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Numen Pumilum	By : AuctorRubra Category: Harry Potter > Threesomes/Moresomes Views: 15661 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 18
- 19
- 20
Disclaimer: *Sniffle* Harry Potter and his wonderful
world do not belong to (Blows nose) Some of this popped out of my crazy
little brain, but if you recognize it, chances are that it belongs to J.K.
Rowling. *sob* I�m not getting paid for this, so
please don�t sue me or anything like that.

A/N: Hey there everyone! Our wonderful challenge issuer made a request
for me to get a few of our characters drunk �Jack Sparrow Style�. Connected to this wonderful display of
alcohol ingestion will be some strange sayings that I�ve altered from original,
hilarious things my brother had me read at www.4q.cc
as well as a couple of my own. There
will be footnotes with the original sayings at the end of the chapter if you�re
curious. Okay, those of you who suffered
through my insane ramblings, thanks! Now, on with the story.
Read, Review, and Enjoy!

AuctorRubra

_______________________________________________________________________

Chapter 16: The Halls of
Education

September 1^st, 1997

Eris stared helplessly at Ginny
and Hermione as they bustled about the dorm getting ready for the day. It would be several hours still before the
Hogwarts Express arrived carrying any students who dared to return to the school. Hermione had told her that she was confident
that a good portion of the old students would return, but confessed that they
would only be greeting a handful of first years.

�Eris, aren�t you coming to breakfast,� Ginny
asked with a concerned frown.

She shrugged and pulled out her wand. With a delicate flick of her wand, her long,
black hair was bound in a thick braid that brushed her ankles. Eris sighed.
She would never be as good as Draco with hair charms. He�d had too much practice helping Narcissa.

Eris looked up to see Hermione
giving her a calculating look. �Did
something happen last night? I noticed
that you didn�t come to bed until early in the morning.�

�It was just an interesting run-in with
Sirius,� Eris said softly. �You�d think
he�d get tired of me blowing him off.�

�Sirius isn�t exactly known for doing what�s
best for him,� Hermione said.

Ginny snorted. �He�s a true
Gryffindor, always running head-long into everything. But, if he�s a potential, he can�t exactly
help it. Can he, Eris?�

Eris swallowed hard. �It doesn�t matter.�

Hermione frowned. �Because you won�t choose
him?�

Eris closed her eyes. She felt two, warm waves of concern wash over
her. It wasn�t uncomfortable or
oppressive. �There�s no one else I can
pick. He�s it.�

Ginny sat down beside her on the bed. �I thought it could take a long time to find
all your potentials. Maybe you just need
to wait.�

�I wish it was that simple��

�He�s your predestined mate,� Hermione cut in
with her eyes wide.

Eris nodded.
�But I�ll ask you to keep it to yourselves. Harry and Draco know.�

Hermione crossed her arms and said
sternly, �He should know about this.�

Ginny simply looked
concerned. �Isn�t it hard on both of you
to purposefully separate yourselves? I
thought it would make you sick and drain your power.�

�Eventually.� Eris kept her tone neutral.

�Why,� Hermione asked gently. �Is it because of�Mr. Malfoy?�

Eris took a deep breath. �That�s part of it, yes, but there�s so much
more and I don�t think I�m ready for all of it yet. And�And��

�You care for Severus,� Hermione said with a
sad smile. �But he�s not for you,
Eris. There�s nothing wrong with�er�loving him if that�s how you feel, but he�s not your
mate. He�s your mentor.�

�I know,� Eris said quietly. �I won�t lie and say I don�t care about
Severus, but that�s not the only reason.
It�s a combination of many things.�

�I�ll accept that,� Hermione said kindly. Then her expression grew stern again. �Still, I want you to promise me that you�ll
start spending more time with Sirius. If
you�re not openly rejecting him it should hold off the negative effects of
putting off your bonding.�

Eris laughed. �I think I can do that if he would just
behave himself a bit. If I�m with him
more he shouldn�t feel so pressed to �sweep me off my feet�. You really did study those books, didn�t
you?�

Hermione sniffed. �Of course I did! I�m going to breakfast. You two had better hurry up.�

Eris watched with a bemused smile
as Hermione marched from the room. When
she turned back to Ginny, she found the redhead watching her with a suspicious
look. �What is it, Ginny?�

�There�s something else that you�re not saying? Something about the
bonding?�

Eris nodded.

�Why haven�t you told anyone? What about Harry? Why doesn�t Hermione know from the books?�

�Slow down, Ginny,� Eris barked. �Listen, I haven�t told Harry because it
won�t affect him. Hermione doesn�t know
because it�s meant to be information handed down from parent to child. It isn�t written in the books.�

Ginny simply stood there staring
her down for a few moments. When she
spoke again her voice was soft, coaxing.
�Please tell me. You need to
share this with someone if only to help lessen the load. It�s obviously something that you don�t feel
you can tell Snape.�

Eris dropped her head into her
hands. This discussion could cause so
many things to go wrong, the worst result being her
getting locked up in a safe little cell somewhere the moment her bonding with
Sirius occurred�if she ever allowed that.
She looked up at Ginny, the girl who was becoming more like a sister to
her every day, and knew that she did need to share this if only to get a fresh
perspective. Of course, Ginny wouldn�t
know the whole story and therefore wouldn�t completely understand. �What I�m going to tell you goes no
further. Do you understand?�

Ginny nodded. �Your secret is safe with me to your death or
mine.�

She had to use those words. �And beyond, Ginny. Swear it.�

�I swear to keep this quiet even beyond your
death or my own,� Ginny said solemnly.
�I�ll never share with another soul in this life or the next.�

Eris took a deep breath. �If I bond with Sirius�I will become
pregnant.�

�That�s always a possibility, Eris,� Ginny
said slowly. �No one would be surprised
or angry. There�s always a contraceptive
potion if you want to avoid it.�

�You misunderstand what I�m saying, dear one,�
Eris said with a sad smile. �If I bond
with Sirius I will become pregnant
regardless of potions, charms, or even refraining from sexual activity. A transference of
essence occurs resulting in the creation of a single child. This transference even overcomes impotence on
the part of either participant. It is a
fact woven into the�genetic makeup of all Numina Pumilum to ensure that all pairs receive at least one
child.�

Ginny stood before her with a
stunned expression on her face. �You
weren�t supposed to tell me this?�

Eris shook her head. �No one is supposed to know. It is a closely guarded secret. I thought perhaps you might know
already�considering your family�s history��

Ginny giggled nervously. �Ah yes, the illustrious elven ancestors of the Weasley clan. They�re several generations back. Can it actually still affect me when we don�t
even choose mates anymore?�

�Not to this degree, but I�m sure you�ve
noticed your family�s unusual fertility for a wizarding
family, especially one of pure blood,� Eris said with a wry smile. �And of course, you are all rather long lived
even for wizards.�

Ginny nodded. �How did you find out�if it�s such a well
kept secret?�

�My father left me a journal. It was sent to me immediately after he
died.� Eris paused and took a shuddering
breath. Speaking of James Potter always
made her emotions boil and roll through her skin. �He made sure to include any information that
I would find essential and be unable to locate elsewhere.�

�If this doesn�t apply to Harry�but you said
all pairs were ensured of at least on child.�

�Er�yes�well.� Eris bit her lip for a moment. �Same sex couples are gifted with an addition
to their mating. A female is loosely
bound to them and capable of serving as a surrogate mother. It still doesn�t occur on the initial bonding
though, especially if the female is still young and unbonded
herself.�

�You�re telling me that for a reason.� Eris had to give Ginny credit. The girl didn�t look too worried, but, then
again, she�d grown up rather comfortable with the idea of family and child
bearing.

�I�ve been studying your aura colors rather
closely and I�ve come up with a few conclusions�some of them rather
disturbing,� Eris said softly. �I
think�no I�m positive that you�re meant to serve as Harry�s surrogate. I�ve also found your�mate�or I suppose you
could call him the best match for you.�

�Who,� Ginny asked with a touch of excitement.

�Blaise,� Eris said quietly. She was prepared for Ginny to rant and rage,
but was surprised when all the redhead did was smile. �Not so bad then?�

�No, not really. I am a bit surprised, but I don�t think he
would be that bad at least not after what I�ve seen of him lately,� Ginny said
in a pleased tone. �Is there something
else?�

�I don�t know if I�m ready to admit it aloud
yet,� Eris said flatly. Once she�d
worked out the coloring of Ginny�s aura she�d denied it vehemently. It held too many weighty implications that
she was not willing to explore.

�Please tell me, Eris,� Ginny said gently. �It might be that you�re worrying for
nothing. A fresh perspective may help.�

Eris took a deep, cleansing breath. �I think that you are in line as a
replacement mentor.�

�Okay, and what do you think that means for
Snape?�

�I�m quite certain that it means that Severus
is going to die, most likely before this conflict has come to an end,� Eris
said miserably. She couldn�t take
this. It wasn�t right and, damn it, it
just wasn�t fair.

�Now, I think that might be a bit of a rushed
conclusion,� Ginny said thoughtfully.
�We�ve already discussed that the members of my family live a good deal
longer than your average witch or wizard and Snape is a fair bit older than
me.�

�I wish I could feel that optimistic, but why
would Harry or I need a mentor once Voldemort is defeated?� Eris rose from the bed and went to look out
the window.

�Eris, I don�t mean to hurt your feelings, but
I think you�re always going to be in need of the kind of unconditional love and
companionship a mentor provides. Right
now you�re surrounded with people trying to care for you, but once things have
settled down it would just be you and Sirius.
Snape will most likely choose to stay close to you, since Harry is the
more stable of the two of you, not that he�s lacking in his emotional flaws. You need the reassurance of the mentor
bond�but that�s just my opinion based on what I�ve observed and the things �Mione has mentioned.�
Ginny looked very unsure at the end of her speech and Eris knew that the
girl was worried about offending her.
Still, she couldn�t deny that Ginny did have a point.

�It still leaves me ill at ease.� Eris walked back to stand before Ginny. �I have no problem with you being that
closely linked to Harry and I and I�m happy that you will still be allowed to
have a separate life, if your link to Blaise is a good indication. I just can�t shake the idea�I can hardly bear
to think of��

Ginny pulled her into a fierce hug
and whispered into her ear, �What are weighing on your mind are all the things
that might happen to Severus.�

�Exactly.�

______________________________________________________________________

Sirius glanced at the vial in his
hand with no small amount of trepidation.
Once this de-aging concoction was swallowed there would be no turning
back. The question was,
could he handle going through being so young again? There were many positive points to it. He would gain back the years he lost in
Azkaban. His body had been in top form
at eighteen and his reflexes would be quicker.
This potion was specifically refined to prevent the memory loss that
often occurred with such extensive de-aging.
The one that mattered most, however, was that Eris might find him a bit
more pleasing if he was nearly her age.
It wouldn�t change the fact that he was still thirty-seven years old in
his mind, but the outward pretense could be enough for her.

�Come on, Sirius, you can do it,� Harry said
in an excited tone. The boy had
confessed at breakfast that he thought Sirius would be happier being able to
slip gracefully into the roll of one of his best friends, rather than surrogate
father.

Sirius glanced around the common
room again. His eyes locked with Eris�
for a moment and she gave him an encouraging smile. It was small, but it was all he needed. He through back the contents of the vial and
closed his eyes as the effects took over.
He didn�t lose any height, for which he was grateful, but he felt his
shoulders narrow a bit and there was a loss of muscle mass. He also felt his hair shorten to the length
he had normally kept it at in his youth.
When he opened his eyes and looked at Eris again, he was quite pleased
to see a slight, appreciative gleam there.

�Well,� he said, �how do I look?�

It really didn�t surprise him that Snape was
the first to have his say. �Like an
aberration straight out of my worst nightmares.�

Sirius rolled his eyes. �I�ll take that to mean that nothing has gone
horribly wrong and I look just as I should.�

Harry was grinning broadly at him. �So, are you ready to play the role of Sirius
Black Jr., illegitimate love child of my esteemed godfather?�

Sirius waggled his eyebrows. �I believe I am. The question is�will Minerva consent to playing
the role of the poor woman I�er�my father seduced?�

Professor McGonagall made an
irritated noise and Snape looked as sour as ever. Sirius simply smiled. All he cared to notice at the moment was that
Eris was having to visibly restrain herself from
giggling. He took on a more serious
expression for a moment. �Okay, really
though, let me go over this to make sure I�m getting it all right. My name is Sirius Delacour-Black. My mother was Genevieve Delacour and she was
killed by Death Eaters not long before my father was sent to Azkaban. James and Lily Potter were my godparents and
so I was sent to live with Eris when she was sent to Madam Prince. We�ve grown up together. I have completed all my schooling and I�m
here now to keep an eye on the beautiful Miss Potter and train with Madam Hooch
to take over as flying instructor. Do I
have it all down?�

�Perfectly,� McGonagall said with a nod. �I�m quite grateful that the Delacours are so inclined to help the Order. Genevieve was Fleur�s
aunt and as she was indeed killed by Death Eaters and her family is
corroborating our story�well no one can really call us on this.�

Sirius nodded and said solemnly, �Their help
is greatly appreciated and I will endeavor not to do anything that may injure
their departed family member�s reputation.�

He looked back at Eris again and
felt warmed by the look of pride in her eyes.
He knew that she couldn�t quite help it.
Any �good� behavior on his part would appeal greatly to her elven instincts.
Still, every positive gesture she made left a feeling of victory within
him.

________________________________________________________________________

Harry shifted nervously back and
forth on his feet as they all waited for the crowd of students to arrive from
the Hogwarts Express. His anxiousness
existed for many reasons. He was worried
about how everyone would take his sudden acquisition of a sister. He was worried about how well Sirius� cover
would hold up. Hell, he was even worried
that someone might figure out that Snape was in the school. Most importantly, he was worried about what
house Eris would be placed in. He knew
that it didn�t matter in the sense that they could not be separated since they
lived in the special dormitory, but he still liked to think that she would be a
Gryffindor like him�like their parents.

When everyone else finally
arrived, he greeted his friends warmly and deftly brushed off inquiries as to
why he, Ron, and Hermione were hanging out in a friendly fashion with three
Slytherins. He also shrugged off
questions about his pointy ears and long hair from anyone who noticed. There would be time enough for those
explanations and arguments later.

He sighed as they made there was
into the Great Hall, wishing Sirius and Eris were with him instead of waiting
off with the first years. His
disappointment was quickly checked when he noticed that something was quite
different in the Hall from years passed.
Instead of four long tables, one for each house, as they had always had
there were a few dozen fair sized, round tables.

Everyone milled about in confusion
for a moment before Professor McGonagall stood and addressed the group. �I�m sure you�ve all noticed our new seating
arrangement. In light of the dark times
our world is going through, your Heads of House and I
have decided to try this as encouragement to get you all to know your fellow
houses better. You may sit with whomever
you wish.�

With that, the teachers all sat at
their table. The students all remained
frozen. Harry looked over at Draco who
jerked his head towards a nearby table.
Harry nodded and followed the blond.
They were followed closely by Hermione, Ron, Blaise, Greg, and Ginny. No one else seemed inclined to dare sit with
them and there was plenty of space for Eris and Sirius to join them once they
were sorted.

Once everyone was seated (mostly
some a bit of Gryffindors sitting with Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws dividing
themselves between Gryffindors and a few, rare Slytherins), Professor
McGonagall stood again. �Excellent. I�m glad to see that most of you will give
this a chance. Now, before we sort our
new batch of first years, we have two special cases to take care of. First up is Mr. Sirius Delacour-Black.�

On cue, Sirius entered the Great
Hall amidst a fair bit of muttering.

�Mr. Delacour-Black will not exactly be one of
your fellow students. He will be serving
an apprenticeship of sorts with Madam Hooch, training to take over her position
next year when you enters into her retirement.
While he isn�t a professor he will have authority and you will show him
respect,� McGonagall said firmly. �His
authority will be on the level of a prefect.
He is being sorted because as a trainee he is still subject to
discipline. I have high hopes that
whatever house receives Mr. Delacour-Black will do so graciously.�

After this lengthy speech, Sirius
was motioned forward by Professor Slughorn who was serving
in the capacity of Deputy Headmaster for the year. Sirius perched himself on the stool with a
confident grin and a wink in Harry�s direction.
Within a few moments the Sorting Hat called out, �Gryffindor!�

Harry�s table clapped
enthusiastically along with the rest of the Gryffindors in the Hall. Sirius quickly came to join them. Harry smiled warmly at his godfather. �I can�t say that I�m surprised. I never really considered for a moment that
you might be placed elsewhere.�

�Neither did I,�
Sirius said happily. �Now all we have to
do is cross our fingers for Eris.�

Draco sniffed. �And why�s that? Eris has Slytherin qualities that a
Gryffindor would never see.�

Harry looked at Blaise for
conformation, but the dark-eyed boy had a slightly uncertain smile. �I don�t know, Draco. Eris has fierceness in her that I�ve only
ever associated with Gryffindor women.
They tend to sway you by putting the fear of the wrath of Merlin in
you.�

Harry grinned as Ginny lightly punched
the Slytherin�s arm.
�I see how you think! My vote
goes for Ravenclaw. She�s too smart for
anywhere else.�

�I completely agree,� Hermione said primly.

Harry looked to Ron and Greg who
hadn�t given their votes yet. Greg
shrugged his shoulders. �I�m inclined to
think her a Gryffindor with Slytherin tendencies actually.�

Everyone looked a bit startled at
this burst of intelligence from the normally quite young man, but Harry had
secretly come to suspect that Greg hid behind a veneer of stupidity to keep
other from expecting too much from him.
He hoped that the boy would eventually choose to drop the act
altogether. Not wanting to stare, Harry
turned and glared at Ron who was looking a bit red under the pressure.

Ron gulped and Harry tried hard
not to laugh at his friend. The poor guy
obviously was reluctant to take sides against anyone. �For the sake of keeping the peace, I�m going
to say Hufflepuff. She�s a hard worker
and I think she�s very loyal to Draco and Harry.�

Professor McGonagall cleared her
throat then. �Now, for
our second special arrival. Mr.
Harry Potter received some very interesting news this summer. It seems that he has a twin sister who was
sent away for her safety during the first way.
Thankfully she has been returned to her brother and we are happy to
welcome her to our school. May I present
Miss Eris Potter.�

Eris entered the Great Hall then
and there was utter silence. People may
have missed Harry�s new resemblance to an elf, but there was no missing it in
Eris. With her significantly longer ears
and nearly floor length hair, the fluid grace of her movements and the way she
radiated power, there was no mistaking Eris Potter for what she was. He watched as Eris seated herself on the
stool and Professor Slughorn placed the hat on her
head. And then they all waited�

And waited�

And waited�until�

_______________________________________________________________________

Eris bit the inside of her cheek
as the Sorting Hat slipped onto her head.
The annoying rag immediately started in taunting her. �I see you�ve finally arrived. Summer�s changed you a bit. I think you�ve become braver if anything. Gryffindor is looking good.�

Eris whispered quietly to that hat, not
wanting the professor next to her to overhear.
�Quit being so bloody smug. I don not belong in Gryffindor. I haven�t the right qualities even with a
boost in bravery.�

�They�re there and being in the house of Godric would help you to uncover them.�

�Ravenclaw still not an option then,� Eris said
dryly.

�Your mind would fit in well, but your
personality isn�t a fit,� the hat snapped.
�You�re too emotional. Numina Pumilum aren�t known for
basing their decisions on logic to the same extent that a Ravenclaw wizard
would. For an elf, its
more about doing the right thing than the thing that will succeed.�

�Perhaps,� Eris gritted out quietly. �Still, I�m not one to let myself lose if I
can manipulate a win.�

�Ah yes, you do fancy yourself able to bend
the wills of those around you.�

Eris closed her eyes and
sighed. �Make your decision.�

The hat was silent for a
moment. �You know, your brother was
meant for Slytherin�or at least I felt he would do well there. He begged for Gryffindor. I really thought you would like the
same. I worry that you�re not�stable
enough to endure Slytherin.�

�Don�t be ridiculous,� Eris snapped. �No matter what, at least I�d know and
understand what I was getting myself into with Slytherins.�.

�Yes, well then it�s a nest of snakes or a den
of lions. You have both your own claws
and hidden fangs. Which will serve you
best?� The hat mused quietly for a few
more minutes. �Better be�.�

<hr>

�Slytherin,� the hat yelled out and Harry
nearly toppled off his seat. He should
have known better than to guess against Draco.
Sirius was tense beside him and when he looked over at him the man�s
face was blank. This could be a bit of a
problem.

It was then that Harry noticed
that no one was clapping. Well�the
teachers were clapping politely and after a moment Draco began to clap
enthusiastically. Harry looked at his
twin as she made her way to him. He knew
that how he reacted to her now could very well define how the entire school
accepted her. He jumped to his feet and
greeted her with open arms. She rushed
into his embrace and he gave her a peck on the cheek. Everything was going to be okay, he would
find a way to make sure of that.

_______________________________________________________________________

September 2^nd

Eris was fidgety all through breakfast
on the first day of classes. She wasn�t
worried about having to face the other students alone simply because at least
one of the others would be with her at all times, usually two. There would be some times when she had
nothing to do but study and then she would be on her own�or rather, she would
be in the common room with Severus close at hand. The only classes she had were Charms,
Transfiguration, Herbology and Defense Against the Dark Arts.
She had plans to sit in on Hermione�s Arithmancy
and Ancient Runes classes from time to time just for a peek. The lot of them were
going to be spending most of their time together in special lessons anyway and
one Harry decided that it was time to go after the Horcruxes. There was going to be a lot of extra training
and it would take time, not to mention all the time they were going to have to
spend researching possible locations for Horcruxes.

Someone slipped down to sit beside
her and she looked up to see Sirius offering her a tentative smile. He hadn�t spoken much after the sorting the
night before. Hermione and Ginny told
her that it was probably just a bit of a shock to him that she had actually
been sorted into Slytherin. �Hello my
darling little viper. Did you sleep
well?�

Eris rolled her eyes. �Why yes I believe I did.�

Sirius shook his head and began to
load his plate. �I�m sorry about not
congratulating you last night.�

Eris stiffened, but tried not to
let the tension show in her face. �There
was no need to if you weren�t really happy for me. I know that there is history between the
Gryffindors and Slytherins that is hard to overcome or even simply overlook.�

Sirius sighed and then took her
hand. Eris had to work hard not to pull
away. �You belong where you belong. You�d think I�d have grown out of those old
misconceptions, especially when I know better than most how much people can
change even by the end of their time at Hogwarts.�

�Someone once told me�or well, mentioned in my
presence that the older we are the harder it is for the hat to sort us.� Eris poked at the scrambled eggs on her
plate, debating whether or not it would help Sirius feel better to know how
seriously the hat had considered putting her into Gryffindor house. �Our personalities become much more complex
as we age. One should not expect a first
year to arrive a solid Hufflepuff and not gain a few qualities beyond loyalty
and good work ethic by the end of seven years.�

�Very true.� Sirius was quiet for a bit and Eris wondered
if she should try and slip away to her first class early, but she thought that
the transformed man before her might simply tag along. She wasn�t really supposed to go anywhere
alone.

Sirius cleared his throat. He spoke in a low voice, leaning close to her
ear, �You know, my brother was a Slytherin.
I always thought he turned out badly, but Harry tells me that the poor
fellow did the right thing in the end.
It cost him his life. Slytherins
are just as capable of self-sacrifice as any Gryffindor. Loyalty might not seem to be their forte, but
I think it�s more that they�re simply able to cover up their loyalties better
than anyone else.�

Eris froze. Something that Sirius said was causing a
nearly audible �click� within her mind. She
mused over it right up until she felt someone tugging on her sleeve and looked
up to see Hermione impatiently waiting for her to come along to their
Transfiguration class. She would have to think over the breakfast
conversation later.

______________________________________________________________________

September 3^rd

Harry paused nervously as he
stepped into the dorm at the end of the second day of classes and found Draco
reading. The Slytherin was sitting on
his bed (which he insisted upon making up with silver sheets and a green duvet)
and looked a bit apprehensive himself when he noticed Harry.

�Hey there,� Harry said softly.

He watched as Draco swallowed hard before
responding. �Hello. How was the lesson with Tahdei? Did you and Eris display anything new?�

Harry walked over to his bed and
shrugged off his robe. �It went well,
but nothing brand new occurred. Eris is
doing very well with her empathy and I�ve got firm control over my fire element. Tahdei says I just
need to work on not being afraid to let go and make a big display. He won�t let me touch my earth elemental
until I prove that I�m not afraid to torch whatever is necessary. Snape agrees of course.�

�I thought you were calling him Severus now,�
the blond said with a small smile.

�Only when he doesn�t act like I�m behaving
unreasonably,� Harry said petulantly.

Draco arched a brow. �Are you?�

Harry plopped down on his bead and
ran a hand through his hair. �Draco�I�m
very uncomfortable with amount of magic I�m discovering within myself. If I lose my temper�if I lose
control�Merlin! I don�t even want to
think about.�

�How do you ever expect to have true control
if you don�t know your limits?�

Harry stared hard at Draco for a
moment. �I�ll take that under advisement. Will you tell me something?�

�I suppose that depends upon the question.�

�If I don�t choose you�will we still be able
to be friends or will things just be too weird?� Harry bit his lip as he waited for Draco�s
answer.

�I�d like to think that we would be
friends. I care for Eris a great deal
and even if I wasn�t interested in you�and I am�I would make the effort just
for her sake.� Draco was blushing
slightly and determinedly not meeting Harry�s gaze.

Harry appreciated what it took for
Draco to say something like that. �I
want you to know that it really has more to do with you being a wizard than you
being�well�you. I�m still not used to the
idea of being with another man though my friends seem to think it makes sense.�

�Sometimes friends know you better than you
know yourself,� Draco said in a sage tone that made Harry smile.

�Somebody drank their wisdom juice this
morning,� Harry said with a smirk. �Are
we okay then? For now
anyway.�

�I believe so.
Now, what should we do about your sulking baby sister?�

�Don�t let her hear you calling her that,�
Harry said with a laugh. �I was thinking
that it might do her some good to spend some social time with Sirius�with one
or two of us along for the ride of course.�

Draco nodded. �I agree.
Meals and during training are the wrong kind of situation. I don�t think this will be easy. He�doesn�t seem to have a personality that I
would have considered a match for her.�

�But we match just perfectly,� Harry asked
lightly, though the question was important to him.

Draco stood up from the bed and walked close
to him. �I believe we would compliment
each other quite well, each of us making up for the other�s weaknesses and bolstering
strengths.�

Harry swallowed hard. �I can see where that might be true.�

Their eyes met for a moment and
then Draco smiled, looking a way with a contemplative expression. �Now, I think I have just the idea for
something you and Eris could do and manage to involve Sirius without anyone
else getting in the way.�

�Really? How?�

Draco smirked.
�Eris let a few secrets slip that I don�t feel honor bound to
protect. You see, she�s created this
special room��

________________________________________________________________________

September 5^th

�Where are we going, Harry?� Eris whined. �I really just want to go and wallow in what
a horrible week this was.�

Harry gave her an odd look. �What was so bad about it? Our training has been going well. Hermione�s research is sure to turn up a few
more ideas to determine the final Horcrux we need to
identify. Has someone been bothering
you?�

Eris sighed. �No, not really. People have just been looking at me
strangely. The boys are all glaring or
gazing at me with goo-goo eyes and I can�t figure either reaction out. All the girls simply seem suspicious. I haven�t been able to have a decent
conversation with Ros or Remus lately. They�re just both so busy!�

�Well, I can help you spend some time with Remus
anyway,� Harry said with a sly grin and he pulled her into their common room.

Eris narrowed her gaze at him. �Draco blabbed to you about my hiding
place�didn�t he?�

Harry mock pouted and she almost
lost her ire. �What makes you think I
didn�t figure it out all on my own, sister dear?�

Eris sneered and adored the way
her brother grimaced. She knew that he
was thinking of Severus and mentally assessing whether or not their mentor was
holding too much influence over her, the silly boy. �I�m very good at avoiding being followed.�

�Oh well,� Harry said happily. �I won�t tell anyone else�other than the two
people I invited to join us, and I doubt either of them will be able to break
down the kind of wards you could put in place if you wanted to be in there
alone.�

Eris gave her brother a superior
look. �Well, at least you acknowledge my
brilliance.�

They entered through the secret
panel on the wall opposite the fireplace and Eris smiled at her brother as he
gazed around the room in awe. It had its
own fireplace, was well and comfortably furnished with a couch and comfy
chairs, had a well stocked liquor cabinet, and, most impressively, a one-way
window looking into the common room. She
took a great deal of joy in being able to spy on her dorm mates. Though she supposed the little joke was over
now.

Harry shooed her to a chair and
she plopped down with a roll of her eyes.
Her brother was quickly at the cabinet inspecting the booze. �What would you like, sis?�

Eris smirked. �I do believe that a finger or two of the
single malt whiskey would be nice. Just something to sip on really.�

�Strong choice,� Harry said with a big
grin. �Do you mind if I have a go at the
brandy?�

Eris rolled her eyes. �Only if you promise to
treat it with proper respect. No
gulping.�

�Oh, I wouldn�t dream of it.�

At that moment, the secret door
popped open and Remus and Sirius rushed in, closing it quickly behind
them. Sirius smiled broadly when he saw
Harry handing Eris her drink. �Starting
without us are you? Shame on you two!�

Remus was shaking his head at his
de-aged friend. �Eris, would you mind
terribly if we joined you for a few drinks?
Harry and Draco seemed to think that you would enjoy the company and a
bit of�er�irresponsible downtime. Yes, I believe that�s what Draco called it.�

Eris giggled and sipped her
whiskey. �I don�t mind at all. Come and enjoy the view.�

That was when the two men noticed
the one-way window. It became the
centerpiece of their evening as they commented on the comings and goings of
their comrades. As the evening moved on,
and everyone began to appear a bit tipsy, there was an interesting arrival in
the common room. Severus Snape had
decided to exit his potions lab and settle before the fire with a book. Eris didn�t not appreciate
the strange gleam that had entered Sirius� eyes.

�Aha, Severus has arrived,� Sirius said with a
slight slur. �This
aught to be interesting. Anyone up for a game of Slander Snape?�

Eris glared and was happy to see
that Remus was following her lead and Harry seemed uncomfortable. Remus was the first to speak. �Sirius, I don�t think that would be
appropriate. Not matter how much fun it
used to be.�

Eris scowled. Remus wasn�t as mature a drunk as she had
thought apparently. �Pray tell, what
exactly does this game entail,� she demanded snidely.

Sirius gave her a sad look. �Oh come on, love, we would keep it
clean. Give it a go for the old
days. All you have to do is come up with
a saying that you think fits Snape. I�ll
admit that we got pretty nasty in the old days, but we�re all adults here��

�Foxed or not,� Remus cut in with a lopsided
grin. Eris rolled her eyes. So much for men who could
hold their liquor.

All three men were giving her
puppy dog eyes and she soon felt herself giving in. Besides, she had an ace up her sleeve and
could easily tie them all up in knots of trouble if she wanted. �Oh fine, but if any of you starts to get out
of line I�m cutting you off and sending you to Severus to beg for mercy!�

Sirius took a long drink of his
rum and Coke. Eris had a feeling that it
was a bit of liquid courage, not that he really should have needed any more at
that point. �It�s a deal. We�ll start�er�I�ll
start. Harry doesn�t really know that
game either, do you Harry boy? Ha! Hairy boy, oh that�s a good one.�

Eris couldn�t stop her
giggle. Harry shot her an evil
glare. �Oh stuff it, Potter, I�m about
to let you slander someone I care about so watch it.�

Sirius cleared his throat and rose
to his feet. He took a deep bow and
waved out one hand with a flourish. He
gazed at Severus through the window for a moment and Eris had the feeling that
he was looking for some �tame� inspiration.
�Ah yes! There we go. Severus Snape doesn�t read books. He stares them down until he gets the
information he wants.�[1]

Remus and Harry clapped so Eris
followed suit. The game didn�t� seem too
bad�yet.

Remus stood next and took a moment
to consider their subject. �The grass is
always greened on the other side, unless Severus Snape has been there. In that case the grass is most likely soaked
in Neville�s piss.�[2]

Sirius hooted and clapped. Eris felt a bit confused. Harry was glaring. �Hey now, you�re supposed to insult Snape,
not poor Neville. He can�t help that the
great bat scares him to death!�

Remus looked immediately
repentant. �I apologize, Harry. I agree that that was a bit below the belt.�

Sirius stood. �I need another drink.�

Eris rolled her eyes and continued
trying to think of what she would say on her turn. That was when Sirius let loose a horrid
shriek. �What is it, Sirius?�

�The rum�it�s gone!� Sirius looked rather distressed, but Eris
couldn�t quite bring herself to care.
The slosh had already gone through two bottles. She didn�t particularly like the stuff so why
would she keep any more than that around?

�You�ve had enough, Siri,�
Harry said with a dismissive wave. �You
should try some of the brandy. It�s very
good.�

�That�s good for you, but why is the rum
gone,� Sirius hissed.

�Just have a bit of whiskey, Sirius,� Remus
said with a grin. �We want Harry to have
his turn, don�t we?�

�Of course I do, but�Why. Is.
The. Rum. Gone!?�

�Because I don�t like the stuff,� Eris said
with a frown.

Sirius looked incredulous. �Don�t like...you don�t like rum,� he spluttered.

�Oh for pity�s sake,� Eris shouted. �Can we just get on with this game? There has do be something else there that you
like.�

�But I like RUM,� Sirius whined.

�Sirius,� Eris said in a pleasant tone,
�choose something else and I promise to give you a kiss before I go to bed.�

The man may have been drunk, but
at least he wasn�t as stupid as he looked at the moment. He immediately snapped to attention and
poured a glass of brandy to match Harry�s.
As he fell back into his chair he said, �I wouldn�t be dumb enough to
pass that offer up even if I�d gone through ten bottles of rum!�

Harry stood then and smiled. �If you can see Severus Snape, he can see
you. If you can�t see Severus Snape you
may only be seconds away from detention.�[3]

�Spoken based on personal experience of
course,� Eris drawled.

�Of course,� Harry said with a grin. �Your turn.�

Eris stood and stared at Severus
for a few moments. It felt like she was
betraying him in some small way, but perhaps she could show him a pensieve memory of it all some day and they would have a
laugh over it. �Okay. Here goes nothing. Severus Snape invented black. In fact, he invented the entire spectrum of
visible light. Except
pink. Sirius invented pink.�[4]

Luckily, Sirius just laughed it
off and jumped up to take his turn.
�Hmmm�okay! You are what you
eat. That is why Severus Snape�s diet consists entirely of snakes, grease, and the
tears of first years.�[5]

Eris frowned. �That was getting mean. You�d get greasy hair too if you worked on
potions all day.�

�Eris,� Harry whined, �it�s no fun if you�re
going to defend him against everything we say.
We know most of it is nonsense.�

Eris huffed for a moment. �Very well. Go ahead, Remus.�

Remus jumped to his feet. �Severus Snape speaks only when
necessary. His main form of
communication is folding his arms and sneering.
Regardless of the situation, it is always understood that you have
detention.�[6]

Harry hopped up. �Me next! Me next!
Okay�Despite popular belief, if Neville explodes a cauldron in the woods
and nobody is around to witness it, Snape is still
able to take points.�[7]

Sirius wrinkled his nose. �That was weak.�

Harry just stuck out his
tongue. Remus, on the other hand, was
pouting. �And you told me not to insult
Neville. Eris, take your turn before
your brother says anything else that he might regret when his brain is clear.�

Eris was thoughtful for a
moment. �Okay, I�ll do this last one and
then we should all go sleep this off.�

Sirius nodded. �I�ll go for that if it means I get my kiss
sooner!�

Eris stood and spread her arms wide. She lowered her voice so that it was as deep
and booming as possible. �And God said,
�Let there be snark,� and Severus Snape was
born. He grew to be the bane of Harry
Potter�s existence, but its all good because he got his comeuppance in the
end.�

Her three companions simply looked
at her for a few moments before bursting into uncontrollable laughter. It took a while, but she was eventually she
was able to get the three men out of the secret room and up to their dorm door. Luckily, Severus had disappeared to bed at
some point during their game. Remus and
Harry quickly ducked inside and left Sirius to get his kiss.

Sirius leaned in close to
her. �Do I get my kiss now, sweetheart?�

His speech was still slurred and
he had wobbled up the steps, but his eyes were completely focused. Eris began to glare�evilly. �You�re not even really drunk! You and Remus either used charms or went to
Severus for a potion.�

Sirius had the grace to look
abashed. �Well�Severus sort of figured
out what we were planning and he wanted to make sure that we didn�t do
something stupid without realizing it.�

�Of course,� Eris said flatly.

Sirius gave her a piercing look
then. �And why aren�t you drunk, missy?�

Eris sighed. There was no point in being angry. They had been having fun. At least she still managed her little
joke. �Sirius, what did I drink all
night?�

The man thought for a moment
before answering. �A
single malt whiskey.�

She waited a moment to see if he
got it on his own, but he still looked confused. �One of my main animagus
forms is an Abraxan, Sirius. They live off of the stuff. I�m quite immune to it. It might as well be water, but it tastes
better anyway.

Sirius chuckled. �Well, it looks
like we both got one over on each other.
Can I have my kiss now?�

Eris cocked a brow at the
man. �My dear Sirius, you failed to
specify the exact time of the kiss beyond my giving it before I go to bed. Feel free to enquire before I retire each
night. I may give in eventually.�

She turned and walked away with
Sirius pouting behind her, though there was a smile in his eyes. He called out to her when she�d reached the
base of the steps. �Oh
Eris.�

She rolled her eyes. �Yes, dear?�

�I still need to know something.�

�Yes?�

�Why was the rum gone!?�

�Goodnight, you mangy mutt.�

The sound of his low chuckle
followed her to her own dorm room door.

_____________________________________________________________________

Footnotes: Original �facts� from www.4q.cc.

[1]: Chuck Norris doesn�t read books. He stares them down until he gets the
information he wants.

[2]: The grass is always greener on the other side, unless Chuck
Norris has been there. In that case the
grass is most likely soaked in blood and tears.

[3]: If you can see Chuck Norris, he can see you. If you can�t see Chuck Norris you may be only
seconds away from death.

[4]: Vin Diesel
invented black. In fact, he invented the
entire spectrum of visible light. Except pink. Tom
Cruise invented pink.

[5]: You are what you eat.
That is why Vin Diesel�s diet consists
entirely of bricks, steel, and the tears of small children.

[6]: Mr. T speaks only when necessary. His main form of communication is folding his
arms and slowly shaking his head. And
regardless of the situation he is always understood.

[7]: Despite popular belief, if there is a fool in the woods and
nobody�s there to hear his jibba jabba,
Mr. T is still able to pity him.
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