Terebellum: 'gives a fortune, but with regret and disgrace, cunning, a mercenary nature and repulsiveness.'
Fluffing her dark, wavy hair while peering at herself in the mirror, Terebellum Crouch agreed with her reflection whole-heartedly - she had to be the best damn looking witch in Hogwarts, of any house or year. She had all the angular, dramatic features that both enticed and charmed as well as added a regal look to herself that no one else could touch. What she lacked in most, being only fourteen, were womanly hips and full breasts as they hadn't quite developed - yet. Thankfully the Slytherin uniform and cloak did an excellent job of masking those more lanky aspects of herself. It helped that she got her mother's looks, though Terebellum would be loath to admit if they had anything else in common.
Charis Black, although beautiful by anyone's standards and certainly her own, was often overbearing and Terebullum found Hogwarts to be a haven, where she did not constantly have to hear about all the plans for when she was older; who she would marry, where they would live, and all of those details that Terebellum didn't feel was necessary to bother with. After all she had the Crouch inheritance cut that could sustain her for a lifetime and she was only in her fourth year at Hogwarts, for Godric's sake, there was no need to interrogate her every second of the day!
It didn't really matter much to the rest of her classmates that she was still considerably young, first years knew it was only a three year difference and seventh years decided there was a fuzzy line between fourth and fifth that she -with her vexing aura that could almost rival a Veela's- crossed into or, at least, was worthy to fancy. Not that Terebellum could say the same in such confidence, it was rather that she realized her charms and used them to her advantage, wouldn't any person in her position do the same?
After all, her flirtatious and playful nature wasn't to be taken seriously, she had no bad intentions -or at least none that could be warranted as evil- she only wanted to make the best she could of her time at Hogwarts before anyone could force her into being a dutiful, pureblood society-girl housewife.
Though most of the time she did not think she got it nearly as bad as the other Black's did, whenever she saw her cousins, aunts and uncles they would constantly gossip with those of whom they were fond of. Whenever someone was shunned it was as if that person didn't exist anymore, as if they didn't deserve the time of day. No matter how nagging or prim her mother was, she did not speak poorly of anyone, and for this she was often teased as being considered the most 'merciful'. Who knew just being quiet during family events could earn one that title.
"Your hair looks wonderful 'Bellum, I don't see why you always insist on playing with it," Druella Rosier commented. An impish sort of girl with a long, pointed nose and blonde hair cut to her ears, Druella had been the only girl Terebellum found she could get along with in Slytherin. The rest normally wanted to hear about her handsome, older second-cousin in his last year, Cygnus Black. Even if she had possessed a better relationship with him than the basic barely-existent one, the last thing she would want to hear is how amazing his dark eyes are or that they would just love to 'run their fingers through his glossy hair, just once.' They had many of the same features, why on earth would she want to hear any of them drone on about it?!
"Well you wouldn't be lying" Terebellum joked, giving Druella a smirk through the mirror. "You don't suppose those frittering girls will be back anytime soon, do you? Honestly they could put me in St. Mungo's by the end of this year alone, never mind the next three,"
Sighing, Druella rolled over on her bed. "Considering you made me pretend an injury in Potions with Slughorn and volunteered to assist me to the infirmary thirty minutes ago, I assume that we still have until classes end and the ten minutes it will take for them to get here," Druella was still a bit bitter about the last-minute scheme, she hadn't quite finished the potion she was working on for the day.
"Oh quit with the sarcasm, Slughorn wouldn't bat an eye if he found you guilty of breaking the Statute of Secrecy. While being the shining example of a good witch that you are, I know you want to help benefit other purebloods, such as myself, that don't quite have the same extent of special favourtism," Terebellum said in persuasion, using the 'pureblood' card that only worked on people who actually gave a crap. Seeing as Terebellum was only really in the interest of herself, unfortunately for her that sphere happened to be about the size of an Easter egg.
With Druella not facing the mirror anymore, Terebellum couldn't make out any sort of reaction. "That's true..."
Terebellum smiled at herself in the mirror again, really she couldn't help but be pleased. "We might have missed out on assigned work, maybe we should have a study session tomorrow to make up for it," Terebellum suggested, though it was more for her own benefit than for Druella's, who normally didn't need the extra brainpower.
"Why not? We do have a Potions quiz sometime this week anyway,"
"We do?"
"Oh! Um... the Professor said so, I mean he accidentally let it slip at the 'Slughorn Club' evening refreshments... you know, while in casual conversation? Told us not to say anything when he realized, though I guess I just told you. You won't say anything, will you?" Druella was now completely facing her, large brown eyes that were normally heavy-lidded now wide in pleading.
Terebellum had to scoff. For a girl so dedicated to their friendship, she was often prone to reaching for the most drastic conclusions quickly, normally these imply that Terebellum would jump at the chance to ruin her in whatever way possible. Terebellum didn't let herself think about why that would possibly cross the blonde's mind. "No, Drew, why on earth would I do such a thing? Besides I would never be able to build up anywhere near as good of an impression as you have on Slughorn, it would take actually trying to convince him that I think he's a fantastic teacher."
"Isn't he, though? He's rather fair, and he knows which students are the best ones... well, besides a few of the Mudblood's he lets into the Club, in fact you would probably be in if they were properly excluded. Probably only does that so no one can claim he doesn't support diversity," Druella says thoughtfully, her acceptance of some of Slughorn's less pure tactics clear.
Terebellum turned from the mirror, mounted onto the wall just beside her own bed, frowning slightly. That was exactly the problem she had with Slughorn. Well, not the Mudblood part as she could really care less, but that he very publicly invites particular students that he finds to be a more intellectual tier beyond the rest screams favouritsm, allowing them much more lead-way in Potions class that others, who might not immediately exceed at the subject, need. Yet his usual attitude is to cast those less talented aside, not outright ignoring them exactly, but all the same it wasn't a nice feeling to have one's genius older brother and Potions-talented best friend treated as if they were somehow better.
What normally made her feel better about this was that Ascella, her younger sister, was never invited either.
Deciding that it was high time to retreat from the dormitory before any of the other fourth year Slytherin girls could arrive Druella and Terebellum got comfortable in the Slytherin common room, a place that always had moisture in the air as it was right by the lake and rather Gothic in appearance, from the black steel chandeliers to the foreboding way the green and silver cloth hung dramatically. When Terebellum first saw it she had been both thoroughly disappointed yet not at all surprised, as it looked like a miniature of any pureblood household. Slytherins were meant to feel right at home.
Not at all the feeling Terebullum wished to have.
There were a few other Slytherins milling about the place, all in the upper years with free time periods in their schedule. If only Terebellum's father didn't pressure her and her siblings, Barty and Ascella, into piling in as many courses as they could possible for academic success. He had of course been sorted into Ravenclaw as Caspar Crouch was not a direct descendant of the Black Family, and probably would have encouraged them to be sorted into it if their mother weren't so adamant. At least Bartemius, being the most intelligent and ambitious of the three Crouch siblings, found the overflow of school work enjoyable.
Normally Terebellum got Druella and a few other more 'loyal' Slytherin's to pitch in, under the guise that they were just helping her and not literally doing everything in their capability. Fortunately most people at Hogwarts didn't actually study, so she could normally just barely pass in her classes without anyone the wiser. Except for Bartemius and Ascella, the former rather characteristically indifferent to her methods as long as she didn't outright cheat and the latter chastising her for not living up to her full, 'pureblood potential'. She always was the most crony-like of the Crouch children and it never wore off even in Ascella's three years at Hogwarts surrounded by halfbloods and Mudbloods. Often Terebellum would cynically muse that at least some of their mother's conditioning had worked.
Really she was surprised that the doctrine hadn't rubbed off on her as much. It was probably that most people in Slytherin were already full of it, anymore and the amount of self-importance in one place would make the world implode. Not that Terebellum wasn't self-important already, she just didn't go strutting about because of who her great-great-whomever had been, though she thought her heritage was cool it didn't seem like something to hold over anyone else's head. Well, except for the other purebloods who wanted even closer connections to the 'Most Ancient and Noble House of Black' if only to preserve the precious pure bloodlines.
Their conversation drew on into the common room and Terebellum was excited to see, fifteen minutes after the last class of the day had finished, the three other fourth year Slytherin girls creeping into the common room and bee lining for their dormitory. They had successfully avoided a run in with the Slimy Snake girls, as they had nicknamed the trio a year prior, Slytherin loyalty had never been put into question. Terebellum and Druella stuck together and the rest could fend for themselves. Okay maybe not 'the rest', just the fourth year girls, all the other Slytherins Terebellum didn't have much of a problem with. Even though she never really understood the 'self-importance' thing it didn't really bother her.
"Thank the celestial stars," Terebellum sighed gratefully. "Now hopefully they'll be clever enough not to rat on us for bunking class,"
"They won't," Druella claimed. "No one wants trouble from you, 'Bellum, too afraid that Barty'll give them hell for it,"
Terebellum raised a brow. "Not a chance, he's never been the particularly protective or, you know, loving sort. Keeps to his studies so much he probably wouldn't even hear about it,"
"Still, it would be taking a risk," Druella sung shrilly.
"Well, anyway, what do you suppose will be on that quiz you mentioned earlier for Potions?"
During supper in the Great Hall Terbellum got the usual stolen glances from a number of boys from most tables except of course Gryffindor, where they took rivalries to the extreme and even fraternizing with the enemy could cause your morals to be questioned or, at the very worst level, social suicide. But that didn't mean she couldn't take a few extra looks at the boys in Gryffindor, and the glares she got from a couple of the more protective older girls amused her more than the slight blushes she got when a boy caught her. Terebellum would throw her head back and laugh with glee, none of the Slytherins were ever really bothered as most of them thought it was funny getting to the other houses as well. Strangely, it never did much to their popularity, whether because Slytherin didn't really have one or everybody knew they did what they wanted. Either way it was quite a toss up.
There was a tug just beside her and Terebellum whipped around, annoyed that her antics had been interrupted. "What?"
"'Bellum, Professor Slughorn is looking over here..." Druella said quietly, her voice wary.
Terebellum didn't bother looking, as she would rather not be forced into eye contact with the Potions teacher. "So? He's the head of this house, not really a huge deal that he would watch over us more closely,"
"No, 'Bellum, I mean he's looking right at us. Me and you,"
"Really? Shit. Okay well don't look back Drew that'll just make things worse. Just continue eating and let him be creepy, hopefully he'll just leave us alone," Terebllum constructed, yet knowing that the professor was probably still watching, her chews became more deliberate and she felt incredibly awkward. There had been no more flirty gestures made at the other houses. Damn it why did Slughorn insist on ruining her life?
Luckily it seemed that he didn't actually intend to bother either of them as supper continued on, conversations were started, jokes were made at others expense, gossip was exchanged... if there was one thing Slytherins were good at, it was sharing information. Or making up information, they were almost the same really. Except one happened to be less true, but it was almost always more entertaining so that had to count for something in balancing the two.
Finishing up her stew and salad Terebellum crossed her cutlery atop her plate and bunched up her napkin, putting it on the upper most layer. Then she saw something to the left just entering her line of vision and panicked just a bit. What she had been expecting was bad, but the person she was met with as her dark eyes trailed upwards was even worse.
"Hello, Terebellum," Ascella greeted. The younger Crouch sister didn't take after their mother at all, with her mousy brown hair and pale brown eyes, a nose that was round and slightly plump with soft cheeks that became massive whenever she smiled, which wasn't very often.
Terebellum wasn't too keen on starting a friendly evening chat with her sister any time soon. The girl always brought down the vibe and she hated that. "Good night, Ascella," She said in return, feeling a bit clever as it was and her words implied that she wanted Ascella to go away. Weren't there a bunch of third year Slytherins frittering about that she could take to? Because Terebellum would gladly hand over some fourth years if that wasn't the case.
"I've heard that Druella had a bit of an accident this afternoon?" She asks inquisitively, eyeing a poor, uncomfortable Druella just sitting there on the bench waiting for things to blow over between the Crouch sisters.
"Yes, I took her to the infirmary,"
"Well I also heard that you, Terebellum, didn't come back to class at all when it should have taken you only fifteen minutes tops to get there and back, with the hallways not crowded. Not to mention you took your books with you there,"
Terebellum sighed, exasperated, not at all in the mood to deal with an uptight underclassmen even if it was her younger sister. "It is none of your concern what I do, Ascella, if you really want me to receive heck for it I'm certain sending a letter to mum would do just as fine,"
"No, it wouldn't-"
"Excuse me, ladies?" A third voice, distinctly male and definitely not Druella, pushed itself into the quarreling. Both girls turned to come face-to-face with Professor Slughorn, smiling that ridiculous smile of his and Terebellum had to hold back a groan at the crap luck she was having today. Couldn't everyone just let her miss a class or two in peace? It wasn't like she was gone for the entire lesson, either!
"Yes, Mr. Slughorn?" Ascella asked innocently. Terebellum nearly glowered at her. Who does Ascella even think she is, as if she ever liked him? Well she generally respected most teachers except Headmaster Dippet and Professor Dumbledore, she had made many comments about how they're a couple of 'old quacks'. Still, it was unnerving.
"I would like to have a private chat with the elder Miss Crouch, if you mind, about today's Potions class?"
"Certainly, Mr. Slughorn," Grinning, Ascella did a stupid little curtsy and dashed off to, God willing, the Forbidden Forest. Well, at least that's where Terebellum preferred she'd go at the moment.
"You can go now too, Miss Rosier," He said, smiling jovially at the blonde. Druella very thankfully got up from her seat and nodded towards the Professor, then left in a rush. The Great Hall was emptying, there weren't many people left but the stragglers and some of the Professors who were chatting a bit with each other at the staff table.
"Now Miss Crouch I do assume you know about the rules and, while I try to be a bit lax on my students knowing how harsh some of the Professors can be on them, and while leaving the lesson temporarily to help one's friend is perfectly alright, I do not appreciate when students choose not to come back," He allowed for a pause.
Terebellum expected that he would give her some sort of detention, knowing Slughorn probably something easy like lines.
"Now seeing as for the most part you are rather respectable during my class in comparison to what I've heard from other Professor's I won't be necessarily punishing you, as I'm afraid only doing so will make you draw back from my class as well. Instead, you will notice that a few changes will be set in place for tomorrow so that all of my students, yourself, Miss Rosier and all the rest, will benefit. Is that something you would be in favour of, Miss Crouch?"
The proposition sounded like something she wouldn't like but, when she already had two other detentions to attend to this week -one for being fifteen minutes late to Herbology class and the other for being caught past proper hours- who was she to pass up the opportunity for the replacement of a third? As usual she would live with the consequences when she got there. For now, going along with whatever Slughorn had in mind would be astronomically better than another day of lines or perhaps cleaning up the beakers and tubes in the dingy Potions room.
"I would...?" Terebellum somewhat agreed, still a bit hesitant despite having already internally decided.
"Excellent! That's all I really wanted to discuss with you, Miss Crouch, you may be on your way," He smiled pleasantly, which felt odd to Terebellum as he usually gave her a look of total apathy.
Turning to leave, Terebellum had no idea that she had just initiated the change that would grip her for so many years to come. Change that would make her perceive the world differently and have others look at her in a new perception.
The next day, arriving in Potions with Druella in tow, Terebellum got the first look at what, exactly, Slughorn had been talking about the previous night. Rather than having the Hufflepuffs seated to one side of the room and the Slytherins on the other, all the students were rallied at the front in a formal line. Slughorn's back was facing them as he ushered them all closer together, not seemingly aware of the Hufflepuffs apprehension at this or the Slytherins bunched up faces in disapproval. Terebellum's steps slowed, and she almost felt like pushing Druella into the corner of a table or something so she could take her to the infirmary wing again no matter how infuriated this would make Slughorn. Though she had trouble picturing the Professor behaving severe or domineering towards anyone, even his own students.
Luckily she had caught some of the words he'd been giving her classmates. "-worry, the new arrangement will only last for a week, nothing more. Think of it as a treat, even!" He encouraged, but it was too obvious that not a single one of them would.
"What's going on here?" Druella asked, curious, from Terebellum's side.
As if Slughorn had a special ear separately for all the students he liked best, he swivelled around as soon as Druella spoke and smiled even wider. Coming closer to them, Terebellum felt a deep carnal instinct to flee from the area. To her dorm, perhaps, where she could take a well-deserved nap instead. Already she'd had enough of today. Whether it was by shock or subconsciously knowing that this would get her into real trouble with Slughorn Terebellum stayed rooted to her spot.
"Hello, Miss Rosier!" He greeted, not at all welcoming towards Terebellum. "Come, come, I'll be beginning class in just a moment!" He assured, directing the girls towards the formed line at the front.
"Now everyone it has come to my attention that many of you take the privilege of sitting with your dear mates for granted! This has lent way to some less than ideal choices made by some of you, so in order to correct this behaviour I have decided to make the next week -a full five days to exclude the weekend- one in which you will sit with someone from a different house. Hopefully, this change will help each of you put greater focus into your studies and perhaps allow yourself to not be so easily won over by the decision of a friend," He explained, and towards the end had looked directly towards Druella.
Well, at least she could see now who he was really trying to help. So much for the possibility that Slughorn would do this specifically and exclusively for an underachiever.
With a bit of time and Slughorn's stupid, incessant talking as white noise for the background Terebellum found that it wasn't necessarily as bad as it had first appeared. Yes the most favoured and successful student in their class was no longer her partner, but it wasn't as if all the Hufflepuffs were absolutely horrid at the subject. There happened to be a few that were at least on par with the Slytherins and getting stuck with one of them could be even better than having Druella. At least they don't constantly moan on and on. No, the little Puffers were generally good at letting other people get what they want, and Terebellum could most certainly deal with that.
Two by two Slughorn pulled students together and pointed at any given station for them, moving down the line until Terebellum was the next Slytherin to be reassigned. She half expected that Slughorn would deliberately ignore her and pass on to the next one but of course he wasn't that rude. He lightly placed a hand on her shoulder and one on a random Hufflepuff boy and pushed them off into a direction, not even giving them any indication of which station he wanted them to head to. Without much care Terebellum picked one out on the third row towards the middle as to be inconspicuous during lessons. Dumping her books on top of the tables surface she claimed the spot for herself and the Hufflepuff as someone had to do it.
"Are you just going to stand there, Puff?" Terebellum asked, sitting down on a stool.
The boy shuffled over, and momentarily Terebellum wondered if he was handsome or not. Unfortunately his face had been obscured as he was looking down towards the floor, and when he sat he adjusted his head away from her a bit with one hand cupping his face.
"What's with you? Slytherins don't bite, promise," she said, trying to make the most of their new arrangements.
The boy didn't seem to be having it, as he said nothing.
Terebellum raised a brow. "Aren't you Hufflepuff's supposed to be all nice and fuzzy? I swear that was in a handbook I read once,"
Then he turned to her, with hazel eyes and olive skin and Terebellum was impressed. He looked good, for a fourth-year Hufflepuff. Terebellum normally found that none of them grew into themselves until they were at least in their sixth year. At the same time as soon as she saw him she knew he wasn't going to be charming in the least, not by the way he scowled or the slump of his shoulders. What was she to deserve that look? Brussel sprouts?
"Listen, you're Terebellum Crouch, right? I'd rather not get insults flung at me today from a pureblood, so if we could just ignore each other for the week, that would be splendid,"
What? A Hufflepuff was standing up for themselves? When she hadn't said anything all that offensive in the first place? She didn't think calling him a Puff was that bad. However this did occasionally happen, when people would assume that she would start right on the derogatory terms as if that was some sort of obligation. She couldn't really blame him with how unrestrained many of the other Slytherin purebloods acted,and usually she would simply surround herself with other members of her house as to avoid running into any Mudbloods. Otherwise news would get around that she treated them just like everyone else and then everyone on her mum's side of the family would shun her immediately. Although she wasn't a complete bitch to them, for these reasons she wasn't known to be friendly towards Mudlboods either.
"I don't know what you've heard about me, Puff, especially with the way you said my name as if that would make me guilty of something, but as far as I know I haven't done anything to anyone that would make you, specifically, not want to speak to me. Now I would like this week to go just as smoothly, and even though old Slug Brains wants us to 'focus on school'' or whatever, I don't think he wants us acting particularly icy towards each other to do so,"
"Oh, right, sure. Ascella's your sister, isn't she? You must be so different from her, eh?" He asked sarcastically, with a mean bite.
"So what she's my sister, I think she's as much a prat as you probably do. We have a brother too and he's probably the smartest boy in Slytherin, doesn't mean that I'm any sort of outstanding student," Terebellum reasoned. "What's it to you, anyway? Did she hurt one of your little friends' muggle-born feelings?"
Wrong thing to say. He furrowed his brows in distaste and turned his gaze back to the front. Terebellum flicked her eyes towards the front too, just to see if Slughorn was done with his little experiment. No such luck, he was getting down to the last students and seemed to have a tough time deciding who would be sitting by Druella. Surprise surprise, only the rather outstanding students were up there as well. "Ugh, this is so irritating!" Terebellum moaned. "He was probably just looking for the opportunity this whole time to split me and Druella up and the one time I mess up he goes for the kill,"
"What're you talking about?" The Hufflepuff boy asked, gazing at Terebellum.
"This whole ridiculous new seating plan sort of happened because of me. You know how Druella, the blonde girl, had to go to the infirmary yesterday and I escorted her? Well I just got her to pretend so we could bunk class. Course he blames it on me entirely, I can just tell, 'cause she's his favourite in the class and me, barely passing, gets in her way I suppose. Not my fault she goes along with me,"
"Isn't she also an uppity pureblood?"
"I'm not 'uppity," Terebellum pouted.
"She's in the Slug Club?"
Terebellum nods.
"But you're not?"
"No, and neither is Ascella if that warms your Puffle heart. I'm guessing you're not in it either since you didn't know,"
He shakes his head. "No, Potions is horrendous. My name's Roddrick, by the way,"
"I like Puffle better,"
He frowns, which she smiles just a bit at. Good, he's easy to tease. "I'd rather not go by that,"
"Fine, if you insist. Has anyone ever told you that you are the most grumpy Huffle ever?"
"'Huffle' is just as bad,"
Before Terebellum could make any retort there was a very audible noise, someone clearing their throat, that drew in everyone's attentions. Professor Slughorn had finished placing everyone in their new, temporary seats and was now ready to properly continue the lesson. Thankfully today he did not make them go back to the potions they had been working on for the past couple days, allowing for a bit of a break so they could all get appropriately comfortable in their somewhat new surroundings.
Unfortunately the Hufflepuff didn't speak to her at all again throughout the entire class.
A/N:
Another multi-fic HP story! First off I have to say that Terebellum and Ascella Crouch AREN'T OC's. Sort of. You see Charis Black and Caspar Crouch had three kids and it's suspected that Barty Sr. is their son, while the two daughters remain unidentifiable except that they probs died before '95. For anyone who has read/is reading My Brother's Keeper, this is Noah and Libby's grandmother! The year is 1955 (I used the Black Family Tree as an approximate reference to when they would have gone to school with certain people, some of you might notice Cygnus and Druella are Draco's grandparents) so I just gave them personalities, names and appearances. Do you like them? Do you not?
Is the new seating arrangement corny? Trick question, it is. This is a lighthearted fic, more so than My Brother's Keeper, and therefore with a bit more cliches XD The real question is whether or not I gave it a bit of a twist. Anywho, please do review if you liked it, and if you didn't than why not, I'd really appreciate it!