Armilla

Chapter 64

Snape and I returned to Hogwarts a couple of hours after Tonks' departure. I tried my best to put the Tonks-as-my-governess thought out of my mind, but since I wasn't occluding, it kept making its way back into my head.

I knew we had made the right decision; it was not right to expect Tonks to take up the position of governess at Snape Manor over the summer. It was just too dangerous. But if Rougier was unavailable, that meant I would be getting someone entirely new. I didn't know how much worse a governess could get. But then, I supposed there were worse things one could do than practising walking, sitting, eating, and memorising books.

"Do you think Rougier made herself unavailable because of what you said to her?" I asked Snape, as we made our way towards the entrance to the school.

When we had run into Rougier in Diagon Alley during Christmas holidays, Snape had threatened her, and warned her not to come near me again.

"I would say so," he said, after a moment of silence. "The further that woman stays away from you the better."

"I can get by without a governess," I muttered.

"I know," he said quietly. "But the lack of a governess might mean spending more time with Father."

"There's no happy ending either way." I couldn't see any good coming from another visit to Father's house.

"No, there isn't," he admitted. "Sometimes a happy ending seems quite far out of reach."

I glanced over at him, but his face didn't give much away. I believed that last comment came from quite deep inside him. After all, Snape would know what a hard life was, and I would have bet that he had been in plenty of situations throughout his life where it seemed that a happy outcome was impossible.

"Does Lucius Malfoy visit you at all during the summer?" I asked, suddenly worried about the thought of Lucius Malfoy dropping in with Draco.

"Rarely, actually," he answered. "We're generally too busy for social calls."

"Won't he find an excuse to bring Draco?"

He was silent for a moment. "He might," he said finally, "though I believe Lucius is more likely to bring Draco to Father's house while you are there. He knows I do not approve of you entering a relationship at the moment."

"I'm going to have to spend time with Draco then," I muttered, feeling revolted at the thought of it.

"If he comes, you will have to be very careful," Snape murmured, as we came closer to the castle entrance. "You will need to appease Father first, and then we'll work things out from there."

I nodded. Things had become so difficult.

"Best not to think on it now, Armilla," my brother advised, as we went into the Entrance Hall. "You have OWLs to think of."

"I know," I said quietly. There was another thing to worry about. OWL results - and my father's reaction if they weren't good.

We walked in silence down to the dungeons. Morag wasn't around to make any noise. I had let her out earlier to fly ahead of us. She was probably already in my bedroom.

Before long we were back in our sitting room and taking off our cloaks.

Wasting no time, Snape headed straight for the bookcase closest to the hallway, taking out his wand as he went. He tapped a number of books as well as performing a complicated wand movement. A second later, the bookcase had vanished to reveal a dark corridor.

I was no stranger to this. I had been along this corridor a couple of times now. It was another entrance, made by Dumbledore himself a long time ago, to the Secret Wing. Snape and I had been using it to get to Dumbledore's office to visit Mother. It actually took longer, this way, but there was no alternative route now.

We walked through the darkness for a couple of minutes before reaching light at the foot of a staircase. This was the same staircase that Snape had caught me at the top of when I had been sleepwalking months and months ago. It was the time when I had dreamt of a woman's face in a puddle and I had been running to catch it. Not long after, I had found out that it was my mother's face.

We climbed the stairs and kept walking until we were in another dark corridor which I knew would bring us out into Dumbledore's office.

"Did you tell Mother we would speak to her as soon as we got back?" I asked my brother, as we walked in the darkness.

"She wanted to see us as close to Easter as possible," he answered. "I'm not about to deny her such a wish."

I smiled to myself. Snape could be affectionate towards Mother when he wanted to.

"Hello my dears!" Mother said happily when we had sat down, and I had touched the surface of the ring.

I was verbal in my greeting, while Snape merely nodded.

"And how was your first Easter with Severus, Armilla?" Mother asked, her eyes shining.

"Good," I replied, without hesitation. "It was nice to leave Hogwarts for a few days."

"We went to Gringotts, Mother," said Snape. "We found something interesting in the Merrigan vault."

Mother smiled. "Do tell."

Snape proceeded to tell Mother all about the small silver box that I had opened with the locket on my bracelet, and the contents we had found within it. Mother's smile became broader with every word.

"That box has been passed down through many generations, Armilla," she said, turning to look at me. "All the women who have worn the bracelet have used that box to store private treasures in. As you saw, that ring and the photos of Severus were my treasures."

"I guessed that the ring was our grandmother's," Snape stated.

Mother nodded. "You would be right. It was indeed my mother's." She looked at me again. "You can use the box, Armilla. You can store your treasured possessions in there."

I nodded. "Thankyou."

"Did Severus buy you chocolate for Easter, Armilla?" asked Mother.

"Yes," I answered.

"Excellent. And did Severus receive chocolate from-?"

"There's no need to talk about me as if I was not here," Snape interrupted, looking irritated. "Yes, Mother, Armilla did buy me chocolate."

Mother rolled her eyes. "Then I hope you're eating it, Severus, dear."

I smiled. I savoured the moments when Mother called Snape dear.

"Of course," he said impatiently. "We didn't come here to talk about the amount of chocolate I'm consuming, Mother."

"Well, there are plenty of things to talk about, Severus," she said, looking serious.

"Then nominate a topic," he said sneeringly.

Really, I was just entertained watching the two of them interact. They seemed to bounce off each other. It probably got really heated when I wasn't there to watch.

Mother turned to look at me. "Severus won't give me accurate information, so I shall ask you, Armilla. Has Severus found himself a potential wife yet?"

Snape suddenly flexed his fingers, and I had the impression that he badly wanted to strangle something.

"Not that I know of," I said evenly, looking straight at Mother.

Mother looked imploringly at Snape. "Severus?"

Snape closed his eyes for a few seconds, as if calling forth every last bit of patience he possessed.

"I have been through this topic with you, Mother, more times than I have explained what a cauldron is for to Longbottom," he said through gritted teeth. "For the last time, I am not getting married. I am not having children. It has nothing to do with the state of the wizarding world. I am content with bachelorhood, as you call it, and no incessant nagging from you will change that."

Mother opened her mouth, and then closed it again, looking vexed. Snape, meanwhile, glared determinedly at the wall.

"I thought we came here for Easter," I said suddenly, trying to put an end to the awkward silence.

"What is Armilla going to do for a mother in her life when I am gone?" Mother exclaimed, ignoring me completely.

Snape raised an eyebrow, as he turned back to face her. "If I was to marry, Mother, my wife would be Armilla's sister-in-law, not her mother."

"I know that! Don't be impertinent, Severus," she snapped. "You know perfectly well what I mean. A fifteen-year-old girl needs more than two wizards to depend on."

"I-" I began.

"Stay out of this, Armilla," said Mother, shooting me a warning glare.

"She needs a mother-figure in her life, Severus, and it is your duty to supply that for her."

"No, it's not," I said. "I get by perfectly well."

"I told you to stay out of this, Armilla," Mother snapped.

Mother had never spoken to me in such a way before, and it was quite alarming to hear it. I knew she had a bit of a temper, but I had only seen her show it to my brother.

I looked over at Snape to see him glaring down at Mother. "It is not your place to tell Armilla to stay out of this," he said furiously. "Armilla knows what she needs."

"She's fifteen, Severus!" Mother cried, looking equally furious. "It's not up to her to decide what she needs. You know she needs an older female in her life."

Snape sighed. When he spoke, his voice became quieter, a direct contrast to Mother's voice at the moment. "Armilla will be sixteen in a couple of months. She will be of age next year, Mother. I would appreciate it if you would not speak of her as if she was a small child without a mind of her own-"

"How dare-" Mother interrupted, her eyes ablaze. Snape, still speaking quietly, managed to override her.

"As for an older female in her life, there are plenty of women amongst our acquaintance who would talk to Armilla if she required it."

"Name them!" Mother snapped.

Once again, Snape sighed, but acquiesced. He started counting on his fingers. "Nymphadora Tonks, Minerva McGonagall, Poppy Pomfrey, Molly Weasley...and of course, Merle's friend Matilda, who, as you know, has known Armilla all her life. Do you really need any more?"

I was interested in hearing him list the names. I was surprised to hear him mention Molly Weasley. As a rule, Snape generally despised Weasleys.

Mother said nothing. She just stared up at Snape with an expressionless face. Snape had once told me that she was an Occlumens. I wondered if she had some sort of shield in place. However, a moment later, she burst into tears.

I looked at Snape, positively alarmed, but he remained collected as he peered down at Mother.

"She's well taken care of," he said softly to her. "There's no need to worry about that."

"But...but not by me," she sobbed. "Nnnot...by me."

"No," he said quietly. "Not by you. You have never been replaced. Armilla has never called anyone else Mother."

"But it's my fault she grew up not knowing who she was." It didn't seem Mother was going to stop crying any time soon.

"And she was better off," said Snape curtly. "If you had stayed with Father, Armilla would be a lot worse of now."

I nodded my agreement absent-mindedly.

"This is ridiculous," he continued, looking closely at Mother. "Why are you bringing up such things now?"

She shook her head, her eyes streaming with tears. "Guilt," she whispered. "I left my daughter alone in a dangerous world without an identity...and now that's she's found it, there's even more danger."

Snape stared at her, his lips pursed. I was wondering myself what had caused such an outburst. Why was Mother feeling such a sense of guilt now?

"Yes, but why now?" Snape demanded. "Why are you expressing such guilt now?"

Mother shuddered. "I don't know...I feel it."

"Feel what?" he asked.

Mother didn't answer, for all of a sudden, her face faded slightly and remained that way for a couple of seconds before becoming clear once more.

"What happened?" I asked, looking at my brother.

Snape was frowning as he stared at Mother's face.

"What do you mean what happened?" she asked, looking confused.

Snape peered down at her, his eyes narrowing. "Your face just faded briefly."

Now it was Mother's turn to frown. "I didn't notice anything."

I nodded. "It did though." I looked over at Snape. "Why did that happen?"

He shook his head slightly. "I don't know." He repeated his question to Mother. "Feel what?"

"Pardon?" she said, blinking.

He sneered. "You just said that you didn't know why you were expressing such guilt. Then you said I feel it. What do you feel?"

Mother looked confused. "I really don't know. I don't know what came over me. I can't explain what I said..."

I looked closely at her. Mother looked really lost. "Do you remember saying that you felt guilty?"

She blinked. "Vaguely." She turned to look at Snape, looking a little dazed. "What were you saying about your wife, Severus?"

Snape narrowed his eyes. "I said I never intend to have one. Are you quite alright, Mother?"

She blinked yet again, before smiling widely. "Oh I am very well, dear. And how are you?"

Snape looked startled. "...fine, thankyou," he said finally.

We talked with Mother for another twenty minutes, and she seemed perfectly fine. There were no more outbursts, and she didn't snap at me again.

"What was that all about?" I asked Snape, as we went back into the Secret Wing.

He shook his head. "I really don't know."

"Something faulty might have happened with the magic in the ring," I suggested.

"After all this time?" he said. "The ring has been functioning for a long time."

As we walked in the darkness, we were both silent.

"She seemed really vague," I said quietly, as we finally came into a lighter area.

"I agree," he replied, as we walked past the bedroom I had stayed in whilst in the Secret Wing. "It was like the ring had some sort of lapse."

"The magic isn't supposed to wear off though," I reasoned. "It will only shut down once Mother leaves the ring."

"I don't think the magic is wearing off," he said. "Something else was happening, but I'm not sure what."

o o o o o o o o o o

The Easter holidays zoomed by at an alarming rate. I spent a lot of my time in the dungeons with my brother. He was keen to use to time to do extra study for my OWLs, and as a result, I ended up spending much more time in the dungeons than with my friends in Ravenclaw Tower.

Lisa and Terry were too busy studying to be annoyed at my constant absence. On the occasions during the holidays when I did venture up to Ravenclaw Tower, they were always stewing over books or writing out study notes.

I was becoming more confident in most of my subjects. The only subject that didn't seem to sink in so well was History of Magic, and that was only because my mind really wasn't interested in learning the content. Astronomy was nearly as bad. I had never liked either subject.

As well as the studying, I had spent a lot of time refining my mental duelling shield with Snape. Now that I could keep the shield firmly in place, I was becoming a lot better at sending stronger hexes to Snape. In turn, he had put even more effort into his duelling, so that I was always challenged when facing him. During the holidays, we duelled for up to an hour on a daily basis.

We also visited Mother more regularly than we had been before, mostly out of concern after what had happened when we had returned to Hogwarts. Most of the time, Mother was fine, talking merrily and occasionally getting into a heated battle with Snape over the smallest things. On a few occasions however, she suddenly became very emotional and her face faded again. Each time this happened, her face faded even more. However, once her face had returned to normal, she had no recollection of what had happened.

I found the whole thing most vexing. Despite what Snape said, I was concerned that something was happening to the magic within the ring. I was worried that it would cause the ring to break completely before Mother had a chance to leave it properly. I didn't want Mother's spirit to be stuck in a broken ring.

Every time I brought the issue up with my brother, he stated again that he wasn't sure why. I thought he must have had a theory on why it was happening, but I knew he generally didn't like to share things with me unless he was certain.

On the Sunday night before school resumed, I spent a couple of hours in the Ravenclaw common room with Lisa and Terry. I normally spent Sunday evenings with Snape in our quarters in the dungeons, but Umbridge had called a last minute staff meeting. Snape had gone along to it grudgingly, grumbling about decrees and people resembling toads.

The first week of term was set aside for Careers Advice for the fifth years. Students were expected to meet with their Head of House to discuss career paths and subject choices for NEWT level. Snape and I had discussed this at the beginning of the year, and he had left the choice up to me as to whether I needed to see Professor Flitwick for Careers Advice.

I didn't feel the need to see my Head of House. I probably would have felt that I needed to if Snape had wanted more influence over my career. But so far, he had only stressed that he wanted me to have a career over being someone's wife.

I knew Snape was keen for me to do something highly academic. When I had said that I was interested in research, he had agreed that it was suitable, and we had barely spoken of careers since.

In truth, I hadn't given a great deal of thought to my career since then either. I had become accustomed to living day-by-day, especially after my experiences at Father's house. With a double agent job like Snape's, he was probably functioning according to the same mindset.

There was a list of the fifth year students on the noticeboard in the common room, with times for their meeting with Professor Flitwick. I hadn't been allocated a meeting time as yet, and I had received a note from Flitwick saying that if I wished to see him, he would allocate a time.

"I know exactly what I want to do," said Terry, not bothering to pick up any of the pamphlets that were sitting on the table. Terry had told Lisa and me back in first year that he wanted to be a Healer. I thought he would make a great Healer. Terry not only had brains, he also had that natural charisma that would make his future patients prefer seeing him to others.

"You're lucky," Lisa grumbled, staring at a pamphlet that read Make a Bang at the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. "I have absolutely no idea what I want to do."

"You can be a Healer like me, Lis," said Terry, smiling affectionately at her. "We can both be Healer Boot."

Lisa blushed, but returned the smile all the same.

I laughed. "You've planned that far into the future, have you?"

"Nah," they said in unison.

"I don't think I want to be a Healer," Lisa added, staring at the pamphlet with the crossed bone-and-wand emblem of St Mungo's. "I can't stand the sight of blood and broken bones."

I shook my head. "I don't think I'd have the patience to deal with the people who'd come in."

Terry grinned. "You've got that right, Milly. If someone came in with a problem caused by experimenting or accidental magic, you'd demand to know first why they're such an idiot and whether or not it was from lack of brain cells that got them into such a predicament."

I smiled. "I don't know if I would be that rude."

Terry shook his head. "Ah, well, I believe you'd say it more eloquently than that."

I nodded. "I won't deny it." I knew I didn't have the temperament to be a Healer. A sarcastic and impatient nature certainly wasn't on the job description.

"Why don't you work at the Ministry, Lisa?" I said, looking at the spread of leaflets relating to various ministry departments.

She shook her head. "What? Answer to someone like Cornelius Fudge? Ha! Unlikely."

"You know, I can imagine you being self-employed," said Terry, looking thoughtful. "Running your own business or something."

I nodded. "I can see that."

After a moment, Lisa also nodded. "Answering to myself? I'd like that. Being in control? I'd really like that."

Terry and I laughed.

"What sort of business though?" I asked.

Lisa shrugged. "I don't know."

"Just don't set up a shop in Knockturn Alley," Terry advised. "I don't think it would go down well with my parents."

"Your parents?" she exclaimed. "My parents won't let me near Knockturn Alley now."

They both looked at me.

"I went there with Snape to buy Father's Christmas present," I admitted. "But he didn't like taking me there."

"I don't suppose he did," Terry said. "I've heard there's some shifty folk there."

"What career are you considering, Mill?" Lisa asked.

"I don't know," I answered. Snape had forbidden me months ago to discuss my career with anyone. I wasn't allowed to mention my interest in entering the research field. Nothing could get back to Malfoy.

"Does your Father care what subjects you pick for sixth year?" Lisa asked.

"He would intervene if I was to choose Muggle Studies or Divination," I answered. "All I know is that whatever I do, I must receive high marks."

"But that's the same with Snape, isn't it?" asked Terry. "I mean, he expects you to do really well too."

I nodded. "Yeah, but there's a different sort of pressure."

Terry grinned. "Oh yeah, Snape wouldn't kill you if you do badly, but your father would."

I smiled. "Something along those lines."

Lisa gazed at me, looking a little concerned. "What do you think your father will do if you don't go as well in your OWLs as you'd like...as he'd like?"

I shook my head. "I'm not thinking that far into the future at the moment. I'm taking each day as it comes." The truth was, to avoid a nervous breakdown, I occluded madly every time the thought of my father and my OWLs results entered my head.

"And Snape?" asked Terry quietly.

"He wants me to do well," I said simply, "just the same as your parents."

"And if you don't?" he pressed.

"He'll say that I didn't get the mark I deserved and he'll move on," I replied. "He's made that clear to me."

"Is he having any influence over your career?" Terry went on. I knew Terry was only interested in that because his parents were very keen for him to be a Healer.

"Not really." I smiled. "But he doesn't want me to leave school and become a housewife."

Lisa snorted. "No, I'd expect not."

"Why don't you become a teacher like him?" Terry suggested, looking thoroughly amused by the idea.

"I think not," I said smoothly. "Teaching isn't for me."

"Oh come on," said Lisa, laughing. "Doesn't Snape come home to you raving about his love of watching his students learn?"

I smiled. "Well, not every day."

o o o o o o o o o o

On my way back to the dungeons I ran into the Weasley twins in the Entrance Hall.

"Hey Armilla!" Fred called, gesturing for me to come over.

Luckily, seeing as it was approaching curfew, there weren't many people about. I didn't really want Draco Malfoy seeing me talking to the Weasley twins. Though they were purebloods, Malfoy loathed the Weasleys. In the Malfoy Bible, it clearly stated that Weasleys were to be avoided due to their blood traitor, muggle-loving tendencies. In my bible, it clearly stated that pointed-faced, narcissistic blond fools were to fall victim to my sense of sarcasm, thus strengthening my ultimate goal to be a match for my brother's sarcasm.

"Hi," I said, as I joined them near the foot of the stairs. "Have a nice Easter?" I hadn't seen many students since before the holidays, seeing as I had spent the majority of the holidays with Snape in the dungeons.

"Not bad," Fred answered, grinning. I followed them into an empty corridor leading to the ground floor classrooms.

George took out his wand and cast a spell that would deter people from coming in our direction, while Fred cast another spell to block eavesdroppers.

"Our research is going well," said Fred. He gave me a knowing look.

I smiled. Obviously, I didn't need to ask them how much experimenting they had done since Snape's detentions. I had never mentioned my knowledge of their detentions to Snape, nor the fact that the twins had deduced that Snape had been helping them with their research of potions ingredients.

"I'm glad," I said.

"Well, we just wanted to give you your Easter present." George held out a small brightly coloured paper bag.

Confused, I took the bag from him. "Easter present?"

"Well, sort of. It's kind of an Easter present for you and a thankyou present for Snape," George explained.

I raised my eyebrows. "A thankyou present for Snape?"

They nodded solemnly.

"Those detentions we had with Snape were the best thing we could have done for our business," said Fred. "Seriously. We found out all sorts of stuff, and it allowed us to perfect a whole range of products we'd been having trouble with."

"But Snape wouldn't want to be acknowledged for it," I said hastily. "He wouldn't admit to helping you, would he? As far as those detentions go, you had to copy out ingredients, and you served them with Filch. That's all he would admit to."

"Yeah, we know." George looked amused. "It's a thankyou present for him, but we're giving it to you."

"So...he's not supposed to know about it then?" This was strange.

"Exactly," said Fred. "Instead of sending your brother an anonymous thankyou bouquet, we decided to give you something."

I shook my head. "So, basically he'll never know that he's been thanked?"

"Well, hopefully he'll never have to know," said George quietly, looking serious. "You'll understand when you open the present. Some of the things in that bag are older products, but we included them for fun anyway."

"Don't open them here," Fred went on. "Hide them in your robes and open them later."

I nodded. "Well, thankyou in advance then."

"No problem," they said in unison. "Some of the things in there are only there because of your brother's help."

"Giving them to you is the least we can do in our thanks," Fred added, as we walked back towards the Entrance Hall.

We parted at the stairs and I made my way down to the dungeons.

Snape still wasn't back. I got ready for bed and then decided to explore the contents of the gift bag. I went into my bedroom, being sure to close my door. My brother would never come into my room when the door was closed. If I heard him come home, I would have time to hide the gift.

I got into bed and opened the bag. I pulled out three Skiving Snackboxes. I had never used the one the twins had given me ages ago. There was also something called a Ton-Tongue Toffee, which apparently made the eater's tongue swell up to four feet in length. If only I could slip Father one of those...

I laughed as I read the label on something called a Canary Cream. I didn't fancy turning into a canary, even if it was for a limited amount of time. I really liked the fake wand though, which turned into a rubber chicken. I had the feeling that Docky would find it funny. I was certain that Snape would only sneer and deliver a well-timed scathing remark.

There was something in a small grey pod called Knockout Powder. According to the label, to activate it, I had to break the seal on the pod, and then drop it. This would cause some sort of yellow vapour to appear, which, if inhaled, would knock out anyone within a couple of metres. I had the strong impression that this product had been designed after Snape's detentions. It was quite serious magic for Fred and George. The product came with a small packet of very innocent looking gum. Chewing on it would save one from being knocked out, thus allowing the attacker to be near the victim. Fred and George had attached a small note to it.

These are great for hiding in the hems of robes or skirts. We gave one to Ginny, and she has been carrying it around in the hem of her skirt. We keep them in the hems of our sleeves. Just a recommendation. Gred and Forge.

Smiling, I went over to the closet and found my school skirt. Placing it in the hem of the skirt, I prayed that it was held together by a strong seal.

I returned to the bed and took out the last of the products. There were Fainting Fancies, Blood Blisterpods. Fever Fudge, Nosebleed Nougat and Puking Pastilles. If I hadn't been Snape's sister, these would have come in handy. If I faked an illness in class, my brother would hear about it and would no doubt go to any means to find out the cause of it.

I was concealing the gift bag in the closet when I heard the front door open and close. Snape was home.

I was just getting back into bed when he knocked on my door.

"Come in."

The door opened and a disgruntled looking Snape came in, his black robes billowing out behind him.

"How was it?" I asked, as he came to a stop at the foot of the bed.

"A typical Umbridge meeting," he answered, sneering. "She insisted that it be held in her office, and as a result, I've spent the last two hours in a room with pictures of frolicking kittens." He looked revolted, and I did my best to hide my amusement.

"Did you spend the evening in Ravenclaw Tower?" he asked, folding his arms.

I nodded. "Yeah. All the fifth-years are talking of nothing but Careers Advice."

He didn't look surprised. "Well I must say that hearing the career choices of the fifth-year Slytherins this week will be my highlight." He rolled his eyes. "I detest Careers Advice Week."

I was suddenly curious about the Slytherins. "What career is most popular with the Slytherins?"

Snape smirked as he came to sit down on the bed. "I can't see into your head right now, but I imagine it's got a picture of a pamphlet saying So, you want to be a Death Eater."

I shook my head. "There's nothing of the sort like that," I said indignantly. "I'm not stereotyping. I'm just interested."

"Indeed," he said dryly. "Well, it's hard to say what the most popular career choice is. I can tell you what the least popular choice is."

"Muggle Relations?" I guessed.

He nodded. "Quite obvious."

I frowned. "So, you've never had one student mention a career concerned with muggles?"

Snape frowned, obviously thinking of all the students he'd interviewed over the years. "I did have one student...about six or seven years ago now...who was interested in photography. He mentioned something about being interested in the fact that scenes in muggle photos don't move. Personally, I didn't see why that was so interesting."

I shrugged.

"He also said something else about muggles making moving scenes another way," he went on, frowning slightly. "I think he called it film making."

I nodded. "Making movies."

He raised an eyebrow. "You know about it?"

"Merle had muggle friends," I said quietly. "I've seen a couple of movies."

Snape looked troubled by this, as if he was trying to work out if he should ask more questions or make me swear never to do such a thing again.

"I keep that knowledge to myself, of course," I said, saving him the trouble of saying it himself.

"Good," he said, nodding. "I'd advise that, especially since your social circle has somewhat altered in the past six months."

"So what advice did you give that student?" I asked, genuinely interested how Snape handled a student from a House known for its prejudices against muggle borns and muggles.

"I told him to examine where he saw his life going," Snape replied. "If he saw himself as a potential suitor for a member of a pureblood family, then showing a great deal of interest in muggle photography was not going to do him any favours."

"Was he a pureblood?"

He nodded. "He was, which I believe made his position much more difficult. If he hadn't been a pureblood, he would have been of no use to the pureblood families anyway."

I let out a hollow laugh. "So if we weren't pureblood, Father wouldn't be so obsessive about me getting married?"

Snape looked thoughtful. "No, he would probably be a chauvinist either way. He'd still be keen for you to marry into more money at any rate."

I suddenly wanted to ask him something, but I thought he might consider it too personal a question. It was something I could ask Mother, but I didn't want to go behind my brother's back to ask.

"What is it?" he said, showing the faintest hint of a smile. "You've got that pained look on your face."

"You don't have to answer-"

"Get on with it-" he scoffed, waving a hand aside.

I got straight to the point. "Did Father ever plan to have anyone...for you?"

I knew Snape had gotten my point right away. His dark eyes glittered as he looked away.

"Yes," he said simply. "Of course he did. I was his heir, and he believed that I should also have an heir. But as to who he planned...I honestly don't know. His plan was that I was to spend several years as a Death Eater first."

"Would you have gotten married though?" I asked softly. I knew that Snape hadn't wanted to get married, but that was different to being expected to.

He looked back at me, his expression unreadable. When he spoke, I could tell he was being careful with what words he used.

"I cannot give a definite answer to that," he said quietly. "It would have depended on the circumstances. Sometimes...certain situations and...expectations...get in the way of things."

The strained expression on his face gave me a strong impression that he was not comfortable with this topic. His expression was almost pained, and I was reminded of a conversation I had had with him about two months before, when he had revealed that Harry Potter was next in line after me to inherit the Merrigan Estate.

"What was Harry's mother like?"

Snape flinched, clearly not expecting such a question. "Lily?" he said, his eyes glittering.

I nodded. I was surprised that Snape had called her by her first name. He shifted slightly, as if he couldn't get comfortable, but his face resumed its usual expression of indifference.

"She was-" He stopped, rubbing his arm absent-mindedly again. He was silent for a moment. "She was a muggle-born," he said finally. "Very clever...and-" he paused again, looking in front of him. "'There's really not much to say"' he said flatly.

And as I had recalled then, Father had also given me the impression that my brother had once admired another even earlier than that.

"I'm sure even Severus might have had an eye for those lesser than his position as a pureblood wizard."

If there had been something at one stage between Lily and my brother, I knew he wasn't about to tell me so, and the uncomfortable look on his face was enough for me to move away from the subject of marriage.

"I'm not going to see Professor Flitwick for Careers Advice," I told him.

He nodded. "That's alright. I don't think you need to. The less your career is spoken of, the better." At my change in topic, his face had at once become more relaxed.

"Lisa and Terry asked what I want to do," I continued, "but I told them I didn't know." I felt bad not being honest with them. It seemed strange that they knew of Snape teaching me defence skills, but not of my career.

"Don't feel bad about that," he said briskly, knowing exactly what I was thinking. "And what do they want to do?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but paused hesitantly. "You won't use it against them?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Would I do that?" he drawled.

"Yes."

"Fine," he said, looking slightly amused. "I promise to think of other things to taunt them with."

I glared at him. "Terry wants to be a Healer."

He nodded. "He'll make it as a Healer, as long as Miss Turpin doesn't distract him from his studies."

"Unlikely," I said. "Lisa's more studious than Terry."

"I'll permit you to be friends with her as long as she doesn't start memorising textbooks like a certain Gryffindor know-it-all," he said snidely, his eyes narrowed.

"There's nothing wrong with Hermione," I said defensively.

"We'll agree to disagree on that one," he said, looking irritated at the thought of Hermione Granger. "Well then, what is Miss Turpin aspiring to be?"

"She's not entirely sure," I answered. "But she's interested in being self-employed...running her own business or something."

He smirked. "I'm not surprised."

I stared at him. "You're not?"

He shook his head. "Miss Turpin wouldn't survive if she wasn't her own boss."

I smiled. Lisa did like to be in control of everything. It seemed Snape took more notice of his students' temperaments than he let on.

o o o o o o o o o o o

The first day back in classes turned out to not only be a busy one, but a tremendously exciting one. Teachers piled ridiculous amounts of homework upon the fifth years, and all day long I heard sighs of frustration and groans from other fifth year students, all of whom were at a loss as to how they would get it all done in time.

"The way we're going, we're going to be dead before our OWLs start," Terry complained as we made our way towards the Great Hall after classes on Monday afternoon.

We heard a sudden loud noise on the floor above us, followed by a number of shouts and screams.

"What was that?" Lisa exclaimed, staring at the ceiling.

"Dunno," said Terry, looking around him. The students in the same corridor had also stopped at the noise. "Maybe someone performed a bad transfiguration in McGonagall's class. Why-"

He was interrupted by another series of shouts, as well the sound of many feet moving quickly above us.

"Shall we go and see?" said Terry.

I shook my head. "I'm staying away from any chaos." God, I was becoming paranoid. I didn't want to be linked to anything. I was terrified of the smallest thing reaching Father.

We continued on our way, further away from the noise, and entered the Great Hall for a snack. We had only been in the hall for a few minutes when we heard a number of loud noises again. And they were getting closer now...

After listening to a great deal of shouting and hurried movement, we got up from the table, along with many other students, and stood in the entrance way, peering out into the Great Hall.

There were quite a few students here and there, some covered in some sort of substance and looking quite perturbed. Another minute went by, and the amount of students in the Entrance Hall more than tripled. I spotted a few teachers in the crowd as well. With everyone standing around, a great ring had been formed. I noticed with dismay that quite a few members of the Inquisitorial Squad were standing towards the front of the crowd, wearing expressions of unmistakeable smugness. It seemed like most of the school was there. The rest must have been upstairs with the noise.

The sound from above became louder and louder until finally, many feet came thundering the marble staircase. We all looked up to see more members of the Inquisitorial Squad racing down the stairs, hot on the tails of two very well known redheads. Fred and George Weasley.

I groaned. What had they done now?

The twins came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the Entrance Hall, realising that they had no where to run to. Peeves came floating down the staircase, cackling merrily about 'swampies' and he floated above Fred and George as the remaining members of the Inquisitorial Squad came to a halt at the bottom of the stairs.

I looked up at the sound of heavy panting and hurried footsteps, and a moment later, Umbridge appeared at the top of the stairs. As she took in the scene before her, her face very visibly lit up with glee. She moved down a few steps.

"So!" she said, looking ecstatic. "So - you think it amusing to turn a school corridor into a swamp, do you?"

Terry sniggered, and Lisa poked him in the elbow. "I wish we'd gone to see now," he whispered.

"Pretty amusing, yeah," said Fred.

I was delighted that Fred gave his answer with an air of little concern for the Headmistress.

Filch suddenly appeared, also looking overjoyed, and he made his way over to Umbridge.

"I've got the form, Headmistress," he said. He waved a bit of parchment around.

"Form?" Lisa whispered, standing on tiptoe to see. "What for?"

"I've got the form," he continued, "and I've got the whips waiting...oh, let me do it now..."

"Whips?" said Terry, looking incredulous.

"Who do they think they are?" demanded Mandy Brocklehurst, who was standing in front of us.

"Ministry-loving baboons," Anthony Goldstein muttered, shaking his head.

"Very good, Argus," simpered Umbridge. "You two," she said, addressing the Weasley twins, "are about to learn what happens to wrong doers in my school."

"You know what?" said Fred. "I don't think we are."

"Jolly good!" whispered a seventh year Gryffindor near us.

Fred turned to George. "George," he said, "I think we have outgrown full-time education."

"Yeah, I've been feeling that way myself," his twin replied, looking as if he hadn't a care in the world.

"Time to test our talents in the real world, d'you reckon?" asked Fred.

"Definitely."

"Oh God..." Lisa whispered, as the twins raised their wands.

"Accio brooms!"

Off in the distance, we heard a loud crash. We looked up to see a number of students on the landing duck in time to allow two brooms to zoom over them. One had a chain with an iron peg attached to it.

"Gryffindors," murmured Terry, shaking his head. "They haven't thought about this."

"I don't think there was time for thought," I whispered back, my heart pounding.

"We won't be seeing you," Fred announced to the Headmistress, mounting his broom.

"Yeah, don't try to keep in touch," George added, also getting on his broom.

Fred observed the crowd. "If anyone fancies buying a Portable Swamp, as demonstrated upstairs, come to number ninety-three, Diagon Alley - Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes; Our new premises!"

"Special discounts to Hogwarts students who swear they're going to use our products to get rid of this old bat," George added, pointing at Professor Umbridge.

Many students around us laughed nervously.

"STOP THEM!" Umbridge screamed. The Inquisitorial Squad moved in, but Fred and George flew high into the air before they could do anything.

"Give her hell from us, Peeves," called Fred.

I held my breath as the twins zoomed out of the front doors to the applause of the students.

"Look at Peeves," Lisa hissed, pointing.

I looked up to see Peeves saluting the twins, and then I couldn't help it; I smiled along with the students around me.

o o o o o o o o o o

I went down to the dungeons after dinner to borrow a book I needed for my Arithmancy homework. Snape had a great selection of books in the sitting room.

He looked up from his position at the table as I came in. He had several piles of parchment in front of him, and I assumed he was marking holiday homework.

"Evening," he said, reaching for another parchment. "Did you happen to witness the flight of the Weasley twins earlier?"

"Yes, did you?"

He nodded, sneering slightly. "A rather Gryffindor escape, I must say."

"They're better off, I suppose," I said, walking over to the many bookshelves.

"Certainly," he replied, crossing out something on the parchment with red ink. "A joke shop. Will wonders never cease?"

"They might end up creating things more important than jokes," I pointed out. "They're clever enough."

"How do you know that?" he said, giving me a sharp look.

"I've seen their products around," I answered. "They might be jokes, but they're clever ones."

"Mm," was all the reply I received. Snape paused to write what I supposed was a scathing comment on the parchment. I wasn't about to let him know that I knew of the twins' detentions. Not yet, anyway.

I turned to look for the book I wanted.

"What are you looking for?" my brother asked a couple of seconds later.

"That book I was using last week for Arithmancy," I murmured.

"It's on the shelf directly above you, on the right hand side."

Spotting the familiar black cover, I reached up and took it down.

I took it with me into my bedroom so I could leave it in my closet. That way, I could retrieve it from the closet in my dormitory. I didn't want to walk around the school with it.

After spending a few minutes with Morag, who was sporting a fluffy lilac look today, I returned to the sitting room to say goodnight to Snape before I went back upstairs.

"Sit down, Armilla," he said, as I came towards the table.

Sitting down on the chair nearest him, I waited silently for him to speak.

He finished writing his sentence on someone's homework before pushing the parchment away. He met my gaze, his face serious.

"I am not sure if you will like what I am about to say, but I have come to a decision all the same."

I said nothing, waiting for him to continue. What would he have to say that I wouldn't like?

"You currently spend Tuesday and Friday evenings, and Sunday afternoons and nights here in the dungeons," he said, watching me closely. "It is not my wish to take you away from your friends, Armilla, but I would like you to spend the other weeknights down here too until after your OWL exams take place. You can spend Saturday nights in Ravenclaw Tower with your friends."

He paused, as if waiting for my argument to come. When I said nothing, he continued. "Obviously you understand how important your results are, especially to Father?"

I nodded. "I feel like I'm working just to avoid Father's wrath."

Snape looked thoughtful. "In a way, you are," he said quietly. "The last thing I want is for you to feel like you are under tremendous pressure. My asking you to spend more time down here may feel like I am putting pressure on you, but believe me, I am striving to do the opposite."

I nodded again. "I know." I would miss seeing my friends as often, but they would be studying hard in the evenings anyway. It was more likely that I would get more revision done in the dungeons. Besides, the ultimate goal at the moment was to get good enough results to survive the summer.

"My plan," Snape went on, "is to increase the amount of time we spend revising together. We will do it two to three times a week instead of just on Tuesdays. We will still duel when we can, and of course, visit Mother. What do you think?"

I knew he was right, as much as I would miss Ravenclaw Tower. I did love spending time in the dungeons with Snape, but it was hard to think of spending all that extra time there without feeling pressure.

"I'm okay with it," I said finally. "I can't help feeling pressure though."

"I thought you would say that," he said quietly. "I admit it's a fair thing to say." He looked at me seriously. "But you know I am here to alleviate that pressure, not add to it." He suddenly looked stern. "You understand that, don't you?"

"Yes," I answered, nodding. "I do know that."

"Very well," he said, pulling another piece of homework towards him. "You can return to Ravenclaw Tower tonight, and I will see you tomorrow."

"Okay." I got up and made by way to the door. Before I opened it, I turned around.

"Severus?"

"Mm?" He didn't look up from his marking.

"Would the Ministry really let Filch use whips?"

He smirked as he looked up.

"You should not be worried about something like that. I would think you stay out of trouble, Armilla."

"Even so," I said. What was the wizarding world coming to if this was the case?

"The moment I hear Argus Filch has used a whip, Armilla," he said, his lip curling, "I will put forward my request to have disobedient students sample Longbottom's potions."