Indago:3

Chapter Fourteen

Snape made sure to stay away from the Gryffindor side of the classroom, but thankfully that was nothing strange to the experienced sixth-year potion students. As they began their first potion practical of the year, he watched the girl closely.

The fact that the girl had scored well enough on her O.W.Ls in potions was more surprising than why she was actually taking his class. As he watched her, he could see that she was in fact quite proficient at it. He wasn’t sure if that irritated him or not. Actually, he wasn’t quite sure how he felt about the whole mess. He could feel one side of him wanting to beat her off with a stick and the other side of him was quite entertained by the whole thing.

The bell rang and he quickly called out, “Miss O’Neill, you will stay after class.”

To her credit, the girl didn’t blink at the order and merely waved away her family members who were waiting outside the door for her. The last student left and the door banged shut as silence filled the room. Snape wondered idly if he should see if she would break under it. After a minute of her calmly standing at her desk, he gave her a few more credits and spoke. “How aware are you of what you are?” he demanded without preamble.

“I know most of the theory of it but not much of the practical side of it,” Kellas answered promptly. “I’ve read nearly everything you have written on the subject.”

“Have you,” Snape stated more than questioned. He let the silence hang again and was once more slightly impressed that she didn’t give into fidgeting or even belligerence at being kept from her lunch. They faced each other with an entire classroom between them. Finally, Snape broke the silence once more. “What is your reason for coming here to this school, Miss O’Neill? You are more than competent in all of your subjects and your tutor of many years is highly qualified and sings your praises. You have no need for schooling at all at this point, especially given your chosen career of music, which you are already excelling at.”

“I wanted to be on an even keel with Maia,” Kellas replied simply.

“You wanted to infiltrate her territory and find an opportunity in which her parents would be separated from her,” Snape corrected her icily. “I doubt you anticipated one of her fathers being given a position in this school.” Kellas straightened her shoulders and Snape contained his glee at finally breaching her cool exterior. “I am sure that made quite the kink in your plans.”

“Believe what ye want, sir,” she retorted offhandedly. “I only came to meet her and let her get to know me in an easy and familiar settin’.”

“I notice that your accent gets thicker when you are trying to make yourself seem harmless,” Snape pointed out coolly. “Do you think we are simpletons? Do you think playacting at being a country bumpkin will fool us?” Snape sneered. “I assure you, girl, we have been around the block enough times not to be deluded by such a simple con.”

“Fine then, sir,” Kellas answered, her voice tight and her body no longer pretending at being relaxed. “Why did you keep me after? You know why I am here at this school. You know my intentions. So this little chat is your attempt at what? If you want to come after me for what I did to your Sub, then do so.”

“If I wanted you dead, you would be,” Snape snapped out. “You put yourself in this situation so you will show the respect that is required of you!” He stepped down from the podium and smirked at the backward step the girl took. She caught herself and glowered. “You will not be going near Professor Potter-Malfoy again, Miss O’Neill. You are not in his class, therefore you have no business with him. You will also not harass any other students, including your dorm mates.”

“Harassing? Funny how you can change it all around to suit yourself now,” Kellas spat out. “Would it be better that I have a history of hating her, then? Or perhaps I should have applied to be a teacher here and got at her like that. It worked for you.”

Snape’s lips tightened and he took another threatening step forward, but this time Kellas held her ground. “Reading a history and living it are two completely different things. Speak to me like that again and you will see what I can do without bothering with teacher-student status!” he hissed.

“I’m not leaving this school,” she stated firmly.

They stared at each other, glaring back and forth. Snape suddenly smirked and moved to the side table near him and opened a locked cupboard. “Fine. Stay,” he said. “But, if you are going to, I suggest you take the inhibiting potion. It will make the object of your affection possibly think of being within four meters of you.” He pulled a small vial out and turned to look at Kellas with a raised eyebrow.

Kellas eyed it with suspicion. “And how do I know you haven’t put an additive in it?”

“I told you,” Snape drawled. “If I wanted you dead, you would be.”

Shaking her head, Kellas smiled. “Oh, I believe you would try. But you could incapacitate me with side effects other than death.”

Snape smirked again. “I could.”

“Besides, I take that and I’m made a eunuch, aye?” she asked. “I become a docile little pet, don’t I?”

“I assure you, having taken it myself for a goodly part of my life, you are not rendered docile.”

“No, I’m not taking it. Suspicions of why you are giving it to me aside,” she said with another shake of her head. “I’m not hindering myself in any way. Maia’ll like me as I am or not at all.”

Snape grimaced. “Good to see the Sorting Hat hasn’t lost its ability,” he grumbled. “Then you are making yourself a target—”

“Aye, I am,” she interjected. Without another word, she hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and left the room. Mildly irritated at being interrupted and not having given his dismissal, Snape let her go and went to find his own noonday meal.



The music was the first clue. The second was the enormous crowd of students cluttering the main entranceway into the castle as Maia and her friends came up the stairs from the Slytherin dorms for dinner.

Someone was showing off.

Maia’s face tightened into a visage of anger and she turned sharply on her heel towards the Dining Hall. But Siebel bolted towards the edge of the crowd and pulled roughly at the Ravenclaw boy there. Then she rushed back, her eyes sparkling. “They’re playing! Seanchai, or what we have of them, is playing right now!” she hissed in excitement.

“I suppose they have a cap out for offerings?” Maia asked nastily.

“We have to go see them!” Maizy exclaimed. “Maia, please! Dinner can wait!”

“I can’t believe you two! The other empty-headed students I could see being enamoured of those… musicians. But you two are supposed to be better than that!” Maizy and Siebel did seem chastened, but their eyes continued to seek out the crowd and Maia was sure she saw Siebel’s toe tap a time or two.

Her face showing her determination and quite a hefty amount of arrogance, Maia shoved past her two friends and towards the crowd. “Move!” she snapped at the outer ring of spectators. Normally, Maia would have been perfectly polite, but her dander was up. She wasn’t going to allow this to go on. That… animal wasn’t going to take away her school and her friends!

Fortunately for her, the crowd’s inner ring was back far enough that she didn’t need to hide amongst it to speak. Her eyes were immediately focused on Kellas, who had a bodhrán balanced on her knee. The Irish drum was beating out a perfect accompaniment to the banjo and tin whistle the other two O’Neills were playing. It was a lively melody and she saw several students clapping along in time and everyone was smiling.

Traitors!

“I am ordering you to stop this right now!” she called out loudly. “You are blocking the entrance, detaining the students from their meal, and causing a public nuisance. If you do not desist, I will take points from your houses.” She made sure that her Head Girl badge was very conspicuous as she made her orders known. The music came to a halt and everyone groaned and began to shuffle off.

“We’re jest havin’ a bit of fun, aye?” Donal answered after pulling the whistle from his mouth. “Working the music muscle and all.”

“This is a school, not a music hall. We are all very aware of your celebrity status,” she retorted condescendingly. “But inside this school we are all equal and required to follow the rules.” Maia crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes for emphasis.

“Says the top celebrity. Oh but wait, maybe that’s why Malfoy is getting all bent out of shape. She’s been bumped off her pedestal.”

“Ten points from Gryffindor for that, Weasley!” Maia sneered. She eyed the skinny boy who stood across from her in the thinning crowd.

“You can’t just take points away!” he shouted.

“You were being impertinent. I am perfectly within my rights to chastise you for it. Any more and I will assign detention.” Maia tacked on a tight smile. Timothy Weasley furiously shoved his way free of the area.

“A fair bite to your tongue indeed. But it warms me heart that you’ll use any excuse to get close to me, darlin’.”

Maia’s eyes widened for a moment before shooting daggers at Kellas O’Neill. Kellas was still sitting on the edge of one of the stone window casements with the bodhrán still resting on her thigh and a smile on her lips.

“Ten points from Gryffindor for continued impertinence!” Maia hissed. “And I’ll take more if you do not fix your uniform! It is dishevelled and unacceptable!”

Kellas looked down. She was wearing her tie loose and the buttons of her shirt were opened to her sternum as well as un-tucked from her waistband. Her robe was open and showed her clean slacks and shined shoes. She looked up with a raised eyebrow. “And what exactly is wrong with my uniform after school hours? Or is it that I am wearing anything at all?”

Giggles and laughs accompanied the blood rushing to Maia’s cheeks. She glared at the titillated crowd that had slowed their exit in favour of watching the new show. “Another ten points from Gryffindor for lewdness!”

“Aw, come on, Maia. It’s not that bad. They were just playing some music.”

Maia turned on their defender. “I have stated exactly what they are, in fact, doing. They are causing a disturbance. You, Jeremy Fairweather, have nothing to do with it. I suggest you see to your evening meal.”

“Cripes, she sounded just like Snape!” someone whispered. Maia glared in their direction.

“Well, if Miss Malfoy is saying that we need to stop, then we’ll stop,” Kellas said. She stood and Maia barely restrained a step backwards. She did keep a close eye on their distance from each other though. “I wouldn’t want to rile her,” Kellas continued with a wink.

Maia refrained from saying anything in return and figured she should probably write that down in her journal. Or at least tell Sev that she had kept a comeback to herself. Of course, she probably shouldn’t even be talking to Kellas, so maybe she’d keep this incident to herself instead.

“All right, boys, let’s go off for a feed, aye?” Kellas called out merrily. She smiled and began walking right at Maia. Glaring, Maia was forced back and away.



After dinner, Kellas was moving through the hallways with her cousins when a figure stepped out into their path.

“Ah, the wee quiet one,” she called out in greeting. “Out for a nice stroll, then? Good for digestin’ the supper, me da always said.”

Azeas merely walked closer, frowned, and stepped back a pace. “I want to talk to you for a moment, please.”

Alan and Donal both chuckled and elbowed Kellas.

“Oh? Well then, brother mine, I will be happy to give ye me ear.” Kellas smiled and stepped to the side a bit. Her cousins moved in the opposite direction and leaned against the wall. Azeas waited a moment and then moved towards Kellas.

“Now, what would you like to talk to me about, wee man?” Kellas asked.

Silent for a moment, Azeas seemed to study Kellas. She endured it politely. “You’re upsetting my family.”

Kellas nodded sagely. “Yes, I am.”

“Why?”

Leaning her back against the wall and shoving her hands in her trouser pockets, Kellas returned Azeas’ focused gaze. “They don’t like me.” She shrugged. “That’s what’s upsetting them.”

“There’s more. Father would have had you gone if it were just that.”

“You’re pretty observant, aren’t you?”

Azeas nodded. “I am. I think you upset them for more than dislike. I think you like that they are upset. You like to push people’s buttons.”

Kellas smirked. “Aye, maybe. I do enjoy seeing people riled up, if that’s what you mean.”

“You like when my sister is mad?” Azeas asked with only a slight tilt of his head to the side.

Kellas took a moment to answer. “Aye, maybe. I think because I like seeing her princess mask slip. Head Girl, beautiful, rich, well mannered, perfect grades… She’s not a doll.”

“No, she’s a Malfoy. Malfoys are always best.”

With a chuckle, Kellas replied, “Oh, I know all about that. But think about your own father? I hear he can get right testy when he wants. Hell, I know he can blow a fuse right quick.”

Frowning a bit, Azeas thought it over. “You’re right. He does have a temper. He’s also very dramatic when he is poked enough. But my dad is not like that. He is normally very cool and calm. Maia may just take after him.”

“Oh, she does at that. But not in the way you think.” Kellas looked up at the ceiling. “Your sister has a lot of pride and arrogance in her.” She looked back down at Azeas. “And why shouldn’t she? She’s got every right to think that she is the best. But I like to see what’s underneath, if you take my meaning?”

Azeas considered that for a moment. “Do you like her and want to know her better? Or are you just trying to despoil something you view as perfect?”

“Aren’t you the eloquent boyo?” Kellas laughed and shook her head. “No, no, I am quite taken with your sister. I like to tease, true. But I want your sister to show her all to me. I want her to know she can get bitchy with me.”

“Why?”

Looking seriously at Azeas, Kellas answered. “There’s more to the tale than you are being told. I’ve already gotten your family angry with me. I don’t want to do further damage by spilling the beans to you. But… It’s important that your sister see me as calm and pleasant when she’s het up about something. She needs to know that… I can be trusted.”

Azeas narrowed his eyes in contemplation for a moment. He then nodded, as if coming to a decision. “All right. But don’t hurt her or my family. My brother already hates you.”

“And you don’t?”

The boy paused for a moment and then spoke slowly. “No. I don’t. But I am… wary of you. It has something to do with what we are, doesn’t it?”

Kellas nodded slowly. “Aye. You know about that? About me, I mean?”

“Yes. It was only logical since my family usually deals well with anything. Also… I just… know.” Azeas seemed the most puzzled by his own words, but Kellas just nodded.

“Aye. Well, then. Have I put your worries to rest?”

“No, but I will stay clear of it for now. Good night.”

Kellas watched him turn and walk away toward Ravenclaw territory. Shaking her head in wonder at the boy, she called her cousins over as more students wanting to be their friends accosted them a moment later.