October arrived, and with it a damp chill that produced perfect conditions for a rash of colds spreading through the castle. Pepperup Potion worked quickly, but Madam Pomfrey was keeping students overnight after administering it, to keep the virus contained.

Which is how Draco Malfoy and Elizabeth Evans ended up side by side in the hospital wing, Severus Snape sitting in an armchair between them.

"Really, Dad, can't you ask Madam Pomfrey if I can go back to the Tower? I hate it here."

"If I kept you from everything you hated, we would be on a Quidditch pitch with cake." Severus laid his hand on her forehead. "Poppy wants to make sure that your fever is gone and that you aren't going to start an epidemic amongst the lions."

"I hate to agree with Evans, but it's undignified to lay here when you aren't even sick," Draco grumbled.

"Well, at least you are in agreement," Severus said blithely. "Although I'd say it's undignified to whine like a toddler."

The door opened to reveal Fred Weasley, coughing.

Madam Pomfrey clicked her tongue. "Come on then, a bed right here," she gestured to the bed beside Elizabeth. "Pepperup for you, my dear." She transfigured Fred's clothes into pajamas and dosed him with a vial off her cart.

Smoke billowed from Fred's ears, causing Elizabeth to giggle.

"Watch it, Evans," Fred mock growled.

"I am watching it," she laughed.

"Hush, both of you," Poppy scolded. "Severus, if you're going to be here, at least help me maintain order."

"I'm here only another minute, Madam Pomfrey. I have to be in the Great Hall for dinner soon." He leaned over his daughter, feeling her forehead again. "Behave yourself, young lady. I'll be back later this evening. If you're feeling better, I might be able to convince your warden to let me take you down to our quarters for the night." He leaned down to kiss her forehead and she dodged.

"Dad!" She hissed, embarrassed.

Severus rolled his eyes. "My apologies, I'm sure." He smirked down at her before vanishing out the door in a swirl of robes.

When he was gone, Fred cast a silencing spell over his bed and Elizabeth's. "George and I watched the Snakes practice last night. Those new Nimbus brooms are wicked fast. Nothing but green blurs. Like missiles. We need a game plan."

"Yeah, like we all find a million Galleons, buy new brooms, and become crimson blurs?" Elizabeth groaned. She'd missed practice because of her cold. Or, rather, because Severus had thrown her over his shoulder and carried her to the hospital wing when he found her sneezing and coughing in the rain on the way to practice.

In his defense, he'd tried to get her to come quietly. She wasn't sure what made her think that he would let her walk away from an instruction like, "Get inside, right now," but pretending not to hear him was not a good strategy.

Fred canceled the silencing charm. "Do we get dinner in this place?"

"Don't worry, Mr. Weasley, you'll be fed," Poppy said briskly, waving her wand over Draco.

Elizabeth stared at the ceiling. "You won't die of a cold or hunger here, but you just might die of boredom."

"Is that what your father meant by behaving, Miss Evans?" Poppy glared at her charge.

"No, ma'am." Elizabeth shot a look at Fred who was barely suppressing a laugh.

"Better to die of boredom than to be beheaded," Nearly Headless Nick drifted into the hospital wing. "Or at least badly beheaded. Should be a crime." He settled on the windowsill.

"What's wrong, Sir Nicholas?" Fred rolled his eyes at Elizabeth as he spoke.

"Oh…" the ghost moaned. "The idiots at the Headless Hunt have denied my application… again."

"That's a shame, Sir Nicholas," Elizabeth said sympathetically.

"Not that I really wanted to do it," Nicholas droned in a voice that told his audience that he absolutely did want to do it. "But you would think that getting hacked in the neck 45 times would qualify you for the Hunt."

"45 times?" Elizabeth felt a little sick.

"The axe was blunt," Nicholas snapped.

"Or he was just hard-headed. Like all Gryffindors."

"Shut up, Malfoy. This is a human discussion." Fred growled.

"Then how come you're in it, Weasley?" Draco sneered.

"I'm sorry about the Hunt, Sir Nicholas," Elizabeth interjected.

"I just…" Nicholas looked wistfully out the window. "It's going to be my 500th deathday on Halloween this year, you know?"

"I didn't," Elizabeth said, not really sure if she should have known it or not.

"I'm having a deathday party… but I don't think anyone will come…"

"We'll come!" It slipped out of Elizabeth's mouth before she could stop it.

"Who do you mean, we?" Draco asked incredulously from his bed.

"I'm sure you'd rather be at the school feast," Nicholas said drearily.

"No, really," Elizabeth shrugged at Fred. No going back now. "We'll go."

*S*S*S*

"A deathday party?" Severus was sitting on Elizabeth's bed, shaking the thermometer.

"Nearly Headless Nick was so sad about the Headless Hunt, so I said we'd go," Elizabeth shrugged.

"Who's we?"

"Fred and I. Maybe Hermione and Ron, I haven't asked them yet."

"Take Draco with you," Severus said. "Open up," He put the thermometer in her mouth before she could protest.

"MMmmph," Elizabeth gave it her best try to speak around the piece of glass.

"Hold still," Severus scolded. "And don't argue with me about Draco. Take him with you. It will be a chance for you two to get to know each other better." He took her pulse before taking out the thermometer and examining it. "Your fever isn't falling as quickly as I'd like."

"Draco isn't going to want to go," Elizabeth protested, mouth free. "And why do you use that thing? Madam Pomfrey uses her wand to check for fever."

"Habit, I suppose. Your mother and I tended toward Muggle methods when it came to common tasks." He stowed the thermometer. "I'll speak to Draco. I'd like you to be a good influence on him," he leveled his gaze at her. "A good influence."

"I'm sick," she said plaintively, not wanting to talk about Draco anymore.

Severus smirked. "And bearing it angelically." He tucked the blankets around her. "You should be well in the morning. You'll stay here tonight so I can make sure your fever is gone when you wake up." He stood. "I'll be back shortly, I'm going to check on the Snakes in the hospital wing."

Snape strode from the room to the hospital wing, where Fred, Draco, and now another child, a Slytherin first year named Pomona, were still lying. The girl was sleeping, and Severus' quick check of her forehead found it cool. Fred waved. The gull of children today, Severus mourned his loss of terror for the Gryffindor and vowed to torture a first year or two the next day.

Draco's eyes were closed. Severus cast a silencing spell over the bed and sat down. "While I commend you attempting to adhere to your bedtime, young man, your fake sleeping act could use some work."

Draco peeked under his eyelids. "What?"

Severus scowled, "Pardon me?"

"What, sir?" Draco yawned.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, sir." Draco started to sit up, and Severus motioned him back. He felt the child's forehead.

"You're still a little warm," he smirked as Draco hurriedly smoothed his blonde locks. "Don't worry, you have enough product in your hair to protect it from a nuclear explosion."

"I'm fine," the Slytherin said, around another yawn.

"Madam Pomfrey and I will determine that in the morning. This seems to be a particularly virulent strain of illness."

"I'm bored."

"You're whining," Severus stood. "Sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

"How come Elizabeth gets to get out of here?"

Severus rolled his eyes. "Would you rather sleep in the dungeons?"

"I always sleep in the dungeons," Draco muttered.

"I suppose my question would be more accurately phrased as 'would you rather spend the night on a sofa in the dungeons?"

"Maybe," Draco said quietly.

Severus sighed. "If you insist on acting like a petulant child, I suppose you deserve to sleep on a sofa instead of a perfectly comfortable bed."

"Really?" Draco perked considerably.

Severus cancelled the silencing charm. "Mr. Weasley, please inform Madam Pomfrey that Mr. Malfoy left the hospital wing under my care when she arrives in the morning."

"Yes, sir." Fred gave Draco a strange look, but didn't say anything else.

"Come along, Mr. Malfoy," Severus strode from the room and waited until the door of the hospital wing was securely closed before dropping his arm around the boy's shoulders. "Elizabeth tells me that you two are going to a deathday party on Halloween."

"I am not," Draco protested, leaning into Severus' side as much as he dared.

"Going back on a promise, are you?"

"I didn't promise!" Draco wondered if it was worth glaring at the older man.

"Elizabeth promised, and you did nothing to separate yourself." Severus escorted the child down to the dungeons. "I would like you and Elizabeth to become better acquainted," Severus said quietly as he opened the portrait.

Severus pointed to the sofa and conjured blankets and a pillow.

"I'll wake you for breakfast," Severus stood awkwardly beside the sofa, trying to determine his role. Tuck him in? Walk away?

In the end, he settled for a brief pat on the shoulder before he extinguished the candles. "Goodnight, Mr. Malfoy."

"Goodnight, sir."

Severus went into Elizabeth's room. The dark-haired girl was lying nestled in her bed, just where he'd left her. Sitting beside her, he brushed the hair out of her face. "We want our children to obey," he murmured to himself, picking invisible lint off the bedspread. "We can only hope that what we're telling them to do is right." Severus looked at his daughter, and felt an unease in his stomach. Lucius thinks he's right, Severus thought. He's leading his son in what he believes is a righteous path. He leaned down and kissed Elizabeth's forehead. "Let's pray the next generation is smarter," he whispered and retired to his own room.

*S*S*S*

"Let's go," Draco muttered on Halloween, after spending an excruciating amount of time with Elizabeth, Hermione, and Ron at the deathday party.

"I hate to agree with Malfoy," Ron said, eyeing the door, "But I don't know how much more of this I can take."

Elizabeth led them backward to the door, a smile plastered on her face.

"Pudding might not be finished yet," Ron said when they'd escaped and were on their way to the Great Hall.

"Weird," Malfoy muttered. "Leave it to you, Weasley. Hanging out with ghosts."

"Hey!" Ron protested. "It was Elizabeth that wanted to come to the bloody thing."

"Nearly Headless…" Elizabeth started to explain again, but trailed off when she heard it.

"…rip…tear…kill…"

It was the same voice, the same cold, murderous voice she'd heard during her detention with Lockhart.

"Elizabeth?" Hermione looked at her. "What—

"Do you hear that?"

"What?" Ron looked around.

"It's that voice again— shut up a minute—

"…soo hungry…for so long…"

"What do you mean, again?" Malfoy asked. "You've become a nutter, Evans?"

"Listen!" Elizabeth ordered.

"…kill…time to kill…"

The voice was fading. Elizabeth was sure that it was moving upward. How was that possible?

"This way," she began to run, up the stairs, into the entrance hall. It was no good hoping to hear anything here, the babble of talk from the Halloween feast was echoing out of the Great Hall. Elizabeth sprinted up the stairs to the first floor, Ron and Hermione racing behind her, Draco following at a brisk, noncommittal walk.

"Elizabeth, what are we—"

"SHH!"

Elizabeth strained her ears. Distantly, from the floor above, and growing fainter, she heard the voice: "…I smell blood…I SMELL BLOOD!"

"It's going to kill someone!" she shouted. Ignoring the other students, she ran up the next flight of stairs, trying to listen—

She hurtled around the second floor, Ron and Hermione following, not stopping until they turned a corner into the last, deserted passage.

"Elizabeth, what was that all about?" Ron wiped the sweat off his face.

"Where did Malfoy—" Hermione cut herself off with a gasp. "Look!"

Something was shining on the wall ahead. They approached slowly, squinting through the darkness. Foot-high words had been daubed on the wall between two windows, shimmering in the light cast by the flaming torches.

THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN

OPENED, ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE.

"What's that thing… hanging underneath?" Ron squinted harder.

As they edged nearer, Elizabeth almost slipped on a puddle of water on the floor. Hermione grabbed her, and they inched closer, eyes fixed on the dark shadow under the message. All three of them realized what it was at once, and leapt backward with a splash.

Mrs. Norris, the caretaker's cat, was hanging by her tail from the torch bracket. She was stiff as a board, her eyes wide and staring.

For a few seconds, they didn't move. Then Ron said, "Let's get out of here."

"Shouldn't we try and help—" Elizabeth started awkwardly.

"Trust me," said Ron. "We don't want to be found here."

"Too late, Mr. Weasley," Severus, followed by Draco, arrived on the scene.

"Enemies of the Heir, beware." Draco read aloud.

"Mr. Malfoy, your dormitory. Now." Severus pointed back down the stairs.

"What's going on here, Elizabeth Rose?" Severus looked from his daughter to the wall.

"Dad—

"My cat! My cat! What's happened to Mrs. Norris?" Filch's voice shrieked through the hall. He looked around and spotted Elizabeth. "YOU! You murdered my cat! Snape! Your daughter—

Albus appeared, Minerva and Lockhart in tow, assessing the situation quickly before detaching Mrs. Norris from where she hung.

"Come with me, Argus," he said to Filch. "You as well, Miss Evans, Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger."

"My office is nearest, Headmaster— just upstairs— please feel free—" Lockhart almost skipped with excitement.

On the way to Lockhart's office, Elizabeth felt Severus' hand close around her upper arm. "Dad—

Severus just stopped, keeping her with him as the others went on. When they were several paces ahead, he looked down at her. "Explain."

"Dad, we didn't do it—

"You were just found in a corridor with a dead cat and blood all over the walls, Elizabeth. I want to hear what happened."

"We didn't do anything," Elizabeth blurted, stumbling over the story. "We came up here, and Malfoy disappeared, and Mrs. Norris was there, and the blood, and I almost fell on the wet floor—

"And you saw no one?" Severus asked sharply.

"No, sir. It was like that when we got there, and there was no one—

"Severus! Miss Evans!" Albus called from the doorway of the office. "Join us, won't you?"

"Dad—

"Come," Severus had his hand on her arm again, his robes swirling as she was ushered into the office.

"It was definitely a curse that killed her," Lockhart was saying. "Probably the Transmogrifican Torture. I've seen it used many times, so unlucky I wasn't there. I know the very countercurse that would have saved her…"

Filch was crying in a chair by the desk. Minerva was bent over the cat on one side of the desk while Albus examined it from the other side.

Ron and Hermione were against one wall. Elizabeth started to go toward them, but Severus wouldn't let go of her arm.

"She's not dead, Argus," Dumbledore said softly a few minutes later.

"Not dead?" choked Filch, looking through his fingers. "But why's she all— all stiff and frozen?"

"She's been Petrified," said Dumbledore. "But how, I cannot say…"

"Ask her!" shrieked Filch, turning his tearstained face to Elizabeth.

"No second year could have done this," Dumbledore said firmly.

"She was right there!" Filch spat. "You saw what she wrote on the wall! She must have heard… she must know… I'm a…" Filch sputtered. "She must know I'm a Squib!"

"I never touched Mrs. Norris," Elizabeth shouted. "And I don't even know what a Squib is."

"Rubbish!" snarled Filch.

"Enough," Severus said quietly. "Perhaps this would be better discussed without the presence of the emotionally bereaved." He gestured to Filch.

"My cat has been Petrified!" Filch shrieked again. "I want to see some punishment!"

"I suggest, Headmaster, that we allow Lockhart to brew a restorative, since he seems so knowledgeable on the subject, and we move this to my office." Snape raised one eyebrow in the crying man's direction.

"I'm sure the children had nothing to so with this, Severus," Albus said. "You may go," he looked at the trio.

Ron and Hermione bolted for the door, but Severus held Elizabeth back. "Stay," he ordered, and turned to Albus. "If you'll excuse me, Headmaster, I need to speak with my daughter."

"Dad!"

"Silence." His eyes blazed.

A moment later they were striding down the stairs, Elizabeth hurrying to keep up with Snape's longer stride. When they reached the quarters, Severus released her arm. His expression was severe as he pointed to the sofa. "Sit."

She didn't sit. Instead, she launched herself at his waist. "Dad, I swear, we didn't do anything, I promise, I wouldn't—

"Hush, you foolish monster," Severus said, his voice gentler. "I know you and the wandering squad were not responsible for that display." Elizabeth felt his arms close around her. "I want to know why you were there at all."

Elizabeth had felt a momentary calm when he'd understood she hadn't petrified a cat, but dread came back at his next statement. How do you tell someone that you are hearing voices? No one else was hearing them… maybe she was crazy.

"We got lost," she said lamely.

"Hmm," Elizabeth could feel his eyes boring into the top of her head. "Is that so?"

"Yeah," Elizabeth mumbled into his robes.

"You got lost in a castle you've lived in for a year an a half?"

Elizabeth couldn't find her voice.

Severus walked her to the sofa and sat with her. "Why were you in that corridor, hatchling?"

Elizabeth squirmed a little.

"Elizabeth." Severus' voice had gained its edge again.

"I heard something," she whispered.

"Heard what?"

"A voice," Elizabeth's voice was almost imperceptible.

"A voice," Severus nodded. "What did the voice say?"

Her head snapped up. "You believe me?"

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Is there a reason I shouldn't?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "I'm crazy."

Severus smirked. "I doubt that." He sat back and pulled her close to his side. "What did the voice say?"

"That it smelled blood," Elizabeth whispered. "That it wanted to rip and kill."

Severus schooled his features into calm. "And no one else heard the voice?" He knew the answer. Draco's report of 'Evans's gone crazy, hearing voices and whatnot' when the boy had come to the Great Hall gave him the information on that front. Elizabeth shook her head.

"Is this the first time you've heard it?"

She shook her head again. "In Lockhart's office," she said quietly. "When I had detention that one night."

Severus frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, sir."

Severus was saved from having to come up with something to say as the floo roared to life and Lupin appeared. "I heard that there's something rotten in the state of Hogwarts."

"Moony!" Elizabeth waved from her position on the sofa.

"Hey there, trouble maker." Remus ruffled her hair. He exchanged a look with Severus.

"Hatchling, go get ready for bed." Severus tapped her leg.

"Can't I go to the Tower?"

"Not tonight," Severus said firmly.

"But it's only 8, and I didn't get to eat anything at the deathday party—

"Get ready for bed and you can do your homework in your room. I'll send for a snack."

"Dad—

"Go. I'll be in to check on you in a while." Severus pointed to her bedroom.

"Fine." She blew air out of her mouth, ruffling her bangs.

"And you can get rid of the attitude, or it will be lettuce sandwiches for you."

"I love lettuce," she sassed, glaring at him as she shut the door of her room.

Severus rolled his eyes and called for a house elf.

"A lettuce sandwich for Miss Evans now, and then a plate of food from the Feast in about 20 minutes."

"You're terrible," Remus rolled his eyes. "My inside sources say there was a disturbance tonight."

"Inside sources?" Severus smirked.

"Ginny Weasley firecalled her mother, who called me."

"Merlin, news travels fast. Why would she call you?"

"Because she tried to call you and Albus, but neither of you were in your offices. It's good to know that I'm the fall back plan for protective mothers."

Severus rolled his eyes. "There was a… fairly violent prank. At least, I hope it's a prank. Committed by my own House, would be my guess, since it radiated pure-blood nonsense." He rubbed a hand over his face. "It's either an older student, a younger student with Dark ties, or, perhaps the most likely, we have a rogue teacher on our hands."

"Wouldn't be the first time," Remus crossed his arms.

"No, and I'd love to think it was Lockhart, but he may be the wrong kind of idiot for this." He frowned. "Elizabeth found it," he looked at the closed bedroom door. "A petrified cat hanging from a torch hook…"

"You're keeping her here tonight for the nightmares?"

"That's my excuse tonight," Severus nodded. "And tomorrow I'll think of something else."

"Just call you 'Molly Weasley'."

Severus glared. "Until I figure out who is petrifying things in the castle, I'm keeping her where I can see her."

"Good thing you live in the dungeon. It makes the whole incarceration thing so real."

"Are you here to help or to be obnoxious?"

Remus grinned. "I'm not sure that I can be much help. However, I can stay with the prisoner while you interrogate your students if you'd like."

"It can wait until morning. Really I only want to speak with Draco. As I said, it's not likely that it is a child. Which also makes it not a prank." He sighed.

"Then why do you need the Malfoy boy?"

"This reeks of a Lucius Malfoy plot. I want to know what his son knows."

"You're going to get yourself killed."

"Hopefully not," Severus shook his head. "It's just time for me to become a little more visibly Light-affiliated, don't you think?"

"Maybe." Remus shrugged. "But Malfoy is a hell of an opponent for you to start out with."

Severus snorted. "I've got a nearly teenage daughter. Nothing scares me anymore." He stood. "I'd better make sure she hasn't conjured a window to climb out of."

Elizabeth was lying on her bed, still dressed, reading a Quidditch magazine.

"That doesn't look like being ready for bed or homework, young lady," Severus plucked the magazine from her hands.

"I'm finished with my homework, and it's too early to get ready for bed."

"Up and in the shower, please," he pointed to the bathroom door. He glanced at the desk. "Why didn't you eat your supper?"

"I ate the lettuce sandwich," Elizabeth smiled sweetly as she went into the bathroom. "I told you I like lettuce."

Severus shook his head. "Shower and then back out here and eat a proper meal." He heard the water running and Elizabeth singing. "Did I say 'nearly teenage'?" he grumbled to himself.

*S*S*S*

An hour later, the shower was complete, homework was done and checked, supper was eaten, and Severus was pulling the covers up over his green-eyed child. Remus leaned against the door jam.

"Dad?"

"Yes?" Severus smoothed the blankets.

"I'm not crazy, right? You don't think I'm crazy?"

Severus' brow furrowed. "More than any hormone-crazed teenage girl? No."

"It's just… the voice…" Elizabeth grimaced.

Severus sighed. "I don't know, hatchling. I'm going to look into it." He kissed her forehead. "In the meantime, don't worry."

"I'll try," Elizabeth wiggled under the covers. "It's too early to sleep."

"I'm going to have to start keeping you here every night if your grandmother can't make her students conform to a bedtime," Severus said firmly. "You need sleep, and you will go to bed at a decent hour."

"No one gets tucked in anymore," she grumbled.

"Well, aren't you just the luckiest child in the universe then, hmm?" Severus tucked the blankets firmly around her before retreating to the living room, leaving the door cracked open.