Chapter 3

A Slytherin Surprise

I try to spend as little time in the common room as possible for the next week which leads me to strange places to spend my time. A lot of which is in the dungeon's many halls in fact. No Gryffindor in their right mind would look for me down here. I lean against one of the stone walls as I sit on the cold ground. Tears silently slip down my face for what feels like the hundredth time this week. It's become a regular thing for me this week. I try to focus on my sketch. I'm sketching a young woman sitting on a crescent moon starring at all the many stars.

I'm so focused on the face I'm drawing and holding back my tears that I don't notice the wall in front of me open. The boy that steps out defiantly notices me though. He clears his throat in a pompous manner that gets my attention.

I look at him with my swollen eyes and just blink at him. He squints at my puffy face and his once cold face turns slightly soft. "What are you doing down here? Are you in Slytherin?"

I can only shake my head. I don't know what to do. I really don't want a fight with a Slytherin right now.

"Well, what house are you in?" I gulp and look down at my sketch. Slowly I look back up into his black eyes. I recognize him now. It's Severus, Lily's friend. That makes me feel slightly more confident.

"I'm Grace Leafling from Gryffindor." He looks curious when he hears my response.

"Are you friends with Lily by any chance?"

I nod, "yeah… she's my only friend." He frowns at my words and sits next to me against the wall.

"Why are you crying?" I look down at my drawing. I don't want to tell him. Lily has told me all the mean things Black and James used to do to him. I don't want him to get himself worked up and angry. I settle for shaking my head.

"Someone hurt you?"

"Why are you even talking to me? I'm a Gryffindor. You're supposed to be hexing me right now right?" He shakes his head and smirks a little.

"You're changing the subject, how very Slytherin of you. But, I'll bite. You are friends with Lily, that's good enough for me usually. Although, her taste in men leaves something to be desired." He leans over to me. "I would have gone for Lupin, not that prat Potter! Ugh! At least it wasn't Black! I would have had a thing or two to say to her about him!" I stiffen at his name. Snape obviously noticed because he's sitting so close to me.

"Oh! Not much of a Black fan either are you?" I shake my head and I can feel angry tears threaten to spill. He places a hand on my shoulder and gives it a light squeeze. "Tell me what's wrong; what did that idiot do this time?"

"He… he… called me a freak." I can barely say it above a whisper I'm so sad and angry.

I look over a Snape. He looks slightly furious. "He called you what?" I shake my head.

"Nothing important… he was right."

"That's doesn't give him the right to say hurtful things!"

"Snape don't!" I grab his arm as he makes to get up. "Please, I know you and him just stopped hexing each other. Please don't start again on my account. I would never forgive myself if you got hurt because of me." He blinks down at me in shock before settling down next to me again.

"You and Lily would be friends you're both so noble and Gryffindor like. She is remarkably kind as you are. Although you might be more so even. If you don't mind me asking why did he call you a freak in the first place?"

I look down towards the ground and play with my pencil. "I'm always alone these days. Lily is always off with James, and I don't have other human friends. He saw me hugging the Whomping Willow and thought I had lost my marbles and that it was going to kill me. I tried to tell him it liked me and wouldn't hurt me if I wanted it to. But he doesn't understand. He's Mr. Popular. Can get anyone he wants, bloke or bird. He doesn't understand what is different from him. And I am as different as they come."

"How so, you seem normal enough to me?" I give him a sideways smirk, from what Lily has told me about him, he's not so normal either.

"I read Greek myths and American comics. And, when I'm not doing that I just study or draw. I'm nerdy, and that confuses him. He thinks girls should flip their hair and bat their eyelashes at him." Snape sinkers and pats my knee.

"Black is an idiot, plain and simple. Why are you letting it get to you like this? Is there more to the story then what you're telling me?" I can't help but smile a little.

"You Slytherin's! You just have to figure everything out don't you? How do I know you won't just go off and tell your little snake friends all my secrets?" He shrugs his shoulders at me as nonchalant as possible, but the look on his face tells me he's hiding something.

"You don't, unfortunately you only have the word of a Slytherin. But at least believe me when I say that you are not the only one in need of a few friends. I am mostly a loner like yourself." He leans over to whisper the next part. "I think you are intriguing, if I were to have a friend, it would be someone like you." He holds out his hand to shake mine. I look down at it curiously. He's a Slytherin, I'm a Gryffindor, could we really be friends? I guess I've never really been one for tradition. I grab his hand and shake it firmly. "Good! Now, what else is one your mind Leafling?"

"If we are going to be friends it's going to have to be a first name deal. Call me Grace or Gracie Severus." He smirks again.

"Okay I'll call you Gracie but you have to call me Sev." I can't help but laugh.

"Deal!" We shake hands again.

"It's Lupin… I'm the one that likes him. He's not as foolish or ignorant as the other Gryffindor boys; he actually cares about things and has a general interest in something other than quidditch! Anyway, he was with Black when he called me a freak. He looked angry, and I didn't really give him a chance to get angry at Black, but I can't like him knowing that if we ever got together he might feel he has to choose between me and his friends. I know more than some that friends are important wherever you can find them, and I would never be able to let him pick me over them and go away happy. So, I'm angry that because Black is a PRICK!... I sacrifice dating the one boy that has ever shown a genuine interest in me…." I look at Severus. "Other then you that is." He nods.

"I understand. I think though, that if you always let your kindness come between you and your own happiness, you are going to be a very sad and lonely person. Although a commendable quality that many will love and appreciate in you… you will find yourself unhappy more than often, it's time to worry about things like that when the time comes. The world usually has a way of working things like that out in the end. The world isn't going to ignore a kindness such as yours."

I shrug, I feel better that I've talked about it, but I still feel sick that it still all holds true. "Thanks Sev, I feel a little better." I turn to him and hug him around the neck. I don't expect him to hug me back, but I feel his arms rap around me right away. We pull away and smile at each other.

"Oh! Sev, I'm sorry you were headed off somewhere weren't you?"

He nods… "Well, yes but it's not important, just a little stroll." To my great surprise, and amusement, he's blushing slightly. His pale cheeks are turning a slight pink shade. I can't hold back a stream of giggles. "What are you laughing at?" He too beings to laugh. "Oh my, your laugh is infectious!" I start poking him in the ribs to get him laughing more. Finally we stop; we're breathing heavy but smiling.

"So, Sev, you going to tell me where you were headed that was embarrassing enough to make a Slytherin blush?"

"Just the Library, thought I would get some light reading material." His face flushes slightly but I decide to ignore it as I stand up.

"Well, I need to go work on my wordless charms for class tomorrow. I'm utter rubbish at them and I haven't studied at all since my little fight. Been too busy crying, didn't want to drip on my homework you know." I smile at him as he nods and stands.

"I could help you with those if you like. I'm not bad myself and I think we could both use some company."

"Agreed, tomorrow in the Library after dinner then?"

"Deal, see you then Gracie." He turns to go back into his common room, but I grab him and spin him around. I pull him in and hug him tight. Again he surprises us both by hugging me back. I release him soon after, I don't want to make him uncomfortable. I smile one last time and turn away, running down the long hall back to Gryffindor tower.

When I get in I keep my head down and go directly up to the girls dorms. I jump into my bed and pull the curtains around me. I whisper a silencing spell and start giggling.

'Hell yes! New friend! Take that world! I don't care he's a Slytherin so you can forget about making it into a big thing! HA!' I take a deep breath to calm the inner monologue that wants to scream at the world.

I smile up at the fabric above my head with a big sigh of relief before pulling out my books and parchment.

You like how I snuck in Severus there? I thought it was cute, they are both loners in need of a friend and they have Lily in common so yeah! Lol more of them to come, it shall be good fun indeed! Let me know what you all think so I can make happy seeing noises that freak my dad out!