So, I've been having this issue where I'm being attacked by plot bunnies. Anyone know a cure because I will not be distracted from finishing these two stories!
As soon as the feast was over the twins ran straight to Severus, clapping him on the back. They were vaguely aware of the many glares they received it chose to ignore them.
"Congratulations on being sneaky enough to gain entrance to the snake pit, Sev!" Hermione hugged him tightly and whispered in his ear, "explore with us tonight?" He nodded mutely in reply unsure of how to handle all of his housemates pointed glares.
"Yeah Sev, I thought for sure with all your genius you would have been a claw!" Lily crowed, bouncing with excitement.
"Well, we shall see you tomorrow, sweet dreams!" Hermione smiled brightly before giving an exaggerated yawn. The sister clasped their hands together to follow their red and gold prefect to the tower.
"Who are they Snape?" A tall boy with brown hair and beady black eyes asked.
"Just Lily and Mya, we live near each other." Severus answered vaguely, keeping his face set in an indifferent mask.
"I've never seen them before, who are their families?" A blonde prefect asked, snidely. Severus simply shrugged and feigned ignorance, keeping his head down as they were lead to the dungeons. "Don't make the mistake of making friends with the wrong sort, Snape. It will only hurt you in the long run."
10 minutes after curfew
"Mya, we can't go sneaking out on the first night! We will get in trouble!" Lily hissed as she followed her sister to the common room.
"We are attending school in a castle...learning magic, Lily. We must discover its secrets!" Hermione smiled brightly at her sister. "I told Sev we would meet by the great hall in 10 minutes. Are you coming or do we have to discover all the secrets without you?" She asked in a sing song voice.
"I'll cover for you here just in case any one does bed checks, I'll go exploring another day, alright? I'm beat anyway" Lily yawned. Hermione shrugged her shoulders and cast a silencing charm on her trainers before disappearing through the portrait hole. Little did she know there were 2 more first years with the same dreams of discovering the castles secrets.
She moved silently and stealthily through the castle corridors, drinking in all the magical aspects of the the school. Talking portraits, moving staircases, ghosts! Oh she couldn't wait to tell Tuney all about it. It was even better than Hogwarts, A History! As she rounded the corner, she was confronted with the mangiest cat she ever laid eyes on. It had bright orange eyes and tufts of brown matted fur that looked like the poor thing was never groomed.
"Oh come here, sweets" she bent down and held her hand out to the cat. When it approached her, Hermione scratched the cat behind the ears, making it purr. "What is you name? Mrs. Norris? Where is Mr. Norris?" Hermione checked the collar around the cat's neck before she continued to walk along cooing over cat that was purring in her arms. When she reached the great hall, there was no sign of Severus, she tapped her foot impatiently, wondering how long it took to get to the dungeons.
"Mrs. Norris!" A voice called from the corridor. It was a wheezing voice that sounded like the care taker, Hermione immediately put the cat down and rushed in the opposite direction, only to run directly into an invisible but very solid barrier. Picking herself up, she reached out quickly, her fingers catching some form of fabric that felt like cool water.
She heard the caretaker coming and didn't think twice before pushing herself under the cloak. When she saw who it was, she immediately grabbed their hands and pulled them away from the caretaker and his cat. Once they got up the staircase she took out her wand and cast a silencing charm on their shoes and smiled brightly at the boys.
"So, fancy meeting you here." Hermione laughed softly, only a little nervous. Strangely, she felt safe between the boys.
"How did you know we were under the cloak?" James whispered suspiciously.
"I didn't, I just figured strangers with an invisibility cloak would be better than a night being badged by the caretaker." Hermione answered honestly.
"Didn't your parents ever teach you not to run off with strangers?" Sirius asked with a sly smile on his face.
"I never had much to fear with Tuney around so...no." Hermione grinned impishly as she shrugged her shoulder unrepentantly.
"So, what are you doing wandering around the big scary castle all by your lonesome?" James asked throwing his arm around her shoulder.
"Well, you see...I wanted to try and discover some secrets of the castle...so far, I've only found a cat." She chuckled. "What about you boys? Make it a habit of saving damsels from the caretaker?"
"Of course, fair maiden. That was exactly what we were doing tonight, just waiting till you needed rescuing!" James chuckled, shaking his head fondly at the little redhead at his side.
"Well, brave Knights...I have a really good feeling about where we may find the kitchens. Care to escort a lady?" Hermione chirped cheerfully, both boys offered their arms and Sirius snorted.
"Would we be Gryffindors if we didn't?" he asked. They made the way to the third floor and stopped in front of a large painting of a bowl of fruit..
"Tickle the banana." She told James. He did so immediately and gave her a quizzical look when nothing happened. Reaching around them she tickled the pear. "My sisters would have found it hilarious you tickled a banana."
The painting opened to show a large kitchen with 5 long tables similar to the great hall. Bustling about there must have been hundred of house elves, at least twenty immediately ran to them asking if they needed anything.
"There was nothing about house elves in the books..." She knelt before the house elves and smiled kindly. "Are you all happy here, do they treat you well?"
"Oh yes miss, so much work, the sentient bond is very strong. There is no happier elf than a hogwarts elf!" One of the elves squeaked as she literally vibrated with excitement. Hermione nodded and turned to the 2 boys who were looking at her strangely.
"Are you guys okay...?" She asked slowly, looking between them and the elves.
"I've never seen anyone ask if an elf was happy before." Sirius muttered uncomfortably shuffling his feet.
"If you want to know what a mans like, look to how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." She said softly. Chewing her lip, she wondered briefly where that quote came from.
"Where did you hear that?" James asked, looking down at her specifically.
"Uncle Alphard, he's said that me before." Sirius murmured. Hermione shrugged as a house elf began loading their arms with sweets and butter beer.
"Shall we head back? Lily is probably crazy by now thinking I'll get expelled or something." She chuckled. James lifted the cloak to cover the three of them as they made their way back. Once they were back in the common room, Lily was already on the couch wringing her hands, nervously. Hermione and the boys snuck up behind her slowly. Hermione reached out covering her mouth with her hand and breathed in her ear.
"Do you like strangers with sweets?" Hermione chuckled. Lily screamed and jumped nearly a foot in the air, she turned to see the three of them, loaded down with sweets, laughing.
"Oh you think it's soo funny, do you? You know professor Mcgonagall has already come by. I covered for you by the way." Lily glared at her twin, Hermione grabbed a pumpkin pasty and a butter beer to offer her sister with an contrite smile.
"That's why your the best twin in the whole world. We found the kitchens, they have house elves!" Hermione's cried excitedly.
"Why would you be excited about slavery!?" Lily cried in outrage.
"It's not really slavery...they like it. It's what they want to do. Why keep them from what makes them happy?" James laughed at the ridiculousness of the notion.
"Oh yes, free servants to bound to do everything you wish . At your beck and call, where's the harm?" Lily asked scathingly as she glared at the messy haired boy, her sister let out a long suffering sigh as she turned to her sister.
"Did you read the book on bonds yet?" Hermione asked patiently.
"Well, no...I kind of got distracted by the other magical creatures. Did you know they have unicorns in the forest?" Lily asked, her green eyes lighting up at the notion of seeing a real unicorn.
"I had not seen that...want to go to the forest with me this weekend?" Hermione asked, her eyes wide with excitement.
"The FORBIDDEN forest? That forest?" Lily asked with an arched brow, looking at her sister incredulously,
"That's what makes it an adventure!" Sirius said, plopping down on the couch beside Lily.
"How can you really learn about all these creatures if you never really see them, right?" Hermione smirked at her sister, leaning over the couch so her chin rested on her head.
"Well, I'll think about it...but only during the day...and only the outskirts" Lily said timidly.
"Excellent! It's a date!" James cried happily as he plopped down beside Sirius.
"We have classes in the morning, you should get to sleep." Lily jumped up, heading to the stairs. "Are you coming, Mya?"
"Yeah, night guys!" Hermione smiled brightly at the boys before she grabbed couple sweets and chased her sister up the stairs.
"James, I'm going to marry that girl." Sirius vowed once they disappeared.