Quicksilver

Quicksilver- chapter 2







A couple of days later, Severus noticed Elektra chatting in the corridor with a group of her Ravenclaw friends. The girls were all wearing the very short skirts that were fashionable at the time and he marvelled that he hadn’t noticed on their first meeting how short her skirt was or how shapely her legs. He shook his head to collect his thoughts and gather his courage.



“Elektra, wait!” he called as she turned to go into charms class. She turned round and beamed at him when she recognised who it was.



“Severus, hello!” she replied pleasantly. Her friends had begun to stare and he started to feel uncomfortable.



“You forgot your book, here.” thrusting it into her hands he glared back at the other girls.



“Oh, thank you! That was very thoughtful of you” she replied sweetly. He managed a minute smile before they were interrupted.



“Can I help you Mr Snape?” Flitwick asked as he came to shut the classroom door.



”No Sir” he answered quickly and strode off down the corridor towards his own class, to which he was now surely late. However as he left he caught a brief interaction between Elektra and her friend.



“Oh my god Elektra, what do you think you’re doing with that Slytherin?”



“Shut up Stacy, he’s not as bad as the others” she had snapped at her friend and he felt strangely elated that she would defend him against her friends as well as her enemies.



As he found his way to his bench in Potions, he noticed a flash of red hair in his peripheral vision and realised he hadn’t thought about Lily Evans once since meeting Elektra under the tree.





The next weekend, he was seated under the same tree again when he heard a familiar voice.



“Hey Severus, or should I say Adonis?” she joked, earning the merest semblance of a smile as she dropped a heavy satchel on the ground next to his.



“I read that poem and I found it highly immoral and completely unsuitable reading for a young lady.” he admonished.



“Oh good, I do hope so,” she replied. “How are you getting on with Ars Maleficarum?”



“Finished. I am currently re-reading Theories of Advanced Transfiguration. I have an essay due.” he said pleasantly.



“Good, scooch over and let me have a look.” She said as she seated herself as close as she could to him. He felt a little uncomfortable but covered it with banter.



“For a sixth year you’re remarkably cheeky.” He said raising a brow as he observed her.



“I know, that’s why everyone loves me,” she replied cheekily, batting her lashes and grinning like a Cheshire cat. He shook his head and tried to return to his book but his concentration was broken by a quill tickling his nose.



“What now?” he snapped, a little harsher than he meant to.



“Aren’t you my friend?” she pouted.



“Not if you insist on interrupting my studies with your childish behaviour and inane prattle.” He sneered. He was taking out his frustration at her physical proximity on her but he wasn’t about to admit it, least of all to himself.



“Inane indeed, how dare you? I am a Ravenclaw. We deal only with important and intelligent issues and conversation.” She replied huffily.



“Such as what?” he inquired.



“What’s your favourite Jam?” she asked, giggling like crazy as he rolled his eyes and sighed, resigning himself to the conclusion that if he wanted to spend time with this vivacious girl then he wasn’t going to get any work done. However she brought up the compromise that they share the book so he could finish his notes in peace and in return he promised to have a normal teenage conversation that didn’t involve his ambitions or the Dark Arts but life in general.



He was surprised at how much he enjoyed getting to know her and how easy it was to socialise with her on a normal level. It seemed she at least understood the fascination with the Dark Arts and she certainly didn’t try to make him feel bad about it like Lily had. His day only got better when Sirius Black passed by and he couldn’t help but feel smug when he saw how furious the Gryffindor was to see the object of his affection cosily curled up sharing a book with his hated enemy.



“What’s the problem, with you and Black?” he asked her.



“I’m not sure. I think I’m the first girl to say no to him and he can’t handle it so he won’t leave me be.” She replied breezily.



“Why did you turn him down? I mean the other girls seem to like him and you’re a pretty girl, it seems you suit each other. Why would you rather sit with me?” He had been wanting to ask her since their first day and observed her carefully for her reaction, expecting her to be cross for him interfering but was surprised that her only reaction was an attractive blush when he said she was pretty. She thought for a while before answering him.



“I can’t stand Black because he is so arrogant. I like you because you’re quietly confident. There’s a big difference. Also I like your dark humour and sardonic wit. You’re the only one who understands my odd moods.”

“Ravenclaw said wit beyond measure is life’s greatest treasure, and Black doesn’t have enough to fill a teaspoon” she joked snidely. Her answer and that dig at Sirius made him happier than if he won the Daily Prophet Galleon Sweepstakes.’ She said she likes me’ he thought. He realised she was still talking



“... I mean come on, I spend most of the day with Hufflepuffs for crying out loud. Sometimes I want to scream. Besides, you didn’t have to talk back to me. Why did you?” she asked, turning his question round on him.



“You are an Enigma, You fascinate me.” He replied simply.



“I’ll take that as a compliment.” She said



“It was meant as one” he replied in a low silky voice that made her shiver.



They realised it was dinnertime and collected their things to make their way to the great hall.



“Have you fallen out with Lily Evans?” she asked him as they walked.



“In a way, yes.” He replied, not liking where the conversation was going but she surprised him by dropping the subject as abruptly as she had brought it up.



“Did your friends give you a hard time about talking to me?” he asked remembering what that Stacy girl had said.



“No, and even if they did they would have no right to dictate who I speak to.” She replied “I don’t need permission from anyone to spend time with you, I like you.” Once again his spirits were lifted by three little words from a sixth year girl. ‘I like you’







“Are you feeling well, Snape?” drawled Regulus Black from the armchair opposite the fire as Severus came into the common room.



“I assure you I am in perfect health, why?” he replied, choosing a chair at the table furthest from the fire to complete his homework.



“Rumour has it you’ve been spending time with a girl my traitorous brother has set his sights on.” Regulus answered in an amused tone, moving to stand by Severus’ chair.



“Elektra is pleasant company and has read almost the entire library including most of the restricted section. Furthermore, my association with her is no-one’s concern but my own.” he reported, trying to maintain an unaffected tone.



“At least she’s a Ravenclaw, and Marshall’s father is definitely a wizard, I’ve heard of him. Much better than that Gryffindor Mudblood you used to hang around with. She’s pretty enough I suppose, about time you got yourself a girlfriend Snape.” Regulus called as he walked towards the dormitories.



“She is NOT my girlfriend!” he shouted after him.