Silvanna Snape {Marauders}

Chapter Six

We love giving characters ✨trauma✨ :)

Silvanna had thought her day couldn't get any worse. And then it did.

She didn't much fancy putting up with Marlene and Mary chattering in the common room, or Potter and Black just being generally loud. So, taking Lupin's advice, she'd tracked down the library. And it was magnificent.

There were rows upon rows of shelves all around, and huge arched windows above the lake that had window seats (well, benches) where you could just sit and read. There were great big tables with benches near the entrance, and tiny little ones with rickety chairs in the corners. To her pleasure, Silvanna found one such table in a secluded corner and dropped her things down, peering out the nearby window. You could just see the edge of the forest and the expanses of lawn beyond the lake shore. It was perfect and beautiful and everything she'd dreamed it would be.

The very first thing she did was open the crumpled letter from her mum that Severus had given her.

To Sev and Silvie, it read.

Congratulations on making it into your houses. I'm so proud of both of you! I hope you make the most of your time at Hogwarts, they'll be some of the best days of your life.

Things are as well as always at home, and I hope you'll write to me soon telling me all about your first day and your new friends. Don't get into too much house rivalry! All my love,

Mum xx

Silvanna ignored the fact that her mum's tone sounded so different in the letter than it did when they were at home. Mind, she didn't speak much at home. Not unless their dad wasn't there, and even then it was quiet and secretive whispers of conversation. When was the last time her mum had left the house? She shook the thought from her mind and stuffed the letter in her bag - she had homework.

She got to work right away, deciding there was nothing better for her to do. Sprout had set a foot on the proper handling on Devil's Snare, and Slughorn one on proper potions technique. It didn't take her long at all - about forty-five minutes in total, and that was with the fact checks, and the extra paragraph about not heating the cauldron too much.

At five, she still wasn't busy, so she perused the shelves, looking for something she might like to read. What did she like? She bit her lip, scowling as she usually did when she was mildly inconvenienced. Certainly not Herbology or Potions theory. And she couldn't tell if she simply disliked Professor Binns or the history itself. What was it that Lupin had been reading? Did Hogwarts even have muggle literature? The answer was yes, because the Hogwarts library really was that wonderful. It was in the muggle studies section.

She bit her lip, frowning. Which one to pick? "I've read that one," said Lupin, leaning forward from where he'd snuck up behind her and pointing to a small volume with a tattered spine. That was where things went south.

She sniffed distastefully, wishing he'd mind his own business, but picked it up nonetheless. The cover depicted a little dog in a wicker basket. The Wizard of Oz.

"What's it about?" she asked, turning it over. To her dismay, she saw that the publishers had done that stupid thing where they don't write a description of a book, they simply write what other people she didn't care about thought about the book.

"Well, you'll have to read it," said Lupin mysteriously. "I liked it."

Silvanna nodded, and took the book back with her to her table. Lupin followed, much to her dismay. "What are you, a lost puppy?" she said as she put her feet up on the chair next to her, leaning back into her own. Lupin sat opposite her, spreading his things out and staring at her curiously. Eventually he shook his thought from his head.

"Just enjoying the peace from the common room," he said with a small smile, dipping into his ink and peering at his copy of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. "And I don't want to get behind."

"Scared they'll kick you out?" she taunted, opening to the first page.

"Something like that," he muttered, already absorbed in his work.

*****

The following day brought more History, along with Charms and Transfiguration. They also had Astronomy in the evening, but that wouldn't be for hours. However, it wasn't her lessons that were on her mind as Silvanna sat alone in the library, nor the Transfuguration practice she was supposed to be doing. It was the Howler that had arrived this morning.

She'd been sat at the table, sipping at her pumpkin juice and diligently reading the Wizard of Oz while Lily, Marlene, and Mary talked next to her. The post had arrived, as always, and of course, Silvanna didn't get anything. But one person who had was Sirius Black. The people around him went silent, staring at the crimson envelope in his hand, and even Silvanna's curiosity betrayed her. Why did he have a howler? He hadn't done anything yet, had he? Had they been caught when they snuck out on the first night?

He opened it, fingers trembling so slightly you could barely see it, the wax seal breaking with a pop. "SIRIUS ORION BLACK, YOU FOOLISH, IDIOT BOY!" Silvanna almost dropped her book at the sheer surprise of the volume, and now almost the whole hall was looking at him.

The woman's voice carried on. "BREAKING A FIVE HUNDRED YEAR OLD TRADITION! I'VE HALF A MIND TO WRITE TO DUMBLEDORE MYSELF AND TELL HIM TO RE-SORT YOU." At this, Silvanna cast a glance at Dumbledore, along with several other people. His stony stillness told her that wouldn't be happening anytime soon.

"HAVE YOU ANY IDEA OF THE TARNISH YOU'VE BROUGHT TO THIS FAMILY? THE SHAME YOU'VE PUT ON OUR HOUSE?"

Silvanna was sure Black was actually shaking now, but she couldn't quite tell. His face was a mask of calm. "WE WILL BE HAVING SEVERE WORDS WHEN YOU COME HOME AT CHRISTMAS. AND DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT STAYING BECAUSE I WILL REMOVE YOU FROM THAT SCHOOL MYSELF! IF YOU DARE TO EVER PULL ANOTHER STUNT LIKE THIS, I CAN ASSURE YOU, YOU WON'T LIVE TO TELL IT!"

By the look in Black's eyes, Silvanna believed whoever was shouting at him. She couldn't imagine what he was thinking. She'd been screamed at like that before, of course, but never in front of anyone other than Sev. But with those threats, Silvanna didn't think embarrassment was what he was worrying about right now.

The howler tore itself to pieces in front of him, and Black snapped out of his daze and to his senses. Silvanna knew that daze well - it was the one you jumped into when you don't want to get in trouble while you're already in trouble. You just nod and say 'yes' in all the right places.

Potter nudged him and whispered something that no one else could hear. Black didn't respond. Instead he pulled his wand from his robes and flicked it once, almost lazily, muttering something. The remains of parchment were set on fire, and many people around them watched it burn, just waiting for the dramatics to end. They turned away when it was nothing more than a smoking pile of ash, and McGonagall had come over to remove a house point for staring a fire. Although, she looked reluctant, and Silvanna sent her a scathing glare, much to the entertainment of Marlene.