His Christmas went from amazing to awful on Boxing Day. The owl came early in that morning, even before breakfast. Rin's parents wanted him home. His grandfather was coming over to spend the day with them and wanted all his grandchildren. His parents decided that Rin would just stay home with them until he went back to Hogwarts. They gave him a teary goodbye before he flooed home.

Then the day grew worse just after breakfast. Petunia's parents arrived at the manor without notice. He wouldn't know how they would give them notice but it was the principle of the thing. Petunia's parents decided they missed their oldest daughter and wanted to spend the rest of the school break with her. She put up the good fight but in the end, she had to go also. Severus hugged her extra hard before she left, telling her not to forget him. She just gave him a haughty laugh and said she couldn't if she tried.

Now he was all alone with his grandparents. Well, that wasn't completely true. He still had Gregor, and Moxy checked on him several times. It still wasn't the same as having his friends around. Not only that, he would have to face Sirius Black without Petunia or Rin. Potter wasn't as bad as he thought on the train. In truth, Black had surprised him too. But he didn't think he could ever get over what the Black heir had tried and succeeded to do to him.

Not wanting his grandparents to see how upset he was, he had gone into the caverns. His grandfather had told him never to venture beyond the Stone Maiden. The Stone Maiden was a beautiful bit of stone that was in the center of the caverns. He was not allowed to go further beyond her. His grandfather said it was because it was where his property ended. Another wizarding family owned the other half, he just didn't know who. It must be someone his grandfather doesn't like because he was a little harsh when he forbad him to go past the stone.

Today, he wanted to be a little naughty. He was sick of always being good. He wanted to do something a little wild. Petunia and Rin had always made sure they turned back at the Stone Maiden. They weren't here now though, just him.

Meowr

Alright, just him and Gregor. He just hoped Moxy didn't come looking for him. She would have turned him in so fast his head would spin.

"Come on then," he said to Gregor.

Meowr

"Stay here then, but I'm going."

He continued past the Stone Maiden, his heart beating wildly in his chest. Gregor choosing to come along, trotted at this side. Every little noise had him jumping out of his skin. He thought about older Prewitt brother, this must be what he felt like all the time. While Gideon was an astute pupil and very much Ravenclaw. The same could not be said of his older Gryffindor brother, Fabian. Fabian was always causing mischief somewhere. Playing pranks, joking with everyone, he had even heard the boy worked with Peeves the poltergeist to cause some of the havoc.

After what felt like forever walking, he saw light. He was at the other end of the cavern. He had started to worry that he went into the lower chambers for a while. No one would ever find his body if he got lost down there.

His steps slowed, worried about what was outside the cavern. Was there something dangerous outside of it? Gathering all his courage he and Gregor walked outside the cavern.

"Well, that was a little disappointing," he told Gregor. Looking around he didn't see anything but snowy land.

Meowr

"You always say that," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Who are you talking to?"

"Ahhh!" he yelled.

Gregor started hissing.

Severus was finally able for see where the new voice came from. It was a boy, who looked like he was nearing manhood.

"I apologize, I did not mean to startle you," he said, his eyes dancing with humor.

"You didn't," he lied.

"Of course not. A brave fellow like yourself, venturing into dark, scary caverns all by yourself."

Severus wasn't sure if he was making fun of him or not. He didn't look like he was though, so Severus decided to think he wasn't. Gregor was still hissing at him though.

"Sorry about Gregor, he doesn't like strangers. Which is kind of funny since until yesterday he didn't know me."

"Ah, I see," the older boy said.

"What's your name?" Severus asked curiously.

"Antonin. What's yours?"

"Severus Snape."

For a second Severus thought he saw the boy's lip curl up, but then it was gone.

"You're kind of young to be wondering around alone, aren't you?" Antonin said, smiling at him.

"I'm near twelve."

"Near twelve, well that changes things," Antonin said.

Severus knew that he was playing now but didn't want to go back to the manor yet. "What are you doing out here?" he asked.

"Practicing."

"Practicing what?" Severus asked, confused.

"Dueling."

That made Severus even more confused, there was no one out there to practice with. "Who with?"

The older boy laughed. "Just myself. It clears my head, it's relaxing to me."

Severus nodded, that made sense to him. He did a lot of odd things to clear his head. "Are you going to be an auror? I've met Auror Moody, he's the best dueler." After meeting him he had done his homework on the man.

Antonin's left eye twitched. "Is that so?" He turned and walked a few steps away. "Good thing I don't want to be an auror then, right?"

Severus looked down at his shoes. He didn't mean to make the boy mad. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." Maybe changing subjects would help. "Do you go to Hogwarts? I'm a first year."

The older boy laughed. "How old do you think I am?"

"Umm…fifteen?"

"No, I just turned twenty."

"Oh." Now Severus didn't feel very comfortable. It was alright when he thought he was talking to another student; but he wasn't, he was an adult. "I better be getting back home before my gran starts looking for me."

"Alright, come back and visit anytime you want. I'm usually out here practicing."

"Sure," he said without any plan to come back.

It had been an adjustment to get used to older boys at school. Even with Kingsley following him everywhere. But adult men scared him, too many years of being hurt by his father. He knew now it wasn't his father's fault but that doesn't stop the nightmares. Doesn't stop him from flinching every time his grandfather tries to give him a hug. It was there. always in his mind, waiting for the moment when his grandfather snaps and backhands him. He needed to be prepared when it happened.

He noticed as he turned back towards the cavern that Gregor was still lowly hissing at Antonin, his tail fluffed up. Gregor didn't seem to be a fan of Antonin.


Severus watched from behind some drapery as the Potters came through the floo. Mr. and Mrs. Potter came through with elegance and grace. James on the other hand stumbled through like a drunkard. Severus bit back a laugh at the ash that James accidently wiped on his cheek.

After their meal, his grandmother sent him to show James around. He knew it was just an excuse to talk about what they wanted to discuss with the Potter's.

"This is the library," Severus said, showing James his favorite room in the manor.

"I've seen libraries before. Isn't there any place interesting here?"

"There's the caverns but it's too cold there right now." Not a complete lie, it was later in the day meaning that it was near freezing in the caverns. He just didn't share that he was wary of the caverns now after meeting Antonin. Earlier he had debated telling his grandparents about the man but decided that it was just his imitation playing tricks on him. There was no way the man was as disturbing as he was making him out to be.

James sighed and sat down heavily on Severus' favorite reading chair. "I thought Petunia and Rin were spending Christmas with you?" James asked.

"Their families wanted to spend some time with them," he said sadly, wishing they would have been able to stay.

"Same with Sirius. He was supposed to stay but first morning home his family owl came with a letter from his little brother. Regulus begged Sirius to go home, Siri couldn't say no to his baby brother."

Severus hadn't known that Sirius had a little brother. During tutoring he was usually very quiet, just the way Severus liked him. It surprised him that Sirius seemed to put his brother before himself. He knew from the little bit that he heard Sirius say that he hated being near his parents. But that was because he hated anything dark. Which was why he wanted to hurt Severus so much in the beginning, just because he had wanted to be in the same house as his mother.

Turning his attention to James he shook the thoughts of Sirius out of his head. It was only making him upset thinking about the mean little boy.

"Come on, I'll show you some of the secret passageways," he told James. It was something to do to fill time while they waited.

James jumped up with enthusiasm. Severus led him the passageway entrance in the library, it led through the whole first floor.

"Wow, this is so intense," James said happily.

Severus smiled a little to himself. It felt good to show the other boy something that he hadn't seen before. James was more worldly than himself. He had told them all the adventures his parents had taken him on. Severus didn't have any adventures like that, the closest was when he was seven and his mother took him to the Isle of Wight. Even then it was only to visit some friend of his mother's. The man had wanted to know about him, Severus didn't like his mum telling the man. His mum had called him Lord, he just wanted to go home. That night was the only time that his father felt like his father. When they returned home, he remembered his father telling her that Severus wasn't some pawn. He didn't know what it meant then but now he suspected that it was about her using him as a test subject.

There were a few steps that he had to warn James about.

"I wish we could use our wands, it would be easier," James said as he stumbled down the step Severus just warned him about.

"It would be better if we had a torch," Severus conceded.

"A what?"

"Torch. You know battery powered light."

"Battery?"

"Yes, muggles use them to operate things. Things like torches."

"Really? Because the only torches I know burned witches at stakes," James said.

Meowr

James jumped so far that he knocked into Severus, causing them both to fall. That was the moment Gregor was waiting for and launched himself at Severus.

"What the bloody hell is that?" James asked, crab crawling backwards.

"That's only Gregor, he's my cat." He didn't even know how Gregor got into the passageway with them.

"That's not a cat, that's a monster."

Severus giggled, it really was funny. Tough and cocky James Potter scared of a little cat. Alright, Gregor was a big cat but he wasn't scary. He was trying to play not attack, James was acting as though he was a graphorn.

"Gregor isn't a monster. He's a very smart cat. Aren't you, Gregor?"

Meowr

"See, told you." He turned back around. "This way." Gregor sashayed at his side while James kept his distance.


"What is your first impression of the boy?"

Antonin did his best not to jump at the sudden voice of his master. Lord Voldemort was a great leader. Unfortunately, there were those in the wizarding world that didn't know that the time of the muggles was over. They wanted to bow down to muggles, muggles who were far beneath the lowliest house elf. Lord Voldemort knew how to rule, and Antonin would be the one to make it happen.

"Lucius may be a useless lackey, but he is right. The boy will be of use to us but not if the Prince's raise him. If what Malfoy has learned is true, Dumbledore is showing disinterest in the child, that can only work to our advantage," Antonin said.

"I knew the boy would be."

"If I may ask, Master. What is so important about him? Surely, there are other children with just as much potential."

"That is none of your concern, Dolohov. Just be sure to make friends with the boy."

"He doesn't trust me, I'm too old. He is very cautious."

"That's an easy fix, polyjuice for one. I have to be off, make sure Malfoy leaves him alone in the meantime."