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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
- 79
- 80
- 81
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

Also, I am sorry if my descriptions of Finland differ from any you know to be correct, and of my usage of the Finish language. The grammar and nouns etc are most likely very wrong. But hey, I�m doing my best and this is just a story. I�m taking what little I know and twisted it to suit my purposes. Any Finish nationals out there, please accept my apologies in advance. Most references to Finnish myth and lore are taken from Wikipedia.

Chapter 80

No, Lou at all. In fact his Lou would have rebelled fiercely at his and the matrons comments, her face would have expressed her fury, her eyes flashing like fire as she verbalised her anger. Even her thoughts were passive he realised. There were no judgmental reproaches, no cursing in her mind. Instead she was the perfect hostess, polite, undemanding, unresponsive to his glares.

Unresponsive. That was it, she was not responding to anything negative aimed in her direction. Severus complained strongly that his tea was far too weak, instead of griping at him and telling him to make his own as she normally would, she apologised and refreshed his cup, making sure it was to his taste.

He narrowed his eyes, knowing full well now that this was a show for the matrons benefit. Wasn�t it?
Lou peered from the corner of her eye at Severus. She was carefully blocking her true thoughts, instead cautiously sending false thoughts of regret at her initial reaction to him. Same at her behaviour and a true desire to please him with her new self.
Long Jack, who taught them the Dark Arts, also taught occlumency and Legillimency, but he taught it in the way of his people and showed Lou how to control what she allowed others to see without shape shifting. This he taught her apart from the other students because of her unique gift at shifting. It was a rare, valued and respected gift where he came from and he knew it took over when her mind struggled to take control over her thoughts.

Long Jack also secretly taught her another art, that of Solutum. The art of dissolving, or �Melting� into nothingness, only to reappear in the destination last concentrated on.

Apparition was impossible anywhere in Lapland, that was one of the reasons Karkias academy was so secure, along with the inability to fly brooms and the fact there was no floo network whatsoever. Only the Sami and their sleighs could fly in Lapland.

Now Solutum, or �Melting�, though achieving the same results as apparition, differed in as much as one did not disappear with a pop, there was no age restriction, it was neither legal nor illegal, and no amount of magical resistance could prevent the �Melter� from reforming at their required destination. Lou would even be able to �Melt� in Hogwarts.

Also distance was not a problem. A �Melter� is able to reach the other side of the world with as little effort as it takes to �Melt� three feet away. Long Jack himself could not �Melt�, it was a skill only those with the aptitude to shape shift could achieve. He did know how to teach it however, having seen his elders do so many times. The only disadvantage to it was that the �Melter� could not take another person with them like in side-along apparition.
In fact the only person Lou had told about this was Hermione, after she caught her practicing in the sauna.
Hermione promised not to tell her secret since Lou said she wanted to keep it as a surprise for Severus at a later date. Besides which Hermione�s own mischievous nature thought it would be hilarious when Lou �melted� out of Snape�s grasp when he least expected it.
So Lou sat and waited patiently as Matron and Severus passed pleasantries, apparently matrons grasp of the English language was excellent, discussed Lou and Hermiones basic academia since her arrival and studying the reports on what they�d so far achieved.
Fortunately Occlumency and �Melting were not included in those reports.
She refused to let her impatience rise to the surface and loved the fact that Severus was so disconcerted at her behaviour.
�Well you sent me here to learn Severus, and believe me, I have.� She thought wickedly. �You are in for a few surprises.�
Eventually Severus stood and said it was time they were on their way.

After a polite bow to the matron and a curtsy from Lou, he held out his arm, which Lou politely took, and escorted her from the building to the waiting sleigh.
Lou was delighted to see it was Onni and Urho who were driving them. The two men sent broad smiles in her direction and she almost slipped up and waved to them. Instead she smiled shyly, then winked when Severus was busy glaring at the two Sami who dared to smile at his wife in such a familiar fashion.
When Urho moved to wrap the fur around Lou�s legs, Severus snatched it from him with a scowl and tucked it around her himself.
Lou found it difficult not to smile at his reaction and only Onni noticed the mischievous gleam in her eyes.

He openly told Urho she was up to something, knowing the dark wizard did not know what they were saying since he did not have a translation charm and had no idea what they said to him on the journey here.
Lou was startled when Onni�s voice came into her head. �What are you up to young vixen?� He asked in Finnish.
She felt her face redden in response and noticed Severus eyeing her curiously.
�Are you alright?� He asked, concerned. �You seem rather flushed.� Severus said.
�I�m fine thank you, just a bit warm under all thus fur.� �Onni get out of my head. I�m not up to anything.�
�Are you sure?� Severus asked.�
�I do not believe you vixen, but I will leave you to your mischief.� Onni thought to her.

�Yes honestly. Once we�re flying I�ll cool off again.�
�Onni, sod off.� She thought back annoyed. It was getting difficult separating her thoughts with Onni from her thoughts and speech with Severus.
Onni grinned as he shouted, �Kiitaa.� and the sleigh took off into the sky.
�Make sure to stay in your seat this time.� Urho thought to her.�
�I must admit, this is a most pleasurable way of travelling. I assume you arrived here the same way.�

�Oh Severus it was amazing. No one can apparate, fly, or even floo travel here.� Lou told him about some of her classes, her nose wrinkling when she described the uniform they were forced to wear. She didn�t tell him about the dreadful underwear, or about the fact she still wore her own.
Severus was astounded when she told him about the physical labour, how they had to help clean up after the reindeer every day, as well as clean their hooves, check their coats and ears for parasites and gather the antler felt from the trees. The fact she seemed to enjoy doing so did not surprise him however. He knew that Lou was not one to shy away from physical labour and was not afraid to get her hands dirty.

�Oh and the days here are so long, did you know the sun never sets for weeks on end? And we have bar-b-ques every day while it�s warm like this.� She told him.
Severus did not think it was warm at all, he�d not acclimatised as Lou had and was shivering, even under the multitude of furs they had on them. As fast as Lou removed one from herself, he took it and draped it over his knees.
�Where are we going Severus?� She wanted to know. �Matron wouldn�t tell me.�

�It is a surprise, you will see soon enough.� He told her with a slight smirk, though the smirk disappeared when she acquiesced to his statement. �Are you not going to try and persuade me to tell you?� he said, put out.
�Of course not. If you say it is a surprise, then I can wait.�

She lowered her head when he huffed and them pouted. He wanted her to insist he told her and she was struggling to hold back her laughter.
They arrived at the Finnish Ministry to find Rudolf Ervast waiting for them.
�Severus, you are back. And madam Snape, how are you? How have you enjoyed attending our academy so far?�
�I�m enjoying it very much Mr Ervast. Thank you for asking.� Lou told him with a curtsy.
Ervast�s eyes flicked in Severus� direction momentarily, seeing the irritation in the dark mans eyes. Ervast had truly hoped that Lou had enough spirit in her to not succumb fully to the teachings of royal blood behaviour. After a moment of discomfort, he turned his attention back to Severus. �Would you prefer to spend the night here, or are you anxious to be off?�

�I am not anxious Rudolf, but I would prefer to be settled for the evening at our intended destination. We may as well take advantage of the constant daylight.�

Ervast held out a fine silver chain. Severus took one end, Lou wrapped her fingers round the middle and Ervast maintained his grip at the other end. �Portus.� Ervast said, and within a few minutes they were standing outside a pair of high, wrought iron gates, painted black and silver and hanging from a twin set of stone columns. After several wand waves and a multitude of precise incantations, the gates opened.

�Madam Snape, I am afraid that although the Finnish Ministry has managed to break through the wards that enable us to open the gates to your ancestral home, as yet it has been impossible for anyone to actually set foot on the property. It is necessary for you to enter first and grant us access.�
Lou stared at him, her mouth agape. Her ancestral home? �You �you mean this is where �my mum �here?� She asked, unable to complete a full sentence. All pretence at being demure and ladylike left her now and she turned to Severus, suddenly feeling afraid, unsure of herself.
Severus took her hand in his and his face softened. �Go ahead Lou, this is your heritage, your past, and quite possibly your future.�

He was about to say more when the tiniest of blue elf�s suddenly appeared at the gates.
�Hello mistress. I am Pikkuinen Sininen (small blue), though all here call me Sini. I am gatekeeper for Nilsen Maatila (mansion). Welcome home.� The elf said in English.
�Erm �hello Sini. Can we come in?� Lou asked, staring at the elf. This was the first time she�d seen a blue elf, Kreatcher was brown and Pegnose a kind of greenish brown. Even little Laina was green like all the elf�s at Hogwarts.
�You steps through first miss, then you must invite the gentlemen in before they can escort you safely. Otherwise they are fried, ptch! And nothing left of the gentlemen.�
Three sets of eyes widened at the elf�s description of their fate should they try and enter uninvited.
�Well what about me, will I get fried as well?� Lou asked, her face aghast at the thought of being burnt to a crisp.
�Oh no miss, you are Nilsen. Please step through, you are safe.� Sini held out a small clawed hand and bowed it�s head towards her.
Lou still hesitated and Severus released her hand. �Go ahead Lou.� He said. �I really would prefer not to spend the night out here.�
�And I would prefer not to be turned into a crisp. What if the elf�s wrong, what if something happens?� She asked. Her knees were like jelly and her voice was quivering.
�No Nilsen will ever be harmed here miss. Sini gives her word on that.� The little elf said encouragingly.
Lou gave one last glance at Severus, the impatience on his face was blatant, though his eyes held a certain amount of apprehension.
Taking a deep breath, Lou took Sini�s proffered hand, screwed her eyes tight shut, and stepped through the gates. She opened them again to see Sini beaming at her and her legs almost gave way in relief. �I did it.� She said and let out her breath. �Now what?�
�Now you must invite the gentlemen to join you, making sure to invite each by name.�
�Right. Severus Snape, I invite you into my �err �home.�
Severus had been hoping that Ervast would be invited first, just in case things did not go according to plan. Something else to add to her growing list of transgressions. However, he kept his face stoic and stepped through the gates, hearing Ervast breath a sigh of relief when Severus was safely on the other side of the gates.
�Rudolf Ervast, I invite you into my home.� Lou said more confidently this time once Severus was safely at her side.
Sini waited until they were all inside and the gates closed, then she said, �Vaunu.� (carriage)

A black carriage with a silver coat of arms depicting a ferocious looking bear with a dove perched on it�s shoulder emblazoned on the side appeared before them.

�The carriage will take you to the house where you will be required to repeat your invitation to the gentlemen miss. The elf Paa will be there to greet you along with your Kreatcher and Pegnose.

Sini opened the carriage door and waited until they were all safely in. �Ajaa.� (go) She said, and the carriage set of down a long sweeping drive.
�Well that was scary.� Lou said once they were out of earshot of the elf. �Mr Ervast, will I have to do this every time Severus or I want to come in her?�
�To be truthful madam Snape, I do not know. No one has ever been able to breach the Nilsen wards, other than the gates as you have seen. Even then the Ministry was unable to enter.�

He did not tell her that two Ministry Aurors had been killed when they tried to step through the gates as soon as they opened, thinking it was now safe to do so.
That was over a decade ago when Orvokki Nilsen had been murdered by her husband and the elder Nilsen�s had finally passed away. Although there had been several attempts since then, no one had ever managed to do more than open the gates, and the elf had never shown it�s face before today.

They drove for about a mile, woodland either side of them and a noticeable absence of snow, even though outside the gates it covered the ground as far as the eye could see. Then the trees ended and all around them was whiteness where snow covered mile after mile of what they assumed were lawns. The road they were on up until now was clear and the carriage moved on wheels, now the wheels suddenly became runners and instead the carriage glided over the snow covered drive until they could see the mansion in the distance. Except it looked like no mansion any of them ever saw before.
�Oh crikey!� Lou exclaimed when it came into view. �Mr Ervast, that�s not �it, is it?�

�I believe it is madam Snape. I have not had the privilege of seeing for myself before, but I have heard stories from some of the elder generation in our town who claim to have visited Nilsen Maatila in their time. Even then, the descriptions, as wonderful as they were, have not done justice to what we see now.�
As Lou and Severus stared out in amazement, Ervast pulled a small folder from inside his robes and enlarged it. Pulling out a piece of parchment, he unfolded it and passed it to Lou.
�This is apparently the original blueprint for Nilsen Maatila. As you can see, the castle itself extends way beyond what is visible at the moment. The dungeons alone cover five levels below ground. There is also a miniature version of the castle set into the nursery garden where the Nilsen children would play, as well as extensive outbuildings for the housing of the various creatures that were said to have been kept here. Other than that, I am afraid I can tell you no more.�
�Good heavens.� Severus said. �This place makes Hogwarts look like a muggle play house.� He looked at the blueprint and discovered there were over two thousand rooms in the castle. �How old is this map Rudolf?� he asked.
�No one knows exactly, well over fifteen hundred years, but closer than that I cannot say. Also it has been added to over the centuries, so the plan itself may not be one hundred percent accurate. The castle, like Karkias Academy, is completely self maintaining, as are the surrounding lands.� He told them, reading from another parchment he held on top of the folder. This file contains all the necessary documents and information you might will need to begin with, I can only assume that any further documentation as sequestered in the castle itself.�

He passed the file to Lou, who in turn absently passed it to Severus, being too intent on staring at the castle that now appeared before them.
The walls were a brilliant white, a multitude of mullioned windows all glowing in welcome. The roofs were a warm, deep red and she could make out balconies and walkways along the outside of the upper levels.

Once the carriage came to a stop, another house elf appeared, blue like Sini, and followed by a group of them All were blue apart from two.
�Kreatcher, Pegnose.� Lou let out excitedly, then quickly lowered her voice again when she remembered her plan.
Kreatcher ran to the carriage and rudely pushed in front of the elf Paa to open the door. He jumped inside and climbed over a startled Severus to reach his mistress, all attempts at subservience forgotten as he hugged Lou.
Paa crossly assisted Mr Ervast and Severus to the ground, all the time throwing black looks at Kreatcher.
Kreatcher didn�t care and hung on to Lou�s hand, helping her from the carriage and leading her to the front entrance proudly and snarling at any elf that threatened to try and take his place.
�Kreatcher, what are you playing at?� Lou asked him quietly.
��They�s thinks theys better than us cos theys always been here. But I tells them, I is Lou�s elf, me and Peg and little Laina. Theys is only servants for the house.�
Lou bit her lip. She knew now there were going to be problems with the elves. �Kreach, you need to show a bit of understanding to them, we�re new here and this is a big place. I�m sure they�ll have plenty to do. They can serve Severus and look after this colossal place while you and Peg look after me.�

�Kreatcher and Pednose looks after you and the master. Others can do as they please.� He said adamantly, his arms folded and a stubborn expression on his face.
Not knowing how to deal with the situation, Lou was relieved when Mr Ervast asked her to step forward and unward the house so they could all enter.
�So I go in and invite you like at the gate?� She asked.
�Oh no miss. Is much different for the Maatila. It is needing blood. Nilsen blood. Then you can go inside safely.� Paa told her

�What?� Her voice was high pitched. ��How much blood? You mean a finger prick like at Gringotts?�
�No miss, is more than that. First hands on the door, the blood must soak into the wood. Then feets to cross the threshold and spread blood. Then you rise from the threshold and bring light to the Maatila of Nilsen.� Paa explained.
�Ooohh no. Severus tell them, I�m not doing it. I�m not. So far I�ve had to get my finger pricked and have my earlobe sliced open. I�m not doing this. I want to go somewhere else. Hogwarts or number twelve. We could go to your place.� She said hopefully to Severus.
Severus considered her for a moment. Her changing attitudes since he went to collect her were confusing to say the least. He had to admit though that this latest ritual did seem rather barbaric.

TBC

Yuck. Everyone wants her blood. Poor Lou.

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Ccino.
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