Silvanna Snape {Marauders}

YEAR FOUR - Chapter Fifty-One

:)

It wasn't difficult for Silvanna to find Sirius on the train. He looked as miserable as he always did coming back from the summer, but this time he looked thin and worn. He looked older. "Hi," she said.

"Hello." Silvanna took her seat, staring at him.

"Did they-?" she began.

"Yep."

"Do you want to-?"

"Nope."

She left it at that.

Not five minutes later, Remus, James, and Peter ambled through and into their compartment, bickering about something or other. Even Peter had grown a little bit, although he was still quite plump. Remus was even taller than the last time she'd seen him, and James had grown too. They stopped as soon as they saw Silvanna, and she shifted uncomfortably.

Before she could register what was happening, Remus had swooped down and embraced her tightly. Silvanna jumped, but it didn't hurt. In fact, it actually get quite nice, and she hastily hugged him back.

The train began to move, and Remus finally stepped away, sitting down between her and Sirius. James and Peter had already stowed all three trunks away and taken their seats.

"What - how - what -?" Remus stammered gaping at her. Eventually, he decided a good shove would do the trick. "You didn't write!"

"I was feeling pretty ignored too," James added, smiling all the same.

Silvanna forced a smile. "My dad locked out owl away and boarded up my windows." Their jaws collectively dropped. "It's fine," she said quickly, even though it wasn't, "Didn't even hit me or anything. How were your summers?"

*****

They were searched upon entry as usual, and as usual the Sorting dragged on. Mary and Marlene hadn't changed a bit since Silvanna last saw them - a little taller and more freckled perhaps. No severe changes like Silvanna's hair.

Dumbledore touched a little bit on the war for the first time since Silvanna had been at Hogwarts. Really just talking about how they should all stick together. One look across the room at the Slytherins in their year told her that wasn't going to happen.

When she arrived back to her dorm that night to unpack, Marlene tossed her some more blush and mascara that she'd brought for her, along with a pot that looked like a mini inkwell and a tiny brush. "It's eyeliner," Marlene explained. "Takes a bit of practice, but it'll look really cool on you, I reckon."

"Thanks, M," said Silvanna, placing them on her bedside table. "Here I can pay you back now." She began to fish through her trunk but Marlene stopped her.

"Don't worry about it," she said with a small smile.

The four of them stayed up late into the night, discussing various bits and pieces. Boys seemed to be on Mary and Marlene's minds. Boys being James and Sirius. While Silvanna didn't scoff like Lily did, she was almost grateful when the conversation had turned to the looming war.

"My Dad says they're attacking more witches and wizards," said Marlene, twiddling a piece of hair between her fingers. "Murders, stuff like that. Last month he had to rush out because of werewolf attacks - whole pack of them positioned themselves in time for the full moon." Lily let out a little gasp of horror and Silvanna was forced to remember that not all werewolves were as harmless as Remus.

"You alright Lily?" asked Mary, peering across the room at her. Lily had gone very pale.

"Yeah," she said, her voice little more than a whisper. "Yeah - just - don't like this war talk. Muggle-born..." she could barely get her words out, poor girl, and Silvanna thought she was probably thinking about all the disturbing stuff Severus had been saying.

The talk turned back to boys.

*****

Silvanna had hardly slept all night, too entranced by her new Charms textbook. Last year had been a low point for her. This year, she was going to get back on top. As always, James was disgusted at his timetable.

"Two lots of double History?" he exclaimed, rather too loudly for Silvanna's taste. She sipped on her coffee - black with shitloads of sugar.

"Not even with the Slytherins," grumbled Sirius. "We're actually going to have to listen."

"We won't," growled James, looking more determined than he did annoyed.

"We've got no lots of double History," said Remus pleasantly, buttering some toast.

"Swots," muttered Sirius.

"Alright Mr Arithmancer, cool your jets," said Peter, earning himself a surprised laugh. "What do we have first?" he asked, looking for his own timetable, which apparently, he'd already lost.

James glanced down at his before throwing it on the table. "Fuck's sake," he mumbled, earning himself an 'ooooh' form the others at the table. James was not known for swearing.

"Keep that energy up for the Quidditch pitch and it's a sure win!" called Marlene from where she was sat with Lily.

"He's got a point though," said Mary, reaching for the pumpkin juice. "It's Potions with the Slytherins first." Everybody looked to their own timetables in disbelief, before letting out a collective groan.

*****

Remus, though he had spent his meals glued to Silvanna's side as though scared she'd 'ignore' him again, didn't show up to their table in the library all week. Whatever it was they were doing in their own corner - though they insisted it wasn't studying - was taking up almost all of his time. In fact, Silvanna was sure she hadn't seen Remus sit with her since March, and that was only to escape the tirade that was party planning.

One person she was seeing more of in the library was Lily. It wasn't like she hadn't been there before, although she was sure she spent more time exploring the grounds than Silvanna had. It was just that Lily was always in the library with Severus. Never had she been in the library like Silvanna had, looking for good books in the very nook and cranny, scanning the deepest depths for a comfortable place to waste hours. Now she was. She was searching the shelves at the very back, secretly studying.

On Thursday, Silvanna had a very jam-packed day. Charms and double Arithmancy in the morning, followed by Runes, History, and Care of Magical Creatures. This took her right up to four-thirty, when she'd dart up to Transfuguration for an hour of gobstones - where they had a new member, a third year Ravenclaw called Johnny Culpepper - down to dinner at six, and into the library to do any homework for the last hour before it closed. When she arrived, Lily was already waiting at her table, tapping her finger impatiently.

"There you are!" she hissed as Silvanna set down, shooting her a questioning frown. "Where've you been?"

Silvanna shrugged. "Dinner."

"Right," said Lily, looking distracted. She had a large pile of notes, face down in front of her. Silvanna pretended not to notice. "You're friends with Remus, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Silvanna said slowly, taking out A Spellman's Syllabary.

"Right," Lily repeated. "Does he seem a bit...odd...to you?"

"Odd?" asked Silvanna, narrowing her eyes. "No, I don't think he does." She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair, challenging Lily, who became flustered.

"Nothing strange going on?" asked Lily. "He is a bit weird. With his illness."

Red flashed before Silvanna's eyes and she took a deep breath. "Don't call Remus weird," she said lowly.

"No," Lily said quickly, shaking her head. "Just not normal." She clearly saw straight away that she'd said something wrong. "No, sorry. Not like that."

"Sounded like that," said Silvanna quietly. "I suggest you stop listening to my brother," she added. "Don't want you turning out like a prat too."

Lily left after that, red in the face, leaving Silvanna to struggle with the bloody Runes homework. She was absolutely not going to tell Remus.