The first week of school was overwhelming for Juliet, but at least she had made a friend! The girl with glasses she met at the welcoming feast was named Dani Flanagan. She joked about her father wanting a boy and not bothering to improvise on her name other than the spelling. She was a pureblood Irish witch and she only had a bit of an Irish accent. She was a bit taller than Juliet and had medium length brown curly hair. She was fair skinned with a few freckles across her nose and cheeks. A young Gilderoy Lockhart just happened to be sitting there and took it upon himself to be her official guide. Juliet saw red flags instantly when he gave her the stunning smile and said his name.
She remembered him from her timeline. His worldwide book sales and convention tours where he charged people to hear him talk. Then he came out a few years later as a phony who had his own spell backfire on him. It was all over the news and radio, Juliet always thought he was a prat before the truth came out. It seemed like his younger self was also a prat but she always tried to be polite and give most people the benefit of the doubt.
After dinner the first night he got too touchy feely for her and she shrugged him off as soon as she could and put Dani between them. Dani told her he was always like that and everyone pretty much ignored him when they could. She also explained how she thought he was a bit socially awkward because he couldn't take any hints of queues from people's body language or blunt words.
"Don't worry though, if he bothers you too much I'll pan him out for ye." She let her Irish accent slip through.
In their shared dorm she met the rest of her fellow 5th year roommates. Ellen MacDougal was another Irish pureblood girl who was taller than them all. She had black hair that she always kept up in a ponytail and had a slender build. She was a chaser on the Ravenclaw quidditch team. All of her friends nicknamed her "Mack" which she preferred.
"You're from Rome eh? They play quidditch there?" was the first thing she asked her.
'They do but they are more focused on football than anything.' Juliet replied with her wand.
"Football? Isn't that a muggle sport?" Mack asked.'
'It's huge back home, both muggle and magic folk play. They passed a law-' Juliet caught herself before we revealed anything about the future. 'They are trying to pass a law to join their leagues since the rules are the same.'
"Oh I know what football is! It's huge in the states right? With the funny looking pads?" another girl asked. her name was Amelia.
Amelia Bones greeted Juliet with a hug and a huge smile. She had very curly red hair that was pinned up in a bun all the time. She was very feminine but the quite one of the group until Juliet came around. She helped Juliet unpack her trunk and sort her school supplies that she would need on the first day. She too was a pureblood.
'No that's American football. I guess you guys might call it soccer. Right?'
"No, muggles call it football here too. They also have rugby and cricket. I've seen football played, it's pretty intense." Sophie said.
The last girl was the opposite of Juliet, her name was Sophie Brownstone and she was opinionated and loud about it but she was quick witted and sarcastic. Juliet liked her, she thought she was hilarious. She had short blonde hair and had a blue headband that kept her bangs at bay. She was always chewing gum and had a nervous tick of cracking her knuckles. She was a half-blood from England
Dani woke her up early the next day to sneak out of the tower without Lockhart. Apparently she wasn't new to his antics and overwhelming personality. After taking a long hot shower and dressing in her new uniform with her Ravenclaw colors she let Amelia plait her hair for her. It was a relaxed braid that flowed over her right shoulder, she made sure that Juliet's bangs stayed free per her request.
"You sooooo have to teach us sign language." Mack said from the bed next to hers. "Then we can communicate without people understanding us. So when I say Lockhart is a tool he wont understand!"
"I've called him a tool to his face on more than one occasion. He will never understand, so don't worry. You could call him a prat in seven languages and he would still find a way to turn it into a compliment about himself." Sophie said sarcastically as she put her shoes on.
They all left for breakfast together and pointed out the important things as they passed. "Yeah we have ghosts but they don't do much. Leave them alone and they'll leave you alone. Don't let them catch you out after curfew because they'll snitch you out so fast…. It's peeves that you have to worry about. Don't let him corner you alone either. He got me with a bunch of dirty mop water in my second year. I couldn't get the mold smell out of my hair for a week!" they walked into the hall and took a seat by the door.
Amelia showed her how to order food before breakfast actually started and said not to worry because one of them would always be there to order for her. Juliet loaded her plate with mostly strawberries and toast and thanked her new friend. Their head of house arrived early with schedules and they compared what they had for the day.
"You took every astronomy course available? And extra credit? Wow and ancient runes." Dani said and passed her schedule back.
'I really like astronomy and runes are a requirement for it. I'll see how it goes. Professor Flitwick said if I don't like it I can drop it next semester.' She waved her wand in the air and the little black ribbon spelled out the words quickly.
She was really taking all the astronomy classes because Albus told her that he sent her at an exact moment of time and it had to do with star alignment. If she could figure out the star charts then he could send her back! She didn't believe him for one second that she was stuck here, there was always a way back home. That was one thing her father taught her, no matter where she was she could always come back home. She missed her parents so much but tried not to think about it too often. Her mother was a strong independent woman who said that being emotional over things never got anything done. Keep your head up and get it done.
"Joseph is really good at Arithmancy if you need help, he's our Prefect. I see you are taking the advanced class, good luck. I'm more into charms and spell work than anything." Sophie suggested.
More and more students started to trickle into the hall for the first day of class. Severus walked in with his friends and stopped in his tracks when he saw Juliet. She was laughing with her friends and finishing her breakfast. She turned her head and saw him looking at her. He panicked and felt his ears and cheeks get hot. Her eyes lit up and her mouth formed a giant smile.
He felt the corner of his own mouth starting to lift. She waved at him and began to stand. She was coming over! His heart was racing, she remembered him! Someone slammed into his shoulder and nearly sent him flying.
"Move out of the way Snivellus!" Sirius Black said as he walked past him shoved him with his shoulder.
"Fire hazard standing there like that!" Potter said and shot him in the face with water from his wand.
Severus put his hand up to block it while he reached for his wand. The Marauders had already ran off to their table laughing and pointing at him. Severus felt his face turn red and his temper rise. Everyone nearby started laughing at him and pointing. They made him a fool in front of her! He turned back around to look at her, to see if she was laughing with everyone else.
Lockhart was standing in between them talking loudly "My dear Juliet! You came to breakfast without me? Well perhaps I should have been up earlier then? Never mind that, my dear! I will be the gentleman and escort you to your class." He waved his arms dramatically as he bowed.
Juliet was watching him with a concerned look over Lockhart's shoulder. She's wasn't paying attention to what he was saying and just nodded her head. She tried to walk around him and go see Severus but he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and steered her out of the hall.
Severus stood there drenched as he watched her leave. She tried to shrug Lockhart off but he just kept talking. She reached a hand out to Severus as they passed and mouthed "Are you okay?"
"You don't want to hang around with his kind. Slytherins are bad news." Mack said as they followed them out the doors.
He frowned and dried himself with his wand. He looked at where she was sitting and saw her backpack forgotten on the bench. He walked over and picked it up.
"What class does she have now?" he asked a third year sitting next to it.
"I'm not telling you anything, you dirty Snake! Give me her bag and I'll take-" the boy reached for it.
Severus grabbed him by the blue tie he was wearing and brought him close enough to hear him. "Tell me where she went and I won't make you eat this tie."
"Arithmancy." He squeaked.
He turned and started to walk out the doors with her bag. Avery stopped him "Hey you alright? I saw what happened."
"I'm fine. I have to go." He said quickly and rushed out the door.
"Don't be late for Transfiguration! McGonagall is in a mood today!" He called out to his friend.
"Is she?" a stern voice said from behind him.
Avery felt instant fear as he turned around and saw his Professor towering over him in her dark green robes, looking at him over her half moon glasses. He smiled awkwardly and tried to stutter an answer.
"Five points from Slytherin for talking about a teacher. Now get to class. Hurry, or else I might be in a mood to give you detention." She said and raised her brow. She waited for him to challenge him but he took off immediately without eating breakfast and a small "Yes ma'am."
He raced up the stairs two at a time and ran down the corridors. He knew he was going to be late for transfiguration but it would be worth it as long as Juliet didn't get in trouble for showing up to class unprepared. She was standing in front of the classroom door by all the other students with her friends and Lockhart. She managed to put two of her friends between them and she looked sad.
He slowed down and ran a hand through his hair to make sure it wasn't messed up. He cleared his throat loud enough to get her attention. Luckily her friends just kept talking to each other. Juliet turned her head and saw him with her bag and perked up. She smiled and walked away from her friends towards him. The doors opened and everyone filed into the classroom, leaving the two of them alone in the corridor.
She didn't smile or greet him, the worried look on her face bothered him. Was she upset with him? He swallowed nervously and held her bag out to her. She grabbed it and dropped it on the floor with a loud thump. She reached her hands out to his face and cupped his cheeks. His held his breath and froze, what was she doing? She pushed his hair away from his face and turned his head back, forth, up and down. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from groaning at the contact of skin to skin, especially since it was his face. Lily never touched him anywhere but his shoulder or arm. Only once she touched his skin and it was the back of his hand when she wanted him to do her history of magic essay.
'Did they hurt you?' she signed after she pulled her hands away. She paused as if she remembered something and reached for her wand to write the words she was trying to convey.
He answered before she pulled her wand out. "No, they didn't hurt me." This time, he wanted to add.
Her eyes lit up when he responded to her without the aid of her wand. She grabbed his hands one by one, looking for any cuts or scrapes like last time. He turned her hand over in his and bowed formally while pressing his lips to it like he had done the first time they met.
"Her lady of House Ollivander, I am Severus Snape of House Prince." He greeted formally. He had his fingers crossed behind his back that she wouldn't ask why his last name wasn't Prince. Lucius was the one who taught him etiquette of nobility and even though he wasn't a pureblood. The chain of nobility meant naming your bloodline even though you don't carry the name.
She pulled her hand out of his grasp. He straightened up quickly, putting on a firm face to prepare for her rejection since she didn't want him touching her. Instead she stepped closer and reached her hand to the old injury on his upper lip. The faint pale scar was still there.
Big silver eyes searched his for recognition. His shut his eyes briefly and leaned into her hand. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him suddenly. With her being a lot shorter than him she pulled him down a bit and put her mouth close to his ear.
"Thank you, Severus. I'm glad you're here." She breathed. Even though she was mute it was due to an underdeveloped larynx. She was voiceless not incapable mentally.
He already had his arms wrapped around her middle and was leaning into the soft warmth she provided. Vanilla scent surrounded him and he tilted his face closer to hers. The hair stood on the back of his neck and he felt a jolt of electricity shoot through him when she whispered his name. The door to the classroom opened suddenly and the Professor walked out looking for her.
"What do we have here?" she said suspiciously.
They jumped apart quickly and Severus blushed bright red. Juliet picked up her bag and pulled her wand out. 'I left my bag in the Great Hall, Severus brought it to me. I'm sorry I was so careless.'
She looked between the both of them and nodded slowly. "Good job Mr. Snape. Five points to Slytherin for helping a new student. Here's a note for your teacher, move along now, the bell rang twenty minutes ago."
"Yes Professor." He said and adjusted his own bag and took the note from her.
He watched Juliet walk into class and smile at him over her shoulder. He felt his own mouth return the smile as the classroom door closed behind them. He took a few seconds to gather himself and started walking to his own class. She was glad he was here. She was happy to see him. She cared about his wellbeing and safety. She hugged him!
He felt a surge of excitement rush through him like he'd never felt before. He pumped his fist in the air and quietly grunted "Yes!" He couldn't wait to see her again today at lunch or hopefully share a class.