Part 19 – Lily & Veronica's Argument

The Slytherin spectators stood watching in anticipation as the fast-thinking Ravenclaw spectators quickly moved out of the way of the oncoming bludger.

Madam Hooch flew towards the stand and, with the help of a couple of the reserve Gryffindor team members, she soon had the bludger under control.

The Slytherin, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff spectators strained to see what was happening in the Ravenclaw stand.

"Everyone remain in your seats," called out Madam Hooch as she spotted students leaving their stands and making their way to the Ravenclaw stand to see what was happening, and in the case of a few of the older students, to check their Ravenclaw girlfriends or boyfriends were all right.

"No one's been hurt. Everyone return to your seats," Madam Hooch shouted.

Severus watched the students who had walked onto the pitch head back to their seats and waited for the match to continue.

"Rodolphus shouldn't have done that," whispered Bella.

Severus nodded, "we aren't losing by so much we have to cheat."

Bella laughed in response as Severus looked at her in confusion. He was agreeing with her so why was she laughing at him?

"Oh Severus," Bella laughed. "I didn't mean he shouldn't have hit the ball into the stands. Just he shouldn't have hit it into that one."

"What do you mean?" asked Severus, now even more confused.

"The Ravenclaw students are the smartest in the school, he should know they will get out of the way in time. Now the Hufflepuffs…they would have just stood there waiting for someone to stop the bludger."

"You think he should have aimed to the Hufflepuff stand?" Severus asked in a shaky tone.

"Perhaps," replied Bella in a thoughtful tone.

"But someone could have been hurt." Severus looked at Bella as a small smile appeared on her face and stretched into a wide grin.

"The Gryffindor stand would have been best," Bella finally replied. "The brave Gryffindors running in fear would've been a sight to see. Or better still, the Gryffindors bravely standing there, waiting in the bludger's path."

For a moment Severus stood in shock as he saw the joy on Bella's face at the thought of the bludger doing damage to one or more of the students. Then he thought of the bludger aiming straight at James Potter as he stood frozen in fear. He began to smile in response to Bella who finally came out of her own pleasant thoughts to see the devious smirk on his face.

"You're learning Severus," she said, before turning back to the pitch where the match was getting under way again.

The rest the teams had enjoyed whilst the bludger had been contained had unfortunately not been enough for the Slytherin team. Although they moved a little faster, so did the Gryffindors. The Gryffindor seeker seemed to have found a new lease of life as he sped around the pitch in search of the golden snitch.

The Slytherin team had only made up twenty points when a roar of delight from the Gryffindor stand signalled that their seeker had caught the snitch. The whistle sounded to signal the end of the match and the Slytherin spectators sighed in disappointment as the team came down to the ground again, each looking as disappointed and furious as the next.

The Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs cheered loudly for the winners as the Slytherins turned back towards the school, leaving the joyful cries of the others behind them.

Severus returned to the school with the rest of the Slytherins and listened half-heartedly to Bella as she berated Rodolphus for his poor aim of the bludger at the stands.

Severus slowed his shuffling pace and watched as the others moved on ahead of him. Turning to look behind him he peeked unobtrusively through his long, dark hair to the crowd behind him. He thought he saw a flash of red hair that could have been Lily but he was too far away now to know for sure.

"You coming to the common room Severus?" called Martin from further up the path.

Severus turned and nodded in reply and continued to walk slowly up the path.

"Hurry up," called Martin as he hurried on ahead. "You don't want to be hanging around outside when the Gryffindor team catches up."

Severus slowed again and turned back to look down the path. Sure enough the team were being carried on the shoulders of other Gryffindors as they cheered and yelled in triumph. They were closer now and Severus could make out the tall, black-haired Sirius black and the scruffy-haired James Potter in the midst of the crowd of students. He knew the second they spotted him watching. Sirius's joyous grin transformed instantly to a devious smirk as he nudged James and nodded up the path. James' eyes lit up and a matching smirk appeared on his face. Severus looked at his two enemies in the crowd of Gryffindors and turned to hurry on to the common room. He thought he heard them laughing at his retreat but he could not tell for sure amongst the shouts and cheers of the others.

Ducking into the school, Severus hurried towards the dungeon common room and muttered the password that would allow him access.

Climbing through the door he could see the other Slytherins sat down in the crowded room, each of them wearing almost identical expressions of disappointment and frustration.

"Arrogant Gryffindors," announced Lucius from his usual place next to the fire. "They really want taking down a peg or two."

"Yeah," agreed a blonde girl who Severus recognised as Marjory, a fifth year prefect who was often in the Potions section of the library when he was in there.

"Where were you when they got the snitch?" Lucius asked the shame-faced seeker for the team who merely shrugged in response and shook his head.

"Should've hit the bludger at their seeker instead of the crowd," said Rodolphus with a sigh. Bella nodded in agreement from her seat next to him.

Severus listened to the others as he inched his way around the edge of the room towards his usual corner. He had almost reached his destination when he heard his name called.

"Severus, there you are." Lucius did not bother to raise his voice, he had the type of silky tones that even though they were quiet, they could still be heard across a crowded room.

Severus turned around to see that Lucius was beckoning him across the room. The other Slytherins looked at him and he started to feel uncomfortable under their attention. So much so that he almost missed what Lucius was asking him.

"…get some food for the team."

"What?" Severus asked in surprise. "But it's nearly time for dinner anyway."

"The team will eat here instead of in the Great Hall," explained Lucius. "Couldn't face those gloating Gryffindors over a meal just yet. Enough to make a person sick the way they're going to be bragging about their victory. Just go get something for the team will you?"

The rest of the team nodded in agreement and Severus sighed as he went back out of the common room and turned in the direction of the kitchens. He knew the route well by now. He had long ago lost count of the number of times he had been sent to fetch food for Lucius and his friends.

Passing through the entrance Severus soon realised that his timing could not have been worse. The Gryffindor team were just arriving in the building and their shouts echoed through the corridors. Severus stepped back out of sight to let them pass him by.

From within the shouts and cheers there was a voice that came through clearly and Severus held his breath as he made out Sirius Black's haughty tone.

"Come on Remus, it'll be a laugh and we have a few days to get organised".

"I don't know," Remus replied. Severus looked out of his hiding place towards the group of friends. From his vantage point he thought the Remus looked very uncomfortable.

"Lots of students have parties at school and it is about time we had one." Sirius was insistent as he slung one arm around Remus's shoulders and gestured wildly with the other as he described what he called the social event of the year.

"Why not later in the year?" asked Remus, "after we've all settled in a bit more."

"We've been here over two months," laughed James as he echoed Sirius's enthusiasm.

"I guess," replied Remus with a small sigh as his friends walked on ahead of him discussing their plans.

Severus watched them all pass from the shadows and wondered why Remus was so reluctant to have a party. Sirius was right for once, all the students had parties at one time or another.

Shaking his head slightly he stepped out of the shadows to carry on towards the kitchen when another voice he recognised drifted across the hall towards him. Stepping back again he watched as Lily and Veronica came through the doors, both flushed and grinning after the afternoon in the autumn sunlight, watching their team emerge victorious.

"Why did you have to invite him to our group?" Veronica moaned. Severus wondered who it was she was talking about. He didn't know of anyone else being invited to join the group.

"He's my friend," argued Lily, in a tone that said she had had this conversation more than a few times before. "And I thought he might like to join us as he's always on his own."

"And why do you think that is?" Veronica snidely commented. Lily stopped walking and turned to face Veronica. From where he was standing Severus could make out Lily's fierce expression as she rounded on her friend.

"Maybe it's because everyone is as prejudiced as you?" Lily retorted.

"Or maybe it's because he's a nasty little creep just like James Potter says." Veronica was not giving an inch, but neither was Lily.

"James has had it in for Severus since their first day," Lily argued. On hearing his own name Severus leaned back against the wall and tried to make himself as small as possible.

"Haven't you ever asked why Lily?"

"No," Lily said through gritted teeth. "I know all I need to. James Potter is a bully…"

"And Severus Snape is a creep," interrupted Veronica.

"No he's not," countered Lily. "How would you feel if you were sorted into Slytherin and everyone was pushing you around just because of your house?"

"I thought you said he wanted to be in Slytherin?"

"Well…" Lily didn't seem to have an answer for that.

"He wanted to be placed in the house which is best known for the dark wizards it has produced over the years."

"So what?" Lily seemed to get her second wind. "It's not like he seems very happy in Slytherin."

"Good," stated Veronica.

"What do you really have against him Veronica?" asked Lily as she crossed her arms to wait for the answer.

"Well just look at him," Veronica replied.

"Looks aren't everything." Lily shook her head and turned to walk towards the stairs that lead to the Gryffindor common room.

"Well how about this?" Veronica called after her. "Instead of asking what I have against him, how about answering why you are so eager to champion him?"

"I don't, but he's my friend," said Lily. "And it's not like his other friends stuck up for him that day in class."

"That's because even the other Slytherins don't like him! Why don't you stop pitying him and throw him out the group once and for all. If you don't he'll be trailing after you like a puppy for the rest of the year."

Lily ignored Veronica's call and continued on to the stairs. Severus came out of the shadows again. He was shaking with anger as he looked at the two girls going up the stairs.

Pity? Lily hadn't argued with Veronica's final comment. The only reason she was still friends with him was because she felt sorry for him and that's why she'd invited him into her group of new friends. She just felt sorry for him.

Severus moved in a daze towards the kitchens again as he wondered what he should do about what he had overheard.