Italics = past memories

"David!" the blue eyed witch exclaimed when someone came up behind her "you don't sneak up on a lady like that ESPECIALLY in the dark."

The emerald eyed wizard smirked at her as the blue eyes scowled at him. The two youth agreed to meet up in the forbidden forest beforehand after hours. The awkward air didn't last for long however as the young witch, Florina Woods, smiled at him and she shoved him playfully.

"So," they began walking breaking twigs under them with every step, "what is that secret trick you wanted me to see?"

He shook his head, the smug smirk never leaving his face, "now now my dear lady, we have to exercise patience now don't we."

Florina huffed rolling her eyes, "Alright fine! But if it turns out to be a silly joke, I will turn you into a ferret."

David laughed out not minding their surroundings which made Florina more anxious. She seemed to be terrified, something that the emerald eye wizard didn't notice.

"Can we just go please?" she whispered trying to stop his laughter "We are breaking the rules I hope you know."

He immediately stopped and gave her a surprised look. The pausing made her more anxious and she frowned at him in confusion.

"But you are a Slytherin," he blurted out "Aren't you all supposed to be rule breakers?"

Florina laughed, "That is the most close-minded thing I have ever heard. Have you ever heard of stereotypes?"

David shrugged, "Well, you are certainly the exception to your house's reputation. Maybe because you weren't raised in a prejudice home... like the Malfoy's. Being a muggleborn actually benefited you."

Florina sighed and shook her head lightly. She turned to him and smiled. "Speaking of exceptions, how can two brothers who are very similar in appearance and upbringing be sorted into different houses? Not only that but also rarely interact with one another."

The emerald eyed wizard looked away trying to mask the disgusted look on his face. The blue eyed witch waited patiently for his answer. They stayed in silence for a while until it was broken by another sigh from the witch.

"Patrick really appreciates you David, you are only two years older than him after all –"

"Does he now?" he turned back to her hurt evident in his voice.

Florina hesitated. They kept staring at each other silent. The witch didn't understand the wizard's hatred for his brother and couldn't bring up the courage to ask for the reason.

After a while, she sighed. "Come on, let's go before we get caught."

***********

Darkness enveloped the night sky as the emerald eyed wizard awaited the witch's return with baited breath. It was so dark that his hands slowly disappeared before his dull emerald eyes.

"She said it won't take her long," he whispered to himself "I knew that that ghost was not to be trusted. I should have went with her. I shouldn't have left her alone with him."

He was sitting down on the concrete floor of the astronomy tower praying for the witch's return. For the past several hours, he wasn't doing anything except for blaming himself for leaving her. He began having illusions of her terrified and confused.

His heart almost skipped a beat when his mind was playing images of her getting beaten or worse...

"I am done waiting!" he exclaimed to no one "She must be in danger while I am sitting here reminiscing."

With a jolt, he got up and ran down the astronomy tower skipping two steps at a time. Once he reached the fifth floor, he ran down the moving staircase and into the dungeons.

"He might be useless and cold but he will definitely help me," David thought as he entered the cold dungeons.

He was referring to the potions master and hoped if he told him everything happened, he might assist him in finding the witch.

As he got closer to the potions master quarters, his heart beating wildly in his chest. He geared himself up for some resistance from his look alike. David kept thinking of a non-invasive way to approach the potions master but somehow all his scenarios ended with both of them fighting.

Eventually, David gave up on thinking of a strategy and decided to bluntly tell him what happened and what he saw.

Standing at the potions master door, he took a deep breath and knocked on the door softly. After a few seconds, the Professor deep voice came from within, "Who is it?"

"Snape it is me, Dickenson." David said trying to be calm.

Severus let out a short breath and unlocked the door with his wand. "Get in."

David rolled his eyes at the wizard's laziness and pushed himself inside. He saw the potions master sitting on his sofa reading from a giant book titled "The mysteries of Potion making."

Severus didn't take his eyes off the book. Instead he said in his deep voice, "Do you know what time it is Dickenson? It is an hour past midnight –"

"I am aware of that Snape," David shot at once making the other wizard raise a brow, his face still buried in his book.

The black haired wizard came closer "I... I wouldn't have come to you in such a late hour if I wasn't out of other options."

Severus smirked. After a few moments of silence, he put his book down and gestured for his look alike to sit down, "And what do you require from me?"

David took a seat, "Well... it's about Florina."

The potions master furrowed his brows, "What about her? If this is about your very dumb decision of making the unbreakable vow with Dumbledore then don't bother. The headmaster already informed me."

David widened his emerald eyes in surprise, his mouth ajar "He... he told you."

Severus nodded, "Yes. What did you expect Dickenson? The headmaster informs me of everything. I have clearly given him enough reasons to trust me."

David was flustered. He didn't want anyone to know of the unbreakable vow and felt embarrassed that Snape – out of all people – was informed of it.

He lowered his head feeling the heat rising in his cheeks, "It's none of your business –"

"Are you that dimwitted Dickenson?" Severus started at once, the mocking smirk never leaving his face "Or are you that desperate to get on with a woman who was previously your brother's fiancée?"

David got up at once his cheeks blood red, "I don't recall giving you the right to judge my choices in life Snape. And why are you that sour? It is not like you care for her. She is missing git, so instead of mocking, why don't you get off your arse and help me find her."

Severus blinked twice unable to respond. The boldness of the tall wizard rendered him speechless. They stayed silent glaring at each other as neither of them could come up with good insults.

After a few moments of dead silence, the onyx eyed wizard swallowed a hard lump, "Who is missing?"

David sighed sitting back down, "Florina, Snape. She was with me on the astronomy tower. A ghost then appeared and started shouting gibberish at her. He took her and disappeared."

"What did that ghost look like Dickenson?" Severus asked forgetting that that was the same wizard that insulted him a few moments ago.

He was petrified by what the emerald eyed wizard told him that he forgot everything instantly.

"I didn't catch his appearance clearly. He was glistening white, tall and thin. He was wearing a dirty wizard hat and his clothes were ragged."

"Did he at least tell you his name?" Severus huffed in annoyance.

David nodded, "His name is somewhat similar to mine. Davir...David...not that's me...Da—"

"Davies?"

"Yes that!" David exclaimed "he said he knows us three. Met us in... his... his cave."

"That was Davies Agrippa, Dickenson. Augustus Agrippa's brother." Severus sat further in his sofa feeling relieved.

"Augustus Agrippa? The maniac that wants to kill Florina!" David exclaimed and shot up at once.

"Relax," Severus glared at him "he is not like his brother. He is not a threat."

"How could you be so relaxed when she is out there with a maniac's brother?" David gave him a disgusted look.

"Maybe because I have met with him when you were unconscious." Severus spoke calmly "He told us his family's history. He never wanted the book for himself or to horde its treasure. As a matter of fact, he was very keen in helping us find the book to uncover the medieval secrets."

"Did it ever occur to you it is all an act to try and gain both your trust Snape?"

Severus laughed for the first time. He shook his head "You can be quite hilarious Dickenson. Did it ever occur to you that I haven't thought of that? If you forgot, I am a spy Dickenson. It is my job to get people to trust me. Like I did with the headmaster."

David lowered his head to hide his reddened cheeks.

After a few moments, Severus said calmly, "Not everything is a conspiracy David. It's one thing to be vigilant but it's another to be paranoid."

The emerald eyed wizard nodded his head still low. Silence crept up on both the wizards once more with the potions master staring at his look like.

"Snape," David started again facing the wizard"He said that Florina is in danger. He was shouting at her to hide before hetook her and apparated."