TITLE: Searching for Acceptance
PART: 2/3 (Chapter Two - Trouble in Potions)
ABBREVIATED TITLE: S4A
AUTHOR: Cardinal Syn/Jamie Carlson
RATING: PG for Language
SPOILERS: Misc. Harry Potter spoilers
DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all things HP belong to JK Rowling. Not me.
NOTES: Lamiæ are creatures of legend, similar to vampires. One of the descriptions that go around nowadays are of a snake woman, with the torso of a human woman and the tail of a snake, who feeds on the life-force and blood of young men. The Lamiæ in this story are similar to those.
This is a Short Story
WARNINGS: Language, and possible butchering of personalities and DEFINITELY of the legend of the Lamiæ ^^;
PAIRINGS: None that are obvious this time around
MAIN CHARACTERS (in order of most prominent in the story): 2 OCs (original characters), Severus Snape and the other teachers at Hogwarts, Harry, Ron & Hermione
FANFICTION.NET SUMMARY: Two new girls enter Hogwarts, and the trouble starts in potions class when one of them comes in contact with... catnip? Fuzzy, almost angsty at parts, and moral-teaching ^_^
EXTENDED SUMMARY: Trouble starts when two new students enter Hogwarts. Within a matter of days, one of them goes haywire during Professor Snape's Potions class - oddly enough, when she happens to come into contact with some catnip... This story is about acceptance of those unlike yourself, and of how friendships can be made in the oddest of places.
Note: The story begins to center around Nii Nah and Liam now.
Chapter Two - Trouble in Potions
Liam Crescent entered the Potions dungeon, the rest of the Slytherin students right behind her. She spotted Nii Nah standing up by Professor Snape's cauldron, asking the professor something. As if he felt Liam's eyes on him, Severus looked up, and his black met green as they held each other's stares.
"Only if Crescent agrees to sit with you," Professor Snape said, his silky voice reaching Liam's ears as she drew nearer.
"Nii Nah?" Liam asked, stepping up beside the girl. Her friend turned to her, her blue eyes glittering.
"You and I make one more for each side than expected, and I figured we might as well sit together," Nii Nah chirped. "I'm more likely to get my work done sitting with you anyway, and this way he doesn't have to re-work his seating chart, since it was made up before they heard we were coming."
Professor Snape's dark eyes fixed once again on Liam. He stared at her coldly, and she stared back in silence. He was the first to speak.
"Is this arrangement preferable for you, Crescent?"
"It's fine, Professor. She will not be an annoyance to me as she would be with other students," Liam replied evenly. She nodded at Nii Nah, who skipped over to the only empty work desk left, where she deposited her cauldron, wand, and books. "Thank you, Professor Snape. I understand you dislike Gryffindors, but I don't hold such automatic dislikes."
Snape's eyes flared as if she had challenged him. "And why would you be any different from the rest of the power-hungry children in Slytherin?" he asked, his voice low, only for her to hear.
"Because," Liam replied, equally quiet but as calm as ever, "Cliques are pointless. I am not Slytherin because I seek power - I am there because I wish to learn. I have no intentions of trying to become the most powerful or the smartest - I simply wish to learn. You need not show any Slytherin favoritism toward me. I will not appreciate it if it is given, nor will I ask for it."
Snape's eyes narrowed a little, but Liam couldn't find the contempt there she expected. He regarded her with his customary seriousness and calm-before-the-storm quietness.
"As you wish."
Liam nodded, and turned back to the class, her straight blue-black hair swishing across her back as her robes swished across her legs. Her gaze met that of Draco Malfoy, who had been eavesdropping on her conversation with Professor Snape, and smiled at the confusion and disbelief in his eyes.
Her seat was to Draco's left. She sat down next to Nii Nah, and set up her supplies. She felt a hand brush against her sleeve and turned her head just far enough to fix Draco in her peripheral vision. "Yes, Malfoy?"
"What ARE you doing?" He asked, his voice filled with contempt as he threw a look at Nii Nah. "You're sitting with a Gryffindor!"
"I am aware of that," Liam said coldly. Nii Nah turned her head to look at Liam and Draco in puzzlement, then frowned when what was being said registered. She stuck her tongue out rudely at Draco. Liam caught this and gave her a sharp slap on the arm with the back of her left hand. "Nii."
Nii frowned again, but turned back to her own work. "Fuxar..." she muttered. "Stupid Slytherin assholes...." She yelped as a second, sharper slap was applied to her upper arm. If she cursed again in class, she would get it across the mouth. Liam had a tendency to be very authoritative with Nii Nah, who definitely needed it. For all her sweetness and charm, Nii could have a very nasty streak when others were pestering her. Usually when Liam was involved.
Liam turned her attention back to Draco. "I don't have any problems sitting with a Gryffindor. I will not abandon friends I had before I came to Hogwarts for a self-centered clique of immature children," she said coldly, her green eyes blazing. Draco looked as if he were going to respon nastily, but froze when he saw the dangerous look in Liam's eyes.
"Welcome back students, although I am sure there are many of you who would rather not be here. Now, on your first day back," Professor Snape said, his voice reaching every student, hushing them with its sound, "We will work on a Hyperactivity potion. Although some of you may not need it," he commented, his black eyes flitting over to Nii Nah. The young girl was completely oblivious and continued to smile happily, ignoring the snickers from the Slytherin section.
"Your ingredients are huckleberry root, juice squeezed from a pepper plant, and catnip. This is a very easy potion to brew. But seeing as some of you have had trouble with such things before," his eyes swept through the Gryffindors, at Harry Potter and his friends, and through the other members of the class, never once going to the Slytherin's seats, "I will be available to aid you."
Nii Nah was sitting very, very still, sniffing the air. Her eyes went to the Slytherin girl who was handing out the catnip. Her nose twitched, and her eyes held fast on the greens. "Ca-catnip?" she asked, her voice hopeful. "W-we get to work with catnip?" The smile on her face was rather disturbing.
Liam's eyes went from Nii Nah to the catnip and back again, a frown marring her pretty face, her eyes narrowed as she desperately thought of a way to stall or even stop the coming trouble. But it was too late. Nii Nah suddenly jumped up onto her desk, knocking her cauldron to the floor. She crouched, and very much pounced on the poor girl with the catnip bundles in her hands.
The girl squealed as Nii Nah snatched up the catnip and bolted out the door with it.
Crying out for Nii Nah to come back, Liam stood and walked quickly after her friend. The stares of shock were ignored, the shouts of anger from Snape were ignored.
Nonononononono, she thought to herself. We'd got in, we'd made it this far, but on the first day, DAMN IT, on the first bloody day you had to do this to me, Nii? Why, WHY? It was only going to get worse from there.
***
Liam was the first to catch up with Nii Nah. Nii was crouched in a corner, gripping the catnip in her hands, giggling like a happy drunk. She looked up at Liam with dopey eyes, her pupils oval slits. She purred loudly. "Thish ish nice catnip, yeah..." Nii Nah said, giggling again.
"Give me the catnip, Nii Nah." Liam's voice was hard, her anger palpable as a fog around her. She reached out a hand, which twitched as if to slap the other girl. Nii Nah glared at her, standing slowly and edging toward the door that lead to the Gryffindor common rooms.
"No! I never get to play with catnip anymore! Not since we came here!"
"You know what the catnip does to you. Give it to me, then go to the nurse and tell her someone slipped brandy into your drink or something. A Slytherin prank. She'll believe it."
Liam could feel the presence of Professor Snape long before he spoke.
"What the hell is the matter with the two of you?" he asked. His voice was very low, very menacing, and very, very angry. Liam ignored him. She could sense Professor McGonagall behind her as well. Head Master Dumbledore was standing in the doorway behind Nii Nah. The two were enclosed, trapped by the professors. Even one with a snare or petrifaction spell would be enough if they tried to escape.
Liam tried once more to end it peacefully, and walked toward Nii Nah, one hand outstretched still to take the catnip. Nii Nah reacted in the way Liam feared.
Nii Nah leaped to the center of the makeshift ring of would-be captors, and crouched, hissing violently. Her furry blue tail broke free of its bonds, and began to lash angrily under her skirt. She narrowed her eyes and drew her lips back, baring her sharp teeth at Professors Snape and McGonagall. Her suddenly-visibly, pointy furless ears were plastered back against the top of her head.
In the silence that ensued after the hiss, as she realized what she had done, the catnip fell from Nii Nah's shock-limp hands. In her panic, she inadvertently brought Liam down with her.
"I... I'm not a snakey-person!" Nii Nah cried in fear, knowing that anyone with the ability to hiss were first believed to be related to Voldemort, or be like him. She brought her hands up to her mouth and shook her head. "I'm not a serpent-person, ask Liam, she IS one -- !" Again shocked by what has come from her moth, aware that she just veritably destroyed her best friend's chances at learning at Hogwarts - or anywhere else for that matter - tears filled Nii Nah's eyes.
Dumbledore and the two Professors were watching Liam very, very carefully.
"What does she mean?" Dumbledore asked, his kind voice edged with concern and demand.
Liam's head was bowed. The hand that had reached for the catnip hung limp at her side. Her hair fell forward to cover her face. She slowly raised her head, her eyes hard, chin up defiantly. She spread her arms out to the sides a little, and used one arm to moved the silently crying cat-girl behind her. She then stood in front of her friend, protective and loyal, even in what may have been, in her mind, her final hours alive.
Liam's green eyes were glowing now, anger, resentment, bitterness all mixed with sorrow and self-loathing shining forth. She gritted her teeth, setting her jaw. She regarded Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall with coldness and that utter calm. The only animate part of her was her eyes.
"Well?" Severus snapped.
"I am not what you seem to think me to be," Liam said. Her voice was calm, almost casual, but they could all hear the warring emotions in her eyes reflected, ever so faintly in her voice. "I am a Lamia, of the clan of Lylyth. I didn't come here with any intention to harm anyone. I came here intending only to learn. But I am fully aware that Lamiæ are killed on-sight, in most parts of the world, and I highly doubt we are allowed to go to school with your children."
Albus walked over to the girls. Liam's eyes flared as he drew closer, and she released a quiet, serpentine hiss, but there was nothing behind it. They both knew it. Albus placed a gentle hand on Liam's shoulder, and the girl veritably crumpled. She and Nii Nah, still unexplained as to what exactly she was, both threw themselves in to his arms and began to cry.
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Author's Notes: Man, I still don't have anything in here to relate to PG-13, and this is chapter two of MAYBE four.. Probably 3, actually. O_O Snape's part will be bigger in the next chapter, so worry not Snape-fans. ^.^ (I hope *sniffles*)
Please r/r, my friends, and I'll see if I'm popular enough to actually write out the next story....