The Year of the Revolution II. The Discovery of Friendship

4. Strategies

When Lily arrived at the Haven at a quarter past four on Friday, Sev had already prepared everything for Dueling class: torches, heating spell, open windows, the couch under them, and he was sitting on the dais waiting for her. He got up when the door opened, ready for a welcome like the one the previous Friday.

But this time she was very serious, she threw her backpack aside and three steps away from him, with her arms on her hips, she snapped at him, "We have two pending issues, something about my house and an explanation that you owe me. Which one do you want to start with?"

'Of course, what worries me the most is the first, but... what explanation do I owe her? What have I done wrong this time?'

"I don't know what you mean by either of these things," he told her surprised. "So start with what seems most urgent to you. Do we sit down? Do I light the candles and close the windows?"

"Don't waste time with that, it's not cold," she went to the couch and fell down.

'She seems really worried.' Sev sat next to her, a little apart, facing her, and waited for her to start talking.

"The most urgent thing is..." she snorted, "the Gryffindor issue."

"What has happened?" somewhat alarmed.

"You see, on Tuesday I got into a classroom all afternoon, and then, during dinner..." She told him what had happened.

When she got to the point where Remus told her they needed to talk, Sev interrupted her, "Wait, Lily. You'll see, I don't want you to be scared. I'm learning Legilimency, you know? What Dumbledore does. I practice with the people in my house, but at the moment I only read very simple thoughts, when someone is hungry or those of the children. But I get the impression that with you it will be easier, because you open your mind to me openly and I know what I have to look for."

Lily listened to him with wide eyes. 'Will he never stop surprising me?'

Sev continued, "Look, if you don't want to, we won't do it, but if you let me in, I'll see first-hand what Lupin told you and I'll be able to assess it better. Maybe it won't work out, and maybe I'll read things, secrets of yours, that you don't want me to see. Do we do it? It's up to you."

Lily hesitated, this was her chance to get Sev to trust Remus. But she also thought that he might see things that she didn't want to show him yet. Either way, she knew he'd snap out of her mind if he caught sight of something like that.

"All right."

"Good. I can only read immediate thoughts, so you have to bring up the conversation you had with the maximum detail, tones of voice, looks... everything you remember, which I'm sure with your memory will be a lot."

"Okay, I'll try."

"Thank you, Lily, for trusting me." He pulled his wand out. "Better if you close your eyes." He pointed to her head and muttered, "Legilimens," and he also closed them.

He penetrated Lily's mind for the first time, and managed to see, effortlessly, in every detail she remembered, the conversation with the wolf. When they started Arithmancy, he came out. "It's done."

"Have you seen it?" she asked him.

"Yes, it's been amazing. I have to teach you how to do it," a little overwhelmed, but changing to irritated, "You know since Tuesday, why didn't you tell me? Potter may have followed you."

"I made sure he didn't. I let them out of class before me and they went up to the house."

"You should have told me. And with the wolf? Have you spoken again? Did you tell him you were coming today?"