Silvanna Snape {Marauders}

Chapter One-Hundred-and-Thirty-Four

 Silvanna quickly decided that balls were her favourite events to go to, by process of elimination. There were garden parties, afternoon teas, and dinners to attend, all of which she despised, because these involved far more speaking. By the time she was two weeks into all this, it was a miracle she'd ever disliked dancing - she didn't even have to have a conversation all night if she didn't want to.

 But the dinners were the worst.

 One in particular, towards the end of her first week, was extremely important. She was in the usual dinnertime uniform of figure-hugging dress and over-the-elbow gloves, but that wasn't even her biggest concern today. The dinner was at the Lestranges.

 It was one of the larger dinner parties she'd been invited to, and she couldn't help but wonder why on Earth they were there. There were the two Lestrange brothers, their parents, and Rodolphus's wife Bellatrix. Silvanna quickly decided she didn't like any of these people, with their evil eyes and heavy stares. Then Narcissa and Lucius, and Druella and Cygnus Black, which made sense because it was at Bellatrix's house. Regulus, Walburga, and Orion, which she could explain with the whole Bellatrix Black heritage.

 And then herself, Quintin, and Evelyn, who were the only ones that were not related to the family, by marriage or any other means. Well they probably were, but Silvanna didn't much care about family history when Madame Coolbridge went on about it. Even Edith, Floyd, and Colette weren't invited, which was very odd. Nor was Severus, and he was expected there more than she was, what with being friends with the Blacks. It completely baffled her.

 And she was so glad Evelyn had put her in black and white, because she sweated non-stop under their glares and direct questions. She tried to remember it all for Dumbledore; no doubt this was one of the most important places she'd be all summer.

 The table was ovular, not rectangular, and she hadn't been sat next to Regulus like last time, but instead Druella Black (who was minutely more bearable than Walburga, but still as bad) and Quintin, who she had hardly spoken to. Probably even less than Edith, who she never saw for some reason.

 "And what are your thoughts on these new Auror restrictions, Silvanna?" Druella asked her, and she almost stopped eating at the sight of the table staring at her. Quite possibly the fourteen most dangerous and powerful people in the world. It was enough to make anyone stop spearing vegetables with their fork.

 "With the allowed use of Unforgivables?" she asked, buying herself time. Druella nodded. "I suppose it evens the playing field a little." She cracked a smile at her joke, but it was not met with others. Regulus drank from his goblet, and his mother moved it away from him. Evelyn was staring out the window.

 Why had Dumbledore picked her for this again?

 "But then again, it is rather hypocritical," she extended. She had been listening, but for things that might incriminate them, not politics. She had no idea where they stood on this. "I mean, why should they be above the law while the rest of us-" she gestured to the table, "-are below it? It hardly seems right. It leaves it open for all sorts of power abuse; let's say they were to storm in here right now, wands blazing - we couldn't stop them. We'd be arrested on sight if we tried. It's wholly unfair." She picked up her wine goblet, smiling into it in what she hoped looked confident. "But that's just my opinion."

 She took a sip.

 It was not her opinion. Good on the aurors for defending themselves from such terrible people.

 "Well said," Cygnus commented. And finally, the conversation picked up once more. Silvanna felt a huge weight off her chest as she spoke to Quintin and Druella about Alchemy, keeping an ear out to where the Lestranges were discussing the importance of muggle oppression.