(1) Lux Brumalis (R. Weasley)

Chapter Twenty-Five

The candlelight flickers against the windows of the Slytherin common room illuminating and casting shadows on the Black Lake beyond as Pixie paces in front of the window. She doesn't want to believe that Severus is capable of betraying Dumbledore. Tatiana has always told her that she could count on her brother. That she always has done. That Pixie would count on him. But now.....now she doesn't know. Because if Harry really did see that wound on Severus' leg, then it seriously sounds like he might have done it. There is no other explanation for the wound, or him talking about a three-headed dog.

"Stark" She jumps and turns at the voice behind her. But it's only Terrance. She lets out a breath. "You okay?" He asks, she hums and nods. "Not nervous about tomorrow, are you?" He counters as he drops onto the couch, laying his arm along the back of it.

"No" She answers, but to be honest she hasn't really given tomorrow match that much thought, compared to everything else going on. "No, I'm not nervous"

"Good" He states as he leans forward. "There is going to be pressure on you, you know how Slytherins can be already, they're perfectionists and prideful and they want to win just so badly" She nods in agreement. "I'm not saying that I'm not completely like that because I am and I do want to win...just so badly" He teases and she smirks. "But if we lose" He shrugs. "Whatever, there's always next year...okay?" She nods. "You'll be fine" He assures her. "You're a natural...."

"Get some sleep" Flint orders as he passes them, heading towards the boys' dormitories.

"Please" Terrance adds softer with an eye roll.

"Sure" Pixie agrees and grabs her bag from the couch. "I've just got my transfiguration homework to finish..." She heads towards the entrance to the girls' dormitory. She doesn't. But she's not sure she can sleep now. Not if she is worried about Severus' role in whatever is going on in this castle. She doesn't want to think that of it.

.......

Pixie sits on the window seat staring out at the bright but cold morning. She knows she has to get ready to go down for breakfast but she can't bring herself to move from her spot. She barely slept. Worrying about her family. About Severus. Her familiar loyalty is flaring inside of her. She doesn't believe he would do something to betray Dumbledore. She doesn't need to be worrying about this, on top of her homework, or quidditch. She doesn't need to be distracted by maybes. She doesn't believe that Severus did something bad, and that's all that matters. Pansy nudges her knee when she sits on the window seat with her friend.

"Did you sleep at all?" She asks, Pixie pulls a face and glances at her.

"No" She answers quietly.

"Worried about the match?" Pixie hums in answer. She can't exactly tell Pansy the truth here. That she is having doubts about their head of the house.

"Do you want us to bring you some breakfast?" Tracey asks as she pins her hair up into a fancy snake styled braid for the game, behind her, Daphne is helping. Millicent is pulling on a team scarf at the foot of her bed.

"You've got to eat some breakfast." Daphne points out.

"I don't want anything" Pixie mumbles as she glances out the window.

"Just a bit of toast?" Pansy pushes slightly.

"I'm not hungry, Pans" Pixie counters but gives Pansy's knee a nudge with her own in thanks.

"Pix" Tracey starts. "You need your strength, this is your first game, it's a big deal" Pansy shoots her a look to shut up because this is not going to help Pixie feel better.

"You know what" Pansy starts. "We'll save you a space at the table" She gives the other girls a look and corrals them out of the room to Pixie some space to get her head on for the game. It's not the game that is the problem though. It is whatever the hell is going on with that three-headed dog and whatever it is guarding. It all started with them stumbling into that corridor. She takes a deep breath and shakes her head. She has to focus on the match. Nothing more. Nothing less. Just for today. Just get the match over and done with. She stands from the window seat and moves towards her bed where her quidditch kit is laid out, waiting for her.

........

The reflection in one of the floor-length mirrors shows Pixie in her Slytherin quidditch uniform minus the padding. She knows that those go on last in the changing rooms. She still doesn't think she can eat anything but she is starting to feel more excited than nervous about this. She gets to play quidditch. Something she and her mother have watched for years. That is something to be excited about. So she is pushing away everything else and just keeping her mind on this match, just on the game.

"Hey, Pix" Pansy greets from the doorway, Pixie hums and looks to her as she pulls her hair up into a ponytail. "Snape's in the common room, wants to talk to you" Pixie nods and takes a deep breath. That's just what she needs, when she is trying to keep her mind off of things with him and his leg and the three-headed dog.

.........

It's not just Severus that's in the common room waiting for Pixie. It's Tatiana too. Technically Pansy didn't lie to get her out of her room. Technically there is a Snape here waiting for her. Two of them. This can either be a good sign or a very bad one. Given how her days have been going, this is definitely going to be a bad sign. Pixie closes the dormitory door behind her and smiles, trying to pave the way to turn this into a good thing. Be nice. Smile. Portray innocence.

"Mom" Pixie offers as she moves forward, Tatiana smiles back at her. "What are you doing here?"

"I know your first quidditch match today" Tatiana offers warmly. "And I have business with both Dumbledore and Severus" She looks at her brother who nods a little. Pixie raises an eyebrow. This doesn't help her doubt over things. "Severus was just filling me in on your very short time here" Tatiana starts. Pixie glances between the two of them.

"I didn't do it" She argues, quickly. Severus and Tatiana both give her the exact same look back. It's crazy how much like siblings the two of them look right there.

"So you didn't take on a troll in the girls' bathroom?" Tatiana counters. "With a slingshot?" Pixie scuffs her quidditch boots and then nods.

"Oh, wait, that....yes, I did do that" She admits.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You would have yelled at me" Pixie defends. "And I didn't tell Dad because even if he would have been proud of me" Tatiana nods in agreement. "He would still have told you and you would have yelled at me..." Pixie gives her a look and then folds her arms over her chest. "Plus I won...nothing to worry about" Tatiana looks at Severus who gives her a look back. She smirks and turns back to Pixie.

"Severus also informed me that you are a natural on the broomstick, can't say I shouldn't have seen that coming....not sure how I feel about you breaking my record though" She admits and lets out a breath. "Are you ready for today's match?"

"Why do people keep asking me that?" Pixie counters. "It's just quidditch, it's not like..." She stops and fails to think of something that she's ever found difficult in her life. She has found things easy, she's intelligent and she uses it and she knows how to use it. "I don't know, I've never failed at anything"

"Modest" Pansy teases as she walks past, Pixie sticks out her tongue at her friend before turning back to her mother.

"Have you eaten yet?" Tatiana asks. "A good breakfast..."

"I can't eat, Mom" Pixie argues. "I'm fine...I just want to get this over with so I can finish my DADA homework" Tatiana hums a little. That's the daughter she knows. She had been surprised about the quidditch thing. She never knew her daughter wanted to play. Pixie preferred her books and her studies, using her mind not her body.