Severus couldn't help but smile at the way Haylie carried the tiny Kneazle all the way up to the fifth floor and into the Dark Arts class room. He took his seat, and felt a surge of energy as he glanced around the room. Every Wednesday and Friday afternoon was the time he really felt like he was shining. The Dark Arts were his strong point, and he didn't care what James Pratter and his friends said about it.
"Good afternoon, class," Professor Wilkes strolled merrily in.
Professor Wilkes was the youngest professor Hogwarts had ever seen. He had shaggy brown hair and was quite tall. He also happened to be Severus' favorite teacher.
"You're new?" Wilkes asked Haylie. Severus glanced over at her as she held the purring Kneazle.
"Yes sir, I'm Haylie Greene," She said with a smile.
"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Greene. I'm Professor Wilkes," he said warmly.
Severus sat through the lesson, listening eagerly. Professor Wilkes had taught them a new hex, one that would inflict serious burns on whomever the spell was aimed at.
At three o'clock, they were dismissed and the students filed out of the room.
"What did you think of your first Dark Arts lesson?" Lucius smiled at Haylie as they headed for the door.
"It was interesting," She gave a half smile.
"Excuse me," Professor Wilkes called. "Severus, Lucius, Bellatrix, a word with you three?"
"I'll just wait for you in the hall," Haylie said quietly and left the three of them alone with Wilkes.
"Have a seat," Wilkes said, sitting behind his own desk. Severus sat down at a desk in front of him, and Bella and Lucius did the same. Bella adjusted her sleeping Kneazle on her lap.
"I have a proposal for you three," said Wilkes. "Now it is top secret so don't go blabbing it to anyone else."
Severus looked at Lucius and then at Bella, her eyes were lit up.
"There is a meeting, tomorrow night, which I think you three should attend," Wilkes said quietly, his eyes darting to the door nervously.
"What kind of meeting?" said Lucius suspiciously.
"There are a group of us who will be petitioning to keep the Mudbloods out of Hogwarts, as well as stopping the Wizarding World from interacting with Muggles," The professor said.
"Sounds like something I want to be apart of," Lucius said quickly.
"Where is this meeting?" Bellatrix asked.
"The cellar of Hog's Head, in town," Professor Wilkes answered.
"I'll be there. What time is it being held?" Severus said. He didn't like to think of himself as racist, but it was true that Hogwarts would be better off with out Muggleborns. Most of them weren't as powerful as the pureblooded wizards and they just seemed to slow everything down.
"Midnight," Wilkes looked at the door again. "Remember, it's a secret so don't tell anyone."
"Well, what about Narcissa?" Lucius asked. "She hates Mudbloods too."
"Yes, and Jonathan Avery and Evan Rosier!" Bella said.
"Why don't we just go and see what this meeting is about?" Severus suggested. "Then we can bring back Jonathan and Evan."
"Severus is right," Professor Wilkes shuffled some papers on his desk. "Lucius, you can bring Narcissa if you'd like."
The three Slytherins left the classroom chattering excitedly amongst themselves.
"Is everything okay?" Haylie asked.
Severus looked up at her and smiled. "Of course!"
"You were in there for awhile, Professor Wilkes isn't upset with you is he?"
"Wilkes? Upset with us?" Lucius laughed. "Hardly."
"Were his three top students, you know." Bella grinned, as she stalked off down the hall with Lucius, probably on their way to find Narcissa.
Severus looked down at Haylie, who smiled. He wanted to tell her about the meeting in Hogsmeade tomorrow but what if she was a Mudblood?
"Um, Severus," she started. "I was hoping you would want to go with me to Hogsmeade tomorrow, it is my birthday after all."
He had completely forgotten that Saturday was her birthday. She told him that yesterday. It seemed like a good idea, after all the meeting wasn't until midnight. "You mean like a date?" he smirked.
Hermione laughed. "A date, Severus Snape?"
"I asked you first," He smiled.
"Well yes, then. I suppose it will be a date."
Severus felt a coziness creep over him as he walked back to the Slytherin common room with Haylie Greene. He had never hit it off so well with any girl before.
"Just the pair of Slytherins I was hoping to run into," McGonagall's strict voice came from behind them.
"Hello, Madame McGonagall," Severus said, trying to hide his annoyance.
"I believe you two owe me a detention," She said.
The pair of them remained quiet.
"Tonight, after dinner, you'll be at Quidditch pitch with me," McGonagall said sternly.
"The Quidditch pitch?" Haylie asked.
"Yes Miss Greene, I don't believe I stuttered, therefore there is no need to repeat me."
"What will we be doing at the Quidditch pitch?" Severus asked.
"As I'm sure you're aware of, Severus, the Quidditch season is starting in a few weeks. I need you two to help get the stadium in order."
"By 'in order' you mean….." Severus started.
"I mean polishing the goal posts, cleaning the seating areas, ensuring the proper cushioning charms are on the ground, I trust you won't try anything underhanded, Mr. Snape?"
"Of course not, ma'am."
"Very well then, Ill be seeing you two at six on the Quidditch pitch," McGonagall said as she stalked off.
"Well that doesn't sound so bad," Haylie said quietly as they continued their walk back to the dungeons.
"No I suppose it could be worse," Severus said. He still felt terrible about getting her detention in the first place. "So," he said, changing the subject. "Have you been to Hogsmeade before?"
"No," she said, grinning mischievously. "What's it like?"
Severus laughed at her. "Why are you smiling so much?"
"No reason. Tell me all about Honeydukes and Zonko's and Three Broomsticks, Severus," She said happily.
"How do you know the names of all those shops if you've never been there?"
"I've read about them. I read about all of Hogwarts and its surroundings before I came."
"Well," said Severus, "Honeydukes is great. I've been going there all my life and I never get tired of Sugar Quills or Acid Pops or Ice Mice."
"All your life?" Haylie asked, curiously.
"Yes, I grew up just north of here, so my mother would take me to Honeydukes on the weekends."
"If you live that close why don't you go home on the weekends?" Haylie asked.
Severus felt a lump grow in his throat as he looked to his side at the classrooms they were passing. He had not talked about it for so long. "I don't live at that house anymore," He said quietly. "My mother, she was…." He trailed off and looked at Haylie.
"In the summer between my third and fourth years, my mother and I were in London, shopping at Diagon Alley. We went to the Muggle section of the city for tea and my mother was killed," he said flatly.
"Oh my God, Severus I am so sorry."
"It's ok, I can talk about it now, I couldn't for a long time though." He said, giving her small smile. "A Muggle man shot her, as I hid in the shadows of an alley. He looked confused by the Galleons in her handbag but took them anyway, along with her jewelry. When he wasn't looking I ran back to The Leaky Cauldron and found an Auror. The man was gone when we got back and my mother was dead."
Haylie looked at him sadly.
"So, it being just me, not having any brothers or sisters, I dismissed the house elves and abandoned the house, I live here year round now."
"Severus, I…." Haylie said, unsure of what to say.
"It's alright. It was a long time ago," he said as they reached the Slytherin common room. "As I was saying before," he was determined to break the sad mood that hung in the air. "Honeydukes is great, Zonko's is a lot of fun, I've actually gotten James and Sirius a few times with things from there," Severus smirked. "And Three Broomsticks serves the best Butterbeer around."
Haylie smiled at him. "It sounds great."
"Oh, it is." Said Severus, excited about their 'date' tomorrow.
Please review? I know it's moving a little slow, but there are a lot of details I want to capture, I do hope you're all enjoying it, and I'm so sorry for the long wait for chapter 5.