Ch 40
The first night in her new dorm is all fidgeting and terror. She had been fine with the familiar face of Severus during mealtime but the moment she is alone reality sunk in- she was without a true ally in the snake's den. She was at least grateful that she had ceased to have nightmares for the last while, at least she wouldn't wake up her new roommates screaming.
Her roommates were strangers, dangerous strangers who would grow up to crave power more than justice and make the moral compromises for it. The three girls that lay soundly asleep in the room could very well be the same women who had participated in her torture and that thought was enough to make her own slumber fitful at best.
She had different imaginations of her schooling; in the months she had been in this time she had allowed herself to dream. To imagine rooming with girls like Lilly and Dorkus and Alice. To befriend the people, she had only known as legendary order members. But the sorting hat had found her unworthy of both Gryffindor and her dreams.
Perhaps it was for the best, she had done terrible things, her hands may not show it, but her soul was tarnished with the blood she had spilt. It was that darkness that the hat must have seen, to group her along with the future deatheaters or at least the children of them. Slytherins who wouldn't take long sniffing out her weakness and killing her for it.
"Maxima" called Thea, the only dormmate who had deemed her worthy of conversation. Thea was a standoffish girl, with dark harsh features, who swore like a fisherman. "Get up, we've got to go to breakfast, the others have left, and you've got about five minutes before my patience too expires" Thea spoke tightly tapping her shoe impatiently on the floor. Maxima smiled gratefully at the girl and got ready in record speed her new green tie flourishing as she rushed behind Thea to the great hall. She was so focused on getting there while there was still food that she ran right into Sirius Black.
"What do you want Snake" he snarled at her, the kindness of the day before gone. He was all narrowed eyes, glaring at her green adornments but Peter who stood beside him smiled. "How are you, we were so worried" he then surprised her by squeezing her into a hug. He was a small boy, and the hug was awkward at best but maxima couldn't help the way it warmed her heart. It was hard to imagine that this sweet innocent boy would be all their undoing. Remus nodded in agreement, dark bags under his eyes. Sirius continued to glare.
"Jamie" she voiced calling attention to her brother. She wanted…no, needed her twin to tell her it would be alright. That they would survive the separation. "Max" he breathed her name crushing her into a tight hug. It was as if air rushed back into her lungs. "I just got you back, I didn't think we'd have to be separated again so soon" he spoke softly, a hand running through his messy hair. "I've got no choice," she said, and it was like the world stood still. She had made so many choices, both good and bad but this one, this abandonment had not been hers. James nodded dejectedly.
"I wrote to dad and hell make this right" James spoke impassioned the other boys nodded their head, already learning that going along with James was a much safer option that arguing with him. Sirius looked on with his jaw tight, as if she had harmed him, she had to restrain herself from reaching out.
Maxima felt warmth, comforted by the sentiment of James' efforts but knowing still they would be futile. There was no changing houses, there was no way to move but forward.
She took a step back, rejoining in step with Thea and waved at the Gryffindor boys as she joined her own house table lucky to still able to grab toast, marmite, and a cup of tea before the food disappeared.
"You're trying to change houses?" Asked Thea her voice pinched; Maxima sighed. "No, James worries about being apart and wrote a letter but it won't change anything. You might just be stuck with me" she grinned at the girl which she didn't return. "My younger brother is a twin, I get it" Thea said before beginning on her own breakfast in silence.
With the wave of the headmaster's wand at the teachers table, timetables appeared in front of each student. Chatter increased as students compared their timetables to see which if any friendly faces would be in their class. With relief, the girls found their timetables to be alike in all but one class- maths.
"How'd you get into advanced arithmetic two" Thea asked louder than maxima would have like, many curious eyes from the Slytherin table turned their way especially a pair of blue eyes that she would much rather avoid.
Maxima shrugged sipping on her tea, "I tested out, I'm good at maths" maxima tried to explain with nonchalance. What she wasn't saying was the Dumbledore had administered tests to determine her academic level, she had passed all the tests but maths was the only one she had been permitted to take out of her expected level.
"Youre in advanced maths two" asked the voice of Lucius Malfoy having one perfect blond eyebrow raised. Of course he was listening. He had since moved out of his seat and was standing directly behind her. "That's what I said, really Malfoy you should really get your hearing checked" she quipped, her blood boiling at the assumption she wouldn't be smart enough and Lucius to her surprise kept his calm, kissing her on her cheek and rushing off "I'll see you in class Potter"
"What was fuck was that" asked Thea her eyebrows raised her moth pressed into a straight line. "Just someone who DOESNT RESPECT BOUNDARIES" voiced maxima glaring at the perpetrators departing back.
"Come on" ushered maxima and the girls finished their meal "we're going to be late for potions if we don't leave to grab our books now" Thea nodded, seeming to have no desire to dally the great hall.
The potions classroom was just as dark and damp as she remembered. It was still cool with drafts and Maxima was glad to have remembered her cardigan as she moved forward to find her seat. It took her a moment to adjust to the sight of Professor Slughorn at the front of the class and a young Severus Snape sitting keenly in the first row.
"If your just entering, please find your name on your assigned seat. This is where you'll be sitting for the remainder of the semester. Do be quick" Slughorn announced, and the students scrambled to find their stool. To her luck, she ended up seated in the front row besides none other than Severus Snape.
"Maxima, as I live and breathe" he addressed her and she grinned in response. "I take it you've already done the introductory readings," she said curiously. "naturally" he drawled a hint of the accent he was trying to hide present in his voice. "I assume you too have read them" he spoke "of course" she replied and turned her focus on Slughorn who was explaining what they would be doing in class.
What she didn't notice were the angry green eyes of Lilly Evans who spent the entirety of the class glaring at the budding Slytherin friendship. Severus, Lily thought, was her friend. A privileged Slytherin like Maxima Potter was going to corrupt her friend and she would put a stop to it.
James looked at lily with her flowing read hair and green eyes. He had met her for the first time at breakfast and was completely and utterly enthralled. He turned Sirius who was quickly becoming his best mate and said "I think I'm in love" and Sirius laughed "with Lilly" he asked chuckling. "Yes with Lilly, im in love, im serious" James said "no, IM Sirius" his new friend replied and the two boys fell into uncontrollable laughter, only stopping when Slughorn stood right in front of their desks.
"Mr. potter, I don't suppose the son of potion master Fleamont Potter could tell me what I would get with a mixture of wrungroot and ginger drops" James quieted down quickly, looking silent at the desk, wishing he had paid more attention when his father spoke of potions "no, sir" he spoke his head hung his cheeks turning read, especially when Lilly turned to look at him.
Severus raised his hand "that would be an energizing potion sir" Maxima could see James' expression turn from embarrassed to livid almost instantly and knew he would not forget this embarrassment.
During lunchtime the entire Slytherin house met in their common room. it was unusual to see the room so full that maxima reasoned that whatever they had been gathered for must be important.
The Slytherin common room was different from the Gryffindor one in every way, Maxima supposed that few, if any, had been able to make the comparison. Where Gryffindor was warm and light the Slytherin located in the dungeons was cool and dim. Still, her new common rooms had study tables with good lamps, decedent leather couches and in the evening the ceiling was charmed to look like the night sky. There was a sense of calm and 'rightness' that she felt here that Gryffindor never had.
Upon arriving she steered Thea towards Severus who had managed to save them seats on one of the sofas in the corner of the room. He had begun to gravitate towards her in the time they shared together, and she found herself quite liking this young Severus snape. But it did not escape her notice the way the other Slytherin boys seemed to ignore him, he had dropped his accent almost completely, but he was far from accepted into the group of upper-class pureblood boys.
"Thanks" whispered Max softly touching his shoulder as she and thea slid into the seat he had saved. Thea just nodded in his direction, which for her was as good as it got, Severus returned the gesture. She would ask her friends why they were all gathered, but she knew they knew noting more than her- that they were supposed to arrive at the start of lunch hour to the common room.
In the center of the room was a boy who had been identified earlier that day as Avery. In this house he was someone important, someone dangerous. During breakfast and upper year girl had warned the two girls to steer clear, he was not above cursing other students when he was unhappy.
Avery was a handsome boy, tall with a defined jawline and just enough stubble to make him every bit the picture of the bad boy that Slytherin girls, Maxima and Theas roommates and particular swooned over. Thea waved to the girls who had just entered, but unsurprisingly they made no effort to join them, or even acknowledge that they had saw the gesture.
All eyes watched him, a focus that was not uncommon, he had this kind of charism and danger that made you want to listen, to watch and see what he would do next.
"Slytherin house, as I am sure you have all realized is a house different than the rest, the best house" Avery began, and every set of eyes was glued to him, even maxima, Avery
seemed important and she couldn't help but watch. "We are smart and bold and most importantly powerful. Here, the fellow members of this house will protect and
support you. Your classmates are people who will become witches and wizards that matter. Yet, house bonding is not why I have brought you here" he paused looking around the room, to him, this was a performance, and they his willing audience
"To many, Slytherin invokes fear, and those from other houses may seek to harm. Today, a group of Hufflepuffs used a tripping hex and tripped Anthony Janson down a moving staircase. He broke his arm and nose, he's in the hospital wing now and will recover. But I beg you caution; other houses will seek to harm you from nothing more than your association with the great house. First years, use the buddy system, watch out for the firsties." Avery looked tense, his jaw ridged, and she couldn't blame him, her blood was boiling at the information. Anthony was a small first year who had been sorted into Slytherin yesterday. His first day, he had just got here.
From across the room Lucius Malfoy made eye contact with her, and she could not help the tingle the boy who would turn psycho killer gave her. Maybe she could save him she thought, from the choices he had yet to make, perhaps she could change the future.
"Potter" Avery called as students dispersed hoping to still snag food from the great hall and escape the crowded room. Maxima moved towards him cautiously.
"Avery" she replied, unsure of where this was going but having seen his handy work before, his victims were found in parts. She swallowed hard.
"I just wanted to make sure you were settling in okay, siblings are rarely separated and I know that must be hard." she looked at him and seriously wondered if she were hallucinating.
"Either way, I'm here if you ever need anything" he said and touched her shoulder softly. "Slytherin is lucky to have a new bright mind like yours"
Max swore her brain malfunctioned "you too "she heard herself say as he turned to leave chuckling. Thea sitting on the couch burst into laughter.
"you too" Thea mocked her voice in a false high pitch "not a word, T. I know where you sleep" Maxima threatened her face flushed, Thea just swung her arm around Maximas shoulder walking leisurely to lunch. She was ready to dig a hole and climb in. Not exactly the start she had been hoping for.
During history of magic, which was a shared class with the Griffendors maxima quickly made a B- line for James immediately taking the seat next to him in the two-person rows, much to Sirius' displeasure. Sirius grumbling took a seat beside Thea in the row ahead, who within moments was at his throat.
"I swear to Morgan and Merlin and all that is holy if you fix your hair one more time I will break your fingers, Black" Thea threatened and maxima was very convinced that Theas bite was just as dangerous as her bark. Still, she and james couldn't help the laughter from bubbling over.
"Ms. Nott" warned the voice of Professor Flitwick "perhaps you'd better pay attention to today's lesson on Morgana La fay, lest you find yourself in detention in the first week" Thea nodded but the second he turned his back shot a glare at Sirius who grinned triumphantly.
"that's not going to go well" commented James smiling looking at the two, "no, but at least it'll be amusing'' replied maxima grinning. It was a perfect sort of relief being next to James. Calm washed over her. It was like finding your keys after hours of panicking due to their missing state. She felt like she could breathe. He squeezed her hand before leaning back in his chair lazily.
Peter and Remus sat in the row behind them. It was interesting to see the marauders at their inception forming friendships that would impact the rest of their lives. Remus, studiously already had quill and parchment out and peter on the other hand looked ready to fall asleep.
"Morgana le fay" began Flitwick and maxima swore she felt her wand twitch in her robe pocket