Spinner's End

Ch25


The warm summer had passed and the snap of fall now engulfed Raven as she took this early morning to walk to the grocery store. She strolled down the mostly empty street her hands pressed into her pockets, deep in thought.

It had been a nice summer for her, she thought. But she knew that for Severus, he hid all of his problems from her. However, just from her carefully listening to what he said she was able to cobble together a lot of information she figured that he would never have told her out-right.

He had told her that he had to kill his friend, Dumbledore because of some sort of Unbreakable Vow. Through other things he said it also came to light that he had made another such vow regarding some boy named Draco that he would kill Dumbledore if the boy couldn’t do it. So for quite a while either way, he had to carry the burden that he would have to kill his friend or stand by and let some boy kill his friend. Raven felt pain for him in just thinking about having to carry such a burden.

Severus had spoken little of his magical world, but from the times he did, he had spoken of his friend Dumbledore with a feeling of warmth that Raven knew he was unaware of himself. Raven could tell that he would do anything for Dumbledore. Severus regarded Dumbledore as being the greatest wizard that lived in our current times. Severus had even said once that he was honored to be living in the same time period and actually knowing such a great men. He said it was like being a part of an important aspect of history and knowing it all the while.

Raven frowned suddenly. She wished she had ever gotten to meet Dumbledore. She hated that Severus kept her so cloistered from his world.

Raven was also able to discern from the various little glimpses into Severus’ world through his infrequent ramblings, that he had also made another Unbreakable Vow with Dumbledore to protect the dreaded Potter boy. Severus didn’t specifically say the name ‘Potter’, but from the clenched teeth and the intake of his breath, Severus might just as well have said the boy’s name.

Raven smiled. She would like to meet this boy. She wondered how horrible he actually was. Her smile widened as she pictured some teen boy with a pair of giant, Texas Long-horned cattle horns protruding from his head.

She rounded the corner onto the street where the grocer was.

What she had found scary on several levels was that now Severus was the Head Master of the school. She had been able to figure out that the higher powers in the Magic world seemed to think that Harry Potter had a hand in killing the Head Master. Severus had even explained to Raven, that there were several more plausible explanations. He had said that there were several people on the roof, least of all a horrible Werewolf. But he had went on that the Ministry of Magic was simply bent on getting rid of Harry now that the times had taken a turn for the worse.

Severus already had complained about some of his new co-workers, especially a brother and sister duo, that he said surely were both part troll, he then went on to describe the pair to Raven and she had to agree, they sounded very troll-like.

As Raven did her shopping, she mulled over in her mind, her fear for Severus’ safety. He had even told her a couple of days after his appointment to the Head Master position, that he had told a close Co-worker and friend about his relationship with Raven. When telling Raven this, he tried to make it sound as though he was just talking with his friend, but Raven sensed more than he was telling her. She knew that it was in case he was injured or killed.

This thought hit Raven’s mind just as she lifted a can of soup from the shelf. She dropped the can on the floor.

“Drat!” She exclaimed. Bending to pick up the can, a small folded piece of paper landed softly next to it as if the two had fallen together.

Raven scooped both as one up into her hand. She placed them both in her small shopping buggy. Ignoring the piece of paper she went down another isle, pulling a box off of the shelf next to her, as she placed it next to the soup can, she lifted out the paper. As she moved on she regarded the words written inside the small note.
“Tomorrow evening” It read, in the elongated neat script she had come to recognize.

She felt elated, as she wasn’t expecting to see Severus for a least several more days since the new school year had only just begun.


(This is all I have so far. Thanks to you all for your responses to my tale. THis was all written before the Horrible Deatly Hallows was written. I will be writing as much as I can. You know, work and life just get in the way some times.... My story has gone a little off cannon, however I will bring it somewhat back into line, that is to say as much as I can. Sorry to make any of you wait. Thanks again for all the responses, I LOVE it!!!!!!)