When Ophelia Molley opened her eyes on the morning of November 1st, she felt a rush of adrenaline come over her. All the events that happened last night came like a flood and even if she looked like she was washing her teeth, Ophelia's memory of last night was rewinding. When it ended, the green eyed Gryffindor looked at her reflection in the mirror and saw the way her whole face morphed according to her feelings. She was not angry, no, Ophelia was ready to kill somebody.
When she walked downstairs into the Common Room, she found Alice and Frank having a blushing contest in front of the fireplace. Pettigrew was sleeping on the couch with a content drunken face and even Arthur Weasley was on the floor in a corner, playing with a toy car.
"Where is Sirius Black?" She asked in a low tone.
Arthur looked at his younger housemate and shuddered at the killing vibe around her. It was better to have one martyr rather than have a lot of collateral victims.
"He just left for breakfast. You can still reach him on the st-" she left before he finished.
"I wonder what happened. Ophelia was brought asleep into the dorm by Sirius. They weren't even at the party when the Ravenclaws brought alcohol." Alice commented just as James Potter appeared with messy hair, wrinkled clothes and drool on his right side of the face.
"Whaaat?" He asked groggily as he came to the two lovers. "What did I miss?"
"I think Sirius is about to get murdered." Frank answered still feeling the tension from Ophelia. She looked normal, very calm, and yet she looked like a snake getting ready to attack its victim.
Sirius was walking to the Great Hall with many thoughts in his mind. He was somewhat guilty for what happened last night but once he remembered what Ophelia shared, he started to feel even worse. She told him a lot of personal details, secrets that very few people knew. He wasn't even that high on her list of friends but he made her tell him everything. He shuddered at the way it made him feel as a human being.
He had time to put his foot down into the Entrance Hall when he felt himself fly towards the nearest wall. He groaned and got ready to glare and curse at his attacker but it was not the expected Slytherin.
"What are you doing, Molley?" He asked seeing her watch him as she approached him slowly. She raised an eyebrow and Sirius got pinned against the wall, his tries to move even his fingers failing. She stopped in front of him, very very close. He noticed her arms were crossed in fron of her chest and she didn't seem to have her wand on her. "You're wandless,"
"There is no reason to hide now, is there? You already know everything about me." It wasn't what she said as it was the way she said it: she knew, Ophelia cpuld remember everything. "Did you really think that instead of apologizing, obliviating me is a better idea?" She hissed just like a snake, her eyes appearing to be elongating.
"I-"
"I want you to stop talking to me. Don't sit, walk, stand, talk or even breathe around me. From this day on, consider me a ghost and I will consider you one too." She said underlining every word.
"Aren't you more worried that I will go around telling everyone who your father is?" He asked while finally getting steady on his feet.
"You do that and see how it goes," She said looking at him with the same coldness her mother looked at him when he was sorted in Gryffindor.
Ophelia's back walking away from Sirius haunted him for the rest of the term. Sirius was rather happy to have her leave the castle during Christmas, especially because he knew he will meet her again at the party. He stood in the owlery, looking at his family owl while holding tightly onto the letter he has received. He couldn't believe that his mother did such a disfavor to him and announced the Malfoys he and Regulus will definitely attend their Christmas party. Even worse was the setting: the adults were not going to be there, it was something prepared just for the young pure-bloods and half-bloods that wanted to become Death Eaters. He looked down and closed his eyes tightly, his mind going back to Ophelia.
My father is the Dark Lord.
No matter how much he tried to ignore what she told him that night, it was impossible. Even worse was having James care so openly about her and her well-being. They were friends, they were Gryffindors...Ophelia was a Gryffindor even if her father was...who he was.
Once he returned to the castle he couldn't help but be more wary about what Slytherins were discussing. It was usually about the Dark Lord, exams, professors and their lack of darkness and of course, usual relationship gossip. It was how he heard two Slytherin girls talk about Katie Rosier and her alleged engagement to Rabastan Lestrange.
"I heard from Avery that their parents have already discussed this problem. Just imagine, after seeing the Blacks rise in popularity with their marriages to Malfoy and Lestrange, Rosier has become greedy. He probably wants to enter the favour of Lord Voldemort." One of the girls said rather loudly for how shush the subject was supposed to be.
"I wouldn't believe everything Evan says. In case you have forgotten, he does exaggerate everything when it comes to the Dark Lord. Ever since he became a Death Eater he's been going around, bossing everyone. That's exactly why nobody trusts the Rosiers."
"I don't know...I mean, have you heard about the party at Malfoy's? There are very few young students invited. Katie will be there and so will Rabastan. Ah, I'm really gonna get jealous if they end up together afterwards."
Sirius couldn't help but chuckle to himself, making his presence known to the girls.
"What's so funny, Black? Shouldn't you be playing with your toys some place deeply hidden?" One of the girls asked while the other blushed.
"Neah, I think there's something even greater to play with." he said walking quickly to the common room where he knew he will find Ophelia with Weasley.
And he did, as soon as he entered he heard her complaining about homework. He couldn't help but imagine how her father looked while looking at her: was he so mesmerizing when he wanted something, did they have the same alluring eyes, were they both so good at legilimency, did they even resemble each other? He had many questions regarding her relationship with Lestrange too. And suddenly he realized Christmas was going to be very entertaining if someone dared mess with her property. She proved to be a very territorial witch.
"Will you go?" Severus asked Ophelia later that evening. She was still helping him with reading minds and he was growing alarmingly better.
"Go where?" she asked as she stared at her legs.
"You know what I'm talking about. The party at Malfoys'. Isn't that your second home, or something?" he asked narrowing his eyes while trying to enter her mind. It was difficult to pass all the layers she had built but she had moments when she was bothered by other stuff and he could at least find little back doors.
"It's not my second or third or any type of home. It is better than Lestrange but it's not the best. I prefer the comfort of Spinnard's Cottage." she said with a smile, "I received the invitation with Lucius' owl since mine has been missing again."
"Did he tell you who else will be coming?"
"Death Eaters. The young ones, such as Rosier and Avery. But they invited more people, my guess is to manipulate their little minds into sacrificing themselves for an unjust case." she commented with an ironic roll of her eyes.
"I was invited too." Severus said making Ophelia bite her lower lip in embarrassment.
"But you're not a Death Eater."
"Neither are Littlewood, the Black brothers, Katie Rosier, Enzo Zabini-" he stopped when he saw her lose focus over the rest of the conversation. "I just said Sirius and Regulus Black will be there."
"...I heard you." she said still looking ahead as if she was being under a spell.
"Aren't you suspicious? I mean, the chances for them to find out who you are-"
"Sirius knows already and I think Regulus is considering it."
"How the hell does Sirius know? Did he threaten you?" he asked but one look from her and he knew that would never happen.
"I told him. During the Juicy Halloween. I was not in my right mind that night and he used the opportunity to inquire me about my life." She said and gave a deep sigh. "I was very angry that he drugged me with love potion in order to receive something stupid in exchange. But that isn''t the main reason why I don't talk to him right now."
"You act like he doesn't exist and it's quite amusing for Slytherins. He doesn't even react but he obviously feels bad. I love how disappointed he seems with himself!" Severus said with an increasingly happy expression.
"He obliviated me. It didn't hold because of obvious reasons but the feeling of being used is just...it made me think of my father and how he uses me as he pleases. If my friend and my father manipulate me in different ways, how am I to trust anyone?" she asked finally showing her true worries.
Severus Snape was a sly snake who used Ophelia on various occasions, usually connected to Lily and legilimency, so he was in no position to give his two cents about it. But watching her all these years, it was impossible for him not to admit that Ophelia was his best friend. She helped him from their first year, when he didn't consider her a human being and now they were in the corridor towards the girls' bathroom from the first floor, standing side by side with more than Lily connecting them. The words came out without even thinking about.
"You can trust me. I'll always be here for you." Severus said, only then blushing faintly at how awkward it was.
Ophelia looked up at Severus, the greasy haired boy that got her in trouble as soon as she stepped into Hogwarts; the same guy that wouldn't look into her eyes and would often act as if they were strangers and the same who would change completely when they were alone and would actually give her his notes. Thinking back, they really grew up.
"Words, words, words," they heard the high pitched voice of a girl.
"Who's that?" Severus asked alerted. He jumped on his feet and drew out his wand, ready to curse whoever dared enter in on them.
"Now, now, are words everything you have? I wouldn't trust someone like you, not even dead!" the voice continued.
Severus looked everywhere until he noticed Ophelia rising too with a calmer expression.
"I told you, the bathroom at the end of the hall is haunted. I never met her before but it must be the ghost." Ophelia said looking around for her.
"So you know about me," the ghost appeared from inside the wall right in Severus' face. He screamed and almost fell on his bottom if not for Ophelia. The ghost seemed to glare at Severus and humphed. "If you want to do something, why don't you stop with your words and get to action?"
"Wh-what?" Severus asked not quite understanding her point.
"Make an Unbreakable Vow." the ghost said looking smug. "I've been listening to you and even if most of the time your conversations suck, you always make promises and more promises. But at the end of the day, when death comes around, will you respect your promise?" she asked, her eyes averting to the Slytherin.
"Fine! Let's do it!" he shouted gaining some sort of pride. "Let's do an Unbreakable Vow."
From the look on Ophelia's face, she wasn't sure what that meant.
"If you break it, you die," added the ghost with a quirky smile. "Is it really worth it?" she asked, taunting the two students.
Ophelia glanced at Severus, who seemed to be out of his wits at the moment, and smiled softly.
"Yes, it is." she said. Severus came to her and grabbed her arm. Under normal circumstances, a third party would have been involved, which was the ghost but she couldn't quite hold the wand. But Ophelia's wandless magic was enough to replace that.
"I promise to come to your aid no matter what. You can trust me." he said, something golden that resembled a rope coming from Ophelia's hand.
"I want you to vow that you will place me before my father." she said looking so deeply into his eyes that he shuddered.
"I promise I will, even if that means sacrificing my life for yours." He said trying to sound brave.
The vow was done and he couldn't take it back but it didn't matter because Ophelia was sure she was going to die before Severus.
Meanwhile, the Malfoy family was getting busy with the Christmas decorations. They were not doing anything but ordering house elves to clean, cook and arrange stuff. Watching the little creatures, Lucius couldn't help but wonder how the party will go. The Rosier siblings were bound to make trouble and having Ophelia in the vicinity of any Slytherin was going to make just as much trouble.
"I see you're busy, as usual," he was interrupted by Rabastan who just came in through the chimney.
"I wasn't expecting visitors," he said in the most laid back way possible.
"Shouldn't you be with your future wife? I heard she will move in early next year. How lucky of you," Rabastan started taking the seat next to the blond. "Not happy?"
"Unlike Rodolphus, I do like my future-bride. Narcissa is nothing like her sisters, thank God." Lucius mumbled before he remembered one piece of news. "How are you going to tell your future wife that you are already in a relationship?"
"What future wife? I have no idea what you're saying. I am a taken man." Rabastan answered without an ounce of embarrassment. "If I will ever marry, it will be on my conditions not my father's or Lord Voldemort's."
"Whoa, Rabastan, love made you a new and stupid man. You cannot fight Voldemort. He would kill you before stepping in the hall." Lucius said finally getting into a more formal position on the couch. "Ophelia won't be able to save you."
"Did I mention her name?" Rabastan asked growing annoyed that his friend was telling him the same things as Rodolphus. "Who knows, maybe I won't marry at all."
"You love her, don't you?" Lucius asked. He couldn't believe his eyes when Rabastan blushed and seemed to want to drown in the soft material of the couch. "You do! You really love her! That's unexpected of you, Lestrange."
"Says her best friend/ brother figure." Rabastan commented, the chat between the two sounding more like two teenagers rather than two Death Eaters.
Lucius sighed and crossed his arms in front of his chest, feeling dejected for a very well known issue.
"She's so much like her father. You just cannot oppose her, cannot go against her values and in no time you find yourself wrapped around her little finger. She's just as manipulative as her father."
"But she's not using fear and power. Ophelia really knows how to crawl under your skin." Rabastan added, both men having felt how dangerous those snake-like green eyes are.
"How long are you going to lie to her, then? Your relationship will come into focus, if it hasn't already. If he agreed with the union between Rosier and Lestrange, then he will soon tell you to break up."
"He already did." Rabastan replied quietly making Lucius shake his head in worry. "She doesn't have to know that. I don't want to ruin Christmas for her. Let's just keep this between ourselves."
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