Hey there everyone. I'm terribly sorry about how long you've had to wait for this Chapter, but my muse was refusing to work for me. She only just recently came back.
Also ... I know that I have this as a H/Hr ficcy, and I will assure you that it will eventuate. I'm just not sure when. No, Liz and Cal's relationship will not be romantic, even if it does tend to cross some of the social boundries. They are both Empathic and are this close to being one mind. Greater displays of physical affection just seem to be the best way to get that across.
Anyway ... I found another plot bunny the other day, and when you get to the end you'll understand what I mean. Happy reading and please review!! I live on them, esspecialy constructive critisisim.
Now ... To the chapter!!!
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Chapter Fifty One: Of Showing and Telling
Ronald Weasley was not the only person to notice that almost all of the Slytherins had failed to show for breakfast, on the morning of Halloween. Not that he cared where they all were, but he was curious to know what could have happened to make none of the senior students show, nor the majority of the juniors?
As an afterthought, Ron glanced along his own table, thinking that maybe he'd missed some sort of announcement or notice…
Ron stopped as he noticed another presence missing.
"Oi! Lavender! Have you seen Hermione today?"
The other girl turn around to look at him questioningly before shaking her head. "She was gone before we woke up," she replied, pointing to her other dorm mate, Parvati Patil. "Nothing unusual recently, why?"
Ron frowned, ignoring her query. "What do you mean by nothing unusual?"
Lavender shrugged, "Well she's usually gone earlier than us," she said. "We used to ask her where she could possibly need to go that early of a morning, but she always told us that she was just in the library."
"Well, I think Hermione's got a guy on the side," Parvati grinned, causing both her and Lavender to giggle quietly.
Ron's eyes narrowed, but the two girls didn't seem to notice. "Who?" he asked, appearing simply curious.
"We don't really know," Parvati answered. "But we're pretty sure it's one of the Slytherins."
"Yuck!" Seamus exclaimed, his face screwed up n disgust. He'd obviously been listening in on the conversation. "A Slimy Slytherin! That's gross, there's not a decent looking fella in 'em! And … a Slytherin?" Seamus shook his head, scowling.
"Are you kidding?" Lavender exclaimed, seeming mortally wounded by the statement. "That Zabini isn't too bad on the eyes – "
"Snape Jr is a bit of hunk too," Parvati gushed.
Lavender sighed dreamily, "I wonder who his mother was? She would have had to have been beautiful to compensate for Professor Snape's face…"
Seamus and Ron looked as though they would be sick.
"You've got to be joking?!" Ron spat. "Well I bet you wouldn't feel the same if you knew what I know about him!"
"What's to know?" said Parvati, dumbfounded by Ron's vehemence. "He's gorgeous…"
Ron eyed the two girls appraisingly. They were the two biggest gossips in the whole school. Whatever he told them would spread through the rumour mill like wildfire. Perfect.
"I need to tell you three something," said Ron finally, including Seamus due to the way he'd responded the previous year about the reports of Harry Potters growing insanity. Yes, the Irish boy was rather gullible. "Come with me."
Lavender, Parvati and Seamus looked puzzled, but they still rose from their seats and followed the redhead.
No one took notice when Ginny Weasley rolled up a small, string-like object and also stood from the table.
She needed to find Professor McGonagall…
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"What are you doing here, Granger?" Pansy Parkinson sneered as she walked into the crowded Classroom. Hermione had been standing near the back, trying not to draw any unwanted attention to herself. "Professor Snape isn't your Head of House." Pansy smirked as Crabbe and Goyle walked in behind her, effectively boxing the Gryffindor in.
Hermione saw Blaise standing across the room, looking over at her and Pansy suspiciously. She saw him move to approach but she shook her head subtly. She didn't want to get him on his Houses bad side. He looked unsure of her decision but obediently remained steadfast.
"No big, bad Gryffindor friends to hide behind anymore, eh Mudblood?" Pansy drawled. "Not even Weasley is willing to risk hanging around filth like you anymore, now that Potty isn't around to – "
"Miss Parkinson," a silky Baritone interrupted. "I strongly recommend you desist your current conversation, for to do otherwise would compromise your impeccable record of good health."
Pansy smiled and turned to face Callen's stony expression, shamelessly flirting with him by running a finger lightly down the front of his chest, ignoring the blatant threat. "Oh, Callie! I didn't see you come in…"
"Do not call me that," Cal growled, ignoring her finger, elbowing past Goyle's bulk easily and standing next to Hermione. "And you wouldn't have seen me." He didn't elaborate. "Now, Hermione has just as much right to be here for my father as anyone else does," Cal continued, glaring at Pansy, who was scowling uglily. "Also," he added, taking a step towards the shorter Slytherin, "If I ever hear that vulgarity uttered from your lips again, I shall remove you of your tongue … are we quite clear?"
Pansy had paled a shade and swallowed awkwardly. "Crystal," she replied, even though defiance was still shining clearly in her eyes.
Ever since Draco Malfoys disappearance, (and subsequent death and burial), Pansy had become the insult throwing, snob nosed, top shot of Slytherin House. She was not as popular as Draco had been, however.
Callen smirked at Pansy's answer. "So glad we understand each other, Miss Parkinson." His smile softened as he turned to Hermione. "Miss Granger," he purred, not seeing Pansy turn green with jealousy at his tone. Hermione did though, as Cal held out his elbow. "If you will?"
Hermione grinned at Pansy devilishly, hooking her own arm through Callen's, "Why I'm honoured, Callie."
Pansy's jaw dropped when Cal only smiled at the softer abbreviation of his name. "What?!" she screeched, stepping in front of the pair as they started over toward where Blaise was waiting and watching. She angrily jabbed Cal in his chest with her finger, "You allow this two-faced Mud – "
"Finish that sentence, Parkinson!" Cal snapped as he glared down at Pansy, his eyes flashing in icy anger. "I beg you…"
Pansy's mouth closed with a loud snap, but her glare shifted from Cal to Hermione, intensifying tenfold as she did so.
"There you are, Callie!"
Cal's scowl instantly morphed into a wide smile as Lizzy weaved between some of the older students toward them. He held out his free arm and wrapped his sister in it when she reached him. Lizzy responded by hugging him fiercely around the waist.
"Another one?!" Pansy burst out incredulously, pointing at Liz accusingly.
Cal glared at her again, but this time when he replied, his voice was dripping with sarcasm. "She's my sister, Miss Parkinson…"
Pansy smirked cruelly at the statement, but before she could say anything, the door to Snape's Potions Storeroom opened wide, revealing a smiling Professor Dumbledore. Everyone became silent; many were craning their necks in an effort to look around the ageing Headmaster, to the door of the potions lab beyond.
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Ginny stood nervously outside Professor McGonagall's office door, twisting her hands anxiously as she furiously debated turning in her brother or not. She bit her lip and slowly raised her hand, fisting it and rapping swiftly on the oak before she lost her nerve.
Professor McGonagall's stern voice was soon heard, beckoning her to enter. Ginny did so and nervously approached her Head of House.
McGonagall glanced up from her paperwork momentarily, "Yes, Miss Weasley? What can I help you with?" When Ginny made no reply, the elderly witch lifted her steely gaze. "Miss Weasley?" she asked again.
Ginny willed her hands to still their trembling and held her Professors gaze. "Professor," she said finally, unable to keep the small waver from her voice. "It's about Ron…"
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"Why are we in the Room of Requirement?" Lavender asked as soon as Parvati, Seamus and Ron had also entered the room. "Ron?"
Shutting the door behind him, Ron led the small group towards the small setting of chairs the Room provided for them. Gesturing for them to sit, he took out his wand and cast an Imperturbable Charm on the door (Hermione wasn't the only one with reading skills), before sitting in the last chair.
"All right," Ron said, leaning forward, placing his elbows on his knees. "I was listening in on a couple of Slytherins the other day, and I found out something rather interesting about Snape Jr." He frowned over at Lavender and Parvati, "You think he's so great looking and everything? Well guess what. He's a murderer!"
Blank looks followed this declaration, until Parvati chortled and shot Ron an uncertain smile.
"Excuse me?" she spluttered. "What on earth makes you think that? Some Slytherins? You've got to be joking!"
Ron shook his head, "This is no joke, Parvati. He killed Malfoy." The smile faded from Parvati's features as the others gasped at the statement. "And that's not all," Ron continued harshly. "I found out by overhearing Snape talking to Zabini about the way it was done…"
"One of our year mates is a murderer, and another is an accomplice?" Seamus barked out angrily. "Why haven't you told anyone about it?!!"
Ron blinked. It was a good question.
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Jessica stood in a shadowed corner, keeping out of Severus's limelight as he entered the room; Albus had stepped aside and let him through, the room exclaiming welcome to their Head of House. Many of the students that had seen Severus erupt at Draco Malfoy's Memorial were amongst the most vocal. Her eyes swept the dimly lit area, noting that most were happy to have Severus back to normal, but there were a select few that were obviously unhappy with the situation. Of note were the Parkinson girl and the two lunks that followed her around. The Nott boy was another to watch. These few were obviously those that were suspicious of Severus's loyalty to the Dark, however in order to avoid notable attention, they still showed up to support their Head of House.
If she were to be honest with herself, though, Jess prayed that Severus would forego any future attempts to spy for Albus. The chance that he would never return was to high a price to pay, especially now that he had a responsibility to Liz and Cal. To her.
"Professor?" Jess started slightly at the soft voice beside her, and turned to face one of her more pleasant Slytherin students, Blaise Zabini. "Is something wrong?" he continued, appearing genuinely concerned. "Are you worried about Cal?"
Jess frowned and shook her head, "No, why? Should I be?" Her eyes travelled over the crowd, searching for the robust form of her nephew.
"Oh," said Blaise, sounding a little surprised. "I apologise, Professor. It's just … he doesn't look as pleased with Professor Snape's cure as I thought he would."
After glancing at Blaise, Jess followed his line of sight until she too, saw where Cal was standing. He was by the far wall, Hermione standing next to him. She saw Liz throw his arm off and dart towards her father. Cal almost visibly flinched at the suddenness of it. Jess smiled as she watched Liz dash toward Sev, but she was taken by surprise at the open and broad grin on Severus's features as he enveloped his daughter and a tight embrace.
A wave of muttering followed the action, for many Slytherins were unaccustomed to such open displays of affection, much less from their Head of House. Students were openly pointing and staring, but Sev and Liz were oblivious to it all. Jess though, felt lighter than air at the sight of Severus openly showing such emotion. She looked over everyone's heads to see Albus still standing in the small alcove between the lab and the classroom. His blue eyes were as bright as she's ever seen them before.
A flurry of movement near the far wall drew the eyes away, just as Liz twisted in her fathers grip, also to stare, shocked, at the far wall. Following the line of sight, Jess only just spotted a tall figure disappear around the frame of the door. The much slighter form of Hermione darted out not two seconds later.
"Cal, you moron!" was quietly exclaimed at her shoulder, right before Blaise also stormed from the room, looking disgruntled about something.
Blue eyes swivelled to meet black, unmistakable hurt and resignation lying in the latter.
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"Cal!!" Hermione shouted as she rounded the end of the corridor, stopping dead when the other was nowhere to be seen. "Damn," she cursed under her breath, only to jump out of her skin when a hand closed around her wrist.
"Cursing is unbecoming of you, Granger," Blaise commented easily. He pulled her gently down the hall a little further before closing his eyes and frowning in concentration.
Hermione was curious by the other boys behaviour but remained silent.
"Okay," he muttered finally, opening his eyes. "Granger, I know that you know everything about Cal," Hermione opened her mouth to demand what he was talking about, but Blaise bet her to it, "and so I would appreciate it if you kept your mouth tight about me also."
Hermione didn't get a chance to respond before they both vanished in a swirl of flame.
