It had been a question of finances. Even in his first year, his every knut had gone towards quills and ink to replace what was ruined in the interhouse wars, ingredients for potions he could sell to his classmates, and, when he was doing really well, a used book or a a pair of boots that fit. "Just as well, really." Fear had never played a part in his unwillingness to ask favors of his seniors, only good sound Slytherin politics and a sour understanding of his position. And when it came to Rodolphus, well, once he'd ducked having his arm broken once, he'd felt secure in his understanding of how to approach the older boy without getting hurt. A very unusual sort of security, in the dungeons.
"Er... no, it was really a harp. Bardic tradition, you know; second century Britain was a bit... robust. Wands didn't really make it over here until the druids had been thoroughly knocked down and the Normans were fairly well-established.*" He shrugs irritably. "I didn't have much choice in the beginning--most of the little hellbrats knew me as a student, or at least who I was--and it never made a great deal of sense to change things around." And he'd been drowning in dementor miasma, soaked through with it, despite the relative brevity of his time in their tender care.
"Oh, god," he sighs, and drinks his drink. "I don't want to know, do I..."
Severus and the waiter both look at the tart, studded with strips of glistening fresh berries. And back to Rodolphus. "I'm fairly sure it's meant to be green," Severus ventures, not knowing what else he might mean by it. "Here, try a bite." He knives a chunk off, pushes it towards Rus on the plate.
* Ollivanders' has been around since the fourth century BC, but we don't know where it originated, and there really had to have been some name changes in that history. Because, really. I did a name origin search and the closest names it had were Oliver and Ollendorf. This is unquestionably a modern fake-name, born of a civilized and very probably French-influenced culture. u.u
Sev is amazed, he never knew they had that in common! ;) Oh, I know. Xel is simply entertained. ^,^ --And, btw, can't be followed home by probably anyone other than Gaav and Gaav's siblings, if he intends not to be.