2.| ✮𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮, 𝓑𝓲𝓵𝓵. ✮ {𝓑. 𝓦𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓵𝓮𝔂}

\𝒻𝒾𝓋ℯ\

~

Eleanora held her breath as she pushed open the door of Snape's dungeon classroom, something she hadn't done in over a year. Walking the grounds of the castle that day had been a surreal feeling, but this was almost too much. When Moody told the Order he needed a replacement for Hogwarts patrol duty that evening, Eleanora was the first to volunteer. She was eager to see the place that had shaped her after so much time away.

Eleanora crept into Snape's classroom to find that it hadn't changed one bit. She knew he'd switched from teaching potions to Defense Against the Dark Arts, but the jars of gross looking pickled shapes and strange books still littered every corner of the room. Snape wasn't there just then, but if she knew his schedule correctly, Eleanora knew he'd be back in just a few minutes for his planning period. She felt like she was floating as she walked up the aisles of desks and sat down on the one closest to Snape's. She felt like she was seventeen again, ready to tell Snape all about the troubles that seemed so inconsequential now.

She was so lost in thought, she jumped when the door opened behind her and Snape swept in, carrying a stack of papers. She turned around to smile at him. "You're late, Professor."

The pile of papers in Snape's arms fell to the floor as Snape leapt back in surprise, making Eleanora laugh harder than she had in awhile. With one flick of his wand, Snape gathered the papers onto a desk, and then turned to Eleanora. "Marks, if you scare me like that again, I'll-"

"What? Give me detention?" Eleanora laughed. "I feel like I could do anything here- there's nothing any of the teachers can do about it!"

"And they tell me you're mature enough to have an active role in the Order," Snape muttered, although a thin smile curled his lower lip. "What are you doing here anyways? I thought security was heightened."

"I am security."

"God help us all."

"Snape!" Eleanora said indignantly. "I'm technically on patrol right now, but I figured I come down to visit since you weren't at the meeting the other day."

Snape would't meet her eyes. "I had a prior engagement."

"Oh, I know you're acting as a double agent," said Eleanora. "I was talking to Moody about it earlier. You're our informant."

"Ah, yes."

"What's that like? I mean, you get to actually hear all their plans, don't you?"

Eleanora's eyes were lit up with interest, but Snape stared down at his desk. "I'm not supposed to talk about it," he said shortly. "Now, did your sister tell you I have her in Defense class?"

Eleanora frowned at the sudden change of subject, but she wasn't one to pass up an opportunity to gush about her sister. "She's sent me about a million letters so far. Said she likes Defense class a lot, but Transfigurations her best."