Some Kind of Trouble
DaggersBloodPain
Chapter Four
Hit Me With Your Best Shot
(Pat Benatar)
Two weeks, it had been two long, agonizing, slowly passing weeks since the Hogwarts Express incident and James Potter was still fuming. In the Great Hall, during classes, and even in the evenings within the Common Room all that could be heard was his constant whining. The total count was 12 jinxes, 6 hexes, and 2 fairly harsh curses flung in his general direction as he went about his days moping.
To one studious Gryffindor female this was simply unacceptable behavior on his part, and thus spent the majority of her time away from the bellyaching Potter and with Severus in the library. Though as their meetings grew more frequent they drew more attention to themselves, Lily couldn't care less, but Severus was concerned for her safety and made a point of telling her so on a fairly regular basis.
Their study sessions so far had only included the two of them for as long as they had been meeting, but as the attention on them grew, so did the number of people sliding closer and closer to their table. Most other students at least attempted to be subtle, even though it was blatantly obvious what they were doing, but there was a few who just up and sat with them.
Every single one of those that actually came to sit at their table were Slytherins. Lily felt uncomfortable around so many of the people who seemed to hate her for the very blood in her veins. She knew Severus would protect her if he had to, but didn't like to put her friend in the position where he had to chose between her and his house. Severus could ill afford to have his own house against him when every other student at Hogwarts had such a poor opinion of him.
There were four Slytherins who spent their time with her and Severus, Lucius Malfoy, Bellatrix and Narcissa Black, and Sirius' little brother Regulus. Apparently her words to Potter on the train had spread through the snake house and those closest to the pair were trying to find out more.
Lily just couldn't shake the feeling something was going on around her that was just out of her reach. It was like the Slytherins were testing her for something, but for what she had no idea. She just pushed thoughts of conspiracy as far from her mind as she could and continued her studies with Severus the same as she had always done. Not ignoring the others present but not being what you would call friendly.
"Just what do you think you are doing Lily!" The outraged voice of James Potter came roaring through the library, followed by calls for silence.
"I'm studying Potter, maybe you should try doing it yourself a little more often. Then you may not be so baffled when others engage in it." Lily replied nonchalantly as she flipped to the next page in her defense text.
"I knew that Lily, I meant why are you surrounded by Slytherins?!" He yelled only slightly less loudly.
"It is their school, and library, too James. Where they chose to sit is not up to me, and I don't mind either way. Now shut up, and get away from me until you grow up." She responded snapping the book closed with more force than strictly necessarily and stalking off into the shelves.
"You just wait I will find out what you have done to my Lily and you will pay," James warned the Slytherins who had been avidly watching the exchange since he had come charging into the place.
"She is not yours, and if I have my way, never will be so leave Potter you are not wanted here." Severus spoke up, his anger at James for lily overwhelming his usual self-preservation instincts.
"It is you who is not wanted Snivelus, I will make you wish you had never been born." James growled as his anger finally had a target.
"Too late Potter, now just leave." Severus answered not wanting to fight in the library.
Well James was simply too angry to let it go and swung out a fist slamming it into the skinny boy's nose, hearing a satisfying crunch, he finished by saying. " You are simply not worth the energy using magic would take." Wiping off his bloodied hands on the sides of his robes he left the library with a smug smirk on his face, sure no one would take the anti-social Slytherin's side over his.
"Come on Severus let us get you to Pomfrey." Narcissa said gently trying to coax Severus out of the shock the punch had thrown him into.
"No Narcissa, He wouldn't want to go there, your common room would be better. He will feel much safer on familiar ground he knows the Marauders can't get to." Lily had heard the altercation between the two boys and had rushed back to find James leaving and blood streaming down her friend's face.
"Fine, he just can't stay here." Narcissa agreed as she lead the docile Slytherin from the room the rest of the group following protectively.
"You are the first Gryffindor to ever willing hear this password, if you so much as hint about to anyone else the consequences will be dire." Lucius warned as they came to the entrance. Lily nodded in acceptance before he spoke. "Basilisk," and a bare stretch of stone wall opened in front letting them enter and try to deal with Severus.
'I never knew just how bad Professor Snape had it in school. My mother and him must have been very good friends he seems to be the only one she talks about so far,' Harry thought to himself as he paused to rest his eyes once more.
'I wonder when mother will start to notice Narcissa, I mean Narcissa did give this to me so she must come in sometime. I just want to know what made everyone change so much.' Harry mused as he rubbed between his eyes to ease the tension headache growing behind them, but soon enough his mother's words drew him right back in.
A/N This is where I left off on Shadow of an Echo, anything beyond this is new.