Ival Pythonica

A/N: I do not own Harry Potter, any of its characters, etc. They are all the property of J.K. Rowling. For no profit of any kind, I am simply borrowing her characters for a short while. Only the Original Character of Megan Malfoy is my own, though her last name is borrowed from J.K. Rowling.

Lupin picked Megan up and rushed towards the front doors of the castle. He got up the steps and made it to the stairs, then he stopped puffing and out of breath. Snape reached over and growled:

“Give her to me! By the time you make it to the infirmary she’ll be dead!”

Snape reached over and grabbed Megan, swinging her into his arms as gently but quickly as possible. He strode extremely quickly to the infirmary, bursting through the doors.

“Pomfrey!” Snape yelled.

Madam Pomfrey scurried from her office and took one look at the bloodied Snape and the limp Megan in his arms. She paled for a moment then gestured to a bed nearby.

Snape laid Megan down gently and stepped back. He glanced at Pomfrey who took a look over Megan with her wand which was glowing light red. She shook her head and turned to the three men.

“What in the name of Merlin happened?” She exclaimed.

“Ask Black.” Snape said, sitting down in a chair.

“I must get Megan comfortable. One of you had better get Albus, immediately!” She pointed her finger at the men.

“I’ll do it.” Lupin said, walking towards the doors, grabbing Sirius’ arm.

“No! I am staying here!” Sirius said.

“No, you’re not.” Lupin muttered, angrily. “We need to talk to the Headmaster anyway.”

“No, you bring him here! I refuse to leave Megan!” Sirius stood his ground.

Lupin dropped his hand off Sirius’ arm.

“Well, I am NOT leaving you alone with Snape!”

“Oh, for Merlin’s sake, I’ll do it.” She walked over to a painting of an old witch in nurse’s garments. “Go to the Headmaster immediately and tell him Megan has been seriously injured and there are three men bloody and arguing in my Hospital Wing!”

The woman in the painting nodded and left her frame.

Meanwhile, as Megan lay unconscious she was remembering something . . .

******
It was a cold December day about a week before Christmas. Megan was walking down the main road toward the entrance to Diagon Alley. She was dressed in her usual winter attire: Long fur lined robes, boots and cloak with her dragonhide gloves. The gloves and boots were an early Christmas gift from her father. He had the boots made in matching pairs of silver blue dragonhide with a silver serpent buckle for Megan and her mother. She had her cloak wrapped securely around her, and took out her wand.

Tapping the bricks in the right order, the wall melted away and Megan stepped into Diagon Alley to join the mass of other people shopping for Christmas. However, hers was not a Christmas errand. As part of her recent apprenticeship, Megan had the duty of collecting ingredients for Professor Snape when he was too busy to do so himself. He trusted her to bring back what he listed, as well as the required change from the purchases.

Megan headed in the direction of the Apothecary which was the first stop on her list. She entered and began to gather many jars of roots, herbs, liquids, and dusts. Professor Snape had given her a VERY long list. He had let a lot of his supplies dwindle lately and Megan knew she would have to shrink the packages down to get them back to Hogwarts.

After paying, she took out her wand and reduced the packages to tiny little boxes she could easily carry in her shoulder bag.

She also bought with her own money some dusts that made excellent pigments when brewing ink, which she did for an American witch she knew who owned a tattoo parlor in London, England. She brewed the inks in her own lab or at the Malfoy mansion on her own time and sent them to the girl who, by using magical inks, had acquired many clients from the Muggle community. The ink never faded and shone so brightly for years that touch ups were unnecessary. The profits she made were so great that Megan had acquired enough money as a supplier to buy a stake in the business up to 40 percent ownership. She provided the inks and the girl, Isabella, did the artwork.

Megan walked over to the cauldron shop and bought a series of new cauldrons for Snape in varying sizes, to be sent to the school immediately upon the purchase. She also had a small set of silver cauldrons and a large quantity of jars and vials sent to herself for her own inks and potions brewing. Her old cauldrons had faded and the magic was wearing off the silver, causing it to mark and stain. Megan was also running out of jars and vials. Snape hated when she borrowed, so she had to restore her own supply.

Megan’s last stop was Flourish and Blotts to buy a couple of new potions books for Professor Snape. These were easily attained but she lingered by the potions shelves, deciding to pick up a few books for her own library. She also bought some new quills and ink holders. Megan went to the counter and paid, again shrinking the books down to fit in her bag.

When Megan emerged from the shop it was getting toward dusk and colder. A sharp wind blew over the street, causing Megan to pull her cloak closer. She put her gloves back on and proceeded to the brick wall and tapped the bricks in succession again. Once Megan walked through the wall, she apparated (she was granted an early license in order to run errands, thanks to Dumbledore’s influence at the Ministry) back to Hogsmeade. Megan had decided she would stop in Honeydukes and pick up some candy. Her personal supplies were really low and Professor Lupin had asked her to pick up a case of chocolate bars for him anyway.

Megan entered the store and noticed all the children floating around. It must have been a Hogsmeade visit day for Hogwarts! Megan was so wrapped up in her work she had no idea that was scheduled for today. Shaking her head at her own lack of reality, she walked around and selected some chocolates with caramel filling, some chocolate covered cherries, a few bars of white chocolate, gummy bears, and a case of some multi-flavored lollipops. She waited in line and then paid. Megan smiled at the cashier and shrunk down her packages, wrapped in multi-colored paper down to little boxes for her shoulder bag.

Megan replaced her gloves and walked out of the store. She was walking down the main path when she heard a series of apparations pop in the distance and a loud bang shoot into the air. Megan looked up and saw the Dark Mark in the cloudy sky. It stood out black against the grey clouds, ugly and threatening.

“Morsmordre . . .” Megan muttered, stopped frozen in her tracks starring up at the sky while all around her people began to scream.

Suddenly, a bolt of light flew by her.

Megan turned, wand in hand and ducked down on her haunches. She surveyed the scene.

Death Eaters were everywhere. Figures with black cloaks and hoods with pearly white masks floated among the fleeing people, striking them down with curses. Some adults and children fell to the ground. A few were twitching, a few weren’t moving, and the Aurors began to pop onto the scene. McGonagall, Dumbledore, Lupin, Tonks, Mad Eye Moody, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Sirius Black and others began dueling with the masked killers.

Megan stood and dodged curses as she ran. She made it towards the edge of Honeydukes where she had just come from and dodged another curse from a Death Eater, firing back a stunning curse.

Suddenly, a figure floated into her vision and right up to her, wand point at her chest. Megan stood frozen as she starred at the person before her.

“The Dark Lord.” Megan said eyes wide.

“Ah, my child, I will relish punishing a pureblood that protects Muggles instead of serving her Lord.” He pulled back his wand to curse her when a robbed figure dove between them and fell to his knee.

“Master, may I have this one?” The voice asked, almost groveling.

He seemed to stop and lower his wand slightly. He thought quickly and smiled. He stepped closer to Megan, placing a thin, bony finger under her chin. His hot, sour breath escaped his thin lips; the stench poured over her face. She had to hold her breath not to gag. Megan glanced into those beady red eyes and trembled. He said the words to the figure at his feet but never looked at it. He just smiled a sick smile and spoke into Megan’s face.

“Yes, of course you may, my most loyal servant. However, make an example of her. She protects muggles and makes a stain upon the pureblood race. Make her wish she had done differently and served me. Make her wish she were never born, my loyal one.” Then he backed away, sweeping off.

“Thank you, master.” The figure rose and grabbed Megan’s arm, dragging her into the alleyway next to Honeydukes.

Megan struggled but the strong hand held on tightly, her wand immobile in that hand.

He had her at the end of the alley. Megan’s mind raced as he pushed her up against a wall.

‘Was the person going to torture her, hurt her, beat her or rape her? Which would be worse?’ She thought in horror.

The figure stepped back and let go of her arm. He looked as if he was going to lift his wand. Megan reacted as fast as she could, without thought.

“CRUCIO!” She pointed at the figure’s chest and screamed.

The figure crumpled to the ground and screamed. They writhed and trembled, and then a strangled cry came out from behind the mask.

“MEGAN, STOP! IT’S ME!”

Megan put her wand down and the figure stopped moving, small trembles of after-shocks shaking their frame. Megan knelt by the figure and pulled the hood back, black hair spilling unto the ground. She reached and removed the white mask and underneath the face matched the voice.
Professor Severus Snape.

Megan reached into her bag and rummaged for a small vial she always carried as a counter-potion to painful injury. She took the vial and tossing the bag aside, she placed the vial against Snape’s lips. He opened them, unable to speak and still shaking. Megan poured the vial into his mouth and massaged his throat so he would swallow. He began to stop shaking and Megan tossed the glass vial away, grabbing her wand. She placed a concealment charm on Snape and began to walk out of the alleyway, with small sounds of protest behind her.

Megan stepped to the edge of the alleyway and crouched down again, surveying the scene once again.

McGonagall was throwing hexes at a short and stubby figure. Megan recognized him as Crabbe or Goyle Sr. Dumbledore, Lupin, and Sirius, were all fighting multiple Death Eaters. Some students had joined the fighting. Megan crouched and launched herself out into the fighting. Harry had Voldemort in the center of the square in Hogsmeade, and they were battling. Harry and Voldemort were both throwing curses and dodging them.

Bellatrix Lestrange saw Megan and turned and fired, laughing maniacally. Megan rolled and dodged the curse, firing at Bellatrix who she hit with a stunning spell.

Bellatrix soon recovered and knelt on the ground, looking over at Megan.

“So, the little Malfoy wants to play, heh?” She grinned showing crooked, blackened teeth.

“Yeah, give me your best shot!” Megan yelled.

Bellatrix fired a killing curse which Megan saw coming. She put up a shield to it, the curse bouncing off and into the melee. Megan fired another stunning curse as Bellatrix was hit with a Cruciatus from another wand. Megan turned to see who it was.

A tall Death Eater floated toward her, wand outstretched. Beams of red, green, and blue light reflected off the mask. The Death Eater reached to grab her. Megan couldn’t run and had only seconds to think, she pointed her wand as the outstretched hand was inches away.

“AVADA KEDAVRA!” Megan yelled.

The figure let out a high pitched squeal of a woman and fell backwards onto the ground. Megan let out the breath she had been holding and her heart leapt into her throat. All she could think was:

‘I just killed someone.’

She starred down at the figure and was going to turn away when a glittering thing caught her eye. The feet of the figure were now sticking out of the bottom of their robe. The person was wearing dragonhide boots . . .

Silvery-blue dragonhide boots with a silver snake buckle.

Megan’s heart seemed to stop and she felt like there wasn’t enough air. Around her she heard a loud yowl of pain and the fighting stopped. Megan didn’t even look over to see that Harry and Voldemort were dead. Each had thrown a killing curse at the other at exactly the same time, killing one another. The war was over. Death Eaters fell to their knees, howling in pain and despair because their Dark Lord was dead. Sirius ran over and pulled Harry into his arms and tried to revive him. He let out a long, strangled cry when he realized Harry was dead. Dumbledore hung his head and McGonagall cried, as Lupin hugged her.

Aurors started to collect up the remaining Death Eaters and place them in magical chains while others collected the dead. Megan meanwhile stood at the feet of the fallen figure, starring at the boots they both wore.

After a few minutes Snape wandered out of the alley, stumbling slightly but otherwise okay. He glanced around and saw Megan standing there. Then he saw the body at her feet and the fact Megan and the body wore identical boots.

“Dear Gods.” Snape whispered.

Megan walked over and knelt beside the head of the body. She knew only one other person in this world had those boots. They had been a specially made Christmas gift for both her and her mother.

Her Mother . . .

Images flashed through Megan’s mind of her mother. How they had played in the garden when she was a child on sunny days; how she brushed Megan’s hair every night as a child up until just last weekend when she visited home; how they stood against her father when Lucius got mad or Draco when he was wrong; how her mother took her shopping, taught her about etiquette, manners, about how to be a lady and how they talk almost daily. Megan and her mother had been so close since she had memories to recall. Her mother was her confidant, her sanctuary, her friend, and her whole world.

Megan reached forward and pulled the hood back from the figure’s head. Long blonde hair spilled out onto the snowy ground, the blonde almost invisible against the whiteness. Megan started to breath too fast and the scent of lilac perfume wafted off the body. Megan went to reach for the mask and a hand stopped her.

Snape was kneeling beside her. Dumbledore, Lupin and McGonagall were walking around to survey the damage when they saw Megan and Snape by a body with long blonde hair. They all hurried over to see what had happened.

“You don’t want to see. You don’t want to have this image burnt into your mind Megan.” Snape said firmly.

“No! I have to know!” She shouted.

Megan wrenched her arm out of Snape’s grasp and pulled the pearly mask off the figure’s face.
There, eyes wide open in shock, was Narcissa Malfoy.

“NO!” Megan screamed, falling upon her mother’s body.

Snape hung his head. Dumbledore sighed heavily and McGonagall gasped. Lupin just starred at Narcissa with Megan draped over her body.

Megan beat on her mother’s chest and screamed.

“I DIDN’T MEAN IT! I AM SO SORRY, MOTHER! PLEASE COME BACK! COME BACK! COME BACK!” She pounded and sobbed.

Snape grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her around.

“MEGAN! It’s okay! You didn’t do anything wrong!” He shook her.

“NO! I DID! I CAST THE KILLING CURSE ON MY OWN MOTHER! I SWEAR I DIDN’T KNOW IT WAS HER! PLEASE BRING HER BACK!” Megan grabbed Snape’s robes in her fists and sobbed, begging. “PLEASE BRING HER BACK! BRING HER BACK!”

Snape tried to calm her but Megan was hysterical. He shook her fiercely.

“I CANNOT MEGAN! SHE IS GONE! IT WAS AN ACCIDENT BUT SHE IS GONE!” He yelled trying to get her to hear him.

Megan was sobbing so strongly she began to hyperventilate. She turned and looked at the pale blue eyes of her mother, still wide open from the shock of being killed by her daughter.
Megan could only smell lilac perfume and death, she couldn’t get enough air, her eyes rolled back in her head and she passed out. Snape caught her in his arms and held her tightly; shutting his eyes and looking away as Dumbledore reached down and closed the eyes of Narcissa Malfoy for the last time.
******

Megan shot up in the bed screaming.

Snape, Sirius, Lupin and Dumbledore, who had just arrived and was learning of her condition, all jumped. They starred at Megan.

“I killed her! Oh, dear Merlin in heaven, I killed her! It was me!” Megan began to sob hysterically as she had almost a year ago.

Snape’s eyes widened. He turned and looked at the other men who all were thinking the same thing and were all afraid to ask the next question. Snape took a deep breath, sitting down on the edge of the bed; he placed his arms around Megan. Dumbledore put a hand out to stop Sirius from walking across the room. Snape rocked her gently back and forth.

“Who did you kill, my love?” He asked, almost whispering.

“My mother! I killed my own mother! I have been the murderer all along!” Megan sobbed into Snape’s chest.

“Oh, Merlin, Megan remembers.” Sirius sat down on a nearby chair and put his hands over his face.

“It appears so.” Dumbledore whispered.

“Poppy, would you please hand me a Calming Draught?” Snape asked over Megan’s head.

“Of course!” She bustled over to a cabinet and returned with a vial of almost clear liquid.

Snape uncorked the vial and put it to Megan’s lips. She drank it down and rested her head on his chest. He handed the vial back to Pomfrey and put his arms more firmly around her, rocking her slowly like a small child.

“What could have caused her to remember so suddenly, Albus?” Lupin asked, sitting on a windowsill

“That is a question for Madam Pomfrey, I believe.” He nodded at Pomfrey.

Pomfrey nodded and walked over to Megan who was lying against Snape’s chest, quietly sniffling. Snape moved away but Megan clung to him. Pomfrey scowled but Snape shrugged. Pomfrey laid her wand against Megan’s head. The wand glowed faint red then flared redder. Megan squirmed slightly and winced, closing her eyes. Pomfrey scowled and turned to Dumbledore.

“It would seem she took a rather strong strike to her head. How is the question?” She glanced at the three other men.

“Yes, an explanation is due. However, going on my own recollection of history between you gentlemen, I would take a guess Sirius and Severus got into a fist fight and Megan tried to break it up, taking a punch not directed for her head. Knowing the three of you the most likely to have used his fists would be Sirius and it would explain Severus’ bloody, bruised face also.”
Dumbledore turned and gave a knowing and disapproving look at Sirius. Sirius grunted and stood.

“It was me. I heard about this curse from Lupin and then saw Megan kissing Severus and completely lost my cool. I was so overwhelmed by the facts and the sight of him with his mouth and hands all over her, I blew my top. I must say I was not intending to throw punches until Snivellus baited me.” Sirius accented the old taunt.

Snape shot Sirius a look and let go of Megan, laying her gently down on the bed. She reached for him and protested but he pulled away too quickly for her to grab him. He crossed the room and stood nose to nose with Sirius.

“Do not ever call me that again, you flea bitten mongrel!” Snape hissed at him.

“Actually, I prefer fleas to snakes in the grass. At least when fleas bite they do not kill.” Sirius accented the word “kill” with a long drawl.

“Killing is not as easy as it sounds, Black, but for you I would make an exception.”

“Please, Severus, give them a reason to put you in Azkaban, where you belong! I could finally see you behind bars and away from Megan.” Sirius huffed, smiling.

“You would know better than I what it is like to see from behind those bars and long to be outside them.” Snape said.

The smile died off Sirius’ face and he pulled out his wand. Severus was quicker. Severus had his wand under Sirius’ chin and Sirius had his pointed at Snape’s chest.

“What is it after all the years that you cannot abide, Black? The fact I lived through the war and was actually working for the Light? The fact I am in love with Megan and she with me? Or is it the fact that everything you ever held dear is gone except this exceptional young woman who has chosen to be with me of her own free will and loves me when you despise me? Does it boggle your mind how she could love us both when we are so different from one another?” Snape tilted his head studying Sirius’ face.

“I despise your very existence. I especially despise your filthy hands on Megan. Furthermore, I don’t believe she loves you, not the real you. She could never love someone with such a dark, sick, polluted soul. She is too good for that and too good for you!” Sirius spit in Snape’s face.

Snape wiped the spit off his face with his other hand but never took his swollen eyes off Black.

“Why do you not ask her how she feels, when she is better? In fact, why do you not ask her about the sex too? I know she loves it, craves my affection and attention. She has reacted to my touch in ways that would mystify you, Black. So ask her all the sweaty, sensual details. I bet you will not like the answers.” Snape whispered, smirking.

Sirius roared and pulled back from Snape, raising his wand. Snape already had his raised.

“EXPELLIARMUS!”

Both the men’s wands flew across the room into Dumbledore’s hand. He scowled at both men and shook his head.

“How old are we, gentlemen? Are you both 15 again? This must end, now! Severus stop baiting Sirius and Sirius stop baiting Severus. There will be a truce so help me, Merlin! You both will take an Unbreakable Vow and I will have no refusal!”

Dumbledore walked over to the two men who starred at him in shock.

“Albus, I can’t take a vow with him!” Sirius pointed to Severus.

“And I Albus have no interest in such a matter either.” Snape snidely commented.

“You have no choice in the matter. Either you take this Vow or Sirius: you will have to leave and Severus: I will not permit a relationship with Megan after the curse is over. Take it or leave it.”

They gaped at Dumbledore. Sirius and Snape both looked at the small, pale figure of Megan starring at them. Then they look at each other and back at her.

“Please?” Megan whispered. “I don’t want to lose either of you.”

Severus stood up straight and Sirius threw his shoulders back. Snape took a deep breath and extended his hand. Sirius grasped Severus right hand. Dumbledore stood by the two men and touched his wand to their joined hands.

“Will you Sirius be nice to Severus, no name calling, taunts, making faces, or fighting with wands or hands?” Dumbledore asked him.

“I will.” Sirius said.

A red line curled from Dumbledore’s wand around their hands.

“Will you Severus be nice to Sirius, no name calling, taunts, making faces, or fighting with wand or hands?”Dumbledore asked him.

“I will.” Snape said.

Another red line curled from Dumbledore’s wand, wrapping around the first red line.

“Will both of you take care of Megan, love her and do what is best for her?”

“I will.” They both said.

A third red line curled out of Dumbledore’s wand to entwine with the other two.

“Finally, will you both respect Megan’s wishes, feelings, desires, heart, plans, ideas and mind?”

“I will.” They both said.

A final red line curled from Dumbledore’s wand and entwined with the other three. A thick red rope held their hands together.

“If this Vow be broken neither of you will see or love Megan ever again.” Dumbledore stated.

The red rope tightened around their hands and vanished.

Megan let out a sigh of relief.

“Snape, it is almost dusk. You must stay with Megan and take her back to your quarters. I would suggest allowing her to see Sirius at your quarters later, for he owes her an apology. Speaking of which, Sirius?” Dumbledore raised his eyebrows and looked over his spectacles at the younger wizard.

Sirius extended his hand. “Please forgive me, Severus. I was childish and ignorant. I should not have started fisticuffs with you.”

Snape took his hand. “I forgive you, Sirius. However, next time use your wand if you intend to strike. You aim is less deadly then.”

They shook hands and turned to take their wands from Dumbledore.

“You may stop by my private quarters tonight to apologize to Megan. Just send an owl first or a house elf as the situation may not be fit for company when you chose to call.” Snape asked curtly.

“Of course, Severus, I would not want to interrupt any time between you and Megan.” He nodded just as curtly.

Snape turned to Megan and strode over to her bedside. She sat up as he sat on the bed. She crawled into his lap and laid her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, stroking her hair and whispering softly to her.

The other men suddenly felt as if they were intruding on a private moment and turned to leave. As they were walking out, Sirius said to the others:

“It is so strange to see Severus care so deeply for someone. I actual believe her loves her. Look how he acts around her and cares for her. Look how she responds to him. Could my Megan truly love Severus?” He shook his head. “It seems so unreal.”

“Yes, it is slightly disarming.” Lupin agreed.

“I truly believe they have loved one another for a very long time. This curse only forced them to admit what was right under their noses. I think they need one another to live more than just for the sake of curing a curse.” Dumbledore said smiling serenely.

“Let us go to my rooms for a drink, Sirius. We can catch up.” Lupin threw an arm over his old friend’s shoulder.

“Yes. I could use a drink.” Sirius nodded and walked away with Lupin.

Dumbledore took one last glance into the Hospital Wing before he shut the door.

Snape was stroking Megan’s face and leaning his forehead against hers, whispering sweet things.

Dumbledore smiled and shut the door, walking off to his rooms, humming.