Saving Snape

24. Hold your hippogriffs

During the end of year feast, Hermione comes in followed by Hagrid, who just arrived back from Azkaban.

Hermione and Ron have that little awkward moment and I smile to myself from the Slytherin table. I wonder if she could hear everything while petrified?

As if she read my mind, she turns to me and winks. I raise my eyebrows and she nods slightly. I guess that's sorted, then. She heard me.

Well, this year went by quickly. Hazel will be happy.

I sneak a quick glance at her and one look at her face is enough to tell me I was right. Probably mentally fangirling.

The thing is, I was too nervous to fangirl while I talked. The was a 99% chance he would scoff at my words, or refuse to believe me, or just kick me out before I could say 'Quidditch'.

Hazel doesn't have to worry about that happening, the lucky little potato.

I mean, Sirius is so open to everyone. He'll befriend her if she believes he's innocent. Severus isn't like that, you have to earn his trust and friendship.

After the feast we hug our friends and Emma-Leigh skips onto the train while everyone walks on.

Oh, did I mention she's got this amazing rainbow jersey on? I bet she'll get on perfectly with Luna. Sure enough, I see them sitting together in the same compartment, talking quickly. Probably about Nargles.

I still don't know what they are.

As we wave after the train, Hazel squeals.

"It's so close I'm going to die!"

"Hold your hippogriffs, we still have the rest of the holidays."

She wrinkles her nose. "You sound like a witch."

"Well, I practically am one now, so are you. With these wands, we've left the muggles behind. This is our life now, embrace it."

"I said that once, didn't I?"

"Something along the lines of 'It's life, embrace it' during a particularly disgusting lesson in which Mr Leaf had to give us 'The Talk' at our old school."

"Oh, that." She grins. "Your face was priceless."

"What can I say, it grosses me out, that stuff."

"Your face said everything. Look, you're doing it again!" She points at me and I go red.

"Come on, let's go inside."

()-()-()-()-()-()-()-()

A week later, we're all sitting at the breakfast table.

"Sirius escaped last night." Says Dumbledore. "Not long now, Hazel."

"It's still hard to believe we've been doing this for two whole years. Only five left." She says.

"You still have to stay for nineteen years after, as well. You're also welcome to stay in the wizarding world, since you can't exactly go back to being muggles."

I look up. "How will we cover our disappearances?"

"Memory charm, Isabelle. Forgetfulness potion if it comes to that." Says Severus. "I thought you could use that brain of yours."

"I'm not in Ravenclaw, am I?" I smirk.

"That doesn't mean you aren't cunning, you're a Slytherin."

"I was meant to be Hufflepuff, remember? I just picked Slytherin so you would trust me."

"Well... Merlin's beard, give me time to think of something."

"Ha! I got you!"

Suddenly my hair is pulled out of it's ponytail and turned black, I know because a few strands fall in my face. I blow one out of the way. Severus looks at me triumphantly.

"Payback."

Spoken like a true Slytherin.

"Now we could be related." I say. "Wait..." I wave my wand and my eyes turn black. "Does it look okay?"

"Surprisingly, yes."

Dumbledore clears his throat. "Yes, about that..."

"Albus," says Severus. "I thought we weren't doing that." The look he gives Dumbledore is hard to miss.

Dumbledore smiles sheepishly. Wow, that's something you don't see often.

"Anybody care to explain?" I ask. Hazel also looks confused, but Severus and Dumbledore seem to be having a silent conversation.

"Later." Says Severus after a while. He doesn't look up from his plate for the rest of the meal. I exchange a look with Hazel. This is weirder than the Ginny thing.

"So..." Says Hazel, trying to break the awkward silence. "When do I get to see Sirius?"

I roll my eyes.

"Well, you'll have to wait until he decides to arrive. He won't be able to get in without help, by the way." Says Dumbledore with a wink. "It would be a shame if a student were to meet him in Hogsmeade in the dead of night and help him get to the shrieking shack without being discovered. We'd have a disaster on our hands."

"Thanks for the idea." Says Hazel. "You in, Belle?"

"Why not?" I say. Severus rolls his eyes.

We eat in silence for the rest of the meal. What's up with Severus?

I just hope it's nothing too serious. I can tell it's about me. It's obvious. After we finish, Hazel and I meet up outside.

"You're the Ravenclaw, any ideas what's up with him?"

"I was looking at Dumbledore. After you said you could be related I could tell he was going to say something. Weird, huh? Why don't you just go ahead and ask lover-boy later today? You've got another meeting with him, anyway."

"Okay. I just hope it's not bad. Do you have the feeling it's about me?"

"Yes. I don't think he's dropping out though. He wouldn't do that to you. He may be a douche but he knows what it means to you. I've seen it, he's soft now."

"Hazel Ruby Kate Osgood, you'd better not be lying to me." I grumble as I get up and brush myself off. "I'd better go now or I'll be late. See you later, potato."

"Au revior, my good friend."

()-()-()-()-()-()

"So what's up with you?" I ask, sitting down on a desk. "Whatever Big D was on about must have bothered you a lot."

"It's nothing." He mumbles.

So I turn his hair green.

"Tell me what's up and I'll turn it back."

"Fine. Just please turn it back first, I can't stand it."

I wave my wand and he sits down next to me.

"So you said we could be related..."

"We're not actually related, are we? He was joking, wasn't he? Severus, was he joking?"

"No, it's not that. He was talking about... About..."

"What? It's not bad, is it?"

"He was talking about... adoption." He says softly.

____________

I left it at a cliffhanger because I'm evil!

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~Ericano