Story: Takes place during the Tri-wizard tournament. The arrival of the
exchange students I think. Possibly Harry getting into the tournament, but
I'm not sure if that happens yet. If not, it happens next chapter.
Legal type stuff: Eric, Richard and Sebastian are mine. Cho and everything else is pretty much JKRs. Including the Lestrange back story and the last names and the professors and stuff like that.
Warnings: Swearing and some violence. Basically a Slytherin ass kicking, and Eric being creepy. Cameo by Cho Chang. Whee.
Part 2
Relations between Slytherin and Ravenclaw were cooler then usual, however no one really noticed. News all over school was about the upcoming Tri- wizard tournament, and very little else besides that, and Harry Potter, seemed to be of importance.
The Slytherins were the first to notice the impact of the Ravenclaw's bitterness. It had come stealthily and without warning. It had started with the discovery that all of the Slytherins requiring extra tutoring found themselves without the eager-to-help intellect of Ravenclaws. More disastrously, there was an active sabotage of any work that required the two houses together in the same room. Captured pixies would suddenly be released, or potions would boil over or explode. More then a few times, a Slytherin had to be hurried to Madame Pomfrey's. Much to the displeasure of the Slytherins, they could never prove that it was the Ravenclaws who were doing it.
Snape and McGongall suspected of course, but Snape let everyone fend for themselves. Unless it was blatant-and it never was, he didn't step in. McGongall assigned essays and took away house points when she could, but generally, it was hard to prove that the Ravenclaws were acting out of mischief. More often then not, it was 'accidental'.
The result was that the Slytherins found their grades dropping, and some of them like Eric, who had always needed that extra help--despite having exceptional innate talent in some areas--were on the line between passing and failing several courses.
***
If anything could have fowled Sebastian's already perpetually bad mood, it was the arrival of Victor Krum. For the past four years, the school had had a Harry Potter obsession. Now, it was in Quidditch, and Krum fever. His only smug consolation was that for once, Potter had competition. With dozens of new students, and a Quidditch celebrity at that.
Maybe he would stop hearing 'harry potter this' or 'harry potter that'. Maybe even Dumbledore would notice something else happening in his school, besides the activities of Potter and his friends.
Sebastian was annoyed at best, when the Beauxbaton students choose the Ravenclaw table to sit at. There was a scrambling for chairs, and several of the Ravenclaws just opted to remain standing, instead of bothering to rush for chairs. Extra chairs were slowly being brought to them, but it would take time to get one for each of the students. He noted without much interest that Drumstrang eventually choose Slytherin to sit with. They seemed pleased. Mostly due to the fact that the rest of the school seemed envious.
Sebastian finally received a chair, and after Dumbledore's speech, the hall began their
first of several feasts. Sebastian began eating, along with the other students, but found he wasn't particularly hungry. He glanced over at the Drumstrang students and caught Eric watching him intently. He raised an eyebrow and then turned back to his food, careful to keep his eyes on his food, or in any direction except the Slytherin table's. His heart-beat had increased, and he felt nervous that Eric was giving him looks like that. It hadn't been the first time Sebastian caught Eric staring at him.
"If I didn't know better--and don't worry, I do--I'd suspect Lestranges fancies you a little bit."
Sebastian coughed on a piece of bread, blushed deeply and turned to the seventh year who he'd ended up sitting next to, his eyes wide with surprise. "WHAT?!"
"Of course, Lestranges aren't like regular folk. He's probably like his parents.Waiting for Azkaban. I'd watch your back if I were you. Most likely he's set his sites on you to terrorize."
"He's not so bad." Sebastian heard himself say. "I mean... he's a jerk and always up to trouble, but he isn't really insane the way the Lestranges were supposed to have been..."
The older student gave Sebastian a shrug, and then a pat on the shoulder. "Just be careful about whose attention you attract. Back in my dad's day, anyone who attracted the Lestrange's attention ended up dead at best. A few insane. Either way... that's not something you want to have to deal with."
"Did his parents really do all of that?" Sebastian asked. He of course knew the stories, but it seemed so far and so distant, and wasn't it unfair to judge someone by their parents example?
"yeah. My dad's sister died at their hands. There was a big issue about his being allowed to come live here, after what his parents did. He was raised by an uncle and aunt after his parents were sent away tho, and they seemed to be genuinely decent folk. at least, compared to the parents. but you never know."
Sebastian nodded and pushed food on his plate, staring at it a moment. "Thanks." he said quietly. "I'll keep that in mind." The older boy nodded and gave Sebastian's shoulder a squeeze.
***
Eric was cold. He wrapped his scarf tightly around himself again and trudged through the forest, muttering while Richard leading the way. Blue and White fairy lites hovered around them. The white lights were to guide them, while the blue ones were there to protect them should anything decide they were a tasty meal. McGongall said that there were also centaurs keeping an eye on them, and if they yelled, the half horse, half men would come to their aid.
She hadn't wanted to send the boys alone into the forest, but Snape hadn't cared. The lights, would be enough, he said curtly. And the centaurs. Besides, they should have been paying more attention, and they deserved a night of discomfort for their wasteful afternoon. The special detention had been the result of a Ravenclaw sabotage in their potion class.
Richard grumbled about it to Snape, and about how it wasn't fair, but he hadn't been able to prove it wasn't due to his inattention. Eric had seen the rather smug little smile on Sebastian's face however. He had nodded his head, accepting the little defeat, and returned the smile.
There weren't many who dared cause a disruption in Snape's potions class, and there were very few who could get away with it. The result of Sebastian's little trick, however, resulted in Eric and Richard, trodding out on the night of a full moon, searching for some flower that bloomed only at night. Snape said they were easy to find, but neither Richard nor Eric were having any luck spotting them. They were debating going in to warm up and admit they'd had no luck, when they saw shadows in the distance, and voices.
"It wont take long. And it wont hurt... I promise!"
"Sebastian..."
"Please... you know I've been waiting for this..."
"But.. what if someone catches us... Cedric..."
Richard's lips curled in a smug smile and he extinguished the fairy lights with a wave of his wand.
"Richard..."
"Shush. Someone's over there..." Richard replied, glancing back at Eric, teeth glinting in the moonlight.
"Then lets just leave them, and go home. I'm tired and cold."
"Quite whining Eric. Follow me."
Eric growled and followed behind Richard, keeping to the darkest shadows. They approached two cloaked and hooded figures. The shorter of the two was perched on the shoulders of the taller. Both voices were familiar and Richard smirked and stepped into sight.
"Cho Chang and Sebastian boot! What ever on earth are you two doing out here?!"
The girl gave a gasp of surprise, dropped whatever it was she had just fished out of a nook in the tree, and lost her balance. Sebastian broke her fall and was glaring at him. His gold eyes reflecting the fairy lights the two of them had brought along. He looked like an angry cat, Eric thought with amusement.
"Go Away SLytherin." Sebastian said, before turning to his companion. "You ok Chang?" The girl nodded and picked herself up off the ground. Sebastian handed her the rectangular object, but stayed on the forest floor where he had tumbled under her weight. "Go back to the common room and wait for me there." Sebastian said.
"I can stay..." she replied quietly, eying Eric and Richard somewhat nervously. Eric was doing his best to project non-threat, and leaned against a tree, hands in his pockets. Richard however, was grinning, malice shining in his eyes. Eric realized he shouldn't have told Richard Sebastian was the one who had ruined their potion.
"No. Go. Just take that with you. I'll be up shortly. And thanks." Sebastian replied. The small girl nodded and hugged the thing to her chest, before disappearing through the trees.
"I'll expect you back shortly." she said, taking half of the floating lights with her.
Once Cho was gone, Richard stalked over to where Sebastian was sitting. He hauled him up by the front of his cloak and shoved him into the base of the tree. Richard's dark blue eyes glinted angrily.
"You shouldn't have sent the girl away. Now you don't have a witness." Richard hissed. One hand flew up and backhanded Sebastian. His head knocked back into the tree with a crack. Richard hit him two more times. Once in the stomach and another time across the face. He brought his fist up to hit Sebastian a fourth time, but Eric caught it.
"That's enough, Richard." He said quietly. "You're even."
Richard let go of Sebastian and shoved Eric back. He turned and narrowed his eyes at his friend. Eric was standing, one hand still in his pocket. Richard reached for his wand and pointed the tip at Eric. "Are you picking him over me?"
"Not at all. But you hit him. What more can you do?"
"I can teach him to mess with us. He should have been smart enough to realize that. I'll just help him remember."
"And do what? Beat him more? What will that solve? " Eric asked. He walked forward and touched the bruise that was beginning on Sebastian's face. Sebastian flinched away, gold eyes still angry and suspicious.
"Leave him to me Richard." Eric said. Smiling suddenly. Eric turned to Richard, and gave him a cold dark and somehow familiar look. "This is entirely between the two of us after all. Let ME be the one to teach him a lesson."
Richard stared at Eric and then nodded, a chill taking hold of him. The look in Eric's eyes were the kind his mother got, when she was determined to catch her prey. It was the look of someone who rather enjoyed inflicting pain on someone. It was the look Snape had when he looked at Harry Potter and it had been the look he'd had when they had had their first fight. Richard did not want it reflected back on him if he didn't agree. One of the reasons Richard and Eric had become friends, was because Richard respected that pit of dark cruelty inside of Eric. It didn't come out often, but it was disturbing when it did.
"Go back to the castle now Richard. Let me deal with Sebastian."
Richard hesitated and then nodded. He re-lit several of the fairy lights and took the same direction Cho Chang had taken. Once his footsteps through the forest had vanished, Eric slumped down, closing his eyes tightly as if in Pain.
Sebastian watched him, from where he was, back against the tree. He could see Eric trembling, and when it didn't seem to be stopping, he took a step forward.
"Don't come any closer. Just stay there." Eric snarled.
"Eric..."
"And don't talk to me. I need a moment. Unless you want me to continue where he left off."
Sebastian stayed where he was, eyes wide and watching Eric intently. After agonizingly long minutes, Eric looked up. The dangerous look in Eric's eyes were gone, and his trembling was almost non-existent.
"Are you... can I move?" Sebastian asked.
Eric nodded looking somewhat weary. There was a haunted look in his eyes to replace the dark one he'd had a short while ago. "Are you hurt?"
"Yes. I'm going to bruise horribly." Sebastian replied. "And my stomach hurts. Your friend is a brute."
Eric smirked. "Well, it was fair payback. Both of Richard's hands and my arm were swollen for hours after that stunt. He caught a look of self- satisfaction on Sebastian's face and shook his head. He could have been a Slytherin. He thought with amusement.
"So why did you keep him from hitting me again. And what do you plan to do to me now?" Sebastian asked.
"You're going to help me find those stupid flowers Snape wants. And I kept him from hitting you, because the smell of blood makes my reaction worse. It hurts more to come back. Now lets go. It's cold, and if you don't get back soon, Chang will have half the castle staff looking for us. I'd rather not have to explain all of this. And I'm sure you don't, either."
Eric turned and Sebastian followed a few steps behind him. "Eric... I'm not sorry for what I did in Potions class."
"That's ok. Just remember that next time, it won't be Richard. I claimed you as mine to deal with. He'll leave you alone, but you'll have to deal with me from now on."
Sebastian stared at Eric's back, not fully understanding. He wasn't entirely sure what had just happened back there, or what Eric meant when he had said he'd claimed him. His thoughts went back to the dinner when the older Ravenclaw had warned him about attracting a Lestrange's attention. He felt a shiver of fear run through his body, and wondered if he wouldn't have been better off with a thorough beating.
Legal type stuff: Eric, Richard and Sebastian are mine. Cho and everything else is pretty much JKRs. Including the Lestrange back story and the last names and the professors and stuff like that.
Warnings: Swearing and some violence. Basically a Slytherin ass kicking, and Eric being creepy. Cameo by Cho Chang. Whee.
Part 2
Relations between Slytherin and Ravenclaw were cooler then usual, however no one really noticed. News all over school was about the upcoming Tri- wizard tournament, and very little else besides that, and Harry Potter, seemed to be of importance.
The Slytherins were the first to notice the impact of the Ravenclaw's bitterness. It had come stealthily and without warning. It had started with the discovery that all of the Slytherins requiring extra tutoring found themselves without the eager-to-help intellect of Ravenclaws. More disastrously, there was an active sabotage of any work that required the two houses together in the same room. Captured pixies would suddenly be released, or potions would boil over or explode. More then a few times, a Slytherin had to be hurried to Madame Pomfrey's. Much to the displeasure of the Slytherins, they could never prove that it was the Ravenclaws who were doing it.
Snape and McGongall suspected of course, but Snape let everyone fend for themselves. Unless it was blatant-and it never was, he didn't step in. McGongall assigned essays and took away house points when she could, but generally, it was hard to prove that the Ravenclaws were acting out of mischief. More often then not, it was 'accidental'.
The result was that the Slytherins found their grades dropping, and some of them like Eric, who had always needed that extra help--despite having exceptional innate talent in some areas--were on the line between passing and failing several courses.
***
If anything could have fowled Sebastian's already perpetually bad mood, it was the arrival of Victor Krum. For the past four years, the school had had a Harry Potter obsession. Now, it was in Quidditch, and Krum fever. His only smug consolation was that for once, Potter had competition. With dozens of new students, and a Quidditch celebrity at that.
Maybe he would stop hearing 'harry potter this' or 'harry potter that'. Maybe even Dumbledore would notice something else happening in his school, besides the activities of Potter and his friends.
Sebastian was annoyed at best, when the Beauxbaton students choose the Ravenclaw table to sit at. There was a scrambling for chairs, and several of the Ravenclaws just opted to remain standing, instead of bothering to rush for chairs. Extra chairs were slowly being brought to them, but it would take time to get one for each of the students. He noted without much interest that Drumstrang eventually choose Slytherin to sit with. They seemed pleased. Mostly due to the fact that the rest of the school seemed envious.
Sebastian finally received a chair, and after Dumbledore's speech, the hall began their
first of several feasts. Sebastian began eating, along with the other students, but found he wasn't particularly hungry. He glanced over at the Drumstrang students and caught Eric watching him intently. He raised an eyebrow and then turned back to his food, careful to keep his eyes on his food, or in any direction except the Slytherin table's. His heart-beat had increased, and he felt nervous that Eric was giving him looks like that. It hadn't been the first time Sebastian caught Eric staring at him.
"If I didn't know better--and don't worry, I do--I'd suspect Lestranges fancies you a little bit."
Sebastian coughed on a piece of bread, blushed deeply and turned to the seventh year who he'd ended up sitting next to, his eyes wide with surprise. "WHAT?!"
"Of course, Lestranges aren't like regular folk. He's probably like his parents.Waiting for Azkaban. I'd watch your back if I were you. Most likely he's set his sites on you to terrorize."
"He's not so bad." Sebastian heard himself say. "I mean... he's a jerk and always up to trouble, but he isn't really insane the way the Lestranges were supposed to have been..."
The older student gave Sebastian a shrug, and then a pat on the shoulder. "Just be careful about whose attention you attract. Back in my dad's day, anyone who attracted the Lestrange's attention ended up dead at best. A few insane. Either way... that's not something you want to have to deal with."
"Did his parents really do all of that?" Sebastian asked. He of course knew the stories, but it seemed so far and so distant, and wasn't it unfair to judge someone by their parents example?
"yeah. My dad's sister died at their hands. There was a big issue about his being allowed to come live here, after what his parents did. He was raised by an uncle and aunt after his parents were sent away tho, and they seemed to be genuinely decent folk. at least, compared to the parents. but you never know."
Sebastian nodded and pushed food on his plate, staring at it a moment. "Thanks." he said quietly. "I'll keep that in mind." The older boy nodded and gave Sebastian's shoulder a squeeze.
***
Eric was cold. He wrapped his scarf tightly around himself again and trudged through the forest, muttering while Richard leading the way. Blue and White fairy lites hovered around them. The white lights were to guide them, while the blue ones were there to protect them should anything decide they were a tasty meal. McGongall said that there were also centaurs keeping an eye on them, and if they yelled, the half horse, half men would come to their aid.
She hadn't wanted to send the boys alone into the forest, but Snape hadn't cared. The lights, would be enough, he said curtly. And the centaurs. Besides, they should have been paying more attention, and they deserved a night of discomfort for their wasteful afternoon. The special detention had been the result of a Ravenclaw sabotage in their potion class.
Richard grumbled about it to Snape, and about how it wasn't fair, but he hadn't been able to prove it wasn't due to his inattention. Eric had seen the rather smug little smile on Sebastian's face however. He had nodded his head, accepting the little defeat, and returned the smile.
There weren't many who dared cause a disruption in Snape's potions class, and there were very few who could get away with it. The result of Sebastian's little trick, however, resulted in Eric and Richard, trodding out on the night of a full moon, searching for some flower that bloomed only at night. Snape said they were easy to find, but neither Richard nor Eric were having any luck spotting them. They were debating going in to warm up and admit they'd had no luck, when they saw shadows in the distance, and voices.
"It wont take long. And it wont hurt... I promise!"
"Sebastian..."
"Please... you know I've been waiting for this..."
"But.. what if someone catches us... Cedric..."
Richard's lips curled in a smug smile and he extinguished the fairy lights with a wave of his wand.
"Richard..."
"Shush. Someone's over there..." Richard replied, glancing back at Eric, teeth glinting in the moonlight.
"Then lets just leave them, and go home. I'm tired and cold."
"Quite whining Eric. Follow me."
Eric growled and followed behind Richard, keeping to the darkest shadows. They approached two cloaked and hooded figures. The shorter of the two was perched on the shoulders of the taller. Both voices were familiar and Richard smirked and stepped into sight.
"Cho Chang and Sebastian boot! What ever on earth are you two doing out here?!"
The girl gave a gasp of surprise, dropped whatever it was she had just fished out of a nook in the tree, and lost her balance. Sebastian broke her fall and was glaring at him. His gold eyes reflecting the fairy lights the two of them had brought along. He looked like an angry cat, Eric thought with amusement.
"Go Away SLytherin." Sebastian said, before turning to his companion. "You ok Chang?" The girl nodded and picked herself up off the ground. Sebastian handed her the rectangular object, but stayed on the forest floor where he had tumbled under her weight. "Go back to the common room and wait for me there." Sebastian said.
"I can stay..." she replied quietly, eying Eric and Richard somewhat nervously. Eric was doing his best to project non-threat, and leaned against a tree, hands in his pockets. Richard however, was grinning, malice shining in his eyes. Eric realized he shouldn't have told Richard Sebastian was the one who had ruined their potion.
"No. Go. Just take that with you. I'll be up shortly. And thanks." Sebastian replied. The small girl nodded and hugged the thing to her chest, before disappearing through the trees.
"I'll expect you back shortly." she said, taking half of the floating lights with her.
Once Cho was gone, Richard stalked over to where Sebastian was sitting. He hauled him up by the front of his cloak and shoved him into the base of the tree. Richard's dark blue eyes glinted angrily.
"You shouldn't have sent the girl away. Now you don't have a witness." Richard hissed. One hand flew up and backhanded Sebastian. His head knocked back into the tree with a crack. Richard hit him two more times. Once in the stomach and another time across the face. He brought his fist up to hit Sebastian a fourth time, but Eric caught it.
"That's enough, Richard." He said quietly. "You're even."
Richard let go of Sebastian and shoved Eric back. He turned and narrowed his eyes at his friend. Eric was standing, one hand still in his pocket. Richard reached for his wand and pointed the tip at Eric. "Are you picking him over me?"
"Not at all. But you hit him. What more can you do?"
"I can teach him to mess with us. He should have been smart enough to realize that. I'll just help him remember."
"And do what? Beat him more? What will that solve? " Eric asked. He walked forward and touched the bruise that was beginning on Sebastian's face. Sebastian flinched away, gold eyes still angry and suspicious.
"Leave him to me Richard." Eric said. Smiling suddenly. Eric turned to Richard, and gave him a cold dark and somehow familiar look. "This is entirely between the two of us after all. Let ME be the one to teach him a lesson."
Richard stared at Eric and then nodded, a chill taking hold of him. The look in Eric's eyes were the kind his mother got, when she was determined to catch her prey. It was the look of someone who rather enjoyed inflicting pain on someone. It was the look Snape had when he looked at Harry Potter and it had been the look he'd had when they had had their first fight. Richard did not want it reflected back on him if he didn't agree. One of the reasons Richard and Eric had become friends, was because Richard respected that pit of dark cruelty inside of Eric. It didn't come out often, but it was disturbing when it did.
"Go back to the castle now Richard. Let me deal with Sebastian."
Richard hesitated and then nodded. He re-lit several of the fairy lights and took the same direction Cho Chang had taken. Once his footsteps through the forest had vanished, Eric slumped down, closing his eyes tightly as if in Pain.
Sebastian watched him, from where he was, back against the tree. He could see Eric trembling, and when it didn't seem to be stopping, he took a step forward.
"Don't come any closer. Just stay there." Eric snarled.
"Eric..."
"And don't talk to me. I need a moment. Unless you want me to continue where he left off."
Sebastian stayed where he was, eyes wide and watching Eric intently. After agonizingly long minutes, Eric looked up. The dangerous look in Eric's eyes were gone, and his trembling was almost non-existent.
"Are you... can I move?" Sebastian asked.
Eric nodded looking somewhat weary. There was a haunted look in his eyes to replace the dark one he'd had a short while ago. "Are you hurt?"
"Yes. I'm going to bruise horribly." Sebastian replied. "And my stomach hurts. Your friend is a brute."
Eric smirked. "Well, it was fair payback. Both of Richard's hands and my arm were swollen for hours after that stunt. He caught a look of self- satisfaction on Sebastian's face and shook his head. He could have been a Slytherin. He thought with amusement.
"So why did you keep him from hitting me again. And what do you plan to do to me now?" Sebastian asked.
"You're going to help me find those stupid flowers Snape wants. And I kept him from hitting you, because the smell of blood makes my reaction worse. It hurts more to come back. Now lets go. It's cold, and if you don't get back soon, Chang will have half the castle staff looking for us. I'd rather not have to explain all of this. And I'm sure you don't, either."
Eric turned and Sebastian followed a few steps behind him. "Eric... I'm not sorry for what I did in Potions class."
"That's ok. Just remember that next time, it won't be Richard. I claimed you as mine to deal with. He'll leave you alone, but you'll have to deal with me from now on."
Sebastian stared at Eric's back, not fully understanding. He wasn't entirely sure what had just happened back there, or what Eric meant when he had said he'd claimed him. His thoughts went back to the dinner when the older Ravenclaw had warned him about attracting a Lestrange's attention. He felt a shiver of fear run through his body, and wondered if he wouldn't have been better off with a thorough beating.