Author's Note

This chapter is a bit more emotionally heavy. It's not as long as some of the other chapters because the topics in question dragged on my heart and mental health in general.

James stares at the ceiling from his four-poster bed in the second year Gryffindor dorm. He couldn't quite figure out what his little sister was playing at. From the way she had talked during the last few weeks of summer break, she had sounded like she would have gone and sat right with the rest of Slytherin and her little snake friends. But instead she had looked at them all, given them the same look she gives whenever she's about to cause trouble, and strutted over to sit with the Hufflepuffs!

James sighs and tunes back into Sirius' rant about Regulus getting sorted into Hufflepuff for a moment before tuning back out. The thing that had bothered him most about the entire situation was the fact of how quickly Harry had left him to go join Lyka. Not to mention the fact that that Malfoy kid and Snivellus had joined them, too! That had really spoiled James' feast. Especially seeing how happy Snivellus looked talking with James' sister and brother. The fact that the slimy git had felt comfortable enough to actually sit up at his full height and laugh made James' skin crawl with detest.

"Oi! James! Earth to James! This is your operator Sirius calling!" Sirius sighs dramatically before chucking a pillow at James' face, causing the other boy to cuss repeatedly. When James sits back up to stare at his three friends, he sees Remus and Peter trying not to laugh and Sirius continuing to be over-dramatic. "James you were completely ignoring me!"

"No I wasn't. You were talking about how weird it was that Regulus ended up in Hufflepuff when he's always been such a goody two shoes for your parents." James tilts his head in confusion as Remus actually does burst out laughing and Peter buries his face in his pillow.

"Actually, he's been repeatedly trying to get your attention for the past while to ask if your sister had anything to do with it." Remus says once he manages to catch his breath.

"What would Lyka have something to do with?" James asks in utter confusion, his own thoughts of his sister muddying the conversation's meaning.

Sirius sighs again and flops back against his bed, "James you're utterly hopeless some days. I was asking you if Lyka could have anything to do with Regulus ending up in Hufflepuff! I mean, look what she did right after getting sorted! She pulled a bloody political power move with zero effort and minimal thought! I mean really! Slytherins sitting merrily with Hufflepuffs?! And a Gryffindor and Ravenclaw joining them?!" Sirius huffs again, "It's just everything was just fine and dandy! Normal school politics. Then your sister just blows everything up!"

Peter pulls his face out of his pillow, "I think it's nice what she did for your brother, Sirius. Didn't you notice how the Slytherin table had started whispering when he was sorted?"

James' eyebrows scrunch together in thought, "Wait...isn't he the first Black to ever be sorted into Hufflepuff?"

Sirius sits up abruptly, his eyes wide. "Bloody hells! You're right." He drags a hand through his long hair. "I hadn't even thought of that. No wonder he looked like he wanted to puke when he was heading to his table." Sirius then manages to look contemplative. "Then...do you think your sister did what she did to distract everyone from the fact that Regulus is a Hufflepuff?"

James sighs as he snuggles into his blankets, "Honestly, Sirius...I wouldn't put it past her." A cruel smile splits across his face as he realizes that he forgot about an important fact, "By the way, who wants to make Snivellus' life a living hell over the next week?" His suggestion was met with excitement from the other boys.

At the same time that James and friends were plotting Severus' demise, Lyka and Severus were lounging in the Slytherin common room while Draco shows off his various accessories he brought along to Hogwarts. "Now if we look at this fine dragon-skin belt, we'll notice that it perfectly matches Lyka because she's annoyingly perfect physically." Draco laments as he tries to drag Lyka off the emerald couch she and Severus were sharing.

"And if Draco would so kindly remember, I'm not physically perfect as I have a grotesque mole on the inside of my thigh." Lyka glares at the blonde boy as she attempts to throw him off. "Really Dray you need to stop trying to turn me into your own personal dress-up doll." Severus snorts at this as he continues to read through his potions book. Lyka looks over at him, "What about Sevy? He's got an excellent color palette that will work with absolutely anything! I mean you have to at least make sure things work with my eyes. But Sevy has black hair and eyes along with such lovely pale skin."

Severus stares at Lyka with wide eyes, his cheeks coloring quickly. "Sevy?"

Lyka shrugs as she watches Draco contemplate Severus' looks, "It's called a nickname, Sevy. Most people get them from their friends."

Just as Severus opens his mouth to respond, Draco rushes forward to drag Severus up from the couch. This causes two things to happen. The first being Draco with his hands up and Severus' wand at his throat. And the second being Severus with wild eyes and breathing rapid, panicked breaths. Not seeming to realize that it's just a boy that he was laughing and chatting with a moment ago.

Lyka looks between the two before quietly addressing the dark haired boy, "Severus, I'm going to touch your wrist and help you put down your wand. Okay?" Severus doesn't respond as Lyka slowly begins to reach towards his wrist. "It's just me, Lyka. And that's Draco. Your friends," she says calmly as she makes contact with Severus. He flinches and his eyes break contact with Draco to look at Lyka. She smiles sweetly at him and is mentally relieved when he visibly relaxes. "That's good, Sevy. Now let's put the wand away." The boy does so, quietly muttering an apology and something about going to bed before leaving the common room.

The two stare after him as Lyka quietly hums. Her cloaking and silencing shields fall over Draco and her. "Well Draco, thank you for pretty much confirming a theory of mine."

Draco looks over at Lyka inquisitively, "Oh?"

"Sorry to say, Dray. But I think your godfather is also being abused at home."