The Snake and The Lioness
v. 2 revised, rewritten and improved
By HeavensEvangel
Disclaimer
The Snake and the Lioness is a work of fan-fiction. It is all within the world of Harry Potter created by J.K Rowling, all rights to the Harry Potter word belong to her. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Prologue
It was sixth year. Scorpius was more than ready to start it as one of the smartest students in class, of course that itself was a give in. He worked far too hard to let his reputation or grades slip. As he looked around the classroom it quickly came to his attention that his side of the room was rather short one student. He frowned. Who left this year? He tried to remember who it was. It was probably one of the few Slytherins that had gotten in by pure luck and finally realized they weren't talented and left. Some times he thought that sorting hat was getting on in its old age. His gray eyes settled on the other side of the class room to their rival house. The Gryffindor side looked awfully even, but there was someone missing there too. He could feel the dread sink in his stomach as he looked towards Professor Quintell.
"It seems we're missing people." She trailed off as she spoke, looking over the attendance while thinking of some way to make the students even for both sides.
He wished she would say he would be alone. Please say I'll be alone, please, please. He mentally begged. His hopes were dashed the moment he heard someone running in the room only to skid to a halt. When he turned he looked over in annoyance. He knew that girl.
"I'm so sorry professor! I caught two students fighting in the hallways and had to intervene." The girl in question had light reddish brown hair with a single streak of blonde in it, it was in a braid down her back and was tied with red ribbons. Her prefect badge was gleaming in the dim light provided by the candles and torches in the potions classroom. She looked up at her with bright green eyes in apology. There was a bruise forming on her face where she got hit and her voice was gratingly American. This girl was not of noble English blood and likely a mud-blood.
A smirk formed on the professor's face as she looked between the girl and the lone Malfoy.
He glared at his head of house, he knew what that look meant.
"Well, since you're here late, albeit for a good reason, you will have to receive punishment." There was a glint in her eye.
She grimaced. First day back and I'm getting punished? I've never been punished for anything, least not at school.
"Slytherin house is uneven this year and Gryffindor has strangely enough lost a student as well over the summer. So to make up for this, you will be partners with Mr. Malfoy."
The Slytherin side hissed at the suggestion and sent glares both at their professor and the prefect. They didn't want her on their side of the room. There was no way that they would accept her here.
She flushed a little. Something tells me this is going to be a rough year. "Professor please... can't I just work alone?" She asked softly.
Professor Ameris Quintell stared at her blankly and pointed to the table. "Get to your seat Ms. Snow." She proceeded to wave her off as she turned to the board and enchanted the chalk, ready to start the lesson. The purple haired woman would hear no more complaints out of either side.
The girl referred to as Ms. Snow, turned towards Scorpius and reluctantly sat in the empty seat beside him. "Hi," she hesitated, "I'm Elizabeth Snow." She attempted to be civil. If they were going to be partners in class they had to get along, at least she had hoped they would.
The Gryffindors were sending death glares at the Slytherin side. Although none of the people in her house knew her well enough, or acknowledged her, they didn't like the fact that one of their own was being subjected to being paired up with their mortal enemy.
The same sentiments could be said for the Slytherin side, but unlike Elizabeth who knew practically no one from her class, most of the students on the Slytherin side knew Scorpius well, even if he didn't associate with them often.
He frowned, some of his silver blonde hair came loose from being slicked back. The boy was the exact image of his father, Draco Malfoy, who sat in this very room ages ago before him. He glared at her. "I really don't care who you are. Just don't screw up my grade in this class." He looked back towards the front of the class to listen to the lesson. Hn Americans. I didn't know this school actually accepted such brutes.
She shuddered a little at the way he looked at her before turning her attention towards the professor. I can't believe she would pull something like this on me. She leaned forward on the desk and listened intently, trying to ignore the glares she was receiving from the Slytherins, especially by the girls. This was going to be a long, long day.