Author's Notes: well, a belated Happy New Year to everyone, and an apology for not getting this chapter out sooner! It's another long one, and I hope you all enjoy the return to Hogwarts. Don't worry, fans of Roxanne, she's not gone for good, and just to assuage some fears, you see more of Lily and other Gryffindors in this chapter as well. Until next time, read, review, and enjoy!
It was a different Severus Snape who walked into King's Cross than the one who had left it two months earlier.
He grinned slightly as he watched the harassed commuters shouting and swearing as they tried to board their last minute trains. Like always, he had left Spinner's End early, wanting to get a fairly decent compartment before the train filled up with chattering first years that always seemed to poke their noses where they didn't belong. Hell, even I had more sense than the crop that came last year, he thought, rolling his eyes at the memory of at least a dozen first years who had barged into his and Lily's compartment the year before. And besides, if I know Narcissa and Regulus, they'll want to be here as early as possible, if only to claim the best compartments.
Dragging his battered trunk behind him, he approached the barrier and with feigned casualness, leant against it. A second later, he slid right through to see the bright red Hogwarts Express. Despite himself, he felt a twinge of relieved eagerness. He was on his way home – back to Hogwarts.
To his mild surprise, he saw a younger man dragging a pile of papers into view and beginning to yell. That's odd, considering they've never been selling the Prophet on the platform before. Times must really be tough… either that or they've got big news…
"Extra, extra," the man called out in a nasally twanging voice. "Big news about Hogwarts, read all about it! Extra, extra –"
Severus flipped the man a few Knuts and swiped a paper from the pile. Unfolding it, he saw the headline: DUMBLEDORE'S DANGEROUIS DECISION.
"Oh bloody wonderful," he muttered to himself, shoving the paper into his trunk. "What's the old coot done now…?"
He felt a rough shove from behind, and he nearly stumbled against the train. Turning quickly, he saw none other than Peter Pettigrew, in a very clear panic. The rather chubby boy looked as if he hadn't even been paying attention to where he was going.
"Watch where you're going," Severus said curtly.
"Sorry sir, nothing meant by it," Pettigrew panted, turning away quickly and bolting off down the platform. Severus' eyes widened as he watched him leave. He didn't even recognize me… did I really change that much? Must be the hair or the muscle I've put on – Pettigrew would have probably bowled me over at the speed he was going if I hadn't exercised… still, it's curious that he's not with his friends…
The thought stuck with him even as he headed towards the front of the train, where the Floo grates were already flickering green.
There's Regulus, he thought with a spark of pleasure as the harassed young Black tugged a massive trunk through the grate, swearing with every step as he hauled the massive block of luggage. I should surprise him…
"Let me give you a hand with that," Severus said smoothly, tapping Regulus lightly on the shoulder.
"I don't need any – Snape! By Merlin, what the…"
"You look like you have your hands full," Severus observed with a hint of a smile. "I ask again: do you want a hand with that?"
"Since when did you care?" Regulus asked suspiciously, even as he wiped a drop of sweat off his face.
"Because even though it does amuse me greatly to see you suffer, I think that if you tug on that trunk much harder, you will pull a muscle and spend the entire trip complaining about it," Severus replied sardonically. Taking a hold of the trunk, he hefted it and began dragging it along with his trunk. "Good Lord, Regulus, what the hell do you put in this thing? I'm amazed you got it through the Floo."
"So am I," Regulus admitted, shaking his head slightly. "But… blimey, Snape, it doesn't even look like you're trying hard! I could barely move that thing –"
"That's not the point, and I'll tell you later," Severus grunted, wrenching the massive piece of luggage onto the train and shoving it into one of the better compartments along with his own. "You aren't a prefect, right?"
Regulus rolled his eyes. "I wish. Crouch Jr. got it this year – lucky little bastard. My parents were livid when they heard…"
"Good."
"How is that good?"
"It's good because I don't want to have to haul your bloody trunk all the way to the prefects' compartments," Severus replied, shaking his head. "Honestly, Regulus, what did you pack this year?"
"I wanted to be prepared," Regulus replied defensively. "Swiped a few books from the Black family library too, for some light reading."
"Since when do you do some light reading?"
Regulus looked rather uncomfortable at the question. "I'll tell you later… oh damn, there's Sirius and Potter getting out of the Floo, let's get in the compartment –"
"No."
"What do you mean, no?"
"Pettigrew didn't even recognize me," Severus said with a hint of a smile. "And nor did you, on first glance. And besides, I want to wait for Narcissa." And Lily.
Regulus looked uneasy. "Are you sure? I mean –"
"I'm sure, Regulus," Severus replied, steel in his voice now. Then before Regulus could say anything, Severus pulled the newspaper from his trunk, flipped it open, and climbed off the train. I've got plenty of time, and besides, one of the best ways to observe is if you appear unconcerned or occupied. And reading a newspaper's one of the best ways.
Like Severus expected, James Potter and Sirius Black didn't even see him leaning against the train, his eyes scanning over the top of the paper. But he noted that despite the healthy laugh they both had as they talked, they still looked rather worried. Probably wondering why they haven't heard from Lupin all summer, Severus thought with a jolt. I doubt Dumbledore would have let him contact them from Hogwarts, especially if the werewolf's being hunted.
There was a flash of flames from the Floo, and Severus spotted Evan Rosier and Damian Mulciber, arguing vigorously. With a disdainful snort, Severus settled behind his newspaper. They'll find out that I've changed later… and it's not like I have any desire to talk to either of them anyways…
There was a shout and sudden swearing from the Floos. Severus looked over with mild amusement as Nicholas Avery fell out of the fire, holding onto his Ravenclaw girlfriend's hand as she stumbled out behind him. From the looks of their tousled appearance and furious expressions, it appeared they had been shoved through the Floo while they had been kissing. Severus shook his head as he looked back down towards his paper. Honestly…
Rosier turned to glare at Avery with disgust. "Where the hell have you been, Avery? We've been trying to contact you all morning!"
Avery gave his girlfriend a rather awkward look. She shrugged and turned away with a muttered, "I'll see you later."
"Are you saying… are you… oh, come on, Nicholas!" Rosier said with a huff. "Marlene McKinnon? A Ravenclaw? A half-blood?"
Avery flushed scarlet. "We met over the summer, all right? Besides," he lowered his voice, "I'm not one of his, yet. I can still have my fun."
"She's a shitty shag," Rosier remarked with a casual wink, "but have your fun." And with that, Rosier left a purple-faced Avery on the platform, sputtering and swearing at the implications of Rosier's slur.
The flames flickered green again, and Severus let out a sigh of relief as Narcissa stepped out the grate, lightly tugging her trunk behind her. There's no way she could carry that… must have gotten Bellatrix to lighten it for her…
Almost at the second she had thought of her, Bellatrix stepped out of the grate, swearing and shaking her long black hair out of her face. It seemed like she had been arguing with Narcissa even before they had stepped out of the Floo, because she continued arguing the second Narcissa looked as if she was paying the slightest attention.
"All I'm saying is that you're playing a dangerous game, both with Lucius and with Rosier! Bringing Snape into this is not only reckless, but potentially treasonous."
Severus could barely hold back a smirk. And Bellatrix thinks I'm a traitor now. Wonderful.
"I know Severus," Narcissa said coolly, turning back to face her sister, even as Severus slowly folded up his newspaper, "and I also know that he's perhaps one of the few Slytherins I can trust."
"You don't know his motives," Bellatrix snarled, her voice low and furious. "What if he double-crosses us? What if he betrays Lucius' confidence? What if he… well, takes advantage of you?"
"You honestly think I'd do that?" Severus asked mildly, stepping up behind Narcissa, a grin spreading across his face. "Honestly, Bellatrix, I didn't take advantage of you."
Bellatrix's eyes widened as she saw Snape. In a second, her dark eyes raked his figure speculatively, noticing the new definition and broadness in his shoulders. "Snape! I didn't, ah, recognize you there –"
"Severus!" Narcissa exclaimed, pleasure in her voice as she spun around and threw her arms around him. Severus awkwardly returned the hug, remembering his role with icy clarity. This… is… awkward…
Lily walked onto the platform, huffing with frustration. She had had another heated argument with Petunia in the car on the way over, and her father had to intervene. The girl's so damned annoying, she thought, not caring that the thoughts were about her own sister. I don't care if I'm being stubborn, I'm allowed to have my own opinions… and I don't give a rat's ass about what Petunia cares…
She stopped suddenly, having advanced halfway across the platform in a huff. She had just seen a dark-haired young man get embraced by a blonde girl. It has to be Narcissa Black, because that's Bellatrix Black behind her, and that bitch is damn near unforgettable. But who's the guy with her…
"Lily! Lily! You're here!"
"Mary, I didn't see you!" Lily said with surprise, her eyes still on Narcissa and the dark-haired young man. She couldn't see his face – his back was to her – but he seemed vaguely familiar.
Mary's short, brown-haired silhouette came into view as she glared at Lily. "Aren't you going to say hello? You barely answered any of my letters –"
"Had a rough summer," Lily replied evasively. "Look, Mary, who's that with Narcissa over there?"
Mary squinted and frowned slightly. "Never seen him before… but then again, I'm not the type to notice Slytherins much. Odd, though, I thought she was dating Lucius Malfoy, and that's not him –"
Lily took a few steps forward, moving even closer. The young man had glossy dark hair, nearly shoulder length, and he looked fairly well-built, even if his muscles were still a bit ropey along his arms…
Then Lily noticed Narcissa look up and focus on Lily. Then, she did something strange.
She winked, and smiled triumphantly at Lily.
Lily frowned in confusion. "What's that all about?"
"Just forget her," Mary said, rolling her eyes. "Come on, you've got prefect duties."
"Damn, I nearly forgot! Thanks, Mary."
"Isn't that what friends are for?" Mary replied tiredly, shaking her head at the bewildering display of Slytherin affection and the perplexingly distracted Lily Evans.
"You look great – what did you do? Have you been working out or something? And that potion worked on your hair too." Narcissa let go to give him an appraising look. "Very nice, Severus. I'm impressed."
"Thanks… I think," Severus said cautiously, carefully watching Bellatrix's expression, which was somewhere between exasperation, interest, and fury. She finally settled by giving a disdainful snort and turning away.
Narcissa shrugged, her astonished pleasure still evident on her face. "You're too honest – frankly, I'm not surprised Bella didn't recognize you."
"Nobody's recognized me, at least not at first glance," Severus said with irritation. "Honestly, am I that much different?"
"We'll take more about that later," Narcissa said, her smile only growing wider. Of course she's happy, Severus thought tiredly, because her plan's coming to fruition even as I exceed her expectations.
"I'll write… maybe," Bellatrix grumbled, irritated at being ignored and very aware that any more attempts to communicate with her younger sister were gone. "I'll see you at Yule, Narcissa."
The young blonde waved the comment off easily, even as she threw her arm around Severus' shoulders, now slightly thicker with new muscle. With surprising speed, they were up onto the train and into the compartment, where Regulus was reading a copy of the Daily Prophet with growing disgust.
"Ah, wonderful, the love-birds are here," he said sarcastically as Severus quickly shut the door and Narcissa stowed her trunk.
"If you have any desire to keep your head where it is, you'll never call us that again," Severus said dangerously, grinning slightly as Regulus burst out laughing.
"I guess some things never change after all. Well, Severus, you're looking rather well."
"So are you," Severus noted curtly, settling against the hard seat. "Anything interesting in that Prophet?"
"When is there ever?" Narcissa said with exasperation, sitting down next to Severus.
"It occasionally rises above its usual standard of libel and slander," Regulus muttered darkly. "If only to print bad news, it appears." He tossed the paper aside with disgust. "So what has been happening for you this summer, Severus? I'm genuinely curious how you managed to get some muscle on that frame of yours."
Severus snorted. "So hard to believe?"
"Actually, it is," Regulus replied, rubbing his temple. "I never thought you were actually going to follow through with that goal. Congratulations, by the way."
Severus shrugged. "It didn't come without a lot of work. All I can say is that the results certainly paid off." More than you'll ever know, too, he thought, thinking of his growing relationship with his father and his friendship with Roxanne. I'm going to have to keep that quiet too…
"They certainly did," Narcissa said with satisfaction, as if Severus was a prize project finally reaching completion. "Didn't we say from the start that it would work out?"
"Actually, if I remember correctly, you both thought it would be nearly impossible to finish my list," Severus replied wryly. "Which I still haven't done, by the way."
"What are you thinking about next?"
Severus shrugged. "Right now I'm going to hold back a bit and see if she notices, but judging how well I've been recognized, I doubt that's even a possibility. Honestly, do I really look that different?"
"You've changed, Severus," Regulus said patiently, "and let's face it, you worked hard to maintain a low profile in Slytherin. Despite Lily's popularity –"
"And who knows how long that's going to last," Narcissa added with a smirk that made Severus feel a twinge of unease.
"– The fact was that your 'relationship' wasn't noticeable, at least not to immediate attention. You kept things quiet – you had to, given the way Slytherin is – and I doubt that most people ever figured things out. That being said, the reason nobody has recognized you is because, well, despite you being a rather unique personality at our school –"
"That's an understatement," Narcissa muttered.
"You were pretty much ignored," Regulus finished, glaring at Narcissa. "Really, did you develop a habit or something of interrupting me?"
Narcissa smiled sweetly. "Perhaps."
"So you're saying that I was a non-entity?" Severus asked, perplexed and a bit angry. It makes sense – hell, Slughorn may have respected my potions prowess, but the rest of the time, I might not have even existed…
Narcissa shrugged. "That's not a bad thing, Severus. Your plan will be all the more surprising, because nobody will see it coming."
"It's a tabula rasa," Severus muttered.
"What was that?"
"Nothing, nothing," Severus said quickly, ignoring Regulus' strange look. It's a good thing I didn't have a wand in my hand, thinking about it… hell, I could have provoked some sort of magical reaction, and the term 'blank slate' is one I'd rather not utilize for a spell! Too many variables…
"So what does that paper say anyways?" he asked, reaching for where Regulus had thrown the paper. Smoothing it out carefully, he spotted the headline and the large photograph beneath it. Looks like Dumbledore's giving some kind of speech, and from some of the faces, most of the listeners aren't too happy…
"It's about Dumbledore's new 'changes' for the school," Regulus spat. "Dear Merlin, I'm surprised you haven't heard more, it's been the talk of our world all summer."
"My parents don't get the Prophet, and the one time you managed to mention it, you were remarkably sparse with details," Severus replied testily.
Narcissa sighed with exasperation. "I'll explain, Regulus, just calm down. Severus, you remember when Dumbledore was talking about 'big changes' happening at Hogwarts, right?"
"Some sort of Muggle social activities and casual days incorporated into the school calendar, right?" Severus asked slowly.
"Right. Well, as you well know, most of our culture holds such Muggle things as completely beneath them – and in nearly all cases, they're completely right – and they've been fighting to have Dumbledore's plans halted for this year. Problem is, Dumbledore's got a lot of support from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, especially considering the Dark Lord's recent…"
"Activities," Regulus finished darkly. "Call it that."
"It's more than that, Regulus!"
"I know, I've heard the line every bloody day at home," Regulus snarled. "What do you think I hear from Mother every day since Sirius bolted? 'It's a just crusade, it will free our sons and daughters from Muggle filth, the Dark Lord's finally going to restore the order to what it should be –"
"From someone who grew up in a Black household, you should know better than to hold such disdain!" Narcissa spat. "What are you, some Muggle-loving freak like the Weasleys?"
"Cissy, I'm not denying that my parents have salient arguments – although I think Mother's going a bit around the twist since Sirius left – but when you hear the same bloody thing all summer? Honestly, it gets frustrating and annoying!"
Severus immediately noticed the uncertainty in Regulus' voice and tensed. This is interesting… from the sounds of it, his parents are trying to drive him towards the Death Eaters, if only to redeem the family name. And Regulus – surprisingly – is wavering. He doesn't know what he wants either, and he feels like he's under enormous pressure… hell with feelings, he knows he's under enormous pressure!
And part of that pressure is because of me, he thought with a sudden pang of recognition. He's seen what I have done and what that idiot Black has done… he could be looking for a way out…
Or he could be looking for an excuse to vent against something, the snide little voice of his rational mind remarked. He's a year younger than Narcissa and I too – dear God, I hope he doesn't start looking towards me as a role model or something!
Narcissa tossed her hair back with disgust. "At least I know where I'm going after Hogwarts. Regulus, haven't you considered that? Are you going to pull a Sirius and cut and run?"
"Merlin, no!" Regulus exclaimed. "I'm not that crazy! It's just… just… well, when you get a load of ideology shoved down your throat over a summer, you resent it a bit!"
"It's our culture and way of life, Regulus!" Narcissa spat, looking as if she could hardly believe they were even having the conversation. "Take it like a man and a pureblood of good standing!"
"Enough, Narcissa," Severus said curtly, finally leaning in. "I had my doubts too, and you didn't criticize me for them last year. What makes Regulus any different?"
Narcissa looked like she was lost for words, like she couldn't even decide where to begin. She conceded to huff with exasperation and gesture towards the paper.
"To come back to our topic, Dumbledore's got a lot of support for his little scheme in the Ministry – both Magical Law Enforcement and the Aurors are backing it. Of course, other divisions of the Ministry haven't been so eager to accept Dumbledore's blood treason, and that includes the school governors."
"Then why didn't they just shut the whole thing down?" Severus asked with exasperation, chancing a glance out the window to see green fields and white clouds rushing by. Making fairly good time… surprising how quickly this trip has gone…
Narcissa leaned close and lowered her voice, a trace of a smirk on her lips. "Because Barty Crouch has people in the Department of Magical Finance."
"And that's relevant how?"
"Think about it, Severus," Regulus said, rubbing his temple. "Gringotts may have vaults, gold, and tremendous amounts of goblins accounting for everything, but a sizable sector of witches and wizards also work in finance. The goblins tolerate them with a degree of disdain, but they're tolerated just the same. Besides, the Ministry needs to collect and manage its tax money somehow." Regulus snorted with exasperation. "Goblins may be the bankers, but the Ministry's never been comfortable with their tax management, so we have our own accounting divisions in Magical Finance. Keeps those avaricious little fiends away."
Severus thought he could see where Crouch's manipulations were going. "So Crouch has a group of accountants on his side."
"Worse than that," Narcissa said darkly, her smirk replaced with a disgusted scowl. "He has auditors."
Ah. "And the old families that have school governors or influence in the Ministry don't want their dealings audited and brought before the Wizengamot."
"And it gets better," Regulus said with a twisted smile. "Crouch is leaning on the Prophet to try and circulate news about what the Dark Lord's been doing. He's trying to manipulate public opinion. So if any of his 'friends' in Magical Finance were able to audit one of the old families, and find out that they were funneling gold to the Dark Lord, he could leak that to the Prophet, disgrace the family, and bolster his own ambitions."
Severus looked sharply at Regulus. "He's trying to force Acontine out of office, isn't he?"
"Not openly," Narcissa spoke up. "Mostly, he's hoping for an 'early retirement', but with the money that Lucius' father is giving him, that's not likely going to happen. Crouch's gold can't match Malfoy's, and besides, a few people have realized that Crouch's family is just as old and pureblood as any."
"So is Potter's," Severus pointed out, his brow furrowing slightly. "Did anyone think that particular slur would even work?"
"Surprisingly, it did," Narcissa said with a satisfied smile. "The mud-slinging only got worse as the summer went on, as the half-bloods and Mud – oh, all right, Muggleborns – that read the Prophet were getting scared that the Dark Lord would be coming for them soon."
"It probably wasn't the best idea to polarize sections of the magical community like this," Severus said with a scowl. "Didn't Dumbledore realize that before going into this?"
"He's worked really hard to stay above all of the politics, although he's outspoken against the Dark Lord," Regulus said, grudgingly impressed. "Of course, the Prophet likes to parade his name in front of everything when the real dirt is being brought out by Crouch and the others, but he hasn't even commented on that. I've got to say, the man's a sly bastard when he wants to be."
"The old coot's going senile if he thinks the Dark Lord or the old families are going to take this lying down," Narcissa spat, visibly angry now. "And he's clearly showing where his allegiance lies – I'd be surprised if the bloody Gryffindors don't win every single House event this year…"
"Narcissa, Dumbledore's not stupid," Severus said cautiously. "He's just doing what he thinks is right to take down the Dark Lord. And I will give him credit for this and I stand by what I told Regulus earlier – too many wizards are completely ignorant about Muggles, and it is completely embarrassing that we look like fools whenever we are among them. Frankly, even I'm a bit surprised at the arrogance of the old families in this."
Narcissa nearly went purple with indignation and fury. "Watch your tongue, Severus –"
"It's true, Narcissa! Look, I'm not advocating for Muggle superiority or any of that, but if they are our enemies – a big 'if', given that they outnumber us ten thousand to one, if not more – wouldn't it make more tactical sense to know more about them?"
"We have no need to study inferior creatures –"
"Says the tyrant before he's overthrown," Severus said, a smirk on his face. "There's nothing special about what I'm saying, Narcissa – it's cold, rational logic."
"Taking Muggle Studies this term, then?" Regulus asked slyly.
Severus snorted with disgust. "I get enough Muggle reality every time I go back home, and everyone knows that Professor Fenwick is completely incompetent. It would be a waste of my timetable. In any case, so how did this whole mess resolve? Did the appeal ever go through?"
Regulus snorted. "Yeah, the school governors went to the Wizengamot, and a fat load it did them, given that most of the court is on Crouch's payroll. It was laughable. So now Dumbledore's got his new rules, his fashion consultant, and Crouch got a nice political boost."
"Then why is the headline 'Dumbledore's Dangerous Dare?'" Severus asked, picking up the paper. "Did one of the old families pay off the Prophet?"
"Not really," Narcissa replied with a disgusted shrug. "The rag just doesn't like or trust Dumbledore – probably because the senile old blighter sees right through them. A hefty donation for 'infrastructure benefits' from the Malfoy family didn't hurt, though."
"I bet it didn't," Severus agreed, looking out the window again. The silence was broken by the arrival of the trolley, from which Regulus bought an armful of assorted candy. Both Severus and Narcissa declined. It's not like I have much of a sweet tooth anyways or can afford it, Severus thought, but why isn't Narcissa getting anything?
"Severus, you know we're going to have to talk about this 'relationship' thing sooner or later," Narcissa finally began, her tone measured and cautious. "Do you mind if I speak, well, frankly?"
"Depends, really," Severus replied uncomfortably. "Do you want Regulus to stay in here? I mean, he already knows the details, but if it makes things too awkward –"
"I grew up with Sirius, Severus," Regulus said with a huff. "After you hear some of his exploits, nothing becomes awkward anymore."
"I don't want details, Regulus... well, Narcissa?"
"He can stay," she said after a second of thought, "but you already know that you're sworn to secrecy, right?"
Regulus rolled his eyes. "I was expecting that – and… well, you're going to need a good plan. Look, you have to realize that this is going to be pretty hard for people to buy. Narcissa, you're practically betrothed to Lucius, and Severus is, well…"
"Fill in the blank with one of Potter's soon-to-be-defunct insults," Severus added wryly, a note of cool triumph in his voice.
"Right. Well, both of those facts, in terms of gossip, are well known enough that any shift in the paradigm will spark a lot of interest."
"I can handle most the girls," Narcissa said, rubbing her chin in thought. "I've got enough in my dormitory that can't keep their mouths shut, so if I give them gossip, they'll be sure to spread it. I can feed them the information that we want."
"The trouble will be in convincing the male population of the school," Regulus said, blowing out a quick breath, "and that won't be easy. The people who will be hardest to fool will be the seventh years, the damned Marauders, and –"
"Evan Rosier," Severus finished. "It isn't like he won't believe, though – he just won't care that I'm dating Narcissa and will continue with his own advances. I'm a nonentity to him, remember?"
"And that means any sort of efforts towards warding them off has to come from you, Severus," Narcissa said decisively. "You've got to assert your presence in the school."
"Rosier won't like that, and nor will the Marauders," Regulus said coolly. "And I can see that a group of seventh-years won't be too pleased about it either. A few of them still fear and respect you, despite what Sirius and his friends have done."
Severus snorted. "They don't fear or respect me; Malfoy's just got a long reach."
"That's true, but that could also be an asset for you," Regulus said thoughtfully. "You could say that Malfoy broke up with Narcissa because of 'personal reasons' and that you have permission to court her with his full 'blessing'."
Severus choked back laughter. "You honestly think people would buy that load of dragon dung?"
"It was just an idea!"
"But it might just be the trick," Narcissa said with a smile. "It would keep the Slytherins and some of the other seventh-years off of your case. Wouldn't work well with the Gryffindors, but we really don't have anything that might placate them."
"You know that when… well, when Miss Lily Evans finds out that you're dating Narcissa, Severus, she's going to be furious," Regulus said slowly, a dull flush creeping into his face.
Narcissa snorted with disdain. "She's a big girl, she can handle it."
"That doesn't help me here, Narcissa," Severus said icily. "If I'm trying to win her back, it would be better if I don't earn her undying enmity."
"Assuming you don't already have it," Regulus muttered.
Half the train away, Sirius was pacing inside the tiny compartment, his quick strides nearly bowling Peter over in his seat.
"Oh, would you calm down, Padfoot?" James finally snapped with irritation. "Look, I know you're as worried about Remus as I am, but there's nothing we can really do about it."
"I want to know why he didn't show up the train," Sirius said worriedly. "Or why he didn't answer any of our letters. Do you think…?"
"Do I think what?"
"Voldemort?" Sirius asked in a low voice. "The Death Eaters?"
"No," James replied emphatically. "We would have heard something about it; it would have been in the Prophet. The Death Eaters would have loved that headline: 'DEFIANT STUDENT STRUCK DOWN'."
"Couldn't he have just missed the train?" Peter asked, chewing on his fingernails. "I mean, it's not like he lives real close to the station."
"Can't rule that out, Wormtail," James admitted. "And in that case, there's nothing we can do about it anyways. Padfoot, why don't you just sit down before you tread a hole through the floor?"
Sirius sighed and finally slid into a seat. "I dunno… I guess I'm just a bit nervous about Remus, and that damned bet I made with Rosier…"
"Just relax about that, will you?" James said impatiently. "We've been over this a hundred times this summer, and you've got the advantage, not him! What were the points again?"
"Five for a snog, ten for a good make-out session, fifteen for… well, the stuff in between, and twenty for the shag," Sirius said dully. "We need a better name for the third one."
"Yeah, 'the stuff in between' lacks a certain degree of polish you bring to the endeavor," James remarked with a grin. "Would you just relax, Padfoot? You've got most of the female population of Hogwarts in your pants before – you've just got to do it all over again."
"Talk about awkward," Sirius muttered. "Some of those girls won't even speak to me anymore."
"In all due fairness, you did dump them right after you shagged them," James said, his bracing tones very measured. After all, he knew better than anyone some of the lengths some girls had gone to get revenge on Sirius Black after he broke their hearts. "But come on, you've got a better shot than Rosier. I mean, it's Evan Rosier!"
"He's nearly as good-looking as me, he's got as much money, and reportedly he's a better kisser," Sirius muttered grimly, scratching his chin with the air of a veteran contemplating his next battle. "He'll be tough to beat."
"Padfoot, he doesn't have half of the charm you have," Peter remarked with a hint of a grin.
"And how would you know that, Wormtail?" James asked mockingly. "Coming out of the closet anytime soon? Has Padfoot already ensnared you with his wily charms?"
Peter flushed slightly, but he played along, his smile growing wider and wider every second. "Oh, sweet Sirius, I have longed for you since that beautiful day where your eyes set upon my miserable soul, and I was lifted into an empyrean state –"
"You know the word 'empyrean'?"
"Shut up, Prongs, I'm trying to compose a melodramatic treatment for dear Sirius here!"
"We never should have given him a dictionary for his birthday," James muttered. "Even as a joke."
"Although this 'melodramatic treatment' sounds intriguing," Sirius mused. "Is it like a massage, but with tasteful bits of poetry thrown in? I could probably go for one of those…"
The three of them burst out laughing, and when the trolley passed their compartment, they could barely muster the strength to get their money out.
Lily slumped into the compartment, all hints of her feigned smile finally gone. "Thank God that's over. I swear, we have the worst batch of first years ever this year."
Mary smiled consolingly. "Prefect duties bad again?"
"I swear, I think they're getting worse. Dumbledore must have gone crazy to choose me for this job," Lily said, running a hand through her disheveled hair. "I think I broke up at least three fights in the corridor…"
"Dumbledore knew what he was doing," Athena Moon, a fellow Gryffindor lounging at the back of the compartment, drawled. "I mean, who else is honestly responsible enough to do it?"
"Certainly not you," Mary replied with disgust. "I'm surprised you're even back this year, Athena. After your O.W.L.'s…"
"I had other priorities on my mind, thank you very much," Athena replied with a huff. Lily didn't even bother to get involved in the usual argument. Athena was everything that Mary wasn't – tall, gorgeous, and possessed with the nerve to get into as much trouble as he wanted and talk her way out of it. The only girl on the Gryffindor Quidditch team and the only female Beater in the school (opposite Sirius Black), she had a reputation for toughness and crass insincerity that Lily knew she partially deserved. Unfortunately, her wit didn't carry over into her schoolwork, and Lily knew that it would have been a struggle for her to have passed her exams. Hell, given the way I was coming out of exams, the same thing could have been said about me! At least I passed Transfiguration…
Mary tossed her hair back and frowned. "Did you at least hear anything interesting?"
"Other than that Nicholas Avery is dating Marlene McKinnon?" Lily asked tiredly. "Not really."
The other girl in the compartment, a short brunette that Lily knew as Catherine Ryans, shot up quickly with her manic brown eyes widening. "What? Avery's dating Marlene? What could she be thinking? Oh my god, why didn't I hear about this –"
"Cool down, Catherine, I don't know all the details," Lily replied, a bit alarmed by the girl's reaction. Despite being a Gryffindor, the half-blood girl had a reputation for spreading gossip all over the school to further her own ambitions. Lily knew well enough that Catherine wanted to be at the top of the 'popularity ladder', and that she would lie and spread rumors to get there. Despite all that, Lily put up with the brunette, if only for the facts that she was brilliant in Arithmancy and tended to be a decent person to attend parties with. I don't exactly 'like' her, but she's loyal enough as a friend…
"Cathy, don't get your knickers in a twist, you'll find out soon enough anyways," Athena said with disgust. "Honestly, the world won't end if you don't find out about everything in everyone else's life."
"How would you know that?"
"It's a decent guess," Lily replied, a grin growing on her face. She also knew that Catherine tended to blow things out of proportion and that she was more naïve than the typical Hogwarts student. Odd for a chronic gossip, but it makes for an interesting contrast…
"Seen Snape yet?" Athena asked suddenly.
"Haven't looked," Lily replied curtly, "and I'm not planning to."
"It wouldn't hurt you to talk to him, Lily," Mary pleaded. "I mean, didn't he say he was sorry?"
"And now you're taking his side?" Lily erupted, her eyes blazing with barely controlled anger.
"And you get on our asses for being out of control," Athena remarked with a snort. "Lily, get a grip."
"I have a grip," Lily replied coolly, but there was a hesitant edge in her voice that she couldn't hide.
"You haven't let him go, Lily, and don't even try denying it," Athena replied with a roll of her eyes. "Either talk to him or get over it. I mean, the drama with you and James and Snape was entertaining, but after a while, it just got old."
Lily slumped. "I… I just don't know –"
"Lily, we care about you," Mary said heatedly, "and we don't want to see you get hurt. If you don't want to talk to Snape – can't say I disagree – why don't you talk to James? He'd love for that to happen."
Lily snorted. "Please. He's like Black, he only wants to shag. He wants a 'trophy girlfriend' to go with his Quidditch captaincy. And guess what – I'm not gonna be that girl."
"At least she's got that priority in order," Catherine whispered to Mary with a smile.
"Oh shut up," Lily replied, but a grin was slowly returning to her face. "What about you three? Any boys on the horizon for you?"
Mary flushed deep red, while Athena and Catherine only huffed in a disdainful manner that Lily knew was false. Her smile widened.
"Oh come on, Athena, I know you like that seventh year Ravenclaw."
"He plays Chaser against Gryffindor," Athena said stiffly. "Conflict of interest, don't you think?"
"You're such a boy with Quidditch!" Catherine scoffed. "And besides, that Ravenclaw is a nutter."
"He's got great hair and an amazing smile."
"So does Sirius Black!"
"Girls," Lily began.
"And apparently he's a romantic, and that's so rare and adorable in today's age…"
"I don't care if he's romantic or pedantic, he doesn't have the balls to ask you out."
"Girls…"
"He's incredibly cute, Cathy, you can't deny he's got a sexy smile," Mary pointed out. "And from I read from the Prophet, those 'casual days' are a go, so I bet he would look so hot in jeans and a casual shirt –"
"I don't care what he's wearing, he's still a pussy!"
"Cathy!"
"It's true, Lily!"
"Tony Zeller is incredibly hot – nearly at Sirius or James' level," Mary said with a dreamy smile. "And he's a Quidditch captain too –"
"And he's got a great ass," Athena finished.
Catherine sputtered. "How… how would you know that?"
"I notice these things, and considering I hit Bludgers at his cute ass all the time, I am inclined to notice," Athena remarked smugly.
Lily put her head in her hands, trying to tear up from laughing. It felt surprisingly good to laugh, to be back amongst people who cared and laughed… not like Petunia… or Severus…
Don't think about him, she thought sharply. It's over, and I've got to move on. And I don't want to start crying again…
She felt the lump in her throat, and even as she reprimanded herself, she knew that getting over her feelings for Severus Snape might be harder than she thought. There hadn't been a physical connection between the two of them; it had been intellectual, emotional, on deeper levels. Nothing really tangible to break… oh, it would be so much easier if it was…
Catherine's shrill voice sounded again, and Lily put Severus out of her thoughts, as she laughed at Athena's tirade on how the 'most doable' Quidditch players (other than Sirius Black, of course) were always in different houses.
"So you couldn't find out anything about that brooch?" Narcissa asked with disappointment. "I really thought you might have cracked that thing."
"Yeah, in my spare time," Severus remarked sarcastically. "Look, I tried all the research I could, but the damned thing is tricky. Couldn't find anything in any of my textbooks, and it's not like I have a family library I have easy access to. Only thing I can do is check Hogwarts – it's the biggest magical library in Britain, and it's got to have something –"
There was a sharp rap on the door, and before Severus could get it, Nicholas Avery shoved the door open, looking harried.
"Seen any first years here, Narcissa, Regulus?"
"A few came by earlier, but we threw them out."
"Damn it! I'm trying to find a group of the little buggers that apparently dropped a load of Dungbombs halfway down the train – how they would have found time to buy the damned things, I don't know –"
"We don't tolerate the little twits here, Avery, you know that," Severus remarked wryly.
"I know you don't, it's just – Snape! Merlin's shit, is that you?"
Regulus choked back a laugh at Avery's swear, while Severus just looked mildly disgruntled. "You didn't recognize me?"
"Hells no! What happened to you? I mean… damn, what did you do? Have you been working out?"
Severus shrugged. "A bit."
"You used to be a scrawny little weed! What have you been doing?" Avery sounded more pleasantly astonished than anything. "And why are you sitting with Narcissa and Regulus?"
Severus quickly exchanged sly looks with Narcissa. Show time. He let a bit of colour into his face as he turned back to Avery.
"Well…"
"You see…"
"Oh, cut it out you two," Regulus said with exasperation. "Avery, they're going out."
Avery's eyes widened as if he had been pole-axed. "Say what?"
"We're dating… have been for a few months," Severus replied, barely holding onto his guilty tone as he struggled to control his mirth. I can't burst out laughing, I have to be serious… "Remember at Malfoy's party?"
"I couldn't go, I was down in France on holidays," Avery said with confused disappointment. "Evan mentioned something about it… said he couldn't remember much except some bet he made with Regulus' brother –"
Regulus looked stricken. "By the Dark Lord, are they still going through with it?"
"Evan's planning to, and from the sounds of it, Black is too," Avery said grimly. "So… you and Narcissa…"
Severus, to his shock, felt Narcissa's hand slide into his, and her other hand snaking up his back as she slid closer. Narcissa, slow down, he thought, struggling to keep panic off his face, we've nearly got Avery convinced already.
"Yes, we're dating," Narcissa said, her voice surprisingly sultry as she eyed an astounded Avery. "He's really become quite the man…"
"We'd prefer that you keep it quiet, Avery," Severus said softly. "The rest of the school doesn't need to know."
Avery took a deep breath. "But Narcissa, what about Lucius Malfoy? Weren't you –"
"We had a falling out," Narcissa said, her smile never dimming as she squeezed Severus' hand. "Severus has Malfoy's blessing."
"I, uh, see," Avery said, rubbing his hand over his forehead in confusion. "I should just... ah… yeah, I'll… see you around, Snape."
Severus shrugged. "Until Hogwarts, then."
Avery shut the door quickly, and they waited a few seconds until they were fairly certain the Slytherin prefect was gone.
Then all three of them burst out laughing.
"Did you see his face?" Regulus guffawed. "He ate it up!"
"We completely fooled him!" Narcissa said triumphantly, wiping away tears of laughter. "That was fantastic, Severus!"
"Credit's mostly yours, Narcissa," Severus said, chuckling to himself. "I'm surprised it went so well, frankly. Hell, you really got into it, Narcissa."
Narcissa looked at him with feigned haughtiness. "Couldn't exactly be the stern consort, could I? Had to be realistic, Severus, and I bet we'll have to do more than that to fool some of them." Her free hand clenched into a fist. "Especially Rosier."
"You're not uncomfortable with this, are you?" Severus asked, trying to his own discomfort with the whole scene. Narcissa must have been practicing or something, there's no way she's that smooth…
Narcissa smiled genuinely. "Your little endeavors this summer, Severus, only made things that much easier."
Regulus awkwardly cleared his throat. "Well, if you two star-crossed lovers are finished –"
"Regulus!"
"I can see Hogwarts," he finished, a smile spreading across his face. "Let's get our robes on."
Narcissa smoothed out her school robes as she slid out of the compartment, giving Severus and Regulus a few minutes to change. By the time Severus had extracted his new robes from his trunk (why he had packed them at the very bottom of the trunk, he couldn't understand) and pulled them on, the train had slid to a shuddering stop at Hogsmeade Station.
"Mind carrying my trunk again, Severus?" Regulus asked hopefully.
"I'm not a bloody porter, Black, haul it yourself," Severus replied irritably, as he dragged his own trunk off the train to the waiting attendants. He could hear Hagrid's bellows above the low din of chatter, and sidestepping quickly to accommodate Narcissa, they headed towards the carriages.
"After you," Severus said, gesturing towards one of the nicer carriages at the back of the line.
Narcissa's eyebrows nearly disappeared into her blonde hair. "And since when did you start behaving like a gentleman?"
"As you said, we have to make this realistic," Severus replied quickly in a low voice, but not holding back the sly grin spreading across his face. "And in any case, you wouldn't date anyone who wasn't."
"Good point."
The two quickly got in the carriage and after a few seconds of swearing, Regulus climbed in as well.
"I really ought to pack lighter," he muttered.
"It wasn't necessary to sling your trunk at the man, even if he called you a rich ponce," Severus said bracingly.
Regulus snorted. "I'm a Black, Severus. I can haul as much junk as I want with me, and people will just have to accept it."
"Ah, so you're admitting that it's junk."
Regulus was about to snap an angry retort, but to Severus' surprise, Nicholas Avery approached the door.
"Look, I don't want to intrude, but… well, can I join you?" he blurted, his face going scarlet with embarrassment.
"Why aren't you riding with McKinnon?" Narcissa asked sharply.
"She's riding with her friends, and we're going to meet later tonight anyways," Avery replied uncomfortably. "And Rosier's currently in a carriage with Mulciber, Lestrange, and Crouch, and it's not like… well…"
"We get it," Severus said quickly, pointing at the last empty seat. With a grateful sigh, Avery sat down.
"Thanks, people."
"What I don't understand is why you don't stand up to Rosier," Narcissa said testily. "Honestly, Avery, you're a prefect. You might not be able to influence them, but surely you can get them to exercise some restraint."
"Since when did you care?"
"We know about the bet, Avery," Regulus said quietly. "Rosier talking a lot about that?"
"Are you kidding?" Avery said, clearly exasperated. "He's planning on putting up his bloody tally sheet in our dormitory. In my opinion, it's his business, not ours. And after what he said about Marlene…" His voice trailed off, but Severus noticed his hands clench into white-knuckled fists. There's some serious enmity there, he thought with a jolt of surprise. Guess Rosier doesn't have such a good grip on the prefect after all…
The carriage ride went surprisingly quick, and before Severus realized it, they were at the massive front doors of the castle. Disembarking quickly (Avery making a hasty departure as soon as he saw Marlene McKinnon with the other Ravenclaw girls), they headed up the front steps. Severus' heart was hammering in his chest, like he was a stage performer making his big debut.
To his shock, he felt Narcissa's hand slide into his again. "Are you ready for this?" she whispered breathily.
"As I'll ever be," Severus murmured.
And with that, he walked through the massive oaken doors into the Entrance Hall.
To his surprise (and mild disappointment), there was very little reaction to his arrival. Most of the students were chatting lightly in the hall or had already entered the Great Hall for dinner. Like always, he thought, even as the usual thrill surged in his stomach as he began to cross the white marble floor.
"Remus! Moony!"
The bellowed shout came simultaneously from James Potter and Sirius Black as they saw their friend, leaning heavily against the far wall by the crystal hourglasses that marked house points. From Severus' vantage point, Lupin looked better than when he had been huddled on the park bench a few weeks earlier, but he still appeared somewhat haggard. His face lit up, though, when his friends pulled him into a tight hug and slapped him on the back with relief.
Severus could see Lupin smile as he let go of his friends, but his smile vanished in a second when he saw Severus walking towards the hall with Narcissa, wearing brand-new robes, his hair glistening in the reflected candlelight.
Their eyes met in a second, and Severus was pleased to see Lupin's brown eyes widen. You recognize me, werewolf. Pity your friends didn't…
Then their line of sight was broken, and Severus entered the Great Hall with a smug smile on his face.
"What are you so happy about?" Narcissa asked with a quick nudge.
"I'll tell you later," Severus replied quickly as they settled down at the Slytherin table. Narcissa sat between him and Regulus, with an exasperated Avery quickly sitting down across from them, followed by a few seventh-year boys that Severus knew as Amycus Carrow, Jason Yaxley, and the Slytherin Quidditch Captain, Octavian Baddock. Severus tensed instantly – he had seen both Carrow and Yaxley at Malfoy's party speaking with Rodolphus Lestrange, and was willing to bet that they were on the fast track to the Dark Mark.
Severus also noted with relief that Rosier had decided to position himself at the end of the table, where he was loudly regaling a group of giggling fourth and fifth year girls with what might have been a funny story if it wasn't so crude.
Now where is she? She's definitely here somewhere… ah…
He was surprised he nearly didn't recognize her. Tousled auburn hair, a good inch or two longer than it was the previous year, and a very assertive gait to her steps nearly made Severus miss her in the crowd around the Gryffindor table. She's lost weight too… her uniform was never that loose on her before… she still looks beautiful, though…
A quick elbow to his gut brought him back to reality.
"You were staring," Narcissa whispered, "and you've got to see this."
"See what?" Severus said irritably, turning away from the Gryffindor table.
"Take a look at the staff table."
Sighing with exasperation, Severus turned towards the table and frowned. That's strange, I recognize Slughorn, Flitwick, and Sprout, and it doesn't look like Fenwick or Kettleburn left – a damn shame, too. Cramer hasn't left either – good thing, considering that he was talking about retiring, and he's the best Arithmancy professor in Europe. And Dumbledore's still there, obviously. But who's…
He frowned and nearly snorted in disdain. "Who's that?"
"Who's what?" Regulus asked.
"The woman in the Muggle clothes!" Severus hissed quickly. "What the hell is she doing here? She's dressed like a Muggle – albeit more professionally than you typically see…"
Narcissa drummed her fingers on the table in thought. "It could be that 'Muggle fashion consultant' Dumbledore was talking about, I really don't see who else it could be…"
Severus took another look at the woman. Dressed simply in a black pinstriped Muggle blazer and skirt, she wore black spectacles, her nut-brown hair pulled into a severe (yet artfully messy) bun, and a strangely cheery smile that contrasted dramatically with her clothes. She looks like she's thrilled to be here – but I guess I could sympathize with that. Hell, Slughorn looks almost as happy to see her as Dumbledore is…
But it was the man on the other side of the table that made Severus whistle slowly, for as Muggle as the woman looked, this man looked as magical. His black hair was thickly braided and held back by a heavy pair of polarized steel goggles. The strange goggles only seemed to emphasize his pale, scarred skin, black goatee, and white-blue eyes, which darted around the room as a disturbing speed. As for his 'robes' (and Severus would hesitate to even call them robes), they bordered on eccentric at best and downright bizarre at worst. Lined with bright yellow trim and held together by glossy black leather, they looked more like an incomplete suit of Dark Ages armor than anything else. What was strangest of all was the man's left arm: matte black with sharp tips at the fingers, it was lined with strange glowing golden runes that seemed to shift even as Severus was watching them. I'd say that he was wearing a tight glove, but somehow it doesn't seem like that… it's almost like it's a false limb entirely! But how the hell does he have such good control of it?
"Bet he's the new Defense Against The Dark Arts professor," Severus muttered quickly. "He has to be – after the past five, Dumbledore must have gotten desperate and hired the craziest, toughest-looking nutter her could find…"
"Looks dangerous, if anything," Regulus whispered back. "Seems like an Auror, if anything. Probably don't want to get on the wrong side of him –"
Severus had stopped listening. His eyes were now on Dumbledore, who had suddenly risen to his feet. His eyes were glinting like usual, but there was haggardness to Dumbledore's face that Severus hadn't seen before. He doesn't look very well… and if the rumors are true, it wouldn't solely be because of the infighting in the Ministry. If he's really running a group that are fighting against the Dark Lord…
The doors of the hall banged open, and Professor McGonagall, looking as stern as always, led the motley line of first years into the hall. Severus frowned at their lack of respect. They're only first years, they shouldn't be that rowdy. Ah well, the older house members will beat some sense into them in a few days anyway…
Lightly placing the Sorting Hat on the stool, McGonagall read out the names with the same crisp professionalism that she taught her classes, and Severus began to listen attentively. But as the Sorting carried on, he felt his attention waning and his gaze drifting across the Hall.
His eyes returned to the new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher, who was watching the Sorting with an almost disturbing focus. He has to be an Auror, Severus thought to himself. No one else would have that much patience or wariness…
"Why can't the Sorting be after we eat?" Narcissa complained as the Hufflepuff table accepted another student. "Make the stupid first-years miss a meal. I don't eat a lot, and even I'm getting hungry."
Severus felt his stomach rumble in agreement as his eyes swept the hall. Much to his disappointment, it still appeared that he had barely been recognized. Hadn't exactly planned on this, he thought with disappointment, leaning back in his chair as he watched the last of the students approach the stool with the Sorting Hat.
Finally, when the last of the first years had been sorted – a surprising number of Hufflepuffs, but a fairly even spread across the houses – Dumbledore finally stood up as the Transfiguration professor took the Sorting Hat away.
"I have many words to say to you all," Dumbledore began in a cheerful voice, "but such news is best absorbed on a full stomach. Tuck in!"
Food appeared on the tables, and Severus grinned with satisfaction as he piled roast beef and salad on his plate. Father would definitely be satisfied with the food here, and it's not like I'm going to abandon my workout plans either…
"Uh, Severus?"
"Yes, Regulus?"
"Are you honestly going to eat all that?" Regulus was incredulous. "Didn't they feed you at home?"
Severus slid some of his meat to the side of his plate as he took another spoonful of salad. "Of course they did, but now that I'm here, I'm going to savor what Hogwarts has to offer."
"From the looks of things, you're going to be savoring food for all of Slytherin!" Narcissa said with a smile. "And why aren't you having potatoes?"
Severus snorted. "They have no protein, and are mostly just filler food anyways. I prefer something with substance."
"You've changed, Snape," Avery said, a suspicious look on his face.
"Only for the better, in my opinion," Narcissa said with a smug smile. Severus could barely restrain from rolling his eyes.
"So when are Quidditch tryouts, Baddock?" Regulus asked the burly Quidditch captain, who was shoveling food into his mouth with gusto.
Baddock shrugged his thick shoulders. "Not probably till mid-September. I need to get a good handle on N.E.W.T. level homework this term before we start. I hope you were actually following the training program I sent you – not like last year…"
"It's not my fault my bloody brother crashed my broom that year, I've told you that!" Regulus replied furiously. "And I've been trying to train, but we couldn't get out much to any of the estates this year – you know what the Ministry's been like!"
"You're going to have to train hard if you want that Seeker spot again this year, Black," Yaxley grunted, his brutal face scowling as he glared at Regulus. "We've got tough competition this year in both Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, and we all know that the damned Gryffindors are no pushovers either, especially with Moon, Potter, and your brother on the team. Plus we lost people last year and we've got positions that need to be filled…"
Regulus paled slightly, but his eyes were still set with hard determination. "I'll be on the team."
Severus leaned close to Narcissa. "He hasn't been training at all this summer, has he?"
Narcissa shrugged. "Not as far as I know, but he's been… well, occupied."
"Hey, Snape, have you seen the recent news?" Avery said, pulling a crumpled copy of the Daily Prophet from his pocket. "The preliminary sales on Dolohov's book 'Wit of the Duelist' are starting to look good, and it's already climbing the sellers' lists!"
Severus smirked to himself. Guess it was a good idea to invest after all. "I didn't see that in the Prophet, where was it?"
"Fourth or fifth page in," Avery replied, sliding the paper over to Severus, which he folded to the correct page. "It would have made headlines, but Dumbledore's story pretty much blew everything else out of the water."
"It's bloody blood treason," Yaxley growled. "How Dumbledore thinks he can get away with this, I can't even begin to fathom, but there will be retribution." He lowered his voice as he eyed Avery and Severus. "And you both know where that retribution will be coming from."
Avery swallowed hard. "I… I know, Yaxley. You know where my allegiances lie."
The beefy Quidditch player turned to Severus. "And you… Snape?"
"I've already spoken on this matter with Lucius Malfoy," Severus said calmly, neatly taking another slice of meat for his plate. "He and I have worked out an arrangement."
Yaxley cocked an eyebrow. "Lucius Malfoy, you say? He's in good favour – nearly the inner circle from what I heard…"
"He vouches for my decision," Severus said calmly, taking a swig of his water. "There will be no issues with me."
"Good, good," Yaxley mused to himself. "I can pass along that information. And by the way," he added with a smirk, "I'm impressed with your little advancements. Fine work – I'm sure he'd approve. He always likes it when we take action to better ourselves for the cause."
Severus clenched his fist under the table and gave Yaxley a curt nod as he turned back to his food. Inside, his gut was churning. From the sounds of things, the Dark Lord still wants my services, but Malfoy's name still has a lot of weight. It looks like at least Yaxley bought it – although if he thinks I changed for the Dark Lord, he's sadly mistaken…
The rest of dinner passed quickly. Narcissa and Regulus bickered about Black family politics, while the seventh-years argued about Quidditch. Before Severus knew it, dessert had been cleared and Dumbledore had gotten to his feet.
"Well, now that you all have begun to get acquainted – or reacquainted – with your fellow classmates, I do have some announcements before we begin this wonderful school year!" Dumbledore smiled broadly as he gestured towards the staff table. "First, I'd like to welcome your new Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher, Professor Nathaniel Charon."
There was a smattering of polite applause, broken by several whispers at the new professor's eccentric appearance. For his part, the new professor only raised his right hand with detached acknowledgement while his white-blue eyes scanned the room.
"Quidditch tryouts will begin soon," Dumbledore continued, "and please speak with your team captains and Heads of House if you wish to try out. Our caretaker, Mr. Filch, would also like to remind all of you that there is no magic in the corridors, and our gamekeeper, Mr. Hagrid, would like to remind you that the Forbidden Forest is forbidden for a reason. He would also like to remind you all that the Whomping Willow is a very dangerous plant, and that students should avoid it at all costs if they don't want to lose an eye."
The corners of Dumbledore's mouth twitched slightly, and Severus rolled his eyes. Of course, the old bastard would think it funny that Davey Gudgeon nearly lost an eye, but I know that he doesn't think it's that funny when a certain young Slytherin nearly gets killed getting past it…
Dumbledore raised a hand to quiet the Hall, which had broken out into a few discordant conversations, which immediately broke up at Dumbledore's gesture. Severus took a deep breath: he knew what was coming.
"Now, as many of you may be aware of, there has been an alteration to school policy over the summer. After some intense debate, we have decided to create several new events in Hogwarts that may prove to be of your interest. Given the rising activity of the man known today as Lord Voldemort," (nearly the entire hall gasped and began to whisper at the sound of the name) "the Ministry believes it is appropriate for you all to learn to appreciate the world that surrounds us – the Muggle world."
There was definite action now, as several Gryffindors whooped, while the Slytherins let out a mingled groan and muttered curse. And for all of your advocating of house unity, Severus thought bitterly, you had to find a way to polarize us again. Thanks a lot, Dumbledore.
"The Muggle world," Dumbledore continued, his voice rising slightly, "is not one to be taken lightly by anyone. Muggles outnumber wizards, by some estimates, at a rate of over ten thousand to one. They have had a profound impact upon our world, and their advances within the realms of mathematics, science, sociology, and philosophy have been astounding. Seven years ago, American Muggles launched a mechanical device that allowed them to set foot on the moon, something no wizard has ever done. To deny their contributions to our culture would be ignorant to the point of supreme arrogance.
"That is why, this year, certain Muggle social activities will be incorporated into the Hogwarts school system, for the benefit of all students. Each Friday, students will be encouraged to dress as Muggles during classes. Furthermore, once every month, there will be a Muggle social activity in which students can participate, to be determined, organized, and chaperoned by the teachers."
The whispering was getting louder, and Severus heard several cheers erupt from the Gryffindor table. The Slytherins simply looked mutinous. Most of the staff didn't appear to be especially pleased either – Professor McGonagall, in particular, had a muscle twitching visibly in her jaw.
"Why does McGonagall look so upset?"
"Probably because these 'social activities' are going to be an organizational nightmare," Narcissa whispered back, "and you know how much she loves structure and order."
"To aid us in our efforts, I am very pleased to introduce Hogwarts' first ever fashion and social consultant, Professor Miranda Feylen, who will also join Professor Fenwick in the occasional Muggle Studies class to provide her expert opinion." There was a bit more applause as the woman stood and offered a cheery wave to the students, looking incredibly out of place amongst the other professors.
Over half of the Slytherins were glaring at her with pure, concentrated loathing.
"I urge you all to work together with Professor Feylen so these new measures can provide a greater level of understanding and maturity to all of you," Dumbledore said with a wide smile. "Now, as I sure you wish to discuss these matters in detail, you are all dismissed for bed. Good night!"
Severus and Narcissa rose immediately and looked carefully at each other.
"Want to head back to the dormitory?" she whispered with a sly smile.
"Not just yet," Severus replied quickly, scanning the room. "I need to speak with Dumbledore or Slughorn quickly."
"What about?"
"I'll explain later. Go with Regulus and Avery – you'll be safe."
Narcissa sighed. "I bloody hate this, you know. I don't want to have to hide from Rosier."
Severus' eyes were steely. "If everything works out the way I've planned it, you shouldn't have to worry about him ever again."
Remus saw Snape stand up and speak to Narcissa, and then begin to move towards the staff table. Damn, he's not for sticking around…
Getting up, he quickly moved down the table to where Lily was already standing, shouting for the unruly first years to get ready. He had already told his friends to go up without him – he had business that he needed to attend to.
"Lily!"
"Lupin! Thank God you're here, can you help me with these brats?" she asked, her hair already getting disheveled.
"I need to stay around here for a few minutes, I've got business with the Headmaster. Can you handle them?"
Lily went red. "Damn it, Remus Lupin, you aren't going to leave me to deal with all of them by myself!"
Remus gave her a pleading look. "Lily, this is important…"
She let out a long, exasperated breath. "Fine, but you owe me one, Lupin."
Well, that went better than I expected, Remus thought with relief as he moved back towards the staff table.
"So you're saying that there is a way I can get a letter through Muggle post?" Severus persisted. "You're sure you can arrange that?"
Professor Dumbledore gave Severus a warm smile. "Mr. Snape, I'd be delighted to help. Hogwarts does have ways so that Muggle-borns can receive their school letters via Muggle post, and for other reasons –"
"I know," Severus cut him off, already remembering Petunia Evans' livid face when she discovered Severus had read her conciliatory letter from Hogwarts. "But will you do it? She can't discover that it's from Hogwarts."
"If you're sure, Mr. Snape, I can arrange for it," Dumbledore replied cheerfully. "Drop off the letter tomorrow during dinner, and I will ensure that it is delivered."
Severus let out a sigh of relief. Well, at least that's taken care of, he thought. "Thank you, Professor," he replied, already turning away…
And coming face-to-face with Remus Lupin.
"Snape, I want to talk to you."
"Lupin, you're in my way, and I'm in a hurry. Do you have business with Dumbledore?"
"Actually, I do, but I want to talk to you first," Lupin replied, flushing deeply. "I just… well… I just want to thank you for, you know… getting me here. Getting me off the streets."
"Why, Lupin, I never would have guessed you were going to apologize," Severus replied, trying to keep the snide tone out of his voice. "You do appear more sincere than that oaf Potter, though, so I'll take your apology for what it is. Good night, Lupin." And with that, Severus strode away, thankful that he had discovered a way to communicate with Roxanne, and furious that Lupin hadn't interrogated him about Narcissa. He didn't even mention it, and that means Lily hasn't said anything… or noticed at all… bloody wonderful…
Narcissa hastily combed out her hair as she examined her face and figure in the mirror. Nearly all the other Slytherin girls were in the common room arguing, and for once, she had a few moments of privacy.
She tugged on her robes, trying to get them to sit better around her shoulders. She needed to look professional – strong, and tough as nails – when she dealt with the other girls. They'll pounce if I show weakness, and the last thing I need is my relationship with Severus being thought of as weakness… or worse…
She eyed her hair and makeup speculatively and began to rummage through her makeup bag for some mascara.
Her hand instead closed on a wizarding photograph.
She pulled it out carefully and swallowed hard. She knew the picture very well, and she had always kept it in her makeup bag as inspiration. I wanted to be beautiful for him and him alone, but now…
Narcissa prided herself on her convictions. She knew that was a pure-blood of fine standing, and a witch. She also knew she wouldn't be someone who could be swayed by pretty words or a fine figure. Even if Rosier tried to seduce me, he couldn't. I know the truth behind his lies… and I know what he does to girls…
She swallowed hard as she imagined his smooth hands all over her, and she clenched back the bile rising in her throat. No, she would not surrender to Evan Rosier.
She had her convictions, but she also knew that there were some cases in which aid was required. She knew she couldn't take on Rosier alone. And that meant she had to trust Severus, a young man with motivations and principles she could barely understand, and ambitions to act on them.
She had Lucius' word that Severus would keep her safe, and that meant she had to play her part in their plan. If anything, she was surprised how easily it came. Then again, she thought to herself, the way Severus is right now and the way things are going, it's going to get easier and easier…
She looked again at the photograph. It was evidence that she couldn't afford the other girls to find – a flaw in the plan that she couldn't allow.
She swallowed hard again, and forcing back a tear, Narcissa tore the photograph of her and Lucius in half.