Silvanna Snape {Marauders}

Chapter One-Hundred-and-Thirty-Two

How's it rock and rolling? :)

The first ball of the season, as Evelyn referred to it, was a total disaster, and yet her grandparents came away beaming like a pair of first-years hopping off the Hogwarts Express for the first time.

First came the actual getting ready part, which was a faff in itself. For 'the season' (it was all very haughty) they'd hired two seamstresses and a valet to dress the family for all their events. Apparently this was the busiest time of the year for them, which didn't surprise her - it's not like they did anything else.

Her dress for the evening was olive green, and had more layers to the overskirt than she could count. Thankfully, she had no underskirts except a hoop skirt with a weightlessness charm, so her dress wasn't too heavy. The seamstress paired it with a black sash and gloves, and dainty gold jewellery, and Silvanna thought she looked rather lovely, if she did say so herself. That was until Evelyn noticed she didn't have her corset on, and she had to be completely redressed so that she couldn't breathe and was too weak to run away. So they were late to start with. And she got a funny feeling that she wouldn't be seeing that seamstress again.

It was Malfoy Manor they were going to, which she didn't think would be so bad. Evelyn updated her on the family while she was being redressed. Abaraxus had died only a few years ago, and his wife was sure to follow by the end of the year. She was in St Mungo's. The new head of household, Lucius, was six years older than her and Severus, and his wife Narcissa-

"Narcissa?" Silvanna had interrupted. "Narcissa Black?"

"Narcissa Malfoy now. So you've heard of her?" She was in the same year is him, and they'd married eighteen months out of Hogwarts. A lot of people thought they were out of their depth, but Evelyn doubted it for reasons she wouldn't disclose, and there was speculation of divorce after almost five years and no children. Regardless, everyone was surprised they were hosting a ball, and not a more intimate garden tea, or dinner. But perhaps that was the point, so not so many people might bother them.

The house was large, and beautiful in an intensely gothic way. Silvanna felt rather out of place - not because of how she was dressed - her outfit was spectacular - but because of the stares their family was receiving. She'd been told to walk in alongside her brother, after Floyd and Edith but before Colette, but had not listened when she was told to hold his arm. They never even spoke to each other, and in her mind there was no need to pretend to.

She had thought balls were a lot of chatter and laughter, but the dancefloor was filled with stunning bachelorettes and tall, broad heirs, as well as many heads of families. She couldn't take her eyes off them, their perfect figures and sweeping dresses, the elegance of holding themselves just-so.

Lucius and Narcissa were greeting their guests by the door, and just like when she'd met the Blacks, she made a point not to smile. Narcissa's eyes flicked up and down, but with her infamous quick mind, she had no doubt that that had been an informative glance at her. They lingered a little longer, before she turned to say hello to Colette.

Silvanna tried to recognise people but failed rather quickly. Perhaps she'd have to rely simply on being introduced; asking Evelyn would be too obvious, and seem impertinent.

But it seemed the dancing lessons would come in extremely handy. Just as Floyd was suggesting to Severus he speak to some woman, a man approached Quintin, only looking away from Silvanna at the last moment to greet him. He was soon led over to her by Evelyn, and she found his name was Henry Abbott. Abbott, remember it. Best to lay off the champagne tonight, as much as that eased things. But remembering wasn't all she had to do - no, he asked her to dance. And when she looked at Evelyn, it was met with a mere warning. So she had no choice to agree.

She hadn't been able to tell, but after dancing with various peers, she soon found out it was normal to engage in conversation while dancing. It seemed the best way to talk while the mothers and grandmothers and everyone else were well out of earshot. Phillip Montague (Montague, I know that one) was very direct with her once he'd led her to the dancefloor.

"What's it like then?" he said to her, keeping his face as still as possible. "Being a Prince?"

"Is that some sort of terrible joke?"

He ignored her. "Do you have the famed rare gifts?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business," she said coolly. They didn't stay for a second dance, and he went to stalk some other poor girl.

By the time she reached the shelter of Colette, Evelyn had reached them again, smiling and full of life. "I'm running all over the place for you," she said, but Silvanna didn't think she minded. She looked like she never wanted to do anything else. "Mr Black would like to dance."

"Would he now?" asked Colette, raising her eyebrows and sipping her drink. Silvanna felt like telling her to shove-it and asking her where her dance partner was, but restrained herself.

"OK," she said, indifferent. It wasn't entirely helpful to her mission, being paired with someone she already knew, and she was tempted to throw him out a window and say he tripped, but she didn't want to draw attention to herself.

As soon as she'd said so, he appeared, as if he'd apparated to them. "Miss Snape," he said, offering his arm. She took it, grateful for her elbow-length gloves so she didn't have to actually touch him. The revolting, snaky, little-

Her thoughts stopped as the dancers parted for him, and he led her into the depths of the crowd, whispers and stares stalking him, and women leaning away from their partners to gossip. What an effect to have on people, when you're only sixteen.

Once the music started again, he continued to lead her, and they twirled in and out of other pairs. "Quite the effect you have," she commented, looking over his shoulder so she didn't have to see Sirius in his features.

"We," he corrected, and she tried not to frown in her confusion. "I find it so funny that you don't know how much the Princes invest in their future family members."

"For example?"

"Rumour has it that Mrs Edith Prince made her family three-hundred-thousand galleons for marrying her husband. Do you know what her gifts are?"

Ah, a seer. Yes, that would make sense. "No, no idea."

"I'll find out anyway," he said. "It's estimated that they lost sixty-thousand when your mother left."

"Well I wasn't around then, so I wouldn't know," she snapped, angry that he'd mentioned her.

He smiled to himself, smug but at least momentarily, before opening his mouth to speak. "My mother-" The music stopped, and so did everyone else. She'd got through it, the song had ended. She turned to leave. but he didn't let go. "So soon? Stay for another." A part of her was eager to hear what his mother had to do with anything, and she'd said the most to him tonight than anyone else, aside from Colette. So what was one more dance?