"Room for one more?" she asked softly for the second time that day. She seemed to recognize the greasy hair and hooked nose youth, his lean frame and defensive, almost hunched posture ringing bells in her mind.
He shrugged, not seeming to mind either way.
She moved silently into the compartment and opened her book once more, grateful for the silence.
"Couldn't find another compartment, Halliwell?" he asked, breaking the silence.
she looked up from her book, startled slightly.

"Most of them are full of idiots." She said dryly.
"You're just learning this? Especially because you went into that compartment..."
She smirked slightly.

"I take what I can get." She said.
"Must have felt really smart, leaving the morons behind."
"Are you saying I'm not, otherwise?"
"No. But entering it in the first place seems like a lapse in your genius. Or were you tired and didn't realize where you were?"
"It was quiet and nearly empty." She said softly. "Black and the moron brigade found me."
"But you should have expected that. Gryffindors flock together like the idiots they are. They seem to have a way of knowing where another Gryffindor is and once found they swarm," Snape said, bitterness evident in his voice.
She fell silent, unsure of how to respond and wondering if she was better off with Black.
Snape fell silent as well, returning to his books.
And so, Lydia turned her gaze out the window, trying not to look at those cold eyes, so much older than the face they belonged to.
After another long while, the books closed, Severus looking up at the person he was sharing the compartment with, his dark eyes seeming to drink in every detail of her.
she felt his eyes on her and reflexively turned to see why he was staring.
He blinked and looked away.

"What are you reading?" He asked, his voice surprisingly soft.
"Most Potente Potions." She replied, wondering why he was acting thusly. Why was he talking to her? He never seemed to care about her existence before…
"The spells in there are interesting."
She nodded. "Very." She agreed.

"I found a potion that supposedly gives you perfect good luck, but it's extremely toxic after too many doses." He nodded as well, suddenly a bit more animated, looking as though this was the first time he could talk with someone who shared his interest.

. "I've wanted to try that one, but some of the ingredients are hard to get."
"Yes, I've had a terrible time getting some of them. And those that you can find are so expensive..."
He nodded again. "What other potions have you wanted to try in there?"
"The Polyjuice potions seems useful, and veritaserum looks intersting."
"Who would you want to become? "
She blushed slightly and looked away "Anyone else.." She mumbled. Severus raised an eyebrow though said nothing, shrugging it off.
She fell silent again, gaze on the darkening countryside.
"We should be getting there soon," Severus pointed out seeming to sigh. "maybe they've forgotten where I am..." he muttered under his breath.
She looked back at him curiously. "who?" She asked reflexively.
"Who do you think?"
She nodded and looked away again, fists clenched as she remember what they had done to her. Why did they have to go around bullying everyone to show off how tough and clever they were? And WHY did people admire them for it? What was so damn impressive about pushing other students around?
"Maybe I'll be okay this year..." he muttered, looking back at her, not paying much attention as the compartment door slide open.
Lydia looked up slightly, her hand reflexively going to her wand.
"Snivvlly! We've found you at last!" came the familiar voice of Sirius Black. "You had us worried mate! Thought you'd skipped out!"
Snape was on his feet, wand at the ready as he glared at the gryffindors.

"Get out Black." Lydia said softly, feeling a sudden sympathy for Severus Snape, wand out as well.
Black moved toward Snape, grinning playfully.

"Got yourself a girlfriend finally?"
Snape flushed and glared balefully.

"get out Black." he echoed, voice dripping venom.
"Nah Don't think I will." He said, striding further into the cart,looking down on the slender Slytherin boy with amused contempt.
"Stupefy!" Lydia snarled, wand pointed directly at Black's chest.
"Immobulus!" James and Sirius shouted immediately after, Black managing to dodge, the spell striking Pettigrew instead.
Lydia found herself on her side in the floor of the compartment, her arms and legs feeling as though tight roped had been tied about them. She noted with some satisfaction at least that Petigrew was motionless on the floor outside of the compartment. She watched as Snape raised his wand to strike next, casting her the briefest of glances.
"Knock it off, Sirius," another voice commented as the fight moved toward the corridor.
Lydia's eyes searched for the source of the voice, though she noted curiously as Snape shifted, moving himself more in front of her while then Gryffindors were distracted.
Sirius only seemed more provoked.

"Snivvly had it coming," he muttered, raising his wand again as faces appeared over shoulders, trying to look.
Lydia was fighting to shake of the curse, sputtering angrily all the while.
"You guys need to stop!" Another voice cut in, distinctly female.
Lydia noted Lana pushing her way into the compartment. "use he bloody counter curse so I can gouge out his damn eyes!" She hissed.
Lana moved in between the two, looking at Sirius angrily.

"The bloody hell is your problem Black!" she yelled, not noticing, nor seeming to care much that Snape was there.
Much to Lydia's surprise it was snape who muttered the countercurse and helped her to her feet. Black merely shrugged.

"Snivelly had it comin and she got in the way." he said unconcernedly. James nodding his accord as Lupin made to help Peter and disperse the crowd.
"You're so immature!" she muttered, tossing her long hair and turning back to Snape and Lydia. "You okay?"
Snape merely glared, seeming to take her interference as an insult as much as Black, and Lydia looked ready to pounce.
"Well?" she asked. "Everything's all right? No one hurt?"
Lydia nodded grudgingly as Snape turned back to his books without comment. Black Snorted, fingering his wand eagerly.
Lana turned back to him. "Go," she commanded, pushing his chest.