A/N: It's been forever. I have so many people to thank!!
Thank you ever so much Kat Sanders (Happy belated Birthday), Bibayb (79 chapters in two days? OMG!), Stormyfire (Dean/Lavender? Noted.), Kit Cloudkicker(Harry Potter and the Seer has been dropped from my list of current WiPs. It's now on my list of "things I'll be lucky if I ever finish", but I haven't given up hope yet), ebony-moon2002, Yuna, Kate (well, when you put it like that...), Shakri, Shila, Sinbin, Mythical Vampyre, Shine no Banpaia, Kassie, Zoe (intimate scenes? grr...I'll try.), Foxglove Enchante, Mystica, Eccentricity is Me, IxRavensBloodxI, Redhawk, Scratches, coriander, Silent Stalker, Loco Tejas Hiipie, ClarKERaVen, Blackice, Silverfox, Kariannye (flight of pants? rotfl), SleepyTee, Nuriko No Tenshi, Rehanna, Spike+Buffy=LOVE (ick. your choice of pairings is disturbing. feel free to flame, but know that henceforth, I will be ignoring you.), and Fluer Rochard. Love ya!
***
"Please, Nicki," Neville begged. Nicki's dark eyes glittered and his lips quirked.
"Ah, but you are so needy! You always want more."
"I'm begging you."
"Yes and tomorrow you'll beg, and the day after that, and the day after that. You're an animal!" A group of girls in the corner burst into giggles. Nicki cast a glance at them. They blushed and fell silent. "I wonder what they were thinking," he muttered.
"They're thinking exactly what you wanted them to think. Animal indeed!" Neville pinched Nicki, who looked down in mild surprise.
"Careful, lover. You'll leave a bruise."
"Stop that! It's bad enough that stupid rumor is circulating-"
"Are you saying I'm not attractive?" the French boy asked, feigning injury.
"I don't like you," Neville said petulantly.
"That's not what you said last night!" Nicki exclaimed. Marcus Delacour looked up from his studies. Neville rolled his eyes. Marcus gave him a sympathetic smile, brushing platinum, purple-streaked hair away from his face.
"Look on it this way, if you help me tonight, you'll have the room to yourself," Neville reasoned, casting a meaningful glance at the slender blonde across the room. His companion turned to look, his eyes softening and his lips parting slightly at the sight of his beloved, intent upon his homework. Not that Neville could blame him. Marcus was beautiful, more beautiful than Fleur simply because, as a boy, he had no right to be that gorgeous.
"You're lucky I'm such a generous person," Nicki said. Neville beamed. Nicki reached into his pocket and handed Neville a small pouch. "You have two hours- two and a half at most. After that, the tracking spells will be back up and you'll be on your hands and knees scrubbing floors with Jean Paul watching you, and you know the rumors about Jean Paul; they're worse than the rumors about us."
"If the rumors about us aren't true, why should we believe the rumors about him?"
"Silly boy, you always believe the rumors about everybody else," Nicki scolded. Neville shook his head. Though very helpful, Nicholas was sometimes impossible. He gestured to the pouch in his hands.
"Where did you get this stuff?"
"I made it. Guaranteed to break through any magic barrier."
"Any magic barrier?"
"The frequency disrupts the field for a certain period of time. Wearing this stuff, you actually could apparate into Hogwarts, right under Dumbledore's nose!" Once more, Neville was reminded of Fred and George, except their talents had never been quite so…useful.
"Brilliant," the English boy whispered in awe. Nicki grinned. "But where do you keep it? If anyone found out about this…"
"You know the statue of the Renaissance woman on the third floor?" Neville nodded. "She has a hidden compartment. If you ask her nicely, she'll let you unlace her to access it."
"Unlace? Never mind. I'm sure I don't want to know."
Using Nicki's special version of Floo power, getting into the Gryffindor common room was easy. It was almost empty. The only occupant was Ginny, who was on the couch…necking with –ye gods! Was that Colin Creevy? Neville suppressed a giggle. And he had always thought that it was Harry's pants Colin was trying to get into. The small noise startled Ginny, who leapt up immediately. Her brown eyes flashed about the common room, looking for the intruder. She squealed in delight upon seeing Neville and proceeded to suffocate him in the patented Ginny Weasley Embrace of Death.
"Easy," Neville warned, detaching her gently. She had missed his earlier appearance at breakfast.
"Ron isn't upstairs," she told him, guessing his errand.
"Where is he, then?"
"Greenhouse seven."
"Since when did Ron care about plants?" he chuckled.
"Since you planted them," she replied. The smile disappeared from Neville's face, replaced by something more solemn and almost reverent.
"Thank you," he said. He made his way to the portrait hole and paused.
"The password is 'pixie dust'," Colin volunteered.
"Thanks. And Colin?"
"Yes?"
"Don't leave any marks. Ron will kill you." The younger boy's eyes went wide with terror. Neville laughed softly and went in search of his boyfriend.
*
Seamus showed up in the DADA classroom two hours late for a detention. Truth be told he had forgotten all about it until Ron reminded him. Bill didn't look too terribly angry. In fact he hadn't even noticed that Seamus was here…
"Nice of you to show up, Mr. Finnigan." Seamus winced.
"I hate it when you call me that. It generally means that I'm in trouble."
"When I have to call you that, it generally means you *are* in trouble." No answer from Seamus, who took a sudden interest in the floor.
"Seamus, this has got to stop."
"What is 'this'?"
"You know what 'this' is," Bill replied, finding it hard to believe that Seamus was choosing now to be obtuse. Then he remembered that Seamuses don't do well with subtlety.
"No, I don't. In order for something to stop it has to get started," Seamus said, pouting slightly.
"Oh no you don't!"
"What? What did I do now?"
"You don't get to play the sympathy card. You don't get to come on to me, embarrass me, snog me, make me lose sleep, and then play the sympathy card!"
"I made you lose sleep?" Seamus asked hopefully.
"Yes! Sleep and sensibility and sanity."
"All of which are overrated."
"I happen to *like* sleep. It's something I want very much."
"Well, I want you very much and here I am, obviously not getting any, so we can't always have what we want."
"It would appear not." There was silence as the finality of Bill's words sank in.
Seamus was torn between crying and laughing. In fact he was about to do both. It figured that something like this would happen to him. Things like this never happened to Harry or Draco or even Neville. Harry and Draco were probably screwing right now and Neville at least had Ron. What did Seamus have? Seamus had his little sister's teddy bear and a reputation as a whore, which was starting to look well deserved.
"That's your final answer then?"
"That's my final answer."
"Your not going to be a complete and total prick and make me sit here for an hour trying not to look at you and cry?" Bill started to laugh, but then he saw that Seamus was being quite serious.
"No, Seamus. You can go." Seamus nodded weakly and left silently.
"Percy is going to kill me," Bill said, wondering how on earth he was going to go back to grading papers after that.
*
Percy was also up that night, but he had a purpose. However, that purpose was momentarily forgotten as he tried to remember the layout of this particular section of Hogwarts. He used to know it so well that he could fly through these halls, blinded by the darkness and nearly tipsy with excitement. Those days seemed like forever ago. Percy had been simply buried by work at the Ministry and didn't get the chance to visit as often as he'd like.
Groping along the wall with his right hand, Percy found a doorknob. Was it- ? Yes. This was the right one. He could tell by the shape. Every door at Hogwarts had a distinct doorknob. It was a stupid superstition, but it did come in handy…
The door swung open soundlessly and Percy stepped inside. A voice spoke in the darkness and several candles lit instantaneously. "Weasley. What are you doing here?"
Percy jumped at the soft, serpentine whisper that had come from behind. He turned, eyebrow raised in annoyance. "Really Severus. I would think that you would know my first name after seven years."
"After a few Weasleys, you all look the same to me," Snape said, black eyes staring fixedly at the young man. Percy smiled wryly, meeting his former teacher's gaze. The eyes did not shine. Percy once thought them lifeless and cruel, but then he had read somewhere the phrase "velvet eyes" and it stuck. Velvet eyes- eyes set so deep and fringed with lashes so long that the light never reached them.
" I came here to pay a social call, but if you're just going to be a caustic arse, I'm just going to leave." The door shut softly from behind.
"Don't you dare." Percy shivered at the light venom in that voice. Not enough to kill, but definitely enough to render him senseless. Percy's breath caught in his throat as an unexpected finger traced a burning path down the back of his neck. He recovered quickly.
"Mmm. Was there something you wanted, Severus?"
"Only to remember. And then only to forget."
"You really should pick one," Percy said wryly. "Then I'll know whether to go away or whether to-"
"Did Dumbledore inform you of the mission?"
"Yes, though I am curious as to how all of this is going to work."
"It's very easy, Percy."
"Ah, so you do know my name." Snape smiled ever so slightly or maybe it was a trick of the light. Percy couldn't tell.
"All you have to do is play the eager one."
"Eager for what exactly?"
"Don't get smart. It's too late for that."
"Ha ha."
"You have to be eager to serve him. He doesn't accept mediocrity. Well, I take that back, unless mediocrity leads to a greater evil, he doesn't accept mediocrity."
"And how do you think I rate?" It was a personal question and Snape recognized it as such. His eyes lingered on Percy briefly as the younger man lowered his eyes, embarrassed suddenly by a simple question.
"I think you'll score very highly."
"When do I meet him?"
"Tomorrow night. I'll take you there." Percy nodded.
"God help us both."
Snape made no reply.
***
Much is going on in this chapter. What do you think/hope happens in the next one? I have no idea who shows up in the next chapter, so feedback would be excellent. Review!
Much love,
J. Silver
Thank you ever so much Kat Sanders (Happy belated Birthday), Bibayb (79 chapters in two days? OMG!), Stormyfire (Dean/Lavender? Noted.), Kit Cloudkicker(Harry Potter and the Seer has been dropped from my list of current WiPs. It's now on my list of "things I'll be lucky if I ever finish", but I haven't given up hope yet), ebony-moon2002, Yuna, Kate (well, when you put it like that...), Shakri, Shila, Sinbin, Mythical Vampyre, Shine no Banpaia, Kassie, Zoe (intimate scenes? grr...I'll try.), Foxglove Enchante, Mystica, Eccentricity is Me, IxRavensBloodxI, Redhawk, Scratches, coriander, Silent Stalker, Loco Tejas Hiipie, ClarKERaVen, Blackice, Silverfox, Kariannye (flight of pants? rotfl), SleepyTee, Nuriko No Tenshi, Rehanna, Spike+Buffy=LOVE (ick. your choice of pairings is disturbing. feel free to flame, but know that henceforth, I will be ignoring you.), and Fluer Rochard. Love ya!
***
"Please, Nicki," Neville begged. Nicki's dark eyes glittered and his lips quirked.
"Ah, but you are so needy! You always want more."
"I'm begging you."
"Yes and tomorrow you'll beg, and the day after that, and the day after that. You're an animal!" A group of girls in the corner burst into giggles. Nicki cast a glance at them. They blushed and fell silent. "I wonder what they were thinking," he muttered.
"They're thinking exactly what you wanted them to think. Animal indeed!" Neville pinched Nicki, who looked down in mild surprise.
"Careful, lover. You'll leave a bruise."
"Stop that! It's bad enough that stupid rumor is circulating-"
"Are you saying I'm not attractive?" the French boy asked, feigning injury.
"I don't like you," Neville said petulantly.
"That's not what you said last night!" Nicki exclaimed. Marcus Delacour looked up from his studies. Neville rolled his eyes. Marcus gave him a sympathetic smile, brushing platinum, purple-streaked hair away from his face.
"Look on it this way, if you help me tonight, you'll have the room to yourself," Neville reasoned, casting a meaningful glance at the slender blonde across the room. His companion turned to look, his eyes softening and his lips parting slightly at the sight of his beloved, intent upon his homework. Not that Neville could blame him. Marcus was beautiful, more beautiful than Fleur simply because, as a boy, he had no right to be that gorgeous.
"You're lucky I'm such a generous person," Nicki said. Neville beamed. Nicki reached into his pocket and handed Neville a small pouch. "You have two hours- two and a half at most. After that, the tracking spells will be back up and you'll be on your hands and knees scrubbing floors with Jean Paul watching you, and you know the rumors about Jean Paul; they're worse than the rumors about us."
"If the rumors about us aren't true, why should we believe the rumors about him?"
"Silly boy, you always believe the rumors about everybody else," Nicki scolded. Neville shook his head. Though very helpful, Nicholas was sometimes impossible. He gestured to the pouch in his hands.
"Where did you get this stuff?"
"I made it. Guaranteed to break through any magic barrier."
"Any magic barrier?"
"The frequency disrupts the field for a certain period of time. Wearing this stuff, you actually could apparate into Hogwarts, right under Dumbledore's nose!" Once more, Neville was reminded of Fred and George, except their talents had never been quite so…useful.
"Brilliant," the English boy whispered in awe. Nicki grinned. "But where do you keep it? If anyone found out about this…"
"You know the statue of the Renaissance woman on the third floor?" Neville nodded. "She has a hidden compartment. If you ask her nicely, she'll let you unlace her to access it."
"Unlace? Never mind. I'm sure I don't want to know."
Using Nicki's special version of Floo power, getting into the Gryffindor common room was easy. It was almost empty. The only occupant was Ginny, who was on the couch…necking with –ye gods! Was that Colin Creevy? Neville suppressed a giggle. And he had always thought that it was Harry's pants Colin was trying to get into. The small noise startled Ginny, who leapt up immediately. Her brown eyes flashed about the common room, looking for the intruder. She squealed in delight upon seeing Neville and proceeded to suffocate him in the patented Ginny Weasley Embrace of Death.
"Easy," Neville warned, detaching her gently. She had missed his earlier appearance at breakfast.
"Ron isn't upstairs," she told him, guessing his errand.
"Where is he, then?"
"Greenhouse seven."
"Since when did Ron care about plants?" he chuckled.
"Since you planted them," she replied. The smile disappeared from Neville's face, replaced by something more solemn and almost reverent.
"Thank you," he said. He made his way to the portrait hole and paused.
"The password is 'pixie dust'," Colin volunteered.
"Thanks. And Colin?"
"Yes?"
"Don't leave any marks. Ron will kill you." The younger boy's eyes went wide with terror. Neville laughed softly and went in search of his boyfriend.
*
Seamus showed up in the DADA classroom two hours late for a detention. Truth be told he had forgotten all about it until Ron reminded him. Bill didn't look too terribly angry. In fact he hadn't even noticed that Seamus was here…
"Nice of you to show up, Mr. Finnigan." Seamus winced.
"I hate it when you call me that. It generally means that I'm in trouble."
"When I have to call you that, it generally means you *are* in trouble." No answer from Seamus, who took a sudden interest in the floor.
"Seamus, this has got to stop."
"What is 'this'?"
"You know what 'this' is," Bill replied, finding it hard to believe that Seamus was choosing now to be obtuse. Then he remembered that Seamuses don't do well with subtlety.
"No, I don't. In order for something to stop it has to get started," Seamus said, pouting slightly.
"Oh no you don't!"
"What? What did I do now?"
"You don't get to play the sympathy card. You don't get to come on to me, embarrass me, snog me, make me lose sleep, and then play the sympathy card!"
"I made you lose sleep?" Seamus asked hopefully.
"Yes! Sleep and sensibility and sanity."
"All of which are overrated."
"I happen to *like* sleep. It's something I want very much."
"Well, I want you very much and here I am, obviously not getting any, so we can't always have what we want."
"It would appear not." There was silence as the finality of Bill's words sank in.
Seamus was torn between crying and laughing. In fact he was about to do both. It figured that something like this would happen to him. Things like this never happened to Harry or Draco or even Neville. Harry and Draco were probably screwing right now and Neville at least had Ron. What did Seamus have? Seamus had his little sister's teddy bear and a reputation as a whore, which was starting to look well deserved.
"That's your final answer then?"
"That's my final answer."
"Your not going to be a complete and total prick and make me sit here for an hour trying not to look at you and cry?" Bill started to laugh, but then he saw that Seamus was being quite serious.
"No, Seamus. You can go." Seamus nodded weakly and left silently.
"Percy is going to kill me," Bill said, wondering how on earth he was going to go back to grading papers after that.
*
Percy was also up that night, but he had a purpose. However, that purpose was momentarily forgotten as he tried to remember the layout of this particular section of Hogwarts. He used to know it so well that he could fly through these halls, blinded by the darkness and nearly tipsy with excitement. Those days seemed like forever ago. Percy had been simply buried by work at the Ministry and didn't get the chance to visit as often as he'd like.
Groping along the wall with his right hand, Percy found a doorknob. Was it- ? Yes. This was the right one. He could tell by the shape. Every door at Hogwarts had a distinct doorknob. It was a stupid superstition, but it did come in handy…
The door swung open soundlessly and Percy stepped inside. A voice spoke in the darkness and several candles lit instantaneously. "Weasley. What are you doing here?"
Percy jumped at the soft, serpentine whisper that had come from behind. He turned, eyebrow raised in annoyance. "Really Severus. I would think that you would know my first name after seven years."
"After a few Weasleys, you all look the same to me," Snape said, black eyes staring fixedly at the young man. Percy smiled wryly, meeting his former teacher's gaze. The eyes did not shine. Percy once thought them lifeless and cruel, but then he had read somewhere the phrase "velvet eyes" and it stuck. Velvet eyes- eyes set so deep and fringed with lashes so long that the light never reached them.
" I came here to pay a social call, but if you're just going to be a caustic arse, I'm just going to leave." The door shut softly from behind.
"Don't you dare." Percy shivered at the light venom in that voice. Not enough to kill, but definitely enough to render him senseless. Percy's breath caught in his throat as an unexpected finger traced a burning path down the back of his neck. He recovered quickly.
"Mmm. Was there something you wanted, Severus?"
"Only to remember. And then only to forget."
"You really should pick one," Percy said wryly. "Then I'll know whether to go away or whether to-"
"Did Dumbledore inform you of the mission?"
"Yes, though I am curious as to how all of this is going to work."
"It's very easy, Percy."
"Ah, so you do know my name." Snape smiled ever so slightly or maybe it was a trick of the light. Percy couldn't tell.
"All you have to do is play the eager one."
"Eager for what exactly?"
"Don't get smart. It's too late for that."
"Ha ha."
"You have to be eager to serve him. He doesn't accept mediocrity. Well, I take that back, unless mediocrity leads to a greater evil, he doesn't accept mediocrity."
"And how do you think I rate?" It was a personal question and Snape recognized it as such. His eyes lingered on Percy briefly as the younger man lowered his eyes, embarrassed suddenly by a simple question.
"I think you'll score very highly."
"When do I meet him?"
"Tomorrow night. I'll take you there." Percy nodded.
"God help us both."
Snape made no reply.
***
Much is going on in this chapter. What do you think/hope happens in the next one? I have no idea who shows up in the next chapter, so feedback would be excellent. Review!
Much love,
J. Silver