After All This Time?

Slytherin.

'Such a goody two shoes, aren't you, Snape? I'm not going to the dormitories yet.' Sneered Bellatrix.

'Where are you going, then?' Asked Rudolphus dumbly.

'To London.' She rolled her eyes at him. 'To explore the castle, obviously, before anyone else does.'

'You won't find your way back  to The Slytherins, though.' Said Severus. But as he glanced back to where Malfoy was leading the first years just a few minutes ago, all he found was an empty corridor.

'Great! We lost them!' Exclaimed Severus crossly. 'What are we going to do now?'

'Explore the castle.' Said Bellatrix promptly, unfazed,and Rudolph nodded.

They started to walk away, heading the opposite way where Malfoy was.

'As if I have any choice.' muttered Severus darkly, and he followed them.

 Bellatrix took them through passageways that Severus was pretty sure were secret. It beats him how she knows all this if she's never been at Hogwarts before.

'How do you know all these passageways?' Severus asked her.

Surprisingly, Bellatrix answered in a normal voice, no sneering, no smirking. 'We have a map at home, a map of Hogwarts. My sister never bothered to read it, but I did. I read that map every single day until I knew it by heart.

Severus felt instantly relieved. She surely knows her way back to the Slytherin dorm then. He was feeling extremely tired, and Rudolph looked like he was sleepwalking.

'Where did you get the map, then?' Severus asked conversationally.

Annoyance gleemed in her eyes, that was all Severus could see because it was dark, extremely dark.

'That.' she said, 'is none of your business.' Severus saw her glance at Rudolph, who was now clinging on Severus' robes for support. 'We better get back, or that idiot will fall asleep.'

'I think he already did.' sighed Severus, pinching Rudolph's hand. He woke with a start, all squinting eyes and the almost tripping and falling on the face. Bellatrix smirked.

It took them a while to arrive to the dungeons where, according to Bellatrix Black, the Slytherin dormitories were. Severus himself found it difficult to remain awake, it was as if his legs were leading the way.

'Damn it. I forgot about the password. Merlin, we are going to spend the night outside!' She whispered frantically.

'Half the night, I bet you anything its past midnight.' Yawned Severus. Rudolph just slumped against the Dungeon wall and started to snore.

Bellatrix was pacing. 'If someone finds us now, we'd all be expelled!'

Severus too, started to panic. 'And who's fault is that?' He yelled.

'Oh, shut up. I didn't drag you with me, you came on your own free will.' She snapped.

'Oh really?' Snape snapped back, 'It was you-' 

Severus stopped talking. Someone was coming. He could hear laughter.  He exchanged a worried look with Bellatrix, who stepped on Rudolph's foot. He yelped.

'Smart move.' Severus scowled.

'You're the one who was yelling.'

'I-'

'Well if it isn't ickle firsties.'

Severus gaped. Is he dreaming? This couldn't be-

'Peeves, the poltergiest.' sniffed Bellatrix. 'My sister told me all about you.'