And Counting || Silvanna Snape

Chapter Four

Merlin, she'd missed Marlene. They'd had their initial...greeting, and were now sharing a pot of tea, leaning against each other.

"How is everyone?"

"Seething," Marlene admitted. Her engagement pictures had been released to the Prophet that week. Her dress had been huge, champagne and gold - and she suspected it was actual gold. "You looked beautiful - that shot in the gardens with all the orange leaves-"

"Evelyn's idea," she admitted. "That was the small one on the front page wasn't it?" She nodded. "Ridiculus," she scoffed, "We're at war and all people care about is a wedding."

"Well..."

"What?"

"James and Lily are engaged."

"What?" The bastard had actually done it!

"They're getting married at Christmas."

"Everyone must be thrilled," she said softly. She imagined the champagne that must've been popped open, the music and celebration. "Do you think it would be suspicious if I sent them a present?"

"I think they'd have it screened, but no."

"Screened?" she laughed. "Why would they have it screened?"

"Oh, you know."

"Not really." She snuggled in closer. "What aren't you telling me?"

"We've all joined this thing with Dumbledore-" Marlene began.

"The Order?"

"You do know! How do you know?"

"I'm a part of it."

"Me too!"

Silvanna frowned, twisting round to look her in the eyes. "You don't get in trouble do you?"

"No more than you do-"

"Um-!"

"You literally dance with death."

"I dance with Regulus Black it's a bit different." They began to giggle, calling him allsorts of names until one of them glanced at the clock. "I've got to get going. Some ancient witch is designing my dress."

"Your wedding dress?"

"Yeah. Not sure how much it's mine as it's Walburga's and Evelyn's."

They dressed, re-ransfigured, and kissed each other goodbye before leaving separately. "Love you," Marlene called after her as she pulled her boots on.

Silvanna whirled round, spine tingling and belly fluttering. "I - I love you too."

Marlene sighed. "I can't wait for all this to be over."

Neither could she. But Marlene knew that. It was nice to hear someone else say it.

*****

Silvanna had never seen a spy film, but she was certain it didn't involve pressing herself against the ceiling of a library to listen to a conversation. Or maybe it did, who knew? The problem was, Bellatrix was pacing back and forth, and although she'd pulled her dress up she had to lie completely flat to stop it wafting her updo.

It was a cocktail party for Halloween at the Lestrange Manor, and Regulus wasn't there so she couldn't even sulk with anyone. She bet her friends were having a party right now, celebrating the engagement-

The door opened again, and Rodolphus walked in to meet Bellatrix, his brother Rabastan trailing shortly behind. They exchanged hardly any words, but the fireplace roared behind them and they all gathered round.

It was a handsome man's face, with impeccable bone structure and wavy, dark hair. They kept calling him 'My Lord' though-

Holy shit it was Voldemort.

Fuck fuck fuck, shit what if he knew she was there?

But no - he wouldn't. He was only human after all. She steadied her breathing ( which she was sure was as loud as thunder) and calmly listened in. "We'll strike in January," he said to the three of them. "Do not protest Bellatrix it is decided. January, in the New Year."

"And of tonight?"

"Nothing tonight," he told them. "As you are."

He disappeared for the fire, and Bellatrix and Rodololphus began to argue. Regulus had told her they often argued. She briefly wondered about why they did it in front of Rabastan, before sliding out the window to hide somewhere with Colette.

Maybe Marlene would know about the whole 'is Colette a murderer' thing.

Once back inside she made her way up the staircase, only to hear the Lestranges coming down the hallway and back to their party. Shit, shit, shit. Why was she so shit at this? She was actually going to get herself killed. If Professor McGonagall knew how dreadful she was at this spy-rubbish, she'd definitely have put a stop to it.

But right now there was nowhere to go. There was no way she could make it back to the party in these stupid shoes without them catching up to her.

The only sensible thing she could do was jump over the banister and cling to the thirty-foot decorative curtains. Hanging there, swinging and trying to keep it still and not ruffled, it occured to her she coud've just excused herself to the loo.

Her hands began to slip, right as they walked past. She couldn't adjust her grip because the fabric would ruffle. Oh - she could fly. Oh yeah.

She could also turn invisible.

I'm such a dick.

*****

Christmas was as dreadful as the year before, and she struggled to meet up with Marlene as often as she liked because the Leaky Cauldron was almost always full. But Regulus was back, there was that, so she had plenty of chance to gossip with him and trash-talk their relatives. She didn't understand how Sirius didn't get on with him, he hated their parents just as much.

Oh yeah, he was a racist prick that was possibly manipulating her.

She had the liberty of forgetting that sometimes, until he dropped a slur or got in a discussion about politics. But for the most part he was much better company than the terrorists that constantly surrounded her.

With the New Year's celebrations came a couple of balls to attend, which she was starting to dislike again. It was much harder to keep tabs on certain people when the room was full to bursting.

But either Regulus was making her job easier or desperately trying to keep up appearances, because he clung to her as though she were a liferaft, leading her into a number of vauable conversations.

It was as though she wasn't there when she was next to him, as though she'd accidentally turned invisible. Names, dates, locations were dropped right in front of her, and she scribbled them down as soon as she returned home to send off to Dumbledore with Betsy.

Maybe she wasn't so bad at this.