Lauralie Black and the Dragons of Yorkshire (YEAR 2)
Chapter 12: A Very Slytherin ChristmasSeverus spent the next quarter of an hour pacing back and forth through his room brandishing the Diary wildly and making speculations while Lauralie sat on the edge of his bed patiently. It wasn't till he had gotten out of the bed that the realization that she had stormed into his room while he was asleep hit her, because he was wearing nothing but flannel pajama bottoms. She was making an effort to divert her eyes from his bare chest and found herself staring at the meager pile of untouched presents at the foot of his bed.
"Are you listening?" he asked.
"Aren't you going to open your Christmas presents?" She looked up swiftly from the pile of gifts making sure not to pause to look at the flesh of his stomach before meeting his eyes.
"Okay, so you weren't listening." He sank down on the bed across from his looking mildly frustrated.
"Sorry, I just don't know what the point of theorizing is when we can just read the book and see what useful information is in it," she said. "And I don't really want to spend all of Christmas day pouring over it and taking notes and so forth."
"Then why, exactly, did you run in here like it was some big emergency to tell me?"
"I wanted you to know," she said, shrugging. "Are you sure you don't want to open your presents?"
He stared at her, sitting the diary down on his dresser. "Lauralie, you're my best friend, and usually we are on the same page, but right now I feel like you've reached the last chapter and I'm still flipping through the index trying to find the right page."
She stood, picking the diary up. "I'm going to go get dressed. You should… do the same. And open your presents."
"Okay," he answered with a slight hesitation.
"We'll start going through this after that," she said, tapping the diary.
She walked out of the room before he could say anything else, he just flopped back on the bed he was sitting on. "Girls."
* * *
The common room was empty when Lauralie came down, clad in a heavy knit sweater and Muggle jeans. She slipped into one of the green armchairs by the fire, drumming her fingers on the cover of the diary for a few moments before she opened it and began to read.
I am beginning this diary because I have reached such a treacherous time in my life that there are so many thoughts running rampant in my mind I may go mad if I do not let them all out. I have no one to share them with any longer. My father is so jaded by my brother, Kyne, that any foul word spoken of him meets a deaf ear. So I have found myself the soul sanity in whatever insanity has taken hold of my family.
I fear my brother has fallen into a darkness that he can not be recovered from. He has developed a dangerous fascination with the practice of Dark Magic. He brews poisons in his quarters late at night. And practices curses on whatever unfortunate creatures he can capture in the forest. I have heard their cries for help through the stone walls that separate our rooms and now they haunt my dreams.
"What are you reading?"
Lauralie jumped, snapping the diary closed with a loud WHAP. She looked up to see Rita Skeeter standing at the foot of the steps down from the girl's dormitories, holding a pink night robe around her.
"Nothing," Lauralie answered, tucking the diary under one of her legs.
Rita narrowed her eyes. "You looked really interested in it, it isn't one of those horrid romance novels is it?"
"It really isn't any of your business what I'm reading, Rita," Lauralie said, calmly.
"It is if it's something against the rules," Rita said, haughtily. "I'd hate to have to tell Lestrange you are reading books on dangerous Dark potions. She'd be so disappointed in you."
"Well it's good I'm not doing anything like that," Lauralie answered. "Now why don't you go do something useful, torture some poor innocent Hufflepuffs or something, I'm busy."
Rita narrowed her eyes again, but she didn't leave. Instead she sat down on one of the couches on the other side of the common room, and proceeded to read the copy of the Daily Prophet that she had tucked under her arm.
Severus shot her a dark look when he came in.
"Happy Christmas, Severus," she called, smiling.
"Happy Christmas, Rita," he mumbled as he past her.
Lauralie rolled her eyes as he sat across from her and didn't trouble to lower her voice when she said. "The overgrown bat just has to hang about whenever she isn't wanted."
Rita pretended not to hear.
Severus turned his eyes to Lauralie, glancing down to see the corner of the diary sticking out from beneath her. She was fiddling idly with the broom charm on her bracelet.
"How did you get them?" he asked, just above a whisper.
The corner of her mouth turned up slightly. "Uncle Rookwood sent them to me. It was the only way I could get them, the Apothecary wouldn't sell them to me."
"I can't imagine why," Severus said sarcastically. "Generally chimaera eggs are only used in highly advanced potions."
"Which would be why I bought them for you," she said, relaxing. "I am fairly sure you will put them to good use."
"I can't imagine what potion I would be making that would require them," he said, trailing off when she shifted her eyes abruptly. She moved them to Rita, who was still staring at the pages of the Daily Prophet, but her eyes were not moving.
"Oy, I'm hungry. Are you ready for breakfast?" she asked. We'll discuss this later.
They departed silently from the room, Lauralie carried the diary safely tucked under her arm. To keep herself from thinking about what the diary could contain, she instead focused on the length of Severus' strides. He had grown quite a bit over the summer and now she had to take nearly two steps for every one of his.
"She was being nosy, wasn't she?" he asked.
"Yes, very."
He stopped suddenly, grabbing a hold of her arm and jerking her to a hault. She turned, looking up at him. He stared down at her with his piercing black eyes.
"You can't tell anyone about the diary, Laur."
She looked up at him surprised. "Well, I wasn't planning to tell everyone, just the usual people."
His hands came down on her shoulders. "Not ever Lucius and Narcissa." She opened her mouth to ask him why, but he silenced her by placing one of his fingers on her lips. "I can't even explain to you why, I just know that whatever is in that book you probably aren't going to want everyone to know about until you are ready."
She closed her eyes. Keeping information from Narcissa would be impossible to say the least. When she opened her eyes again he was still watching her.
She never knew what to do when he did this. Under his cool gaze she suddenly became more aware of where his fingers gripped the flesh of her upper arm. She tried to return his gaze calmly, but she could feel her cheeks begin to redden.
His hands moved, now they were resting gently on her shoulders. "Please..."
She opened her mouth to respond but was unable to get a word out before the sound of the stone door to the Slytherin common room scraping open cut their conversation off completely.
"My what a cozy little scene this is," Rita said, as she stepped out into the hallway. She had changed into a hideous silver dress that had green lace along the cuffs and neckline. A large green satin bow was perched atop her head, making her look like an enourmous toddler. "I suppose you two couldn't make the long walk to the Great Hall without stopping to snog at least once. Thought you'd get farther along though."
Lauralie rolled her eyes and disconnected herself from Severus. She turned without another word and continued to walk towards the Great Hall.
Severus reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger.
"Rita, if you don't leave Lauralie and I alone for the remainder of this holliday I will be sure to inform Ludo that you've stolen some of his knickers and keep them stashed under your mattress," he said, dropping his hand back to his side.
Rita's jaw dropped and she began to stammer, but Severus didn't feel like indulging her. He turned and walked away after Lauralie, who had already disappeared up the stone stairs that lead into the Entrance Hall.
The House tables had vanished as they had on Lauralie's first Christmas at Hogwarts. In stead, there was a large circular table. The centerpiece was a Christmas Tree made of pine cones, holly, and golden wreaths. The walls were trimmed with huge wreaths and enormous red and green bows. A shimmery snow fell constantly from the ceiling, but none of it ever seemed to hit the table or the floor.
Lauralie placed the Diary in the center of her chair before she sat down. By the time she had finished unfolding her napkin, Severus had taken the seat next to her. He gazed up at the star that topped the centerpiece. The star was most impressively complicated and made entirely of ice.
"Happy Christmas to you all," Dumbledore said from somewhere on the other side of the tree.
Lauralie leaned so she could peek around the large decoration and see the headmaster. He was wearing red fur-trimmed robes that made him look rather like a thin version of Santa Claus.
"Happy Christmas," she called.
"Is that you Miss Black?" Dumbledore asked. "I must say, as lovely as this centerpiece is it rather hinders conversation. Perhaps if it was a little smaller."
Lauralie and Severus could not see what the Headmaster did, but in a matter of moments the enourmous tree shrank down till it was small enough to be seen over.
"Ah, there you go," he said, with a smile. "I must ask, Miss Black. Did you receive anymore stunning presents that I should expect to surface on the first day of term?"
Lauralie laughed. "No, Sir. No such luck this year." She thought back to the year before and the Cloak. She had come no closer in a year to discovering the identity of who sent it. Other than the suspicions she had that it was her biological father.
She was lost in thought when the food appeared. Severus nudged her gently. She looked up at him and he smiled. "Eat," he said. "Worry about the diary later."
This proved to be far harder than she expected, as she doled food onto her plate her mind kept wandering to the diary she was still sitting on. Would it help her sort out what had been happening to her?
She had been ignoring the dreams lately. And had been confining herself to her quarters instead of wandering the grounds at night. But nothing she did made the dreams fade. They haunted her as much during the day as they did at night.
She proceeded through the meal fairly silently. She was looking forward to returning to the common room and perhaps playing a game of chess with Severus. Or maybe working on a new potion out of Advanced Potions for the Adventurous Soul.
She was so relieved to be leaving the table that she was already out of her chair before Severus could finish saying he was ready to go.
"Miss Black, may I have a word with you before you return to your common room?" Dumbledore asked, having also risen from his seat.
"Um… sure, Professor," she said. Behind her back, she pressed the Diary into Severus' hand.
Rita had to hold back a grin as she watched this exchange. But she waited until Lauralie had left with Dumbledore before following after Severus.
* * *
Albus Dumbledore didn't speak again until they had reached his office. Lauralie sat in one of the chairs across from his desk and began watching Fawkes, Dumbledore's pet Phoenix, preen himself.
"Lauralie, I could not help but notice the drastic change in your attitude recently," he said.
Lauralie gritted her teeth. "I'm afraid I am not sure what you mean, Sir."
He peered over his half-moon spectacles at her. "I am not the only one to comment on it, other teachers have noticed as well."
She shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "I have just had a lot on my mind recently," she said.
"I'm sure, and I just wanted to ask if there was anything at all you wanted to discuss with me?"
Millions of questions exploded in her head. Was she really supposed to be a Slytherin? Was the man she'd grown up calling "Daddy" really her father? Could she possibly be the youngest descendent of Salazar Slytherin? And could that explain the nightmares she had been having? Or the visions?
And though she was sure that Dumbledore could answer some of her questions, she still found herself shaking her head.
"No, Professor. Nothing comes to mind."
* * *
Severus sank into the green dragon hide arm chair next to the fire and stared down at the Diary in his hand. He gazed around the vacant common room. His curiosity was getting the best of him. "A small peek couldn't hurt."
He flipped open the diary to a random page in the middle. The handwriting looked oddly familiar to Severus, but he could not pinpoint from where.
"The dreams have increased in frequency and severity. I have been losing far too much sleep as a result. So much so that I've found myself slipping into dreams during the waking hours."
"I'm quite sure she hadn't expected you to read that." He had been so engrossed that he had not heard Rita come into the common room.
Severus leapt to his feet, the diary still open in his left hand.
"What is that anyway?" She stepped closer to him. "Darling Lauralie's diary?"
Severus took a step backwards, backing into the armchair.
"It is, isn't it?" Her eyes lit up with absolute glee, and for a moment Severus feared she might jump him and take it. "Let me see."
She reached forward and grabbed the edge of the diary.
"What the hell is going on here?"
Severus could only begin to imagine how the scene must have looked to Lauralie. He and Rita were standing close together by the fire, the diary open in both of their hands.
Severus jumped back, jerking the diary out of Rita's grip.
"Oh, nothing," Rita said. "I was just asking Severus what he was reading. Because I saw you reading the same thing earlier and I wasn't sure if he was supposed to be reading it."
Lauralie's eyes flashed between Severus and Rita. She looked cool and collected, but inside a fire had been kindled. She was working quite hard not to slap Severus and kick Rita in the shins.
She walked swiftly across the common room, and extended her hand. "I'll take that, thank you."
Severus handed the Diary to her, his mind racing.
"Lauralie…"
She snatched the diary out of his grip and turned her back to him. She made her way down the corridor to her dormitory.
Severus moved to follow her, but Rita seized his arm. "You aren't allowed down there."
Severus shoved her off of him, a bit harder than he had anticipated. She had to grab the back of a chair to steady herself. He shot her a deadly glare as he stormed after Lauralie.
Lauralie ignored the urgent knocks on her door. She flung on her cloak, and tossed parchment and quills into her bag with the Diary. She flung the bag on her shoulder and was almost back to the door when she spotted the picture she had taken of herself earlier that day. She picked it up off her bedside table. Remus…
She slid it into her bag as well. She opened her door and came face to face with Severus. He looked almost desperate.
"Lauralie, that wasn't what it looked like," he said.
She slipped past him with out a word.
"Come on, Lauralie," he pleaded. "Talk to me."
She stopped abruptly and turned to face him. "What would you like me to say, Severus?"
"That you aren't angry at me," he said, reaching out to touch her arm.
"Were you reading it?" She stepped back, breaking the contact between them.
He dropped his arm to his side. "Yes, but I wasn't sharing it with Rita. She walked in and…"
"It doesn't matter," she snapped. "I've decided that I will sort out the Diary on my own."
Severus recoiled. "Lauralie…"
"No. I mean it. I'm just going to the library for a bit. I'll be back."
Severus stood stunned for a moment and watched as Lauralie vanished down the corridor.
"I'm sorry!"
* * *
The owlery was a tall cylindrical tower covered on almost all sides with little windows. Absolutely none of these windows had panes in them, so it was consequently the coldest room in all of the castle, except, perhaps, some of the dungeons.
Lauralie was careful not to slip in any droppings as she mad her way into the room. She pulled the photograph out of her bag, running her finger over the word "Forgiven" that she had scribbled on the back of it.
In a swift moment of decisiveness, she pulled out her quill and added a note right below that.
"Remus,
If I asked for your help with something, could you keep it a complete secret? From everyone? Can I trust you with this?
-Lauralie"
She whistled and Salazar flew down from one of the higher rafters. It wasn't until he had flown out of sight that Lauralie let out the breath she had been holding.
* * *
Lauralie and Severus were enveloped in their nightly game of chess. She had returned to the common room without any mention of the fight they had or the Diary that was stashed safely in her bag. Instead she had flopped down in the chair across from him and uttered one word: chess.
Lauralie bit the nail on her index finger gently as she pondered her next move. She began to direct her piece but Severus interrupted her.
"Mind your Queen," he whispered.
"Thanks."
"Do you remember how different our games were a year ago?" he asked. "You've come a long way."
"I had an excellent teacher."
They fell into silence for a moment. Severus reached across the board and placed his hand on hers. "I'm sorry."
"I know, don't worry about it."
"But you are still annoyed," he said.
Lauralie was finding herself heavily distracted by having his hand on hers. "Yes, because you should not have been reading it without me."
"Lauralie…"
"It doesn't matter, I can sort through the Diary just fine on my own. You were right, I shouldn't be letting everyone read it."
"I didn't mean me!"
"Can you not see what you did?" she asked, pulling her hand away. "You've violated my trust and until you can earn it back fully I would just as soon not discuss the contents of that Diary."
Before Severus could respond to this a distraction came in the form of Salazar returning with Remus' reply. Lauralie removed the letter from Salazar's leg, and gave him a friendly stroke. The owl nipped her finger gently before flying off to the owlery.
"Lauralie,
Whatever it is you need help with, I'll be glad to keep your secret. I'll be back at Hogwarts in a few days, I will come find you and we can discuss things then.
I've really missed you.
-Remus"
"What is that?" Severus asked.
Lauralie rolled the parchment back up. "A letter from Remus."
Severus felt a lurch of jealousy and hatred. "I thought you weren't speaking to Lupin."
"Well, things changed. He sent me a present and I felt it was time to set our differences aside."
Severus looked highly affronted, but if Lauralie noticed she made no comment. They finished the remainder of their game in complete silence.
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Author's Notes: I know this took forever. This chapter actually isn't even edited, I'm putting it up at the same time I'm sending it to my Beta reader. Consider it a Christmas Present. I'm currently working on the next chapter of Chronicles. Love you all.