Chapter 4
The Slytherin common room was not the warm cosy common room of the Gryffindors as Lily's father and mother had always reminisced but it was inviting enough. Large black leather settees with velvet green pillows.
"Squid its just how Daddy described it" squealed Venus, Octavias blushed slightly as some surrounding people sniggered.
The common room, despite being the Slytherin's, was really quite beautiful. It had an eerie green light from the curtains and some furniture. The tables were all made out of matching ebony.
"This will be your common room" said a prefect "The Slytherin House will be like your family, you will receive and lose points for behaviour or class work. All the points in each house will be counted up at the end of the year. Which ever house that has the most will win the house cup. As Slytherins you are expected to uphold our current winning streak. Has anyone got any questions?" None of the first years said anything "Good, then I suggest going straight to your dormitories and unpacking. Breakfast starts at seven o'clock tomorrow; lessons begin at eight-thirty"
"Lily, would you be in my dormitory?" asked Venus sweetly linking arms with Lily.
"Sure" said Lily, who had not imagined anything otherwise "But we need more people…I'm afraid I don't know many people here"
"Oh I know some…but I don't want to share a room with any of them" Venus wrinkled her nose as she scoured the room with her grey eyes. She found a nervous young girl looking shyly about not sure who she was going to ask. Venus unlinked arms with Lily and stepped towards the small mousey haired girl. "Have you got a dormitory group yet?"
The girl shook her head
"Well we need more people, care to join us"
The girl smiled and nodded happily
"Excellent, I'm Venus Malfoy and this is my friend Lily Potter" she said confidently. The girl looked suprisedly at Lily, on hearing her surname.
"Nancy Wood" the girl said nervously.
After being joined by Nancy, Lily and Venus found two more students, Annette Taylor and Leticia Longstone who needed a group. They all went to their dormitory together.
The dormitory was very much similar to the common except with beds instead of settees.
"Oh good, our things have been brought up, we'd better unpack." Said Venus expectantly "At home usually the house elf unpacks our luggage after holidays and trips"
Lily nodded, she had heard much about how the Malfoys had treated their servants from her father, but she was not seeking an argument with Venus.
Lily folded her clothes and put them in the drawer under her bed. She then took out her photographs. One was of herself, her mother and her father on a beach in France. The other was of her and Jess a few years back. She placed them on the bedside cabinet.
"Is that your Dad?" asked a small timid voice. Lily looked up, Nancy Wood was looking down at the picture of Lily and her parents.
"Yes" said Lily simply. Most people were curious as to seeing her father, the boy or rather the man who lived.
"What's he like?" she asked
"Oh…well…he's pretty much like a Dad…yeah, just a Dad, he may be Harry Potter but he's no different to anyone else…he's probably just like your Dad"
"I don't have a Dad…I'm an orphan" Nancy said sadly
"Oh I'm sorry"
"Dad was killed by the Death Eaters before I was born…and Mum died when I was five years old. They were Quidditch players" she said with a sort of strange pride
"Oh…I'm really sorry I had no idea"
"Don't worry, I can't really remember my Mum to be honest, I only really know from what my Grandma told me…they were both in Gryffindor, I was rather upset for being in Slytherin"
"Why is that?" came a voice. Both girls looked around. Venus Malfoy was standing in front of them apparently listening to what Nancy was saying. She had taken her plait out and was allowing her waist length white blonde hair hang loose around her. Her face looked strangely angry but in a curious way…as if she had not quite gotten to the bottom of a story but was sure she was not going to like the ending.
"Because all the Death Eaters were in Slytherin" said Nancy looking slightly scared of the blonde
"My father was in Slytherin, as was my mother and Grandparents"
"Oh come on Venus…don't hide the fact that your Dad and your Grandfather were both Death Eaters"
"Grandfather may be, but Daddy had no choice. How would you feel if you were threatened with your entire family being tortured and murdered if you did not succumb?"
"Venus…I'm not holding this against you. My father was Lord Voldemort's worst enemy and your father's… but that doesn't stop me being your friend, does it? Anyway Nancy not all Death Eaters were in Slytherin. Worm- I mean Peter Pettergriew was a Gryffindor. And he was the one who betrayed my Grandparents"
"Oh" said Nancy simply "Sorry Venus…I didn't mean to offend you"
"Apology accepted…I'm sorry for your loss" said Venus with a signature sneer.
"Um Venus…what have you done to your bed" Lily was looking up at Venus's four poster bed with some interest. The Malfoy girl had stuck postcard sized pictures up all around the ebony wood. Lily looked at them carefully and noticed each one had the same theme. "Venus…do you do ballet or something"
Venus looked at her bed and grinned
"Yep, I've been doing it since I was four years old"
"Wow you must be really good" said Nancy very impressed
"I'm alright" said Venus with a slight hint of pride. She floated elegantly towards her bed and pulled out her drawer. "Look what I just received before I started Hogwarts" Venus pulled out a small thin velvet bag with a ornate silver 'V' sewn on to it. She carried it as if it were made out of glass and pulled out, just as carefully, a pair of pink satin pointe shoes.
"Oh…ballet shoes?" asked Lily not really seeing the big deal
Venus looked utterly scandalised
"Not just any ballet shoes…they're point shoes. You only receive them after you have done so much training and your feet are strong enough to stand on your toes"
"Ouch" said Lily
"Oh not…she's not got started on those ballet shoes has she?" another voice joined them. Lily looked up and saw it was Octavias
"Squid! How did you get in the girl's dormitory? There's an enchantment on the stairs that if a boy enters a girl's dormitory the floor changes into a giant slide"
"Aha…that's were your wrong sister dearest, if you put your foot on the stairs then it changes into a giant slide. I however borrowed a sixth year's broomstick"
"Oh yeah right, where is it now then? In your pocket?"
"No, I threw it back down so the sixth year never knew I took it" said Octavias smirking "Anyways, why are you torturing your friends with you smelly old shoes"
"They do not smell!"
"She's obsessed with them, ever since her poxy teacher told her she could buy some, she's been running in and out of her bedroom just to check they hadn't disappeared"
"I take it ballet's your life" said Lily
"You bet, I'm going to be a professional when I'm older" she said happily. Octavias however rolled his eyes
"How are you supposed to be a professional when you can only take classes in the holidays, because I'm pretty sure that Ballet isn't one of our lessons here?"
"I'll practice myself, I don't need lessons in dedication from you, Octavias Lucius Draco Malfoy."
"Oh really, Venus Narcissa Pansy Amelia Malfoy?"
Venus let out a low frustrated growl before launching her fists and her twin brother. The twins fought each other so tremendously that they might have been worst enemies. After a while Lily was quite sure that one was about to get hurt. Lily pulled Venus of Octavias
"Quit it quit it! Venus I think your going to slaughter him"
"I a Malfoy be slaughtered by a girl. Never!"
"Wanna' bet" asked Lily rolling up her sleeve
Octavias smirked
"Of course, I'm awfully tired, I should get some shut eye before I start my day tomorrow. Night ladies" He turned and went sliding down the staircase, much to the laughter of the girls in the dormitory.
"Ugh, my brother is so annoying" Venus said collapsing on her bed
Despite Venus' grumblings, Lily was pretty sure Venus loved her brother really. After all most siblings she knew squabbled enough.