Herbology wasn't Lyras favourite subject mostly because it required a lot of partner work and long projects that needed working on with that partner outside of classes. Lyra wasn't really fond of working with others especially Gryffindors she absolutely hated working with Gryffindors.

She had been lucky in second and third year as Theo had been her partner for both of those years. She felt as though professor Longbottom had been throwing her a bone by pairing her and Theo together because her partner of the previous year had been absolutely deplorable.

Fourth year had been a strange one.

Lyra assumed that she would be paired with Theo again as Professor Longbottom seemed to have no problem with the two being together as long as they focused and got on with their work. That had not been the case, instead she had been paired with Alice Longbottom his daughter, Lyra she had no idea why he had decided to do this.

Alice Longbottom was exceedingly shy, nervous and tended to cry whenever she was frustrated absolutely nothing like her father. Lyra often wondered why the girl had been placed in Gryffindor though she wouldn't dare voice those thoughts to anyone mostly out of respect for her favourite professor.

Lyra surprisingly really liked professor Longbottom he was the head of Gryffindor house and he was truly the best example of a Gryffindor Lyra had ever seen. He was brave but not stupidly so, he was confident but not obnoxious or self righteous. He had a kind heart and didn't tolerate any sort of bullying in his Classes unlike professor Slughorn who thought the sun shined out of James Potters arse and turned a blind eye to every foul thing he did in his presence.

Lyra had a very big crush on Professor Longbottom during her first and second year and would stammer any time he directed any questions towards her in class. It had been completely mortifying given who her partner had been in first year.

James Potter in Lyras opinion was an absolute scoundrel, a complete waste who brought absolutely nothing to the wizarding world. The only reason people liked him was because of his parents for who could be anything but enamoured with the first born son of Harry and Ginny Potter.

Harry Potter was a Hero every child in the wizarding world knew his name, they had heard stories of his heroics growing up, he was most children's first crush, he had definitely been Lyras. She remembered seeing him in person for the first time on the platform while she was boarding the hogwarts express, she had been absolutely starstruck and found herself wishing to one day be close enough to touch Mr Potters gloriously messy black hair.

Once she had got to Hogwarts and met his dreadful son who was not what she had been expecting at all, well let's just say the fantasy of Harry Potter had faded replaced by the nightmarish presence of James Sirius Potter.

As if summoned by Lyra thinking his full name the devil himself appeared by her side at the edge of her desk his books in his hands and his bag over his shoulder.

Lyra didn't move a inch she just looked at him with varying expressions of confusion and complete horror at his sudden appearance at her side.

She wondered if she had somehow said his name out loud and he was coming to punish her for the insult of it or maybe he knew Legilimency and heard everything she had thought and was coming to humiliate her in front of the class.

She felt absolutely sick as she desperately hoped neither was the case.

Her eyes widened even more as he sat down beside her and she abruptly stood up causing the whole class and professor Longbottom to look at her.

"Is there a problem miss Yaxley" he asked hesitantly at the expression of sheer revulsion on her face.

She tried to speak, to get the words that were bubbling at the back of her throat out and into the world but they wouldn't come so instead Lyra just pointed at James hoping the message would read without any words.

Professor Longbottom raised his eyebrows and looked down at the notes that were in his hands, this years seating arrangement.

"Miss Yaxley next to Mr potter" professor longbottom said.

Damn it she cursed in her head she must not have heard him the first time he had said it. She was too lost in her own thoughts. Theo must have been moved earlier she didn't even notice his departure.

When she made no move to come towards him Potter must have decided that he would have to go to her desk two spaces in front of his own. He wouldn't of liked that, having to get off his stupid arse to move to sit next to Lyra he would of absolutely loathed the idea of him being forced to move while Lyra stayed seated.

When she made no move to sit back down Professor Longbottom looked uncomfortable it was clear he didn't want to reprimand her, she was one of his favourite students but it seemed he would have no choice.

"Miss Yaxley the longer you do not take your seat beside Mr Potter the more house Points you will lose for Slytherin."

Lyra could of cried at those words, she was getting flashbacks from the first time Potter had ever spoken to her which had not been a nice altercation.

Lyra Yaxley and James Potter did not get on at all.

It started in their first year she really had no idea what she had done to anger him so much before they had even been in hogwarts for a full day but it seemed she had done something to irritate the older Potter.

It had been in transfiguration her first ever class in hogwarts and McGonagall was putting them into pairs for the year to help house unity or something like that. She was just making the first year students either nervous or angry.

Between Lyra and James can you guess who was angry and who was nervous?

James Potter was fuming he wanted to sit next to his cousin Fred so while Lyra had got up from her seat to move towards him he stood up abruptly and said "I am not sitting next to that professor, I mean look at the snake! Im not sure my father would be comfortable with me sitting next to death eater spawn."

Lyras cheeks burned she wanted to point out that her mother wasn't a death eater at all she was a Ravenclaw and now a healer dedicated to helping others. It didn't matter though she was a Slytherin and he was a Gryffindor his mind was already made up about her.

The whole class except the Slytherins all laughed at her expense which seemed to please him greatly and he looked at her with a grin stretched across his stupid eleven year old face.

Her face burned and her hands shook.

He had humiliated her and it looked like nothing could have made him happier.

Professor McGonagall was not pleased by his behaviour at all and took away twenty points from Gryffindor and gave James two weeks of detention from 7 till 9pm. Including weekends.

James still had to sit next to her in transfiguration for the year.

McGonagall knew that Lyra would of preferred to be kept far away from him after the horrid display of house discrimination but that would be giving James Potter what he wanted and she couldn't let him or any of the other students think that kind of attitude was acceptable in her class or within the halls of hogwarts.

James acted as if Lyra had somehow orchestrated this beforehand and saw it as a move against him. From then on it was more than him just being unpleasant to a Slytherin it had become personal.

He would trip her in the hallways making her spill her things across the floor, he would taunt her whenever he came across her saying to all his friends how she was a filthy Slytherin and would definitely beg Voldemort for a spot in his ranks. He spread lies and rumours about her making the other houses even less likely to talk to her than they would any other Slytherin.

In second year they both made their house teams and he would target her more then others on the quidditch pitch bumping her as he flew past and sending bludgers her way whenever the opportunity raised itself. He was a good beater and often hit the mark.

No one had stood up for her, she had begged her cousins Tobias and Cade who were both in Gryffindor not to interfere telling them that it would just make it worse. She didn't want her cousins making any enemies especially in their own house. They had argued she had cried and pleaded and they reluctantly agreed on the condition that if he did anything and they saw it they would be able to kick his arse but James Potter was smarter than that.

He would always make sure that Tobias and Cade were well away when he decided to strike and no one had stood up for her until Theo.

James had tripped her as she was coming out of herbology in the beginning of second year. She had tumbled forwards and landed on her hands and knees in front of him.

She had never felt so small so insignificant as she had then.

Her bag had split and all of her textbooks,quills and ink had landed everywhere around her. She desperately scrambled to pick them up. A dragonhide booted foot had landed on her potions essay refusing to let it go.

"Just leave me alone Potter! You are going to ruin it!" She shouted at him becoming more and more frustrated.

He ignored her and reached down to pick up the potions essay from under his foot his eyes quickly scanning through the pages. His eyebrows arched and he smiled down at her.

For a second she thought that he was going to give it back to her but of course his smile turned into a smirk as he looked down at her as if she were nothing.

"This is pretty good, I haven't done mine and professor Slughorn would be so so disappointed in me, can I have it?"

Yeah right professor Slughorn loved him, he loved connections more than anything and James potter came from a family full of them plus he had taught his parents and grandparents and she heard he had favoured them too. He would just make some sort of excuse for him like

"oh you must be so tired from Quidditch my dear boy, congratulations by the way quite the accomplishment in your second year but how could I expect anything less knowing who your father and grandfather are and of course your mother"

Or " just this once as I know you've been studying extra hard after classes finish in the library."

It was detention.

He had detention in the library and was forced to study there as punishment but Slughorn had conveniently 'forgotten' that.

If she didn't have her essay it would be five points from Slytherin and detention straight away and James knew this.

She looked up at him fury burning in her otherwise cold grey eyes. It wasn't a question she knew that, he would try to take it no matter what she said but she wasn't going to let him.

Before she could speak the essay shot out of Potters hand.

Lyra and James both looked around startled.

There in the corner was Theseus Nott and he was striding towards them essay in hand.

He handed it back to Lyra before turning to James with a glare.

"Why don't you scamper off Potter we don't need your arrogant Gryffindor self ruining our day before it's even really began."

James glared back at him clearly unhappy at being interrupted from his torment of Lyra one of his favourite past times.

He shook his head all laughter and smiles again something seemed to amuse him at the thought of Nott coming to her defence as if he found her pathetic for not being able to send him off herself.

He looked to Lyra and his smile turned into a full, wide grin.

"Glad to see you've found another snake to fight your battles for you very Slytherin of you Yaxley. Always known that you lacked a back bone but it's good to know that now everyone else does too." He voice was loud and boomed along the corridors. If people hadn't already stopped to view the spectacle they had now.

He slowly turned away from her, dismissing her as if he now found her tiring and boring already onto another game with another player.

She hated the way he made her feel as if she was so much less than him. As if she was merely entertainment for him as if she only had any value when he allowed her to have value.

She could feel her eyes stinging with tears.

Theo pulled her into an empty classroom and held her as the tears finally decided it was safe enough to escape her eyes and stream down her cheeks. She didn't think she would ever stop crying, he was never going to leave her alone. She hated hogwarts, in that moment she wanted nothing more than to runaway from it.

Theo pulled back from her and shook her making her look at him.

"You are a Slytherin" he said.

Lyra flinched.

"And you're ashamed of it, you think we are monsters, death eaters. You think the hat made a mistake putting you in here with us. You're miserable the other Slytherins can see it, I can see it, Potter can see it."

He looked at her with determination written all over his face.

"It was not a mistake, you belong in Slytherin not because you are evil because you are clever, you are loyal, you are cunning and you are resilient. Don't let him break you, show him, show all of them that yes you are a Slytherin and that you are fucking terrifying."

"James bloody Potter is not what you're afraid, that's an act something you tell yourself so you don't have to face the fact that you are afraid of what you could be here in Slytherin. What you could do as a Slytherin. You could be great that's why the hat put you in Slytherin, to show them that being in Slytherin is more than what they think it is.

You can achieve great things in Slytherin, Slytherins are capable of so much more than destruction and murder. I'm proud to be a Slytherin, my father was a Slytherin and he is the greatest man I've ever known. Merlin was a Slytherin and he was one of the most powerful wizards to ever have existed. Merlin did good things, my father does good things, we can do good things."

He thrust his hand out for her to shake and said "be a Slytherin."

Lyra knew that so much more was held in that gesture than what was on the surface if she took his hand it would seal something between them. Everything would change and she desperately needed a change.

She stretched her hands towards his, their bond sealed in a simple shake.

Ever since that moment it had been the two of them. Side by side against everything. A friendship so strong had been forged between them, written in the stars.

They had been meant to meet Lyra was sure of that some things she believed happened in every universe, every possible plain of existence. Theo Nott and Lyra Yaxley was one of them an undeniable force, Strong on their own but unstoppable together. He had shook her hand and lead her out of the darkness that seemed to incase her life at that point in time. He was her person and nothing could ever change that.

Lyra shook the memories from her as she looked at Professor Longbottom defiantly she had come too far to give up now.

She refused to sit down. If it had been any other person she would never dream of behaving this way towards the Professor but this was Potter and she would rather die than sit next to him without a fight.

Professor Longbottom would see reason that this was all a mistake he had to.

"Five points"

"Ten points"

"Twenty points"

"Fifty points"

The Slytherins were now glaring in her direction but Lyra didn't give a rats arse this was much bigger than them. The Gryffindors particularly Potters cousins Fred and Dominique Weasley looked absolutely delighted at the recent turn of events.

The twat himself had turned towards her as everyone else in the class had. He had his chin rested on his hand and lounged about the desk as if he owned it. As their eyes met rich brown meeting cool grey he grinned up at her his eyes twinkling like this was some sort of amusing prank that he was in on not a revolt against the deprivation of her basic human right to not to be sat next to a flobber worm for the duration of the year. It made her blood boil.

Professor Longbottom was getting frustrated.

"Detention tomorrow."

Still nothing.

"A weeks detention"

"Two weeks detention"

"Three weeks detention"

When he had gotten to two months detention and Lyra hadn't even flinched he decided to try a different tactic. Still looking at Lyra with just as much defiance as she was looking at him with he spoke again only when he did he managed to shock everyone in the room.

"Mr Potter a weeks detention with Miss Yaxley."

James shot up out of his relaxed state and shouted "what."

Lyra was furious she was doing all of this so she wouldn't have to be near him and the punishment she was receiving was to be around him even more, she was shocked it was very cunning of Professor Longbottom.

Before she could even register what he was saying the professor spoke again.

"Mr potter two weeks detention with Miss Yaxley."

He was smirking as he looked at Lyras panicked face he definitely had her now, she made a move towards her seat then hesitated.

"Mr Potter a Months detention with Miss Yaxley." At those words Lyra shot down into her seat so fast the chair toppled slightly and she smacked into James Potters side.

She jerked away immediately so furious that she felt she could have breathed fire.

She felt a movement beside her but refused to look as he leaned toward her in order to whisper in her ear.

"I didn't know you were so desperate to spend time with me Yaxley, no wonder you've been so hostile. You a little have a crush on me don't you."

Lyra felt sick at the thought of it. He was the last person on earth that she would deem worthy to have a crush on. She would rather take a cheese grater to her face then go anywhere near him and he knew this. He was just trying to get a rise out of her so instead of responding and getting herself into even more trouble she decided to ignore him.

Big mistake James Potter hated being ignored.

Throughout class he constantly knocked his knees against hers, and bumped his shoulder into her causing her to accidentally draw a line all the way across her page more than once. He tapped his fingers against the wood of the desk and hummed under his breath there was absolutely no rhythm to it.

Lyra was about ready to use on unforgivable on him right then and there going to Azkaban would be worth it. Lyra smiled at the thought of casting the imperious curse on James and making him do something like quit the Quidditch team or announce to all of hogwarts at dinner that he fancied his cousin Fred Weasley.

She was still smiling and looking at Fred with a dreamy expression lost in her own thoughts of humiliation and triumph when James noticed her expression and looked for what she was staring at.

He had to do a double take when he saw who she was looking at, he was sure he must of looked like one of those cartoons with the eyes bugging out of their heads.

Why was she looking at Fred like that?

Does she usually look at Fred like that?

He felt a bit queasy at the thought of it, then he felt incredibly annoyed.

How dare she look at Fred like that!

Without thinking he knocked her pot of ink so it went all over her parchment and hands. She jumped back in her chair completely shocked and then slowly turned towards him with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

She went to get her wand out of her robes probably to curse him which made James smirk in victory ready for a fight but then Professor Longbottom called for the end of class and everyone started to pack away their things and get out of their seats.

James quickly packed his bag and strode towards the door with a skip in his step.

Suddenly his bag split open and everything inside it dropped to the floor. He turned back in shock still holding onto his empty bag and saw Lyra at the front of the class talking to professor Longbottom furiously her left hand making wild gestures.

Her right hand was behind her back her wand clutched tightly in it.

It was her, James knew it and had never felt more pleased.

He had barely tormented her last year and now it seemed that she wanted to restart what he had never fully closed the door on.

If it was a game she wanted that's what she would get and James absolutely loved winning especially if he was winning against Lyra Yaxley.