luck, gorgeous."

They unbonded.

"I need a hug, Anthony, I'm getting nervous, I've never gotten nervous in an exam," said Sev.

Anthony hugged him. "Come on, if you're the best, Prince, you won't have any problems."

"Do the spells verbally if they ask you to."

"Of course, of course, Prince, you have to obey them in everything. Don't you see that they think they are very important for having our future in their hands?"

"Ugh, Anthony... I hadn't realized that they know me in a bad way."

"Wouldn't the old man have changed your name for this too?"

"I don't know. I guess he would have told me."

"Yes, just like he told you that he had covered your tracks in the Ministry on the day of the mess," his friend objected.

"True, he forgot to do it."

"Well, if your name has changed, you're right after Potter, just one spot ahead of where you were."

"They're also going to recognize me because of my long hair," Sev feared.

"Well... they don't remember that anymore. People quickly forget the news, they have not done the cave ritual. Are you more calm?"

"I'm trying."

"Come on, Prince... we have to get on with it."

"It's incredible, Anthony, I thought I was going to be the one who had to help you not get nervous."

"I have never gotten nervous in exams either, for reasons other than yours. I have always felt, even if I didn't get good grades, that I had made all the effort I could, that I had given everything of myself, and my conscience was very clear."

"Wow, Anthony... what a healthy attitude, it's going to help me calm down, I'm going to think about that."

"Of course, Prince, you've worked as hard as I have. Although we now have new talents and powers, we would both still deserve to get the OWL. We have worked as hard as we can for years, and not only that, we have helped more people along the way. We are the most of the most. We are going to get the prizes because we have earned them hard."