FicWad

Zelda and Severus walked out through the vast main doors, and out into the grounds. Once they were away from the school, and definitely alone, Severus reached for Zelda's hand again, and pulled it into the cloak. To Zelda it appeared that her arm ended just below the elbow, although she felt her hand firmly clasped by Severus.

He led her to a large, dense clump of ancient shrubs and pulled her down to sit in the shade. He was shocked to realize that he had just, without thinking about it, chosen to take her to the exact same place he had sat... before James Potter attacked him on that bloody awful day. It all seemed very far away and unimportant now. He had forgotten that it had been a favorite place for him to sit when he was young, before that day. It was a secluded place and the morning was very fine, so he tossed off the cloak and sat by Zelda. They looked at each other and smiled at the same time.

"After I've gone back, please, come and hide with me," she said quietly, "My selfish wishes aside, you need a place to be safe, and I think you need to escape all of it for a short time. Please?"

"If I am able to," Severus said. "I do not know if it will be possible, but if I am alive, I will come back to you, Zelda."

He leaned close to her and kissed her... gently at first, but her response excited him, and he lay back on the soft grass, drawing her down by his side. Her eyes were twinkling and she pulled her fingers slowly through his black hair as they kissed. "So many buttons, dear boy," she whispered, "and we're outdoors, too."

"Have you forgotten magic, my dear?" he whispered back at her mischievously, pointing his wand at her. Suddenly she was naked in his arms, and he watched a blush creep up her cheeks as she glanced nervously out at the brilliant green lawns around them.

"Severus," she protested, laughing shyly as he caressed her. "You're mad! We should go inside before someone sees us."

In response, he pulled the Invisibility Cloak over them both - before kissing her again. "No one will see us now, my girl, and I rather like having you in my power under here."

She gave a large sigh, and resignedly began the process of unbuttoning his clothing. "I'll have to rely on good old Muggle persistence," she chuckled, "and I will not be distracted by you, Sir."

Zelda felt his hands wandering to every sensitive place he knew, and in spite of herself, she felt her concentration weakening. She felt briefly triumphant when she finally managed to pull his cravat loose and get his shirt unbuttoned, but then he pulled her on top of him and held her firmly with one black clad arm, while his other hand explored her backside. She moaned, feeling dreadfully, wonderfully exposed, and slid her legs apart on either side of him, allowing him complete access to her.

Severus used his fingers to such good effect that she forgot where they were, and everything except her need of him. She gazed happily into his eyes, and breathlessly said, "Severus Snape, it'll be such a cliché if you expect me to beg." She kissed him lingeringly and murmured gently, "Mmmm... Well? Shall I beg?"

"It would be very undignified," he smirked, chuckling as she bit his earlobe firmly. "And it is unnecessary, I believe." He Vanished his own clothing, and eagerly held her against his bare skin. Her hands moved greedily over his body, and in no time they again were joined in passion, lost in the joy of their union. Afterward, covered only by the Invisibility Cloak, they remained there, relaxed and comfortable.

"Is it likely that anyone will come out for a walk and discover us here?" Zelda asked lazily. She was toying with the black hair on his chest, kissing and tasting him there. Feeling his heart beat under her lips was wonderful.

"During the school year this would be impossible," he said, "and I suppose that we should not remain here indefinitely, but it is very pleasant here." He stroked her hip and smiled when she turned her attention to kissing his neck.

"I wish I could go into the Forbidden Forest before I leave," she said wistfully, "I'd like to see a Unicorn. Could we go there now?"

"Hagrid is likely to find us. If I am wearing the cloak, he will think that you are wandering alone," Severus replied. "I dislike denying you something that you wish to do, but for the moment it is not wise."

"It's /okay/, Sev, I'm not a child," she said acerbically. She closed her eyes and rubbed her cheek against his neck. "My magical tour of Hogwarts is splendid, but it's you that matters more to me."

Severus spent a brief, self-indulgent moment savoring the unaccustomed feeling of being adored. His arms tightened around Zelda and he inhaled the lavender scent of her curls. Time stood still for him, as he held her in that shady nook.

Eventually he reached for his wand and brought back their clothing. "Would you like to see the Whomping Willow?" he asked, standing and holding his hand out to her.

"Definitely," she replied, taking his hand and getting to her feet. "I hope you're going to clean that cloak before you return it to Harry."

He chuckled. "You are absurdly practical. Of course I shall, my love. Now, the tree is that way," he murmured, pointing, before he assumed the Invisibility Cloak.

She began walking in the direction he had given her. "This is so weird, where are you?" she asked in a low voice.

"On your right," he replied.

They strolled through the vast, empty grounds. Zelda was enjoying the sunshine, every now and then gazing at the massive castle in disbelief. "Hogwarts is like a dream," she said. "I never imagined that any place could be so wonderful. I just wish I didn't feel so much like a walking target with a sign saying, 'Hex Me' on my back."

A massive tree that stood alone appeared ahead of them, and Severus whispered, "This is close enough." He reached for her hand.

"Why is it called the Whomping Willow?" she asked.

"Watch this," he said. He Conjured an old cushion and used a Hurling Hex to send it directly at the tree. The tree's limbs began flailing wildly and the cushion exploded under the force of a direct hit. Bits of it began floating to the ground, where Severus vanished the pieces as the tree quieted.

"Holy moly, Rocky," Zelda said faintly, taking a step closer to him. "Are you sure we're far enough away?"

Severus smirked under the cloak. His adorable Zelda had plenty of courage and could put on an admirably brave face, but he still enjoyed it when she clung to his hand in this manner.

A booming bark made Zelda jump, and she saw a massive black dog running toward them. "Uh... Sev? Any suggestions?" she asked, squeezing his hand.

"We would immediately Apparate, except that we cannot while we are in the grounds of Hogwarts," he replied, cursing that their luck seemed to have run out. "That is Hagrid's beast, and I am rather sure that Hagrid will be here shortly. Animal lover that you are, my girl, please try to distract the dog so that he will not give me away. I shall not leave you, my girl, but I do not wish Hagrid to know that I am here."

"Shit!" she muttered, letting go of his hand.

"Precisely," Severus replied dryly. "The animal's name is Fang, and I assure you that he is not the most intelligent of his kind."

Zelda stood still and waited for the dog to arrive. He circled them, sniffing the air, and began to bay loudly.

In the distance a booming voice called, "Fang! Bloody dog, where are yeh?"

"Fang," Zelda said warmly, "Aren't you the fabulous big boy? Come here and let me see you."

The dog moved closer, and Zelda kept speaking to him. He had been scenting the air around Severus, but abandoned that activity as Zelda continued to distract him. She slowly knelt and held out a cautious hand, murmuring, "I hope you're friendly, big boy. Your kind normally are, and if you're good to me now, I'll try to bring you a yummy steak next time I see you."

Fang sniffed her hand, and cautiously she stroked his huge head. That seemed to be all that the dog was waiting for. His tail wagged, and he threw himself on his back before her, obviously wanting her to rub his belly. Zelda laughed as she complied. "What a relief. Oh Fang, you good dog," she muttered.

"You have a similar effect on me," a sardonic voice purred in her ear.

Zelda giggled as she continued petting Fang. By the time that Rubeus Hagrid arrived, red faced and panting, she had composed herself. "Hello, Professor Hagrid," she said, smiling pleasantly. "Is this your dog?"

"Yeah, that's Fang," Hagrid said, watching his dog grovel before the small woman. "Yeh have a way with animals, Mrs. Larsson," he added approvingly.

"Animals fascinate me," she said, her blue eyes twinkling up at him, "and I can't help but appreciate a fine, handsome dog like this."

"He's dead stupid, yeh know, an' a coward to boot," replied Hagrid nervously, not wishing her to overestimate his beloved pet.

"If I wanted him to teach Transfiguration or kill a hippogriff I guess I'd be disappointed then," she said. "He's a dog, and a good dog is a wonderful friend. So let me enjoy him, okay?"

"Okay," the huge man muttered shyly. "D' yeh have any pets of your own?"

"I have three cats, all very ordinary," said Zelda. "I wish I had the time to spend with a dog, but as a teacher I work long hours. My cats have their own little society that they tolerate me joining when I'm at home."

She rose, hoping to go back to the castle before Severus was discovered, but it seemed that Professor Hagrid was not finished with her.

"We haven' seen much of yeh in the Great Hall lately," he said, his face above the scruffy beard turning pink. "But yeh did say yeh'd like to see the Forest, and if yeh got time now... well, I'm goin' to check on the Thestrals. If yeh'd like ter see 'em," he finished.

Under the Invisibility Cloak, Severus rolled his eyes resignedly. It seemed as though Zelda would get to see the Forest. Hagrid would take care of her, but he would have to follow along and hope to avoid discovery.

Zelda was touched by the giant man's kind offer, and eager to see Thestrals, whatever they might be. 'Severus will kill me,' she thought, even as she said, "I have to meet with the Headmistress soon, but if it won't take too long, I'd love to go." Her conscience smote her though, and she remembered that none of them knew the truth about her. She sighed, knowing she was going to 'out' herself, and probably ruin her day. It was the right thing to do, however.

Hagrid had been watching her closely, and saw her face fall. "Is somethin' wrong?" he asked kindly.

"I can't play this game with you, Professor Hagrid. Headmistress McGonagall and I neglected to mention something about me at dinner the other night, but I'm not what you think I am." She drew a deep breath, looked straight into his black eyes and said, "I'm a Muggle."

"Yeh mean a Muggle-born," he said flatly, unable to imagine a Muggle allowed to enter Hogwarts. "Yeh can' be a Muggle, tha's not possible."

"Well, it is possible, because I'm here," she said, watching as he took in this shocking truth. "I'm leaving soon, probably tomorrow. I came to help Minerva McGonagall with something, and because I was dying to see Hogwarts."

Hagrid stared for a long time into her sad blue eyes without speaking and she met his gaze firmly. Fang, no longer the center of attention, stood up and nudged at her hand, and she stroked his ears absently. "I can't tell you why I'm here," she said regretfully. "I knew people here would look at me like a freak, so I just... didn't mention it. Firenze knew when he saw me, though. I wondered if anybody else could tell by looking."

"Yeh look like a witch," he said grudgingly. "Why'd yeh tell me now, if yeh wanted to see the Forest?"

"It's just, well, I don't want to take advantage... I'm here under false pretenses, and it makes me uncomfortable. I'd be a terrible spy, you know," she said. "It's enough that I can't tell you why Professor McGonagall brought me here, but to pretend to be what I'm not feels wrong." She smiled gently and said, "I should go back, and I'm sorry."

"Wait, Mrs. Larsson. If the Headmistress brought yeh here, she musta had a good reason," he rumbled meditatively. "Minerva McGonagall's no fool." He smiled, and his black eyes twinkled. "I never had much to do with Muggles before this. Why don' yeh come along an' see the Thestrals... if yeh can see 'em, that is?

Zelda's eyes sparkled, as she said, "Really? This may be my only chance, thank you so much, Professor Hagrid."

"Call me Hagrid," he said. "That 'Professor' stuff, it's okay when the students are here, but..." his voice trailed off. He led her in a new direction, toward a rustic cottage on the edge of the Forest.

"Call me Zelda then, Hagrid," she said, walking fast to keep up with his long strides. "Minerva told me you have a brother who's a giant. That's really cool."

He glanced down at her. "Yer not scared of a giant?"

"Well, if he's a danger to me, I don't think you'll bring me around him, will you? Minerva trusts you, so I think you must know what you're doing," Zelda replied. "I think, since I really don't understand magic, I should be scared of everything, at least until I've learned about it."

"Yer no fool then," he replied cryptically.

Severus was following closely. Fang knew he was there, but the dog seemed to have accepted his presence and was concentrating on Zelda. It was a shame, he thought, that the majority of wizards would despise her. Of course, Hagrid had experienced prejudice, being a half-giant, and Filch was a Squib.

Severus wondered how the caretaker would react once he found that Zelda was a Muggle. Molly and Minerva - both female, had found commonalities with Zelda through their gender. Potter and his friends were young and ridiculously accepting. Firenze? Centaurs were wise and mysterious. It would be interesting to see what a centaur and a Muggle would say to each other. Knowing Zelda, though, he was sure that she would not be at a loss for words even then.

As they neared the cottage, the door opened, and Fang abandoned Zelda to greet Harry Potter. Severus caught his breath, and strove valiantly for composure. His life, which had hitherto been filled with angst and self-imposed suffering, had been transformed by Zelda's presence into something more closely resembling a farce, he thought sourly.

"Harry!" roared Hagrid, striding forward to envelope the boy in a fierce hug. "What are yeh doin' here?" he asked, frowning suddenly. "Yer s'posed ter be with the bloody Dursleys, aren't yeh?"

"I had to come and see Professor McGonagall, and I wanted to see you before I left," Harry replied innocently. "I want to know how you're doing, after, you know, Dumbledore..."

"Still can' believe it," Hagrid mumbled, "Dumbledore dead... an' Severus Snape..." He looked piercingly at Harry suddenly, and said, "Did yeh find Professor Snape?"

Zelda had been watching this touching reunion, but at Hagrid's question she stepped quickly forward and called, "Harry! It's lovely to see you. Come give me a hug, young man."

Harry dodged around Hagrid and hugged Zelda, whispering, "Is he here?"

"Yes, and I can imagine his mood," she snickered into his ear. "He didn't try to stop me coming with Hagrid, though."

"What're you doing here, Zelda?" Harry asked loudly.

"Hagrid kindly offered to let me watch him feed the Thestrals," Zelda replied.

"Harry, I can' believe the two of yeh know each other," said Hagrid, completely surprised. "She's a..." he broke off, glancing sheepishly at Zelda.

"A Muggle, and he knows it, Hagrid," Zelda replied. "You know, the way you people say it, I feel like something revolting that's stuck to the bottom of your shoe. Is it really that disgraceful to be a Muggle?"

Harry and Hagrid looked at each other, but neither spoke.

"Forget that I asked," she sighed. "Thank you for not wanting to hurt my feelings."

"Hagrid, you look like a Flobberworm just stood up and talked to you," Harry said. "Zelda's my friend, and she's just like anyone else. She's not like the Dursleys."

"How d' yeh know her?" Hagrid asked suspiciously.

"Hagrid," Zelda hastily interjected, "Harry knows me for the same reason that Minerva does, and it's something we can't speak of. But... oh, I should probably go back to the castle."

"Zelda, no, wait!" said Harry, "You should really see the Thestrals, they're incredible... well, if you can see them."

"Hagrid said that too," Zelda said, gazing skeptically at them. "What do you mean, if I can see them? Can't Muggles see them?"

"Well, there are some things that Muggles can't see," Harry said, "but I don't think Thestrals are like that. Even some wizards can't see them, because you have to have seen death yourself before you can do that."

Zelda pondered the idea of magical animals that you can't see unless you've seen death. Finally she said, "Wow. Okay then, I should be able to see the Thestrals. Let's go."