The Shadow of Slytherin

The lone wolf

The only sound in the room being the hammock, the rope that creaks as it pulls on the branches it is tied to, swinging Alex and Akira while you sit in silence, your back still leant against Alec, who has started playing with your hair.

His gaze wandering to you as the others close their eyes and enjoy the quiet, you rise from your seat, Alec grabbing your arm, but you brush him off and walk with Atticus, up another level over stairs made of roots that have grown intertwined, the smaller roots reaching up to form a railing as you climb the stairs to reach the top. The platform views the entire great hall of the RoR.

Alex and Akira sleeping in the hammock that has slowed down as Alex has dropped his wand, which has fallen onto the ground and rolled farther from him, the hand hanging over the side of the fabric.

Left alone, Alec stretches out on the sofa, his head on a giant pillow. A smile comes to your face as you stare at him, then follow Atticus along the path and into a corridor that leads to another quiet room. "If you prefer, we can go to my room" you suggest, sniggering as Atticus gives you a side eye and continues his walk until you reach an open door on the other side of the room, then another corridor and at last, a door of metal, crossbars keeping it shut. "Is your father an animagus as well?"

A yelp comes over your lips when Atticus stops so abrupt, you bump into his back. The bright blue eyes darken when he leans down to your face and clenches his jaw. "Do not speak of my father. It is dangerous"

"All right, then I will rephrase that. If the white wolf is not one of your brothers, or me, it may still be from your family"

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Atticus halts before a bookshelf, the fingers gliding over one book band after the other until he scoffs and pulls out a heavy, leather bound book. "Here" he says as he tosses you the book, then continues his search until another book lands in your hands, and a third.

"Can you at least tell me, if we are in any peril? After last year I would like to have the upper hand at least once" You tap your foot on the ground. The face turns to Atticus, who picks out another book, then drops it onto a dusty desk in the corner, drops onto a chair, without giving you another glance. "Excuse me? Atticus? I might as well leave"

"You might, but you will not" Atticus breathes, the dust twirling up on the desk causing him to sneeze. At your silence, he nods towards the book and holds out a chair for you to sit. "History of Slytherin, read it before?"

"Some, Sebastian told me a few more things as well, but mostly about the Gaunt family and their connection with Salazar Slytherin"

"Sallow. Of course. That boy is everywhere" Atticus picks a strand of hair that has fallen from his pony tail, undoes the pony and binds the hair back anew, the fingers gliding through his hair like through silk. "How much did you really like that boy? He was never good news. Did he tell you about his parents?"

Rolling your eyes, you open one of the books Atticus had handed you and read over the first page. With a scoff, you look up at his words, "What are you now, my mother? He is not good news? Well, neither am I, if you can recall any events of past year"

"Recall? I've spent plenty of time running after you and that Sallow boy, watching how that relic-" The fingers fly through the air to land at the scar through your left eye, "has changed and influenced you. Alex told me about it, we all noticed. And that Sallow did not care about the destruction he caused, the pain he induced. He used you" His words silence, but his eyes dart to you as your mouth opens with a smirk. "Not a word about it"

A sigh rolls over your lips as you shut the book with such force, a wave of dust hits Atticus in the face. "Fine, what about Sebastian's parents? They used to be Professors and died in one of their own experiments"