Brewing

The week passed slowly, excitement from the new school year dying down. However, Quidditch tryouts were that Thursday, and that brought an entirely new thrill to the air of Hogwarts. Elya had no interest trying out for the team. She was never a skilled flyer, but she did enjoy watching the games.

Dervish, on the other hand, had played on the Hufflepuff team as a beater since his third year. He was a broad young man, fit the build perfectly, and the smile never left his face once he was in the air, even if he was busy getting pummeled by bludgers.

Both Elya and Annabella were ordered to cheer him on at try-outs, so that afternoon, after Defense Against the Dark Arts, both girls sat in the stands, watching a couple dozen Hufflepuffs fly around the pitch, tossing quaffles back and forth, guarding the three rings, and beating bludgers as they flew at different players.

It was entertaining at first, but after twenty minutes of watching the blond seventh- year zip around, Elya's mind began to wander.

The weekend was fast approaching. Soon, she would see her father, her brother, and many other Death Eaters. She would also be with Severus outside of the school environment, which had the potential to be very odd. Things were normal in the classroom. He treated her as just another student, but the few times that they were alone, she found that he acted a little differently. He wasn't more open around her, but he definitely wasn't as closed off as he was when teaching or in the presence of her peers. Sometimes, Elle could even manage to get the bat-like man to smile. They were rare occurrences, but they happened.

"Have you started on the Potions essay yet?" Bell asked after cheering for Dervish.

Elya shook her head. "No, I'm saving it for the weekend. Have to go back home for family stuff and I wanted to have something else to do."

The brunette made a face. "So, go shopping or something. Don't waste your time on an essay."

"I'm not wasting my time. Besides, I have other homework to finish before the weekend." She wasn't lying. There were several chapters she still needed to read for History of Magic and essays she had to write for Herbology and Alchemy. Little sleep would be gotten in the next two nights.

"Whatever you say," Anna shrugged. "What kind of family stuff do you have to attend to?"

"My brother is back from a long trip to Albania," Elya said plainly. She had no intentions of telling the other girl that while there, he had been searching for one of the most feared dark wizards to ever walk the planet.

"Well, it'll be nice to see him again, yes?"

Elya nodded. "Very much so."

They may have been very different in personalities, Luka having the dark blood of their father while Elya was more reserved and non-confrontational, but she loved him fiercely. The older boy had always been around to protect Elya when they were young children, and even though they weren't as close, she knew that he was still willing to sacrifice everything to keep his little sister out of harm's way.

Dervish, of course, made the team, and there was a small party in the Hufflepuff common room that Elya was invited to. She attended but brought her Alchemy essay with her and finished it during dinner.

Friday was busy as Elya worked through her classes, read through her breaks, and stayed up late finishing Herbology and packing for home. She had an alarm set for 7:15 to give her time to bathe and make herself presentable before going down to the dungeons with her things and did just that the following morning, dressed in a pair of jeans, a three-quarter sleeve shirt, and some brown knee-high riding boots. It felt nice to be wearing something other than a school uniform.

Rushing, Elya applied a light layer of makeup and tied her damp hair up in a messy bun, then grabbed her bag of belongings (her trunk being far too large to bring for just one weekend) and set off for Snape's.

Nobody was in the corridors, everyone still asleep on the Saturday morning. Her footsteps echoed loudly, even more so when she began her descent into the belly of the castle. Goosebumps prickled on her arms, and she wondered how she survived wearing skirts down there.

Severus was just leaving his office when Elya entered, and his steps faltered when he caught sight of her. Her casual dress reminded him a bit of a certain convict and enemy from his years at school, the boots especially, but she pulled the look off much better than the other ever did. Her jeans hugged her thighs tightly, and her shirt was short enough to reveal a small expanse of milky skin with every move she made, the collar low and flaunting her angled collar bones. Even with her messy hair up, the girl managed to look lovely, and Severus mentally scolded himself.

He was only twenty-eight, he reminded himself, but he felt much older. Still, that was much more aged than Elya, too old to be thinking of her inappropriately.

The Ravenclaw smiled sweetly at her professor, unaware of the battle raging in his head, and asked in a teasing tone, "Did I make it on time?"

He looked to a charmed clock on the wall and smirked. "Two minutes late, Miss Vavilov. Keep this up, and you'll be a regular in my detentions."

She drew in a mock gasp then laughed quietly to herself.

"You seem to be in a good mood," the Potions Master mused, tidying up some papers on his desk before walking to the door at the back of the classroom. Elya followed and shrugged.

Truthfully, she was utterly exhausted, having stayed up for two straight days with little to no sleep. At this point, any time she let out a giggle, it was probably due to sleep deprivation.

"Glad to be seeing Luka, I guess," she said.

Snape uttered an incantation at the door, and the girl could hear a tinkering inside, probably the locks being deactivated. Shortly thereafter, he turned around to face her and murmured a similar Latin phrase. She could feel the tingle of magic fall over her and eyed him curiously.

"I've taken down the wards of my private quarters for you specifically. You have the ability to pass through them," he explained. "If I didn't perform that little trick, you'd be thrown back into that wall once you'd try to step past this threshold." He pushed the door open to reveal exactly what Elya had originally expected: a storage room for potions.

Another spoken incantation, however, and the shelves began to shift much like the bricks from Muggle London to Diagon Alley did, carving out a new entry way that opened up into a vast living space.

Elya was both surprised and not at what she saw. The floor and walls were stone like the rest of the dungeon, but even just upon entering the room, it was already several degrees warmer, a much more comfortable temperature. Bookshelves lined the walls, each one filled completely, most with titles Elya didn't recognize, some even in different languages. There was a glass cabinet full of many wizard artifacts and potions, all of which seemed to be extremely important. She could sense magic coming from the setup even where she stood, specific protective wards, she assumed.

The furniture was black leather, a couch and a loveseat, each with a Slytherin green throws placed on them. There was a matching jade rug on the floor between them, and a muggle record player in the corner, a neat shelf of albums beside it.

A fireplace was situated at the front of the room, where the couch and chair were facing. The stones around it were darker, and there was a small container of powder that hung from it.

To the right was a small hallway with two doors, both of them closed. She guessed they led to a bathroom and Severus' bedroom. To the left, Elya could see a small kitchen area and snickered quietly to herself at the thought of the feared professor standing in it wearing an apron as he cooked for himself.

"If you're finished passing judgment on my living space, I believe we have somewhere to be." His deep voice startled the girl, as did the hand placed on her back.

She was pushed gently in the direction of the fireplace and stepped into the hearth, eyeing the man closely as she took a bit of powder. "Are we going to the Malfoys' or my house?"

"Yours. The meeting isn't until this evening."

She wanted to ask why in Merlin's name she had to get up so early, but thought it best to bite her tongue on that one and instead articulated clearly, "Vavilov Manor."

She spun at a nauseating speed for a few moments, feeling tugged in several different directions before she landed hard on her feet inside of her own huge fireplace, the scene of her dark downstairs living room staring back at her.

Seconds later, there was a looming presence behind her and a hand on Elya's back once again, burning through her shirt and into her skin. It pushed her forward slightly, sliding lower to the arch, and both she and Severus stepped out onto the ornate rug.

There was no movement nearby, but she could easily assume that Nicolai and Luka were in either the kitchen or the dining room, both of which being common settings for family chats.

"I'm going to put my bag in my room then I'll be back down. Dad and Luka are probably in the kitchen or something," she said quickly before turning and walking to the grand staircase.

Being back in the mansion made her smile, as did the fact that she didn't have to see any of her father's associates until later that evening. Elya did as she said she would, leaving her bag on her bed, then galloped back down the stairs. The house was unreasonably large, but she made it to the kitchen quickly, finding three men sitting comfortably in the high bar chairs.

Luka twisted around quickly and grinned broadly at his little sister, sliding from his seat and enveloping her in a tight hug. He lifted her off the ground with no effort and groaned, "Elly, I missed you. How are you? How's school?"

Elya laughed and was set back on her feet, then stepped back and smoothed out Luka's shirt. "I'm fine, a little tired, but fine. And, school is going well. I think." She turned quickly to Snape, who was, as always, dressed entirely in black, though he wasn't in his full teaching robes. "I'm not failing Potions, am I?"

His lips curled into a small smirk and he shook his head, "Not yet."

The dark-eyed man watched her interact with her brother, committing her grin to memory. She smiled often, but most all of them were forced. The ones Elya was sharing now were genuine, though, and they were slowly melting the ice from around his shriveled heart.

After making sure that Luka had all of his limbs, could still see properly, and wasn't suffering from any curses' after effects, she turned to Nicolai, who she also hugged, though it wasn't nearly as long or heartfelt as the one she had shared with her sibling.

"Good to see you again, little raven," he said in an affectionate tone that not many heard leave Mr. Vavilov.

Elya nodded and showed a smaller smile. "You too, Dad."

The small teenager took a seat next to Severus and fell into conversation with her family. Snape watched them quietly, looking from the two males to Elya and wondering what it was like for her to grow up in a household full of testosterone. Her mother was around for only a couple of years of the girl's life, then passed away from a muggle disease.

Elya was strong, though, and Severus supposed that her mother's death had played a large role in that. There were other contributing factors of course, but she had grown up mostly in a man's world, a dark wizard's world at that. She probably wouldn't have been half the woman she was now if that hadn't been the case.

"So, did you and Crouch find anything of interest in Europe?" Snape finally asked. He knew of their mission, had been on many similar ones himself, but he had never found any trace of the Dark Lord.

"Actually, we did," Luka answered, a proud smile filling out on his face. Everyone at the table looked at him with peaked interest. "There were some odd murders taking place while we were there, none of them human, and there were cases of wizards in the area waking up some mornings drained of power, like something was sneaking in and stealing their magic from them. They kept popping up in the newspapers and people were talking about it in the frequented pubs." Nicolai smirked at his son as he talked about the evidence that he and Barty Crouch, Jr. had gathered. The young man's forearm was void of the mark still, Voldemort being the only one who could give it to him, but Luka was a Death Eater. Mark or not, he was proving himself as a loyal servant.

"Something strange is going on in Albania," he continued. "I don't know for sure if it's the Dark Lord or not, but there's definitely something stirring there."

Severus forced a smile, though his stomach had dropped considerably. When Voldemort had first risen to power, Snape had been his most trusted follower. He had been a spy, divulging information from the Order of the Phoenix to the snake-like man and risking everything he had to do so, losing everything he had.

Severus wasn't sure if he was ready to play that part again. If Voldemort rose once more, he was sure a new army would form against him, and Snape would have to be a soldier for both sides, as he was before. He didn't much have a choice in the matter. It was something he had to do.

Nobody knew his secret, though, no one save for one barmy old, blue- eyed wizard.

The four of them talked longer, about the Dark Lord, about the actions that would be taken to find and resurrect him. The meeting was mentioned several times until the topics became lighter again. Hogwarts, classes, marks, Quidditch.

Hours passed, and Nicolai suggested all of them go out to lunch. Snape stood from his chair, brushing against Elya's leg as he did so. He silently asked himself if it had really been an accident and concluded that no, it had not, but it should have been.

"I think I'll leave the happy family to their meal. I need to return to Spinner's End to collect a few belongings."

A small and unfamiliar panic rose in Elya, and she turned sharply toward him, asking before thinking, "You'll be back before the meeting, right?"

Severus blinked, understanding quickly that what she actually wanted to ask was if he'd be around before Greyback had the chance to show his warped face.

Elya's light eyes returned to normal size when he nodded, and her cheeks turned a shade of pink once she realized how desperate she must have just looked and sounded. "Great," she half- whispered, now irritated with herself.

She didn't want to come off as weak. She could take care of herself. Knowing that Severus would be with her if Fenrir made an appearance was extremely reassuring, though. She told herself that it was because he had been the one to save her initially. Another part of her said otherwise, though.

Elya had always known that he had a calming effect on her. Just passing him in the corridors left her in a slightly better mood. Recently, though, and it may have had to do with the awkward conversations between them or her friends' stupid suggestions, Elya began to see the man in a different light-- a more attractive light.

The Ravenclaw never let her thoughts run too far away from her, but she was willing to admit that during her last Potions class, once she had finished the very long list of ingredients that went into Veritaserum, she had stared at the professor in what she hoped to Merlin was a discreet fashion.

Menacing and rude as he was, the man was still quite handsome in his own sort of way. He was pale, almost to a sickly degree, but his features were strong. His long hair was not nearly as greasy-looking as everybody claimed it was, and the small bit of oil that there was, was more than likely due to him constantly slaving over cauldrons full of complicated potions.

His body, though always covered in thick teaching robes, was lean save for his somewhat broad chest, and he stood tall, a little over six feet. He was a powerful wizard, dominant, imposing, and intimidating. Everything about Severus Snape demanded respect, and Elya gave it to him. He surely did earn it in her eyes.

It wasn't as if she was developing some sort of juvenile crush on the man. She was just beginning to find him a little more aesthetically pleasing than she had before.

Snape left in a mess of floo powder, and Nicolai, Luka, and Elya left for a small cafe they had always been fond of, eating slowly, or appearing to, in Elya’s case, and remaining quiet save for short bursts of somewhat forced conversation. It was the Vavilov family at its best.

Back at the manor, Elya returned to her room and began to work on the Potions essay that Annabella had mentioned at Quidditch tryouts. It was comparing and contrasting the effects of Angel's Trumpet and Deadlyius and naming their different uses in poisons. It was rather morbid subject matter, but it would keep the girl busy for a long while.

Unfortunately, for most of the time Elya spent huddled over her parchment, all she could think about was Severus and when he would be back.

Hours later, Luka knocked on his sister's door and announced that it was time to go to the Malfoys'. She sighed, trying her best to ignore the ache in her stomach, then pulled her boots back on, let her hair down, and ran a brush through it. It was too long to leave down without it getting in the way, so as she descended the stairs, Elya fashioned it in a somewhat messy braid, tying the ends expertly as she entered the living room.

Nicolai and Luka greeted her with forced smiles, and one by one, they entered the fireplace and floo'd to the other mansion.

Several Death Eaters were already in the sitting room, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, of course, were seated comfortably on the expensive furniture, as well as Crabbe, Goyle, Yaxley, the Carrows, Avery, Nott, Jugson, Gibbon, and Barty Crouch, Jr.

However, Elya couldn't find Snape in the small crowd, and that made her nervous. She kept her eyes wide open and remained stiff, staying close to her father and brother as they approached Lucius and Narcissa, shaking hands and forcing small talk and smiles. The girl hoped that she never came off as snotty as the Malfoys did. Elya was a Pureblood all the same, but she didn't seem to be enjoying it nearly as much as they were.

Others arrived steadily, both by floo and just through the front door. Every time the fireplace rustled with a new guest, Elya prepared herself to be met with the wolfish features of Greyback, and each time she breathed a sigh in relief.

Nicolai, Luka, and Elya found seats at a high table near the couch the Malfoys were sitting on. There were several pieces of lounging furniture in the room, all of them facing the same focal point. It was where Luka and Crouch would stand while they told the other Death Eaters of their trip, explaining their findings and inspiring everyone to continue their search for their missing lord.

At seven o'clock when most everyone had arrived and were engaged in dark conversation, a large figure entered the room. He had long, stringy dark hair, and his wrinkled dress shirt was left unbuttoned, showing off a broad chest that was more furry than hairy. The man, if you could call him that, had his pants rolled up to his knee, and he was missing shoes, showing off dirty, calloused feet and claw-like toenails.

What stuck out about him most, though, was his face, arranged in a way that suggested he had more of a snout than a nose. His teeth were sharp and yellow when he smiled, canines longer than the average human's, and his beady eyes scanned the room in a predatory way.

Elya's insides turned to ice.

Instinctively, Luka leaned closer to her, covering her dainty hand with his own as he glared at the lycan. The girl suppressed a shudder and hunched over slightly, curling into herself as she wondered where in the bloody hell Severus was, and as if he had heard her mental call, there was a new hand on Elya's back and a looming presence behind her.

She breathed out in silent relief, somehow recognizing the touch as his without even having to turn and look at him, and she leaned back in her chair, shoulders and head coming in contact with Snape's chest. In any other situation, she would have pulled away immediately, but Fenrir Greyback was there, and she needed to be close to the raven-haired man. She needed to feel safe.

"It's all right. You’re all right," he spoke as if it were a mantra. His low voice soothed the girl's nerves and she relaxed against him. "Your father, brother, and I are all watching him closely. He will not hurt you."

And, Elya believed him.