A Key Question

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

A/N: Big thanks to Septentrion and Sempra for the beta. And thanks also to everyone who's reading this piece of drabbling madness. Your reviews keep me going.

Well, that had been an unmitigated disaster, even if he had enjoyed himself immensely at the time. Vigorously rubbing his wet head with a towel, Severus padded out of his bathroom, wondering how he could have been so stupid as to think... He'd offended someone he was starting to like—a lot. Would she let him explain? Things could get really awkward, if not; he may even have to resign—shagging the boss was definitely not in the job description. He sighed. Wasn't it bloody typical? Just when things were going really well, he'd managed to balls things up completely.

And it was all that sodding elf's fault!

Severus wasn't expecting Purdy to show her face, so he was completely unprepared for what greeted him in his bedroom. He covered himself quickly with the towel.

The elf nodded. 'Good morning, sir. Will it be the black...?' He held up a robe in his right hand. 'Or, the... er, black?'

'Who are you?' Severus asked, indicating the garment of his choice.

'Eljay, sir,' the elf replied, laying it out carefully. 'Your new valet.'

'Valet?' Severus choked. 'What do you mean "valet"? You're an elf! And why are you talking so peculiarly?'

Eljay drew himself up to his full three feet. 'If elves are ever to be accepted by wizarding society, we must learn to speak properly. Why, only the other day, Deputy Minister Weasley—'

'Percy?'

'Yes—was discussing the importance of improving staff efficiency with the Headmistress and the necessity of implementing sound management structures and instigating time and motion studies. He was very impressed with my suggestion that we all go on a team building exercise in the Cairngorms.'

Severus was losing the will to live. 'Gobbledegook.'

'I think you'll find that's the goblins— Oh, it's that dratted bird again...'

'Car—uuk, car—uuk.'

Eljay scurried over to the window, waving his arms at the raven. 'Shoo. Go away, you noisy creature.'

'No!' Severus cried, racing after him. He stuck his head out of the window. 'Corvus, come back!' Then he turned on Eljay. 'You idiot, I've been trying to tame him for ages.'

At Severus' call, Corvus wheeled in a graceful circle, then settled back on the window ledge, his feathers ruffling in indignation. 'Car—ruuk, carr—uuuuk.'

Severus sighed. 'I wish I knew what you were trying to tell me...'

'He says he's got something for you.'

'You speak Raven?'

Eljay shrugged.

Corvus stuck his beak under his wing and fished around in his plumage. To Severus' astonishment, he plucked out a golden key and deposited it on the window sill.

'What the...?' Severus picked it up and turned it over in his hand. It looked very old, but not terribly worn. Noticing the initials “S.S." embossed on the top, he let out a low whistle. 'And what am I supposed to do with this?' he muttered to himself.

Corvus bobbed his head twice and flew off.

So... now he had a key. All he had to do was find the lock.

~HGSS~

On entering the Great Hall, Severus was none too pleased to see Hermione deep in conversation with Gary Burbage. She touched his arm to emphasise some point or other, and Severus felt an inexplicable twinge of jealousy. They look like a couple, he thought and promptly admonished himself for being so foolish.

Burbage stood up and left the High Table as he approached, and Severus did not hesitate in taking his place. Turning towards him, Hermione smiled.

'Good morning, Severus.'

Not the warmest smile in the world, granted, but it wasn't an unfriendly one, either. He could live with that.

'Good morning, Hermione. May I have a word with you?'

'Of course.'

'I have news of the Raven.' Was it his imagination or did she look a little bit disappointed?

'Oh?'

'Yes. He turned up today with this.' He passed Hermione the key and explained what had happened.

'Good heavens,' she said, examining it. 'S.S... Salazar's?'

'Well, it certainly isn't mine.'

'Any ideas where it might fit?'

'None at all.'

'Hmm. Would you like me to ask Phineas and the others?'

Severus nodded and helped himself to some pumpkin juice. 'I think that's as good a starting place as any.'

~HGSS~

As the portraits chatted excitedly amongst themselves, Hermione rubbed her temples and reminded herself there was only one week to go before the holidays.

'I believe it would be safe to assume,' Phineas offered, 'that if it has anything to do with Salazar, the lock is going to be extremely hard to find.'

'Yes.' Hermione sighed. 'I think we can all agree on that. Anything else?'

'In my experience,' Albus replied, 'the castle gives up its secrets when the time is right or when there is a need—'

'Exactly,' Phineas interrupted. 'And no prizes for guessing where the problem lies.'

Here we go again, Hermione thought. 'Phineas, Professor Burbage assures me that—'

'With the greatest respect, Headmistress,' Phineas said testily, 'the castle itself is trying to tell you something. I suggest you listen to it.' And with that, he got up and left.

The rest of the week passed fairly uneventfully. Without any real idea where to start, looking for the mystery door—or whatever the key opened—was pretty pointless. Hermione had not found the time to really talk to Severus, either—and she did want to clear the air. Alone in her study, she considered her next move.

'I suppose an apology would have been too much to expect,' she muttered.

'That boy has never found it easy to admit his mistakes.'

Startled, Hermione's head snapped up. In a painting of a Norwegian fjord (deliberately chosen to discourage visitors), Hermione was surprised to see the figure of an unknown woman dressed in Elizabethan costume gazing at her intently.

'It is fortunate I do not feel the cold.'

'And you are...?'

Smiling, Betty inclined her head politely. 'Elizabeth Cavendish-Desang.'

'Lady Elizabeth...?'

'Indeed. And now that the formalities are out of the way, let me tell you about Lily Evans...'