From this point forward the story separates itself from the book pretty much entirely. I'll still have a few elements of the "Half Blood Prince" but will mostly do my own thing. That's what fanfiction is all about, isn't it? In any case, read on and tell me what you think.

Midnight Interludes

Snape's POV

I was in a foul mood that evening, having been dispatched by the Headmaster to go fetch the Potter brat that had somehow managed to contrive another way to enter the Great Hall alone in all his arrogance. Of course, he had been hopping to get his half-giant oaf of an admirer to bow him all the way to the castle, but Dumbledore saw fit to send me to take care of this menial task, and I was furious for it. But I wasn't about to let king Potter know. Let him think that I did it out of pure perversity. As if I didn't have more important things on my mind. Spying on the Dark Lord for instance! I sometimes wonder why I put up with Dumbledore, the great meddling coot, but I plan to survive this war, and as anyone can see that the Dark Lord is as mad as a hatter and about as mentally stable as Longbottom trying to walk a tight rope (Why must that idiotic boy pursue me into my very musings!? Oh woe is me! And where did that infernal Muggle reference come from? Haven't thought about a circus in a good twenty years, used to give me nightmares as a child... Urgh!), I have no other option that to seek protection from the other great lump of the land. Mad as a hatter the Dark Lord may be, but his power was incontestable.

I gave my usual disciplinary unwelcoming speech to the quaking first years. Though perhaps my anxiety was manifesting itself in a worse than usual temper, as they not only quailed and shook this year but many broke down in tears at my sharp words. Behaviour completely unbecoming to any Slytherin worthy of the name may I add, and I reminded them of such. At this, a rare few composed themselves and faced me with pride, as the rest flew into hysterics. With a parting sneer and a nod of the head to those who had shown themselves worthy, I left them to their own means. The first night at Hogwarts is of capital importance for all of the first year Slytherins, though connexions and power are of supreme importance, they will not last long if you are not capable of keeping a cool head in all of you transactions. Blind panic does not suit cunning. The leaders had asserted themselves this night and would have to fight to keep their place in the Slytherin social order. It was nothing readily observable or concrete, but subtle, every Slytherin knew the social ranking and quiet battles were fought and alliances formed and broken without a murmur of it escaping to the outside world.

The clock struck midnight in my chambers and quickly grabbing a few bottles of dreamless sleep and calming potion, I decided to go check if the prefects had managed to get the first year brats to bed. I couldn't have them showing up anything other than scrupulously neat and well rested on their first day. It was now their duty to uphold the honor of Slytherin house, no matter how weak and stupid they really were.

As I silently glided through the shadows of the dungeons towards the common room, I saw a student jump out quietly and look around, before jogging in the other direction. He made no sound (must have put a silencing charm on his shoes), I would have missed him had I not been staring at the common room door as I approached or had my eyes not been so accustomed to the dark (Vampiric blood does come in handy every once in awhile).

Students wandering the corridors after the welcoming feast was highly irregular. Even I did not usually bother to patrol during the first night. The pests were all so ridiculously happy to be reunited with their snot-nosed housemates and so full and sleepy after an evening of uninterrupted gluttony, they all flew strait to their beds. Or so I thought.

Despite my many responsibilities, and my own fatigue, I decided that pursuit was the wisest option. I have always kept myself afloat of what unfolds in the student population. There is a reason Ravenclaws and Slytherins get along so well, the old age dictum that "knowledge is power" does hold some truth to it. And power is a thing that Slytherins respect. Though many would scoff at my paranoia, I had learnt from experience that though most student interaction was but a long stream of insipid drivel, every once in awhile, something would crop up that was definitely worth knowing. Children were not very good at keeping their parent's secrets. Besides which, I had always envied Dumbledore's seemingly omnipresent knowledge of what happened around the castle… I had noticed it was rather intimidating.

As I followed stealthily, the student bobbed and weaved his way through the shadows, taking shortcuts I had previously thought only I possessed knowledge of. He soon slowed (I had guessed by his stride that he was male) and crept towards a door I knew to be nothing but a locked broom closet. There he paused and took out his wand before tracing out the rune for secrecy at the bottom of the door. Suspicious of what was happening, I took out a vial of invisibility potion I always carried on me and downed it. (One was never too precautious – I suspect that had I been a Muggle woman, I would have been the kind to toad around an umbrella on a sunny day – just in case. Ahh, the benefits of being a wizard, so much one can do with one's wand. But I digress… )

No sooner had I drunk the potion that the rune on the bottom of the door flared, followed by the audible click of a lock. I followed the student as close as I dared and managed to squeeze in before he closed the door, but not before getting the end of my robe caught. I was apparently in a rather awkward position and I burnt in shame at the thought that one of my Slytherins might catch me like this. For such a mistake I would loose all respect and credibility. Coming out of my musings I finally noticed the scene in front of me.

Zabini, for that was the student I had been following, was starring at a cloaked girl in silence. Her face was shadowed, and I could not tell who she was from my vantage point. But at that point I no longer cared; it was obviously a late night romantic rendez-vous, that I would be forced to witness as I still had an hour of invisibility to go. Yes, invisibility potions had their downside, they made the bottles you stored them in invisible and had the marked disadvantage of lasting a definite period of time as they did not have an antidote. A professor wasn't very intimidating when invisible. Well, on some students I might be able to pull it off, but I knew Zabini and if he caught me like this, I would be receiving blackmail for the rest of my mortal life, and perhaps, thereafter. Unless I had something on him… With renewed interest, I looked upon the cloaked girl, maybe I would manage to get out of an unwanted display of kinky teenage intercourse after all.

They both faced each other off, still as stones, neither moving as it would give the advantage to the other. A rather common Slytherin ritual, but if the girl were Slytherin, why did they not simply meet in the dormitory? But perhaps that knowledge would give an edge to their classmates. Or perhaps her parents had already promised her to someone else, though Zabini would be rich, most wizarding folk were wary of associating with his mother. The breaking of and oath could mean disgrace for her family. There was a small chance that this could yet turn to my advantage. As the minutes dragged by, I began to hope that the invisibility potion would wear off before either of them moved.

Just then, the girl said: "You were late Zabini," before turning and throwing herself on one of the armchairs in a most unslytherin manner.

"Honestly, don't you ever get tired of playing those stupid Slytherin games? I would like to get to bed sometime this evening. Sit down."

Thus yawning, Eloise Midgeon threw off her hood.

That's it folks. I'll hopefully be updating soon. Please review! Am in search of a Beta!!!