*sorry for the long wait for this chapter, I had to finish up a bunch of school stuff before I could concentrate on the story enough*

Chapter 11

Even though there was two hours before classes started, Hermione was already awake and dressed. She was sitting at a table in the Common Room, waiting for Alli, when Fred and his brother came down the steps. The twin, whose name was escaping her at the moment, seemed perfectly happy but Fred looked unusually sullen. He met Hermione's eyes as they passed but he quickly looked away; his brother was trying to cheer him up as they went through the portal.

Alli was smiling and giggling when she came down with Katie; but after she looked around the room her smile faded like she was hoping someone other than Hermione was there waiting for her. The trio walked to breakfast and sat at the end of the table. Hermione expected Alli to pull them down to where the twins were sitting, so when she didn't argue with the seating Hermione became concerned. She was going to question Alli, but her sister always shut her out when it came to feelings; Alli didn't like to open up to people.

But Katie didn't know Alli as well as she did. "Is everything alright between you and Fred?" Katie asked refilling her goblet with pumpkin juice.

"Everything's fine. So Hermione, what classes do you have today?" Alli eyes told Hermione to change help her change the subject. Hermione pulled out her schedule and raddled off all the name for the day: first Transfiguration class, then Charms, followed by Herbology, lunch, and ending the day with Potions and Defense against the Dark Arts.

"Wicked, we'll be spending the afternoon together." Alli smiled and she swallowed a mouthful of eggs.

"What do you mean, why would you be taking first year classes?" Katie asked.

"I'm working with Professor Snape all year because Potions is my best subject, and I'm only helping Professor Quirrell today with his introduction."

"Why would you want to work with Snape, he's so cold and serious?" Katie was never good at Potions and Alli often did her homework for her.

"You just don't like him since he called you out for almost confusing belladonna for bezoar."

Katie crossed her arms across her chest, "It was a simple mistake."

"Except if you had added belladonna to the draught you would have been adding poison into the victim instead of subsiding the snake venom we were supposed to be curing." Alli smirked and finished her toast. Hermione was able to follow their conversation a bit since she had been studying all of Alli's old books and asking Alli a million questions, but she came to the realization that in this world Alli was just as smart as her. She may still refuse to retain the basic theme of Shakespeare's King Lear but she was able to make a potion to heal almost any ailment.

Katie left her friends at the stairs and was off to History of Magic class. Alli showed Hermione were Professor McGonagall's classroom was and then ran off to Defense against the Dark Arts. She was late, which was nothing new, but Alli didn't have a note from her uncle this time. When she entered the room, several heads turned to stare at her and she quickly slid into an empty seat next to a Slytherin boy. . Professor Quirrell was at the front of the room trying to carefully handle a boomslang snake, but his hands visibly shook and his stutter was worse; when he noticed Alli walk in he seemed to relax a bit.

"Wwwoullld annnnnyoonne lllllike to hhhollldd the crrrreattture ffffor mmmmmmee?" Quirrell managed to stammer out. The rest of the class exchanged glances nervously because they knew how dangerous the snake's venom was; but Alli knew the teacher expected her to volunteer so she raised her hand and stood up. As she made her way to the front, Alli started to feel nauseous but she ignored it assuming that she just ate too much. The class went by smoothly, and Professor Quirrell gave Alli a brief overview of what she would be doing that afternoon for the first years before she left for Potions class. This year both Eddie and Katie were with her which was awkward since they kept making flirty eyes at each other; she wondered if this was how Fred and her looked to others. After their double Potions class, the trio had a free period before lunch; Katie and Eddie said they were going to walk around the lake if Alli wanted to join them, but she declined and when they were out of sight she turned around and reentered the dungeon classroom.

"I hope you have a free period and you're not skipping class." Her uncle said as he gathered the leftover ingredients from the tables. Alli started on the opposite side of the room and helped him.

"Of course not uncle, I would never skip class on the first day." She giggled.

"Well you seem to be in a better mood than last night" he sat at his desk and watched Alli finish the chore.

"Yes, I'm sorry about that. I was terrible rude and out of line."

"From what you told me, I'm not the only one you should have apologized to. Have you talked to Mr. Weasley today?" His hands were folded on his lap and had a sly grin stretched across his lips. Alli just slowed in her movements and lowered her eyes to the floor.

"Not yet. But don't get too happy, I plan on talking to him at lunch."

"Alright"

Alli swept the floor then sat on the first row of desks. "What was in that juice you gave me last?"

"It was just a mixture of relaxation serums I have been working on for when you get into one of your moods. I put it in apple juice because I figured that was the only way I would get you to drink it."

Alli nodded because she knew he was 100% correct and was thankful he had found a way to help her calm down.

Lunch came to soon for Alli, but she knew that if she didn't talk to Fred soon then the moment would never feel right and their relationship would end. She waited outside the door till she saw him and George; they locked eyes and Alli drifted down the hall hoping Fred would follow. He did but George wasn't far behind; George stood a few feet away while Fred approached Alli.

"Hey" the said together but neither looked at the other. Finally, Alli took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, Fred… for everything. I shouldn't have forced all that information on you, and I definitely should not have lost my temper." Her words spilled out of her mouth in a frenzy. Fred still avoided her eyes but the corners of his mouth turned up, then it turned into a full grin, then he burst into laughter. Alli stared at him quizzically and George seemed just as confused by the odd reaction. Then Fred explained.

"Allestra, I should be the one apologizing to you . You warned and I still pushed you." Alli flinched involuntarily when he said her name but she was getting used to it. Fred continued, "I thought I was prepared for whatever it was you had to tell but I should have trusted you when you explained how dark it was. But I have thought about it and realized that I if I hadn't provoked I wouldn't have gotten thrown and if I'm a good boyfriend then I'll keep you happy and that will never happen again. If it does then, well, I'll probably deserve it." Fred shrugged and continued to chuckle softly. Alli allowed herself to smile and then, dropping her books on the floor causing an echo, threw her arms around Fred and he drew her into his chest.

The group was back together for lunch; Alli sat between the twins, Eddie joined them and Katie sat between him and Hermione on the other side of the table. While they ate, Alli decided to reveal part of her story to everyone; she just told them that she was adopted, both her parents had their powers, and her full name was Allestra. Whether they choose to call her Alli or Allestra was up to them. She also told about her abilities to talk to snakes and kind of see the future. She ended the story by warning them about her sudden mood swings, Fred chimed in at this point to joke about how he had angered he last night and she had sent him flying fifty feet in the air. His exaggeration and ability to laugh at the event made Allestra feel better but she also decided to ask her uncle for a bottle of that juice for her to carry around, just in case.

After lunch, Fred escorted Allestra and Hermione to the dungeons. Alli made it a point to kiss Fred goodbye in plain sight of her uncle. As Fred left, Allestra looked at Snape and stuck out her tongue slightly which received a unnoticeable to everyone else smirk from the gloomy man. Ron, Harry, and Draco were also in the class; Alli sat next to her uncle's desk while he made his traditional dramatic entrance from his office. She watched The Boy Who Lived very closely as he scripted everything Snape said, Snape notice his constant writing as well only it seemed to annoy him instead of please him to see one of his students being diligent. Her uncle asked the boy a series of questions that no first year would know unless they had been prepped by an older student like Alli had done for Hermione. She felt bad for the boy but she knew her uncle was simply trying to make a point. She caught her cousin smirking at the boy discomfort and Alli made a mental note to confront him later. Alli allowed her uncle to apply his scare tactics on the kids but almost spoke out against him when he referred to Hermione as a silly girl. Her sister's face seemed hurt even after Alli gave her a reassuring nod; Alli knew she would have to undo a lot of mental insecurity after the class, Hermione wasn't use to not being praised for her intellect. Ron, also seemed shaken by the teacher's bombardment of insults , even for the simplest of mistakes. So after Snape dismissed them, Alli hurried from the room to reach the trio.

"Hey guys" she said as she caught up to them. "Just wanted to tell you not to let Snape's insults affect you too much. He likes to be feared because he thinks it gives him power over his students. If he gives you any major problems just come tell me and I'll talk to him." She smiled as they thanked her then she returned to the room.

"You've gone soft Professor. This was supposed to be a double period and you let them out after the first. My uncle would have kept the impressionable first years down to the last second." Alli closed the door behind her and went back to her seat because she had a half hour still before she had to help Prof. Quirrell.

Snape swiveled in his chair, with his elbows resting on the arms and his hands folded at his chest. "Well I noticed many of your little friends were in this class and knew you would attack me if I scarred them too much."

"True but I still had to bandage a few wounds even with the shortened time. SO I guess you haven't gone completely soft."

"Definitely not. I have a reputation to maintain." He started towards his office and Alli followed at his heels.

"What class do you have next?" he asked as he started to examine the books on his shelves.

"I'm helping Prof. Quirrell with his introduction to the first years. He says the spells he wants to demonstrate appear more powerful when I do them." Alli fondled a petrified lizard foot that her uncle used to show where certain ingredients came from.

"And what class are you missing to do this?"

"Just my flying class. I've already gotten permission to skip it and Madame Hooch is taking to Albus about excusing completely from the class."

"First of all you will not refer to the headmaster by his first name, though I know you the same with teachers. I don't care if you call me Uncle Severus or Professor Mcgonnagal, Minerva while no other students are around. But you will be respectful to the headmaster."

"Yes uncle Severus"

"Second, are you taking any classes this year?" He snickered at this question.

"Of course I am. I just happen to be spending most of my time with Potions. But don't worry the rest of the week I'll have Herbology after this period and History of Magic instead of that free period I had earlier. Though if I get excused from Flying class then I'll have two free periods on Mondays."

"Fabulous, another period you can assist me." Snape sat next to her on the couch and put an arm over her shoulders.

"No, I think I'll use that one to be with Fred." Alli giggled.

"Yes, I saw how you two departed." He stared forward with a disapproving gaze.

"Alright uncle, if it will make you feel better I will pretend to be a naïve little girl whose only man in her life is her adoring Uncle Sevy." Alli did her best impression of a toddlers voice and stared at him with big, innocent, gray eyes.

"That sounds good to me" He pulled her across his lap and tickled her stomach the way he use to when she was still small enough to curl up on his lap. The sound of her laughter always melted the grim man's heart. She was the only person who could make him smile in eleven years, he wished he could do more to help her than mixing some ingredients together.

Allestra felt great as she made her way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts class; her uncle always had way with making her forget her demons. Her friends can say anything they want about him, because she knew that he would never let anyone else see that side of him. As Allestra stood in front a bunch of first years, her head started to hurt again and she made a note to talk to Dumbledore about these strange, sudden headaches. Just for fun, Alli shot her Patronus charm, which took the shape of large serpent at her cousin, who screamed and flung himself under his desk. Professor Quirrell did his best to reprimand Alli for her carelessness but brushed it off as an accident; her cousin, however, knew better and the two exchanged challenging stares.

The rest of the week passed in an ordinary fashion and on Sunday afternoon Alli had an appointment with the headmaster to plan her private lessons for the year. Alli wasn't sure what else he could possibly have to tell her about her evil family but with Draco now at the school and Harry Potter, she felt that their sessions would venture from history to future. Also, she had to ask him about the headaches that plagued her at the start of each day. As she enter the room, Alli was shocked to find that this was not a private lesson, today they would be joined by her aunt and uncle, and her mom and Allen.