Hello!
Going to keep this author's note brief since I'm exhausted from a long ER visit and recovering from dehydration caused by being violently ill.
Last we left off, James found out Lily is not going to be the girl to his Head Boy.
Let's just get on with the show, shall we?
If Someone Cared Enough
Chapter 120: Perfect for the Position
"You should have seen James's face!" Lily exclaimed with a laugh as she came to sit at the Hufflepuff table. The opening feast was wrapping up and with it the rules for sitting at one's own table for ceremonies grew lax. Dumbledore never enforced the rule past the main entrée so students usually scattered about the Great Hall by the time dessert was served.
Across the table, Mary nodded. "It was priceless. He comes in, yeah? And he sees Lily wearing the normal prefect badge. So he's all, "…what?" then he turns around and sees me as Head Girl and goes pure white!" She cackled, "It was hilarious."
"I would have given anything to see it," Severus said. Though seeing Potter's grimace at the beginning of the feast when Dumbledore announces the new appointees for the position of Head boy and girl was amusing enough.
"Perhaps we should have sent one of you into the compartment with a camera," Severus mused.
Lily sighed, "Why didn't I think of that? When you guys told me that James was Head Boy, I should have prepared for his reaction when he found out I wasn't Head Girl."
"How did you find out, Davis?" Nesme asked.
Davis swallowed a mouthful of treacle tart, "My mum's an acquaintance of his mum. She sends us the Potter family newsletter."
Severus choked on his food.
"The Potter family newsletter?" he gasped while Lily lightly thumped him on the back, "Let me guess, it's all about James."
Davis nodded, "For the most part."
Severus pinched his brow, "No wonder his ego's so big…"
"So Mary," Nesme said, waving her spoon at the girl, "Any clue why you got picked to be Head Girl? I mean, not that I'm disappointed its you—congratulations and all—it just seems like it came out of nowhere."
Davis couldn't help but put in his two cents, "She's right. It is not against the rules to pick a student who isn't a prefect, but that doesn't mean it's common. You've always been a good student but it just seems so random that they'd pick you for this position when they didn't pick you for prefect to begin with."
Mary shrugged, "No offense taken guys, relax. I'll admit I was wicked surprised when the letter and badge came this summer. I was positive it would be Lily up for the slot. No clue why they picked me, though the letter did say I have shown 'exemplary loyalty and dedication to the school' in recent years."
"A.k.a. you faced down a monster in the school and helped recover Rowena's lost diadem," Severus stated, "Speaking of which, how are things going with the diadem?"
"What remains of it is still currently in the schools possession," Davis explained, "Historical societies and musuems are arguing for the right to it, but from what I understand, only a direct descendant of Rowena may claim it; otherwise it belongs to the school."
"And since the only child and living family of Rowena died shortly before she did," Severus said, "That means there is no family to claim it."
A thought occurred to Severus, "On the subject of Rowena's daughter, has anyone seen the Grey Lady since we went to the Chamber?"
Everyone shook their heads.
"She wasn't in Ravenclaw tower for the remainder of the year," Davis confessed, "No one has seen her since as far as I know."
"Do you…" Lily looked at everyone, "Do you think she moved onto the other side? That's she's finally at peace?"
"That would explain why the Bloody Baron looks more dour than usual," Nesme noted, pointing to the Slytherin table where indeed the Baron floated morosely.
Lily smiled faintly, "I'm glad Helena found peace."
"But who's going to the Ravenclaw ghost now?" Mary asked, "Every House has one, right?"
Davis rubbed his chin, "Well technically, she wasn't the only ghost of someone that once was in Ravenclaw. There are other ghosts haunting the schools from that House, she was just the most famous and longstanding. Nick's not the only Gryffindor ghost either, just the one most well-known. Its notoriety that got them the title as the Hogwarts Houses' Ghosts. So presumably, another ghost will be bestowed the honor."
"Makes sense," Nesme nodded.
"Well getting that out of the way," Lily said, "Back to Mary's appointment. Given what we all did for the school last year, it definitely makes sense to pick one of us girls for Head Girl."
"But in that case," Lily added, turning to Mary, "You and Nesme should be tied as candidates for the role. You both were involved in those things."
"Yeah but my grades are rubbish compared to hers," Nesme said, "Not to mention the detentions I unfairly get."
Davis gave Nesme a stern look, "Once again, being penalized for putting itching powder in someone's ointment is not unfair."
Nesme shoved him, "Oh hush, a little itchy bum never hurt anybody. Jenkins had it coming for calling me a whale."
"It wasn't his bum," Davis pointed out, "It was cream for his di—"
"Moving on!" Severus cut Davis off, drawing a snicker from the others, "We can all agree that Mary being Head Girl—while surprising—is wonderful."
Mary beamed at him.
"The real question is," Severus continued, "How the hell did Potter make Head Boy?"
Davis thumped his goblet on the table, "Now that is the question of the year!"
"Well, they do sometimes pick the captain of one of the quidditch teams," Lily explained, "They demonstrate good leadership and the ability to maintain good grades while on a team shows they're capable of handling multiple responsibilities."
"Yes, but Potter has always been abysmal in a few subjects," Severus pointed out, "It's Remus who carries him in those classes. Surely, the teachers know that. The few classes he does excel in don't negate the ones he barely squeaks by in with barely an Acceptable. And don't even get me started on his detention record. That's one of the reasons I'm not a prefect even with my high marks in class."
"He's got a point," Mary agreed, "James is hardly the responsible type. He thinks he's leader material, but frankly he'd probably be suited best for leading lemmings off a cliff."
"Now there's a fun visual," Severus mused, "Aside from Potter getting the piss taken out of him, what else happened at the prefects meeting? Anyone new that we should look out for?"
"You mean did any of Rosier's buddies make the cut?" Lily asked knowingly, "Thankfully no. Slughorn seems to have cotton on to their allegiances enough to not trust them."
Severus relaxed some, "I'm partially glad Rosier graduated. But at the same time, dreading knowing that means he's probably officially one of them now."
"We'll be facing his ugly mug behind one of those masks sooner or later," Davis said.
"There was something odd," Lily noted, bringing the conversation back to the prefect meeting, "We were actually down a prefect; from Slytherin in fact."
Severus perked up, "Really? How come?"
"Ambrosia is pregnant," Lily stated, "She's dropped out of school to get married so that leaves a vacancy. It was all rather last minute."
"So that means we very well could still get one of Rosier's cronies for a prefect," Severus sighed.
Lily patted his hand, "We don't know that. There's plenty of good students in your house who lay low; they'd be ideal for the role since they lack any strong ties either way."
"I doubt Dumbledore will let a future Death Eater be a prefect," Nesme said.
Severus fixed her with a bland look, "We also thought he wouldn't be crazy enough as to elect that," he pointed to James showboating at the Gryffindor table, "As Head Boy."
Nesme wilted visibly, "Good point. I guess it's anyone's guess as he'll pick for prefect then, huh?"
"Why so glum, chums?" Remus asked plunking down in the open seat to Severus right.
"Fraternizing, are we, Lupin?" Severus quipped.
Remus pointed back towards his table, "We ran out of chocolate eclairs—which, I see this table still has an abundance of." He eagerly snatched two off a serving plate and bit into one with relish.
He groaned in delight, wiping some chocolate off his face and sucking it off his thumb, "Nothing like Hogwarts sweets. Home cooking can't be beat, but sweets, the elves do it best."
"You don't think your pals will be bothered by you deserting them for," Davis waved his hands, "Dessert?"
Remus chuckled, "James is too busy bragging to anyone within earshot about his new role and Sirius is busy gorging himself."
"I'm surprised you didn't bring Peter with you," Lily said, "He doesn't mind sitting over here by us."
Remus pointed towards his table, to where the stouter of his friends sat craned over something, his quill working furiously.
"Already writing to Marlene," Remus explained with a good natured role of his eyes, "Missing her that much."
Mary pouted, "I'm going to miss her too. She was so much fun."
Lily sighed, "I can't believe she graduated."
Severus raised a brow, "You have such glowing faith in your friends, my dear."
"I meant I can't believe we won't see her anymore," Lily said, swatting at Severus, "But in all honesty, I thought she would be arrested by now for topless protesting or something."
Remus laughed, "She's a spitfire. But she's mellowed out some with Peter by her side and he's gotten better at speaking his mind thanks to her. Match made in heaven, I guess."
"You know what I can't believe," Mary asked, "I can't believe Marlene's gone and now we're stuck with those prissy bitches."
She pointed towards the Gryffindor table where Jess and Meldonna sat. Both whispering to each other, they spied Mary out of the corner of their eyes and glared, whispering more furiously.
"They still think you ruined Jess's relationship with James?" Lily asked with a sigh.
"Yes," Mary groaned, "And apparently my being appointed as Head Girl is some sort of conspiracy to get closer to him in their eyes."
She scoffed, "As if I'd ever want to spend more time with that pompous ass than I had to."
"Are you sure?" Lily teased, "You dating him would get him off of my back."
"Don't even joke about that," Mary said, scandalized.
"Please?" Lily pleaded, "Think of it as a favor to me."
"No!"
As the two girls playfully bickered and the others got sucked into it, Severus tuned out, eyes scanning the tables and students around them. There were notable absences this year, students that had been withdrawn from Hogwarts by worried parents, students that fled the country with their families or transferred to schools outside Wizarding Britain.
Wilkes obviously was absent as he currently sat behind bars in Azkaban awaiting trial.
Severus's eyes fell on the Slytherin table. With Rosier gone, his flunkies were less threatening as they lacked direction or organization. Still, they could prove troublesome for the school. With no one to plan subtle schemes, they'd probably resort to blunt, open harassment, errant hexes, and bullying. It would earn them numerous detention but that was unlikely to deter them.
There was also the chance that whoever took Ambrosia's place as prefect could favor or show leniency to them.
A flicker of white caught Severus eye. Breaking his gaze from the Slytherin table, he watched as a small piece of paper fluttered to the table in front of him, landing as delicately as a bird perching on a branch. It even miraculously missed his half-empty soup bowl.
Curious, Severus picked up the paper and unfolded it, his friends too caught up in their revelry to notice.
'Peppermint Toads,' it said in neat, elegant writing.
Scanning the room, Severus's eyes landed on the staff table. Dumbledore met his gaze and gave him a smile and a subtle nod.
Gaining all he needed to know from that look, Severus waited patiently for the end of dinner.
{page break}
"Ah, Severus," Dumbledore greeted when Severus enter his office. Perched behind his desk same as always, Dumbledore waved over a teapot and two cups to float to him, "I would offer you a lemon drop, but we both know by now what your answer would be, as it always has been. Instead, would you like some tea?"
"That would be preferable," Severus replied, walking up to the desk and taking a seat, "Forgive my impertinence, but I trust there is a reason for this summons."
Dumbledore chuckled, "Ever to the point. Yes, I called you here for a reason. Well, two reasons, actually."
He poured them both some tea, a good natured laugh escaping him when he noted that Severus waited for him to drink first before trusting his own cup, "Still wary of me?"
"You'll forgive me if I remain highly skeptical of those with an agenda," Severus quipped.
Dumbledore inclined his head, "Yes, yes, always vigilante; Moody would take quite the shine to you."
"Now," the Headmaster said, "Onto our first bit of business. I imagine you have some questions regarding the Head Boy position."
Severus sipped his tea quietly for a moment before answering, "Just one: why Potter?"
Dumbledore smiled, "It may seem like rewarding bad behavior to you; or at the very least, rewarding one good behavior while ignoring all the bad."
"You mean him helping in the Chamber," Severus elaborated, "I had wondered if that had something to do with it."
Dumbledore nodded, "As do others I'm sure. But it may surprise you that his recent act of selflessness was not the basis of my decision."
"Oh?" Severus asked, "Then what was?"
Dumbledore tilted his head, regarding Severus fondly over his half-moon spectacles, "As you have said, there is always an agenda at hand; appointing James happens to be one of mine."
Severus eyed Dumbledore warily, "Care to elaborate?"
"James Potter is a charismatic lad," Dumbledore explained, "One who's does quite well in leading others, in earning their trust and loyalty. He instills confidence in those around him. These are useful traits to have in guiding the light in this fight against darkness."
"However," Dumbledore went on, "James's ego has always been a natural deterrent to responsibility and conscience, as I am sure you are more than aware. A need to impress overrides rationality, rash bravery supersedes common sense."
Severus sat there listening intently, arms folded over his chest, "So why give him a bigger responsibility?"
"In short, to reign him in," Dumbledore answered honestly and simply, "Mr. Potter has been given a wide berth in the past that he has misused and taken advantage of for less than noble means. The position of Head Boy, however, is under heavy scrutiny leaving him with little freedom to make a mistake if he wishes to keep the position."
Dumbledore added several sugar cubes to his tea, stirring them lazily, "James has his eyes on becoming an auror. Having Head Boy on his record would certainly bolster his chances of becoming one and I doubt he wishes to jeopardize those chances."
"So you deliberately boxed him into a confining role under the guise of a great honor," Severus surmised, "Will that be enough to keep him in line?"
Dumbledore nodded, "I believe so. James has lost some of his greatest encouragement for showing off and misbehaving. Mr. Lupin and Mr. Pettigrew have become more focused on standing up for themselves and others. And Sirius Black is losing some of his more aggressive traits as he matures. As those three grow up and abandon their schoolboy antics, James loses his audience and therefore his motivation."
"It is my hope that in the absence of this mischievous streak, the void can be filled with a sense of responsibility and new purpose," Dumbledore finished, "Also, it's hopeful that Miss MacDonald will be able to curb some of James's more rambunctious tendencies."
Severus smirked, "You deliberately paired him with someone who will not cave to his whims. Smart."
"Thank you," Dumbledore replied graciously, that secretive twinkle in his eyes.
"I suppose that better explains why Lily wasn't chosen," Severus mused, "I'm thankful she won't be forced to spend more time with Potter than necessary."
Dumbledore chuckled, "I admit Miss Evans was the most ideal choice for the position, but given all she has been through in the past two years, I wanted her final year at Hogwarts to be less stressful and less demanding."
Severus nodded, "Makes sense. But if you don't mind me asking, why did you pick Mary instead of a current prefect?"
That maddening twinkle grew stronger in Dumbledore's eyes, "Is it so wrong to wish to encourage a young girl finding her voice again? To give her some control and authority so that she may regain her confidence and strength?"
"She was already a prefect worthy student," Dumbledore noted, "Giving her a position that will give her the chance to take charge would certainly do wonders for her."
Dumbledore folded his hands atop the desk, "Now there is another matter to discuss. By now I'm sure Miss Evans has informed you of the vacancy among the Slytherin prefects, yes?"
"She has," Severus replied, "Am I here to consult on who should replace Ambrosia?"
Dumbledore smiled, "In a way."
He opened his desk and withdrew a prefect badge. Saying nothing, he placed it down in front of Severus.
Severus stared at the badge in confusion, "I'm…not sure I follow. What are you asking me to do with this? Pick someone?"
Dumbledore chuckled, "No, my boy. I'm asking you to wear it." Severus's whipped his head up, staring at Dumbledore in shock.
"Me," he said slowly, "Be a prefect?"
Dumbledore opened his hands and waved them, "Would you not say you've done more than enough to earn it?"
"But it's my final year," Severus argued, "People are picked in their fifth year. A-and all the detentions I've received, my permanent record…you have to admit, this is a bit unorthodox."
"Perhaps," Dumbledore said, "But you and I both know that occasional rules require some…adjustments."
"I don't get it," Severus said, scrubbing a hand down his face, "Why me? Why now? You've never considered me before."
"And now I am," Dumbledore said benignly.
"If this is some gesture of pity—"
Dumbledore shushed Severus with a raise of his hand, "Severus, I assure you there is no pity in this offer. I merely wish to correct a past mistake in overlooking you. You have always demonstrated the desired characteristics of a prefect, but were passed over in my biased judgment of you. It is clear there is no one better to represent Slytherin than you. With you to show others that our prejudices towards Slytherin are unfounded, perhaps it will usher in a new wave of comradery between the houses, and steer young minds away from the darkness."
"So I'm to be the posterboy for Slytherin?" Severus deadpanned.
"In a sense," Dumbledore answered. The smile was back, "And perhaps I find it useful that one of my smartest allies in the hunt for Tom's horcruxes be able to move about the school unimpeded by things like curfews during his investigations."
Severus stared at the Headmaster, "…did you literally just give me permission to sneak around?"
Dumbledore folded his hands on the desk and laced his fingers together.
"Now Severus," Dumbledore said with a cryptic smile, "I did no such thing."
"Riiight," Severus said skeptically, "Oh before I forget."
Severus reached into his robes and withdrew a parcel wrapped tightly in dragon hide.
"I sent you a letter over the summer," Severus commented, "I know you got it; not sure why you didn't come collect this."
Dumbledore carefully unwrapped Slytherin's locket from the hide, examining it but not picking it up, "I knew you would be besides yourself if you weren't present when it was destroyed. After all, that's why you didn't feel comfortable turning over the diary and diadem to me, correct?"
"The diadem promises knowledge and the diary talked back," Severus said bluntly, "Both seemed like items dreadfully tempting to those of power. But the locket, while more prized to Tom than the others, didn't grant any abilities on its own that would tempt those who hold it. Outside of his sole, it is merely a historical artifact. I trust you not to be so foolish as to do something like put it on."
"You have my word," Dumbledore promised, levitating the locket with his wand and turning it this way and that, "I must say it is fascinating how…predictable Tom is proving to be. I'm sure he thought himself too clever for anyone to ever discover his plans, nor the extent of them. And yet he seems to be sub conscious following a easily tracable pattern in his horcrux choices."
"Which means you are probably thinking what I am thinking," Severus guessed, "Gaunt's ring is a horcrux too."
Dumbledore hummed in agreement, "It would be a logical assumption. The ring was not among Morfin's possessions confiscated from his home, nor among those taken off his person upon being sent to Azkaban. It was the one possession Morfin would be too prideful to pawn off or lose willingly. Tom's penchant for using items holding significance to himself for horcruxes would make the ring an ideal choice."
"The question is where he did that one," Severus pointed out.
"I have a possible location," Dumbledore revealed, lowering the locket back down onto the dragon hide, "But it will need to be heavily investigated before any attempts to extract the ring are underway. As you know firsthand, Tom doesn't not take any chances when safeguarding his possessions."
Severus shuddered, thinking of the inferi in the cave, "You're telling me."
"In the meantime, I will hang onto this for safekeeping," Dumbledore said, rewrapping the locket, "You did the right thing in bringing it to me. Until we destroy it, there is no safer place for it than Hogwarts. It is the one place Tom cannot enter to retrieve it."
"If he even knows it's gone," Severus pointed out, "Will you bring me when you go after the ring?"
"There is a possibility I may call on you for assistance," Dumbledore assured him, "For now, I suggest you get some rest. Classes start tomorrow."
Severus picked up the prefect badge still sitting on the desk. At Dumbledore's expectant look, Severus fastened the badge to his robes with a sigh. He ignored the twinkle it brought to the headmaster's eyes.
"Goodnight, Severus," Dumbledore bade as the young man walked out the door, "And welcome back."
Lol, I said I didn't ever plan on making Severus Head Boy. I never said I hadn't planned to make him a prefect.
I've thought about it for a while now and decided some time back that the most successful way for Severus and Lily's romance to proceed in secret is with the perks of being a prefect, allowed out past curfew for patrol, allowed to do quite a bit outside the boundaries of rules under the guise of enforcing said rules. It's the best way to give them the privacy and freedom they'd need to meet secretly.
And Dumbledore isn't giving Sev the position out of pity or in an attempt to clear his own guilt for past neglect, but rather because making Severus a prefect gives him free reign to act independent from school rules if necessary to continue the horcrux quest. Head Boy is a position under too much scrutiny which would make it hard for Severus to move around as he pleases while investigating the remaining horcruxes. But prefect gives him just enough freedom while still not putting him in the spotlight. Hence why I thought the role perfect for him.
Review please.