Chapter 2: Introducing Sophie

Once they had stopped spinning Severus stepped out of the fireplace and the fox jumped down onto the floor, looking around. Despite the cold disposition of Severus, his house was quite the opposite.

They appeared to be standing in a living room. Off to the right was a medium sized kitchen and dining room, visible through an open archway. The kitchen and living room had a lot of large windows looking out towards an enormous garden. In the distance there was a vegetable-cross-potions ingredient patch and a few fruit trees dotting the landscape. Just beyond the eastern fence line, a small woodland area was threatening to creep into the boundary of Severus' property.

The warm, mid-afternoon sun illuminated the living room. A large bookshelf overflowing with books dominated one wall, and two sofas arranged in an 'L' shape faced the fireplace, a book-laden coffee table filled the gap between. A very soft and squishy rug covered the wooden floor in the space between the two sofas and a wireless radio sat on a nearby cupboard. Overall it was a very comfortable and inviting room.

"Not what you thought it would be, I take it?"

The fox shook her head, and gave Severus a calculating look. After a moment she apparently reached a decision. The outline of the fox began to blur slightly in a way Severus was beginning to recognise.

Green eyes blinked, and then there was a teenage girl standing before him. Her head was about equal with Severus's chest.

"It's actually quite cosy." she replied, surprised.

Severus smirked and was a little shocked that she had transformed into her human form so soon. Of what little he knew of 'Lunio' habits, he would have thought she would have waited a few days at least before revealing her human appearance.

The girl had short, shaggy brown hair, which shared a resemblance with a bird's nest. Her eyes were large, lined with thick eyelashes and were the same green as before. She stood in a slouch, (in the usual tendency of teenagers) with one leg bent, whilst taking all the weight on the other. The green collar from Mr Troika rested just above the nape of a white t-shirt that had a picture of an inaccurate muggle dragon printed on it – and the word 'Smaug' in large letters beneath the image.

"Hi." she said holding out her hand, although there was a hint of wariness in her eyes. "I'm Sophie."

Severus reached forward and shook her hand.

"Severus Snape."

Sophie smiled, "Is it alright for me to call you Severus?"

"If it wasn't, I would have introduced myself by a different name."

"You may have been expecting to be called 'Master' or 'Sir'."

"That is true. You may call me 'Sir' if it makes you more comfortable. I have no desire to be called anyone's 'Master'." Severus paused.

"I feel it prudent to say now that I shall understand if you don't wish to become my familiar. In which case, I offer you the chance to leave. I urgently require some pygmy dragon scales, so I ask that you allow me the liberty of colleting some before you go."

Sophie's eyes widened at this last sentence and she gave a small smile before saying, "You have no idea how much it means to me to be given this choice. You are the first wizard I have met to treat me with some respect." She paused, "I-I don't really have anywhere to go…now…so I wouldn't object to becoming your familiar."

Severus awkwardly cleared his throat. "Would you like a tour of the cottage?"

Sophie smiled and nodded. Severus seemed a bit uncomfortable for a moment before seeming to get control of himself.

"This is the living room and kitchen," Severus gestured to the left, "and through here is the library."

He moved towards the hallway on the right. "Along here is the door to my Potion's Laboratory, do not go inside without my permission. I have no wish to treat anyone for foolish fiddling."

"Noted." Replied Sophie, amused. Severus reached the end of the hall and a small winding, wooden staircase led to the upper level.

"Here we have the downstairs bathroom. Upstairs is my bedroom, another bathroom, and the two guest rooms." They had now reached the top of the stairs, "This one is often occupied in the summer by my godson. You may have the other one as your own." Said Severus, as he indicated to the oak door on the left, "Make sure it remains tidy."

"Of course, Sir." Severus nodded in approval, and there was an awkward moment where neither knew what to continue with.

"Do you prefer spending time as a human or..?" Severus asked curiously, voicing a question that had been on his mind. Sophie shrugged,

"I don't really mind. Depends on what I want to do at the time."

"Hm. Speaking of which, you can explore the garden as you wish, it is a fair size. However I have set the distance limiter so that you can't exit the grounds. I have muggle neighbours, and they wouldn't take kindly to seeing a dragon or even an artic fox for that matter."

"So I'm free to go wherever as long as it is within the gardens boundaries?"

"Except my potions laboratory, that is correct." Sophie nodded.

"I do have experience with non-magical people you know, we may have hidden from witches and wizards but we do interact with other races, including 'muggles' as you call them." She explained, as they returned to the living room, "So I do know how to act around them, without drawing suspicion."

"That is good, but I must insist on the boundaries I have placed." Sophie sighed but sat down on the sofa with no further complaint. Severus followed suit, on the opposite sofa.

"I do have something of importance to discuss with you, before acquiring some pygmy dragon scales, which I do need rather urgently. As you are probably aware, there is a war going on between wizards at this time. Between the 'Light' and the 'Dark."

"Yes, I did hear something about that at the Menagerie…?"

"They are fighting over a number of differences in opinion. The main one being however is what Wizards should do concerning muggles and muggleborns. Dark wizards wish to rule over muggles and have no respect for magical children born from them. The light side disagrees."

"Wizards are quite arrogant people." Sophie muttered to herself.

"Wizards are human and all humans can be cruel and naive, whether they think they are or not, to each other and to other species." A dark look had entered Severus eye as he said this and Sophie was given the impression that she was not alone at finding out how cruel wizards can be to others they deemed as beneath themselves.

"Why do they call themselves the 'dark' side and the 'light' side?"

"It depends on the sort of magic they use." Replied Severus, grateful for the change of subject. "The light side will not use 'dark magic' for any reason."

"I would have thought magic is magic," Disagreed Sophie, "Your intent determines the nature of the spell. The magic itself is not inherently one or the other…"

Severus was looking at her intently, so Sophie took this as permission to expand her point.

"I know about some spells from watching or listening to wizards at the menagerie. The 'levitation charm' for example, is considered simple and 'light'. But what if you levitated a person off a cliff? Or the Avada Kedavra, the killing curse? It is considered a 'dark' spell but what if it is used on livestock for meat. It is a painless, quick death – with no stress involved for the animal. Or even if it is used on a sick and dying person, it is a quick end to an otherwise slow and painful death. Is that wrong?"

Severus frowned. The conversation had veered off course to deeper waters that they didn't have time to navigate.

"You raise a good point; however most wizards and witches are too entrenched in their beliefs to change their view. But, I agree with you." He paused before continuing. "I play a large role in this upcoming war and I have to know about the capabilities of your mental defences."

Sophie's face blanked. "My what?"

"Can your mind be penetrated and your thoughts examined? If you are to remain with me, it is important that this not happen."

"I don't know. No one has ever tried to read my mind before."

"It's not mind reading," Severus' lips curled, "It is Legilimency."

"Have you only ever used 'Legilimency' on other wizards?"

"I have also used it on muggles in the past." Severus dismissed.

"Well, I'm not human. Even though I look like one now, that fact doesn't change. You might not be able to enter my mind, as it is so different to your own. In fact, I'm pretty sure it won't work."

"Will trust me?" asked Severus seriously. Sophie was quiet for a moment before meeting Severus's dark eyes.

"Yes."

"Very well." Severus braced himself and readied his wand, "Legilimens!" Nothing happened.

"That's convenient." Said Sophie, coolly.

"Indeed. This brings me to another matter. In this war, I am in a crucial, dangerous and difficult-to-attain position. I put myself at this risk to aid the light."

Sophie grinned, "Are you a spy?"

Severus grimaced, resisting the urge to look around for listeners. "Yes, but I am not quite so obvious about it." He hissed, "With that in mind, as my familiar, there may be situations that arise where your ignorance could expose me." Severus was deadly serious now, his eyes focused on Sophie, intent in catching any hint of disloyalty. "I trust that this information will be held with the utmost discretion." There was a moment of hesitation before Sophie replied with a determined expression.

"Of course, sir. No one shall ever learn of it from me."

"I will understand if you don't wish to have anything to do with me. It is, after all, very dangerous to be living with a spy. If you want to go, I won't stop you. After I have the pygmy scales of course." Severus braced himself for her asking to leave. 'Who would want to stay with me?' He thought glumly. Sophie looked confident as she answered.

"It looks like you need someone on your side. I'd be honoured to fill that occupation." At this Severus was both surprised and touched by her honesty, and it was refreshing. Not that he would ever admit it to anyone. Although, he now realised that his new familiar was a complete and utter Hufflepuff- but strangely enough, he didn't mind the fact at all. Trusting his gut instinct that he could trust her completely, Severus went on to explain his role as spy for the Order of the Phoenix, what the Order was and what his position as a Death Eater meant. Sophie listened with rapt attention and did not interrupt until he was finished. At the end of his tale, Sophie glanced at the clock on the wall and noted that it was now almost 5.

"You needed some scales urgently I believe?" Severus almost smiled and gave a quick nod in reply. Together, they rose and walked towards his Potions Lab. It was the beginning of a close friendship.

A/N: I would just like to thank my friend, Reo9, who is not only is my beta reader, but has designed my cover art. I would also like thank everyone who has reviewed, favourited and followed thus far!