Slytherin Girl
by The UnforgivableWARNING: While this story contains no gratuitous sex or violence, if you are ardently anti-Snape or pro-James Potter, things could get ugly fast.
NOTE: Assume all usual disclaimers. All the characters you recognize belong to J. K. Rowling. That means (in order of appearance) Marvolo Riddle, Tom Riddle, T. M. Riddle, Lucius Malfoy, Severus Snape, James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, Remus Lupin, Lily Evans (her maiden name has not been given yet in the books, but in an interview, Rowling said it was Evans), Rosier, Wilkes, Avery, Lestrange, Albus Dumbledore, and Minerva McGonagall. I've taken some liberties with their looks and ages, but please forgive me. Everyone else, you shouldn't recognize. That's because I made them up. King Arthur and Morgan le Fay don't belong to anyone, really, but I give credit for my inspiration to Marion Zimmer Bradley. I also had to take a few liberties with the story of Morgan le Fay. For the best version anywhere, read The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley. Thorough enough a disclaimer for you?
Chapter 1
Dear Miss Morgain,
"Rebecca!" came her mother's exasperated voice. "Didn't I tell you to go play outside?"
Reluctantly, Rebecca closed her book, holding her place with her finger. "I don't want to play outside, mum," she groaned. Celeste was a formidable woman, standing in the doorway to her daughter's room with her arms crossed, tapping her foot.
"What are you reading now?" Without waiting for an answer, she went on. "Always got your nose buried in those muggle books. Can't you do something active for once?"
Rebecca sighed. How many times would she have to explain to her mother before she understood? "They aren't all muggle books, mum. Some of them are your old school books. Besides, I don't want-"
But her mother cut her off. "I know you like to read, dear, and I know it's a wonderful pastime, but we didn't come to visit Aunt Sarah for no reason." She closed the door to Rebecca's room as she spoke, and moved to the chair in the corner. She beckoned her ten year old daughter to come sit on her lap. Then she went on, "you know Aunt Sarah doesn't like me very much. She thinks that because I married a muggle, that makes me lower class." Bitterness was creeping into her voice. "even though we were only married for a few months before he found out I was a witch and had it annulled."
Rebecca squirmed. She was old enough that she felt slightly uncomfortable sitting on her mother's lap. "Mum," she moaned, "I know all this, OK?"
Her mother, however, didn't let her get up. "So what are you reading?" she asked, lifting the book from Rebecca's hand. When she saw the title, she sucked in her breath.
"Mum?" asked Rebecca. "Are you all right?"
"You're reading a book about King Arthur?"
Rebecca did not answer right away, but looked quizzically at her mother, who understood her daughter's expression and murmured, "I suppose I should tell you."
"Tell me what?" asked Rebecca, hoping that whatever her mother had to say would be more interesting than rehashing her mother's failed marriage for the umpteenth time.
"Well," started her mother. This already had the looks of a long story, so Rebecca wiggled her way onto the floor as her mother spoke. "I suppose you have read a bit about King Arthur's, erm, lover, Morgan le Fay?" Rebecca nodded. "Well, that name is French for Morgan the Fairy. She wasn't a real fairy," she hurried on, seeing her daughter's startled look, "but people back then. . .they disliked witches, but they loved fairies. So Morgan went by the title fairy, to protect herself. She was quite a sorceress."
Her mother's voice had taken on a slightly dreamy quality. "The son Morgan had with Arthur was not, contrary to popular belief, her only child. She also had a daughter, by another man, who she named Rebecca. You are named after her."
Rebecca blinked. "Are we related to her or something?" she asked.
Her mother smiled. "Morgan le Fay was also known as Morgaine."
"But that's-" started Rebecca.
"Yes, that's our last name. At that time, people's last names were given to them later in life, based on where they were from, what they did, or who they were related to.
"When Rebecca left her mother, she used Morgaine as a last name. She had a son, also out of wedlock, who carried the name Morgaine down over hundreds of years, to us." Rebecca's interest was waning. This was going to turn out to be one of her mother's long boring speeches after all. She tuned her out, and stared longingly at her book, now resting on her desk.
Every now and then, a word or two of what her mother was saying would catch hold. "The name was originally spelled with an 'e' on the end, but over time, it was dropped."
Her mother traced the family down all the way through Rebecca's grandparents, and Rebecca started listening again. She had never heard her mother talk about what her family had been like before she married.
"My older sister, Sarah, was always very haughty, very proud to be a pure-blood. To me, it never mattered. When Sarah married another pure-blood, everyone assumed I would do the same.
"I however, had designs on a muggle boy. Everyone was horrified. How had I even met a muggle? The had sent me to a wizarding school for a reason. But I thought Marv Riddle was the most wonderful person. He was named after his grandfather, Marvolo, but he thought Marv was a better name. Personally, I didn't agree. His uncle Tom's son was also named after Marvolo, and his father. Tom Marvolo. Such an interesting name."
She suddenly realized that she was putting her daughter to sleep. "Just look at me!" she exclaimed. "I came in here to make you go outside, and I ended up shutting us both in. You cunning little scamp. Go now."
"Oh, mum," groaned Rebecca. But her mother wouldn't hear it. She pointed to the door.
"But-"
"Go!" Her mother was starting to get angry. Rebecca, muttering rebelliously under her breath, went to play with her cousin Lucius.
