"Dierna?" It was the end of the week and it had taken Nimue a long time to gather enough courage to ask someone about what had been bothering her for so long.
"Hmmm..." Dierna glanced up from her paper, she was attempting to put the finishing touches on her potions essay, which she almost had done, before she headed down to class.
"Have you ever heard of anyone having visions?" Nimue asked softly.
"No, why?"
"Oh... no reason I guess. But do you think that people could have precognitive visions?"
"I supposed so," Dierna finished her paper, hoping there were no major problems as she didn't have time to check it. "Just don't ask Trelawny about any visions, she'll assume that you're interested in becoming a prophetess or something and she'll never leave you alone."
Nimue didn't respond, she just sat looking at her hands, which were folded in her lap.
Dierna realized what Nimue was trying to tell her as the silence continued, "Nimue, you're not having visions, are you?"
Nimue shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know."
Dierna frowned, "Nimue, that isn't normal, if you think you are you should probably tell Mum and Dad."
"But what if this isn't real? What if I'm just imagining it? What if they don't believe me?"
Dierna sighed; she couldn't imagine her little sister making something like this up. "Well then wait a few weeks, but if it happens again you really should tell them," Dierna gathered her books together.
"I promise I'll tell them if it happens again, thanks Dierna."
"No problem," Dierna headed out the door and tried to push the conversation with Nimue out of her head as she hurried to meet Serena and Nick so that the three of them could walk down to the dungeons for potions class together.
As the trio made their way down into the dungeons they complained about how long the week had been and the horrible amount of homework that they had for the weekend.
"And you know we can count on Dad assigning something that will take at least half the weekend to do," Dierna whined as they approached the classroom.
"Stop complaining Dierna, this stuff comes easy to you. I have to work for my potions grade, you hardly do anything and you still have the highest grade in the class," Serena sighed miserably.
"Hey, it's not my fault if this is my best class. You're the same way in Herbology. Besides, just because I have a good grade in potions doesn't mean that Dad cuts me any slack."
"Why don't both of you stop complaining and cut me some slack. I don't put forth any effort in my classes and my grades suck because of it. Plus, I have a feeling that my dad will kill me if my grades don't improve this year, I'm so screwed." Nick joined the conversation as they entered the potions room and made their way to a table at the back.
"Yeah, well you have one distinct advantage over us Nick," Serena looked pointedly at him, "you're dad isn't here to constantly check up on you. Ours manages to find out our grades before we do."
"Well you two have never gotten a howler, trust me; I have one up on you."
"No you don't," Dierna rolled her eyes at Nick; "we don't get howlers because our parents can yell at us in person. Trust me, that's not fun."
Nick laughed, "Alright, point taken."
The rest of the class showed up quickly, no one dared to be late for Snape's class. It was a combined Slytherin and Gryffindor class, and time had proved that old habits die hard. Severus still appeared to be strongly biased against the Gryffindors and vice versa.
Serena looked up when Mark entered the room, she caught his eye and the two of them shared a small smile before he headed to the front of the class to sit with a group of Slytherins. Serena bit her lip and ducked her head, she loved her secret. It was nice to have something that she shared with only him.
The students all continued their conversations and there was quite a bit of joking around before class started. Since it was the last class of the week for them all of the students were a bit wound up. Serena bent over her desk and scribbled out a quick note to Mark on a scrap of parchment while Nick tormented Dierna.
Dierna and Nick were in the middle of a game of keep away, which involved Nick holding Dierna's quill over her head just out of her reach when the classroom door slammed open. There was immediate silence in the room as all of the students quickly took their seats while Severus strode to the front of the room, his black robes billowing out behind him and a cold expression on his face.
After years of teaching he was still incredibly strict and sometimes cruel in the classroom. He saw no reason to coddle his students, especially since he taught such a dangerous class. He knew that fear would keep them in line for the most part, and if that would keep his students safe he didn't mind that most of them hated him. He would much rather be hated than have a student seriously injured.
He gazed out sternly over the sea of students in front of them, "even though this is our first class together of the term do not expect any sort of leniency. We will be working today on what should be a very simple memory potion; however, my students' work has usually fallen far below my expectations in the past. Try to see if you can get through this simple exercise with fewer mishaps then general." His glare lingered on the Gryffindors while he practically ignored the members of his own house.
Severus copied the ingredients and instructions for the memory potion on the board. This group of sixth years really was one of his better classes intelligence wise; however it also had the most discipline problems.
Dierna, Serena, and Nick kept up a low conversation while they worked at their cauldrons, falling silent whenever Severus came near them as he walked around the classroom.
"I'm glad it's something this easy, I was expecting something worse," Dierna commented.
"Speak for yourself," Serena muttered, "this is hard for some of us."
"I'm taking her side on this one," Nick nodded in Serena's direction, "looks like it will be another year of me seeing if I can coast through without really doing any work."
Dierna and Serena stifled giggles at the completely serious way Nick had made that comment.
"I can't imagine that you three are getting any work done back here with all of this talking going on," Severus stared down at the trio, "10 points from Gryffindor. It will be more if I have to tell you again," he turned on his heel and headed back towards the front of the classroom.
Dierna rolled her eyes, "we really have got to keep a better watch on where he is when we're talking."
"Yeah, no kidding," Serena commented bitterly under her breath.
"You know, I would think that he wouldn't like taking points from his own children," Nick observed from his side of the table.
"I think he does it to prove a point, that he won't treat us any better than his other students," Serena frowned in concentration, intent on getting her potion right.
"Yeah, instead he treats us worse." Dierna commented dryly.
"But of course you never do anything to cause trouble do you?" Nick tried to look innocent as he asked that question. He smiled when he was met with glares.
Dierna sighed, "This class is really boring today."
"Care to make it a bit more interesting?" Nick's eyes were sparkling mischievously.
"How?" Dierna looked at him quizzically.
"I was thinking of having a little wager. Like... 3 galleons says that I can cause a nice little explosion with only the ingredients we're working with. Any takers?"
"I'll definitely take you up on that." Dierna grinned; Nick had already added the beadle antennae to his potion. He could only cause an explosion if he had added them at the same time as he added the pennyroyal roots.
"I'll do you one better," Serena leaned over the table, "Nick, another 3 galleons says that Dierna can do it before you do."
"Hey, I didn't ask to be involved in this..." Dierna frowned then quickly started working again when she caught her father watching them. When he finally looked away she continued, "Fine, but only to prove you wrong Nick."
Serena smiled, "good, I have complete confidence that you can pull this off before him."
"As long as we're all aware of the fact that if we cause one explosion we're going to get another one as an after affect," she nodded in the direction of their father who was continuing to inspect students work.
"Yeah, but I think this will be worth it," Nick winked at her.
Dierna worked quickly, smiling to herself, she hadn't added her beadle antennae yet so all she had to do was throw them in with the pennyroyal roots, it would be very easy. As she moved to do this quickly, intent on winning, she noticed Nick take a small vial out of his pocket and dump it into his cauldron. She did waste time thinking about it however, she merely grabbed Serena's arm and pulled her twin down to the floor as she threw in the two ingredients at the same time that Nick dove under his table.
The entire class turned around when the contents of both Dierna and Nick's cauldrons exploded at the same time.
Dierna and Nick smiled at each other from their position on the floor, "that was so wicked," they said at the same time.
"Well, you guys are in a hell of a lot of trouble now..." Serena trailed off as a very irate Severus made his way to the back of the room as the three teens guiltily scrambled to their feet.
"What happened back here?!" Severus was fuming.
"I don't know it just kind of happened." Dierna tried to look innocent.
"Well in that case I'll tell you exactly what you did wrong." Severus glanced at Nick's cauldron, "Mr. Wood, I'm not quite sure how you managed it but for some reason you put lacewing flies into your potion even though they are not listed as one of the ingredients. Would you care to tell me why?" Severus' voice was low and menacing.
Nick turned red, "I don't know... I guess they might have gotten mixed in with something else in my supply case or something..."
"30 points from Gryffindor for your lack of organization Mr. Wood." He turned to Dierna, "Miss Adelaide, tell me why you added beadle antennae and pennyroyal roots at the same time even though I specifically said in my instructions not to!"
"I made a mistake," Dierna glared right back at her father.
"I find it rather hard to believe that you and Mr. Wood somehow managed to make very similar stupid mistakes at the same time. Explain that to me."
"Like I said, it was an accident. Do you think I'm lying to you?" Dierna kept her voice cool.
"Yes I do. Because I am inclined to think that the two of you planned this little episode, something that was incredibly stupid as you could have hurt yourselves or someone else!"
"Professor?" A Slytherin boy in the front of class glanced toward the back of the room, "I believe that class is supposed to be over with now."
"Class is dismissed, all of you out of here now! Except for you," he gestured to Dierna to stay where she was. "And Mr. Wood, you have a detention, for causing a disturbance in my class."
Dierna packed up her belongings as the rest of the students left. She was fuming that she had been singled out like this to stay behind. Serena gave her arm a quick squeeze, "good luck, and try to control your temper, don't do anything to make him any madder than he already is."
Severus walked to the front of the room to make a note of the point deductions and Nick's detention. He looked up from his grade book and motioned to Dierna, "come here."
Dierna made no attempt to control her temper, "no, if you're going to single me out in class even though I wasn't the only one causing trouble then I shouldn't have to listen to you. If you want to talk to me you can come back here," she narrowed her eyes and kept her voice low and hard.
Severus strode to the back of the classroom, "I will not tolerate being talked to in that manner Adelaide." He reached his daughter and stared down at her for a moment. When she matched his glare silently he was almost proud of her for standing her ground the way she did. However, he was absolutely furious.
Severus grabbed Dierna's ear hard enough to make her yelp and marched back up to his desk pulling her along with him, "I would have thought that you would have learned to do what I tell you when I tell you to do it by now." He let go of her when they reached the front of the room.
Dierna resisted the temptation to reach up and rub her ear, she refused to show any sort of weakness. "Why did you make me stay?"
"Because your behavior in class today was completely uncalled for and disrespectful." Severus glared down at her and tried to resist the growing urge to strangle his daughter.
"But I did the same thing as Nick and you let him go!" Dierna was frustrated with the unfairness of it all.
"No, what you did was completely different!" Severus yelled as he towered over his daughter, "You lied to me just a few minutes ago when you said that what happened was an accident. I don't doubt that Mr. Wood was merely guessing at what would happen with his potion; you on the other hand, knew exactly what you were doing!"
Dierna longed to comment on that but she knew it was true. She checked the angry retort that was on her tongue and merely mumbled, "I'm sorry."
"That's not good enough this time Adelaide," his voice dropped to a low menacing growl that was somehow worse than his loudest yelling, "that was irresponsible and dangerous. You could have hurt yourself or someone else. I'm telling you this upfront, I will not tolerate this kind of disruptive behavior from you this year. Do you think you can learn to behave yourself in class or do we have to take this up with the headmistress?"
Dierna didn't reply she just glared back at him.
"I'll take your silence as a yes, do not disappoint me. I'm taking 40 points from Gryffindor for your actions today and you have detention tomorrow. You can go now."
Dierna gathered her belongings and left the potions classroom quickly. She was glad to see that Nick and Serena had waited for her.
"How bad was it?" Serena asked tentatively.
"40 points from Gryffindor, a detention, and he damn near pulled my ear off." Dierna's voice was bitter.
"Don't let it bother you hon," Nick slid an arm around her waist, "besides, we have practice tonight. It'll give you a great chance to work off some of that aggression. And if you're still upset then you can use me as a punching bag."
"Thanks Nick, I might just take you up on that," Dierna smiled weakly at him.
"That's why I'm here hon," he wrapped his other arm around Serena, "I may get my girls into trouble, but I'm always here for you to beat up on afterwards."
Stefan made his way back to the secret meeting place the Ministry had designated for his use on this mission. He checked his watch; Viviane should be there any minute. She appeared an instant later and he steadied her when she almost toppled over due to the force of the portkey she had taken. With the high level of security on this mission they couldn't know where they were, they had to rely on portkeys and just hope they hadn't been tampered with.
Viviane smoothed her robes and hair, "how did the meeting with McNair go?"
Stefan grimaced at the memory, "well, besides the fact that there was a muggle corpse on the floor the entire time we talked and I had the distinct impression that he would like nothing better than to blast me to pieces it went fairly well."
"I need details Stefan."
"You're not going to like the details."
"I need to hear them anyways," Viviane looked concerned.
Stefan sighed, "I'm sorry Viviane, but they are interested in my help because of my connections with your family. They want to eradicate all traitors to Voldemort and your father is on the top of their list."
Viviane closed her eyes, trying to regain her composure; there was still so much she needed to know, "have they let you in on any plans yet?"
"Only that they're planning a prison break."
Viviane frowned, "but we already know that..."
"I think they are still playing it safe, I may not be able to get them to trust me for a long time yet."
Viviane sighed as she gently massaged her temples with her finger tips, "this mission is not starting out as well as I had hoped, and we're not getting the Ministry support that we should."
"Viviane, the lack of success on this mission may be my fault. I mean, I'm not very qualified, I've only had limited mission experience before. I may not be cut out for something of this magnitude." Stefan was very concerned with the way things were going.
Viviane brushed that off, "Experience wouldn't be that much help to you in this Stefan. Besides, the enemy contacted you; we can't just throw in someone and tell them to spy. We need someone who they have an interest in, and they obviously have in interest in you."
"Viviane, I promise, I'll do whatever I can to keep your family safe. I don't think I could live with myself if something happened to them while I'm on this mission."
"Thank you Stefan, I know that you truly mean that. It means a lot to me."
The thought of family changed the direction of Stefan's thoughts, "Have you and Colin set a date for the wedding yet?"
A small smile played at Viviane's lips, "yes, December 26, its one of my few days off."
"I wish I could be there for you, however I don't get any days off till this case is settled."
"Don't lie to me Stefan MacNeill, you don't want to be there for me, you're more interested in a certain fiery red head." She winked at him.
Stefan laughed, but it was a hollow sound, "You're right about that," his expression sobered, "I feel so lost without her."
Viviane reached for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, "I'm writing home tonight, you want me to say anything to Dierna for you? But remember, I can't write much and it will be read by several other ministry members for security reasons before it gets to her."
"Tell her that I love her."
Viviane smiled a real smile this time, "I'll do that. Anything else?"
"I don't think there's anything else I should say, at least nothing else that I want ministry members to be reading."
"Mind in the gutter Stefan?" Viviane asked playfully.
"Partly, and it's also that I just don't think you could fit all the love I feel for Dierna on paper. I just want to hold her, and I know that I may never get to again," he sighed deeply.
"Have faith Stefan. And, I know this is going to hurt, but you can't dwell on thoughts of my little sister, push her to the back of your mind for now. You have to concentrate on the job at hand; otherwise you may not go back to her."
Stefan slowly shook his head, "I'm sorry Viviane, I'm here wallowing in self pity even though I am far from being the only one in danger here. And you're right, I do need to concentrate more, one false step and this whole thing could fall apart on us."