Chapter 5: Friends and Enemies

Row walked into the Great Hall. She'd been here a week already, but she still felt awkward at mealtimes. Her seat by her uncle was waiting for her and she sighed before she continued her trek.

"Row!" called a voice, "Row! Why don't you sit with us for a change?" Row turned to see Hermione beckoning her to the Gryffindor table. She bit her lip and looked up at the staff table but her uncle was too absorbed in his copy of the Daily Prophet to notice.

"Alright," she said, taking the empty spot on the bench next to Hermione. However she had to move over a second later as Ron came tottering up behind a large stack of books.

"Is it Christmas Holiday yet?" he groaned.

"Oh stop grumbling Ronald!" Hermione said brightly, "You lost the bet fair and square. Besides, it's only been a week!" Row snorted and made a noise that sounded remarkably like "wimp" but she disguised it with a cough. Harry laughed outright.

"Thanks mate!" Ron hissed, "Hey, what's she doing here?"

"I thought I'd invite her to eat with us since she always looks so uncomfortable eating at the staff table," Hermione explained.

"I'd be uncomfortable too if I was eating next to Sna—ouch!" Ron cut off and Row guessed that Hermione had kicked him under the table.

"It's alright Hermione," Row said, "I know my uncle isn't the easiest person to deal with…" Now it was Ron's turn to cough something that sounded like "understatement." Instead of getting offended Row just laughed.

"Well I'm gonna head off to potions," Row said as she got up, taking an extra piece of toast with her, "Got to make up for sitting with Gryffindors somehow. Later!" With a wink and a smile she left the hall.

"She's a different breed that one," Ron observed.

"Yep," Harry laughed at the expression on his best mate's face.

Row arrived early to potions as she planned, but she was undone by her own brilliance. There was absolutely no one there, including her uncle. The door was shut. She sighed and sat down to wait.

"You're Row right?" Row looked up to see a girl with gentle blue eyes and chocolate brown hair smiling down at her.

"Yeah," then she recognized her from their Transfiguration class, "Amanda right?"

"Yeah. I'm in Huffelpuff—" but she was cut off by a snobbish drawl.

"Well we all know that don't we?" a sneer accompanied the sharp words.

"What do you want Parkinson?" Amanda asked coolly.

"To not have to share a class with filth like you," she shot back in a cutting, yet bored tone.

"What did she ever do to you?" Row asked.

"Shut up Noone. Just because you're Professor Snape's niece doesn't give you the right to challenge me," she laughed a short shrill laugh, "Besides, she did do something to me. She exists." Row opened her mouth to respond but Amanda held her back.

"Don't," she cautioned, "She's just put off because you're her Drakey-poo's potions partner!"

"How dare you!" Pansy shrieked, "How dare you mock me like that! Besides, Draco would never go for her! She's not his type! And even if she was, why would he when he's got me!" With that she stomped off as if she'd just won the argument.

Row laughed. Hard. Amanda looked at her strangely for a moment, then joined in her laughter.

"Thanks by the way," she said once she caught her breath, "Not many people stick up for me." Row shook her head and chuckled with slight uncertainty.

"Humanity," she said as she rolled her eyes. Just then the door to the class opened and several students entered the hall. Row bade goodbye to Amanda and sat in her seat. Soon Draco entered and slid beside her gracefully, nodding a curt hello as he did so.

"Oh Draco," Pansy cooed as she set her hands on his shoulders.

"Yes Pansy?" he said, barely hiding his exasperated sigh. She leaned down and whispered something in his ear and Row saw him roll his eyes ever so slightly. After she finished, Pansy retreated to her seat once more, stroking Draco's hair on her way back. Draco shifted it back into place with an indignant flick of his head. Row laughed in spite of herself.

"What?" he snapped.

"Nothing," she said, making no attempt to hide her smirk, "I just feel sorry for you."

"Well don't bother," he shot back icily, "Why should you feel sorry for me anyways!" Row swallowed and began to copy down the notes.

"I didn't mean I pity you or anything," she said softly, "I just think she's a little much. You don't have to bite my head off about it." After a few tense seconds Draco sighed ever so slightly and spoke.

"I didn't mean to," he said tersely, "She just gets on my nerves sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Row questioned as she raised her eyebrows in sarcasm.

"All right most of the time," Draco admitted. Row laughed again, her smile lingering after the sound faded.

"That was dangerously close to an apology back there," she said with a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Don't push it Noone," Draco almost growled. Taking the hint Row stopped talking and went back to her notes.

Severus sat at the front of the room, grading papers and watching the students out of the corner of his eye as usual. His eyes flicked to Row and then Parkinson. He knew Pansy was watching her, and he was a little uncertain about what he should do. He'd heard the entire argument outside the classroom and, against his better judgment; he had remained concealed to see how Row handled herself with the whole situation.

He was a little shocked at what he'd heard. Row defended a girl she hardly knew, and a Huffelpuff no less. Well she could be forgiven for that, she was new to the school's politics after all. She was the perfect example of Dumbledore's wish for "house unity" and all of that rot.

But why did she have to choose Parkinson as an enemy? Then he realized that she didn't necessarily choose Parkinson, rather it was the other way around. And he'd had a bit of a hand in it as well, pairing her with Malfoy and all. Shit. He was the best potions student with the exception of Granger; he had just wanted her to do well. There he goes, screwing other people over right through his good intentions again…

"A little jumpy are you?" Scott Jamison, a Ravenclaw third year, said to Morgan. He had just gone to punch her arm playfully and she had ducked, covering her face with her hands.

"Lay off her!" Severus snapped.

"I was just making an observation Snape!" he shot back, putting up his guard for the Slytherin.

"Well observe on someone else Jamison!" he snarled in return.

"She's not even in your house!" Scott yelled.

"No but she's my sister and I think I know her a hell of a lot better than you ever will!"

"Yeah I'm sure she loves having a greasy git for a brother!"

Severus lost it then. He hexed the boy quickly, sneering as he stumbled about, trying to see with crossed eyes. He looked back to Morgan but found that she was not smiling.

"Why did you do that?" she spouted angrily.

"What? Morgan I was just trying to help—"

"Well don't! Now he's going to tell everyone! I'll be the laughing stock of my own house and I'm only a first year!" She ran off, leaving him feeling thoroughly hurt and confused.

"Merlin!" he spat as he left the study hall in a huff. Not too long after he realized he was being followed and turned abruptly, "What!" It was Morgan's friend Rome, or whatever her name was.

"I just wanted to say not to be mad at her," she began, "She's just nervous about how this will make her house react to her."

"What the bloody hell do you know?" he growled. He knew he was being unnecessarily nasty but he couldn't help it. It was almost a defensive mechanism now.

"I know that you were just trying to help," she paused and chewed her bottom lip before continuing, "and I know that your father hits you."

Severus' eyes grew to the size of a centaur's hooves.

"How did you know?" he asked carefully.

"I've seen the bruises on her arms. And sometimes she cries in her sleep." Severus knew this to be fact as she often spent many nights in his room when they were at home. The sound of their father beating their mother scared her and so she normally stayed with him until she fell asleep. He had heard her nightmares.

"If you—" he began menacingly.

"Don't worry," she cut him off, "I won't tell a soul. That's not something that should be advertised." Severus nodded slowly as he calmed himself down.

"Thanks. Will you tell her that I'm sorry? That I was just trying to help?"

"Sure. See you later Severus!" she walked off with a wave and a smile. How could she smile after something like that? Most of the time when he yelled at first years, they were trembling for a week. She was as chipper as if she's just settled a small misunderstanding over a game of exploding snap. Oh well.

The next day Morgan came up to him, looking awkward around him for the first time in her life.

"I'm sorry Sev," she said looking at the hem of her robes, "I know you were just trying to help and I lost my temper. But if you wouldn't mind looking after your own temper that would be nice." Severus smiled at his sister. So diplomatic.

"I'm sorry too Morgan," he embraced her as she hugged him around his middle, "I'll try no to get to defensive. I couldn't stand you being angry with me."

"Good thing Row talked to me cuz I was so mad I was thinking of hexing you myself!" So that was her name. He'd try to remember it for future reference.

He sighed at the memory. It truly was ironic: he would never forget that name as long as he lived.

A/N Please Review!