Disclaimer: All characters seen in this portion are property of the wonderful and imaginative J. K. Rowling (yes, ALL of them, but some of them are only mentioned VERY BRIEFLY, so their personalities are my own creation).

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Shadow Singer

Chapter 3

When he awoke, his black mood was still with him. Through the patter of the drizzling rain, he could hear the chimes of the bell tower announce that it was six o'clock. He dressed quickly and made his way downstairs, preparing a list of colorful words to say to Narcissa. He had brooded of their conversation a long while before sleep at last claimed him, and the more he thought about her, the angrier he got.

When he came down the stairs, the room was empty. The fire had gone out long ago, the cushions on the couch restored to their normal places. The door to the shop was ajar. He could hear humming from within.

Snape went in. Glancing around, he saw no one but Arsenius, hovering over a cauldron, tugging at his white beard. "Where is she?" he demanded.

The middle-aged wizard stopped his humming and peered at Snape from behind his glasses in minor confusion. "Where is who, Severus?"

"That girl who was hear last night," he said impatiently. "Where has she gone?"

"A girl? Here?" He gave Snape a disbelieving look, then he grinned. "Friend of yours?"

"No," said Snape. "I have no idea who she was. I let her in so she could be out of the storm."

"Indeed? How unusually kind of you. She must have been quite charming. What was her name?"

"Narcissa Grae. And she wasn't charming at all, but temperamental, skittish, insolent, disrespectful----"

"You needn't continue," Arsenius interrupted, but he was still grinning like a polar bear. "But she sounds a good match for you. Or not," he added, seeing Snape's expression of loathing.

"She was a bard. Or thought she was."

"Ah. Well then." Arsenius returned to his potion.

Snape scowled and returned to the inner room. He knew that he should be pleased that Narcissa had vanished without a trace, but he wasn't.

Have you ever been in love? He some way to get make her regret asking him, just as he regretted answering her. And the way he regretted what his answer had been.

A sudden glimmer amongst the ashes caught his eye. He stooped and retrieved it, his fingers turning black with the soot. It was a ring, a simple band of iron, without any markings. He could not recall if Narcissa had worn any jewelry apart from the gold necklace. It seem relatively ordinary, but there were countless magic rings in the world designed specifically to avoid attention. Perhaps, if he had a spare moment during the day, he'd take it to be tested. He pocketed it.

"Severus!"

Snape jerked, startled. Arsenius dashed across the room and yanked the cauldron his employee had been mulling over away from the flames. "This almost boiled over," he said, sounding displeased. "You weren't paying attention at all. This potion requires the utmost care. Another minute or so, and it'd have been ruined. . . In fact, I think it's too late."

"I can't think where my mind was," said Snape, irritated.

"Don't worry about it. Everybody slips up every now and then." The old man smiled shallowly. "I wish I could have met her," he remarked.

"Who?" said Snape, peevishly.

"You know perfectly well who I mean. She must have been something special to have such an effect on you."

"I don't know what you---"

"Why don't take the afternoon off? Stop by the Leaky Cauldron. Bards like to gather there." Arsenius set the cauldron on the table.

"No. Don't try meddling."

"I shall do whatever I damn well please. If you chose not to take the afternoon free, I'll fire you. For having an incurably thick skull."

Although he was never quite sure how it happened, ten minutes later, Snape found himself by the Leaky Cauldron, entirely unaware of what awaited him inside.

(A/N: bwa ha ha!!!!! do you like it?? even if you don't, please review and tell me all about it!!! I hope to get the next chapter finished soon, but i'm not exactly sure what's going to happen in it. However, can promise that Sirius, James, Lily, (briefly) and Lucius are going to be in it. Maybe Tom Riddle. Maybe.