"How did you know my name?" Severus's voice came from behind where Raven was sitting in the Slytherin common room. The sound of his voice reached inside her, and touched her very soul. 'I need a good explanation for knowing something I shouldn't have known.' She bit her lip,trying to come up with something. "Well? I don't have all day."

Raven turned to look up at him, blinking her eyes, a coy smile playing on her lips. The reward for her efforts, a frown and a raised eyebrow. 'And why was I expecting this to work now, when it's never worked any other time?' "About that..." Raven began, attempting to buy herself some time.

"Yes?" He asked expectantly, his ebon eyes looking down into her cobolt ones.

A thought came to her mind, as she took notice of the book tucked under his arm, and Raven smiled. "I make it my place to know about things I find interesting. And a boy who takes his potions book with him..." Reaching out she ran a finger along the edge of the tome. "...is someone I find, very interesting indeed."

He seemed a bit unnerved by the action, but held his ground despite it. "Really?" He didn't seem very convinced. "Am I to surmise from that, as well as your statements earlier, you understand the beauty of a softly simmering cauldron..."

"Ever nuiance," Raven interupted, "from the shimmering fumes, to the delicate power the potions created themselves."

"Their ability to bewitch the mind." Severus continued, and he sat down at the table with the girl.

"And ensnare the senses." Raven added with a smile. He was finding her intriguing, she could tell. It was a look she had seen on his adult self more than once, when she would do something that surprised him, or showed her advanced skill in potions. "I love potions." Raven began once more. "I find them quite intriging, so many possiblities, so much power. And too many just can not understand the true magic behind it all."

"So very true, Miss?" Another eyebrow raised in question.

"Pegasus, Raven Pegasus." Raven smiled sweetly.

"Miss Pegasus."

"Call me Raven." She replied quickly. He smirked at her slightly. "And if I may, call you Severus?"

There was something about the way she said his name, it slide off her tongue and over her lips with unspoken grace. "You will be taking Potions then?" Severus asked, why trying to figure out why he would cared in the least.

Raven nodded. "What kind of teacher is this, Professor..." She bit her lip, trying to recall what Dumbledore had told them earlier.

"Slughorn." he filled in the blank for her. "He's..." Severus seemed to be mulling it over. "mediocre at best. Insuferable at worst." A frown appeared on his features. 'Even now, a smile hardly reaches you.' Raven thought, wishing to make it not so. "He is all about, show, and little about substance. And unless you have high-standing wizarding parents, or a pretty face..." The last seemed to come out in a bit of a sneer, "He would be hard-pressed to take notice of you. Despite obvious talent and skill."

"That's quite a shame." Raven said in a sympathetic tone. "I do not think I'll get on well with him then." Was that a slight smile trying to tug at the corners of his mouth.

"And what was the Potions professor at your previous school like?" Asked in all innocence. 'If only you knew.' Raven thought.

A wide grin broke out over her lips, "He is..." It was her turn to mull over the thoughts, looking for just the right words. "a strict, no nonsense kind of man." Raven began. "He has little time for foolishness, and the foolish. He is there to teach, not to make friends with the students. If he thinks you have potential, he'll push you to excell. And even if he figures you don't..." Her thoughts went to Neville, the poor boy. "He still trys to instill the facts that if one would try a bit harder, maybe they would surpise even themselves." Losing herself to her thoughts she continued. "He has no tollerance for those who think them better than others, just by mere circumstances, or for those who do not realize there is more to learning than memorizing and then regurgitating the facts without putting actual thought behind them."

"You seem...quite taken with the man." Severus said, regaurding her curiously. A slight blush crept into Raven's cheeks. "And what does the no-nosense professor think of that?"

"I will admit I am quite fond of the man, despite himself." Raven began. "He has always been one of my favorite professors." she hoped she was doing well to cover her tracks. "And as I have previously said I find potions a fascinating subject." A devilish smile crossed her lips, "As I do boys who find them thus."

Severus didn't seem sure what to make of her last statement, and worked quick to change the subject. "So, Miss Pegasus."

"Raven." she corrected him.

A corner of his lips turned upwards, and a wry smile played on his face. "Raven," he wasn't sure what it was, but the name seemed to hold some sort of fascination. "What brings you to Hogwarts?"

Raven opened her mouth to speak, trying despretly to remeber the cover story she and Raya had concocted. But before she could speak, the pair was interupted. A girl with long dark hair, hooded eyes, and thin lips that turned up in an arrogant smile stepped up to where they were seated. "Severus," she spoke in cool tones, pointedly ignoring Raven's presence, "So this is where you are. Rodolphus and myself were wondering where you had gotten off to."

"Bella," Severus replied, "I was just welcomeing a new Slytherin to our midsts." He continued, indicating Raven. "This is Raven Pegasus. Raven, this is Bellatrix Black." Raven did her best to offer up a polite smile, she knew well the Black family reputation, Raya once being a Black herself. "She and her sister have just arrived her from...Where was it again?"

At least Bella's interuption had served one purpose, it had given Raven the time she needed to remeber the cover story. "The Dumstrang Institute." she replied without missing a beat this time. "Our parents have recently, relocated." Said in a bit of a mysterious manner. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Bella is it?"

"Bellatrix, yes." The girl replied, then turned her attention back to Severus. "Will you be coming along shortly then?" She asked him, "Rodolphus, myself, Narcissa, Lucius and Rabastan have quite the evening planned."

Severus looked from Bellatrix to Raven, who had her lip caught between her teeth, in what he found a most alluring manor, as the corners of her mouth had turned down into what formed a sort of sad pout, and her blue eyes looked at him, slightly crestfallen. 'What are you doing to me?' he found himself thinking, and his next words were out before he gave them much thought. "I think I will be staying here this evening Bella." A slight smile touched his lips. "After all, one should not be rude to new arrivals."

Bella scowled slightly, and without another word, she turned and stormed out of the Slytherin common room. "I don't think she's too happy with you." Raven replied a bit of a smile shining through.

"She will get over it." He began. "Now, shall we discuse some of the finer points of potion brewing?" he asked with a slight raising of an eyebrow.

"I do belive, that would be delightful."