Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it belongs to J.K. Rowling
Chapter 8: On Rocky Ground
Fanny and the Gryffindors stayed in the hospital wing with Sirius until just before curfew, when the young intern Madam Pomfrey chased them out. By the time they left, the swelling in his face had almost completely receded, leaving only a slight discoloration and puffiness around the eyes. Sirius' mood had not improved, though, and he broke off the conversation sporadically throughout the evening to repeatedly ask Fanny to never see 'that bastard Snape' again. Each time she agreed in a dull, half-hearted way, but of course she was lying. Once or twice she considered telling Sirius the truth-that she would almost certainly continue to see Snape-but it was not a good time to argue with him. He was utterly convinced that Snape was evil incarnate, and nothing Fanny could say would dissuade him.
The speed and efficiency of Snape's hexes had, of course, bothered Fanny, as well as the bizarre and ugly scene he had thrown afterwards. But everyone had their faults, she reasoned, and his had not yet become severe enough to justify breaking off their friendship. He was difficult and sometimes dangerous, but he was still worth the effort and Fanny knew that it was only a matter of time before she would fully accept this new unsavory side of his personality and approach him, if he had not already made the first move.
For the time being, though, Fanny wanted to avoid him. It was entirely likely that the Gryffindor four would seek retribution for the damage done to Sirius. After witnessing Snape's dueling skills, though, and having full confidence in James' and Sirius' talents with a wand, Fanny wasn't actually concerned about the outcome of such a confrontation: she knew the boys could take care of themselves. What did worry her was that it would occur in front of her, and that she would be thrown in the middle again, forced to choose sides. The best way to avoid this was, of course, to keep the groups apart. If she didn't see any of them for a few days, they couldn't fight in front of her. Unfortunately, Fanny had made Sunday plans with Sirius, and couldn't bring herself to cancel with him after what had happened. So it was Snape that she must avoid. With this thought in mind, it was with great reluctance that she left her dorm and went down to breakfast the next morning.
When she arrived in the Great Hall, Sirius was already out of the hospital and seated with the others. Fanny was happy to see that he looked quite normal again, although he obviously still felt sore and uncomfortable and often screwed up his face in an attempt to stretch his stiff muscles. She made her way over to them, meaning only to ask him how he felt before finding a seat at her own table, but when she arrived, Sirius forced Peter over and insisted that she join them. Grudgingly she agreed and sat between the two boys, meeting with curious glances from nearby Gryffindors she didn't know.
"I was just let me out this morning," Sirius said with a grimace. "Those beds are dreadful. All lumps and springs in your backs. You'd think they fix them, it's an easy enough little spell. Smoothed out my dorm bed back in second year. Couldn't fix last night's, though, Lily had my wand. Didn't sleep a wink." He magically enlarged his mug before pouring a giant cup of coffee. "It seems like more than two tiny little cups," he said with shrugging and grinning, before his face fell abruptly in a wince. Apparently it still hurt him to smile. "What shall we do today then, Fan?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe something away from the crowds" she suggested in the hopes of steering the group clear of Severus. "What do you guys think?"
"Useless asking them, it's just you and me today."
"What are you lot doing?"
"Got lots of catching up to do," said Remus. "Yesterday was the only day off I could afford."
"Yeah, me too," Peter agreed.
Lily and James looked coy and from their expressions alone, Fanny understood that they were planning private time.
"I don't know then," said Fanny, turning to Sirius. "You're the one who was sick. What are you feeling up to?"
"Oh, just about anything," he said in a silky suggestive tone that made Fanny roll her eyes. "I'm just teasing you, kid. We could go for a walk or something if you wanted to be alone. Or.we could always take a trip into town after all. James, have you got the you-know-what?"
"Going to cause some mischief Padfoot? That's my boy!" He beamed at his friend and rifled through his bag. After removing and depositing the top contents on the table, which consisted of a jar of legless spiders, a shady looking book on transfiguration entitled 'Metamorphosis: Only Slightly Illegal Party Tricks,' and a bottle of unlabeled bubbling green goo, he pulled out a worn blank piece of parchment and handed it to Sirius. Lily watched the transaction with a look of disapproval, but said nothing.
"Thanks. OK, it's decided then."
"What's decided? You don't mean a trip into Hogsmede do you? You're insane. We'll never get off school grounds without being caught!"
"Ah, my dear, you underestimate the resourcefulness of Gryffindors. Stick by me, and I swear, no trouble will come your way."
"No, I really don't think so."
"Come on, James and I have made countless illicit Hogsmede trips. Lily's even been a few times."
Fanny looked at her friend, who smiled and blushed guiltily. "It's true, the boys know what they're doing," she said. "I doubt you'll be caught. Although I don't condone rule-breaking," she added in a half-hearted afterthought.
"Yeah, but you wouldn't say that if you weren't head girl," said Sirius, laughing as much as his sore face would allow. Grumbling, Lily conceded the point, and quickly switched to a more romantic mood as she reminisced on her time in Hogsmede.
"Do you remember the first time we snuck out there James," she said dreamily. He smiled fondly and put his arm around her. "It was lovely," she added to the others. "You can't imagine how nice it is when there aren't a heap of kids running about, causing trouble, making noise. And all the people you know and have to stop and talk to. You'll have a really nice time Fanny."
"Yeah," Sirius continued, "we'll have fun. And we can avoid the main street if you're worried, there's plenty more to do if you know." He broke off suddenly, tensed, and grabbed for his wand. But Fanny had been waiting for just this reaction, and caught his arm in a determined grip before he could act. Only after she had secured him did she look up and see the exact person she had expected. Severus stood at the entrance to the great hall, a frozen glare directed right at her. A small scuffle ensued. Sirius tried to free his arm but Fanny held on tight. Switching tactics he tried to move his wand to his other hand, but she persevered, abandoned all subtlety and flung both arms round his middle so that his arms were pinioned to his sides. The Gryffindors around them stared and giggled in amusement but she didn't care. There was no way she would let Sirius hex Severus.
"Get off Fanny, that bastard has it coming," said Sirius, worming one arm out of her surprisingly strong grip.
"No, leave him. Sirius, I mean it. I won't go anywhere with you if you curse him." His struggle died down, and he turned to face her, surprised.
"Are you blackmailing me?" he asked in awe.
"It would seem so."
"Well," his said with gleaming eyes. He was clearly impressed. "I suppose I have no choice then." His wand disappeared back into his pocket and he straightened his rumpled robes with an air of dignity.
Looking back up, Fanny saw that Severus had moved to his own table, and was already eating breakfast, ignoring her entirely. In a few days she would try to set things right with him, she decided. But for now she had enough to worry about with the prospect of spending an entire day in Hogsmede with Sirius. In addition to the risk of punishment, she didn't really want to be alone with him, and she sincerely hoped that the events of the maze chase would not be repeated.
After breakfast, the group dispersed, and Sirius led Fanny to a small dusty corridor on the fourth floor. Stopping by a full length mirror, flanked by two suits of armor, he pulled out the parchment James had given him and tapped it with his wand.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he whispered, and to Fanny's utter amazement, spidery lines appeared across the page, weaving themselves into a map alive with hundreds of black dots moving and milling about. "Ailurophobilia," he said, and the mirror swung open like a door, exposing a staircase beyond. Grabbing her hand, Sirius pulled her quickly onto the landing before the mirror shut behind them. "Mischief managed," he said, tapping the parchment again with his wand. "Lumos." Fanny lit her wand as well, and Sirius took her by the hand and led her down the stairs. They descended for at least ten stories before suddenly emerging into a crude dark dirt-walled passage that seemed to stretch on for miles under their feet before ending abruptly at a frayed rope ladder. Sirius climbed up and fidgeted with something at the top for a few moments before part of the roof gave way and the passage was flooded with light. Climbing after him, Fanny emerged in a rocky field flanked by a sheer cliff to the east and low rolling hills in the other directions. A large boulder lying beside the hole they had just climbed through rolled over, and covered the passage once more.
"We're on the eastern outskirts of Hogsmede," Sirius told her. "There are some pretty amazing caves in these hills that I can show you. We don't even have to go into town if you're worried about it."
It sounded like a great idea to Fanny, and they set off to explore the foothills. Sirius moved like a mountain goat over the rocky terrain, picking his way deftly through the unstable areas while Fanny followed slowly, stumbling clumsily from time to time.
"The boys and I have been coming here for years," he explained. "Found out about the fourth-floor tunnel in second year. Quite the liberating discovery."
"How many are there? Tunnels I mean?"
"We've found seven so far. No telling how many in total. Could be hundreds. Although I think we've found them all. We're pretty thorough."
Sirius reached a ledge that was some five feet above the path, and shimmied up. "Give us your hand," he said, and pulled Fanny up after him. They stood by an opening in the mountain and Sirius led them in. "This is the cave of fire," he said. "Named after one Saturday the four of us spent in here with a pilfered bottle of Ogden's. Nasty morning after that produced." The cave was spacious and airy and in the shadowy light Fanny could see various drawings on the floor and walls. Several were quite lewd. "You know how boys can be," Sirius explained, a bit embarrassed, when he saw her examining them. "Especially after their first dose of whiskey!" Fanny laughed and Sirius pointed out some of the more lifelike renditions.
"Is that Peter?" Fanny asked pointing to one picture.
"Er, yeah it is," he said, looking suddenly uncomfortable.
"What the hell is he doing with that rat? Is it what I think it is? You guys are really sick!" she said, in a tone of mock disapproval laced with suppressed laughter. In truth, she found the drawing disgusting, but hilarious.
Blushing dramatically, Sirius moved away to one corner of the cave and began to examine something. "Hey, come and have a look at this," he said, poking about in a pile of rocks. Shifting some of them about, he pointed to a small nook in the wall they had been covering. "Are you up for a bit of fun?" he asked, grinning from ear to ear. From out of the niche, he pulled a large bottle of fire whiskey. "I completely forgot we hid this here. Only finished half of it last time," he said, holding the dark green bottle up to the light. "We were completely blotto. How embarrassing."
Opening the bottle he took a whiff and grimaced. "Nasty harsh stuff, this. Shall we then?" He conjured up two cut crystal tumblers out of thin air (which made Fanny feel badly for her total inability to conjure so much as a toothpick), poured each of them a stiff drink, and offered one to Fanny. Sirius threw back his glass and swallowed half the contents in one gulp. Unfortunately he wasn't up for it, and his face immediately turned an unhealthy shade of green, and he coughed violently for a whole minute. Had he known better, he might have realized that alcohol and all-purpose- counter-jinx antinflammatories don't mix well.
Fanny was less cavalier and sipped hers delicately but steadily. She understood how to drink, having learned from her liberal mother who held the philosophy that knowledge produces control while ignorance breeds addiction. In the weeks following Gene's death, Fanny had exploited this understanding, and turned on several occasions to the liquor cabinet she had so recently inherited, quickly developing a taste for, and resistance to, alcohol.
So it was that several drinks later Sirius had reached a state of total drunkenness, while Fanny was only slightly tipsy. It was the perfect combination for great fun. Completely unrestrained, Sirius was in his element, telling rude jokes during bouts of hyperactivity ("An ogre and a nymph are in a boat going down some rapids when the boat capsizes."), and flirting harmlessly, but voraciously when the liquor knocked him into a near-stupor ("You're sho pretty, Fann-uh-ne," he slurred). It was all so silly that it made the interest he normally showed in her seem much less significant and the pressure Fanny normally felt around him evaporated.
After several hours of partially disjointed conversation, they both found themselves rather hungry and following a short argument they retired to the Hog's Head tavern in the village for tea. Sneaking through the now dark streets, the pair sidled into the dingy bar and took a seat at one of the darker and more remote booths in the corner. Several hours had passed since they had finished the firewhisky but Sirius was still fairly drunk, and half fell onto his seat. They ordered the most ordinary sounding dish on the menu, pig's eye stew, and hoped sincerely that the name was misleading. As they waited for supper, Fanny asked the question she had been pondering off and on all day.
"Sirius, why did James call you Padfoot this morning?" Her interest had been piqued by the strange furtive glances the boys cast each other that morning when the nickname was mentioned.
"Heh? Oh, it wasn't nothin'," he said. He was clearly trying to sound casual, but his voice betrayed anxiety and Fanny's curiosity exploded.
"Oh, come on. You can tell me! Please, Sirius," she said in her sweetest, prettiest voice. A mischievous glint shone in Sirius' eye, and she could tell that part of him wanted to tell her. She went for broke. "Don't you trust me?" she asked, affecting an offended tone, and looked down at the table in false dejection.
"No, Fanny, it's not that," he said, clumsily grabbing her arm. "Just that it's classified information." Fanny ignored his appeal, and continued to stare at the grubby table in silence. "Ok, ok, I'll tell you." He leaned in close and began to whisper loudly. "You know Remus? It's a shecret.er.secret, and you can't tell anyone! OK," he looked around to make sure no one was nearby and dropped his voice further. "He's a were-y- wolf! So us boys: James, and me and Peter, we all became animals to help. You know, animaligus'es, I mean, animagimal's."
Fanny's eyes grew round with wonder. "You're animagi?" she asked, totally impressed.
Sirius jutted out his chin proudly and nodded. "Yup, I'm a dog. Padfoot. Get it?"
"Yeah. But how did you guys do it? It's nearly impossible to learn isn't it?"
"Mmm hmm. Got to go to the loo." He stood, and pointed at Fanny. "Don't tell anyone!" he said once more, and vanished through a dingy door in the corner. By the time he returned to his seat, his eyes were dimming with drunken fatigue, and Fanny could tell that he was hitting the limit of his conversational abilities. Further explanations about the magic of animagi were clearly out of the question. So they sat in silence until the food came. The stew was so thick that it was quite impossible to tell what was in it, but it was nourishing nonetheless, and after awkwardly slurping back three quarters of his bowl, Sirius began to come round again. They stayed on after supper, drinking coffee, and trying to sober up before risking the halls of Hogwarts. It was nearly two in the morning by the time Sirius felt comfortable enough to pull out the map and head back to school.
The darkened tunnel was cold and difficult to navigate at the late hour. But they made it back without incident and stumbled awkwardly into the fourth floor corridor some forty minutes later. Sirius read the map with difficulty, holding it close to his face then at arms length, then close again.
"I think the coast is clear to Ravenclaw. You'd better hurry though," he said. "No guarantee that someone won't wake up."
A sudden thought occurred to Fanny. "Can I see it for a minute?" she asked. Taking the map, she scanned the Slytherin boys' dormitory. Not there. She checked the rest of the Slytherin area. Not there either. The main floor, the old runes classroom, the upper dungeons, all empty. Then she found what she was looking for: a tiny dot labeled 'Severus Snape' in a remote room in the lowest dungeon. And to her great horror a second dot accompanied, so close to Snape's spot that it almost overlapped it entirely. Nine floors below her, in some private location in the dead of night Snape was alone with Violet Swan.
Chapter 8: On Rocky Ground
Fanny and the Gryffindors stayed in the hospital wing with Sirius until just before curfew, when the young intern Madam Pomfrey chased them out. By the time they left, the swelling in his face had almost completely receded, leaving only a slight discoloration and puffiness around the eyes. Sirius' mood had not improved, though, and he broke off the conversation sporadically throughout the evening to repeatedly ask Fanny to never see 'that bastard Snape' again. Each time she agreed in a dull, half-hearted way, but of course she was lying. Once or twice she considered telling Sirius the truth-that she would almost certainly continue to see Snape-but it was not a good time to argue with him. He was utterly convinced that Snape was evil incarnate, and nothing Fanny could say would dissuade him.
The speed and efficiency of Snape's hexes had, of course, bothered Fanny, as well as the bizarre and ugly scene he had thrown afterwards. But everyone had their faults, she reasoned, and his had not yet become severe enough to justify breaking off their friendship. He was difficult and sometimes dangerous, but he was still worth the effort and Fanny knew that it was only a matter of time before she would fully accept this new unsavory side of his personality and approach him, if he had not already made the first move.
For the time being, though, Fanny wanted to avoid him. It was entirely likely that the Gryffindor four would seek retribution for the damage done to Sirius. After witnessing Snape's dueling skills, though, and having full confidence in James' and Sirius' talents with a wand, Fanny wasn't actually concerned about the outcome of such a confrontation: she knew the boys could take care of themselves. What did worry her was that it would occur in front of her, and that she would be thrown in the middle again, forced to choose sides. The best way to avoid this was, of course, to keep the groups apart. If she didn't see any of them for a few days, they couldn't fight in front of her. Unfortunately, Fanny had made Sunday plans with Sirius, and couldn't bring herself to cancel with him after what had happened. So it was Snape that she must avoid. With this thought in mind, it was with great reluctance that she left her dorm and went down to breakfast the next morning.
When she arrived in the Great Hall, Sirius was already out of the hospital and seated with the others. Fanny was happy to see that he looked quite normal again, although he obviously still felt sore and uncomfortable and often screwed up his face in an attempt to stretch his stiff muscles. She made her way over to them, meaning only to ask him how he felt before finding a seat at her own table, but when she arrived, Sirius forced Peter over and insisted that she join them. Grudgingly she agreed and sat between the two boys, meeting with curious glances from nearby Gryffindors she didn't know.
"I was just let me out this morning," Sirius said with a grimace. "Those beds are dreadful. All lumps and springs in your backs. You'd think they fix them, it's an easy enough little spell. Smoothed out my dorm bed back in second year. Couldn't fix last night's, though, Lily had my wand. Didn't sleep a wink." He magically enlarged his mug before pouring a giant cup of coffee. "It seems like more than two tiny little cups," he said with shrugging and grinning, before his face fell abruptly in a wince. Apparently it still hurt him to smile. "What shall we do today then, Fan?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe something away from the crowds" she suggested in the hopes of steering the group clear of Severus. "What do you guys think?"
"Useless asking them, it's just you and me today."
"What are you lot doing?"
"Got lots of catching up to do," said Remus. "Yesterday was the only day off I could afford."
"Yeah, me too," Peter agreed.
Lily and James looked coy and from their expressions alone, Fanny understood that they were planning private time.
"I don't know then," said Fanny, turning to Sirius. "You're the one who was sick. What are you feeling up to?"
"Oh, just about anything," he said in a silky suggestive tone that made Fanny roll her eyes. "I'm just teasing you, kid. We could go for a walk or something if you wanted to be alone. Or.we could always take a trip into town after all. James, have you got the you-know-what?"
"Going to cause some mischief Padfoot? That's my boy!" He beamed at his friend and rifled through his bag. After removing and depositing the top contents on the table, which consisted of a jar of legless spiders, a shady looking book on transfiguration entitled 'Metamorphosis: Only Slightly Illegal Party Tricks,' and a bottle of unlabeled bubbling green goo, he pulled out a worn blank piece of parchment and handed it to Sirius. Lily watched the transaction with a look of disapproval, but said nothing.
"Thanks. OK, it's decided then."
"What's decided? You don't mean a trip into Hogsmede do you? You're insane. We'll never get off school grounds without being caught!"
"Ah, my dear, you underestimate the resourcefulness of Gryffindors. Stick by me, and I swear, no trouble will come your way."
"No, I really don't think so."
"Come on, James and I have made countless illicit Hogsmede trips. Lily's even been a few times."
Fanny looked at her friend, who smiled and blushed guiltily. "It's true, the boys know what they're doing," she said. "I doubt you'll be caught. Although I don't condone rule-breaking," she added in a half-hearted afterthought.
"Yeah, but you wouldn't say that if you weren't head girl," said Sirius, laughing as much as his sore face would allow. Grumbling, Lily conceded the point, and quickly switched to a more romantic mood as she reminisced on her time in Hogsmede.
"Do you remember the first time we snuck out there James," she said dreamily. He smiled fondly and put his arm around her. "It was lovely," she added to the others. "You can't imagine how nice it is when there aren't a heap of kids running about, causing trouble, making noise. And all the people you know and have to stop and talk to. You'll have a really nice time Fanny."
"Yeah," Sirius continued, "we'll have fun. And we can avoid the main street if you're worried, there's plenty more to do if you know." He broke off suddenly, tensed, and grabbed for his wand. But Fanny had been waiting for just this reaction, and caught his arm in a determined grip before he could act. Only after she had secured him did she look up and see the exact person she had expected. Severus stood at the entrance to the great hall, a frozen glare directed right at her. A small scuffle ensued. Sirius tried to free his arm but Fanny held on tight. Switching tactics he tried to move his wand to his other hand, but she persevered, abandoned all subtlety and flung both arms round his middle so that his arms were pinioned to his sides. The Gryffindors around them stared and giggled in amusement but she didn't care. There was no way she would let Sirius hex Severus.
"Get off Fanny, that bastard has it coming," said Sirius, worming one arm out of her surprisingly strong grip.
"No, leave him. Sirius, I mean it. I won't go anywhere with you if you curse him." His struggle died down, and he turned to face her, surprised.
"Are you blackmailing me?" he asked in awe.
"It would seem so."
"Well," his said with gleaming eyes. He was clearly impressed. "I suppose I have no choice then." His wand disappeared back into his pocket and he straightened his rumpled robes with an air of dignity.
Looking back up, Fanny saw that Severus had moved to his own table, and was already eating breakfast, ignoring her entirely. In a few days she would try to set things right with him, she decided. But for now she had enough to worry about with the prospect of spending an entire day in Hogsmede with Sirius. In addition to the risk of punishment, she didn't really want to be alone with him, and she sincerely hoped that the events of the maze chase would not be repeated.
After breakfast, the group dispersed, and Sirius led Fanny to a small dusty corridor on the fourth floor. Stopping by a full length mirror, flanked by two suits of armor, he pulled out the parchment James had given him and tapped it with his wand.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he whispered, and to Fanny's utter amazement, spidery lines appeared across the page, weaving themselves into a map alive with hundreds of black dots moving and milling about. "Ailurophobilia," he said, and the mirror swung open like a door, exposing a staircase beyond. Grabbing her hand, Sirius pulled her quickly onto the landing before the mirror shut behind them. "Mischief managed," he said, tapping the parchment again with his wand. "Lumos." Fanny lit her wand as well, and Sirius took her by the hand and led her down the stairs. They descended for at least ten stories before suddenly emerging into a crude dark dirt-walled passage that seemed to stretch on for miles under their feet before ending abruptly at a frayed rope ladder. Sirius climbed up and fidgeted with something at the top for a few moments before part of the roof gave way and the passage was flooded with light. Climbing after him, Fanny emerged in a rocky field flanked by a sheer cliff to the east and low rolling hills in the other directions. A large boulder lying beside the hole they had just climbed through rolled over, and covered the passage once more.
"We're on the eastern outskirts of Hogsmede," Sirius told her. "There are some pretty amazing caves in these hills that I can show you. We don't even have to go into town if you're worried about it."
It sounded like a great idea to Fanny, and they set off to explore the foothills. Sirius moved like a mountain goat over the rocky terrain, picking his way deftly through the unstable areas while Fanny followed slowly, stumbling clumsily from time to time.
"The boys and I have been coming here for years," he explained. "Found out about the fourth-floor tunnel in second year. Quite the liberating discovery."
"How many are there? Tunnels I mean?"
"We've found seven so far. No telling how many in total. Could be hundreds. Although I think we've found them all. We're pretty thorough."
Sirius reached a ledge that was some five feet above the path, and shimmied up. "Give us your hand," he said, and pulled Fanny up after him. They stood by an opening in the mountain and Sirius led them in. "This is the cave of fire," he said. "Named after one Saturday the four of us spent in here with a pilfered bottle of Ogden's. Nasty morning after that produced." The cave was spacious and airy and in the shadowy light Fanny could see various drawings on the floor and walls. Several were quite lewd. "You know how boys can be," Sirius explained, a bit embarrassed, when he saw her examining them. "Especially after their first dose of whiskey!" Fanny laughed and Sirius pointed out some of the more lifelike renditions.
"Is that Peter?" Fanny asked pointing to one picture.
"Er, yeah it is," he said, looking suddenly uncomfortable.
"What the hell is he doing with that rat? Is it what I think it is? You guys are really sick!" she said, in a tone of mock disapproval laced with suppressed laughter. In truth, she found the drawing disgusting, but hilarious.
Blushing dramatically, Sirius moved away to one corner of the cave and began to examine something. "Hey, come and have a look at this," he said, poking about in a pile of rocks. Shifting some of them about, he pointed to a small nook in the wall they had been covering. "Are you up for a bit of fun?" he asked, grinning from ear to ear. From out of the niche, he pulled a large bottle of fire whiskey. "I completely forgot we hid this here. Only finished half of it last time," he said, holding the dark green bottle up to the light. "We were completely blotto. How embarrassing."
Opening the bottle he took a whiff and grimaced. "Nasty harsh stuff, this. Shall we then?" He conjured up two cut crystal tumblers out of thin air (which made Fanny feel badly for her total inability to conjure so much as a toothpick), poured each of them a stiff drink, and offered one to Fanny. Sirius threw back his glass and swallowed half the contents in one gulp. Unfortunately he wasn't up for it, and his face immediately turned an unhealthy shade of green, and he coughed violently for a whole minute. Had he known better, he might have realized that alcohol and all-purpose- counter-jinx antinflammatories don't mix well.
Fanny was less cavalier and sipped hers delicately but steadily. She understood how to drink, having learned from her liberal mother who held the philosophy that knowledge produces control while ignorance breeds addiction. In the weeks following Gene's death, Fanny had exploited this understanding, and turned on several occasions to the liquor cabinet she had so recently inherited, quickly developing a taste for, and resistance to, alcohol.
So it was that several drinks later Sirius had reached a state of total drunkenness, while Fanny was only slightly tipsy. It was the perfect combination for great fun. Completely unrestrained, Sirius was in his element, telling rude jokes during bouts of hyperactivity ("An ogre and a nymph are in a boat going down some rapids when the boat capsizes."), and flirting harmlessly, but voraciously when the liquor knocked him into a near-stupor ("You're sho pretty, Fann-uh-ne," he slurred). It was all so silly that it made the interest he normally showed in her seem much less significant and the pressure Fanny normally felt around him evaporated.
After several hours of partially disjointed conversation, they both found themselves rather hungry and following a short argument they retired to the Hog's Head tavern in the village for tea. Sneaking through the now dark streets, the pair sidled into the dingy bar and took a seat at one of the darker and more remote booths in the corner. Several hours had passed since they had finished the firewhisky but Sirius was still fairly drunk, and half fell onto his seat. They ordered the most ordinary sounding dish on the menu, pig's eye stew, and hoped sincerely that the name was misleading. As they waited for supper, Fanny asked the question she had been pondering off and on all day.
"Sirius, why did James call you Padfoot this morning?" Her interest had been piqued by the strange furtive glances the boys cast each other that morning when the nickname was mentioned.
"Heh? Oh, it wasn't nothin'," he said. He was clearly trying to sound casual, but his voice betrayed anxiety and Fanny's curiosity exploded.
"Oh, come on. You can tell me! Please, Sirius," she said in her sweetest, prettiest voice. A mischievous glint shone in Sirius' eye, and she could tell that part of him wanted to tell her. She went for broke. "Don't you trust me?" she asked, affecting an offended tone, and looked down at the table in false dejection.
"No, Fanny, it's not that," he said, clumsily grabbing her arm. "Just that it's classified information." Fanny ignored his appeal, and continued to stare at the grubby table in silence. "Ok, ok, I'll tell you." He leaned in close and began to whisper loudly. "You know Remus? It's a shecret.er.secret, and you can't tell anyone! OK," he looked around to make sure no one was nearby and dropped his voice further. "He's a were-y- wolf! So us boys: James, and me and Peter, we all became animals to help. You know, animaligus'es, I mean, animagimal's."
Fanny's eyes grew round with wonder. "You're animagi?" she asked, totally impressed.
Sirius jutted out his chin proudly and nodded. "Yup, I'm a dog. Padfoot. Get it?"
"Yeah. But how did you guys do it? It's nearly impossible to learn isn't it?"
"Mmm hmm. Got to go to the loo." He stood, and pointed at Fanny. "Don't tell anyone!" he said once more, and vanished through a dingy door in the corner. By the time he returned to his seat, his eyes were dimming with drunken fatigue, and Fanny could tell that he was hitting the limit of his conversational abilities. Further explanations about the magic of animagi were clearly out of the question. So they sat in silence until the food came. The stew was so thick that it was quite impossible to tell what was in it, but it was nourishing nonetheless, and after awkwardly slurping back three quarters of his bowl, Sirius began to come round again. They stayed on after supper, drinking coffee, and trying to sober up before risking the halls of Hogwarts. It was nearly two in the morning by the time Sirius felt comfortable enough to pull out the map and head back to school.
The darkened tunnel was cold and difficult to navigate at the late hour. But they made it back without incident and stumbled awkwardly into the fourth floor corridor some forty minutes later. Sirius read the map with difficulty, holding it close to his face then at arms length, then close again.
"I think the coast is clear to Ravenclaw. You'd better hurry though," he said. "No guarantee that someone won't wake up."
A sudden thought occurred to Fanny. "Can I see it for a minute?" she asked. Taking the map, she scanned the Slytherin boys' dormitory. Not there. She checked the rest of the Slytherin area. Not there either. The main floor, the old runes classroom, the upper dungeons, all empty. Then she found what she was looking for: a tiny dot labeled 'Severus Snape' in a remote room in the lowest dungeon. And to her great horror a second dot accompanied, so close to Snape's spot that it almost overlapped it entirely. Nine floors below her, in some private location in the dead of night Snape was alone with Violet Swan.
