Hi, readers. Sorry about the time lag. It's been a while. Just been working and studying, and living life. All of this pretty much got in the way, so... sorry about this. Here's the 11th Chapter. Hope you have fun reading it...
***~~WIWATTD~~***
Disclaimer-Harry Potter is a franchise owned by J. . I do not, in any way, own the characters, places, movies, books, etc….. The Ocs, however, are my characters. There are families whose surname is Maurya, but I'm not using any of them as a character. So all Oc characters and NAMES would be my own creation. Any character resembling any person living or dead is entirely a coincidence.
CHAPTER XI
Minerva stared at her newest Gryffindor in front of her, who sat with a troubled frown on her face, which had been there ever since she had stepped in the office, which was fifteen minutes ago. The Gryffindor head knew something had happened before she had arrived last night. In fact, she even had an inkling what it was, if the complaints by McLaggen's dorm-mates were any indication.
She knew her Gryffindors were a rambunctious bunch of students. Apart from Potter and his group of friends, some students must have voiced their displeasure and opinions to her when she told them of Anusha's sorting. She knew that her lions (including herself as well) often viewed the world as black and white, and not in shades of gray. That led to quite a few fights and quarrels in the corridor, most of which involved her house at the center of it all. She knew what she had to then. Give both parties a stern lecture and take off points from both houses accordingly. It ensured both parties felt shame on their actions and they would be subdued, for the moment, at least. Simple enough.
But, when it came to fights within the House, she knew she had to be careful and not be partial to any party. So, that meant that she had to dissolve the situation, lest it would affect the students involved and would probably keep them distracted and creating problems for each other for the rest of the session. And with Anya and Anusha's fifth-year O.W.L.s, she knew Severus would go berserk if any of their results went lower than his standards. She actually resisted the urge to sigh tiredly.
This is the first day of school... my lions just can't stop themselves, can they? As if that isn't enough this year… A ministry appointed Professor, a set of twins sorted into two different houses, two houses which claw at each other's throats, the same set of twins who have a father just as protective of them as any other father having daughters… This is going to be a long year, I just know it…
Minerva blinked back to see her newest charge looking at the fireplace with a sullen expression, though she kept her posture straight and not slump like most others. Minerva smirked at her.
"Ms. Maurya?" Minerva called out, prompting the girl to turn her head to her.
"Yes ma'am," She answered promptly, looking alert and ready for action.
Quite like her Father… Minerva noted with a small smirk.
"How did you find your first evening here?" The head asked calmly. Anya's eyes flashed with anger, but it was replaced with calm and control almost immediately. Minerva couldn't have noticed it if she weren't looking at her carefully.
"It was… good. The people here are quite friendly," Anya said, with forced politeness and controlled voice.
"Oh, really? Because I can see your anger clearly. You're upset about something," Minerva said, choosing to lay it on the table instead of beating around the bush.
"Pardon?" Anya uttered, feigning confusion. Minerva sighed exasperatedly.
"You're not going to be easy, are you?" Minerva muttered, shaking her head to herself, "You're just like your father, young lady."
Anya blinked at her in surprise. Her hand immediately went to finger her wand subtly as she saw McGonagall pull out hers, an action which didn't go unnoticed by Minerva. She nearly frowned but didn't comment upon it.
She and Anusha must have been drilled on these tactics by their Master… quite impressive, if I may say…
Minerva summoned the tea set on the table and poured them both a cup gracefully.
"How do you take your tea?"
Anya's eyes widened as she looked at her, but quickly replied, "Um, a dash of milk. No sugar."
Minerva hummed and gave her the cup. The girl took with a murmured 'thank you, ma'am'. The delicate scent made her relax slightly. She took a sip and breathed out as a feeling of warmth spread through her body. She felt slightly calmer than before. Minerva smirked lightly as she sipped her own tea. She set her cup of tea of the table and took out a tin of gingernuts from the lower drawer. She opened the tin and gestured her to take one.
Anya blinked at her before she took out a biscuit from the tin and nibbled at it.
"Anya, I understand that you were involved in an incident with some other Gryffindors last evening," Minerva said, sipping her cup of tea.
Anya sighed and answered, "Yes ma'am."
"Do you accept the fact that you nearly broke a fellow Gryffindor's wrist?"
"No, I don't," Anya answered calmly, sipping her tea.
Minerva narrowed her eyes slightly.
"I accept the fact that I nearly sprained a fellow Gryffindor's wrist," Anya stated evenly. Minerva's eyebrows rose to her hairline as she heard the statement. She composed herself, taking a sip of her tea as she stared at the fifth-year.
Honestly, it's as though the two girls are clones of his… If Anya's like this, then I wonder what Anusha's like…
"Nevertheless, you nearly caused bodily harm to a person. He's been up all night, complaining to the others, according to his dorm-mates," Minerva said, her lips pursing into a thin line.
Anya sighed tiredly.
"Pardon me ma'am, but I'm not taking suggestions by some morons on how to stay away from my twin just because she's in Slytherin," Anya stated defiantly.
"Language, Ms. Maurya," Minerva said warningly. Anya blinked and cleared her throat sheepishly.
"Apologies ma'am."
"Hmm. Now, coming back, I'm not asking you to, Ms. Maurya. On the contrary, I'm glad you're not letting the unspoken, unofficial rules come between your sisterly bonds. What I am asking you to do, is to control your anger. I understand that fear is efficient to stop them from making a scene, but it isn't enough to stop them from commenting."
Anya looked down at her cup, thinking of what her head of House said to her. It wasn't the first time that she was rebuked for her temper. But it was the first time someone put it that way for her.
Minerva leaned back in her seat, relaxing slightly as she thought of her next words.
"I understand it might be a little difficult for you to hear them comment and try to belittle your twin, but I want you to remember that your father goes through this every day."
Anya perked up at that.
"What?" She said, confusedly, a pool of dread filling her stomach.
"You father… he supports and protects his house at all times. I can't blame him, you know. All of us Heads of House do that. But Slytherin's reputation isn't the best around here. Your father does what he has to just to protect his house. And all he gets are insulting names, taunts behind his back and a lot of looks filled with disdain and hate. The worst thing is that he knows what they say. He goes through his day with these things said behind his back, and not even once, have I ever seen or heard of him ever losing his control over his temper. And you know as well as I do, he has the worst of tempers," Minerva said, peering at her over her glasses.
Anya nodded to her, totally understanding where she came from. The times she had seen her Father truly angry were rare and few in between. But those moments were unforgettable to her.
"I know the fact that if he doesn't succumb to the temptation, then you won't as well. And I expect you to have a little more control," Minerva said, looking a little stern. Anya nodded solemnly.
"Yes ma'am," Anya said, nodding as she sipped her tea. Minerva hummed and looked down at her cup as well.
"As for Mr. McLaggen," Minerva began again, after a few moments, "I'll speak to him and tell him to avoid roughening up a fellow Gryffindor on her first evening at Hogwarts."
Anya smiled a little smile at her and nodded.
"If you have any other problems, you can approach me without hesitation. I would help you out in any way I can," Her Head of House said, her eyes slightly softening.
"Of course ma'am," Anya said, setting her teacup down. She stood up from her seat, brushing her robes to straighten them up and then folded her hands to her front.
"Thank you, ma'am, for the tea," Anya said, smiling slightly. Minerva smiled back slightly.
"Have a good day, Anya," Minerva said, nodding at her. Anya nodded back.
"You too, madam," Anya answered, before stepping back and walking towards the doors. She opened and shut them behind her.
Minerva sighed and set her teacup down to lean her head against the back of her chair. She closed her eyes and shook her head slightly.
Well, if anything else, I'm sure Severus would love to know of this over breakfast…
Anya sighed as she sat down on the couch in the common room. The chat with her new Head of House had occupied her mind. She had understood what McGonagall meant; she just wanted her to control her temper.
But it is so damn hard! I mean, half the people here speak of Papa like he's some sort of criminal who had beaten them all up at some point in their Hogwarts career! Ugh, so what if he has a sharp tongue and an intimidating personality? Apart from that, he's the best dad anyone could ever have! These morons just can't take a detention and a few sharp words, can they? We used to get it from him all the time when we worked in the Potions lab with him!
"Ugh, Anya! Just stop with the mental shouting, will ya?!"Anusha's sleepy voice butted in grumpily. Anya's eyes widened as she heard her twin's voice.
"Anusha? Why aren't you awake yet? It's nearly time for breakfast! Get your ass off the bed now!"
"Don't wanna," Anusha mumbled, yawning slightly.
"Oh for Merlin's sake, lazy-ass! Just get going!"
"Hey, I'm not lazy-ass! I just appreciate sleeping and lying on the bed more than you!"
"You're incorrigible!"
"…And I think I'll be staying back in my bed for the entire day."
"…You're doing that just to spite me, aren't you?"
"No. I just feel so good, lying here, in this soft bed, the pillow below my head. Mmmm…"
"Anusha Maurya-Snape!"
"Just kidding, sis! Jeez! I'm waiting for Tracy to finish her business and then I'm heading in myself!"
"Good!"
Anya could feel her twin rolling her eyes at her and muttering something that sounded like 'such a mother!'. Anya didn't bother retorting on her comment.
"So, what are you ranting about, sis?"
"Well, I had a chat with Professor McGonagall," Anya began.
"Really?"
"Yeah. She basically spoke with me about the incident that happened in the common room last night with McLaggen," Anya explained softly.
"Uh huh," Anusha murmured.
"She basically told me to control my temper since Papa has suffered these morons for a long time," Anya said, her temper flaring slightly as she remembered what she had told her.
"I know. Daphne and Tracy told me last night," Anusha said, almost resignedly.
"Those two girls you were speaking to in the hall?" Anya clarified.
"Yep." Anusha nodded.
"They seemed nice," Anya commented. Anusha smiled.
"Yes, they are. The rest of them are too, but Papa says to be careful around most of them," The Slytherin said.
"Okay. But it's really disheartening for me to learn that Papa goes through this shit every day!" Anya said, crossing her arms across her chest angrily.
"I know sis. But we're not in a position to change their minds," Anusha said. Though Anya felt her twin's anger seeping through their connection, Anusha controlled it. She thought of what her sister said for a moment, before agreeing with her.
"Yeah, we're not. But then, I just get so angry when someone insults my family!" Anya said angrily, her blood boiling at the thought.
"So do I! But we've got to control it somehow," Anusha said gently before Anya felt her sister turning her head to the sound of the door opening.
"Okay, sis, I've got to go. I'll meet you near the Great hall, 'kay?"
"'Kay! See ya, sis!" Anya said, turning her head to the sounds of her dorm mates coming down from the stairs. Anya smiled and stood up to go to them as they came down. Parvati whispered something to Lavender in hushed tones as they trailed behind Hermione and Ginny. They finally straightened up and looked at Anya with a smile. Well, Parvati smiled at her, while Lavender was surprisingly neutral.
"Morning!" Anya greeted them, coming to them.
"Morning Anya!" Hermione said, smiling back at her.
"Morning, girl," Ginny greeted, smirking at her.
"Are you ready for your first day?" Parvati asked excitedly. Anya chuckled.
"Yes, I am. As ready as I can be," She answered, as Harry, Ron, and Neville came down as well. Anya noticed two more boys descending behind them. One of them, a white guy with black hair, glared at Harry, while the tall, dark guy sighed exasperatedly.
"Come on, mate," the boy said, nudging him pointedly. The boy snarled in anger and hit his shoulders against Harry's while walking past him. The tall boy sighed and looked at Harry apologetically, who glared back at the short boy. Harry looked up at the dark-haired boy and nodded at him. The boy nodded back and walked off to join his friend. His expression turned normal as he looked back at them.
"Morning," Harry greeted them.
"Hi, Harry!"
"Hey Parvati, Lavender," Ron greeted, waving at them.
"Hello, Ron," Lavender said, giving him a coy look. Anya's eyes widened as she looked at the girl's posture. In the time that Ron had come down, she had straightened up, put her hands behind her back and had leaned in his direction. She was even fluttering her eyelashes at him to create an effect.
Anya looked at Hermione for confirmation. Hermione nodded.
"She's had a crush on him since the first year," Hermione whispered.
"Yeah. It's been quite… persistent, as you can see," Ginny murmured to her.
"Ah," Anya said, nodding as she turned her head to Ron, who seemed totally oblivious to her tone, which made her almost roll her eyes at him.
"And I am correct in assuming that he doesn't know a thing about this?" Anya asked rhetorically.
"Yeah, you are," Both girls answered. Anya sighed.
"Boys," She muttered to herself.
All of them walked out of the common room together. It was a slightly tense silence as they walked towards the Great Hall. No one could forget the scene yesterday. Parvati had too much of the tense silence and decided to break it.
"So, what are your subject choices?" She asked curiously, looking at Anya.
"Well, the main subjects, then Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, with side subjects Latin and Sanskrit," Anya answered, smiling at her.
Parvati's eyes widened slightly.
"You're actually going to give your Sanskrit O. ?"
"Yep!"
"Why? I mean, you already have taken Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. Why put more pressure on yourself?" Parvati asked confusedly.
"Well, I and Anusha wanted to give it our best shot, you know. We just felt that giving the O.W.L.s in those two subjects would help us in the future," She replied.
"But how will you use the subject? I mean, after the O.W.L.s, it would be useless in any other field," Harry said, shrugging.
Anya smirked at him.
"It isn't a useless subject, Harry. We can cast spells in many languages. Latin is just one of them. And it doesn't matter in what language you cast your spell in; it's the intention. You can even cast wordlessly. Now, Sanskrit is totally different from Latin, which means that it can be an element of surprise for the opponents if we ever get into a position like that since most of the population only ever bother learning spells in Latin and in no other language. If you don't know what the opponent is saying, then how would you even block it, huh? There are spells that are resistant to the basic standard shielding charms. It can be a great advantage over your opponents," Anya explained to the group, who listened with rapt expressions. Parvati nodded, understanding what she meant.
"For example, let's do a simple experiment," Anya said, smirking mischievously. She stopped, turned around and took out her wand, pointing it right at Harry, who looked at the wand with wide eyes. Almost immediately with slightly narrowed eyes, his hand went to his wand, an action which Anya noticed with approval.
So, the lessons have paid off then… Remus and Sirius are really good teachers…
Anya murmured, "प्रक्षलयति|"
Suddenly, Harry's glasses, which were full of fingerprints and other dirt and scratches, vanished. The glasses looked brand new. Harry took off his glasses, shocked at the newness of them.
"Whoa," Ron murmured, leaning in to see the glasses as well.
"It's nothing, Harry. Just the Sanskrit version of Reparo," Hermione said, smirking at them.
"But it surprised the hell out of me!" Harry exclaimed.
"Still think it's a useless subject, Harry?" Anya asked, smirking at him. Harry snorted.
"No," He said, smirking to himself. Anya shook her head at him as the others started walking again.
"Which subject do you find most difficult Parvati?" Anya then asked after a few moments.
"Transfiguration. It's basically the theory that makes me frightened of it," Parvati answered, smiling sheepishly. Anya smirked back.
"Well, Ma had the same problem with Transfiguration as well," Anya said, smiling at her before she looked at Lavender, who was listening to the conversation, but not taking part in it. She sighed.
She must have made quite an impression of me by my behavior yesterday…
She decided to extend an olive branch by asking, "Lavender, which is the subject you find most difficult?"
The blonde-haired girl looked at Anya for a few moments with an unreadable expression, before smiling and nodding at her.
"I find Potions most difficult! Its practical aspects are really difficult to grasp and on top of that, Snape makes it even more difficult by being an absolute git and favoring the death-eaters-in-training! Ugh, I hate that guy!" Lavender said loudly. Hermione and Anya froze, while Ginny looked wide-eyed at Lavender, then at Anya. Harry and Ron froze as they looked at Anya, slightly fearing her reaction, while Neville cowered at the mere mention of his name.
Hermione face-palmed as she resisted the urge to groan.
Oh, Merlin! This is great! After what just happened last night!
Anya, meanwhile, controlled her anger at what Lavender had said. She clenched her fists tightly and counted to twenty in her mind to calm down. She remembered what Professor McGonagall had told her. And she willed herself to remember that she wasn't in India, surrounded by some of her stuck-up cousins, but in a school, where there were different people with different thoughts and opinions. She can't act like that with them as she had with some of the cousins.
Come on, Anya! You just have to control… keep yourself calm…
Hermione, having seen her reaction, grabbed her wrist gently and squeezed it. Anya looked at her to see her and Ginny smiling reassuringly at her.
Ignore them… They seemed to say, they're not worth it…
Anya smiled back and nodded inconspicuously, before looking back at Lavender, who was still ranting about her father's unfairness.
"It's okay, Lavender," Anya said, in a calm tone as they continued to walk, "Everyone has their difficulties. I have a problem with Herbology. It just doesn't mix well with me! The theory aspect is a bit boring for me. The practical is sort of fun, but still, I don't really like it."
"Really?" Neville asked, looking at her, "It's the easiest subject ever!"
The others smiled exasperatedly.
"Neville here," Harry gestured to the tall boy, "Is the best student of Herbology in our year."
The boy blushed at the praise.
"I'm not that good. Hermione is better than me," Neville stuttered, feeling quite shy at all eyes on him, before looking up.
"I'm scared of Potions as well," Neville admitted, paling slightly as he thought of the Potions Master. Anya noticed his suddenly pale pallor and raised an eyebrow at him.
"Are you alright?" She asked, looking at him concernedly.
"Neville is scared of Professor Snape," Harry said before Neville could reassure her.
"Yeah. He is scared of the mere mention of his name!" Ron said, looking at Neville with sympathy.
"And Snape hasn't done much to assuage his fears as well," Parvati said angrily, clenching her fists. Anya turned her head to look at the Indian, now listening raptly. Parvati nodded.
The girls made a move to change the subject, but Anya stopped them with an indiscernible shake of her head.
"The git's always breathing down his neck, making him feel more frightened of him than ever!" Lavender exclaimed angrily, looking at Neville with sympathetically.
"I don't understand why I get so nervous at the sight of him. Maybe because he's so scary, or because he's always just so… critical of me."
"So much so that Neville's boggart is Snape!" Harry said suddenly, his eyes blazing slightly. Anya's head snapped to him, her eyes widening in shock.
"He's Neville's boggart?" Anya asked, giving Harry a wide-eyed look. Harry nodded.
"Yes," Harry said, looking at her almost apologetically. Anya nodded to herself, not commenting on that. It was silent for a few moments after that as everyone was lost in their thoughts.
Hermione seemed to think of something and said, "Tell you what. How about we all go to the library later and catch up with studies? We can deal with Neville's difficulties as well."
Anya looked at Parvati and Ginny, who nodded enthusiastically. The boys were a lot less inclined, but they nodded as well. Well, Harry and Neville did. Ron just groaned but turned silent as Hermione shot him a look.
"Okay. I can help you with the tips too," Anya said, looking at Lavender, who smiled brightly at her.
"Oooh thank you!" Lavender said loudly. Anya winced slightly at the voice, while Hermione and the others laughed nervously.
"Y-You're welcome," Anya said, looking at her. After that, the conversation turned to how they spent their summers.
"Well, Ma and Papa took me and my twin Padma to my cousin's wedding," Parvati said, smiling excitedly as Lavender's eyes widened.
"You mean your eldest cousin is married?" Lavender asked.
"Yeah. The marriage was beautiful," Parvati said, sighing before she looked at Anya, Hermione and Ginny, and the boys.
"What did you guys do?" Parvati asked.
"I visited various museums and botanical gardens with Gran in Paris," Neville said, smiling.
"That's great, Neville!" Parvati said, nodding before she looked at Anya.
Anya shared a look with Hermione and Ginny with raised eyebrows.
"Well, I and Anusha came here to visit our Granddad and Papa and stayed with them for a while. We were actually introduced to each other by Papa, who knew the Weasleys personally," Anya said, touching the truth, although not specifying on any part of it. Parvati and Lavender nodded before the Blonde's eyes gleamed a suspicious gleam.
"Who's your Papa?" Lavender asked curiously, her gossiping personality surfacing. Anya shrugged.
"Can't say. All I can say is that he's a businessman and away most of the time."
"Is he a Royale 15 member?" Lavender shot.
"Yeah, he is," Anya answered.
"I've heard your parents didn't have arranged marriage," Parvati remarked curiously. Anya smiled and shook her head.
Nearly eighteen years to their marriage and it's still the biggest thing everyone talks about…
"They didn't. Papa met her when they were fifteen, asked for a formal courtship in 16 and finally got married when they were about to turn 18."
"Really?" Hermione murmured, smiling at her, interested to hear more about their Dark and reclusive Potions Master. Anya nodded.
"Yeah," She answered with a smirk.
"That's sweet," Parvati said, smiling.
"So cute!" Lavender gushed, "I wish I could have that too." She sighed dreamily.
Ron and Harry shared a look and smirked at each other.
If she knew who 'he' in that sentence is, then she'd have a coronary…
"You must miss your mother a whole lot, right?" Parvati said softly, looking at her with a bit of empathy. Anya smile dimmed, as she nodded.
"Yes," She breathed, looking ahead. Lavender looked on confusedly at Parvati, who had noticed her look.
"Her mother was murdered five years ago," Parvati murmured in her friend's ear softly. Lavender gasped and put a hand on her mouth.
"That's terrible!" She exclaimed, before looking at Anya with sympathy.
"I am so sorry," She said. Anya nodded to her, smiling a bit sadly at her before she blinked and looked ahead. They had reached the entrance of the Great Hall, but Anusha wasn't there yet.
"Hey, guys? I'll um, I'll wait for Anusha here. You all go ahead," Anya said, standing near one of the doors.
"Okay," Harry said, nodding to her and walking off with the others in the Great Hall. Only Ginny opted to stay. Anya smiled and nodded at her, before leaning against the wall, waiting for her twin's arrival.
Anusha sighed as she brushed and straightened her shirt and looked at herself through the mirror. She wore a clean, smooth white full-shirt, a dark grey half-sweater and black skirt which reached till her knees. She then reached for the Slytherin tie and looked at it confusedly. Tracy chuckled at her.
"Don't know how to tie a knot?" Tracy guessed, coming over and taking the tie from her hands and quickly making a knot.
"I'm not used to ties. Indian garb and jeans and shirts are more my forte," Anusha said, shrugging.
"I must admit, I love some of the clothes the Indians wear. How do you guys maintain sarees?"
"There's a trick to it. Believe me, I and Anya found it difficult when we had worn it for the first time as well. But we slowly got used to it, although Anya took to it like a fish in water. I took more time to get used to it. Thankfully, we're allowed to wear western clothes most of our time, since Indian garbs are mostly necessary during society dinners and the numerous festivals we have in our culture," Anusha explained as Tracy finished tying a knot to the tie and handed it to her.
"Thanks," Anusha muttered as she took it and set upon the task of putting it on. It was then that Tracy looked up and down at her baggy shirt and knee-length skirt with a critical eye. Anusha noticed the look she was giving her.
What?" Anusha asked, glancing at her uniform to see if it was fine. Seeing that it was fine, she looked up with a confused frown.
Tracy shook her head and simply took out her wand (Anusha's hand instinctively went to touch hers, ready to take it out at a moment's notice) and pointed it at her shirt muttering a few charms under her breath. Anusha glanced down in surprise as she felt her shirt become slightly more fitting in her chest area and her stomach. Her skirt, which had been below her knees, now shrunk so that they were just above her knees.
"Tracy…" Anusha uttered slowly, as she looked down at her dress.
"Relax Anusha," Tracy murmured as she altered her dress a little, "It'll look nice, I promise."
"You sure?" Anusha asked, looking doubtful as she studied herself in the mirror.
"Yep. You look just fine!" Tracy said, nodding in satisfaction as she looked at her again.
"Do you feel comfortable?"
"Yes, very. Thanks a lot, Tracy," Anusha answered, nodding at the girl with a smile. She smiled back at her.
Anusha then combed her hair, opting to leave it open, though she kept a rubber band, just in case.
"Your hair looks fine! Now come on," Tracy said, dragging her away from the mirror and out of the room.
Anusha realized that Tracy's plan was a bit of a success. She had attracted quite a bit of attention from quite a number of boys and girls as she walked in the common room. Her fifth-year classmates stared at her as she stepped in.
"Would you look at that?" One of the boys whispered to his friends, looking at her slightly leeringly.
"That's one perfect body, mate!"
"Her hair looks so soft!"
"I wonder what shampoo she uses for her hair. It looks so shiny!" Pansy murmured to Millicent, who nodded in agreement, looking at her enviously.
Daphne opted to stare at her with an amused smirk on her face.
So, Tracy worked some of the charms on her, huh? Doesn't make her look half-bad…
Anusha, meanwhile, ignored them as usual, feeling quite uncomfortable at eyes on her. She stood there for a few moments there, before she heard someone clear their throat behind her. She blinked and turned behind to look back into the dark eyes of Darius Mallory standing right behind her. She looked up at him in surprise as he stared at her. Behind him, the group of boys stared at her unabashedly, while the girl looked between him and her with growing jealousy.
"Your Highness," Anusha murmured, curtsying along with Tracy.
"Heiress Maurya, Miss Davis," He murmured back, his voice sounding odd and dry before he walked past her. As he walked past her along with his group, she noticed him staring up and down at her from the corner of his eye. The boys turned their attention to the front, and the girl accompanying Mallory gave her a jealous look as she walked past her. Anusha raised an eyebrow at her as she snarled at her, before walking away. Anusha shook her head at her.
Some people…
"Ready to go, Anusha?" Tracy asked, smiling at her. Anusha nodded and nodded at Daphne as she approached them.
"Come on," Daphne said gesturing them to the entrance of the common rooms.
The walk to the great hall was filled with discussions about the curriculum, their subjects, and their future electives. Anusha was surprised to learn that Daphne and Tracy had taken Ancient Runes as well, though Tracy's other subject was Care of Magical Creatures and Daphne's was Arithmancy.
"Hey! That's what I've taken as well," Anusha said, smirking at her.
"What do you want to do your NEWTs in?"
"Charms, Potions, Transfiguration, Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, and Defense. I want to become an Unspeakable," Anusha said, her eyes shining brightly.
"That's quite ambitious," Daphne commented, smirking at her.
Tracy was most interested in Herbology and Potions, so she decided to do her dual mastery in Potions and Herbology and become a potions researcher, while Daphne was mostly interested in Healing, so she was aiming for an O in Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology and Defense Against the Dark arts, mainly so that she could continue her NEWTs in the particular subjects.
"Anusha!" Anya's voice snapped the three out of their discussion and they looked ahead to see her standing just beside the doors of the hall with Ginny.
Anusha smirked as she approached her twin and the beautiful redhead.
"Hey sis," Anusha greeted them, "Hey Ginny!"
"Hi, Anusha!" Ginny greeted her, smiling. She smiled back at her.
"How was your first evening there, Anusha?" Ginny asked excitedly.
"It was great!" Anusha answered, before looking at the two Slytherins and then back at Ginny.
"Say, you all must know each other, right?" Anusha said, gesturing between them.
There was a slightly tense silence as both parties looked at each other apprehensively. They never interacted with each other, what with all the hatred and the general animosity between the two houses.
"Y-Yes, we do," Ginny finally answered, looking at Anusha with a slightly strained smile as she turned her head to Daphne.
"Greengrass," Ginny murmured, nodding at her, her brown eyes boring into her icy ones. Daphne blinked at her, looking surprised before she nodded back.
"Weasley," Daphne murmured back, staring at the Gryffindor, as though seeing her for the first time- her bright, red hair, her freckled, yet beautiful face and brown eyes.
"Davis," Ginny murmured, nodding at the other Slytherin, who nodded back at her.
"Come on then. Who else are we waiting for?" Anusha said with a smirk. Anya turned her head to the grand staircase to see Harsh coming down with two more Ravenclaws beside him. She smiled.
"Harsh," Anya said, gesturing to him. Anusha and the others looked at him coming down.
"He's with you guys as well?" Daphne asked curiously.
"Yes," Anusha answered, smirking to herself.
One of the two he was talking to was a beautiful Indian girl looking similar to Parvati, with dark hair falling to her waist, while the other was a Blonde haired boy as tall as Harsh, who had a jolly expression on his face as he spoke with the girl beside him. She smiled at him as they came down. Harsh blinked and smiled back at her tentatively.
"Hey!" Anya greeted him as they came to stand with her.
"Hi, Harsh!" Anusha said, while Ginny just waved at them and then at Padma, who waved back with a smile.
"Hello," He greeted them, while the other two from both sides looked on curiously.
"Harsh, this is Daphne Greengrass and beside her is Tracy Davis," Anusha said, introducing them to each other. Harsh shook hands with both of them.
"Um, this is Matthias Broderick. He's with me in the Sixth Year. And this is Padma Patil, the fifth year Prefect. Guys, this is Anya Maurya and beside her is Anusha Maurya, some of my family friends," Harsh introduced both parties to each other. Both girls shook hands with them.
"Hello. Nice meeting you," Anya greeted them with a smile on her face as she shook Matthias' hand first, before turning to Padma, who smiled back at her.
"You guys are the Royale 15 Mauryas, right?" Padma asked.
"Yes," both girls answered, sighing slightly.
"Nice! You must have met my twin then, Parvati Patil, fifth-year prefect of Gryffindor House?"
"Yes I have," Anya said, nodding to her, as they walked inside the hall. The Hall was filled with students to the brim.
"I'm yet to meet her, actually," Anusha said, shrugging as they walked in the hall.
Anya turned to look at Harsh.
"How was your first evening, Harsh?"
The boy blinked at her.
"It was good. The Ravenclaw tower is really beautiful, Anya. There's no password to the entrance like the other three houses. It's a riddle to get in. If you can get in, then good. If you can't, then wait till somebody else arrives," Harsh said, smiling slightly as he told her about it. She smiled back softly.
"I'm glad you like it," She murmured to him, patting his arm. Harsh felt a warmth in his chest at those words. He smiled back and nodded at her.
"Thanks, Anya," He said softly, before waving at her and walking off to the Ravenclaw table with the others.
Anusha and Anya waved back at him, before walking down the hall to where their friends were sitting.
Parvati and Lavender stared at them as they came in.
"Wow! They're nearly clones!" Lavender whispered to Parvati, who simply nodded in agreement.
The rest of the Gryffindors and Slytherins stared at them as well. It was one thing hearing about the twins being in rival Houses, and it was another thing entirely seeing them looking near exactly the same, but wearing their house clothes. There was a varied reaction amongst. Some, like most Gryffindors and some upper year Slytherins, were angry that they dared associate with each other even after they were sorted. Some others were intrigued by the fact that two girls, looking entirely similar at passing glance, had personalities different enough to be sorted into Houses that were clearly polar opposites. Some had their opinions, but their political and financial status, which was a lot more than Potters and Malfoys, stopped them from commenting. Some didn't care at all.
Anusha smiled at her friends, who were all sitting in a group at the Gryffindor table. She saw Hermione and Ron bickering with each other as usual, the Weasley twins with their heads together, plotting some prank, no doubt, and Neville quietly reading a Herbology text while eating his toast.
She then noticed Harry glance at her, before he did a double take and stared at her with a dazed expression on his face, as though he could see no one else in the hall at that moment. She blinked and stared back at him, her face heating up slightly as she stared back at his serene features, before glancing down at her robes, which, after a very careful examination, seemed fine. She then looked back at him carefully and frowned confusedly and realized that he was looking behind her. She turned her head to see a beautiful and familiar Asian girl coming into the hall with a few of her friends. Her friends looked as though they were doing their best to involve her in a conversation, but the girl was still sad.
Anusha felt downtrodden suddenly, though she had no idea why.
Perhaps I thought that he was staring at me…
Anusha's eyes met hers, and for a moment, they held each other's gaze with curiosity. Anusha saw why Harry liked her. She was beautiful, with large, dark eyes, straight black hair and an innocent expression on her face.
She then seemed to look past her at Harry and give him a smile and waved at him with a blush on her pretty face, before her friends grabbed her and went off to the Ravenclaw table. She looked back to see Harry following her with his eyes, his hand raised in a wave. She looked away and sighed to herself, feeling a bit stupid.
"Anusha?" Anya prompted, snapping her out of her thoughts. The Slytherin looked up at her with raised eyebrows. Anya sent her a questioning look, looking between both houses, before looking back at her.
Anusha smirked.
"Oh. Do we really need to do that? On the first day of school?" Anusha murmured in her twin's ears, smirking mischievously. Anya returned the smirk as she raised her eyebrow at her.
"Well, fuck it. I don't care about their rules here. We've been together-"
"For fifteen years. I know, Anya," Anusha finished, with a quirk of her lips.
"Well, no reason to debate here then. Which table?" Anya whispered in her twin's ear softly.
Anusha seemed to think for a moment, glancing between both tables, before she gestured to the Gryffindor table. Anya chuckled to herself, before gesturing her to the table with a wave of her hand.
"Come on then." And they went and promptly sat down on the empty space Harry left for them.
The reaction was almost instantaneous. The surrounding students stared at them as though they broke a sacred rule established by the founders themselves. If the twins had noticed, they didn't care. They simply served themselves some eggs and buttered toast and ate silently ate their breakfast, occasionally murmuring to each other.
Finally, the boy, the same who had given bad looks to Harry in the common room, spoke to Anusha angrily, "What's wrong with you?!"
The girls looked up from their breakfast and at him with raised eyebrows.
"I'm sorry?" Anusha said, looking at him questioningly.
"GO back to your own table and eat! We have enough of your kind for the whole day without seeing your damn faces at breakfast!"
"I'm sitting here with my sister having breakfast. How's that being a pain in your ass?"
"Slytherins aren't allowed to eat with Gryffindors!" he said, his voice echoing throughout the hall, attracting everyone's attention. Everyone turned to watch as he looked at them angrily. The Slytherins narrowed their eyes as the Gryffindor threatened one of their own. Most of them, like Malfoy and the other fifth years, watched the altercation with interest. They wanted to see how far it'll go. Others, like Daphne and Tracy, kept their wands at ready and waited. If he got too far, then they'd intervene. Otherwise, they would observe carefully. She was one of them, after all.
Severus almost stood up, but Minerva stopped him immediately by grabbing his wrist.
"Severus, not now," Minerva hissed to him.
"But Minerva-" Severus whispered, but Minerva shook her head.
"Remember, Umbridge is watching. And moreover, trust them. Believe me, all girls know how to handle boys his age. If it escalates, we'll intervene."
Severus stared at her for a long moment, before nodding reluctantly and turning his head back to watch them closely.
"Well, I'll be! Did his mother not teach him manners?!" Umbridge spoke up suddenly, attracting the professors' attention as they turned their heads to look at her.
"If he were attending Hogwarts during the old days, he'd have been slapped senseless for his behavior! The sheer insolence of it! What does he think, speaking like that in a public area! I ought to give him a harsh smacking with a ruler!" Umbridge said, her eyes gleaming maliciously.
The other professors exchanged shocked looks with one another as they heard Umbridge's words. The look on her face didn't help them assuage their fears either.
"Professor Umbridge," Dumbledore spoke up, in a quiet, authoritative manner, "I ought to remind you that such punishments are not to be given by professors. Such punishments are against the policies established by the Board of Governors of Hogwarts."
Umbridge opened her mouth to speak, but Dumbledore raised a hand to stop her.
"You may hand out detentions and take off points, but you are not to raise a finger against any student," He finished, in the same low voice, though his tone suddenly turned sharper than before.
Umbridge shut her mouth and straightened up, turning her attention back to the scene.
Meanwhile, back at the Gryffindor table, the girls gave Seamus distasteful expressions.
"Oh really?" Anya muttered, resting her chin on her palm and staring at him.
"YES!" He screamed in her face, standing up menacingly, but hesitated when Anusha gave him a deadly expression.
"Control your voice and sit your ass down," She murmured to him. He snarled at her, wanting to say what he thought of slimy Slytherins who dared order him around, but the dark-skinned guy sitting beside him clasped his shoulder firmly.
"Seamus, mate, sit down," He murmured quietly to his friend. The boy, 'Seamus' looked at him for a moment, before sitting down with a huff. Anya nodded to the dark-skinned boy, who nodded back at her.
"I'm sorry, but this is quite early in the morning. I'd like to know why you raised your voice at my twin for something incredibly stupid-"
"Incredibly stupid?!" Seamus erupted, but his friend stopped him again with a firm shake of his head.
"Oh, yes. Incredibly stupid," Anya said, looking at him in a condescending manner. He glared at her.
"It's a rule that Slytherins can't eat with Gryffindors!" He stated angrily.
"Oh really? Where is it written that they can't?" Anusha shot at him.
Seamus stopped short, hesitating as he tried coming up with an answer. The twins raised their eyebrows at him.
"Well?" Anya prompted, "Come on. You sound so sure that we can't eat at the same table."
"You clearly must've read it somewhere in the rulebooks," Anusha finished, looking at him expectantly.
Seamus' face turned red in embarrassment.
Seeing his reddened face, the girls 'ah-ed'.
"You don't actually know if there are rules which speak against us sitting together, do you?" Anya prompted.
Seamus' face turned redder in embarrassment.
"So, you had the audacity to sit here and accuse us of breaking rules, without knowing where the 'sacred rule' is actually written," Anusha observed quietly, nodding to herself.
"And you've studied at Hogwarts for almost… like, half a decade?" Anya said, raising an eyebrow at him.
"I-"
"Next time, please verify your facts before stating them," Anusha said, giving him a polite smile and going back to her breakfast. Anya went back to her plate as well.
Seamus bristled in anger at the blatant dismissal by one of the Slytherins.
"It is a written rule, stated in 'Hogwarts: a History'!" He exclaimed, banging his hand on the table. The girls looked up, now annoyed at being interrupted by the idiot.
He sat there confidently, looking completely sure of himself.
The boy turned to Hermione suddenly, who blinked at him in surprise.
"It is there, isn't it Granger?" He asked, sounding hopeful.
Hermione's eyes widened as all eyes settled on her. She looked around, looking a bit uncomfortable, but took a deep breath and met his eyes as she prepared to answer him.
"No, Seamus. There isn't any rule in 'Hogwarts: a history' that states that. In fact, the book doesn't state any rules at all. It's just the History of Hogwarts, telling us how it started, the important moments happening in its history," Hermione answered him clearly and confidently.
Seamus' eyes widened in shock.
"Don't say that, Granger! Give me something that gets this slimy snake off our seats!" He exclaimed, looking at Anusha with hatred. The Slytherins bristled in anger but controlled themselves.
The twins' eyes widened as he said 'slimy snake'.
"You've got to be fucking with me," Anusha spoke up through their mental connection, looking at Seamus disbelievingly.
"Nope. You heard it sis," Anya commented, giving Seamus a distasteful expression.
"There must be some rule out there that actually gets her off here!" McLaggen spoke up from a few seats down, smirking at Anya maliciously. Anya glared at him angrily.
"Oh, I'll break his fucking face the next time I see him,"Anya murmured dangerously, giving him deadly looks, wanting to stand up and do something, anything, that would wipe the smirk off his face. Anusha, feeling the emotions from her twin, squeezed her hand tightly.
"Anya, control. Don't let him get one up over you," Anusha warned her quietly, glancing at her twin, before turning her head back to Hermione, waiting for her answer.
Hermione turned her head to stare at McLaggen sharply. He simply gave her one of his 'charming' smirks, which made her glare at him.
"No, there isn't any rule that exempts her from sitting here," Hermione said tartly, glaring at him. McLaggen's smirk vanished almost immediately.
"But that's not very nice!" One of the boys close to their seats exclaimed.
"Why should we let her sit here?!" his friend asked, glaring at Anusha.
"She should go back to her kind, where she belongs!"
"There must be something, Granger!"
The twins looked on as one by one, the members of the house started complaining.
"Anya, what did we get ourselves into?"
"A fucking mess, that's what."
"You want to know about rules after studying here for five years?" Hermione interjected suddenly, starring at them disbelievingly, before sniffing and turning her head away.
Everyone complaining snapped their mouths shut immediately at that.
"Go and read the rulebook in the library, or better yet, ask one of the Professors. Don't ask me about that."
"Granger! Show some House solidarity, for Merlin's sake!" One of the other boys called out from a few seats down, quite near to the Professors' seats. She turned to stare at him in disbelief.
"What? Do you expect me to start spouting unwritten rules here?! They're sisters! Leave them be!" Hermione snapped at him, making him shrink back in fear.
"Don't be silly Granger!" McLaggen spoke up again, "One of them is a fucking Snake, for crying out loud! There must be something-"
"McLaggen, stop asking me about 'school-rules'! You want to know if there are rules that separate them two, then I'd suggest you search for the 'rules' yourself! Otherwise, don't waste my time," she snapped at McLaggen, before turning away from him and eating her breakfast silently.
The students looked on for a few moments, before turning back to their breakfast, believing the incident was done with, though they still murmured to each other about what had occurred. The professors were still on guard though. Through their years of teaching and studying there, they knew that a situation between teenagers won't be resolved so quickly.
Meanwhile, Seamus' jaw dropped as he looked at Hermione disbelievingly. He then looked at the twins, who simply went back to their breakfast. He saw the Snake shake her head, while his housemate simply sighs and shrugged. They simply ignored him.
Suddenly, his temper shot to the rooftops. For some reason he didn't know and didn't care about, he felt highly offended at being ignored by them.
His wand was out and in his hand before he knew it. He stood up and pointed at her, hatred dripping from his eyes. Neither girl reacted, not even for a second, much to his frustration.
The students all turned back to the scene, their murmurs increasing this time.
Seeing the boy take out his wand, the professors stood up. Minerva and Severus rushed out of their seats and to the Gryffindor table.
The girls stiffened slightly as they saw the boy take out his wand and point it at them. Specifically, at Anusha. Anusha, on her part, kept herself calm and cool.
"I'm warning you, you filthy Snake! Either go back to your House table right now or I'll- I'll-"
"You'll what?" Anusha asked, in a deadly voice. Anya took her twin's hand under the table and intertwined their fingers tightly.
Seamus' face turned slightly red as he opened his mouth to fire a spell at her.
"Mr. Finnegan!" McGonagall's voice rang through the Great Hall. The murmurs in the hall stopped as everyone turned their heads to watch the Heads of Gryffindor and Slytherin, who rushed to the table to intervene.
Both the professors glared at him angrily as they stopped to where they were.
"What is the meaning of this behavior, Mr. Finnegan?" McGonagall asked sharply, giving him one of her sharpest looks. He shrank back in fear but straightened up again.
"Ma'am, a Slytherin's sitting on the Gryffindor seats!"
"Yes, well, I saw that perfectly well from my seat at the high table, Finnegan! That does not warrant you to pull your wand on a girl, let alone a new transfer student on her first day of classes!"
"B-B-But ma'am, there are rules against this! No Gryffindor should eat at the same table as a Slimy Snake!"
Severus' jaw clenched and he prepared to take action, but Minerva beat him to it.
"Ten points from Gryffindor for your use of Slang, Finnegan!" McGonagall erupted angrily, glaring at him in anger.
Everyone looked at her in shocked silence. It was a rare occasion that Head of House of Gryffindor herself took points from her own house.
The hall erupted with murmurs again, this time louder than before.
"You would do well to remember that the professors, all from different houses, including Slytherin, take our meals together!"
Seamus' eyes widened in shock.
"B-B-But that's different!"
"No excuses, Finnegan! Be glad that I'm not the one taking action!" Severus said, glaring at Finnegan fiercely.
The girls looked on as the boy shrunk back in fear.
"I am most severely disappointed in your behavior, Mr. Finnegan! And that too on the first day of classes!" Minerva exclaimed, giving him a disappointed look. The boy, 'Finnegan', looked down, feeling ashamed suddenly at being scolded by her.
"Sorry, ma'am," He mumbled. His Head of House glared at him for a long moment, before nodding stiffly.
"See that it never happens again," She said, before turning to get back to the Head table. But she stopped and turned back to him.
"And, lastly, for your information, no. There are no rules that actually speak against a Gryffindor and a Slytherin taking meals together, Mr. Finnegan," McGonagall stated clearly, before glaring at him again.
"And where anyone takes their meals is of no business of yours," Snape added.
"Just be glad that I didn't take a more severe step with you," McGonagall finished, before going back to the Professors' seat. Severus gave him one last deadly look as well, before walking behind her back to the table.
Seamus glared a deadly glare at Anusha as he sat down.
"You cost us House points, you filthy snake!"
Anusha clenched her fists. She had enough. She simply slammed her foot down on the boy sitting across from her, making him grunt painfully and trapped his wrists in her palms in a vice-like grip. He tried pulling his wrists away from her grasp but in vain. She held them tightly.
"Leave my hands you fucking -"
She gave him one of the deadliest looks she could muster. It effectively shut him up almost immediately. She gave him a cold smile, which made him gulp slightly.
"Now, my turn," Anusha said softly. The tone sent shivers down the spines of everyone who was listening in the area.
"First of all," Anusha began in a deadly tone, "Please, stop using the phrase, 'filthy snake' when you're speaking to me, or anyone else. It's highly offensive and I think I've heard that particular phrase enough times for a day. I have a name, Anusha Maurya. Use it. Otherwise, don't waste your time talking to me.
"Second of all, the drama that unfolded here a few moments ago was all your doing. I didn't coerce you into doing anything. In fact, I didn't even know you before this. All I did was sit here and take breakfast with my sister quietly until you decided to make a huge scene out of it. I don't care what you think of me, but you want to state your opinions, please try and be calm and cool about it," She stated quietly, before letting him go.
The boy pulled his hands away and opened his mouth again, but his friend clasped his shoulder firmly. They shared a long look with each other before his friend nodded and gestured him to eat his breakfast.
After the incident, everyone turned back to their own breakfast, although they murmured to each other and stared at the twins, who all but ignored them.
When it was nearly time for their classes, the Heads of Houses went and distributed them their respective timetables. The twins compared their timetables to check their classes.
The Gryffindors shared some classes with the Slytherins, like Potions, Charms and Transfiguration, History of Magic and Defense, but the point of difference was in Ancient Runes and Arithmancy. Where the Slytherins had Ancient Runes with Ravenclaws, the Gryffindors had Ancient Runes with the Hufflepuffs. And while Anusha had the Arithmancy class with Hufflepuffs, Anya had it with Ravenclaws.
As the breakfast ended, they all stood up and started walking out of the hall for their classes.
Anusha walked with her twin, the Trio, the Weasley twins, Ginny and Neville as they walked to the doors. Daphne and Tracy joined her as they walked out of the hall towards the classes. Malfoy and his cronies followed them, along with the rest of her Housemates.
Anusha glanced at Harry to find him staring at Cho as she walked past him to the dungeons. He sighed as she disappeared below the staircase. He then turned his head at her and smiled reassuringly. She smiled back.
"That was some incident during breakfast," Daphne commented casually as they walked to the Charms classroom. Anusha turned her head to Daphne.
"Oh, was it?"
"Yes. No one pulls that kind of stunt, Anusha," Tracy said softly, "In fact, I don't think the upper years were impressed by your show of bravado at all. They even called the behavior 'treacherous'. This isn't good, Anusha."
"Why? Because I went and sat with my sister during breakfast? It's just a damn seat, for Merlin's sake!"
"But for your first day, it was too much. You could've waited for a few days, you know."
"Why? Why should I stop doing something just because it's an unwritten rule?"
Tracy had no answer to that. Daphne, on her part, simply smirked and shook her head at them.
"You really are something, Maurya. Catching everyone's attention during the first day itself," Daphne remarked, raising an eyebrow at her.
Anusha smirked back as they entered the Charms class.
The Charms class was a large classroom with desks arranged on either side. There were windows at the far end of the classroom, which proudly displayed the view of the forests and the huge Black lake, which disappeared in the horizon.
Professor Flitwick stood between the rows, on top of thick tomes stacked up together just so he could be on the students' eye level. But the difference in height didn't deter him, nor did it give the students the wrong impression.
The students all sat down in their respective seats. Anusha and Anya sat together, close enough to listen and have a good viewpoint to their Charms professor. The trio across from them. Ron and Harry went on talking about Quidditch matches and tactics, while Hermione rolled her eyes at them. The twins chuckled at her expression, before looking ahead to their teacher as he cleared his throat.
"Good morning, fifth years!" He greeted them jovially, silencing them almost immediately and effectively.
"Welcome to the first day of your OWL classes! Now, I'm sure I don't need to tell you how significant this year is for all your careers. And especially to all those wanting to have a Charms NEWTS for their respective jobs. So, this is a word of caution for all those who have been taking it lightly all these years. Start working now. If you don't, then there would be consequences for you all, grave consequences."
"So, let's start with the first lesson for your fifth year. This topic is one of the most important topics in your syllabus. Today, we're going to study the basic aspects of…"
It's finally started… both girls thought as he started giving the basics of the disillusionment charm.
As always thanks for reading and leave your comments below. See ya!