Lilith could feel Fred's eyes on her for most of transfiguration, but she refused to acknowledge him, keeping her eyes down on her book, declining to look in his direction. He was moronic, thinking he had a chance with her or that it was ever going to happen, for starters he was a Weasley so that was an automatic no. He was also childish, a Gryffindor for crying out loud. She just imagined bringing him home for Christmas and Lucius fainting on the spot.
So why did she keep thinking about him then. It didn't help that he seemed to be bloody everywhere suddenly, and she had known in the library that rejecting him wouldn't put him off because he seemed more determined than ever
After the class had finished, she gathered her things, waiting for the others to leave, most of all the bloody Weasley twins so she could make it to her next lesson without having to bump into him. As she walks towards the door when the professor walks up to her "Ms Lestrange, may I see you for a moment?"
She freezes for a moment but walks over the desk, watching as McGonagall flicks her wand and closes the door leaving the two witches alone in the classroom.
"I heard about the incident regarding Mr Longbottom - "
Great. "Professor that wasn't - "
"Toffee?"
Lilith sits there for a moment stunned, not quite sure she just heard what she did.
"Excuse me professor?"
"Would you like a toffee?" The elderly Witch holds out a tin and Lilith is more than confused, she didn't like them, but she reaches forward, taking one of the wrapped sweets from the tin.
"Now, I would never encourage physical violence against a student, especially from a prefect."
"Professor I didn't - "
McGonagall holds up a hand and Lilith stops talking.
"I am aware of your history with Longbottom." The two witches stare at each other for what feels like an eternity to her. "So, I do appreciate you standing up for him."
Lilith is fiddling with the toffee in her hands. "I don't go near Neville usually. I know he despises me."
'I don't think Mr Longbottom has it in him to despise anyone."
She hoped that was true, but she didn't really believe it. The professor starts to talk about proper protocol for dealing with bullying, but Lilith's mind starts to wander. McGonagall had taught at the school for years; she must have taught her -
"Lestrange, are you listening to me?"
"Yes." She quickly responds. "Sorry professor."
The teachers look at her uneasily for a moment. "What wrong Lestrange?"
Lilith bites her lip for a moment while she ponders, couldn't hurt, right?
"I suppose...I was wondering, what were they... I mean, my parents were they ever just..." She doesn't even really know what to ask, or how to ask it. "You taught them…so…."
The silence seems to engulf the two of them and Lilith wishes she had kept her mouth shut. But the professor starts to talk.
"Your father was quiet, kept to himself mostly...but your mother - " Lilith is waiting for McGonagall to answer, but the older witch seems to be stalling. "Well, she could be very cruel." She says honestly, Lilith was expecting her to lie for some reason.
She's still fiddling with the toffee in her hands. "I can be cruel." She remarks, guilt washing over her.
"I believe her cruelty came from a place of Malice, rather than hurt."
Lilith swallows hard, wishing she was on her way to her next lesson.
"Now, If I hear anymore incidents about you and your fellow Slytherins I will tell Professor Snape, is that clear?"
"Yes professor. I'm sorry." She remarks as she starts to walk towards the door.
"Oh, and Ms Lestrange? You know how to dance, don't you?"
Lilith has a sudden daydream of McGonagall asking her to the Yule ball. "In what context...professor."
"Well I'm aware your Uncle holds parties for the more well to do in the wizarding community. And with the Yule Ball approaching I wanted to teach my students how - "
"How not to crush each other's feet at the dance?" She interrupts.
The professor smiles. "Exactly. Would you mind assisting?"
It was the last thing she wanted to do. She couldn't imagine anything worse that having to teach a bunch of people who hated her how to not be clumsy oafs.
"Professor, I would like to but - " McGonagall is staring at her and Lilith lets out a sigh. "I'd love to. Just, let me know when. " She says with a fake smile before heading off to divination, shoving the sweet into her robes.
"Of course, potter would have been chosen, it's not as if there's anyone else in this school who could possibly compete apart from magical orphan himself."
Lilith rolls her eyes. She had been listening to her cousin rant about Harry Potter for almost a week now, ever since the Triwizard cup had picked him it had been Potter this and Potter that. She was starting to resent the name entirely.
"It's just so typical. There isn't a single thing in this school that Potter doesn't get his teeth into."
"You know Draco you're starting to sound exactly like your father."
"And what's wrong with that?"
Lilith scoffs. How long did she have?
"Well, hopefully the idiot falls off his broom and he can't compete." Draco murmurs from his spot on the sofa opposite.
"I'm starting to think you might be jealous?"
"Jealous?!" He almost spits at her. "I'm not jealous of Potter."
"Well why wouldn't you be? When people refer to him it's the boy who lived, with you it's incredible bouncing ferret."
She tries not to laugh at his now furious face. "I told you, father is going to deal with that oaf Mad eye."
"We'll see, won't we?" She sighs. "Draco, I actually wanted to talk to you about - " She knows it's going to bring up more questions than she wants, but she did promise Fred. "About Longbottom."
"What about him?" Draco says with a sneer.
"You have got to stop bullying him. You need to get your little lackeys to back off."
Draco raises an eyebrow, clearly confused.
"Why? it's only Longbottom?"
Lilith knew Draco didn't know, and she was intending on keeping it that way.
"Because your little morons are constantly losing us house points, and wouldn't it be nice to win for once?"
It was the only excuse she could think of that was glaringly obvious. Draco huffs and she accepts that as a yes. So, she changed the subject.
"Who are you going to the Yule ball with?"
"Haven't decided. All the girls fighting over me?" He says smugly.
She wants to throw up in her mouth.
"Pansy won't shut up about it. So, can you please do me a favour and get it over with so when I eat my breakfast in peace, I don't want to throw it up."
Draco smirks. "Maybe, need to see what my options are."
"Your option is Pansy, so take it."
"Well, who are you going with? Also, my mother said you need to tell her which dress to send if you're not buying a new one."
"I'm going to look with Cordelia today actually, and besides it's not like there's anyone at this school I would go with."
"Well when I was with Victor Krum the other day - "
"Stalking more like." she mutters under her breath.
"I heard a few of those Durmstrung boys talking about you."
Lilith can feel the sick again. "Excuse me while I wait with bated breath..."
"Come on Lestrange!" She suddenly hears Cordelia call as she makes her way up from the Dormitories. "I need to find something stunning to wear to the yule ball that makes my date cu - oh, look, it's Ferret Boy."
Draco slams down the book he just picked up and marches out of the room, much to Cordelia's delight.
Lilith sighs as she stood from the sofa, discarding her book. "Are you ever going to stop calling him that?"
"When it stops being funny I will, so, no." Cordelia says with a smug smile.
Lilith sat in the armchair outside of the dressing room in Gladrags, listening to Cordelia from behind the curtain as she squeezed herself into another dress. It had been over an hour now and she could feel her stomach start to rumble as she leaned back in the chair.
"Can we please get something to eat soon, I'm starving!"
"Yes alright! Just hold on!"
Cordelia exists the dressing room in the tight fitting assemble, admiring herself in the mirror. "So?" She asks, fixing the straps. "Mother wanted to send me a dress from home but I'm not wearing something I've already worn."
"It's...very Green, and uh - " She gestures to her chest and Cordelia smiled. "Well, I can't show it off the rest of the time, I might as well now. oh!" She spins around and cast a disgusted look at Lilith.
"What's this I hear about you playing with Gryffindors?"
Lilith almost fell out of the chair. "What?"
"Well I heard you practically strangled Goyle trying to stop him beating up some pathetic fourth year."
She feels slight relief. She thought for a minute someone had seen her with Fred.
"Those two morons my cousin calls friends are constantly losing Slytherin points. Besides, the little prat deserved it."
"I suppose. I thought you were going soft for a moment." Cordelia sighs. "Oh, go try something, you said you would."
Lilith lets out a huff, but she had been eyeing the dress by the window. "Fine. Only if it will get you to shut up and then get some food."
"I'll get you a pumpkin pasty."
"You know I can't stand those" She sighs as she heads over to the dresses while Cordelia admires herself in the mirror again.
"Well, this is a maybe I suppose."
Lilith stood in the dressing room looking down at the soft material, her fingers playing with the fabric. God why had she picked the red dress. She rolls her eyes, she knows exactly why, but it was stupid to say the least.
"Are you decent?"
The curtain pulls back and Cordelia stands there mouth slightly ajar.
"Oh god Lilith, that's very red."
"What's wrong with red?" Lilith sighs as she walks past her and goes to look in the mirror.
"Nothing." Cordelia says. "It's just...red. It looks nice, I suppose."
Lilith can't help but note the jealously in her tone. "I'm not sure I like the neckline, it's too high."
"You could always enchant it black, that is more your colour."
The bell from the door rings but Lilith doesn't turn as she stares at herself in the mirror. Maybe Cordelia was right, maybe it was too red?
"Fucking hell." She hears Cordelia murmurs. "I think they might be stalking you."
Lilith finally turns her head to see Fred and George entering the shop and suddenly she wishes the floor would open and swallow her whole.
"Merlin's beard." She hears George mumble and he yanks Fred's arm, but she sees the grin on his face as he heads in their direction.
"Oh look, it's Father Time, and Father stupid." Cordelia says first.
"Oh look, it's the wicked bitch of north." Fred says with a smirk.
Cordelia arches an eyebrow. "What?"
"It's a muggle reference." George answers on his twin's behalf.
"And not even the right one." Lilith chimes up, noticing Fred's slight smile.
"I'm surprised you're in here." Cordelia scoffs. "Even the socks are out of your price range."
As they exchange insults, she can see Fred staring at her, his eyes wandering up and down, and when they finally meet hers again, he smiles slightly, and she snaps her head back to the mirror. They hadn't spoken since the library despite his smug looks and constant stares, not to mention she had received a letter at breakfast Wednesday morning with the same scruffy handwriting which was currently under her bed as she couldn't bring herself to open it.
"Does the person you're going with know they are going with a soul sucking Dementor?" Fred asks Cordelia. She notices the look on Cordelia's face in the mirror and suddenly wants to smack Fred. Yes, Cordelia was stuck up, a snob and pretty much despised anyone that wasn't a Slytherin or pure blood, but she was still one of the few in the school hadn't tormented her at some point so that counted for something.
"Fred that's a bit rude." George chimes up. "I would say more banshee like if you ask me."
She had enough.
"So which house elves are you two taking to the dance." Lilith remarks and she sees Fred's flash of confusion. "Actually, that's probably still punching above your weight."
She takes Cordelia's arm and starts to lead her away. "Now if you don't mind, we have better things to do than be seen with - " She looks them up and down. "Well, it's not as if you're anyone, are you?"
She can feel Fred's eye burning into her as they disappear back into the changing rooms.
"What's wrong with you?"
They were in potions; Lilith was slicing the stewed mandrake while Cordelia mixed the potion. The events from the previous day was still weighing heavily on her mind. Yes, she had been mean, only slightly in her opinion, to the Fred and George but she had only done it in Cordelia's defence. Besides, that wasn't what was ruining her mood, it was the letter she has received at breakfast that morning.
"Nothing."
Cordelia looks back behind her shoulder and Lilith knows she's staring at the twins who had been glaring at the back of Cordelia's head moments ago. "Oh, for god sake you're still not mopping about the twins, are you?"
"No." She sighs back.
"What is it then?"
Lilith groans and checks Snape isn't looking as she pulls the letter out from under her book and slides it across the table so Cordelia can read it too. Her mouth drops slightly.
"Fudge's son?"
Lilith grimaces as she keeps cutting. "It was only the parties at first but now they keep inviting them both to the house for bloody tea." She says with disgust. "Now he won't stop writing to me."
Cordelia smirks. "I've met him. He's quite handsome. Bit handsy."
'Tell me about it." Lilith murmurs, knowing too well how handsy he could be.
"You're going to say yes, right?"
"Fred stop adding so bloody much!" The yell comes from the back of the dungeon and suddenly Snape is marching past them.
"I've already told him no three times, but he keeps asking."
There's a sudden massive bang from back of the classroom and black smoke stares to fill the air, forcing the students to choke as they run out of the dungeons. They are spluttering in the hallway and coughing when Fred and George finally emerge laughing hysterically, covered in black soot and whatever remnants of the potion that didn't end up on the dungeon ceiling.
Snape is suddenly in the hallways and the twins immediately shut up, but still with wide grins on both their faces. "Only you two idiots could mess up something as simple as an Oculus potion!"
"It was his fault!" They chimed in unison pointing at each other and several students hold back their laughs after receiving angry glares from Snape.
"You two morons have ruined one too many of my classes for the last time. You will both serve detention with me for rest of the week and as of next lesson you will be split up! The rest of you have the twins to thank for your new potions partners."
There are several groans amongst the students and the twins suddenly stop smiling.