Disclaimer: i suppose i could say that everything belongs to me. but then i'd be lying. through my teeth. with no hope for redemption. so instead, i'll just tell you that some of it's mine, but most of it isn't. i think you can take it from there, eh?

ooh, here's a big one. thanks to michelle for pointing out my mistakes. i'm kind of dumb that way. while the fic does take place in a (barely) alternate universe, these things really weren't important and i should have left them as close to canon as possible. i won't really change much until the end. so thank you for pointing it out! i've tried to fix it as best i could, hope it's better!

A/N: ooh, i hate these, i'm no good with notes, lol. anyway, just thought i'd warn you that this won't be a terribly interesting chapter. not much happening before christmas, just trying to hurry things along. so sit tight and don't kill me yet. just for the record, the following sweet-ass people now reside in the book o' cool, so let's have a round of applause for the coolest of the cool!!!

j.l. matthews - how privileged am i?! yes, she trusted draco pretty eagerly, but there's a reason, don't worry...and a thing? between one of the twins and super-sex-god snape? nooooooooo. erm, ok, maybe. *g*

oneturnouttatune - woo! thanks, doll! too sweet.

phoewise prefect - just so you know, i was addicted to simon on american idol, so i couldn't allow myself to make long chapters. he was so cute on so graham norton! and you can have a nightie as soon as i snag one from the twins, lol. i want one too!

autumn ice - yay for favs! you're one of my favs, ha.

and now, on with the show....

The Winged Serpents

Chapter Ten: Loose Connections

***

On their return from Hogsmeade, the six friends managed to shuffle themselves over to a corner of the Hufflepuff table for the Halloween Feast. It was the one time that they really went out of their way to be together. Slytherin table was out of course, due to the Gryffindors among them, and vice-versa for the Gryffindor table. Ravenclaw, unfortunately, were like Switzerland in the U.N. – completely neutral. Which left the group (entirely devoid of any Hufflepuffs) only one choice. But at least there were no (voiced) complaints.

The meal went well, jokes were told and faces were made. But just as they were making their way out of the Great Hall, a commotion sprang up around them. There had been an attack. Alex ran off to help out with some of the younger Ravenclaws, and the Slyths were separated from Chris and Kello. Drew was uncharacteristically quiet in the face of so much mystery, and the girls were out of their minds with confusion.

During the summer, the girls had been unable to pay much attention to current wizarding events, as they were so busy preparing themselves for their frustrating return to academics. They hadn't seen the papers or heard the rumors. They didn't know that Sirius Black had escaped. So it came as quite a surprise when Drew finally took them aside.

"So what do you two think? Was it him?" Drew focused his attention on his feet, unwilling that the girls see any possible trepidation on his face. Dove and Raven glanced back and forth at one another. They didn't know how to convey their ignorance without some form of rebuke in response.

"Erm..." Dove began, "We're not quite sure yet. What do you think, Drew?" Both girls looked at their friends, searching for any hidden answers.

"I...I-I don't know. If it is true...if Sirius Black has come to Hogwarts...I don't know what I'll do." Raven's eyes fluttered open at the name, realization flooding into her. When Dove failed to grasp the meaning, she sent a few quick thoughts to her sister and straightened things out before speaking again.

"Well, erm...don't worry about it, Drew. We'll keep an eye out. There's no need to be so worried."

"It's just that I...I don't know about him. I don't know where his loyalties lie, so I can't...I-" Drew broke off abruptly, throwing a frustrated pout at the twins, and then ran off to join a group of Slythboys across the room. The girls stood, bewildered at the unforeseen reaction. Stumbling off to their own corner, they thought hastily over the situation.

That was strange. What do you think is wrong with him? Dove thought.

I'm not sure. I remember seeing news reports on Her television when She first dragged us off, but I'd forgotten about it until now. I don't even remember what happened to him in the end. Sirius Black...unbelievable.

Yes, I remember now too. Scary-looking fellow, but no real danger to us or Drew. What do you think he meant about loyalties? What was he talking about?

They began to pace around the room. But before Raven could answer, a hand landed softly on each of their shoulders. Turning, they saw their Head of House looking down on them. A bit of anger was flashing briefly over his face, but it disappeared before any connections could be made.

"Girls, if you don't mind," he growled, "I would appreciate your assistance. The castle needs to be searched. You should remain here with the rest of the students, but in light of recent developments, you might both be useful. If you would follow me..." He turned and walked out into the hallway. The girls looked at each other, questioning, but followed closely behind.

The search continued long into the next day, but nothing was uncovered. The girls reluctantly returned to their room to sleep, exhaustion stretching to engulf them both. Too much is happening, thought Dove as she drifted off. Too much.

***

The next couple of weeks were a blur for the girls. With hidden poetry and threats of prisoners surfacing around their heads, they had no time to pay attention to school. Raven and Dove spent most of their waking moments trying to decode the last line of the myth, or trying to figure out why Drew was acting so strangely, or trying to keep an eye on Ryle and Malfoy at the same time, or just trying to stay awake in History of Magic. With so much on their minds, it was no wonder that they were so surprised when things began to change around them.

First, they managed to get through almost an entire lesson without noticing that, instead of the new Professor Lupin, their own Professor Snape was teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. It wasn't until he called on Dove for an answer that it really sank in. She began to search frantically for her cauldron, her book, anything that might help her to focus her blank mind. But as she searched, she noticed the confused looks on the faces around her. Nobody had cauldrons. Where are we?! she thought frantically. Why is...oh. Oh no. DADA. But then where's Lupin?! What's going on?

Raven quickly got the answer from a boy across from her and sent the thought to Dove. Dove blurted it out without thinking, and let out a sigh of relief when Snape nodded and continued. She spent the rest of the lesson taking furious notes, never taking her eyes off of Snape, never allowing her mind to wander off topic. At the end of class, she raced out of the class and back to the Slytherin common room. A few minutes later, Raven approached.

"Heart, are you okay?" She let her worry color her face as she spoke.

"Yes, I'm alright. I just got a little weirded out back there. I guess I haven't been paying much attention lately." She slumped into a chair by the fireplace and hugged herself warm.

"I know what you mean. I freaked when I saw Snape up there and I didn't have my cauldron. I thought he'd kill us for sure, especially when he asked me to stay after. He called for you too, but you ran outta there in an awful hurry."

"Oh? What'd he say? Is he angry?"

"No. I think he realizes how much we're going through right now. He just wanted to let us know that we won't be playing this upcoming game." Dove's head snapped up.

"What?! We're not playing?! I should have been paying more attention in class, this is all my fault!" Dove's face crumpled in despair at the ill-gotten news. Raven looked on in confusion, then realized her sister had misunderstood.

"No, no. Not just us. We aren't being punished or anything. I mean, Slytherin isn't playing. The Gryffs are going against Huff instead. He didn't say why, but I think it was just because it wasn't important for us to know."

Dove looked up slowly. She felt a little better. And she certainly appreciated the extra time. She wasn't sure she could handle a serious game of Quidditch just yet. Especially not against the Gryffs. She wanted to be able to concentrate for that game.

Dove eventually pulled herself together, and she and Raven made it through the rest of the week. Snape made for an interesting Defense teacher, and they enjoyed the change of pace. They didn't dislike Lupin, but Raven was slightly uncomfortable around him. She never mentioned anything to Dove about it, but the hesitance was in her mind, filtering its way out to her sister. They made it through classes with little excitement, and almost managed to enjoy themselves at the game.

However, as they had just begun to get comfortable, booing and hissing along with their friends, a strange quiet began to fall around them. They searched the stands for whatever it was that seemed to be causing the quiet reaction, but found nothing.  Raven stood to lean over the silent Second Years sitting in front of her, and just as she caught sight of the dark robes, Dove collapsed. Raven turned immediately to her sister, panic crashing over her. Dove was lying still, her face pale. But that wasn't what scared Raven so...it was her Fabric. It was fading.

She started to look around her. Everywhere her eyes landed, it was the same thing. Fabric was flickering, fading. Some more than others, of course. Those closer to the dark figures were much thinner than they should be. And the farther they people were from the Dementors, the stronger their Fabric held on. But she and Dove weren't that close at all, and yet Dove was reacting far worse than most. And she, Raven, didn't seem to be reacting at all. What is going on?! she thought desperately. As she watched however, an object caught her attention from the corner of her eye. Something was falling...a player! The Gryffindor Seeker, Harry Potter, was falling! She watched, dazed, as he fell to the field. She heard him hit with a sickening crunch, but her eyes were distracted by his Fabric. Or rather, his lack of one.

She felt her heart caving in as she stared at the poor boy. She'd never seen a person without Fabric! What can it mean? But all at once, everything jumped into action. Staff and students ran forward, and the Dementors were forced off the field. As they retreated, slowly, Potter's Fabric faded into view. Raven let out a sigh of relief, and relaxed against her sister, who had begun to regain herself. Raven quieted her sister, managing to convince her that she must have fainted from exhaustion, and decided to keep what she had seen to herself. She didn't even notice when the crowd erupted in cheers for Hufflepuff, who had managed to win the game due to Potter's injury. For once, she didn't even care.

***

As the days peeled on, the girls managed to meet with Draco once more. After a late-night Quidditch practice, they approached him to talk.

"Hey Draco." Raven called out. He turned at the mention of his name, pulling to a stop when he saw the girls. He waited for them to catch up before answering.

"Raven. Dove. What can I do for you two?" His tone revealed nothing, but his eyes were full of questions.

"Don't worry," said Dove, "We just wanted to iron out a few things with you. Christmas is coming up, and we think it'll be best if we follow through just after classes pick back up. Less attention." Draco nodded, processing the information. "We'd appreciate it if you could do us a couple of favors. Three, to be precise." Draco nodded once more.

"Yes, of course. Whatever you need."

"Well, first of all," Raven began, "You're going to have to speak to your father, of course. Mention us. See if you can't get him interested. Don't give him any specifics, of course, but let a few things slip. Once his curiosity is sparked, tell us. We'll take it from there. Second, your mother. You'll need to speak to her as well, and you'll have the whole winter holiday to do it. You need to prepare her for what will happen. We don't need her yelling in surprise when we sneak into her bedroom, and it wouldn't look very convincing if she just happens to get better overnight while we're there. We'll heal her, and she should be better than new, but she'll have to act as if she's healing naturally and gradually. No questions that way. Last, but not least, we're going to need to know a few things about the place. Some sketched maps, names of house-elves, anything we should avoid, things like that. Take your time, and be thorough." Raven stopped for a breath and looked to Draco for confirmation. He nodded again, albeit wearily.

"Yes. I can do that, no problem." He looked at the girls again, his eyes lost in emotions they couldn't identify. "Thank you." He gave one last careful nod and then ran to catch up to Flint. The girls watched him go, tiny flutterings of sympathy reeling in their hearts. Then they threw their brooms over their shoulders and went inside.

Another Quidditch match came and went. Ravenclaw killed Hufflepuff, to Alex's delight. Holiday sheets went up on boards in classrooms and a rather small number of names appeared on them. Raven and Dove, with no other possible considerations of holiday plans, were at the top of the list. There was one last Hogsmeade trip before the entire school cleared out.

***

As they walked, they looked around, casually observing the activity around them. The quiet bustle reminded them of Christmases  when they were children, when their father would take them shopping for Her. But they were both gone now. And they had nobody to shop for anymore. Not even each other, really.

"I wish we didn't have this stupid agreement with the others. I'm just itching to buy them presents. I know exactly what I would get for them too. But nooooooo. Kello and Alex had to make up their dumb 'no presents between friends' rule." Raven muttered and mumbled, almost under her breath. Chris and Kello were packing already, getting ready for the trip home the next day. They would be spending the holiday with their families. Drew and Alex were both somewhere in Hogsmeade buying last minute gifts.

"Oh, come on, Raven. You know it makes sense. It just wouldn't be right. Kello would get something elaborately thoughtful for Chris, and Chris would have forgotten entirely. Alex would get lame presents for Drew and Chris, but spoil us and Kello. And Drew would get everyone the same thing. For our part, we'd get something special and unique for everybody, and then be disappointed when nobody else put the same amount of thought into our presents. Christmas is a mess with us, it's best just to forgo the trouble." Dove spoke calmly and rationally, which irritated Raven immensely. She scowled and walked faster.

"Yeah, I know. But I have got to spend some money! And there's nothing that you or I really want, is there? Bleh, this sucks." She began to pout in a dreadfully childish way. In an attempt to smack the immaturity out of her, Dove stumbled and bumped into Alex as he exited the post office.

"Oh! Oh, hey Alex. Sorry about that." She brushed herself off before straightening Alex's cloak for him. He gave them a lopsided look, but spoke before they could question him.

"That's alright. How are you two doing? Find anything to buy yet?" Raven scowled again, which nearly made Alex break into a grin, but he held it in.

"No, not yet. Hey, what's that? Package from your parents?" She gestured towards a small brown parcel under Alex's arm. He looked at it thoughtfully for a moment, then dragged it out before them and broke it open.

"No. Actually, it's from my little sister. She wants me to do something to it for her. It's going to be a gift for a friend of hers. And as they're both Muggles, it'll have to be something disgracefully low-key. I don't want to get either of us into trouble." He reached inside and pulled out a length of chain. Attached to the chain was a small heart-shaped pendant. As he gripped it around the back, it slowly turned green. Both girls gasped in delight.

"Hey! It's a mood necklace! I haven't seen one of those in forever!" Raven cheered dramatically at the sight of the retro jewelry. Alex nodded and tucked it back in the box.

"Yeah, her friend's big on that retro crap. I don't know what I'll do with it though. I was thinking about putting a variation of the Cheering Charm on it, so that she'll feel better when she wears it. But it wouldn't really work, in theory, now would it? If she was always happy when she wore it, it would always stay the same color, and what use would that be?" He smiled at his own deduction and Dove giggled.

"You're right. Good thinking. Maybe a little Lucky Charm? Just a tiny one. That could be nice, hmm? And it isn't very easy to detect." Alex nodded in thoughtful agreement.

"Yes, not bad. But, ahh, I really have to go. I have to finish packing, and I'll have to Charm and wrap this up as well. So I'll see you at dinner, hmm?" He tucked away before either girl could protest and legged off to the castle. The girls watched after him for a bit before deciding they should probably head out as well.

As they walked, they scouted out clearings. They hoped there might be some opportunity to go flying while everyone was away, and they needed somewhere inconspicuous to do it. They went on in silence, crunching through the snow.

About halfway back, Dove pointed out a little spot to their right. Moving closer, they stepped into a small circle of trees, maybe forty feet across at the widest point. It seemed isolated enough.

"We should probably try it out first, eh?" Raven asked. Dove nodded, and they both removed their cloaks, murmuring quick warming spells as they did so. Standing in the middle of the clearing, the faced each other and Transfigured. Two sets of wings erupted behind them and they both smiled.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Dove asked. "It's been a couple of weeks, I rather missed it."

Raven nodded, and they both tested the clearing a bit. They walked about and spread their wings. They lifted off the ground a bit to look over the trees, checking to make sure they weren't too close to Hogwarts or Hogsmeade. It wouldn't do to be sighted. Settling back to the ground, they retracted the wings and pulled their cloaks back on. Muttering a Recognition Charm, followed closely by an incantation for concealment, they started back towards Hogwarts.

Fumbling out of the trees, they found their way back to the road. Suddenly, Dove pointed ahead of them.

"Hey, who does that look like?" Dove asked, amused. Raven looked ahead, squinting from the light reflecting off the snow. Twenty yards ahead of them, a large figured stalked forward towards school grounds. Raven glinted with surprise, then grinned ferociously. Breaking into a run, the two girls rocketed towards Severus Snape, separating one to each side of him.

Snape started on their approach, readying an effectively humbling quip for whichever unfortunate students should happen to disrupt his solitude, but forgot it when he recognized the two. He let the tense energy seep out of him and continued walking in silence. After a few gentle moments, Dove addressed him.

"Hey, 'Fess. What're you doing out here? Picking up a few last-minute gifts for the staff party?" She smiled innocently and Raven jumped in.

"Yeah, you teachers and your crazy get-togethers. I heard you've got an ear for Professor Flitwick's eggnog-inspired karaoke bouts." The girls just managed to contain their laughter as they waited for his response. He scowled at the memory of Flitwick's rendition of "The Twelve Days of Christmas". An amusing retort popped into his head, but he opted for the quicker method of denial.

"I don't know what you two are talking about. If you cannot even separate simple fact from abject rumor, I suggest you close your ears." He kept his voice at a low snarl, but left out the usual forceful malice. Dove laughed heartily as Raven began to speak.

"Ha, and if you can't separate yourself from Flitwick at that party, I suggest you do the same." Raven giggled at herself, but kept her composure in case Snape decided to rebuke her.

Snape bit his lip to keep from smiling, but said nothing. After a moment, he changed the subject. "No packages, I see. Unusual. Is it possible that you two have forgotten the purpose of your trip? I thought I recalled you mentioning in class that some last-minute shopping was in order."

Raven and Dove both quieted suddenly. They had told Chris that they still had to buy something for their Mother. It was meant to keep up appearances only. Surely, Snape knew that. Maybe he misunderstood, thought Dove. Raven granted the observation and wrote it off.

"Actually, we came to the rather depressing realization that we have nobody to buy for." Raven shrugged a weak smile. Snape wondered suddenly if he'd said something wrong. Strange, he thought, that I should worry about hurting their feelings with a few simple words. He tried to dig out any possible underlying meanings in what he'd said, but found nothing. Unused to the concept of comforting others, he said nothing. He was very relieved when Dove spoke more resolutely.

"Oh, I'm having an idea..." she began.

"Don't hurt yourself," Raven and Snape mumbled together. Startled, they looked at each other. Then Raven laughed. Snape followed Raven's line of sight and saw Dove glaring at them both. When he saw her, he very nearly laughed himself. When Raven quieted, Dove spoke again.

"Fine, forget it. I won't tell you." Dove jutted her jaw out and picked up her pace. Snape watched her go, his eyes glinting with quiet humor, half-tempted to fetch after her and make her keep in step. But he kept his speed and said nothing. He watched as Dove approached the stone steps to the castle and disappeared inside. Faintly, he noticed that Raven had stayed next to him rather than run after Dove. Hmm. Not quite what I'd expected. He turned slightly to her with the intention of asking a question, but unsure of what to ask. She glanced up, noticing, and spoke before he could muster up a logical phrase.

"Are you okay, Professor Snape?" The question caught him off-guard, just as it had the first time she'd asked. He refocused his gaze ahead onto the path and growled lightly under his breath. Debating whether he should side-step the question or just answer, he didn't notice how Raven took the time to study him intently. He didn't really have to answer her anyway, she could see the answer all over him. She glanced over his person casually, searching for specifics. She knew what she was looking for. She took everything in, then shifted her eyesight back to Snape before he could catch her. "You don't have to answer, I suppose. I don't mean to pry."

Snape steeled himself against the strange soft sense of guilt that he suddenly felt. He berated himself for not answering her. Why shouldn't I? She isn't exactly a normal student, nor is Dove. If anyone could understand, perhaps... He shook himself out of the thought. Well, I ought to say something. If I don't, she might never ask me again. His eyes widened suddenly as he realized what he'd just been thinking. A cold shiver made its way up his spine as he considered the possibility that she might not ask him such things anymore. He shifted his thoughts and reformed them, contemplating the possibility of her asking him more often rather than less. As he did, the chill stopped, and a warmth he was unaccustomed to spread out instead. Strange, he thought. But he decided, for once, to go with it and just answer her. But what to say?

"I don't know." He cleared his throat and kept his face impassive. He was betraying enough emotion by speaking, no sense losing all control.

"Pardon?" came the flabbergasted answer. Raven had certainly not expected an answer. And if she was looking for some reply, this definitely wasn't what she'd predicted. She slowed unconsciously, as he cleared his throat. He slowed his own pace to match hers and turned to her. He glanced at her without emotion, then dropped his gaze.

"I don't know if I'm okay," he said gruffly. "I don't know if I'll ever be okay." Then, with one last empty look, he darted off into the school, leaving Raven in the snow unblinking.

***

Next Chapter: christmas at hogwarts, aww. featuring an interesting little present for snape, a run-in with ryle, tea with a werewolf, and some of flitwick's crazy carols! so stay tuned...same bat time...same bat channel! (ps – if anyone has any questions you can email me at eowowiel@yahoo.com, i love mail!!!)