And Both Were Young
Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me besides the character of Gedia Kacela and random non-canon characters.
Author's Note: I've been wanting to write a Snape story with an original character for a while, but never could come up with anyone three-dimensional enough that I could write convincingly about. Then I realized that I already had the perfect character... only she was stuck in another universe. Gedia Kacela (my alter ego) was originally a Star Wars character, but I have transported her from the Star Wars world to the Harry Potter one, with minor damages, to take part in yet another Snape fic from me.
* * *
Part One: Of Slytherins and Sorting Hats
Gedia's first impression of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was that she had never before seen anything so old, with the notable exception of her great-aunt Serena. She clutched her wand inside the folds of her black robes out of nervous habit as the creaking boats glided slowly across the obsidian waters.
She glanced briefly around at her companions and noticed a scowling, dark-haired boy glaring at her. Returning the glare with sharp blue eyes, she growled, "What are you looking at?"
He gave her a disdainful, uninterested look and didn't respond, fixing his dark eyes on the approaching castle instead. Gedia did the same, silently pondering what sort of hexes she could place on the boy. Briefly, she considered turning his greasy hair purple, which brought a crooked smile to her lips, but the thought was interrupted by their arrival.
As the boats were drug up onto the sandy incline, she climbed from the small vessel, slightly lifting her trailing robes so as not to muddy them. Her boots sunk slightly into the muck, but she glided on, following the rest of the first years, who were in turn following their enormous guide.
Brushing back her dark curls, she longed to get this ridiculously ceremonial ritual over with. Both her parents had gone to Hogwarts- she knew all that would occur that night. She saw no point in the pathetic attempt to frighten the first years by taking them to Hogwarts via boat instead of by carriage, like the older students. It wasn't like anything remotely terrifying would be allowed to happen to them.
Glancing around, she saw that few of the others had such confidence, with the exception of that brooding boy from the boat. His arms were folded across his chest and he seemed as bored as she felt. Well, they had that in common, at the most. With that thought, she resumed her task of ignoring him. He was probably nothing but a self-righteous Mudblood. And she did not want to associate with that sort.
The group proceeded up a winding staircase before coming to a stop in front of a gaunt, dark-haired witch. Her brown eyes peered out from beneath the wide brim of her hat and from behind square glasses, meeting each of the students' eyes. "Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Professor McGonagall. You shall address me as Professor McGonagall." There were a few nervous giggles, then the professor continued. "Now, if you would follow me to the Great Hall, I believe the rest of your classmates are waiting to see which house you will soon be a part of."
She turned on her heel and led the young students into one of the largest rooms Gedia had ever lain eyes on. Nothing anyone had told her could have even begun to prepare her for this.
The sheer enormity of the room wasn't what took her breath away. It was the ceiling. The arches that would hold up any normal ceiling seemed hardly necessary... the stone pillars simply disappeared into a great expanse of space. Stars glittered like so many diamonds and planets burned brightly in the dark backdrop.
"It's a spell," she whispered to herself, forcing her feet to continue moving forward. But she couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight. The cosmos had always fascinated her, always drawn her. There was so much up there to learn about. She wanted to gaze at the pinpricks of stars for all eternity.
She hardly noticed as the Sorting Ceremony began, and only half-listened as the Sorting Hat performed its song. She was oblivious as her fellow first-years took their places on the stool, the huge hat half-covering their faces. She found she had to restrain herself from reaching up to attempt to grab a handful of sparkling stars...
"Gedia Kacela!"
She returned to reality with a slight jolt as Professor McGonagall called her name. It was her turn to be Sorted. She slipped through the group and stepped up in front of the Hat, getting her first real look at it.
It was an old ragged thing, something that, if she didn't know better, she would toss out with yesterday's garbage. But she did know better. This was the one thing to decide her future, practically. Both of her parents had been Slytherin, now it was her turn, and she didn't intend on breaking with family tradition.
No one, from her outer appearances, would expect her to be sorted into Slytherin. She simply didn't seem to be that type of girl. Her long brown hair curled beautifully down her back, setting off her pale complexion, and her baby blue eyes could seem as innocent as a child's. Some might misjudge her for Gryffindor material.
But her looks were deceptive. She knew that she was worthy of Slytherin, and soon everyone else would as well.
Filled with this confidence, she seated herself on the wooden stool and felt a thrill of anticipation course through her veins as she placed the Sorting Hat on top of her curls. Immediately, a voice filled her head. "Ah, what have we here? A young Kacela, how interesting. Already so intelligent and well versed in spells... good, good... I believe I know what to do with you..." There was a pause, and Gedia subconsciously held her breath before the Hat called aloud, "Slytherin!"
A pleased and smug smile tugged at her lips as she slipped off the stood to join her cheering housemates. She took a seat at the long table, sliding next to a seventh-year boy, who congratulated her on joining the best house at Hogwarts. After smiling back at him, she turned her focus back to the Sorting. She even allowed herself to get caught up in the excitement and cheered along with the rest whenever another first year was dubbed a Slytherin.
That is, she cheered until she recognized the lean figure up on the stool. It was the greasy-haired kid from the boat. She scowled, crossing her fingers that he would be put in Ravenclaw, but she knew deep down that he had the looks of a-
"Slytherin!" boomed the Hat, causing the boy (what had his name been... something Snape?) to curve his pale, thin lips into what she supposed was a very uncharacteristic smile.
Gedia sunk down onto the bench as he made his way triumphantly to the table, sliding onto the bench next to her. His twisted grin vanished as he regarded her. "You."
She smirked. "Me."
He tilted his head to the side, his eyes traveling over her in a way that made her very self-conscious. It was an effort not to reach up to re-smooth her curls in a nervous habit. "You do not look like a Slytherin," he said softly, harshly. "Perhaps you mistook our table for that of Hufflepuff."
Her eyes snapped like sparks in a flame. "And who are you to judge me, Slick?" The callous nickname popped into her mind and tumbled over her lips as she glanced at his hair. The effect was immediate.
A snarl crept over his lips. "What did you call me?" he inquired dangerously.
She turned from him, appearing disinterested. "You heard me... Slick."
He leaned in close to her, his voice dropping to a throaty whisper so that no one could hear him over the cheers. "Perhaps, Kacela, you underestimate my abilities. I have been preparing for Hogwarts since I could hold a wand. I know spells that some of the very professors do not. I highly recommend that you do... not... mess with me." His voice sent an involuntary shudder through her spine. "That is," he added, "unless you would like for your precious curls to fall out... accidentally." The last word his spoke in a guttural growl, in a voice almost too deep for his eleven years.
She tossed the aforementioned curls over her shoulder flippantly. "You don't scare me," she retorted, but he wasn't listening. He had already turned his attention back to the Sorting. Glowering silently, she resolved to spend her next months learning every spell and curse imaginable. He thought he knew so much, did he? Well, she'd show him.
In fact, she wouldn't just best him at spells and such, she would outsmart him in every other class as well.
A sly, determined smile crossed her face. She'd show him. No greasy-haired bigshot was going to get the best of her. No way. She'd show him.
* * *
Keeping this promise to herself turned out to be slightly more difficult that she had originally planned on. Severus Snape was no ordinary bigshot. He actually knew what he claimed he did.
The subject she found it hardest to best him in was Potions. The boy seemed to live and breathe potions. He spent nearly all his free time bent over a boiling cauldron in the dungeons. And he didn't just do it for study, he did it for fun.
Soon, Gedia learned to distinguish which potion he had last been brewing by the residue smell that clung to his hair and robes. The most recent one had been Veritaserum, a truth-telling potion. She made a mental note to herself to study that one later on, in order to keep up with her rival. It seemed to be the only way to keep up.
However, there was one class in which she easily bested him- Astrology. The professor, a Madelina Rigsbee, loved her from the moment she raised her hand to correctly rattle off the names of each planet and of their corresponding moons, in order.
Snape had glowered as she relished her triumph- had had been unable to answer the same question.
Astrology never failed to be the highlight of her week, for one because she always knew more than Snape did, and two because it gave her the chance to learn more about the one thing she truly loved- the stars. She soaked up the information like a sponge and spent hours in the library, poring over books and pictures of the cosmos.
Soon, she took to sneaking out of her dorm at nights to lie out under the stars near the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Above her, stars would plummet, dive, and weave their way through their ritual dance, and planets would wink cheerily at her, as if happy for her companionship.
Several times, she attempted to childishly count the stars, though she knew the feat was impossible. It made her feel young again, and she had not felt truly young in ages.
Then winter came, and the sudden blizzard that left Hogwarts grounds covered in snow prevented her from remaining outside, and she was driven back indoors. But even then she could remain close to the stars by sneaking into the Great Hall and staring up at the bewitched ceiling.
As she lay gazing upwards, hundreds of thoughts flickered through her brain, fixating mostly on the most recent development in her problems. Now, she not only had to deal with Snape, who daily lorded his superior knowledge of potions over her, but now she was on the bad side of the infamous Marauders.
Several of the first-years had recently banded together to form a group known as the Marauders. They took pleasure in causing trouble in all ways possible. They planted dungbombs in students' robes, cursed the bathrooms so that the toilets overflowed unless you flushed them twice, as quickly as you could, and pulled every prank in the book and then some. No one messed with them, for though they claimed it was all in fun, they didn't like anyone interfering in one of their pranks.
Gedia was well aware of the fact that they simply tortured Severus, dubbing him with cruel nicknames and planting dungbombs in every pocket he had. In fact, she had been forced to hide her smirk as Sirius Black cast an illusion that made Snape's hair appear to turn into slithering green snakes. Though, in actuality, it might have been funnier had Snape actually appeared flustered. He had simply turned to Sirius and said, "Nice try." The illusion promptly faded, along with the smiles of the Marauders.
However, three weeks before Christmas break, Gedia had the misfortune of interfering. She had purposely drawn notice to Remus Lupin one day in Potions while he had been attempting to put an Exploding Spell on Lucius Malfoy's brewing Freckle Potion.
By no means did she care to save Malfoy, one of Snape's few friends, from being covered in freckles, but she did wish to prevent any loss of points from Slytherin by having Malfoy's potion blow up.
After class, the Marauders cornered her. They obviously weren't used to having their plans foiled. "Problem, gentlemen?" she sneered. "Oh wait, I forgot who I was talking to. Problem, idiots?" she corrected herself.
"Trying to be tough, Kacela?" scoffed Peter Pettigrew, the least popular and friendly of the four. He wasn't clever, by any means. The best he could do was bully. And even that didn't frighten Gedia. Sometimes she wondered why Pettigrew was even a Marauder. He didn't quite fit in, somehow.
Still, the others chuckled at his comment, all except for James Potter. Frowning, he reached up to brush some of his shaggy black hair out of his eyes and he looked about to speak when Malfoy himself swept over.
"You've stooped to picking on pretty girls now, have you, Pettigrew? Pathetic."
"You're one to talk, Malfoy. You were saved by one in class."
The blonde boy smiled. Something about the grin chilled Gedia. It wasn't natural, but she couldn't put her finger on what exactly bothered her about it, besides that fact. "And for that I am indebted." He made a sweeping bow to Gedia. "May I have the honor of escorting the lady to Slytherin Hall?"
She frowned, not amused. "No, thank you," she said simply, her blue eyes emotionless. She preferred not to associate with anyone Snape chose to associate with. Of course, that didn't narrow her options much, as Snape talked less than she did.
The smile on his face faded somewhat, becoming a forced grin. "Very well." He turned and stalked over to where Snape was waiting. Gedia's eyes met those of the dark-haired Slytherin, but once he noticed that she realized he had been staring at her, he quickly averted his eyes and left with Malfoy.
"See ya round, Kacela," Peter growled as he hurried after the other three Marauders, leaving her, as she preferred it, alone.
"Not if I can help it," she muttered darkly. "Ya ugly git."
Things had simply gone downhill from there as she had become the Marauders second favorite target, next to Snape. The classification did not amuse her in the least.
She rolled over on her stomach and rested her chin on her arms. That was when she noticed the pair of pointed shoes in front of her face. Her eyes traveled upwards, up the flowing robes, up the long white beard, up into the sparkling blue eyes of Professor Dumbledore.
"Professor!" she gasped, leaping to her feet.
He attempted to look stern, but, as usual, failed miserably. "Calm yourself, Miss Kacela. You're not in trouble yet."
"I'm sorry, Professor. I didn't see-"
"Well! I should hope you did not see me, or I should be forced to find a new Invisibility charm." He chuckled at his joke, then attempted to appear serious. "Now, one must wonder what a young Slytherin like yourself is doing in here at this time of night, without... permission?"
"I was..." A hundred excuses flew through her mind, each more absurd than the last. She was... lost? Sleepwalking? Under the influence of a spell? "Thinking." Somehow, it didn't seem wise to lie to Dumbledore. He was the type of person who could always discern a lie from the truth.
He nodded solemnly. "Thinking... a most noble task. I myself have spent a great portion of my years on this earth simply thinking. May I inquire, however, as to why you are not able to think in the comfort of your own room?"
"I..." She paused, and a blush crept into her cheeks. He was right... she should be in her room, not here, not now. How could she explain this? She herself did not even know the words to describe it. She glanced up at Dumbledore and found him gazing upwards, much as she had only moments earlier.
"They're quite beautiful, aren't they?" He winked at her before returning his gaze to the bewitched ceiling. "The stars, I mean. They can give you a sense of peace when all your life seems in shambles. Somehow, they always give you the comfort that you are not alone, that there is something else out there." He returned his sparkling gaze to her. "Forgive me, Miss Kacela, I was rambling. It is easy to get lost in the heavens."
A genuine smile brightened her face. "I understand completely, Professor."
"Good, good... I would hate to think that I were growing senile in my old age. Now, you'd best head back to your quarters, Miss Kacela, before someone else happens to stumble upon you."
"Thank you," she said softly, hurrying out of the Great Hall. But she didn't get far before she bumped directly into the last person she wanted to see- Severus Snape. He was stumbling down the hall, clutching at his right hand with a pained expression on his face.
They collided and each tumbled backwards with a grunt. Gedia stared at him. The boy had the sleeve of his right arm rolled up, his usually pale skin was reddened frightfully. His hand was the worst, though. It was a deep red and swollen to twice its normal size. She silently hoped it was as painful as it looked. "Are you okay?" she asked without thinking.
He simply glared at her. "What are you doing here?"
She didn't get a chance to respond, for at that moment Dumbledore came bustling around the corner. He clucked his tongue good-naturedly as he helped Snape to his feet. "Didn't I tell you someone would stumble across you?" he asked her with a smile.
With that, the headmaster escorted the boy down the corridor to the hospital wing. Snape was whimpering something about a snake.
Gedia had to resist the cruel but instinctive urge to smile. The sight of seeing Severus so near to tears was positively thrilling. She would have to be sure to pass along her gratitude to those responsible, though she was almost positive that the party in question would be the notorious Marauders.
Still, Snape was sure to be kept in the hospital wing for several days, by the looks of his arm, which meant that her last two days before Christmas break would be absolute bliss.
Or at least, that was the plan.
END PART ONE
Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me besides the character of Gedia Kacela and random non-canon characters.
Author's Note: I've been wanting to write a Snape story with an original character for a while, but never could come up with anyone three-dimensional enough that I could write convincingly about. Then I realized that I already had the perfect character... only she was stuck in another universe. Gedia Kacela (my alter ego) was originally a Star Wars character, but I have transported her from the Star Wars world to the Harry Potter one, with minor damages, to take part in yet another Snape fic from me.
* * *
Part One: Of Slytherins and Sorting Hats
Gedia's first impression of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was that she had never before seen anything so old, with the notable exception of her great-aunt Serena. She clutched her wand inside the folds of her black robes out of nervous habit as the creaking boats glided slowly across the obsidian waters.
She glanced briefly around at her companions and noticed a scowling, dark-haired boy glaring at her. Returning the glare with sharp blue eyes, she growled, "What are you looking at?"
He gave her a disdainful, uninterested look and didn't respond, fixing his dark eyes on the approaching castle instead. Gedia did the same, silently pondering what sort of hexes she could place on the boy. Briefly, she considered turning his greasy hair purple, which brought a crooked smile to her lips, but the thought was interrupted by their arrival.
As the boats were drug up onto the sandy incline, she climbed from the small vessel, slightly lifting her trailing robes so as not to muddy them. Her boots sunk slightly into the muck, but she glided on, following the rest of the first years, who were in turn following their enormous guide.
Brushing back her dark curls, she longed to get this ridiculously ceremonial ritual over with. Both her parents had gone to Hogwarts- she knew all that would occur that night. She saw no point in the pathetic attempt to frighten the first years by taking them to Hogwarts via boat instead of by carriage, like the older students. It wasn't like anything remotely terrifying would be allowed to happen to them.
Glancing around, she saw that few of the others had such confidence, with the exception of that brooding boy from the boat. His arms were folded across his chest and he seemed as bored as she felt. Well, they had that in common, at the most. With that thought, she resumed her task of ignoring him. He was probably nothing but a self-righteous Mudblood. And she did not want to associate with that sort.
The group proceeded up a winding staircase before coming to a stop in front of a gaunt, dark-haired witch. Her brown eyes peered out from beneath the wide brim of her hat and from behind square glasses, meeting each of the students' eyes. "Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Professor McGonagall. You shall address me as Professor McGonagall." There were a few nervous giggles, then the professor continued. "Now, if you would follow me to the Great Hall, I believe the rest of your classmates are waiting to see which house you will soon be a part of."
She turned on her heel and led the young students into one of the largest rooms Gedia had ever lain eyes on. Nothing anyone had told her could have even begun to prepare her for this.
The sheer enormity of the room wasn't what took her breath away. It was the ceiling. The arches that would hold up any normal ceiling seemed hardly necessary... the stone pillars simply disappeared into a great expanse of space. Stars glittered like so many diamonds and planets burned brightly in the dark backdrop.
"It's a spell," she whispered to herself, forcing her feet to continue moving forward. But she couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight. The cosmos had always fascinated her, always drawn her. There was so much up there to learn about. She wanted to gaze at the pinpricks of stars for all eternity.
She hardly noticed as the Sorting Ceremony began, and only half-listened as the Sorting Hat performed its song. She was oblivious as her fellow first-years took their places on the stool, the huge hat half-covering their faces. She found she had to restrain herself from reaching up to attempt to grab a handful of sparkling stars...
"Gedia Kacela!"
She returned to reality with a slight jolt as Professor McGonagall called her name. It was her turn to be Sorted. She slipped through the group and stepped up in front of the Hat, getting her first real look at it.
It was an old ragged thing, something that, if she didn't know better, she would toss out with yesterday's garbage. But she did know better. This was the one thing to decide her future, practically. Both of her parents had been Slytherin, now it was her turn, and she didn't intend on breaking with family tradition.
No one, from her outer appearances, would expect her to be sorted into Slytherin. She simply didn't seem to be that type of girl. Her long brown hair curled beautifully down her back, setting off her pale complexion, and her baby blue eyes could seem as innocent as a child's. Some might misjudge her for Gryffindor material.
But her looks were deceptive. She knew that she was worthy of Slytherin, and soon everyone else would as well.
Filled with this confidence, she seated herself on the wooden stool and felt a thrill of anticipation course through her veins as she placed the Sorting Hat on top of her curls. Immediately, a voice filled her head. "Ah, what have we here? A young Kacela, how interesting. Already so intelligent and well versed in spells... good, good... I believe I know what to do with you..." There was a pause, and Gedia subconsciously held her breath before the Hat called aloud, "Slytherin!"
A pleased and smug smile tugged at her lips as she slipped off the stood to join her cheering housemates. She took a seat at the long table, sliding next to a seventh-year boy, who congratulated her on joining the best house at Hogwarts. After smiling back at him, she turned her focus back to the Sorting. She even allowed herself to get caught up in the excitement and cheered along with the rest whenever another first year was dubbed a Slytherin.
That is, she cheered until she recognized the lean figure up on the stool. It was the greasy-haired kid from the boat. She scowled, crossing her fingers that he would be put in Ravenclaw, but she knew deep down that he had the looks of a-
"Slytherin!" boomed the Hat, causing the boy (what had his name been... something Snape?) to curve his pale, thin lips into what she supposed was a very uncharacteristic smile.
Gedia sunk down onto the bench as he made his way triumphantly to the table, sliding onto the bench next to her. His twisted grin vanished as he regarded her. "You."
She smirked. "Me."
He tilted his head to the side, his eyes traveling over her in a way that made her very self-conscious. It was an effort not to reach up to re-smooth her curls in a nervous habit. "You do not look like a Slytherin," he said softly, harshly. "Perhaps you mistook our table for that of Hufflepuff."
Her eyes snapped like sparks in a flame. "And who are you to judge me, Slick?" The callous nickname popped into her mind and tumbled over her lips as she glanced at his hair. The effect was immediate.
A snarl crept over his lips. "What did you call me?" he inquired dangerously.
She turned from him, appearing disinterested. "You heard me... Slick."
He leaned in close to her, his voice dropping to a throaty whisper so that no one could hear him over the cheers. "Perhaps, Kacela, you underestimate my abilities. I have been preparing for Hogwarts since I could hold a wand. I know spells that some of the very professors do not. I highly recommend that you do... not... mess with me." His voice sent an involuntary shudder through her spine. "That is," he added, "unless you would like for your precious curls to fall out... accidentally." The last word his spoke in a guttural growl, in a voice almost too deep for his eleven years.
She tossed the aforementioned curls over her shoulder flippantly. "You don't scare me," she retorted, but he wasn't listening. He had already turned his attention back to the Sorting. Glowering silently, she resolved to spend her next months learning every spell and curse imaginable. He thought he knew so much, did he? Well, she'd show him.
In fact, she wouldn't just best him at spells and such, she would outsmart him in every other class as well.
A sly, determined smile crossed her face. She'd show him. No greasy-haired bigshot was going to get the best of her. No way. She'd show him.
* * *
Keeping this promise to herself turned out to be slightly more difficult that she had originally planned on. Severus Snape was no ordinary bigshot. He actually knew what he claimed he did.
The subject she found it hardest to best him in was Potions. The boy seemed to live and breathe potions. He spent nearly all his free time bent over a boiling cauldron in the dungeons. And he didn't just do it for study, he did it for fun.
Soon, Gedia learned to distinguish which potion he had last been brewing by the residue smell that clung to his hair and robes. The most recent one had been Veritaserum, a truth-telling potion. She made a mental note to herself to study that one later on, in order to keep up with her rival. It seemed to be the only way to keep up.
However, there was one class in which she easily bested him- Astrology. The professor, a Madelina Rigsbee, loved her from the moment she raised her hand to correctly rattle off the names of each planet and of their corresponding moons, in order.
Snape had glowered as she relished her triumph- had had been unable to answer the same question.
Astrology never failed to be the highlight of her week, for one because she always knew more than Snape did, and two because it gave her the chance to learn more about the one thing she truly loved- the stars. She soaked up the information like a sponge and spent hours in the library, poring over books and pictures of the cosmos.
Soon, she took to sneaking out of her dorm at nights to lie out under the stars near the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Above her, stars would plummet, dive, and weave their way through their ritual dance, and planets would wink cheerily at her, as if happy for her companionship.
Several times, she attempted to childishly count the stars, though she knew the feat was impossible. It made her feel young again, and she had not felt truly young in ages.
Then winter came, and the sudden blizzard that left Hogwarts grounds covered in snow prevented her from remaining outside, and she was driven back indoors. But even then she could remain close to the stars by sneaking into the Great Hall and staring up at the bewitched ceiling.
As she lay gazing upwards, hundreds of thoughts flickered through her brain, fixating mostly on the most recent development in her problems. Now, she not only had to deal with Snape, who daily lorded his superior knowledge of potions over her, but now she was on the bad side of the infamous Marauders.
Several of the first-years had recently banded together to form a group known as the Marauders. They took pleasure in causing trouble in all ways possible. They planted dungbombs in students' robes, cursed the bathrooms so that the toilets overflowed unless you flushed them twice, as quickly as you could, and pulled every prank in the book and then some. No one messed with them, for though they claimed it was all in fun, they didn't like anyone interfering in one of their pranks.
Gedia was well aware of the fact that they simply tortured Severus, dubbing him with cruel nicknames and planting dungbombs in every pocket he had. In fact, she had been forced to hide her smirk as Sirius Black cast an illusion that made Snape's hair appear to turn into slithering green snakes. Though, in actuality, it might have been funnier had Snape actually appeared flustered. He had simply turned to Sirius and said, "Nice try." The illusion promptly faded, along with the smiles of the Marauders.
However, three weeks before Christmas break, Gedia had the misfortune of interfering. She had purposely drawn notice to Remus Lupin one day in Potions while he had been attempting to put an Exploding Spell on Lucius Malfoy's brewing Freckle Potion.
By no means did she care to save Malfoy, one of Snape's few friends, from being covered in freckles, but she did wish to prevent any loss of points from Slytherin by having Malfoy's potion blow up.
After class, the Marauders cornered her. They obviously weren't used to having their plans foiled. "Problem, gentlemen?" she sneered. "Oh wait, I forgot who I was talking to. Problem, idiots?" she corrected herself.
"Trying to be tough, Kacela?" scoffed Peter Pettigrew, the least popular and friendly of the four. He wasn't clever, by any means. The best he could do was bully. And even that didn't frighten Gedia. Sometimes she wondered why Pettigrew was even a Marauder. He didn't quite fit in, somehow.
Still, the others chuckled at his comment, all except for James Potter. Frowning, he reached up to brush some of his shaggy black hair out of his eyes and he looked about to speak when Malfoy himself swept over.
"You've stooped to picking on pretty girls now, have you, Pettigrew? Pathetic."
"You're one to talk, Malfoy. You were saved by one in class."
The blonde boy smiled. Something about the grin chilled Gedia. It wasn't natural, but she couldn't put her finger on what exactly bothered her about it, besides that fact. "And for that I am indebted." He made a sweeping bow to Gedia. "May I have the honor of escorting the lady to Slytherin Hall?"
She frowned, not amused. "No, thank you," she said simply, her blue eyes emotionless. She preferred not to associate with anyone Snape chose to associate with. Of course, that didn't narrow her options much, as Snape talked less than she did.
The smile on his face faded somewhat, becoming a forced grin. "Very well." He turned and stalked over to where Snape was waiting. Gedia's eyes met those of the dark-haired Slytherin, but once he noticed that she realized he had been staring at her, he quickly averted his eyes and left with Malfoy.
"See ya round, Kacela," Peter growled as he hurried after the other three Marauders, leaving her, as she preferred it, alone.
"Not if I can help it," she muttered darkly. "Ya ugly git."
Things had simply gone downhill from there as she had become the Marauders second favorite target, next to Snape. The classification did not amuse her in the least.
She rolled over on her stomach and rested her chin on her arms. That was when she noticed the pair of pointed shoes in front of her face. Her eyes traveled upwards, up the flowing robes, up the long white beard, up into the sparkling blue eyes of Professor Dumbledore.
"Professor!" she gasped, leaping to her feet.
He attempted to look stern, but, as usual, failed miserably. "Calm yourself, Miss Kacela. You're not in trouble yet."
"I'm sorry, Professor. I didn't see-"
"Well! I should hope you did not see me, or I should be forced to find a new Invisibility charm." He chuckled at his joke, then attempted to appear serious. "Now, one must wonder what a young Slytherin like yourself is doing in here at this time of night, without... permission?"
"I was..." A hundred excuses flew through her mind, each more absurd than the last. She was... lost? Sleepwalking? Under the influence of a spell? "Thinking." Somehow, it didn't seem wise to lie to Dumbledore. He was the type of person who could always discern a lie from the truth.
He nodded solemnly. "Thinking... a most noble task. I myself have spent a great portion of my years on this earth simply thinking. May I inquire, however, as to why you are not able to think in the comfort of your own room?"
"I..." She paused, and a blush crept into her cheeks. He was right... she should be in her room, not here, not now. How could she explain this? She herself did not even know the words to describe it. She glanced up at Dumbledore and found him gazing upwards, much as she had only moments earlier.
"They're quite beautiful, aren't they?" He winked at her before returning his gaze to the bewitched ceiling. "The stars, I mean. They can give you a sense of peace when all your life seems in shambles. Somehow, they always give you the comfort that you are not alone, that there is something else out there." He returned his sparkling gaze to her. "Forgive me, Miss Kacela, I was rambling. It is easy to get lost in the heavens."
A genuine smile brightened her face. "I understand completely, Professor."
"Good, good... I would hate to think that I were growing senile in my old age. Now, you'd best head back to your quarters, Miss Kacela, before someone else happens to stumble upon you."
"Thank you," she said softly, hurrying out of the Great Hall. But she didn't get far before she bumped directly into the last person she wanted to see- Severus Snape. He was stumbling down the hall, clutching at his right hand with a pained expression on his face.
They collided and each tumbled backwards with a grunt. Gedia stared at him. The boy had the sleeve of his right arm rolled up, his usually pale skin was reddened frightfully. His hand was the worst, though. It was a deep red and swollen to twice its normal size. She silently hoped it was as painful as it looked. "Are you okay?" she asked without thinking.
He simply glared at her. "What are you doing here?"
She didn't get a chance to respond, for at that moment Dumbledore came bustling around the corner. He clucked his tongue good-naturedly as he helped Snape to his feet. "Didn't I tell you someone would stumble across you?" he asked her with a smile.
With that, the headmaster escorted the boy down the corridor to the hospital wing. Snape was whimpering something about a snake.
Gedia had to resist the cruel but instinctive urge to smile. The sight of seeing Severus so near to tears was positively thrilling. She would have to be sure to pass along her gratitude to those responsible, though she was almost positive that the party in question would be the notorious Marauders.
Still, Snape was sure to be kept in the hospital wing for several days, by the looks of his arm, which meant that her last two days before Christmas break would be absolute bliss.
Or at least, that was the plan.
END PART ONE