If you want to read ahead, you can check out my Patreón @
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The link is also in the synopsis.
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"I was not expecting this."
Quinn cranked his neck up. To his utter surprise, his eyes caught the sight of dragonhide boots. He shifted his body, bearing the stress of the chains tightening, to look up even further to up to find himself looking upon a person dressed in black.
His eyes turned into frisbees, for even in his wildest of dreams had he expected Severus Snape, the person he had just killed, would manifest in front of him in his own soulscape. It wasn't a dream, but it could've been very well a nightmare.
". . . Did Greed make you somehow?" Quinn couldn't remove his eyes from the face of the man that looked so real. "You wouldn't tell me even if you were," he sighed in self-deprecating. "You're here to haunt me, aren't you. . . go ahead; you deserve that much."
Quinn stared at the "ghost's" face— a thin man with sallow skin and a large, hooked nose, straight thinned lips, and dark, penetrating eyes that resembled tunnels, all framed by shoulder-length hair. Even the flowing black robes were so hauntingly similar to the real deal.
Snape looked down at Quinn in stoic silence until he finally spoke, "I expected more from the man who defeated me in a duel, especially more from by whose hands I ended up dying."
Quinn lowered his head and pressed the side of his face on the floor, looking away from Snape. He couldn't give two squats about what Snape thought about him— but the question was valid— he right now wasn't even close to his usual self, much less his best self.
"It's strange, but I have been 'watching,'" said Snape, "and I have to say I was quite surprised you were going through this ordeal of yours. However, I thought with your actions as the invisible vigilante, your conviction would've been stronger. It's disappointing to see that someone like that has fallen to this level."
Quinn didn't move or even twitch. He laid on the floors with chains around him.
"But I suppose you see what you expect to see. I thought you were different from all other dunderheads, but you're just like every one of those idiots."
Quinn snapped his head up and was ruthlessly yanked down by the chains. He forced his head up with the links digging into his neck. "I just went through Pride and Wrath the other day. . . I'm not free from feeling those emotions. . . so I suggest that you don't go down this route. Tell Greed that this joke of his is not amusing. Tell him that I will stay quiet, so there's no need to continue this distasteful joke."
"Oh? And what would you do about it? I'm not going to stop myself from calling what I see— what I see is just pathetic."
Quinn felt his anger rise up. He would've taken the indictments about killing Snape lying down because they were true; he would've apologized to the man's ghost. But to hear that he hadn't tried to fight against the Sins was an insult that he couldn't take.
"What do you know? You became a slave to an egotistical megalomaniac snake and bent your knee in begging to an old manipulative bastard."
"I, you foolish child, have deceived one of the greatest wizards of all time, making myself one of his trusted generals while being in his service of an accomplished Legilimence with a head of secrets that could've gotten me killed. I had become significant enough that Albus Dumbledore, the walking image of all good, risked his reputation to give me— a Death Eater, who has spilled blood of innocents— shelter in a school full of children.
Until my death, I was well and good and made the best of my situation. And what have you done? Struggle against something that doesn't even exist."
"I could do both of that, and I could do them now," spat Quinn.
"As if. You can't even deal with yourself and escape from a simple mess that you have idiotically created for yourself. You won't last a single day in my situation. You would be painfully slaughtered by the Dark Lord, and Dumbledore would lead you by the nose until you couldn't tell if your actions were truly yours or something he planned for you."
It was as if the lid over a pot of boiling water popped because of the rising steam. The soulscape shook as Quinn pushed himself off the ground. The chains that bound him snapped by the links, shattering into pieces in the vain effort of trying to hold the owner of the soulscape down.
"Listen here, you overgrown bat," said Quinn, pushing his face near Snape's. "I don't want to hear all of this shit from someone who couldn't stop pining for a girl who was nice to the miserable little boy. Yeah, it was romantic and honorable for a while, but come on, it has been more than a decade."
Snape's expression didn't change; instead, he stepped back and gave Quinn a look over. "Here, I thought you enjoyed the floor a bit too much."
"What—." Quinn paused mid-outburst. There were no chains around him, nor was he pressed against the floor. His feet were on the floor, standing him up. "How. . . ." he looked up at Snape, who was looking back at him with unimpressed eyes.
"Look around yourself," said Snape simply.
Quinn looked. It took him a beat, but he realized what Snape implied. The soulscape had come a long way from the initial blackened state— the white was still tainted with a thick yellow, but the vibe that Quinn could feel was much better. He turned back towards the Soul, and his eyes widened when he saw that it had regained much of its beautiful golden color, and except for some muddiness, it looked as if it hadn't been touched by the sin curse.
"It seems that my death was enough for you to miss that you had recovered much of your soulscape," Snape sounded. "You should get a better handle yourself if you're going to continue with your other secret job. You were struck just at the right times that you weren't aware of the control you actually had."
Quinn turned to Snape with wide eyes. "You're not Greed's working, are you? You're the real deal— the real Severus Snape."
"That seems to be the case."
"But. . . how?"
Snape shook his head. "Unfortunately, I don't know. I remember being executed by the killing curse, but after that, I have no inkling of how I can talk to you here," he said, "but I somehow know it was because of the killing curse and something in your possession."
Quinn furrowed his brows in thought. 'The killing curse and something in my possession,' he thought.
A memory of reading entered his mind. In the Little Hangleton graveyard, Voldemort dueled Harry Potter after his revival. Their magic met, and the 'ghosts' of the people murdered by Voldemort emanated out from the clash of the spells. Quinn turned to Snape and wondered if this was the same phenomenon. He had, after all, forcefully expunged Snape's soul using the killing curse.
'But what about something in my possession?' Quinn wondered. The answer came to him like a bolt of blue lightning. His hand went to his chest, and while it wasn't there, he knew what it was.
The Ressurection Stone. It was his only possession that could that was related soul.
"I. . . think I know why you're here," said Quinn, rubbing his forehead, "but I can't be sure."
"Doesn't matter," said Snape, "I couldn't be bothered by something I have no control over. The subject of true importance is that I have to get you out of this mess."
Quinn continued to stare at Snape with a complicated and incredulous gaze.
"Greed has used some clever tricks to have you stuck here. But I think I can help you get out of here and get rid of Greed while doing it."
". . . How do you know all of this?"
Snape paused, "I do not have any memories after my death. One moment I was seeing the green of the killing curse, the next, I was here. However, I somehow am aware of what has happened with a few people— and for some reason, you're one of those people— I suppose I kept a check on my killer in the afterlife I can't remember. And it seems there is no secret to the dead."
There weren't many things Quinn couldn't understand, but this was one of those things he couldn't wrap his mind around.
"Now, let's not waste any more time; you have to follow my lead so that—"
"You can help me?" Quinn frowned. It didn't make sense.
". . . I'm dead, Mr. West. I can't directly do anything. It's against the natural law, and I don't fancy breaking them, even if I could. All I can provide you is an advantage that you can leverage into defeating Greed."
Quinn nodded. He could use some help. He couldn't see defeating Greed without help.
"But I will need something in return," said Snape.
"What?" asked Quinn with a surprise. He hadn't expected this. "I'm not going to hand my body over to you if that's what you want."
"I have no desire for your body, you fool," said Snape, sneering. "I need a promise from you."
"I'm not swearing an Unbreakable Vow with the dead."
Snape was not amused. He stared at Quinn with a look that thoroughly looked down on him. "Just your word would do. . . . I hope you're not going to deny me— the man who you killed— a simple promise."
". . . If it is something I can do, I will give you the promise for it," Quinn sighed, "I don't even know if you're real or not; you could just be a figment of my imagination."
"There is a war on the horizon," said Snape, "the Dark Lord is not going to hide any longer, especially after failing to kill Dumbledore. Wars are never pretty, and no one is spared from some consequences. I want you to promise that you will protect some people for me. . . two people. . . Lily Potter and Ivy Potter."
Quinn's eyes widened. He said, "You are already dead. . . even now?"
Snape's eyes softened, and he uttered a single word, full of regality, "Always."
Quinn's jaw couldn't drop any faster. He didn't even know how he had walked himself into this.
"I will try to ensure their safety," he said after recovering.
Snape's eyes narrowed, but Quinn didn't budge. Snape scoffed but nodded.
"So, how are you going to help me?"
Snape started, "Greed, as you call him, has blocked you out from what's happening outside. . . ."
Quinn tried to look outside, but he was still blocked. Thinking about what was happening brought him the anxiety momentarily forgotten because of the shock of coming across the dead man. Just the thought of Greed interacting with Daphne and Ivy made him want to throw up.
". . . . but in doing that, he has also blocked his internal vision," continued Snape. "He can look inside anytime he wants, but that would allow him to do the same. He hasn't done that, and I don't think he's going to do— after all, his entire aim of springing what going outside was to weaken you."
Quinn didn't respond. Greed had said that he was doing it because of Daphne— and that could be a reason, but it wasn't the sole reason. As Snape had said, Quinn knew that the timing was to send him into a rut— and despite having that realization, Greed's actions had the intended effect.
"You're going to use this vision block. . . and when he comes back, you're going to strike."
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Quinn West - MC - Still in deep doubt if what he is seeing is real or not.
Severus Snape - Dead - I can teach you to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death. . .
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If you have any ideas regarding the magic you want to see in this fiction or want to offer some ideas regarding the progression. Move onto the DISCORD Server and blast those ideas.
The link is in the synopsis!
Just like always,
Review, comment, add to the library, and share this fic.
Thx
If you want to read ahead, you can check out my Patreón @
[ https://www.patreón.com/fictiononlyreader ]
The link is also in the synopsis.
.
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Quinn watched from the far side at the two girls who seemed to be in deep discussion. . . at least he hoped it was a discussion and not an exchange of scathing words.
He focused on their lips, alas, they were neither facing him, nor it would've helped as he lacked the skill to read lips. Quinn's magic twitched under his impulsive commands, ready to launch a number of nifty spells ranging from enhancing his ears to picking up distant voices or sound magic to snatch their conversation and carry it over to his side.
He contemplated, but he rested his magic after a moment of thought. It was difficult going against his own 'flawed' nature. . . but unlike his 'brothers,' he was capable of restraining himself with some effort— all thanks to the contribution of his two very generous brothers.
His thoughts took a walk to distract himself from the honestly nerve-racking conversation before him and wandered to wondering what was happening inside the soulscape. The 'original' was bound there with the help of magic. . . .
'Ah, magic. . . it's so wonderful,' Quinn breathed a sigh of contentment. The range of magic under his fingertip was absolutely exhilarating and ecstatic. It couldn't, in a thousand years, compare to what he had when he was nothing but a voice in the back of the head.
. . . . Back to the 'original.' He had bound him up as a punishment for trying to the unsightly assault. He had been nothing but kind to the original. The additional penalty was blocking the original's view outside.
Quinn's brow furrowed. The original was as resourceful as a handyman's tool kit with a cockroach's persistence. The original didn't have the assortment of magic usually available to him in the soulscape. . . an advantage for the Sins. . . despite that, he had been able to get his voice project out of the soulscape while they were in control— it had been the downfall of two of his brother: Wrath and Envy.
But that much wasn't enough to surpass expectations. What actually surprised him was the control over soul magic that seemingly came out of nowhere. The stab in Envy's back was sudden enough to send a tremor in the remaining Sins— causing him to go ahead with his plan of subsuming Lust and Gluttony. A wise decision as the original's access to magic jumped when he subsumed his brothers. He wasn't as strong as three Sins, but enough that he could keep the original down.
'Maybe I should try telling him that Daphne broke up with me,' he thought. Contemplating how the pros and cons of the situation— on the one hand, it would definitely be a substantial hit on the original's mental state, putting a hamper on his abilities, but on the other hand, he will have to block the view every time Daphne was as much as mentioned in a conversation. . . too much blocking would only serve to raise the original's suspicion.
He clicked his tongue. If he could get rid of the original this instant, he would've deceived him about Daphne to strike when the target was at its weakest. But he had no method to get rid of the original— he was a prisoner that couldn't be executed— beat up, sure, but not executed.
The risk wasn't worth the unguaranteed returns, he decided. He would leverage another situation when one came in the future.
He was brought out of his thoughts when he saw Daphne walking towards him. He straightened up. Her every step was more nervewracking than facing the angry original's barrage of soul-shearing blades.
"What do you like about her?" The question came even before Daphne's feet stopped on the ground.
He gazed at Daphne, a flash passing through his eyes. He studied her, mulling his answer for the best effect.
"I need someone who questions me and can keep me in check," he said. "The dynamic between Ivy and I is such that she doesn't take my words as right as many do. She will question me until she's satisfied. Call me out if something doesn't make sense. I need that."
"And you're saying that I can't provide that?"
"Our relationship dynamic is different. In my heart, you represent a pillar of support— who I know will back me with whatever I do. Something I also so dearly need. But I also think that more often than not, you will support whatever choice I make. . . and those times when you do are enough for me to be worried. She's the anchor I need to ensure that I don't end up going down a path with no returns."
Daphne glared at him, her face becoming colder by the second. "Is that it? You need her because she is of some use to you? Then she can be a confidant, why does she need. . . ." her tempo rose until Daphne breathed to calm herself down and stared at Quinn.
"I'm attracted to her, and she is to me," he said, maintaining firm eye contact. "Will you be comfortable with her close to me?"
Daphne closed her eyes: scrunched up in a frown. She took a deep breath before opening her eyes.
Slap!
She slapped him tightly with a wide swing. Quinn made no efforts to stop dodge it, taking it as intended. He didn't lower his head and stared at her with his intentions clear for her to see.
Daphne turned away and walked back to Ivy, who was looking at them from a distance. Her eyes widened when she saw and 'heard' the slap.
Quinn raised his hand and caressed his cheek. It stung. But he felt good about it. It was always better when Daphne showed more heated emotion than withdrew into her icy shell.
He got back to watching the two girls. It was a risky move on his part. He could lose both— Daphne could dump him; Ivy might not like his choice and approach and finally decide that she wasn't interested. The original would've never gone through this, not in a million years. This desire had stemmed from the original, but something that was fated to stay dormant until forgotten.
But he was different. If Quinn West wanted something, no one was going to deny him.
Quinn waited for what felt like close to three-quarters of an hour. It looked like the discussion had been reached its conclusion because Daphne and Ivy walked to him.
He studied their face. Daphne looked like she had a lot to say while Ivy's lips were stopping themselves from curling up.
He knew that instant that his bid had been successful.
"I'm in a mood where that face of yours irritates me." Daphne's words made him restrain his expression. She continued, "I should dump you here and now, but I just. . . can't" — Daphne's face was a strange mix of sharpness and vulnerability — "I do not if this is even something I should entertain. . . but I'm going to give this a chance," she looked into his eyes, "so please don't make me regret this. . . please."
Quinn stepped close to her in an instant and grabbed her hand. "You will never regret this, I promise," he said sincerely; his greed had obviously hurt her.
"I love you," he said.
Daphne stared up at him with her blue eyes full of emotion. For a moment, when Daphne's reply didn't come, he felt his heart drop, but it was only a moment as she raised her hand and softly stroked the same cheek she had slapped.
"I love you too," she said but then followed with. "I need some time."
Quinn's grip on her hand tightened. He didn't like the sound of that.
"It's not like that," she said with weakness in her eyes. "I am tired, with what happened yesterday and now. . . I'm going back to the dorms and. . . talk to Tracey about what happened here. You can expect her to come blowing steaming with her wand."
He gazed at Daphne. He raised her hand in his hand and kissed it. "I am very lucky, aren't I?"
"Yes, you are," she said. Daphne tipped-toed and kissed him on his cheek and then whispered into his ear, "If you leave me for her, I will do everything in my power to make you regret it." She moved away and gave him a good long look before walking away towards the castle.
He gazed at her all the way until she was no longer visible. Only after that did he turn to Ivy, who was staring at him with a complicated gaze.
"While I'm grateful," he spoke, "may I know why you agreed. . . I was expecting you to curse me for even bringing it up."
"It happened so suddenly that I didn't get the time to think that," said Ivy.
"If you need more time, you can take it. Making a decision in a hurry to regret it later will not do any of us good."
Ivy shook her head, "I have decided to give this try. . . . It's strange, you know. At first, I never thought I could ever look at you with anything other than dislike, but here we are; I'm in a relationship with you who already has a girlfriend— and it's Daphne, no less. Never thought my first relationship would be like this."
". . . I sprung this on you without warning. Are you sure—"
"Yes, I'm sure," she cut him off. "I don't know if this will be a success or if this is a good idea to start with— I don't know why I agreed; there's no reason expressible for it— it is just what is." She shrugged, "If I feel like this is not working, I will walk away as if it was any other relationship."
"I said this before; I will say it again. You're not going to regret it."
"I really hope so," Ivy said with a blooming smile.
He stepped forward. Ivy's eyes widened as her body language turned shy. She didn't move away. He drew her toward him with his eyes; she inclined her face toward his, and he laid his mouth on hers, which was like a freshly split-open fig. For a long time, he kissed Ivy and conveyed his feelings to her about how he thought of her decision to be a wise one.
"O-Ok, ay. . ." Ivy pulled back, her palm on his chest, slightly out of breath. She had her head dipped away from Quinn.
"Can we dub this our first kiss rather than the last one?" he asked, smirking, wondering if absorbing Lust had some pleasant side effects.
Ivy nodded absentmindedly before she realized what she had affirmed, and the blush turned to a burning red.
After a while, the time to part had come.
"Can I also expect Hermione to come after with some nasty surprises?" he asked. "Maybe even Harry?"
"No. . . I'm going to keep this under wrap for now," Ivy continued when she saw his expression. "I'm not hiding this because I'm not sure of this. . . it's just that I don't want to listen to Hermoine harp. . . and I don't want this to go to Harry, dad, and especially mum just yet. Probably after we have spent more time together. . . are you fine with that?"
"You're making a compromise here. I'm going to follow whatever you want."
After working out a few details, Quinn bid Ivy goodbye. She went to the castle, leaving Quinn still on the grounds. He waited a while before finally opening the block over the soulscape.
"Hey, so I have some good news," he said. "I was able to—"
He stopped when he saw the original standing with no chains on his body, staring at him with a dull expression.
"How—" He felt a tap on his shoulder and on extinct, he turned, and the sheer shock wasn't the word enough to describe his feelings as he saw Severus Snape standing behind him.
"You're in my way to attaining my needs, and I can be very greedy."
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Quinn West - MC - I have attained my greatest achievement.
Daphne Greengrass - Girlfriend-A - Is pouring her heart out to her best friend.
Ivy Potter - Girlfriend-B - Got questioned why she was so in such a joyous mood.
Severus Snape - Dead - Boo!
FictionOnlyReader - Author - LALALALALA!!! I can't hear you! I can't hear you.
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.
If you have any ideas regarding the magic you want to see in this fiction or want to offer some ideas regarding the progression. Move onto the DISCORD Server and blast those ideas.
The link is in the synopsis!
Just like always,
Review, comment, add to the library, and share this fic.
Thx
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