To Kate: Thank you so much for the review. It was good to hear from you, but let me clear some things up. Yes, I'm from America. This means you have to understand that there hundreds of accents all across our country that you nor I have heard of. Aeowyn's dialect is taken directly from how a certain friend of mine talks. (And yes, she's American, too. Certain books, movies, and people influence us all to talk the way we do and my friend was definitely influenced by silly things.) Secondly, there is a reason for her being so childish: it's the way I wanted her and the only way I would have her be. There are certain things that you will find out through the course of the story that will reveal her careless "foolery" and Aeowyn will eventually explain why she acts the way she does. Just give me time to write it. :P Adding to that: don't rush the early childishness of the chapters. Trust me, the story is going to get shockingly serious as the truth is revealed, so enjoy the mirth of Aeowyn while it lasts.

Finally, sorry this chapter is so short. It was originally much longer, but I cut it down due to the sheer length of it. Not to mention, AP English and Latin IV are killer classes, so I don't have much free time at night. Anyway! I hope you enjoy it! ^_^;

Chapter 6: Insults and Feeding Lies

Aeowyn looked away from Severus. "So?" she asked, biting her bottom lip. Severus could see tears brimming at her eyelids, but she quickly wiped them away with the back of her sleeve. "Big deal!" she replied, seeming more like Aeowyn again. "So he called me a mudblood? There's worse things." Aeowyn gave Severus half of a smile. "Besides… who cares if my parents were muggles? I don't!"

Severus took his hands away from her shoulders. "I see…"

Aeowyn snorted through her nose. "Look, I know you have a lot of questions to ask me and there's a lot of answers I won't give. But when we return to Hogwarts… maybe… we can have that chat you were talking about."

Severus watched Aeowyn closely, fearing she might start crying again. "Of course… Aeowyn," he said her name softly.

Aeowyn laughed and said, "Just lemme pay for this stuff, okay?" Severus nodded and she hopped over to the shopkeeper, paying a galleon and two knuts for what she had purchased. With her pocket considerably lighter, but with a smile on her face, she and Severus walked down high street. "So… do you know how to apparate?" she asked.

Severus let out a small, "Ha!" He looked at her. "Do I know how to apparate?" he repeated, mockingly. "Stupid question, silly girl."

"Okay, okay! Gee whiz!" She looked down at the path before her. "Don't have to be all mean about it…"

"Yes, I know how to apparate. And you?"

"Stupid question, little boy!" she laughed in his face while swinging her Zonko's bag. "Of course I do! I prefer floo powder, though."

Severus looked at her suspiciously. "Floo powder is considerably more dangerous," he pointed out.

Aeowyn nodded. "That's why it's more fun! The more dangerous, the more exciting! That's why I love Quidditch!" She looked at him as he stopped in front of 'The Three Broomsticks'. "Do you play Quidditch?"

"I try to avoid it," he answered solemnly.

"You're not a wizard, then! Every wizard loves Quidditch!" Aeowyn stopped smiling and glanced upwards, in deep thought. "On second thought! Every wizard except Lucius loves Quidditch! It looks like the only thing that man enjoys is torturing people!" Aeowyn laughed, but found that Severus merely became more sullen after her joke. She looked at him, her mirth fading away to concern. "What's wrong?" Aeowyn searched his face frantically. "What did I say?"

"Miss Sevor, can we just return to Hogwarts?" he questioned.

Aeowyn had an expression of despondency on her face. "We're back to that, are we?" she muttered. "Sure, Snape, wherever…" Before she could ask if they could drop by 'The Three Broomsticks' for a Butterbeer, he had apparated them both back to the main gates to Hogwarts. She was about to ask him something else, but he started to walk up the path without her. "Hey!" she screamed at him, getting extremely angry at his mood swings.

Severus turned around to look at her, the usual sarcastic emotion in his eyes. "Yes, Miss Sevor?"

Aeowyn clutched her fists as best she could and stormed past him, knocking him out of the way. "Nothing, you bastard! Overgrown filthy Grindylow! Smelly ignorant Hinkypunk! Bastard, bastard, bastard!" she insulted as she continued her trek up the path to Hogwarts, leaving Severus behind. "Muggle!" she screamed at him over her shoulder. She smiled triumphantly to herself. She knew that would make him angry. Aeowyn, not wanting to argue with him further, bolted into a full run for her room. She ran into Hogwarts, past the Great Hall, beyond her classroom, finally approaching her door. Aeowyn took a minute to catch her breath, then said "Volatilis vespertilio," to the Musketeer on her door. The wall opened and she jumped inside, telling the Musketeer to close it quickly behind her. Aeowyn sighed and dropped her stuff down on the sofa. Sanguis, as usual, streaked through the air and landed on her shoulder, nuzzling her affectionately.

Aeowyn stretched out on the sofa with Sanguis lying on her stomach. She stroked him lovingly and said aloud, "Farus thinks we're up to something, Sanguis." The bat looked up at her, understanding every word she said. "Bah! But what does he know? He thinks I work for the Ministry of America!" Aeowyn let out a series of laughs. "He's nothing to worry about. You'll see."

Sanguis stared at her, worriedly. He let out a long, questioning squeak that sounded something like, "Squee…?"

"It's nothing, Sanguis," she replied with a smile. "Severus is mad at me because I said something about Lucius torturing people. He obviously doesn't think that I know that Lucius is on Voldemort's favorite's list. And Severus doesn't think that I know he was a Death Eater!" Sanguis nuzzled into Aeowyn's neck. "Ssokay, Sanguis… I've been feeding Severus nothing but lies since the day I got here." A smile spread on her face. "Same four houses at Hoxfords, indeed! What an imbecile to believe that story!" Aeowyn laughed aloud and Sanguis squeaked quietly. "How could I not feed him nothing but lies…? If word spreads around, then Voldemort and his dementors would come after me faster than a fly to squashed fruit." Aeowyn straightened the bracelet, then frowned. "Good thing I've got this, then, huh?" But Sanguis didn't reply because he had fallen fast asleep.