Dahlia shrugged. "I know you were just denying your passion for me. It was a perfectly natural reaction. Although," she continued, shoving a boy with long white-blond hair off of the bench and sitting next to Severus. "I expect you to treat me much nicer from now on, mister."
Severus nodded frantically, his dark and greasy hair flinging into his eyes. He jumped up and stiffly held out his arm. His dark eyes looked wild and afraid.
"May I escort you to your table?!" Severus asked in a slightly hysterical tone.
Dahlia gracefully stood and accepted his arm. "Of course you may. Shall we?"
Looking like he was going to his own execution, Severus walked with Dahlia over to the avenue between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor tables as she chattered away. He breathed a sigh of relief when she released him.
"Now, Severus, I expect you to meet me in the entrance hall fifteen minutes before breakfast tomorrow morning. You will be allowed to carry my bag," Dahlia informed him, then sat down next to a silent Howle and began to eat the slice of cheesecake that appeared before her.
Severus whimpered, nodded, and scampered out of the Great Hall.
He wasn't hungry anymore.
"That went well," Dahlia remarked in a satisfied tone as she stole a peanut butter and chocolate ball from the plate in front of her. Well, technically, it wasn't stealing because it was for everyone, but Dahlia was practicing her technique.
Howle snorted. "I'm not quite sure why you want Grease-Ball to be your minion. He's not very…clean. No, not clean at all."
Dahlia nodded. "I know. But I think it's fun to scare him. He doesn't seem to be the type to scare easily." Dahlia mused.
"True," Howle agreed. "So…Peter?"
"Peter," Dahlia replied. "What first?"
Howle thought for a moment. "Doesn't Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled peppers?"
Dahlia nodded. "Uh-huh. Do you think he'll do it tomorrow?"
"Yes," said Howle. "Definitely."
"One way or another."
Their first night in the castle was spent uneventfully. As the other children slept, the two cousins and their familiars skipped openly through the halls and found all manners of interesting things. They found a kite the size of the giant squid (they agreed that it had possibilities), met the poltergeist, Peeves (with whom they made friends), and discovered seventeen passageways that hadn't been used for at least a century, if they could go by the dust on the floor.
They also met the ghost in one of the girls' bathrooms. Her name was Myrtle, and while they were chatting with her, Kiwi and Queso found a funny little snake carved into a sink handle.
The two familiars showed the handle to Howle and Dahlia.
"Hmm," said Howle. "Why do you think this would be here?"
Dahlia shrugged. "I don't know. I think we should definitely come back and figure it out, but it's almost four. We should sleep."
Howle nodded. "Affirmative. Kiwi, Queso, onward cows!"
Severus was waiting, trembling, in the entrance hall for Dahlia the next morning. Unfortunately for him, Howle was with her, as it was quite rare that the two were separated. He squeaked quietly.
"Severus, dear, there you are!" Dahlia called brightly. "I believe you've met my cousin?" He nodded nervously, offering a shaky bow toward Howle. She raised an eyebrow and snorted.
"Men," she sniffed. "Think they can make everything better with a little flattery. Well, let me tell you, it will take more than one face-flat-on-the-ground grovel session for you to get in my graces, let alone my good ones!"
Dahlia shook her head sadly as she patted Severus on the arm. "You shouldn't have brought the hair into this, Severus."
The boy tried to argue that he hadn't, in fact, brought the hair directly into it, but was silenced when Dahlia handed him her bag.
Her extremely heavy bag, he realized, as that shoulder drooped disproportionately lower than the other with the wait. "Ow," he peeped.
"There, there, you need to build up some muscle. You're much too scrawny," Dahlia told him. "Here, take Howle's too."
Now both of his shoulders were proportionately low! Yay!
Howle grinned evilly at him, but said nothing.
They wandered into the Great Hall, Severus trailing sadly behind them.
Suddenly, screaming filled the air and the two girls only just managed to keep their balanced as someone ran full tilt past them towards the table. Severus had no such luck and tipped over.
It was Peter Pettigrew who vaulted over the table bench and grabbed a whole pitcher of pumpkin juice. He gulped the whole thing down noisily, and when he finished, he dumped the pitcher of ice water over his head. Then he rinsed and repeated.
Dahlia looked at Howle admiringly. "Oh, that was lovely," she remarked.
Howle smoothed her long black hair. "What can I say?" she bragged. "I'm the master."
"Of course, dear."
Severus was looking between the two girls and Pettigrew with a strange expression. For once in the presence of the two teenage girls, it wasn't fright or anger- it was wonder and respect.
Despite any lingering vestiges of fear, Severus tugged on each girl's robe from his position at their feet. They looked down, Dahlia curiously while Howle had a sardonic expression.
"That," Severus gulped. "That was beautiful. May I offer my sincere compliments?"
Howle sniffed. "You may," she said haughtily, and took a seat next to Dahlia at the Ravenclaw table.
Severus stood warily and bowed to Howle and Dahlia before he walked toward the Slytherin table.
"Severus, dear, don't forget to come back after you eat to escort us to our first classes!" Dahlia called after him.
Severus sighed, but it wasn't as painful an expression as earlier.
Someone who pranked one of the Marauders, even the least of them, was worth note.
Ah the comedic renderings of MarsOutcast. She rocks, people. Leave her reviews and tell her so.
Until whenever,
-S
