Tendrils of Smoke

Chapter One:

Ice Princess

~~~~~~~

In the black of night, the boy slipped through the folds of the velvet maroon tent. Just after he entered the space lighted by candles, a low voice called out to him from behind the curtain cutting the tent in half. "Sit." The voice commanded.

The boy sat down in a wicker chair on one side of a small round table. On the other side was another chair just like his. In the middle of the table was a crystal ball sitting on top of a silver claw-like base. Next to the crystal ball was a stack of tarot cards.

A woman came around from behind the curtains. She was wearing a robe of maroon-colored velvet, just like her tent. On her head was a scarf of black silk. The woman had lots of jewelry adorning her neck, ears, wrists and fingers. She sat across the table from him.

"What kind of reading would you like today?" she asked him in the low voice.

"Crystal ball." The boy whispered, afraid that if he spoke he would be too loud.

The woman looked intently into her crystal ball. It seemed like forever before she finally spoke. "Your name is Severus Snape."

He nodded, leaning forward, eager to hear more, eager to see into the ball.

"You were a surprise to your parents when you came into this world. They have two other children, older than you. A girl and another boy." There was a swirl of smoke in the ball and another vision appeared. He couldn't read it, but the gypsy could. "You have never been wanted. You were always abused. You spent much time locked in your room or your lab, cooking up a new potion you read about. You studied, excuse me, study the Dark Arts quite avidly. You're an expert, you know more than your teachers."

Severus was glad that he had gone to a gypsy who was also a witch. He was also glad that he had looked at her references and found out that she did a lot of readings for witches and wizards who were studying the Dark Arts more than he was.

"You go to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You have to be careful while you're there because you're under the watchful eye of Albus Dumbledore. You would prefer to go to Durmstrang Academy. They delve into the Dark Arts more thoroughly there and you would enjoy that."

Severus smiled a faint cool smile.

"What else would you like to know?" her low raspy voice asked.

Severus swallowed nervously and whispered, "What's to come in my future?"

The woman turned back to her ball and waved her hands over it once more. She stared intensely and then finally spoke up. "Soon, a man will rise up to power. Like tendrils of smoke he'll be there and your family will join his evil ways. You'll doubt your participation in the Dark Arts because of someone unique. But like tendrils of smoke you'll be there, and just the same way you'll be gone. After that when you least expect it, like tendrils of smoke something will swirl into your life. Not something, someone. And your life will never be the same again."

Severus waited for awhile and when she didn't continue he anxiously whispered, "Anything else?"

The gypsy looked back into her ball one more time, then looked up at him and said, "No."

Severus dug some coins out of the deep pocket of his robes and handed them to the gypsy. She smiled and nodded her head slightly as she took them. "Thank you, my child."

She led him to the opening of her tent and as he ran off into the night she called out, "Be careful my child of the night! If you don't, you may not be a child of the night much longer."

~~~~~~~

Severus woke up and looked around. He growled as he realized that yesterday he had come back to Hogwarts. He sat up and quickly parted the black curtain that concealed him from the other four beds in his room. He stood up, smiling at how the cold, damp concrete floor felt on the bottom of his bare feet. He loved that feeling.

He stepped to his window and parted the black curtains. He scowled at the sun shining brightly outside. He hated the sun, he hated anything bright. He loved the spell his parents had put on his house long ago. A spell that would make it dark and cold all the time. Storms came frequently there, but not often enough here at Hogwarts.

The other boys were starting to get up as well. Quickly Snape grabbed a black robe and slipped back between his curtains onto his bed. All Slytherins got dressed behind their curtains.

After he had finished dressing he got out and put on some black shoes. He left his room and walked down the winding staircase into the black and green common room.

There were other Slytherins sprawled out on couches, chairs, or on the floor. No one was talking, they weren't very sociable. The fireplace that was built into the left wall served no purpose. They never used it. That would only make their cold, damp tower warm and dry. That was something none of them wanted. He recognized the students in the tower as students who rose early. Other Slytherins would still be at the breakfast table and the group that was getting ready would come shortly after.

Drats! He thought. He hated sitting with the others, although, they did try to act a little more sociable around the other houses than they did inside the safety of their own. He climbed through portrait hole and groaned as he was quickly warmed up.

"Terrible out here, all bright and warm isn't it?" the portrait asked.

Severus turned around to see who was in the picture this time. It was the serpent, back again. "I see you've changed again." He commented.

"Yes. None of us ever want to stay out here, we always want to be where it's cold." The serpent told him.

Severus nodded. Even though one subject was supposed to stay in the portrait for the year, his always switched. They all wanted to be in the portraits inside the house where it was cool.

"Yes." Severus replied. "It's terrible out here. Now, I must go to the Old One and receive my breakfast." He told the serpent, referring to Dumbledore.

"Have fun." The serpent replied sarcastically.

As Severus walked off he felt bad for the serpent. The poor cold-blooded picture was always the temperature of the warmth of the air around him. And out here, it was too warm for any Slytherins liking.

~~~~~~~

Later that day he walked into Potions and groaned when he saw the other students already seated in the dungeon. Gryffindors! Walking through the door he sat down at one of the tables as close to the back as he could find.

The back of the classroom. That was a Slytherin's favorite place to sit. But when it came time for Potions with another house, they had to fight for the seats. All of the other students were afraid of the Potions Mistress, the Head of the House of Slytherin. For it was rumored that the Potions Professor, was a descendent of Salazar Slytherin. It was rumored that the Potions Professor could very well be the daughter or the granddaughter of Salazar Slytherin.

Just then, the Potions Professor entered the room. Every Gryffindor in the room stiffened and every Slytherin let a slight smile play on their faces.

The Potions Mistress had shoulder-length black hair, and black eyes with a hint of blue. She was wearing a long black velvet robe, which made her skin look very pale. She looks like an ice princess, Snape thought. He had always entertained the thought of her being his ice princess, unless she was wearing a long blood red velvet robe, she looked a little more human.

"As you all know," she started to say, "I am Sateen Salazin."

Her voice was very light, very cool, very feminine. Even when she was angry, her voice always remained the same. Her eyes told the people around her, the mood she was in.

It was rumored that her parents were the only good family members from the line Salazar Slytherin. They didn't want to be associated with their evil ancestor, yet they were people of honor who couldn't dismiss their background with a snap of their fingers. So, they had changed their last name to Salazin.

When Sateen was born it was rumored her parents had named her Satin, but she had thought that sounded too good, too pure. She, unlike her immediate family, was like Salazar, so she had left her family at a young age and changed her name to Sateen.

Snape was thinking about this while the beautiful professor looked coolly around the room, her gaze hardening when she looked at any of the Gryffindors, and softening whenever she looked at the Slytherins.

"My Children of the Night," she began speaking again, referring to the Slytherins. "Can call me whatever they please."

She small smile played on her lips as she looked at the children she referred to as her Children of the Night. Just like the gypsy fortuneteller. "But, anyone else," The blue in her eyes began to take on a hint of red. "Will call me Professor Salazin."

She looked around the room, her eyes softening some more. "Now, open your books to chapter one and begin studying. Severus Snape, please come with me. I'd like to talk to you in my office."

Everyone stared at him with wonder as he stood up and followed her into her office, shutting the big brick door behind him. She was already perched on the corner of her desk. "Sit." She said pointing to one of the bone chairs in front of the desk. He quickly took a seat, loving the sound of the few cracks as the bones shifted to hold his weight.

"I was looking at your grades from last year this morning, and I remembered that I wanted to talk to you. You have excellent skill in Potions. You could become a great Potions Master. I'd like to teach you everything I know that you don't, and help you perfect the potions that you already know. Will let me help you? Will you let me mentor you and make you one of the best Potions Masters?" she asked him, her blue eyes burning with intensity.

"Yes." He whispered, barely able to get that syllable out of his mouth.

This time when she smiled, it was a true smile. The first true smile he had ever seen come from her lips, her perfect blood red lips.

As she led him out of her office, he smiled secretly inside himself. The Potions Mistress, Professor Salazin, Sateen, his Ice Princess was going to be his mentor.

Disclaimer: The only character I own is Sateen Salazin. All others belong to JK Rowling. No infringement is intended.