A shadow passed over the window, for a second it blocked the pale moon from seeing into the wide, cold room of the Fifth Year Slytherin boys. Four beds were full of sleeping forms, so late at night the drinking, gambling and riotous behavior had calmed quite a bit.

The fifth bed was empty but for a sleeping wolf pup, adopted just that month by the bed's owner. The boy was standing by the lake, under the moon. He looked down at his reflection. He was so like his father. He had the family features, something his father took pride in. But he had been weak in his youth, frail and silent. He had watched from the stands, from the back of the room, the end of the table. His life was changing now.

His new pet: the wolf pup, was a rescued from a river flooded by glacier run-off near his home at the base of a mountain. He was allowed to stay there, in his ancestral home, while his parents and brother spent their time elsewhere. His father was spending the year in Romania, investing or some such nonsense. His mother was working all the time and so had little extra in which to degrade and punish her second son. His elder brother, a Seventh Year, was involved with a Ravenclaw girl and focusing for the N.E.W.T.s and he too had little time to spend hurting his younger brother.

Severus Octavian Snape was finally adjusting to life, and it had only taken fifteen years.

…………………

Something stirred in one of the six large, magically warmed beds. The smoke stained air was permeated only by snores, grunts and the other predictable noises that would come from the late night beds of seventeen-year-old males. The fire was dying behind the steel grate and no one was alive enough to rekindle it. The Seventh Year boys had settled down only a pair of hours ago but they were fast to sleep. Classes started up again the following day (or technically later that morning), a highly dreaded event.

These boys would be hung-over and grouchy if not for the potions provided earlier that day by their resident Potion Master, Severus. The sixth bed stirred again and the occupant sat up. His mouth felt dry and tasted horrible, smoke and Goblin Rum. He got up from the bed, paused to check the time (4.15 AM) and then to scratch his knee. It took him another moment to reach the private bathroom where he apprehensively flicked on the lights.

His eyes stung but only for a moment before they adjusted. He checked the mirror and ran a hand through his tangled white hair. He found his toothbrush and toothpaste behind the mirror of his sink; he brushed out the taste and then looked at himself again.

Six years ago he was a scrawny, mindless arse with nothing more than a superiority complex and a bad attitude. Admittedly he still had a bad attitude and thought of himself far better than anyone else. Otherwise he had changed. He was Head Boy, top of his class, Keeper and Captain for the Slytherin team and he had the led them to four Quidditch cups in as many years.

His father and mother were spending their lives in Italy now, leaving him to rule the Wiltshire manor and conduct himself as he saw fit. He loved England, he loved that manor, he was born there, raised there and now it was his. His two younger brothers, one a Fifth Year, the other a Second Year, were shaping up to be fine addition to the Slytherin House.

Lucius Julian Malfoy was perfectly happy and content with his life and nothing could change that.

………………………..

"Wake up," Icarus Snape picked up his boot and hurled it across the room at Henry Goyle. Goyle woke up immediately as the boot landed on his chest. He grabbed it and hurled it back. Icarus jumped from its path just in time.

"Go shag your girlfriend," Goyle said and rolled over in his bed. Norman Crabbe woke up and started to dress, rolling his eyes at his friend.

"Sod off," Icarus grumbled and finished dressing.

Rodolphus Lestrange or Roddy, reentered the room after showering the smoke and grime from his skin.

"What's happening?" he asked.

"Goyle's being an arse," Icarus answered, "Where's Luc?"

"Preening," Roddy said as the blonde entered.

"What did you say about me?"

"Nothing," he insisted before being forced into a wrestling match.

It took them another twenty minutes before they were awake, dressed and ready for the day. The five left their sixth friend to sleep as he was nasty in the morning. They had taken their potions as prescribed and felt fine. They knew Gryffindor was not so lucky. Their post-summer party had happened the night prior, same as Slytherin. They did not have a student willing to supply a hangover potion though. Lily Evans, a red haired Fifth Year, was talented enough to do it but was quite the stick-in-the-mud about the parties and refused.

In the Great Hall it was obvious which students were hung over. Lucius took his seat at the head of the table, back to the professors, and looked around at his fellow snakes.

Lucius looked to the far end of the table, behind a plate piled with toast he could barely see Severus Snape, reading a heavy book and sipping a cup of carrot juice. He cocked his head to the side, observing the younger boy. Something intrigued him. Lucius knew of Snape's father, Roshe, a vicious man with the angriest demeanor Lucius had ever seen on a man. Snape's mother was, as far as Lucius knew, a cold and distant woman who worked as an Assistant Head of Healing at St. Mungo's. Lucius knew his brother, Icarus, very well. They and their year mates were the future of the Wizarding World.

Icarus, Crabbe, Goyle, Roddy, Lucius and Pyrus Zabini where the six most promising young wizards in all of Britain.

………………….

Midway down the table a huge group of girls descended on the coffee tankards and began filling mugs and chattering loudly. Among them were Seventh Year Andromeda Black, Sixth Year Bellatrix Black and Fifth Year Narcissa Black. The three Black sisters were not similar in the least.

Andromeda had dark blonde hair and a cute face, she was not exactly gorgeous, but she was cute. She was mostly leg and she knew it. She was smiley and funny, a wonderful dancer and light-hearted. She was engaged to marry Icarus, the thought of which made him grin mischievously.

Bellatrix had dark brown, almost black hair, like her mother. She was more modest that her elder sister and not spectacular to look at. She was very smart, sharp witted and could hold her Goblin Rum as well as many of the men. Bellatrix liked to make fun of her cousin Sirius and did so often. She was engaged to Rodolphus, he did not seem to mind much, though he did not think of it much either.

Narcissa was white blonde and stunning. She had filled out her form very well, perfect figure and was by far the most beautiful of the three. She was smart enough, and witty, she flirted all the time and was a manipulative girl. Narcissa knew she could get anything with a pout or a wink and was perfectly willing to do so. Lucius was engaged to her and this made the other Slytherin boys rather upset.

Andromeda drank half her cup in one gulp and refilled it. "I cannot believe how tired I am."

"I cannot believe how badly you smell," Bellatrix answered and spooned some eggs onto her plate.

"Do I?" Andromeda asked Narcissa. She shrugged but nodded. Andromeda sniffed her hair and sighed. "Perfamus," she pointed her wand at her self and the scent disappeared, replacing by the subtle scent of soap and lavender.

"Better," Bellatrix nodded.

"Thank-you, wouldn't want Iccy to smell me," she laughed.

Bellatrix forced down a smirk, Andromeda had little to no intention of marrying the Snape heir. She had her sights set on someone else, the name she refused to divulge.

"Eat something," Andromeda commanded Narcissa suddenly. The young blonde was sipping her coffee with only mild interest.

She turned her light blue eyes at her sister, "do not tell me what to do, Andromeda."

"Cissa, you must eat. After drinking that much last night you must be starved," Bellatrix said.

"I'm perfectly fine, Kassandra and I went to the kitchens last night after the party and ate, I'm fine."

The two elder sisters exchanged worried glances but did not say anything further.

Pyrus, a startlingly attractive young man, sauntered in ten minutes late and pristine. His ebony hair was tied back with a silver ribbon and his almond shaped eyes were lined by long, curled lashes. Girls around the hall let out a sigh of longing as he walked across the hall and took his seat across from Roddy.

"Feeling all right?" Roddy asked him.

"I feel like an Ironbelly sat on me and had a nice long rest," he answered, he looked as though he were perfectly fine and cheerful.

"Didn't you drink your potion?"

He raised his black brows, "My vial was full of water; it did me no good." The six looked around at each other, suspicious of the event.

"Talk to Severus," Roddy said to Icarus.

Icarus glowered down the table at his brother, "He did not do it."

The younger Snape looked up and his eyes met his brother's. They exchanged glares and looked away at the same moment. Lucius knew just how much they hated each other.

Icarus was the elder, similar to his mother in features but his father's identical in personality. He had his mother's medium blue-grey eyes and her pointed nose and wide, full lips. He was cunning and money smart like his father. He could predict market values and invested in the perfect moments. He had thick, blunt ended fingers like his mother and a passion for pursuing knowledge, like his father.

Severus was the younger and identical to his father, physically a perfect copy. He had everything, the blackened hair and sharp black eyes. He bore the hawk like nose and thin but dark lips set against near white skin. He had the long, fine fingers of his father and similarly long, fine legs. He was some sort of hybrid of horrible qualities between his parents. As his mother was, he was cold, distant and uncaring. He had her emotionless, scrutinizing glare and her similar dedication for work, no matter how painstaking or laborious. He had his fathers sharp mind and thirst for power, intelligence and greatness. He carried; also, an aptitude for Potions which Icarus believed came from their Grandmother.

They differed in their general appreciation and opinion of life. They were always competing for favoritism, for the spotlight, for everything. Icarus won, always. Severus had stopped trying in his Third Year and this had, predictably, fed Icarus' ego.

Lucius kept his eyes on the younger boy though. He turned to his book, sipped his juice and began to read again.

Pyrus was watching Lucius watch Severus. Pyrus, though often thought of as nothing but a devastatingly good looking Italian, was rather intuitive and could read a person's features from thirty meters away. He kept what he saw to himself but managed to kick the blonde's shin under the table.

Lucius broke his gaze and shot the Italian a look.

He just raised his brows and returned to his breakfast.

………………………

Hey dudes

I know this isn't my usual pairing but I've been working on this story and it won't be too long (promise) but I wanted to post it to see what happened.

::love::

I hope you kids like it.

LOVE
FireStorm