Disc.- I still don't own Harry Potter? It's not even a question, of course I don't own Harry Potter!
This Story…- When I begin describing clothes and accessories and whatever, I want you to remember it's the early seventies and also that they're young teenage girls so yes, their clothes and appearances are going to be described sometimes. Some of the excerpts are pretty short and vague, just to let you know now. Also, when I wrote midi-skirts I meant midi-skirts, not miniskirts. Shorter than maxi skirts and longer than midi-skirts.
XXXXXXXXXX
Mrs. Wyvern passed away in the middle of July. Pet and especially Vi were inconsolable and Vi's birthday at the end of July was subdued. Snape came over more often and tried to make a point of doing summer assignments together or something and Pet hated that he was trying to intrude. But they threw themselves into their garden, secreting away for the most of August and studying furiously. Pet and Vi were inseparable for second year, Pet more vicious and snappish and Vi more distant.
xXx
"Tuney! Lettie!" Lily's call made Pet grit her teeth and almost break her pen between neatly manicured fingers. The fourteen year old breathed in and out and started counting backward from one hundred. This was the twelfth time today that Lily was interrupting them. They'd only just gotten home two hours ago! What could she possibly need now?! Thankfully, Vi was more than able to handle it, lest Pet hex her sister painfully and reveal they could do magic outside of school. After Lily had gotten a letter from the Ministry- the Ministry!- about underage magic, their parents and Lily had been very careful and very respectful of the rule.
"Lily, Pet and I are doing our schoolwork." she said patiently. For the eleventh time today. Pet had warned her off once and Vi had since taken over because Pet was not in the mood to deal with that great big twit.
"Still? C'mon, why don't we go have some fun for once! Dad's planning a trip to the beach and we'll need new swimming cozzies!" she said brightly. Since Second Year, Lily was repelled even more from her sisters, Pet a little less patient with her leaving Vi to work as diplomatic ambassador between them. "You have all break to do your schoolwork!"
Pet was at forty-three and cursed in her head, having to start over again.
"Please? I won't leave you alone until you do!"
"Pet." Vi murmured and Pet sucked her teeth to avoid biting through her lip, careful not to grit or grind her teeth. Then she calmly set her pen down (she was only writing out outlines and the like, quills were only needed for writing the assignment itself) and slipped off the glasses her parents had surprised her with. Well, they surprised her with an eye exam to get the glasses. Vi got it too, but her glasses were rectangular pince-nez type things she got from somewhere in Diagon. She didn't get the style but Vi had been insistent on it and lord knew the wizarding folk were strange.
She pressed against her temples gently. "I. Do not. Want to deal with her."
"We don't even really need to shop with her. Besides, how are we supposed to finally swim in Black Lake this coming year if we don't have swimming costumes?" she coaxed and Pet leaned back, staring at the ceiling. They'd charmed it delicately to show roiling storm clouds as long as it was just her and Vi in the room. Lily was talking through the door to them. Pet sighed, aquamarine painted nails tapping on the battered desk in their room before standing. "We'll be ready in fifteen." she heard Vi tell their sister. Pet slipped back her hair neatly behind her ears before changing from her comfortable house robe into a neat white dress and pulled on sandals with an inclined heel before wandering to their ever-growing collection of accessories. There was a darling pair of earring that matched her nails and she scooped them up, switching the ones she wore, then slipped on a thin clingy cardigan over it. When she glanced at her sister, she already wore huge gold hoop earrings and an interesting bluish purple stone on a leather strip, having donned a pair of hot pants in maroon that matched her nails and a thin cropped gypsy top, pulling on her own sandals. They certainly didn't have designer names but they wore what every teenaged girl wore and that was enough for Pet at the moment, and they did the popular exercises the beautiful women on the telly did with their mum sometimes. And of course, they still danced.
Dad, Pet knew, was planning on getting a color telly and she knew he wanted it to be a surprise for when they came back for winter hols, as far away as it seemed now. She checked her socked toes and rolled her eyes when she thought of their parents still wearing winklepickers. At least they were wearing flares now she supposed, keeping with the times as she glanced at a few of the magazines on their shared dresser. She took Vi's arm in her own, checking her perfectly curly hair in the high ponytail briefly in the mirror and making sure her eyeliner was on alright. Vi always knew how to make the perfect wing with hers but Pet tended to have a bit of slight difference.
"It's wonderful, Pet, come on." Vi smiled at her, lips colored with gloss to bring out the deep peachy-red color. Pet smiled back; her own lips glossed to show off light pink. When their mum had introduced them to some make up after Mrs. Wyvern in an attempt to cheer them even a little bit, Pet had felt enamored. They weren't allowed to use much yet, but eyeliner and lip glosses were approved at least.
Lily didn't pay as much attention to clothes but had taken to midi-skirts especially. The redhead grinned at them brightly, nails plain and a bit bitten, without makeup and with her long red hair down. Some girls, Pet had found recently, dressed like that. Long hair, long skirts, plain faced. It was incredibly boring of them Pet thought. Pet herself wanted to look like Jean Shrimpton and the thought of being so dull when makeup could be so much fun simply didn't sit well with her. When they left the house, Pet's nose crinkled a little bit to see Snape leaning against the house in his usual mismatch of clothes. He'd gotten a little better trying to coordinate it at any rate. His eyes flickered to them, taking the three in before he ducked his head and offered mumbled greetings, hands folded behind his back.
He'd been insufferable all of Third year, either following around Lily or Violet- more often Violet because Potter had been following Lily too and often pulled apparently appalling tricks and 'pranks' on the Ravenclaw alongside the rest of his merry band. Pet sniffed, tipping her nose up. "Hello Severus." Vi offered to the boy and he glanced at her quickly again before once more dropping his gaze.
"Sev will come with us to the beach!" Lily cheered with a vibrant smile and Pet once more felt her nose crinkle. "So naturally, he needs a cozzie too."
"Shopping with the girls now?" Pet asked snidely and the boy winced, shrinking on himself. Not that he could much, given that he was already so tall. Tall and lanky limbed, awkwardly into the adolescent phase. "Whatever shall happen next? Will you be piercing your ears as well?"
"Don't mind her, Severus. We were interrupted doing our schoolwork." she heard Vi tell the boy soothingly as Lily frowned at Pet in disapproval. Pet scoffed, pulling Vi along by the hand nestled in the crook of her elbow, leading them off.
It didn't take long for dad to take them off to the row of stores and the like, busy and teeming with people. Pet smiled, pleased. They could ditch Lily and Snape.
"I'll be back within an hour and a half, remember." he warned them cheerfully, giving a bit of money to his girls and making the Snape boy (practically adopted into the family these days) accept some. He'd tried to refuse but their dad had been insistent and then they were left alone.
"Tuney, you simply must come into this shop, the last time I was here I saw something you would just love!" Lily suddenly ripped her away from Vi and startled, Pet let herself be dragged away in absolute shock. In the throng of people they very quickly lost sight of both Vi and Snape and Pet felt a gush of air escape her. It'd been some time since she was last without Vi beside her in the summer and she blinked for a few moments, unsure where to look before she remembered she was still being directed into a shop. She turned a dark scowl on her redheaded sister but Lily seemed entirely oblivious to it, the awful chit.
"We've lost Vi!" she snapped and Lily blinked, glancing back at her with surprise. Then shrugged, careless as could be as she smiled again.
"She's a big girl, she'll find us sometime! Besides she has Sev with her, she'll be fine!"
Pet didn't bother saying that that no-good little bastard wouldn't be able to save a mouse, let alone Vi. But Vi was strong and Vi knew a lot more than she let on so she tried to soothe her rankled senses. So as not to blow up at Lily, she turned towards the wares in the dinky little shop.
And promptly wished she didn't. What even were these misshapen trinkets? Vi would probably like them though, she reasoned and her lip curled up as she grabbed what looked like an interestingly colored rock before freezing with her hand on it. It had…It had responded to her.
This rock responded to her like her wand had! Hidden in a sewn in pocket of her dress (she couldn't just wear her holster) her wand buzzed back as though the two were conversing. Pet blinked lethargically, her magic swaying from one to the other in interest and she hadn't even noticed how tightly she clutched the little rock.
"Like that one, d'ye lass?" an older woman cackled and Pet was brought back sharply as she eyed her. To be entirely honest, she looked like a hag or crone. She didn't just mean the muggle insults, she meant the magical kind. The kind that tended to eat children. Intelligent dark eyes sparked back at her and she grinned showing off craggy teeth, a few missing here and there. "We don't like the magical types," she whispered in secret, "Too much fuss and too much fight. Leaves a robust thing like me bloated for weeks." and she winked. Pet was really and truly scowling now. Was this woman using this god awful little shop to lure in prey?
Then again, Pet couldn't really care too much about it. If she overdid it, the Ministry would take care of it so she simply sniffed, relaxing a bit.
"You wouldn't have any knuts on you would you child?" the hag- Pet was sure it was a hag and not a crone now that she was looking more closely- cocked its head to the side.
"I have a few." she did tend to keep some on her, if only because it reminded her that she wasn't a muggle, she was a witch with magic, who could brew potions in cauldrons and cast spells and hexes and jinxes.
"I'll give you that focus for three." she pointed a bony finger at the stone still held tightly in the blonde's hand and she glanced at it, then the woman suspiciously after the words caught up. A focus? She would ask Vi about it then, but since she was apparently selling it so cheap…
She left the hag's shop after that, making sure to remember the name and location so she could tell Vi. When she found her. Lily hopped along beside her, new beaded bracelets on her arms.
Finding Vi in all the people, as it turned out, wasn't too difficult. She was wearing a flower crown and sitting up high on a stone wall, Snape standing beside her nervously. The only reason she drew attention really was the small crowd of other teenagers around her. Pet frowned. Vi wasn't one to embroil herself in a group and hurriedly made her way through them.
"There you are Pet. What's that?" pale green eyes glanced to the stone on a string that she had put around her neck.
"Some hag," she began, ignoring Lily's admonishment. Twit didn't even realize it actually was a hag. "Has a shop. Said it was a focus- it felt just like…" she glanced down at her dress meaningfully and Vi hummed before jumping down gracefully, sliding her arm through Snape's and pulling him towards them. He went like a weed bending in the wind, no resistance and resigned and Vi wondered where they had went. Vi didn't have that flower crown or that new bracelet when Pet had been abducted by Lily.
"Really? Mind taking us there?"
"Sure! I'm not sure if Sev would find much useful there though…" Lily grinned, turning to lead them back down the street. Pet watched as tiny Vi tugged looming Snape down to whisper in his ear. He flushed but an intent look, curious and open suffused his face before they were following. Pet's narrowed eyes stayed on their arms coiled together and she took Vi's free hand, tugging her and by extension Snape along.
The hag seemed to think that it was brilliant she brought others along with her, sweeping straight towards them.
"Good good, I can rid of some of these hunks. Useless they are, and they ward off the ones I want." she was quick to direct them back to the table Pet had picked her rock-focus whatever from. Vi would tell her more later. Snape recoiled in horror of the old woman and she supposed it was only because of being a Ravenclaw that he was able to distinguish that she was an actual child-eating hag. Making Lily seem like even more of a twit. Still, Vi pulled him with her and took her hand back to wave over the available rocks. They trembled, all of them on the table and Pet watched intently. Vi's magic, when she used it without her wand, was amazing.
And, Pet had learned, rare and difficult. Her sister simply shrugged it off and blamed it on her Seer tendencies and muttered about possible past lives. Pet, still, didn't think much on it because there was no reason to. If Vi wanted her to know, she would tell her and she was sure if she asked Vi would also tell her whatever she wanted to know. She heard Snape's gasp and Pet nodded to herself. Vi's magic when used like this was not quite tangible but it fell like a mist, creeping and cool, twining and pleasant. Teasing too, a little.
Pet's attention was quick to return when a glittering black hunk of shiny gem or crystal (she was sure it wasn't a rock) slapped and cut into Vi's hand. Dainty, deft fingers clutched around it and Vi looked at it curiously. "Volcanic glass." her sister said, cocking her head to the side. As though sensing the question (or, being a fellow Ravenclaw, knowing the two other eagles with her would ask) "It's formed from rapid solidification of lava, without crystallization. Pet's is fluorite." She added and Pet looked down to her own purplish sleek rock. Most of it was a drab purple color but if she tilted it about, she saw flashes of green.
"Lava? Really?" Snape asked, turning to look at the sharp looking piece of shiny black held in a tanned hand.
"It's your turn."
"I- how do I-" apparently this new thing was enough to make Snape forget most of his apparent embarrassment around them. She wondered if he was being teased for always hanging about girls and that was why he seemed so especially meek. She wouldn't doubt it; she mocked him often enough in the confines of her thoughts.
"Touch them. You'll know."
Snape's rock was ugly. Hideous even. Pet sniffed, turning her head away. It looked like metal, not even like a rock or gem or crystal or whatever.
"What…Is it?"
"Hematite. These are foci." She went on and Pet turned back to her sister.
"Foci?"
"Wands are foci, for example. In fact think of wands as something of…Training wheels or crutches. They help to focus and neatly order your magic into a small funnel. Using something to harness the skill without having to expend even more energy in trying to make sure you're not, say, just overflowing power. Wands are particularly useful for the 'detail' work, spells and curses and all the like. Foci like crystals or gems tend to use more intent than the mental focus of a wand and spells. Laying down protections over large areas or covering distances and the like, and any specific spells or enchantments would take a lot more concentration than just using a wand. These kinds of crystals also tend to be used for wards as anchors. Depending on the ward of course." she told them, fingers brushing over her shiny black bit and Pet saw what looked like static shocks as her sister subtly shaved off the more pointy looking ends to smooth it out slightly. She had coated her fingers with her own magic like a glove to do it and once more Pet was reminded how amazing Vi was.
"Does magic really work like that?" Snape was frowning, his free hand (one arm still wrapped with Vi's Pet couldn't help but notice darkly) settling over a pant pocket that Pet was now sure held his wand. She wondered why he would carry it around if he couldn't even use it. Unlike, of course, Pet and Vi. "I thought…I thought we needed wands. Wandless magic is- next to impossible right?"
"Wrong. Very wrong. A good deal of people simply can't do it, regardless of how much they train and concentrate and try. It is an extremely difficult thing to master however and because it could take years, sometimes decades, to even build one's magic to the point of not using a foci at all, most people would assume it was impossible or not worth it when they have wands anyways. It's been a dying art for centuries." Vi sighed. "It is possible. It's like taking accidental magic and making it intentional."
"But that is impossible isn't it?" Snape said, expression exasperated and Pet felt offence that he would doubt Vi.
"Not with enough self control and training. Magic is a muscle, Severus. It needs to be used consistently or it will begin to atrophy."
"But that makes no sense! Accidental magic is from a lack of control over magic and stops once we start actually training!"
"In most cases, yes." Vi cocked her head to the side and Snape made a frustrated noise, glaring down at her now and Pet was more than prepared to see just how well these rocks acted as foci at the show of hostility. "There are exceptions to everything Severus." she pointed out. "Most accidental magic is based on intent, deep intent that children can do because they don't have the experience to control their magic, but their magic doesn't simply act on its own. Intent, Severus, intent."
"You might be brilliant in classes," Snape hissed, "But you're loony, you know that?"
"Believe what you will Severus. Veritaserum was only invented forty years ago and before that, nobody thought such a powerful truth serum could be made. Why can't what I say about wandless magic be just as true?"
"Because you- you're-" Snape snarled, "You're mad, that's why! And everyone knows by now that there are ways around veritaserum!"
"Which means it can be improved upon doesn't it? Magic isn't meant to sit still and neither are cultures. They are meant to evolve and grow isn't that right?"
And now she was treading into how backwards the magical side of the Isles were.
"We are not having this discussion." he barked in response and Vi hummed, allowing the end of this particular conversation. She managed to stick her lava-glass onto her bracelet securely before digging for two shiny gold galleons, tossing it to the hag whose wide eyes and awed expression disappeared a moment later as she coveted the money.
"They aren't worth that much." Pet scoffed.
"Not to her." Vi acknowledged. "But they could prove dead useful with enough practice for us."
At the promise of practicing more magic and with something other than her wand, Pet's studious and inquisitive nature perked up. It would certainly be a lot on the proverbial plate' she and Vi had taken to researching the Animagus transformation. Only research but they had planned on trying to find out if they were able to do it this summer and after much, much quiet debate. It would likely take years to come close to mastering it if they even had the ability to. Just like what Vi was apparently saying about wandless magic, some people just weren't able. Naturally, if they were successful they certainly won't be registering themselves.
In fact, there were only seven registered this century and considering how dangerous the entire process was and how rare the ability, that wasn't just because of numerous unregistered animagi. It required diligence and power and an innate ability. Could they handle adding another thing on top of those summer plans? They didn't have long…
Well, Pet reasoned to herself, they wouldn't know unless they tried.
xXx
Snape stayed for lunch, and then dinner as well before slinking back home. "I wish he wouldn't spend so much time here." Pet grumbled from her desk, having finally gotten back to her work when they returned. They did indeed get swimming costumes while they were there but naturally, Pet was more interested in the foci they got. But schoolwork first, best to get that all done and out of the way.
Sleep came easily enough and Pet kept her rock around her neck and she was sure Vi hadn't taken off that bracelet with hers, even if both girls had their wands under their pillows. They spent time mostly in their garden or in their room, but they really did get to go to the beach for Vi's birthday.
"Finally joined us!" Lily said brightly under her floppy sun hat. Not that Pet could say much, having a similar one on her own pale head. They were both fairly slathered in sunscreen, as was Snape and their mum. Their redheaded dad was grinning at them, eyes twinkling in laughter at their tendencies to get sunburn. Not that Pet would; there were potions for that and she had already used a salve to prevent her delicate skin from turning all red and blistered. She had been tempted to give some to her mum but then she'd have to share with Lily and Snape (he should have thought to make some himself, he was just as good at Potions as Vi! She would never admit that he might even be better).
"Fourteen now, all of our ladies." mum sighed under her own hat, having taken up a space under the huge parasol dad had stuck into the ground.
"That's right! Remember ladies, no boys!" then he paused to grin. "Except Severus of course." and he then he set them loose on the beach with some money and hearty demands that they go have fun. It wasn't as densely populated as the bigger beach a bit of a distance away but there were still a great deal of people to deal with.
"Are you absolutely sure you don't want any sunscreen?" she heard Lily asking Vi again. Honestly, when would that airhead learn that Vi never burned? Her dusky skin just gained a sort of caramel gold glow. With her wild black hair and vivid pale eyes, crooked grin and huge gold hoop earrings Pet thought she looked exotic among them. Peachy pale blonde Pet with her blue-grey eyes, fair skinned redheaded Lily with her darker green eyes and wanly pale Snape, made seemingly paler by his black hair and eyes. Pet huffed, straightening out her short teal and mint patterned dress. It was a cover for her swimming costume and Vi's was quite cute, paisley in gold and pinks. They would be stuffed in Pet's tote bag before they went into the water but for now it was nice.
"I don't need sunscreen. You might want to put another layer on though." Vi advised. "You as well Severus."
"Not all of us are so inclined towards the sun." Snape winced, taking the bottle Lily handed him. "I hate the beach."
"Then why come?" Pet asked, narrowing her eyes at him and crossing her arms.
"Oh stop being such a sourpuss, Tuney!" Lily huffed, grabbing Snape's hand and dragging him to get ice-cream. Pet rolled her eyes, turning to Vi.
"Want to head in the water?" she asked and Vi smiled, hands already moving to pull off the nice flowy little cover. Pet followed the example, taking in their bodies with critical eyes. There were…A few small scars from spell practice gone wrong but they weren't too noticeable. Pet had a few small scars on her fingers from the knives they used for potions before Vi had managed to swipe some charmed ones. Vi's scars were more noticeable, the thin silvery lines stark against her skin but not, Pet thought, unattractive. A starburst from a stray spell from an older year in second year lay high on her hip above the bottom half of her costume, the most eye-catching.
Pet was willowy in form, slim and slender. Vi on the other hand was dainty but wiry- she looked a bit scrappy and since she did take to flying like a Granian, her thighs were thicker and firmer as well as her bum. She was also four inches shorter than Pet and the shortest of them in general. To be fair, if not pressed down her hair added at least an inch and a half in curls. Speaking of the tight curls, Vi gathered up the thick locks to pull into a high ponytail not unlike Pet's own.
Fifteen minutes later saw either girl on the shoulders of a set of brothers, laughing and trying to wrestle the other duo down in the water. Pet had a height advantage but physically Vi was the stronger one. Her black-haired sister laughed triumphantly as she managed to push the blonde and her partner back in the water.
They'd spent a good deal of time with those boys, Michael and Darren, laughing and flirting as pretty young girls and dashing boys did. They even ate ice-cream together after spending however long in the water playing around and talking. Pet giggled into Michael's shoulder as Darren wildly gesticulated about an anecdote from Spain with one arm while the other was wrapped around Vi as they sat together by a group of their friends, smoking and talking pleasantly. Pet almost forgot how nice things like this were; she doubted they could do this in the magical world. She'd seen their swimming cozzies. They looked like they belonged in museums.
It was when the sky started to go a little orange that Pet had to disentangle, pulling Vi with her.
(There might have been a few kisses and gropes and a little snogging before they left but Pet would never tell.)
"There you are! Have fun?" mum smiled at them as they finally returned after taking one last dip in the cooling water. Pet's smile was brilliant and Vi's giggle was proof enough of fun. They went home with Lily pestering about where they'd went.
xXx
August seemed to be gone before it could be enjoyed and Pet sighed as they settled into a compartment to go towards their fourth year with the knowledge that they would spend much of any free time trying to meditate and work on their slow path towards achieving the Animagus transformation. Rolo stretched between her and Vi with his large paws using Pet's thigh to help. On their other side unfortunately, were Snape and the twit. It had become a terrible tradition that they stayed in a compartment together, even with as many miscellaneous trips Pet and Vi took to see their friends and spend time with them. For the moment, Vi was reading one of their new books only…It was in some other language. Staring at the strange lines and squiggles, she thought of Arabic but Pet didn't think it was that either. What could it be? Evidently she wasn't the only one to have noticed.
"Lettie what are you reading?" Lily asked curiously, staring at the dusty and worn looking tome in her lap. Her small owl was sleeping in her lap and she was still petting it gently.
"A book, Lily." came the prompt answer, Vi entrenched in whatever it was and very clearly fluent in whatever it was.
"Obviously." Snape drawled with a scoff, slouched back into his seat and watching the window as they rode. He glanced over at the book though, betraying his interest. "What's it on?"
"Mostly magic." she said.
"You're being awfully vague, Lettie." Lily frowned at her and Vi briefly glanced up before her eyes were drawn down to her book.
"It's on animal speak and its effects on magic."
"Animal speak?"
"Abilities for talking to animals of all sorts. And how using animal speak specific spells differ from normal spellcasting."
"What language is it?" Pet asked, knowing that she would get a proper answer from her sister.
"Parseltongue." she answered plainly and Pet cocked her head to the side. Lily was frowning even deeper and Snape looked especially pale. Vi looked up at those two disapprovingly. "Something wrong?"
"You can understand it?"
"I imagine any parselmouth can, yes."
"You- but you're a muggleborn-" Snape sputtered, sitting up.
"I can talk to snakes and serpents. If I try hard enough I can talk to lizards too but it's not as fluent as when I talk to their limbless cousins." Vi went on before looking at Snape. "Magical abilities can crop up in muggleborns too. It's not entirely hereditary, though any children I have will likely carry it too."
"But only Slytherin-"
"Don't be silly, of course Parseltongue isn't limited only to the Slytherin line! Look at Egypt and Africa, there are cases of it there long before stories of Slytherin, even if it is rare." Pet interrupted. "It's just especially isolated here." she sniffed. "Honestly. Are you a Ravenclaw or not?"
"Not everyone spends all their time researching everything Evans. Some people have things like work or even social lives you know, not spending all day locked up in their rooms." Snape replied dryly. He called Lily by her name and had taken to doing the same for Violet but called her Evans. Which was mutual really, since she would never call him by his name.
"I don't want to hear that from someone who has no social life outside following one or my other sister."
"Excuse me?" Snape's eyes were narrowed now, a formidable sneer on his face.
"Both of you stop it." Vi's sharp rebuttal made both settle, even if they did send vile glares.
"Why can't the two of you get along?" Lily sighed and they looked at her, Pet incredulous and Snape with exasperation.
"We've been over why, Lily." he managed after a few quiet moments.
"But, if you'd just sit and have a few civil conversations I'm sure you'd find common grounds!"
"Our 'common ground' is our House and Violet." Pet sighed, leaning back and turning back to the aforementioned girl. "So what does your book really say? About magic being affected and all." she waved a hand vaguely.
"Most of the time the spells are stronger in animal speak and wards and passwords are of course, better in animal speak than any normal tongue. It's got a few rituals as well, here and there. There's speculation about talking to serpentine dragons but that's myth."
"Only that? That book looks thick."
"Well, there's also recorded conversations with different animals and the like but most of those are fairly dull. Conversation skills on an animal aren't typically up to a person's standards of speaking and their priorities are different."
"What do you mean?"
"Reproduction, mating, food, those sorts of things mostly." she said flippantly and both Snape and Lily's faces went red. Neither wore it well. "Did you know snakes have mating balls? It's like a snake orgy."
"Please don't Lettie, I don't really need to know that." Lily whimpered. Pet made sure not to grin as she posed a question.
"I wonder if, then, Slytherins have orgies?"
"I'd think that'd be more Hufflepuff actually. Trust and all." Vi pointed out and Pet hummed thoughtfully.
"That's a fair point."
"Restroom. Going to the restroom." Snape burst out, quickly scurrying out.
"You know, I promised Alice I'd come see her and the others in another compartment." Lily hurried to say, escaping just as quickly.
"Brilliant as always Vi."
"I do try, Pet."
xXx
Morty and Marty had apparently made it a game to see which of them could flirt with Vi the most before Pet hexed them. Morty won since Marty tended to have a bit too much dramatic flair and Morty usually snuck his flirtations when Pet was being distracted by an especially sweet Hufflepuff boy. A week later and that same Hufflepuff refused to talk to her after some vicious prank was pulled on him. Black was even more irritating during that time and by the time they were going for winter holiday, Pet had hexed him a total of forty-seven times. He spent a good deal of time in the Hospital Wing only to bounce out and bother her even more persistently afterwards.
So on the train, Pet was up and slamming the door of their compartment shut before it was even fully open since she saw Black's smarmy bastard face.
"Eeeeevans, c'mon open up! What, scared of me?"
"If you show your face again," Pet hissed through the door, "I'll stop being so nice about my hexes."
"You were being nice before?" Snape muttered in disbelief.
"She was showing incredible restraint actually." Vi offered up and Snape looked flummoxed. "Especially since the one bothering her is Black. You know I heard rumors he's been snogging through all the girls in Gryffindor?"
"He certainly has not!" Lily's offended shout was quick to rebuke.
"Not in your year." Pet hissed. "The fifth and sixth years! He's the worst sort! Do you hear that, Black?! You're a scummy nasty toe-rag!"
"Straight to my heart Evans! You know how to wound a man!"
"There are no men here, so I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about. Now go away!"
"So cruel!"
After making sure he'd walked away, Pet eased back from the door warily before casting a sixth year level sealing spell at the door. That ought to keep him out if he decided to come back.
"He only bothers because you react." Vi pointed out.
"How can I not react? Besides, he deserves every Hospital Wing stay he gets if not more!"
"I never said he didn't Pet." Vi sniggered and Pet sighed, slamming back into her seat after Vi pulled Rolo closer to her. "Besides the Gryffindors, he's been snogging girls in our House too."
"Probably more than just that if you'll believe Vaisey."
"I don't like Vaisey but I wouldn't doubt it." Snape scoffed then.
"Boys that age are filled with burgeoning hormones. He might be the most forward but a lot of the boys have been very flirty lately. And you wouldn't believe the amount of unintentional erections you'd see during classes." Vi said then and they looked at her.
"Erm…" Lily coughed slightly before Snape returned to meekly staring elsewhere with the air of an antsy first year. "I don't think we needed to know that Vi."
"It's a natural cycle for boys this age, normal bodily function, I don't understand why you look so flustered. Just the same as girls get their monthlies."
"Please stop." Snape whispered, shrunk down as far as he could be in his seat and covering his face.
"Did you know that men go through a time not dissimilar? Their semen builds up and many of the symptoms women feel, emotional sensitivity, cramps, cravings, men also experience?"
"Semen buil-" Snape choked and Lily looked to be too mortified to even open her fat mouth. Good, Pet thought. It might have been better if Black had to suffer it too.
"I'm going to nap, I think." Vi declared then, turning and shifting to get comfortable.
"How can you- after saying all that-" Lily squeaked.
"Impartiality." was the answer.
"I still think they should have sex education as a course."
"Tuney!" Lily's scandalized look was promptly ignored.
"It would help." Vi nodded, "Rather than having to find the books they do have for it."
"Handy charms though." she sighed and delighted in how uncomfortable the other two were.
"But there should be a class or at least some sort of talk about it all. They'd probably try to tout abstinence."
"Likely." Vi yawned and Pet hummed, grabbing her own book and letting Vi get to her nap.
xXx
Despite Snape avoiding her like the plague, he did still hang around Vi during break, even though it was mostly Vi saying the embarrassing bits. If only he were as obnoxious as Black, then she'd be able to hex him without question. Well, she amended, as soon as they got back to Hogwarts. She turned the corner, intending on stealing her favored sister back when she froze. Snape and Vi were huddled close together, sitting beneath a large tree by the park and she thought they might have been writing in a book together but the way they look so close together, Snape leaning in over her and Vi almost in his lap made Pet's heart seize up a little bit. Because no- Snape was Lily's follower. He shouldn't be that close to Vi anyways.
Still, she whirled around and stomped off to their garden, crunching through snow.
XXXXXXXXXX
So this is a pretty immediate update; please note this is abnormal as far as my posting times go. Well, hormonal young teens and Pet disliking Lily and Snape even more!