Part 40 – The Slytherin Within

Severus had come to the conclusion that the only way that Lily could be putting up the pictures without being caught was to do it early, before the rest of the school was up and about.

Therefore on Saturday morning Severus decided to track her down by getting up early himself. He was feeling slightly guilty about letting her take all the risk of getting caught and resolved to put the final ones up himself.

The Slytherin Common Room was deserted but for a couple of seventh year students buried in their books. They looked up in surprise at Severus's appearance as he made his way across the room but didn't say anything to him, merely burying themselves back in their studies.

Severus slipped from the room and navigated the winding, deserted corridors until he reached the stone staircase leading up to the Entrance Hall.

He climbed the stairs slowly, wondering where best to look for Lily. He had just reached the top stair and the Entrance Hall when he heard the sound of light and quick footsteps descending one of the staircases above him. He pulled back into the shadows to wait for the person to pass him by, only to see that it was Lily herself, armed with one of the remaining sketches.

He watched quietly as she quickly crossed the Entrance Hall and into the Great Hall.

Severus opened his mouth to call out to her, but at the sound of more footsteps from above the words died on his lips. He stepped back into the shadows and waited to see who it was.

A moment later the figure came into view: Dumbledore.

Severus instinctively edged back down a couple of steps as he watched the Headmaster stride past and into the Great Hall.

"Good morning Miss Evans." Dumbledore's voice carried back easily and Severus made his way cautiously back into the Entrance Hall to look into the Great Hall.

"Good morning," Lily replied. Severus could tell she sounded slightly startled. He edged forward until he could see into the room where Lily and Dumbledore were standing a few feet away from the door.

"I see that Hogwart's mystery artist is unmasked," Dumbledore commented as he reached out his hand and gestured to the paper Lily was grasping. "May I?"

Severus watched as Lily, with some reluctance, passed Dumbledore the parchment.

"Professor Flitwick," Dumbledore said with a small laugh. "I don't know how flattered he would be with the rendition though. Some of the Professors are delighted to see themselves immortalised in these drawings, other's not so much."

"They're only meant to be a bit of fun," Lily replied in a slightly subdued tone.

"Oh they are indeed." Dumbledore nodded and held up the parchment to view it in a better light. "But not all of the Professors think so. You have two more drawings I believe, do you have them with you?"

"There's just this one," Lily replied as she pulled out the final picture that Severus knew must be of the ghostly Professor Binns; that one and Flitwick's were the only ones yet to be displayed.

"Only that one?" Dumbledore sounded suspicious, like he didn't believe her. Severus scowled at the thought of the older man questioning Lily's honesty.

"That's the last of them," confirmed Lily.

"There wouldn't be one more?" Dumbledore asked again. "All the drawings have made their way to my office eventually, there's quite a collection. With these two it's almost a complete set. Are you sure there isn't one more; one that perhaps you're afraid to show me in particular?"

"No Professor." Lily shook her head.

"You mean that there isn't a sketch of me waiting to be displayed?"

"No Sir."

"Oh. I must confess to being a trifle disappointed."

Severus moved a little closer to the doorway, watching as Dumbledore looked at the pictures in his hands.

"Disappointed?" asked Lily, looking Dumbledore in the eye.

"I was looking forward to seeing myself rendered in this way. I thought perhaps you were waiting to display mine until last."

"There isn't one of you," Lily confessed.

"Ah well," Dumbledore replied, shrugging slightly.

A few moments passed in silence whilst Dumbledore continued to study the drawings. Severus remained rooted to the spot, holding his breath, his instincts telling him that Dumbledore hadn't quite finished yet.

Lily shifted from foot to foot, casting nervous glances towards the doorway. Severus retreated back into the shadows, unsure whether she'd noticed him or not.

"Still…" Dumbledore's quiet voice nevertheless reached Severus with ease. "Still, there are some members of staff who are not so pleased about the drawings. Mr Filch in particular was rather beside himself when he came across his portrait."

"Am I in a lot of trouble?" Lily asked.

"Not a lot of trouble, no," Dumbledore assured her. "But I think a detention will help to appease those who aren't so appreciative of your talent. Is tomorrow okay with you?"

"Tomorrow?" Lily echoed.

"Maybe next Saturday then?" Dumbledore offered.

Severus's jaw dropped at Dumbledore practically offering to arrange the detention around Lily's own schedule. It was a sure sign that Dumbledore was not at all angry about the pictures, but was in a position where he had to show authority.

For the first time since Dumbledore had appeared, Severus wondered if he should make his presence known. They were his pictures, it was his work; it should be him in detention. He moved forward slightly as if to enter the Great Hall.

But instead of going into the room and confessing, Severus remained just outside the doorway, waiting for he knew not what. Waiting, until eventually the moment passed him by.

"Next Saturday then," Dumbledore said. "And perhaps you might be able to complete the collection by then?"

Severus watched Dumbledore offer Lily a quick wink and a smile as he turned back towards the door. He was about to move back out of sight but realised too late that Dumbledore had already spotted him lurking.

"Good morning, Severus," Dumbledore greeted him as he passed into the Entrance Hall.

"Good morning, Headmaster," Severus replied, but any words of confession just wouldn't come forth and all too soon Dumbledore had disappeared into the upper confines of the school once more.

"Severus?" Lily called out from inside the Great Hall.

Severus forced himself to smile as he walked into the room.

"I got caught," Lily said. "Professor Dumbledore has the last of the pictures."

"I heard," Severus mumbled, casting an anxious glance back towards the door.

"You heard all of that?" Lily asked in a neutral tone.

"I should have said something," Severus admitted. "You shouldn't have to do detention when the drawings are mine."

"I don't mind," Lily replied. "I said I'd take the risk."

"Still…"

"You could probably catch Dumbledore if you tried," Lily pointed out.

Severus looked towards the door again, but just like before his feet wouldn't move in the direction he knew they should.

"It's okay," Lily said. "But you heard what Dumbledore said about the drawings; he'd like one of himself too. Would you…?"

"Draw Dumbledore?" Severus nodded. "I'll find a way to get a picture to you before next weekend."

"Thanks."

Severus nodded again unsure what else to say. Lily wasn't blaming him for not coming forward to admit his part, but he knew she was disappointed in him. He was disappointed in himself.

Suddenly things said by the students in other houses about those in Slytherin made a lot more sense.

Cowards!

They always save their own skins first!

As a Slytherin student he hadn't taken a great deal of notice of the snide remarks, no more so than he suspected the Hufflepuff students took note of the comments about their intelligence. He'd dismissed the harsh words as pettiness and jealousy and didn't think their veiled insults applied to him.

Now one word, more than any other rang through his mind.

Coward!

The Sorting Hat had placed him well, if his actions or lack thereof, this morning were anything to go by. Not only that, the other students were right to call him a coward. He didn't want to be, and he hated that he was, but there was no other word to describe him on this Saturday morning.

He was a true Slytherin, but one who would have given a great deal at that moment to be in any other house but that one.

He had been sorted into the right house, there was no doubt about it; the Sorting Hat had sensed the coward, had sensed the Slytherin, within him.


Authors Note: Aug 2007 - Yes I do still intend to finish this story. I have just finished making sure that both this story and my Lupin Origins one are as compatible with HBP and DH as they can be – also sorted out a lot of the typing errors. I am now working on updates.