WHISPER

A Harry Potter fanfic

Author's Note: I wasn't going to publish this until I was sure I would finish it but I've filled two notebooks already and cant wait! So buckle up cuz it's going to be a long, amazing ride!

As the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station, Freddie kicked off her sneakers and put her feet up on the seat.

"Oi Freddie, nobody wants to smell your feet, ya troll," said the curly-haired boy sitting next to her. He pushed her feet off the seat and Freddie screwed up her face and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Shove off, Daniel, you know you love it," she said, putting her feet up again.

"Seriously, were you raised in a barn?"

"If only!" she joked. "If you don't like it, go sit over there."

Daniel rolled his eyes, picked up his book, and went to the other side of the compartment.

"You're an animal," he said scathingly.

"Thanks," she said with a grin, stretching out in the now-vacated seat.

"Ooh I have something for you," he said, opening the trunk at his feet.

Freddie opened one eye to see Daniel pulling out a record player.

"More Muggle crap?" she groaned.

"Oh come on, you loved Guns and Roses!" he declared.

"Love is a strong word," she said, putting one arm behind her head.

"Well, you'll love this one," he said, pulling out a record. He set the needle and a song started to play.

"Rat-tailed jimmy is a secondhand hood, he deals out in Hollywood. Got a '65 Chevy primed flames traded for some powdered goods. Jigsaw Jimmy he's running a gang, but I hear he's doing okay. Got a cozy little job, sells the Mexican mob packages of candy cane. He's the one they call Dr Feelgood, he's the one that makes ya feel alright. He's the one they call Dr Feelgood."

"Hey I know this band. You played them before. Muddy Crew?" Freddie asked, rolling onto her side.

"Motley Crue!" Daniel corrected, laughing.

"Whatever," she said, sitting back up.

"You can't help it, you weren't raised properly," he teased.

"You can say that again," she laughed harshly. "My uncle would hex me ten ways to Tuesday if he knew I'd so much as listened to a Muggle band."

"Purebloods," Daniel said, shaking his head.

"Yeah, lucky I've got you here to set me straight," she said with a grin.

She pulled a book out of her trunk and started flipping through it.

"Really, Winifred? Studying? We've finished our OWLs and NEWTs aren't until next year!"

"Don't call me Winifred!" she flared, causing the lighting in the compartment to flicker.

"Temper, temper. Like a first year who can't control their magic," he teased.

"Oh shut up!" she growled, drawing her knees up in front of her. "Just because we're friends doesn't mean I won't kill you!"

There was a scramble outside the compartment and Freddie jumped up. She slid the door open just in time to see several scrawny first years, running for their lives. Freddie chuckled and slid the door shut again.

"A Slytherin killing a Mudblood? So original," Daniel said sardonically.

Freddie glowered at him a moment, then they both burst out laughing.

"You're not a Mudblood – if so you'd be in Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. Not Ravenclaw," she reasoned. "You're too smart to be a Mudblood."

"That's just racist, Freddie. Besides, I could be a Mudblood. My mom won't tell me anything about my father."

"You're a man now, Daniel! You're almost 17! You'd think she'd give it up."

"Maybe she doesn't know," he said, leaning down to dig through his trunk.

"Oh, so your mom's a whore?" she said cheekily, then quickly ducked as he threw a shoe at her head.

"I really hate you," he said, shaking his head.

"You love me," she said, picking up the book she'd dropped. "Anyway this isn't a textbook. It's a book my aunt and uncle gave me for my birthday."

"And you're actually reading it?" he asked, intrigued. He came to sit back beside her and peeked at the title of the book. "Baneful Brews? Think you're gonna impress Snape with that?"

Freddie let out a bark of laughter.

"Snape would string me up in the dungeons if he caught me with this, Slytherin or not!" she laughed.

"Mm hmm and you'd let him just so he could see up your skirt."

"Don't be a perv," she said, smacking him with the book, but she was grinning.

"You know you'd love it," he said with a smirk. "So, what's in the book?"

#

They spent the next hour looking over the various poisons and illegal potions, pondering how difficult they'd be to make, while listening to Daniel's record.

"I've still got a contact at Borgin and Burke's I could probably get that no problem," Freddie said, pointing to a page.

There was a knock on the door and Freddie quickly stashed her book away.

"Anything off the trolley?" asked the witch with the snack cart.

"No ma'am," Daniel said politely.

Freddie stood, digging for money in her pocket.

"A packet of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans and two chocolate frogs," she said sharply. The witch gave her the candy, Freddie gave her the money then slammed the compartment door shut.

"Would it kill you to be nice?" Daniel asked as she tossed him a chocolate frog.

"Hey, I bought you a chocolate frog," she reasoned.

"I meant would it kill you to be nice to someone other than me?"

"Oh. Probably," she said with a shrug.

Daniel laughed and unwrapped his candy.

As it started to get dark outside, they changed into their school robes.

"Have you heard anything about the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" he asked, pulling on his Ravenclaw robes.

"I dunno my uncle said it's some dud. Gunther something," Freddie said, wrapping her gray and green scarf around her neck.

"You know they say the position is cursed? No one lasts a year, not since He..."

"The Dark Lord?"

"Yeah. Since he's gone no one's lasted more than a year as Defense teacher," he said. "They should give it to Snape, everyone knows he wanted it."

"He's brilliant at Potions though," Freddie said, looking out the window. "I wouldn't want anyone else to teach me."

"Yeah but they say he was a Death Eater," Daniel said quietly.

Freddie looked at him sharply. Daniel knew her parents had been Death Eaters. They were currently serving a life sentence in Azkaban while she'd been sent to live with her aunt and uncle, who'd been smart enough not to get themselves shipped off to prison.

"No, Freddie, not- I didn't- I just meant, he'd be good to teach Defense don't you think?"

"Mm," she agreed, turning to look back out the window. "I'd love to have him teach me a thing or two about the Dark Arts."

#

They got off the train together and followed the stream of students to the carriages. Daniel jumped onto the back of a carriage, then offered his hand to help her up. Freddie scoffed and smacked his hand away.

"Bugger off," she said, jumping into the carriage beside him.

"Just trying to be a gentleman," he said.

"Daniel Byrd, a gentleman?" called another voice. A blonde-haired boy with freckles appeared and hopped into their carriage.

"Hey, Geck. Good summer?" Daniel asked his housemate.

"Not bad. How'd you do on your OWLs?" Geck asked.

"Eh I got Outstanding in Care of Magical Creatures, Charms, Herbology and Astronomy. As in everything else," he answered.

"Wait, you only got Acceptable in Potions? But you had the Potions Princess tutoring you!" Geck exclaimed.

"Trust me, Geck, I've been giving him hell about it all summer via owl," Freddie said, shaking her head.

"Snape's a hard-ass," Daniel said defensively.

"At least you two don't need brains to play Quidditch," she retorted.

"What about you, Gray, how'd you do?" Geck asked.

"Outstanding in everything except Divination, which is a load of crap," she said, a little smugly.

"Ugh, you suck! How are you not in Ravenclaw?" Geck complained.

"Cuz she's got golden blood or whatever," Daniel teased.

"Shut up, stupid," Freddie laughed, kicking him lightly.

#

A short while later they were in the Great Hall. Daniel and Geck had gone to sit with the Ravenclaws and Freddie was sitting among her peers at the Slytherin table. She made small talk with them until the Sorting started, then she stared idly at the teachers table.

Well, not idly. Really she was focused on one teacher. Severus Snape. His dark hair and darker eyes that always seemed to draw Freddie in. Not just his looks, but his mind. He was brilliant. Her classmates couldn't see past his cold, sometimes cruel, demeanor. But Freddie could and she hung on his every word. She was the only person who noticed that the directions Snape wrote on the blackboard were different than the ones in the book. Better.

Freddie's stomach growled and she glanced at the empty plates on the table.

I wish this stupid Hat would hurry up, she thought irritably, glancing at the small child on the stood who was waiting to be sorted. I should've gotten more candy.

She looked back up at Snape who was watching the Sorting with the same expression of disinterest he looked at everything with.

There's got to be something more behind that gaze, Freddie thought, tapping her fingers on the table. Maybe not right now, I mean I'm sure he's as bored as I am with the Sorting but he's just a...a Void. All the time. He has to have some kind of feelings. He's so brilliant. What's he hiding behind that pale mask?

Snape's eyes seemed to flick to hers and Freddie quickly looked away. She forced her gaze to the Ravenclaw table. Daniel caught her eyes and mimed vomiting.

Freddie grinned at him, then carefully looked back up at the staff table. Snape's gaze was back on the Sorting.

Finally Dumbledore stood up and all eyes fell on him.

"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts – and for our newcomers, welcome! I know you're all hungry so I'll keep this sort – dig in."

Food filled the plates before her and Freddie began to eat in an unceremonious manner, shoveling food in her face like she was never allowed to do at home. At home it was all proper manners, folded napkins, and a different utensil for each different type of food. Her classmates looked amused as she mixed peas in with her mashed potatoes, stirring in macaroni and cheese, then poured gravy over the lot of it. She didn't care if they laughed at her. Hogwarts was where she could truly be herself. She wished she never had to go home.

When the feast was over Freddie was full and ready for bed. She was dozing slightly as Dumbledore gave his speech and was startled awake when they were dismissed and everyone started to leave.

Daniel weaved his way through the crowd of students and met her in the Entrance Hall.

"Good feast, yeah?" he said, nudging her.

"Mm-hm," she said sleepily.

"Reckon food's the only thing that'll take your attention off of Professor S-"

"Shut it," she hissed, elbowing him in the ribs. "What if someone hears you? Besides, I wasn't."

"Uh-huh," he said, amused. "You're a bad liar."

"I am an excellent liar. I'm a Slytherin thank you very much," she said smugly.

Daniel laughed loudly, the sound echoing through the hall.

"Goodnight, Freddie. See ya at breakfast," he said, clapping her on the shoulder before ascending the Grand Staircase. Freddie waved at him and turned to follow her housemates to the dungeons.

#

The next morning at breakfast the Heads of Houses handed out the schedules. Freddie poured over her schedule enthusiastically while she sipped her coffee. She was thrilled to see her first class would be her NEWT-level Potions class. She watched across the hall as Flitwick handed out the Ravenclaw schedules. As soon as he reached Daniel, Freddie rushed over.

"Gimme," she demanded, snatching the parchment from her friend before he'd even finished reading it.

"What the hell, Freddie?"

"You're not in Potions?" she demanded.

"Uhh, I guess not."

"That's bullshit!" she declared, jumping up. She made a beeline for Snape and Daniel followed at a cautious distance.

"Freddie it's really not- I-"

"Professor Snape!"

Snape stopped mid-stride and turned to face her.

"Miss Gray?"

"Why isn't Daniel in Potions?" she demanded, thrusting his schedule towards Snape. Snape's eyes flicked to the paper but he didn't take it.

"Mr Byrd did not meet the OWL requirements to continue my class," he said in a bored voice.

"But he's great at Potions, he's just a crappy test-taker, sir."

"It's fine, Freddie, I don't want-"

"Shut up," she snapped at Daniel.

"None of you are 'great' at Potions Miss Gray. I only accept NEWT level students who achieved an Outstanding on their OWLs. Mr Byrd did not-"

"But sir, I can help him study-"

"Enough, Miss Gray. I will not be accepting your boyfriend into my class no matter how much you beg."

"I do not beg!" she flared and a crackle of magical energy raised her hair. "And he's not my boyfriend."

Snape smirked at her loss of control.

"Freddie come on," Daniel pleaded.

"Leave Miss Gray and let me eat my breakfast in peace before you find yourself off my class roster as well," Snape said in a dangerous tone.

Daniel grabbed her arm and quickly let go as he received a small electric shock.

"Come on, Freddie, let's go eat," Daniel said and she allowed herself to be led away.

"Pretentious ass," Freddie muttered as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Jesus, Freddie, you've got balls. Either that or you're just plain stupid. I know you're no Ravenclaw but you should know better than to provoke Snape."

"I was not-"

"You were. You went in guns blazing. You've got a death wish, Fred."

"Oh whatever," she grumbled. "Potions is gonna suck now. And you love Potions!"

"Well it's an alright subject, but it's fine," he insisted. "You know Care of Magical Creatures is my favorite. We'll still have that and some other classes together. It'll be fine. I'll see you after Potions, okay? I've got a free period now, I'm gonna get a head start on McGonagall's textbook."

"Fine," Freddie said dramatically. "I'll see you later."

Daniel grinned and then headed back to the Ravenclaw table. Freddie sat back down at her table, fuming.

"Not great at Potions," she muttered. "I'll show him..."