Chapter 2- Conversations

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Following a group of housemates toward the castle, Severus listened, unnoticed, to their conversation.

"So, did you find out where she's been?" Clive Sutton, a seventh year, demanded.

Erik Greyback shook his head. "No, and I don't think she'd take kindly to you asking, so leave it, alright?"

The older boy shot back, "Once she wears my ring, there will be no more running off, let me assure you…"

Derisive laughter cut the declaration short. "Eris will marry whoever Father chooses and that won't be a wizard from a family of nobodies like you, Sutton." Dismissively saying, "Enough girl-talk," Erik turned and ordered, "Jugson, Keane, run ahead and make sure no one dares to take my favourite spot at table."

Two other sixth years rushed to do the arrogant boy's bidding. Mentally filing the information away for later use, Severus dragged his feet for a moment in order to allow the group to move ahead. Manoeuvring behind another clique, he heard the boys discuss how unfair it was that James Potter had been made Head Boy. His lips turned down. He agreed completely.

"You know he's going to have a vendetta against Slytherin all year, trying to steal the House Cup from us." Broad features became menacing when Mercer Benton, the youngest Beater in the history of Slytherin house, turned to fellow fifth year Regulus Black and gritted, "And your no-good brother will help gladly, won't he?"

A shorter, stockier version of his older brother, Regulus protested, "That blood-traitor has been stricken from the family tapestry. He's officially no brother of mine."

"Then you'll help us get even if he plays one of his pranks again, eh?" another boy asked in a tone that implied the answer had better be yes.

Severus noted the way a muscle in Black's jaw flexed as he hesitated for just the briefest moment before replying stoutly, "Yeah, I'll help you get Sirius, if he and those Gryffindors get up to their old tricks."

None of the other overheard conversations were noteworthy, so he slipped into the Hall and took his accustomed place at the end nearest the staff table. Professors sometimes divulged particulars of note, although for the most part their conversations were as banal and trivial as those of students were.

He did not attempt to engage anyone in conversation. Raised in a household where outside lessons he was expected to be seen and not heard, social skills were not his forte. If, over the years, he had occasionally wished otherwise, the interactions he had observed convinced the boy that he wasn't missing much.

"I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat…"

Rolling his eyes, Severus opened his potions text and began reading, indifferent to the inane song and the entire sorting process. Only after the Headmaster had welcomed the students to a new year of Hogwarts did he close his book and look up with expectation. The start-of-term feast had begun, and he was hungry.

"Would…would you pass the salt, please?" a big-eyed second year girl asked in a quavering voice.

Tempted to tell the little toerag to levitate it herself, the teen gazed impassively into pleading blue eyes and wordlessly handed over the salt. He did not deign to reply to her soft 'Thank you'.

After eating with precise efficiency, Severus left the Great Hall along with the rest of the students heading for Slytherin house. Waiting behind several others to enter the common room, he found it asinine that each person had to say the pass phrase before the door concealed in the stone wall would slide open to admit them one at a time.

"Cool password," a third year boy murmured. He privately concurred. The previous term, a French visitor had angrily declared that 'la morgue anglaise', the haughtiness of the English, was nothing compared to 'la morgue Slytherin'. Professor Slughorn, their Head of House, had liked the phrase so much that he had made it the password.

Inside the common room, Severus wended through the small groups chatting in the long, low-ceilinged space. He heard a girl's distinctive, throaty voice announce, "Disperse to your rooms, please. All students are expected to report punctually to class in the morning. Those who are tardy will receive detention."

"Care to help me unpack, Eris?" called Sutton, grinning at the catcalls and whistles that filled the chamber as a result of his cheeky request.

"No, but I'll be happy to send the Bloody Baron round," she replied lightly. Snape glanced over and saw her heading toward the girls' staircase. He noticed that Eris' would-be suitor was scowling and smirked, hoping that in Gryffindor tower another boy was receiving like treatment.

Severus continued on to his dorm room. Inside, only two of the five beds had a trunk at the foot. Tom Wilkes, his remaining roommate, was a small, dark, wiry youth. He looked up from a desk by the window and intoned in a sepulchral voice, "And then there was one…"

"Funny."

Tossing a text down, the boy rose and bowed, before commenting, "And yet my wit receives no acclaim." Strolling over to watch his roommate unpack his school supplies, Tom snickered. "Hows tha bin…'ow are things at 'ooam?"

Back in first year, Wilkes had proffered his hand in this room and said, "I can barely hear the Yorksher in your voice- you'll fooil the purebloods easily." With a knowing grin, he'd winked. "I dooant care if they think I'm a common little tyke, but if you do, well, your secret's safe with me."

In the years that followed, Severus had formed a wary friendship of sorts with the youth who displayed an accent on whim and openly boasted about his mill-owning Muggle relation four generations back. At first, the descendent of mill-workers had assumed that money and bold self-confidence were the reasons his roommate wasn't mocked and derided along with other known half-bloods. It didn't take long to discover the true reason. Tom was respected because he didn't hesitate to demonstrate his proficiency in the Dark Arts.

At the beginning of first year, they'd had three other roommates. By Christmas break, they'd had two, after the one who snored became convinced that there was a boggart under his bed.

"Claht'ead," Wilkes had commented with a wicked smile.

The second roommate had lasted until fourth year, when he told a girl who expressed interest in Tom that Wilkes didn't like her, but he'd be happy to go with her to Hogsmeade instead. 'The gawby', or fool, had broken into hives that didn't subside, even after an extensive stay in the infirmary. The boy had left school to seek treatment in Switzerland and transferred to Beauxbatons afterwards.

"What happened to Remington?" asked Severus, idly curious.

"He requested another room after I casually mentioned my new interest in voodoo."

Arched eyebrow asked a silent question. Bursting into laughter, Tom scoffed, "The Yark was gullible…as though I'd need a doll…." Shrugging, he leaned against a bedpost and confided, "We were both invited to a certain house party this summer, and Remington got right on mi withers, bletherin' to all and sundry 'ow mi ancestors were proles." Wilkes released a deep breath and the accent. "A certain group had extended an invitation for me to join them, and I wasn't having a spoilt prat roger it for me."

Severus focused on the one item of interest in the conversation. "What group?"

Eyes gleaming, Tom answered, "The Knights of Walpurgis…and I told the bloke who's sponsoring me about you."

"What did you tell him?"

Tom strolled over to his roommate's desk. "I said I knew a Slytherin who observes everything and writes it down in a journal using a code so esoteric, none of the experts I sent samples to were able to decipher it."

"I permitted you to copy the journal to test myself," Severus remarked off-handed, while his mind reeled with the possibilities. Arcane, exclusive, and powerful, the Knights of Walpurgis could be just the opportunity he had been looking for.

"I didn't expect owt else from you, Tyke."

"Don't call me that," he snapped. Regardless of how friendly the appellation, Severus wanted no hint of tainted parentage to ruin what might be an advantageous connection.

"Fine. Consider my gob shut." Tom held out a hand.

Severus shook it, urging, "Tell me about your sponsor, and everything you heard, saw, and know about these Knights of Walpurgis."

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Outwardly, Eris had gone about the usual beginning of term routine in her customary breezy style. Easily slipping into prefect mode along with her school robes, she had helped shepherd the ickle firsties into the house and dispersed the crowd in the common room. Clive had tried to get on with her, and she'd turned him down, nicely, the way she had done every single year since she'd arrived at Hogwarts.

Inwardly, however, everything was different and she was still unsure how to deal with the changes. She wasn't the same girl who walked the labyrinthine corridors of school last term. Before, Eris had lived a relatively carefree life, untouched by the darkness of the times. Casually friendly to all the boys and favouring none in particular, she was used to being popular and untroubled by the angst experienced by other girls her age. That idyllic life had ended the moment she'd stepped off the Hogwarts Express, eager to begin her summer holiday…

The wizard prowling the station platform smiled wolfishly when he caught sight of her and Erik. Bounding forward, he greeted, "Hello, Eris, give Uncle Fenny a hug."

Trying not to show how his raspy voice gave her the willies, the girl suffered the man's embrace. "Hello Uncle. Why didn't Mum or Dad collect us?"

Letting her go to shake Erik's hand before clapping him on the back, Fenrir Greyback said with a gravely chuckle, "They're too busy packing for Malfoy's house party."

Trailing her brother and uncle, Eris repeated levelly, "House party."

Nodding, the elder Greyback looked over his shoulder to say with a leer, "Lots of lonely young knights will be looking for a fair maiden." Four Gryffindors rowdily bidding each other farewell diverted his attention. Eris followed his gaze. Fenrir smirked. "Remember when you told me how Black kept calling you 'Greatbody' and Lupin stood by, refusing to help a damsel in distress?"

She nodded. "Yes, but that was before Christmas holiday last year, and Black hasn't done it since, why?" Watching in dread while her Uncle held up a hand he transformed into a monstrous claw, the bottom dropped out of her world when he gloated, "I'm not allowed to touch pure-bloods, but his half-blood friend, now…let's just say I left my mark on that one."

While Erik looked impressed, she felt sick to her stomach. "Are you saying that you turned Remus Lupin, because of what I told you?"

His grin was pure evil. "I'm saying Lupin is a werewolf, because of me."

Eris' attention was dragged from the past to the present when her roommate demanded, "Have you heard a single word I've been telling you?"

Turning from staring out into the darkness, she sat on the windowsill and said, "Yes, Cissy, you were sharing, once again, the story of your summer romance with Lucius Malfoy."

Looking like the ice princess she'd been designated by the male student body, Narcissa flipped her white-blonde hair back over her shoulder huffily. "I knew you weren't attending properly. It wasn't a mere romance. He asked father's permission to marry me…and look at this fabulous ring!"

The other girls shrieked in excitement, clustering around the enormous square cut emerald suspended from a silver chain. While the others gushed how lucky Narcissa was, Eris asked, "Cissy, aren't you a little young for Lucius? I mean, why did he pick a schoolgirl when there are loads of witches his age that would be more than happy to spend his money and play hostess to his Ministry and business associates?"

Looking down her aristocratic nose, Narcissa informed haughtily, "Because I am from the ancient and noble House of Black, and my brother-in-law is one of his confidants. Rodolphus told Lucius that he and Bella support the marriage wholeheartedly, that's why." Breaking into a smile, the girl cajoled, "Don't be a rain cloud, Eris. You're my oldest, dearest friend. Be happy for me."

"Do you love each other?" The moment she asked, Claire, Emma, and Diana broke into peals of laughter, shaking their heads and calling Eris a Hufflepuff.

Narcissa hugged her in a rare burst of affection and smilingly assured, "We're a perfect match in all ways." Going over to her trunk to lift out a heavy-looking velvet sack, she said, "He's generous, too, saying that the paltry allowance Mother doles out is insufficient for one of my beauty and position." Shaking the bag so the other girls could hear the clinking sounds, she promised, "First Hogsmeade Weekend, sweets and drinks are on me!"

The other girls gave a rousing 'huzzah' while Eris tried to smile. She knew how much Narcissa had always hated living on the edge of genteel poverty. The Black name and blood were the family's greatest assets after years of poor handling of funds. It was hard to blame the girl for being lured by a handsome face and handsomer fortune. Sighing, she put aside her deep reservations and said, "If you're happy, then I'm happy for you, Cissy."

Later that night, when her other friends were climbing into their beds, Eris was fastening her cloak over her school robes.

"Did you get stuck with patrol duty?" Narcissa asked sleepily, reaching for her eye mask.

"Yes. Our Head Boy and Girl were not pleased by my skiving off train duty."

"Lucius says filthy Mudbloods don't even belong at school. In fact, he says that….."

"Wish I could stay and chat, but I've got to go, see you in the morning, don't let me catch you lot roaming the corridors, because I'd get in trouble for letting you off, goodnight," said Eris, using the rapid-fire patter to interrupt a diatribe she had no desire to hear.

Her roommates' giggled farewells dispersed some of the tension Eris had felt hearing Cissy parrot what 'Lucius says.' Only Uncle Fenrir gave her the creeps more than Lucius Malfoy. There was something so cold and calculating about Lucius. She didn't see how he would ever make her friend truly happy.

In the entry hall, she turned to make her way to the main staircase. At the foot, Potter was attempting to chat up Evans. The redhead's lips curved once or twice, but otherwise, she steadfastly refused offers to 'study together'.

Royce Mercer, a seventh year Ravenclaw, approached the couple from the opposite corridor. Seeing the two approaching, the Head Girl quickly stepped away from the boy she'd almost been smiling at and briskly gave instructions. Potter's grim expression made plain that he didn't care to be paired with anyone other than Evans.

Slanting a glance at his set face, Eris said while they climbed the main staircase, "Ever thought of trying a new approach?"

Hazel eyes looked her up and down. He sneered. "When I want your advice, I'll ask for it, Greatbody."

She returned calmly, "Are you imitating your friend in romance as well as comebacks? There's your problem."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Potter asked, while opening the first in a long line of classrooms they would check on their rounds.

At the end of the corridor, when they began walking back to climb the next flight of stairs, Eris answered frankly, "Girls don't go for Sirius Black because of his rapier wit or smooth moves."

"Yeah, what do they go for, then?"

Another corridor of classrooms was searched. She shrugged. "I don't understand it, frankly, but a friend of mine said it's his looks and animal magnetism."

Laughter rang out as the Gryffindor doubled over with the force of his merriment, repeating her words between bursts of amusement. At the end of the corridor, a girl cried, "Oh my gods, what's that? Let's get out of here!"

The Hufflepuff seventh years looked almost happy to get detention. They were so relieved a ghoul wasn't after them. Potter looked offended by the comparison.

When the snogging couple was sent on their way, he asked, "My laugh isn't that horrible, is it?"

Eris shook her head. "A bit maniacal, but not ghoulish." He looked alarmed, and then relieved when she smiled and proposed, "Let's make a deal. You let me patrol the perimeter outside while you take the attics and I'll tell you what I think will get Evans' interest."

Prefects were supposed to patrol on the buddy system, but the Gryffindor was infamous for bending the rules. Her gamble paid off. Nodding, Potter said, "Okay, it's a deal."

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While his roommate pored over a book of hexes, Severus took a walk. On holidays, it was his habit to stroll the deserted streets each night before sleep. He had walked off many a negative and unproductive emotion. On occasion, when approached on a dark corner by miscreants, Snape had enjoyed taking his frustrations out on Muggles who richly deserved the hexes they received.

Tonight, the exercise failed to be the panacea he was accustomed to experiencing. Sitting on the step of a small courtyard off the entrance hall, he looked out at the mundane shrubbery and wondered who would ever come here for enjoyment.

"Meowrrr…."

His lips twitched. A Siamese came, apparently. In the light created by his wand, the cat studied him for a moment and then strolled forward, its long legs and svelte body regally elegant. Dainty oval paws lifted as the animal leapt onto his lap. Warily, the boy regarded the feline's triangular face. While he was no expert, the shine to the porcelain coat of hair, deep blue eyes, and chocolate coloured markings would have told him this was a pampered pet, even if the cat had not been wearing a collar.

Severus cautiously reached out to read the delicately engraved silver oval hanging from the black ribbon serving as a collar, "Elpis. Greek for Hope…a feminine name. Well, I hope you don't expect me to pet you, cat."

In contrast to the heavier sound it had made before, the feline gave a soft mew. She gazed at him with uncannily expressive eyes. Slowly, his hand rose. The short hair was the softest he had ever felt--more like the down of a chick. The boy began petting the cat, faintly surprised at the feeling of relaxation the motion engendered.

A huff of amusement escaped him when the Siamese closed its exotic eyes and began to purr.

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A/N: Fenrir Greyback gave me the creeps in HBP and stays in character in this story, which uses HBP, OotP, and PoA, mostly, for reference. Nice of "Uncle Fenny" to mislead his niece into thinking he'd turned Remus because of what she'd said. Bet she doesn't 'share' with him anymore!