Author's Note:

Hello, Readers and Writers. I realize it's been a long time since I've updated this story, and I understand how frustrating that can be. Sufficient to say, this past year+ has been difficult, a lot of changes have happened for me (both good and bad) and I'm just now starting to find my footing again.

This story was always at the back of my mind, especially since I'd already written most of the third story in the Adrianna Fawley series that follows this one. So, my promise to everyone in this new year is this: I may not get to update as often as I want to, but I promise I will be finishing this story and posting the next Adrianna Fawley story this year.

I hope everyone out there is doing well, and enjoys the continuation of the The Infamous Adrianna Fawley!

Best,

Dragonwing

Ch. 10 – Darkness Rising

Sirius and James spent weeks trying to discover who had royally sabotaged their afternoon in Hogsmeade with Adrianna and Lily, with absolutely zero luck. Of course, it didn't help that the Slytherins seemed to have closed ranks. They were rarely seen outside of classes or the Great Hall, and never in groups smaller than three or four students.

Other odd things had begun to happen around the school. All of the owls in the owlery simply took off one day and circled the Astronomy Tower for hours, only coming back down to land when they lacked the strength to stay airborne. The castle ghosts began to retreat amongst themselves, often having meetings all through the night and avoiding the students in their respective houses.

Then there were the rumors. Rumors of strange and seemingly random episodes of dark magic happening throughout the country. Lily had even taken out a subscription to the Daily Prophet just to keep up. Adrianna spent her birthday quietly in the Gryffindor common room with her friends. Somehow it seemed wrong to have a big celebration with so many strange things going on.

The tension didn't come to a head at Hogwarts until the holiday season, when many of the students had gone home for Christmas. Adrianna and Remus were in the library, getting a head start on their advanced class finals that would be upon them before they knew it, when an ear-splitting scream ripped through the air.

They both jumped up, wands drawn, and ran for the front section of the library. Madam Pince stood with her hands covering her mouth, wide eyes staring at the first row of bookshelves that were visible when anyone first entered the library. Written across the spines of the books, in an oozing black liquid that couldn't possibly have been ink, were the words:

MUDBLOODS GET OUT!

KEEP HOGWARTS PURE.

"Oh my…" Adrianna attempted to guide Madam Pince back, but the librarian was rooted to the spot. She turned to Remus, "Go get Professor Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey, quick!"

Remus dashed through the library doors, nearly knocking over Severus Snape in the process.

"Watch where you're going, Lupin!" Severus growled.

Remus didn't stop, shouting over his shoulder. "Sorry! Can't stop! Go see if Adrianna needs help!"

Severus quickly pushed the doors open, taking in the scene before him. Adrianna was still trying to convince Madam Pince to turn away.

"Those books…" The librarian sobbed. "Those books are irreplaceable! Who would do such a thing?"

"I don't know, Madam Pince." Adrianna spotted Severus and gave him an imploring look. He crossed over to them and moved into Madam Pince's line of sight. The older woman had always been kind to him, given the amount of time he spent in her domain.

"You don't need to see this," Severus gently gripped her shoulders and finally managed to turn her away from the black writing. "Professor Dumbledore will find out who did this, you'll see."

"Thank you." Adrianna murmured.

Severus nodded. He really hadn't had a chance to talk much with the half-witch this year. His housemates had been sticking to him like burs, spouting a bunch of nonsense about house loyalty and purity.

Purity… Severus glanced back at the defaced books. Could one of his housemates have done this? And if so, why? There were only a handful besides himself who stayed over the holidays. Did everything that had been happening lately have to do with the dark currents Adrianna had warned him about the previous school year?

He was drawn out of his speculations when Lupin returned with Professors Dumbledore and McGonagall, and Madam Pomfrey. The medi-witch took Madam Pince off his hands, and guided her out of the library.

"What does this mean, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked the headmaster.

"The message itself is quite clear," He peered closely at the black ooze soaking into the books. "What is not clear, is who would do this and why. Especially when there are so few students in the castle to witness such a public act." He turned to the three students. "No one else has seen this, have they?"

"No sir." Adrianna said. "Remus and I were the only ones in here when Madam Pince screamed. Then Severus came in just as Remus went to fetch you."

"Good." The headmaster nodded. "I would ask you three to keep this to yourselves for the time being. We will address it with the rest of the students and staff, but only after a thorough investigation."

Adrianna, Remus, and Severus all agreed and Professor McGonagall escorted them out of the library.

They walked silently through the quiet castle halls, not stopping until they reached the front foyer outside the Great Hall.

"What do you think that was about?" Remus ask softly. "Some kind of prank?"

"If it was a prank, it was in the worst taste." Adrianna muttered.

"Do you think it has do to with…" Severus glanced at Lupin and trailed off.

"It's okay, Remus knows about the dark current and the Succubi." Said Adrianna. "I thought the same thing. I just don't know what it means. Hogwarts is supposed to be warded against dark magic."

"Wards can only do so much." Severus raked a hand through his hair. "Perhaps we should do some investigating of our own, before everyone comes back."
"I agree, but quietly." Adrianna looked to Remus. The werewolf swallowed nervously and nodded. "Let's try to figure out if this was just a stupid joke, or something much worse."

OOOOOOOOOO

When the rest of the students returned to school in January, they were still no closer to discovering who had painted the vulgar words in the library. Whatever had been used to do the writing was so foul, the entire row of bookshelves had to be removed, much to Madam Pince's dismay. Many students questioned the large empty space, but were only told there was to be some remodeling done in the library.

Remus made the decision to fill the rest of the Marauders in on what had happened, swearing them to secrecy on his "furry little problem", and Adrianna also brought Lily into the loop. The group tried amongst themselves to determine who might have done this. Sirius was adamant that the culprit was the same person, or persons, who had flipped their table in The Three Broomsticks. Adrianna didn't deny the possibility, but she couldn't see how the two events tied together, except for the fact that she and Lily weren't purebloods.

Adrianna wanted to discuss her theories with Severus, but every time she sought him out he was surrounded by Evan Rosier and any number of other Slytherin seventh years. It wasn't until she caught him alone late one evening in the Transfiguration classroom that they were able to talk.

"Severus." Adrianna caught his attention, quickly closing the classroom door behind her. "What are you doing out this late?"

"I have permission from Slughorn." He held up a slip of parchment. "What about you?"

"I couldn't sleep." She held up the medallion that allowed her nocturnal excursions. "Any luck with what happened in the library?"

"None." Severus closed the textbook he'd been reading and rubbed his eyes. "For as much as my housemates have been sticking to my side, they've been more tight-lipped than usual."
"I noticed that." She chuckled, sitting in the desk next to him. "I was starting to think Rosier had grown very fond of you."

"Hardly." He snorted. "They're closing ranks, I just don't know why yet."

"Well…" She traced a set of initials a student had carved into the desk. "It must not be that big of a threat, I heard today that Dumbledore is allowing the Valentine's Ball to go on as planned."

"Thank Salazar!" Severus sneered. "How could I have lived without another poncy ball to attend."

Adrianna pushed his shoulder. "Don't despair! You never know, Rosier might ask you to dance."

The pale boy gawked at her for a moment before tossing a balled-up piece of parchment at her with a mock-growl. "Watch it, Fawley."

She flashed him a grin and inspected the parchment projectile. "Why thank you, Severus. My very own copy of your Transfiguration homework…" She trailed off, reading the lines he'd scribbled and crossed through. Her grey eyes darted up to catch his gaze. "These are some nasty spells, Severus. What on earth could you need them for?"

His expression darkened and he snatched the parchment back, shoving into a pocket of his robe. "Nothing."

"Nothing?" She breathed.

"Fine, then. I need them for protection."

"Protection from what?"

"I think you mean, from whom." Severus snarled. "You think your happy influence has changed those bastards you have for housemates? Well you're wrong. They'll go back to their old selves the moment your back is turned, and I'm going to be prepared."

Adrianna was silent for a moment, peering thoughtfully at him in the dim light of the classroom.

When she spoke, her soft voice was like a vice on his heart. "That's a lot of hate to keep bottled up, Severus."

He bolted up out of the desk, shoving his things into his school bag, and spoke without looking at her. "I suppose it is. It's a good thing that it's none of your concern, isn't it Miss Fawley?" Severus swung his bag over his shoulder and was out the door before she could say anything else.

Adrianna sat alone in the classroom, thinking about what Severus had said. She'd long entertained the hope that the animosity between Severus and her friends was nothing more than a schoolboy competitiveness, brought on by house rivalry and poor decisions. But after seeing those spells, and hearing what Severus truly thought about the truce that had developed between them, she finally understood. Severus hated the Gryffindor boys.

He hated them. And hate was a dangerous thing.