The Fae Prince Chapter 7

"Sevvie," Severus looked up warily at his cousin's wheedling tone.

"Chade." His cousin gave an innocent smile that put his cousin on guard – what was that boy up to now?

"Sevvie – why do I think Tom Riddle is important?" Severus started breaking his quill and spilling red ink over the parchment he was grading. He glared at his cousin.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because I saw his name, cousin dear." Chade waved his hand clearing up the mess and fixing the quill. He watched expectantly. Severus sighed.

"He is your grandfather." Chade's eyes narrowed.

"But my grandfather was-" Severus nodded curtly, his right hand curling around his left forearm.

"Where did you see his name?" Severus demanded. Chade raised his eyebrow at his cousin and was silent for a long moment.

"There is a trophy, awarded for special service to the school." Chade shrugged – one of the twins had mentioned that. "The name seemed important." Severus relaxed but still looked at Chade with slight suspicion. "But isn't the Mirror of Erised a rather dangerous thing to be in the school?" Severus rolled his eyes.

"Found that did you? The headmaster is convinced that it is harmless." His gaze narrowed at the boy. "And what were you doing in the third floor corridor?" Chade blinked at his cousin.

"It is restricted – I simply couldn't resist." Severus raised an eyebrow then shook his head ruefully.

"Begone – I have marking to finish." Chade perked up. "No – not after last time."

"But Sevvie-"

"But what?"

"It was fun." Chade pouted. "Red ink, white parchment." The young fae shrugged. "I couldn't help it."

"Diagrams of what would happen if they actually made the mistakes they had written, animated diagrams and very explicit details are not appropriate."

"But Sevvie!"

"No. Go bother someone else." Chade rolled his eyes.

"Fine."


"But Draco-" Draco pulled his arm away from Pansy with a scowl. Chade bounced into the room. "Draky, I need you to help me with potions!" Draco met Chade's eyes, begging for help. The other boy smirked.

"Dray!" He bounced over. "Come on we need to get going – tryouts are next week!" He dragged Draco away. He went willingly but was confused. Once they were in the hall he frowned.

"Tryouts?" Chade nodded beaming.

"Yep – for Quiditch!" He followed the skipping Chade and was completely disoriented when he was dragged behind a tapestry and after a moment of pitch black found himself standing beside a tapestry in an alcove just off the entrance hall.

"Um, Quiddich?" He asked as that seemed the safer of the two questions.

"Shortcut. Yep – Sevvie said no rule against it we just don't get our own brooms."

"Right so we'll never make it on the school brooms." Chade rolled his eyes.

"But Draky poo-" he glowered and Chade shook his head. "Alright Dray." Draco shrugged – Chade gave nicknames to everyone as far as he could tell.

"Brooms Chay?" He countered. The boy spun and gave him a fierce stare, but Draco held his smirk – if Chade insisted on giving Draco a nickname Draco would give him one. He valiantly resisted the urge to fidget and after a very long moment Chade beamed.

"Brooms, well Sevvie has several in storage here." He nodded to the storage shed. "No rules against using his brooms. And they've been there for years – no one can say he got them just for us!" Draco nodded, eyes gleaming. He loved flying – it was one of the few things he felt free doing.

"What position?" Chade grinned.

"We're beaters." Draco frowned, they were a little small for beaters.

"Slytherin has good beaters."

"Then what do you suggest?"

"Seeker and chaser."

"But I like hitting things."

"Fine – try for keeper." Chade opened the door – which Draco was certain was locked against students and went in.

"Why can't we be beaters?" Draco sighed.

"We're too small and Pucey would never replace his beaters for two first years." Chade pouted.

"Fine, but can we at least pretend to be beaters?" Draco sighed.

"Fine. But we'll practice the other positions as well." Chade bounced up to a locker – it has 'Snape' written on it. He opened it and Draco rolled his eyes and peaked into the locker. There were four brooms, why Draco didn't know but he grabbed on of the newest, a Silver Arrow and went out to the pitch. Chade joined him carrying one of the brooms he hadn't recognized. "We do have permission to be out here, right?" Chade shrugged.

"Well, we'll say we do and when we go to Sevvie and he'll agree. He told me to go away." Draco rolled his eyes. "Catch Dray!" He leapt onto his broom and out of the way as Chade tossed a bludger at him. He swooped down and grabbed the other bat and sent the bludger hurling back at Chade.

"Take that Chay!" they added the second bludger – well Chade did and he somehow enchanted the quaffle to pretend to be carried by invisible 'chasers' and it was green for their team and red if not. They'd been at it for a long time when 'Crack!' Another beater joined the fray – the Weasley twins. They'd been watching and decided to join the fun.

"Having fun?" Draco sent the bludger flying at the red 'chaser' and one of the twins blocked it.

"What is going on here?" Professor Sprout's shrill voice startled Draco and when he heard a shout of 'Dray!' he immediately dropped and rolled and pulled up to hit the incoming bludger. Chade grabbed it with its strap and one of the twins grabbed the other. He glowered at the small professor from his broom. Chade landed beside her.

"Well, Dray and I want to try out to Quiditch so we borrowed some brooms and were practicing. Gred and Forge came to play."

"First years-"

"Ah, ah – first years cannot own brooms. Nothing said about borrowing." He grinned. "Ask Sevvie." With that he relaunched the bludger and Draco sent it at the unsuspecting twins. The professor glared up at the sight before spinning and heading for the dungeons to confront the potions master.

"How did you convince me to do this?" Draco asked as they stood waiting to try out as Beaters.

"I got you addicted to hitting things." Chade replied. Draco shook his head ruefully, Chade was right – he did enjoy hitting things. Pucey had agreed to let them try out – if they could find reliable brooms. Slytherin house used the best – regardless of status. He smirked when he recalled the herbology teacher's rant for allowing them to use the bludgers, and Severus's rebuke for not letting him know what he was going to do. Finally the signal was given and they launched into the air performing the drills then actually going against the current beaters – they knocked them both out. Pucey glowered but Chade and Draco were announced as the Slytherin Beaters.