September 7, 1994

Severus stared down the two grinning redheads in front of him. How in SalazarBloodySlytherin'sname had they managed to get into this class?

A desire to torment him, probably. Had he not suffered enough?

Justin slid into the seat next to Ivy and, as subtly as he could, asked, "So, how is Michael doing in Slytherin?"

If Ivy seemed at all surprised by the question she certainly didn't show it. "Fine, I think. Is Hannah worried about him? Maybe I should talk to her…"

Hannah was certainly worried, though probably not for the reasons Ivy was thinking. Justin chose not to get into all that right now.

"Oh, I'm sure he'll be fine. It's just hard being a first-year, I'm sure."

"We were first-years too," Ivy said, amused.

"Well, yeah, but that was like, forever ago," Justin said most eloquently.

Ivy snorted. "Feels like it sometimes. Were we really that tiny?"

"Are you suggesting you're not still?" a new voice retorted.

Justin looked over to see Draco sliding into the seat on Ivy's other side.

He also saw Draco get a smack on the arm for his troubles.

"You take that back," Ivy protested.

"I just asked a question."

"I'll stick Tiger on you," Ivy threatened.

"Tiger loves me."

"He loves Tracey and Daphne. He tolerates you."

"Love," Draco argued, pointing a finger their way.

"Whatever makes you feel better."

Justin could only watch as Draco and Ivy's discussion spiraled into a confusing argument detailing the apparent hierarchy that was Tiger the Snake's love for the members of Slytherin House, past and present.

He was not at all disappointed when Professor McGonagall began the lesson.

Justin dragged Ivy by the hand as he hurried towards the Hufflepuff common room.

"Broom closets are that way, you know," a very unwelcome voice called out when they had almost reached the door.

Justin could feel the tips of his ears getting warm, but he ignored the sensation in favor of scowling at Alex Smedley. Thankfully Ivy either didn't notice or didn't care what the fifth year was insinuating. "Oh, piss off, Smedley," Justin snarked back. "Or come in with us. You'll want to see this."

Smedley wrinkled his nose. "I highly doubt that."

"Just come in," Justin said, rolling his eyes before giving the password.

"It's lunchtime. Is there really going to be anyone here?"

"Of course there will be," Smedley said, answering Ivy before Justin could. "Where else would everyone be?"

"Lunch?" Ivy said, a bit of sarcasm sneaking into her tone.

"Hey, everyone," Justin said to the room instead of explaining further himself. "You have all got to see this."

Many pairs of eyes turned their way. The Hufflepuff common room was indeed rather bust during the lunch hour. Justin wasn't sure what other houses did, but honestly, it was a little too rainy to be outside today, so it's not like they had any place better to go.

With everyone looking at them expectantly Justin nudged Ivy, who rolled her eyes and transformed suddenly into a honey badger.

Many pairs of eyebrows shot up, including Smedley's, and a few squeals were heard around the room as several people came rushing forward to get a better look at Ivy's animagus form.

"I was honestly not expecting that," Smedley mused.

Justin gave him another scowl in return.

"Wherewereyou?" Draco hissed when Ivy finally made it to their meeting spot in the library.

"Hufflepuff common room," Ivy answered immediately. "I'm now their unofficial unofficial mascot."

"You just said unofficial twice," Draco pointed out.

"Well, theofficialunofficial mascot is Furball."

"Who?"

"The pig."

"Ah. Continue."

"So I'm the unofficial unofficial mascot."

"So you, Ivy Potter, the girl who can transform into a literal badger, lost to apig?"

"Well, he was there first."

"That's really not how that works."

"And it's not like it was a contest."

"Everything is. Always."

"You know, that explains so much," Ivy said fondly, nudging his shoulder.

Draco was just about to make an excellent retort when he caught sight of the two people he was most actively avoiding today.

He stood up abruptly, pulling Ivy along with him.

"What is it with everyone dragging me places today," Ivy muttered. Draco ignored that.

"Don't let them see me," he whispered, still pulling Ivy behind him as he made his way behind a row of shelves.

"Who?" Ivy asked, before glancing around. "Oh, the twins? Why?"

"Because, thanks to you the entire school knows I'm a bloody lion, and the moment those two menaces found out they got that look in their eye."

"Which one?"

"The we-will-exploit-this-knowledge-to-our-full-advantage one. Which you would haveseenif you hadbeen there."

Ivy just rolled her eyes at him, which he did not appreciate in the face of his suffering.

"I can't believe you ditched me for a bunch of Hufflepuffs."

"I ditch you for Hufflepuffs all the time," Ivy pointed out. "Besides, you like the twins."

"Liked. Past tense. And also how do you know it wasn't just my grand master plan to keep my enemies close?"

"Because you can't hide your facial expressions to save your life."

"I could too," Draco protested.

"Why are you complaining to me again?" Pansy asked, interrupting his rant.

Draco scowled but didn't answer.

"Oh, so Ivy already ignored you?"

His scowl grew.

"Poor baby," Pansy mocked.

"Why are we even friends?" Draco muttered.

"I'm like a beautiful yet deadly fungus. There is no getting rid of me. There will be traces of me left on your corpse but not enough for your death to be tied back to me."

Draco scrunched up his nose. "So kind of you to presume I will be murdered. Well, Nevilleismildly obsessed with Herbology."

Pansy pinched him as she began to walk away from him and his continued trials.

He needed better friends.

"You seen Draco anywhere?" George asked Ivy.

Ivy didn't even look up from her book, just pointed in the direction of the boy they were currently hunting looking for.

George was just about to continue in the direction indicated when he caught a glimpse of the title of Ivy's book.

"Is that book something dangerous or likely to cause trouble or make Percy prank us again?" he asked. Better to cover all possibilities now.

"This book isn't dangerous," Ivy replied simply.

George chose to take that fully at face value, instead of as a likely statement on the safety of the book itself versus its contents.

Duty done, he proceeded to track down their second favorite little Slytherin.

Draco had, unfortunately, found himself in this particular situation many times over the past few years. He wasn't quite sure what he had done to deserve this reoccurring nightmare, but here he was, trapped sitting between two identical redheads who wore equally identical smirks.

"So, little lion," George began. And how sad was it that he knew that for certain.

"Seems you have been wearing the wrong color all these years," Fred finished for his brother.

Draco gritted his teeth and replied, "Just because I am capable of transforming myself into a large apex predator does not mean I am in any way a…" Draco could hardly bring himself to say it. "…Gryffindor."

"Now, now, there's nothing wrong with being in the wrong house," Fred cooed as if soothing a baby. Draco didnotappreciate the comparison he was drawing.

"Gred here would have made an excellent Slytherin himself," George continued.

"We both would have," Fred countered.

"Even if he has a slightly better natural talent for making Snape look like he regrets our very existence," George said, not arguing his twin's point.

"It's hurtful, really," Fred said, obviously not all that torn up about it.

Draco huffed. "I am not a Gryffindor, I have never been a Gryffindor, and I will neverbea Gryffindor. I am a Slytherin through and through. I just so happen to also be able to transform into a majestic and noble creature."

"Whatever you say, little lion."

Draco rolled his eyes at George's new nickname for him, thinking that at least maybe now he wouldn't be called "little dragon" anymore.

Fred's practically feral grin disabused him of that notion, as did his statement of "Don't worry, you're still my little dragon." Both. It was both, really.

§Thiss honey badger sseemss to be a ssuffissiently vissciouss animal.§

§It iss,§Tiger answered proudly on Ivy's behalf.

Ivy transformed back.§Draco iss a lion,§she added for Hilda's benefit, seeing as Tiger was already well-acquainted with Draco animagus form.

§Another impresssive beasst,§Hilda replied.

"Have you seen Ivy anywhere?"

"Last I saw she was headed downstairs. Why?"

Draco was not so desperate to rant that he needed to follow herthere.

He could wait.

"I really don't see why you're making such a fuss."

"They called me aGryffindor, Ivy."

"There are worse things to be."

"You're just waiting for me to say Hufflepuff, aren't you."

"I dare you."

"And I'll continue living, thanks," Draco said, sticking his tongue out. It may be undignified, but he had long since lost all dignity around Ivy, and it wasn't like she expected it from him anyway.

"Didn't you call Fred and George the 'best friends ever?'"

"How dare you suggest I would ever say such a thing?"

"Well, you at least thought it."

Draco eyed her suspiciously. "How did you know that?"

Ivy grinned in triumph. "You just confirmed it for me. Thank you for that."

"But the point still stands that I would neversaysomething like that."

"You don't have to. I'm sure they know how much they are loved."

Draco did not enjoy this conversation.

Thankfully Ivy did not appear to feel the need to continue along that particular line of conversation either. She was too busy smiling smugly whilst sitting unaffected by Draco's glare. He needed to go glare at some second years or someone else who would actually be affected by his glares still. The list was steadily dwindling and that wasnotto his liking whatsoever.

Maybe he could transform into a lion and roar in someone's face…

But then the twins would hear about it and…

Unlesstheywere the ones he snuck up on…

"Ivy, how do you feel about sneaking into Gryffindor this evening?"

"Where are you two going?"

"Gryffindor tower."

Theo looked at them for a moment, contemplating that statement. "Any particular reason why?"

"To terrorize the twins," Draco responded, with far too much glee in his voice.

"Very well then," Theo said, apparently seeing absolutely nothing wrong with that plan. "Would you mind taking something up to Cali? I forgot to give it to her at dinner."

They both waited, and upon Theo's return, Ivy dutifully took the small package from his hands.

"Theo asked me to give this to you," Ivy said, handing the package to Cali.

"Thanks," she replied. "Do you…"

"Calanthia Nott,what did youDO?"

"Sorry, I've got to go," Cali said, before ducking out of sight.

Draco was far too absorbed with his own attempts at remaining unseen to pay the situation much mind, but Ivy could admit to being mildly curious.

Of course, her curiosity only grew as Dean Thomas ran practically headlong into her.

"Hello, person who doesn't live here," Dean said. "Have you seen Cali anywhere?"

Ivy shook her head.

"Seamus?"

Another shake.

"Ginny?" Dean practically pleaded.

"Sorry. No idea." Which was true for the last two, at least. "Why do you need them?"

"They managed to set off abomb."

"Wait, really?"

Dean looked at her skeptically. "It wasn't arealbomb. And you look far too excited about that prospect."

"It's like you don't know her at all," Ginny said, running past.

"Wait, Ginny…" Then Dean, too, was running.

Gryffindor was such an exciting place.

"How much longer do we have to wait here?" Draco whispered from underneath one of the beds.

"Curfew isn't for another forty minutes. Be patient."

"Iampatient," he snapped.

"Shush," Ivy hissed back. "They're coming."

Draco grumbled to himself, but softly, so as to remain unheard by the approaching enemy room's residents.

They waited for several more minutes for the boys to get in their beds and begin drifting off.

Slowly and silently they crept out from their hiding places, before each transforming into their animal forms.

RRAAAWWWRRR

Several heads jolted upwards, and one unfortunate body fell to the floor.

Many exclamations were uttered by boys who had reached a certain stage in their vocabulary that neither teacher nor parent would be likely to approve of. Said exclamations made full use of said vocabulary.

Severus looked at the two students he felt the greatest deal of responsibility for with no small amount of suspicion.

"It is three minutes 'til curfew. Dare I ask what you two have been doing?"

He gave them another once-over, taking in their burnt, wet clothes, and their overall disheveled state. At least he was certain they hadn't been up to the sort of activities he had just caught a Ravenclaw he would be seeing in detention for the foreseeable future and one of his own sixth years engaging in. The devilish grins on Ivy and Draco's faces were of the wrong sort forthatparticular set of activities, thank Merlin.

"No," answered Ivy succinctly.

He found himself agreeing with her in every particular.

"Are you positive you haven't started learning Legilimency?" he heard Draco ask Ivy as they made their way into the common room.

He froze at that.

He really, really, did not want to know.