Author's notes: Hello all. I am currently quite miffed at FFN, as many of my usual reviewers did not review and I suspect it is because of the reset AuthorAlerts. So, if you really want to know when new chapters of this story come out I suggest you join the Slytherin Tales Group.

This chapter actually has not been fully edited, I'm sending it to Draicana now to be edited. But for some reason I was just extremely impatient to get this one out there.

This chapter is dedicated to Sweet Audrina, if you haven't read her story "Love Long Forgotten" I recommend it. She has some intriguing view on reincarnation. She was so happy when I reviewed her story, I was so flattered I put her in my story. I had the character developed, just needed a name. :-D

Enjoy the chapter!! And please review. I'll read your work if you read mine. ;-)

Lauralie Black and the Cloak of Destiny (YEAR 1)

Chapter 9: Searching for Explanations

Lauralie gazed down at the gorgeous cloak. It shimmered with power. Severus eyes were on her, examining every inch of the cloak. Suddenly Lauralie felt very self-conscious having him watch her like that.

"I should probably get dressed," she said, removing the cloak from about her shoulders. It seemed like it went dead as she tossed it on the bed.

Severus shook his head in bewilderment. "I don't know what that thing is," he thought out loud, "or who sent it."

Lauralie sighed. "Neither do I."

For a few moments they stood in thoughtful silence. Salazar ruffled his feathers and hooted softly.

"Time to get ready for the feast I suppose," Severus said, walking towards the door. "I'll meet you in the common room."

He disappeared out of the door, and closed it gently behind him. Lauralie sighed, gazing down at the letter that had come with the mysterious cloak. "It has been no use to me since the day you came into this world." Why though? Why did it lose its use once she was born? "My identity has been hidden from you for most of your life." Hidden by who?

She tossed it down on the bed. "Doesn't make any sense," she muttered to herself. As she slipped off her nightgown and pulled her robes out of her dresser. Once she was dressed she sighed.

With out even pondering it, she took up her quill and a piece of parchment and composed a letter to her mother. She bound it gently to Salazar's leg and walked over to the window. As she opened it snow and cold air blew around her.

"Sorry to send you out in this," Lauralie whispered, stroking the owl's black and silver feathers. The owl hooted softly before spreading his massive wings and taking flight out into the blistering cold. Lauralie closed the window and watched through the glass as Salazar disappeared into the sky.

*    *    *

The dungeon corridors were freezing on this Christmas morning as Severus and Lauralie walked silently through them. Their breath hung in white clouds around them. Lauralie was wearing the hat that Narcissa had given her.

"I loved your gift," Severus said, breaking the comfortable silence.

Lauralie smiled. "I thought you would like it," she said.

"Most Potente Potions. I've always wanted to get my hands on it," he commented, "but the only copy the library has is in the restricted section. How did you get it?"

"Owl order through my uncle, since they wouldn't let me order it myself due to the age restriction," she explained. "Uncle Rookwood works for the Department of Mysteries, but he loves potions. So he doesn't mind furthering the knowledge of a young potions lover."

"If only I could test out some of them," Severus said longingly.

"Someday you will be able to," Lauralie replied. She released a minor gasp as she entered the Great Hall to discover that there was only one table remaining.

Severus laughed in spite of himself. "They did this last year too, since so few people stay for Christmas," Severus stated. "Ludo said more people used to stay for Christmas when the Yule Ball was actually on Christmas day. Now it is on the final day before the holidays start."

"We can't go to it till our fourth year, right?"

"Yeah, unless a fourth year or above student asks you," he said. He pulled out a chair at the table for Lauralie, and once she was seated he himself sat down.

To her right was Lucas Avery, the only other Slytherin that stayed for the holiday. He was in seventh year, and hardly spoke to either Lauralie or Lucius. Across from her was the Headmaster himself. He was twiddling his thumbs and gazing up at the enchanted ceiling with interest. Lauralie looked up as well. It was cloudy and overcast. Which was understandable considering the blizzard she had been met with upon opening her window earlier.

"Merry Christmas!" Professor Dumbledore greeted, as the final students arrived at the table. It was three Gryffindors that Lauralie had only seen from afar: the first year twins, Duncan and Lindsay McConaugha and second year Audrina Malachite, Lily Evans best friend. Audrina sat across from them, smiling weakly at Lauralie, and pretending Severus was not even present. The twins sat down nervously next to Severus, sending him wary looks.

"I think they are frightened of you Sev," Lauralie whispered in amusement.

Severus simply smiled a small but proud smile. Lauralie knew why these first years were so scared. She herself had heard the rumors. The ones that painted Severus Snape as a dark wizard and caused most of the Hufflepuffs, and young Gryffindors to fear him. The thing was, that some of it was true. He did come to school knowing more hexes and curses than any of the eldest students. But when you grow up all alone in a Muggle orphanage, you have plenty of time to read books, and learn such hexes and curses. Lauralie couldn't count the number of books Severus had read.

"I guess it is time to get this banquet started then," Dumbledore said. "Let's eat."

The plates were full now. Lauralie doled a nice large helping of yams onto her plate, and some Christmas ham. It was Audrina who first spoke.

"I love your hat Lauralie," she commented. "Christmas present?"

"Yep. From Narcissa," Lauralie answered.

"She's your best friend right? The one I always see you with…"

"Yeah, that's her," she answered. "No mystery who your best friend is, eh Audrina?"

Audrina simply smiled and pulled up the end of her scarf to show Lauralie. At the bottom, embroidered in shimmering gold were Audrina's name and a lily.

"Christmas present from Lily," she cooed.

"What is with girls and giving each other clothes?" Severus asked finally.

"What is with guys and their mindless obsession with Quidditch?" Audrina asked coyly.

"Hey, guys aren't the only ones who like Quidditch!" exclaimed Lindsay McConaugha. "One day I'm going to be a beater, both of us. Right Duncan?"

Duncan rolled his eyes. "How many times must I tell you Sis? Girls are never allowed on house teams!"

"Oh God, not this argument again," Severus muttered under his breath. Lauralie giggled.

"Don't mind Sev," she said, bumping him with her elbow. "He and I had this same argument already."

"Really?" Audrina asked, surprised. "I never fancied you the sporty type Lauralie."

Severus laughed a hollow laugh. "Hides it well, doesn't she?" Lauralie elbowed him.

"I find the game quite intriguing," she said. "I spent a month practicing with you and Lucius. What did you expect to happen?"

"You to become so sick of the game that you wanted to never play it again," he offered.

Lauralie rolled her eyes. "I'm looking forward to the next match."

"Aren't we all," Avery finally spoke. "A Slytherin versus Gryffindor match is always the most amusing kind."

"Because the tactics used on your teams side are less than honorable," Duncan bit out.

Severus sneered at the young Gryffindor. Duncan got a small look of terror on his face before falling back into silence. Lauralie withheld a smile. She never failed to get amusement out of seeing Severus scare the pants off other students. Not once had that look ever been brought down on her. Not even when they had been in the heat of their battle. Lauralie had been the only person to see beyond the hard, cold wall that Severus had built so perfectly around himself. She had never been frightened of him.

"Get any interesting Christmas presents Lauralie?" Avery asked.

Lauralie's face betrayed nothing. It was the perfect Slytherin mask. She looked politely bewildered. "Not really. Actually there were some strange assortments of candy in the box that Lucius sent. But that's Lucius for you."

She exchanged a casual look with Severus, but there was more exchanged in it than a mere glance.

*    *    *

Severus and Lauralie played chess, waiting patiently for Avery to leave the common room. He seemed oblivious to this fact, as he sat in a chair by the fire reading a book. Lauralie glanced at him and then at Severus. Severus nodded slightly before directing his castle to take out her bishop. Lauralie was pondering silently as they played. She was so distracted that she was losing worse than usual. She had this strange feeling that even though Avery didn't seem to be paying them any mind, he was there keeping an eye on them. Or trying to find out some information. It was making her skin crawl.

Lauralie yawned. "Wow, it's nearly midnight," she said, glancing at her watch. "I'm exhausted. I think I'll go turn in." Severus only needed one glance into her eyes to see what she was doing. She gently placed all of her chess pieces back into the box and closed it. She tucked it under her arm. And walked down the stairs to her dorm room. She lay down on her bed and stared up at the ceiling patiently. Sure enough, about twenty minutes later the door open and Severus crept into the room, closing the door behind him.

She sat up and he sat down on the bed next to her.

"What the hell do you think that is all about?" he asked.

"I don't know, but I got the strange feeling that he was there to watch us," she whispered. "Do you know any concealment charms? Anything that can keep him from listening in, if he tries?"

"Yes," he said, taking out his wand and pointing it at the door. "Segretezza!"

Lauralie sighed deeply. "This is just too bizarre," she said. "I mean, I receive this powerful present from a mystery person. Then Lucas Avery is asking if I received anything interesting, and babysitting us in the common room."

"Why would he ask if you'd received anything out of the ordinary, unless he knew who was sending it?" Severus pondered out loud. He paced from one end of the room to another. "And why would he know anything about this? That's not even touching on that cloak."

"The cloak. I mean, look at it. It seems so completely normal right now," Lauralie said, picking it up in her hands. She flung it over her shoulders and it was like some one had flicked on a light switch. Severus gazed at her. "What?" she asked, once she saw him staring at her.

"It's nothing. You just seem so powerful, so radiant with that thing on," he said, looking away for a moment.

"Here, you try it on," she said, taking it off and handing it to him.

He sighed. He flung it gently over his shoulders and… nothing. The cloak remained dead, and lifeless. "Looks like it only works for you," he said, removing the cloak. "Didn't the letter writer say something about it no longer working for them?"

Lauralie reached over and plucked the letter from her bedside table. "Yeah. 'it has been no use to me since the day you came into this world'," she read. "What do you suppose that means?"

Severus shook his head. "No clue." He was pacing again. "Another thing is, it's obvious it is powerful. But what does it do?"

Lauralie flung it over her shoulders again. She took out her wand. "Lumos!" Her wand lit up so bright that it nearly blinded Severus, whose eyes had become accustomed to the dark room. "Nox!"

"Of course," he said. "I should have known. It magnifies the wearer's magic. AMAZING!"

"Why would someone send this to me?"

"Perhaps it was made for you," he suggested.

"But why?" she asked, exasperated.

"I wish I knew. I'm just concerned that maybe…" he began, trailing off.

"Concerned? About?"

"Dark magic," he said. "This is a powerful magical object. But what is powering it? Dark magic, or Light magic?"

"Is there any way to find out?" she asked, shifting nervously from one foot to the other.

"I don't know, I'll look into it," he answered.

Lauralie was looking at herself in the mirror. It was so odd to see the power that now exuded from the cloak. "I think I'll wear it on the first day of term?" she said. "Just to see what kind of reactions I get. And maybe to see what Avery has to say about it."

Severus didn't say anything to this. He didn't protest. But he most definitely didn't agree either.

*   *   *

Rainelda Black sat peacefully by the fireside reading the Daily Profit and sipping hot cocoa. Christmas had gone off with out a hitch. Aside from the absence of Lauralie, which still saddened her. But the words her husband had last spoken to Lauralie were horrible and cold hearted.

_____

"Don't you think that was a bit extreme dear?" Rainelda said. Her husband had just returned from his trip to Hogwarts, but a letter from Dumbledore had arrived first with the details of the encounter.

"No, not at all," he snapped. "If she is one of them she is not a part of this family."

"But she is a part of this family Wesley," she replied, soothingly. "You know that as well as I do."

"But she's a Slytherin!" he exclaimed.

"She is still the same person she was before the Sorting Hat put her in Slytherin, maybe you should realize that Slytherin may not be the epitome of evil as you thought it was," she suggested.

"SLYTHERIN IS FOR NO GOOD DARK WIZARDS! NOT ANY DAUGHTER OF MINE!"

_____

 Rainelda had not pushed it after that. She knew her husband well enough to know that once he had made up his mind, it was practically impossible to change. Wesley didn't even seem to note their daughter's absence on that Christmas morning. He acted as if everything was normal. So, unfortunately, did Sirius.

Rainelda was distracted from her thoughts by the arrival of Salazar, who fluttered down onto the back of her chair, dropping the letter from Lauralie in her lap. She was only mildly surprised to see the young owl back so soon. She sat down her newspaper and opened the letter.

Dear Mother,

Happy Christmas! I love Salazar, I almost regret having to send him on a delivery already. Mum, this morning among my presents was an anonymous gift. It's a beautiful cloak of Slytherin colors. But it is far from normal. It seams to come alive with power. I don't know what to make of it. There was an anonymous letter attached to it, I copied it and sent it along. None of it makes sense. If you can make anything of it I'd love some input. Who would send me an anonymous present? Hope you had a wonderful Christmas day. Send my love to Dad and Sirius, if they'll have it.

Sincerely, Lauralie

Rainelda read the other piece of parchment and gasped. How? She shook herself briefly and stared down at the parchment. She took a deep breath before calling Sirius into the room.

"What's wrong Mum?" he asked.

"Nothing dear, nothing," she lied. "I just wanted to talk to you about Lauralie."

Sirius groaned. "Mum, I told you I was being nice to her didn't I?"

"It's not that," she assured him. "It's just… Sirius when you get back things are going to be a little different."

"Different how?" he asked. "You mean with Lauralie?"

"Yes," she answered. "It's not easy to explain. But Lauralie is suddenly going to be coming into her own. You are probably going to hear a lot of things. Some of them will be true, and some of them won't. And at the center of it all will be your sister."

"I… I don't understand. What's happened Mum?"

"I'm quite sure that will be obvious on the first day of term," Rainelda sighed. "The pecking order in Slytherin will be changing. A lot of things will be changing. I just want you to be prepared and open-minded. Change is not bad."

Sirius still showed confusion in his eyes, but simply nodded.

"Good lad," she said, hugging her son. I just hope this change is not for the worse.