I don't own HP, sadly. JK Rowling does, and she does it brilliantly.
The great hall doors opened, Severus was expecting it to be McGonagall with the first years or Hagrid. It wasn't, it was a familiar tall, thin girl with a blazing smile; although Hagrid did enter behind her.
"Petunia!" Severus and Rin yelled, leaping up from the Ravenclaw table.
They met her halfway. She wrapped an arm around each of their necks, hugging them. With the height difference between Severus and the taller Rin, it must have been a sight.
"How did you get here?" Severus asked as he pulled away.
"Your grandfather and I traveled by floo to The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. He took me to Hagrid and I got to ride the boats on the black lake. It was amazing. I met two first years. One we will be close friends with I'm sure. I need to talk to you both but it'll have to wait. Just…just trust me, yeah?"
"Of course," they both said.
The three of them were all smiles as they sat down. Severus decided to wait until they were in the common room to discuss what was going on his mind.
Then next moment McGonagall and the first years walked in. The Sorting Hat went on his spiel. It sang about school friends and trusting yourself.
Dumbledore told them about Professor Laughlin, who had been the Flying Instructor, now he was moving to Defense of the Dark Arts teacher. Taking over Flying was a new professor, Madam Hooch.
The sorting started and tables cheered when a new student was placed in their house.
"Regulus Black," McGonagall called.
A boy with a striking resemblance of Sirius walked up to the Sorting Hat. As soon as the hat touched his head it yelled Slytherin. The Slytherins table yelled loudly as they clapped the boy on the back.
"Natalia Digby."
"That's her, the girl I was telling you about," Petunia said gesturing at the girl. It was odd, Petunia never took to anyone that fast. It was kind of unsettling.
Once the hat was placed on the girl's head, it almost seemed to shudder. It was very odd to watch. Instead of shouting her house, it simply replied Ravenclaw barely loud enough to hear.
Severus didn't cheer with the rest, he had a very bad feeling about the girl. All the kids looked nervous before putting on the hat, even the future Slytherins or cocky Gryffindor's. But she wasn't scared or nervous. She looked like the whole thing was beneath her. Almost like she was in control, but that couldn't be, she was only a first year.
Petunia looked excited though, so he didn't share his worries, at least until he had more information.
By the next week, Severus was ready to put himself in St. Mungo's. Petunia had been acting extremely odd since her arrival back at Hogwarts. One of the things he liked about her was her distrustful nature. He could count on one hand of all the people she voluntarily talked to on a daily basis.
At the moment, she was giggling and tittering at something a fourth year Gryffindor was saying. It kind of turned his stomach.
"It's perfectly normal."
He knew she was there, he felt his bracelet grow hot. It had shocked him the first time he met her, but now it was old news. He just did his best not to be near her. But he didn't like that Natalia seemed to be able to read his thoughts.
"I've got to go…bye," he said before racing out of Ravenclaw tower.
It wasn't Friday so Pandora wouldn't be in the secret room but he went anyway.
He walked up and down the corridor at least twenty times, the door never appeared. Now he had to hide somewhere else.
It was a nice night and curfew was a few hours off. Maybe a walk by the Black Lake would settle his mind.
James saw Severus leave the castle. Keeping his promise to his parents, he followed the boy. Why he was walking in the dark, he had no clue. James didn't have his invisibly cloak on him, so he stayed a distance away.
As he followed the boy he noticed he wasn't the only one. But instead of being stealthy like him, this person wasn't hiding.
"What are you doing out here alone?" the deep timber of Kingsley Shacklebolt asked Severus.
He saw Severus jump at the question. "Kingsley, what do you think you're doing sneaking up on me?"
"Sorry, Severus. I need to talk to you."
Whatever Severus said to that he couldn't hear. Slowly, he quietly moved closer to the pair. Sadly, before he could get close enough they walked further away, now he couldn't hear either of them. He continued towards them and soon he was near enough again.
"Next year I can't protect you," he heard Kingsley say.
"I can protect myself, I told you."
"And I told you, it's impossible for you to protect yourself. You have too many enemies."
"I don't have any enemies. I haven't done anything to anyone."
"I don't think Malfoy would agree but that's doesn't matter. You have more enemies than you know. Some of them don't even know yet but they will. You can't trust anyone."
"Then why should I trust you?"
James smiled a little at Severus stubborn attitude. It was usually infuriating but he kind of liked it when it was directed at someone else.
"It's right to question people's motives, but we both know I'm no danger to you," Kingsley nodded at something on Severus' wrist. "This is my last year, I won't be able to help you anymore."
"When have you ever helped me?"
The older boy laughed loudly. "More times than I shall ever tell you. When the time is right, I will fight by your side."
"Fight who?" Severus asked. James wanted to know who as well.
"The Dark," Kingsley said cryptically before walking back to the castle.
"Well, that was extravagant," James said, making Severus jump again.
"How long have you been there?" Severus' black eyes bore into him but James didn't back down.
"The whole time. Your grandparents asked my parents to have me watch over you."
Severus made an undignified squawk. "I never. How could they? The betrayal of them asking an imbecile like you."
James wasn't at all hurt by these words, in fact, it made him laugh. Severus really did think a lot of himself. Severus was a goody goody to all the professors, begging for a 'well done'. It made James remember the name that Sirius called him when they met for the first time on the train. "Sorry, Snivellus." He knew as soon as he said it, it had been the wrong thing. He had thought the boy would try and hex him. Or trade barbs with him. But that didn't happen, what did was Severus turned away and ran up to the castle. James hadn't missed the boy's black eyes shining with tears in the moonlight.
"That could have gone better," he muttered to himself as he made his way back up to the castle.
Severus ran straight back to Ravenclaw tower. He didn't want to see anyone, sadly, he was stopped by Petunia.
"Where have you been?" she asked.
Severus turned around to tell her now was not the time when he stopped in his tracks. It was just him and Petunia, alone in the common room. That wasn't very unusual, what was…was his bracelet hot on his wrist.
"Pen?" he said, not wanting to believe what the bracelet was telling him.
"What?" she asked, a big smile on her face.
Petunia never smiled like that, she smirked, mostly at other's failings. Something was very wrong. "Are you feeling well?" he asked slowly.
"Of course, in fact, I feel better than ever. Why? You look a bit green, Sevvy."
Petunia never called him cutesy names, it was disturbing. Even worse than the bracelet. Everything about her was off; she wasn't like the girl he had grown to know. She wasn't even the girl he grew up to despise. She was just…empty. It was like she was a puppet. But that was impossible. Wasn't it?
He thought about going to Dumbledore but he knew it would be useless. The old man wouldn't listen to him, just like before. Then he thought about Slughorn but that didn't seem right either. Kingsley would be back in his dorm, same as James…not that he would go to James. It wasn't like James knew more than him, the boy was a complete dunderhead most of the time. He needed someone he trusted. Someone who wasn't as close to Petunia, which left Rin out. His grandparents might think he was losing his mind. Who could he go to? Pandora was a thought but she was just a year older, he needed an adult. A full-grown wizard.
It wasn't going to help tonight, curfew had set in.
"I'm really tired, Penny. I think I'll go to bed."
She smiled sweetly at him and headed to the girls' dorms. That was it, something was majorly wrong. If he had called her Penny last year she would have hexed him in the blink of an eye.
The next day was the first day of classes, he would find someone to trust to ask.
Even with as disconcerting the day before was, Severus was still excited to start classes. His first class was Defense of the Dark Arts, sadly, he had to share it with Gryffindor. Severus sat down, and wasn't even shocked that Petunia sat at desk at the other side of the room. He had to tell himself it was because something magical was messing with her head. Even though he knew it was probably true, it didn't mean it didn't sting.
Unfortunately, Sirius Black sat on one side of him and James Potter on the other. Professor Laughlin, swooped in, his cloak bellowing behind him. Severus thought it made quite an affect. Professor Laughlin was a tall, burly man of about forty. His blonde hair reached his shoulders, his eyes were dark brown. Severus hadn't cared that much for him during flying lessons the year before but that may be because that was where Potter shined. That meant the subject wasn't very important to Severus.
"I hope all you did your summer work, because we'll be jumping right into it. Wands up and quills out."
Sirius and James groaned making Severus grin. Severus wrote down copious notes; Professor Laughlin really knew a lot about Vampires. The fifth time Severus raised his hand to answer a question, Sirius called him Snivellus under his breath. He didn't really know what he had done to cause both boys to start calling him the mean name but he knew he wouldn't be helping them this year. He wouldn't be tutoring anyone this year, he didn't know who he could trust.
"For anyone who wants to work on extra credit, please stay behind after class," Professor Laughlin said.
Severus was one of seven who stayed behind, sadly, James and Sirius did too. Shockingly, Petunia didn't, she always tried to get extra credit when available.
"Seven, very good," Professor Laughlin said smiling at them. "I would like you to pick a partner, preferably from a different house. One group will have to be made up of three."
Lily partnered up with Ana, a Hufflepuff. Martin Horner, a Slytherin paired up with Arthur Platt, another Slytherin. Professor Laughlin just smiled ruefully at them. Severus inwardly groaned, that left him with James and Sirius. Could his life get any worse?
"What's the assignment?" Platt asked.
"What I did on my summer vacation."
"You want us to write what we did on our summer vacation?" Sirius asked, his eyes wide.
"No, I want you to write what I did my summer vacation," the man said with a smile.
"Umm…how is that an assignment?" Ana asked.
"Well, first, you don't know so you will have to learn. Second, you won't be able to learn. Third, you will have to work together to lie."
"Wait? What?"
"I want three fanciful stories about my daring adventures. The creatures I fought, how I did it, what I won."
"What about what you really did for your summer vacation?" Severus asked quietly.
"If you are able to find out and write my true adventures, then you will not have any more quizzes for the rest of the year."
"When is this due?" James asked.
"Before Christmas break."
"That man is a loon," James said as they left the classroom.
Severus thought it was a very good assignment. He would have to be sneaky about finding information though. Everyone else seemed to be fine with making up the story. That wasn't how he was going to take it. He was going to win. It was just too bad he would have to work with James and Sirius, maybe he could do the assignment alone and turn it in alone.
"I-I forgot something," he said before going back into the classroom.
"Mr. Snape, back already?" Mr. Laughlin asked cheerily.
"I was wondering if it would be alright if I work on the assignment alone?"
"I would rather you work on it with someone else but I understand not wanting to be the third person in the only three people group." That wasn't the reason but Severus decided to let him think that. Professor Laughlin sighed. "Alright, you may work on it alone."
"Thank you, Professor."
The next week he did his best to stay away from everyone except his trip to the secret room with Pandora.
It was Monday and he had just finished his last class of the day. Once he was back in Ravenclaw tower, he pulled out his charms work.
"Severus."
He looked up and sighed. Petunia and Natalia were coming towards him.
"Hello," he said quietly.
"We were just going to go down and watch the Gryffindor's quidditch tryouts. Do you want to come?" Petunia asked.
There was nothing he wanted to do less than that. He was about to tell them that when he realized his bracelet wasn't hot. He didn't know what was going on. Maybe the enchantments Pandora put on them was wonky. That would explain why it got hot with Petunia.
Suddenly, he had an overwhelming feeling to not leave Natalia with Petunia. Maybe it was the fact that going and watching quidditch tryouts wasn't something she would choose to do by herself. Nothing she did lately seemed like the girl he knew. Maybe her fall messed her head up. He shook his head, that couldn't be true. His grandfather's letter said everything had gone well on her trip to St. Mungo's.
"Sure," he said, packing away his things. "Let me go put this stuff away, I'll be right back."
Gideon was in the room reading from one of their school books. He looked up as Severus entered. "Lo'," he said before turning back to his book.
"Haven't seen you in a while," Severus said, smiling at his dormmate.
It was the truth, he hadn't seen much of Gideon all week. In fact, it was hard to pin him down.
"Been busy." He didn't lift his face from the book.
"I'm about to go watch quidditch tryouts with Petunia. You want to come?"
"I think I'll pass."
"Oh," Severus said looking down at his shoes. "Maybe we could play gobstones later." Gideon wasn't a fan of wizard's chess but he loved gobstones.
"No thank you." His tone was clipped.
Severus got the hint, he turned and left the room. He didn't know what he had done to make Gideon cross with him. But it seemed like most of his friends were odd with him lately. Rin barely said anything to him, Gideon was avoiding him, James and Sirius had gone back to the mean boys on the train. Worst of all Petunia was acting like a completely different person. He just wished he had someone to ask.
Just as he hit the bottom landing to the common room it hit him. Alastor Moody. Auror Moody would know what the do. He would write in after tryouts.
Petunia was alone when he reentered the room.
"Where's Natalia?" he asked, although he was happy she wasn't there.
"She went off with Shannon." Shannon was a third year in their house. Petunia looked very upset about that.
"I'm sorry. We don't have to go to tryouts," he said.
"I need to go find Natalia. Just remember what I said when I came back, alright?" she said before leaving.
Severus racked his brain. What had she said? He thought back to when she came back, the night of the sorting.
Just…just trust me, yeah?
Was she warning him? Knowing that he would question the way she is acting now. He decided to write to Moody and only mention his fear of Natalia. He was on auror, he would know what to do. After that he would start on extra credit assignment for Laughlin.
