A/N: Well, camping was an adventure, to say the least, but I missed my computer sorely. My friend Pickelpop and I were just going off the wall for about 4 days, playing melon-ball and whatnot, so that was a bit of a delay in getting this chapter up. Heeeeeeee... My apologies, I think.
Chapter 11: Another Place to Call Home
A quaint street with mystical shops took shape, people hurrying between them in robes of all colors. Severus quickly dropped his arm and started dragging the trunk down the street, grumbling about the weight. Leena just stood there, turning a slow circle, drinking in the sights. She jumped when a cold hand clamped around her left wrist and yanked her around. Frowning, she looked at Severus, who had a warning look on his face as he let go of her arm. "You want to be a bit more careful about showing your little mark around. Pull down your sleeve and don't let me catch you with it up again. For any reason," he hissed, urgency ringing in his voice. Meekly, she pulled down her sleeves and trudged off after him, catching sight of the gates topped with winged boar statues. A huge, forbidding fortress of stone contrasted sharply against the bright blue sky. Severus huffed up the long drive, meeting a man of gigantic proportions halfway. Leena stared; he was unlike anything she'd seen before. Taller than even Severus, tangles of black hair, animal skin over coat...weird. He took the trunk from Severus with a grin that belayed his appearance. "So, Professor Snape, this'll be one o' the new pupils yeh've been talkin' about? She looks a might like yeh, if I didn't know any be'ter," the giant man said with a jovial accent. Severus gave him an exasperated look and made the hasty introductions. "Leena, this is Hagrid. Hagrid, Leena," he gestured impatiently, "I appreciate you taking care of the trunk, Hagrid. Leave it in my chambers for now." Then he turned sharply on his heel, black robes flapping. Leena glanced back at Hagrid, who had easily picked up the heavy trunk, and hurried off after her father. Hagrid shook his great shaggy head and followed, trying hard not to smile.
***
Leena found herself in awe of the great castle; it was larger than even Riddle House. The entrance hall in itself had been approximately 2/3 the size of the grounds of the old Manor. Severus motioned her to follow him up the broad marble staircase and Hagrid walked past it, going down into a flickering passageway. The paintings all eyed her interestedly, whispering to their neighbors as she walked cautiously behind Severus, staring wide-eyed as the portraits moved. Severus himself didn't take notice of it as he swept silently towards the gargoyle standing guard to Dumbledore's office. "Blood Pop," he muttered and the statue leapt aside, much to Leena's surprise. "Come," he said and she followed, still watching the gargoyle, which leapt back into place, sealing the wall. Outside the office, he turned to her and said, "Now, I know that you've called me 'Severus', but while you're in the presence of any other students or teachers, you must call me Professor Snape. Is that clear? I need your word on this." She nodded, then replied, "You know what I needed to talk to you about?" he nodded, "Well...it's kinda complicated, but in short, I got bit by a werewolf." She cringed, waiting for the explosive reaction she was sure she'd get. All he did was blink a few times and turn a ghastly shade of grey. "Voldemort said you'd be able to make me something to help with it," she continued, slightly worried at his reaction, or lack thereof. "We shall discuss it with the Headmaster. Inside," he snapped in clipped tones
The office itself was completely different than what she had expected. The little silver objects lining the room, the sleeping portraits and the most beautiful bird in the world: Red and gold feathers smoothly lay on a creature that was the size of a swan. The headmaster himself was something to behold. Kindness radiated from him like light did the sun. Severus allowed himself to smile a little at the old man with the silver beard as he greeted him. "So...this is one of the pupils? I'm delighted to meet you. My name is Professor Dumbledore," he said, extending a gentle hand, "Welcome to Hogwarts." Leena shyly took it, surprised at the strength in which he gripped. Severus sat down, perfectly at home, while she sank rigidly into a chair. "Headmaster, in the time which I was away, a slight mishap occurred that I was only made aware of today," Severus began, haltingly, "As you have handled this matter before, I'm sure it wouldn't be any problem, just a little unfortunate on her behalf." Leena cast her eyes downward. Dumbledore glanced sharply at her, then prompted Severus to continue. "I was bitten by a werewolf last week. I wouldn't be disappointed if you saw it fit to send me home," she said, sadness in her voice. Dumbledore looked at her sympathetically, then said, "You'll be allowed to stay on. We have had students with your ailment here before. Certain precautions must be taken and certain rules must be abided, however, to ensure the safety of all. Now I think it time to let you discover what House you'll belong to." With that, he went over to a shelf, took off a ragged looking hat, and placed it on her head.
Well now...a tiny voice said in her ear. We seem to have a difficult situation, don't we? Leena thought back, "How so?" You are a pure blooded Slytherin and yet you want to be sorted to Gryffindor. How very odd indeed, I must say. "If you knew what-" But I do know, it's all here in your head. You have a mission to complete and to do it successfully, you must belong to Gryffindor. If you fail, the consequences are dire. "I know that!" she snapped, "I don't need a hat to remind me of it." Hmmm...you have all the qualifications of Slytherin, but I also can tell that you are not as alike to them as you appear on the outside...better be GRYFFINDOR! Leena heard Severus draw in his breath sharply. Pulling the over-sized hat off her head, she saw his black eyes glittering, emotions carefully hidden, but she could still see the hurt. "You are disappointed, Severus? Why?" Dumbledore asked with mild concern. "I had hoped that my daughter would be in my same House. But I can see that it wasn't meant to be," he replied stiffly. Dumbledore nodded in understanding, tactfully not saying anything. "I'll assume that you would want to aquaint Leena with her chambers. She is staying in yours for the time being, is she not?" he asked finally. Severus nodded curtly. "Good. I want to see you as soon as she is comfortable," Dumbledore said, standing up to escort them to the door.
The trip down to Severus' office was about as dark as when Leena had first appeared in Riddle House and was being shown her room there. The passageway to the dungeons was dank, filled with shadows and the flickering light of torches. Leena shuddered, buried in memories at how alone she had felt then. 'Another place for me to call Home...' she thought forlornly, glancing about.
***
The door to his office swung open with a creak, revealing dark shadows within the chamber walls. "Candela Lumos," Severus muttered and the room flooded with soft, flickering light. Squawking and shrill whistles peeped from the corner as soon as it did. "Loki!" he said, "Knock it off, you're making a terrible racket." Leena peered cautiously around the doorframe to the corner holding the raven's perch. Bright, beady eyes blinked cheekily at her and she smiled, recognizing it for the bird which had delivered Severus' letter. "Make yourself at home," Severus' voice floated back at her from the depths of the room.
"Feel free to unpack a few essentials, but don't make a mess. You're only in here for one week, then you shall relocate to Gryffindor Tower. I'll be back down to escort you to dinner," Severus said, curling his lip as he said Gryffindor. With that, he left the chambers, closing the door with a soft click behind him. Going back to the front room, Loki started squawking again, flapping his wings in a demanding way. Leena stretched out her hand to pet him, but he jumped onto it instead, then flew to her shoulder and started to play with her earrings again. She went back to the back room and took out her paper, pencils, and CD player. Then she set to work on the desk, silver box forgotten.
***
Dumbledore was waiting for Severus to arrive. Snape had a daughter? Since when? Why did he never speak of her before? He was yanked out of his thoughts by a swirl of black robes that placed themselves in the chair opposite his desk. "So tell me...when were you going to inform me that you had a daughter, Severus? Leena, her name is? She should have been enrolled when she was born," he questioned, politely nonplussed. Severus pursed his lips, debating if the answer should be the full truth or not. He knew that he was a spy, but he also knew that if Leena was discovered a Death Eater and not an undercover agent, she would be thrown in Azkaban. He decided to tell half-and-half. "I didn't know of her until her mother sent word to me 6 months after running away.(Lie) She was in America and out of my life, so I didn't bother to tell anyone. Then she resurfaced at the beginning of the summer.(Truth) An old friend of mine discovered her and brought her back."(Truth with a slight twist) Dumbledore clasped his hands together, resting his chin on them, thinking. "So why didn't you bring her to Hogwarts in the first place when you came back?" he asked, still nonplussed. 'Damn! Hadn't thought about that...' Severus reproached himself. Unconsciously, he rubbed his forehead with his left hand, mumbling back, "Tom wanted to teach her a few things before she left."(Truth) Dumbledore's sharp eyes and ears had picked up on the clues. "Ah, I see. So now Voldemort has an agent at this school and is going to place another? Clever plan, I must say," he commented dryly. Severus stared. "I don't believe you put it together that fast. Am I that blatantly obvious?" he asked, exasperated. Dumbledore smiled, chin still on his hands. "Not everyone knows you as well as I do, Severus, nor do they know as much about Voldemort. Anybody else would have missed it completely, I'm sure..." Dumbledore replied, amused.
"One thing I'm not positive that I understand is how, if you only had one child, she has a twin sister," he added onto the end, thoughtful. Severus shrugged, lying through his teeth, "I have no idea as to that. I'll ask her. I do know that Mina is to come to school as well." Dumbledore said, "Yes, she's supposed to be Sorted on Wednesday afternoon. Lucius Malfoy is bringing her, so that was another clue that Tom was behind some of it. Dinner is going to be served in a bit, so I'll let you get Leena." Severus nodded and walked out. Dumbledore watched him go, feeling that he wasn't telling him as much as he knew.
***
Severus walked into his rooms and saw Leena furiously poking some Muggle contraption, cursing softly. Loki was perched on the back of the chair, watching the whole affair with glee, repeating "Stupid CD! Stupid CD!" Upon seeing his owner, Loki flew to Severus' shoulder, shrieking "Professor! Professor!" Leena looked up, eyes burning black. "Dinner is to be served in a few minutes. You might want to lighten up, as you are going to be dining with your teachers of the rest of the year. What are you doing, anyway?" he said, disentangling Loki's beak from his hair. "I was attempting to get my CD player to work, but it's decided to piss me off and refuses," she snapped back. Severus hid his grin as he said, "Electrical objects don't work in or around Hogwarts grounds. There is simply too much magic in the air." With an exasperated sigh, she slid it back into her trunk, a few sheets of paper dropping to the floor unnoticed. Walking to the office, Severus deposited Loki back on his perch, promising a piece of bread when they returned.
Dinner in the Great Hall was a whole new experience for Leena. The huge doors opened with a crash that reverberated in the vast hall, making the teachers already seated look up. "Always have to arrive with a dramatic entrance, don't we, Severus?" a young man in brown patched robes asked playfully. "I didn't ask for your opinion, Remus. I'll thank you in advance for not telling me any more of them," Severus shot back, a look of extreme distaste distorting his hawk-like features as he sat beside him. Leena stood off the side, not knowing where to sit. Remus glanced at her, then moved down a seat, patting the place where he had been. "Come sit here, maybe you can get a smile out of the Grouch during the meal," he said with a smile. Leena smiled back, liking him already. Severus rolled his eyes and Leena giggled, plunking herself onto the seat. Extending a hand, Remus said, "I'm Professor Lupin, Defense against the Dark Arts teacher." Leena took it, saying, "Leena Riddle, student, I suppose. This place is awesome!"
Professor Lupin smiled warmly at the exclamation, then said, "Well then Leena Riddle, you just might want to look up. The ceiling is truly 'awesome', as you've termed it." Glancing up, she saw that it wasn't a ceiling at all, but the sunset that was rapidly turning into night. Stars popped out, twinkling merrily as the flaming colors turned into dark shades of the night. She gasped, mouth hanging open. Prof. Lupin laughed, rubbing his hands together. "You have extremely cold hands, did you know? I can't seem to warm mine up now!" and he rubbed them together faster. Leena dropped her gaze from the canopy of light, grinning. "I must take after my father then, his hands are always freezing," she said mildly. Chuckling, he looked over at Severus, who looked exceedingly peevish. The teacher next to him was talking in a misty, far-away voice, not even taking notice that she was being given a death glare. "Uh-oh, looks like Sybil has him in her clutches..." he said, grinning. Leena glimpsed over and the lady reminded her of an over-grown bug, her glasses were that big. The bangles and beads clinked on her wrists, gleamed around her scrawny neck. "That's Prof. Trelawney, the Divination teacher. She's notorious for, uh...her visions..." Lupin said discreetly. Leena chuckled, then inquired about the other teachers, saying that she'd already met Dumbledore and Hagrid. Lupin complied, pointing out Profs. Flitwick, McGonagall, Sprout, Sinistra, and Vector at the end of the table.
Dumbledore stood up, calling for the teachers' attention. "I'd like to welcome you all back for another year of teaching. Remus especially, it's good to have you back, I know the students will enjoy your company once again." Severus snorted, trying and failing to conceal it. "Well, most of the students shall be glad to have you again. I wish I could say the same for you, Severus," Dumbledore continued, a smile displaying itself and the rest of the table broke into laughter. Severus crossed his arms in indignation and said mockingly, "I like things they way they are, thank you. I enjoy their company about as much as they enjoy mine, so the feelings are mutual." Prof. McGonagall laughed particularly hard at the rebuke, Lupin howling in laughter so much that he started to cry.
Leena just glanced around at them, uncertain if she should laugh or not. Once the table was quiet again, Dumbledore proceeded, "We have a guest and new student among us at the table. She will remain with us until term starts. Please welcome Miss Leena Riddle." With that, he gestured towards Leena, who stood up awkwardly, a shy half-smile on her lips. Hagrid grinned and waved at her while Prof. Trelawney whispered to Prof. Sprout, "I knew Severus would have a young beauty with him, I just knew it!" Severus sent her the death glare, this time with Leena's accompanying stare. The combined efforts quelled anymore comments from her. Dinner was sent up from the kitchens just then, yet again surprising Leena as the food appeared before their eyes. Lupin chuckled at her reaction while Severus merely raised and eyebrow as he took a sip from his goblet.
***
The next morning after breakfast, Lupin left the table with Leena and Severus. "So, what are you lot up to this fine day?" he asked cheerfully. Leena said, "I dunno...Explore, I guess, I hadn't much thought about it." Severus was pointedly avoiding all conversation at all with Lupin. "Come on, Sev- Professor Snape, what are you doing today?" Leena asked while he narrowed his eyes at her slip-up. "I haven't decided yet, but I'll have to see Hagrid about Renegade's housing," he said balefully. Lupin looked puzzled, but didn't say anything. "Take Loki when you go exploring, Leena. He knows the way to the dungeons, so you won't get lost," Severus said. Leena nodded and retrieved the raven, who was excited about the prospect of going on a trip. He kept hopping the length of her arm, beak bobbing up and down. Lupin and Snape watched her go, trying to keep the raven from jumping off completely. Snape crossed his arms, turning to stare down his nose at the shorter man. "What did you want, Lupin? It's not everyday that you try to make conversation with me and even less you've followed me to my chambers," he snapped.
Lupin replied, "I wanted to talk to you, is it that hard to believe? Besides, I want to know more about Leena." Snape went to his desk in his office, rummaging around in the top drawer. "What do you want to know about her?" he asked, ice in his voice. "How you came by her, for instance. And why both of you seem to have a secret," Lupin said in a low voice. Snape shut the drawer with a bang and clenched his jaw. "Alright, I'll tell you, if you absolutely must know." Lupin didn't back down, much to Snape's surprise. "A friend of mine rediscovered his daughters and asked me to tutor them. Hence how I came into contact with her." Lupin pondered a moment, then asked, "Where's her sister?" "You really are nosy, you know that? She's staying with the Malfoy's," Snape curled his lip. "Oh...the secret part is going to remain a secret, I presume, so I'll not disturb you any more," Lupin said quietly, and left the room, leaving Snape highly confused.
***
After lunch, Leena was sent down to Hagrid's hut to prepare Renegade's stall. Dumbledore gave special permission for the Twins to keep their horses on the grounds as pets. They would take Care of Magical Creatures for a class and take care of and ride them then. Much to her surprise, he was already there and Dumbledore was there looking him over. The black horse snorted softly, tossing his mane in the sunshine. Leena's face broke into a big smile when she saw him. The rest of the day was spent grooming and fussing with him with teachers coming down at different points to see him. Prof. Flitwick barely came up to Ren's knees and Leena could barely hold in her giggles. Snape came down to retrieve her for dinner and to tell her that they were going to Diagon Alley to get her school supplies.
***
"How are we getting there?"
"Floo powder, I told you last night."
"No you didn't."
"Yes I did!
"Did not!"
"I most certainly did, and don't try to manipulate what I-why are we arguing? We're going to Diagon Alley to pick up your supplies..."
Remus shook his head as the argument was played out. Could it be? A student Severus actually tolerated who wasn't in Slytherin? It was an interesting muse, and the questions last night hadn't answered anything; they just gave him more to ponder about. Even Minerva had noticed that Severus was decidedly more bearable to be around when this dark girl was around. Sybil Trelawney was making predictions that were annoyingly and increasingly more out of sorts by the day. And most of them were hinting of bigger things to come, plus another woman to complicate matters further. Nobody paid any attention.
Back in the dungeons, Snape was explaining how to use the Floo Network "Just take a pinch of it, throw it into the fireplace and shout where you want to go. Step into the flames and then keep your elbows in; you can really bang them up," he said. Leena still looked doubtful, so he said, "Fine, I'll go first and pull you through in the aftermath." The glittering powder was thrown onto the flames, turning them green, and Snape shouted, "Leaky Cauldron!", then was whisked away. Leena stood by the hearth, uncertain, when she heard his voice echoing back: "Step through it now, hurry up!" She did and was twirled into confusion. Glimpses of homes, offices, and taverns flashed past, making her dizzy when she finally was flung out at Snape's feet. He extended a hand disdainfully, saying, "Not bad for the first time, I suppose..." and he hauled her to her feet, sending a cascade of ash to the floor. She only had a second's glance at the room, then was led out to the court yard in back. Snape tapped a brick and stood back to let the archway grow, Leena's jaw dropping. When they had stepped through, it was like being in Hogsmeade again: quaint shops for all sorts of things for sale, people of all shapes and sizes wearing all sorts of colors. First they went to Gringotts, riding the carts and being escorted by goblins, which Leena thought was even better than a roller coaster. Once back on the street, Snape pointed her in the direction of Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions while he went to the apothecary's to procure her potion ingredients. They agreed to meet in front of Flourish and Blott's, the bookstore.
Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley were at Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor when they saw a tall dark haired girl walk by. Ron seemed to have forgotten where his mouth was as he watched her enter the shop, biting her bottom lip. Harry followed his gaze while Hermione stifled her giggles. "Any girl that walks by, I swear, Ron!" she burbled as Harry let out a low whistle. "When you've both put your eyes back in," she said exasperatedly, "we can go in there for a closer look, I need new robes anyway." Quickly, Ron stuffed the rest of his cone into his mouth, cheeks bulging. Harry laughed and stood up. "Come on, I think if we don't get a move on, he's liable to do anything," he said while Ron gave him a dirty look, struggling to swallow. They hurried off to the robe shop, bell tinkling as they walked through the door. Ron quickly spotted the raven head towards the back of the shop, waiting on a stool as a tape measure flew around under it's own power. Harry was more interested in looking at the different types of robes on the rack while Hermione went to the stools, waiting for Madam Malkin. She gave the girl a shy smile and it was returned. Hermione thought she saw fangs, but the girl was looking towards the front of the shop now, watching Harry and Ron, who were trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. It wasn't working.
"Harry, Harry, she's looking over here!" Ron said, pulling his arm. Harry looked up and saw the girl gazing interestedly at them. Their eyes met and Harry felt a sharp searing pain across his scar. Clapping his hand over his forehead, he missed seeing the girl's left arm twitch and her grabbing it. Hermione's brow furrowed as she watched the girl snatch at her left wrist. "What ever is the matter?" she asked, concerned. "Muscle spasm," the girl said with an American accent, sounding puzzled, "Do you go to Hogwarts? I'm going there this year." Hermione stared. "What? What's wrong?" the girl asked, concern etched in her face. "Nothing, you just remind me of someone I know. Yes, I go to Hogwarts. I'm in my 5th year. What about you?" she replied, brain storming. "Me too! That's great, now I'll know another face there. I'm Leena Riddle by the way," she said extending her hand, while her hems were being pinned. "Hermione Granger," said Hermione, taking it, "Ooh, your hands are cold...They're making my teeth chatter!" Leena withdrew her hand, smiling again. "They have a habit of being that way. You aren't the first to complain of it," she said warmly. 'Yep, no doubt about it. This girl definitely has fangs,' Hermione thought.
"All set, dear. I'll just ring these up in the front," Madam Malkin said to Hermione, who jumped off the stool. "I'll see you on the train, then. Bye Leena!" she said, waving goodbye through her armful of black cloth. "Bye," Leena said, watching her go, eyes glittering. Hermione walked out of the shop, the two boys following her. The black haired one was interesting...he slapped a hand to his forehead when she grabbed her arm. The Dark Mark burned slightly when their eyes met, she had no idea why. Oh well, she'd have to ask Prof. Snape about it. Speaking of which, the red-head just ran smack into him. She winced, thinking of the reaction the poor boy was certain to catch. Sure enough, the boy's face paled, leaving his freckles contrasting sharply against the ashen pallor of his skin. Snape finished yelling at him and the three of them ran as fast as they could away from him, not looking back. Then he came into the shop. "You're not done yet?" he snapped, obviously in a bad mood. "Chill out, I still have to get my dress robes," she shot back. "Hurry up, then. I'm going to get your books, then I'll come back so we can get your wand," he tossed over his shoulder, stomping out of the shop. Madam Malkin brought out forest green velvet, to be trimmed with woven cords of black and silver in a delicate spider web pattern.
***
Ollivander's Wand shop was dark and dusty, a single wand laying on a faded purple cushion in the window. Mr. Ollivander himself was in the shop, placing boxes in teetering piles. "Aaaaaah, good afternoon," he greeted, silver eyes flashing. Snape stood behind Leena, hand resting on her shoulder. "We've come to get a wand for Leena, today, Mr. Ollivander," he said coldly. "Severus Snape...dragon heart string, ebony, 10 1/2 inches, correct?" Snape nodded "yes, yes, good for difficult spells and complex charms. Let's see what we have in store..." and he started pulling boxes off the shelves again. "Willow, 10 inched, unicorn hair. Rather powerful, I must say," he said handing her the 6th wand. Waving it, she felt a sudden sensation spreading from her hand to the rest of her. It wasn't exactly pleasant, but it tickled. Sparks of green showered out and then a flash of purple erupted from the tip, flashing darker than the light in the shop. Mr. Ollivander pursed his lips, but didn't take it away. Snape raised an eyebrow expectantly. "Well? Is this the one?" he said impatiently. Mr. Ollivander nodded, lips still pursed as he took the wand and wrapped it. "Odd..." he muttered, "That's the second time that has happened this week, except the other girl's sparks were blue..." Leena and Snape exchanged a glance that clearly said 'Mina'.
***
Meanwhile, Mina and Lucius were having a meeting with Dumbledore in his office. 'I was expecting Mina to be dark haired and tall, like her sister, but she's the exact opposite! Voldemort knows how to choose the innocent looking type, no doubt about that...' Dumbledore kept thinking. Mina was sitting with the Sorting Hat on her head, Lucius pacing like a cat. Mina seemed likable enough. She didn't really carry a guarded air, she was much more at ease. "RAVENCLAW!" the hat shouted out for the world to hear. Lucius's eyes blazed, face pale. Mina pulled off the hat, looking puzzled. Dumbledore smiled and took the hat back while Lucius clasped his hands so hard they were white. "See you when term starts, Miss Riddle," Dumbledore said, showing them the door. Lucius nodded curtly, escorting her back to the entrance hall. 'Ravenclaw? Ravenclaw?" he spat, gripping her arm tightly as he pulled her out into the sunshine. She threw up a hand to shield it, wincing in the bright light. "Why not Hufflepuff, while we're at it? You were supposed to get into Slytherin! This is the ULTIMATE disgrace, no person of the Malfoy line has ever been in any other! And your other father is a direct descendant of the House's founder! Pathetic..." Lucius continued in the vein for sometime until they reached the 3 Broomsticks and had safely reached Malfoy Manor through the Floo Network.
Quickly, Mina ran to her room to escape the raging storm. Draco wasn't nearly so lucky. Mina squeezed her eyes shut as she heard Lucius bellow and Draco protest that he hadn't done anything. There was an ominous silence, then a resounding *SMACK*. Silently, she closed the door, blocking her heart along with the sound of pain, willing herself to be strong. Turning away from the door, she steeled herself to be detached, knowing that it wasn't her business and that was the way things were.
***
"We'll see you in a few days, Hermione! Take care until then! See you on the train!" Harry and Ron were shouting at her from the archway leading to the Leaky Cauldron. Mrs. Weasley finally trusted Ron and Harry enough to go to Diagon Alley and back by Floo powder on their own. Hermione's parents had dropped her off in the morning and were picking her up in a half hour. She still had time to wander around some more, so that's exactly what she did. Much to her distaste, she saw Snape skulking around Ollivander's. Ducking into a doorway, she watched, curious. Then that weird girl, Leena, came out carrying a box and Snape made some kind of comment that made her somehow look like his twin. Maybe it was the way Leena scowled, maybe it was a trick of the light, but she wore the exact same expression that her teacher did. Whatever she retorted back, Snape seemed to think it funny, because smiled and shook his head, which was an absolute first for him that Hermione had seen. Now Snape and Leena were making their way to the archway, so Hermione decided to follow. Back inside the Leaky Cauldron, Snape threw pinch of powder onto the flames and shouted, "Hogwarts!", Leena close behind. Just then, Hermione's parents walked in, ready to take her home. This was definitely one strange day.
***
September the first dawned bright and cheerful. Loki was flapping around like mad, screeching, "Wake up! Wake up!" while Leena paced nervously. Severus was sitting at his desk, scowl firmly in place. "Must you wear out my floors? Wait until you get into Gryffindor before you start making ruts from you endless tramping," he snapped. She scowled back, hands on her hips. "Easy for you to say, you're not about to meet entirely new people or begin a whole different lifestyle here!" she snipped back, "Shouldn't we get going to the train station?" He sighed, aggravated. "No. How many times must I tell you, the train doesn't leave until 11 and it's only 9 right now. Calm down, go read or something," he said through gritted teeth. Leena flew to the bedroom and came back with a huge book. "The Mists of Avalon? Why are you reading that?" he asked, curious. "I thought it might be interesting to see the ladies behind King Arthur points of views. It's fascinating, you should read it," she said earnestly. He sneered, saying, "Not in this lifetime." She shrugged, "Your loss," and sat down on the floor, burying herself in lives of Morgaine and Gwenhwyfar. "Gwenhwyfar is a twit," Leena said after awhile, "She fears God and yet she sins without a thought. And she hates Morgaine when she asked her for a charm! How rude..." Snape stared, stammering, "Wha...? What are you talking about?" Leena looked impatient as she replied, "If you had read the book you might know what I'm talking about." He shook his head, then looked at his watch. "We'd better go now. Get your trunk." Leena bounded into the other room again.
***
Leena stood on the platform, looking lost. Laughter, shouts, and good-byes were all around her, yet she felt oddly detached from it all. She didn't see Draco, the girl from the robe shop, or Mina. Severus hadn't dared stay behind to see her safely off; his excuse was that he would see enough of his dreaded students during the year, no sense in seeing them sooner than he had to. She boarded the bright red train, dragging her trunk after her into a compartment in the back of the train.
A/N: ok, now the school year is gonna start. Yipee! Fireworks shall light, rivals start, and who knows what's gonna happen next? I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can, I promise.