Lily and Vivian walked down the corridors when shrieks erupted from up ahead. A couple of students ran out of the potions room. Paper bats of various colors chased down the hall after them. The girls glanced at each other. It had become a common occurrence the past few months. The pranks had started out harmlessly enough with a classmate's hair turning various shades of brownish green. Or a student who would hiccup poor professors had realized detention wasn't much of a deterrence and had yet to figure out how to handle the four unruly boys who had joined their classes this year.
"Good one Potter!" Sirius laughed so hard he nearly fell out of his chair while Lupin shook his head grinning before opening up his potions book.
Lily scowled at them, "Are you missing detention already?"
Peter opened his mouth to say something snarky when Professor Slughorn called the class to start. The class went smoothly as the girls fell into a rhythm. Vivian chopped up dandelion root before passing it to Lily who stirred three more times before adding the root in. It was impossible not to notice the worried glances the Professor kept giving the boys. A week ago one of them had managed to turn their potion into one of the most horrid smelling smoke explosions. It had taken the next two days to get the smell out. Lily added the last ingredient and both of them watched apprehensively. Vivian let out a sigh of relief as it turned a dark blue hue. She had nightmares of causing an explosion while attempting to make a potion after almost doing so only a couple weeks into the school year. Luckily Lily seemed to be naturally adept claiming it was from all the baking she'd done at home. Vivian found it interesting that growing up with muggle parents might actually give a student the upper hand. Seeing as all the household tasks were taken care of by Mardar, their house elf, Vivian had almost no experience cooking much of anything. As the end of class neared Professor Slughorn began making his rounds around the class humming and occasionally making a remark or two. Lily and Vivian were the last ones left before the two groups the boys had been split into. The Professor seemed to take a great deal of interest in their potion asking specific questions on how they'd completed each step. Then once it was too late he simply glanced over at the last two groups' potions and said, "Great effort today." With that he nodded and hurried out the door. "How is it that them being good is a prank itself?" Lily muttered into their cauldron as they cleaned up.
Walking out the door the girls smiled as Severus came into view. He hung back against the wall letting other students shuffle by. James and his friends followed behind them before spreading out to take up most of the walk way. Students who were stuck behind them had to wait for an opening just to get by. As the boys were about to turn the corner a hand shot out, knocking the books out of Severus's hands. Peter high fived James holding his belly in laughter. Lily's face turned red as she hurried to pick up the scattered books yelling out, "James! You..you..you! Jerk!" Vivian stood frozen, a wave of dizziness and deja vu rolling over her. She frowned before joining Lily and Severus who had just finished picking up his books. Perhaps she should've eaten more at the odd feeling all together she started to tease Lily
"Jerk is the best you could come up with? There are a lot more….colorful words that describe them."
"I always think of the good ones after they've left." Lily pouted. Her anger often left her tongue tied much to her frustration. There was something about James and his friends that got her blood boiling. They took their privilege to learn magic for granted and hindered others abilities to learn in the process. Just a group of spoiled and entitled boys who would probably go running off to cry to their mums at the first sign of real trouble.
"I could think of a few," Severus grumbled, still glaring ahead where the boys had left.
Vivian grinned, "We should make a list!" her stomach grumbled causing her cheeks to redden in embarrassment, "After lunch. I'm so hungry I'm getting a headache and we still have three classes left."
"I can make something for you if food doesn't help," Severus offered. He had been pretty cold the first week or two, but had slowly warmed up to her at least a little bit. Once he'd seen Vivian wasn't going to replace him he'd decided she wasn't all that bad. Selwyn was well known in the Slytherin house. The upper class men had talked about it for weeks. The disgrace of her family's lineage. He'd kept that knowledge to himself for now. Mostly because Lily would go on a rampage if she heard, but partly because she treated him like a normal person instead of some lowly person like even one else did. Her family was also held in high regard among those in the dark arts. It wouldn't hurt to be on their heir's good side.
"I think food will do the trick, but I'll let you know. How could I turn down something made by the famous potion master himself?" She teased before waving goodbye as he joined the Slytherin table. As she sat down a student from the Ravenclaw tables stood up with a loud yelp as his book began to spit pages at him and the surrounding students. Ripped up paper flew into the surrounding food causing other students to complain. The pranks had been a bit enjoyable at first, but now they made Vivian turn a sharp glare to where James and his friends sat laughing. Pranks stopped being funny when they came at the expense of others. A few had recently been left close to tears. Lily looked equally annoyed as she scribbled names into a small notebook. Frog spawn. Gargoyle. Ugly Git. The names did little to calm her anger as she didn't have a chance to use any before it was time for class.
The headache remained a gentle throbbing behind her eyes throughout the remainder of her classes. Lily mentioned going to the hospital wing, but Vivian adamantly refused, promising to bed early instead. Laying her head on the cool desk she pretended to take notes wishing history would be over all ready. A small white object fell lightly onto her desk. Picking it up she realized it was a piece of paper balled up tight. She didn't have it in her to look around, a part of her dreading that it was a prank. Just the other day a student had opened a supposed love note only to be covered in a sticky substance. The day had been oddly too quiet with the boys as it was. Withholding a groan she slowly opened the paper. Instead of smoke or bright lights only a note appeared written in a messy scrawl. "Are you alright?" Before she had the chance to glance around another much larger white ball landed on her desk. The paper had been haphazardly wrapped around something dark. Slowly sitting up she glanced at the teacher who was still droning on before unwrapping the paper. Inside lay a single piece of chocolate with another note that read "Candy might help". Popping the sweet candy in her mouth she slowly looked around. No one stood out or even looked her way. Finally the class was dismissed. Vivian groaned, leaning back in her seat.
"I think I'm going to skip dinner."
"I can take you to the-" Vivian cut Lily off. Her headache left little energy for patience.
"I'll be fine. I promise. I just want to sleep. If I still have a headache in the morning I'll go."
Lily huffed her eyebrows pinched together in annoyance, "That's what you said at lunch and yet here you are." Vivian was about to respond before Lily started lecturing her again when they heard Severus's voice from the hallway.
"What I'm doing is none of your business." He stood tall glaring between James and Sirius. In his hands he clutched a small bottle close to his chest.
"It definitely is our business if you're running around with a bottle of who-knows-what." James sneered, reaching out to grab it. "Who knows what a Slythrin like you is planning." Vivian stepped between them coming nose to nose with James.
"We could say the same about a lot of you. You're not Slytherin so what's your excuse?" Her head pounded harder with the rush of anger.
James' ears turned red. "Our pranks never hurt anyone!" He hissed.
"That's a fat load of rubbish! Pain doesn't just come from physical harm. Words can leave scars. A harmless prank is one where everyone laughs." Turning on her heel she faced Severus putting out her hand. "That's for me isn't it?" He nodded before gently placing it in her hand. Looking both boys in the eye she opened the bottle and downed the whole thing. She held a straight face trying to ignore the strong bitter flavor that coated her tongue. "Is that proof enough?" James glared at her while Sirius avoided eye contact completely and remained silent. "Good. We are off to dinner." With that she put her arms through her friends' arms and marched down the hall. Once they were far enough away Lily let out a low whistle. "Bloody hell Viv. I'm glad you're on our side. I didn't know you had it in you." Vivian slowed her pace as the anger dissipated and the throbbing became less intense.
"I knew I had it in me, I just never knew I could let it out," she smiled sheepishly. Trying to ignore the embarrassment that was starting to set in. "I'm going to bed before I die of embarrassment," she groaned, "is it too late to change houses?"
"I'm sure your parents could pull some strings…from what I heard anyways." Severus piped up. "Is the potion helping? I picked a genetic one since we don't know the cause. I can't really get the good ingredients for the more advanced ones either."
Vivian ignored his comment about her parents, "It's helped some. I'm sure rest will help with the rest. Thank you for making it, Sev." Lily lingered in the hall and watched until Vivian turned the corner.
"If she's not better by morning I'm going to need her help to drag her to the hospital wing." she said.
"She can take care of herself so stop worrying." He said as he urged her towards the Great Hall.
Vivian laid down trying to ignore the pounding in her head. She thought she heard Severus's voice. Sitting up she looked around. Quiet stillness greeted her. Laying back down she finally drifted off.
The sunlight blinded her for a moment. Blinking against the light she was startled to see Severus dangling in the air. James and his friends laughed at him as James made him float higher. From behind her Lily came running up to James scolding him and demanding Severus to be put down. Vivian gasped as Severus yells, "I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!" Looking closely Vivian realized all of them look taller and slightly older. Her dream shifted, blurring before her. Severus is much older and is teaching potions to a class of children. He is cold and bitter, critiquing mistakes harshly. A glimpse of his wrist revealed a mark that made her go cold. Deatheater. Just like her parents.
The morning light filtered in through a window. Vivian sat in the silence. The headache was gone. An odd certainty filled her with determination. If things continued as they were, Severus would live a life of misery.