Stars and Silver

chapter 10

------------------------------------------> AFTER BREAKFAST, SINCE IT WAS A WEEKEND, Aquila, like every weekend, decided to spend time with her cousins.

But there were other things to attend to. Firstly, the mudblood-loving Severus Snape. A Council meeting had to be held for that. Council meeting weren't very frequently held, but when they were, they were extremely long. No matter. Though she did have to study for O.W.L's, she would tackle all that later. She took a moment to look around the Slytherin Prefect Quarters. Though she made it look like she could adjust to anywhere she was, she was still yet to get used to the Prefect Quarters, which were a stark contrast to the comfort and darkness of the Slytherin Common Room. Of course, she knew the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw Prefects might feel special in the Prefect Quarters (Firstly, the other Houses had dormitories which had four or five people in them, while the Slytherin ones was one person per dorm. At least it was a start...) The Quarters were fairly simple, with one person per room, with large windows letting in streams of sunlight, and floral wallpapers covered the wall. The ceiling, however, was  bewitched to look like the sky. There was much furniture, most pristine white, but the rest were golden. There was a four-poster bed, with a red side table (Honestly, when Aquila saw it, she was slightly disappointed to see a four poster bed instead of a queen-sized bed she was used to) a chandelier hung from the ceiling, which emitted red and gold sparks, and a balcony outside. Plants littered the floor of the balcony. In all, it was fairly simple, but she doubted that other House prefects agreed. And there was something about the room that hurt your eye. Maybe it was simply because of all the light that she wasn't accumulated to. Godric Gryffindor or whoever made these clearly wanted to show house equality and failed.  She stepped out of the room to meet Lucius yet again waiting for her outside.

"Sanctimonious Salazar! I did not expect 'holier-than-thou' Lucius Malfoy to be waiting for me, the Heiress Aquila Black! I must be seeing things!" she mocked, putting a hand over her heart.

"I'm not an heir, but you are an heiress?"

"Oh, please excuse me, great Heir Lucius Malfoy. I did not know you were an heir"

"Well, now you know. I thought you knew a few Pureblood families"

"Oh please, a pureblood girl like myself can count down pure bloodlines in her sleep"

Lucius feigned a shocked expression, remembering how Roselaide couldn't remember who the Fawleys were even though Rose Fawley was her best friend.

"Not all of them" he muttered, stealing a glance at Aquila. She flipped her black hair, a smile gracing her pale face, her grey eyes twinkling like the star she was named after. Not a sly smirk, not a mocking smile, a genuine smile. Lucius felt like he could sing.

"And, the meeting shall start soon, and unless you want to wait" She said.

"Of course, your Highness" he said sarcastically. Her ringing laughter filled the hallway. "Then lets go" she said, looping her arm into his and dragging him toward the Slytherin Common Room before pausing before the picture of a Basilisk. She muttered a spell at the portrait before it opened to reveal a staircase. Aquila dragged Lucius up the staircase until they reached a series of doors. Without so much as a pause, she walked (running was unladylike) toward the door at the end. Lucius followed into the large meeting room that was unlike any other. It was large and roomy, decorated with shades of silver, black and green. At the head of the room were two thrones made of silver with green cushions, with a snake imprinted on them, and smaller but almost as grand thrones on either side. There were other chairs their, along with a podium in front of the room. Naturally, everyone but the Green King and Silver Queen arrived. All other Slytherins were seated in chairs. Even Severus Snape was there, on the podium, looking bewildered that his 'interrogators' weren't there. Finally, Bellatrix and Rodolphus arrived. When they arrived, everyone stood up and didn't sit down until the mentioned did. "So" Bellatrix began. "I believe you all know why you are gathered here, but if you don't, it is because Mr. Severus Snape here interacted with a mudblood. What do you have to say for yourself, Severus?"

"It's not that bad!" Snape protested. "She was my childhood friend! You tell me how it would be if you were disliked by every other child that you were so desperate to make friends!"

"How.. Noble of you to stand up for your muddy friend."

"Don't call her that!" he said.  "You don't know her! Lily's very nice, and kind, and generous, and beautiful, and smart!"

"Many of us here are those qualities, Severus" Aquila informed before Bella could say anything.

"Well, I was the first one who told her she was a witch!"

"Where do you live, Severus?" Andromeda asked from her chair.

"At a house at the end of Spinners End" he said, confused.

"As I thought. A muggle neighborhood" Rodolphus said uninterestedly.

"Well-"

"Lucius, Bella, Rodolphus, Annie, Cissy, what do you think?" Aquila asked.

"Well" Lucius said. "Lets force him to stop talking to the mudblood"

"I agree" Rodolphus said.

"Well, lets just wait until the first Re-Sorting Ceremony happens for him. If it does" Bellatrix said.

Andromeda and Narcissa thought for a while until they said at the same time "Lets cast a vote on what should be done"

"I agree, that is reasonable" Aquila said.

"Very well" Lucius said

"Then we shall cast vote!" Rodolphus announced. Bellatrix nodded.

 A bit later, the votes were cast and counted, and it was official that Severus Snape would be free to talk to Lily Evans, but at some private place rather than public. Severus released a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He would be able to talk to Lily! The thought made him glad. The meeting ended.