Silvanna Snape {Marauders}

Chapter One-Hundred-and-Thirty-Six

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 When Silvanna reflected on the last few months, she realised she'd shot herself in the foot with her idiocy. She'd really led the Princes on with her act of 'I'm one of you now'. Yes, and that includes the arranged marriage. Since their narrow escape, it seemed she and Regulus didn't even get a chance to breathe at any balls or dinners they attended, before being shoved together.

 And then there were the afternoon teas. By 'fate' as Evelyn called it, she and Regulus both had their lessons in the morning, which left their afternoons to wander through the gardens before talking over tea and scones. Silvanna thought it was less fate and more planned.

 They were barrelling towards betrothal, and she cursed herself for not spotting it sooner, before things were out of hand. But really, there were worse people in the world.

 The irony lay in their privacy, or lack thereof. While they were in cafes off Diagon Alley, or chatting over dinner, or strolling on some path surrounded by grass they talked of little things. Childhood memories (Silvanna had some rather embarrassing stories about Severus), or Hogwarts, or very occasionally the war. There was always someone around, some house elf or gardener, relation or (Merlin forbid) a photographer.

 When the room was at its fullest, during balls or weddings, that was when they could really talk, get into the nitty-gritty and learn about each other. He wanted to know about Sirius, wanted to know her true views on the muggles, wanted to hear about her father. She took the time to learn all the rumours he'd gathered, and his gossiping put Marlene to shame.

 When asked on the muggles, she simply replied, "I think we need to mind our own business."

 He pressed his lips together and said, "It's a shame to let them have the world when we could take it from them so easily, and do so much with it."

 And so she said, "Why should we have theirs when the state of our own is so poor?" He nodded, and accepted her point. An agreement to disagree. So she changed the subject, "Tell me what you think about Colette."

 "Well that's common knowledge if you care to dig deep enough," he said sharply.

 "I didn't ask what you know," she said. "I asked what you thought. I get the impression only my family truly know."

 He smiled at her, before banishing it from his face. "I think she murdered her fiancé in cold blood and now people are too scared to get close to her." She almost stumbled, but he spun her so she didn't fall, close to lifting her off her feet. "I knew you knew nothing." Satisfaction laced his words.

 "Expand."

 "She was engaged a good twenty years ago," Regulus began, "To Nicholas Grant. He was by no means our level of standing - some businessman or other - but a Pureblood and as the rumour went, a parselmouth. He was known for his cruelty to his employees, but a parselmouth; your family aren't known for passing that up, let's put it that way."

 "So he was cruel to her?" Silvanna said, "and she killed him?"

 "He went for a walk in the settled evening snow and was found dead the next morning with only his footprints behind him. And they say she can fly..."

 "So my mother deserted, Colette murdered her other half-"

 "Here's to hoping you don't prove such a disappointment to them," Regulus said. "Your family is one of the few where they value you regardless of whether or not you're a man."

 "Regulus Black: women's rights advocate," she said, trying to be sarcastic, but she couldn't help how surprised or impressed she really sounded.

 "Well, when you grow up with my mother..." He trailed off and she let out a loud laugh as they waltzed between the others. She shut her mouth to snatch the rest back in, but she just ended up spluttering on giggles. Regulus looked highly entertained, and couldn't even look at her as he attempted to contain himself. Others looked at them both though, and they weren't so subtle about it.

 Silvanna Snape had found some sort of friend in Regulus Black. She had to squint at him to blur out the nasty parts, but this would do while she found her feet to spy for Dumbledore.

 She thought about her lack of freedom and the hounding press, but it was really just complaining to herself. When out, they saw the occasional reporter or photographer, who would stare their way, but everyone she was with was always so accustomed to it that they instantly blended into the crowd to lose them. And the Princes gave her a surprising amount of freedom, she supposed she was just too scared to take it at first.

 But they had no qualms about where she went, who her post was from or any of that. As far as they were concerned she was an adult witch, and so long as she stuck to their agenda why would they have a problem with what she did in her free time?

 Except she had no intention of sticking to their agenda. She wasn't going to get married and birth superhero-Prince babies. She was going to provide the information that would stop the Death Eaters, and help her friends, and a live long, happy life alongside them.

 And throughout all of this complete façade, there was Marlene, writing to her three times a week, talking about how the others kept visiting her family home in Scotland, and they were 'planning a party at James's' for her birthday. (They weren't, they were going to sit in the Three Broomsticks all day and all night, and she was very welcome, but Marlene would understand if she couldn't be there. She couldn't of course, because it would shatter everything she'd built, but the invitation was nice.)

 On a glorious August afternoon, two days before they were due to depart for France and one day after the Hogwarts letters had been sent out (shockingly, neither she nor Severus had been made Head Boy or Girl), she received a short letter from Marlene.

To Silvanna,

 I'm heading into Diagon Alley later today at two o'clock for my stuff. You should come, I won't bring the others and I'd love to see you.

Love,

Marlene xx

 She grabbed a summer cloak from her wardrobe and hurried down to the front door, flying - actually flying - down the stairs and hurrying past Evelyn in the front hall.

 She stopped her. "Ladies don't rush." Silvanna stopped, caught her breath, and flattened her hair. "Where are you going?"

 "Diagon Alley," she said truthfully. "One of my old gobstones friends has invited me to lunch."

 "Somewhere nice?" she asked. Silvanna nodded. "Gobstones," she muttered, "Your mother was obsessed with it too. Stay safe." She nodded again, stepping out the door, but not rushing. Never rushing.

 She rushed beyond the wards and disapparated.