Of Blood and Serpents

Year One.

Chapter Two:

Bollocks!

She never thought she could be so exhausted by one day, or learn too much in one day. She'd been wrong. Her first day hadn't exactly been a disaster.. no not really, but then again it hadn't been the best of days either. Not by a long run. It had began as she assumed most days would, waking up getting ready for the morning, introductions to a few of her new fellows. In her first year dormitory there were seven girls, Sid, Piper, Trixie, Mona, Astor, Netra, and more prominently Carmella. Lily despised the girl as soon as her high pitched voice snarled from beside her cot.

“Get your Mud-blood hands off my robes Netty!” She shrieked and shocked by the generally taboo insult Lily's eyes flew open, Carmella serving as a foul mouthed alarm clock. Lily's quick jolt drew the eyes from the gaggle of girls.

“oh well lookie here, suppose the lumps finally woken up.” Carmella sneered, flicking her hair over her shoulder and staring at Lily with half lidded unwarranted annoyance in her eyes.

As it turns out 'Nettie' or Netra was not actually a mud-blood, rather that was Carmella's insult to anyone that made her irritated enough, non too eagerly Lily introduced herself to the group, earning a haughty half raised brow and a twitch in her lip from Carmella.

Cow.

Lily scowled as soon as the girl had turned away and began getting ready. By the time she begrudgingly followed the girls to breakfast Lily was not in the best of moods, feeling as if a cloud had suddenly been cast over her day she felt like all scowls. Breakfast only served to worsen her morning.

“So Lily,” Carmella didn't raise her eyes from the toast she was buttering, simply batting her eye lashes before taking her bite. Lily paused looking up from her bowl of porridge to see that the girl was taking her time chewing before she continued. The small pick me up she received from the smell of fresh baked morning goods turned sour. She cleared her throat before continuing. “Whats you lineage like?” Lily stared at the girl, again caught off guard by her audacity.

“E-excuse me?” Her spoon was frozen half way from the bowl as Carmella batted her eye lashes again, Mona on her right staring at her while Nettie glanced shyly up from her hash browns on the girls left.

“You heard me, your obviously not a mud blood if your made it into Slytherin, so what? Is your family pure blood?” Honestly she didn't know, or care in particular whether she was a 'pure blood' or not. It wouldn't matter if she knew Severus's lineage anyways because Biologically they weren't even related. Caught between wanting to tell the girl to bugger off, but also yearning for a small amount of acceptance from her she hesitated to answer. She didn't have many friends, if any (she wasn't sure if she should count Terra), but that didn't mean she didn't want friends or to be accepted. Lily finished her bite of porridge giving her a little time to contemplate what she should say exactly.I mean, she knew that she was obviously related somehow to the Salazar Slytherin's lineage, her parseltongue was enough evidence of that wasn't it? But what Severus had told her.. 'you must never speak of it to anyone Lillian' he told her his eyes scorching hers. Still staring at her bowl she spoke loud enough over the morning chatter.

“I'm not sure exactly but my father is the potions master here, Severus Snape?” She swallowed her uncertainties, forcing the words out to be smooth and just as condescending as the girl across from her. Carmella raised her brow.

“Never heard of him.” She told her quickly her eyes flashing as if to say 'because he's a nobody. “The potions master though? Perhaps my father knows him then. Daddy has all sorts of connections.” Lily fought the urge to roll her eyes and went back to eating her food, ignoring Carmella's obvious hint for her to ask who her father was and what her lineage was like. Lily hoped with as much hope as she could muster that they'd have separate schedules and she'd be allowed a reprieve from them, but apparently she had no such luck.

Lily had, just like four of the other Slytherin girls had- transfiguration, Charms, Broom lessons, Defence against the dark arts, and potions. Along with Carmella she was stuck with Nettie, Mona, and Piper. Though Carmella and Mona seemed like right gits, Lily was hoping that Nettie and Piper had more prospect and decency than the other rest of the morning wasn't too terrible, Transfiguration went all right, mostly notes really and Lily managed to snag a seat beside Piper. The girl had long dark brown auburn air and a generally blank expression, or solemn maybe?

It was hard to tell but Lily preferred to think it was a friendlier 'blank' too, was mostly an introductory class which went by smoothly, unless you count Carmella attempting to curse a Hufflepuff girl who sat in front of them. Attempting being the focus word there, the most she did was make her wand sizzle causing the girl to turn back and glare at the , the time of which Lily stared yearningly at the Gryffindor table looking for Terra before giving up and excusing herself to the dormitories to lay in her bed and to rub out her headache, then to begrudgingly raise again when it ended. Looking forward to potions class was really what kept Lily focused, she honestly couldn't wait to see Severus again, and though she didn't expect to be favoured or anything she actually just wanted to be in the comfort of his presence. Hoping that maybe he'd be able to ease her out of her bad mood and maybe he'd intimidate Carmella into shutting up. Like really hoping.

“So this is your fathers class?” Piper asked sounding dreary or even mournful, Lily was finding the blank, impassive expression on her features was firmly in place. Before Lily could turn to her left to answer the girl Carmella butted in.

“Oh right, I nearly forgot Lil, didn't you say your fathers the potions master?” Carmella wedged herself verbally and literally between the girls and Lily scowled, anger rearing its ugly head in her chest threatening to snap.

“Its Lily,” She snapped before she could check herself, her eyes flashing in irritation that made Carmella flush, “But yes, my this is my fathers class.” She finished before she was overwhelmed with shame, or embarrassment and throwing open the dungeon door she kept her head forward to keep Carmella to see her cheeks burning. Surprise crept up on her while she took her seat in the second to front row, surprise to feel satisfied. Biting her lip she almost wished she'd added 'and you must need a remembrall if you can't remember something from this morning!' Lily kept her eyes trained ahead hardly wanting to look to her side as the seat next to her shifted and filled. Almost shyly she finally glanced over to see Piper had filled the spot.

She exhaled in sheepish relief as Piper too glanced to her and her mouth moved into a shy but definite smile. Lily felt her stomach warm a bit, and returned the smile before setting her cauldron on the table and shifting expectantly as the door slammed shut and the dark black robed figure that may have been mistaken as a shadow revealed himself in the front of the class. Severus with his sallow complexion and greasy parted hair eyed the first year Gryffindor's who shifted uncomfortably under his black glittering eyes before he turned them to the Slytherin table.

“Silence.” The quiet order even made the chatty Carmella shut her mouth, especially when his eyes stopped on her moving mouth. His robes rustled as he stepped across the chilled stone floor and began the tedious registry of the students.

“Hogwog, Carmella..” Lily glanced at Piper with a raised brow, her hopefully new found friend sending back a humoured glance. “Snape, Lillian,” Lily poked her hand up though it was unnecessary as her presence was obvious to him, “Sandalwood, Terranah, ” Lily snapped her head to the side seeing Terra poke her hand from the Gryffindor table and giving her a shy secretive sort of wave gesture as she lowered her hand. Lily felt much better, another spring of happiness cooling her mood as she turned her head back to the front. “Whinox, Piper..” He droned on monotonously until the list had finished and as all proved present he rolled the parchment back up and set it on the table beside him.

“Now, I do not expect many of you to enjoy the art of potion making.” His black eyes roamed the room many students finding themselves uncomfortable beneath them, Lily certainly was not. She smiled at him once, and stayed acutely aware of every word. “The few who can learn to appreciate the intrinsic methods may learn to harness the will of others, to wrap luck around their fingers and even how to evade death.” Lily's parchment rustled as she unrolled it, recognizing that soon they would have to begin taking notes

“Plants such as -

~~~~~~

So maybe the day hadn't been too bad... just exhausting and Lily could already tell that her little 'comment' had put her on Carmella's bad side (she still couldn't manage to regret it though). And, even with the grimy parts (all having something or rather to do with Carmella) she had become closer to Piper which was a pleasing turn of events. Nettie she was finding only seemed nice, but acted like Carmella's simpering lap dog.

As Carmella's crowd surged past Piper and Lily towards the girls dormitories Lily stopped.

“Would you like to just-.”

“Stay out here for awhile?” Piper finished nodding and brushing her auburn hair from her face, choosing the love seat in front of the fire to sit. Hesitating to make a decision Lily chose to sit across from Piper in the arm chair, setting her potions gear in the empty space beside her.

“So, what do you think of that lot?” Relaxing in the loveseat her stiffness began to ease as she became visibly more comfortable, the stoic expression that Lily thought was usual for the girl easing into something softer. Lily fidgeted with the couches fabric with her long spider fingers, her cheeks heating as she stared into the fire. She was uneasy about answering the girl, perhaps fearing a backlash from her for revealing what she really thought. She wasn't exactly well experienced in showing or voicing her emotions. Being with Severus, and trying to fall beneath the stares of students while she stayed with Hagrid had kept her quite private. She entertained the idea she enjoyed it that way. So, almost shyly she stared into the almost silently crackling flames of the empty common room.

“I dunno.” She shrugged tugging her robes to hide her fingers as she shifted, moving her arm to rest her chin on her palm.

“Bollocks.” the girl retorted, hardly raising her voice above that of her normal tone. Lily looked at the girl in surprise, her cheeks burning and a frown about to pull her brows together. “You think they're prats just like I do.” She finished and Lily's defensive retort dropped in place of surprise. Though Pipers expression hadn't changed from being placid Lily could tell she was being honest. Playfully Lily's lip quirked.

“Maybe more along the lines of gits really...”

“Daft gits.” Piper added and the girls shared a small smile and when it died down Piper filled the quiet. “So your father seems-”

“A little intense eh?” Lily guessed before she could finish but Piper shook her head.

“I was going to say 'like a good teacher' but your not off, he's a little...” This time Lily was confident she was finishing the girls sentence properly.

“Scary?” Piper smiled.

“Yeah,” She admitted. “He like that all the time?”

“Uh huh, s'not so bad once your used to it really, and I'd like to think he's more comfortable around me then most.”

“Of course, he is your father in'he?” The question was meant to be rhetorical but it caused Lily to pause almost wanting to correct her. To say 'well technically...' but she decided against it and smiled pleasantly anyways, rather to not have to go into a long explanation. She just wanted to keep it simple.

“Yeah.” She brushed her hair from her cheek lazily.

---------~~

It was three days before Lily and Piper had enough gall and irritation built over from the three days to shove themselves off from the posse at lunch. Lily surprised herself by being the one to do it too.

“We're staying in the great hall,” Carmella pointed out as Lily and Piper stood, attempting to flex her will over others by making her tone condescending she scowled at the two. Piper and her really had hoped that the girls wouldn't notice, after all they weren't really even privy to their conversations and both of them had just about enough of following the prats around for the past few days. Finding her annoyance peaking Lily scowled right back.

“Actually me and Piper aren't Carmella, see you in class.” She snapped grabbing Pipers wrist while lifting her napkin of food with her other hand. Her ears humming with blood she filled again satisfaction from the squeak of breath caught in Carmella's throat as her face twisted into an ugly blotchy scowl.

Piper Giggled from behind Lily as she shuffled along beside her, her brown eyes and face as serene as ever if not a little mischievous.

“You know you can have a brilliant mouth on you if you want to.” The tension in Lily's walk eased the further they got away from the great hall and as a cool burst of air hit her her pace too slowed.

“She just-”

“Makes you want to ring her neck?” The girls smiled and pressed closer together as they passed through a group of older students. Staying in the dry overhang of the courtyard they decided to bunker down on the stone floor further from their peers to finish their lunch. Spreading the napkin which she'd sneakily gathered food into before her departure Lily spread out the goodies, Piper grabbing a sliced piece of bread and taking a piece of the cutlery to spread jelly over it. Sitting her back against the cold stone tiles, Lily played with an apple.

“Do you ever wonder.... if the sorting hat sometimes puts students in the wrong house Piper?” She asked, decidedly voicing something that had beginning to nag the corner of her mind. Finishing chewing her friend looked out to the courtyard, watching the leaves swirl and dance on the cool moist air.

“I dunno, I suppose,” She shrugged, looking at Lily. “Why? Do you think you should be somewhere else?”

“Sometimes I wonder,” Lily wrinkled her nose earnestly. “It wanted to put me into Gryffindor or Ravenclaw at first.”

“What made it change its mind?” Lily paused, reliving for a moment when the hat encased her in darkness, the image that flashed beneath her closed eyes.

“I thought of Severus, I guess I wanted to make him proud.” Lily admitted sheepishly, taking a bite of her apple.

“It wanted to stick me in Ravenclaw.” Piper smiled shifting and nibbling her bread. Lily looked up from her apple, her green eyes curious.

“What happened for you?”

“Well.. you know that song the hat sang in before we were sorted? I really wasn't sure what sort of house I was going to be in until I heard it. You remember the way it went? ' Or perhaps in Slytherin-

“You'll make your real friends, those cunning folk use any means to achieve their ends..'” They finished it together, Piper's eyes shining in the dull light.

“I thought it was nice, the friends part anyways, I haven't had many friends.” Feeling surprise Lily blinked incredulously.

“Why?”

“Me dad and mum travel a bunch, and there weren't many children...”

“Huh.” Lily took a bite of her apple, then raised her head curiously as a voice carried across the courtyard.

“LILY!” The voice boomed suddenly causing both girls to jump and search for the source of the voice. Finally Terra came into view, waving furiously, her feet pounding the ground as she ran pink cheeked towards her. She stopped just short of the girls, wheezing and bending down, wind blown and breathless.

“Terra.” Lily stared at her friend in surprise, the girl plopping unceremoniously on the stone between the two girls forming a triangle.

“Aren't you going to introduce us?” Piper asked, her eyes slipping back behind a mask of resignation, eyeing Terra in wary reproach.

“Oh, yeah, sorry,” Lily cleared her throat suddenly feeling anxious. “Terra this is Piper, we have potions together.” Lily explained worriedly watching her friends. Terra shoved her hand out, hastily shaking Piper's with her usual grin, her frayed hair hanging dishevelled around her shoulders.

“Right, you were the girl that spilled the babbling beverage weren't you?” Piper pointed out Terra flushing crimson with embarrassment.

“I- uh yeah.” She mumbled dropping Pipers hand. Guilt creeping up on Lily she quickly changed the subject hoping to ease her friends discomfort.

“So how have you been?” Drawing her knees to her chest she wrapped her arms around them and set her chin.

“Oh, good! Gryffindor is excellent! You happy with your house?” Her wide blue eyes probed brimming with cheer.

“Yeah, I definitely don't regret it.” She replied exchanging a knowing smile with Piper.

“Excellent..” She cleared her throat, obviously approaching the point to her appearance. “I, kind of came over here to ask you for a favour?” She peeked up hopefully, drumming her fingers on her knee anxiously.

“I figured,” Lily admitted. “What is it?” the hopeful gleam returned to Terra's eyes.

“Oh, well I know how well your doing at potions and... well I'm doing dreadful,” She admitted shamefully. “I guess I was wondering if we could do our homework together? In the Library maybe?” She suggested. Worry passed over Lily, knowing she and Piper had started a routine of doing it together.. Biting her lip she looked to her friend across from her.

“Er, well I usually do my work with Piper, so if she doesn't-” Terra turned, eyes becoming pleading.

“Oh you wouldn't mind would you? I promise to try not to be a bother!” Piper shifted beneath the full glare of Terra's open eyed bird gaze.

“I suppose,” She ventured finally looking to Lily. “The common room was getting a little stuffy anyways.” She shrugged, Lily nodded. It was true the common room was getting stuffy, with Carmella's fat head in it all the time.

“Great! Thanks Pip! I won't forget!” Terra squeaked cheerfully, Piper paling as the nickname 'Pip' passed through Terra's lips. Lily tried not to giggle as Terra sprung up. “I'll see you tomorrow then, I should get back to my lot! Bye!” Terra finished breathlessly, grinning and practically skipping away.

“Well... I understand the nuisance of Gryffindor's now.” Piper scoffed, “ I mean Pip? Really?” Lily giggled covering her mouth.

“She really is sincere.” She insisted her mouth beginning to ache from smiling.

“If not a little daft.” 'Pip' shook her head, face easing back to forming different expressions. Before Lily could reply the bell tolled, bringing an end to their lunch hour to bring about another class. Sighing in resignation of having to spend another few hours with Carmella Lily begrudgingly stood, Piper patting her back as if reading her mind.

“At least we have each other.” And Lily had to agree, rather than imaging the alternative of standing up to Carmella on her own. It was not a pleasant thought.