"One of these days I'll set the Gryffindors on fire…" fumed Lucinda as she glared at the Gryffindor table.
"What happened?" asked Evelyn, who just arrived and sat down next to her friends.
"Choir practice," said Bonnie simply and it was enough, for Evelyn knew at once what happened.
Even though Professor Flitwick, the conductor of the choir, was not what they would call young, he was still eager to learn about the current youth culture and was open to students' suggestions. There was only one problem. It was almost impossible for the members to agree on a song to perform.
"The Halloween feast is in 2 weeks and you haven't decided on the song yet?" asked Evelyn surprised.
"Don't look at me! It was McKinnon who wanted to sing muggle songs, and what started as a discussion soon turned into a fight. McKinnon wanted a scary song about monsters and whatnot," rolled her eyes Lucinda, "I swear that girl is an idiot because there was no way that we are getting a song like that approved. Then Atkinson suggested that we could sing the choir song together, but we could also go more theatrical and perform the Monster Mash by Bobby Pickett, which almost all of us agreed would be cool,"
Seeing the confused expression on Evelyn's face, she added, "I will show you later,"
"Anyway, Professor Flitwick said that he is open to suggestions, but next week he wants to hear what we have come up with," said Bonnie, who was also a member of the choir.
"Because of course, McKinnon had to interfere saying that it's old and we should sing something modern," fumed Lucinda, "can you believe it? We finally agreed on something and she just goes and ruins it… I can't even look at them, let's change places!"
The girls sighed but did as they were told.
"Anyway, did you find Snape?" asked Emma, changing the subject.
"Oh, yes. Although he was acting strange," said Evelyn.
"Strange? How?" asked Bonnie.
"Well, I told him about the change and he just kind of… ran away…"
"Ran away?" laughed Bonnie.
"I know right? He saw Regulus, made an excuse, and ran away," giggled Evelyn.
"He probably had to discuss it with him. It might have been the first time something like that happened to him. A girl wanting to go to Hogsmeade with him?! That's a miracle!" laughed Lucinda.
"Lucy, you are being mean again," said Bonnie quietly and Evelyn just raised a brow, "She asked me to tell her when she is being mean so that she can cut back a little," explained Bonnie.
Evelyn just laughed. "Cut back? Now that's something worth seeing,"
"So, what is going to happen now? Are you meeting him or not?" asked Emma.
"Oh, we are still going to study together, though I am not sure what to call that. He said that he doesn't care if it's a date or not…"
"What? He said that?" asked Emma surprised.
"Why are you acting so surprised? It's not that it matters," said Evelyn simply and Lucinda just sighed.
"Girl, you still have a lot to learn…"
"But how did he say it? Like trying to play it cool? Or like not caring at all?" asked Bonnie.
"Um, normally, I guess. Honestly, I don't know why you are making it out to be such a big deal," rolled her eyes Evelyn.
"Uh, Evie, you know that we love you, but sometimes you can be so oblivious," said Lucinda.
"Just because you said that you love me, it doesn't make it less mean," deadpanned Evelyn.
"Whatever," rolled her eyes Lucinda, "what I want to say is that if he doesn't care about if it's a date or not, that means that he is indifferent to you."
"And?"
The girls just sighed.
"Honestly, I don't care how he feels about me as long as he plays his part," said Evelyn.
"But what if you disgust him?" asked Lucinda shocking Evelyn with that question.
The girl just blinked as she looked at her friend in disbelief.
"Excuse me?! Are you out of your mind? Were you spending time with those shady Hufflepuff friends of yours? Why would he be disgusted by me? I mean, I know that I'm not a veela, but I have good genes. I mean, have you seen my parents?"
"Yeah, you are pretty but are you prettier than Lily Evans?" asked Lucinda leaning closer.
The girls turned to look at the red-headed Gryffindor. They watched her for a minute before Evelyn sighed in defeat.
"Damn, she is pretty,"
"Not bad for a muggle-born…" scoffed Emma, before she added, "Though Snape being disgusted by Evelyn is a bit extreme. I mean, have you seen him? He is not exactly the epitome of handsome, himself,"
At that, Lucinda shot her friend a look that clearly said that she should shut up.
"So, what should I do?" asked Evelyn uncertain.
Lucinda smirked as she leaned across the table saying, "No worries, we'll help you out."
A while later a group of Slytherin boys walked in.
"Oh, they are here," said Evelyn as she waved to the boys.
"What are you doing?" asked Emma surprised.
"Well, I suggested to Severus that we should start having meals together-"
"You did what?" shouted Emma surprised, "Does any of you have a mirror? How do I look?" she asked quickly while trying to fix her perfectly curled hair.
"Calm down, you are beautiful," smiled Bonnie, while Lucinda only laughed.
"Evan? Oh, no, we are just friends. I don't fancy him or anything like that, yeah, right," she said, imitating Emma, who just stuck out her tongue at her theatrics.
"Good afternoon, ladies, do you mind if we join you?" asked Evan Rosier as he gave a charming smile to Emma, who blushed slightly, but replied with a small smile while the other girls just shared a look.
As Rosier sat down next to Emma, Severus took his place next to Evelyn, with Regulus by his side; while Mulciber sat down next to Lucinda, and Avery next to Bonnie. There was a moment of silence; none of the teens knew what to say. Finally, it was Evan Rosier, who broke the silence.
"So, how is the practice going? Is the team prepared to win against the Gryffindors?" he asked Emma, whose eyes immediately lit up by the question.
"Not yet, but they will be. I have a plan, but I still need to cover a couple of things with Professor Slughorn and Madam Hooch. It's going to be amazing!" she said excitedly.
"What are you planning?" asked Evelyn interested.
"I want to recreate a Quidditch match, to see the problematic spots, but for that, I need their permission and Madam Hooch will have to referee," explained Emma.
"That's so cool!" exclaimed Mulciber.
"And who are we going to play against?" asked Regulus.
"I will choose a couple of people, who I think will be worthy opponents," said Emma.
"So, you are letting the other houses see you train, after all?" asked Bonnie.
"Oh, no! No, only Slytherins,"
"Good. We should keep to ourselves," nodded Evelyn.
"I'm glad you say that because I want you on that team," said Emma nonchalantly.
Hearing that Evelyn's eyes went wide, and she started to choke on the piece of roasted beef she was eating. As she grabbed a napkin to cover her mouth, Severus Snape patted her on the back. After she stopped coughing, she looked at Emma shocked.
"Why, in Merlin's name, would you want me to play against you when you know that I can't fly very well?" she asked.
"Well, you might not be a great flyer, but you are the most competitive person I have ever seen,"
"Hah, that's an understatement," sneered Lucinda and Evelyn just shot her a look.
"Well, sorry to disappoint, but you are not getting me on a broom," said Evelyn.
Hearing that, Bonnie giggled, and everyone looked at her confused.
"Sorry, but it's so weird to hear a witch say that," she said, and Lucinda smirked.
"Oh yes, the witch who is afraid of flying,"
"I'm not afraid of flying, I'm afraid of falling," explained Evelyn.
"It's still funny," giggled Bonnie and Emma just sighed.
"Madam Hooch will be there in case –"
"- Nothing will happen, because I am not going! Take Rosier, or better yet, Mulciber! Look at his built! He looks every part of an athlete!" exclaimed Evelyn, motioning towards Mulciber who only smirked obviously pleased by the girl's comment.
"Oh, I'm counting on him too," said Emma, before she looked at everyone around the table, "Actually, I'm counting on all of you." she finished, and everyone looked at her surprised.
"All of us?" asked Rosier.
"Yes, all of you. Even you, Snape, don't act like you didn't hear me,"
"Me?" asked Snape surprised, before he added, "It might have escaped your notice, Vanity, but I am not a sportsperson,"
"Oh please, I remember you from the flying classes! You are one of the best flyers!" exclaimed Emma and Snape looked taken aback.
Seeing the look on his face Evelyn laughed, "Don't worry, she is not a stalker, she just really likes the sport,"
"I think you meant that she is obsessed with it," said Lucinda.
"Mind you, I'm not obsessed, just… uh, healthily interested," corrected her Emma.
"Healthily interested? You started casting your dream team since the first flying class ended in our first year," pointed out Lucinda and the rest of the group looked at Emma surprised.
"It's never too early to start," she said, and the rest of the group just gave her a look.
"For the record, I find it charming to be this passionate about an activity," said Rosier as he smiled at Emma, who blushed slightly.
The rest of the group just rolled their eyes. When Evelyn realized that they involuntarily did the same thing, she smiled softly, thinking that it might not be that bad having meals together.
While the Slytherins were enjoying their first lunch together, unaware of the curious glances their way, the other students in the Great Hall took notice of the new arrangement. The Ravenclaws just noted that now they were sitting together, not really caring; while the Hufflepuffs talked and giggled seeing Rosier and Vanity interact. However, things at the Gryffindor table were getting a bit heated.
"I can't believe it! They are sitting together!" fumed Sirius Black and Remus just sighed.
"Of course they are! They are dating after all,"
"But – but, look at them! They are sitting so close! I mean, this is a public place, we are trying to eat here!"
"The sooner you finish, the sooner we can leave, so shut up and eat your food," said Remus simply and Sirius sighed before he took a vicious bite of his steak, "Good thing you don't have to see them for the rest of the day; you are coming with me to the library," added Remus and Sirius opened his mouth in surprise.
"What? Why?"
"Why? You told her that I'm a beast enthusiast! What if she asks me something that I should know, but I don't? I need to prepare, and you are going to help me,"
"Really, Moony? I doubt that there is anyone, who knows more about the topic than you with your furry little problem," deadpanned Sirius.
"Nice try, but you are not getting out of it," smiled Remus.
"Hah, tough luck mate," laughed James.
"I – I could help you, Remus," said Peter.
"Thank you, Peter. At least someone is willing to help a mate out," said Remus shooting a look at the sulking Sirius.
"Oh, come on," groaned Sirius.
Meanwhile a couple of seats away a group of Gryffindor girls were having a similar conversation.
"Really, Lily? We just got that assignment! There is still time to work on it," sighed a witch with long blonde hair.
"I know! But if we start now, we will have more time to revise and we wouldn't have to hurry with the writing. We will have more time to write a draft, then re-edit, and make the final version. We can work on it slowly in peace," replied the red-headed witch sitting next to her.
"I agree with Lily. Marlene, you should come too," said the black-haired witch sitting in front of them
"Mary is right, we should try what it's like to not work in a hurry," said the dark-skinned witch next to her.
The blonde, Marlene, just shouted "It's not my fault! I excel under pressure!" to which the dark-skinned girl just raised an eyebrow.
"Um, no offence, but I wouldn't call frantically running around asking everyone to take a look at their essay excelling under pressure," laughed Lily and Marlene just sighed.
"This is all because of Snape," she mumbled as she glared at the boy sitting at the other side of the hall, "What did he say, why is he ditching you?"
"He made plans before we agreed, but forgot about them," said Lily.
"He… forgot?" asked the surprised Marlene.
"That doesn't sound like him," said Mary.
"It happens," shrugged Lily.
"It hasn't until now," pointed out Mary.
"Who knows, it might be the first of many times," said Marlene as she motioned to the Slytherin table where the fourth-year Slytherins were talking.
"He has other friends as well, just like I have friends in my house," said Lily simply.
"Yes, but since when is he friends with Williams and her gang? I mean, he could have sat next to Rosier, or anyone else, but he is sitting right next to her,"
"I'm sure it's nothing-" started Lily before she was interrupted by Marlene.
"Oh look, they are leaving together! Though I'm sure it's nothing…" she said, and Lily warily watched them leave the Great Hall.
As Evelyn left the Great Hall, she could feel someone watching them. She turned around only to catch Lucinda's eyes as she gave her a smirk and mouthed 'Don't forget what I told you!', causing Evelyn to blush slightly. She turned back to Severus, leaving the Great Hall quickly.
"So, what do you think? It went better than expected," said Evelyn, trying to make conversation.
"It was certainly a new experience," said Severus and Evelyn just laughed.
"It was just the first time; everyone was a bit… um… shy? Give it time and you will see what mealtimes with us really look like. By the way, what do you think of Emma's plan?"
"Getting the teachers involved was a surprisingly smart idea. Slughorn will certainly award us for sticking together as a house or at least he will try to motivate those, who have no interest in playing."
"I don't think there is anything in the whole world that could motivate me enough to go along with this," deadpanned Evelyn.
"Now that you mention it, I don't think I remember you ever struggling with something, not even flying,"
"Um, no. I had no problem with flying, until the summer of our second year. My cousins decided to play a little joke on me while we were playing Quidditch at my Grandmother's house, and… uh… I don't fly anymore," said Evelyn, not looking at Severus.
"What kind of joke?" asked Severus intrigued.
"It was nothing, just a silly prank that went wrong," shook her head Evelyn.
Severus just raised a brow but decided not to question it further. If there was something, he has learned from living with the Slytherins it was not to ask about pure-blood family affairs. Instead, he decided to focus on another interesting piece of information.
"You mention your Grandmother regularly, I take it that you two are close?"
"My parents are busy people, and they couldn't leave a small child alone in a mansion, now could they? That said, Grandma Maggie was the one to take care of me whenever my parents couldn't," explained Evelyn and Severus made a mental note of that, "Of course, that was only when I was at home, and not attending, uh, summer camp..."
"I wasn't aware that there were summer camps for us," he said surprised.
"Oh, there are. Not many, but there are."
"I didn't take you for someone who is into that kind of thing," said Severus and Evelyn laughed.
"Let me guess; it was the last thing you expected. The wealthy vain pure-blood girl attending a summer camp, what a shock,"
When Snape didn't say anything, she took it as her cue to continue talking, "Anyway, yes, there are summer camps that teach you about the Old Ways, since most schools don't cover that part of magic. We are taught about ancient magic, culture, rituals and everything that includes! Chants, spells, amulets, everything! Not to say that we learn a great deal about our ancestors; the way they lived, their beliefs, the potions they brewed, the spells they used! It's so interesting! This is exactly what the wizarding youth needs; to get in touch with their roots!" she finished before she caught herself and added quietly, "And, it probably doesn't interest you in the slightest, and I'm babbling… I will just stop now," said Evelyn embarrassed.
'What the hell am I doing?! This is NOT what Lucy said!' she screamed inside.
"Uh, no. Continue," said Severus, who needed to get over the initial shock.
It was the second time that Evelyn's mask slipped, and he could see a glimpse of her real self. He saw her business attitude all the time, while she was dealing with others regarding school-related things; then he had the chance to see her caring side when she treated his eye, and now he could see her behaviour when she talked about something she genuinely liked. It was such a quick change that he could only blink while the girl kept talking. It was the first time he saw her actually enjoying herself; her eyes sparkling and her smile reaching her eyes. He also noticed how she started to move her hands while talking and he had to bite back a smile.
"It's fine, you don't have to pretend to be interested in what I have to say," said Evelyn and he could see her mask slipping back in place.
"No, keep talking!" he said before he could stop himself, "I don't know much about the old ways, even though I heard people talking about it, so, it would be greatly appreciated if you could teach me about it," he added, feeling somehow embarrassed by having to admit that he didn't know something that could be considered to be common knowledge.
Evelyn suddenly stopped and looked at him surprised. "You… you actually want to hear about it?"
"Obviously. That's what I just said," he replied, and Evelyn just blinked.
"Yes. Right. Okay, so, uh, there is so much for you to learn. Though, excuse me for asking, didn't your mother teach you about it? I mean she is a Prince..." asked Evelyn.
Severus just shrugged, "It didn't come up. She taught me about the Wizarding community, but never got into such details,"
Evelyn just nodded, "Fair enough. Nowadays, it's quite rare to find people who still keep the old traditions. I mean, I only know two other people in school, who do. Do you know that blonde seventh year Hufflepuff who has flowers in her hair all year round? The one with those ridiculously big earrings? I usually see her at the festivals. She looks odd, but she sings beautifully."
While Evelyn talked, Severus's imagination went wild, and rather than hooded figures standing around the bonfire chanting creepy chants, he imagined Evelyn and other girls with flowers in their hair, listening to music and dancing around the bonfire. Shaking his head, he made a mental note to ask his mom about the Old Ways.
As they neared the library Evelyn quickly excused herself. She needed to remind herself that there was no time to chat. She had a mission, which she had to complete. Once she made sure that she was all alone in the bathroom, she faced the mirror above the sink, Lucinda's words echoing in her mind.
"First of all, change your appearance! Show your neck," she said.
Looking at herself in the mirror Evelyn sighed before she put up her long brown hair in a high ponytail and unbuttoned the top button of her white shirt.
"And some cleavage. You have nice tits, no need to hide them!"
A bit unsure Evelyn turned sideways and checked out her boobs. The push-up bra she was wearing, naturally, one of her mother's designs gave them a nice lift and Evelyn smiled satisfied. Since it was the weekend, she left the grey vest in her dorm, and only wore her white button-up shirt and Slytherin tie. She took off her tie and unbuttoned another button, just enough to give a little cleavage, but not enough to severely violate the dress code. After that, she took out the emergency make-up kit she always kept in her bag.
Now, that was something she didn't need any help with, even though Lucinda was more than willing to help her out. She learned to paint her face before she learned to walk, courtesy of her mother, of course. Thinking of the place and occasion she decided to go with a glowing peach look because it was nice, soft, and appropriate. That said, she effortlessly applied the foundation before she reached for her eyeshadow palette.
Make no mistake she was not trying to seduce Severus Snape. Of course not! The whole point of the agreement was to get rid of boys, not to make another one fancy her! She just wanted to see… Yes, she wanted to see how he would react. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she was better than Lily Evans.
While Lily Evans was cute with her long red hair and slightly freckled face, she was nothing next to Evelyn. How could she be? She was only another Mudblood playing witch.
Was she pretty?
Yes.
Surprisingly smart?
Yes.
But she had nothing against Evelyn, the daughter of two prestigious pure-blood families; the daughter of the internationally recognized model and designer, Seraphina MacKenzie-Williams, and one of the most successful businessmen and Wizengamot member, Sebastian Williams. Yes, Lily Evans was no one and Evelyn will make sure that everybody knew that, Severus included.
While Evelyn was busy in the bathroom, Severus was standing not far away, leaning to the wall and waiting, wondering why girls take so long at the loo. He got his question answered sooner than expected when Evelyn left the bathroom. Seeing her appearance Severus's eyes went wide in surprise, while his mind went blank.
Evelyn Williams was a pretty girl. She had that air of elegance around her, making her status apparent. She was one of those girls, who reminded everyone that this was a school, and they should be dressed according to that. Her grey skirt never reached higher than her knees, her white shirt was always buttoned all the way up, and her green Slytherin tie was neatly tucked under her grey vest.
The girl who left the bathroom was unmistakably Evelyn Williams. However, this Evelyn Williams looked different from the usual Evelyn Williams. She reminded Severus of the girls in the magazines Avery had 'hidden' at the bottom of his trunk.
Severus hadn't realized that he was staring until Evelyn, who already walked up to him, gave a smile and asked, "Shall we?"
Severus just nodded, not trusting his voice, and the two of them entered the library. As they walked to the reference section Severus had to try hard not to stare at the girl next to him. It seemed to be an impossible task, with his eyes straying to the witch, or more like to her cleavage. Severus never thought that the advice on witches Lucius Malfoy was so keen on giving whenever he was caught looking at other girls by Narcissa Black, would ever come in handy. Now, he found himself regretting that he hasn't paid much attention to his friend's babbling.
While he was trying to remember what exactly Lucius told him regarding this kind of situation, Evelyn has chosen a table near the window, where the two put their things. Evelyn took off her robe and put it on the back of her chair before she rolled up the sleeves of her white shirt.
"Shall we start searching for the reference material?" she asked.
Severus just nodded and the two Slytherins walked into the maze of bookshelves. Severus decided to try and not look at Evelyn altogether, not wanting to risk being called a perv. Everything was going well, the two of them sharing ideas about which book to take.
That was until Evelyn saw a book, on one of the higher shelves. She smirked as she thought of something. She reached for the book; however, it was evident that even with her standing on her tiptoes, she had no chance to reach it. After her 'failed' attempt she turned to Severus, who was intensively browsing the opposite bookshelf, though Evelyn could swear that she saw his eyes quickly shifting from her to the bookshelf. Biting back a smirk Evelyn walked up to him and gently touched his arm.
"Severus, could you help me, please?" she asked with a shy smile.
Turning to her, Severus found himself speechless as he looked into the deepest pair of brown eyes he has ever seen.
"Uh, of course," he managed to say before he reached for the book, she pointed out.
"Thank you," said Evelyn flashing him a grateful smile as she took the book from him, intentionally touching his hand.
"No problem," said the flattered Severus.
What happened next got Severus first to pale and then blush like never before. Evelyn got on her tiptoes, her face getting closer and closer. Severus's eyes went wide, his face went pale. Surely, she was not going to….
Evelyn took hold of a book on the shelf next to Severus's head.
"Everything you need to know about switching," she said excitedly as she took a step back, "I think that's enough, isn't it?" she asked smiling sweetly.
Severus just stood here; his face white, his eyes wide, and his heart beating erratically. Seeing his shocked face Evelyn let out a small laugh as she shook her head and walked back to their table. Unknown to them hidden at the end of the bookshelves, a couple of curious eyes watched them from behind the bookshelves.
"Woah, she went full out," said Regulus amazed.
"Did you have to put a bug in her ear?" asked Bonnie, shooting a look at her friend.
"Yes, I love messing with her head," laughed Lucinda before she added, "It always results in the most entertaining situations."
"Did we have to follow them, here?" asked Marlene as she and her friends sat down at one of the library tables.
"We didn't follow them. This is a public place and we are going to work on our essay," said Lily simply, however, it was clear that she was searching for the Slytherins.
"Yeah, sure," rolled her eyes Marlene.
The girls were in the middle of unpacking their things, when a smug-looking Evelyn Williams walked out from behind the maze of bookshelves, carrying a couple of books. She shot a scornful look at the Gryffindors, before turning her head away. She walked to her table and started to organize the books.
"Stuck up bitch, thinking that she is better than everyone else..." mumbled Marlene.
A couple of minutes later, Severus Snape walked out from the same direction with a small blush on his face and a load of books in his hands.
"Oooh, it looks like Snape got some," commented Marlene.
"No – no way!" said Lily shocked.
"Look at Williams," said Marlene motioning to her top buttons.
Lily watched warily as Severus sat down next to Evelyn and put the books down. He said something making Evelyn giggle.
"They are acting like a couple," said Mary and Lily shot her a shocked look.
"Don't be ridiculous! As if Miss Perfect would lower herself to date a half-blood. And not just any half-blood, but Snape!" rolled her eyes Marlene.
"But why is he meeting her? He never mentioned her to me," said Lily worried.
"Maybe he is just tutoring her," said Dorcas, but it was obvious that she was just saying that to make her friend feel better.
"I don't know, she is pretty smart. Just ask Black. He will go into a long rant about how smart she is," said Mary, who took out her Transfiguration book.
Hearing that Marlene huffed, "I don't know what he sees in her. She is evil incarnate,"
"Didn't they use to be friends?"
"Good thing he was sorted into Gryffindor," said Marlene with a smile.
"Yeah, we don't need more Slytherins obsessed with blood purity," said Dorcas.
"If she is so obsessed with it, why is she acting this way with him?" asked Lily, not taking her eyes off of the Slytherins.
"Let's hope that he hasn't made a deal with her. Remember what happened to that poor Olivia Blake?" said Mary.
"The Muggleborn Slytherin?" asked Marlene.
"Wasn't she sent to St. Mungo's at the end of our second year, because of some dark curse?" asked Dorcas.
"She shared a room with her and her clique. Who knows what she had gotten herself into. Probably made a deal and she couldn't keep her end," said Marlene.
"But that makes no sense. We were just second years, she wouldn't know how to cast such a strong curse," said Lily, but the girls just gave her a look.
"Oh please, they are Slytherins, they learn about the dark arts before they learn to walk," said Marlene.
"I hope he knows what he is doing…" said Lily quietly as took one last look at her friend interacting with the other Slytherin.
It was then when her green eyes met the brown eyes of Evelyn Williams, causing the other to smirk and turn back to Severus, who was talking about something. That one look was enough for Lily to know that she has to keep an eye on her, to keep her best friend out of trouble that she could bring.
