Firstly, I need to apologize for taking so long to update. I've been going through something quite personal, and I needed time to get my thoughts in order and back in the game of writing. I appreciate your patience and continued support. Hopefully from here on out updates won't be as long.
A huge thank you needs to go out to the following for reviewing the last chapter: hahahanna, elvinscarf, Ladyxx (for all 3 reviews and pushing me for another update), Jo odbqp , MortalCoils, TardisGhost, Romomo, TinaMaki, Estel Ashlee Snape, Tobiramamara, CygnusRift, animechick247, BabSberry, Guest, Little Sunflower1, Ravenswing79, szaboalexandra1991, A5mia, ColdOnePaul, Friedbananas, Trinabear, PrismRootStarlight, d'elfe, Guest reader, faultyfairytale, stubs1101, pineapple-pancake, Cat2k10, SparrowSky1, findels, and hourhercraven. THANK YOU!
Here is the next chapter - I hope you enjoy it :)
The news of Colin Creevey's petrification spread through the school like a rampaging wildfire, as did wild speculation as to whom the true heir of Slytherin really was. Unsurprisingly enough, the spotlight was now being cast upon Harry and Lauren ever since the incident with the cat.
"Maybe you are the heir of Slytherin," Draco mused over breakfast the following morning as he took a bite out of his pancakes. He chewed thoughtfully on his mouthful as he perused the morning paper with an air of nonchalance.
Lauren glanced up sharply at his statement. Feeling her glare upon him, Draco turned his head and shot her his trademark smirk, his eyes twinkling in mischievous delight.
The little prat really does enjoy riling people up...
"Here, let me see that," Lauren said, extending her hand in the direction of his newspaper and wiggling her fingers impatiently.
Draco hesitated for a brief moment but then handed it to her. Lauren took it from his hands, swiftly rolled the newspaper up, and then proceeded to smack him across the back of the head with it.
"Oi! What was that for?" Draco declared, clutching his head.
"That's for being an idiot," Lauren stated, handing him back the now slightly rumpled newspaper. "And how the hell did you come to that conclusion? You were with me when Colin was petrified. You know full well that there was no possible way I could have done it."
A sly grin graced his features as he proceeded to smooth out the newspaper on the surface of the table in front of him. "I know that...these other idiots don't, though," he said, gesturing with a sweep of his hand all the students of Hogwarts seated at their House tables. "It will boost my reputation if it seems that I'm cahoots with the Heir of Slytherin."
Lauren stared at him and then lurched for the newspaper, but Draco was too fast and held it well out of her reach, a wide grin stretched upon his lips.
"As if anyone's going to believe that crock of shit."
"I don't know," Draco drawled, rubbing contemplatively at his chin, the newspaper still held away at arms length. "You crashed into the Great Hall last year, somehow managing to break through Hogwarts impenetrable wards. You Stupefied three students with a single spell – which is almost unheard of. You went up against Quirrell, a far more advanced and highly skilled wizard than you, and survived. And then there's also the fact that you happened to be close by when the cat was stupefied and the Chambers of Secrets was opened...What else am I missing?" Draco paused, his ice blue eyes glinting. "Oh yes! You're also a Slytherin. That's a good enough reason for everyone here to believe that you are, in fact, the Heir of Slytherin."
Lauren, giving up on her struggle to get her hands on the newspaper, settled back in her seat. Draco eyed her, waiting for her to make another move for it, and then slowly lowered the paper, placing it once more upon the surface of the table.
Lauren glared at him, but she had to admit that he had made a few very valid points.
"But you're forgetting the fact that I'm a descendant of Bethany Ward. I've checked out my family tree, Draco, and nowhere did I see Salazar Slytherin's name among my ancestors. I think I would notice something like that."
"She has a point there, Draco," Tracey piped up, her nose buried deep in the book she was hunched over.
"Again, nobody else knows that, Davis," Draco remarked.
Tracey raised her head enough to peer at Draco, her brows slightly furrowed. "But you do."
"True." Draco practically thrummed with eager anticipation, which did not go unnoticed by the ever observant Tracey.
Tracey straightened up, her full attention now focused on Draco. "You know something, don't you? Something about the Chamber of Secrets. Otherwise you would be asking Lauren outright if she is the heir instead of teasing her about it."
Draco grinned and leaned forward, his arms folded in front of him upon the table. Both Tracey and Lauren followed suit, the trio huddled together as Draco explained conspiratorially. "This isn't the first time the Chamber of Secrets has been opened."
"What?" Tracey gaped.
Draco looked rather pleased by her shocked reaction. "It's happened before. About fifty years ago."
"How do you know?"
"My father told me," Draco replied with an air of superiority.
"And does your father happen to have certain knowledge as to who has opened the Chambers again?" Lauren asked with an edge to her tone, thinking that Malfoy Senior was taking a lot of liberties by setting a monster loose in the same school that his only son was staying at. She most certainly did not approve, but she had to stay out of it and keep her mouth shut.
Draco paused and shot Lauren a shrewd look as he discerned her less than pleased expression. Lauren refused to break eye contact as she stared back at him.
Draco slowly straightened up. "No. He's only told me to keep my head down and let the Heir of Slytherin get on with it."
"Uh-huh," Lauren intoned. "And isn't he concerned that a monster is roaming around the school and that you, his son, might be in danger?"
Draco scoffed. "I'm a pure-blood, Ward. I'm in no danger. It's the Mudbloods who should be worried."
Lauren cocked her head to the side, studying the boy in front of her. She was getting quite sick of all the blood purity nonsense he enjoyed spouting. "And what if I'm a Mudblood?" she asked quietly.
Draco's brows knitted together in confusion. Finally he replied, "But you're not. You're a Ward – there's no Mudbloods staining your family tree, although you do have quite a few half-bloods mixed up in there."
Lauren didn't want to contemplate how Draco knew this information. It was probably news that had been passed down from his father who had taken it upon himself to learn all he could about the mysterious girl who had not only crashed through the roof, and wards, of Hogwarts castle, but was now also friends with his son.
"But what if I am?" she pressed. "What if I am a Mudblood, Draco? Would you be okay with the fact that I could be attacked at any moment?"
Tracey was glancing back and forth from one friend to the other, her expressive brown eyes growing wider and wider at the building tension between them.
"What are you trying to tell me, Ward?" Draco asked slowly, his voice having dropped a notch.
Lauren blinked, and the moment was broken. "Nothing," she stated with a strained smile as she pushed her plate to the side, her breakfast suddenly unappetizing. "I just wanted to give you something to think about."
Thankfully, the school bell chose that moment to ring and the Great Hall erupted in a crowded shuffle as students prepared to make their way to the first lesson of the day. Lauren was relieved by this distraction, and used the opportunity to leap to her feet and make a hasty exit, Tracey following closely behind. She had come very close to revealing her true blood status to Draco, and that would not have been good, especially to a blood-purity fanatic such as himself.
Draco decided to hang back, but Lauren could feel his eyes boring into her as he mulled over her words, clearly disconcerted by her implications.
By the time they had made it to the History of Magic classroom, though, Draco was back to his usual self and had joined her and Tracey, having decided that Lauren was merely messing with his head and it was best the ignore what she had said and carry on as usual.
But Lauren knew the truth. If the school records in that book Dumbledore had shown her last year was anything to go by, then she was in very real danger of the Basilisk.
She reached into her robe pocked, her fingers curling around the slim handle of the hand mirror she now carried with her at all times.
This is the only thing that can protect me against certain death now, she mused with dread settling like a heavy weight in her stomach. A simple, non-magical mirror...
This was her only form of protection. She may as well be at the mercy of the Fates, if there was such a thing.
There's a Basilisk, and mermaids, and dragons. Not to mention magic. It wouldn't surprise me if the Fates did exist here...
That thought held very little comfort.
~oOo~
December rolled around, bringing with it a generous amount of snow, as well as sub-zero temperatures that seeped right through the stone walls of the castle, especially that of the dungeons. There seemed to be no escape from the frigid cold and it was not unusual to see most students bundled up from head to toe.
Lauren stood huddled in front of the fireplace in Snape's living room, waiting for the Potion Master to arrive and begin their duelling lesson. She didn't dare go down to his private laboratory, which would surely be an ice box right now and, instead, chose to remain close to the only source of heat in this room.
The door slammed open, rattling on its hinges as it rebounded from the wall, and Lauren whirled around to see a dark, scowling and very formidable Professor Snape storming into the room, his black robes billowing around him and hinting at his current mood, which was no doubt thunderous.
He seemed unsurprised that Lauren was here in his personal chambers, and marched right past her, his focus intent on reaching the cabinet on the other side of the room. He flung open the door and retrieved a bottle of Firewhisky and crystal tumbler before marching over to his armchair without a word said to her.
"Bad day?" she inquired as she watched him settled into his chair and pull off the stopper of the bottle before pouring a generous amount of the amber liquid into the glass.
His sharp gaze flickered up to hers, causing her heart to stutter and restart painfully. These past few weeks were proving to be almost impossible as she vainly tried to control her growing feelings for Severus Snape, but she knew she was fighting a losing battle. It hurt every time their gazes met across the room. It was excruciating being in close proximity to him, that familiar scent of herbs and parchment washing over her, threatening to overwhelm her senses. It was pure torture every damn time, because she knew that nothing more could ever come of it. Ever.
Severus would never reciprocate her feelings. His heart belonged to another. Always would. And even if it didn't, there was still the annoying fact that she was stuck in a child's body. Snape would never cross that line. Never. To him it would be repulsive to even entertain the idea of such a thing. Either way, these feelings were very much one-sided and always would be. Lauren was just going to have to learn to deal with it.
"You were there," he growled before downing his drink in one gulp and refilling it again, this time almost to the brim. "You tell me."
Snape, of course, was referring to the disastrous lesson where Potter had caused an epic distraction so that Hermione could raid Snape's personal storage closet for the ingredients needed to brew the Polyjuice Potion.
Lauren watched as he placed the bottle down on the table beside his armchair. "Yeah, that was quite a spectacular...accident," she remarked nonchalantly, making her way over to the loveseat. Slyly, in passing, she tried to snatch up the bottle, but a sharp swat to her hand quickly dissuaded her from attempting any further retrieval of said bottle.
"Ow! That hurt," she exclaimed, rubbing the back of her stinging hand. "I swear you must practise daily or something, because you have a real knack for inflicting pain."
Snape ignored her remark and instead made one of his own. "I noticed that the Swelling Solution somehow managed to avoid landing on you."
"That's because I cast a fairly decent Shield Charm," she replied. Lauren had spied the moment when Harry had retrieved the firework that would ultimately cause mayhem, and had quickly noped out of having any part of her body engorged by the Swelling Solution they were brewing. Unfortunately, Draco and Tracey had both been hit with it, Draco suffering a rather gargantuan nose and Tracey's head swelling to twice its size.
"You knew this was going to happen?"
"Of course," Lauren replied flippantly as she settled into the plush cushioning of the loveseat. "And I took precautions."
Snape's eyes narrowed. "And was there a good reason why you chose not to warn me."
"Yup," she remarked, popping the 'p'.
Snape was silent for a few moments, clearly fuming. "It was Potter who set off the firecracker, wasn't it?" he finally asked.
"You know it was. I could see by the way you were glaring at him that you suspected him." Lauren could still picture the look of pure venom Snape had levelled Harry with – it was a look she never wanted directed at her. "But you know I can't tell you any more than that."
Snape growled in frustration, his frown still very much pronounced.
"So...are we going to practise?" Lauren asked in an attempt to distract him.
Snape sighed the sigh of a truly weary soul and placed his tumbler down on the side table beside his chair with a clunk. Then he rose to his feet in a fluid, graceful movement, the Firewhisky having little to no effect on him.
"You had better have something spectacular planned to humiliate that imbecile otherwise known as Professor Lockhart, otherwise I will consider all these lessons to have been a complete waste," he grumbled as he stared down his nose at her.
Lauren gave him a coy smile. "Oh, I think between you and I, we'll manage to have a bit of fun with the moron just fine."
Snape regarded her for a moment, his features still set in a stony mask. Then a slow smile crept onto his lips, making his obsidian eyes dance with an anticipatory light. It caused a very inappropriate fluttery feeling to ripple in the pit of Lauren's stomach; a sensation she had to hastily quell.
"I look forward to it," he drawled. "Now, there are still a few pointers that I think we need to go over. The dunderhead wants to start the Duelling Club next week, so I think it's best that I prepare you as best as I can."
Lauren nodded, rising to her feet.
"I know you're eager to have a go at him, but I would like to have first dibs in teaching him a lesson or two," Snape remarked as he marched over to the door that led down to his laboratory.
Lauren grinned as the image of Snape knocking Lockhart flat on his arse sprang to mind. A giggle escaped her lips and Severus glanced over his shoulder at her, a brow raised in silent question.
"Oh, I think you're really going to make him regret ever asking you to help him. I can't wait to witness it firsthand," she explained as she strode past him as he held the door open for her.
"Then I'll try not to disappoint," he said, his dark promise following behind her and sending an illicit shiver coursing through her body. When Snape made a promise, he kept it. It didn't help though, that he made it sound so seductive.
I so doomed, she thought. I don't know how much longer I can control these feelings, but I have to. I have no other choice. But, goddammit, he isn't making this easy. And the worst part is that he doesn't even know he's doing it...
~oOo~
The following week a notice was placed on the board by the Entrance Hall announcing the start of the Duelling Club, which was to be held that evening in the Great Hall.
For the rest of the day there was nothing but excited talk about the duelling lessons that were to be taught.
"Are you going?" Tracey inquired as they sat at one of the tables in the Slytherin Common room, finishing up their impossibly long Potions' homework.
"Oh yes," Lauren stated as she scrawled down the last paragraph of her essay.
There was a pause from the other girl. "You're up to something."
Lauren glanced up, giving her friend what she hoped was a passable look of innocence. "What makes you say that?"
Tracey levelled her with a look that clearly suggested that she was not fooled. "Your tone suggests that you know something...or are planning something. And the fact that you're trying to hide it means that it's not going to be good."
"Oh it's going to be good," Lauren stated, a Cheshire Cat grin springing unbidden to her lips.
"For you, maybe," Tracey muttered. "I'd bet is not going to be much fun for someone else."
Lauren's grin widened. Tracey really did know her too well. But she wasn't about to admit that Lockhart was going to be on the receiving end of her little mischief. Somehow she didn't think Tracey would approve.
"Maybe. Now let's finish our homework otherwise it's not going to be much fun for us when we have to face Snape's wrath."
That evening they made their way down to the Great Hall, Draco walking casually between Lauren and Tracey and whistling merrily to himself.
"I wonder who is going to be teaching this Duelling Club?" Tracey mused.
"Lockhart," Draco replied immediately.
"Really?" Tracey's eyes had lit up like a Christmas tree at this news, and Lauren was tempted to reach over and slap some sense into the girl.
"And Professor Snape," Draco continued, a smirk curling his lips as he glanced sideways to view Tracey's reaction.
Tracey gaped, clearly shocked, and then spluttered, "What?! Snape's going to kill him!"
"Oh I do hope so," Draco drawled.
"Shut it, Malfoy," Tracey snapped. "But seriously, Snape is going to murder him."
"That is the general idea, Tracey," Lauren muttered. "And I, personally, am looking forward to watching it."
"You knew?!"
"Of course I knew. What did you think I was so happy about earlier on?" Lauren retorted. "It certainly wasn't about writing an essay on the properties of Horned slugs."
Draco snickered beside her. Tracey shot them both a scathing glare before huffing irritably, and she promptly ignored them the rest of the trek to the Great Hall.
Upon arrival, they found the Great Hall completely devoid of the usual House tables and benches. Instead, a long golden stage had now been placed in the centre of the room, no doubt at Lockhart's suggestion. Lauren could not picture Snape picking out anything golden. Black was his go-to colour of choice.
The Great Hall was quickly filling up with students, their wands clutched tightly in their fisted hands as they waited eagerly for the duelling session to begin. Excited babbling echoed throughout the now hollow room, and the trio made their way closer to the stage.
Tracey raised herself on her tippy-toes and craned her neck, hoping to catch a glimpse of Lockhart. Her disappointment was evident when it was obvious that her crush had not shown up yet. No doubt he wanted to make a grand entrance.
"I don't know what you're so eager about," Lauren muttered. "You're about to watch Lockhart get his arse handed to him."
Draco chuckled beside her. "On the bright side, maybe Snape will leave enough pieces for you to keep as a souvenir, Davis."
Tracey's head whipped around and she glared daggers at Malfoy junior. Lauren discreetly took a step back, recognizing the dangerous glint in those chocolate brown eyes that forewarned that Draco was about to get the hexing of his life. He may now have become part of their group, but there was no way Lauren was going to step in and get involved if Tracey decided to retaliate. Tracey was quiet and it took a lot to get her temper going, but once there Lauren was sure it was a sight to behold.
It's always the quiet ones you have to watch out for...
Lockhart chose that moment to strut onto the stage, resplendent in his brilliant white and golden robes that perfectly enhanced his wavy locks and blindingly white teeth as he grinned widely down at his gathered audience.
"Gather round! Gather round!" he called out. "Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands together.
Lauren zoned out as Lockhart proceeded to prattle on about himself, but her attention was immediately at full alert when Snape strode onto the stage, his black robes swirling around him like an ominous premonition of doom.
Oh, this is going to be good! Lauren thought with gleeful anticipation of what was to come next, her focus now intently trained on the formidable adversary that Lockhart had no idea he was now facing.
Snape and Lockhart now faced each other, one light and the other dark, and in complete stark contrast with one another. Snape's black eyes glinted with malicious promise and Lauren knew that she never wanted that particular look trained on her. She had to wonder how Lockhart was not quivering in his fancy leather boots. Any person with a bit of common sense would have run the other way by now.
"Oh, no," Tracey moaned, anxiousness tinting her voice as she, too, could foretell what was about to happen. "I can't watch."
"You have to," Lauren stated as she grabbed Tracey's wrists, halting the girl from covering her eyes with her hands. "This is going to be brilliant!"
"No, it's not," Tracey bemoaned.
Snape and Lockhart bowed to each other, Lockhart with flourish and Snape stiffly, before swiftly turning on their heels and taking a few paces back before turning around and facing each other again. Snape snapped into the duelling stance, his poise rigid and his wand now withdrawn and pointed squarely at Lockhart. Lockhart quickly mimicked his movements.
"As you can see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position. On the count of three, we will cast our first spell. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course," Lockhart explained jovially.
"Pity," Draco muttered.
"Shut up!" Tracey hissed.
"One...Two...Three!" Lockhart counted down and Lauren swore the entire room held their collective breaths.
Snape, his reflexes jarringly quick, raised his wand above his head and cried 'Expelliarmus' as he brought his wand back down. A dazzling flash of scarlet burst forth from the end of his wand and Lockhart was hit squarely in the chest before he even had had time to raise his own wand. Lauren watched with morbid fascination as Lockhart was blasted back several feet into the air, crashing against the opposite wall where he slid to the floor in a crumpled heap.
Lauren couldn't contain herself and cheered loudly, clapping her hands together and practically bouncing on the balls of her feet with enthusiasm. Draco joined in with equal gusto, their wide grins identical mirror images of each other, and soon the rest of the Slytherins joined in. Tracey, on the other hand, had her mouth covered with her hands, her eyes wide with dawning horror.
"Is he dead?"
"Nah, we wouldn't be that lucky," Lauren said, having to raise her voice to be heard above the din of all the cheering and clapping.
Snape's obsidian gaze flickered towards them and a shadow of a pleased smirk fluttered across his pale features as his gaze settled upon Lauren. She gave him two big thumbs up, her grin impossibly wide, and that warm, fuzzy sensation uncoiled in the pit of her stomach when he inclined his head towards her in silent acknowledgement.
Lockhart rose unsteadily to his feet, his usually coiffed waves now a frazzled mess. Draco snickered at the sight, earning a sharp elbow to the side from Tracey.
'Oh come on, Davis. You have to admit, that was brilliant!" Draco said.
"No, it wasn't!" she snapped back. "Professor Lockhart could have been seriously hurt."
"The only thing that is hurt is his pride. I suspect Snape was going easy on him, otherwise he wouldn't be able to walk, let alone stand right now," Lauren commented, wondering how much restraint Snape had had to exercise in that moment. She suspected that Dumbledore had warned him to behave himself.
"Well, there you have it," Lockhart declared, tottering back onto the stage, his movements still somewhat disjointed. "A Disarming Charm. An excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape. But if you don't mind me saying so, it was obvious what you were about to do." Lauren snorted in disbelief. This guy was absolutely unbelievable. "If I had wanted to stop you it would have only been too easy..." Lockhart trailed off as he discerned the quickly darkening and very ominous look Snape was levelling him with.
"Perhaps," Snape gritted out through clenched teeth, and Lauren suspected it was taking every ounce of his willpower not to cast another and more dubious spell at the other man, "it would conductive to demonstrate a Shield Charm." Snape paused in dramatic and falsely contemplative thought. Then a slow smirk curled his lips as he eyed Lockhart. "I have an ideal candidate who who would be most eager to partner up with you for this demonstration."
"Ah, yes. An excellent idea!" Lockhart enthused, returning once more to his usual egocentric and insufferable self. "Yes, I think a demonstration of the Shield Charm would be excellent. Who do you have in mind?"
Snape's smirk broadened, making his feature morph into that of sardonic malevolence, and Lauren had to wonder how Lockhart could be that dense that he did not see the trap he was walking right into.
Suddenly Severus' dark gaze cut across the room and landed on Lauren, and with a swift nudge of his head he silently ordered her to step forth and take her place on the stage.
Lauren gave a single nod back and withdrew her wand as she made her way towards them. The sea of students parted for her, forming a solid wall of black on either side. Hushed mutterings followed in her wake, which she resolutely ignored.
Lockhart's smile faded like a wilting flower as she stepped onto the stage, and he started to shake his head in refusal. It was no secret that Lauren held very little love for him.
"Uh...I don't think...That is to say..."
"Miss Ward will be merely demonstrating the Shield Charm," Snape cut in smoothly, his tone lustrous like spun silk. Lauren was reminded of a spider spinning his web in preparation of trapping his victim. "I see no harm in a little demonstration."
Lockhart closed his mouth. He was not please but he could not back out now. He was, after all, supposed to be teaching this class and was now trapped in Severus' web.
Lockhart plastered a broad smile upon his face, flashing those pearly whites once more. "Yes. Of course. I don't see the harm in a little demonstration.
"Excellent," Snape practically purred. He glanced down at Lauren and gave a single nod of his head in encouragement. He then turned swiftly on his heel but before he strode away in a billow of black, he quiet words floated back for her ears only. "Make me proud."
Lockhart and Lauren now faced each other, Lockhart eyeing her warily while Lauren stared blankly back at him.
"Ready, Miss Ward?" Lockhart asked, his voice somewhat strained.
Lauren drew in a deep breath and then raised her wand, effectively casting the Shield Charm. Lockhart's eyes widened slightly at the fact that she, a second-year, knew how to cast such a spell.
"Ready," she affirmed, her tone steady.
Lockhart hesitated for a brief moment and then he raised his wand. Lauren concentrated fiercely on holding the charm and her efforts paid off as the spell he cast bounced innocently off her shield. It was all rather anticlimactic.
Lockhart straightened and turned to address the room. "Excellent! As you can see, that was a Shield Charm. Needs more work..."
Lauren chosen his moment of distraction to swiftly cancel her shield charm and cast a spell of her own at Lockhart. It was a dirty move, but Lauren was known to fight dirty, and Snape had advised to to do as much.
The indigo hued light hit him right in the middle of his back and Lockhart was sent sprawling to the floor, his wand clattering noisily from his hand onto the stone floor.
"As everyone has no doubt learned," Snape interjected as he came to stand beside Lauren, "it is imperative that you never take your eyes off of your opponent."
Lockhart heaved himself to his feet and the entire room gasped aloud at the sight. For there, sprouting from his bottom, was a spectacular plume of peacock feathers, fanned out in all its vibrant glory.
A stunned pause followed and if Lauren hadn't been standing so close to Snape, she would have missed his words entirely. "Nice." That was high praise indeed coming from him.
"What?" Lockhart asked, spinning around in a full circle as he tried to see what everyone was gaping at.
Impulsively, Lauren strode up to him and yanked free one of the feathers, earning a sharp, high-pitched yelp from the Professor.
He spun around to face her and Lauren flashed him a wide and purely vindictive grin as she held up the feather for him to see. "Thank you. I needed a new quill."
Lockhart's eyes widened as dawning realization hit him, and he glanced over his shoulder at the plumage fanned out behind him. He now resembled the prancing peacock he often emulated.
Lauren turned on her heel and skipped off the stage, the congregated students parting and giving her a wide berth as she passed through them. When she reached her waiting friends - Tracey gaping at her like a fish out of water and Draco flashing her a wide grin accompanied by a wink - she handed Tracey the offensive feather.
"There! Don't say I don't think about you," she muttered, now turning her attention once more to the stage. Snape's penetrative gaze was trained on her, watching her every move, but Lauren discerned the slight softness to his usually hard eyes that indicated he was very pleased with her at the moment.
Then Severus abruptly turned away and strode towards the peacock-Lockhart who was now spinning around and around and was making sounds of distress at his current infliction. Snape raised his wand and cast the counterspell, instantly vanishing the feathers.
"See? Nothing permanent," Snape remarked as he turned away in obvious disgust. Lauren saw his lips moving though, and thought he may have uttered the word 'Pity' under his breath.
Lockhart, now free of the spectacular plumage, visibly calmed down and after a few moments gave an awkward cough. "Yes. Yes..." Another cough and then he was once more back to his usual annoying self. "Yes! I think that's enough demonstrating. Maybe it's time to pair you all up. Professor Snape, would you like to help me?"
Lauren was paired up with Tracey, while Snape, through some vindictive agenda, paired Draco and Harry together. The animosity between the two boys hung like a heavy weighted curtain in the air, palpable to all those nearby.
Lockhart had them practising disarming each other to begin with, but to say the session was disastrous was an understatement. Soon more questionable spells were being cast, especially between Harry and Draco, and Lauren used these opportunities to discreetly shoot spells of her own at Lockhart, causing the wizard to yelp out in pain as the spells hit him. It took every ounce of her willpower not to burst out laughing when she saw Lockhart instinctively glance over his shoulder each time to make sure he hadn't been inflicted with feathers sprouting out of his buttocks once more.
She caught Snape's eye on a few occasions, and by the way he was almost smiling foretold that he knew full well what she was doing. But he remained silent and let her continue with her task of tormenting the other man.
It wasn't long before things were getting out of hand between Harry and Draco.
"I think maybe it's best to concentrate on blocking spells instead," Lockhart declared with exasperation. "Let's have a volunteer pair – Longbottom and Finch-Fletchley, how about you?"
"A bad idea," Snape interjected smoothly as he glided over to Lockhart, his treads silent and cat-like. "Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest of spells. We'll be sending what's left of Finch-Fletchley up to the hospital wing in a match box."
Neville's round face turned a shade of pink at the insult, but Lauren had to agree with Snape on this. Neville, though he would prove to be an exceptional wizard later on, was right now a walking disaster.
"How about Potter and Malfoy?" Snape suggested, a twisted smile curling his lips.
"Excellent idea!" Lockhart agreed, motioning for the two selected boy to come up on stage.
Lockhart gave Harry some obviously useless pointers before flouncing off. Snape, on the other hand, was bent at the waist, his hands clasped behind his back as he whispered something in Draco's ear. The young Malfoy grinned slyly at the suggestion, and Lauren's eyes narrowed for she knew what was coming. There was a reason that Snape was suggesting this particular pairing and well as this particular spell, and she had to wonder if Snape was staring to harbour suspicions about the Horcruxes. Or maybe he just wanted to test out the theory that Harry might be the heir of Slytherin. She would have to ask him later, not that he would be forthcoming with her, though.
Draco and Harry faced each other, each of their faces set in equal masks of defiant glares. Lauren gnawed on her bottom, anticipating the scene that was about to unfold before her.
And then, as predicted, Draco cast the spell Severus had slyly suggested, sending a large black snake shooting out of the end of his wand and causing it to land heavily at Harry's feet in a coiled heap. The snake raised itself up, hissing and spitting, its poisoned fangs bared and ready to strike.
The rest of the events unfolded in a panicked haze, and the snake, now enraged by Lockhart's failure of a spell to vanquish it, slithered towards Justin, raising itself up and readying to attack.
Lauren watched in morbid fascination as Harry stepped forward and hissed out the garbled language otherwise known as Parseltongue. It sounded so foreign and unnatural to her ears, almost disorientating. The snake halted in its attack, and a stunned silence descended upon the room.
Tracey, being the first to break out of her stupor, hissed out of the corner of her mouth, "He's a Parselmouth!"
"Obviously," Lauren muttered back distractedly, her attention rather focused on Snape who, at this very moment, was staring at Harry with calculated shrewdness brimming in his dark narrowed eyes. His clenched jaw and taut lines of his features were a clear indication that he was disconcerted by these turn of events.
"What are you playing at?!" a wide-eyed and rather pale Justin Finch-Fletchley shrieked.
Confusion washed over Harry's features and Snape chose that moment to step forward and vanish the snake in a puff of smoke. The whole hall broke out in hushed murmurings, and it wasn't long before Ron and Hermione dragged Harry out of the room and away from the wild speculation that was now going to follow Harry's every waking move.
"But...does that mean that Potter might be the heir of Slytherin?" Tracey asked, abject shock still evident on her features.
"I don't know," Lauren lied. Then she flashed Tracey a too-bright grin. "But at least everyone will stop thinking that I am the bloody Heir now."
Draco pushed his way through the crowd and came to join the two girls, his features set in that of pinched agitation. The revelation that Potter was a Parselmouth did not settle too well with the boy.
"That didn't go quite according to plan, did it?" Lauren mused aloud.
His frown deepened. "No, it didn't. Because I really don't like the idea that Potter might be Salazar Slytherin's heir. That would just be...wrong!" he spat out.
"He might not be," Lauren pointed out.
"But don't you think it's all a bit coincidental that around the same time the Chamber of Secrets is opened, the truth about Potter being a Parselmouth comes out," Tracey mused, thrusting her hands deep into her robe pockets and no doubt protectively clutching her new Lockhart peacock feather quill. "Everyone knows that Salazar Slytherin and his descendants were Parselmouths."
"No, Potter is not the heir!" Draco stated firmly. He was stubbornly refusing to accept the fact that his arch enemy could somehow possibly be related to the founder of his beloved Slytherin house. It was almost blasphemous in his mind.
"But it's a possibility," Tracey pressed. Turning to Lauren, she asked. "Don't you think so?"
Lauren snorted. "Potter? A closeted Muggle-born hater? One of his best friends is Muggle-born, Tracey, in case you've forgotten."
"Mudblood," Draco corrected.
"Name calling is so childish, Draco. If you're going to insult someone, be more creative than that," Lauren chided.
Draco rolled his eyes skywards. "Fine. Whatever. So you don't think he's the heir?"
"No, I don't."
"Good," Draco muttered. "But now the big question is, who is?"
Lauren had to bite her tongue. God, knowing the truth and not being able to reveal it is damn hard.
Just as they were turning away to leave the Great Hall, her eyes met the stark black ones of Severus Snape's. He arched a questioning brow, almost as though he were silently asking, 'Was this meant to happen?'
Lauren gave a small, single nod of her head and turned to follow her friends, but not before she glimpsed the troubled look that fluttered across his features before he carefully masked his face into that of neutrality.
Late that night Lauren snuck through the secret portrait that led to Snape's office, clutching her fuzzy bathrobe tightly around her to ward off the damp cold that seemed to permanently penetrate these walls. She knew she needed to speak with Snape, for in that split second earlier on today he had looked truly disturbed, and she could not shake the image from her mind. And, truthfully, she wanted an excuse to see him.
His office was devoid of his presence so Lauren made her way to the door that led to his personal chambers instead and opened it without knocking. Normally, this would have earned a vicious hex from the bristly Potion Master, who was fiercely protective over his privacy, but he was so preoccupied in his pacing of the room that he did not notice Lauren's entrance.
Lauren observed him for a few moments, noting the deep crease between his brows as he frowned to himself, clearly lost in his tumultuous thoughts.
"I'm surprised you haven't hexed me yet," she finally mused aloud when it became obvious that he wasn't going to acknowledge her.
"I felt you pass through my wards. I merely allowed you entrance," Snape stated without halting in his pacing.
"Which means that you wanted to talk to me," Lauren pointed out.
Snape halted abruptly and glanced over his shoulder at her, scowling. Lauren was fast learning that the fact that she could read him better than others didn't settle too well with him.
He tore his penetrative gaze away from hers and glowered at a spot on the floor. "Is Potter the heir of Slytherin?"
"No."
"I thought as much," he muttered, his rigid posture relaxing somewhat.
"But you're starting to guess that there's something more going on," Lauren stated. She didn't step further into the room, unsure of her welcome, especially factoring the lateness of the night and Severus' current mood.
Snape slowly raised his head and shifted his body so that he was now facing her. "Is there more going on?"
"Yes."
Snape growled in frustration and rubbed at the spot between his brow. "It would be so easy just to extract the information from your mind..."
"And then what?" she asked cautiously. Where was this coming from?
"I could alter things..."
"But you won't."
"Are you so sure of that?"
Lauren stilled. Snape was very much a grey character when it came to the fine line of what was right and what was wrong. He wouldn't hesitate to cross the moral restrictions that often held others back if he thought it could be beneficial, but at the same time he possessed a high moral compass that would not allow him to go too far. He abided by his own personal code of conduct with strict rigidity. But how far he was willing to go, Lauren had no idea, and that scared her sometimes. It made him unpredictable.
"No. But with this, I don't think you will."
"Maybe I'm tempted to do so. Maybe I'm tempted to extract the knowledge you possess and use it to win this war altogether and be done with it."
Lauren tilted her head. What had gotten into Snape to even consider going against Albus' wishes that they do not interfere with future events? Her eyes narrowed as she discerned the buffering waves of agitation roiling off of him. There was only one person (well, besides her), that could infuriate Severus to this extent.
"What has Dumbledore done to make you consider rebelling against him?"
His whole expression instantly soured. "Nothing." The lie hung heavy in the air.
"Don't lie to me," Lauren snapped. Coming to a decision, she closed the distance between them. "Something has happened because in all the time that I have been here, you have never once contemplated extracting that information from me. Not once have you hounded me for information regarding the future. Because you know how dangerous it could be. So what has happened?"
Snape eyed her, his black orbs glinting with the raging fire pitted within him. Then he let out a deep sigh and tore his gaze away. "It hasn't even begun and already I am so tired of it. I just want all of this to be over with."
Lauren's heart constricted within her chest as she thought about how Snape's torment hadn't even begun yet. His sorrows were only just starting.
There is so much is he going to have to suffer through. There will never be any peace for him from here on out.
She edged closer to him and Snape's sharp gaze snapped up to hers as he eyed her wearily. Lauren tried vainly to still the wildly and erratic beating of her heart, and ignore the slight tremble in her hands as she carefully constructed her Occlumency shields into place. But it wasn't easy as the familiar scent of herbs and parchment washed over her. Tentatively she reached out and brushed her hand against his. His whole body stiffened, almost as though she had struck him, and Lauren was about to pull back when he suddenly grasped at her hand like a lifeline, his fingers intertwining with her own. There was almost a sense of desperation to this action.
How long has it been since he's had a hand to hold? How long has it been since a he's had a comforting touch extended towards him?
"Tell me what happened," she implored as she stared up at him.
He held her hand for a moment longer and then, with a sigh, he released his hold on her. "I informed the Headmaster what happened today," he stated, taking a step back. The distance between them suddenly felt like a gaping void.
"And?" Lauren was trying hard to ignore how cold and empty her hand now felt.
"As usual he will not reveal his true thoughts on the matter," Snape said bitterly. "He still does not trust me, even after all the vows I have made. Even after I have proven myself."
Lauren studied him, really studied him. She could discern the hurt simmering just below the surface, even though he was diligently working on maintaining an expressionless facade.
He will always be the villain to others. He will never be trusted and no-one will ever be willing to give him a chance. But I know the true person beneath all those layers...
Lauren, going purely on instinct, reached out and took his hand in her own once again, clutching more firmly and silently letting him know she wasn't about to let go. She wasn't going to allow him to go through this alone. Snape slowly raised his head and stared at her, a vast ocean of guarded emotions swirling within those dark pools.
It would be so easy to become lost in his eyes...
Lauren blinked back her thoughts and composed herself, Snape watching her reaction with shrewdness. "Personally, I think Dumbledore is a manipulative bastard," she stated, earning an arched brow from the Potion Master. "But I also think that he is purposely withholding things from you not because he doesn't trust you, but rather to safeguard this information from Her Royal Highness when he returns."
A frown furrowed his dark brows. "Her Royal Highness?"
"My new nickname for Voldy-boy," she explained with a shrug.
Snape's eyes widened fractionally at her audacity, but then the corners of his lips started twitching before a low chuckle escaped his mouth. It was such a foreign sound coming from him, yet Lauren had to admit that there was a deep, rich quality to it, and she enjoyed hearing it.
After a moment he sobered. "Only you, Miss Ward. Only you," he muttered with a small shake of his head.
Lauren decided to continue. "I don't agree with the fact that Dumbledore is keeping you in the dark, Professor Snape. I, personally, would trust you with this information."
Snape eyed her. No matter how many times she assured him that she did, indeed, trust him, he would always doubt her words.
Not many have placed their trust in you, Severus. And their mistrust will only grow, even when you are literally putting your life on the line to ensure their safety...
"But if I were in Dumbledore's position, I would also keep the information from you."
The look in his eyes hardened and she hastened on.
"But only to keep you safe."
Oh shit! I've said too much!
A slight frown marred his brows and after a few seconds had ticked by, Snape let out a regretful sigh. "Once this war has begun, Miss Ward, neither one of us will be safe. I know what my role entails and I am willing to accept the outcome if only to ensure that the wizarding world is freed from...his tyranny.
Her heart twisted painfully in her chest at his statement, tears pooling in her eyes at the knowledge of what fate held in store for Severus Snape. But she quickly blinked away the tears. Snape would not appreciate them, especially coming from her. And she was half afraid that her tears would give away her true feelings for him. She really didn't have the energy for one of his cutting, scathing remarks. Lauren didn't think her poor heart could handle it right now.
Snape yanked his hand free of hers, and Lauren knew that the moment was over. He was reverting back to the haughty, cruel Potion Master who let nobody within the impenetrable walls he had erected.
"Now, I'm going to have a drink and you're going to go back to bed, Miss Ward."
Lauren mentally sighed.
It's always one step forward, two steps back with him.
"Not going to share your drink?" she decided to ask instead, knowing full well what his answer was going to be.
"No."
"You suck. You know that, right?" she muttered with very little heat. This had now become a running gag between them.
Snape merely smirked at her, a light dancing in those pools of black. Sensing that he was now in a better mood, Lauren decided it was time to leave and try and get some sleep.
As she reached the portrait, his softly spoken words floated back to her. "I was quite proud of your performance with Lockhart today. I think it is a memory that will stay with me for a very long time."
She glanced back over her should to see him smiling softly at her. In this moment he seemed younger, less troubled. She adored these rare moments when he wasn't weighed down with the burdens of his obligations and the vows he had made.
Then he nudged his head sharply, indicating that it was time for her to leave.
She shook her head and smiled. "Goodnight, Professor Snape."
She chuckled to herself when his parting remark floated back to her as she stepped through the tunnel. "Goodnight, you impudent girl."
Some would have been insulted, but not Lauren. She was so used to it by now that she almost considered them words of affection. And maybe for Severus Snape it was.
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