There Is No Such Place

Lily had a headache and a sore neck the next morning, a product of the hours she'd spent in the Slytherin common room. She'd left the common room around two in the morning, miraculously avoiding Filch as she made her way back to Gryffindor Tower. She felt empty after the hours of crying, and slightly sick at the thought that she'd never see her friends again. At the same time, it was good to finally know what had happened.

It was closure, she thought. She could move on now.

She yawned as she selected a piece of toast, but was glad that she'd woken up early when Professor McGonagall entered the Great Hall. Breakfast was a casual affair during the holidays, but McGonagall was an early riser.

"Good morning, Evans," said the Professor. "How are your holidays going?"

"Awfully quiet. I've almost finished that essay on amphibious transfiguration, though." It occurred to Lily that it was a good thing she'd completed most of her homework in the first few days of the holidays. She suspected that she'd be rather distracted for the rest of the break. "Actually, Professor, I was wondering..."

McGonagall looked wary. "Yes?"

"Might we be allowed to visit Hogsmeade today? I mean, we've all been cooped up in the school--" Yes, confined to a castle with multiple storeys, towers, passages, extensive grounds ... it's dreadfully claustrophobic, Professor, just awful... Lily moved on quickly. "We're all above third year, and I know the school usually gives the town some warning, but there are only five of us..." Lily let her voice trail off.

McGonagall pursed her lips and walked over to Professor Harrier, the head of Hufflepuff, and Professor Flitwick. Professor Sprout, who was rumoured to be in line for Harrier's position as head, joined them. The four teachers conferred for several minutes, calling Professor Spawforth over as he walked in. Lily watched them closely: Spawforth was shaking his head, but McGonagall was looking indignant, and Lily heard the words, "... a prefect, very responsible..." Sprout nodded enthusiastically, and finally, Spawforth waved his hands in a gesture of defeat.

"Very well, Evans," said McGonagall as they returned. "As the only prefect, it will be your responsibility to have everyone back by four. See that you do so." Her face softened. "Have fun."

Lily nodded, ignoring Professor Sprout's conspiratorial grin, and went off to find the others.

Bertha and the two Ravenclaw fourth years were in the Trophy Room, where Bertha was apparently telling scurrilous stories about trophy winners. They scattered off to their dorms when Lily told them about the Hogsmeade trip.

She found Snape in the Slytherin common room, in conversation with the Bloody Baron. Lily froze when she saw the ghost, who stared at her with a rather awful expression on his face. She avoided his gaze as she explained the Hogsmeade visit to Snape.

"I see there are advantages to being a much-loved Gryffindor prefect," he said. "I'll get my things." He kissed her on the forehead, and before she could stop him, he left her alone with the Baron.

"You shouldn't be here," the Baron said. Lily had never heard him speak before. His voice was soft and precise, mesmerising and terrifying all at once.

"I-I don't intend to lead Gryffindor tour groups through," she told him.

"This is a Slytherin place. These rooms, these dungeons ... no true Gryffindor should enter. No true Gryffindor would dare."

"What are you implying?" She'd meant it to be lighthearted, but her voice was quavering.

"A Muggle-born witch." He sounded rather amused.

"So?"

"Salazar used to torture the Muggle-born, Gryffindor witch. He did unspeakable things to them here in these very rooms."

"H-here?"

"This was not always a place for children. You should not be here."

"And yet, here she is." Snape was standing in the doorway leading to the boys' dorms. He took Lily's hand, a possessive rather than reassuring gesture.

"Would you enter the Gryffindor Tower, Severus?" the ghost asked.

"I don't know." He glanced at Lily. "Care to give me a tour?" The Baron scowled.

"Now?" The thought of Severus, removed from his green-lit shadows and transplanted into the warm, red Gryffindor common room, was disconcerting.

"Later." He kissed her. "Coming?"

She was only too pleased to leave.

"I've, uh, never spoken to the Bloody Baron before," she said as they made their way to the Entrance Hall.

"He doesn't usually deign to speak to students from other houses."

"But he talks to Slytherins?"

"Oh yeah. He comes into the common room and tells blood-curdling stories. Most first years have nightmares for weeks."

"Even you?"

"No." He was silent for a second. "We have lots of ghosts at home. Most are much worse. And when I have nightmares, it's for better reasons than thousand year old murders." He said no more on the subject, and after a moment's reflection, Lily decided not to ask.

Severus wanted to pull her away from the others, but Lily wanted to walk to the village with the group. A part of her chafed at having to ignore Snape, who contributed nothing to the conversation except for some sarcastic remarks and a few deadly insults which, naturally, escaped Bertha.

On the other hand, Bertha would certainly notice if she disappeared with Snape, and Lily felt a prefectly duty to dilute Bertha's influence over the two Ravenclaws.

The fourth-years seemed all too glad for the intelligent conversation, and if took several minutes for Lily to extricate herself from their company. Finally, they went to Honeydukes, and she made her way to the Codex Emporium, where Severus had already disappeared.

She found him with his nose in a book on obsolete curses of South America. He barely reacted when she put her arms around his waist and kissed his cheek.

"Good book?"

"Interesting, yes."

"You do have strange hobbies. Potions, the Dark Arts. What do you do for fun?"

"You?" That won him a kiss which ended only when the witch behind the counter cleared her throat in a rather threatening manner.

"Seriously, though."

"I play the piano. Is that a satisfactory hobby, Miss Evans?"

"Oh, more than satisfactory, Mr Snape. Are you any good?"

"Somewhat."

"James, Sirius and Remus all play the guitar, although Sirius mostly just makes noise. James says he can play the piano, but since there are none at Hogwarts--"

"No pianos?" Severus looked surprised. "There's a music room on the fourth floor. It's hard to find, but I'd have thought that Potter would know about it."

Lily shrugged. "Maybe it's one of those rooms that can only be found by certain people. Like black-haired Slytherins who specialise in Potions. How'd you find it, anyway?"

"My aunt told me about it."

"Well, there you go. It's probably been unused for a generation."

"That seems unlikely. Although it's convenient. I always worry about being caught in there." He looked annoyed. "Sometimes, this school makes no sense. All these spells and enchantments, just laid on top of one another over the years. The magic can be disorderly."

"And we cannot have disorder in a school," Lily said gravely. She quickly kissed him, before he could suspect she was laughing at him. "I'd given up trying to rationalise Hogwarts by the time I was twelve. You want a butterbeer?"

They found an isolated corner of the Three Broomsticks, and spent several hours just sitting, their hands touching.

At three-fifteen, they separated. Severus muttered something about needing new Potions ingredients. Lily went to round up the others, stopping at the Codex Emporium to buy the book Severus had been reading earlier.

"Not a book I'd want my young man reading," sniffed the saleswitch. "You just find a better place to neck than my shop, young lady."

Lily promised that she would, stuffed the book into her bag, and prepared to return to Hogwarts.

***

Christmas Eve was cold and bright. Lily coaxed Severus into visiting Hagrid, who gave him a questioning look, but softened when Gore, his enormous dog, put his head in Snape's lap, drooled on his cloak and tried to drink his tea.

"Ah," said Hagrid. "Dogs're a great judge of character, don't yer know."

However, he called Lily back as they were leaving.

"I'm not tryin' ter tell yeh what t'do," he said gruffly, "and I know Gore liked 'im an' all, but yeh don' want t'be associated with the likes of 'im. 'E seems nice now, but yeh can't trust 'em. You know that crowd 'e goes 'round with."

"Hagrid ... I'm fifteen years old. I can take care of myself."

"It's just, I see a lot of students go through Hogwarts, Lily. An' I'm not a teacher, so I'm more of a friend, an' I worry..."

Impulsively, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Thankyou, Hagrid."

"Are yeh goin' ter tell James and the rest?"

She'd tried to avoid thinking about this, but now she had no options but lies or truth. She couldn't lie to Hagrid, so... "No."

Hagrid nodded, and Lily quickly left his cabin and rejoined Severus."

"Tea with Filch next Tuesday?" he asked as they made their way up to the castle.

"Excuse me?"

"What, you Gryffindors are the only ones who can be friends with the auxiliary staff?"

"You're friends with Filch?"

"After a fashion."

It was probably a bad fashion, Lily thought darkly.

"Want to visit the Gryffindor common room tonight?" she asked.

He looked pleased and disappointed all at once. "I'd love to. But I can't. I have some work to do in the dungeons."

"Crowley again?"

"Something like that." He kissed her cheek and walked away.

***

Lily woke up late on Christmas Day. Sitting up, she found a large pile of presents at the foot of her bed. Her parents had sent a large package: some photos taken in her absence; a few Muggle records, charmed to play by magic; both Muggle and wizarding sweets; and the usual Christmas presents: books, clothes, socks, underwear, pajamas. Petunia had enclosed a terse note. As usual, she also got a mixture of wizarding and Muggle money, her personal allowance for the next year.

The presents from her friends were a little less predictable. Remus had sent a worn book on Asian charms. There was an apologetic note inside, saying it had belonged to his great-grandfather. Lily had the impression that most of the Lupin family's income went towards medical bills of some sort.

Sirius sent a box of Honeydukes sweets and Zonko's products: Chocolate Frogs, Sugar Quills, frog spawn soap and biting tea cups. There was also a blood lollipop; Lily stared at it for a moment, and then read the note enclosed:

For Lily and those around her, it read, those being her sister and Snape. Sweets for the sweet, frog spawn for the sour and blood lollipops for the latent vampire in our midst. Siriusly yours, etc...

Lily glared at it, not sure whether to laugh or start preparing a good hex for the next mail. Finally, she Banished the lollipop into her bin, threw the letter into her trunk and ate a Chocolate Frog.

Peter had followed Sirius' lead and sent sweets; Lily was touched that he'd remembered her great love of Muggle bonbons.

James sent precisely three things: a book on hybrid magic, a packet of owl treats -- it made a nice change from lollies, anyway, she decided -- and a short note: This isn't the lot, but the rest will have to wait.

There was a grey feather attached to the parchment with Spellotape.

Ah, James, Lily thought, you are sweet, but not at all subtle. He'd been talking about his family's owl breeding program all year. At least he didn't expect her to be surprised. She was rather touched; owls were fairly expensive, and to give one away was unusually generous.

The remainder of the presents were trinkets from fellow prefects and classmates -- quills, yet more sweets, and an ornate notebook decorated with lilies from a second year she'd been coaching in Charms. Lily stared at the pile and wondered if she weren't more popular than she'd previously thought.

Finally, there was one present remaining. Lily unwrapped the soft bundle, and a length of shimmering gold fabric -- or was it fabric, she wondered, it seemed more like liquid -- poured into her lap.

The Coelura Potion, read the enclosed note; the liquid fabric. In colours for a lioness, naturally. S.

It was not an outrageously extravagant present, Lily decided, for the ingredients were easy enough to find, but the Potion itself was fiendishly difficult. They'd studied the theory in class, but Crowley had deemed it too difficult to be attempted. So this was last night's Potions work. Lily smiled, admiring the material.

Lily checked her Potions textbook, then draped the 'fabric' around her neck and concentrated. After a second, it appeared to contract and flow back into itself, and the bolt of golden cloth had become a simple scarf. Lily dressed quickly and went down to lunch.

As usual, Severus made no obvious response to her entrance, but Lily fancied that there was a gleam in his eye as he recognised his gift.

"A lovely scarf, Miss Evans," said Dumbledore. "A gift from an admirer, perhaps?"

Lily blushed and Bertha cackled.

"Ooh, Lily, it's from James Potter, isn't it?"

"James? Oh no..."

Severus, Lily noticed, was scowling into his meal.

"Sirius Black, then? Or Remus Lupin? Or the other one ... can't remember his name--"

"Peter?"

"Yes! Is it from Peter? It's always the quiet ones that surprise you, you know."

Lily served herself. "No," she said finally. "It's not from Peter."

"Well then," said Bertha, "a secret admirer for our Lily?"

"Well--" Oh, what the hell. "In a sense."

Professor Sprout gave her a sympathetic look as Bertha began naming every boy in school, from Frank Longbottom, the Head Boy, to Barty Crouch, a third year Ravenclaw.

Lily's heart almost skipped a beat when Bertha pointed her fork at Severus and said, "And what about you, Sev? Are you harbouring a secret passion for Lily?" Turning to Lily, she went on, "you'll have to watch him, you know. I caught him snogging Florence behind a glasshouse last year, and he was so--"

Severus stood up and pushed his chair in. "This is ridiculous," he said.

"I agree," said McGonagall. "Stay, Snape. Jorkins will find a new topic of conversation. An intelligent topic. Or she will remain silent."

McGonagall had the sort of strength that no one could argue with. It was a trait that Lily wished for, especially when she saw Bertha whither.

After lunch, she waited in the Entrance Hall for Severus, who followed her about ten minutes later.

"Where should we go?" he asked.

"Someplace private." At his amused look she added, "not like that! Well, maybe ... I just don't want to deal with Bertha."

"Good idea. She's an utter idiot. I really should hex her again." Lily laughed. "I wasn't joking," he added.

"Oh."

"Shall I show you the music room?"

The music room seemed to be in the remotest part of the castle, tucked away between two unused classrooms. It was no wonder that no one else knew about it, Lily decided. Aside from the inaccessible location, from the outside it looked like a narrow cupboard.

Inside, though, was a long, airy room.

"Windows?" Lily said in amazement. She was fairly sure that this was an inner room, but there was a long wall of windows with a glorious northern view.

"Remarkable, isn't it?"

"Oh yes..."

Snape slipped an arm around her waist. "My fellow Slytherins sometimes wonder where I go when I disappear for hours on end, but I've never been tempted to bring anyone else back here."

"Not even Florence?" He gave her a cold look, and she blushed. Then he relaxed.

"Especially not Florence."

Lily explored the room, feeling Severus' eyes on her. The array of musical instruments was astounding; there were pianos, harpsichords, strings, horns and a magnificent, gleaming harp. She had no doubt that everything was tuned and ready to play.

"Play for me?" she asked, and was rewarded with a rare smile.

Severus seated himself at a piano and began playing, a rippling, shifting melody.

"That's nice," she said.

"It's an old piece. In the wizarding world, at least. My mother likes it. I've played it so often that I know it by heart." His hands seemed almost like separate entities as he played, for surely it was impossible to play so gracefully while speaking with such resentment.

"Why do you play it if you don't like it?"

"Because I have to."

"Excuse me?"

"It's complicated." She waited for him to continue but he said nothing more, simply frowning at something beyond her perception.

"Bertha's just the tip of the iceberg, you know," he said some time later.

Lily was jolted out of a comfortable daydream. "Sorry?"

"A whole school of gossiping students. And us."

"Oh."

"I mean," he suddenly looked uncomfortable, "you agree about keeping this quiet, don't you?"

"Of course! Haven't we both been doing that?"

"Yes. But it will be a lot harder after everyone comes back." He paused. "I had thought that maybe, that you thought this was just--"

"Temporary insanity? A way to kill time until James and the others get back? Severus, what do you think I am?"

"As I recall, it was those words which began this." He kissed her on the lips and said, "I think that you are far too interesting for a mere Gryffindor. Far too powerful for a mere Muggle-born. Far too intelligent for a Potter groupie. In short, infinitely more than the sum of your parts."

Lily was oddly hurt. "Is that how you see me? As being worthy of your attention in spite of myself?"

"I -- I--" He took a deep breath. "All my life, I've believed certain things. I wasn't unaware of opposing ideas, but I learnt to disregard them." He stood up and looked out the window. "My father was a Dark wizard," he said softly. "My aunt is a Dark witch. My family are purebloods."

"Are you more than the sum of your parts?"

He offered her a thin smile. "We're all victims of our upbringings."

She wasn't sure what to say to that.

"You make me..." He looked at her, pushing his hair out of his face. "You can almost make me believe in things, Lily."

"Oh," she said softly. He took her hand and kissed her fingers, and she let the argument -- if that's what it was -- slide.

***

Severus' work on Crowley's project was continuing. Lily joined him in the dungeons one evening, just sitting and watching him work. They'd spent the afternoon on the Quidditch pitch, and the cold and wind seemed to have put a bit of colour in his face. He wasn't even aware of her scrutiny, she realised; all his attention was focused on the Potion before him.

He didn't even look up when Crowley entered the dungeons, although Lily jumped in surprise when the Professor threw open the doors to the classroom.

Crowley paused as her eyes met Lily's.

"Evans."

"Professor."

Crowley looked from Lily to Severus, who made no indication that he was aware of the teacher's entrance. Her eyebrows rose a fraction, and despite herself, Lily blushed.

"So that's how it is," said Crowley softly. Lily opened her mouth to deny her assumption, then closed it again. There was nothing to be gained in lies.

Snape looked up, watching the two of them, but saying nothing.

Crowley sat behind her desk. "I don't care, Evans."

"Professor, I--"

Through gritted teeth, Crowley said, "I don't care." She looked at Lily, who was surprised at the depth of pain in Crowley's eyes.

"I don't want to see you, Evans. Kindly take your conscience, and your nobility, and your innate goodness, and get out of my classroom."

Lily looked helplessly at Snape, and then made her way out.

***

Severus found her in the library a few hours later.

"Want to talk?" he asked.

"Sort of."

He watched her for a minute.

"Not here," she said. Lily gathered her things and stood up. "Come on. I'll give you a tour of the Gryffindor common room."

The Fat Lady protested loudly, but in the end, she couldn't stop Snape from entering in Lily's company. He looked odd in the red and gold room, and she suspected that James and the others would never forgive her if they found out about this. She settled herself in one of the armchairs by the fire, and watched Severus as he explored the room.

He hunkered down by a chessboard and examined the game in progress.

"Sirius Black?" he asked. "Playing ... Frank Longbottom."

"How'd you know?"

"Well, the words 'Property of S. Black' are carved into the border." Lily rolled her eyes. "And the other player is..." He frowned. "Stolid."

"Stolid? Frank?" As far as Lily could tell, the Head Boy was James' role model: competent, athletic, charming and popular.

"Oh, you know," said Severus, "not a risk taker. Leads from behind. Not as foolhardy as most Gryffindors, but not ... special."

"I've never had that impression."

"You've never played Quidditch against him." Snape straightened. "Are we here to discuss Frank Longbottom, or do you want to tell me what's wrong?"

Lily shrugged. "Crowley freaked me out a bit."

"I noticed."

"Did she say anything--?"

"No."

Severus took her hands and kissed them, nibbling her wrists.

"I feel like I disappointed her," Lily said.

"Hardly unreasonable." He pushed her sleeves up and kissed the sensitive skin on her inner forearm. Lily shivered. "I was disappointed, too. We tested the Potion this evening. It's much weaker than it should be."

Lily didn't know what to say to that. Snape pulled her down to kiss him.

"It doesn't matter," he said. "There'll be other Potions. And you can't deny that you want to learn more ... you could learn so much if you opened up a bit..."

"Is that a good thing?" she asked, trying to ignore the little part of her mind that cheered at the thought of being a powerful witch.

"Lily?" His hands were on the back of her neck, moving downwards and undoing her braid.

"Yes?" Her voice was muffled by his mouth.

"You think too much."

She kissed him back, and for a long time, she couldn't think anymore.

The moment ended when they heard footsteps approaching the common room.

"Where's that--?"

"McGonagall has a private entrance," said Lily. "Quickly -- down into the dorms -- no, wait, go that way, it's the boys' dorms -- she won't be going down there."

Snape disappeared, and Lily grabbed a book, grateful that the Professor hadn't come in by the portrait hole. She had an awful image of the Fat Lady telling her all about Gryffindor Tower's illicit visitor.

Seconds after Lily had settled herself in a chair, Professor McGonagall entered. She smiled at Lily; clearly, she hadn't been tipped off about Snape.

They discussed routine business for a few minutes, the usual concerns that a prefect and a head of house shared. Then, rather awkwardly, McGonagall said, "I was just speaking to Adelaide Crowley..."

"Oh?" said Lily, hoping that her voice was neutral.

"She was rather ... upset that you'd abandoned her special project. Feels that you aren't meeting your potential."

"Yeah. She said something about that."

McGonagall watched her for a moment. "Why did you leave? I understand that the project was optional, of course, but I'd thought--"

"It -- it was too hard." The lie made Lily blush, but she plunged on, "Crowley -- Professor Crowley must have overestimated me, and I couldn't..."

"I see." McGonagall turned to leave. "You mustn't feel too bad about that, Evans." With a half smile, she added, "I was never more than an average Potions student, and you are considerably more than that. And your Transfiguration marks are always good. Professor Crowley ... takes her position very seriously."

"I understand."

"Really." McGonagall pursed her lips. "I was at school with Adelaide Crowley. She was widely considered brilliant, but ... strange. She may treat you rather severely for a while. She's ... disappointed."

"I -- I'm sorry."

McGonagall waved a hand in dismissal. "Not your concern. Adelaide takes these things too seriously, and--" She stopped, as if realising that she was criticising a fellow teacher rather than an old classmate. "Good evening to you, Miss Evans."

"Bye, Professor." Lily watched McGonagall enter the concealed door which led to a passage down to her office. Since becoming a prefect, she'd often wondered how a passage could be hidden in a tower, but now, she was just grateful that the emptiness of the common room had enabled her to hear the Professor's approach.

When she was sure McGonagall had gone, she made her way to the boys' dorms. She wasn't surprised to find Severus in the fifth year dorms. His back was to the door; he held a large framed photo in his hands. She knew it well: it had been taken at Sirius' house last summer. The boys were standing in a pond, swatting each other and throwing mud. A couple of dogs jumped around playfully; one of them ran through James' legs. He unbalanced and fell into the water, laughing madly.

"Severus?"

He swung around, and for a second, she saw a look of longing in his eyes. But only for a second, for it was quickly replaced by his usual wary cynicism.

"She's gone?"

"She's gone."

He carefully put the photo back. "I should have known that Gryffindors would get better dorms," he said, but she didn't think that's what he'd been yearning for in that unguarded moment.

"You're saying that you want to be a Gryffindor?" she teased.

"No. I'm saying I want to have a better dorm." He moved forward and smoothly wrapped his arms around her. She kissed him, enjoying the warmth of his skin and the comforting solidity of his body.

This is real, she thought a little wildly, this is real. Not an illusion, or a daydream. It's real, and there can be consequences. I could be hurt...

She remembered the look in his eyes, the hunger that he didn't want her to see, and she thought, he could be hurt...

It was a strange thing, to hold another person in her arms and know that she had the power to hurt him. Or to make him happy. It was a heady feeling, combined with the intoxication of Severus' kisses, and it made her feel warm and chilled all at once; very old, yet young and a little scared.

They half fell backwards onto one of the beds; Sirius' bed, she thought. The red eiderdown held a masculine scent which was like, yet unlike Severus'. He nibbled her ear, and she was surprised to find that her skin had become sensitised ... she could feel the texture of the eiderdown through her clothing.

Like the princess and the pea, she thought wildly, and laughed a little.

"Ticklish?" Severus asked, touching her lower back.

"I -- yes."

His hands found their way under her shirt, running over her suddenly-sensitive back. She arched upwards, suddenly aware that he was almost on top of her, that her long, wizarding-style skirt was up around her thighs, and that she was warm and excited.

Oh, she thought, so that's what arousal feels like.

She realised that he was aroused, too, and felt oddly pleased and scared at once. It was one thing to be desired, but what was she meant to do now?

Mid-kiss, she looked into Severus' eyes. They were gleaming, and he was almost smiling at her, but it was a hungry smile. The yearning had returned to his face, but there was something even more primal than lust behind it.

He kissed her, but she realised that he wasn't thinking of her. Or rather, he wasn't just thinking of her.

Of course, she thought. Look where we are.

"Severus," she whispered.

"What?"

She pulled away from him, slipping out from under his body and straightening her clothes.

"I can't -- we shouldn't--"

"What's wrong?"

"Well, I can't help thinking ... oh, this sounds awful."

He smiled slightly. "I can handle plain speech, Lily."

"I can't help thinking that this is just as much about you hating my boys as it's about me." He raised his eyebrows, but she saw the set of his jaw and thought, oh dear, now he's furious. "I mean, this is Sirius Black's bed, and I'm Sirius Black's friend, and--"

"And I hate Sirius Black," Severus finished bitterly.

"Well, that's how it always seems."

"Oh, it's true. Potter and Black ... I do hate them. Lupin I could probably tolerate, and I don't really care about Pettigrew, although he's an irritating little bugger ... but I hate Potter and Black."

"They're my best friends, Severus."

"I know. And you'd prefer not to have sex in their beds."

"Well ... yeah."

He pushed his hair out of his eyes. "I guess I understand."

"I just--"

"I get it," he said. "It's different, being with a Gryffindor. Slytherins are ... precocious."

"It's not about our houses..."

"It is. In this school, it's always about your house." He shrugged, his control returning.

"I guess. But it's also--"

"I know. You're not ready."

"Yeah."

He stood up and adjusted his robes. "I should go."

She walked him to the portrait hole and kissed him goodbye, simultaneously relieved and sorry that they'd stopped before they'd gone any further.

***

Two days before the end of the break, Dumbledore received an owl over breakfast. Lily was chatting to Professor Flitwick, but she broke off in surprise when Dumbledore gasped. The whole table seemed to freeze: what could be so dreadful that Dumbledore's subtle but firm self-control was broken?

"Is something wrong, Albus?" asked Professor McGonagall.

"No, no, of course not. Just a rather peculiar letter from my brother Aberforth."

Dumbledore began telling stories about his brother, who apparently embodied every eccentricity known to man, and a few hitherto thought reserved for non-human creatures. The stories were funny, but Dumbledore's eyes were serious, and he asked Professor Spawforth and Severus to join him as soon as breakfast was over.

to be continued...

notes and credits:

chapter title: from "To You I Bestow" by Mundy: "My love for you is better than diamonds / to you everything I bestow". From the Romeo + Juliet soundtrack.

The Coelura Potion is named after something slightly similar in the Anne McCaffrey novella called "The Coelura". As far as I can remember, it was an animal which could become a sort of semi-sentient fabric.

Originally posted May 3; edited and updated May 27. Just some cleaning up. Then re-edited again for Fiction Alley.

Feedback to [email protected]. I really do like reviews, you know...

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