Genetics • Sirius Black

Chapter Nineteen: Snivellus! Snivellus! Snivellus!

The Dark Arts intrigue me more and more each day.

Freya Grey beside Regulus Black on one of the stone benches outside in the courtyard. Charcoal stained his fingers as they moved across the paper. In the swells of black, an image like the scene of the Great Lake before them formed.

Clouds coated the sky, and students were far and few between.

Charmed notebook in hand, Freya pondered everything she had learned and was desperate to find some way to practice them in private. A brisk moving cloak moved from the corner of her vision, and she saw Severus Snape walk out into the green grass. His dark eyes ran over the two of them, and Regs gave a slight wave. Sev's nostrils flared slightly then he continued to where ever he was going.

Slouching, Reg's dropped his hand. "Why couldn't you just say you had to a meeting with McGonagall?"

"Because that is neither his business nor his right," Freya replied stubbornly, though she still missed Sev's company; he was extremely intelligent and a familiar presence(she also had purchased his Christmas present and the shop did not do refunds). "Besides, he has Lily."

"Is that a bit of jealousy I detect?" The corner of his mouth quirked and her frosty look did not go unnoticed. "Only joking, I know romance is completely frozen over in your heart."

"It is not frozen over, it is practical."

"As it should be." He agreed in a sarcastic tone that earn him a slight whack with her notebook.

A large amount of chatter and laughter spawned on the left side of the grounds and three boys walked in a group. Playfully they shoved each other and nosily they spoke to one another.

Grimacing, Regs and Freya watched them.

"Could they possibly get any louder?" Freya frowned and a roaring laugh came from Sirius.

"Doubtful." He closed his sketchbook. "Well, I shall take this as my cue to leave for Quidditch practice."

The pair bid each other goodbye. At some point or other, a pair of tweed pants sat on the open area next to her. Her attention flicked up the new motion and the cold expression that was forming on her face melted. Remus Lupin, who had seen her grimace a mile away, smiled softly.

Using a finger to hold her place in her journal, she lightly closed it. "Hello, Remus."

"Hello, Freya." He pulled out a thick brown book from his bag that she had loaned him and handed it back. "Thank you."

She took it and set it in her bag. "What were your thoughts?"

"I like it."

"But...?"

His head shook slightly. "I don't think Lillian should have died."

"It was the perfect ending," Freya argued.

"No, a perfect ending would have been that she ended up with the baker and lived merrily." He pointed out.

"Well, I disagree."

"I knew you would, which is exactly why I recommend..." Sorting through his bag, he pulled out a navy blue thin thing. "Darling, Rose."

"What's it about?"

"Rose has to marry the Duke of pureblood family, but falls in love with her best friend."

She rolled her eyes. "You and Lily have the same taste in fiction."

"She's also a scientist who practices necromancy ." This did interest Freya more and she eagerly took the book out of his hands. Necromancy was a rather deep and dark corner of magic, most had given up on exploring. Few rarely tried, and those that did dabble with life and death often ended up joining the latter. Of course, that made the practice strictly illegal for the past hundred years. "Reminds me a bit of you, actually."

Spine curving gently over the book and eyes a touch more manic, her fingers skimming over the embossed lettering of the cover. "Does she get caught?"

Content with her intrigue, he gave a mischievous curl of the lips and stood up. "Find out."

Remembering she was in public, she straightened her shoulders and carefully placed the book on her lap. "Very well, I shall start it this week."

"Very well." He repeated and gave a nod of his head before walking back into the castle. Once he was out of sight, she opened the first page and-

A crowd of laughter erupted from the courtyard and her brows pinched in annoyance. One second of reading was all she wanted and James Potter and Sirius Black just had to screw it up. With a puff of air coming out her nose, she packed her things up in her bag and began leaving... that was until she someone chant. "Snivellus! Snivellus! Snivellus!"

It was not her business. It was not her business. She reminded herself as she briskly moved across down the green lawn to the group of people. Wand held tightly in her hand, she pushed her way into the masses.

Three boys stood at the nucleus of the attention, one had grass stains on his trousers and dead twigs in his hair. Sev's face was twisted in anger and his cheeks turn pink, clashing against the two other boys with large smiles on their faces.

"Expelliarmus!" Two voices shouted and twin lights flashed across each other. Wands flew out of James and Severus's hands, they both were sent flying back. However, Sirius still had his ready to hex Sev. He brought his wand up, giving in to the theatricality of it.

Quickly, Freya pointed her wand at Sirius' neck, her nostrils flared slightly. "Drop your wand."

His eyes shift over to her and stopped regarding Sev as a threat. With a lightning-fast turn, he faced her and an "Ooooh." sounded through the crowd. "You first." He felt everyone's gaze on him and grinned as he pointed at her. "Reading about spells is different from casting them Freya, do give yourself a chance to run."

"And having confidence is different from faking it." She spat coldly, her dark eyes burning marks into his.

Annoyance flashed over him while the crowd murmured lightly, he pressed the tip of his wand into her collar bone lightly. "Who knew snakes were so-"

"McGonagall is coming!" Someone from the crowd shouted and they scattered running back into the castle or down near the lake.

"What is going on here?" An old woman's voice called as she marched up to the scene. Of course, Sirius had tucked his wand into his pant pocket and Freya hid hers behind her skirt.

"Nothing, Professor," James answered, brushing the grass off his trousers. "Just some good-natured playing."

"Isn't that right?" Sirius added, throwing an arm over Freya's shoulders and she bit her tongue but did not say anything.

Lips drawn tight, she turned to the fourth member of the party who was still on the ground. "Is this true, Mr. Snape?" Jaw clenched, he silently nodded. Knowing something was not quite right, she sent them all a look. "Alright, but leave the roughhousing to a minimum. Have a good day, Mr. Snape."

Once she retreated back up the hill, grumbling about the reckless little scamps and the need for higher pay, Freya jerked away from Sirius and shot him a glare. Then she went over to Sev, which made Sirius roll his eyes and quicken his pace back to the common room with James.

Frustration and shame rolled off Sev in waves, his fingers pulled out the grass near his hands in clumps. She inspected him from her standing position and saw he was not bleeding nor bruised, but his fall did leave a slight red mark on his face that she knew would swell.

"Get up." She commanded, unsure exactly how to comfort him or if he wanted to be comforted. His eyes turned skyward at her, and he begrudgingly pulled himself up to his full form. Not expecting him to actually comply, she thought carefully about what their next steps should be. Without turning to see if he followed, she moved up the grassy land then stopped when she did not hear his footsteps. Her head turned slightly, and he bound up next to her.

After a brief stop at the kitchens, the two declared to their common room with ice in an enchanted rag. Sev held it up to his squared jaw and sat silently next to Freya.

A/N: thinking about making a James Potter or Remus Lupin fanfic.