Chapter Five: The Lilly and the Raven

After a dinner in silence Shaddi went to the library and began reading the next chapter they were to study in potions, of course she had already read it but doing it again never hurt. As she settled herself down at a table with her books and she began reading she heard a voice behind her.

"Quite the display, today." She turned around to see Lilly Evans standing here, her dark red hair shimmering in the candle light, stunning green eyes watching Shaddi very carefully.

"Really?" Shaddi said softly.

"Yes." Lilly said as she moved to sit opposite Shaddi. "I wouldn't have had the courage, to do that. Are you worried?"

"About what?"

"What they will say to you." Shaddi raised an eyebrow.

"I was walking by when you were talking to Kai. I wasn't trying to hear, but I did. Do you think the boys will say anything to you?" She seemed scared for the Syltherin.

"I don't doubt it, in fact I expect it. They'll want to teach me a lesson for defying them." Shaddi smirked evilly, her eyes sparkling with determination. "But they don't scare me, thing about Slytherins, and purebloods, is that we all have a family name and reputation to uphold. They don't want to mess with me, because I already know things about them and their families that they don't want out." Lilly's eyes widened a bit.

"You would blackmail them?" She sounded appalled by the idea.

"That's how they game is played, you don't always like it, but you still have to play if you want to survive." He voice had grown low and deadly sounding. Lilly said nothing to this but stared at her for a few moments while Shaddi went back to her book. "Is there anything else I can help you with?" Shaddi asked her voice now business like, Lilly's trance was broken.

"Oh well, um, the whole reason I followed you down here was because I was wondering if I could get some help with that potions essay." Her voice had grown strong again.

"What's the problem you're having?"

"Well, I can't seem to find enough uses for dragon fangs Professor Slughorn said he wanted ten, but the text book mentions only six."

"I assume you have already looked in the Potions section of this library." Shaddi said coldly, hoping that Evans did not say she hadn't.

"Of course."

"Did it occur to you to check the history section of the potions section?"

"The what?" Shaddi sighed a little.

"In addition to the over-all history section of this library, within every other section there is a small history section devoted to only the history of that major subject. You should try looking in the history section of the potions section."

"What good would that do?"

"Professor Slughorn only said he had to give and discuss ten uses of dragon fang, he didn't say they all still had to be used, perhaps you will find something interesting that has been proven false or just has become obsolete." She said still looking down at her book.

"Oh, OK I'll do that thanks." Then she got up to leave. When she got to the door she turned back and said, "It's almost curfew."

"I know, thank you." Then she left Shaddi alone. Little did Shaddi know she wasn't alone Lillian Evans had not been the only one to follow her down from the Great Hall. Tucked away in the magical travails section was the blond haired boy she had encountered the month before. He had seen her with yet another Gryffindor this time freely offering help and threatening him. Well he would not stand for that. He watched as she stood up and left the Library, he followed her knowing he would catch her alone. He followed her as she moved down corridors which would normally take her toward the grand staircase and the dungeons. He went through a tapestry and soon ended up ahead for her. And as he saw her coming down the hall he stepped out.

"Evening, Ravencroft." He said smoothly. She looked up at him and noticed his sapphire eyes sparkled darkly.

"Something I can do for you?" She asked standing her ground.

"I thought I made myself perfectly clear when I told you not to hang around with the Gryffindors."

"You see but you never did tell me not to hang around with the Gryffindors you told me I had to support Slytherin at the Qudditch game." She smirked at him and he sneered in reply.

"But you didn't do that. I saw you with the Gryffindors at the game."

"And?"

"And I fully intend on showing you what happens to traitors in my house." He reached out for her and Shaddi backed away, as he took a step forward she turned and ran. She could hear him behind her coming closer quickly. She dropped her book, and herd him trip over it. He cursed her name, got up, and kept running. She tore through a passage behind a statute and today it took her up instead of down lading her on the seventh floor. Where she found Lilly Evans, but before she could say a word the blonde came out of the passage and had thrown her against the wall and pinned her there by her upper arms. Lilly who heard Shaddi run in, turned in time to see the boy grab her, she turned and ran down the hall silently.

The blonde laughed in her face. "Think you could run from me did you?" He said shaking her roughly so her head hit the wall with a sharp thud. "Well you couldn't." He said letting go of one of her arms just in time to hit her in the face. Her whole world spun, she felt him let go of her but she couldn't move, She saw him raise his wand, she readied herself to be hexed but then she heard someone else's voice.

"Petrificus Totalus!" The Slytherin's body snapped to attention and he fell face first onto the stone floor, blood soon pooled around his head from what was most likely a broken nose. Shaddi looked down the corridor and saw her brother followed closely by Lilly Evans coming nearer. Lilly ran forward and turned the blonde over so he wouldn't drown in his own blood. And Kai came over to check on Shaddi.

"Are you all right?" He asked looking at the spot where the boy had hit her.

"I'm fine." she said even though it felt like her jaw was splitting in two. "Who on earth is that anyway?" He asked gesturing toward the Slytherin boy.

"Henery Nott." A stern voice said from behind them. Shaddi turned to see Professor McGonagall standing there in the corridor. A look of up most anger on her face, her lips had become so thin they almost had disappeared. "What on Earth is going on here?"

"I stopped him from beating up my sister." Kai said defensively. Shaddi's lips were now bleeding but she gave it no attention and stood there looking straight up at Professor McGonagall.

"Why would he wish to hurt you Miss Ravencroft?"

"Because I supported Gryffindor at the Qudditch match." She said strongly, Professor McGonagall seemed taken aback.

"Why would you do that?" The she looked at Kai. "Ah of course, and he didn't take much liking to that did he?"

"Well no." She said shrugging.

"Well I will be taking fifteen points away from Slytherin for your actions Mr. Nott." She said as she lifted the body bind from him. He sat up looking daggers at Shaddi. "And I will be speaking with Professor Sulghorn. Now get back to your dormitory." He got up turned on his heal and left. They watched until he was gone down the corridor. "You two, return to Gryffindor tower, as for you Miss Ravencroft I will escort you back to the dungeons." Shaddi nodded and followed. Nothing was said until they reached the Entrance to the Slytherin common room.

"Well thank you, Professor." Shaddi said, turning to enter the common room.

"Miss Ravencroft," She looked at her teacher "Be careful." She nodded then gave the password and entered. As she walked in she saw that there was only one person still in the common room. It was Severus, he hardly glanced at her as she came in, but it did give him time to notice her reddened face and spilt, still bleeding lips. She moved toward the descending girl's staircase and as she passed him he spoke to her.

"Did you have fun?" his voice slow and smooth, much the way it was when she had first met him.

"Not really." She said before moving down into her dormitory.

In the weeks to follow Shaddi could be found working hard at her school work and avoiding most others. Still did not sit in the Slytherin stands during the Qudditch games still being glared at by the older boys of her house. She didn't speak to anyone unless needed, except Lilly, who she searched out one day about a week after Nott had assaulted her. She found her out by the lake one looking out at the water.

"Lilly." She said from behind her a ways. The Gryffindor turned around and smiled upon seeing her.

"Hello. How are you?"

"I'm fine thank you. I do want to thank you, for getting my brother that night. I don't know exactly what would have happened if you two hadn't shown up."

"Do you think he would have done anything really serious?" She seemed worried and scared.

"It is always possible, but I don't know for sure." She held her voice stead it was devoid of the fear she had felt that night, and the twinges of it she still felt whenever seeing Henery Nott and his friends. Lilly could hear the deadened quality, it worried her.

"He really scared you?" She said concern creeping into her voice. Shaddi said nothing, only stared at the Gryffindor, confirming everything and nothing all at once. The silence spiraled finally Lilly looked away back out over the water.

"Well, I just wanted to thank you, so thanks." Shaddi said before turning and heading back up to the castle.