Just three months into the year Severus had been going as often as he could to the Chamber of Secrets. He had amassed a large collection of cloth and bales of straw for a new bed for the Basilisk. He hummed to himself as he thought of her reaction when he first started that project.
___MEMORY___
"What are you doing, hatchling?" she had asked him
He was currently using some new spells that he had researched to clean her nest and the surrounding area of the old bedding, bones, webs etc.
"You need a better place to sleep. It's high time you've had a changed bed." Severus replied happily banishing some more dirt
The Basilisk huffed a laugh and said, "I thank you for your kindness but it is not necessary."
"You deserve a better place to sleep." was his reply as he frowned
She noticed the mood change.
"Let me help you clean this place." The basilisk said and used her body to start shoving the bedding out of the cave and into the main chamber
____MEMORY END___
Severus sighed and only a month ago had he and She finished the new nest.
A massive pile of straw piled high and deep in the corner of the room, large quilts and odd pieces of cloth were placed strategically in the nest. Severus did hang a large Slytherin banner on the other side of the room. There was also a good-sized tank of clean water for Her to drink from. The tank was set just inside the walls of the room away from the nest and door but still easy to get to.
Now here he sat, in the Chamber of Secrets own library reading a very amusing journal entry of Salazar Slytherin himself.
"What are you reading, hatchling?" She asked
"Oh something about a goat and Godric." Severus replied
She gave a hiss of amusement. "I remember that day quite vividly." Severus looked up towards the door as her eye was looking at him. He stood up and brought the journal with him, walking towards the nest as he closed the door behind him.
She slithered inside and made herself comfortable, Severus climbing in but being lifted by the tuft of his cloths (he's gotten used to it by now).
"Are you comfortable? Good. Now, let me ssee, back then Godric and Ssalazar were thick as theievessss. Not unlike thossse Marauder pessstss, but thosse two never took thingsss to far. It was spring and I was sunning myself when I heard a bleeting of a goat. I let the ssstupid thing leave asss I wass full of my meal but then I heard Godric running right after the dumb thing. I let him be sstupid as he has moments but I opened an eye but looked with ssshock as that goat was wearing one of Godric'ss best trousserss!" She stated
Severus laughed asking, "Ho-how did that happen?"
She hissed, "Well, it was maybe a few days prior that Godric turned Ssalazar'ss hair Gryffindor red and gold not only that but his best clothes to. Ssso, in revenge Ssalazar got one of the sschool goatss and put the trousssers on it and sset it on itsss way. That pair of trousersss were Godric'ss favorite pair. Godric chassed that goat for nearly 3 hourss until Rowena and Helga sstepped in, ussing grain to catch it. Ssalazar was no help laughing as he was."
Severus laughed and looked at the journal entry again and sure enough the entry did conclude that same feature of Rowena and Helga finishing the prank war. For that time anyway.
"Now adays no one thinks of them getting along you know." said Severus as he thumbed the pages
She sighed and nuzzled his head, "I know hatchling. I remember going above but there was one girl I remember. For she died from my gaze."
"Wait..you killed a student?" asked Severus stunned
"Yesss, it was not my proudesst moment but I was told that there was danger to the sstudentss and it needed to be ended quickly. That iss my job you know; to guard the groundss of this sschool." she stated as a fact
"But, you are so nice." muttered Severus
"Only to you my hatchling. But I do not ssuffer fools, traitorss, or attackss upon this place. My Ssalazar didn't nor did the otherss. So, I sshan't either." The Basilisk stated sharply nodding her head
"Do you regret killing the girl?" the young student asked looking in her eyes.
"hmm, it hasss been sso long ago, but I believe I do. For I am not meant to harm the studentssss nor anyone who seeks refuge here...callss this place home." She said looking gently at him
Severus hesitated, "Assk child, for there are no wrong questionss." She said
"Could it happen again?" he said with a straight face.
She curled tighter around him, enveloping him in warm scales, her version of a hug and sighed, "I do not know. I was not very sssane then for lonelinesss is an entity difficult to overcome. You are helping with that hatchling. But, if it ever did happen, I think you could help me."
She shook her head, "No more maudlin thoughts, tell me of your sstudiess and of the fire headed female you are friendss with."
Severus smiled.