AN: Hello, it's been a while. So, I'm finally posting. Yay! Sorry it took so long. I don't really know what made it this way. I've had plenty of time to write but didn't do it. I blame YouTube. Anyway, here's a new chapter. It's not as long as I normally doing and I don't really know what happened, but the important thing is that I posted. Grammar errors and such are probably infesting this chapter; however I hope they won't be that bad. I am not good at proof reading before posting.

Stay safe guys, wear a mask, keep social distancing and enjoy the new chapter. xD

Chapter 42: Being a Slytherin

A week had gone by since the Quidditch Final. It was a Saturday, and after skipping breakfast to study in the privacy of my bed the whole morning, I went to Slughorn's office. Potions had been abysmal during the week, and with the fast approaching final tests, I needed his help. We agreed to meet late in the morning, the professor liked to sleep in on his days off, something I don't think I would ever manage to be able to do.

"They are all respectable families," Slughorn said, eyeing the piece of parchment I had given him to inspect. Dumbledore had summoned me to his office in the middle of the week. I had been quite exasperated by it, but once I saw the Minister there with the Headmaster, my annoyance dissipated. If the Minister for Magic was involved then it probably was something of importance. And sure enough, I had been called to speak about my summer accommodations. The two old wizards had presented me with a list of five families, approved by them that had agreed to house me during the summer break. I had been carrying the list ever since, reading and reading it, unsure of what to do. So when I sat down with Slughorn on his desk, the first thing I did was hand it over to him. I don't know why. "I'm sure Albus already made clear who he favors on the list."

That much was true. Of the families that agreed to take me in during the summer, there was one above the rest.

Slughorn went on, before I could even think to speak. "I am personal friends with Fleamont and Euphemia Potter, they are lovely people." He put the parchment down on his desk. "Aren't you friends with their son?"

I nodded. My eyes were set on being stuck on the parchment.

"The Potters can keep you safe enough, but then again," He said with a clear tone of uncertainty that tore my eyes away from the list. Slughorn was back to staring at the names, something obviously caught his eyes in a different way.

I couldn't keep the curiosity at bay. "What is it?"

"I see the Blacks are in this list." He began explaining, and yes that was true. I was surprise to see them there too. "Orion Black is a good friend of mine, and he is a master when dealing with protective charms. As good an enchanter as Merlin was, I'd say. He has every brick of his house charmed against those that might intend his family harm, I'm sure you would be safer than Hogwarts in Grimmauld Place."

I sat back on my chair scoffing, noticing for the first time I had been sitting on the edge of it. "With the experience I've had, professor, anywhere would be safer than school." I found it oddly curious how I felt at ease talking to my Head of House. Almost made me wish his family name was on the list. "Dumbledore didn't say anything about the Blacks."

"On this list, they are the only house with Slytherins. All of them in fact where in our House, except for Sirius Black." He was deliberate with how he said it, and I found that strange.

It hadn't cross my mind that the Blacks were the only Slytherins in the list, not that I thought it mattered outside of Hogwarts, but it made sense. I thought back to all the letters I had received from people outside of school. Most of them were mothers of my housemates, and Slughorn was correct, the only name I recognized relating to Slytherin House was oddly enough Sirius' family. Of the other names on my list, Potter, Smith, Bagnold and Pyke, I don't think I received any letters from members of their families, aside from James, but in this matter he didn't count. I did light research on the family names around school between classes and I had schoolmates of each of those families in other houses. "Do you think it would be better for me to go to a house of former Slytherins?"

"We were sorted in this house for a reason, it bond us together." He seemed oddly bothered by his words. "It's a unique kind of understanding."

"James Potter is my friend, though. We understand each other well enough." And I knew for a fact and I had heard plenty of stories of how Sirius hated his family. As much as I liked Regulus, Sirius was my friend, and I wouldn't want to do anything that he would hate.

"Ultimately, it's your decision Faraday."

Again I scoffed at the absurdity of Slughorn's words. "Oh Professor, you know it's not. Dumbledore is pushing for the Potters and the Minister wants the Pyke family. They decided already." The Pyke's was the family of the Head Matron of St. Mungo's, and as much as I like Head Healer Pyke, I was not about to spent 90 days living with the Healer in charge of my wellbeing. No fucking way. I had enough of that with Madam Pomfrey.

"Not true, they gave you this list. All the families here were approved not only by Albus and Harold, but by a team of wizards and witches all tasked with your best interest. And in the end it comes down to you, which family do you want to experience for the summer. Did you speak to Merlin's portrait about this?"

"I did, and he agreed with Dumbledore, like he always does." I didn't even try to keep the annoyance from my voice.

Slughorn laughed. "It can't be helped then. How about we focus on more pressing matters, I'm sure you'll agree." He grabbed the nearest book on his table, a copy of the class Potions text book. Ah yes, the whole reason I had made an appointment to meet in his office on a Saturday was to clarify class matters.

I sighed. "You are truly, the only Professor that understands me in school."

Oh did that make him happy.

I left an hour later with a raging headache, and a bloody nose. Wiping my nose with a handkerchief I fished out of my pocket, and couldn't help but think of how what had been a normal occurrence of mine, the bloody nose and headaches were honestly happening less. Then again, I had done a lot of intense studying during the year and now when it was all ending, we were revising the topics learned in the year, which I already knew. So there was barely any blood knowledge to unlock for the time being.

The hallways were empty in the dungeons at that time in the morning; were it the week day it would be the opposite, but that didn't matter. I made my way to Merlin's portrait at a quick pace, wanting nothing more than to get the rest of my plans for the day going. I had a study date with Lily after lunch.

I came to stand in front of the wall I knew Merlin's portrait to be hung, but I didn't immediately look up. I didn't want to initiate any conversation. Not that it was going to work. "Aeternum"

He ignored me, not that he could for long. If I had learned something during the year, it was that the portrait to Slytherin house could not deny a true Slytherin from entering her house, no matter how much he wanted to pester me. "Have you taken your pick?"

"No, I'm going to ask James first, after were done with finals." My answer was curt, normal obviously. And I went again to utter the password in attempt to enter my house. "Aeternum."

"You shouldn't waste time."

I sighed; of course Merlin's portrait would make me beg. It wouldn't be a normal interaction with him without it. I don't know what I why I always hoped he didn't. He wouldn't leave me alone from first instance unless I was late for class or I was being picked up by Hogwarts staff, like when Pomfrey was tasked with intensely monitoring my well-being after my recent visit to St. Mungo's. "Please just let me pass."

Thankfully, that was end of that. He swung open.

I went in and not two steps later, I bumped into someone probably on their way out of the common room. Of course, my bag fell off my shoulder and too filled with books, letters and parchment to close, half my belongings tumbled out. I just stood there and sighed, looking at the person that was already trying to gather my stuff. Her blonde hair up in a flawless ponytail was well known to me to know it was Gemma Carrow.

Gemma gathered my belongings swiftly, before I could even shake off the shock of her helping me so automatically to react. "I'm sorry about that."

Obviously, I decided to remain silent, it was always my best course of plan. I waited until she was done gathering my things which she did quickly as if there hadn't been a mess to begin with and that made me wonder why she didn't just use her wand to do it. Gemma straightened herself, masterfully balancing the couple books and small stack of letters over her arm. She stared at me for a second and I was just so unsure of what the hell was happening.

"My mother was pleased that you answered her letter." Gemma began, her tone sounding polite to me, more polite than she normally talk to me. It dawned on me that she was still holding on to my stuff and didn't look inclined to give everything back. I wondered if she was doing it on purpose to corner me into talking to her. "Thank you."

"It wasn't a problem." Plus it was between me and Mrs. Carrow, so Gemma had nothing to do with it, but I didn't feel mean enough to say that. I've gotten to answering most of my letters during the weekend, and to my dismay that hadn't meant they would stop coming. Now I was keeping conversation with random witches and wizards that I had never meant and that I probably shouldn't be talking with. Like Mrs. Carrow who had already sent me a second letter, inviting me to tea with her and Gemma and the rest of the ladies in her house during the summer. The thought of that invitation still shook me to the core. I didn't help that it wasn't the only one.

I just decided to take my things from her before she tried more conversation. Gemma relinquished the books, releasing a 'oh', as if she just remembered what she had hold of. Shoving everything into my bag, I met her eyes once, surprised that she was still there. Gemma seemed like she wanted to say something, and for a second I looked expectantly at her, but when her mouth grimaced, I nodded once and walked passed her, eager to get away before the situation got more awkward than it already was.

"Wait, Faraday." She called and for some unknown reason I stop, turning to her to wait in silence. Gemma gave me the impression of a person fighting to find the right words to say. That made me wonder, what could she possibly want to say to me to get her like that, when she normally was so eloquent. I watched how she cleaned her hands on her skirt and spoke. "Tonight, we'll be having the Dueling Society. Would you like to attend?"

Holy fuck. What was happening?

I stood there shocked, thankful that it was a Saturday morning and the common room was practically empty so as to known be witness to whatever the fuck was happening here. Yes, I was shocked as hell, but not enough to keep silent. "I'm not a member."

Gemma flinched at that, and looked down as she spoke again. "But you're a Slytherin."

Her statement struck me oddly.

Hell yeah I was, yet I wasn't too please with hearing her say it. The Dueling Society was an Slytherin-only weekly reunion to practice out of the curriculum magic, however I knew very well what attending it meant. It was the whole fucking reason I had been the pariah of my house for going back to it, now that the Mulciber was out of the picture, knowing what has to happen to gain entry, did not sit well with me. But I knew this wasn't anything personal. This was not because I was a Slytherin. Gemma wasn't asking me to attend the Dueling Society. She was asking Merlin's descendant. And that angered me.

Gemma seemed to notice my contempt toward her assertion and she tried to take her words back. "You don't have to go if—"

"I'll go." I snapped, thinking that I really had no choice in the matter. In the end of the day, my choices didn't really matter, I was still a Slytherin because of the person I defended from and the intensive charm work he engraved into his blood. "Wouldn't miss it."

For a second time, I gave her a nod as a sign of parting and walked away.

I couldn't keep my attention away from Gemma's invitation or my atrocious decision to accept it, not even as I sat next to Lily in the Library. We planned to discuss transfiguration so as to avoid Madam Pince's shrill screech at making noise, we sat side by side to better whisper at each other. It had worked for a bit, but when Lily went on to read her book, my mind filtered away. I held my quill in my hand, thinking for who knows how long.

"Are you even listening to me, Ambrosius?" I heard Lily say, but it was the mention of my surname that brought me back from my thoughts. Her words were followed by a shoulder push. Whatever she was telling me, she must have said it a couple of times.

I felt back for ignoring her, even though I hadn't realized I was doing it. "No, sorry. What did you say?"

"I asked if Slughorn cleared your doubts about yesterday's potion." Lily said in a whisper. "What's got you so lost in thought?"

"Well," I thought about it. I edged a bit closer to her speaking in a voice lower than we had been using previously and clearly seeing there was no one around that could hear us. Especially Pince, who as I looked, was walking away to the other side of the Library levitating a stack of books to follow her. I went on to Lily. "As a Gryffindor, do you feel you have social obligations to follow that are unique to your house?"

"No," She said with a tone and not that much in a whisper. Lily leaned back, staring at my whole face with a conspiring look and eying me as if trying to read my mind. "Are the Slytherins bullying you again? What happened?"

I shook my head, that wasn't something I wanted her to think off. Better if there was no attention given to that. "They're not, no. It's the opposite. They want to include me."

"In what?"

It wasn't as hard to lie to Lily as I would have like it to be. Not about this at least. I'm sure she would abhor me taking part in any situation that involved harming others for no reason at all, even more so children, and the use of dark magic, but this wasn't about that. It was about attending as a member of my house of which I was proud of being part of, although it was all because of Merlin. I regretted at that moment asking her because it wasn't until that moment that I realized she wouldn't understand. Gryffindors and Slytherins could be friends, that much I was certain of, but she would never understand why I got so angry and said yes to Gemma. Because Lily wasn't a Slytherin. And that made lying easy. "Study groups."

"What's a social obligation about that?"

I shrugged, not knowing what to say.

"Listen Faraday," It was a no-nonsense tone the one she gave me, the kind she used when speaking of something that was already firmly in her beliefs and would not be shaken away. Or at least that's how it seemed to me. "Just because they're being nice to you now doesn't mean you owe them anything. And there no social obligations saying that you have to be polite back to them. Alright?"

I nodded to that instantly as she finished, but still it changed nothing.

The Dueling Society was held in one of the empty classroom in the dungeons. The entrance had long ago been enchanted to prevent anyone not affiliated to Slytherin House from entering, or that was what Lorcan Mulciber had told me the first time he took me there. If it was true, I had no way of knowing unless I took the fact that the reunions were allowed to happen without the intermission of teacher or other students. As much as a secret could be kept hidden away, too many people were involved. And honestly, it surprised me that my Gryffindor friends, and their proclivity to stir shit up, hadn't done so.

Especially with their map.

The dungeons were dark and silent, and I ignored the expectant stare I'm sure Merlin's portrait had when I left the common room. As the guardian to the door to our House, he had a general idea of the come and goings of many of the students. I was more than certain he knew where I was heading at that time of the night.

The room, busting with light conversation, went silent at my approach. The hairs at the back of my neck stood on edge as I could feel every eye in the room on me. I kept my head high, ignored everybody and walked to a cluster of seats, doing my best Mafalda impression. Or at least I hope it was. I would hate it if in reality I was not calm and collected on the outside. I sat down and watched my housemates, my eyes not staying too long on any of them.

It took a bit, my appearance and presence a change, but soon Slytherins went on about their normal Dueling Society meeting. No one approached me, not even Gemma who invited me.

And I just sat there, not taking part, but present.

...