Disclaimer – I borrowed some ideas for this chapter from "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" which is JKR's. Bits you don't recognise are mine. Simple!

~*~

In the name of Helga: Year One

shewhodares

Snake in the grass.

~*~

It had been a somewhat strange first day for the young students from Hufflepuff. Their very first lesson, Herbology, had seen them given a Sabre-toothed-Venus Fly Trap to draw and label – a task that had resulted in seven screaming females, two boys with bruised legs after falling to the floor with fright, and Hannah Abbott having to be escorted to the hospital wing after being bitten on the arm by her own specimen.

At least, David thought, the worst was over for now.

Professor Sprout – the matronly woman who had been teaching the class at the time – had taken it all in her stride, reassuring the frightened young witch that a visit to Madam Pomfrey would soon get her back to normal, and asked David to go along to explain to the Nurse what had happened. Slightly worrying, however, was the way she whispered out of the side of her mouth for him to "get on with it".

It was this instruction that meant the oldest of the Hufflepuff boys was now strolling casually back from the hospital wing, hands in robe pockets, and wondering what on Merlin's earth he was supposed to do now. Madam Pomfrey had hurriedly ushered him away from Hannah's bedside, and the last he saw of his friend was an arm with wide rivulets of blood gently weeping down her pale skin. David had to actually shake his head to make the unpleasant sight disappear. He was still distracted.

He walked in silence, the soft footfalls of his sports-shoe clad feet resounding off the solid stone walls around him, imposing and somewhat dangerous. The portrait of a fearsome looking warlock glared down at him from his frame – hooked nose pointing straight at him as he demanded the reason for his presence. David ignored him and carried on his way.

At the top of the granite staircase, however, he paused and tried to focus on what had just grabbed his attention. Classes were not quite over in this quiet part of the castle – the hospital wing was a couple of floors above the dungeons where Professor Snape terrified countless Potions students – yet he could hear another set of feet pacing the floor of the corridor below. Despite his legitimate reason for not being in Herbology, David couldn't stop thinking that Argus Filch, the only person likely to be prowling the corridors at that time, was unlikely to be sympathetic of Hannah's condition. He decided to make like a Gryffindor, and confront the oppressive caretaker.

~ * ~

But it wasn't Filch who David met on reaching the bottom of the stairs. It was a student – a boy dressed in the green and silver of Slytherin – who didn't appear to be much older than himself. His back was partially turned against David, and his nonchalance, when paired with a naturally intimidating demeanour, made for a particularly confusing contrast. The Hufflepuff found himself imprisoned by the stranger's presence, as if Devil's Snare had suddenly sprouted from the floor and trapped his feet. He was going nowhere while this boy wanted him to stay – that was for certain.

Slowly, savouring every second's worth of command held over the unwilling captive, the Slytherin turned round. A self-satisfied smirk began to creep across his sculpted face as he took in the good-natured human being who was the natural opposite of himself – though both were tall, the lurker overshadowed David by a good few inches and had dagger sharp folds of hair that fell harshly into his face. There was an overwhelming aura of dark about him – as if childhood naivety had been pulled away too soon, leaving him unable to blend in with the happy-go-lucky students of the rest of the year. It was then that David recognised him.

~*~

"Nott? Nott?"

All of a sudden, David again had to shake himself free of the unfamiliar sensation in his mind, the feeling of something invading his senses.

"For goodness sake, Nott, I've been speaking to you for an age as it is. You Hufflepuffs must be deaf as well as stupid."

Suddenly, clarity returned to him. As he looked up and met the stranger's eyes properly, intimidation was replaced by disgust.

"Moon" he glared. "What the hell do you want?"

There was a turbulent pause, in which there was only the sound of David's heavy breathing – his chest rising and falling as he clenched his fists in anger. This particular Slytherin seemed to have that effect on people.

"Call me Alec, please" he replied, regarding the other boy with the type of disdain normally reserved for a puddle of mud – a contaminating substance that marred his presence. "After all, when in the same boat, you need to know your sailors. Now, don't look at me like that – " he said, cutting David off with a graceful sweep of his robed arm, "we both know that you're going to be found out sooner or later." Alec finished with a sneer. "I wonder what your precious little housemates would think if they knew everything? But of course, Hufflepuff fairness! I forgot! They'd probably jump off the top of the Astronomy Tower if you asked them to."

David muttered something under his breath.

"Now, now, Nott, you don't want to be getting angry with me! Remember – I know."

The Hufflepuff looked up. "What do you mean, you know?"

The taller boy slowly took a step closer. "I know who you really are" he said sharply. "Don't you remember the Sorting Ceremony? How that hat took ages to decide with you when it placed your housemates within seconds? You're a fool if you think people aren't going to start making connections. Your name is well known, remember – but you aren't the only Nott in Hogwarts. Remember that, Hufflepuff?"

He turned on his heels and began to walk away, leaving his rival to sink with his back against the wall.

"Look, why are you talking about all this?" David croaked, his voice becoming hoarse in the unyielding tension around him. "We've got nothing to do with each other! If you know about him, you must know that, as well!"

Alec stood still, calling back to him over his shoulder, his voice strong and clear.

"Because you can't hide from who you are forever, you know. That sorting of yours was a fluke. I don't know how you did it, but eventually, he'll catch up with you and put things right! You can't cheat him."

"Cheat who?"

The Slytherin laughed emptily. There was no feeling in that laugh – nothing but pure ferocity, and David couldn't help but wince. The knot in his stomach grew only tighter as the oppressor turned back to face him again, hands casually folded across his chest, clearly enjoying every minute.

"You really don't have a clue, do you?"

David gasped, and bent double in pain.

"Nott, you're hiding from your bloodlines! What do you think's going to happen? I'm telling you to join your rightful side now and save yourself! I'm not one to chase the dark, even if I am Slytherin to the core – "

"Then WHY ARE YOU BOTHERING! I DON'T NEED – YOUR – HELP!" David yelped, spitting the words out through tightly clenched teeth. "Just leave me alone!"

"Suit yourself, then" Alec shrugged, placing his hands in his pockets. "I was merely saying that I'm not the one you're going to get trouble from. The rest of my house might not be so lax. I've been waiting to tell you that – you stand out, I stand out. If we try and hide too long, we'll be going down together, so don't get on my bad side, Nott."

He stopped, as if dwelling on this possibility.

"Remember – Slytherins do what's best for Slytherin."

~~ * THE END * ~~

A/N: YAY! I actually get a chapter finished, go me! : dances to herself :

For those of you who don't know, I've also got a new chapter of "Poppy Skeeter's Very Secret Diary" up, so take a look at that if you can.

Anyway, I forget who reviewed the last chapter so I can't really do thanks, although thanks to my repeat reviewers – Kat, Wannabe, Hayley and Adele – hopefully this chapter was worth the wait! 'Tis a build up to my big storyline, although I promise there's lighter stuff to come as well – just you wait and see ;)

Finally, for those of you who read "The Magic of the Night", I'll be getting back on to that soon – I just need to find my Act Two script. The chapter covering the interval isn't actually going to be in the story, as it's kind of off topic (and with a different rating) I'm going to plan it properly and do it as a one-shot. So expect Act 2 Scene One as soon as a) I can be bothered writing it and b) Megumi can beta it and get it back to me.

So, plenty of works in progress!

~ * shewhodares * ~