The Writer\'s Companion

Author’s Notes:

*Another day not another dollar…but there is another chapter for you all to read, and there is nothing better than a free thrill. Which is what you will get from his chapter, it has sadness and booze and inappropriate behavior. All my favorites.
# Side Note: Sorry that I took so long to update but my mother had to have
emergency surgery. She is okay, at finally at home resting.

*I have been noticing that some people have been having problems leaving reviews, and I don’t know how to go about fixing that problem. Is anyone else having a similar problem with their stories?


Response to Reviewers:

Sisterae: Thank you! You know, I have always believed that Sprout hasn’t been given enough credit. I think that she will be a very fun character to write.


Tricky Woo: Oooo the Horizontal Tango, now that is a good one.

You are so right; Madame Hooch has to be part of the girl’s gang. I always love when other authors use her; she really is such an original and fun character. I am happy that the JK decided to make her a female and not some gross sweaty man with to little hair on his head and too much testosterone in his body.


Chapter 8: The Invisible Truce


Maddie sat on her bed, her shirtsleeve rolled up past her elbow. The stark white scar stood thick and straight against her skin, a constant reminder of what could have been. If her mother had waited but a few minutes longer before coming into the bathroom, then Maddie wouldn’t be here today. It was days like these, when Maddie felt shaken to her very core, that she questioned whether she was grateful she had been granted a reprieve by death.

Her grandmother had been a witch, and she had used her magic to deny Maddie her own. It felt like her best friend had stolen her first love, it was a bitter betrayal and so hard to understand. How could someone you trust so much do something so despicable? What about all those years that Maddie must have spent suffering in her ignorance about her heritage? What about the sad girl she had seen depicted in her memories, a fragile creature so scared of the things she could do? Why hadn’t her grandmother told her something, explained to her what she was? Why did she hide it from the one person who needed to hear the truth the most?

Even now there were just so many questions unanswerable by the one who should be asked. Maddie’s grandmother had long since slipped from the chains of mortality and had ascended unto the choirs of angels; if one believed in such things. Which up until recently Maddie had, but even those beliefs were failing her at the moment.

“You’re driving yourself crazy,” Maddie rolled down her sleeve and climbed up from the bed. “I have to get out of here and do something. I wonder what Minerva and Pomona are up to?”

Opening the wardrobe, where the strange little creature had placed her clothes, Maddie chose the blackest, tightest, dress she owned. Throwing up her hair in a messy, but sexy bun, she applied a layer of “plump your lips” lip gloss. Lifting the coverlet to reveal the space beneath the bed Maddie pulled out her stiletto’s, slipping them on and then posing in front of the mirror.

“When your life is in shatters, a pair of heels will always dull the pain.” Maddie grabbed her purse and headed out the door. “Those and some strong spirits.”

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As it turned out none of the ladies were available for the liquor-fest that Maddie had in mind. They had some silly rule about not drinking during the middle of the week, or when it was a school night. ‘Lame!’ Maddie thought as she determinedly made her way to the huge doors that guarded the castle entrance. Perhaps venturing out alone, at dark, in a place she had really only walked through, wasn’t the smartest idea. But intelligence wasn’t Maddie’s number one concern. She needed people and noise, booze and conversation, and there was only one place she knew where to get that…The Three Broomsticks.

So a determined Maddie hoofed it down the winding dirt path, stopping occasionally to check on the condition of her heels. It took at least thirty minutes before Maddie hit the town limits, and another ten to finally locate the pub. Dusting her shoes off one more time, straightening first her dress and then her spine, Maddie prepared for a night of revelry.

Upon entering the bar Maddie realized two very important things. One, this was no nightclub, and two; she really should have stopped at Madame Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions. It seemed that every eye in the house traveled the length of her body, and the male patronage seemed to like it far too much. But Maddie really didn’t care, she was here to get drunk, it didn’t matter to her what the locals thought.

Sticking to her purpose Maddie confidently approached the bar keep and asked for strongest, finest brew he had. He gave her the once over, asked for the money in advanced, and once counted handed her a dusty bottle that simply read Fey. Maddie thought she might want to question the man about it, find out exactly what it was, but the open bottle oozed the thick aroma of a deep merlot. While wine wasn’t exactly what she had been looking for, it would do the job. Maddie collected her glass and found a vacant booth.

The first glass went down easily, the second even more so. Her head was beginning to feel hazy, and her vision was softer around the edges. She listened contentedly to the soft murmuring of those around her, allowing the normalcy of it all to act as a salve to her wounded psyche. She found she could finally relax, release all of the tension that had held her muscle in rigid attention. Maddie leaned back and drew a deep breathe, she watched the man dressed in a robe covered in pinstripes rise from his bar stool and pick his way over to her.

He stopped here and there, talking to numerous patrons along the way, but his eyes never left Maddie’s face. And though normally she would have turned from him, Maddie found that she was desperate to have someone to talk to, just to chat about the every day things that made up a normal life. And if he got a little frisky well…she would just ditch him and go to the management. Hey, it had always worked for her at home. So she let him come, and simply smiled kindly as he withdrew the chair.

“You seem a bit lonely lovey, mind if I join you in a drink?” His voice was pinched, sounding like it came more from his nose than from his mouth. But he was clean cut and Maddie would guess nicely dressed, so who was she to complain about anything so minor.

“No, don’t mind at all,” Maddie passed him her bottle and watched as the man accio’d another glass. “Truth is I could do with a bit of conversation.”

So it began, she and the man, whose name turned out to be Beck Hamferling, spoke for hours about anything and everything. In the beginning it was about the normal things, friends and family, work and hobbies. But as the second bottle was drained and the third uncorked the discussion turned to the ramblings of drunks in a bar. They talked about breast implants and Shakespeare, the opined the state of the single scene, and laughed over the weird guy with no teeth just two tables over.

“So yeah, I’m like whatever… bitshh!” Maddie slurred her hand waving around sporadically. “And she’s like; you have to come to my wedding…hiccup…wedding.”

“Blimey, what a troll!” Beck said leaning over the table, more intoxicated than interested.

“Oh no…my shishter ish very preeety. She’s soo cute…hiccup…that she makesh me wanna puke.” Maddie giggled distractedly. “Shee’s like the kitty cat thash fuckin’ tearsh your shit up…then…what?”

“I don’t know.”

“Meee either…what was I…hiccup…talking ‘bout again?” Maddie scratched her head, really trying to concentrate, but not remembering anything beyond needing a refill.

Reaching for the wine she up-ended the bottle over her glass and received a few drops for her effort. And it was an effort, you ever try and hold a bottle up side down and hold it steady over a little tiny cup? It wasn’t easy.

“Looksh like were outs of…hiccup…wine!”

“Yesh…it app…app…you’re right.” Grabbing hold of the table for support Beck attempted to pull himself to his feet. “I’ll go get shome more.”

“I think you have had quite enough.” A dark voice slithered from behind Beck. Maddie’s eyes shot up, having previously been searching the inside of the bottle for some hidden amount of wine she had missed. There before her, sans sexy flowing school robes, was the dungeon man.

Maddie’s eyes light up with excitement, overjoyed at seeing a familiar face, a new friend to drink with.

“Shevrus! Sit down!” Maddie was all but jumping with pleasure at his unexpected arrival.

“No, you shall be getting up.”

“Nuh-uh, Besh shaid he’s gonna get shome more winny-wine-wine to drink!” Maddie cast a happy glance to her companion who stood all but frozen. The pleasant flush that had bloomed with every glass he drank was replaced with a sickly pallor.

“Professor, I…please excuse me.” With that he bustled off without a trace of a wobble.

“Whad’ya do thash for?” Maddie asked unusually irate.

Snape didn’t deign to answer her, merely threw some money on the table grabbed her arms and propelled her out the door. Maddie struggled to keep up, her heels no longer the sexy pick-me-ups they had started out as, turned into towering traps of death.

“You…jush hold up there Misher party-pooper!” Maddie slurred and tugged her arm out of his grasp. She weaved precariously while attempting to lean over to unfasten the damn buckles, only to fall on her butt. Deciding that it was much easier to reach her feet from this angle she pulled her ankles close to her face, unaware of the flashes of red lace she was affording the professor, and removed her shoes. She smiled up at the man with triumph, only to have him lean down, grab her by the back of her dress and haul her to her feet.

“Watsh it!” Snape didn’t reply just pulled her into his side and apparated them to the gates of Hogwarts.

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Snape felt the intoxicated creature desperately trying to pry herself free, and let her go. She fell with a thud and immediately began to wretch. The odor of red wine and vomit was overpowering to his sensitive nose. He couldn’t abandon her, though he would dearly love to, and yet he couldn’t simply stand and ignore the horrendous smell. Sneering down at the wretched woman he covered his nose with his sleeve and stalked away to a safer distance.

Hours it seemed had passed before her stomach emptied itself on the dirt path. He watched as she moaned with great emotion and pulled herself to her knees.

“Oh God,” she whispered to herself. “I hade myself.”

“Are you quite finished,” Snape was pleased to see her startle at his voice. “I would like to be in bed before the dawn.”

“Whash the hell did… (hiccup)… did you do to me?”

Severus merely sighed his aggravation, dragged Madelyn to her feet, preformed a quick scourgify on her being and proceeded to the castle. He didn’t have time to answer the silly chits questions, besides she had drank enough fey wine to drown an entire army. She would most likely never remember anything about this night.

“Ansher me!” Madelyn demanded again, but Snape merely turned his head and stared down into her wine soaked eyes.

“No.”

“YESH!”

Snape’s patience ran out in that moment, and he drew to a sudden stop, grabbing both of Madelyn’s arms and pulling her to face him. The fumes that came off her person were nauseating but he set it aside as he began to vent his spleen.

“You will cease in your petulant attitude. You will be quiet from here on out, and you will follow me closely.”

Her eyes grew big, and then they began to cloud over with tears. First came one hitched breath, then another, followed shortly by a full out wail.

“Bloody hell,” Snape said with true exasperation.

“You hashe me! Why do you hashe me?”

Snape could do nothing but watch, and feel unbelievably uncomfortable, as the woman sat down on the castle steps and began to sob. He hated crying women, especially drunk ones. There was simply no consoling them.

“I jush need shome one to tell me whash to do.” She warbled out in between great gasping howls. “Whash I’m a shposed to do now?”
“You will stop your undignified bawling, collect yourself, and allow me to take you to your quarters.” Severus barked in a harsh manner, unsure of what else to do.

She looked up at him, her soft brown eyes unfocused and shining with fresh pain. The stare was so truly hurt, so undeniably innocent that it pierced something deep inside him. And despite being fully cognizant that this was a moment created by the over consumption of alcohol Severus couldn’t help but gasp at the intensity of it all.

“Fine,” She finally sighed, breaking eye contact. “I will aloe…allow yous to push me to bed.” With a firm nod of her head she held up her arms in a beseeching manner.

Snape planned on merely staring the ridiculous bit of baggage down, He folded his arms and drew himself to his full height. But just as he was about to contort his face into the perfect sneer her eyes rolled into the back of her head. Snape reacted with reflexes honed over the years of battle, pulling her into his arms before her head could strike the stone beneath her.

“Always me,” he whispered softly to himself as he eased his slight burden up from the ground and stalking into the castle. “If the Gods are indeed kind no one will see me.”

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Maddie had never before felt pain so tremendous. It felt as though a herd of buffalo was running scared, trampling back and forth, trying to escape the fence that erected their corral. Only the fencing was made up of her skull, and the earth there were stomping on was her brain. She tried to keep her eyes shut, but her bladder was not going to allow her to fall back asleep.

Shielding her eyes with her hands, Maddie squinted her way to the bathroom. Sighing with the small pleasure that came with such a tiny relief, Maddie flushed and hobbled back to the bedroom. She prayed for the sweet oblivion sleep could offer her, a few hours away from the agonies associated with overindulgence. Minutes passed by, her plea for slumber a constant on her aching mind, when finally the darkness began to entreat into her consciousness. Her muscle relaxed, her jaws unclenching, and a warm surge of comfort began to meander its way through her limbs. And just as she was about to enter the world of dreams the door to her bedroom flung open with enough force to cause the hinges to rattle.

“Good Morning Miss Lindsey,” his evil voice purred his delight in her suffering evident. “How do you feel this morning?”

Maddie did little more than moan and cover her head in attempt to stop the renewed pounding. “Go Away!” She spoke softly, the only volume both her sore throat and headache would allow.

“Yes, well, the Headmaster did send me here with a potion to help ease your misery.” Maddie eyes opened, a sense of anticipation entered her chest. There was actually something that could make her feel better?

Maddie cautiously pulled the pillow from her head, and sat up allowing all the discomfort to be obvious with her movements. Playing on sympathy, it had always worked with Emily.

“Really?”

“Indeed,” Snape smiled snidely. “But since you are obviously otherwise engaged at the moment?”

“NO!” Maddie bolted out of the bed, her head protesting her quick movements. “That is to say that I would greatly appreciate anything you could offer.”

“I wouldn’t dare intrude upon you when you are in such a state of undress.” Snipe’s eyebrow rose as his eyes roamed her body from head to toe.

“No problem…”

“I insist…please take your time getting dressed. Both myself and the headmaster will be waiting for you in the office.” Thus said he walked up and reached for her hand, bowing over it firmly. “I have taken the liberty to order you some coffee; I do know how fond you American’s are of it.” A twisted smile appeared on his face as he pulled a cup from behind his back and waved it beneath her nose.

Maddie’s stomach clenched painfully, the usually comforting smell now putrid to her. It was all she could do to make back into the bathroom before loosing what little food and drink had stayed with her through the night. And though Maddie couldn’t be sure, she thought she heard, in between racking sound of dry heaves, the sound of a man’s chuckle.

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Albus couldn’t help but notice the subtle change in the interaction between the two sitting in his office. Yes, Maddie was glaring at his potions professor over the vial as she swallowed its contents, and Severus was still treating the woman as if she were beneath his notice, never making eye contact. All outward appearances seemed the same, but the differences, no matter how slight, were there for the trained eye to see. Something had happened after he sent Severus out to retrieve the wayward woman.

“Are you feeling any better Maddie?” Albus asked the woman as she placed the empty test tube on the table.

She seemed to consider the question, her gaze pointed upward as if she were mentally surveying her head.

“Yes,” she said at last. “I actually feel a great deal better than I did before, thank you. You should market this stuff! You could make millions.”

“You needn’t thank me; Severus is the potions master here. He brewed that hangover potion specifically for fey wine. Nasty stuff that delicious concoction, has a tendency of leaving us mere mortals sick for days on end.”

“Ooohh, good thing to know and remember for the future.” She gave Albus a winning smile, a faint blush staining her cheek the only sign of her embarrassment. Albus smiled back but nodded his head ever so slightly in Severus’ direction. Albus almost laughed out right as he saw her smile fade, and heard the terse ‘thank you’ she gave the potions master. He, in turn, merely inclined his head.

“We really should discuss the events of last evening. I feel it is my duty to impress upon you the gravity of your actions.” Albus saw the light slowly recede from her eyes, the cheerful pose of her body leaving her limbs as she bowed her head and seemed to pull into herself. “However, I can see that you understand how wrong you were. So I won’t berate you further.”

“I am sorry headmaster; I just felt a need to get out. A chance to just breathe you know.”

“You mean you were running away from the situation.” Severus stated baldly. “In doing so you caused both the headmaster and me a great deal of trouble.”

“Severus, I believe she is truly sorry, and will promise never to do so again.” To this Severus simply snorted, while Maddie nodded her head vigorously.

“I do promise, Albus, I swear I shall never act so immaturely again.”

“Very well, then let us not dwell on the actions, themselves, but rather the cause.” Maddie immediately averted her eyes. “Tell us Maddie, why the sudden urge to run?”

“I wasn’t running,” Maddie declared emphatically.

“Perhaps you weren’t running away from Hogwarts, my dear, but you were running.”


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Maddie drew a deep breath, neither willing nor really able, to discuss the depth of her tumultuous emotions. How can one explain such a drastic feeling of betrayal and self loathing that accompanied the realization she had been forced to face. There were really only four words that could even begin to put into perspective the depth of Maddie’s fear and anger.

“I blame my Grandmother,” simply words with so much meaning behind them. “In my most vulnerable moment, the woman whom I loved above all else stole from me my most precious thing, my memories. Everything that I was, had lived through, had struggled with was taken from me, my very identity wiped away with a swish of a wand. Who knows what I may have done or become if she had just told me the truth.”

Maddie felt her eyes began to burn with unshed tears, but she was resolute in her decision not to cry. So many tiny trickles of watery sadness had already coursed the contours of her face. No more, it was time to be strong.

“How could I simply sit with such thoughts, such…damning realizations, playing again and again in my mind? I remember the night I tried to kill myself, or at least I thought I did. Obviously I was wrong. Who knows what else I don’t remember, how much more of my life has been a lie?”

“Nothing in your life has been a lie, Madelyn. You were simply taking a different route to the ultimate goal.” Albus spoke with such sincerity, so sure in his beliefs. “Whether then or now you are still where you belong. You’re simply much more equipped to handle the discovery of heritage now. Perhaps this was the path you meant to take all along.”

“But how can you ever know?” Severus questioned quietly. “How can she ever feel secure in who she is knowing what she does now?”

“Thank you,” Maddie said with true gratitude. The man who seemed so callous and malicious had put into words the dilemma she faced. Maddie just didn’t know who she was anymore.

“I can’t answer those questions, for either of you. But I know a person who can.”

Maddie felt a spark of hope flair, answers seemed easily within reach. Albus was going to help her. Could it all of this really be resolved so quickly?

“Who?” She sounded cautious but excited.

“You’re grandmother, dear.” Maddie’s optimism was extinguished.

“She died years ago,” Maddie’s voice was both tired and cold. “She had a heartache, just a few years after my attempted suicide.”

“She may be dead Maddie, but not gone. No, every good human leaves a bit of themselves behind.” Maddie didn’t particularly care for the mystic quality of Albus’ flimsy proclamation.
“What are you proposing Headmaster?” Snape asked, his eyebrows slanted with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension.

“Quite simply I think it is time for Maddie to go home again.”

“What?” Maddie couldn’t believe it; they were going to open up a whole new world to her, crumbling the old life she had previously held so dear. Then they were simply going to tell her to go home. “Well, I don’t want to go.”

“Never fear, Madelyn,” Albus soothed. “We are not abandoning you. Hogsmeade weekend is fast approaching, and neither I nor Professor Snape has any plans.”

“You want to go with me?” Maddie asked looking from one man to the other. Albus’ eyes were glowing in that particular way that was both comforting and unsettling. Severus Snape was giving the wall just beyond the Headmaster’s head the darkest of scowls, his jaws clenched tightly.

“I for one would love to meet your family,” Albus confirmed. “What about you Severus?”

“I think that I am not going to get out of this no matter what I say.”

Albus smiled and winked at Maddie. “In that you are completely correct.”

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In the next chapter we will see the return of fiery Maddie. I have missed her so.