When it was About to Turn Dark

by vbt22220

Twins, Anusha Maurya Snape and Anya Maurya Snape were known for their tendency to get in trouble. It wasn't their fault, really. They sincerely took measures to keep themselves out of trouble, but in vain. So, even though their Nana took many steps to ensure that they reach Wizarding Britain safely, they still got into trouble. And this time, the trouble led them to adventures...

10. Sortings, introductions and musings

Disclaimer-Harry Potter is a franchise owned by J. . I do not, in any way, own the characters, places, movies, books, etc….. The Ocs, however, are my characters. There are families whose surname is Maurya, but I'm not using any of them as a character. So all Oc characters and NAMES would be my own creation. Any character resembling any person living or dead is entirely a coincidence.

CHAPTER X

After the train took off, Fred and George simply stood up and brushed themselves and moved to walk out of the compartment.

"Where are you two going?" Anusha asked confusedly.

"We're going to find Lee Jordan!" They announced to them, going out of the compartment. The twins looked at the trio and Ginny confusedly.

"Lee Jordan is their best friend. They've been best friends since the first year. Lee has helped them pull off a lot of pranks on people," Hermione explained, her eyes narrowing at the last part. She turned her head to Ron sharply, who was whaling in sandwiches his Mum had packed for him.

"Ron, we're going to make sure that they won't prank as much as they had done for all these years!"

Ron blinked at her, his eyes wide as he tried responding to her. But neither he nor the others could understand what he was saying. Hermione shook her head at him exasperatedly. She then glanced at her watch and gasped.

"Oh no! We're going to be late for the council meeting, Ron! Come on!" Hermione said, standing up suddenly, startling everyone. She started walking towards the exit, but when she turned and saw Ron still seated and absorbed into eating, she huffed and pulled him forcefully by his arm.

"'Mione!" Ron whined as he was dragged away unceremoniously by the bushy-haired Gryffindor, much to the amusement of the girls, who were silently laughing at the scene. Ron shot them a grumpy look, to which they showed him their tongues playfully.

After they left, everyone settled comfortably. Anusha watched the sceneries that went past them through the window, Anya was engaged in a deep conversation with Ginny, Harsh was deeply engrossed in a book on healing, and Harry was taking a nap.

Anusha glanced at Harry and smiled slightly at seeing his slightly open mouth, head resting heavily against the headrest and soft snores coming from his mouth.

At these moments it's hard believing that he's the Chosen One… he acts like an average fifteen-year-old boy… he looks so calm right now…

Still smiling, she turned back to watch the scenery from the window. She hadn't noticed Ginny looking at her for a few moments. She had noticed her staring at Harry, but didn't comment. Instead, she went back to speaking with Anya, who was telling her about the Indian education system.

After a while, the door to their compartment opened. The twins looked up to see a beautiful blonde girl and a tall, slightly stocky boy enter the compartment. Both of them were wearing their Hogwarts robes, but the girl wore a blue tie with the badge of a flying eagle sewn on the left side of her chest, while the boy wore a red tie and had a roaring lion on his crest, similar to that of Ginny and Harry's.

"Neville, Luna!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Hello, Ginny," the girl, 'Luna' said dreamily. The girls raised an eyebrow at her greeting.

"Hi, Ginny!" The boy, 'Neville' said with a smile on his face, "Can we sit with you? All the other compartments are filled."

"Sure! Come on!" Ginny said, noticing Harry at that moment and pointedly nudging him from his sleep. He woke up, feeling slightly disoriented, but coming to his senses as he saw Neville.

"Hey, Neville! How are you, mate?" Harry asked jovially, standing up and shaking hands with him.

"I'm good Harry! How have you been?" He asked.

"Oh, good, very good!" Harry said, glancing at Luna curiously.

"Oh, this is Luna Lovegood! She's in my year from Ravenclaw!" Ginny said, introducing them.

"Hello," Harry greeted her politely.

"Hello Harry Potter," Luna said, shaking his hand dazedly. Harry looked at her weirdly.

"Anyways," Ginny began, after a few moments of awkward silence, "These are the Maurya twins- Anusha and Anya Maurya and this one here is Harsh Acharya," Ginny said, gesturing to the twins and Harsh, who looked up from his book to notice two new people for the first time.

Neville's eyes widened as he looked at the girls, who smiled a bit hesitatingly at him.

"Girls, Harsh, this is Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood."

"Uhh, he-hello," Neville said, a bit shyly, "nice meeting you."

He extended a hand to Anusha, who looked at it for a moment, before smiling and shaking it.

"Hello," Anusha said, nodding at him and Luna. Neville smiled, feeling slightly relaxed, while Luna gave her a dreamy smile.

"Hi!" Anya greeted him, shaking hands with him and Luna.

"Pleasure meeting you both," Harsh said quietly, shaking hands with them both, after which, they settled in their seats comfortably. There was silence as they did their own work quietly before Neville decided to break the silence.

"I've read about you both. In the Daily Prophet. There was quite an article written on you both by Rita Skeeter," He said hesitatingly.

"We've read the article as well," Anusha said, sharing a look with Anya.

"It was… okay, to say the least," Anya commented dryly.

"She sensationalized the article! All you two told her was that you were going to Hogwarts and were shopping on that day!" Harry exclaimed, sitting straighter in his seat.

"Leave it Harry. Don't get agitated on that topic," Anusha said gently.

"It's not worth it, you know. We're kind of used to it. Indian reporters aren't any less than her, you know," Anya said. Harry stared at the two girls for a second, before sighing and relaxing in his seat.

"What year are you three joining?" Neville asked curiously after a few moments.

"We're joining the fifth year," Anya answered.

"I'm joining the sixth year," Harsh said.

"Wow! Okay," Neville said, looking slightly awkward as he didn't have anything else to say.

"Do you guys know about the houses?" Ginny asked, glancing at the twins and Harsh.

"We know, but I don't think Harsh does," Anusha said, looking at him.

"No, I don't," Harsh said, shaking his head.

"Okay. There is a sorting Hat which sorts you into one of the houses. There are four houses- Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. These four houses have an animal as their symbol. Each animal symbolizes the general personality that is found in the students. Like, Gryffindor's symbol," Ginny said, gesturing to her house crest, "is a roaring lion. That means that the students of Gryffindor are brave-hearted, strong and quite boisterous."

Harry spoke up, "Slytherin has the symbol of a snake and the house color is green. That house symbolizes shrewdness, ambition, cunningness, and fraternity instincts."

Luna continued, "Ravenclaw's house symbol is a soaring eagle. It represents intelligence, conscientious attitude, originality, and creativity of the students. And Hufflepuff has the symbol of a badger, and represents hard-work, jolly attitude and basically happiness."

Harsh nodded, absorbing in the knowledge.

"I like the Hufflepuffs. They have less number of Nargles around them," Luna stated dreamily, looking in the air. The twins and Harsh looked at her confusedly.

"Nargles?" Anusha asked.

"Oh yes. They're mischievous creatures, you see. I can see them. That's why I wear this," Luna said, proudly showing off her pendant, which had a bottlecap hanging off it.

"It keeps the Nargles away," she explained.

"I thought the Nargles were extinct," Harsh said curiously.

"Oh no! They're not. They still exist very much. Only a few people can see it, like me and my dad," Luna said, smiling to herself, as she looked into the air. The twins blinked at her for a few moments, before sharing a look with each other. They shrugged after a few moments. They had met people like Luna a few times, so they weren't weirded out by her. They then turned back to see Harsh lost in thought.

"Hey," Anusha called out. He looked up in surprise.

"You don't have to think about which house you're going to go in. Just be calm. You'll be sorted into the house which suits you the best," Anya said, smiling gently. Harsh smiled back and nodded.

"Thank you for telling me, Ginny," Harsh said.

"You're welcome!"

---

It was well after six o' clock when they finally reached Hogsmeade Station. The station was quickly filled with students to the brim as the old ones stepped down and the new ones looked around in wonder, only to be ushered together by Professor Flitwick.

"Come on. We've to head straight to the Great Hall," Hermione said to the others as they all stepped down the coach.

"But what about our luggage?" Anya asked confusedly.

"It would directly get transported to our dormitories. Now come on!" Hermione exclaimed.

"But we haven't even been sorted!" Anusha exclaimed.

"Then I suggest you both follow me," came Professor McGonagall's voice from behind them. All of them turned to find the older woman standing there, with her emerald teaching robes, a pointed hat on her head and glasses perched low on her nose.

"Professor McGonagall," The teens all greeted her at once. She nodded to them.

"Now, if you three would follow me. The rest of you may proceed to the Great Hall," McGonagall instructed, turning to the other side and walking briskly, the three new students following her in their new school robes, while the rest of them went the other way.

"Best of luck, you guys!" Ginny called out as they walked on.

"All of you, be sure to be in Gryffindor!" Ron's voice could be heard clearly.

"Ron!" Hermione snapped at him exasperatedly.

"Now, you three will be sorted separately. It is a standard procedure for transfer students. Come then. it should be done before the first years are to enter the hall," McGonagall said, leading them to a carriage that would take them to the castle through a shortcut. The shortcut boasted yet another magnificent view of the medieval castle. Near every door, every window was a torch that illuminated in a very beautiful way.

"Wow," Anya murmured, feeling a little overwhelmed as they neared the school.

Soon, they were at the entrance of the school. They got out of the carriage and looked around curiously.

"Hurry now you three. We need to get you sorted before the first years reach the school," Minerva said, leading them inside the school and taking a few turns to get to Professor Flitwick's office quickly.

As they entered the office, they found Professor Flitwick, along with Professor Sprout, Headmaster and Severus present there. The Sorting Hat sat there on the table, looking almost inanimate, except it looked as though the folds on the hat looked like his eyes and mouth. They smiled at their father, who nodded at them with a hint of a smirk on his face.

"Good evening, Professors, Headmaster," They said together.

"Good evening to you all!" Albus said jovially, clapping his hands, "Welcome to Hogwarts! I trust you had a satisfying journey?"

"Yes sir, thank you," Harsh responded quietly as they looked around the office curiously. Professor Flitwick's office was like a mini-library in itself, which had some good first edition tomes of Charms mostly, some Arithmancy books, Ancient Runes, Transfiguration and Potions. Harsh's eye caught the name of one of the books and his eyes widened as he stepped closer to the shelves to examine the book.

"Whoa," Anusha murmured, reading the titles of the tomes.

"I know, right?" Anya commented.

They snapped out of their reverie as they heard Severus cough behind them.

"Well, come now. We don't have a lot of time," He said, gesturing to the chair kept at the center of the room.

The three of them shared a look and nodded.

"Now, Mr. Acharya, you'll be sorted first," Albus said, gesturing him to sit down. Harsh nodded and sat down, gulping slightly as Minerva took the Hat and placed it on his head. Almost immediately, it came to life.

Harsh felt a… presence, in his mind. He blinked a few times as he felt this presence fill his mind and body.

"Ah! Well, well, we have quite the unique case here…" A deep, throaty voice murmured in his head, "Quiet, hardworking, intelligent, oh, very intelligent! Ambitious as well! Very ambitious indeed! You have your life decided for yourself, haven't you? Even though you've been struck with the tragic loss of your parents…" The hat commented thoughtfully, which made Harsh bristle and clench his fists slightly.

"Anyway, the question is where to put you? In Ravenclaw, where you'll thrive with the intelligent, or in Slytherin, where you'll be surrounded by people of ambition? Do you have a choice, young man?"

"No. I do not," Harsh responded quietly.

"Well, then it is entirely up to me… now that I notice, you do not have the traits that the House of Snakes represents… so better be… Ravenclaw!" The hat spoke out loud. The sixteen-year-old, now a Ravenclaw, blinked in surprise. He looked at Professor Flitwick, now his head of the house, who seemed to be brimming with pride. At his new student. He smiled and nodded at him. He looked down to see his tie, colored in blue stripes and a crest of a soaring eagle on the left of his uniform.

"Congratulations, my boy! I'm sure the House of Ravenclaw would be proud to have a student in their ranks!" Albus exclaimed happily, looking at Fillius, who nodded happily.

"I couldn't have imagined him anywhere else," Anusha murmured to her twin, who nodded with a smile as she watched Professor McGonagall take the hat off his head. He stood up from his seat and walked to stand beside her.

"Congratulations," The twins murmured to him. He smiled and nodded.

"Thank you."

"Now," the girls' father said, "It's your turn."

The girls nodded. Anya stepped forward and sat down on the chair. She took in a deep breath as the hat was placed on top of her head. She felt a presence inside her head that she couldn't block at all. She frowned.

"Ah, would you look at that? A Snape… The last Snape that I sorted was your father… that was quite the difficult decision if I remember correctly… now let's see here… bold, determined, skilled… more 'emotional' as your sister puts it… Quite mischievous too, aren't we? Very well, I just know where to put you… Gryffindor!" The hat exclaimed out loud. She blinked a little and looked up to see her father smirking at her proudly. Professor McGonagall smiled at her. Anya looked down to find the red striped tie and crest of a roaring lion on the left side of her uniform. She stood up from her seat as Professor McGonagall, her head of the house, took off the hat from her head.

"Congratulations, Anya. You're one of the lions now," Severus murmured, cupping her cheek and kissing her forehead.

"Thanks, Papa," She responded, smiling at him, before pulling back slightly and going to hug her twin.

"Gryffindor, huh? Congratulations, sis," Anusha murmured in her twin's ear.

"Thanks, sis," Anya murmured, before pulling back and standing beside Harsh. Severus looked back to Anusha and gestured her towards the chair.

The hat on top of her head felt odd but light. But the presence in her mind felt heavy. She couldn't block it, nor could she stop it from reading her mind.

Another Snape! You're similar to your sister and yet… I find you're more similar to your father than your twin… the fraternal instincts, slightly shrewder than your twin, cautious of your surroundings… But my, oh my, aren't you mischievous as well? There's no doubt in my mind about it! Better be… Slytherin!"

Anusha opened her eyes and smiled at her father, who smirked at her proudly. Anya smiled and nodded at her.

"Welcome to Slytherin, Ms. Maurya-Snape," Severus said, patting her cheek and kissing her on the forehead as well.

"Couldn't have expected you anywhere else, sis," Anya said, hugging her as she walked to her.

"Congratulations to you three! I'm sure each of you will make your house proud!" Albus said, his eyes twinkling at the three students standing before him.

"Yes, this is an occasion to mark, but for now, let us all go to the hall. It's getting slightly late," Minerva said, gesturing everyone to the door. They nodded and started filing out of the room. Only Severus and the girls remained behind.

"We'll be out in a moment," Severus said to his employer. Albus looked at him for a moment and nodded.

"Of course, my boy," Albus answered, as he went and closed the door behind him.

It was only then that Severus was able to relax and smirk at them both. They smirked and hugged him tightly. He chuckled and embraced them.

"I'm proud of you two so much," He murmured to them softly.

"Now that you both have been sorted into your respective houses, I expect you both to be on your best behavior. I want absolutely NO detentions in your record, is it clear? If I find you both getting a detention from any professor, it would mean a detention from me as well," Severus explained, nodding as he watched his daughters' expressions turn distasteful.

The girls shared a distasteful look with each other.

"Yes sir," Anusha said.

"We understand," Anya nodded.

"Good. Now, another thing, and tell Harsh about this as well. Since you three are directly associated with the Mauryas, I need you to be careful around Umbridge. She may look and sound stupid, but she is here to fulfill an agenda. That I am sure of. So, be careful," He said, cupping their faces softly.

"Yes, Papa," They said together. He smiled at them, before kissing their foreheads and pulling away.

"Now, let's go. It's time for the sorting," Severus said, gesturing them towards the door.

They stepped out of the door to find the others still waiting for them.

"Come now. If we don't hurry, Madame Umbridge would take it upon herself to look for us," Minerva said distastefully.

The twins chuckled and walked with the professors till they reached a corridor.

"Now you three," Minerva whispered, "Go through that door quickly because it's going to be another few minutes till the first year students enter."

The three of them nodded and separated from the professors, who entered the staff corridor.

"Harsh," Anya murmured to the boy beside her. He looked down at her curiously.

"You've met Umbridge?"

Harsh's face crunched in slight distaste.

"Yes. She was very… happy, to meet Raman, as she went on stating that through the whole meeting," Harsh replied.

"That bad huh?"

He simply nodded.

"Yes. That bad," He said.

"Okay, I just wanted to say to be careful around her. Papa says she has a deeper, darker agenda to fulfill. So, be careful, okay?"

"Alright. Thanks for the warning," Harsh murmured just before they entered the hall. All of them stopped just at the entrance to take a deep breath. They nodded to each other before entering the hall.

The Hall was filled with rows of students who were chattering and laughing and sharing their experiences with their friends. They spotted Harry and the others, who smiled at them.

"Harsh got into Ravenclaw!"

"Wow! He must be really good at his studies!"

They finally seemed to notice the twins and their eyes widened in shock as they saw Anusha wearing Slytherin colors and Anya wearing Gryffindor colors.

"Oh Merlin, of all the houses they had to be sorted in, they got sorted in two rival houses!" Hermione groaned.

"This is going to be an eventful year," Harry commented, staring at the three as they went to sit in their respective houses. Harsh went and sat beside Luna, who smiled at him dreamily. He nodded to her and looked in front of him to find a few of the students staring at him. He blinked, feeling slightly uncomfortable as they stared at him.

"Hello!" One of them said, extending a hand in his direction, "You must be a transfer student! I'm Terry Boot, Fifth year Ravenclaw and prefect!"

"Hello," Harsh responded to him quietly, shaking his hand, "I'm Harsh. Harsh Acharya."

"An Indian huh? Hey, Padma!" Terry called out to a beautiful Indian girl a few seats down from them. She turned to his voice.

"Yes, Terry?" She asked.

"You have a fellow Indian here!" He said, pointing to him. Her eyebrows raised as she looked to him.

"Hello! I'm Padma Patil!" She said extending her hand to him.

"I'm Harsh Acharya," He said, shaking her hand.

Anya came and sat beside Ginny, who had saved a spot for her. She looked over at Harsh to see him mingling with his housemates and smiled.

Anusha walked down the Slytherin row as she looked for a place to sit and found one right next to a girl with blonde hair, sharp grayish-green eyes, a small pointed nose, and thin lips. Her jawline was thin, sharp and slightly pointy. She looked chillingly beautiful. Aside from the usual dress robes, she had a green and silver badge on her left side just below her shoulder, which had the word 'P' etched on it. She was talking to another girl with a small, but round face, dark blue eyes, a small pointed nose, and small lips.

"Excuse me?" Anusha called out softly. She and her friend, and that part of the table looked at her curiously. Anusha watched their eyes widen slightly as they stare at her.

"That's Anusha Maurya!" One of the girls sitting across them whispered.

"One of the Maurya Heiresses!"

"One of the Royale 15!" Another whispered.

Anusha resisted the urge to sigh and instead look at the blond- haired girl.

"Is the seat taken?" She asked politely. The girl blinked and shook her head.

"No. Please, sit," The girl said, shifting slightly to give her space.

"Thank you."

As she sat down, the blonde-haired girl looked over to her curiously.

"Sorry if I'm wrong, but you're Anusha Maurya, right?" the girl asked her, the students in the area listening carefully. Anusha stared into the girl's eyes for a few moments before she smirked slightly.

"Yes, yes I am," She answered, nodding to her, ignoring the murmurs that swept through the table as the students passed it through the whole house about the newest piece of gossip.

"Um, okay. Welcome to Slytherin! I'm Daphne Greengrass, fifth-year Prefect," She said, holding out her hand with a smile. Anusha smiled at her and shook her hand.

"Nice meeting you," She said, nodding to her, thinking about where she had heard the name 'Greengrass' before.

"This is my best friend, Tracy Davis, fellow fifth year," Daphne said, gesturing to the girl beside her.

"Hi!" Tracy said, shaking Anusha's hand with a smile.

"Hello," Anusha said, smiling and nodding to her. Daphne looked across them to see the girl becoming impatient and sighed.

"That's-" Daphne started, but the girl beat her to it.

"I'm Pansy Parkinson! I'm a prefect too!" The girl said, holding out her hand. Anusha looked at her for a moment, before she shook it politely and smiled at her.

"Beside her is Millicent Bulstrode," Daphne gestured to a heavy set girl. The girl nodded to her.

"That is Blaise Zabini," She said, gesturing to the tanned Italian boy sitting beside Pansy. He waved casually at her. She raised her eyebrows at him, before smirking and waving back at him.

He seems casual…

"Beside him is Theodore Nott," She gestured to the quiet looking boy with dark blue eyes. He nodded and said a quiet 'hello'.

"Hello," She replied back with a nod.

"And there's Draco Malfoy, fellow fifth-year prefect, with his… bodyguards, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle," Daphne said, gesturing to the trio sitting a few seats down, listening to the conversation intently.

"I know. Heir Malfoy and I have met before," Anusha said, looking at Draco intensely. Draco simply gulped and nodded.

"Really? Did you meet her before Drake? Why didn't you tell me?!" Pansy exclaimed loudly, catching the attention of the whole table. Anusha stared at the girl weirdly for a few seconds.

What the hell?!So what if he didn't tell her that he and I met? Isn't she being a little bit too… vocal about it?

Anusha glanced at Daphne, who sighed exasperatedly. Daphne noticed her staring at her weirdly and just murmured, "They're betrothed. Since their birth."

Anusha's eyes widened in understanding.

So she's simply showing off, marking her territory, in a way…

She then glanced at Draco, who tired his hardest not to grimace at the girl, but he didn't comment at all.

"We met in Diagon Alley. I was shopping with my mother when we crossed paths," Draco explained, leaving out the part about the confrontation with the trio.

"Yes. How is your mother, by the way?" Anusha asked, calm as you please.

"She's good. Are your Grandparents well?" He asked conversationally.

"Yes, they are. Thank you," Anusha replied. Draco then seemed to look around.

"I don't seem to see your twin with you. Is she sorted into a different house?" He asked curiously.

"Yes. She got sorted into Gryffindor," Anusha said normally.

The conversations suddenly stopped as the students in the area stopped to stare at her. Daphne and the other fifth years raised their eyebrows.

"Oh boy," Tracy muttered from beside her.

"This is gonna be an interesting year," Blaise commented with a smirk.

"W-well," Draco began, "that's…"

"Weird!" Pansy squealed, staring at her strangely.

"And why is that weird, Heiress Parkinson?" Anusha asked promptly, looking at her calmly. Pansy spluttered, suddenly remembering who she was speaking to.

"Anusha, it's never happened before. No family has ever had their heirs or heiresses sorted into two opposite houses like Gryffindor and Slytherin. Well, with the exception of Sirius Black and his brother Regulus Black, of course," Daphne explained.

"Oh," Anusha uttered and dropped it, signaling the end of the topic.

She then turned to look at her twin, who was sitting beside Ginny and chatting with the others. They turned their heads to look at Anusha and smiled. Anusha smirked back, while the others looked on at the interaction with wide eyes. They went back to their conversation as Anusha turned back to the group sitting there.

Daphne looked back at Anusha and smiled.

Well, she's certainly a unique case, and quite beautiful as well… Daphne thought as she let her eyes wander over the Indian's face. Anusha noticed her staring at her and blinked.

"What?" She murmured confusedly.

"Nothing," Daphne answered promptly, turning her head to her plate and smirking to herself.

"Wait, why are you okay with your twin being in Gryffindor, of all the houses?" Pansy asked, sneering at the last part. Anusha blinked at her.

"Why shouldn't I be okay with it? She's my sister. I share my blood with her. We live in the same family. Why should I start being hostile to her now that we're in different houses?"

Once again, Pansy had no answer to that.

Just then, the first year students entered, ready to be sorted. They looked around uncomfortably as everyone's eyes were on them. Some of them were awestruck just by looking at the ceiling. They went straight to the front of the hall, to the sorting hat, that was sitting on the stool. Professor McGonagall stood beside the stool, looking prim and pristine as always. Most of them looked at the Hat curiously.

The hat went straight, and to the first years' surprise, it started singing,

In times of old when I was new And Hogwarts barely started
The founders of our noble school
Thought never to be parted: United by a common goal,
They had the selfsame yearning,
To make the world's best magic school
And pass along their learning.
ʹTogether we will build and teach!
ʹThe four good friends decided
And never did they dream that they
Might someday be divided,
For were there such friends anywhere
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?
Unless it was the second pair
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw?
So how could it have gone so wrong?
How could such friendships fail?
Why I was there and so can tell
The whole sad, sorry tale.
Said Slytherin,
ʹWe'll teach just those
Whose ancestry is purest.ʹ
Said Ravenclaw, ʹWe'll teach those whose
Intelligence is surest.ʹ
Said Gryffindor, ʹWe'll teach all those
With brave deeds to their name,ʹ
Said Hufflepuff, 'Til teach the lot
And treat them just the same.ʹ
These differences caused little strife
When first they came to light,
For each of the four founders had
A house in which they might
Take only those they wanted, so,
For instance, Slytherin
Took only pure‐blood wizards
Of great cunning, just like him,
And only those of sharpest mind
Were taught by Ravenclaw
While the bravest and the boldest
Went to daring Gryffindor.
Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest
And taught them all she knew,
Thus the houses and their founders
Retained friendships firm and true.
So Hogwarts worked in harmony
For several happy years,
But then discord crept among us
Feeding on our faults and fears.
The houses that, like pillars four,
Had once held up our school,
Now turned upon each other and,
Divided, sought to rule.
And for a while, it seemed the school
Must meet an early end,
What with dueling and with fighting
And the clash of friend on friend
And at last, there came a morning
When old Slytherin departed
And though the fighting then died out
He left us quite downhearted.
And never since the founders four
Were whittled down to three
Have the houses been united
As they once were meant to be.
And now the Sorting Hat is here
And you all know the score:
I sort you into houses
Because that is what I'm for,
But this year I'll go further,
Listen closely to my song:
Though condemned I am to split you
Still, I worry that its wrong,
Though I must fulfill my duty
And must quarter every year
Still, I wonder whether Sorting
May not bring the end I fear.
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
The warning history shows,
For our Hogwarts is in danger
From external, deadly foes
And we must unite inside her
Or we'll crumble from within
I have told you, I have warned you…
Let the Sorting now begin.

{Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, chapter XI-The sorting hat's new song}

Applause sounded through the Hall, though it was punctured with whispers and talks. Anusha looked around curiously.

"The sorting hat has never given advice before. This is the first time, I think, that it has done so."

"Really?"

"Yes. Well, it is going to be quite awkward for Potter, seeing as he declared that he has seen You-know-who," Tracy whispered.

Daphne continued, "That's how all the conspiracies started. Fudge, who had been supporting Potter, had suddenly turned and started accusing him of spreading mass-panic and fear amongst the population, claiming that he was doing it for 'publicity and attention'. And on top of that, he started blaming Dumbledore too, as he was supporting Potter's notions. He started taking away power from Dumbledore, outvoting him from ICW, making him forcefully retire from being Wizangamot's Warlord. There have also been talks of the ministry stripping off his Order of Merlin-first class. Right now, the only thing that keeps him somehow connected to the public is the position of Headmaster."

Anusha hummed.

"I read about all this, you know, before coming here. And I've been told the rest by Harry and the others," Anusha said.

"You know Potter personally?" Daphne muttered to Anusha, looking at her with a curious expression. Anusha sighed and chuckled to herself.

"Yes. It's actually a long story. But yeah, we know him personally," Anusha murmured back. Daphne hummed as she stared at Anusha for a few more moments, before turning her attention to the sorting.

---

The twins had never seen such a wide variety of food before and they were more than happy to tuck in.

Dumbledore stood up from his seat and went to the Podium after the supper had ended.

"Good evening children," He began, "Now, we have two changes in staffing this year. We're pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who'll be taking Care-of Magical Creatures, while Professor Hagrid is on temporary leave."

Anusha glanced at the Gryffindor table to see the trio and the others frowning in confusion and concern. She raised an eyebrow confusedly, before focusing on the speech again.

"We also wish to welcome our new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Dolores Umbridge," He continued. The girls could see their father control his annoyed expression at that announcement. They watched as he and McGonagall turn their heads slowly towards her when she giggled creepily. The twins looked at the new professor, who was, as Tonks aptly put it, 'A toad in a Pink tutu'. She had a fat round face with bright blue eyes, a small pointy nose and lips which were laced with too much pink lipstick. Gods, she did look very disgusting.

They shared a look with each other.

"What a creepy woman," Anusha commented.

"Exactly sis," Anya agreed.

Anusha noticed the Slytherins not listening to Dumbledore's speech, but didn't comment, instead opting to ask later.

---

"And I'm sure that you'll all join me in wishing the professor good luck," Albus said, "Now, as usual, our caretaker, Mr. Filch, has asked me to remind you-"

"Hem-Hem," came a pretentious throat-clearing. Right in the middle of the speech. Severus felt his eyes widen as he heard it.

What the fuck?! Was his first thought as he saw Dumbledore turn his head slightly to the woman beside him with a questioning look.

He glanced at Minerva, who had the same wide-eyed expression on her face, before turning to look at the woman. The pink-clad woman had stood up slowly, but confidently and she went at the front to stand beside Albus, who stared down at the woman with a speechless expression.

*"Thank you so much, headmaster, for those kind words of welcome. And how nice to see all your happy faces smiling up at me. I'm sure we'll all going to be very good friends."

Minerva and Severus shared a disappointed expression as they heard her speech.

If that is the way she's going to make her introductions, then these children are going to eat her alive…

"That's likely," the Weasley twins commented boldly, who were sitting in the Gryffindor table.

Umbridge heard it too, for her gaze lingered at the Weasley twins. She continued, *"The ministry of magic has always considered the education of witches and wizards to be of vital importance. Although each headmaster and headmistress has brought something new to this historic school," she looked at Dumbledore and smiled. He nodded his head in thanks, albeit mockingly, Severus noted, " progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected, and prune practices that ought to be…prohibited,"* She finished the last part in a whisper, and giggled in that creepy voice.

She walked back to her seat, and Albus started clapping, though it was forced and punctured with murmurs and whispers.

"Thank you, Professor Umbridge, that really was illuminating. Now Mr. Filch has asked me to remind…"

The long glance that he shared with Minerva confirmed the one thing they feared of.

The ministry is controlling Hogwarts…

---

"Illuminating? What a load of waffle," Anusha heard Ron mumble to the others. The twins shared a look of exasperation.

"Sis, it is going to be a fun year at Hogwarts, isn't it?" Anya said, through their mental connection, while Hermione could be heard saying, "The Ministry is interfering at Hogwarts."

"Yup, Such a nice time to drop in, right? Why does trouble have to follow us now?"

"You know, Papa is right; we are trouble magnets, the two of us."

"So true sis. So true…"

"Anusha?" Daphne's voice came from beside her.

Anusha blinked in surprise and turned to find the blonde-haired girl looking at her weirdly.

"What?"

"You were kind of lost there for a second. And I noticed you staring at your sister. Is everything alright?"

"Y-yes. Everything's fine. Just thinking about the speech, that's all," Anusha answered.

"Oh," Daphne said, nodding.

"Are you guys not huge fans of Dumbledore? I noticed that no one was listening to his speech. At least no one from this house."

"Yeah. About that. Students here don't like Dumbledore much. Some of them are from the Death Eater families, so natural obvious dislike for him, as ingrained into their heads, or maybe because they feel that he was the reason their family members went into Azkaban. The others feel that he's… partial to the Gryffindors and the other houses. That is kind of… right, you know. Most of the time, it is Professor Snape who resolves the house problems on his own. Oh, and Professor Severus Snape is our Head of House. He's sitting right beside Professor McGonagall, the one with the pointy witch hat."

"I know. He was there when I and my sister were to be sorted."

"Good, then. How did you find him to be?"

"Quiet, strict, severe, no-nonsense type. He was also very intense and a little intimidating."

Daphne chuckled.

"Well, most of the students find him to be quite scary. He's called many names, you know, like the Dungeon bat, Git, and almost every student from the three houses hate him for being partial to us. Idiots," Daphne said bitterly. Anusha looked up at her, feeling saddened and quite angry at that.

Tracy continued quietly, "Little do they understand that he's just supporting us, looking out for us because hardly any teachers do. The other heads are too busy justifying their houses and hence the blame comes on us; the other teachers just ignore us; they hardly listen. Only Professor Snape and Professor Sinistra look out for us, because they're Slytherins and they have experienced Prejudice and that too, at the brink of the first war. So they are the only ones in the school, who actually understand what we go through every day.

"You know Anusha, whenever there's a meeting in the common for all the new first years, he makes it clear that he himself a half-blood. It is a silent suggestion, a small ray of hope for those Half-bloods and three-fourths, who think they're alone in a sea full of purebloods. He makes a silent call out to them that he's always there to help anyone who needs it," She said with a small smile on her face. Anusha said nothing but looked down at her plate as she thought.

Did Papa really go through this shit for the past what, sixteen years? He never really told us what the situation was like here. Such prejudice against him, and he had to cope with it by himself for more than a decade. But no more…

"Come on," Daphne said, pulling her out of her thoughts. She blinked and stood up.

"Yeah alright," Anusha said, as she walked behind Daphne, who rounded all the first years and led them towards the doors.

"You really are a very long way from home, right?" Theo asked, actually speaking for the first time. Anusha blinked at him in surprise.

"Yes, umm, I am. And this is the first time I've been away from home in a long time," She answered him.

The others nodded in understanding.

She looked around for her sister and found her with their friends talking animatedly as they went out of the Great hall.

"Hey, sis?" Anusha called out silently through their mental connection.

"Anusha," Anya responded to her, finding her almost immediately in the crowd and smiled at her.

"Talk to you in the dorms?" Anusha asked, raising her eyebrow at her.

"Yup," Anya said with a smile. Anusha smiled back at her.

"Alright then, see ya," Anusha said, waving at her.

"Yup sis," Anya waved back as they went in opposite directions. Anusha smirked to herself before looking up and seeing Daphne smirking at her.

"You both are really close, aren't you?" She asked. Anusha shrugged.

"We've always been together, Daphne. Ever since our conception. Of course we're close," Anusha said.

"I just hope you don't share the common room password with her," Daphne said. Anusha smirked at her cheekily, which made Daphne raise her eyebrows at her.

"Oh, you won't have any complaints on that part," Anusha murmured to her as they walked ahead.

---

The trio plus Anya trudged to the Gryffindor common room. Hermione led the first years, speaking about the portraits and the pathways all along the way, much to the amusement of the others.

"She was meant to be a prefect," Anya whispered to Ginny, who giggled and nodded.

"Remember your passwords for entering the common room. It changes once every month, so remember to ask the prefects at the end of every month. Right now, the password is- Mimbulus Mimbletonia," Hermione spoke aloud as they stood in front of the portrait of the Gryffindor tower.

"Correct," Was all the lady mumbled and the door swung open.

The Gryffindor common room was a very cozy place to be in. The theme seemed to be red, different shades of red, which instilled a feeling of warmth inside her. There were several armchairs and sofas arranged in the large room. There were a huge fireplace and a large couch in front of it, which warmed the room completely.

"Wow," Anya murmured, looking around curiously.

"This is the Gryffindor common room. You can spend your free time here. This is your own personal space. Of course, you aren't allowed to tell the common room passwords to anyone outside of the house. The girls' dormitories are to the left and the boys' are to the right. You will find your belongings in your respective common rooms. Have a lovely evening and all the best for your school life!" Hermione finished. The first years dispersed, some of them opting to go to their dormitories, while the others looked around the common room.

"Nicely handled, Hermione!" Ginny said.

"Really? I thought I was rather fast and rambling to myself!" Hermione said, almost muttering to herself, much to the amusement to the two others, who just looked at each other and shook their heads.

"Hey, Hermione!" A voice came from the couches. The three girls turned their heads to see an Indian girl sitting with a blonde-haired girl, waving at them.

"Hi, Parvati!" Hermione waved back, pulling Anya and Ginny with her as she walked to them.

"Looks like you nicely handled the firsties!" the girl, Parvati said, smiling at her.

"Yeah. I think so," Hermione said, nodding and started chatting with the girl, while the blonde-haired girl just sat there, staring at Anya for a while, making her feeling uncomfortable.

"Aren't you one of the Maurya twins?" The blonde-haired girl asked loudly, catching the attention of most of the people in the common room.

"One of the Mauryas!"

"Oh, the Royale 15 family?"

"Yes, that one!"

Murmurs swept throughout the common room as they turned their attention to them. All eyes were on them as they waited for Anya's answer.

Anya resisted the urge to sigh tiredly and rub her face.

Seriously, some people never fail to irritate me…

"Yes. I'm Anya Maurya and my twin is Anusha Maurya, one of the Mauryas," Anya replied, almost tiredly. Harry looked at her sympathetically, understanding how she felt.

"So, you mean, you're from the Maurya family. The one. Like from the Royale 15?" The girl pressed on.

Anya nodded tiredly.

"Yes, I am," She answered. Murmurs swept throughout the room.

"Oh! Hello! I'm Lavender Brown!" The girl exclaimed, literally thrusting out her hand. Anya blinked at her for a few moments, before shaking her hand politely.

"H-Hello," Anya greeted her, feeling slightly awkward.

"This is Parvati Patil, Anya. She's a fellow prefect from the fifth year. Parvati, this is Anya Maurya," Hermione introduced them.

"Hello! Nice meeting you!" Parvati exclaimed, shaking her hand.

"Nice meeting you too," Anya said, nodding to her.

"You said that you have a twin. She wasn't sorted into Gryffindor?" Parvati asked.

"No, she wasn't."

"Which house did she go to?" Lavender asked loudly, again successfully catching the attention of the whole room. Anya resisted the urge to sigh exasperatedly this time.

Not even fifteen fucking minutes with this bimbo, and I'm already feeling irritated by her mere presence…

"She was sorted into Slytherin."

There was instant silence in the common room, as everybody looked at Anya with wide, fear and shock-filled eyes. She turned to look at all of them slowly.

Harry resisted the urge to face-palm, while Ron and the Weasley twins didn't even bother hiding their emotions.

"Oh shit," the Weasley twins uttered collectively.

"Penny in the air," Harry commented dryly.

"Why?!" One of the boys exclaimed. Anya turned to him.

"Why what?" Anya asked confusedly. The boy seemed to shrink as all eyes turned on him.

"Why did she get sorted to Slytherin?" He mumbled, his face heating up.

Anya, Hermione, and Ginny all collectively rolled their eyes at the boy.

"I don't know; ask the sorting hat for the answer," Anya retorted. That seemed to snap them all out of their trances.

"But that makes her evil!" One of the students exclaimed.

"She must be!"

"Yeah!"

"Your sister is messed up to have been sorted to Slytherin," One of the older boys said, while all his friends roared a 'yeah!' in agreement.

"She's good-for-nothing!" One of the comments came up.

"Death-eater-in-training!"

"Evil snake!"

Harry and the others stepped forward to intervene, but Anya shook her head at them indiscernibly, telling them to stop with a hand. They all looked at her for a few moments, before nodding.

Anya looked around her, her eyes filled with anger, stopping all the comments at once. The crowd looked at her with decreasing confidence and increasing fear.

"You all do realize that it's not even been twenty minutes since I entered this common room, right? And yet, you all are, what, passing comments, passing your 'judgments' your 'personal opinions' on my sister, my sibling? The one with whom I share my blood with? Just who the fuck do you think you are?!" Anya asked quietly, but dangerously as she looked at all of them.

"We're the ones who've been here for the past five years, Heiress," One of the boys said haughtily, standing up to walk to her smugly. He looked down at her in a condescending manner. Anya looked up at him with a fierce expression.

"And who the fuck are you?" Anya asked calmly.

"Cormac McLaggen. You may have heard of my father. He holds… quite an important position in the ministry," The boy, Cormac, said, looking twice as smug and proud.

"The name doesn't ring a bell, no," Anya replied promptly. Cormac was taken aback, before composing himself.

"The point is, Heiress, we know the Slytherins. We know what they are like. Their behaviors, their attitudes, their way of thinking. We know all about it. And all I can, and I think my fellow housemates would agree to this," He said, gesturing to the others. It was noteworthy to say that only his group of friends nodded to him. The others just looked on warily as Anya's temper increased. Cormac smirked smugly as he continued, "They're not someone you could be friends with. And, although I am sorry for your sister, she's already a gone case if she's sorted to Slytherin. So I'd suggest you stay away from her."

He then took a step closer and put a hand on her shoulder, directly entering her personal space. Anya looked at the hand on her shoulder, looking slightly shocked that he would actually dare touch her.

He murmured to her, "We're just looking out for you. We have your best interests at heart. You just need to listen to those who know best of how the things work here, and you'll be fine."

Anya looked back up at him, feeling her anger turning to hot rage that threatened to consume her. She took a deep breath in and controlled it with difficulty. She then took a hold of his wrist, pulled it off her shoulder effortlessly, much to his shock, and bent it till it was in a painful position and almost about to break. He tried pulling it out of her grasp, but her grip was tight as iron.

"Mr. McLaggen, I can assure you," A small crack sounded throughout the room, making the others wince as McLaggen grunted loudly, "I don't need your suggestions. I can hold my own, thank you very much. Or, more crudely put, shove your opinions and suggestions in your ass."

The boy and his friends snarled at her.

"How dare you-" One of his friends shouted.

"Shut up," Anya interrupted him in a flash, giving him the most dangerous look she could muster. The boy snapped his mouth shut and looked down.

"My father will hear about this!" Cormac said, expression pained and eyes filled with anger and disbelief. Anya bent his hand more, resulting in another small crack, making him grunt again.

"Oh? Will he now? Because I can assure you that my Nana will hear about this as well. You father may hold an important but nonexistent position in the British ministry, but my Nana holds a high position in every single ministry of the world, as per his Royale 15 status. I can just drop a hint, just a teensy little bit of hint about your father in a bad way, and he can make your father's position permanently nonexistent," Anya said calmly, her voice sending shivers down everyone's spine.

Cormac's face paled as he heard the girl's words.

"Basically, be careful. Be very careful when you're addressing me. Is it clear?" Anya asked quietly. Cormac nodded quickly, desperate to get away from the girl. She snarled at him and pushed him away from her.

She then looked around the whole room carefully. All of them, except her friends, gave her a wary look.

"This is a fair warning. Don't waste your energy on commenting and giving suggestions about my twin. Mind your own fucking business, stay away from her and we'll be fine," She finished with a low, calm, chilling voice that made them shiver involuntarily. She turned away from them, almost about to walk to the dorms when Professor McGonagall came in.

Minerva came in through the door connecting her office quarters with the common room, looking at every single one of her Gryffindors carefully, demanding every single bit of their attention. She felt satisfied when they looked at her warily. She turned to the best student in her house.

"Ms. Granger, I want you to collect all the Gryffindors along with Ms. Patil and bring them down here at eight in the morning, understand?"

"Yes, Professor McGonagall," Hermione said, as she and Parvati nodded. It was then that she noticed Anya looking disgruntled, standing away from everyone else. She was clearly upset about something, but Minerva didn't comment upon it.

"The fifth year students will have a meeting tomorrow morning after breakfast. I expect you all there. Is that clear?"

The fifth-year students nodded.

"Ms. Maurya," McGonagall called out to her, "If you could please, come to my office tomorrow. We have to discuss some things about your fifth year."

Anya blinked, looking surprised before she nodded.

"Yes mam," She answered promptly. Minerva nodded and looked over at the rest of her charge, who remained quiet.

"The rest of you, I want you all in bed by 11:00 sharp. I'll be here to check."

And with those words, she turned and stalked off back to her office. Murmurs erupted again as she went off.

Anya sighed tiredly and turned to Hermione.

"I'm off to bed. Talk to you guys in the morning," She said, frowning tiredly.

"Okay. See you in the morning, Anya!" Hermione said, smiling at her gently.

"I'll come with you then," Ginny said, going to stand beside her. Anya nodded with a tired expression.

"Okay. Good night guys!" Anya said, walking in the direction of the dorms with Ginny.

"Good night Anya, Ginny!" Harry and the others called out as the two girls walked out of sight.

It was when they were out of sight when the comments started.

"Pfft. What a psycho!" Lavender commented, sneering. Now feeling angry, Hermione rounded up on her.

"And why is that, Lavender?" She demanded. Lavender looked at her weirdly.

"She's willing to associate with a Slytherin, Granger! Surely that's not hard enough for you to understand?" She asked condescendingly, which sparked murmurs of agreement, especially from Cormac and his group. Cormac was nursing his hand, anger, and embarrassment rolling from him in waves.

"You all are missing the point," Parvati interrupted loudly. The others grew silent as they turned their heads to her.

"Understand, this is her first evening in Hogwarts. She just entered the Gryffindor common room for the first time. Maybe this is her first time away from home. The only blood relative she has with her here to support her is her sister. Her twin. And you all basically told her to stay away from her, just because she's in another house."

"But she's a Slytherin!" Lavender exclaimed. Parvati turned her head towards her sharply.

"I seem to remember getting similar comments from you all when I first came in here. 'Don't mingle with your sister. She's from a different house. It shouldn't be encouraged. Her allegiance is to Ravenclaws now.' I almost listened to you all. And I almost lost her as well. So yes, maybe her twin is a Slytherin, maybe she has the same dark mind as her housemates, but Anya's not going to leave her side. Not now, not ever. I can assure you that. Trust me; I'm a twin," She finished and walked off to her dorms, leaving the others with a lot to think about.

---

"First years," Daphne called out to the students as they neared the common room, "Remember that the password to the Slytherin common room is not to be disclosed to anyone outside of the house. It would be considered a betrayal against our house if you even think of doing so. Remember that you need to ask one of the prefects of the password every month, as it changes every month," Daphne explained, as they came to a stop in front of a wall.

"The password for this month is- Unitatis," Daphne said loudly. The wall slid to the side to reveal the entrance to the Slytherin common room. Daphne led the curious first years into the common room.

Anusha, on the other hand, came in with the other fifth year students.

"This is cozy," Anusha commented, looking around curiously. It was a large place colored in themes of silver, dark green, and black. The main couches near the fireplace were all made of black leather and looked posh. The study tables and the artifacts around the room were all themed in black.

That's a… lot of black… I think this is why Papa has a weird obsession with black… but it's clean and cool, so no problem whatsoever…

"C'mon, Anusha," Daphne said, patting her on the shoulder and gesturing her over to the sofas. Anusha nodded and sat beside Daphne, who sat between her and Tracy. Beside Tracy sat Draco and Pansy, with Pansy practically hanging on his arm, much to his discomfort. Draco's 'bodyguards', Vincent and Gregory sat beside the 'couple', speaking to each other animatedly about their holidays. On the other sofa sat Blaise, who just simply sat there, staring at her with a smirk. She raised her eyebrow at him. Beside him was Theo, who just sat there, looking at the flames raging in the fireplace with a quiet, contemplative expression on his face.

Well, they're a good enough bunch for me… I guess I can hang out with them when I'm here… But the others though… She thought, looking around her and observing her other Housemates, who were all looking at her with varying expressions. Some looked at her with an expression of awe, some were looking at her with wary, some had an expression of fear as they murmured what she presumed were rumors. But one group actually made her look back at them.

It was a select group of students at one end of the room, on top of a sort of a platform. The place was devoid of any decoration other than a single, antique armchair. A handsome boy, sitting on the central armchair was surrounded by a group of four boys. A girl sat on the armrest of the armchair, looking at her with anger and jealousy. She looked like the typical boy-toy boys like to surround themselves with. The boys, on the other hand, seemed to be looking at her with intense scrutiny. She actually resisted raising her eyebrows at them and looked back to the girls beside her. She didn't want to be in trouble during her first night.

Aren't they charming? This whispering behind their hands and murmuring about me and my family kind of reminds me of the society dinners I and Anya had to attend…

Just the thought of those dinners made Anusha shiver involuntarily.

Ugh, if this is what it's it going to be like, then this is going to be a long year…

"Hey, Anusha?" Anya's voice came through their mental connection.

"Hey, Sis. How's it going up there?" Anusha asked curiously. She could feel her twin's mood dropping slightly.

"…Okay. Sort of. My housemates are such idiots!" Anya exclaimed. Anusha refrained from actually raising her eyebrows, but she was sure that her sister understood her emotions.

"O-Kay. What's wrong?" Anusha asked. Anya sighed tiredly.

"I entered the common room and I was like 'okay cool, this is where I'm going to be for the next three years. Not bad, décor's good' and all of that. Now, everyone was busy speaking to themselves after Hermione showed the first years around the place. And she gets called by this other Indian girl, Parvati Patil, who's been made prefect," Anya explained.

"Hey, they're relatives of Shruti Patil, right?" Anusha asked curiously.

"Yeah, they are. Anyways, Hermione and Parvati start speaking to each other and I and Ginny are standing there, listening to them talk when Parvati's friend, Lavender Brown, loudly asks if I were one of the Royale 15. You know, just to gather everyone's attention," Anya said, the distaste in her voice clear. Anusha glanced at Pansy, who was giggling in an utterly creepy way at everything Draco said. Her expression turned distasteful.

"Ugh. I get you, sis. I totally get you," Anusha said, grimacing at the sound of Pansy's nasal laugh echoing through the common room.

"Oh Merlin, who's that?!"Anya exclaimed when the laughter passed.

"Don't ask. Just continue with your story," Anusha said, taking a deep breath to control herself.

"Okay… anyways, I had to answer the questions and she just enthusiastically shakes my hand and everything. Then Parvati asks about you, like- didn't you have a twin' and all. And I said yes I do but sorted to another house and then the other girl, Lavender, again loudly asks which house you were in,"

"She sounds so irritating," Anusha commented.

I know, right? So she asks the question and…" Anya stopped. Anusha waited for a few seconds.

"What? What is it, Anya?" Anusha asked concernedly. She heard Anya's tired sigh.

"The moment I said 'Slytherin', there was complete silence in the room. Everyone's giving me weird looks. Then the comments started. The same as Ron threw on us at the beginning of living in the Grimmauld place. 'Slimy snake' 'Death-eater-in-training' and all of the others," Anya said. Anusha could feel Anya's anger rise suddenly.

"One of the boys even had the audacity to step closer to me and 'claimed' that he knew Slytherins and how they were, that you were a 'lost cause' and 'suggested' me that I stay away from you," Anya said, her temper flaring red hot. Anusha sighed to herself. She immediately understood what happened next.

"What did you do to him?" Anusha asked, almost resignedly, but not accusingly. Anya's anger subsided slightly.

"I nearly broke his wrist," She stated defiantly. Anusha nearly raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, okay. Somehow I'm not even surprised at that anymore."

"You shouldn't be. You're my family, Anusha. We've been together since… forever. We made a promise to stand together no matter what, and no stupid unofficial grudge between two houses is going to be changing my mind," Anya stated decisively. Anusha nearly smiled at her words.

"Neither is it going to change mine, sis. We made a promise, and I'm sticking by it. Always," Anusha stated, just as decisively.

She blinked back in surprise as someone cleared his throat in front of her. She along with the rest of her year-mates turned their attention to the tall, handsome boy in front of her, the same boy who had been staring at her along with his group. He looked self-important, slightly pompous and made a serious face as he stared down at her.

"Hey, who is that?" Anya asked confusedly.

"I don't know, some boy," Anusha answered as she stood up. Though Anya wanted to ask her questions, she opted to silently watch the interaction through their mental connection.

"Some self-important, pompous boy, you mean," Anya said in a snarky tone.

Anusha didn't comment but turned her attention to the boy in front of her. For a few moments, they stared at each other silently, while the whole room stared at them. Daphne cleared her throat and stood up suddenly, almost making them jump as they turned their heads at her.

"Anusha, this is the king of Slytherin, Darius Mallory. Your Highness, I present to you, Heiress Anusha Maurya," Daphne said, formally introducing them as they stared at each other with sharp, intense and scrutinizing gaze. Anusha could hear the people around her murmur softly to themselves as they stared at them interacting with each other, but she ignored them.

"KING of Slytherin?" Anya muttered, through the connection.

"Yeah. Hierarchy is important in Slytherin, sis," Anusha explained to her, "So, the strongest students amongst the house fight for the position and the winner gets to sit at the top of the hierarchy here."

"Okay, wow. I can see the point in that," Anya said, intrigued by the rules.

"Heiress Maurya," Darius murmured, bowing respectfully to her.

"Your Highness," Anusha greeted him, curtsying gracefully.

"Welcome to the house of Salazar Slytherin. We all are extremely proud to have one of the Royale 15 family members amongst us," Mallory said, looking self-important as he stared down at her.

"Gee, isn't he welcoming?" Anya commented dryly.

"I am likewise proud to be a member of the Slytherin House," Anusha replied to him, her gaze unflinching and cool, just as she and Anya had been taught by their Ma and Nani.

"I've heard you have a twin sister," He commented, in a conversational tone.

"Uh oh. Here it comes," Anya said in a sing-song tone.

"You know what? I'm going to have some fun with dropping the bomb on him," Anusha said, in a matter-of-fact tone. She heard Anya chuckle loudly.

"Oh you're so evil sis," Anya murmured.

A hint of a small smirk graced her features.

"Oh yes, but she is sorted into a different house," She said calmly, her smirk growing by the second. He blinked at her, feeling as though she was having her own personal little joke that no one was privy to.

"Which one, may I ask?" He asked, opting to ask outright, instead of subtly prying out from her.

"Gryffindor," She answered promptly. The murmurs came to a stop as everyone stared at her.

"Well, the reactions are the same as my housemates'," Anya commented.

"Malfoy and those other people know?" Anya asked curiously, looking at the people sitting on the couch.

"Yup," Anusha replied.

"That explains the not so shocked reactions."

"W-Well, that is… odd," The king of Slytherin commented, frowning at her, almost showing his disapproval. Anusha raised her eyebrows at him.

"He better not say the same thing as that moron did," Anya said in a low voice.

"Pardon?" Anusha uttered in a quiet tone.

"We've never had that before, Heiress Maurya. Twins usually get sorted into same houses," Mallory said, looking thoughtful.

Anusha stared at him blankly, opting to not to comment on it.

"I urge you to be cautious. After all, there can be times when you can… unintentionally, of course, slip certain… compromising details to your sister," The Seventh year said smoothly.

The eldest Maurya Heiress raised her eyebrow at him questioningly.

"I do not doubt you, Heiress," Mallory continued smoothly, "After all, the Sorting Hat considered you worthy enough for a Slytherin. But understand this. We have a way of doing things around here. Us Slytherins like to keep our secrets close and stand united," He said quietly, the warning clear in his eyes. Anusha stared at him for a few long moments but nodded indiscernibly.

With that, the King of Slytherin ended his conversation and walked back to his group with a smug look on his face.

Anusha resisted rolling her eyes at him and instead sat down and followed him with her eyes as he went back. His friends could be heard saying 'Good show of power Darius!' 'Good one mate!'. The girl actually threw herself on him, with an 'Oh Darius!', much to Anusha's distaste.

"Isn't she happy to see him after five minutes?" Anya muttered. Anusha snorted silently.

The conversations started flowing again, although this time the other students were openly talking about her and the 'King' of Slytherin.

"That was… enlightening," Anusha commented finally. She could feel Anya's incredulous expression as she said that.

"Fuck what?" Anya said, which made her chuckle despite herself.

"This is going to be a fun year…" Anusha commented dryly.

"Definitely. With our luck, it would be," Anya said before she yawned. Anusha raised an eyebrow at her.

"Okay, sis. I'm turning in. Talk to you tomorrow," Anya said.

"Okay, sis. Good night," Anusha said.

"Good night," Anya said, closing the connection.

Anusha nodded to herself and turned her head to listen to Daphne and Tracy talk to each other.

After a few minutes had passed, Severus entered the common room, his robes billowing around him, making him look imposing and intimidating. The room grew quiet as he entered. The students all stared at him silently, not wanting to incur his wrath or get his attention on the first evening back at Hogwarts.

Anusha was surprised. Though she knew her father was strict, she hadn't expected him having this kind of control over his snakes.

Wow, Papa sure has a lot of control over everyone here…

"Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Greengrass, I want you both to collect the first years and get them in the common room by seven o' clock in the morning, understood?" He said softly, looking at the two fifth-year prefects.

"Yes Professor," They said together.

"Fifth year and seventh-year students will be having a meeting soon. Now, the first year to third-year students will be inside the common room by eight in the evening and inside the dormitories by nine-thirty and out of bed by six-thirty. I don't want any of you to break these rules. Break them and there'll be consequences. Is it understood?"

The first up to third years nodded, easily intimidated by him. Anusha smiled inwardly.

This reminds me of the grounding I and Anya used to get whenever we were up to some mischief…

"Now from the fourth year onwards, I expect you all in the common room by nine thirty, in your dorms by eleven thirty and out of your dorms by five. For Fifth to Seventh years, certain rules can be exempted, only under the right circumstances. If you use them for joking around and making a fool of yourselves, I'll know and there will be consequences. And I'm sure you all understand what those consequences are," Severus said in a quiet and silky voice.

Wow, usually, in a crowd like this, I expected him to raise his voice just slightly, but he's speaking normally, just like he does back at home... Anusha noted with a smirk.

The fifth to Seventh years nodded, a tad bit fearful of him. After spending more than half a decade under his care, they knew how angry and dangerous he could get.

Then, his eyes turned to her. Though he had his mask on, his eyes had softened slightly as he looked at her.

"Ms. Maurya," He called out. Anusha blinked in surprise but stood up.

"Come with me. We need to discuss certain things," He said, walking back towards his office.

"Yes sir," She replied, nodding to Daphne and the others and walking behind him. As they walked out, it was at this time that Anusha turned to observe her father more carefully. He looked thinner than he had been back in May, his eyes looked faint red with exhaustion and his hair was a greasy, dirty mess.

"If you're quite done with your observations, Ms. Maurya, please focus on the path ahead," Her father said, not even looking at her as he said it. Anusha's eyes widened slightly, before she looked ahead, slightly sheepish.

"Sorry, Professor," She murmured, her face slightly red. Severus refrained from smirking but instead opened the doors to his office. He let her in first, closing the door behind him. He turned to her, only to stop and see her staring at him with intense scrutiny. His eyebrows raised in surprise.

"What?"

"You look miserable, Papa," She stated, in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Pardon?"

"You clearly look like you've lost weight between May and now, your eyes are faintly red from lack of sleep, and your hair looks dirty and greasy from too much of Potion Making. Basically, you look miserable. What's going on, Papa?" Anusha asked, stepping close to hug him tightly. He hugged her back and rested his hand on her head gently.

"Nothing for you to worry about. I'm just… very preoccupied with everything- The Order, the meeting with HIM and the other people in the inner circle, making potions for all of them and the list just goes on," Severus said, as he pressed his face against her hair, and sighed at smelling the familiar smell. He hadn't realized that he had missed his daughters so much. He pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead and pulled back, gesturing her to a seat in front of his table. She looked at the chair distastefully.

"I'm your eldest, not a mere mischievous student," Anusha grumbled as she sat down on the hard, wooden chair, much to her Papa's amusement.

"Well, you're all of them- a student, my eldest child and mischievous when it comes to it," Their Papa said, as he came and stood beside her seat. She looked up at him, giving him her best puppy-dog eyes as she asked, "Can you please transfigure the seat, Papa?"

He raised his eyebrows at her.

"I could, but I'm tempted not to," He said, smirking as Anusha's face fell into a pout. He chuckled and simply took out his wand and tapped on the chair thrice. The wooden chair changed to a comfortable armchair in dark colors. Anusha looked at her chair with an expression of approval.

"Much better," Anusha murmured, leaning against the headrest. Severus chuckled at the sight.

"Alright. Now, since you are a bit of a celebrity here, there are some things I'd like to tell you about. First of all, I know you're not dumb enough to actually get pulled to the dark side, but you need to be careful about who you're making friends with. I see you've made good friends with Ms. Greengrass and Ms. Davis during the supper. The other students of the fifth year have quite a bit of influence in the British wizarding world."

"I know. I recognized the names, Papa. Parkinson, Malfoy, Nott, Zabini, Bulstrode… all of the old pureblood families."

"And almost all of them affiliated to the Dark Lord. The Notts, Malfoys, Parkinsons, Bulstrodes too- all of them in the inner circle. The Zabinis never cared for all of this and kept themselves away. But you need to be careful around them all."

"I'll be fine, Papa," Anusha assured him with a wave, but stopped as Severus looked at her seriously.

"I'm being serious here. You attracted enough of attention to cause Darius Mallory to come and personally speak to you. As far as I remember from my times, it meant that the King is keeping his eye on you. He may consider you as a threat, or as a person of interest, or even-"

"Papa!" Anusha interjected gently, "Calm down, for Merlin's sake! Like I said, I'll be fine, okay? Don't worry so much!" She finished, standing up and going to him to hug him tightly. Severus sighed.

"Yes, I know. But fate works in both ways- good and bad. I just want you and your sister to be safe, from both sides," Severus said, embracing her tightly, still wanting to protect both of his girls from all harm and danger.

Anusha was tempted to say something about Anya but quickly squished the thought out of her mind.

He's like this over what happened with Mallory… if I say something about Anya, he won't be able to take it… he'd probably send us to outer Mongolia by tomorrow… Anusha thought with a small smirk but straightened up as he pulled back slightly to kiss her forehead.

"It's time for bed. Go along. If you want anything else, you can ask me anytime, okay?" He said, cupping her face gently.

"Yes Papa," She said, smiling brightly at him.

"Okay. Now, off to bed. You have classes tomorrow," He said, pulling back.

"And I should say the same to you, old man. Off to bed!" She said, mimicking him. He snorted.

"Cheeky," He muttered as he pushed her towards the doors gently.

"Good night Papa," She said, going towards the doors.

"Good night, sweetheart," Severus said, nodding to her.

Anusha smiled at him, before opening the door and shutting it behind her. He sighed.

"Papa?" Anya's voice came through the mental connection they had. Severus blinked. It was a little rare that either of the girls actually used the mental connection they had with him. He had especially told them not to do it randomly since he might be attending some meetings or doing some 'Order' work.

"Anya? What's the matter, kid?" He asked gently, as he went and sat on the armchair Anusha had occupied just minutes before.

"Sorry I didn't get sorted into Slytherin," His second child said in a small voice. He stopped short to frown slightly.

"Sweetheart, like I told you on your birthday, it doesn't matter which house you get sorted to. I don't care about that. What I care about is how you excel in your houses and respective careers. I just want you both to be happy, okay?" Severus said gently, sending her a warm smile. She smiled back in return.

"Really?" She asked, in a hopeful tone. He chuckled.

"Yes, really," He answered.

"Okay. Was Anusha there a few minutes ago?" Anya asked curiously. He chuckled again.

"Yes," He replied, shaking his head.

"I heard the interaction between her and Mallory," Anya stated, in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Oh yes. Since we're on the topic, I want you both to be careful around him, okay?" Severus said, softly. He could feel Anya rolling her eyes.

"We'll be fine, Papa. We've survived our overbearing and condescending cousins. Surely we can survive some idiots of the school?" She asked rhetorically. He huffed.

"Your sister said the same thing. Apart from that, I know you both would have a good year," He said, nodding to himself.

"Thanks Papa," Anya said, smiling at him.

"Now go to sleep, sweetheart. Classes tomorrow," He said sternly.

"Yes, Papa. Good night," Anya said, yawning slightly. He smiled softly.

"Good night darling," He murmured. She closed the connection. He sighed and rested his head against the headrest. He knew he had potions to brew, but he just felt so fucking drained that all thoughts of work vanished as he opened the door to his quarters and all but fell on the couch. He sighed tiredly, thinking about the Death Eater meetings lately. The Dark Lord had been less focused on the British ministry lately and instead let Malfoy focus on that. He himself was focusing on Potter or trying to. Severus smirked as he thought of the frustration HE displayed when HE asked him if Potter had been taught Occlumency. Severus acted the oblivious man, looking at HIM confusedly, as he gave HIM the standard answer of 'Not that I know of'. HIS anger had been worth watching. He had never felt any more proud of his girls he had felt then. But HIS anger had to be taken out somewhere.

Well, it's all worth it… as long as we win the war… it's all worth it…

He winced as he touched his chest where his newest scar wound was. It wasn't as deep as the earlier ones, but it would definitely scar, Poppy had said as she bandaged him in silence.

Of course, it would scar, He said to himself, After all, HE used a spell of my creations, that bastard…

He took a deep breath to control himself, saying the same mantra he said whenever he got a new scar wound on his body.

A new wound… a new story… every soldier has that… And that's what I am… a soldier... fighting a war…

Sighing, Severus closed his eyes, a memory of his early days flashing through his mind.

Flashback-

He sighed as he entered the Maurya mansion. He finally got a little time to himself and he did the only thing he always did- he simply left for home.

Yes, that what this huge place had become for him. He had promised Uncle Septimus that he'd visit him soon, but for now, he wanted to go to the one person who was most important to him. Amisha.

He grimaced suddenly as he remembered the most recent meeting he had with Dumbledore. He had claimed that he had a way to defeat HIM sooner. But, it was the one thing that made him feel sickened and disgusted. It was true that Albus had given him the choice- to do it or to not do it. But this was a difficult choice.

He was asked to work as a spy by joining the inner circle of the Death Eaters. He knew that he had been getting the subtle invitations from Lucius, but he wasn't ever going to accept that. Or so he thought.

Some of the Order from the inner circle- McGonagall, the Werewolf and Longbottoms- were present when Dumbledore gave him a choice. He knew that joining in as a spy against the Death Eaters would help them tremendously with the war, but he was sickened by the very thought of having the disgusting snake tattoo on his left forearm. He was largely tempted to say a resounding no to Dumbledore. But he knew that rash decisions could lead to a lot of trouble. So, he simply asked for some time to think and answer. Dumbledore had agreed and had given him about two weeks before he required an answer.

He needed someone's counsel on this. If he asked his Uncle on this, he would definitely say a no to him, claiming that he already lost his sister and wouldn't be able to bear losing him as well.

So, he went to the three other rational people in his lives- Amisha, Vikram and Sarakshi. This discussion with them was important.

He entered the living room to find it empty. Only Raman was there, going through some book quietly. He looked up as Severus entered and gave him a smile and a nod.

"Hey, Severus. How are you?" He asked, shaking hands with him. Severus smirked back.

"I'm good Raman. How are things with you?" He asked curiously.

"They're good. Fantastic in fact. I think with enough money, I'll be able to afford a house for my own soon."

"Great. That is some good news. Any house you've set your sights on?" He asked sitting next to him. Raman nodded.

"Actually yes, but I need more time for that," He answered, sighing to himself.

"Where is everyone?" Severus asked, looking around.

"Well, Amisha went off with Vikram and Sarakshi for some function. They'll be back soon," Raman replied.

Severus stifled a yawn and stood up and said, "Actually I am going to the rooms to rest. Had a sleepless night. Tell them if they come back."

"Alright. Get some rest, Severus."

Severus nodded and went in the direction of his rooms, stifling another yawn as he walked through the corridors. He opened the doors of their room and went in to change. After fifteen minutes, he came out, wearing a pair of black slacks and a grey shirt. He lay on the bed, closed his eyes and went off to sleep.

"Sev?" A voice called him out softly.

His eyes opened almost immediately to see Amisha sitting beside him. She wore her usual Indian clothes on, with her hair cascading till her waist. He breathed in deeply and moved to rest his head on her lap, intertwining their hands softly. She smiled down at him.

"Had a rough time there?" She asked, moving his hair out of his face and tucking it behind his ear. He sighed and caught hold of her other hand and kissed it softly.

"You know that I do. It's tiring, teaching and working for the Order. And…" He hesitated, frowning to himself as he suddenly remembered what it was that made him take a holiday of two weeks.

She noticed the frown and asked, "What is it? Is it something serious?"

He sat up and turned to her with a troubled expression. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Yes. I had a meeting with Dumbledore a few days ago. I had been getting a lot of invitations to join HIS Inner circle. I told Dumbledore of his invitations. In this meeting, he asked me to join the Death Eaters and spy for him."

Her eyes widened as he told her the news.

"W-What?"

"Yes," He said, nodding.

"What do you think of it?" She asked, after a few moments of silence.

"I fell sickened by the thought of it. But on the other hand, I know that joining HIM would mean that I would be able to pass the information to the Order and help them win the war. But…"

"You feel sick at the thought of joining those who killed your mother," She completed the sentence for him. His eyes snapped to her shimmering grey ones as he nodded.

"Yes," He breathed out, sighing deeply as she caressed his face. She smiled at him gently.

"If it feels right for you, spying on them Sev, then do it," She murmured, shrugging. His eyes widened in shock.

"B-But then…" He trailed off. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"Then I would be the same as them!" He said quietly, letting out the one thing that had been eating him from the inside ever since he had that meeting with Dumbledore. She shook her head and cupped his face with both her hands.

"Sev no! You're not like them! You may join them, but you won't do any of those horrible things on purpose!" She said softly, caressing his face gently.

"How do you know that? How can you be so sure?" He asked her disbelievingly. She smiled at him, her eyes brightening as they looked into his dark ones.

"I know you," She whispered softly, shrugging, as she slid her hands to his shoulders.

He hummed, thinking for a moment, before frowning again.

"Hmm? What is it Sev?" Amisha asked, confused.

He didn't answer, but stood up and went to the window to stare at the scenery. She huffed and stood up to go and stand in front of him. She wrapped her arms around him and looked up at him. He down at her with the same expression, before his eyes softened and he smiled down at her and placed his hands on her waist as well.

"Now what is it that makes you frown like a sulking child?" She asked, with an impish smirk on her face. He shot her a grumpy look.

"Oh haha," He said dryly, before he continued, "I'm thinking that if I do say yes and join the Death Eaters to spy on them, then I won't be able to sneak here. In fact, I doubt I'll be able to come here at all," He finished, running his hand through his hair, a sign of nervousness.

"Why not?" Amisha asked confusedly.

"The mark of a Death Eater acts as a tracker. Once I get that tattoo on my arm, it would be suspicious why I'm coming here all the time. The last thing I want is for HIM to find out about you and the others," He explained, looking up again. She frowned as she thought of this.

"Well, we'll think of something Sev. I can come to stay there sometimes. We can meet in different places in the world. But I'm refusing to let a scheming megalomaniac stop me from meeting you," She said softly, looking into his eyes as she smiled at him.

He looked down at her, before returning the smile with a smirk.

"Of course you won't. I wouldn't expect anything less from you," He murmured, leaning in to press his forehead against hers.

"You shouldn't," She said, smiling up at him, brushing their noses softly. He cupped her face gently and brought her lips to his, kissing her softly.

-End flashback

He blinked back to the sound of the clock. He looked at the time. 11' o clock. He sighed and wiped the lone tear that slipped from his eyes.

Come on. Pull yourself together… don't you dare be weak… you need to go and check on the students...

---

Anusha entered the common room to find Daphne and Tracy wait for her. By that time, most of the others had gone to bed. Daphne stood up as she saw Anusha.

"Hey. I figured since you are new here, you need to be shown the dorms. Don't want you losing your way in the dungeons," Daphne said, smirking.

"Thanks," Anusha murmured, smirking back, as Daphne and Tracy led her to the dorms. As they took a turn to the left, Anusha saw there were various doors arranged in a line on either side that stretched till the end. Thankfully, they didn't go far and stopped near a shiny, black door. Tracy opened it to reveal a large circular room with the same dark theme as the common room. The bedding and the curtains were a deep green and there was a huge desk at one end of the room that was empty.

"You're sharing a room with Tracy," Daphne said, gesturing to her best friend beside her. Anusha looked around curiously.

"Okay, you'll need to discuss washroom and desk timings with Tracy. I'd suggest no fights with your dorm partner, but I don't have to. Tracy's the sweetest girl ever. And keep your dorm clean as Professor Sinistra loves doing a surprise check. Seriously, she's unpredictable."

"Where will you be going then?"

"Oh, prefects have their own rooms to sleep. They don't share dorms with anyone," Daphne said, smirking to herself. Anusha nodded thoughtfully.

"Any other questions?"

"Nope."

"Okay then! Good night!" Daphne said, moving towards the doors.

"Good night Daphne," Anusha and Tracy answered at once.

"Sleep well you two! I'll see you tomorrow!" Daphne said, closing the door behind her. Anusha looked at Tracy and nodded to her, before going to her bed. She pulled up her trunk and took out the night clothes that she had kept at the top. She made a move towards the washroom but stopped as she saw Tracy go in the direction as well.

For a few moments, they looked at each other, before smirking at each other and they all but ran towards the doors, laughing and squealing. But Anusha reached first and shut the door behind her quickly with a laugh.

"Hey!" Tracy shouted playfully, knocking on the door loudly, "No fair! You were nearer to the washroom!"

"Sorry, Davis! I got in first!" Anusha said, smirking impishly before she set about her business. She freshened up quickly and came out of the washroom to find Tracy waiting outside with a pout on her face. Anusha smirked at her playfully, which made Tracy sigh and smirk back.

"Don't you worry Maurya," Tracy murmured, standing close to her, "I'll be first next time."

Anusha smirked challengingly.

"I'd like to see you try," Anusha murmured back before she went to her bed and lied down with a sigh and closed her eyes. She opened them at the sound of the washroom door opening to see Tracy going to her bed.

"Oh I'm so tired," She murmured loudly as she crashed on her bed.

"So am I," Anusha answered back.

"So, before we enter the first day of school, I think desk timings should be cleared," Tracy said, resting on her elbows as she spoke to her. Anusha sat up to look at her.

"Okay. Personally, I think we should divide the hours between us. What do you think? Or since the desk is large enough, we can share it too," Anusha suggested. Tracy contemplated her suggestion.

"Good idea. But most of the time, it'll be out in the common room or in the library that we're going to work. So, I think the former idea sounds much better, you know if you want to be secluded and everything," Tracy explained.

"We'll leave the morning hours. If required, either of us can use it. Then, barring free periods and lunch break, we have the afternoon and evening until supper free. Let's see, that would be about six hours. Then three hours for you, three for me. After supper, that's another three hours, which I know would be spent in the common room. So, one and a half hours for you, the rest for me."

"And it can be alternative," Anusha added. Tracy nodded to her.

"Yes. So, we're done with that," Tracy said, nodding to herself.

"Yes, I'm glad we're in agreement," Anusha said, nodding to her.

"So am I. Now, let's just go to bed. I'm beat," Tracy said, moving up to untie the curtains of the bed. Anusha sighed and did the same.

"Yes. Good night Tracy," Anusha said, as she closed the curtains.

"Good night," came the reply as she closed her curtains.

Anusha closed the curtains and laid on the bed with a tired sigh. She closed her eyes and fell asleep almost immediately, feeling her mother's soothing voice comforting her.