Don't Blame Me, I Just Study Here
Hermione Granger was worried. Hiding worry was something she had never done very well, but without Ron or Harry sitting at the table with her, no one seemed to notice that she wasn't touching her breakfast outside of a half-hearted nibble at her toast. No one noticed that her eyes often drifted over to the Slytherin table, scanning the people there and not finding the one she was seeking. No one noticed that she often nibbled on her bottom lip or that she worried one of her many errant, frizzy locks between her fingers.
Where was Antigone Snape?
She had spent most of Friday evening in the library with the newest member of the student body. They had been alone there, just the two of them and Madame Pince, the librarian. All the other students were enjoying the evening, staying up late since they wouldn't have classes the following morning. It had been, in her estimation of things, an almost perfect evening. Antigone was very clever and didn't grow bored with studying or want to gossip about boys or hair or makeup. After all this time at Hogwarts, Hermione had felt that she had finally found a kindred spirit. She was very good in Potions, though she admitted that came mostly from family talent. She also seemed grateful to have found someone so very skilled in Charms, since she admitted that it was her second weakest subject. When asked what her worst subject was, she had honestly responded with Care of Magical Creatures.
"We Snapes aren't very much adored by animals, magical or otherwise. We get along fine with reptiles or cats, the ones that don't require a lot of affection or care, but most other warm blooded creatures could take us or leave us. It's a real pity. I'd rather like to have a puppy or a horse, but I couldn't manage to do it. They simply don't respect me."
"You don't have a familiar, then?"
"Oh, I had one, but I couldn't bring him with me. A red and black python. I named him Pi."
"Pie? Do you always name your pets after food?" To Hermione's confusion, the taller girl had laughed.
"No, 'Pi', P-I. As in Pi R Squared."
"Oh!" She had blinked, and then laughed as well. It rather sounded like something she would have named one of her pets. Actually, had Crookshanks not come with his own name, he most likely would have been dubbed 'Einstein' or 'Hawkins', two of the Muggle scientists she revered the most. "I've never heard of a red and black python before."
"Oh, he didn't come that way. My mother charmed him that color because I hate green."
The thought of someone charming a snake to change its color struck her as oddly funny. She had started to giggle. "Y… you hate green? Why?"
"Well, nothing good was ever green, was it? Broccoli, lima beans, cabbage, all the worst vegetables are green. Quite put me off the color all together." The girl had been very serious as she spoke. "And have you ever noticed how all the worst hexes have a greenish sort of aura about them, and the nastiest potions are green as well."
"I never thought of it that way before." Hermione had remembered that Slytherins were green, but had felt it best not to point this out to her new friend.
They had taken apart Antigone's class schedule and Hermione promised to get the girl a copy of her notes for the year so far so that she could bring herself up to speed. "You'll like Professor Flitwick. He's very patient when it comes to helping the students understand the lessons. If he can find the strength of will to help Neville and Seamus, he can find the time to help you as well. I'm sure you won't need nearly as much attention as they do."
They had discussed essays that were due the following week and poured over books from the crowded shelves. Both had quite forgotten the time until Madame Pince had come to them during her last round of inspection and sharply reminded them that curfew was less than half an hour away. Not a large challenge for Antigone, since she had a downstairs trek to the dungeons, but the Gryffindor dormitories were several flights up in one of the castle's tallest towers.
"We can pick up here again after breakfast in the morning, if you like."
The taller girl had smiled and nodded. "I would like that. I'll see you then." She looked as if she was going to say something more, then had shaken her head as though to herself, an expression in her eyes that hinted as a possible secret she was clutching tightly to her in her eyes. "Good night."
Now it was the next day, and there was no sign of Antigone. Worse, there were rumors floating about the school that something had happened last night in the Slytherin common room. Hermione felt a twinge of guilt, remembering that most of the Slytherin students considered her beneath them, a "mudblood" who would dirty their hands if they got too close to her. She hoped that she hadn't caused any trouble between Antigone and her classmates. Harry and Ron were late for breakfast, having decided to start interrogating the portraits for the news. Hogwarts' artwork was made up almost entirely of hopeless gossips, and there was a painting of three witches that was known to always have the best tales.
She felt something like an intangible weight upon her and looked up towards the staff table. The Potions Master was watching her silently from his place next to Professor McGonagall, his expression unreadable. He met her eyes for a moment, and then lowered his attention back to his plate. A frown crossed her forehead. Had his niece done something to deserve punishment? If she did have something to do with Antigone's absence from breakfast, then no doubt Professor Snape would find a way to lay the blame at her feet. She sincerely hoped not. She didn't need any more hurdles to jump in his class.
Finally, she decided that sitting and waiting would do no further good. With a sigh, she pushed herself away from the table, the remainder of her breakfast untouched, and went off to search for her new friend. The most logical place was the dungeons, and since most of the Slytherin students were in the Great Hall, she felt rather safe heading down there alone. Shouldering her satchel of books, she made her way to the door leading to the dungeons and went through.
There was an unsettling feeling abut the dungeons. The walls were always slightly damp and there was always the scent of earth about them. The torches on the walls were always lit since no sunlight could find its way here. It was no wonder that Professor Snape was always so pale. When did he have a chance to tan? This thought only crossed her mind briefly as she walked on. She didn't know where the entrance to Slytherin House was, but somehow she didn't feel as if she needed to know. Her feet were moving as if on their own accord, almost as if she already knew where the other girl was. She walked past rarely used classrooms and long deserted holding chambers until she came to the room where they attended their classes. The door was slightly ajar and she could hear someone singing in a rusty, off-key voice. The song had a light hearted feel to it, but she didn't recognize the language it was in. Feeling confident she had found her quarry, she pushed the door open.
A light poured from the large student storeroom where potions ingredients were kept, a shadow moving within. Hermione made her way over to find Antigone, singing her odd little song and making notes on a piece of parchment. She cleared her throat to get the other girl's attention.
"Oh! I didn't expect you to come down here." Antigone smiled brightly as she turned to face the other girl. Hermione saw that she was writing down ingredients and amounts onto the parchment.
"Inventory?"
Antigone made a face and nodded. "Punishment for fighting last night."
"You got into a fight?" Hermione's heart plummeted. She had gotten her into trouble. The girl didn't seem all that upset about it, though.
"Yep. Can you believe he got upset over a little thing like breaking Draco Malfoy's nose? I mean, honestly, who wouldn't want to?" She grinned brightly again, not a bit remorseful at her actions. Suddenly, Hermione didn't feel so bad about it any longer. "I'm almost finished, here. There hasn't been enough time to deplete the stores too badly yet." Indeed, she was already on the Ws, and there weren't many things left after that.
"How long have you been at this?" Hermione looked at row upon row of ingredients. It should have taken hours.
"Oh, since about four this morning. His Royal Grumpiness woke up early this morning and figured I might as well roll out of bed, too."
"You really shouldn't talk about your uncle like that."
"Why not? It's the truth. Well, it is today, anyway." She turned back around and started again where she left off. "Don't misunderstand me. I adore him, but he's not being the easiest person to love right now."
Hermione stepped further into the storeroom and sat down on a stool a few feet away from the other girl. "Well, you were fighting. Did you really break Malfoy's nose?"
"He was certainly bleeding enough. I'm sure Madame Pomfrey put him back together, though. She's rather talented." Hermione found this odd coming from the new girl, considering that she really hadn't been here long enough to have been on the receiving end of Madame Pomfrey's skills.
"It's not smart to provoke Malfoy. His father is very powerful."
"So I've heard." She marked the last item onto the parchment, and then looked up at Hermione. "And I know I shouldn't have lost my temper, but he had it coming."
"What did he do?"
"He cast aspersions on my family. My… uncle… says that he feels confident that Draco's father will be more upset with him for that then he will be with me for hitting him. It was a rather nasty aspersion, after all." She finished with the last jar, making a note of how much was needed to fill it completely before setting it back upon the shelf so that its label was facing front.
"What did he say?"
"He insinuated that my uncle and father were the same man, with my mother still being the same woman. Got the idea from my name." The taller girl sat down on the floor of the storage closet, crossing her legs and looking up at Hermione.
"Really? That's surprising. I didn't think Draco Malfoy read anything except Quidditch manuals and dirty magazines." The Gryffindor girl paused, considering this. "I don't know why he'd feel the need to take that route, well, actually I do. He's just an annoying prat. Still, I rather like 'Antigone'. I have ever since I read the play."
The other girl beamed. "Thank you. My mother's rather fond of it as well." Hermione caught a glimpse of that same light as the previous night, as though Antigone Snape knew some secret about her that she was closely guarding. It made her frown, wondering if she truly did know something, or if the girl was just being a Slytherin.
"Now that you're finished, do you think Professor Snape will let you come with me to the library? I have those notes to lend you."
"As long as the only place she goes is the library."
Both girls scrambled to their feet and whirled to see the Potions Master standing outside the storeroom door. His black eyes rested on Hermione, something in his expression making her feel suddenly uncomfortable, as though she had just been caught stealing potions ingredients. Of course, she had at one point in time, but that had been ages ago and he had never caught her. He then directed his gaze to his niece, eyes lowering to silently point out that there was dust from the floor on her skirt and legs. She began to brush the fabric vigorously to clean it off.
"I finished the inventory." Antigone handed over the parchment with its names and amounts. "M… Hermione was coming to remind me that we were to study together this morning. She's helping me get caught up." Hermione noted that a secretive, dark look passed from the professor to Antigone. He seemed to be warning her of something, but just because she almost called her 'Miss Granger'? Surely he couldn't object to students using the given names of one another.
"I see. Very well, you may go. However, you are only allowed to go to the library, the Great Hall and here. You will complete your detention tonight by brewing potions for the infirmary." Antigone nodded, though Hermione felt that if she had been serving detention since four in the morning, she had more than made up for socking Malfoy in the nose. "Tomorrow you will join the Slytherin house team in practice."
Both girls froze? "P... practice?"
Hermione though she saw a smug little smirk tug at the corners of Professor Snape's mouth. "Yes. As punishment for insulting a teacher, Mr. Malfoy has been suspended from the house team. Naturally, we need a new seeker." The humor was quickly gone, replaced by his usual sneer. "Do not think of this as a reward. If you were not here to step into his place, he would still be on the team. Now get out, both of you."
Neither girl needed further prompting. Hermione's hand gripped her satchel tightly as she and Antigone bolted from the storeroom, out of the classroom door and down the hall. They paused just long enough for Antigone to grab her own books from Snape's private quarters (so that's where he lives) before continuing. A couple of Slytherin students were in the dungeon corridors, but they ignored them as they passed by. Bursting up through the door that separated the dungeons from the rest of the castle, they ran down the open corridors towards the library.
"There they are!" The girls skidded to a halt as Seamus and Dean appeared from a corridor to their right. The boys stopped, trying to catch their breath. Seamus grinned up at them widely as Harry, Ron and Neville hurried to catch up. "We've been looking everywhere for you."
Hermione frowned, puzzled as Seamus continued to beam at Antigone. Harry slid to a halt along the stone floor, a mischievous light in his green eyes. "Just the person we wanted to see. We've got something for you."
Antigone gave Hermione a half puzzled, half concerned look before turning back to Harry. "What, exactly?"
Ron produced a small box from somewhere inside his robes and squared his shoulders, looking rather important. Harry cleared his throat as the rest of the boys fell silent. "Miss Antigone Snape of Slytherin House, it has been brought to our attention that last night you performed a feat of the greatest of magnitude. Thanks to your short temper and stunning right hook, we're assuming, you could be leftie for all we know, the fiend known as Draco Malfoy has been put firmly in his place." He turned to Ron who opened the box, revealing a shiny, golden badge that appeared to be modeled somewhat off of Hermione's prefect badge. "It is with more pleasure than this humble gathering could ever possibly posses that we present you with the first ever 'Order of the Marauders, First Class'."
Neville piped up with a grin. "Hip Hip!"
"Hooray!" shouted the other boys as Hermione rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"Don't encourage her! She's in enough trouble as it is!" Still, Harry took the badge from the box and reached up to pin it onto Antigone's robes. The one being awarded was trying very hard not to burst into giggles, and found it much easier to banish them once Hermione turned her disapproving glare upon her. "Now, if you're quite through with this bit of silliness, Professor Snape expects her to be in the library when she's not at meals. I'd best get her there before she ends up in trouble again." She grabbed hold of the other girl's wrist and pulled her away, the boys still cheering behind them.
"You'll have to bring her to Gryffindor Tower tonight, Hermione! We're throwing a party in her honor!" This from Dean, the one boy she always thought she could count on to keep a level head. Well… so much for that idea. Honestly, what was it about boys and fisticuffs that turned them all into complete idiots?