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Both Sides	By : ccino49 Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female Views: 10429 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
- 16
I do not own any of the characters or places from the Harry Potter books or films. They all belong to J.K. Rowling. All that is mine is Lou and the plot. I am not making any money from the writing of this story.

Both Sides.

Unbeta�d, all mistakes and lousy grammar are mine. ccino

CH 15 They had a secret

�You complained this morning because I wasn�t talking, now your telling me to shut up. I told you I can�t win.�
�It matters not, we are here now.�
Lou looked round. �Right. We�re standing in the middle of an enormous lawn, but we�re here. Where�s here and why are we here?�
�He removed the two jet black brooms from his pocket and placed them on the ground. �Engorgio.� He said, the brooms reverted to their original size.
�Err, we�re not gonna sweep the grass I hope.�
�Do not talk stupid. Pick up your broom and place it on the ground to your right.�
Lou did and he placed his wand on her collar, muttering something too quiet for her to hear. He stepped back quickly, waiting for her to control her magic. She managed it a bit quicker than last time.
Severus stood beside his own broom and held out his right hand. �Do what I am doing and say �Up�.�
She burst into giggles. �What?� She snorted. However, she stopped when his broom lifted into his hand. �I can�t do that, I feel daft.�
He raised an eyebrow and she did as she was told. �Up.�

When the broom shot up and smacked into her hand she let out a yelp. �That hurt.� She told him frowning, putting the broom in her other hand and rubbing her sore palm against her robes.
�You will survive. The Ebony Blaze Elite is the newest, lightest and fastest broom on the market. They have the added safety of an optional sticking charm so you cannot fall off. Yours has that optional extra.�
�Fall off? Fastest? What are you on about?�
�Flying. Something you are about to learn to do, now mount your broom.�
�No way. You must think I�m mad if you think I�ll fall for that, brooms are for floors, not flying.
Severus removed the proximity chain and replaced it with the restraining cuff on her ankle. Without another word, he mounted his broom and shot up into the sky as Lou stared at the space where he�d been only a second ago.
She turned and looked every way but up, wondering where he�d gone. �Where are you, stop mucking about. I can�t see you.�
Severus dived and whizzed past her at such a speed she almost fell on her backside. When she finally gained her balance and looked up to see what almost knocked her over she let out a whoop. �WHOOHOO.� She called.
When he landed smoothly in front of her, she looked at him with awe. �Wow that was fantastic. You were fantastic. You looked like a big black eagle up there, can I do that?�
He preened somewhat at her praise, unable to help himself. It wasn�t often he was complemented about anything, but to be told he was fantastic, that was something good, and eagle certainly beat greasy bat.
�Not yet, it takes practice. That is why we are here, I intend to teach you to fly. If you wish to that is.�
�Oh, you bet I do. You�re the best, you know that? Now what do I do first?�
�First you mount the broom.�
Lou cocked her leg over the handle and he pushed and pulled her about until she was sitting it correctly, her hands in the correct position. She had to hike her robes up to stop them from dragging against her ankles.
�Perhaps you should ride side saddle.�
�No way, I wanna do like you did and I�d rather have a leg either side.�
�Fine, if you insist. Now, where is your wand?�
�In the cupboard at home.�
�It is of no use to you there, carry it at all times.� He invoked the sticking charm for her. �Whatever happens, you cannot fall off, you can however go careering into the castle turrets if you do not do as I tell you.

�Lean forward slightly.�
Lou did and the broom lifted about a foot from the ground. �Hey, I�m doing it.� She yelled, leaning further to get his attention. This movement however caused the broom to shoot forward at quite a speed.
�Oooo. Yippee.� She shouted as the broom whizzed on several feet above the ground.
�PULL BACK.� He shouted.
Lou didn�t hear what he was saying, she half turned and the broom suddenly lifted and turned at the same time, and Lou was thrown off balance. She careened in Severus direction. Unfortunately, she was upside down.
�Whey hey. Look at me.� She called, her face alight, no idea of the danger she was putting herself in, or how to turn the right way up. All Lou cared about was that she was flying, it didn�t matter that she was upside down and out of control, she loved it.
�Stupid girl.� He growled, mounting his broom and heading after her. She was tricky to catch, every time he got close, she�d wave a hand at him excitedly and send the broom off in another direction.
Eventually Lou started to feel sick, especially when the broom started going in mad circles because she was gripping it one handed and leaning to one side.

�I want to get off now.� She shouted. �I feel sick.�
�Bloody hell, that�s all I need.� He complained to himself.
�HOLD ON, KEEP YOUR POSITION AND I SHALL CATCH YOU AS YOU COME ROUND.� He yelled. �AND WHATEVER YOU DO, KEEP YOUR MOUTH CLOSED TIGHT.� The last thing he wanted was to be sprayed with the contents of her stomach as he reached her.

He caught hold of her arm on the second attempt, lifted her upright and pulled her to his side, wrapping an arm around her waist to keep her close while he brought them in to land.
�Whoo that was something else.� She told him. �Can I have another go? I don�t feel sick any more.�
�Later, I need a drink first. Do you realise you almost got yourself killed. I have never seen such atrocious flying, a first year could have done better.�
�Well I couldn�t help it, you didn�t tell me how to stop. Anyway, I enjoyed it.�
�I am so glad, but you know, you are meant to sit on top of the broom, not dangle beneath as though hung out to dry.�
�I know, I didn�t do it on purpose. Once I fell over, I couldn�t get up again. Thanks though, you didn�t have to do this.�
�I know, but it was preferable to seeing you sitting moping on the stairway all day.�
�Will you do that loopy thing again before we go in, like you did first time?�
�Very well.� He took her broom and shrunk it, putting it in his pocket. Then he mounted his broom and took off, Lou watching him as closely as she could and trying to see how he moved.

�He really is something on that thing.� She thought as he looped the loop, dove for the ground and pulled away when it seemed he was only inches from hitting the earth.

After a few more manoeuvres, which he had to admit he thoroughly enjoyed, he landed in front of Lou. �Satisfied?� He asked, dismounting his broom.
�You bet.� She told him. �When will I get to be that good?�

�That all depends on you. Never if you insist on flying the wrong way up.�
�I think I had my knees wrong, I was watching you, you sit different to me. It�s just as well I was stuck to it though.� She laughed. �I must have looked like a raving loony up there.�
�More or less, yes you did.�
Lou was still laughing at herself and he could not help but join in

�Not many would laugh at themselves as you do Louhi.�
�Yeah well, I think if you can�t laugh at yourself, you don�t have the right to laugh at others, besides, it beats crying.�
�Very wise and very true. You have not had an easy childhood have you?�
�No, but there�s plenty that�s had it worse than me.� She told him as they made their way towards the castle.
�Perhaps, but you do not appear to dwell on it, nor have not allowed yourself to fall into the same trap that many in your situation might have done.�

�Drink and drugs you mean? Not my thing, well drugs aren�t anyway. I like beer though, vodka too.�
He turned to her surprised. �You have partaken of alcohol at your age? That is preposterous.�
�I don�t make a habit of it, I never had the money to waste anyway. I�ve only had a taste.�
�So long as you do not expect to taste it again until you have finished your schooling. So why did you run away from those homes you were placed into?�
�Different homes, different reasons. The first one had enough of me by the time I was six, they only liked the younger ones, babies up to about five. One morning I was told to wait in the front room. I had my coat on and a bag. I didn�t know all my clothes were packed in that bag. Just before the lady came to take me away, another one arrived with a small baby, the people I thought were my mum and dad didn�t even notice as I was leaving. I didn�t realise I wasn�t going back there. I wanted to see the baby and asked every day when I was going home. I don�t even remember their names, they were mum and dad to me. I didn�t run from there, I was sent away.�
�And the second?�
�Nutters. I was eight when I went to them. They had two kids of their own, but they didn�t have to pray, just me. I had to kneel and say prayers three times a day for half an hour each time, more at weekends or if it was school holidays. The floor was hard and the house was always cold. If I made a mistake when I said my prayers, Mr Staynes used to get real mad. I ran away when I was nearly nine. I got caught and taken back an hour later, he wasn�t very pleased with me. He made me kneel and pray for forgiveness for two hours solid after that. He said the devil was in me and I would burn in hell fire for my sin. He scared the shi �sorry, living daylights out of me. After that, he found all kinds of things that he said was me committing sins. I didn�t know what the sins were, but I was scared of going to hell and burning so I prayed lots so I wouldn�t.�
Severus turned away, blanching at the mere thought of what she must have been through. �What about the next?�
�The Smythes. Everyone thought they were the perfect couple. The house was spotless, never a thing out of place. Them too, always dressed nice. They used to make me wear dresses, I hated that, but I was always clean and smart. Mrs Smythe was always nice to me.�

�You ran away because they made you wear dresses?�

�No. �They had a secret and I wasn�t supposed to know about it. He used to hit her, real bad you know. I heard her crying one night and went into the bedroom to see what was wrong. I think I was ten at the time. He was hitting her on the stomach and legs with a hairbrush. When he saw me, he told me to get out and go to my room. A bit later, he came in, he sat on my bed and looked at me for what seemed like ages. I was scared, I thought he was gonna do to me what he did to Mrs Smythe.�
�Circe. And did he?�
�No. He pulled me up by my nightgown and told me right into my face, if I ever told anyone, he�d hurt me, then I�d be put in prison for telling lies because no one would believe me. So I kept quiet. I didn�t want to go to prison and I was still scared of being burned in hell. Then one night, I woke up thirsty and came downstairs. I walked into the kitchen and he was hitting her with the hairbrush again. I ran away the next day.�
�He did not hurt you I hope.�
�When I was eleven I got placed again. Mr and Mrs Collins, they had three other kids. Every evening we�d sit round the table and we were supposed to tell them all our problems. I never said anything, it didn�t make them go away. They said I was anti social, that if I told them what was wrong with me I would be like a normal kid. I thought I was normal until then, I didn�t think I had any problems. School was just as bad. The Collins� kids told everyone I was a weirdo and a charity case. They said their mum and dad had taken pity on me, that�s why I was there. They also told them that I nicked things. They stole money from their mum�s purse to buy sweets, then they put the empty wrappers on my bed and told her they�d seen me in her purse. I didn�t do it, but no one believed me. The teachers said I was dumb. That I didn�t want to learn and didn�t bother with me much. I got told off because I didn�t use the margin to put my working out when we did maths. How can I do that when I haven�t got any workings out. We were given books that were boring and if I asked for something different, they told me to sit down and read what I was given. I ran away after eight months, got caught and taken back to the care home. I ran away again when I was thirteen. I�ve looked after myself since then.�
Severus was appalled, he also felt she�d left quite a lot out of her telling of her past. They were at the castle doors and he decided to leave it for now.
�Ah, Severus, Louhi. That was quite some flying you did out there Severus.� Albus said.
�He�s great isn�t he? He�s gonna teach me to fly like that.�
�Teaching you to stay upright will be an achievement.� Severus told her.
�Yeah, I was rubbish.� She told the Headmaster. I flopped upside down and couldn�t get up again.� She told him, giggling. �It�s lucky I was stuck to it or I would�ve landed on my bonce.�
�Indeed, I did notice.� Albus told her, his eyes tinkling merrily. �I take it you are wanting a spot of lunch?�
�We are, I need some sustenance before I brave the skies again with this one.�
�Aw come on, I�m not that bad. Where�s the kitchen? It must be massive in a place like this.�
�We can dine in my office, I was about to order something for myself anyway and would be glad of the company.�
�Lead the way.� Severus told him.
Lou followed, her eyes darting in all directions as they headed towards the gargoyle that protected the entrance to the Headmasters office. When she heard him say �fizzing whizzes� she was about to ask him what they were, but before she had chance, the gargoyle moved aside.
�Cool. How did it do that? Oh look at that.� Lou had seen the revolving staircase that would take them up to the office. She couldn�t wait to step onto it. When they reached the top, she turned and rode it back down again. �This is better than an escalator.� She shouted as she rode up again. She was just about to go down again when a hand grabbed her by the arm and pulled her from it. �Aw, I was enjoying that.�
�So I noticed, but we are here to have lunch, not ride up and down the staircase.�

He pulled her into the office and let her go, closing the door and sitting in one of the comfortable armchairs near the fire.
Lou however had spied the Phoenix. �Wow. What kind of bird are you? Is it a peacock?� She turned and asked.
�That Louhi, is a Phoenix.� Albus told her. �His name is Fawkes.�
�Hello Fawkes. Your lovely.� �Is he safe to stroke, or will I get my hand bitten off?�
�He is a very gentle bird Louhi, provided you treat him kindly.�
�Cause we�ll teat you nice, won�t we Fawkes. Your beautiful you are.�
The bird trilled at her praise and lowered his head so she could run her fingers through it�s plumage.
�You are magnificent. I�ve never seen a Phoenix before. Bobby said they were real, but I didn�t think I�d get to see one.�
�Bobby?� Albus asked.
�Yeah, the elf that told me about the collar. He told me all kinds of things about unicorns and giants and stuff. He said you�ve got one here, a half giant I think he said. Have you really?�
�Rubeus Hagrid, Keeper of keys and grounds at Hogwarts.�
�Yeah, that was it. So it�s true then, he�s real too?�
�Of course it is true. Now come and have your lunch, or there shall be no more flying lessons.�
She gave the Phoenix one last longing look and went to sit by the fire. �Does he talk?�

She asked round a mouthful of chicken sandwich.
�Do not speak with food in your mouth.� Severus told her.
�Not in any way that I have understood.� Albus said. �He sings, the most beautiful music come from the Phoenix, but also the most deadly, should he be angered. He has great strength and his tears have the power to heal.�
�Wow, I wish I had one. What do they eat?�

�That is the strangest thing, I have never found anything to tempt him, I can only assume that he finds his meals elsewhere.�
�It�s a pity he can�t talk, he could tell you what he likes then. I saw a parrot at school once, it could talk. The teacher made the man take it away though when it started swearing. Another time a man and woman brought some snakes to class and we got to hold them, they talked too, but everyone said I was nuts when I told them, but they do, I heard them.�
When Severus and Albus stared at her, she huddled down as small as she could.

�You think what you like, I heard them.�
�Did you speak back to them Louhi?�

She looked at the Headmaster. �I�m not saying, you�ll only say I�m nuts like they did.�
�Not at all. If indeed you can talk to and understand snakes, you have a very rare ability, though it is not unheard of. It is called parcel tongue. One other at this school also has the same ability.�
�Really? So you don�t think I�m nuts then?�
�No, we do not. Do we Severus?�
�What? No, though it is unusual. What exactly did you say to this snake, and what did it say to you.?�
�It didn�t at first. The snakes were taking to each other, complaining about us kids mauling them about and how they were sick of it. I was holding one at the time, a Boa constrictor. So I said I was sorry, and how did it want me to hold it. It looked at me a bit odd at first, but then it started to tell me, but the man took it away from me, said I was naughty for hissing at it, that it upset the snakes. I didn�t hiss though, I just talked.

Then the teacher sent me to stand in the corridor until they�d finished. When I tried to say I was talking to it, I had to write a hundred times, I will not tell lies in class. I got teased for weeks over that. Lispy Louhi they started calling me, I hated it.�
�That is because they do not understand. Even here, only one who can speak Parceltongue, can understand it. To others, it will sound as though you are hissing to yourself, whereas you think you are speaking normally.�
�Right, so who else can talk like that?�
The two men glanced at each other, then Severus spoke. �The boy�s name is Potter. He is a student at this school He will be starting his final year when you attend.� �Thank Merlin.� He thought.
�How old is he then?�
�Seventeen.�
�I�ll have to stay here until I�m seventeen? No, nearly eighteen. That�s ancient, I�ll be old.�
That made Albus laugh, he could not help himself. �Tell me Louhi, how old do you think I am?�
�I don�t know, you�ve got a lot of hair and a beard, beards always make you look older. Sixty maybe. I�m not good at telling ages so don�t get mad if I�ve gone too high.�
Severus laughed along with him this time.
�I am over one hundred years old Louhi, and I hope I still have many years ahead of me. Magical folk live much longer then muggles. What about Severus, how old would you say he is?�

�Headmaster, I really do not think that my age is ��
�Let her answer Severus.�

The Potions Master sat with a scowl on his face, he did not like this any more. �Albus and his bloody stupid games.� He thought.
�I already know anyway, well sort of. Thirty several you told me, that day I had hold of your boxers.�
Albus� head whipped round to stare at Severus.
�After the unbinding she had no clothes, I was forced to reduce some of my own garments so she would not have to leave here half naked.�
�Yeah, boxers and really itchy trousers.�
�Would you have preferred to return half dressed?�

�No, but how do you stand to wear them, they prickle?�
�They are the finest wool, they do not cause me any irritation.�
�Anyway, are we going flying again?�

�If you so wish, but this time I am limiting your height and speed, at least until you are able to fly the right way up.�
�Before you go, I wonder if now would be a good time for her to meet a certain house elf Severus.�
�Must we Albus, today is not the right time.�
�No time like the right time I always say.� The Headmaster clapped his hands and a house elf appeared.
�You is wanting something Headmaster?�
�Yes, would you send Kreatcher up please.�
Severus scowled as Lou moved over to sit next to him. �Who�s Kricha?� She asked quietly.
�You will see soon enough.� He told her, sighing. He really would have preferred to leave this for another day.
With a louder than usual poof, a gnarled, rather ugly old house elf appeared.

�Kreatcher not belonging here, not a Hogwarts elf. Why you calling old Kreatcher?�

�Kreatcher, I would like you to meet someone.� He gesture toward Lou and the elf turned and looked at her suspiciously.
�Err, hello Kricha.�
�Who are you? Kreatcher belongs in the most noble house of Black, not here, not at Hogwarts. Too many mudbloods and blood traitors. Which of those are you?�
�I don�t know, I�m just Lou.�
�Kreatcher.� The Headmaster said. �This is Louhi, Louhi Melaina Black. She is the granddaughter of your old mistress.�
The elf�s eyes narrowed in disbelief. �No. Master Regulus is not having children. You is lying to old Kreatcher, trying to trick him. But I is not knowing why.�

TBC

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