Chapter Five
Confessions of a Slytherin
"Professor Shelly? Can I talk to you?"
Esmé looked up at Hermone, who had stuck her head in the door. "Certainly."
Hermione entered the office and took a seat. With soft, flowing movements, Esmé rose and chose a chair near the fire and Hermione. Profesor Shelly faced her student straight on.
"About that assignment..."
"You mean the Vampire project? It is one of the hardest projects in the year, yes. But I think you can manage it, Miss Granger."
"I believe you." Hermione said. "And I have found a breed and culture of Vampires on which to do my project."
"I'm glad you feel so confident." Esmé replied. "But I think you came here for a reason other than the Vampire breed and culture project I assigned."
Hermione sighed. "You are correct, Professor Shelly. I'm sorry for trying to deceive you, ma'am."
"That's ok. What do you want to know?"
"Have you always been a Slytherin?"
Now it was Esmé's turn to sigh. "I went to Beauxbatons until Christmas of my second year, when I was tranferred here. I was originally put in Hufflepuff."
"Are you serious?"
Esmé nodded. "Yes I am, Miss Granger. And I was well aware of the fact that all Hufflepuffs are considered to be stupid. I didn't want to be considered a young lady of very little brains, so I had my mind set on working my way into Ravenclaw. That is, until I saw what lurked inside Slytherin."
"I'm afraid to ask about what was lurking inside Slytherin."
"There was Tom Riddle and Lucius Malfoy, as you may very well know. I started from the top, and made friends with Tom first."
"What happened then?"
"Tom introduced me to Lucius right away. They liked my style, so it wasn't too long before I met Severus."
"What was he like back then?" Hermione asked.
"He? I assume you mean Professor Snape. He's always been kinder to his friends. The four of us were close. Like a Slytherin version of Lupin, Potter, Black and Pettigrew."
"What happened after Hogwarts?"
"I introduced Malfoy to my best friend, Narcissa Dax from Beauxbatons shortly after we graduated. They got married and I was engaged to Snape. But then..."
Hermione didn't seem to be bothered by the fact that Snape and Shelly had once been engaged. "But then?"
"Tom started making plans. Big plans. And he wanted, Severus, Narcissa, Lucius and I to help."
"Did you?"
Esmé nodded. "We became the first Death Eaters and we were the first four to be branded with the Dark Mark tattoo."
"Really?"
"I'm certain. In fact, the first four of us were supposed to get another tattoo. To mark us as officers of a sort. But something happened, and Narcissa and I were the only ones to get the blue Eye of Horus tattoo."
"May I see it?"
"Not now. It's on the small of my back and too hard to get to. Wait until you catch me in my nightgown sometime, perhaps the next time I'm on patrol, and ask me then."
"So you were in the Bad Years?" Hermione asked.
"Yes indeed, Miss Granger."
"Were you there when...When the Potters died?"
"No. Severus and I had walked away by then. Snape had already started here at Hogwarts and I had my cozy position with the Department of Mysteries."
"And Mr. Malfoy?"
"I honestly don't think Lucius and Narcissa have ever wavered in their loyalty to Lord Voldemort."
"What about your necklace?"
Esmé glanced down at her chest, touching her necklace with a reverant hand. It was a sterling silver pentacle, inset with a tiny sapphire on a long, silver chain. She paused a moment, before looking back up at Hermione.
"Severus gave it to me, on the night he took my engagement ring away. This was to replace it, secretly, in case I ever had to change my identity. It was the same night we stopped being Death Eaters."
Confessions of a Slytherin
"Professor Shelly? Can I talk to you?"
Esmé looked up at Hermone, who had stuck her head in the door. "Certainly."
Hermione entered the office and took a seat. With soft, flowing movements, Esmé rose and chose a chair near the fire and Hermione. Profesor Shelly faced her student straight on.
"About that assignment..."
"You mean the Vampire project? It is one of the hardest projects in the year, yes. But I think you can manage it, Miss Granger."
"I believe you." Hermione said. "And I have found a breed and culture of Vampires on which to do my project."
"I'm glad you feel so confident." Esmé replied. "But I think you came here for a reason other than the Vampire breed and culture project I assigned."
Hermione sighed. "You are correct, Professor Shelly. I'm sorry for trying to deceive you, ma'am."
"That's ok. What do you want to know?"
"Have you always been a Slytherin?"
Now it was Esmé's turn to sigh. "I went to Beauxbatons until Christmas of my second year, when I was tranferred here. I was originally put in Hufflepuff."
"Are you serious?"
Esmé nodded. "Yes I am, Miss Granger. And I was well aware of the fact that all Hufflepuffs are considered to be stupid. I didn't want to be considered a young lady of very little brains, so I had my mind set on working my way into Ravenclaw. That is, until I saw what lurked inside Slytherin."
"I'm afraid to ask about what was lurking inside Slytherin."
"There was Tom Riddle and Lucius Malfoy, as you may very well know. I started from the top, and made friends with Tom first."
"What happened then?"
"Tom introduced me to Lucius right away. They liked my style, so it wasn't too long before I met Severus."
"What was he like back then?" Hermione asked.
"He? I assume you mean Professor Snape. He's always been kinder to his friends. The four of us were close. Like a Slytherin version of Lupin, Potter, Black and Pettigrew."
"What happened after Hogwarts?"
"I introduced Malfoy to my best friend, Narcissa Dax from Beauxbatons shortly after we graduated. They got married and I was engaged to Snape. But then..."
Hermione didn't seem to be bothered by the fact that Snape and Shelly had once been engaged. "But then?"
"Tom started making plans. Big plans. And he wanted, Severus, Narcissa, Lucius and I to help."
"Did you?"
Esmé nodded. "We became the first Death Eaters and we were the first four to be branded with the Dark Mark tattoo."
"Really?"
"I'm certain. In fact, the first four of us were supposed to get another tattoo. To mark us as officers of a sort. But something happened, and Narcissa and I were the only ones to get the blue Eye of Horus tattoo."
"May I see it?"
"Not now. It's on the small of my back and too hard to get to. Wait until you catch me in my nightgown sometime, perhaps the next time I'm on patrol, and ask me then."
"So you were in the Bad Years?" Hermione asked.
"Yes indeed, Miss Granger."
"Were you there when...When the Potters died?"
"No. Severus and I had walked away by then. Snape had already started here at Hogwarts and I had my cozy position with the Department of Mysteries."
"And Mr. Malfoy?"
"I honestly don't think Lucius and Narcissa have ever wavered in their loyalty to Lord Voldemort."
"What about your necklace?"
Esmé glanced down at her chest, touching her necklace with a reverant hand. It was a sterling silver pentacle, inset with a tiny sapphire on a long, silver chain. She paused a moment, before looking back up at Hermione.
"Severus gave it to me, on the night he took my engagement ring away. This was to replace it, secretly, in case I ever had to change my identity. It was the same night we stopped being Death Eaters."