[A/N]: Sorry about the delay but exams are over! YAY! As it happens, my chemistry exam was, in fact, "deceivingly easy"…but if anyone cares or doesn't…cause I'll do it anyway…I'll tell my mark, as horrible as it is…to you all with my next posting! So, for your enjoyment, chapter 4!
DISCLAIMER: I refer you to previous chapter(s) in which, under the same heading, it clearly states I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER and that IT BELONGS TO J.K. ROWLING…in addition to I AM BROKE and AM MAKING NO MONEY so it is useless to sue me!
Monkshood, Wolfsbane, and an Infusion of Wormwood
-------Chapter 4: Filler-------
Asphodel sat at the end of the long wooden table, close to the staff. He ignored, for the most part, the stolen glances from his new housemates and paid attention to the sorting. Occasionally, he would feel someone staring into the back of his head, and it was obvious to him who.
"Laurel Scott" Del straightened up in interest as the short, brown-haired and eyed girl from the train walked confidently up to the dust-covered hat that would seal her fate.
"SLYTHERIN!"
Grinning happily, she placed the hat on the stool and made her way over to Del's half of the table.
"Looks like we're housemates, huh?" Laurel took the seat next to him and gazed up to the front of the hall.
"Yeah, you know muggle-borns aren't often in Slytherin? Even with most of the prejudice gone, it still doesn't happen much"
"Really?" Laurel looked at him with interest, "I wonder why…"
Frowning in thought, she shook her head as Del nudged her with his elbow. He gestured to Arty Weasley who was making his way over to the hat. Placing it on, it seemed to think for a moment before it yelled-
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Asphodel and Laurel clapped politely as Arty joined Aconite at the other end of the Hall.
"She's very different from you isn't she?" She nodded to Nite who was practically bouncing in her seat with excitement. Del laughed,
"Yeah, well, she takes after Da mostly; but with enough sugar I'm just as bad. Its worse when we're around Padfoot"
"Padfoot?"
"Oh, Professor Black I mean," he pointed to an older man at the head table. He had pale blue eyes and black hair, which like Del's, hung in a pony tail, "He's my godfather and the Defense Against Dark Arts teacher" Laurel nodded in understanding. They turned their attention back to the front where Dumbledore stood to give the opening speech,
"I'd like to welcome you all to a new year at Hogwarts. I'm sure all of you will have fun and adventure in the following year," his eyes twinkling, he looked in turn briefly at Del and Nite who both snickered silently, pranks were to be expected; many, many pranks, "The Forbidden Forrest is just that, Forbidden, and a new item has been added to Mr. Filch's list of verboten items, Gred and Forge's Time-Release Coloured Dung Bombs are not to be used. Finally, no magic in the corridors; and on that note, Tiffin! Janglly! Cheerios! And Glitter Monster! [A/N: don't ask] Thank you and enjoy the feast!" With that, mountains of food appeared on the gold serving dishes and the first years got their first taste of Hogwarts.
\\ ~*~//
Severus sat wearily into his favourite brown leather chair. The orange and red flames coming from the hearth parallel to him warmed the room and rid the dungeons of its usual dankness. The welcoming feast had been a disaster, in Severus' mind, which it in itself was pretty jumbled. Any number of years ago, at least during and before Harry's fifth year to when James and himself had gone to school; his lip would turn into a sneer at the thought of one Potter never mind two; And at the same time! He was liable to quit!
Now, however, he was feeling almost…content?
Why on earth, he wondered to himself, should I be glad that Harry Potter's kids are here? It's only proof to the fact that Harry had moved on and found someone else…someone who wasn't him. Sev felt his lip turn into a sneer at the thought of some leggy, well endowed female hanging on Harry's arm. Harry would have no problem getting a wife or girlfriend, and not only because he was famous, but he was also terribly handsome.
Sev leaned into the back of the chair, stretching out his long legs. Rubbing his eyes tiredly, his thoughts went back to the two eleven year olds; one in the Slytherin dungeons and the other in the Gryffindor tower. The timing was right; and he knew Harry would never cheat on him…he wouldn't have put up such a fight when Severus had left him if he had. Snape had felt the obsidian and emerald eyes on him during dinner, as he was sure they had felt him watching them, yet they hadn't seem surprised, or even curious…it was like they knew. Just as he knew. With a swirl of dark robes, he left his private rooms and made his way to the library.
\\~*~//
Aconite followed the prefect through the stone corridors, despite her fatigue; she looked around at the various portraits and other artifacts lining the hall in rapture. Nite loved to hear stories about Hogwarts, mainly because there was so much adventure, there was always something going on; at least from what Padfoot and Da had told her. Nite always wanted to have a Hogwarts adventure; It would be much more exciting than her their tiny cottage. If, however, there is no adventure for her here…she would make it. Of course Da would expect nothing less of her or Del. Thinking of her Da, a small frown marred her aristocratic face. He was all alone, neither twin there to keep him company…what if something happens? What if he gets lonely? Shaking her head, she tried to rid herself of the image of her father, alone as he fell to the ground in another dizzy spell…with no one to help…
Her head snapped up as they reached the infamous Fat Lady that guarded the Gryffindor Common Room, she hadn't even heard the password…Oh well, she'd ask Arty about it later. Stepping into the warm, red room she smiled and let the familiarity that she supposed came from her Da take over her. She listened carefully to the rules that the prefect began outlining for them, best to know what the rules are to break them. Aconite followed the other first years up the spiral stairwell to the dormitories. The she and the four other girls entered the circular room and found their belongings at the foot of what they supposed to be their beds. Making her way over to her trunk, she changed quickly…that four poster bed looked really comfy. Settling into the crimson sheets, she closed the hangings and rolled over; all the while thinking I could get used to this…
~*~
Asphodel sighed into the side of his fluffy pillow. His dorm in the dungeons was nice enough, if not slightly dark and dreary; better, he supposed, from what he heard it to be during the years of the War. His roommates were nice too, some colder than others, but most nice like Laurel. They were all fairly private and aloof, he assumed, much like himself. But being in Slytherin wasn't the problem, he rather liked it, it was his fathers.
Severus was here, and his head of house, it wouldn't be a problem for Del to go to him with his worries, if Sev knew who Del was. Although by now, he must have some idea what he was to himself and Nite.
Harry was back in Ireland. He loved him so much, even if he didn't say it enough, but his Da always knows what he means, that unspoken words when he said 'See you'; at least Del hoped he did. Da was sick now, no matter how much he played it off, and he needed to be near people, people who loved him and needed him. Visiting him every other weekend wasn't enough. Del wanted him here, at Hogwarts.
Turning over once again, he settled down; a sleepy plan formulating in his mind, he wasn't a Slytherin for nothing. There was one problem though, he would need help.
~*~
The morning found a bouncy Aconite, a sly-looking Asphodel, and an exhausted Severus in the Great Hall; all contemplating the discoveries, plans, and thoughts from the night previous.
\\~*~//
-------------End Chapter 4: Filler------------
[A/N]: I am not very happy with this chapter…but I feel bad for keeping you all waiting so I've decided to get it posted anyway…more details like how Harry actually conceived is coming up…
For all those who wanted to know (as I said at the beginning of the chapter when I had started to write it two weeks ago) I have finished exams and here's the result of the long-dreaded chemistry exam…..
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80%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just so you all know, I'm Canadian and Torontonian so all my grades are in percents out of one hundred…80% is damn good too… *bounces with joy*
Thank you's go out to:
Me, slytherinwannabe, Laughing Cat, Ashes, Mauradersgurl1, slytherinluver, Kafe, moonmint, Wormtail's worst enemy, zaksgirllol, Cat Samwise, Cloudburst2000, Samantha, Forgotten Loss, Ishizu, Myridden Ambrosius, Lady Lightening, Sabrina, Phoenix, xanpetuk, amy, atalante, izean, Black Rose, Darl Lady, Lady FoxFire, Immortal Rose, Maeglin Yedi, blackunicorn, Renae Nyx Hunter, Shinigami, Gryphnwng, sa, Kaat ShadowLover ('That's a good reason' was referring to why Hermione was stuttering out the name), Lily_Cat, SilverTenshi, Lady of Arundel, Saavik.