Chapter 9- Lures
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Severus left the Hallowe'en Feast shortly after bidding Eris goodnight. Festive surroundings that he'd at first deemed pleasant now grated on his nerves. The unbridled merriment and cacophony of voices gave him a headache. Escaping the din for silent corridors, he returned to the Slytherin common room, sighing in relief.
"Master is right, you wasn't staying long," said a voice with an irritating treble in it.
The boy noticed a creature standing by an unlit fireplace. It was Dobby, the Malfoy house elf. Large, tennis ball shaped eyes gazed cringingly, as though expecting a blow. Snape's eyebrows winged upward in silent question.
"Master is wanting you to meet him in the Room of Requirement," the elf announced.
He'd heard of the fabled room that changed to meet the user's needs, but was forced to ask, "Where on the seventh floor is it located?"
Unsettlingly large teeth were displayed when the elf smiled. "Across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. You is to walk three times across the area of stone and a door will appear."
Severus nodded and turned on his heel to leave. He would document the information in his journal the moment he returned. Behind him, the elf muttered sadly, "Nobody is ever thanking Dobby for anything." The boy despised self-pity. He left the chamber thinking, most likely nobody ever will, either.
After smirking at the barmy wizard who had attempted to teach Trolls ballet, Severus made short work of exposing the hidden door. He stepped into the room, curious to see what Malfoy had required.
It was a library such as Severus had never seen before. Rich woods, luxuriously upholstered furniture, and a treasure trove of books that gave off a Dark aura the way Eris' skin exuded the scent of lavender. Just enough to be alluring… He rigidly suppressed such thoughts and looked at the man watching him, assessing.
I had a feeling you wouldn't keep me waiting long," said Lucius Malfoy, from his position in a chair before the marble fireplace. Remaining seated, the man gave a wintry smile. "Your antisocial nature hasn't changed, I see."
"No," agreed Severus.
"Excellent. Reliability is a trait I require."
He didn't ask, 'For what?' but stood patiently.
"Sit down, sit down." Lucius waved him to the chair opposite.
Severus noted that his own face was lit by the firelight while his host's was cast in shadow. A stratagem he would've employed himself. Casually crossing his legs, the older man said, "I took my fiancée and her friends out to lunch and decided to stay and have a chat with you."
The wizard removed the stopper from a crystal decanter on the table beside him, asking, "Firewhiskey?"
"Thank you."
Pouring two generous measures, Lucius handed a tumbler to Severus. Lifting his glass, he toasted, "To Knighthood."
"Explain," demanded the boy curtly, before realising his tone might offend. More civilly, he added, "If you please."
Taking a sip, Malfoy seemed to admire the way the firelight made the crystal sparkle before murmuring, "It bodes well that you know when to contain Slytherin arrogance. A knight must always humbly obey his lord."
"Are you saying that I am to become a Knight of Walpurgis?" To have this offered so quickly after the first meeting was more than he'd hoped for.
"Yes, I've told the Dark Lord about you, and he agrees you have potential to surpass the others in the cadre here." Lucius lifted his glass. "He looks forward to meeting you."
Severus' heart slammed in his chest. His mouth opened and closed. The most dangerous, powerful wizard in the realm looked forward to meeting him? He was speechless.
Lucius seemed more like the schoolboy he remembered when smiling. "The heretofore imperturbable Snape is flustered. Lord Voldemort will be pleased."
It was hard for the boy to remain impassive at the mention of the name most of the Wizarding world feared to utter. He was conditioned by years of schooling to flinch at the sound. Suppressing the urge took effort, but he accomplished it. Severus pondered over what a man whose name meant 'thief of death' would be like. Still overwhelmed, he rasped, "When?"
"Not until Christmas holiday. There's a formal ceremony to be performed, after our Master gives final approval."
"Master?"
Lips twisting wryly, Malfoy explained, "He likes his little titles." Shrugging, he continued, "Ulrik Greyback is throwing a house party over Christmas. You and a couple of others are invited." He asked mockingly, "Will you pine over not spending the holiday with your parents?"
"Not in the least," Severus assured. His mother would undoubtedly be relieved not to bear the expense of creating some facsimile of holiday cheer.
"Then let's drink to Christmas," Lucius replied with a smirk.
Their glasses clinked together. It was hard for Severus to appreciate the smooth whisky when his mind was racing with visions that were a hell of a lot more welcome than sugarplums. Trying to appear calm, he said, "Congratulations on your engagement."
"Thank you. Narcissa's a lovely girl with an impeccable background. The only thing that would make her more perfect is if she had money." Draining his drink, Lucius chuckled. "Of course, if she had money, her family would've looked higher than a 'marries well Malfoy', so in that case, two out of three isn't bad at all." Rising to his feet, Lucius said off-handed, "Narcissa tells me that her best mate Eris has become your Potions partner. Friends, are you?"
"Acquaintances," Severus demurred.
Lucius frowned. "I'd hoped you could do me a favour, and find out where dear Eris went on that trip over the summer. No one knows, and that makes me want to…merely for curiosity's sake."
"I will do my best to find out," was all that he could promise.
"Then I'll soon have the answer, won't I?"
Following Lucius out of the Room of Requirement, Severus felt his elation dim at the memory of the thinly disguised command to acquire the information Malfoy wanted. In order to get Eris to trust him enough to confide, he would have to lure her into believing him to be a friend she could trust confidences with. Or seduce her into confessing… Repressing the idea, undoubtedly a result of the whisky, or overindulgence in sugar, he stalked back to Slytherin house.
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Several days after the Hallowe'en Feast, students were still talking about it in fond reminiscence. Claire Forbes, listening to the Gryffindors around her laugh about Sirius Black setting a new school record in bobbing for apples, smirked. "We always knew Black was a dog, but that retrieving stunt proves it."
Hoping that her giggles didn't sound too high pitched and nervous, Eris said, "I'm not fond of dogs."
"You don't like canines?" asked a boy standing nearby.
It was Remus Lupin. Eris reminded herself that it wasn't Lupin's fault his barmy friend thought it great fun to chase cats and risk taking a werewolf on jaunts into the forest. She replied, "Not especially, but canis lupis are cool." He paled so dramatically, she hurriedly added, "That was a play on your name. Lupis…Lupin…not many wolves in Britain these days. Must be why they don't scare me."
The colour came back to his face, along with a whimsical smile. "Who's afraid of the big, bad wolf?" At her blank look, he explained, "It's a Muggle fairytale."
Claire looked pointedly away, after making an 'Eeuwww…Muggles' grimace. Eris ignored her roommate and said, "I remember fairytales from Muggle Studies. I liked those Grimm ones." When he looked amused, she said, "What's the one about a big, bad wolf?"
Lupin had a pleasant voice. He gave her the condensed version of the story while they waited on the side steps for Professor Kettleburn to arrive. She said, "Have you ever thought about being a teacher? You'd be ace at it."
A shadow crossed his face. "I do enjoy tutoring, but teaching…who knows?"
"Who cares?" Claire grumbled.
Throwing Remus an apologetic look, Eris said, "Well, I enjoyed the story, even though I wanted the wolf to eat those gloating pigs. Thanks."
"You're welcome." He moved off to speak with another boy after a parting smile.
"You were just being weirdly friendly, like with Snape, right? You don't go for Lupin, do you?" demanded Claire the moment she thought the boy in question had moved out of hearing range.
Eris saw his shoulders stiffen. Crap, he had wolf hearing even when he wasn't furry! She said lightly, "I'm a nice, friendly person, Claire. You should try it sometime." Both Lupin's shoulders and her pal's expression relaxed.
"I'd like to be friendly to Clive Sutton, if you don't mind."
"Of course I don't mind, I've wanted him to find somebody else for ages!" Eris grinned. "He'd be lucky to have you, so go for it!"
Professor Kettleburn's arrival ended the conversations of all the students. "Good morning, class!"
"Good morning, Professor Kettleburn."
The lanky wizard declared, "It is a wonderful morning, because I just received the most wonderful news from Hagrid, our groundskeeper." Using sweeping arm gestures to emphasise his words, Kettleburn said in a carrying voice, "We were scheduled to return to the Boobrie habitat, now that the eggs have hatched and maternal instinct isn't a hazard to life and limb." Grinning like a schoolboy instead of a tenured professor, he shared, "However, an even more incredible opportunity has arisen!"
He descended the steps rapidly. "Follow me, class, as I lead us to witness one of the most amazing magical creatures in the Highlands. Tarbh Uisge!"
"What's that?" one of the Gryffindor Beaters asked.
"A water bull," someone else answered.
The professor agreed cheerily, "Yes, yes, Tarbh Uisge is indeed a water bull, five points to Slytherin!"
"Gryffindor!" several students chorused.
Kettleburn chuckled. "Other teachers call me indulgent, but I say goodwill should be rewarded. Five points to Gryffindor too!"
Covering their mouths to hide the smiles their classmates wouldn't appreciate, the Slytherin girls followed the others to the lakeshore. As usual, the eccentric wizard licked his finger and held it up to the wind.
"Excuse me, sir, but why do you do that?" Eris asked.
The professor scratched his white hair. "I can't remember, but one day, I'm sure the reason will come back to me." Smiling, he said, "To show that no question is an unintelligent question, ten points to Gryffindor."
Muffled laughter rippled through the group when Claire protested, "Slytherin!"
Placing his hand to his heart, Kettleburn sighed happily. "You know, I brag on the inter-house harmony this class has achieved." Before heading to the green pasture bordering the lake, he approved, "Ten points to Slytherin!"
Once the class reached the destination and formed a half circle around their teacher, he informed in a hushed voice, "The Tarbh Uisge may have no ears, but the fabled water bull has keen hearing, nonetheless." Taking out a cylinder from a pocket, he held it up and said, "The bull dwells in lochs, but occasionally will emerge. This device mimics the sound of a female cow. I will use it to call the Tarbh Uisge from the lake. Please stand back and watch carefully. A half-scroll essay on the water bull will be required once we return to class."
"Erm…Professor?" called a girl standing near Remus. Eris had noticed the frequent looks the Gryffindor had given her since she'd talked with Lupin. They hadn't been friendly. Did she like him? Why didn't the girl talk to him, then?
"Yes, Miss Minnows?"
"It's Meadowes, Sir, and…should you be wearing a red scarf?"
Hearty laughter burst from the wizard. Containing his mirth, he said, "I apologise for the inappropriate levity, Miss Marrows, but bulls do not charge when they see red. They charge because of the movement of the cape, so do not fear for my safety."
Claire and Eris looked at each other and said together in a giggly undertone, "Be afraid- be very afraid."
The class swiftly moved back twenty metres, until the teacher pronounced them safe and solemnly lifted his cylinder. With a twist of his wrist, it turned over. The sound was like nothing Eris had heard before. A long, lowing, mooooo…
Nothing happened. The class shifted restlessly. The professor frowned, and then smiled, turning the cylinder back over to make the noise again. Still nothing happened. Finally, Kettleburn decided to shake the cylinder, making the most gods awful noise Eris had ever heard.
The water bull burst from centre of the lake, enormous and snorting. The professor yelped and began to run. His red scarf fluttered behind him. The creature charged.
"Aaahhh!" the wizard screeched.
"Throw the cylinder into the lake!" a boy yelled. It was Remus Lupin. Kettleburn did as he was told. The bull turned before reaching the rocky shore and plunged into the water once more. Students crowded around the teacher who sat panting and gasping for breath.
Eventually, the man recovered enough to explain, "Alas, I had forgotten that when shaken excessively, the cylinder mimics the mating cry of the extremely rare and desirable female Tarbh Uisge. When the bull saw that I was not a potential mate, he quite understandably became wroth."
Heading back to the classroom, Eris manoeuvred over to Remus and said, "That was quick thinking back there. Why didn't he give Gryffindor any points?"
He smiled ruefully. "Kettleburn quietly awarded twenty points to Slytherin, commending me on the cunning idea. I tried to tell him I was Gryffindor, but he wagged his finger at me and said he was too canny to be fooled by someone who used any means to achieve his ends. What could I say?"
"I say its time to go in," Claire interjected, dragging Eris away, muttering about Hufflepuffs and unnatural friendships all the way to class.
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Weekends were usually times of quiet study and contemplation for Severus. On occasion, Tom would challenge him to wizard chess, and he would oblige his roommate with a match. The first Saturday in November found him doing something he'd never done before- following a girl in hopes of gaining her attention.
He'd almost spoken to her in the library, but she and Forbes had gone up to Sutton and begun a conversation. It was readily apparent that the girls were trying to divert the boy's interest from Eris to her friend.
After she'd left the pair together on some pretext, Eris hurried to the Transfiguration classroom and helped Professor McGonagall inventory her storage cupboard for an hour. Part of the Severus' brain admired her dedication to turning the teachers up sweet, but another part did not appreciate having to lurk around corridors while she did so.
Finally, she left. Still using a Disillusionment Charm to conceal himself, Severus followed grumpily. Eris slipped outside, walking briskly toward the lake. In the courtyard, she passed some little girls skipping rope. The rhythmic slapping of the rope against the stone and the high pitched chanting caught her attention.
"I like coffee, I like tea, I like Eris, in with me!"
"Dani, no," she said with a smile.
Her cousin repeated the call, taunting, "Are you too old?"
"I'll show you old," Eris promised, taking off her robes.
The girls on either end of the long rope grinned as they held the ends and turned the rope smoothly. In the middle, Dani and Eris jumped about in an undignified manner, hair flying, as the girls began chanting a silly rhyme.
One two three, Mother caught a flea, put it in the teapot, made a cup of tea, flea jumped OUT! Mother gave a shout, in came Dad with his shirt tail OUT!
They hopped on one foot and then another, jumping in and out of the rope circle. The effect of viewing each girl's pink cheeks, shining eyes, and the up and down motion of skirts and bodies was very dissimilar and directly related to the stage of maturity of the individual. Dani was grudgingly acknowledged as cute, while Eris was…
"Ow!" She laughed good-naturedly, after tripping, while being laughed at by the gleeful second years.
Eris had fallen to land on her backside in a sprawl that was immodest and…not going to be witnessed by him any longer. In his hurry to leave, Severus allowed the side door to bang shut. He hoped the sound made Eris jump to her feet and worry about who might've seen her uninhibited behaviour- and her panties.
Thinking about the other ways she might behave uninhibitedly put him in a nark. He returned to his dorm and took a long, cold shower.
That evening, he sat in a chair in a corner of the common room, ostensibly reading. In actuality, Severus waited for the right time to approach his target. She was never alone. Time passed. He came to the unwelcome realisation that if he wanted to talk with Eris, he would have to ask her to do it in front of her friends.
Standing, he began a circuitous route from his chair to the sofa she was ensconced upon with three other girls. Halfway there, Eris looked up and caught his eye. She smiled. He froze. There was no way he could stroll over and ask to speak to her privately. Inclining his head polite acknowledgement, he altered his path and headed for his dorm.
Inside his room, Severus slumped into the chair at his desk. His finesse with the opposite sex was non-existent. He would never get the information he needed from Eris. Heaving a sigh of frustration, he picked up a piece of parchment with paw prints on it. They didn't march straight up the paper, but made a pattern uncannily similar to an 'S'. An idea struck. Perhaps he could get what he wanted another way. Tracing the cat's prints with his finger, Severus started to plan.
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A/N: I had fun sorting through British rope skipping rhymes to find the ones I used. I also enjoy characters that are three dimensional. Although Lucius isn't an admirable character, I've always thought he would have a wicked sense of humour. LOL. Thanks for reviewing go to 'wicked cool' ♥40/16 ♥ Camillia Vincent ♥ cupcakeswirl ♥ Dragonandthewerewolf ♥ ElspethBates ♥ Embellished ♥ FNP ♥ GraceRichie ♥ NazgulGirl ♥ Slipknot-3113♥ Slytherin Love Goddess ♥ sunny9847 ♥