Chapter Six

Before I begin this chapter, I want to let you all know that I have changed the rating to PG-13, because when I was writing this, Snape, without a second thought to me or my rating system, starting saying some very mean things (things that only people over thirteen should know about). So, thanks to him, I've got to change it, but don't worry, I don't think he's going to pollute your "virgin ears". It's not that bad.

Chapter Six

Rarely had the students of Hogwarts ever seen their teachers so giddy as they were at the Halloween feast that night. Snape, in his best black robes, was sitting close to Cassandra, who was stunning in robes of a bold flame red, although he was occasionally giving Sylvia dark, suspicious, contemptuous looks.

As for the archeologist (who wore pale orange that gave her an honest, fetching look), she and Remus Lupin (who didn't seem to own anything but patched secondhand robes) were intimate, their heads almost touching, deep in conversation.

Dumbledore sat chatting pleasantly with McGonagall, his robes enchanted with tiny jack o' lanterns that twinkled and hers black with ugly orange polka dots. Flitwick was trying to charm (ed. Do you get the pun?) Sinistra. It seemed as if the entire staff was contented. Even Hagrid was having a good time, engrossed in a discussion about dangerous and deadly plants with Professor Sprout. Filch, who was given a place of honor that night at the table with the rest of the staff, had been engaged by aging Professor Elysia in what appeared to be a discussion of boggarts.

But Snape was distinctly uneasy, and distinctly distrustful of Dr. Sylvia Oliver (if this even was her real name), who had been able to do such things to his dark mark. It was as if his past were rushing up around him again in a great whirlwind of voices pleading for mercy, men, women, and children, a high, cold, merciless laugh, and a flash of green light. It took all his concentration to sit patiently and listen to Cassandra explaining what she had seen just the other night while orb gazing.

This is your once chance with her, you git, he told himself. And if you ruin it, I will be furious with you! So he willed himself to respond to her predictions with in a tone that feigned great interest.

The end of the feast couldn't come fast enough for the teachers, eager for what promised to be some good clean fun. Lupin and Dr. Oliver slipped out early, doubtless to get ready, and the Heads of the Houses herded their students to their dormitories in record time.

Cassandra accompanied Snape as he led the Slytherins to their lower level commons. She was still discussing the portents she had glimpsed in her orb. "…and then I saw Sylvia Oliver, dressed all in white, and pregnant. I do believe it must be a prophecy of things to come."

"Really?" he said, trying his best to be attentive. "Hopefully it's not Lupin that she's marrying. Tell me, are you and she friendly?"

"Oh, yes," Cassandra said seriously, giving him a look of superiority as if it meant a great deal to be friends with Sylvia Oliver. "She has orb gazed with me many a time, although I must say that oftentimes I cannot get a glimpse of her in the ball. It is very unusual."

"Is that so?" he asked, actually slightly interested in what she might say. "What happens when you try to see her?"

"Events rush by in a mad whirl. It's like I can't seem to hold one down long enough to examine it. Isn't that odd?" she commented, giving him a smile that accented her perfect teeth.

"Extremely," he said, more focused on her mouth than on the words that she said. It had been a long time for him since he had been with a woman. "Here we are," he announced, indicating a large and, to his knowledge, heretofore unused room. The furniture had been cleared out, and most of the staff had already crowded into the tiny space.

"Wonderful," Cassandra said excitedly, dashing over to talk to Dr. Oliver, who, he noticed, seemed a bit annoyed when the Divination professor drew her away from Remus Lupin.

Snape hung back awkwardly, only to be approached by none other than the person he expressly did not want to speak with, one Remus Lupin.

"Severus," he said, a tad uncomfortably, "I was hoping we might speak to one another."

"What is there to speak about?" Snape asked coolly, feeling the old familiar anger beginning to burn in his veins. "Besides the fact that your girlfriend did something to me…to me here," he said, whispering the last part, and gesturing towards his forearm where the Dark Mark lay.

Lupin looked at the spot appraisingly, although it was covered with Snape's robes. "Did she?" he asked, sounding not at all surprised.

"What is she?" Snape hissed. "I suppose she must be something really awful, Remus, to want to hang about with a werewolf."

"I will not rise to your bait," Lupin said slowly, although it was clear that he wanted to attack the other man.

"Come on, Remus," Snape taunted. "After all, who else would want to go to bed with you? I suppose she's used to your howling by now, isn't she? Doesn't care anymore if you get a bit animal-like, because that's the way she likes it."

"I really do wish I could break every bone in your pathetic body," Lupin said with gritted teeth. "But I will have more self restraint than you do. I will not sink to your level, Severus. I would never make a fool out of myself just for jealousy."

Snape laughed coldly. "What do I have to be jealous of?" he sneered. "Do you think I would really want to have anything to do with that Mudblood? Have you gone loony, Lupin?"

Lupin's eyes flashed dangerously. "Andromache has more power than you could ever dream of! And I do think you're jealous, Severus. Do you want to know why? Because she's the one friend you've ever had, and she cares for you, and you don't want to see her caring for anyone else."

"Andromache? So that's her real name, is it?" Snape said in a feline tone. "Thanks for that information, Remus. Now, if you please, I don't want to stand next to you for too long. I wouldn't like to catch your fleas."

Lupin glared at him, but walked off with dignity. He drew Sylvia (or was it Andromache?) away from Cassandra, and began to talk with her in earnest.

At this point, Snape was distracted by Cassandra, who rejoined him. "Sylvia is about to start some music," she explained, "and then we can dance. Won't it be fun?"

"Loads," Snape said dryly. Just then, true to her word, Sylvia cranked up the tunes, and the teachers all looked at one another with a mixture of shyness and anticipation. If he hadn't been one of them, Snape would have declared them positively hilarious, and acting just like reserved teenagers.

Dumbledore broke the ice by grabbing McGonagall's hand and bowing low to her. "Shall we dance, Minerva?" he asked formally, and the two began to do the fox trot. The others began to join in, until nearly everyone was dancing save Dr. Oliver and Lupin, who were still in conversation.

About thirty minutes later, the music abruptly ended, and everyone wandered over to a table laden with food and drink. Snape grabbed two glasses of nettle wine, and gave one to Cassandra. They sat down to drink it in silence, and were rather enjoying the moment when Sylvia stood up on a small dais and clapped her hands.

"I'm so glad y'all came to my little shindig!" she said as the teachers applauded.

"She's really laying the accent on thick tonight," Snape murmured to Vablatsky.

"I think it's cute," Cassandra answering, defending the other woman.

"Anyway, Albus and Remus have insisted that I sing a song." At this, loud cheers erupted.

"Does she sing?" Snape asked.

"Beautifully," Cassandra replied, looking towards Sylvia with great expectation.

"And since Fawkes couldn't come tonight, and we decided that phoenix song might be a little much, I'll be singing a Muggle piece."

"She knows phoenix song?" Snape asked, amazed. He had been friends with her now for at least a month, and knew none of these things. He was feeling a little out of the loop.

"Oh, yes. Fawkes took a liking to her and taught her. I daresay it took a while to learn, but it's really amazing."

"So, if Remus would be kind enough to hit the music for me, I will gladly commence." Lupin winked at her and muttered something, holding his wand. Slow, dirge-like music began, and Sylvia began to sing a slow, sad opera song.

"When I am laid, am laid in earth, may my wrongs create no trouble, no trouble in thy breast. Remember me, remember me—remember me, but ah! Forget my fate!" It was sung with so much feeling, so much longing on her face, that they were all mesmerized. She held them in sway for three or four minutes, and then finished. They applauded enthusiastically, and she stepped off the dais, face flushed.

"Sylvia, it was wonderful," Snape said sweetly, flashing Lupin a deadly look when he thought she wasn't looking. Lupin didn't seem too happy that he had moved in on the archeologist, and he was taking full advantage of the situation.

"Thank you, Sevy. It's a piece sung by Dido, the Carthaginian queen, you know, from Vergil, right after she has plunged a knife in her breast."

"Well, that's cheerful," he teased, and then glanced back over at Cassandra, who was giving him a very enticing look. "We'll be off now," he said, gesturing towards the divination professor. "But it was a lovely party."

"Thank you," Sylvia said, but he heard her add clearly, if softly, as he was walking away, "And let poor Dido die." Surprised, he turned to look at her, and he saw her in a pose not unfamiliar—a faraway look in her eyes, her right hand over her breast. It was the same pose she had taken in the painting above her bed.

Not wanting to bother with such things at the moment, he dismissed it as a song lyric, and strode quickly over to Cassandra.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked, a hint of seduction in her voice.

"If you are," he answered, excited. "Shall I take you back to your room?"

"Yes, please do," she replied. "And stay with me for a while." Trying to control his exultation, he took her arm and led her out, all thoughts of the mysterious Dr. Oliver vanishing from his mind.

***

Okay, y'all, I hope you don't mind about me changing all the chapters up and making it all weird. I'll keep up on writing it, though! Next installment—Sevy and Dr. Oliver try to patch things up after his wild night with Cassandra? And what did Lupin and Sylvia do that night, anyway? We'll find out the answers to all of these questions soon.