From the moment Ophelia asked Snape to spend summer with her, it seemed like the atmosphere changed. She knew that he found her life both annoying and exciting, and he wanted to be part of something greater than him. She also knew that it would take his mind off of Lily and maybe when they saw each other again in September, things would have been forgiven and forgotten.
"I guess you're really not going back to the Potters," Sirius said seeing her smile with such satisfaction.
It became a sort of comfort to go to the lake and spend time there, with nobody around but nature and the distant sound of voices. Sirius seemed to always find her there as if he was on the lookout every other day.
"No. But where will you go?" she asked, turning to glance at him. Sirius sat next to her and sighed.
"Actually, I snooped around and found that one of my relatives has a flat in London. I'll stay there for a bit. I also found out that my mother is not feeling well,"
"Will you go aid her back to life?" Ophelia asked with a snicker.
Sirius threw her a sarcastic look making her laugh.
"Why are you in such a jolly mood? You're only going to Spinnard's Cottage," he mumbled grumpily. They were not going to see each other every day anymore, which made Sirius understand that he took all the time with the Potters for granted.
"That's exactly why. It's home. I can't wait to get there."
"Will Knowingall wait for you?"
"No need. Dylis will probably come to pick me up." She said growing even more giddy.
"...have you heard?" Sirius said after a short pause. "Evans and Snape are no longer friends. He called her mud blood and told her to go die with her friends."
Although Sirius didn't like Snape at all, he was still very aware of how Ophelia called him her best friend very confidently. He didn't want to piss her off just before their final summer break as students but he still wanted to know her opinion.
"I saw it," she said not quite sounding like it meant something major to her.
"Really? You saw them fight?" Sirius asked, his eyes widening in surprise.
"It wasn't a fight. It was a breakup," she replied in the same nonchalant way.
"You don't seem affected. It's two of your friends."
"Because it's not my place to interfere. Just because Lily and Severus aren't friends anymore, it doesn't mean I have to take sides. We're mature enough to understand."
"You do know Snape hates all of us, right? Doesn't he tell you to stop fraternizing with the enemy?" Sirius asked curious how their odd friendship played out. It was so weird because, at times, Sirius could see and feel that Snape cared for her but the next day he would completely ignore her in the castle.
"He doesn't hate everyone, only you and Potter. Particularly, Potter. But do you blame him? I saw what you did to him after the OWLs. You levitated him upside down and laughed at him," she said. "He didn't tell me, it was too humiliating. But I saw it in his memories," she added with a scoff.
Sirius looked down at her hands and sighed heavily. He couldn't deny the truth but he couldn't apologize either, because he did find it funny at that moment. To his disadvantage, Ophelia could hear his inner conflict.
"You go around saying that you want to seduce me but you're not doing it right, Sirius. You should re-think your plan, it's not smart disrespecting the people I care about, and I'm not talking only about Snape."
"Some of them are Death Eaters,"
"Nott understood that in order to gain my sympathy he had to change his behaviour towards you. Are you beneath him, Black?" She asked knowing that it would trigger him.
"You can't be on both sides, Molley. No matter how much you try, you'll have to pick a side eventually." Sirius said, not sounding particularly angry but he could foresee a long inner battle for Ophelia because she obviously was not going to give up on Snape.
The last day as a sixth year was actually rather quiet. The boys were in their room, packing, and Ophelia was on her bed, playing with her magic pocket mirror. She hasn't used it since that time Malfoy reached out to her, but she has seen it clearer at times as if someone was either cleaning it or checking it.
"What are your plans for the summer?" Ophelia suddenly asked Lily. It was just the two of them, with the redhead happily packing her clothes.
"My parents promised me and my sister to go to the beach. In France." She said with a smile. "James would like to accompany us, as well as introduce himself to the family but I'm not so sure it will work out."
"Who knows? He does act more mature when he finds himself in dire situations," Ophelia replied, already sensing Potter destroying the Evans' vacation. "What about Severus?" Ophelia added quietly.
"He already has plans with his murderer friends." She said, her tone changing but not enough to sound scornful. "I'm sure his precious dark lord is super excited to kill some muggles," Lily added with a sigh. "I really don't understand him. He prefers them, instead of-"
"His bullies?"
Lily couldn't say anything because, although she had never witnessed it, she heard of such times when her boyfriend might have acted childishly. Lily probably never understood just how serious it was.
"What are your plans?" Lily changed the subject.
"I'll probably stay home, hiding from the world." Ophelia lied. She knew that her father will give her more freedom because of Snape but he was definitely going to insert himself somewhere.
Luckily nothing happened at school, although the world seemed to grow more alert. It was visible in the sky, in the surrounding view and most of all, in the way students did not seem happy to return home.
"Doesn't it feel...darker? It's like we're going far away, not home," Peter started, squirming under the grey sights.
"They're everywhere," Potter mumbled looking at the darkening sky. "I already saw a couple of dementors flying around."
"We should write often, make sure none of us has a surprise meeting with Death Eaters," Peter added.
"They won't come for kids, they probably want people with high statuses in the Ministry," Remus said, trying to reassure everyone that they were safe. "At least I hope so."
Potter turned to his best friend, his other half, his brother from another mother, and saw Sirius grumpy and silent. He was so deep in thought that he didn't even react when James threw candy at him.
"I wonder what he's thinking about," Peter whispered not so silently but Sirius didn't respond. Remus and James looked at each other and sighed heavily.
"If his uncle's flat is not available, he will have to go home," Remus replied understanding the dire consequences of such an action
"Why can't he just stay with you, Prongs?" Peter asked not understanding the problem.
"Because he is stubborn," James said rolling his eyes and falling on Sirius' lap in a dramatic way. "Blimey, Padfoot, you should seriously stop frowning. In the worst case, you'll just have to either come to my place or ask Molley for a favour. Spinnard's Cottage is pretty big and can always create a new room for you," he said drawing everyone's attention.
"What do you mean?" Sirius finally spoke.
"Well, last time I was there I realized that once I stepped on the land, it felt as if I was...lighter, I guess? Like I was welcomed. I asked dad and apparently, the house is alive." James explained, "Spinnard enchanted it a long time ago so that nobody with ill intentions against the owner can even step on the land. The house could even speak through cracks and doors and stuff like that, as if it were haunted. But after Spinnard died, he was actually buried in the back garden and the house grew even stronger. It created a fountain that moves aside and uncovers a stairway that leads to a funeral chamber where Spinnard's body is. Dad said that Spinnard's magic must have mixed with the enchantment and that he literally is the house now. But yeah, the house is magical, I'm sure it could create another room."
Everyone just stared at James with wide eyes.
"So now that Spinnard is gone, the owner is Ophelia, right?" Peter asked leaning closer.
James nodded and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"Spinnard's Cottage is probably the safest place to be right now. Even safer than Hogwarts because nobody harmful can enter. It's rather brilliant."
"It isn't. Just because they don't mean to harm her, it doesn't mean they aren't evil killers," Sirius said growing even more annoyed. "What if her father pays her a visit?"
"I doubt he will. Dad also said that Molley's kitten is super strong." James said remembering the black pet. "Have you also heard him hum in the corridors when we change?"
"I spoke to him," Sirius said surprising everyone. "I think his name is Vernon Peverell. He was a friend of her mother and he caused her death. Or so he believes."
"We need to have a group chat with this guy," Potter mumbled and already began tracing the faint skeleton of a plan for their last year at school.
In another part of the Hogwarts Express, in an open compartment where most Slytherins stood, was Ophelia, right between Snape and Nott, for reasons that were above her understanding.
"Why are you standing here? We could have found a quieter compartment." Snape muttered feeling like his classmates were watching their every move, especially with Ophelia's not-so-secret admirer sitting next to them.
"And yet nobody says a word. Katie hasn't been bothering you this year, has she? I wonder why," Nott replied with a knowing smirk.
"Nobody asked you," Snape muttered with a sneer. "And nobody invited you to stay with us,"
"Ouch, Sev, is that how you treat your house/class/dorm mate?" Nott asked with a fake hurt expression, but not as dramatic as Potter would have. "Anyway, have you seen Rabastan? How interesting that he was brought in to teach a handful of children how to disapparate. To run faster when the Death Eater comes," he joked and laughed all by himself. At this point, Ophelia realized that maybe what she said to Sirius was not quite true and Nott was just as bad.
"I doubt it," Snape muttered. "Rabastan has been more outside rather than inside the castle. The Dark Lord sent him to different countries quite often this year."
"Yeah. Right. I forgot how close you are now with Voldemort." Nott said rubbing his chin. "You're getting into his inner circle soon, hm?"
Snape didn't say anything he just looked to the side. Nott chuckled and thought about the way things will go now that Ophelia's best friend had become buddies with her father.
"Why are you really sitting with us?" Ophelia asked turning to Nott.
"Because I like you," he said and laughed at her expression. "You're fun, Molley. There is never one boring day for the people around you."
"Do you have a death wish?" Ophelia asked knowing that everyone around her was in constant danger.
"No, but I'm sure that if someone dies, it will not be a Slytherin," Nott added with a chuckle.
