Immortal Memories -part one-

Chapter 6: Bitter Farewell

Severus sighed in resignation as he closed yet another book and added it to the growing stack on the chair beside him. He'd already gone through over twenty books of all kinds and still hadn't found a single fact about his research topic. Unfortunately, Bayberry wouldn't give him a pass to check books out from the restricted section, and he wasn't brave enough to go to the Transfiguration professor.

"Relax, Severus," Avelon said, not looking up from her still-blank parchment.

"Yeah, at least you've got a topic," Lucius added, glancing at Avelon.

The girl looked up. "I have made my decision, Lucius."

"Which is?"

"Harpies."

"Harpies?" Severus asked, astonished. "But they're extinct, aren't they?"

"Yes," Lucius put in. "Not to mention illegal. Everything about them is illegal."

Avelon simply smiled and stood up. Looking thoughtful, she ticked things off on her fingers as she walked between bookshelves. It seemed that she didn't know exactly what she was looking for, but at the same time, she did. She returned momentarily holding a thick volume in her left hand and a smaller, open book in her right. She set the large book carefully on the table and dusted the cover with the sleeve of her robe. Severus leaned forward to look at the writing, curious as to what the strange text might be.

"Isn't that—” he began.

"Yes. Latin," Avelon answered.

Lucius looked intrigued now too. "And you can read that?"

"Clearly," Avelon replied, sounding almost surprised that the boys couldn't.

She read a while longer on the opened page of the small book, then turned it face down on the table before opening the cover of the large volume and turning to the "Author's Note" page. She read the page, written in two different hands, then smiled as she brushed her fingers lightly over the script. Turning a few more pages, she quickly glanced at the table of contents as if refreshing her memory, then carefully searched the pages until she found what she was looking for.

The two boys just watched her, amazed. They didn't even know this book existed, or that there was anyone still alive who read and probably spoke Latin fluently. They remained silent, until Severus spoke.

"Incoming," he said simply.

Lucius and Avelon looked up toward the door. Walking toward them was Viktor wearing his black fur trenchcoat. He smiled when he noticed Avelon's questioning look.

"What is the occasion, brother?" she asked, genuinely curious.

"We, dear sister, are going out," he replied in his quiet manner.

Avelon raised an eyebrow. "Are we now?"

Viktor laid another coat over her lap and responded with a simple affirmative, then smiled and began to walk away. Avelon stood up, almost dropping her coat in her hurry, then put on the coat, closed the Latin book and tucked it under her arm. She muttered a quick goodbye to Lucius and Severus before hurrying after her brother.

Avelon had no trouble catching up with Viktor, but was somewhat annoyed nonetheless. When she caught his arm, he hugged her and kept his arm around her shoulder as they walked. Finally, Viktor halted at the statue of Dzreku the Fiend at the end of second floor hallway directly behind the library, looked around, and led Avelon into the room to the left of the statue, the Room of Obscurity. They'd first discovered this room when they'd given themselves a tour of the castle, their second day in residence. Ever since, it had been their secret meeting place.

Avelon closed her eyes and bowed her head, saying a silent prayer to the gods to forgive her. "Tu certus es?" she asked, a coldness overlaying her voice. You have decided then?

"Ita vero," the boy responded. I have.

"Perficiatur." Then it be done.

He knelt and she embraced him; a moment passed and then it was finished.

"Te amo, mi filii," Avelon whispered. I love you, my son.

"Et ego te, mater," Viktor replied, also whispering. And I you, mother.

"Shouldn't you two be packing or studying or something?" James asked, irritated.

"Shouldn't you?" Molly retorted.

Sirius and Remus sighed and shook their heads simultaneously, earning questioning looks from their counterparts.

"James..." Sirius began. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you..."

James looked worried at this. "Yes?" he asked apprehensively.

"Well, me and Remus, we've been..."

He paused and looked at Remus, who lifted his left hand to show to James. In the center of his palm was a plain silver band inset with a single small diamond. James was horrified, almost to the point of tears. Sirius couldn't help but smile. He'd been planning this for weeks but never had the courage to actually do it, so he sought Remus' help. Molly smiled as well, giving her an uncharacteristic giddy look.

Sirius glanced at his two friends, then moved from his chair to the floor, where he got down on one knee in front of James. Taking the ring from Remus with one hand and grasping James' hands with the other, he spoke.

"James Potter, I love you more than anything in this world and I don't ever want to let you go." Tears pooled in James' eyes. "I would be honoured," Sirius continued, "if you would marry me."

The tears fell, happy and hopeful, as James whispered, "I will."

Sirius slipped the ring onto his fiancé’s finger and took his face in his hands, smiling as he rose up to kiss James lovingly. Molly was bouncing ever so slightly in her seat and Remus was watching with a soft smile, thinking of someone else, but that didn't dilute his joy.

"Now what's this about Remus?" James asked suddenly. "You've been what?"

Sirius snickered. "We've been planning this for weeks."

Avelon and Viktor quickly made their way back to the Slytherin common room, despite their conditions. Viktor was still a bit disoriented and Avelon's eyes were glazed over and her mind was still in its cold serious state. Lucius and Severus were also on their way back, and their paths joined. While Lucius fought the urge to ask what had happened, Severus studied the twins for some other means of understanding.

"Stop staring," Avelon said quietly and without looking at him.

Severus quickly averted his eyes, but was still deep in thought. As they walked the familiar route from the library to the common room, he tried and failed to come up with a logical explanation for the twins' changed demeanor. They seemed happy, or at least passive, when they were in the library, and then they left and returned like this. He didn't see any reason to pursue the topic with them, as they were wont to say it was nothing and simply continue with life. Questions pertaining to them were never answered. Oh, the mysteries, he thought as they reached the entrance to the common room.

"You shouldn't think so hard," a quiet voice said to him. It was Viktor. "You could discover something you were better off not knowing."

"Kid's right, Sev," Lucius agreed. "Just let it go." But his eyes betrayed him.

Avelon put her arm around Viktor and led him to her dormitory, leaving the boys in the main room to talk or sleep or whatever it was they did.

After glancing around, Lucius asked, "What do you think?"

Severus smirked. "'Let it go,' eh?"

"Shut up. I couldn't very well ask them what happened, now could I?"

"I suppose not." Severus sighed. "My best guess is they got in a fight with someone or each other. It's the only logical thing..."

Lucius shook his head. "Since when is anything logical around those two? No, it has to be something completely irrational."

"But what?"

"Beats me..."

"You shouldn't think too hard, I said," a voice came from behind them. Viktor. "If you do, you'll discover things you don't want to know and bad things will happen."

"You do not want bad things to happen, do you?" another voice, Avelon, asked, locking eyes first with Severus, then Lucius. "It would be better if you both just forgot everything about our situation."

The two boys blinked and shook their heads as if just coming out of a daze. It seemed to them that they were just in the library and had suddenly appeared in the middle of the common room. The time between that became a blur. They blinked again and stared at the twins.

"How'd we get here?" Severus ventured.

Avelon smiled slightly. "You overworked yourselves trying to find information on Severus' essay topic," she explained. "The frustration must have disoriented you. We brought you back here, and now you seem fine." She sounded a bit too serious, a bit too distant.

She gestured toward a small pile of books on a table at the far side of the room, most of which the boys had brought back from the library. She glanced at Viktor, who, upon realizing what he was doing, drew his gaze away from Lucius and started for the exit. Avelon followed, saying a quick goodbye, complete with hug and kiss, and returned to the boys still standing in the middle of the room. There was a long pause as the three simply stood there, looking between each other.

"I am leaving soon," she said finally.

"So are we all," Lucius replied.

"No...I have to leave today."

Severus made a face of puzzlement, as if to say, 'Why can't you just wait until the end of term?'

"What about Viktor?" he asked.

Avelon sighed. "I do not know. I should take him with me, but he wants to stay here with his friends. He said he will find me after school is over."

"But what about your parents? Wouldn't they pick you guys up at the station?" Severus asked.

"Parents?" Avelon replied. "His parents are dead."

"What about yours?" the boy asked.

"I do not know." She hesitated. "My—my master wishes me to return as soon as possible, so I must go. I am sorry. I will miss you both dearly."

"Will we see you again?" Lucius asked sincerely.

Avelon nodded. "Perhaps in a few decades, but you will not know me." At the puzzled looks on both boys' faces, she only shook her head and said, "You will see. I shall return to this school in seven and twenty years. I look forward to seeing you both at that time."

"Likewise, I suppose," Severus said.

"Hey, er..." Lucius began shakily. "What exactly is there between you and your brother?"

"My brother," Avelon replied, a smile playing on her lips, "is not really my brother. We are not related, except by will. When he lost his parents, I took him under my wing and we became very close. People only think we are twins, but I am the elder. That is all." After a moment she added, "I thought you might ask eventually."

The blonde boy sighed, partially relieved, partially taken aback.

"Now I must leave," Avelon said. "I have delayed too long as it is." She embraced each of them in turn, then stepped back. "Goodbye, my friends." She walked away, not looking back.

"That was certainly odd," Lucius commented.

"Indeed," Severus agreed. He noticed a single scroll on top of the pile of books on the table at the far side of the room. "What's that?" He pointed, walking toward the table.

He picked up the scroll and unrolled it carefully, almost afraid of its contents. Written on the paper, in his own hand, was a completed essay on petrified dragon fire. In the top right-hand corner was his name, Severus Snape, looking as if he himself had written it, though he knew he most certainly hadn't.

"I thought you said you couldn't find any information anywhere on that?" Lucius asked from behind him.

"I couldn't," Severus replied. He was dumbfounded.

As he made to roll up the parchment, another small bit of parchment fluttered from his hand onto the table. Picking it up, he read aloud,

"My dearest Severus, I knew you would find nothing on your chosen topic, as the only resource in the library was the Latin volume I picked up, so I took the liberty of writing your essay for you as a token of my gratitude. I suppose it was easier than translating an entire chapter for you, anyhow. My best to both you and Lucius. Avelon Valentine."

"Well," Lucius said, "wasn't that nice of her?"

"I wonder when she had the time to do this?" Severus wondered aloud. He shook his head. "She was an odd one."

"That she was," Lucius agreed.

The train was about to leave when the Gryffindor gang and Viktor reached it. Luckily, they were able to find an empty compartment large enough for the seven of them. Seconds, it seemed, after they settled in their seats, the train set off on the day's trip to London . It was almost hard to believe they'd only be at Hogwarts for one more year. For Arthur and Said, this year had been their last. For Viktor as well, though he was going back to St. Petersburg for his seventh year of magick schooling. For the rest, one more year was all they had.

Elsewhere, Lucius and Severus were conversing with other classmates off and on. Large gaps in the conversation allowed them time to think. Twenty seven years, Avelon had said. Would she really return? Would she remember? And if she did, would they? Twenty seven years was a long time to wait for a friend, no matter how memorable.