ᴅɪsᴘᴇʟ ᴍʏ ʙᴏʀᴇᴅᴏᴍ | ᴍᴀʀᴀᴅᴇᴜʀs' ᴇʀᴀ

Chapter 65: Farewell

The figure jerked, as if wanting to step into the light, but a moment passed, and the man — Severus Snape — was lost in the darkness. James started at the crunch of branches and rustling pebbles, but Lily squeezed his hand, shaking her head.

"He wasn't like that when we started it all," she said, addressing everyone. "He meant only good."

"In a weird way," said James.

"Let's not talk about this, please? I don't want to talk about feuds again."

"I just don't like the fact that AB is mostly a Slytherin team. But you-"

Lily chuckled. "Can't forgive me your defeat, Mr. Cool Potter?"

The surrounding guys stirred up in a friendly laugh.

James pouted, so that Lily had to peck him on the cheek.

"On the contrary," James snorted. "If you couldn't do what you did, you won't be worthy of me."

"Oh, really?!"

"Lily! Don't get distracted," Narcissa interrupted them.

"Right. So," Evans continued. "Let's give the floor to Narcissa; in fact, she brought us all together."

Sirius's face, staring at Narcissa through the flames, expressed nothing but polite disdain. With all his deeply hurt looks, he asked what the youngest Black was doing here and why she was in the spotlight, but not him.

"So," Narcissa smoothed the folds of her dress and moved her arm with the ring closer to the fire. "By pure chance, I found out about Regulus's idea, and I realized that I could not miss it. Playing secretly was, perhaps, not the most honest venture, but rather mysterious and fascinating. At first, I tried to act alone, but soon I realized that actions of such magnitude were not my cup of tea. I had to be everywhere at once, control every intrigue and gossip, so I figured out that without 'my man' at Gryffindor I could not beat the Marauders. If I began to act more openly, all the suspicions would fall at me, since my style of play is undoubtedly Slytherin-ish."

"That's then you thought about Lily?" Marlene asked.

"Exactly. I realized I needed someone with extraordinary magic abilities and considerable intelligence. In addition, this person should've been highly motivated. The only one who suited for this role, the only one who had enough spirit to compete with the Marauders was undoubtedly Lily Evans."

Narcissa smiled at Lily, and the redhead immediately beamed back. James turned his head, trying to understand what girlish secrets had just flashed past him.

"Severus,-" Narcissa gracefully sipped something like red wine from her mug. "-joined later. Once, Lily and I were discussing one entertaining plan, and Severus was near, interested in what was happening, and I decided that we could use his help."

"Amortentia case!" exclaimed Ana, Ravenclaw girl with thick brown braids.

"Precisely," Narcissa nodded. "Severus invented an incredible recipe. I do not understand why no one ever guessed that he was one of us, because there were so many clues! It was probably because no one could think Severus did it, and me and Lily. That's when we began to act!"

"So," asked one of the Gryffindors, "Severus invented a prank with changing the beds. And played the role of the victim... What's next?"

"I was responsible for the prank with Lucius," Narcissa nodded. "No one except me had the right to treat him that way, you know why." She smiled seductively, and the ring on her finger flashed even brighter. "I also came up with a ritual for Halloween and performed it along with Severus," Narcissa paused, waiting for the sighs of admiration and whistling to subside.