Silvanna Snape {Marauders}

Chapter One-Hundred-and-Forty-Four

The rain continued to pour as they ploughed through November, lessons as treacherous as ever as they studied for their NEWTs. Silvanna found herself so busy that she hardly noticed that she hadn't spoken to anyone outside of lessons for the entire month. She was in her own world of studying as much as she could before she left Hogwarts, and taking early morning walks when the weather permitted it. She couldn't be happy, not without her friends and with the Prophet splashing news of the war all over the front page, but in a permanent state of limbo was fine with her. She kept herself so busy she didn't even have to think.

One Monday morning they woke up to an announcement on the notice board, stating that the next Hogsmeade weekend was going to be Saturday the third of December. It cheered her up a little to see it, knowing she could go out and stretch her legs through the village, and visit Tomes and Scrolls. She'd need to top up her stationery too...

But all of that daydreaming of peace was stomped out the next morning at breakfast when a handsome owl dropped a crisp cream envelope in front of her. Letters of this kind were not unusual, what with her regular correspondence with the Princes, so she tore open the letter without a second thought.

Before she could read it however, another owl dropped a cream envelope in front of her. This one wasn't as large, but midnight black. She instantly recognised it as the one that delivered to the Slytherin table where Regulus sat, and the one that used to send those horrid letters to Sirius.

She wasn't the only one to have noticed. Slytherins were turning in their seats to see if it had delivered to her or Sirius, and he was staring down the table. No one except Mary seemed to have noticed his shift in mood yet.

Ignoring him, she turned her attention to the opened letter.

Silvanna,

With regards to your expected letter from Mrs Black, we give your permission to attend. Dress well.

From,

Evelyn

Well, spoiler alert. So the next letter was an invitation to something was it? She opened that one, sipping her coffee to try and play things cool.

Dear Miss Snape,

I'd like for you to attend cream tea at Ettionette Tea Shop on Saturday the third. I have made a reservation for us at two o'clock.

Regards,

Mrs W Black

At least the 'W' narrowed it down. Now what was the difference between Cream Tea and Afternoon Tea...?

*****

As the week passed, she found herself becoming more and more nervous for her meeting with Walburga. She thought it might be best if Dumbledore knew she was going, so she tactfully left her Transfiguration textbook behind with the letter tucked away underneath. It was returned to her on Wednesday morning in Potions, but the letter was not.

Come Saturday, she felt more nervous than ever, but still managed to force some toast and coffee down her neck. She hadn't had the nerve to get dressed up for breakfast, she was so anxious, so she hid in the library for a few hours before heading up to her dormitory to get changed. After spending about half an hour trying to find something perfect (and eventually deciding that in Evelyn's eyes, anything looked perfect with a corset underneath), she put on a rust-coloured corduroy skirt with a white blouse, and an overshirt to match , before moving onto hair and makeup.

Just as she was finishing up and giving herself a final once-over, the girls walked in, cheeks flushed from the cold and chattering. "-I just can't believe how busy it was!" Mary exclaimed.

"I know!" Marlene agreed, before seeing Silvanna. "Look at you all dressed up," she said, somewhat coolly, removing her cloak.

"Yeah," said Silvanna, grabbing the nicest cloak she could find that would match. It had a nice fur collar that'd keep her really warm. "See you later."

It was the most words she'd said to anyone in weeks.

It wasn't difficult to find Ettionette, and once she stepped inside she didn't even need to give her name before they'd taken her cloak and were leading her across to her table. It was nicely decorated, with dark mahogany panels and furniture, and crisp white table linens, and heavy red curtains framing the windows, of which the table was in clear view of. There was light piano music drifting from somewhere, but she wasn't sure where, as it was deeper into the shop.

There were a few students sat inside over cups of tea and sandwiches, but the atmosphere wasn't so well-suited to them. They looked like they were quite enjoying the quiet, but were pushed into one side of the shop, near the back where the light was a little dimmer. The best table with the views of the snow-capped mountains framing the bustling high street, was reserved for the stony woman with the sharp cheekbones and cold, grey eyes.

Walburga stood as Silvanna approached, and lightly embraced her, as was the customary greeting. They sat and did their regular small talk, until the tea things came, along with a plateful of scones with cream and jam.

"I simply feel as though we spent all that time together in France, and yet I still hardly know you," she said, somehow managing to smile without any joy. "So tell me about yourself. What subjects do you like?"

"Alchemy's my favourite," she confessed, putting her teacup down. "And I've loved astronomy as long as I've been there."

"Alchemy's a very useful subject," she said in agreement. "It's healthy for a lady to have a hobby." She studied her over the rim of her teacup, watching for her response. She probably expected Silvanna to have a career plan, what with her 'background'. Little did she know that her only career aspiration was the complete slaughter of the Death Eaters, including her family if it came to it. So she only nodded in polite agreement.

"When I was your age..." It was a dull way to change the topic, and Silvanna found she wasn't really paying attention, but smiled and nodded where she was supposed to anyway. Walburga was getting rather into her story telling, seeming to actually enjoy herself, and once or twice placed her hand on Silvanna's shoulder in a friendly sort of way that made her want to flinch.

One of these times the universe aligned against her once again. She was smiling at Walburga's story when she saw them out the corner of her eye. James, Remus, and Peter were laughing as they passed the window, but Sirius had seen them and stopped.

Silvanna saw his heart shatter into a thousand pieces, as Walburga continued to talk and she felt her smile slipping from her face. His eyes glittered, from tears or the lighting she didn't know. By now the boys had noticed he'd stopped, and turned to look at her too.

She caught herself, put her smile back on, and turned her attention back to Walburga. She looked back just in time to see James wrapping his arm around Sirius's shoulders, putting on a smile as he escorted him away. But his eyes didn't move from them, and she met them again.

She felt like the smallest person in the world.

You're doing it for them.

"I do quite like you, Miss Snape," Walburga was saying. "You're unusual." But still quiet, stoic, and thin, she thought bitterly. The horrid woman.