Severus had screwd up badly before, but this new one got the cake.
As he was shuffling on his feet, hanging his head as low as possible to show remorse, he listened to all the grown-ups arguing animatedly.
Pomona was about to go and kick Rita in the you-know-where but was restrained by both Minerva and Filius and offered a calming draught by Poppy.
When Poppy checked him thrice over and made sure there was no ill effect left of that potion he ingested stupidly, Horace and Filius left to check on their respectful detentions.of course that was not before Arcturus delightfully informed them of what exactly Rita was doing and that he wanted to get information out of her.
Surprisingly he lied to them.
: both this boy and my grandson, Regulus, were in contact with each other since Yule. And Snape was curious to know whether he and Regulus were related.
This got curious looks from all who remained, was there a secret reason he was not aware? A scandle? Love children?
He soon was distracted from that file in his mind as he got detention from nearly all heads of houses for whole term. A fit even James and Harry bloody potter had not succeded in.
Of course the bastard he was, arcturus left him in tender care of three mad witches who were in infirmary now, calling for his blood.
Pomona was now tapping her fingers on the desk and lost in thoughts, Minerva was pinching hes nose as if she was sporting a headache and Poppy was throwing spell after spell to know if he really was ok.
When out of the blue, Pomona punched the desk in front of her, hard.
"Damn it child! What am I to do with you?what the hell is wrong with you? Not a week passes that you do not shake my whole body in fear! I have half a mind to make that thrice damned hat put you in Gryffindore! What foly is this? Going after a sodding Black? Are you completely nuts?"
Minerva, surprised by her outburst had a hand on her shoulder which she shrugged. Poppy wanted to say something too, but the badger was far too gone to care about either decoroom or cursing.
" a fucking Black? Is having the future black heir at your back is not exciting enough for you? You had to go entangle yourself with his younger brother too, scheming about Merlin knows what! You learned nothing of that triad of long stay at saint mungos? To think I thought… what the hell I even thought? You understand Blacks are fucking powerful, spitful or that wretched mother of yours told you none? Now.. now you go after Rita skeeter and Arcturus bloody Black? You have a death wish?"
Severus had a mind to tell her to stuff it in her..eh.. and that Regulus and Arcturus and Rita practicaly threw themselves at him, not the other way, good for him to know not to interupt a violent adult when being told off. In the back of his mind, he feared that this was it. This was when Pomona get him resorted to another house and he would be alone again, or she would tell him to stand against a wall so she could belt him.
Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous.
He knew not of a single situation any of the staff raised their hands and yet..
He sniffed again, tried to make himself smaller, and be as quiet as possible.
" from now on, you are removed, oh no banned from quidich and…"
Poppy silenced her with a flick of her wand.
" get yorself together you overgrowned centiped. You have no right to distress one of my patients. Get the hell out of here or so help me I will make you"
Minerva sighed in relief and wasted no time in taking her away immediately.
That was 15 minutes ago. Poppy had not moved a muscle from where she was sitting, a bed across from him. He could practically feel her eyes on himself, as if she was afraid of blinking, that he might flee.
He had to take the first step, show her it was a momentary lapse of judgment and never to happen again, that he is a cute little button, a sensetive kid with trauma , like that.
He hated it, but there was no sweet talking her, and by proxy sweet talking other teachers to soften the heavy blow of detensions. There was only one way- the truth. Or as much as truth a Slytherinish Hufflpuff with the memory of the next 20 something years was capable of sharing.
"um.. madam?"
"yes mister Snape? Would you like me to read from the school's policy to know how manyof the rules remains?"
"what?"
" for you to break? You seem to like to be the first in everything, the first firstyear who got on the team, the first player who nearly got himself killed at first match, the first one to got their hands on a phoneix as a pet, the first firstyear who left the school compeletly unsupervised and got himself drugged?"
Ok, the sarcasm was not needed nor wanted, but he could admit to himself that he had a heavy record as of even now, and it was only the second term. So he had to improvise, take advantage of her passion, her taking pity of him. Hated it, yes, but needs must.
" it was the letter, my mom's letter. I didn't want to think about it, and she kind of ordered me to come back home for easter. And I don't wanna go, and… and Im scared"
" 'm sorry"
He said it in his best I-am-an-inocent voice, with his lip trembling slightly and eyes welling up a bit, and if he sniffed too, that was totally part of the act.
Poppy sighed and shook her head, closed her eyes for a moment and then asked him in a calm voice if he wanted to go back to his dorm or not.
Severus grinned in his mind, the danger was gone, at least for now.
Then he remembered what he had done, was practically a masterplan for a Gryffindore. He still shuddered when he thought about being ' the Hufflpuff hero', now with this shit? No way all Gryffs, trouble maker rule breakers they were, looked at him like their personal idol.
He closed his eyes, maybe this was all nightmares his dying mind produced and he was still at that bloody shack.
He could only hope, couldn't he?
Arcturus went through the records he found on Sylwan. They all told the same story, that he was inocent and everything else was hogwash. He had arranged a visit to Rita, and he was prepared to lift the ban on her if she proved to be useful. Having a reporter in his pocket never hurt, it was defintly useful for turning a story however one liked.
From the girl, he got the name of two reporters who were on Sylwan case at that time.
Both dead.
The paper which published the news?
Bankrupt.Its main corresponder went missing around the time Sylwan returned from his expeditions.
There were two mediwiches and one mediwizard who were reported to have formed a triad, and since it was illigal in britain, they were rumered to have left for france.
Except, there was no reported portkey made at the misinstry.
This particular mystery was only becoming more confusing with time, so many clues, and not one acceible for investigation. It was reeking of corruption and now that he had opened the Pandora box, there was no way to back down now. And personally, Arcturus would be damned if he let a twisted guy like Sylwan into his family. If all those reports said were true, it took only a year for him to erase all those people from existence, and as loath as he was to confess, he did like his family , as deranged as they were, to thrive for the next century or so. He had no plan to leave them at tender mercy of a psycho like Sylwan. He had nothing agaist a healthy dose of murder and mayhem, but wiping out nearly ten people in less than a year was a tad too much, and for merlin, none were mudbloods!
He had work to do, damn these new generation and their fragile hearts. If you wanted something done, you had to do it yourself.
What a busy schedule, people to crucio, questions to be answered..
Right, they better sit tight, because Arcturus bloody Black was going to be back at bussiness.
Chapter End Notes
Minerva and Pomona talking about Severus latest stunt.
P: I can't believe the guy! How can a sweet little thing like him get into this much trouble?
M: Pomona dear...
P: and he even broke the record of Potter and Black! They got 100 or so detention together!
M: honey, listen..
P: and he was even absent from school for a bout two weeks! He had even less time than them and broke more rules than possible!
M: just think about everyone telling him how Gryffindore of him it was, and the trouble twins...
P, smiles evily: and do you happen to know where the Prewatts are?
M: you asked the right woman!
And then silently cheers for herself and pat herself on the back. If this goes like this, she can ask the hat for a resorting. And this time, Severus, the genius seeker will be hers.