Ok next chapter! This one is considerately long, but I think it's pretty good. Just a bit more about the relationship between our main characters. I'd really appreciate if you reviewed as well as read it (points at rain warrior). And thanks to everyone who does! And as usual if you see any mistakes, don't hesitate to point them out!
Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter and company does NOT belong to me, please remember this as I can't be bothered to put a disclaimer every chapter!
Pride and Potions
I ran in late. The whole class stared at me as I came in. Some of them were friendly ones, likes the ones that my friends, Hazel, Narcissa, Lucius and Severus flashed me. The others were from the Gryffindor's mostly, angry glares, wondering whether I would get away with it this time. I recollected myself and strode serenely in. Ignoring everyone's stares and seating myself calmly next to Hazel.
"Agghhh... Miss Pyscia!" Our potions master acclaimed, "Good to see you!"
"You too sir!" I said brightly, flashing a smile.
"Now, may I know what held you back?" He asked. I knew that was coming, easy, this time I didn't even need to lie.
"A Gryffindor," I waited for the words to sink in. The effect was marvelous. The Gryffindors glared at me loathingly, knowing that I had made it up. Well, they were wrong this time. "third year, was throwing some nasty spell at some of our first years. As Headgirl I had to stop it, sir."
"How thoughtful of you!" he said, "Ten points from Gryffindor, for the delay of this young lady's class."
The room erupted in shouts and protests from the Gryffindors. The Slytherins just smiled victoriously. Looking smug and disbelieving at the Gryffindors for causing the uproar.
"That's not fair sir!" Lily Evans whined, "She made it up!"
"Yeah, they always do that!" someone else added.
"She was just snogging another of her boyfriends!" I spun around, who dare say that? I was furious. It was Potter. That fool doesn't know what he got himself into.
"I don't even have one, Potter." I said icily, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Not like you, who has ten girls curled around his leg in bed." He stood up in a rage, knocking his desk and chair over. Creating a loud echoing bang on the tiled floor. He pointed his finger at me, shaking violently, anger overwhelming him and depriving him of speech.
"POTTER!" the professor bellowed. "Sit down and lower your finger, before I take more points from your house."
I shook my head at him in a taunting way and smirked at Hazel. She gave me an approving nod and the lesson started.
"As you all know, the N.E.W.Ts are soon coming, and you should have completed all the learning tasks I set you last month." I had and the rest of the lesson just flowed over the top of my head. I looked around me, looking for some form of distraction. I turned around in my seat and caught that Sirius Black staring at me again. I gave him the death stare and slammed a note on his table.
"Stare at your own butt! Or be mince." It said. He looked at me in disbelieve mixed with an anger, that was slowly erupting. And then it exploded.
He scrunched up the parchment into a small compact ball and threw it at my head. It just bounced of the top of my head and fell onto the floor across the aisle and came to rest at Severus's feet. He looked up curiously and caught my eyes, he gave me a questioning glance and picked up the piece of paper. Unraveling it, he read it and he gave me an even more puzzled look.
He shook it mouthing, "Who's is it?"
I budged my head back in the direction of Sirius, and he gave me an understanding nod. Throwing it back at Sirius Black, who was busy copying down notes from the black board. Sirius Black looked up, an annoyed, very angry expression playing up on his face. He took the small piece of paper and glared at Severus once more pulping it to a small ball and throwing it back with a significant amount of force.
"You throw it back..." He mouthed at Severus, and then made a slashing motion across his neck and continued on with his work. I watched, Severus just shrugged and went on with his work. What! They weren't going on? Just stop. Like that! Why did he just let Sirius Black do that to him! Once more I turned around and slammed my palm on his desk, Sirius Black looked up and I stuck my rude finger at him. He frowned and then swiftly kicked the bottom of my chair, making a loud thud as his foot made contact with the wood. Severus looked up again, along with a few others and hissed softly at Black.
"Stop harassing her!"
"Bloody hell I was not!!!" Sirius argued back, his voice rising with every syllable.
"Is that so Black?" out teacher asked acidly, then turning to Severus said, "Severus tell me."
"He was sir." Came Severus's definite reply.
"I was not!" Sirius Black spat, gripping the sides of the table,
"Was he Pyscia, dear?" My head of house asked turning to me.
I nodded sweetly, giving him my most innocent look.
"Well Mr Black looks like we have to deduct another fifty points from Gryffindor." He said in a final no arguing voice. But the Gryffindors weren't going to hear the end of this.
"She provoked him!!!" James roared, inviting all the other Gryffindors to join in the protest.
"SILENCE!" he teacher roared back, "Another ten points from Gryffindor. Perhaps that will warn you of further disruptions Potter!"
The class went on silently with the occasional snicker coming from our side of the room. I checked my watch. Yes! It was ten minutes before lunch, I could go! I had a lovely head boy and girl meeting to attend.
I stood up gracefully picking up my belongings and told Hazel I'd meet her for lunch. Then straightening up and turning to the teacher, "Umm... professor, sir I have to leave, I have a head girl and head boy meeting." He just nodded and smiled.
Gosh, some meeting that was! It was all about how the Dark Lord's strength was growing and that we should encourage all students to remain at Hogwarts during the holidays. There had been many raids around the country and Deatheater numbers were rising as he spoke. I really didn't know why he was telling me all this, being in Slytherin, those were one of the things we celebrated. The Christmas Dance being an incentive for more people to stay the headmaster, Dumbledore, wanted us to make a big deal out of it and hang posters everywhere. Even the first years were welcome. It really must be that bad, if he let the first years attend. We nodded and agreed with everything he said. Finally he put the tips of his fingers together and stared at us through his crescent-moon spectacles with his blue eyes.
"Anything you need to add perhaps?" he asked hopefully.
"Ummm.... Sir." I began, "Don't you think the hall would be too crowded? So crowded perhaps that people will be forced to go outside..." Hopefully he would get the hint.
"She has a point, sir." David Harrison, from Ravenclaw, said, "The Great Hall is big enough to hold all the students easily, but this is a dance, we will need more space then we usually do."
"Yes..." Dumbledore thoughtfully, "What about opening up the Entrance Hall too?"
"But where will everyone meet from different Houses?" David asked, "There would be too much confusion, especially for the first years."
"Very true..." the Headmaster said, then turning to me, "What do you think Pyscia?"
"Well, sir, I really think that inviting the first, second and third years is a bit too much..." hmmm... how could I put this in a non-offensive way? "Perhaps the Dance could end early for them...at say nine, but go on for the senior years."
"Excellent idea!" I sighed of relief. Good at least we won't have a bunch of ankle-biters bugging us all night.
"If that's all sir," David asked, "May we go? It's nearly lunch time."
"Sure, sure." He dismissed us.
Once outside David let out a breath of relief and said, "Well nice one Py! Thank Merlin we won't have the junior years running around!"
I smiled, David was a nice person and a good Head Boy too.
"Yeah I'd prefer dancing, than herding lost first years around." I said.
"Who are you going with?" he asked me all of a sudden.
"Don't tell me Head Boy and Girl have to open the Dance!" I said in mock horror.
"Was just a question!" he said defensively lifting his shoulders.
"Well, then I'm going with Severus Snape." I said grinning.
"Spare me a dance perhaps?" Davis asked hopefully.
"Nah... I don't think so!" I said cheekily, "Nice try though!"
"Well, see you later!" He said heading off down the corridor to where I supposed the Ravenclaw common room was.
I headed back to the dungeons, it wasn't lunchtime yet. I was happily walking along, trying to dodge other people who were just streaming out of the classrooms either side of me. There was a large crowd around the dungeons and I went to investigate. I was just about to shout "Head Girl here, please move aside." As I heard two very familiar voices shouting at each other.
"You bloody better get out of my way!" I heard Severus yell.
"Or else what huh?" came Sirius Black's taunting voice, "You'll prod me with your wand? Or you'll get your girlfriend to hex me? Ohhhhh..... I'm so scared!"
What was with Black? Did he always have to refer to me as Severus's girlfriend? And why did he always have to use it as an insult? Couldn't he come up with better ones!
I edged closer to the center, where they stood facing each other wands drawn and preparing to duel.
"This is for being the miserable prat that you are!" Black shouted and threw a hex at Severus. Severus started dodging as if an invisible force was beating him up, soon he was covered in bruises and had a trickle of blood streaming down his lip. I was going to burst through and hex Black with the most painful spell I knew. But I quickly regained myself remembering that it would tarnish Severus's reputation. I stepped back and muttered a soft melodic flow of words and at the same time as Severus raised his wand to curse Black back I released them. It was a wonderful effect. Black was thrown back against the wall and blue boils started erupting all over his face. I walked back out of the corridor and re- entered with full gusto.
"Head Girl coming through!" I ordered, "Please move aside!" People parted for me and I stalked through with an important air towards Severus.
"All right there, Severus?" I asked, touching his arm, "You're bleeding!"
"Oh, no I'm fine thanks!" he said, surprised to see me. "I thought you were at a meeting."
"Oh I was," I said, mopping away the blood from his lip with a clean handkerchief. "It ended early."
"Hmmm..." He said pulling the handkerchief out of my hand and cleaning himself up.
"You!" I said pointing to a fourth year Ravenclaw, "Go call Madam Promfey!"
Then turning around to the crowd of on lookers, "What are you standing here for! Go to lunch!"
"What happened?" I asked Severus as we were walking back to the Great Hall.
"Oh, the usual," he said shrugging, "Black wanted to get me back for what happened in Potions."
"He did look very vicious didn't he!" I said.
"Yeah..." he replied, "But what I don't get is that the spell that I used... wasn't meant to give that effect."
"Well, maybe angling the wand slightly and muttering the incantation slightly differently can cast a very different spell." I said wisely, hoping that he wouldn't suspect me.
"Hey, can you help me some time with the Invisibility Potion?" I asked him, "I really don't get it, should you stir it anti-clock wise three times under the full moon or should you stir it anti-clock wise during the full moon."
"I have some time after lunch...." He said slowly, "Maybe we could work on it then, alright?"
"Yes, that would be great!" I said happily, "Thank you so much!"
We met up with Hazel, Regelus, Narcissa and Lucius for lunch, and then separated as we went of for our individual studies. Severus and I went to the dungeons to work on my Invisibility Potion.
We entered the small chamber and I shut the door behind me, the potion was sensitive to light, and so I only lit a small candle in the corner of the room. It was standing in the center of the room, in a small copper cauldron suspended by a chain over the fire.
"Here!" I showed him it, "It's meant to be crystal clear by now, but it just looks all foggy and clouded."
"Well, apart from that it's ok." Severus said slowly, "But... you didn't add enough Devil's Cape..."
He grabbed a small amount of dried shriveled up dry roots with a nasty odour and started pounding them up finely. The room was filled with a disgusting rotting fume and he threw it into the cauldron. Then slowly he lifted the ladle and stirred it until a light smoke hung over the potion.
"There that should be better!" He said straightening up and brushing his robes off, "I've never seen one like this! How long did it take you to make it?"
"A week..." I replied.
"That's quick!" He exclaimed, then bending over he examined the potion again, "Don't they normally take two months to brew?"
"Yes..." I said slowly, "But I added a Quickening Potion to it so that it would speed up."
"Very smart!" he said giving me a smile, "I wouldn't have thought of it myself."
"Yeah... I was practicing it for the N.E.W.Ts...." I replied returning his smile, "Which potion did you choose?"
"Oh the Elixir one." He replied as if it were nothing, the Elixir Potion was the hardest one on the list, taking nearly a whole moon cycle to brew and it had to be completed within the three hour time limit of our tests. How he was going to do it I had no idea.
"Isn't that one hard?" I asked.
"No, not now once you told me how to quicken things up!" he said grinning.
"What can it exactly do?" I asked while ladling some of my potion and bottling it.
"It cures most ailments and prolongs life if you are mortally wounded." Came his reply.
I took another small bottle and filled it up handing it to Severus, "Here you can have this."
"Thanks." He mumbled pocketing it and scratching his neck. His black hair fell in front of his face and he looked down. An awkward silence followed. He looked up again and grinned, I didn't know what to say... Words failed me and I only managed to blush and stare at my feet. The room was dimly lit and I couldn't see the expression on his face. I was lucky, because if he could see mine I would have so embarrassed. Right now I was sure that my face was a deep red colour, I must have looked like some tomato with black curls.
He walked past me and stooped down, and pressed a soft kiss against my cheek. My heart stopped beating and I froze on the spot. All I could do was look up and smile goofily, he returned my smile and strode out of the room, closing the door behind him. Was I daydreaming? Hallucinations perhaps? Or was I really the luckiest girl in the world?
Disgusted by myself and my thoughts, I left the room to return to the Slytherin Tower. It was nearly half past five and I had promised Hazel and Narcissa to work on our gowns for the Dance.
I tried to keep my mind on how to produce an elegant evening gown from the grotesque rags we had bought. But my mind kept trailing to a certain young man. I never really had thought much about him. Well, not until today. I had always taken him for granted, we were just always friends. Hazel and I used to tease him, for his greasy hair and lack of posture. But over the years the teasing had turned into an informal friendship.... He was more like an elder brother to us, watching over us. He too had changed, perhaps being friends with Lucius had given him more confidence. He now walked with grace and elegance, head held high with a proud feel. His hair had lost it's greasiness after Hazel had suggested very rudely that he wash it everyday, in our fifth year. So from a scrawny greasy haired kid, who was prone to Hazel's teasing, he became a handsome young man, who was capable of making me blush.
Never, ever in my life has someone been able to make me blush. If they tried to swoon over me, I would just flick them off. But Severus was some how different.
I was forced to leave the room. What else could I have done? I kissed her and then what? Wait for her to respond and flirt or what? I don't know what came over me... We just used to be friends... She and Hazel found it amusing to tease me. I let them, they were younger than me by nine months. Pretty little things they were. I guess I sort of took it upon my self to look after them. I was always sort of hovering near them, in the background making sure they weren't getting hurt. I guess they were like the sisters or siblings I never had. Or the family I never will have. When Hazel got dumped by her first boyfriend, she was an emotional wreck. I took it upon myself to chase the guy up and pound him till he wished he were never born. When Pyscia or Hazel or both fell victim to Potter's taunting it was my instinct to snap back.
I knew Pyscia's brother, Erique, quite well. We both had a fascination for potions and dark arts. We visited each other often, and I used to watch Pyscia in the distance playing with her dolls or just frolicking around. She never joined us, usually she would have some friends around and she used to say that potions bored her so terribly. We had never spoken more than a few words to each other, mainly consisting of 'hellos' and 'goodbyes' and 'why the hell would you mess with potion sets! It's a bloody waste of time!' Then one day, near the end of summer, Erique pulled us aside and told his little sister, "Pyscia, you know who this is right?" She folded her arms and scowled, "Of course I do, idiot! He's Severus Snape."
"Yes and you two are going to start Hogwarts this summer." He said in an adult voice.
"WE KNOW!" she spat, angrily. "If you are done with telling us that we are starting Hogwarts would you please excuse me and go away? Sirius and Hazel are coming over."
"Sirius Black?" I asked curiously.
"Yeah him!" she said in a politer tone, then turning back to her brother she snapped, "So are you done yet or what?"
"Nearly," he replied, "I asked Sev to keep and eye on you in Hogwarts, he's older and will help you with things..."
"Fine, whatever!" she said and stomped off to join her friends.
"Why don't you go join them?" Erique suggested, "I have something to check up on."
Reluctantly I had joined them in their play, they all had their broomsticks out and were holding races. Pyscia let me borrow her old broom and I raced them a few times. I felt slightly left out; Hazel and Pyscia were loud and flamboyant screaming and shouting as they sped past. Sirius was no better, laughing and shouting them on. Hazel and Pyscia were considered little angles with their brown and black locks and sparkling blue eyes. Sirius was a handsome young lad with glossy black hair and twinkling brown eyes. They all had an aristocratic look, they way they moved about and dressed. I was just a little boy with drooping shoulders and greasy hair, a thin shallow face with a hooked nose. How I got along with the three I don't know.
I thought we'd be close friends in Hogwarts, the four of us, like a clique. But things never went the way I thought they would.
When Sirius got sorted into Gryffindor. It was a huge shock to Hazel and Pyscia and they tried to persuade him to change. But he wouldn't listen and slowly they started to grow apart. They made friends with Narcissa Black and she told them how Sirius had betrayed her family. The was had only just begun.
A/N: Please review! Everything is welcome. Tell me if Severus is turning into a softie or not. And if Pyscia is too much of a Sue. Pax be to all!