Thanks to all who RR'd! I'm trying to update as often as is possible… but I have tons of homework and stuff too… plus, I only write when the muse takes me.

The four were heading into the common room when he saw her. He knew it was her the moment she stepped into the pale wintry morning light, passing a window. He had been walking behind the others. As always, she looked as though she had just stepped out of a beautiful renaissance painting- long red hair curling across narrow shoulders, alabaster skin and a flawless complexion. To Severus, she was the personification of all that was beautiful; perfection concentrated in a single, breath-taking face.

As always, she was followed by a large group of friends and admirers, glassy eyed and muttering inanely as they followed her. She seemed so blissfully oblivious to them… the way she carried herself, stunning head raised high, blue-grey eyes fixed forward.

Bellatrix, Rudolphus and Lucius hadn't noticed her yet… they would've made some snide remark and tried to shove Severus into her if they had…

He gulped. She was near now… near enough for him to reach out and touch a lock of her silky hair…

Their eyes met – yes, he was almost sure of it. For one brief, sparkling moment, he had fallen into those deep crystalline eyes, and drowned therein. And then that moment ended. It felt like his stomach was doing flips somewhere in the region of his chest. She had –looked at him-…

They returned to the dark, low-ceilinged Slytherin common room, which was remarkably busy for this time in the morning. This was, of course, due to the Hogsmeade trip, which all of the older Hogwarts students would be embarking on, naturally. It had, however, completely slipped Severus' mind, what with the ball, his eccentric friends, and, by no means least of his concerns, that fact that he had a crazy, unfathomable, infatuation.

We must know, you see, that Severus was not the kind of person who would get 'crushes'. He had been determined not to bother with members of the opposite gender, at least until he'd completed his NEWT's. But then –she- had to come along. If he failed all his OWL's later this year, he was convinced it was her fault.

"Is it me, or is Mr. Snapey looking slightly more morose then usual?" Drawled Rudolphus, his arm still draped across Bellatrix's shoulders, as the four of them slumped into their usual seats around the common room fire. Snape, as usual, did not respond to the remark in any way. But glared into the fire, wondering how he could be so stupid, folding his skeletal fingers across his knees, which were folded up. Damn that girl. Damn her. Perhaps if he thought hard enough about her pretty face it would contort into something ugly, hook-nosed and resembling his mother. But it didn't.

"-I- think Snapey is love-sick." Replied Lucius, in a high, simpering voice.

"Shut up."

"Denial!" Lucius gasped, wringing his hands, still with that ridiculously sweetened voice.

"Y'know, you can be such a complete bitch sometimes, Lucius." Giggled Bellatrix, playfully thumping him on the arm, with a smile. Lucius stopped wringing his hands, and placed one over his heart, pouting, and looking hurt.

The hall was full, and the magical ceiling was a glittering white, clouds skimming aimlessly across its pallid surface. Sharp breezes blew across it's length from time to time, causing a uniform shudder to run across the four house tables. They were waiting for Ogg, the care-taker to arrive, so they could get their names checked, and leave for Hogsmeade. Our four Slytherins were sitting right at the end of the Slytherin table, all in their winter robes. Severus looked alarmingly like some giant Crow, with his beak-like nose protruding from layers of thick black fabric, his green and silver scarf the only splash of colour in his clothing.

Much to the professors' displeasure, Bellatrix was perched on Rudolphus' lap, and the pair seemed rapt in conversation. Lucius looked bored, as usual, and decided that kicking Severus under the table could be an amusing past time.

The smell of pine needles hung in the air, fresh, and new, as they trotted the snow-laden path to Hogsmeade, and the four Slytherins walked briskly to keep warm, their breath rising in front of their faces in pearly clouds, and the dark mass that was Hogsmeade slowly looming into view, whisps of greyish smoke rising from the chimney stacks.

The four of them headed immediately to the Three Broomsticks, one of the local pubs. It was crowded – busy, but there was usually some secluded corner they could settle at. So they did.

Rudolphus had ordered six Butterbeers, and they had found a long bench sort of thing at the back of the top floor, facing a large bay window. Once again, Bellatrix sat on Rudolphus' lap, Lucius sat at the end, elbowing Severus until he had moved up to make room for Narcissa Black, who they'd probably run into at some point. It was only a few minutes before Rudolphus had lit himself another cigarette, and one for Bellatrix, and was blowing his smoke in the direction of a huddle of first years, a defiant grin fixed across his face.

As predicted, it wasn't long before Narcissa Black did, indeed, show up. She was a little shorter then Bellatrix, and a little less bony, but it was still clear that they were sisters. They had the same dignified, elegant faces, with thin, short noses, and thick hair, although Narcissa's was a rich gold, where Bellatrix's was an earthy chocolate brown. Narcissa had very striking eyes; The colour of faded forget-me-nots, and the sky above an ocean mingling with the spray of a thousand waves. She was considered by most to be the prettiest girl in Hogwarts. With a zealous grin, which played all the way across her pretty face, she dropped herself down beside Lucius, a wide smile glowing out as she unwrapped her silver and green scarf, with a dignified flourish of her pale hands, before popping the top of a Butterbeer, her watery eyes sweeping across the rest of them.

"Hello, Narcissa, darling." Drawled Lucius, raising an eyebrow. Severus wasn't sure if he was trying to sound/look utterly ludicrous, but it worked. Narcissa stifled a snort of laughter… not to well. Bellatrix didn't even bother trying to stifle it.

The conversation was warming… they discussed small, trivial things, but the talk was warming, when combined with the heat of the hearth, the familiar scent of Rudolphus' cigarette, and the Butterbeer. Soon, talk turned to the rapidly approaching Christmas Holidays.

"Me and Narcissa will be going back to Kensington for the winter." Grinned Bellatrix. Ahh… the infamous 'Black houses' were dotted all over London, unplottable… which, if he had heard right about what the Black's liked –doing- in those big townhouses, was probably a good thing.

"And I, will naturally be returning to Dorset." Lucius contributed, grinning, slyly. "The stained glass windows on the third floor have just been installed… 212 galleons, you know… the Muggles doing the work were fun to have around, mind you…" He grinned, but more malevolently this time.

They were all looking at Severus to continue. He –hated- it when that happened. Shrugging weakly, and attempting a smile… which he excpected looked more like a mirthless grimace, he said "I guess I'll just be staying here… got lots of studying to do…"

"That's sort of depressing, Sevvy." Pouted Narcissa, childishly.

"Damn right." Muttered Rudolphus, taking a long drag on his cigarette.

Severus shrugged again. He knew –quite- well why he was staying, but he hardly wanted to depress his friends with depressing stories about his family life. It looked as though Lucius was about to say something, when in a flurry of noise, a snatch of laughter, and a dull thudding as chunks of fresh snow peeled from a Hogwarts cloak, to the floor.

It was voices they all recognised – four male voices. One deeper, and once distinctly higher then the rest. To Severus' annoyance, he recognised the voices as belonging to none other then an irritatingly chivalrous group of Gryffindors. The Marauders.