House Politics
Disclaimer: Characters and setting are the property of J.K. Rowling, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.
dimhigie, Zakath Nath,Allacaya:Thanks so much for taking the time to review, its deeply appricated.
"No Albus, I do not want a lemon drop." Professor Snape announced as he walked into the Headmaster's office.
"Ah… A scone perhaps?" Dumbledor replied, the twinkle in his eyes clearly spelling out that he knew very well that his dour Potions Master was attempting to cut the social niceties short.
"No thank you." Severus answered with due formality. His fingers drumming against his crossed arms gave away his impatience.
"Some tea perhaps?"
"I do not want tea, biscuits or any inane muggle sweets, Headmaster." Snape snapped.
Dumbledor stepped out from behind his desk and gestured to several comfy chairs by the fire. "Please, make yourself comfortable."
"What do you want?" Snape exploded.
"Why the pleasure of your company my dear boy." Albus replied.
"I sincerely doubt that."
"Severus, I have tried trusting you to set aside a childhood wounds, no matter how serious they were, in the face of the fact that Harry was not even born at the time the wounds were inflicted. I have tried placing the two of you in close contact believing that you would be forced to see beyond your prejudices. I was wrong. Therefore, I thought we might sit down and discuss why this situation is so impossible for you." Albus sighed. "I am not omniscient and perhaps I know less than I believe I know, which is a dangerous mistake to make. Please Severus, help me to understand why your relationship with Harry is more prone to explosions than Mr. Longbottom's potions."
"You know exactly why that is Headmaster." Snape replied. He turned to leave.
Dumbledor touched the younger man's forearm and Severus found himself sitting down in front of the fire while Albus pulled up a chair nearby.
"Because he is James Potter's son." Albus stated. "My dear boy, surely you admit how irrational that is?"
"Yes, you've mentioned this before. Potter died when his son was barely more than an infant. Harry Potter was raised under vastly different circumstances, etcetera. He is still a carbon copy of James Potter with Lily's eyes."
Albus smiled gently. "How can a 'carbon copy' of James possess Lily's eyes? How can Harry be exactly like James when he is every bit as much Lily's child as he is James'? Young Mr. Malfoy certainly tries to emulate his father in all things, but do you see him as being solely Lucius' child?"
"Draco inherited his academic abilities from his mother." Severus acknowledged. "Lucius purchased his homework. Draco could easily sell his… At least in the classes where his pride doesn't interfere with his studying habits."
"He does suffer from a rather severe listening problem in Hagrid's classes." Albus remarked mildly. "The same can be said of Harry. He is both James and Lily's child."
"He is just like James."
"Harry is very much his own person." Dumbledor stated. "Severus, I know your rivalry with Lucius Malfoy was much shorter lived than the one with James and Sirius, but it was no less vicious. Do you remember taking that tumble down the stairs just after winter break during your first year? You fractured three vertebrae. A broken neck may be less dramatic than a werewolf but just as potentially deleterious to one's health. And yet you allowed that feud to die years ago. It would never occur to you to hold Draco accountable for Lucius' actions."
"Headmaster, you chose to disregard me rather pertinent factor: Narcissa Black is my friend. I will acknowledge your point. Neither Draco nor Potter are carbon copies of their fathers. I would not be surprised to learn that Potter owes any number of aggravating traits to his mother.
"Whereas you can over-look any number of shortcomings in Narcissa Black's only child?" Dumbledor asked shrewdly.
" 'Cissa wanted a girl first." Severus remarked to himself. "She knew Lucius would never give her another child once he had his heir."
"Sometimes I think it would be reassuring if you were in love with her." Dumbledor said. "But even you weren't as close to Lily you must realize that she always meant well. Can you honestly look back on her actions, with an adult's eyes, and fault her for her intentions?"
The Marauder's First Year – February
Severus Snape stomped back toward the Slytherin dorms. All the while he growled under his breath about hotheaded Gryffindors who accused him of using the Dark Arts every single time he preformed a spell they didn't know. "I doubt Pettigrew even knows how to read. It was a simple locator spell. I was trying to find my inkwell for Merlin's sake. Dark Arts my foot! But Pettigrew thinks it's the Dark Arts and no one's ever going to take my word over his even if he is a complete ignoramus. Gryffindors! Spoiled, self-righteous prats ever last one of them. If Potter or Black attacks me one more time I really will use something evil on them, then maybe they'll figure out the difference."
His angry monologue was interrupted by the sound of someone running at him. Severus spun on his heel and drew his wand. His first thought was to wonder why one of the Weasley was accosting him then he realized that the red-head was a dark, auburn red not the fiery orange-red that made the Weasleys one of the most visible families in the Wizarding World and she was a girl.
"Evans." Severus said distastefully.
The green-eyed girl took in Severus' guarded stance with a look that noticed and catalogued everything. "Severus, I wanted to talk with you." She said.
"Why?"
"Well, I've got this study group going. We've got most the subjects pretty well covered; at least someone understands something about most everything, but not Potions. I thought about asking Sirius Black, he certainly knows what to toss in other people's caldrons to cause the maximum amount of chaos, but getting Sirius to be serious… Well I've never met a more misnamed person in my life!"
"I don't socialize with Gryffindors, or help them study." Severus broke in abruptly.
"Sure you don't." Lily waved off his objection. "And it's not just Gryffindors. In fact Remus and I are the only ones. Have you ever tried to make someone from my house sit down and study, I mean really study, not goof around? I mean take James Potter for example; he's absolutely brilliant at Transfiguration and he's pretty good at most of our other subjects too but if it weren't for Remus hounding him he'd fail everything 'cause he'd forget to do the homework."
Severus felt some of his hostility melt away. "Have you heard the Professors' new rule for Black's essays? Minimum parchment length plus maximum letter height."
Lily laughed. "Yes, it's not going to do any good though. I heard Sirius talking about the fact that no one had dictated the distance between lines yet, and when they do remove that loophole he'll just look at it as a challenge. You see why studying with them is less than helpful? The group's got Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs plus Remus and I. We could really use someone who could tutor in potions and frankly it wouldn't hurt you to get some help in Transfiguration."
Severus made a face at the mention of his least favorite subject.
Lily smiled mischievously. "Of course you wouldn't be caught dead hanging around with a Gryffindor… except for the day before yesterday when you and Sirius Black were switching all of Lucius Malfoy's ink. I hear that his notes were all mysteriously gone a few hours after he took them, the ink just vanished right off the parchment. And that certainly wasn't you sleeping on the couch in our common room this morning. I suppose that means Malfoy was really mad this time. But I understand; it would absolutely ruin your reputation if you were seen with, ye gods, Gryffindors. And Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws and if you know any other Slytherin students who'd be willing to honestly work on class work with us you're welcome to invite them along. Still if you'd rather fail Transfiguration? And I have seen you practicing so I know what I'm talking about. Well, be my guest."
"Stop! I surrender." Severus exclaimed. "Do you ever stop talking?"
"Only on nights of the Blue Moon." Lily replied with a cheeky grin. "I'll see you in the library after dinner on Tuesday. Unless you're still sleeping in our common room."
"I'd rather face Malfoy, at least he's consistent, unlike certain bloody, hypocritical Gryffindors!"
"Bye!" Lily said cheerfully and made her escape.
"Lying little rat! 'Who are you going to trust, me or the slimy Slytherin?' Like I care enough to bother with lying to them. If I were going to use the Dark Arts on that miserable excuse for a wizard they'd know it! Because they'd find his liver exploded all over their dorm!" Severus continued his diatribe all the way down to the dungeons.
A portrait of an evil looking wizard glowered down at the boy. "Password?" He demanded.
"Basilisk's Gaze." Severus replied. When the portrait didn't immediately grant him access he stomped his foot angrily. "Tremain, don't tell me they changed the password on me again! Come on, you know me."
"The password is acceptable, I was simply concerned that it's been more than twenty-four hours since I last heard it from your lips. Your too young for me to suspect romance, which means you must have been up to mischief Severus."
The boy rolled his eyes. "Just survival, Tremain. I'm on Malfoy's bad side again."
"And of course it's through no fault of your own." Tremain said sardonically. "Watch yourself with that one boy. He's got a vicious streak."
"Don't I know it."
Severus walked into the Slytherin common room and was immediately accosted by Narcissa Black. The blonde beauty pushed him into a quite corner and exploded. "What were you thinking letting my cousin talk you into pulling an idiotic stunt like that?" She exclaimed. "Lucius is going to kill you. He's going to chop you up into little itty-bitty pieces and feed you to his family's hunting dogs!"
"I didn't know he was going to try to use the ink for Professor McGonagall's test." Severus protested.
"You should have known." Narcissa lectured. "Sirius is such a bad influence on you. You never pull tricks like that unless you know what the likely consequences are going to be."
Narcissa sighed and shook her head. "There's no going back now. We'll just have to try to fix this. You'll go straight to McGonagall and confess, once she tells Lucius that he can retake the test you'll apologize to him. On your knees, I mean it. He really will hurt you Severus."
Severus' expression showed his distaste at Narcissa's plan.
"Do you like the Infirmary that much?" Narcissa demanded. Then she wrinkled her nose as she noticed something. "Did you sleep in those robes? I suppose we've got a little time; go shower and change." She made a shooing motion. "Go, now. What are you waiting for?"
"Yes mother." Severus replied sarcastically
"More of a sister trying to protect her kid brother from the punishment he so richly deserves. You are such a child sometimes Severus." Narcissa gave him a light shove and an affectionate smile. "Go already!"
Lily glanced at her watch then at the door. She sighed and tapped the tip of her feather against her parchment.
Remus leaned toward her. "So you actually asked Severus?" He remarked.
"I pestered him into saying yes." Lily admitted. "I thought if I could get a yes out of him pride would make show up. Maybe I pushed too hard."
Remus shrugged. "I haven't seen him outside of classes for a couple of days." He said. "Rumor has it that he confessed to pranking Malfoy. He's probably doing detention, why don't you try inviting him again once he's out of trouble."
"Did Sirius confess too?" Lily asked.
"After all the trouble they went to to make sure Malfoy couldn't prove anything?" Remus replied.
"So why did Severus confess?" A tiny boy in Hufflepuff robes wondered.
"Think Gerry." The exotic looking Ravenclaw to his left exclaimed. She reached out to tap the chastened Gerry on the forehead. "Since when has Malfoy ever needed proof, or even guilt, before he starts dishing out reprisals?"
"And that was why Severus was sleeping on our couch." Lily said. "You guys didn't kick him out did you?" She frowned at Remus. "Sirius really should have confessed too, it's only fair if you aren't going to watch his back."
Remus squirmed. "Snape has got to stop harassing poor Peter." He justified.
"I still think Sirius ought to have confessed as well." Lily said. "So Miss Chang, care to explain the Goblin Wars to all of us slug-a-beds who couldn't make it through Binns' lecture without a nap?"
"Just as long as someone else takes notes for that class next week." The pretty dark-haired girl replied with a flip of her head. "One more day of paying attention to that and I'll die of boredom then there'll be two ghosts in class."
The seven students traded hopeful glances. Gerry produced a deck of exploding snap. "Draw for it, low card takes notes." He suggested.
The others nodded. Gerry shuffled the deck then extended it to his fellow housemate and her Ravenclaw twin. The two girls drew their cards then giggled and simultaneously revealed Kings.
Tia Chang held up her hand. "I'm exempt this time." She insisted.
Lily crossed her fingers for luck, much to the amusement of the wizardborn students and drew a four.
Jessica Bones pondered the choices while absently chewing on the ends of her hair. She picked a five and gave Lily a look that was both relieved and apologetic.
Remus drew a three and made a disgusted face. "Ace is low card right?" He begged.
Gerry drew his card and smirked. "Wouldn't do you any good." He said as he revealed the knave.
Remus sighed and resigned himself to boredom.
"Alright then," Tia said, "the Goblin Wars, which are painfully dull, began in…"
Narcissa's mouth was pulled into a grim line as she lurked in the halls leading to Gryffindor Tower.
The first sign of her quarry was a loud whooping. Then James Potter blasted by on a broom. The gust of winded that followed in his wake caught in Narcissa's long wavy hair and set it whipping around her. The other three boys chased after James on foot shouting encouragement.
Narcissa stepped into Sirius' path. The blue-eyed boy skidded to a haut in front of her. " 'Cissa we're at school; go away." Sirius whined.
"Sirius Black I need a word with you." Narcissa's hand shot out. She grabbed Sirius' earlobe and twisted.
"Ouch! Geeze Narcissa!"
The blonde girl stalked off dragging Sirius behind her.
"Need a hand Siri?" Remus' voice was filled with gentle amusement.
Sirius waved casually as he stumbled after Narcissa. "Mr. Lupin may rest assured that Mr. Black has the situation under control… I'm coming 'Cissa, let go!"
Narcissa ignored her younger cousin's pleas and marched him into an empty classroom.
"What's your problem Narcissa?" Sirius demanded.
"You are. You're the reckless, thoughtless… well lets just say stereotypically Gryffindor idiot who talked Severus into forgetting the first rule of surviving in Slytherin: You don't cross Lucius Malfoy. I don't know where Lucius found that thing, but as part of Severus' apology he's had Severus in the stocks except when he's in class."
Sirius winced and shuffled his feet.
"You got him into this so you're going to get him out." Narcissa declared her fists planted on her hips. "It's the Gryffindor thing to do and if you don't Aunty Esterhazy is going to hear a lot of interesting things and I don't care if I have to make them up for her."
"Fine, we'll rescue him." Sirius said.
"No." Narcissa said. "You and your little friends are going to get caught trying to prank our common room. You're going to get one of the Professors to follow you inside. That way it's your fault when we get in trouble, not Severus'. The password's Basilisk's gaze."
"Sure 'Cissa, no problem."
Severus shifted; he tried to brace his knees against the post and wondered what sort of sadist had dreamed up stocks. The inability to stand straight was killing his back. If he put his weight on the dreadful contraption he hung himself. It was too tall for him to kneel. It was bloody humiliating too and Lucius loved that part. If anyone except Narcissa had asked him to submit to this… Plus it was the survival prone thing to do.
Well it wasn't like he was missing anything he enjoyed. He hated sleeping at Hogwarts anyway. There wasn't a shielding charm in existence that could make him feel as safe as a simple muggle chair shoved under the doorknob. If he woke up in the middle of the night he could look at the chair, touch it and know that no one and nothing had broken in while he was sleeping. He could and did put warding charms on his canopy bed in the dorms but he knew there were wizards better than him who could walk through his wards like they were as insubstantial as fog.
Sleeping in the dorms while Lucius Malfoy was out for his blood was an impossibility. At least the Gryffindors would probably wake him up before trying to incapacitate him. They were all stupid like that; it was how they ended up Gryffindor.
It wasn't like he would have been sleeping anyway. Outside of class at least; Binns' lectures were always great for catching up on his sleep, the other teachers would wake him up, but Binns never noticed. The weekend was going to be pure hell.
The door to the Slytherin common room flew open and James Potter ran in. He grinned at Severus and waved. Sirius Black was a half step behind him. James shook out a silvery something, spun it around his shoulders and vanished. Severus considered the possibility that he was hallucinating.
"Calvary's on the way Snape." Sirius stopped long enough to pat Severus on the head.
Severus snarled and tried to kick the other boy.
James' disembodied head reappeared. "Siri!" He hissed.
The blue-eyed Gryffindor hurried over to his friend's floating head and they both disappeared.
"What are you two troublemakers…" Professor Viridian, the Head of Slytherin, trailed off with a dismayed expression as he took in the scene in the common room. "I knew it was going to be trouble when Filch reported that his stocks had been stolen." The Moorish Professor muttered. "Mr. Snape, why am I not surprised?"
Severus shrugged as best as he was able and stared at his teacher's feet.
" Alohomora." Viridian tapped the lock with his wand and the stocks sprung open. Then he pointed his wand at his throat. "Sonorus! Slytherins, front and center.Quietus. "
A moment later the common rooms was full of painfully innocent looking students.
"Lets skip the rigmarole." Viridian said. "I know the rules as well as you lot. Mr. Snape won't point the finger, too much like admitting weakness and there'd be payback. None of you came forward so the culprit is either prominent enough to scare you silent or you all dislike Mr. Snape enough to be compliant. None of you will step forward to spare your Housemates… So one hundred points from Slytherin and I'll be making routine inspections of the dorms and common room to insure that you aren't blatantly torturing one another. That will be all witches and wizards."