The Writer\'s Companion

Author’s Notes:

* I reached a little milestone; I reached and surpassed the 500 hit mark. I want to thank all of you for reading, but I would also like to take the time to give a special thanks to my reviewers. Without you guys taking the time to leave me your suggestions and thoughts my story wouldn’t even be half as good as it is so far.

Now you must be thinking, ‘gee how sappy for a 500 hits thing’, and to you I respond, ‘you aint seen nothing yet just wait till I publish the final chapter’.

Response to Reviewers:

Tricky Woo: You are far too good to me…I could tell you to stop you’re making my head big, but I won’t. In truth it keeps me writing. It does my little author heart good to know someone likes what I am writing.

Sheherazade: I think Lupin will always have the perpetual good guy appeal, but for me…well I prefer a little sexy sarcasm. J

Unfortunately my unexplained, but completely understandable, draw to Snape’s character will have me writing Maddie as no fan of Lupin. There will be more of that later…tee-hee

Glad that you like to story so far!

Wolfsoul: I have to say, I do like to leave my readers with a bit of suspense. *Evil Laugh* But I don’t think I am the only one guilty of leaving the readers wanting…*ahem*…I know a certain writer who has left me sitting on pins and needles. J

Sisterae: Where are you? Oh No, you can’t leave me…not now…not ever…*Muuahahaha*

Chapter 9: Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity-Jig


Maddie couldn’t help but be somewhat awed by her surroundings. The International Portkey Transport Station was as immense as it was beautiful. From the outside it had been nothing to look at, a dirty old warehouse in a nasty part of London. Stepping inside, however, had carried her and her two companions to a whole new world.

The floor looked like one continuous slab of marble, a sheet of translucent white interwoven with more solid, iridescent veins of the same color. The walls were a deep, passionate shade of red that flowed from floor to the arched ceiling above them, disrupted only by the occasional painting. The main hall leading to customs was directed in every flag imaginable, a proud union flag hung above the ticket booths.

What surprised Madelyn the most was people, so few and far between, milling about. Maddie would have thought that this place would be hopping, like any other airport. When she asked Albus about this he explained that traveling from Britain to the Continent didn’t require such formal travel.

“Still,” Maddie questioned. “You would think that there would be more people traveling to and from the America’s.”

“Our political relationship with American, and its’ magical allies, is tenuous at best.” Albus said, a bit of anger leaking into his voice. “We had asked for assistance during our most recent war. Our request was denied on the grounds that it was in Europe and American’s aren’t Europeans.”

“That doesn’t seem like something America would say.” Maddie mused allowed. “We’re so often accused of trying to be the World’s police.”

“Ahh, but the muggle government and the magical government are vastly different.”

“Evidently,” Maddie muttered as another thought entered her mind. “What was the war about?”

“That is a tale best told at a different time.” Albus smiled to soften the rejection.

Maddie was confused, but nodded her head in understanding all the same.

They approached the ticket booth, requested the first available portkey to Concord, Massachusetts, and presented all relevant paperwork. There was some eye-brow raising over Maddie’s muggle passport, but they were allowed to move onto customs just the same. This was just another set of nosy people that eyed her with equal parts curiosity and disdain. Only this time they were stopped, told they wouldn’t be receiving travel clearance, because evidently Maddie’s wand wasn’t registered with the local ministry.

“Listen you pimple-faced dunderhead,” Severus snarled as he crowded Maddie from the counter. “Do you honestly think that an American witch will have her wand registered with the British Ministry?”

“But sir,” the man’s voiced cracked as though he were a teen again. Maddie guessed fright could do that to a man. “We…we have certain policies we have to follow.”

“Wheystone, I still remember you from school.” Severus’ lips folded themselves into the most demeaning smile Maddie had ever seen. “You never could do a damn thing right, always bumbling, always failing. Deny us passage to America, Mr. Wheystone, and I will just have to stay here to sort this whole mess out.”

Maddie watched with morbid fascination as the man’s Adams apple slid down his throat, and his face began to shimmer with sweat. Mr. Wheystone looked at Snape as though he was the devil himself, and without so much a batting an eye, or taking his dilated pupils away from the darkness that lurked before him, he slammed the stamp onto Maddie’s passport and buzzed them through.

Severus was the first to stalk through the gate, but not without throwing the shaking Mr. Wheystone a triumphant glare. Albus gently took Maddie’s arm, pulling her away from the scene.

“Sometimes Severus’ temper does have its benefits.” Albus smiled at the jaw dropped, eyes-huge look of disbelief that overtook Maddie’s face following his comment. Maddie couldn’t help but wonder just how nice, this gentle looking old man really was.

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Maddie was never, never ever, never ever EVER, going to travel by portkey again. It made her feel like she was Dorothy from the “Wizard of Oz” being thrown around by the tornado. The only thing missing was the wicked witch riding by on her bike, but then again she did have a couple of wizards with her. This was far to close to the movie for her comfort.

Maddie had never been completely comfortable with the idea of portkey travel. When Albus had attempted to explain to her the basics, she simply laughed and told him called him senile. No corporal being had the ability to alter time, she had said. To which Albus had responded that they weren’t altering time, they were just traveling faster than another mode of travel. He hadn’t been kidding. What should have been a twelve hour flight, at the very least, had taken mere minutes. But if she were ever asked to choose between a portkey and a plane Maddie would chose the plane every single time. She could deal with a bit of air pressure; she could not handle feeling as though every cell in her body was being pulled in different directions.

Upon arriving on some strange platform in the middle of a huge building in Concord; they were re-checked, their passports re-stamped, and they were herded into a larger group of people huddled around an inflatable barbell. As soon as each person’s contact was ensured the portkey specialist stepped away the device of torture was activated, taking them to some overgrown cornfield in what Maddie could only assume was Colorado. She watched as the other passengers simply collected themselves and walked off through the enormous stalks, small popping sounds following seconds later.

“Ooookay,” Maddie began desperately trying to keep down her breakfast. “What do you do now?”

“Now we must apparate to your lodgings. Seeing as how you are not yet able to apparate on your own we will have to do it for you.” Albus waved Severus forward. “Now I want you to picture your house in your mind. Severus and I will perform legilimens on you so that we may see our destination. Then we will all apparate to your home. Do you understand?”

“Not really, but I am beyond the point of caring. I just want to get home.”

Maddie closed her eyes and pictured her house, the brick work that flowed into the wood paneling. Her front door with the church like design made out of windows, Her front room with it’s soft gray carpet and her broken down couch that too comfortable to get rid off despite its worn state. Then there was her room, the soft pillow top mattress draped in beige silk, the hundreds of pillows plump with down feathers, just waiting for her head.

Maddie felt the whimsical smile cross her face, and she nodded to the men. Opening her eyes she glued her own to Severus’ as he cast the spell. But this time didn’t feel as invasive as the times before. She could feel him shifting through the thoughts she had so recently conjured, it was a strange sensation, but not all together unpleasant. Besides, she would never turn down the chance to stare into those ebony depths, so endless and tempting.

All too soon Severus waved his wand and ended their mind meld; Maddie couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. That was until the potions master gave her a look as intense as it was indefinable.

“I’m ready headmaster,” Albus drew his own wand and cast the same spell. Severus stood stock still for a matter of seconds and then relaxed as Albus proclaimed, “Finite Incantatem”.

“You go ahead headmaster, I will apparate Miss. Lindsey and myself.” Albus gave him a questioning look before simply disappearing. At least Maddie knew where the popping sounds had come from. But she was easily distracted from her thoughts as Severus slid his arm around her waist. Maddie closed her eyes tight, expecting the worst to happen at any second. When it didn’t she cracked one eye open to see Severus Snape staring down at her, the first true smile she had ever seen turned his mouth. It took her breathe away, made her feel a desperate heat in all the places she forgot she owned as a woman. She drew a breath to speak, unsure of what she would say; but before she could ruin the moment Severus spoke before her.


“I find your eyes just as entrancing.”

Maddie experienced a moment of shock before her world was torn apart again.

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Severus Snape would have stayed standing upon landing if it weren’t for the woman firmly attached to his side who happened to pitch forward the second their feet came into contact with the floor. As it was they ended up in an undignified heap, Madelyn lying beneath him, her hair mussed bit and pieces of the silky confection escaping the tie that held her hair back in a ponytail. Her chest heaved with her panting breaths, causing her breasts to reach up and brush against his chest. Her russet eyes were wide, her pale skin…which was currently turning green. Her lips slamming closed, her cheeks suddenly bulging.

“Uh, Severus…” Albus warned. “You may want to move…quickly.”

Severus rolled off of her squirming form with all due haste, which allowed her to jump up and race towards what he could only believe to be the restroom. Albus reached down and helped Snape stand, both men looking a bit put out as to what they should do.

“Always rough the first few times,” Albus mused.

“Yes…difficult thing to get used to,” Severus agreed.

“Agreed.”

The two men fell quiet again, Albus with his hands behind his back looking this way and that.

“It took you a bit longer to get here than I had expected it would.” Severus inwardly cringed at the old man’s leading comment. “What happened?”

“She required a few last moment assurances that she would arrive safely.”

“Ahhh, and did you reassure her Severus?” Severus didn’t bother to hide his sneer but Albus merely chuckled

“No,” croaked Maddie’s voice behind them. “He took a jolly little romp through my thoughts. Now, if you follow me I will show you where the guest room is.”

“I most certainly did not invade your thoughts,” Severus began testily as he followed her down the hall. “They were there for me to see.”

Maddie simply stopped, opened the door to a bedroom and turned to allow the men access into the room. “Sorry I can’t offer either of you your own rooms, but I turned the third bedroom into an office. This bed has two beds though, if you can find them under the stuffed animals.”

Severus was struck with the immediate horror of the room. There were two beds yes, but they were tiny and inundated with furry bits of cloth decorated with black glassy eyes that looked at him unblinkingly. Severus felt himself begin to break out in sweat. The room was divided into two distinct schemes. The furthest be to the right was done in Chinese extraordinaire, a paper dragon hung precariously over the bed which was drenched in a red comforter with a singly Chinese character in black in the middle. There were paper lanterns and a small bookshelf cluttered with bits of paper and multicolored sticks. Severus felt his heart begin to race.

The other side of the room was far worse, a tiny bed swathed in the ugliest shade of purple he had ever seen. Little puppy dogs and cats, and creature Severus didn’t believe existed littered the tiny frame from the headboard down. To the left was a little white nightstand with a little nightlight that glowed an entirely different shade of purple. Severus actually thought that he might faint. What fresh bit of hell was this?

“You’re taking the purple bed Albus,” Severus demanded outright. “It matches your robe.”

“I don’t know Severus,” the twinkle in the old man’s eyes caused Snape to shiver. “The second bed is much larger, and what with seniority and all that…”

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Dinner was made, well had been ordered and arrived; the table was set with Maddie’s mix and match china set, and all three people had sat down for what was supposed to be a sedate dinner. The first course of roasted chicken and mashed potatoes went by smashingly; Maddie received numerous compliments from Albus about her cooking. Instead of admitting that she had done no such thing Maddie simply smiled and accepted each and every admiring comment.

The second course, which was individual chocolate mini-cakes, seemed to be going well. That was until Maddie heard her front door being opened, and everyone at the table seemed to freeze.

“Hel…hello?” A more welcomed voice could not be heard at that particular point in Maddie’s life.

Jumping up from the table, sending her cat scurrying from the couch, Maddie raced towards the front door.

“Emily!”

“Maddie?” Emily’s face was white with both shock and fear. “What are you doing home? I-I thought you were in England…Scotland…Britain.”

“Yeah, well I had to come home to take care of some loose ends. Oh Eme, you’ll never believe how happy I am to see you.”

Finally the strain had become too much, and the tears began to stream down Maddie’s cheeks in a hot cascade of watery stress. Here, in front of her, stood the one woman who had come to mean more to her than her mother and sister combined. Eme had held Maddie’s hand through out her father’s funeral. That night she had spent at Eme’s house, her mother had made them brownies and then left them alone to cry together.

“What is it Maddie? What is wrong?” Emily pulled Maddie into her arms and hugged her close. It was comforting for all of five seconds before Maddie felt Emily stiffen. “Who are they?”

Maddie turned to see both Severus and Albus standing silently by the couch. Albus was eyeing the bit of dilapidated furniture trying to determine its structural strength. Severus’ dark, penetrating eyes, however, remained trained on both of them. His face portraying, quite openly, the great degree of distaste he felt witnessing the female reunion.

“Ummmm, Emily, this is…Albus Dumbledore and Sev…”

“Professor Snape,” Mr. Snooty-Pants interrupted.

“PROFESSOR Snap your ass off at any opportunity.” Maddie felt like sticking her tongue out, but decided that perhaps it wouldn’t be the smartest thing to do. “Professor, Headmaster, this is my friend Emily Matherson.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Matherson.” Albus responded courteously. Severus didn’t even so much as nod his head in recognition. He was far too busy glaring at Maddie, putting all his hatred into his eyes and sending them at her as if she would physically feel it. Actually, Maddie was feeling it and the sensations created by the glower were unpleasant. She couldn’t help but think that Severus was by far the scariest looking man Maddie had ever encountered.

Snape’s sudden smile, twisted with sick contentment, snapped her out of her reverie. The cruel imitation of a grin seemed to have a self-satisfied quality to it. Maddie cast him her own sour look, or at least she tried. She was sure it came across more worried and questioning than angry.

“So yeah,” Emily continued eyeing both Maddie and Snape speculatively. “Why don’t you tell me what is going on?”

“Of course,” Albus broke in directing three sets of eyes to him. “If you could just wait for a few moments more? She and I were just discussing the school’s privacy clause.”

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“What do you mean I can’t tell her?” Maddie whispered to Albus.

“Miss Lindsey, there is no need to whisper. The silencing spell ensures that your…friend cannot overhear our conversation.” Snape’s voice was full of impatience, and Maddie decided that he didn’t warrant recognition let alone a response.

“What do you mean I can’t tell her?” Maddie whispered again. Okay so maybe Snape’s snide remark did need to be addressed, but only in so much as to show him that she wasn’t listening. Well, she was listening in the literal sense…screw it. “Seriously, she’s going to want to know, and I can’t lie to her.”

“How endearing,” Snape drawled lazily.

Maddie responded without thought. Flashing her middle figure in the time honored salute to anger Maddie proudly declared. “Sit and Spin!” Snape’s response…he sneered all the harder and muttered something about the maturity of American’s.

“Children,” Albus chastised. “I am most tired of this constant bickering. Must I apply a sticking charm to keep you two together until you can learn to get along?”

“NO!” Maddie all but yelled.

“Then please, may we move on?”

“Yeah,” Maddie conceded. “Look I can’t lie to Eme because she will know. I don’t know how she knows, she just does. She isn’t going to buy some stupid fib about racing home just because I felt like it.”

“Are you trying to tell us that Miss Matherson has some sort of legitimacy?” Severus asks somewhat shocked.

“Do you mean the ability, or the proclivity for invading my privacy like you do? No she doesn’t have that particular talent.” Maddie answered snidely. “We’re just really good friends, so we know each other. In all reality, Emily is the only friend I have.” Maddie paused and directed her gaze to the Headmaster, allowing all the feelings she had inside to bleed into her eyes. “I have to talk to somebody, and she is the only person I feel I can trust. Please Headmaster; don’t make me lie to her.”

“I’m sorry Madelyn, but it is the way of our world. We do not tell the muggles of our existence.” Maddie could see and hear the true regret that Albus felt, but it didn’t take the sting out of what he was explaining.

“But some muggles have to know,” Maddie persisted desperately. “What about the-what do you call them?-the children born to normal parents?”

“Muggle born, Maddie, but in those cases it is a matter of family.”

“Yeah, and so is this, you have to understand that.” Maddie sighed and looked down at her clasped hands resting in her lap. “Emily is my family, more so than either my mother or my sister. Please, I have to tell her.”

Maddie held her breathe as she watched Albus deliberate; and when he reluctantly nodded his request she thought she would jump out of her own skin with excitement.

“Thank you Albus, thank you!” Maddie threw herself into Albus’ arms, squeezing him with all the joy she felt. Planting a quick kiss on his cheek she rocketed out of the room calling for Emily.

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Kay let me know what you think…I had a bout of writer’s block and just had to push this out. Hopefully I get right back on track with the next chapter.