The Serpent's Secrets

Potions and Confessions

"He's a little rough around the edges but he's a good person, he didn't know too much about raising a child, much less a girl, but to be fair I wasn't the most normal witch as a kid. He did let me help out when he was brewing potions a lot. It's probably the reason I'm so good at it." Out of the corner of her eye Edelweiss could see Severus's lip twitch.

"Well if you ever have some free time over the summer you two are welcome to come to dinner at my house. My parents love company, they've sucked every last drop of information about our world out of Percy. They've been desperate to meet you, especially after I told them how you skipped two years of classes." Penelope offered making Edelweiss laugh.

"As much as I'd like to take you up on that offer I'd think it best you not meet my uncle. At least not at a family dinner." Penelope looked a little sad,

"Oh, are you sure?" She asked, and Edelweiss sighed.

"I don't know for sure, I've got some things to do, but I'll try to drop by." She was rewarded with a bright smile from Penelope.

"Sounds good to me." They resumed working on their potion and at the end of class got a perfect score, as to be expected from the potions' master's niece.

"Prince, I need a word with you." Severus said and Edelweiss nodded, waiting behind in the class.

"You shouldn't be spending time around that girl, this heir is targeting Muggle-borns students, I doubt it would care if you happened to be another victim." He warned the 14 year old.

"I know. I've already told her to look around corners with a mirror, so she should be okay." She replied, "Anyways I have to get to DADA, not that I want to, he's just going to go on and on about how many Valentines he's received." She sighed and Severus scoffed.

"Since you spent so much time talking in my class, you can stay and sort the potions ingredients." He said and her face lit up in excitement.

"Thanks Uncle Sev," She said as she darted into his private storage room. He hid a small smile and returned to grading potions. 

A few weeks later, before the Quidditch game between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, in the Room Of Requirement Edelweiss was searching for ways to avoid the Basilisk's stare while not having to live in fear. She was also looking for ways that Riddle could have charmed the diary to contain his memories and how to destroy it. She was interrupted when Ginny entered.

"Ginny, what's wrong?" The girl was trembling and her eyes were swollen and red, as if she'd been crying.

"I-I t-took the d-diary back. H-harry found it f-from when I threw it in the toilet. I was scared Tom would tell him." Edelweiss embraced the younger girl.

"Tell him what Gin?" The redhead sobbed in Edelweiss's arms.

"T-that I-I like him." Edelweiss contained her surprise and held the girl closer.

"Gin, even if R-Tom was to tell Harry it wouldn't change anything. You are both far too young to date. Perhaps knowing would allow you both to explore when you are both older, but it really wouldn't change anything." Ginny held onto Edelweiss as if she was a life raft on the open sea in a storm.

"B-but..." She tried to form a sentence.

"Gin, it doesn't change anything. You like him because he is a kind person, he wouldn't be so cruel as to treat you differently because of this." Edelweiss tried to reassure her.

"I messed up his room trying to get it back, it felt like it was barely me. And I'm the one who's been opening the Chamber. I know it." Ginny sounded so distraught over it that Edelweiss had to reassure her.

"It was not you, it was Tom, Gin. You are not the one responsible for this, I'm looking for a way to destroy the diary, okay? I'll find a way. You are not the culprit, you are just one of Riddle's victims." Edelweiss said firmly. Ginny nodded weakly and Edelweiss wiped the girl's tears away. "Now let's have some hot cider and I'll tell you some stories that Baron told me about Filch's first years as caretaker." She said with a grin, that was reciprocated by the first year.

"Okay." The girls sat down on a bean bag and steaming mugs of hot cider appeared in front of them.