Sleep didn't come easily on her first night back, as Camellia had been up until after midnight writing a letter to Vaughn that conveyed how good of a thing it was for Max to be a Gryffindor. Regulus had tried to help by giving some of the arguments his own brother had given, though Camellia knew those would just irritate him. And Regulus was negative about the whole thing anyway, so she hadn't bothered him after that. When she had finally fallen in bed, Camellia had been forced into a nightmare that made sleep seem very unappealing.
When she woke the next morning it was already late and there was a possibility that Max was up and waiting for her outside the Gryffindor common room. With that thought in mind she got ready as quickly as possible and ran up the stairs to reach the portrait. She stood fixing her hair as she watched a portrait of a woman that Severus had told her was the entrance. The portrait seemed fairly happy and she was singing some awful tune, but Camellia wasn't willing to comment on that. She didn't need to make an enemy out of the portrait because she was sure this wouldn't be the only time she waited for Max there.
The Gryffindors that came out gave her dirty looks, which she knew was because of the Slytherin emblem on her robes. She watched them with a cold, practiced expression that Vaughn had taught her when she was a first year. He'd explained the fact that Gryffindors and Slytherins were enemies and that she would be hated by every person in red and gold. So far the only proof that he was wrong was Max, and that was because he was her little brother.
She'd hoped for a while that Vaughn wrong. Camellia had never seen the need for a feud but she knew there was no way around it, so she played along. Not like some of the others who got into actual fights with the Gryffindors, but she was more than willing to glare and watch them with cold eyes. The Gryffindors hated that look because they hated to be looked down upon. It would bother her too, she knew, but no one had ever looked at her like that.
"Well hello,"
Camellia blinked and tore her attention away from the portrait, instead looking at the group of people that had walked out of it. She didn't know them as she hardly paid attention to the seventh years and she could tell they were the ones who were standing in front of her. "Is there something we can do for you? Because if not we don't need you dirtying the space in front of our common room,"
"Trust me, I'm not the-" Camellia began before the seventh years were pushed apart. Camellia folded her arms across her chest and frowned, watching the older students roll their eyes and start to drift away. She locked eyes with Remus Lupin for a moment, who looked like he was going to be sick, before he ran down the stairs and disappeared. Not even a second later his friends were running out too, and for once they didn't even stop to throw a glare in her direction. She raised an eyebrow before Max came out and smile at her. "Ready for breakfast?"
"My first one at Hogwarts," Max said excitedly, nodding. "I hope it's as good as dinner last night; not even Mina cooks that well,"
"Don't you dare let her hear that," Camellia said, rolling her eyes and throwing him a small glare. Max laughed and shook his head to show that he wouldn't actually tell their house elf anything. "So how did your first night go? Was everyone nice?"
She hadn't realized at the time that the simple question would lead her to a half hour long explanation of the boys in Max's dormitory and the first year girl he'd talked to after returning to the common room. It was only when she saw Professor McGonagall walking along the Gryffindor table that she pushed Max away so he could get his schedule. She got her own from Professor Slughorn, who smiled warmly at her before going on to the other students.
Camellia glanced at the Gryffindor table to see Max excitedly talking to his classmates about his schedule, and she smiled because for the first time since getting on the train she was certain that Max would be fine.
Over the course of the next week Camellia fell into a pleasant rhythm. She woke up early each morning so she could get ready and look halfway decent before she would walk up to the portrait of the fat lady to wait for Max. They ate breakfast together and Max told her about all of his classes before he would run off to join his Gryffindor friends. After he left she would go through her own classes and listen to the other Slytherins complain about her spending time with a Gryffindor. And she could even hear some of the Gryffindor boys complaining about her 'tainting their own'. She thought the entire thing was ridiculous but she didn't argue, because arguing meant causing a problem and she wasn't in the mood to do that. After classes she would spend an hour in the library helping Max with homework before she would return to her common room and do her own. It was nice; she definitely hadn't spent that much time with Vaughn when they went to Hogwarts together and Vaughn had been in her own house.
The letter she'd received from Vaughn in response to Max's house was the only thing to irritate her during her first week back. He'd been mad at her despite the fact that she didn't have any control over Max's house, and he'd very clearly stated that she was to make sure he didn't make friends with anyone in his own house and that he was to stick with the Slytherins. She hadn't listened to him because she knew the Gryffindors could make his life hell if he avoided them, and she didn't want him to deal with that. Besides, the first year Slytherins had bonded together on their first night and turned away anyone who approached them so Max had no chance.
He'd also stated that as punishment for her inability to do anything right she was to meet someone for lunch on their first Hogsmeade trip in October. Vaughn knew her feelings on being forced into relationships like most pureblooded girls were at her age, but apparently he no longer cared because he'd set her up with some boy he stated that she knew. He hadn't actually given a name which probably meant he was still looking for someone. Camellia knew she wasn't exactly a catch because most wanted their partners to be silent and willing, which she wasn't always. And she was more attached to family than to her house or anyone else, which would end up being a problem. The whole matter made her uncomfortable; her father had never been one for that kind of conversation because he'd had two sons to think about. And her mother, well, she wasn't always the most observant so she didn't notice what Camellia had wanted. Nor had she really cared.
She hadn't let the letter bother her too much though, as she'd finished reading it and immediately thrown it into the fire. Regulus, who she'd been sitting with when she'd gotten it, had looked mildly amused at the disgusted expression on her face. He hadn't questioned her which was, she realized, part of the reason why she liked him so much.
The second Saturday of the school year was a day of relief for her. She'd finished her assignments for the next few days the previous night so the day was completely her own. Max was busy with his own friends hanging out on the grounds, so Camellia had gone to the group of Ravenclaws she liked to speak to. They seemed happy to see her and they'd finished their assignments as well, so they ended up spending much of their day chatting in the library. Camellia was very willing to have a decent conversation with a girl, because most of the time she was around boys. Which was all good, she was happy with her friends, but talking about silly things like appearances and clothes were appreciated from time to time. Even the Ravenclaws talked about those kinds of things sometimes, though most of their conversations were a little more about intellectual matters.
Though she did feel a little left out during some of the conversation because the Ravenclaw girls had been around each other constantly for six years and Camellia was an outsider. Then again she was an outsider everywhere she went, even with Regulus. He had friends in his own year to pay attention to. And on the off chance she spent time with Severus Snape, which was a very rare thing indeed, he had his own gang as well. The only place she felt she truly belonged was with her family, and that had been falling apart for the last two years. Ever since her-
"Camellia you look like you're going to be sick," one of the girls, Anna, whispered. She was looking at Camellia with a concerned expression, as Camellia had paled at her thoughts. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine," she answered shortly, frustrated with herself for her tone. She knew that she should have been kinder, as Anna was only expressing concern, but she was still wary of people from other houses doing that. "Sorry, just a bad train of thought," she said, trying to explain her actions. Camellia usually tried to avoid doing that, but the Ravenclaws were nice enough to put up with her and she didn't like lying to them.
"As long as you're all right," Anna smiled before suddenly addressing the group and changing the topic to some of the magical creatures they'd seen in Care of Magical Creatures, which was a topic Camellia could add to very well. She wasn't half bad at the class though it was nowhere near her best, but the Ravenclaws seemed to appreciate what she was saying. It was moments like those that made hanging with the Ravenclaws worth it.
Her day ended with a surprise trip to the Astronomy Tower with the Ravenclaws which Camellia realized was some sort of party with a few members of other houses. Julie Andrews, the Hufflepuff prefect she got along with, was there with some friends of her own though she did wave. Camellia quickly became aware that she as the only Slytherin there to celebrate the completion of their first full week of school, which made her uncomfortable. She didn't mind events like this but when she was the only Slytherin and there were Gryffindors in attendance it made her feel awkward and she absolutely hated that feeling. Her decision to leave came when one of the Gryffindor girls produced a bottle of firewhiskey and a Ravenclaw boy had spilled his glass all over the front of her shirt. She'd never tried the alcohol before and she definitely didn't intend to that night. Vaughn would be furious he if got a letter from the school saying she'd been caught at a party with alcohol and was covered in the substance as well. He'd probably try to pull her out of school.
She walked through the corridors quietly, as it was after hours and she knew there were teachers and prefects walking around. She would probably be lucky enough to run into a prefect from another house who would gladly give her detention; Vaughn would be furious then as well. Either way, she didn't need a detention after only a week and a half of school. Camellia rarely got detentions anyway and she found them to be a major waste of time. She wasn't like the Gryffindor boys in her year, as they seemed to have detentions every week. Well, Remus Lupin didn't but the others did.
Remus Lupin had finally started to interest Camellia. It was probably because she'd heard stories from Max about how he'd offered his own help with Max's essays when Max couldn't come to her. That or that Max constantly talked about the boy because he looked up to him in the same way that Vaughn had looked up to Lucius Malfoy. It was a curious situation as Max hadn't even known Remus for that long, but he did talk about him a lot. In all honesty it was starting to irritate her and Camellia could even admit to herself that she was a little jealous, but she refused to let Max know because she didn't want to make anything hard for him.
The corridors, she'd learned, were very peaceful at night. Camellia had always appreciated quiet, so the fact that all she could hear was the sound of her own footsteps and breath made her feel more comfortable than the stupid party she'd attended. She'd been worried about being caught at first but Camellia knew that was silly now; she'd always had a knack for Disillusionment charms. And there was always a chance that she could talk her way out of the situation. She'd done that once before, when she was a second year. Though now that she thought about it that was probably because Vaughn was a prefect and tended to take away a lot of points for small things.
She only stopped walking toward her common room when she heard the sound of heavy breathing and muffled laughter. Camellia was already in the dungeons at that point so she wasn't sure who would be laughing, because the Slytherins tended to spend their time in the common room. Especially if they were laughing like that; whoever it was sounded ridiculous. It was with a small sigh that Camellia remembered she'd once laughed like that, along with Vaughn and Max. It had been a few years since she'd really felt free enough to laugh like that. Which wasn't to say that she didn't laugh at all, but that not a care in the world sound was no longer something she could produce.
Camellia wasn't usually a very curious person, but to her surprise she actually tried to get closer to the source of the laughter, just to see who could be so happy. And, she realized, she should have known who she would find. The popular group of Gryffindor boys-she refused to use their silly nickname most of the time-were huddled near the opposite end of the corridor she was standing in, not far from the Slytherin common room. It looked like Sirius Black was the one having the hardest time containing his laughter, though James Potter wasn't far behind him. Peter Pettigrew looked slightly nervous though still like he'd enjoyed himself. Remus Lupin was there as well and while he was smiling Camellia thought he looked kind of tired. "They'll have a fit when they see this," Sirius said, obviously trying to keep quiet but failing.
"I can't wait to see their faces at breakfast tomorrow. We're staying in the great hall until every last one of them comes down," James added, sounding incredibly proud of himself.
"I just hope the charm holds until morning," Remus added thoughtfully.
"Of course it will, Moony. Your charms always hold," Peter smiled, patting the taller boy's shoulder.
"Thanks Pete," Remus whispered.
"Come on, before Lily catches us. She did it all the time last year; spoiled so much fun," James said, holding up what looked like a cloak. Camellia watched as the four boys tried to fit themselves under it. Most of their bodies had disappeared but Camellia could clearly see their feet and part of their legs. For a moment she just watched, mesmerized, before she realized that the feet were coming closer to her.
She hurried to cast the Disillusionment charm on herself before pressing herself against the wall in the shadows, hoping that the boys wouldn't stop and notice her. They didn't, to her luck, and she heard them whispering to each other as they passed. Once she was sure they were gone Camellia hurried to her common room and stepped in, sighing as she removed the charm on her and saw the room. It wasn't the first time the Gryffindor boys had changed the color of something belonging to Slytherins, but it was the first time they'd gone after the entire common room. Every inch of it was covered in red and gold, instead of the usual silver and green that Camellia was used to.
It was obvious to her now what the boys had been talking about. Her housemates would throw an absolute fit if they saw what the common room had become and then it would be all out war between the two houses. As much as Camellia didn't want to get involved, she also didn't want to see what that war would look like. That was how she found herself trying to change the lions that had taken over the house crest back into snakes, and the red and gold furniture back into something green and silver. It wasn't too hard, even though it had been Remus Lupin who she was sure cast the spells. Once she was satisfied with her work she hurried upstairs to get to bed, as she would barely get any sleep before someone tried to wake her up to go to breakfast. The worst part was that Max wanted to eat with his friends on the weekend, so she would probably end up by herself. Regulus always ate with his friends on Sundays and Camellia wasn't willing to find another spot.
The next morning it was Cassandra, a red haired girl in her year, that woke her up as she was leaving their dormitory. The other girls never really bothered with her but Camellia didn't mind too much. It wasn't like she tried with them either. She took her time getting ready that morning, as Vaughn would probably find out from some source if she was dressing like a slob, before she left to go to the great hall. It was only when she entered and saw the Gryffindor boys looking around with confused expressions that she remembered the events of the previous night.
Camellia smiled knowingly before she seated herself at the Slytherin table and began to eat. About halfway through the meal Vaughn's owl landed in front of her with two packages and a letter. The letter was obviously from her brother, explaining that he expected reports on her marks in classes at the end of each month and that she was responsible for getting Max's as well. Failing in this task would result in some idiotic punishment that Camellia didn't want to find out about. The other part of the letter informed her that the smaller package was for Max and the larger was for her. It was a dress, she'd read, because Vaughn knew none of her clothes were decent enough to wear to lunch with a possible suitor. She was offended by that statement but there was no way she was going to argue with Vaughn about it. He was probably right anyway.
She held her own package tightly to her chest and grabbed Max's. He was sitting near the teacher's table so she walked to him, smiling and quietly explaining that it was a present from Vaughn. Camellia didn't know what it was and she could only hope it wasn't something that would cause problems with his friends.
She left after a few minutes of discussion with her brother, though she stopped about halfway down the table when she saw the confused group of sixth years huddled together. Camellia knew she should have left them alone because they had no desire to deal with her and she had no desire to speak to them, but she wanted them to know that it was her who'd gotten rid of their prank. There was no reason for her to feel that way, because she'd never wanted something like that before, but she knew she'd probably never have the opportunity to stun the boys again.
"Nice try, by the way," she commented, standing behind James and Sirius. They whipped around to look at her and Remus and Peter both looked at her in surprise. It was the first time she'd ever approached them because she'd wanted to, and it would probably never happen again. She was afraid she would go a little red with the way they were looking at her, but she kept a calm expression on her face. "With that silly little prank of yours. I thought you'd be capable of something greater than that,"
"What are you-" Sirius began, looking at her angrily.
Camellia fought the urge to smirk; she hated making that face. They'd probably thought the spell had worn off, just like they'd been worried about. "Maybe next time you discuss your excitement in a corridor, you should check to see if there's anyone else there. And nice cloak, Potter; I'm sure the professors would be pleased to know how you four get around,"
She walked away, knowing that they were looking at her angrily and with their mouths hanging open. Camellia knew that she'd just made herself a target in their minds, but she didn't care. She was feeling quite proud of the fact that she'd been able to leave the group speechless. Not that she intended on speaking to them again; she'd probably be pranked at some point in the day in a silly attempt to put her back in her place. Or at least where they thought she should be. And she never really wanted to speak to them again. Vaughn was right; they were trouble and Camellia wanted no part of that.