"But, Remus!" Leviatha whined, stomping further into his quarters with her hands on her hips as her best friend went through the room, tossing random, dirty items of laundry into a cloth hamper near his wardrobe. "You have to go!"
The werewolf sighed, straightening up and turning to face her as she plopped down into one of his shabby armchairs. "Lev, the party is on New Year's Eve," he began, making the same argument he had already given. "The next cycle of full moon starts the next night. Which means, I'll have to take my first dose of Potion on the afternoon of the party. And you know how sick it makes me feel..."
At this, Leviatha tossed her hands, her face lighting up. "Well, that's perfect! If you come with me, that means I'll be able to leave early and say it's because you don't feel well!" she cried happily, leaving Remus' prematurely aged face to fall comically into annoyance. He rolled his eyes, turning from her to begin straightening the linens on his bed, where Charlie was laying, snoozing on his back.
"Typical Slytherin," he began reproachfully, shaking his head. "Always looking out for themselves, no matter the cost to others." From behind him, Leviatha let out a laugh.
"You say that like it's a bad thing!" she exclaimed, but just when she was about to go on, to demand that he join her to her mother's infernal party, her eyes caught movement beyond one of the tall, paned windows in Remus' room. The tail feathers of a tawny owl were now disappearing past the edge of the window. Jumping to her feet, she ran to the door, sliding slightly on the carpet in her flat shoes as she went. "I gotta run!" she called over her shoulder, leaving Remus and Charlie to stare after her, confused. "We'll be leaving here at nine o'clock on Friday!"
Down the stairs, through the near-empty halls she ran, sliding around corners, descending the numerous levels of the castle, until she found herself on the ground floor, flying past the Great Hall, past her own quarters to a short flight of steps leading down to the dungeons. Every window she passed, she would look out and occasionally see the large, familiar owl swooping by, a scroll of parchment tied to his leg by a maroon ribbon. Racing along, hoping to beat it to it's final destination, she forewent using the short set of stairs and instead jumped them, landing clumsily on her feet and staggering slightly as she regained her balance. The door ahead, the one leading to the finish line, stood open, and just beyond it, she could see the tall man in all black, walking over to open his window as an owl appeared there, tapping against the glass.
"You don't have to go!" she practically shouted as she went sliding into Severus' office, flailing out both hands to catch hold of the door frame, to just barely keep herself standing. Clearly flat shoes were not made for running on stone floors. Across the room from her, the Potions master was just now turning from the owl, an unopened scroll of parchment in his hand, the handsome owl perched haughtily on the window sill behind him. A scowl of confusion flickered across Severus' features as his eyes took in her sudden appearance, and the way she was slightly out of breath.
"Begging your pardon?" he asked slowly, his eyebrows arching sharply and forming the vague, vertical crease between them. At the door, Leviatha straightened up, clutching a growing stitch in her side. She nodded at the scroll of parchment.
"That's a-" she paused to take a deep breath. "That's an invitation from my mother to a New Year's party at the manor on Friday night," she finally explained, taking a few steps into the room as Severus slid his thumb under the wax seal bearing the elaborate Dagrin coat of arms at the edge of the scroll. "And I just wanted you to know..." she continued as she watched his rich brown eyes flit quickly across the paper, reading the gold lettering. "...you don't have to go. I'm sure you have other things-" her voice trailed off into nothingness when Severus raised his head and scowled in her direction. A very rare twitch at the corner of his mouth told Leviatha that he was struggling quite hard not to smirk.
"And what if I'd like to go?" he asked, clearly of the mind that it would cause Leviatha no greater discomfort than for him to be in attendance. Why this was so, he could not be sure yet. Curiosity tugged relentlessly at his insides. The young witch across from him shrugged, her gaze bouncing up and down between his eyes and the invitation in his hands with dizzying rapidity.
"Well...I suppose that's up to you but, I just...I didn't want you to feel obligated..." she replied somewhat awkwardly, wishing heavily that she had thought through his conversation mentally during her run through the halls. Severus opened his mouth to reply, however, both looked to the window when the soft whoosh of wings broke the strained silence. Turning toward the source of the noise, both saw a rather large, jet black owl perched on the open window sill, another scroll of parchment tied to his leg, this time with an emerald green, silk ribbon. Severus knew, at once, who this particular owl was from.
Leviatha watched as his eyes once again flew back and forth across the paper before a very thin, nearly unidentifiable smirk brought itself to his face.
"Ah, so Lucius and Narcissa will be attending as well," he said, tossing both scrolls of parchment onto his desk before him, before he turned to face Leviatha. Her expression had changed over the last few moments from one of inquiry to one of annoyance. He continued without verbally acknowledging this. "It seems, because of this, Lucius feels my attendance is compulsory."
The witch across from him folded her arms so tightly across her chest, it seemed impossible that she would be able to untangle them. "My attendance is compulsory," she snarled. "Yours, and certainly the darling Malfoy's, is not."
Turning his back in an effort to prevent her from seeing his smirk, Severus closed the window before moving around his desk to sit down in his comfortable chair, where he leaned back and linked his fingers together across his middle.
"Forgive me, but unless I'm mistaken, it seems as though you don't want me to attend your mother's party," he said smoothly, his face now completely blank, though the effort he was putting into not grinning was beginning to strain at him. Apparently, he had said the right thing, as Leviatha instantly unfolded her arms and began to shift her weight somewhat awkwardly from one foot to the other.
"No, that's not...I didn't mean it like that...I just.." she stammered, leaving Severus' eyebrows to begin raising slowly. However, after a few moments of stammering, she hitched herself up to her full height and put a very firm, very McGonagall-like expression on her face. "It makes no difference to me whether or not you're there. I'm going to hate it either way."
And with that, Leviatha stomped from the room with her pointed nose held slightly aloft, leaving Severus to grin after her, listening as the soft padding of her flat shoes echoed off down the hallway.
If he was being at all honest, the idea of attending a New Year's Eve party at an unfamiliar manor surrounded by mostly unfamiliar people did not seem like something he would expect to enjoy. In the past, he had never considered the ringing in of a new year cause for celebration, and typically went to sleep before midnight came upon the eastern hemisphere. However, Leviatha had made it so very clear that she was somewhat hoping he would not consent to attend the party, and for what reason, Severus was still unsure. He knew full well that the witch did not absolutely despise him despite how she acted, which made him even more curious as to why she did not want him at the party. And for this reason, Severus felt even more inclined to show up and stay, perhaps not the entire time, but at least long enough to do some careful, subtle snooping and possibly find out for which reasons she did not want him there.
…...
December the thirty-first was upon them, and Leviatha woke with a tense knot of anxiety festering in her midsection for more than one reason. Her mother's party was set to begin at nine o'clock that evening and would likely contain some of the more notable names in Britain's Wizarding community. She was positive that the air at Dagrin manor was thick with anticipation and stress as party-makers likely flitted in and out of the house, setting up magically constructed marquees, drink bars, even a stage for a quintet of musicians. Lucinia Dagrin was not known for her frugality when it came to her festivities and could often be expected to pull all the stops out to provide for the most spectacular of parties. And typically, the more low-key and 'small' her mother described the party as being, the larger and more grand it would turn out.
After double and triple checking with Remus that he still understood his obligation to arrive and stay at the party with her, Leviatha mostly stayed in her quarters for the remainder of the afternoon, grading tests and essays that she had left until the very end of the holiday, in an effort to distract herself from the upcoming events of the night. Classes were due to resume on the second of January and she did not want to be up late the night before, scrambling to complete her work. However, as much as she tried to focus her attention elsewhere, her mind seemed bound and determined to float down the hall to Severus' dungeon quarters, to where he was possibly debating his options. With a thrill of amusement, Leviatha pictured him standing in front of his wardrobe, poring over his admittedly small selection of clothing, wondering which of his identical black frock coats he ought to wear that night. As much as she dreaded the moment when her mother would manage to wrangle him into a conversation, she could not help but feel slightly relieved that he would be attending. It was more than probable that Remus would not stay very long and Leviatha was sure she would eventually be glad to have someone around her own age there.
Seeing how the invited members of staff were all planning to arrive at Dagrin manor by way of the Floo network, through the large fireplace in Minerva's office, Leviatha had informed Remus, upon fetching him from his quarters, that they would need to leave first and earlier than any of the other professors. Of course, when he had asked why this was so, she had simply responded that she wanted to arrive a few minutes early to help her mother, but she was fairly positive Remus knew the real reason behind her logic in this; she did not want to arrive at the exact same time Severus did. She was rather hoping to keep at least ten feet of distance between them for most of the party, just so her mother could not be presented with the opportunity to wrangle them both together. Lucinia's talk of husbands and Severus had rattled her on Christmas morning and she was not looking for her to repeat her sentiments in a blithering drunken tirade.
"Ready to go?" Leviatha asked Remus as the two of them and Charlie stepped up to the massive fireplace in Minerva's office. She had just seized a handful of Floo powder and was preparing to throw it when the door to the office swung open, revealing both Minerva herself and none other than Headmaster Dumbledore. He was looking very dapper in a flowing set of silver and midnight blue robes and wearing a serene smile on his face. Leviatha returned the expression forcefully, despite the turmoil of nerves and anxiety inside of her.
"Oh, Professor!" she exclaimed, turning to face him. "My mother will be so delighted that you're coming."
"Yes, well, I may not be able to stay for the entire party but I at least hoped to see Lucinia and thank her for inviting me," he replied, his eyes twinkling. With a nod of his head, he motioned toward the thin Floo powder now escaping from between her fingers as she struggled to keep it in her hand. "You two should get going," he then added with a wink.
Turning back to the fireplace, Leviatha threw the handful of powder in and watched as the flames suddenly burned emerald and rose up in the grate, ready to swallow all three of them. And with that, Leviatha, Charlie and Remus stepped forward, holding their breath to avoid a mouthful of ash.
Within moments, they were stepping out onto the hearth rug in the elaborate, highly polished drawing room of Dagrin manor, where they were immediately greeted by a young man wearing a maroon jacket. Leviatha did not recognize him but looked over when he stepped up to them, inclining his head slightly.
"Good evening," he said politely. "May I take you to the-" he then began to offer, but Leviatha cut over him, sliding her hand into the crook of Remus' elbow firmly.
"No thanks," she said quickly, steering both Remus and Charlie toward the drawing room doors. "I know where I'm going."
Leaving the young man behind, Leviatha and her two dates moved out toward the rest of the house, where the sound of voices, laughter and music began to grow louder and seemed to be coming from the very walls themselves. The massive foyer had been purged of it's former Christmas decorations and in their stead, gold, white and silver lights twinkled at them from all angles, even from the banisters lining the large, marble staircase leading toward the upper levels of the house. Remus had turned his head to get a closer look at the source of the pleasant lights and let out a low chuckle as they passed to the left of the staircase.
"Your mum goes all out, doesn't she?" he asked quietly, leaving Leviatha to sigh and roll her eyes.
"This is actually fairly underdone from how she normally goes about her parties," she explained. "I'm actually surprised-"
Just then, as they passed through the short hallway and out into the largest portions of the house, Leviatha's words failed her as she, Remus and Charlie stopped mid-step in the archway to a massive room. Normally, this room was decorated fairly casually, with couches, lounges, armchairs and tables. However, on this night, all of that had been removed, either by manual labor or magic, Leviatha was not sure. And instead of the usual sitting area, the room had been transformed to resemble something Leviatha could not quite describe. Long, sheen white, silver and pale gold linens had been suspended from the high vaulted ceilings along the walls and bewitched to sway gently, pleasurably, though there was no breeze inside the house, some of them so long as to brush the marble floors. Fabric covered orbs filled with soft light had been levitated and also enchanted to bob high above, between the hanging linens. If the effect had not been so overwhelming, Leviatha would have admitted that the decorations were quite beautiful, but her immense dislike for her mother's grandeur was taking over for the time being.
To add to the picture of splendor, Leviatha groaned inwardly as Lucinia Dagrin suddenly appeared out of nowhere, wearing a long white and gold dress, very similar to the dressing gown she had been wearing on Christmas morning. She wore a high, open-collared outer coat over her dress as she had clearly just been outside, where Leviatha could now see most of the guests.
"Leviatha, darling!" her mother squealed in her typical, pompous voice. Her arms were thrown wide, one hand empty, while the other held a half-empty flute of sparkling champagne. "How are you, dear?" she then asked, but before Leviatha could reply, Lucinia turned to Remus, beaming. "And you must be Remus Lupin!" she cried, reaching out a dainty hand to just barely grip his fingers in a very lady-like, wimpy handshake. "I've heard so very much about you all these years! I hate that you haven't been to visit before now!"
Beside Leviatha, Remus was looking somewhat drawn and uncomfortable, but smiled warmly nonetheless. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Madam," he replied courteously. "Leviatha has had nothing but wonderful things to say about you." he then concluded in an extravagant lie. Lucinia seemed to catch this.
"Ah, come now," she began, waving a hand airily. "We mustn't-"
Her next words were drowned out in a very loud, very obnoxious squeal as Lucinia suddenly spotted someone between the tall shoulders Remus and Leviatha and promptly pushed her way between them, sloshing a bit of champagne over the thin rim of her flute. Turning, Leviatha saw Minerva and Dumbledore in the hallway behind them, smiling as her mother approached at a jaunty trot, holding her arms aloft and squealing as though she had not seen her best friend in years.
"Minerva!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around the witch's neck. "And Albus! So lovely you could make it! Minerva here said you might be too busy what with all the goings-on at the school..."
Dumbledore, reached forward to take Lucinia's empty hand, where he gripped it and inclined his head slightly.
"Oh, I'm afraid she was correct to a certain extent," he answered politely. "I may not be able to stay for too long, but I at least wished to bid you a happy new year and thank you personally for the invite. You have such a lovely home!"
Glancing up at Remus, Leviatha shook her head and rolled her eyes, turning from the exchange with her hand once again fitting around his elbow. She turned them away toward the huge, wide glass doors leading out onto the stone veranda.
…...
As Severus stepped out of the fire onto a rich, maroon hearth rug, he glanced around, hoping wildly to spot Lucius at once. Already, he was feeling unsure about how comfortable he was going to be at this party. This feeling was only intensified tenfold when a young man in a maroon jacket stepped up toward his side.
"Good evening, sir," he said. "Could I show you the way to-"
However, his next words were cut short when another 'whoosh' came from the fireplace behind him, causing Severus to turn and look, to where Lucius Malfoy was now stepping out onto the same rug, his wife Narcissa at his side. He was bearing such a smug expression upon his pointed face, that Severus was unsure now whether or not he was capable of changing it. His eyes scanned the beautiful drawing room, clearly comparing the light-colored walls and sparkling marble floors with the dark décor of his own mansion.
"Cozy little place, this, don't you think?" he asked sardonically of his wife, who's face was bearing an equally sneering expression of superiority. Narcissa had clearly chosen her most expensive outfit for the occasion and was wearing her long, white-blonde hair up in an elaborate knotted style. Glancing around, she sniffed, unimpressed.
"Charming," she answered dully. A moment later, both she and her husband noticed Severus simultaneously. "Ah, Severus, glad you could make it." she then told him, as though hosting her own private party in the home of someone else.
"Yes," Lucius began. "Where is everyone anyway? I do hope we aren't the first to arrive.."
After asking the young man at the fireplace where they could find the rest of the party, they passed through the massive foyer, where Lucius and Narcissa once again began to compare the splendor of this mansion to that of their own, and into a narrow hallway leading to a large, beautifully decorated room. Severus felt his insides knotting uncomfortably as he spotted a whole throng of people up ahead, standing just outside on a vast veranda. He hated himself for quickly scanning the people for any sign of Leviatha. He did not yet know what she was wearing, though he was positive he would be able to spot her quickly, being that she was so tall...
However, before he could attempt to slink through the room toward the crowd of people outside, he nearly jumped when a loud woman's voice called out from seemingly nowhere. His discomfort and supreme feeling of awkwardness was setting his nerves on edge.
"Mister Malfoy! How wonderful to see you!" Lucinia Dagrin was practically shouting as she approached, her cheeks already rather pink. Her hand bore a full glass of champagne. Severus remained in place just a half pace behind Lucius, figuring he might as well get the greeting over with now. The tall, blonde wizard in front of him lowered his head slightly, grasping the matron's hand and raising it a bit.
"Mrs. Dagrin, it's wonderful to see you as well," he answered in that cold, drawling voice of his, that sneering grin still plastered haughtily to his face.. Severus noticed his arm move to unhook Narcissa's hand from his elbow. "May I present my wife, Narcissa."
The witches grasped each others fingertips in a very light handshake before Narcissa motioned to the inside of the room. "You have a beautiful home, Madam..." she said, completely contrary to what she had been remarking just moments earlier to her husband.
"Oh, why thank you, dear. It is a place to- Professor Snape!"
Severus' stomach squirmed uncomfortably as he took a step forward, forcing a polite smirk onto his face as he reached out a hand to greet Leviatha's mother.
"Good evening, Mrs. Dagrin."
…...
Even over the music, Leviatha's ears picked up the rich undertones to a very deep, very familiar voice coming from inside the house, and spinning, her stomach went crashing to her feet as her eyes fell onto the tall, dark frame of Severus Snape. He was standing there in the entrance to the lounge, speaking with her mother and with a rush of dislike, Leviatha noticed the Malfoy couple standing just beside him, looking important and condescending. Beside her, Remus seemed to be sharing some of her feelings.
"I've always wondered what it is she's smelling that gives her that expression..." he commented on Narcissa's smug face, just next to her ear, grinning while Leviatha snorted a laugh. "But Severus looks awfully dreamy, don't you think?" he then asked a moment later, causing the smile on Leviatha's face to vanish from view rapidly. He raised his graying eyebrows quickly when she spun to look at him with a very McGonagall-like, stern expression.
"If you embarrass me, Remus, so help me..." she murmured threateningly, however, just as she was about to go on, both looked over when three people approached, one of whom was wearing a natural cologne of anise and cloves. Goosebumps cascaded down Leviatha's arms as she turned to meet his gaze, which was unsurprisingly flat and almost bored-looking. She nodded her head at Severus.
"Professor, so pleased you could make it," she told him, putting particular emphasis into her words. The corner of his curved lips twitched as he inclined his head slightly.
"And you as well," he replied, once again giving her the sense he was only there because she had so wanted him not to be. He motioned to Lucius standing next to him. "You remember Lucius Malfoy, don't you?" he asked, completely ignoring Remus as though he were a hat-stand. Leviatha fixed her face into a purposely polite expression before she reached out and shook his hand. A low growl sounded from beside her where Charlie was standing. She nudged his paw with her foot to silence him.
"Of course," she answered. "A pleasure to see you again, Mister Malfoy."
"And you, Miss Dagrin, and you," he drawled, his cold gray eyes raking across her face and down to the neckline of her dress. "My wife, Narcissa." he then added as something of an afterthought, moving his hand to place it on the small of his wife's back. It came as no surprise to Leviatha that Narcissa did not look even remotely happy to meet her. Accordingly, she did not hold out her hand for a shake, but merely nodded her head slowly.
"Charmed," she said indifferently.
Craning his neck slightly, Lucius peered straight past Remus, whom he seemed to be ignoring, into a small throng of people, where he appeared to recognize someone he knew. He opened his mouth to speak, but before any words could come, Lucinia's voice was carrying over the party, from where she stood in the way of the glass doors. Her flute of champagne was now empty, though she continued to hold it as she held her arms out, as though to embrace the crowd of people as a whole.
"Thank you, everyone, for coming to my little party!" she cried, beaming widely around at them all. "I hope you enjoy yourself and be sure to stay for the celebration at midnight as we ring in the new year!"
A short smattering of applause echoed across the veranda before Lucinia took off once more to go and greet a few of her friends, and just then, Remus turned to Leviatha, sighing. Severus' eyes narrowed on the scarred profile of the werewolf's face.
"Well, I think I've fulfilled my duty, don't you?" he asked her, and Severus felt a thrill of hopefulness. Unable to help himself, he stepped forward, sliding his hands into the pockets of his cloak.
"Oh, surely you aren't thinking of leaving, Lupin..." he growled, sneering. "The moon has barely come out yet-" he then added, casting a quick sideways glance to where Leviatha was now glaring heavily at him with those brilliantly yellow eyes. Seemingly immune to the underhanded jab, Lupin shrugged, his blue eyes flickering upward to the night sky.
"I know, but unfortunately, that potion still makes me feel rather ill," he answered with a shrug. "So I'd better be getting back. You'll look after Levi wont you?" the man asked, a hint of a very Dumbledore-like twinkling behind his eyes. At the same moment, Severus and Leviatha glanced at each other, and wildly, he wondered if she was thinking the same thing he was. Though from her flat, annoyed expression as she surveyed the side of Remus' face, it seemed she was more absorbed by being perturbed that he was abandoning her than she was interested in dissecting every possible meaning behind the words 'look after'.
"Of course," Severus eventually replied, and with a stab of jealousy, watched as Lupin leaned over and very lightly pressed a friendly peck of a kiss against Leviatha's temple.
"I'll see you tomorrow then, Lev-" he was saying, before moving away toward the doors of the house, thus leaving Leviatha, Severus and Charlie quite alone in their small section of the stone patio. Part of him wanted to be quite glad that Lupin had gone, leaving them alone, but another, very small part of him wished he had stayed, just to diffuse the slightly awkward tension that was growing rapidly between them. Across from him, Leviatha seemed rather short on words and was now pointedly avoiding his gaze. He took the few seconds to glance quickly ahead through the crowd of people milling about the veranda.
Directly across from him, he could see Dumbledore seated at a small round table, chatting animatedly with whom Severus recognized as Elphias Doge, one of Albus' closest friends from his school days. He wondered vaguely how Leviatha's mother knew Doge, but did not linger and instead moved on to the people beyond the table. With a grizzled mane of hair and leaning on a cane, he recognized Rufus Scrimgeour and felt a jolt of foreboding pass through him; Scrimgeour had not yet been Head of the Auror office back when Voldemort had first been vanquished but had still been hell-bent on seeing Severus sent directly to Azkaban. He must make a point of it to avoid that particular guest while at the party.
Minerva McGonagall was, of course, in attendance, along with Horace Slughorn, another person Severus would like to avoid. Though just as Severus' eyes were traveling around the table at which McGonagall and Slughorn sat, his eyebrows furrowed when he noticed an immeasurably old man seated just next to the former Potions master and Head of Slytherin House. The old man was leaned forward squinting slightly as he struggled to hear what Horace was saying, even going so far as to raise a permanently stained, scarred hand to his ear and cup it in the direction of the voices. Turning his head, Severus opened his mouth to ask Leviatha if that really was who he thought it was, when suddenly, she was already speaking to him from directly beside him.
"Libatius Borage," she said, confirming his suspicion and sending a highly uncharacteristic wave of excitement through Severus. "He's been a family friend for quite a long time. I suppose you'd like to meet him?" she asked, turning her head to grin placidly at him as Severus swallowed hard on a ball of nerves that had recently settled into his throat. He shook his head quickly.
"No, that is not necessary," he replied hastily. "He seems preoccupied with the conversation at hand. I don't wish to intru-"
"Oh, don't be silly. The man is deaf as a doornail," Leviatha said, waving her hand. "He can't hear a thing they're saying anyway. Come, I'll introduce you."
Every day since turning eleven-years old, Severus had seen Libatius Borage's name, multiple times a day, but never in his life had he imagined meeting the man who had written Advanced Potion Making. True, Severus had found his versions of the recipes slightly wrong and had made various additions and subtractions, made thousands of notes all over the inside of his Potions books, but at the moment, he felt as though he were about to meet something of a legend. He felt strangely nervous and just as they were about to reach the table, he even reached out and grabbed Leviatha's forearm in an effort to stop her, she had already reached the old man.
"Libatius?" She said his name so loudly that several people standing near by turned their heads. Severus felt color rising in his face. "Libatius?" she practically shouted in his ear. The immensely elderly man turned his head, raising his nonexistent eyebrows as he looked up at her.
"Leviatha, my dear!" His voice was surprisingly hoarse and wispy, as though he had spent too much time leaned over a cauldron, breathing in fumes; Severus wondered quickly whether his voice would eventually become that way. Smiling, Leviatha leaned down, placed her hand on his shoulder and her mouth near his ear.
"I'd like you to meet someone," she said close enough to him that, mercifully, she did not have to shout. "This is Professor Severus Snape," she went on after Libatius had nodded. "He is the Potions master at Hogwarts and teaches from your book."
Severus noticed Horace Slughorn turn his head, his eyebrows raised and his mouth had just opened to remark, but Libatius was already rising slowly from his chair, extending a very wrinkled and gnarled hand. He smiled as he looked up at Severus.
"A pleasure to meet you, young man," he said in that raspy voice, his choice of the words 'young man' making it clear that he had not heard his name. "Always nice to meet a fellow Potions master. Tell me, have you had any trouble with the recipes I have noted?" he then asked, motioning to the chair on his right as he sank back down into his own. Leviatha grinned to herself as Severus sat down and figuring that he would be occupied for at least the next several minutes, she turned to walk away. However, before she could make it any further than just a few feet, a familiar voice said her name.
"Leviatha, might I have a word?" Rufus Scrimgeour had asked, from where he appeared just next to her shoulder. Glancing back over her shoulder, Leviatha double checked that Severus was still absorbed in his conversation with Libatius, before she smiled at Rufus and nodded toward a more secluded area of the veranda.
Severus was getting the distinct impression that Libatius Borage was not exactly hearing him correctly. The old man seemed to be doing a good amount of smiling and nodding, even when asked a question that could not have been answered by a simple yes or no. This was not particularly annoying to Severus as the man was really something of an icon in the world of Potion-making and he had to admit, it was rather endearing to him that Leviatha had thought to introduce him. She had to have known how interesting he would find Borage, even if he could not hear very well, if at all, and he reminded himself to attempt to thank her later.
"Ah, yes, I think the invention of the Wolfsbane potion was hugely beneficial to our world," Slughorn was saying loudly from the other side of Libatius. "Although I hear it is desperately tricky to brew."
Severus nodded in agreement, but instead of remarking, he glanced over his shoulder, frowning slightly as he scanned the throng of party-goers for Leviatha. However, just as he did this, his eyes caught sight of Lucius a short ways away, who had his eyes widened slightly and who nodded very subtly, beckoning him closer. Severus' frown deepened a bit as he turned back to the table.
"Excuse me," he murmured and rose from his chair before making his way toward Malfoy senior. Scowling, he watched as Lucius shifted ever so slightly to the side, putting his back toward the direction of the doors, then placed both of his hands on the snaked head of his cane, leaning on it. Severus noticed that Narcissa was a short ways away, talking with Lucinia, giving him a slight indication as to what Lucius might like to discuss while his wife was not present. Lucius' blonde eyebrows bounced once.
"So the vixen of Hogwarts is looking delicious this evening, don't you think?" he asked, his voice lowered to barely above a whisper. Severus felt his expression tighten as one of his eyebrows arched. He glanced over his shoulder.
"If you'd like to speak to her, I can call Professor McGonagall over..." he joked dryly, smirking when Lucius tutted disdainfully.
"You know precisely of whom I speak, Severus," Lucius murmured, once again glancing over to where his wife was standing. "You can't tell me that, after all this time, you still have not even attempted to-"
"No, I haven't," Severus cut in, all joking gone from his voice. His words were only partially untrue. "She is a colleague and nothing more. And I suggest," he went on, upon noting the disgusting hint of hunger in Lucius' eyes. "-if you have any sense at all, that you leave her be. She is a talented witch with a very short temper." It was not that he feared for Lucius safety if he were to approach Leviatha with the wrong agenda, it was more that if anyone was going to put their hands on that particular witch, it was going to be him. But no, he had already sworn to himself that it could not happen. Nevertheless, he would be damned if he allowed Lucius to grope the woman. Lucius leaned forward slightly.
"On a different, though related, note...did you happen to notice to whom she is speaking?" he asked, his cold, gray eyes sparkling maliciously. At that moment, a young man in a maroon jacket strode by, bearing a tray of sparkling champagne flutes. Lucius turned his head to take one from the tray and at the same time murmured, "Look just over my shoulder to the left there."
Just as Lucius shifted to the side slightly, the side profile of Leviatha was revealed to him, standing near the very far corner of the stone patio, her gaze focused on the battle-scarred face of Rufus Scrimgeour, who was apparently speaking in a hushed voice. She nodded and glanced around her before she answered him, leaving Severus to wish dearly he could hear what she was saying. He felt it was of great significance, the fact that she was speaking on what seemed to be familiar terms with the Head of the Auror office but as he looked back to Lucius, he gave a noncommittal jerk of his head.
"He must be an old family friend, like Borage," he explained lazily. A great desire to get away from Lucius was filling him quickly, so before the blonde wizard could reply, he nodded toward the glass doors. "If you'll excuse me, I need to have a word with Dumbledore before he leaves."
It was beyond fortunate that Albus was indeed walking through the house back toward the drawing room to leave, though instead of following to speak to him, Severus hung back, walking more slowly so he could pass the drawing room, unnoticed by anyone, and instead turn right, toward the foyer. The massive, marble staircase loomed before him, and that thrill of foreboding shot through him yet again, though this time, he heeded it, pausing at the bottom of the steps. Perhaps it would be a bit invading for him to wander through someone's house without invitation, the home of his very attractive colleague's mother no less...
Just then, sharp tugging at the back of his tailed frock coat caught his attention, and turning to look down, it was difficult not to smile as he saw the spotted dog yanking at his clothing as if engaged in a game of tug-of-war. But Severus understood, with the intelligence of Charlie, that this was not the case. The dog wanted something from him. As soon as Charlie had his attention, he released the robes and bounded for the stairs, stopping on the first step to look back at Severus. An indication to follow. The stairs were concealed from most people's eyes, but standing on the fringes, he could not only see them clearly but he also saw the opportunity the dog was providing. And who was he to decline an invitation from one of the masters of the Dagrin house? With one last scan of the crowd to ensure their attention was elsewhere, he slipped away to follow the Dalmatian up the stairs.
Charlie trotted up the steps into a light hallway of white wood. The walls were lined with portraits of wizards and witches, each bearing the name or crest of the Dagrin family. Many of them waved at the dog as he trotted past, calling out friendly greetings. Charlie received the attention happily, his tail swishing back and forth with excitement, but as Severus walked down the row of paintings, he looked at them and gave no response to any attempt to start a conversation until he came across one familiar face. The engraving underneath it read as "Julian Merchet" with the Dagrin family crest to the side of his name.
"Good evening," the man in the portrait said, politely. He was young, with long dark hair and a full beard, but that was to be expected. Julian Merchet had died early, in his mid-thirties, but not before discovering how to fuse Phoenix feathers effectively into the core of a wand. And, if Severus recalled his history correctly, he was also responsible for many of the techniques still used by current famous wandmakers, such as Ollivander and Gregorovitch. Much like Libatius Borage was a legend in potions, Julian Merchet was a legend in wandmaking.
Severus inclined his head with respect. "Good evening, sir."
"Enjoying the party?" Julian asked.
"Somewhat," he said honestly. "I did not know you were a member of the Dagrin family."
"I was the third child of Anari Dagrin, who is the great, great, great grandmother of Lucinia." The portrait figured smiled and pointed across the way to a sleeping, elderly woman in another painting opposite him.
"Then why do you not have the same last name?" Severus asked in curiosity. Pure-blooded Wizards rarely changed their names.
"Between you and I," Julian's voice dropped conspiratorially as he leaned forward in his portrait towards Severus. "Mother disowned me for marrying a Muggle-born, my beautiful Beatrice, instead of following her wishes of an arranged marriage. I changed my name to not be associated with her again." He sighed. "Of course, as soon as I became famous, she was beside herself with pride for the family and added me back to the family tree, telling everyone what a great and noble son she had. And now, I have to stare at her face every day."
"Hmm." Severus answered. He was rapidly losing interest in this conversation.
"It was worth it, though," Julian went on. "The years spent with Beatrice were the best in my life. Better than any fame or riches." he laughed, sitting back in his painted arm chair. "I say, always follow your heart. It will never steer you wrong."
Charlie barked up ahead and Severus nodded to the man in the portrait, then turned to follow the dog down the hall, passing more chatty portraits and closed doors.
As the hallway turned, he watched as Charlie sat in front of a door, tilting his head expectantly. Severus approached, observing several pictures in this stretch of the hall. A couple showed Leviatha's mother in her youth, decked in her Gryffindor House colors of scarlet and gold, hugging another woman who, when he looked more closely, appeared to be a young Minerva McGonagall. This was an odd sight to him, though he could not place why. It was as though he had concluded long ago that the woman had sprung into existence with a lined, strict face and tight knotted bun of gray hair. Shaking his head, he continued until he reached the dog. One photograph, right outside the door caught his attention- a man with his hands on the shoulders of a young girl. The girl was clearly Leviatha, perhaps six or seven years of age so he assumed the man had to be her father. Idly, Severus wondered what happened to him.
Charlie pawed at the door, begging entrance and Severus gave in to his request, twisting the door knob to open it. The Dalmatian immediately bounded inside, running around and sniffing everything in sight. The room was a dazzling display of his House colors; the wooden furniture had been stained black, with silver accents for the knobs and handles. Emerald green assaulted his senses as every wall was painted in the color. The room was large, a queen sized bed in the center between two windows, the bedding a twisted mix of the same colors, the drapes matching perfectly. While there were no pictures or trinkets to identify the owner of the room, there was no mistaking that this had been Leviatha's bedroom.
He stepped inside, letting his eye wander around the immaculate room. It was clean, but empty of any real personal touches. Likely, anything that had once inhabited this room had been either put away or was sitting in her room at Hogwarts. His eyes scanned the few titles resting on her bookshelf. Most of them were school books, worn with creased bindings, though as he walked around the room, he noted another small book on her desk. Picking it up, in the hope it was the diary of a young Leviatha, he was disappointed to find the pages blank. He put it back down and looked up at the large board above the desk.
The board was covered in clippings from the Daily Prophet. Leaning in to inspect it closely, a theme became apparent. They were all about the war. Headlines such as "Dark Mark Spotted" and "Trials Begin" were prominent to his eyes. In a way, it was a little morbid as many of the clippings detailed the deaths of witches and wizards. And he couldn't help but shudder as he saw the Dark Mark visible in one of the photographs, the snake slithering through the skull; a reminder of his dark past.
"Your mother was a bit obsessive," he said, offhandedly, to Charlie who was currently digging under the bed.
The clippings were disturbing, particularly, as he remembered many of the moments depicted, some of them he was involved in. Others were the work of his former comrades and clearly, as though it had happened yesterday, he could recall their boasting tales as they reported to the Dark Lord. Yet, at the same time, the collection was fascinating. Her board covered all aspects of the war, right until the last trial. He spotted pictures from the various trials, the screaming and laughing face of Sirius Black in his Azkaban photo, one that was all too present this year. And then he was drawn a picture of his younger self, leaving the Ministry with Albus Dumbledore, with the tag line, "Severus Snape Acquitted of All Charges." He remembered the article well and didn't need to read it again, as it just highlighted his brief Wizagamot trial during which Dumbledore had spoken on his behalf.
Charlie nudged his leg, pulling him out of his thoughts. Something dropped from the dog's mouth onto his shoe and frowning, he leaned down to pick the cloth object up. "What do we have here, Charles?" he asked quietly of the dog.
It was no doubt another toy he wanted to play with, but as he held up Charlie's discovery, his brow furrowed. A lacy, black bra rested in his hands. It obviously must have belonged to the owner of the room at some point, and running his thumb along the laced fabric, his mind couldn't help but conjure up images of the beautiful witch wearing it, her breasts filling the cups perfectly. The pictures in his mind changed to his own hands removing it so he could revel in the glorious sight underneath the fabric. This would look good cast aside carelessly on his floor. A small smile crossed his lips before he shook his head. No, the decision had been made and it did him no good to dwell on something that could never happen.
"I don't think that would look very good on you, Professor," a familiar voice said from behind him.
Leviatha truly had impeccable timing when it came to embarrassing him. He inwardly sighed and smoothed his expression before turning to face her. Holding the bra up with one finger, he said, "Your dog believed this to be a chew toy. I was merely rescuing it before he could destroy any of your clothing." He held the bra out to her, a disinterested look on his face.
Leviatha laughed, taking it from him and tossing it on the bed. She noted that his eyes stayed fixed on her instead of watching where it landed.
"How gallant of you," she replied dully, her voice laced with sarcasm, before she looked at Charlie with mock anger. Her hands rested on her hips. "And you know better than to chew on my things, don't you?"
The dog whined and lay down at her feet in apology and she smiled at him affectionately, before her eyes moved up to meet Severus' again. To his dismay, that loving smile disappeared immediately. "Might I ask what you're doing in my bedroom?"
"I was looking for the bathroom," he lied rather lamely.
"A likely story..." she answered quietly.
Leviatha wasn't fooled in the slightest but since there was nothing of importance in her old bedroom, she opted not to press the issue. Nodding slowly with a great look of suspicion on her face, she said, "There is one downstairs off the parlor. I'll show you." She turned and walked out of the bedroom, Charlie trailing after her, and behind them, she heard the click of her door before feeling Severus' presence at her side as she guided him back down the stairs.
Back on the ground level of the house, Leviatha had just led Severus over toward a door across the hall from the drawing room, when out of nowhere, Lucinia came hurtling up to them, bringing with her a strong whiff of alcohol on the air. Leviatha's stomach went crashing to her feet; this was not going to be good. Her mother's normally beautiful face was flushed violent pink and her breath reeked of champagne as she got very close to both Leviatha and Severus, bringing her arms up to wrap around their shoulders a bit more heavily than she would normally have done.
"Oh, you two..." she breathed with a giggle, shaking her head as she glanced back and forth between them. Severus spared a rather pitying glance toward Leviatha, who seemed to be quickly turning as pink as her mother, though for an entirely different reason. "You two, you two...what am I going to do you with you..." Lucinia was still tittering drunkenly. "Just been upstairs have you? Leviatha show you her old room 'as she?" the woman asked with an obnoxious wink and another giggle, her intoxication making her normally prim, proper speech a bit lazy. Severus felt his insides give an uncomfortable squirm; he could not imagine how Leviatha was feeling just next to him as her mother swayed between them. As gently as he could, Severus reached up and took a soft hold on the matron's arm, before lowering it to it's normal place at her side. As he did this, he noticed an empty champagne flute clutched in her hand.
"My dear Professor Severus, I don't know whether my daughter 'as ever told you but we were just having a conversation about you on Christmas morning, just a few days ago," Lucinia was saying, holding the champagne flute up toward his face as though the glass was to represent her finger. Across from him, Leviatha seemed to be diminishing in size, her eyes growing wide and dilated with what almost looked like fear. She shook her head.
"Mother, please..." the younger witch moaned. Severus felt his heart give a pang of compassionate ache for her as her mother ignored her and went on.
"-And I was telling her, you know...what a fine young man you are, and how-"
"Mother! Quiet, please!" Leviatha now sounded very close to the verge of tears but upon looking, her eyes appeared completely dry, though wide and pleading.
"Hush, Leviatha," was all Lucinia could manage before she turned to Severus again and leaned in close as if to make it less obvious she was talking about the poor woman standing just beside him. "I was saying how you would make a wonderful husband for my daughter and- Leviatha, where are you going?"
Just then, Leviatha took off through the crowd of guests at a near run, which was a surprising feat in itself, seeing how she was wearing her finest, black high heels. Charlie trotted away after her, and now completely ignoring Lucinia's drunken tirade, Severus watched, wondering where the young witch could be running to. The drawing room was behind him, so if she had been about to leave, wouldn't she have run in the opposite direction? Instead, she disappeared beyond the glass doors, out onto the stone veranda where she vanished from sight, leaving Severus behind to frown. He turned his attention back to her mother for just a moment.
"Forgive me, Mrs. Dagrin, but I really think you ought to have some water, don't you think?" he asked her hastily, and reached out, pulling his wand from the sleeve of his coat, before tapping the edge of her glass champagne flute, which instantly began to fill with clear, cool water. "Excuse me." he then added, and followed in Leviatha and Charlie's wake, leaving Lucinia quite flustered and confused in the doorway.
Out on the porch, the number of guests had nearly doubled in size since last he had been out there, but without pausing to see who else had arrived, Severus paused on the edge of the stone dais, turning his head in all directions for any sign of Leviatha. However, after scanning the thickened crowd three times and still failing to locate her, or even to catch sight of her tightly knotted bun of black hair, he turned his attention out into the snowy, more dimly lit yard, to the side of the patio. A short distance off, sitting just beneath a huge, snow-capped sycamore tree, beneath the branches, was Charlie, blending almost perfectly into the fluffy white snow, were it not for his black nose and black-spotted face. He began to wiggle in excitement as Severus approached.
Tilting his head to the side in confusion, he drew closer to the dog beneath the tree, noting only just then that it had begun to snow, the tiny flakes of white falling into his black hair. He frowned when Charlie stood up from his post against the base of the barren tree.
"What are you doing out here?" he asked the dog. Charlie immediately sat back down and tilted his head as far back as it could go, pointing with his spotted nose up into the tree, where, upon following the dog's line of vision, Severus could now make out the form of a small, black house cat, crouched on one of the lower branches. Her yellow eyes blinked slowly at him as his frown deepened and his hands met his narrow waist.
"What are you doing up there?" he reposed his original question a bit differently to the cat. She merely blinked again and remained perfectly still, her thick black fur ruffled against the cold. Sighing, Severus dropped his arms back to his sides but continued to look up at her. "About what your mother said..." he began again, ignoring the low growl issued by the cat overhead. "-don't let that bother you, Leviatha. She has just had a bit too much to drink and is saying things she normally would not...You understand this."
Up in the tree, the feline-Leviatha lowered her head and glowered at him from behind those slanted, yellow eyes, her vertical pupils dilating slightly. With a low grunt of a partially amused laugh, Severus shook his head.
"Anyway, I found her sentiments rather flattering," he admitted, before the smirk slid immediately from his face. He lowered his gaze to study a gnarled knob on the trunk of the tree. "I cannot say I've ever had anyone refer to me as... a 'fine young man'." He chose the end of his sentence on a whim, opting quickly to focus on that part of Lucinia's words and not the part about him making a good husband for Leviatha.
Again, the cat simply blinked down at him, which led Severus to grow slightly irritated, though he hid it well. Sighing, he waved one hand toward the veranda and the massive house beyond it.
"If you are so terribly embarrassed by it, why don't I escort you back to the castle?" he offered, arching an eyebrow, and luckily, up above him, the cat-Leviatha started, as though about to jump down from the tree, but paused, again blinking at him questioningly. Severus rolled his eyes, picking up on what was causing her to hesitate. "Stay in your form if you are more comfortable that way. I wont stop to speak to your mother. I'm sure she's distracted elsewhere anyway."
Finally, the black cat rose up onto her feet, balancing with ease on the narrow tree branch, but as Severus turned from the tree, expecting a soft thud into the snow behind him, he jumped in surprise when the cat landed lightly on his shoulder and balanced there momentarily. Standing still, Severus turned his head slightly, glancing up at the cat on his shoulder. His eyebrow arched as Leviatha's yellow eyes stared down at him.
"You're getting wet, dirty snow all over my clothing..." he growled in partial annoyance. However, just a moment later, he grunted when the cat's forehead made contact with his and she rubbed her face along the side of his own, nuzzling his cheek with her cold nose and tickling his skin with her short, black whiskers. A soft, rumbling purr emanated from her chest in something Severus figured was appreciation for his understanding. "Oh, yes, you're just precious..." Severus said sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. Reaching up to fit his hands around her narrow belly, he lifted her from his shoulder before placing her on the ground. And with that, Severus and the two animals trekked back toward the house, skirting their way through the thick crowd and into the house, toward the drawing room. All three of them were more than ready to be back at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
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A/N: Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Leave me some lovin's! = ] -QoM