Learning of Worlds-Private

[HopesWings]

///Thanks! and that post was AWESOME and AMAZING! If only I could write that well...

Elizabeth listened without uttering a sound or a flicker of emotion passing through her eyes or upon her face. Though she had never been a Death Eater herself, she had grown up among them. She knew when and how to hide whatever she felt. For now, she managed to even hide them from Severus. An feat she had mastered when they were still students at Hogwarts. When he asked his only question, she looked away. Closing her eyes briefly, she sighed. "I had hoped you would have that answer. I too don't know where Sage is. Come, I have a lot to explain."Without waiting for his reply, she followed Ellie's path into the house.

The front door through which they entered opened into a small kitchen/living room area. The wooden floor appeared new, and the walls were painted a soft gray white. The table in the far corner was of sturdy wood, proud and elegant. The kitchen itself was made of marble counters and wooden cabinets. On the other side of the room, a red stone fire place dominated the are. Dying cools were still faintly glowing in its belly. A rocking chair, beautiful ancient, was seated before the fireplace. A small creamy brown sofa was beside it. Despite the run-down appearance of the outside of the house, the inside felt new. There was not even anything on the walls, as though the owner was getting it ready to sell. Without glancing at him, Elizabeth settled herself into one of the chairs beside the table. She motioned for him to sit in the other.

"I suppose I should start from the beginning,"Grey began softly, her eyes becoming glossy as her mind traveled back in time. "About a month before the Dark Lord's downfall, I received an owl from Sage. She explained she was due to have a child within six week's time, and she planned to tell you as well. The letter mentioned nothing of the child's father, only that she would be visiting me shortly after the baby was born."Grey paused, sighing softly. The effort of telling these secrets drained on her. "I did not hear from her again until the day after..."she hasted. "Until the day after the Potter's death. She ran here, wounded, with the babe in her arms. It was storming badly that night. She explained to me she had been attacked, and had only barely managed to get away. She did not go into detail, and I did not ask. Sage spent a week here, recovering, before she decided to track to Hogwarts to speak to Dumbledore. I did not have an owl she could send. I offered to go with her, but she refused. She asked me to watch Ellie, so I did. When Sage nor anyone else returned, I went looking for her. I found signs of a fight, but nothing else. She never returned."

Grey shifted her gaze back to Severus. It had hardened, angered. "Before you call me a coward or ask why I never tried harder, let me explain. I do not know if she was in her right mind or not, but Sage refused to allow me to help her the night she showed up until I had made the Unbreakable Vow. I swore to her I would protect Ellie with my life, to do whatever I could to keep her safe. Safe and hidden from dangers she would not speak of. Whoever attacked her, it rattled her to her core. I had never seen her in such a state of panic."Her voice broke, and she stopped speaking. She shook her head sadly. "I wish it had been I who had gone that day,"she whispered, "then maybe Sage would have been able to raise the child she had always wanted."

[Orion]

//Lies, homie. You’re a fantastic writer!! + mobile again blegh

Let down, Severus just nasally snorted. ”Ghosting their ‘family’, per usual,” he cooed maliciously under his breath. Despite not receiving a better answer, Severus followed Elizabeth inside without another word of complaint. Although he was surprised that she hadn’t decided to refute his claims, especially when she knew of his mischievous nature. Perhaps it was better that she didn’t anyways.

His boots clicked behind the Elizabeth as he wandered inside the wolf’s den while his eyes scanned the room. To say they weren’t living well would be a lie. Who could ask for more in the middle of the dangerous forest? Even Sirius Black didn’t have the luxury. As a dark gaze rushed around the room, he unconsciously found himself looking for Ellie wandering about, but found nothing as a result. Defeated, he stood hesitantly. Until directed further, he just watched Elizabeth go through the home and eventually place herself on a chair nearby. With her permission, he settled down across from her. Legs spread apart and back straight as a board, Severus waited patiently for her to begin explaining herself, just as she did for him. It was only courtesy.

As he listened, he put his arms upon the rims of the chair. His hands gravitated towards the middle of his balance and his fingers touched together tip to tip as he listened. Elizabeth explained herself elegantly. Truly, he was concerned not only for her, but Sage. They were both cowardly in their actions and had decided to drop what was most important to them in pursuit of their own safety... Suppose it was in the Snape genes, though. Severus would only do the same. For that, he could only judge silently. As she continued, even bothering to interject with her own speech with warning before he lashed out at her, the old friend began to explain herself further. The half-blood knew Sage well, but apparently not well enough to understand that his sister had become mentally unstable after the events that procured that night. He bit back his tongue partially as a result. ”How noble of you,” came his nasally banter. Once again, he partially held back his tongue. Though he was not outright cruel, his words were still dripping in sarcasm. ”If you’re looking for me to go on a wild goose chase for the sister who didn’t bother contacting me, I doubt you’re going to enjoy my answer.” If Sage wasn’t ever going to be there for Severus, why would he bother to do the same? He’d be risking his precious life.

[HopesWings]

///Awe. Thanks bud. I'm trying to get better....And for mobile, that post is still awesome.

Grey shook her head, sadness filling the space around them. "You don't understand. Sage...she left the Order because of you."She suddenly stood up and walked over to the kitchen. She hasted for a minute, clearly battling with herself over what she was about to do. Then she opened a hidden draw, and she pulled something out. It was a folded, old piece of paper. As she tracked back to Severus, he could tell the paper had been unfolded several times over a long stretch of time. She handed it to him, her hand shaking. "You need to read this,"was her only explanation.

When Snape opened the letter, it was clearly wrote by Sage. It was her handwriting, and it was shaky. She had been scared or upset when she had wrote it. It read;
'Dear Eli,
I am sorry to risk exposing you in such a way, but I had to write you. So much has happened, and there is so much I wish I could put in this letter. But I cannot. If it were to fall into the wrong hands, people could die. So I will only tell you what I can, and I will explain the rest in time.
I know not if news has reached you, but I am with child. I'm due within six weeks. I cannot believe it. It brings me great joy, but also great sorrow. I am bringing an innocent child into a war. I'm a fool. I have also realized my foolishness in my dealings with Severus. I know I can never change what has happened, but maybe I can amend things. I am going to reach out to him, and I do not care what anyone else thinks. It is my life to decide. He is my brother. My only family left.
I have left the Order. Things have happened, things I cannot speak of in this letter, and it has changed my view on this whole war. I understand the importance of it, but why fight the war if every thing I love will be destroyed in it? What would I have left?
I know I have left you confused, but I promise I will explain things soon. I am going to come to you in a few weeks times, hopefully shortly after the baby is born. If it is a boy, I will name him after my brother. If a girl, after Lily and my mother. I am so sorry I have left you with so many holes.
With love, Sage.'

Grey had lowered herself back into her seat. She was staring at her hands in her lap. "She came with the child, but she never filled in those holes. All I know is she did love you, Severus. You did something, or she heard something, or something happened, I don't know, but she left the Order for you. All she talked about in the time she was here was how much she longed to see you, to tell you the truth. What truth, I do not know."Grey raised her head to look at him, her eyes searching. She was seeking an answer she believed him to have.

"Nan,"Ellie's soft voice called. She had appeared in the kitchen, indicating there was an unseen door or staircase. She looked upset over something. She glanced at Severus, but quickly looked away. Sighing, Grey stood and went to her. The two disappeared around the corner. In their wake, the house felt cold.

[Orion]

//Improvement is key! You've got a great touch on RP / writing already though. <3

His lips pursed, unsatisfied with her words. Everything, it seemed, had seemed to be his fault. 'Doubtful,' he thought to himself. Severus wondered why she couldn't think independently, just like he had with his own decisions, but let the thought go as Elizabeth tried to pitifully explain her reasoning with a letter. For a few moments while she held out the letter, he just looked her in the face and observed her features. Only moments later did he accept Sage's note. Leaning over from his once pompous position, he grabbed the letter out of her hands and began to inspect it. A pained gaze observed the folds of the parchment, noticing it's wear and tear. Over the edge of it, he ran a single finger against it lightly and then opened up the letter to read it's contents.

While nearing the end of the note, his grip strengthened at the sides of the paper. It lightly crumbled between his fingers as he stared down at it's content still. When finished, he sat silently. Severus leaned back in the chair, resuming his previously uptight posture with his head in his chest. His head rose awhile later. There was an unsure thought that mustered up inside him that wondered if it was even looking for his supposedly 'alive' sister. "I do not know of anything I could of done to change her position on the matter," came his reminiscing tone. "Perhaps Lily's d-." His words faded out as Ellie appeared. Elizabeth wandered off elsewhere, leaving Snape to be alone in the living room.

The two disappeared around the corner. Severus leaned over in his chair with his fingers running over his face and black hair over his eyes. "Coward." He clawed at the letter harder, letting it finally succumb underneath his grip and crumble into a ball. It fell to the floor not long after. His hands moved up to his head with lanky fingers beginning to run through his greasy hair. For the first time in a long time, Severus was letting his emotions escape through his shallow facade and pour out.

With what remained of his emotions, the professor managed to throw it out of the window before getting up from the chair and walking over to the kitchen. Curiously, they have seemed to disappear. 'Homenum revelio.' To Ellie and Elizabeth, the recipients of the spell, they would feel as if something had perused past them. To the unknowing, it would feel as if a light draft passed them. Meanwhile, when it came to Snape, his wand led him to the spot where the floor boards were loose and the wall nearby that would lead him to the two.

With light pressure, he prodded at the floorboards. Though suspicious, nothing left their spot and remained in place and Severus moved on to the wall. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Maybe there was a protective spell that left him in the dark? With that in mind, Snape kept wondering and observing the area...

// "Then you will find yourself easy prey for the Dark Lord! Fools who wear their hearts proudly on their sleeves, who cannot control their emotions, who wallow in sad memories and allow themselves to be provoked this easily -- weak people, in other words -- they stand no chance against his powers! He will penetrate your mind with absurd ease, Potter!" .... "“DON’T . . . CALL ME COWARD!” ... Ironically said by Snape in the books, knowing fully well that he was speaking his own truth and somehow denying it still. doing my research ahhh

[HopesWings]

///Thanks! I've been trying...Sorry I didn't reply earlier. I was gone yesterday.

In the corner, there was a slightly ajar door. It was dark, but the bottom step of a stairway could be faintly seen. A warm draft could be faintly felt coming from the door. To the sharp ear, a faint murmuring of voices could be detected. The walls were also bare around the door. Though the house was beautiful, it was not personally. It was not a home, merely a dwelling place for its residents. For little Ellie, there was no home. Though she had called this place her home, it was not. She had never known a home. Then again, neither had Sage and Severus.

As children, neither of them had been spared from their father's wrath. Severus had always taken the blunt of it, but Sage was not spared. For the first nine years of her life, Sage had been spared the physically pain their father dealt out. But with Severus's beginning to Hogwarts, so it was the beginning of her pain. Sage, however, like Severus, never told a soul. Only the bruises ever gave it away to Severus. Their mother had never been of help. One could only wonder why Sage had bothered to name her child after her.

Soft steps echoed from the stairs. A moment later, Elizabeth appeared. She looked more exhausted than before. She was also trembling slightly. "I'm sorry. Ellie....never mine,"she muttered. She glanced at the table, noticing the letter was not in Severus' hand. Not seeing it, she frowned. She did not ask as she walked back to the table. She sank back into a chair. She ran a hand through her hair. "What now, Severus?"she asked softly.

A gentle pattering of feet hurried down the stairs. Ellie appeared, wide-eyed. She stopped, looking up at Severus slowly. She gazed at him with dark, bright eyes full of fear. She bit her lip lightly. "Are you going to leave me behind?"she asked him innocently. It was the same question Sage had asked the first time Severus had left for Hogwarts.

'It was finally the day to leave. Severus hurried as he nearly ran for the loading platform for the Hogwarts Express. He was finally eleven. Lily was meeting him there. Trailing behind him was his mother, tired, sad, and exhausted, holding Sage's hand. Sage, only nine, was confused and did not fully understand what was going on. Their father had not come.

"Lily!"Severus greeted happily when he spotted her. She was standing with her parents and sister. "Severus!"she greeted, just as happy. As the two began talking, Severus's mom came up with Sage. She did not greet Lily's parents. Sage smiled shyly at Lily and waved. Lily waved back. The group stood together until the conductor called for the children to get aboard.

As Lily said goodbye to her family, Severus picked up his bag. He muttered a goodbye to Sage and his mom before handing towards the train. "Severus!"Sage whimpered, grabbing a hold of his jacket coat. Lily cast Severus a backwards glance, but he waved her on. Lily hurried aboard as Severus turned to Sage. She looked scared.

"What's the matter Sage?"Severus asked not unkindly, but he was annoyed. He was ready to go.

"Are you leaving me behind?"Sage whimpered. Severus smiled at her, reassuring her. She smiled back. "I'll write letters and I'll be back for summer. You'll be fine,"he promised her. Sage had thrown her arms around his neck, hugging him. He had hugged her back.

"I love you Severus,"she whispered.

"I love you too Sage."he had whispered back. He had then got onto the train. He and Lily had watched Sage waving as the train sped off.'

Ellie and Elizabeth watched Severus, waiting for his answer.

///Love it. Of all the characters, I think I pity Severus the most in all truth.

[Orion]

//try?? no, boo, you do <333 dont worry about it, im busy too!

Squeeeeak.

As the door opened, Severus's gaze shifted over towards what came out of it. Elizabeth came out of the darkness, presumably from the stairs he could see out of the corner of his eye. Truly, he thought nothing of it. "Presumably not something satisfying," he mumbled lowly. If she didn't want to explain herself, he wouldn't prod further and instead proceeded to drop the subject. Unlike others, Elizabeth Grey was close to him. For her he could make an exception.

To be honest, the half-blooded coward didn't think as far as she had. Of course he wanted to see if he could find the remains of his sister, whatever that may be, but Severus still felt reluctant to trust. Still, this benefited him. That was his only motivation. He wouldn't be isolated for the rest of his life if he happened to find Sage, but he doubted that. A few more years couldn't kill him... "I thought you would have an idea," Snape continued. His eyebrowbrow rose questionably, wrinkles creasing in his forehead.

His attention moved on. Ellie burst out from the dark, fear in her eyes. For a moment, his gaze returned to Elizabeth in uncertainty, but turned back down upon Ellie soon enough. Her words echoed within his head. Sage had said the same thing before and, admittedly, he had taken her sisterly love for granted. While he managed to write letters often, he wished he could of done more during that time instead of isolating himself in the depths of Hogwart's nooks and crannies.

Coming down onto one knee, Severus met the girl face to face. He attempted to take her much smaller hands in his lanky fingers and place it inbetween his palms. What he wanted to say was the blunt truth, but breaking another's heart (especially his own niece's) he couldn't do. Especially with Sage's copycat staring back at him. "Of course...-"

//tbh im not sure if he deserves pity. he knew fully well what he was doing but i can also pity him in some aspects... its very conflicting and thats why he's my favorite.

[HopesWings]

//Thanks. I do my best!

Ellie had allowed him to take a hold of her hands, though she had appeared nervous when he did so. Her eyes stayed locked on his, demanding nothing but truth. As he spoke, her face twisted into anger. She yanked free of his grasp and tore out of the door. It slammed in her wake as Elizabeth jumped to her feet, her cry of "Ellie!" echoing throughout the house. Through the dirty window one could watch the child vanish into the trees like a shadow. Elizabeth sank back into the chair, placing her hands on her knees for support.

"That child will be the death of me yet,"the woman muttered. Exhaustion clung to her every feature, her every movement. Even her breathing was slow, almost too tired to bother with the movement. Barely able to, Grey raised her head to meet Severus's gaze. "She use to ask me about going to Hogwarts. She always wanted to, but my answer was always the same. When our food stopped growing, she began insisting on it more than ever. I tried to persuade her other wise, but she is stubborn as they come. I fully believe that is why she was in the forest when you found her. Searching for Hogwarts. She has fantasized the place far too much for my liking." Grey stood up and walked over to the window. She gazed out, crossing her arms.

After a minute, Elizabeth began talking. "Sage made me vow to keep Ellie hidden for reasons I never knew. I only trusted she had them and obeyed. But we can't stay here. The forest has stopped yielding to my spells. We're starving. If we stay here, we will die."She turned around to face Severus, leaning against the window frame. She studied him through green orbs. They resembled a cat's eyes. "I'm going to have to take her and leave Severus. It's the only way to keep her alive."She fell silent, allowing her words to sink in. They were leaving, and they were going to leave him. He would, in all likelihood, never again see the niece he had just discovered. Grey was waiting for his fury.

///I understand where you're coming from. He did make wrong choices, big ones, but he was also forced into helping to protect the son of the man who tormented him his whole life.

[Orion]

”... Not.”

Before his last word, Severus had paused. He was hesitant to agree, but something knew that it was the right thing to do if he was going to go searching for Sage and finally reunite himself with someone. Isolation hadn’t treated him well. For example, it caused him to watch his words. Unable to be open and speak his truth left pauses in his speech as he hesitated. Hence why it bit him in the ass. Despite that, even before Snape finished speaking, she was out the door. For a moment he remained on one knee in shock, but eventually rose up from the ground with his face donning a puzzled expression. The halfblood loomed over his old friend. His gaze stared down at her, searching for features for any sign or clue that could help him figure out the ethics of the situation. All he saw was exhaustion though.

Living a sheltered life he could understand. ”The daunting magic and power that lies oh-so close to your home would most definitely persuade the child undoubtedly,” he enthused back. Severus slinked back onto his chair before and resumed his upright posture. ”You can’t restrict her for any longer, Elizabeth.” Curiousity raged within children understandably. All of those at Hogwarts went through role confusion and began to figure out their truest purpose in life. Without it, many wizards would remain unpredictable with their magic and become like Potter at the zoo. Who knew what they would do. ”She will soon enough decide if she wishes to stay with you or head out to the castle to learn in good faith.” Severus would like to think she had Elizabeth’s interests in mind too. In reality though, the professor was just swaying the conversation to benefit him.

Steam practically left his ears. His jaw clenched, teeth grinding against one another as he stared at her with a sullen gaze. ”What if Hogwarts could provide the both of you shelter?” It was the best he could do. Severus had no get away home for them to escape to, nor would he offer his own personal house. Even so, this decision would benefit Ellie mostly. They would receive the help they needed and she would learn magic at a proper age.

//Definitely. His character is fueled by reminicising on the past and letting those things fester, hence why his frustration is so understandable.  + mobile

[HopesWings]

Elizabeth gazed at him, her eyes pinning him to the spot. She was quiet for several minutes, her arms crossed, as she watched him. A cat stalking its prey. She leaned forward, her face inches away from his. "Do you know what you are asking to bring upon yourself?"she asked in a whisper. "Do you have any idea the attention our presence would bring upon you?" The woman stood and began to pace.

"People would begin to whisper. The children would mutter among themselves and ask Ellie questions. The girl would not lie. The children will learn you had a sister, and she had a child. They will talk, Severus. Are you prepared for that kind of attention?"Elizabeth stopped and stared at him. There was a hard look in her eyes, no mercy. She wanted to ensure he understood what he was getting himself into.

"And what of Ellie? She too will have questions, questions you will have to answer. Are you prepared for that Severus?"Without waiting for an answer she trailed back into the kitchen. She grabbed a glass and filled it with water from the sink. She downed it in a few gulps. "Ellie is innocent Severus. Far more innocent than we ever were. She does not know of the world she has been brought into. Not of the world she will be thrust into when she leaves here."

Grey left the glass beside the sink and turned to face him once more. Her eyes were shinning. "Sage, in her own way, was innocent for so long. The world destroyed her. It destroyed all of us."She shook her head, a bitter smile on her face. "What kind of world are we diving into?"

Outside, Ellie had reappeared. She was playing in the yard with a dog. The beast was brindle black and brown, and it was of medium size. Ellie would throw a small branch, the dog would fetch it and return it to her, and the cycle would repeat. In was clear the child was upset, even from this distance. However, she focused only on what she was doing. She never even glanced at the house.

///Yep. Agreed

[Orion]

Dark eyes stared back her as she grew close to his face. His brow rose at her words and he mustered a smirk out his pale lips. Elizabeth was smart. She knew that Severus’ first priority was himself and was going to use that to counter his argument. Her skewed position brought him little perspective and definitely was a glorious attempt to sway him, but it was no use. One thing he enjoyed more was putting down others and if this old friend of his wanted to damn him, he’d surely fight back.  Without warning, he sunk to the lowest level. Fury and venomous intent lopped onto his words.

As she rose, so did he. Severus trailed behind her with his robe floating elegantly behind him and a mischevious saunter in his step. He let her ramble at first. She dug her verbal knife deep into his side and continued twisting, hoping to make an impact. Her monologue about Sage had been rather interesting, but Severus knew that his sister was not of importance when it was her decision to isolate Ellie and herself in the first place. Fools... Eventually, he interjected. ”And are you going to continue raising a lamb for slaughter?” he challenged. ”When she dies by the hands of my colleagues, you will be reminicising on what you could of done.”  Not the defenseless child, nor the half blooded uncle. Just Elizabeth. Only she was preventing Ellie from getting her much needed education. ”You cannot keep her from the truth forever.”

He rounded onto Elizabeth. ”But she has a chance of gradually transitioning into our world.” Just like Potter had went from being a mere mortal to one of the school’s most admirable wizards, Severus believed the child could do the same. ”Innocence does not equal safety.” Sage had learned that the hard way. ”Now either she learns the curses and charms of the wizarding world or the words she thought I spoke will now be true.” But even he knew that he couldn’t just leave her behind. Snape could barely leave Lily’s child in the dust after all these years. ”It’s noble to die trying to make an effort rather than giving up...” He let his words drawl out. ”-Grey.”

//mobile