Chapter III : Under my skin
Mulciber and Avery left Slughorns' classroom on Friday afternoon with excited expressions on their faces. They pushed through the throng of students, shoving first years out of their way, and jinxing others. Mulciber looked around the crowd and Avery sighed.
"Mulciber, I've told you…" Avery stated with every sign of growing exasperation. "…Severus is still bed-ridden. He's been that way for the last week. Stop your gawking and do something useful."
Avery slung his hair back and walked with a grim expression on his long face as they marched out to the Quidditch Pitch. The Hufflepuff team could be seen practicing as they got closer to the game field.
The two teens entered the Slytherin Stands and were pleased to see a few of their fellow Slytherins present. The large and boisterous Miles Vaisey stood on the seats and called out to the Hufflepuffs in a loud voice, shaking with glee and sarcasm. "C'mon ya stupid badgers! 's that the best ye got!? Move a little slower next time Madley, I wanna see your ugly 'ittle face drop when you can't catch a pass!" He laughed out maniacally as Linda Madley, a Hufflepuff chaser, missed the pass from Marcus Zeller.
Amaline Higgs, a fourth year Slytherin, cackled viciously as Vaiseys' taunts rained upon the Hufflepuffs. Her fair face seemed ready to burst from laughter, tears trickling down her cheeks.
Meanwhile, Gregory Pritchard a sixth year, was waving his wand in the air, and produced a realistic looking badger from nothing. He flicked his wand violently and the badger plummeted to the ground.
Avery and Mulciber sat next to them and listened to Vaisey harass the team. Avery looked at Amaline with a curious expression on his face.
"Amy," Avery started "When are we going to have us a stroll in the Forbidden Forest, eh?" He asked with tones of hope in his voice.
Amalines' piercing eyes fixed on him and her mouth opened slowly, forming a disbelieving expression, then her cruel laughter rang out over Vaisey's remarks.
Avery looked defeated as Amaline composed herself and fixed him with a gleeful look.
"Avery, we'll have us a 'romp'" She put extra emphasis on this last word "When you've got as much to offer as Sev!" Amaline said with dislike dripping in every word.
Avery muttered something about Sev under his breath as the other Slytherins joined in mocking him.
Pritchard was staring down as the Hufflepuffs left the pitch. He punched Mulciber to get his attention, which was currently fixed on the castle.
"Mulciber!" Pritchard began. "Mulciber, look at me you git. I heard you finished you Crawly curse? I would very much enjoy seeing it in action." Pritchards voice rang out with enthusiasm.
Mulciber seemed excited at the prospect and nodded appreciatively. "Awright." He agreed as he got up from the stands. "Lets go, eh? Who wants to see it?"
Amaline quickly got up and looked like a child after Father Christmas had arrived. "Oh you know I would love to, can we go for some Gryffindor scum today? I think they've been a bit pompous. They need to know which house reigns in this school." She stated matter of factly.
Vaisey shook his head in a saddened way. "Got detention with Professor Mc-bore-us-all." He frowned as he ridiculed the transfiguration teacher. "I skived off last time and I don't think me hands have been the same since…honestly, she wouldn't let me leave that stupid bathroom until it was totally spotless." He cursed under his breath.
Mulciber looked over at Avery. "You gonna join us A?"
Avery shook his head. "I'm going back to the common room, gonna work on a spell of my own…" He added mysteriously as he laced up his boots.
The Slytherins set off on their own paths, Amaline, Mulciber and Pritchard setting off towards the black lake. Mulciber strode in front of them, footsteps full of purpose, and a grin on his face. He looked to the grassy areas and saw a little patch of third year Gryffindors sitting near the lake.
He took a seat under a large willow tree along with his companions. Amaline and Pritchard looked at Mulciber, clearly expecting him to do something more confrontational. He held up a finger, to forstall them, and took out his wand.
His normally slack face now seemed more threatening as he caressed his walnut wand, which seemed made to fit in his rough hands. His lips curled into a dastardly smile as he looked over his shoulders at the Gryffindors.
He nodded finally and let out a cold laugh, totally devoid of good nature, and saturated with dark intentions. "Insectivora Infestare!" He said in just above a whisper and a jet of silver light flew from his wand and soared in the air. The light reached it's apex and hurtled towards the unsuspecting Gryffindors.
It hit a Gryffindor girl with short , dirty blonde hair, and she immediately let out a shriek. Even from the Slytherins perspective, they could see her skin rippling, as insects crawled beneath it. The Slytherins all laughed with absolute glee as the Gryffindors shrieked.
"Ooh ho Mulciber…" Pritchard spoke between broken bursts of laughter. "You…are, my effing hero! That is a brilliant curse!"
Amaline was doubled over in silent fits of giggles, she rolled on the grass and almost fell into the lake.
"Oh lookie here mates, it's about to get better, eh? It's that Evans girl! Lookit at her, runnin' towards her, like she's some hero!" Mulciber declared in glee. "Maybe I oughta do the spell to her too eh? Whatcha think? Maybe on her loser boyfriend as well?" At this point Mulciber couldn't control his laughter and it overtook him completely.
The Gryffindor girl was being consoled by Lily, as Lily was seen waving her wand in attempts to remove the curse, and the Slytherins raged all the more. James was seen looking flabbergasted behind Lily.
Nobody saw Severus Snape approaching the Slytherins, he was walking softly towards them, his wand out of his robes. He raised it in one fluid motion and a white arc swept through the air and the Gryffindor girls' cries were silenced as her skin returned to normal. Lily looked up to see who had done it, and her gaze settled upon Severus, who was smiling awkwardly.
The Slytherins simply thought the curse had worn off and were none the wiser to Severus even being there.
Lily Evans lips pressed together tightly, and she got up in a hurry, gripped James' hand and walked away to the castle. The Slytherins calmed down and only then did they notice Severus' appearance.
"Feelin' better Severus? Ya missed a great show ye did! Mulciber got his insect curse to work! Used it on some mudblood he did!" Pritchard said full of excitement.
Severus only needed a second to react after Pritchard finished speaking. His hand was clenched in a fist, and similar to not seeing him approach, nobody saw his fist as it dove into Pritchards' jubilant face. A cracking noise was heard, and Pritchard howled in pain. Amaline and Mulciber looked at Snape like he had gone mad.
"What the ruddy blazes did you do that for!?" Pritchard howled as he felt his jaw, rubbing it and opening his mouth oddly.
Amaline looked truly disturbed at this blatant show of anger. "Sev…" She spoke with respect and compassion to Severus, something she had never done for anyone else. "Sev, what's wrong?" She raised herself so that she was level with Severus.
Severus' face was set in a fury and his eyes were nothing more than slits as his lips curled in disgust. Amaline reached out her hand and tried to part the curtains of black hair blocking one of his eyes. He grabbed her wrist as she attempted to touch him and he flung her hand back towards her.
His voice was colder than ice and it rung out with dislike. "I have told you NEVER to call me that name! Pritchard, you deserved what you got for not inviting me to this ,…happy….event! You know how hard I worked on this spell , I wanted to see it. Next time, do-not-forget-me!" He said these last four words louder than any others.
Amaline looked stunned, Pritchard was looking afraid of a second hit, and Mulciber stared stupidly at Severus.
Snape turned on one heel and marched off towards the other end of the lake and left them alone. Mulciber seemed to come to himself and shouted out "Will ye be comin' to dinner Snape?"
Snape threw both of his hands in the air in frustration, as if attempting to fly away, as he put distance between himself and the Slytherins.
"Hmm…" Said Mulciber. "Guess he's still a bit off then, eh?"
Amaline and Pritchard shook their heads in disbelief and together they all made their way back to the castle, eagerly discussing what had gotten into Severus.