"Him there, who is that?" Snape pointed to the supernatural-looking wizard that had just exited the back room of the library. The spy was searching for any information on Horcruxes in the London Wizarding Library and had called over the librarian when he had seen the green eyed youth that practically screamed power, that it was enticing.
"Harold Emyrs."
…"Do you know anything about him?"
"Lord Emyrs has been frequenting our library for years, he is an avid researcher and the dictionary description of a scholar."
"Oh?" he encouraged sensing he could push the witch into an excited torrent of information. One who spent all their time near books had abundances of knowledge after all.
"As far as I can tell he has neither family or friends, he comes almost every day, sometimes with injuries though." She was a gossip if the Potions Master had ever seen one.
"He's a bright young man but very hard to engage into a conversation. Harold was in the back room looking at some advanced Potion Tome or another, he needed to put some protection spells on."
"Perhaps I shall see if he will let me take a look." This man was becoming more and more intriguing.
"And for heaven sakes Professor, DO NOT try to sneak up on the lad. Last person who tried had been flipped over the table before he could tap the Lord on his shoulder." She only received a non-committal grunt for her troubles, so she went back to her desk to catalogue books. Muttering a disallusiment Charm and walking silently to where the raven-haired scholar was, he was startled out of his wits when, passing a book case a flash of silver, which he moments after identified as a dagger buried itself in his cloak, pinning him in place with a solid thud to the wooden shelf. He looked up bewildered to another knife between his eyes, Lord Emyrs, who he now recognized as very dangerous, at the other end of it/ He swallowed dryly, onyx eyes meeting emerald.
"Lord Emyrs, forgive me- I."
"Severus Snape." he cut in, softly, re-sheathing both knives and stepping back smoothly. "I must tell you, it is disconcerting to speak to an invisible wizard." He had forgotten.
"Finite Incantatum."
"There you are." and a brilliant white, perfect smile was flashed at him. Then, as suddenly as it had appeared it was wiped off. "Now, why did you sneak up on me, spy?" Snape was frightened this was an immensely skilled adversary he could tell, but he betrayed no emotion.
"The librarian informed me of what happened last time and I found myself curious."
"You wanted to be thrown over a table." He said looking dubiously at the older wizard.
"Ah. No, I did want to see what would occur however." Emyrs looked amused now.
"You received a hole in a very fine potions cloak."
"Easily fixed." he waved it off eyeing the black materials which indeed was punctured. "But now that I've engaged you in conversation I wonder if you would allow me to take a look at your tome?"
"You won't be able to read it Mr. Snape."
"I am a wizard Lord Emyrs. I can use a translation spell." he said snidely.
"If you'd like then, wizard."
Leading the way back to 'his' table covered with multitudes of books his lips curved in to a smirk. Snape caught sight o fit when the old book was carefully handed over, looking hand written, and that devious smile in mind, he opened the cover cautiously to stare dumbfounded at squiggles and dots and lines. "Parseltongue." he was informed and now the stare was flabbergasted.
"You're a Parselmouth."Expression now controlled and mind whirring he received a nod in reply and the scholar easily returned to his reading ignoring his new guest. "I understand if you are busy, but would you mind a discussion on potions? I must admit I have not had a stimulating scholarly debate in my current job in ages." At this admittance the green eyes looked up from its rapid side to side motion and a charms manuscript closed with a pronounced thump.
"Your work in bettering sleeping potions with belladonna is well done though with some experimentation with sodium and the blood variation of fangfyre it could be improved."
"The blood variation of fangfyre has to be grown and harvested by vampires, most of its population is on an island further south under Fidelus, do you know anywhere else it can be-"
Abruptly the other man stood. "Here" he pulled out a parchment and hastily scribbled down directions and the word Incinereo. "Go to here and tell whoever you see this word here and that I sent you for the blood variation of fangfyre, I must leave, now. I will be here tomorrow should you not attain suitable ingredients, or- a stimulating scholarly discussion." and with that parting statement the wizard hurried off.
Well, that's not exactly what I would call a scholarly debate, but nevertheless he did say he would be returning the bewildered wizard thought. "Til to-morrow then." was murmured aloud after the faint click of the door closing somewhere in the front of the library.