Chapter 7: Help From A Friend
Disclaimer: I do not claim any rights to Harry Potter or any of the characters from it. They belong to J.K. Rowling. The only character that belongs to me, is my OC, Tabitha Tate.
AN: I hope you all enjoy this chapter. :P
"Merlin's beard, Tabby Cat! We win our first game of the year and you skulk off with Snivellus instead of celebrating with us?" Sirius snarled, obviously very displeased with her.
"Yes! That is exactly what I did, Sirius! I've been to so many of the Gryffindor house parties over the years that I knew exactly what it would be like and I really wasn't in the mood for it! Sometimes I just want to hang out with someone without getting into trouble and have peace and quiet!" Tabitha yelled, scowling at her angry friend.
"Oh really? We get on your nerves so much that you prefer to be in the company of that git than be around us?" He asked, his voice escalating in volume.
"Come off it! You know it isn't like that! As much as I love you guys, you and James can be a bit much at times!" She answered, clenching her fists.
"Stop making such a big deal, Sirius. Tabitha can skip a party if she wants. There will be many more this year." Remus said, trying to make his friends stop fighting. Sirius merely set his jaw and glared at their short, female friend. She rolled her eyes, refusing to fight with him anymore.
"Let's just go to the Great Hall, you guys. I'm starving and we'll completely miss dinner if you keep this up." James saidm not liking the fighting either and wanting to see Lily during dinner. Peter was nodding anxiously in agreement not wanting to miss dinner either and quite uncomfortable from the arguing. Tabitha and Sirius looked away from each other and nodded. The group walked down to the Great Hall together in an uncomfortable silence. Tabitha hated not getting along with Sirius, but wasn't about to allow him to think that it was all right for him to boss her around. As they walked into the Great Hall, she noticed the Severus was missing from the Slytherin table. She frowned, wondering where he was at. She sat down between Remus and James, not wanting to deal with Sirius.
All throughout dinner, Tabitha glanced at the green and silver decorated table, hoping that Snape would show up eventually, She had become quite worried by the end of the meal. She was afraid that Sirius may have set up some sort of prank for Severus before they returned from Hogsmeade. She didn't ask him about it though, not wanting to fight more or give him the idea to torment Severus more.
Snaped stayed in the common room during dinner having joined the others in their meeting about finding ways to gain the attention of the Dark Lord in order to easily join his following as soon as they came of age. He really didn't like being around any of the boys at the meeting, but put up with it. He felt that becoming a Death Eater would enable him to gain power of his own and the affection of Lily so he would put up with anything in order to become one. By the time the meeting ended, he was quite hungry and wished that he had been able to go to dinner. He also knew that Tabitha had more than likely noticed his absence. He went straight to bed and took a sleeping draught, not wanting to deal with the hunger pains that he would ievitably feel all evening.
Tabitha was in a fowl mood when she and the Marauders walked into the Great Hall the next morning. She had had a hard time sleeping the night before, since she was concerned for Severus and was upset about Sirius being mad at her. He was still treating her coldly. She yawned softly, scanning the Great Hall with her forest green eyes for her Slytherin friend. She smiled lightly upon seeing him there unscathed. Her eyes caught his black meeting green for only a few seconds. Their gaze had ended when Severus looked down at his food and started to eat. Tabitha already felt a little bit better, since she now knew that Snape was all right. Still was curious about why he hadn't shown up for dinner though.
Tabitha waited in the Entrance Hall after breakfast, wanting to ask Severus about his absence at last night's meal. She hurreied over to him once she saw him leave the Great Hall.
"Good morning, Sev." She greeted, smiling up at him lightly. He looked her over for a moment before answering.
"Good morning, Tabitha. You look like you should get some more sleep." He replied, converned about how tired she looked.
"Eh. I couldn't sleep. I was worried that something had happened, since you weren't there for dinner last night." The small witch told him, looking at him inquisitvely.
"Nothing happened. I just had some important matters to discuss with a few of my housemates." He explained. The blonde nodded, furrowing her brows at him not saying what was so important that he had to miss dinner to talk about it. She knew better than to press him for information, but was worried. She knew the sorts of things his housemates were mixed up in and the idea of him getting into as well made her worry about him.
"They're all sort of boring, and as much as I like Lily, she's really bossy sometimes." She explained, shrugging. Severus nodded, but didn't say anything against Lily, not matter how minor.
"I have to go. If Sirius thinks I've been gone for too long, he'll flip his lid. See you later, Sev." Tabitha said, having noticed his irritation. She walked away from him quickly, frustrated by the way Snape had gotten annoyed with her for calling Lily bossy. She wondered if the day could possibly get worse. Tabitha was relieved to find Lupin and Peter in the common room, deciding that she would hang out with them today and avoid Sirius. She walked over to where they were sitting, playing exploding snap. Peter looked up at her curiously. Remus simply smiled lightly at her and scooted over a little so that she could sit next to him and play the next round with them.
"Hi, Tabby. Have you and Sirius made up yet?" Peter asked, looking at her with his watery blue eyes in sincere hope.
"Hi there, Wormtail. No, he's still angry." Tabitha told him.
"Don't let it bother you too much, Tabby. We have classes tomorrow, so you're going to need to get some sleep tonight." Remus said as he carefully placed a card. Tabitha nodded, knowing that he was right. She smiled lightly and got comfortable, watching her two friends play their game. Sirius and James entered the common room when the three were playing their fifth game of exploding snap. Tabitha grimaced, hoping that they'd leave soon. This obviously wasn't meant to be, since they both walked over and sat on a nearby couch.
"G'morning, Moony, Wormtail, Tabby." James greeted in return. Sirius grumbled a reply and gave Tabitha a withering look.
"Would you guys like to join our game?" Tabitha asked, trying to appeal to Sirius.
"No time for that. We have an idea for a prank." James told her. She and Remus both gave resigned sighs before helping Peter gather up the playing cards.
"What have the two of you come up with this time?" Remus asked, wanting know how much trouble they could potentially get into.
"We've found a spell that will enable us to fill a room with water without it leaking out at all so we'll flood Filch's office, the third florr girls bathroom, and the potions classroom." James said enthusiastically.
"We're going to get in sooo much trouble." Tabitha sighed, anticipating at least a week of detention.
"Not if we blame Peeves." Sirius said, starting act less icily towards her now that he was getting excited about the prank.
"Do you think the professors would actually believe us?" Tabitha asked in reply.
"No... but, since you're getting so chummy with Snivellus, naybe you could get him to tell the professors that Peeves is the culprit." James suggested, giving her puppy-dog eyes.
"I doubt it. I'll try though." She said, hoping that Severus woulda t least find a way to keep her out of trouble. "And don't call him that!" She added, frowning.
"Why do you care so much? You don't have a crush on that greasy git, do you, Tabby Cat?" Sirius asked, looking at her sharply.
"What? No!" Tabitha gasped, blushing a little. He just gave her a suspicious look in reply.
"So, when will we put this plan in motion?" Remus asked, wanting to know how long they'd have to get ready beforehand.
"Tonight, before dinner." James answered/
"I'm guessing the two of you have already devised a way to distract the professors and the other prefects?" Lupin asked.
"Indeed. We have gathered up enough dung ombs to hide in several areas within the castle. We need your guys' help now to hide them. We'll set them off all at the same time before meeting up to flood the rooms." Sirius said, grinning. The group discussed the plan some more for nearly an hour before spreading out to plant the dung bomb behind a tall stack of books in one corner of the room. She then left the room cautious, not wanting to be seen leaving. She left that corridor and started towards the Great Hall, making sure to look nonchalant. It was time for lunch and she was starting to feel quite hungry. She entered the large hall and sat down at the Gryffindor table with her friends.
"So,you will talk to Snivelly about blaming Peeves, right?" James asked her before shoveling more food into his mouth.
"Yes. I said I would, Prongs." Tabitha assured. After lunch, Tabitha hurried to catch up with Severus, seeing him heading towards the dungeons.
"Sev, wait up! I need to talk to you about something." She called out to him. He stopped and turned, lifting a brow in question. Tabitha darted over to him and smiled nervously.
"Hi. I know this is going to sound dumb, but the guys and I are going to flood some rooms before dinner and I was hoping that you'd blame Peeves for us." She told him, biting her bottom lip lightly.
"You want me to keep Potter and the rest of his dunderheaded friends out of trouble?" He sneered, wondering why she would even bother to ask him.
"Well, it'd keep me out of trouble too.. And I think it'd help get Sirius off of my back." She quietly pointed out. He rolled his eyes and nodded, agreeing to lie for them. As much as he'd love to go tell a professor to get the four boys in trouble, he didn't want to make things worse between Tabitha and Black. He didn't like how much the other boy's anger upsetted her. Tabitha smiled happily and gave him a quick hug before he could stop her.
"Thanks, Sev." She said before running off to tell James that he'd lie about Peeves for them. He watched her leave, cursing himself for being so soft for her. He was quite confused, having noticed that she had been on his mind much more often than Lily lately. He wasn't sure why he had such a soft spot for the blonde Gryffindor now, but didn't plan to do anything about it.
"Severus says he'll tell the professors that Peeves is responsible." Tabitha announced as she walked over to Sirius and James in the common room.
"Excellent!" James said, grinning excitedly.
"Yeah. Maybe Snivellus is good for something after all." Sirius added. Tabitha gave him a disapproving look, not liking the name calling. That evening multiple dung bombs were set off throughout the castle, causing the prefects and professors to be quite distracted as the five Gryffindors flood Filch's office, the third floor girl's bathroom, and the potions classroom, hidden by disillusionment charms and a few of them by the invisibility cloak. After they were finished with their mischeif, they hurried to the Great Hall for dinner. It was halfway through dinner when Filch stormed into the hall, yelling about the flooded rooms. Tabitha and the others did their best to look innocent and just as surprised as everyone else. McGonagall looked over at them sharply, thinking that they were guilty.
"Now, now, Argus. Surely someone here saw something." Dumbledore soothed, eyes twinkling.
"Sir, I saw Peeves messing around near the potions classroom earlier, singing about desks sailing." Snape told him from his spot at the Slytherin table.
"That no-good poltergeist! I don't see why he's still allowed around here!" Filch snarled, leaving to find his least favorite ghost. Tabitha smiled over at Severus discretely grateful for his help. He smirked back, pleased that nobody had questioned him at all.
