章 702: Resolve

It was five o'clock in the morning when Rowan awoke to hear a flapping-like sound. She was still recuperating after the Halloween Feast as the student body had flinched plenty of sweets to enjoy later and as such had been on what seemed on a perpetual sugar high ever since then. Tired even more so, she opens her eyes to blurrily see an owl in the dungeons. Squinting at the unusual sight, she blankly stares at the owl until it hoots. Warily reaching over to grab the letter, the owl softly hoots and scurries through a crack in the canopy curtains.

However, all Rowan can think about is how on Earth did an owl get into the dungeons, but even more importantly how was it going to leave? Shaking the sleep from her eyes, she lets out a loud yawn, before lazily stretching, and finally opening the letter.

It was a simple note that read, "Professor Slughorn's Office, six o'clock."

Glancing at the time, Rowan lets out a groan but managed to get out of bed. After a long hot shower later, she is warmly dressed as she made her way back down to the common room. To her surprise, Severus was already waiting for her. It was rare if ever for Severus to be up before her.

Suspiciously eying him, Rowan says, "Well, why are you up to so early, Severus? For sure I thought you'd try to get in an extra half hour before getting up."

Severus makes a face as he sighs and tucked some loose hairs across his face behind his ear. "I've been thinking."

"About Lily?" Rowan knowingly asked as she took the seat across from him.

"I want to get this over and done with," Severus murmured as he ran a hand down his face. "I don't want to keep having hope only for my hope to plummet again and again. And besides, she said she wanted to speak to me, and she still hasn't."

"Well, neither of you haven't exactly had the time," Rowan wryly replied with a frown. "The Halloween Feast wasn't that long ago, and then there's the first Quidditch match to consider that will be held this Saturday, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin. You know she's been busy with all the first years, and transfer students. I've heard some of the tales from Lupin, and believe me, I'll take our poisonous bunch over their almost suicidal lions, who lack all common sense."

Severus makes a grunting sound before Rowan reaches over and gently tugs on one of his locks of hair. Severus grudgingly leans into his twin's touch, before leaning away. Rowan flashes her twin a crooked grin, before rising to her feet. "C'mon, we've got a meeting which to get to."

Severus makes a face at his twin as he follows after Rowan. "I bet you a Honeyduke's bar that it's an invitation to one of his Slug Club meetings."

"That would be a fool's bet," Rowan grumbled as they made their way out into the chilly, early morning, desolated dungeons. She shivered and tugged her fur-lined cloak that much closer around her. She knew she had forgotten something that morning, her scarf. The only good thing about being up at this hour is that she had ample time to return to the dormitories and retrieve them.

It was exactly six o'clock sharp when Severus knocked on the closed door to Professor Slughorn's quarters. The door instantly opens to reveal the pudgy figure of Slughorn wearing a striped, fluffy bed robe, thick wool slippers, and a cozy nightcap on his head to keep his even balder head warm. Strangely enough, his strawberry-colored mustache is perfectly brushed out.

Slughorn's gooseberry-colored eyes beam at them as he says, "Come right in, Prefects Prince."

The two of them enter Slughorn's office as the door closes shut behind them. Slughorn waddles back to his desk where his vast collection of photographs moves around or sleepily yawn awake. Lowering his large bulk into his thick velvet armchair he rests his feet on the small velvet pouffe peeking out from under his desk.

Rowan and Severus don't take a seat before him despite his gesture for them to take a seat. Clearing his throat, Slughorn says, "I must say, I am delighted by both of your efforts in taking care of the first years and maintain order. But what else can be expected of Slytherin's descendants being a credit to their forefather's house."

Slughorn winked at them causing both of the twins' expressions to further darken. With her lips twitching into a sneer, Rowan manages to maintain a neutral expression. "Sir, is there a reason we have been summoned quite so early this morning? As far as I am aware, Severus and I have enacted all our duties including patrolling as per schedule nor have we received any complaints." Oh, there had been complaints but not that the protesting students in question could protest about the fact that Rowan seemed to find them wherever they were hiding at.

Slughorn winks again causing Severus's lips to twitch dangerously. With a pleased expression, Slughorn says, "I shall be hosting a small dinner in two to three weeks. I have invited a few friends over. I know that they would simply be delighted to meet with both of you."

The temperature in the room slightly drops but Slughorn seems to have failed to notice the icy atmosphere around the twins. In a frigid voice, Rowan says, "Sir, we are honored but we have a previous engagement on that day."

Slughorn wilts slightly before saying, "But surely at least one of you can attend?"

Severus and Rowan both share a silent, pointed conversation. Severus narrowed his eyes that screamed, "I went last time, you're up."

Rowan arches her brow that screams, "Fine, but this is all your fault since you are one of Slug Club members."

Severus nods his head in apology as Rowan turns to say, "I am afraid not as I really do have a prior engagement, Professor Slughorn. However, I will make time on my calendar to attend for an hour or two."

"That will be more than enough time to become suitably acquainted," Slughorn beamed, before adding, "Now run alone."

Rowan and Severus stiffly walk away as the door is shut behind them. "The bastard!" Severus muttered under his breath. "He couldn't have spoken to us at less of an ungodly hour!"

Rowan stifles a yawn, "It's Slughorn, and he always has a point to make."

Severus snorts as they make their way to the Great Hall. They are the first ones there as they study at the house table until breakfast appears on the tables. At least the meal brightened up the start of their day as they happily dug into the meal.

Rowan hadn't even gotten a third way through her meal when the cheerful face of Terry popped up in between Rowan and Severus, who gazed expectantly at them. Bethanie, Sylvia, and Tiffany took their usual seat across from them as Sylvia exasperatedly says, "You might as well let him say what he has to say."

"Fine," Rowan grudgingly grumbled as she set her fork down for the moment, before resuming as loud flapping of hundreds of wings is heard in the Great Hall as owls swoop in with packets mostly copies of the Daily Prophet. The owls immediately drop the letters and packages into the laps of their rightful owners, before fluttering away to the tower to rest.

Terry takes a sip of his warm Caramel Crème Brulee hot chocolate and makes a sound of approval. The house elves of Hogwarts really knew their cooking! It was practically an art form!

Licking his lips clean, Terry unfolds the Daily Prophet from his lap, before letting out an excited shriek causing his friends to flinch. "What is it?" Tiffany was the first one to warily ask the cause of their friends' excitement.

"Why do you even bother to read that trash in the first place?" Rowan mumbled under her breath, before taking a bit of her food.

"It's for gathering knowledge of course," Terry pointedly said as he rolled his eyes, before eagerly answering Tiffany's question. "Well, naturally it is because Thorfinn Rowle went missing from Durmstrang!" And showed them the main page of the Daily Prophet that he held up before them.

"You finally killed someone!" Tiffany whispered horrified. "I knew that it was only a matter of time until Terry became a murderer!" She wasn't the only one as Bethanie, Severus, and Rowan all had wary expressions on their faces. But really, if he had killed Thorfinn Rowle, he had the perfect alibi. He was thousands of miles away from the scene of the crime at Hogwarts.

Rowan and Severus share a pointed glance until Rowan with a dubious arched her brow asks, "And you know this exactly how, Terry?"

"I'm not telling," Terry cheerfully hummed and deliberately cut into his sausages causing his friends to flinch at his every silverware movement.

Seeing her friend's rather disturbed expressions, Sylvia lets out a tired sigh as Bethanie pats her back, and Tiffany mutters, "Well, it could always be worse. At least, Terry loves you even if he is a vile spider."

"I heard that!" Terry growled through a mouthful of food and glanced away shyly from his courted lady, Sylvia. "And besides, I'm not spider-like! I am just a natural purveyor of information!"

Rowan shivers with revulsion at Terry's actions as does Severus. Bethanie tactfully does not say anything while Tiffany rolls her eyes and snorts into her plate of food. Rubbing her forehead tiredly, Sylvia says, "It wasn't that Terry learned through some mystical means, it's just one of my cousins from Durmstrang wrote and explained that the teachers were in a panic at the disappearance of Thorfinn Rowle. The Rowle parents are furiously demanding an explanation and the rest of the parents are Durmstrang are just as concerned. The more wary ones have already begun to pull out their children from school, it's quite the scandal."

"Then is Durmstrang going to close?" Severus mumbled with a mouthful of food.

Sylvia shakes her head and answers, "It is very unlikely to occur, although, Durmstrang may close temporarily until the start of the new year. Rumor has it that the Headmaster will retire, and there will be a new headmaster for the new year. So, we will just have to wait and see."

"Oh goody," Terry brightly said. "Do you think that Igor Kakaroff will be pulled and be returning to Hogwarts to take his N.E.W.T. exams due to the Triwizard Tournament last year?"

All of his friends just stare at Terry, while Rowan mumbles under her breath, "Remind to kill Terry off first should we ever become enemies."

"Mm count me in," Severus muttered in agreement as to the two focus solely on their food, while Terry in vain protests his innocence. There was absolutely nothing innocent from his remark. If anything, it was an indication of his diabolical plotting.