A/N Thank you for reviews! I'm glad you like this story. This chapter is shorter, but enjoy!

The next morning found her hidden away in the library, reading. She wasn't alone for long. As it turned out, seventh year Slytherins and Gryffindors had a free time at half past ten. Severus grumpily stormed past her and to the last table, hidden behind a bookcase right after he set foot in. Carmina wondered about his temper for a bit, but then the door opened again and James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew and Lily Evans entered. Apparently Lupin and Evans wanted to spend their free class reading and the rest just decided to come along. Now she understood Severus completely. Actually, as soon as James, Sirius and Peter began to be a little too loud, she sighed and relocated to Severus' table. He glared at her.

"What are you doing here?!"

"Believe or not, those baboons would notice me in the end and as I know, it would be the end of peaceful reading. No need to worry, I'll be quiet as a mouse."

"They would be more pleased to see you, so go away. I'm sure you would get along just fine," he retorted, animosity in his voice.

"Why don't you like me? After all it wasn't I who lured you somewhere to meet a transformed werewolf, nor do I attack you to prove I am what I am not."

Snape winced a little. "How do you know?!" he spat at her.

She shrugged.

"I just know some things. No one told me. Unless you didn't notice, I do not have any friends here yet."

He shrugged it off. "There are equally pathetic idiots like you just meters away. You would get along. Make friends with them."

"I can't say I would like to. There is only one man I would like to be friends with and he's backing like horses whose hairs are in my wand."

"Why would you like to be friends with me? As if you didn't know who we Slytherins are," he hissed.

"You are a house of cunning, sly and perspicacious people, often with high ambitions and inclination to dark magic. Besides, I know you a bit and what I know I like. So?"

He snorted. "You know nothing about me, if you think so you are even more deplorable than I thought. Bugger off."

"I know more than you think. A lot more." She leaned to him a bit, with a small smile, as if expecting a good talk. His eyes narrowed and he sneered at her.

"And does it not bother you at all that you want to be friends with a future Death Eater?" he purred dangerously. His eyes gleamed triumphantly, he was sure she'd back down quickly now.

"Oh, you're not yet?" she feigned pleased surprise. "Interesting. I don't care at all, Severus. Even though I don't share the Dark Lord's ideas. So what? Will you be willing to talk to a Hufflepuff like me?"

Snape looked at for a long while, without a visible expression once his surprise faded away. He was good at occlumency and legillimency already in his seventh year.

He was looking her up and down, contemplating if she was worth the waste of his time. She wouldn't be Lily, but maybe she wouldn't be as annoying as Rosier.

"What do you think of Potter and his cronies?" he asked her.

Carmina pondered for a while. Three out of four were currently playing monkeys.

"Well, I can only tell you my opinion on Lupin. He cares about school and doesn't waste his time by planning mindless pranks, which is good. Smaller catch is that he's a werewolf, bigger catch that he never stops his friends, even though he should tear their heads off as a real Prefect would. Thus, he is partially an idiot," she stated. Severus was frowning. That wasn't good enough. She continued. "As for the others, I can't say what I think. Perhaps you will know better by watching our interaction, because I really have to get away from here. I'm starting to get a headache. Will you watch for the answer?"

Snape curtly nodded. Carmina smiled and stood up. She really had a headache now. And that was meant to be Harry Potter's father and godfather. Poor boy.

"Thank you," she looked at him one last time. "Watch carefully. I will look you up later."

Carmina walked out from behind the bookcase and headed out of the library. She had to walk right by their table. James, Sirius and Peter were jumping near the table, making faces at each other and quietly screeching as monkeys. She intended to stop by the table for a while and say hello to "Lily and Mr. Lupin", ignoring the others as if they were less than air for her. However, five meters from there Black noticed her presence, turned to her and cast her way a gleaming smile.

"Oh, hi darling! Want to sit with us for a while and get to know each other?" he gestured widely to the table and came up with his best heart-breaker pose.

Carmina rolled her eyes, and changed her plan. That boy was worse than she thought. She hated boys like that. Poor Severus, to deal with this conceited thing. She turned to him.

"Don't drool, be so kind," she retorted coldly.

Remus and James glanced at each other. Don't drool. Was it just an accident, or did that strange girl know something?

"Who wouldn't when he sees you? Come on don't play hard. I'll show you all the hidden alcoves where no one finds us. You'll have a lot of fun."

Carmina stiffened and gritted her teeth. Then she sweetly smiled.

"Well, there's nothing to be said, is there?" she purred and came nearer to him.

He was looking at her with a dull smile on his face. When she was close enough, she gripped his shoulders and kicked him in the groin forcefully. He fell on the floor with a choked scream. She stepped back disgustedly and glared at James and Pettigrew.

"You two could use the same. Maybe you would start thinking with those two brain cells you have for a change. But I think one idiot on the floor is enough for today. Now if you excuse me, I have a knee to disinfect."

Carmina stalked to the Great Hall for lunch without a backward glance. Well, she hadn't really planned it, but maybe it would persuade Snape to talk to her. She never imagined Black would be so… sick. But she didn't care. She never really liked his character while reading.

It did persuade Snape. He wasn't a bit more pleasant, but at least he stopped telling her to bugger off the minute she approached him. They spent almost the entire time reading or just sitting there and listening to their surroundings. Carmina found out she didn't have much to tell him. She told him a little about her "birth" country, at least what she remembered of those five years she was there. She couldn't discuss the school with him; he would know she wasn't educated.

She told him her evening meetings with teachers were to fill her in on things she hasn't been taught at home. It wasn't that much of a lie. They didn't discuss his death-eater friends or plans too, logically, and he was such a private person that she had never asked him anything about his family or feelings.

But their silent sessions were never awkward or disturbing. They actually felt good in the presence of each other. Although Snape would rather die than admit he felt comfortable or good with her.