Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction created sorely to satisfy my imagination. Harry Potter and anything/everything related to the novels belongs to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing in this fanfic that might be recognizable as belonging to the canon of HP.

Chapter 7: Slug Club

Though I had gotten ready for the Club meeting earlier than my dorm mates, I had no intention to be the first one in Slughorn's office.

I did not know how I was supposed to dress. My trunk had a limited set of clothes that didn't really seem proper for the occasion, so I opted to wear my school robes. Earlier that day, I overheard my dorm mates talking about the evening, as well of the clothing they planned to wear. They mentioned all their clothes, making me figure that they must have an Extension Charm on their trunk to be able to bring that many robes to school. With what I gathered from eavesdropping, the uniform was fine. Not that it mattered. The only person that I was supposed to impress was the professor, and I was pretty sure I would manage that just by showing up.

I picked a wall, close to the professor's office, one where I could see the door. Gertrude liked to talk about the handful of meetings she had been invited last year before dropping her grades, and with all that I had heard it didn't seemed like a big deal. It was a private dinner, one where Professor Slughorn was true to all his Slytherin characteristics and created bonds with students he would at some point exploit, one way or the other.

Not a minute had passed before my solitude was interrupted.

"Nolan."

My surname wasn't what made me tense up, it was the voice. My skin began to crawl and in an instant I wanted to be on the other side of the castle. I could feel every muscle in my body contract, desperate to release to get me out of there as he neared me.

I looked into Lorcan Mulciber's face, trying hard to resist the grimace I wanted to let free in mine.

"Bit early, don't you think?"

He slammed a hand on the wall next to my face, almost pinning me with his body. His blond curls danced around his forehead as he gave me the most spectacular smile. At the beginning of the school year, I would have been willingly turning into butter just by looking at him. Now, after what had happened, my stomach couldn't even stand breathing the same air he did.

I looked at the wall behind him on the other side of the hallway, concentrating on a crack. Ignoring him had yet to make him leave me in peace, but it was the first tactic I always used on him. Lorcan wasn't a problem I faced every day, considering we shared a house, but the few times I had encounters with him were enough to make me try to avoid him. Of course, he made it his business pestering me from time to time and it was horrible to receive his bad attitude, but I couldn't do anything to stop him. He was the oldest Slytherin prefect, a seventh year model student. And even if Dumbledore or any of the other professors believed me and punished him for his bulling, I would get more crap from the rest of my house. I didn't want that. Even less considering that my estranged relationship with most of my fellow Slytherins was Lorcan Mulciber's fault. "Say something."

"Leave me alone." Inside I was screaming at the top of my lungs, desperate to have this conversation end.

His breath hit my forehead, and I had to force my stomach to stop trying to climb up my throat. "I don't want to. It's been a long time since we've had a chance to talk."

This time, I did look at him. I had to. His green eyes met me in the challenge, as he glared at me with the ferocity I wish I was showing too. "A hundred centuries could pass and it would still be too soon to talk to you."

For a long moment we stared at each other. His eyes darted down to my lips more times that I would have liked. Shit.

"What's going on here?" Someone spoke up and the atmosphere of putrid silence was lifted making me feel stronger. I looked around Lorcan for the newcomer. I was instantly relieved to see it wasn't someone that completely hated me. "Mulciber? What are you doing?"

"Go away Black. I'm conversing." His eyes never left me. I could feel them burning into me, as I was again looking anywhere but into them.

Regulus Black hid his hands in the pockets of his robes, his face twisting with a confused smirk. "With Faraday Nolan? Since when have you two been on speaking terms?"

"Since she forgot her place. As a prefect it's my duty to instruct her where she belongs."

"You've already done that." Though he had a bit more to grow, Regulus equaled Mulciber in authority and skyrocketed pass him in terms of elegance. His face was still graced with the roundness of boyhood but at fifteen, he was in the right way of becoming a handsome man.

"Sod off, Black." Lorcan went back to glaring me down. I looked as far away from him as I could, still trapped between him and the wall.

"Slughorn is expecting us, as members of his House, to arrive first." Regulus didn't say no more. There wasn't a need to. Among Slytherins it was a common thing to use House pride as a means to get something done. In this case, Black used it to make Mulciber back down. It was a good strategy and it worked every time, even on me.

Lorcan slammed the hand next to my face again against the wall, making me jump. With a satisfied sneer toward me, he puffed his chest toward Regulus and walked away. I held on to my breath of relief. It was not yet the time to let it go. Not while he could still have the satisfaction of hearing it.

Regulus and I watched Mulciber strut to Slughorn's door and disappear into it.

I stood next to Black as I finally allowed my tense shoulders to relax. "He doesn't know when he's won, does he?"

He gave me a sideward glance. "I think he expects more of a fight from you."

"Good thing I'm not interested in meeting his expectations."

He smirked at that. "Shall we head inside?"

With a smile I nodded, and walked behind him.

So far, I wasn't impressed with the Slug Club. Once the professor had finished showing his boisterous happiness at my presence, I was left to do as I pleased. Gemma and Mafalda waited no time in pretending I didn't exist once they arrived, and I tried to do the same. I didn't try to speak to Regulus again however. When Slughorn was done with him, he attached himself to Severus and Mulciber. The other side of the castle wasn't far as far away as I wanted to be from Lorcan, therefore making itself a stop sign nearing the only Slytherin boy close to my age that didn't ignore me.

It was after the students from the other houses arrived that Slughorn sought me again. He claimed he wanted to properly acquaint me with his most prolific student. I instantly knew who he was talking about and I shuddered at the thought of being forced into a conversation with someone from another house. In the months I had been in Hogwarts, I hadn't had much socializing with students from the other houses. Slytherin and Gryffindors were eternal rivals since the times of their founders, and obviously that meant that no lion looked my way at any given second unless it was to glare. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff were very forthcoming to me on my first week in school, but all that went down the drain once shit hit the fan and they noticed how my housemates started treating me.

The only attention I tended to get was from the Slytherin first years. As afraid as they were of the older housemates, they sat with me during our meals or in the common room when we worked on our assignments. They at least were nice to me. Oh and Regulus Black. Can't forget about him. We don't talk much and I don't consider him my friend, but I don't necessary consider him a stranger either. Though I don't really understand why he doesn't slash out at me like the other boys. Maybe he likes me.

Anyway, Slughorn introduced her as Lily Evans and after a polite conversation between teacher and students; the Professor left us to what he said was 'two promising young ladies forming bonds of eternal friendship'. It was as awkward as anyone could imagine.

"I know you must be trying not to be rude by still being here, but we can head our own ways if you want." I said to her after two full minutes of awkward silence. She was a Gryffindor, and as much as I crave socializing with a girl my age that didn't look down at me, I wasn't prepared to force myself unto her. That wasn't fair to her or my pride.

She nodded to the side, pointing with her head. "Slughorn is looking at us."

I let out a chuckle meant to be seen as we were enjoying our conversation. Evans mimicked it without me having to tell her. And I liked that very much.

I liked it to the point that it elated my spirits a fraction to actually give a real smile. "Tell you what. Let's go to the beverage table, take a sip out of something, smile some more and then just mingle away from each other."

She seemed to be thinking it over. "Sounds good."

We went, aware of the fact that Slughorn wasn't the only one looking at us, and I was looking at the options as the Gryffindor served herself a drink.

"Gillywater? Does that even taste like anything?" I said to which Evans only nodded. "I've never heard of it."

"You've never had it?" She seemed surprised for some reason. "I was told is a common enough drink in magical families."

"Is it common in your family?" I asked her. Not really knowing.

Evans shook her head. "No, I'm muggle-born."

"Ah." Was the only thing I could answer her back. I did know about that.

She took a sip of her drink, and to try to seem less awkward, I looked into my drink. "I thought you were a pureblood or a half-blood." She said and she sounded a bit embarrassed about it.

I didn't want her to feel like that, therefore I tried to sound relaxed as I spoke. "I wouldn't know."

"Are you muggle-born, too?"

"I have no idea. Maybe." I sipped the drink. It tasted mostly of water, but its aftertaste was slightly different. "It's not bad." I said in regards of the drink.

"You don't know what your parents are?" The way she said it, made her seemed very bothered about it.

"I don't even know if I have parents." I said to her, wondering where the resolve to follow up on our earlier plan had gone to. I didn't really understand her interest. As far as I was told by Gemma, Hestia, and Mafalda on my very first day as a Slytherin, blood status is all for our House. At first instance, they assumed I was pureblooded, and according to Dumbledore I am. I am the descendant of a great wizard and a powerful witch, but that is a much as it is known of me and my family. And that was enough to get me a comfortable place within Slytherin. So, as my dorm mates were the only ones that asked at some given point, I figured that blood-purity was something that only mattered to the students of my House. I don't know. Maybe I was looking way too deep into Evans' questions. But since she had yet to annoy me, I answered her question with more honesty than I should. "I woke up during the summer in St. Mungo's without any memories. No one came to claim me, so I guess I don't have parents or a family."

"That's heartbreaking." Her face deflated, and she looked a bit uncomfortable. "How are you even keeping up with the classes?" Changing the subject was something I was grateful considering the reaction it had produced in her.

"Blood knowledge." I said as if it was the most common thing in the world.

Those words worked like a charm. They spiked Evan's curiosity to the point that she stuck herself to me like glue for the rest of the evening. She sat next to me during dinner, engaging with me in conversation. We talked in hushed tones in between professor Slughorn's mannered interruptions. I was elated. Not only was I talking comfortably to someone that wasn't a teacher, I also was having fun doing it.

Gemma and Mafalda eyed me strangely from the other side of the table, but I ignored them. I did the same with Mulciber. No way were any of them going to bother me for the rest of the night.

Lily and I were standing by the door, waiting for Slughorn to say goodbye to a Ravenclaw girl, so he could then say good night to us.

She was telling me of a funny event her friend Marlene McKinnon had done during Astrology when Snape cut in front of us and went to talk to the Professor.

I was going to say something, but a look at Lily made me stop. I didn't know her enough to be able to guess correctly, but she had the face of a person that just wanted to burst out yelling but couldn't because she was too frustrated. I watched how she glared at Severus and then I noticed a sneak glance he threw her way.

"There's something here." I said low, for Lily's ears only.

Her eyed darted to me, making her look down instantly and embarrassed. "Is it that obvious?"

I nodded. A strange feeling rose up from the bottom of my stomach to its top. I didn't remember such a thing. I think it was a different sort of thrill mixed with conspiracy-like excitement. "Did you guys date? Ah! I didn't know Severus dated before."

"No, it was nothing like that. We were friends."

"Were?" I said to which Lily made a face. I was afraid that she would push me away if I pried more. "You don't have to tell me. Look! It's our turn."

After saying our good-nights to professor Slughorn, Lily and I walked a bit away from his office.

"I had a lot of fun with you Faraday." She said as it was time to part ways.

I couldn't hide my excitement as I replied to her. "Me too!"

"I hope we can talk again, I don't have that many girl friends."

"I don't have any." I said, making her laugh. "Though, I don't want the rivalry between our houses to damper our 'promising forming bonds of eternal friendship'." I tried mimicking Slughorn on the last part, sending us into a row of laughter.

"It won't." Her long hair danced around her face as she shook her head, the redness of it making her looked all the more pale. She smiled at me as she moved. It was then that I really looked at her and I realized she was probably the prettiest girl I had ever seen. Gemma had nothing on Lily Evans. She was talker than me; her body seemed slender, even when she wore her school robes for the occasion, like me. To me she was like model perfection. And her eyes. Damn, Lorcan Mulciber had the prettiest green eyes I had ever seen, until I looked at Lily's. None can compare or surpass hers.

The sound of Slughorn's door closing made us look around. The rest of the members of the Slug Club were gone, and we stood alone on the dungeon hallway.

"I better go." Lily announced. And though it saddened me to have to end our wonderful conversation, I said my goodbyes too.

"Evans."

Someone called, hidden in the darkness behind Lily. Her face drastically changed at the sound, and her once happy face looked at me with the utmost annoyance. As it was to be expected, I was confused as to what had just happened.

"Potter." She spat.

She turned around, instantly coming to stand next to me. As the Gryffindor boy stood across from us under the light, he ruffled his hair. His eyes acknowledged me once before they sorely rested on Lily. James Potter was carrying the same arrogance as in Charms when he looked at us Slytherins to get a rise. His dungbombs prank came to my mind, setting an annoyed little frown in my face. Or at least I think it did.

"What are you doing here?"Lily demanded, and suddenly I saw the shine of the badge on her chest as she assumed her Prefect persona. "It's after hours are you looking for detention?"

"I told you she would be like this, Prongs." Like his fellow Gryffindor and friend, Sirius Black walked into the light of a nearby torch from the darkness. How we hadn't noticed that they were so close to us I will never know.

"Sometimes, it breaks my heart." Potter said to him, as Black did me a one over and proceeded to ignore me.

Yes, apparently I went to Hogwarts to be ignored. Great.

"Ten points, from each of you."

"Agh, come on Evans!" Potter whined, his eyes shining as brightly as the yellow light. "I only came here for your benefit."

"My benefit?"

"Yes. Not ten minutes ago my colleague, Sirius and I were immerse in our studies when Frank Longbottom arrived in the common room. Knowing of your participation in the Slug Club, I asked him if he had been kind enough to escort you back. He replied that you had stayed behind to speak to a friend. Of course, as the good person than I am, I found it best that I came escort you back to the tower." Most of Potter's words sounded like lies to me, but the conviction in his story telling and the utmost belief his friend was giving him made me think otherwise, in some aspects. They were professionals. It was the sappiest story I've heard, too.

Lily stared at the boy a bit, and then looked at me. She gave me a stare that universally any girl would understand as: 'can you believe this idiot?"

I shrugged as a response, which made her pat my arm.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Faraday." Lily said as a dismissal to me and it left me nodding enthusiastically. Who was I not to be excited from having a girl my age wanting to spent time with me?

Lily walked away, her steps heavy with her annoyance, and the two boys went after her immediately. Well, Potter went after her, then his friend followed. None of them looked back at me as they left.

And I was left to walk the hallways of Hogwarts completely alone.

. . .

AN: This is the longest chapter so far!