Chapter 8- Ghosts

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Shivering due to the cold air that swirled around the Bloody Baron like his transparent robes stained with silvery blood, Severus looked directly into the ghost's eyes. Usually, the intimidating spectre's gaze was blank and staring. Now, the Slytherin ghost's eyes glowed red. In the silence, the boy heard his roommate's swallow of breath as well the rasp of something he'd never thought to hear. The Baron's voice…

"I have been watching you, boy."

Conflicting emotions of alarm and pride warred for supremacy. Caution won out. "Why?"

Tom gave a short, nervous laugh. "You thought you were the only spy in the castle, mate? Moaning Myrtle had a thing for my dad, and told him the dead keep an eye on the living and tell what they've seen during a ghost's council."

Intriguing... Severus wished he could attend one. What did the ghosts have to say?

"They speak of petty intrigues and romantic assignations…not secret societies and uprising," the Baron answered his unspoken question in a low, rough whisper.

"That mean you don't tell them what we're up to?" Tom asked.

The red in the ghost's eyes flared brighter. Passing a translucent hand into the boy's chest, he hissed, "Dare you question my loyalty to Slytherin house?"

Tom shuddered violently. His teeth chattered as he choked out, "No. I'm sorry. No."

Releasing the youth, the Baron turned to his companion. Severus inquired quietly, "What do you want?"

A rusty, hair-raising chuckle sounded. "I want to show you something. Do you give permission?"

Involuntarily, Snape swallowed hard before saying resolutely, "Yes."

Before Tom could finish asking what they were talking about, the spectre stepped into Severus, and the boy found himself in a deserted classroom, watching through the Bloody Baron's eyes.

"Why am I here, Sutton?" demanded a sixth year who shut the door and stood regarding the waiting student with annoyance.

"I thought you'd like to get back at Wilkes," Clive Sutton answered.

"Keane and Benton already promised to allow a Bludger to take the cheating bastard out," Erik Greyback sneered. "What do you care, anyway?"

"I have my own reasons."

"Right. Pillow envy. I heard." Erik laughed derisively. "Must really burn that my sister prefers to befriend Snape over you."

Flushing with anger, Clive snarled, "I say we take them both out."

"What, permanently? You've gone round the twist, Sutton."

"Not permanently, just painfully enough that you'll get your position back and I'll teach them to respect their betters."

In the shadowy classroom, Erik's smile gleamed. "I'm all for advancing education. What did you have in mind?"

Clive bared his teeth in a feral grin. "We send a note saying a meeting's been called. When they enter, the lessons begin."

Gritting his teeth to keep them from chattering when the Baron released him from the memory and stepped away, Severus could only gasp, "Why?" The ghost promptly drifted back into his body, causing the teen to sway dizzily before he regained his balance and his vision cleared.

In a dungeon lit with flickering torches, a wizard bent low over a cauldron simmering on a work table. Dark eyes in a gaunt face flashed with irritation when the door burst open and a young man staggered inside.

"Looking for the wine cellar, brother? Tis three doors down."

Thin, weak features twisted bitterly. "Father never gave me my own key. I need you to open it."

"Use a spell," said the older wizard dismissively.

"I tried. The lock is warded. Come, canst thou not leave that blasted potion? My friends are expecting me to give them what they want," whined the youth.

Lowering the flame beneath the cauldron with an exasperated sigh, the wizard stalked toward the door. "Leeches more like, drinking my cellar dry, whilst doing nothing to merit their keep."

"Art thou truly intending to send them packing at week's end?" asked the younger brother. His face scrunched unhappily when the other wizard nodded. "Nay!"

"Aye, I am Baron here. My word is law."

The moment the man swept ahead of the youth, his brother unsheathed a dagger. "Then I must be Baron, so my word will be law."

Severus fell to his knees, crying out from remembered pain. Betrayal had hurt far more than the mortal wounds inflicted. Staring at the ghost who had released him once more, the boy knew why the Baron had remained on the earthy plane. He would've stayed around to haunt the traitor too. The ghost nodded solemnly and dematerialized.

"What the hell was that all about?" Tom asked as he helped Severus to his feet.

"The Baron showed me a meeting he witnessed between Sutton and Greyback." Releasing a deep breath, Severus raked back his hair and explained, "The message was a trap, to have us isolated and off-guard so they can ambush and teach us a painful lesson."

"Gawbies…I deal pain, I don't take any," boasted the other boy, before he inquired, "What did the old Baron show you at the end there?"

"None of your concern," Severus said firmly.

Tom shrugged. "Fine, all I care about is what we're going to about this situation."

"We could return to our house, leave them standing around, waiting indefinitely."

The stream of expletives combined with Yorkshire slang caused Severus to smile. Tom realised he'd been had and shook his head in reluctant amusement. "I almost hexed you for saying that. You're damned lucky, Tyke, which is more than those fools are going to be."

"What did you have in mind?"

Tapping his chin with a finger, Tom replied, "I'm thinking that this counts as provocation, so I have in mind trying out a few new hexes. You take care of the Protego charms, and I'll be the one schooling them in how unwise it is to cross us, mate."

The Quidditch Captain hadn't looked that happy when opening a new racing broom. Tom Wilkes was definitely someone Severus preferred to keep an ally. "Will they be able to crawl out of the chamber later?"

Clapping him on the shoulder, Tom grinned wickedly before starting down the corridor. "Sure, they will. Later…much later."

Severus almost felt sorry for those lying in wait. Almost…

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The moment Severus followed Tom out of his dorm room; the Animagus in the form of a Siamese cat lifted her head and peered around. She could transform back into a girl, but what if someone came in and found her? Unwilling to take the chance, she remained a feline. Feeling recovered from her ordeal, she padded up the bed to smell the pillow. Green tea…interesting… His mother must make her own soap. She sniffed, determining that he slept mostly on his back, or on his side facing the door.

After rolling on the bed, the feline leapt down and peered curiously at Snape's trunk. The short hairs on her back stood on end when she got close enough to feel the wards. They were strong. Jumping on all the other beds, the cat with the mental faculties of a girl sniffed each. Curiously, only one of the other beds in the room had been slept in. What had happened to the other roommates?

A moth fluttered around the illumination orb on one of the desks. Irresistibly drawn, Elpis crouched low and then sprung up to swipe at the insect. She didn't kill it, just batted it around for a moment. She would never be that hungry. She hoped.

The feline hopped onto the desk, blinking at the books and parchments piled untidily on the surface. It had to be Tom's desk. Severus would never be so disorganised. The only other desk that showed signs of occupancy was neat as a pin. Purring with pleasure at her cleverness, Elpis nosed around. He needed new quills, and his ink pot was only half full. She noticed that a fat drop had rolled down the side. Mischievously, she rubbed a paw across the ink and then hopped over to the blank sheet of parchment precisely lined up on the desk top. It was soon decorated with paw prints.

She leaptdown once she'd finished playing and ran into the lavatory. In one of the showers, a bar of soap lay in its holder on the floor. She sniffed and promptly sneezed. Sandalwood. Ick. Padding across to the other side, she saw that the back shelf held a bar of soap with dark specks. Green tea.

Rubbing her body along his towel hanging from a low bar was instinctive and rather embarrassing. Elpis dashed out of the lavatory and headed for the door. She skidded to a halt. It was closed. Shite. Unfortunately, she couldn't 'stay' as Severus had bid her, in that commanding voice that made a shiver run down her spine. She had to go. Before she could begin to mentally recite the transformation spell, the door opened.

"Nobody's here but this cat. They must've gone to get hexed," said Lane Jugson, one of her brother's cronies. She would've darted away, but the girl's mind over-ruled feline caution. Allowing the boy to pick her up, she couldn't help be flattered when he sighed, "Isn't she beautiful, Laurie? Like one of my mum's figurines, and soft as a baby chick. I wish I could've had a…a…achoo! Achoo!"

"Put that cat down, stupid, before your allergy makes your eyes swell shut- and call me Laurence or Keane, but never Laurie, you looby!" The harsh admonition caused the other boy to drop her. Muscles tensed to escape the pair, her tail lashed back and forth when Laurence said angrily, "Why'd you pick it up, dunderhead? Now I'll have to lead you to the infirmary. I swear, if Erik hasn't used every hex he knows on Snape and Wilkes, I'm going to tell him to use one on you."

She'd heard enough. While Lane reached blindly for his friend, Elpis rushed out of the door and ran toward the common room. It was deserted, but she still darted from behind curtains and sofas to make her way out. Tom and Severus returned just as she was preparing to make a break for the door. The shorter boy said laughingly, "Of course my curses are temporary, you squeamish old woman. They'll be fine…eventually."

In the outer corridor, she transformed rapidly into her natural shape and hurried toward the library passageway. Erik thought he was so clever, but she'd easily followed him to one of his mystery meetings and knew exactly where he went and what he did there. Eris remembered the vaguely worried look on Severus' face and ran full out down the secret corridor.

Cries and moans were the only sounds heard in the chamber. Just inside, two wands lay on the floor. A short distance away, her brother was curled in a ball, arms wrapped tightly around his abdomen. Her own stomach clenched in response to seeing the tears running down his cheeks. Dropping to her knees, she pointed her wand and cried, "Finite Incantatem!"

The coartatum, cramping spell took several moments to break. It was unusually strong. When Erik was able, he groaned, "Go help Sutton."

She stood and quickly headed toward the boy huddled across the room, crying piteously. Finite Incantatem had no effect. Eris knelt down and urged, "Tell me what the hex was, Clive. I want to help."

He looked up, dark eyes overflowing with tears. "It's no use. I'll never feel any better. I don't deserve to. I'm worthless and useless and should use an Unforgivable Curse on myself and do the world a favour!"

Thank the stars his wand was on the other side of the room. She stiffened when he threw his arms around her and sobbed, "I don't deserve to have a girlfriend like you. I'm the lowest of the low!"

She patted his back awkwardly. "You're not that bad, Clive. It's the hex, whatever it is, talking. I'll think of something to help…somehow…" Her voice trailed off as a spell, once used for her aid, came to mind. Voice quavering with remembered pain, she uttered, "Mediere." The spell to counteract maladies of physical kinds worked for emotional ills too.

"Eris? Wha…what happened?" said Clive thickly.

The girl stared. The hex too complex to be broken with a single counter spell must have carried a memory charm that activated when the curse was broken. No doubt, if she'd not shown up, the pair would've suffered until a specific time. Then, they would've simply been released, wondering why they'd been crying and where their intended victims had gone. Tom was as gifted in the Dark Arts as rumour whispered he was. She would tread warily around him from now on. "You were hexed," said Eris, gently pushing away.

He repeated dully, "Hexed?"

"Eris? Is that you? How did you find us?" called her brother from across the room.

After helping Clive to his feet, she led him toward Erik. "Never mind, the important thing is to get you two back to the house." With an arm around each boy's waist, she supported them as they leaned heavily on her, groggily making their way back to Slytherin house.

Eris knocked on Clive's door until one of his roommates opened the door and took him from her, shaking his head and mumbling, "Bloke can't hold his drink."

She then half dragged her brother to his room. Once he'd been put on his bed, Eris took off his shoes. Taking a blanket from the foot of the bed, she covered him. He opened his eyes and smiled like the sweet little boy he'd once been when she kissed his cheek.

Outside the room, Severus waited. "How is he?"

"He won't remember crying because his insides were cramping so badly he tried to curl into a ball to escape the pain, if that's what you wanted to know," Eris said harshly. Seeing the flinch he tried to conceal, her tone softened. "Tom…he's your friend, I understand that, but…watch out for him, okay? He might be the kind of friend that makes you not need an enemy."

"Your brother…"

She cut in, "I'm not blind to his faults. I know Clive probably came up with that stupid plan and Erik went along out of anger. Don't worry; I'll make sure he doesn't try to take you two on again."

He nodded stiffly and said quietly, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," she said softly, watching him walk away before heading to her room.

Days later, Eris was still thinking about the look on Severus' face when she'd bid him goodnight. He'd seemed surprised that she'd not held a grudge and even smiled a bit. He'd looked almost vulnerable as his lips had curved uncertainly before turning away. She'd dreamt about that expression, dreamt he'd looked at her that way right before he kissed her.

"Are you ready to go to Hogsmeade?" Narcissa asked smilingly.

Blinking away the memory of that dream, Eris nodded and smoothed down the tunic styled jumper she wore with denims.

Reaching out to touch the cashmere, her friend noted, "The colour matches your eyes."

Looking at the other girls, who were all wearing long skirts and twin-sets; she said ruefully, "I feel under-dressed."

"That's why you're going to sit by me at lunch, to make me look even better."

Eris laughed. "What an honour, Cissy."

"Yes, I know," Narcissa drawled, flicking a speck of lint off her black skirt before giggling.

The girls left the room to join the queue of students waiting impatiently for Filch to approve their passes. Mrs. Norris began yowling when it was Eris' turn. Without thinking, the girl drew back her lips and hissed at the feline. The caretaker stared at her like she was mental. Smiling brightly, she snatched her pass back and hurried to catch up with her friends.

Lunch was excruciating. Her roommates fell for Malfoy's phoney charm and heavy handed compliments, giggling and nodding at every word he said. Cissy clutched his sleeve, starry-eyed, the entire time. Madame Puddifoot, who had closed her tea shop to other customers because Lucius had paid well beyond what she would've normally taken in over an entire weekend, simpered as she served the luncheon.

"Is the food not to your liking, Eris?" The solicitude in the wizard's tone might've fooled everyone else, but the girl saw the gleam in his eye. Her careful politeness had probably tipped him off. He knew that she didn't like him and was coolly amused by it.

"Oh, it's fab, Luci." The words were out of her mouth before good sense could keep them unspoken. A shocked silence fell over the table. Weirdly, Lucius smiled.

"I'm happy to hear it, Eri," he returned smoothly. A pale eyebrow rose. "You know, there's something else I'd like to hear- all about that mysterious trip your parents said you took this summer. Everyone attending the house party was simply eaten up with curiosity."

"Nice to know they had something to talk about, " she said with a tight smile, before looking at Cissy and asking, "What colours do you think you'd like for the wedding?"

The distraction worked almost as well as Tom's memory charms. The other girls forgot all about her trip and began discussing dresses and flowers and decorations they'd seen and adored. Eris pretended to enjoy the chatter. Only once did she glance at Lucius. He lifted his glass to her in a silent toast. She looked away, reflecting with black humour that Severus wasn't the only one who needed to mind the saying, with friends like these, who needs enemies?

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The Hallowe'en Feast was one Severus outwardly disdained and inwardly enjoyed. He liked bats, and thousands of live ones covered the walls and ceiling. The carved, candlelit pumpkins decorating the tables were decently carved. Some had truly gruesome expressions. There was even an animated one in the entry that called itself Jack, the Pumpkin King. If students asked nicely, 'he' would recite Shakespearean quotations. The boy looked up. The ghosts gliding in stately formation were his favourite part of the feast. Paying no attention to insipid orange streamers, they drifted through the Hall in a dignified promenade.

"Our Bloody Baron is the most impressive ghost of all, isn't he?"

It took a moment for Severus to realise the second year girl was addressing him instead of one of her little friends. He agreed, "Yes, he is." She smiled, so she must have forgiven him for calling her a Hufflepuff. His lips quirked, thinking her forgiveness another sign of Hufflepuff tendencies.

"Hello, Dani."

"Eris!"

The seventh year girl slid, uninvited, onto the bench between Severus and Dani. "I kept my promise," she said, opening the hands she held cupped together. A tiny skeleton danced on her palm. Holding it out, Eris smiled. "On holiday, I ran across an import shop that had these. Apparently, there's a Mexican festival called 'Dia de los Muertos', the Day of the Dead, and these are popular decorations."

"He's so cute!"

"Are you related?" Severus asked, not knowing why he cared.

Two sets of blue eyes looked his way. Ones that were darker and slightly almond shaped gleamed with humour. "Aren't all pure-bloods? I'm surprised I don't have twelve toes. Actually, Dani's a cousin on my mother's side."

The boy nodded unconcernedly and looked away. The cousins chatted for a few moments before Eris stood and said, "Happy Hallowe'en, Dani." Pausing, she added, "Happy Hallowe'en, Severus."

Their eyes met and held. The corners of his mouth turned up as Severus replied, "Happy Hallowe'en, Eris."

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A/N: "Because I am dead, I can take off my head, to recite Shakespearean quotations…" Didn't I mention that I'm a huge 'Nightmare Before Christmas' fan? LOL 'Corpse Bride' was good, but Jack rules, and not just because he's the Pumpkin King!

We're a third of the way through the fic, and I have to give special thanks to everyone reviewing. The hit count reassures that people are reading, but without the feedback of reviews, I'd feel as low as Jack Skellington after he got blasted out of the sky on Christmas Eve. So while it may be sappy, I gotta say…I love you guys! Reviewers that made me "feel like my old bony self again" last week were ♥ 40/16 ♥ cupcakeswirl♥ ElspethBates ♥ Embellished ♥ FNP ♥ GraceRichie ♥ NazgulGirl - Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you… ♥Slipknot- 3113 ♥ Slytherin Love Goddess♥ sunny9847 ♥