Chapter 50, A Book For A Dance
"I've been thinking about it. I'm not sure why Merlin's weather spell went so awry either, but it just makes him human. I mean even Merlin the great has trouble with a spell or two. He's still amazing!" Severus turned from scanning the crowd of milling students on Platform Nine And Three-Quarters to smile at Heather. "Agreed. Have you seen Raislen?"
Heather frowned, then sighed. "If I had seen Raislen, he would be with me."
"Sometimes you avoid him," Severus pointed out.
"Yeah well not when I haven't heard from him all summer. This is new."
"I suppose it is," Severus agreed. He'd expected to hear from Raislen at least once this summer, but there hadn't been a single word."There is Regulus," Heather said, lifting her hand to wave at the younger boy. He waved back then embraced his parents before rushing over to join them. "Sirius ran as soon as we got here," he said. "They had a row before we left home."
"He and your parents," Heather asked. Regulus nodded.
"About what," Severus asked eagerly, ready to hear some juicy gossip about Sirius.
"Oh more of the usual," Regulus said with a long-suffering sigh. "Father went off about Sirius bringing Muggle filth into the house again. I think he gets it from our cousin with whom we no longer deal, but who knows? Perhaps he gets it from Lupin instead. He has some sort of Muggle family ties." He wrinkled his nose as if smelling something foul. Not for the first time, Severus had the urge to educate Regulus about decent Muggles like Tobias, but he kept silent.
For one, he would be showing too much of his hand to an adamant supporter of Voldemort, and for another, whatever Sirius was doing was not at all defensible. No decent Muggles would deal with a git bully like Sirius and his friends so whatever Muggle hate the Blacks had on that point had to be on the bloody mark. History itself showed clearly that enough Muggles were rubbish, after all. Not everyone was a War Lord Arthur or Tobias Snape. Most Muggles were not even close. "He just does it to get under my parents skin and they know it," Regulus ranted. "It's like he thrives on just being bloody dreadful!"
"He really does," Heather agreed.
"Who did what," Raislen asked. "Hi, Heather Toy!" Severus turned just in time to see Raislen giving the ends of Heather's hair a light tug. Spinning like a whirlwind, she punched him in the stomach.
"It's like a polished dance by now," Regulus observed to Severus with a shake of his head.
"If you would stop calling me that, this could end, Raislen," Heather snapped. "And stop pulling my hair. It's stupid."
"But it makes you spin around so fast, just like..."
"Yes, just like a spin top toy," Heather interrupted. "We all know. You are nutters, Raislen. Do you know that?"
Raislen still stood bent double, a trunk clutched in either hand. "Prefects aren't supposed to hit people," he informed, straightening carefully.
"Yeah, well I'm a Slytherin Prefect, remember," Heather shot back. "Where have you been? We expected to hear from you at least once."
"There were two weather delays at different points in the trip so we literally only got back late last night," Raislen said.
"Ah," Severus said. That explained it. "Did you at least get some good books?"
"Of course I did," Raislen said with a wide grin, nodding at the trunk in his right hand.
"That, we can always count on," Regulus said. "Just like Sirius always being a git, Raislen will always find the good books that we did not even know we needed in our lives." The train ride to Hogwarts was fun, full of amusing conversation as everyone caught one another up on their summer activities. Heather said the least, as she had not enjoyed her summer.
Raislen laughed until he was clutching his sides at how Regulus and Severus had handled Sirius during Severus's visit to #12 Grimmauld Place. When the snack cart came around, Raislen insisted on treating everyone. "I've had nothing but healthy food all summer, so this is a party," he said cheerfully. They all listened in awe as he told of his summer travels.
"The ancient libraries were the most magical," he said around a mouthful of Cauldron Cake. "I mean you could literally feel the history of all the dead wizards who'd written those scrolls and stone tablets. Not ghosts, just the magic, you know?" Everyone nodded their silent understanding, leaning toward him eagerly. Severus held a half eaten Pumpkin Pastie, nearly forgetting about it. "The wizarding university libraries were actually the least impressive compared even to what I have at home, and I found this quite disappointing. I mean if I don't even care about their libraries, what could the professors have to teach?"
"I think it's about life experience after a point for sure," Regulus chimed in eagerly, leaning forward in his seat, face intense. "It's like we want some wise sage to teach us, but sometimes experience is a better teacher than anyone." This revelation was a bit disappointing to Severus, because he'd had hopes for wizarding university to teach him something more.
"We'll all just travel and learn together," Heather said brightly. Not until the train arrived in Hogsmeade and they all disembarked did it truly hit Severus that this was the last time. The last time he would arrive for a new year at Hogwarts with Heather and Raislen. The idea of not having them with him next year caused anxiety to shoot through his chest.
Though this was not the first time he'd contemplated this inevitable situation, this time it felt the most real. He knew he could no longer put it off or silently assure himself that while it would happen, it would not be for some time. Now they would only arrive at Hogwarts two more times together, after the winter holidays and after spring break.
"You alright," Heather asked suddenly. "You look even whiter than usual."
He forced a smile, shrugging. "Just thinking this is the last time we start a school year together."
Heather squeezed his shoulder. "I know. We'll miss you too. And we will see one another often, I promise."
"Yeah," Raislen agreed. "What she said."
"That's what I want to hear more often," Heather said with a laugh. "Now I've got to go and do my Prefect thing. See you all in The Great Hall." It was only then that Severus noticed her Head Girl badge. "Congratulations about that, by the way," he said hastily, hoping it would not seem that he'd only just noticed.
"Thanks," Heather said. She flashed him a quick smile before hurrying off through the crowd. "I still can't believe we haven't figured Lupin's secret out yet," Severus complained resentfully to Raislen and Regulus. The thought occurred at that moment, because he'd spotted the four gits clambering into a carriage just ahead of them.
"What if it isn't even a secret," Raislen speculated. "While disappointing as a prospect, it may be something that he doesn't even need to hide. It could be that they simply don't want you knowing, just to annoy you. It would be just like them."
"True, but I think it's more than that," Regulus said."We tried to get Sirius to tell us this summer, and he seemed to really want to if it made Severus leave earlier, but he just couldn't."
"Yes. We forgot to tell you that bit," Severus said. As they settled into a carriage, Raislen listened attentively as Severus explained how he'd tried to trick Sirius into telling Lupin's secret. "Well it was a creative attempt even if he didn't fall for it, so be proud of yourself, Kid," he said, grinning over at Severus.
"Ooh we've got to tell him how we annoyed Heather," Regulus practically crowed. "You'd be proud," he told Raislen. Chuckling, Severus explained how they'd offered her the bones that Bellatrix found at Borgin and Burkes.
Raislen laughed. "Sometimes she can be such a girl even if she is the most fun person I know."
"Do you want them," Regulus asked.
Raislen considered for several long seconds before shaking his head. "If I need to prank someone, having them haunted could be fun, but at present no one worthy comes to mind. The Gryffindor Gits would be more fun if we could get all four of them haunted, and we can't play favorites, so when it's time to punish them this year, we'll need something better."
"How do we know when it is time," Regulus asked eagerly.
"Oh they'll let us know by doing something dreadful," Raislen assured. "That type can never resist. Then we shall get them good. I hope to have several opportunities this year to put the fear of Raislen into them so they are too frightened that I may return to muck with you two for the rest of their time at Hogwarts." He gave a menacing grin before turning to Severus. "See, Kid? I had plans."
Severus gave a faint smile. Did he dare hope that Raislen truly could terrorize the gits into leaving him and Regulus alone even after he was gone? Regulus's words dashed any small hope Severus might have allowed himself, though. "That sort is always far too impulsive to think properly of self interest, so I would not count on that."
Heather joined them in the Great Hall just as Dumbledore was beginning his speech. "Let's see the new books, Raislen," she whispered eagerly. Grinning, Raislen popped open the trunk of books he'd brought along. They all liked reading during the speech as they would lose house points for talking. Severus leaned to try peering into the trunk, his heart leaping in excitement.
Though Raislen always brought new books, he'd never brought so many that he required an entire separate trunk to hold them all! The summer trip must have yielded a grand harvest indeed! Raislen handed Severus a book on Greek potions that he'd never seen before. So excited was he by this, that he did not even wait to see what books Raislen passed over to Heather and Regulus. Severus lost himself in the pages of Ancient Greek Potions and Elixirs until unusual words from Dumbledore caught his attention. Normally the traditional speech would be drawing to a close, but Dumbledore was saying something else this time instead.
"This year we have a special treat for our seventh years. As they will be graduating, we have the opportunity this year to send them off with even more information that shall strengthen their options if they wish to continue their education. We have invited various representatives from wizarding universities from all around the world to come and speak with them about what each of their establishments has to offer. This shall be an event held just before the Christmas break so that each student has plenty of time to consider their options before graduation. To make it a fun and festive event for our seventh years as well as our visitors, I have decided to make it a dance so be sure to bring a date. I am taking volunteers for the decorating committee, as we wish to impress our guests."
"Oh, Sir, may I," Heather called excitedly, waving her hand.
Dumbledore chuckled. "Yes, Miss Knight. You may be committee head as you are showing such grand enthusiasm. Anyone interested in helping should speak to Miss Knight. That is all for now. Tuck in!"
"Oh Severus," Heather said in excitement, reaching to clutch at his forearm. "You shall come with me, then. That way you can speak to those from the various universities about their potions programs!"
"But you're going with me, aren't you," Raislen demanded. "We can get information for the Kid."
Heather shot him a glare. "Of course I am not going with you. You would only pull my hair and call me something stupid in front of important people for your own stupid amusement. I don't want to go alone, so Severus can be my date as a favor."
Severus opened and closed his mouth, glancing back and forth between his two friends. "I don't like dances," he said at last. "Raislen, you will ask about potions programs for me, won't you?"
"Of course, Kid. I promise."
Severus felt relieved at the prospect of still getting the information without having to attend a dance for it. "Oh no," Heather said. "Your function is supposed to be to go and protect me from him. He'll try to ruin things, I know he will!"
"What, by showing them that I probably have better books than their libraries? I promise not to bring any books, Heather toy."
Heather reached across Severus to hit Raislen in the stomach, glaring daggers when Slughorn sharply took ten points from Slytherin. "I hate you so much right now, Raislen," she said quietly.
"Severus, if you go with me to the dance and keep him from touching me, I shall get you any book you want. Surely there is a rare book you're after that you don't have yet." Be a good little brother and do me this favor, or I swear I shall remember it forever."
"I told you it's no fun having a sibling," Regulus said, glancing over at Severus with eyes full of silent laughter.