Rigel Black Oneshots

Fire Burns The Exposed

Huh. Hugging Snape felt weird, but good too. She felt herself stiffen involuntarily, then after a few seconds, relaxed and basked in it while it lasted.
 
She closed her eyes, taking in fondly the smell of aconite and a dozen other ingredients that made her feel at home. How good that word felt. Harry felt clean for the first time, hugging her Potions Professor once he knew of her duplicity. She was fine. He was fine. So everything was fine for now.
 
He pulled back, face drawn in a scowl, and Harry hid a smile.
 
"What on Earth made you distrust me so?" He said, and she could hear a slight pain in his voice, until it turned wry, "You wound me, Potter."
 
"Oh, Professor, I was gritting my teeth not being able to show you my full talent, believe me." Harry said, grinning.
 
" How did you make that seem more self-deprecating than a compliment?" Snape muttered.
 
Harry's smile softened, "Job hazard."
 
Snape rolled his eyes, "Now the only job I expect to hear of," His eyes hardened, "And I do expect to hear of everything, will be Potions, Miss Potter."
 
Harry bowed her head, "As milord bids."
 
She didn't have to look up to know his lips twitched despite his scowl.
 
"Then you shall be disappointed to know that we have kept a lab waiting on us." He said, his voice regaining it's usual stern and slightly silky tone.
 
Dom coughed into his hand, "About that… Your booked time is up, actually. One hour, right?"
 
Snape raised an eyebrow, "4 hours. We have time yet left. Are you aware of Harriet's surroundings?"
 
Dom grinned mischievously, "A little, yes."
 
Snape shook his head.
 
Harry smiled, "We better return, then, Sir. You wouldn't want to get caught doing Legilimency on the first meeting of my apprenticeship, no matter how agreeable I was."
 
Snape looked at her, amused, "What am I to do with you, Miss Potter?"
 
"Potions."
 
"Then potions it shall be."
 
Harry would cherish those words for the rest of her life.
 
She instantly became aware of her body, but took a moment to gain her bearings. To her unsurprise, she found Snape already up and about.
 
"How often must you have had to meditate and defend, that you have such control. Staying so long in a defensive state and yet you gain your senses so fast." Snape said, and the question was more rhetoric than anything.
 
Harry smiled wryly as she reached into her Potions kit, "The thought did cross my mind when I was in my third year, you know."
 
Snape paused, though his hands were still arranging ingredients, "Indeed. I admit I was surprised with the speed at which you sank into a meditative state in the memories I viewed."
 
"You know me, I'm full of surprises."
 
Another pause, "You are. I have but one question left- Is this you, Miss Potter? I understand that even now you are antisocial and hesitant in most respects but Potions, but there are distinct differences in behavior between Rigel and you. Was Rigel's conservation more of a compulsion, than anything else?"
 
Harry thought about it, "I suppose you could say so. I still am not a very extroversial person, and I am like Rigel in a lot of ways, but when it comes to the differences..." She thought of herself in the Lower Alleys, "This is me."
 
They'd set everything up and looked at each other. Harry's lip twitched, and Severus drawled, "Do you even know what we are intending to brew, Miss Potter?"
 
His eyes flicked towards the cauldron and few ingredients she had set up.
 
"Of course you do." Snape scowled at her, but it was missing it's usual intensity.
 
"The Jobberknoll feathers gave it away."
 
And they worked quietly, brewing Veritaserum for once when Harry would have near nothing to come clean about. She could sort of see why Snape had asked her to brew it, since it was known to be challenging and in the eyes of the world she hadn't proven herself to be as intuitive and genius as Rigel yet.
 
"The Lower Alleys," Snape said in low tones, when they were at the most passive stage, "Why would they back up your story..." He paled.
 
"Draco's nutrient and suppressor potions- you were the brewer all along. You worked for Edgar Krait even during your time at Hogwarts." His voice held something like annoyance.
 
"Yes." Harry said, then seeing his disconcerted expression, said, "Give me some credit, sir. I would never have supplied faulty potions to Dr- Young Mr. Malfoy."
 
"And the extra potions you brewed in your laboratory at Hogwarts-"
 
"Were for the apothecary employing me," Harry agreed, sending him a slightly apologetic look for interrupting.
 
"I see." Snape slid the Asphodel into the cauldron just as Harry was preparing the Herbaria.
 
"So you have not been living there all year after all," Snape said, "And yet the people there seemed to know you enough to back you up."
 
Harry nodded slightly, "I made friends there over the summer. I've been told I inspire loyalty in those who know me." Her heart pinched slightly at the thought of Pansy and her words.
 
Snape was quiet for a long time.
 
When they reached their first wait, which would take calm till overnight, Harry couldn't help but be amused, "If you wanted to test me, Professor, you might as well have asked me to brew Siefer's Solution. I've been wanting to have a go at it or some other expensive potion that most people can't afford. I've slowly started licensing each one of those to make them available more easily..."
 
Snape stared at her, then, as though he hadn't quite made this connection before, " You licensed for Wolfsbane. "
 
Harry checked the cauldron and wondered what it would cost to just run away.
 
"Bla- Potter - of all the,"
 
There was a knock on the door. 
 
Snape scowled and went to open it. There was a pause in which the visitor and Snape stared at each other, until,
 
The visitor said in a familiar elegant tone, "Professor Snape, I am truly sorry to disturb your brewing. I was merely at the Guild to make Miss Potter's acquaintance, and after being checked for no malintent was told to inform you of it being past your booked time."
 
Snape nodded shortly, "Indeed, Miss Parkinson. I shall take my leave."
 
He turned towards her, smirking slightly, but the warning and worry was clear, "Leave the Potion here to brew overnight. Miss Parkinson asks for a share of your time."
 
With that, he left.
 
Harry took in Pansy's appearance with quiet hunger. She didn't look too different, only her hair was perhaps an inch longer and her eyes more happy than when she'd last seen her, "Miss Parkinson."
 
"Pansy," Pansy corrected, "We have already been introduced, Harry."
 
Harry smiled, somewhat distantly, "Indeed we have."
 
"Do you have a moment? There are things I wish to discuss."
 
Harry sighed internally, walking towards the door and Pansy, "If it is of Rigel-"
 
"No questions of his whereabouts," Pansy promised, as they made their way out of the Guild.
 
After a thought, Harry led her to Aroma Alley.
 
Pansy looked a little unsettled as they drew nearer to Knocktern, but after glancing at Harry once, smoothed her features to something calm and pleasant.
 
Leo emerged from a corner, "Hello, lass. Another pureblood you've dragged into the alleys?" He said it with a teasing smile, and Pansy relaxed further.
 
"Another pureblood?" Harry said, smiling innocently, "Leo, you say it like it happens often."
 
Pansy let out a laugh, "I have heard of the Rosier heir coming here once. Are there others I should know of?"
 
Leo opened his mouth, but Harry clamped it shut with her hand, "No." She gave Pansy a mischievous smile.
 
Pansy shook her head, and they went a little deeper into the alleys.
 
Once they made it, Pansy sniffed delicately, "What is this place, Harry? It smells lovely."
 
Harry smiled, "Welcome to Aroma Alley."
 
They stopped at the reception of a simple and neat restaurant named,"Good Food," and Harry asked her what she preferred. Pansy politely asked for whatever Harry was taking. She unstacked a pair of stools and sat after Pansy. Jason came up to her, and Harry waved him off with a smile.
 
At Pansy's questioning look, Harry just shrugged, "Someone I know from the Alleys. His name is Jason."
 
"So," Harry prompted, "How are you, Miss Parkinson?"
 
"I am coping well, but worried for Rigel, Harry." Pansy said.
 
Harry grimaced, "Of course."
 
"And you?"
 
"I am well as well."
 
"Good."
 
There was an awkward pause, which Pansy broke effectively, "You and Rigel were close." It wasn't a question, "Can you please tell me if.. if he hated us?"
 
Harry swallowed, "No, of course not. Why would he? You were his best friends."
 
"The number of times he had to hear things against his blood..." Pansy trailed off sadly, "We always knew he was in under his head, we really did, but every time we tried to reach out-"
 
He shut you away, Harry offered a comforting smile despite the fact that her heart felt really heavy, "He thought it was for the better, that he didn't tell you. Believe me, Pansy, the number of times he would mention "Pan" and "Dray" while we practiced duelling in the Lower Alleys over the summer was positively beaming." She had wanted to, atleast, she had really wanted to.
 
Pansy smiled softly, "He spoke highly of you as well."
 
Did she?
 
"We were close. Potions brought us even closer." Harry sighed, "I really don't know what to think anymore. We thought that even if he got caught, things could perhaps die down, and still took precautions. But now that we know he was a halfblood… The risk was actually tenfold. I still marvel at it, how he had the courage to go through with it all. Maybe.."
 
"Do you think Rigel would regret it now?" Pansy asked, quietly, "Do you regret it, Harry?"
 
Harry stared, "Rigel wouldn't regret the ruse, but, perhaps I do."
 
Pansy nodded.
 
"He loved you all." Harry said, "So don't feel bad, Pansy Parkinson, he really did. If there was anybody he'd tell of the ruse, chances were it would be you and Master Snape."
 
Pansy offered her a smile.
 
Harry savored that, and before she could say anything else, the place burnt.