AN: Sorry for the gap between updates, I've decided to re-write this part of the FF. I've taken out the part with the contract because I felt Simona and Severus were too young to deal with such a prospect as signing their life away, I have kept it for future reference though. I hope you enjoy this re-written chapter. I felt the Marauders were being left out.

DISCLAIMER; Simona is mine, the rest are owned by the magnificent J.K. Rowling

CHAPTER TWELVE (RE-WRITTEN) ; THE FORGOTTEN HOMEWORK

"Who have you got there Snape, your new girlfriend?" The Slytherin at the front of the group said with a sneer, the boys behind him chortled.

"Shut up, Mulciber," Severus muttered, his face starting to burn in embarrassment. Simona raised an eyebrow at 'Mulciber'

"Not another mudblood is she Snape, you seem to have a bit of an obsession with those," Another voice from the group shouted, Simona started to scowl. They were obviously talking about Lilly. Simona felt she was coming on with another bout of 'Gryffindor-itis' and stepped in front of Severus.

"I'm a pure-blood if you must know," Simona said sharply, doing her best impression of Severus' drawl.

"Ah, it seems your tastes have improved Snape," Mulciber said with what he thought was a charming smile. Simona rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. Severus didn't say anything to this and his eyes were as if they were stuck to the floor, muttering various curses under his breath.

"What's it to you, Mulciber? What would you have said if I was a muggle-born?" Simona asked curtly, transferring her weight to her right leg, so she had her hip sticking out in an authoritative stance.

"I would question the Sorting Hat, no mudbloods should ever be in Slytherin. Nor should they be at Hogwarts," Mulciber said vehemently. The group murmuring in response. Simona was sickened.

"Jealous are we, Mulciber? That muggle-borns are more likely to be better witches or wizards than you?" Simona snorted.

"You take that back." Mulciber spat, grabbing for his wand. Simona didn't flinch. She hated blood-supremacists.

"You do know one of the best Potions students at Hogwarts is a muggle-born." Simona said as if she was discussing the weather, whilst absentmindedly adjusting her robes. Severus' eyes left the ground at the inference of Lily.

"It's only because they stole the powers from another wizard." Mulciber said hotly, to more murmurs of agreement from the other Slytherins. Simona laughed mirthlessly.

"That is rubbish and you know it, Mulciber! A person cannot just simply, steal magic. They were born with it," Simona growled, her hands curling into fists.

"Now now, no need to get antsy Italiano," Mulciber sneered, the group laughed in response.

"Simona, come on," Severus said quietly, so only Simona could hear. Simona nodded and the two walked off leaving the other Slytherins behind. Simona could hear their jokes and hyena-like laughter fade as herself and Severus made their way down to the dungeon.

"How do you know them?" Simona asked as they reached the common room.

"It's not important," Severus said, obviously not wanting to go into a discussion about what had happened. Simona was going to question him further, but the Quidditch Match had tired her out somewhat.

"Okay, whatever," Simona said waving her hand. "I'm going to sleep, you coming too Sev?" Simona asked as she yawned loudly.

"Yes," Severus said reluctantly, he wanted to study before he went to bed but came to the conclusion that it would be a wise idea to stay away from those older Slytherins.

The two Slytherins made their way up the stairs to their dorms, both weary from the day's events.

"Night Sev," Simona said, smiling weakly as she went into her dorm. Simona once again ignored the sneers she got from her old friends and climbed into bed.

Severus walked into his dorm to see Avery and Rosier fast asleep. 'Thank Merlin,' he thought. He barely spoke to his dorm mates anymore, he spent a lot of his time with Simona. Not that he wasn't complaining, after his and Simona's fall out a couple of weeks ago he felt himself slip, he started hanging around with Mulciber and the older Slytherins and almost made one of the biggest mistakes of his life, he blocked this out of his mind though. He would never tell Simona how he knew those Slytherins. Now that he was friends with Simona again he felt a lot better about himself, he was able to laugh again.

He climbed into bed after getting changed and shook his head, he didn't love Simona though. He enjoyed her company, he even looked forward to being around her, but he knew that his heart belonged to Lily. She had taken it off him the first time they met when they were children. His heart sunk a little whenever he saw her, especially when she was around James. Severus' felt relief at the fact that Lily had told Severus many times that she didn't care for James, but only as a friend. It gave him hope, hope that one day she would love him the way he loved her. Sighing slightly, Severus snuggled down into his sheets and fell asleep, his heart thrumming away at the thought of Lily.

The next few weeks went with a breeze, Simona had finally gotten the hang of all of her lessons and was starting to get A's and E's in her essays and practicals in each lesson. She had finally come up with a decision as to what song she was going to perform for Muggle Studies and she spent a lot of her time practising with her guitar in the Muggle Studies classroom.

One subject Simona didn't expect to have an aptitude for was Potions. She was now performing so well at making different brews that she rivalled Lily. Slughorn had even invited Simona to become part of the Slug Club, much to Severus' amusement. He did find it cruel however, that Simona was becoming as smart as Lily in Potions, 'Just another similarity between the two' he thought. 'It doesn't mean they are exactly the same.'

However Simona's new found knack for magic didn't quite extend to Transfiguration. She found it extremely difficult to transfigure a pillow into a throw cushion, she claimed they were 'the same thing anyway' and received a detention by an irritated Professor McGonagall.

Simona was sat with the Gryffindors, it was a Saturday which meant no lessons, Severus was studying in the library. Simona decided it was best to just leave him to it.

"So Simona, how's things with Snivellus?" James asked with a wink. Simona rolled her eyes, ever since she had begun hanging around the Gryffindors she got a lot of abuse from James about Severus.

"I don't know, how's things with Lily?" Simona replied with a question, returning James his wink. James blushed slightly at this. Simona knew that James had wanted to ask out Lily since first year, but he had never mustered up the courage, Simona found this ironic, seeing as though he was a Gryffindor. Sirius barked with laughter and clapped James on the shoulder.

"She got you there mate," Sirius said with a grin. James scowled at him and shovelled cereal down his throat. Remus was once again reading, and Peter was eagerly watching the conversation. Lily wasn't with the group, she was with some of her other friends and their girlish laughter could be heard from the opposite end of the table.

Sirius was not so shy around Simona any more, he had instead proceeded to date half of the girls in Hufflepuff, claiming they were 'only too willing to date this piece of action' and that the girls in Gryffindor were a bit too 'close to home.'

"So the Hogsmeade weekend is coming up next week, do you want to join us?" Remus asked Simona, closing his book and looking at her.

"Sure, I'll tell Severus that I'm coming with you," Simona replied with a smile. Severus was never into Hogsmeade, he claimed it was a 'colossal waste of time.' Simona enjoyed her time around the Gryffindors, they never failed to make her laugh.

"Lily's not coming with us, she's going with her friends," James said sourly.

"Well it'll be a lad's weekend then," Sirius said cheerfully. Simona frowned at Sirius and raised a brow.

"Excuse me?" She asked in mock indignation.

"Oh yeah, Peter's coming too," Sirius said, pretending he had forgotten about his mouse-featured friend. Simona couldn't help but laugh at this, Peter nearly exploded when Sirius said his name, she found that more amusing than being called a boy.

"Have you done the homework Slughorn set us?" Remus asked when the group had stopped laughing at Sirius' comment.

"Yeah," Simona replied, she had done it the night it was set. It was one of the only ways to get Severus to talk to her after school hours.

"What homework?" Sirius asked with a puzzled expression. Simona rolled her eyes at this, he would have probably been hanging around with one of his Hufflepuff girls.

"The essay on the different uses of bicorn, it's due later on today," Remus replied with a tone of urgency in his voice.

"Now why on earth would Sluggy set a piece of homework that was due on the weekend?" Sirius asked in indignation.

"To get us to actually do the homework," Simona said with a smirk. Sirius did well at Hogwarts, but he was bad at handing in homework on their deadlines.

"This is a breach of our rights. We should campaign about this," Sirius said dramatically.

Both Remus and Simona rolled their eyes. Sirius was such a drama queen.

"I guess I'd better get up to the library if I want to get this essay done," Sirius sighed, speaking with less gusto after the group lapsed into silence.

"I'll come too!" Peter said eagerly, grabbing his bag and looking excitedly at Sirius.

"Anyone else?" Sirius asked, trying not to show his disappointment in doing work on a Saturday.

"May as well," James said sulkily.

"Yeah I will too," Remus said picking up his belongings.

"Simona?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah okay, I need to practice Transfiguration," Simona said in resignation. She really wanted to get better at transforming a quill into a matchbox.

The Gryffindors and Simona walked up to the Library and sat at one of the large wooden tables. Simona noticed Severus was sat at the back of the Library, holding an extremely large tome.

AN: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I will have the re-written thirteenth chapter done later on today or tomorrow. Bear with me! Please R&R to tell me whether or not I've made the right decision! xoxo