The Time For Silence

It's a year today since I posted my first fan fic! To celebrate this wonderful year, I am taking the risk of posting the first chapter of a story I haven't quite finished writing yet...

This is a sequel to 'The Rest of the Slytherins'. It can stand alone, but, of course, it' s still better to read 'The Rest of the Slytherins' and 'Unicorn People' first.

Characters and major events leading to this story belong to JK Rowling.

Thank you to all who have reviewed my stories and encouraged me during this year.

ooo

1.

Breakfast was getting cold on the Slytherin common room table. Who felt like eating after having been told by an ugly elf that "Master Minister is not wanting the young Slytherin masters in the dining hall"?

Tracey had filled the cups. She knew exactly who liked tea, who preferred coffee and how much sugar to add. Life is easier when your hands are busy. She stopped herself in time before preparing a cup of heavily sugared tea for Vince. Vince would never drink sweet tea again. It seemed Greg wouldn't either. He looked at his cup as if it was a frog Professor McGonagall had asked him to change into a sugar bowl.

When there were no more cups to fill, Tracey added a spoonful of sugar to her own coffee, even though she disliked sweet coffee, and stirred, and stirred, and stirred, clockwise and counterclockwise.

"Are you preparing Forgetfulness Potion?" snapped Pansy.

Tracey dropped her spoon with a clang that resonated irritatingly through the dungeon room, but only Pansy glared.

As the younger Slytherin students had all been sent home, the seventh years were alone in the common room. After the end of the battle, they had been rounded up by the Aurors and delivered to Professor Slughorn who had promptly sent them to bed. They had slept heavily all through the day and the following night. But one couldn't sleep forever.

"Good morning, Slytherins."

Professor Slughorn had scrambled into the common room, looking flustered and apologetic. He was carrying an armful of copies of the Daily Prophet. The word 'VICTORY' was spread all over the first page, above a picture of Potter who looked as if he had just been brought back from the land of the dead, which was, in fact, just what had happened to him.

Old Sluggy had secured himself a place on the winning side.

Slughorn settled down in the best armchair next to the fire, the one Draco usually occupied. The dungeon was cool, even during the spring.

"The orders are that you stay here," he said. "You are not allowed out."

"Whose orders?" said Blaise.

"The Ministry's."

"Who is controlling the Ministry now?" asked Theo warily.

"Kingsley Shacklebolt has been named temporary Minister for Magic. All the news is in here."

Tracey gathered the plates into a pile to make room for the papers.

"Where is Professor Snape?" she asked.

"I'm sorry..."

The pile of plates crashed to the floor, but no one took any notice.

"He's dead."

There was a huge gasp, then all began to shout at the same time, as if this could make the statement untrue.

"He can't be!"

"How?"

"When?"

"They killed him!"

"Who killed him?"

"You're not sorry at all, you hated him, you old-"

"Blaise, you are talking to your Head of house!"

"Children! CHILDREN!"

Silence returned.

Professor Slughorn looked even more apologetic than he had before.

"I did not hate him. He Who Must Not... V-Voldemort killed him. His body was found in the Shrieking Shack."

"What?" shouted Blaise.

The girls exchanged glances. Tracey clapped both her hands to her mouth and ran out of the room.

"He c-can't be," stammered Draco. "That's not possible."

With a sigh, Professor Slughorn opened the Daily Prophet at page 2. Professor Snape's familiar face stared up at them. It was the same picture that had appeared in the paper when Snape had been made headmaster. Somehow, he looked much younger than they remembered him. The headline was 'Severus Snape Dies a Hero's Death'.

For a few seconds, all stared in silence. Then seven pairs of hands shot out to grab the paper. Draco and Greg tugged at the same page and tore it in two pieces. They exchanged brief glares before settling down to read their half-pages. Milly handed hers to Daphne, while Theo peered over Blaise's shoulder.

There were a few minutes of stunned silence. Professor Slughorn had never seen his students so absorbed in their reading.

"Lies!" bellowed Draco suddenly, making everyone jump. "Snape was never on their side!"

"Their side?" repeated Slughorn.

"Oh you... everybody knows you're a-"

"Draco!" shouted Daphne and Pansy together.

"Right, right!"

Draco squashed his half-page into a ball, threw it into the fire and stormed out of the room.

Professor Slughorn heaved a deep sigh.

"The fact is, children..."

"We're not children," interrupted Blaise.

"You are either children or Death Eater sympathisers."

There was another short silence.

"But why didn't he tell us?" moaned Pansy.

"He told no one. It would have been much too dangerous."

"He let us go to the Dark Lord," whispered Daphne.

Greg got up, kicked his chair away and left the room. Milly picked up his discarded half-page.

"Tracey'll want to see this."

"How much of it is true, though?" asked Daphne.

"Most of it," said Slughorn. "We can be proud of our Slytherin headmaster."

"I still think he could have told us." Pansy was almost pouting.

"And then what would you have done?" snapped Blaise. "Joined the bloodtraitors? Joined Longbottom and got your face smashed up?"

"They wouldn't have wanted us anyway," said Daphne.

"And we don't want them!" concluded Pansy.

All looked at Slughorn as if he held the answer. He shrugged.

"I tried to protect you. All the teachers did. There was no stopping the Gryffindors, but I hoped my Slytherins would stay safe."

They nearly had. If only they had resisted the absurd temptation to join the adults' game.

"The best you can do is keep a low profile. It's partly for your security that you are kept in the dungeon."

"You mean they'd attack us?"

"They have tasted blood. It's addictive, you know. But I am here to protect you, and so is Professor McGonagall."

As the Slytherins exchanged skeptic looks, the door on the girls' dormitories' side opened and Tracey stumbled in, white-faced.

"When is the funeral? Are we allowed to go?"

ooo

Professor Snape was to be buried in his home town, a Muggle suburb of Manchester. Yes, it was true that his father had been a Muggle.

This was the Slytherins' first venture out of the dungeon since the end of the war.

It was quite an expedition. A wizard's funeral in a Muggle cemetery needs to be carefully planned. Everyone had to wear Muggle clothing. Daphne and Pansy were in the middle of an argument because Daphne thought Pansy's skirt was too short, when Professor Slughorn came to fetch them, looking very ill-at-ease in a suit and tie.

"Does one go blind if one stays in the dungeon too long?" asked Pansy.

Theo opened his mouth to give a scholarly answer, but Tracey muttered,

"I'd rather stay in the dungeon if that meant Professor Snape was alive."

Theo shut his mouth again.

As they stepped outside, Milly blinked in the direction of the Forest. What she had missed most were the unicorns. The foal had grown into an adult, a gracious animal who trusted only Milly, Hagrid and the Lovegood girl.

Luna Lovegood could see him whenever she wanted. For all her dreamy manner, she had been wise enough to choose the winning side.

All of Hogwarts staff was ahead, crossing the grounds towards the Disapparating Point outside the gates. Everyone was there, including Madam Pomfrey, Filch and Madam Pince.

In small groups, so as not to attract attention, they Apparated to a dirty river bank and made their way between rows of brick houses to a rather unkempt cemetery. Tracey gulped.

As no Muggle was to attend the ceremony, the place had been protected by Muggle-repelling charms.

They waited in silence until what seemed like very single Slytherin student Professor Snape had ever taught had joined them. Except Vince, Milly remembered. Greg stood with shoulders hunched, next to Draco who was so pale he looked like a ghost.

"Merlin, Shacklebolt!" remarked Pansy who was scanning the crowd. "Oh, and here's Rita. I'd better talk to her before they feed her a load of rubbish."

She stalked off with a business-like look on her face.

"It won't be 'pretty and vivacious' this time," commented Blaise. "It'll be 'Pansy Parkinson, one of the Slytherin students who joined the Dark side'..."

Other people arrived. Ravenclaws, among whom the Lovegood girl and her eccentric father. Potter and Granger. Weasley hadn't even bothered to pretend. Nor had Longbottom, the new hero. Milly preferred that. She was sure Professor Snape wouldn't have wanted Gryffindors at his funeral. Even though...

Love was a weird thing. Everybody was saying Professor Snape had given his life for the love of a Muggle-born woman who had never cared about him and had married someone else. Milly had never been in love and she wasn't sure she ever wanted to be. Love wasn't for her type, anyway. Love was for girls like Pansy. As for her, as long as she had Checkmate and Tracey...

The unicorns would have been an added bonus, though.

It was only after all the speeches, that no one had listened to, except perhaps Granger, were over, and that Professor Snape's thin body had disappeared behind white spiralling smoke to be replaced by a tomb of black granite, that Milly caught sight of her. Professor Grubbly-Plank was talking to the Lovegoods.

Milly had never felt so strongly that she had picked the wrong side.

Slowly, she edged towards them until she found herself a place behind Greg, from which she could hear their conversation.

"My dear Professor," Mr Lovegood was saying. "You are welcome to drop by any time. I will be only too happy to show you the flaws in your theory about the Crumple-Horned Snorkack..."

Professor Grubbly-Plank smiled. A serious, funeral appropriate smile, but still, a smile. You get smiles when you choose the winning side.

"Thank you," she said. "Anyway, Miss Lovegood, I hope to see you with an Outstanding in Care of Magical Creatures."

"I hope you will, Professor," said Luna in her dreamy voice. "I expect I'll very much enjoy being your apprentice."

Milly felt as if her heart had just fallen in her stomach. Professor Grubbly-Plank takes you on as an apprentice, when you choose the winning side.

At that moment, Pansy returned, looking very pleased with herself.

"The only ones who would talk to her were me and old Sluggy."

"Professor Slughorn and I," corrected Daphne, who was pretending not to care that her parents were standing on the other side with her sister Astoria and her classmates.

Pansy ignored her.

"You should have heard Sluggy! Severus this and Severus that. Ugh... Well, could have been worse. None of the Gryffs gave her the romantic hero nonsense, at least."

Draco walked off briskly, his eyes to the ground. Greg followed him, leaving Milly face to face with the Lovegoods and Professor Grubbly-Plank.

"Oh, hello, Millicent," said Luna. "Have you visited the Thestrals recently?"

"I still can't see Thestrals and I'm not allowed outside!"

Milly's voice came out bitter and angry.

"Not allowed outside?" repeated Professor Grubbly-Plank. She wasn't smiling any more.

"We're locked in the dungeon."

"I see. Something's very wrong with wizarding justice, if you ask me."

Professor Grubbly-Plank nodded to the Lovegoods and marched off towards Professor Slughorn, who took a step backwards and would have tripped over the grave marked 'Eileen Snape', if Marcus Flint hadn't caught him in time.

"Professor Slughorn, I am taking Miss Bulstrode to visit the unicorns. And if your students stay in the dungeon much longer, they'll turn into bats."

"Those are the orders," sniffed Slughorn reproachfully.

"Those are your students," replied Professor Grubbly-Plank. "Headmistress!"

Professor McGonagall was crying. Not crying like at the Quidditch match, when she had been seen wiping her nose in the Gryffindor flag. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and her jaw was trembling. She didn't look like a headmistress. She didn't even look like McGonagall.

Professor Grubbly-Plank seemed to think the same thing, because she said,

"You'd better go and lie down, Minerva."

Professor Grubbly-Plank pulled out a very clean, very white handkerchief and handed it to Professor McGonagall, but that only made her cry more. Milly felt very uncomfortable.

"Come, Miss Bulstrode. You can Apparate, of course?"

"Yeah, I can do that."

When they reached the grounds, Professor Grubbly-Plank led Milly away from the rest of the group. Professor Slughorn said nothing. He had tears in his eyes and his double-chin was wobbling. Milly felt slightly guilty as she watched Tracey walk away, sobbing in her hands. Milly hoped she wouldn't trip over a stone or walk into a tree.

Professor Grubbly-Plank was walking briskly ahead, as she always did, never turning to see if Milly was following.

Then, as they were a few yards away from the paddock and no one else was in sight, she stopped and turned abruptly.

"I am Muggle-born," she said.

"My mum was a Muggle!" spluttered Milly, as if in self-defence.

Professor Grubbly-Plank gave her a sharp look, sharper than any of McGonagall's looks. She didn't say it, but the word "Was?" was all over her face.

Milly looked at the ground next to her feet. It had a suspicious colour, so she looked up again quickly, to avoid remembering what had happened here not so long ago. She found herself thinking of the Thestrals, as well as looking back at Professor Grubbly-Plank's face. It was a kind face, she noticed, and suddenly, she wanted to run away. She couldn't cry. She wasn't McGonagall. She was big Bulstrode, the Slytherin troll-faced half-blood.

Professor Grubbly-Plank began to walk again. They entered the paddock. The unicorns neighed gently and pulled at their tethers when they approached.

They were looking good.

"I heard you took care of them when Professor Hagrid and Miss Lovegood were gone," said Professor Grubbly-Plank in the soft voice she used only when she was with the unicorns.

"I took care of all the animals. Someone had to."

"You are no Death Eater, girl."

"No," said Milly thinking of the circle in the clearing and Hagrid tied to the tree.

She shivered. The unicorn nuzzled her tentatively. His warm white coat was better than a Gryffindor flag to hide her tears.

When Milly looked up again, she saw Professor Grubbly-Plank had untethered the mother unicorn and was walking her outside the paddock. Not walking her, walking with her, at her side, her hands in her pockets. Milly didn't dare approach. What if the unicorn got frightened and bolted?

She waited until Professor Grubbly-Plank and the unicorn returned, side by side. The unicorn bowed her head gracefully and let herself be tied up again.

"I missed them," said Professor Grubbly-Plank.

"So did I, " said Milly.

"How's Checkmate?"

A small grin flashed on Milly's face.

"He knows how to take care of himself. He came looking for me in the dungeon. Filch lets him out with Mrs Norris sometimes."

Professor Grubbly-Plank nodded.

"Seventh year students are given the possibility to repeat their school year. It's worth it. Aptitude isn't enough. How are your Potions marks?"

"Okay, thanks to Professor Snape."

"If you pass your NEWTs, I'd like to take you on as an apprentice. You and Miss Lovegood."

Milly gaped.

"Off you go to the dungeons. I am getting my handkerchief back from the Headmistress."

As Professor Grubbly-Plank turned to go, Milly called her back.

"Professor, are you teaching here next year?"

"No. Professor Hagrid will teach you."

"He... he doesn't like Slytherins."

"Yes, well, he likes you."

When Milly realised she was gaping again, Professor Grubbly-Plank had disappeared.

As if in a dream, she headed towards the castle. Suddenly, a familiar softness brushed her ankles.

"Checkmate," she said, bending to pick him up. "Professor Grubbly-Plank is taking me on as an apprentice. How do you like that?"

Checkmate purred and Milly hid her smile in the cat's fur. It might be dangerous to look too happy these days.

The Slytherin common room was completely silent. Greg sat in an armchair, his head tilted backwards and his eyes closed. Theo was staring into space. Blaise was nibbling a quill and frowning at an old parchment. The strangest thing was that Pansy and Daphne were sitting in a corner without gossiping. Draco and Tracey were nowhere to be seen, and Milly knew they were certainly not together.

"Where were you?" Pansy broke the silence accusingly.

"I went to see the unicorns with Professor-Grubbly-Plank."

Pansy said nothing. She knew better than to say anything about Professor Grubbly-Plank in Milly's presence.

"She came," sighed Daphne.

"Hagrid was there too." Pansy could never resist imparting this kind of information.

Daphne sighed again. Milly knew she was thinking of the scene in the Forest.

Still carrying Checkmate, she stepped out of the common room and walked down the stone steps and into the dormitory. Tracey sniffled from behind the green and silver curtains.

"I went to see the unicorns," repeated Milly, putting Checkmate down. He promptly curled up on her pillow. "With Professor Grubbly-Plank."

The curtain was pulled back, revealing Tracey's blotchy face.

"It's nice she came," she sniffed.

"She's Muggle-born," said Milly.

Tracey hid her face in her hands again. Milly pushed Checkmate gently off the pillow. Her good news could wait. In the meantime, there was too much to cry about.

ooo

Author's Note: The "tomb of black granite" was taken from 'A Last Chapter', by Chemistress. The idea of Luna becoming Professor Grubbly-Plank's apprentice was borrowed from 'A Helping Hand', by The Real Snape.