The Moon necklaces

Chapter 13: Forbidden floor a Forbidden Encounter

~Severus~

There was no point trying to wash the grease from my hair it will just make it worse, so I just ignore Paton's insults as I concentrate on looking my best in my second hand suit, trousers free of creases, jacket has no dust, shirt stain free, shoes have no mud…perfect.

I don't know why I was trying to look my best, maybe it's because I've had enough of Venetia Bone for one day and I didn't want her moaning about my untidiness, maybe I just wanted to distract myself from what happened today, or maybe I really just wanted to make a good first impression for the Dark Lord. I sighed, somehow the thought impressing Lord Voldermort felt bitter down my throat, if we are actually meeting the Dark Lord himself that is.

I don't really know the full details of what this is all about to be honest, so far the one with the most details is Venetia and probably Paton but that's just my guess. But what I do know for certain is that the Dark Lord wants a bunch of Slytherin's spying for him in the school, but only a select few will be chosen so we were pressured to look our best, even though if it were me to pick the best I would go on skill not who has the most expensive suit.

I followed Paton quietly to the Slytherin common room and it looks like we were the last to arrive. I moved away from Paton who was heading towards Venetia and stood with Regulus in the corner of the room who looked paler than usual and seem to find the button on his jacket very interesting.

"You ok Regulus?" I asked, a little concerned for my young friend, but I won't let him know that.

"I'm fine" he said putting on a smile which didn't fool me at all, I knew what this was about

"Look Regulus," I sighed, "you shouldn't go through with this if you're not ready, working for the Dark Lord you cannot quit without losing your life."

"But I am ready." Regulus's said sounding like a child who thought was ready to walk to school by himself when really inside they just want to prove to people they are not child anymore.

"You don't have to try and impress your family Regulus, it's your life don't let them push you into something you don't want to do." Ok maybe I did show too much concern for him more than I would have liked, but those Black's always got on my nerves. Thinking they are so great and powerful, that they can control everyone under their feet, write people off their precious family tree if they thought any different and not to mention that Sirius Black trying to hex me at every chance he gets. Although he was sorted into the enemy house he was really not much different to his family when it came to stepping all over other people.

"You don't understand Severus!" Regulus shot but not loud enough to cause a scene "you all ways complain about those Marauders and about that red head girl but really you don't know how lucky you are!"

That sunned me, Regulus carried on

"You're so cleaver, you're brilliant at spells and no one is as good as potions as you and you don't even have to try, you have so much talent and you don't have anyone to prove it too, no family pushing you to get top marks in all you're O.W.L's, no family expecting you work for the Dark Lord, no family wanting you to take up head of the house because of a traitorous older brother who walked out on us, you're life is a blesse compared to mine I'd rather be poor half-blood getting pranked on every day than a rich kid having to lie though his teeth so not to disgrace his parents!"

Regulus took a deep breath to calm himself down after his mini episode, he looked like he was on the verge of tears. I've always known that there has always been pressure on the youngest Black but I would off thought he would be proud of being born into such a nobble family, but I guess the Black's aren't actually a loving family. I didn't know to react but I chose my last words very clearly

"You are Regulus Black, if anyone is going to be chosen tonight it's going to be you" I said slowly "so if you're not ready for this yet go to bed right now"

Regulus looked at me with teary eyes and nodded, It took all of me not to crack a smile in front of the boy

"Thanks Severus" he said gratefully "but one question, why are you doing this? Wanting to work for the Dark Lord?"

"I don't know" I confess "I maybe cleaver as you put it, but I don't what I want to do with my life, there is not much for a poor wizard such as me so I guess I'm hoping this will be a good opunity for me, to prove myself, to feel important and for people to respect me"

Regulus nodded in understanding "You may be wearing a second hand suit Severus but no Slytherin will be as respected as you" with that he turned his back and walked to his dormitory slipping away from the crowed leaving his words spinning though my head…

Where we were heading, again I don't know, but you didn't think Lord Voldermort would pick his young followers in the Slytherin common room did you? Venetia Bone and Paton explained to us that we will leave the common room in small groups of six. This is because it was forbidden to wander the corridors at night and couldn't risk Filch seeing us (Gosh does that man ever sleep). We also didn't want to leave anyone behind and six was a good small even number so no one gets lost. But because of this small number it will take a while to get all the years four to seven to one place with only five Slytherin perfects and one Head Girl leading the way. We needed to set off quickly with all these crowds of Slytherin's, it didn't start till midnight and it had just gone past eleven.

I saw people were already making groups of six. Who should I go with? Usually I'd team up with Paton and Regulus if our years are mixed, but Paton had his job as prefect and Regulus had walked off.

"Excuse me," a polite voice called out behind me, "can't you find anyone to partner with?" I turned towards the voice and saw the year six prefect Esmeralda Cherry smiling at me. Esmeralda is one of last people you would expect to be in Slytherin, you would expect her to be in Hufflepuff like her sister. Esmerelda was so kind to everyone, worked hard and got along with even the Gryffindor's but you could tell she was not happy being in Slytherin.

"I'll be fine thank you," I said trying to put her off, I don't need help from a girl!

"Well if you say so," she said, "but there is group of five looking for one more person, if you join them I can take you up right now."

"Thank you." So I followed her to group of seven years to the corner of the room distancing themselves from the others, two girls and three boys. There were all a year older than me and they look bigger and stronger too.

"Ok if you would like to follow me," she said in a her usual polite manner and I followed her out the common room trying to keep as much distance from the group as possible.

The moving staircase was asleep this time of night; the only sound at all was the snoring of the portraits and our footsteps walking alone the stone floor. Some of the Slytherin's behind me looked a little nervous, looking behind their backs and into every dark corner, but I didn't mind the castle at night I've sneaked out loads of times at dead of night and never got caught, although I have narrowly escaped Filch and his cat on more than one occasion. Esmeralda's wand lit the way, keeping her wand down low in case of bumping into any teachers.

"Where are we going?" one of the girls in the group asked breaking the eerie silence.

"Shush," Esmeralda put her figures to her lips and whispered "Can you whisper next time, do want to wake up the portraits and risk one of them telling the teachers where we are?"

"Ok, clam down little Miss Perfect," the girl mumbled, "I'm just asking a question that probably everyone else is thinking."

"Yeah you might as well tell us now, since we are out of ear reach of all the younger years," one of the males said who was standing behind me. Esmeralda sighed,

"Well I would have thought it was obvious by now, we are heading towards the third floor."

"The third floor?" I asked in shock "I thought that was forbidden."

Suddenly one or two of the seven years broke out in giggles and I turned to give them my dangerous death glare but it was too dark to see who it was.

"Shush," Esmeralda said, this time in annoyance towards the back Slytherin's who were trying to contain their giggles. Then she gave me a sympathetic glace and kept walking, she seemed very worried about me recently.

"Have you never been on the third floor before?" one of giggling Slytherin boys came up behind me. I shook my head. I may have sneaked out for night time castle adventures now and then but I have never seen any reason to go up to the third floor. I have been tempted once or twice but I wanted to live another night.

Before the guy could say anything more Esmeralda suddenly stopped and I found that we have reached our destination.

Esmeralda opened the door with a small creak. I held my breath as we entered the dark room, the place was unkempt, every corner, piece of tiled floor, every gruesome statue was full of dust with old cobwebs hanging down. I felt a shiver run though me and I held my jacket tighter round me wishing that a brought my cloak with me instead.

We headed deeper in the forbidden floor the place getting colder with each step. I was rather relieved when we finally stopped; I admired the large round room that Esmeralda took us though. It looked like it was only place that had been used over the years, the floor look polished and new, there was no furniture at all, no windows, no other doors expect the one we just came through.

"Cherry," I addressed the prefect by her last name, "why are we here is this were the met…"

I turned and she was gone.

"Looks like she went to get the next lot of student's" said the said the same girl who given backchat to Esmeralda in the corridor, "Honestly, who does that little smart-ass think she is leaving us in this creepy place."

No one says anything else until more groups of Slytherin's entered this large room that was becoming smaller and smaller as each Slytherin entered… Looks like Lord Voldemort has a lot of followers.

I checked my watch, five minutes to twelve, almost time. I don't know how they did it but they managed to get everyone in just in time in small groups with only a few prefects, Paton looked worn out but he still put up a sly grin as he stood next to me, looking all confident saying that he was going to get chosen. I don't know about me though, do I even want to get chosen? That question lingered in my mind as black-purple dust swilled in the middle of the floor.

Slytherin's stumbled backwards making space as a figure appeared in the dark gloom, was this it? Was this Voldemort himself? A young man in a long black cape that trailed to the floor, with dark hair that hung over his unnaturally bright blue eyes stepped out, he was not the Voldemort that I pictured in my imagination but he did create an aura of magnitude and great power that made my knees buckle and made my head hurt like it was trying to restore some forgotten memory. The name Timoken formed in my mind…

I really enjoyed writing this chapter, Severus is one of my favourite characters but after the next one we are back to our most beloved Marauders and learn who has travelled though time now.

I hope I kept Severus in character for you guys, I know he is usually shown as rude and a little arrogant in most fanfics but I wanted to change that a little, as a teenagers I don't think he would be rude to someone unless they did something back to him like with Venetia. I liked writing about Regulus he might start appearing more now