The Lion and the Snake

That night I was sitting at my usual spot at the Slytherin table, surrounded by the followers I had gained through my name, lost in thought. I had promised Gwenevere – or Gwen as she told me to call her – that I would meet up with her again the next day. What has gotten into me?

"You are going to be the death of me…" I had not even meant it as a joke. If my father, or mother ever found out about my affiliation with this muggle-born, life, as I know it, would be over. All the Slytherin pupils that had I had gathered around me would shun me, all of my family would despise me, I would loose all rights to inherit any of my families wealth or name. Of course not the entire wizarding world functioned this way, there were many muggle-born witches and wizards in high-ranking places throughout our world, but my world functioned this way.

My gaze moved from my food to my family that was seated in the high chairs of the teacher's table. My father next to my mother and my brother, Shade. Shade had also taken up a teaching position. My sister Slaza had left the premises of the castle shortly after her graduation, marrying a well-renowned pureblood named Paverell. It had been my fathers' wish. The Paverell's had money and status, moreover, they were known for harbouring the same opinions on blood importance as our family and held high positions in the Wizards' Council.

Still lost in the world of my thoughts, I focused my eyes on my father. He was very tall, not even Gryffindor had his height. But instead of being broad and muscular like the other Founder, he was lean and rather skinny. His cheeks seemed to have sunken into his face a it as his cheekbones were set very high, but he covered this up with the beard he had started growing a few years ago when his the hair on his head had left him. He seemed to be in a rather foul mood today. His eyes ringed with dark circles and a glare sparkling in them whenever he looked at his fellow Founders. They had fought again…

With a sigh I looked at my mother. Thankfully I had gotten most of my looks from her. She had the same willowing black hair and big ice blue eyes as I did. The full naturally red lips and the sand-clock figure. The only thing I had gotten from my father was the high cheekbone, which however complimented my cheeks, instead of making them look sunken in.

My brothers came fully after my father though. Not that it was a bad thing. With their hair still in place and without sprouting the beard my father was so proud of, the thin face and the high cheekbones had already swooned many girls.

My eyes moving towards the other side of the table, I quickly looked over the other teachers and the Founders. Gryffindor – tall, broad and blond – was sitting next to Ravenclaw, a beauty like my mother, with her black hair hanging down in locks and the jewelled diadem upon her head. Next to my father, Ravenclaw was my favourite teacher in this castle. She had also taken a liking towards me, which meant that she often summoned me to her office to discuss my process in spells and ask for my opinion on her new designs for the school. Probably her most ingenious idea had been the moving staircases, and I had helped her with that!

On her other side sat her husband, an intelligent man, but nowhere near Rowena's genius. And then there was Helga Hufflepuff. She was a truly sweet person, but Sky couldn't stand her one bit. No one can be this charitable and even though cunningness is supposed to be one of my father's traits; Hufflepuff came very near to overdoing him in this. She had been the charitable Hufflepuff, taking in all the pupils that the other Founders found unworthy for their own house, but have you ever noticed how many pupils she had? Or how many of them to have later turned out to have been very much suited for one of the other houses? If you ask me, she had had the right idea. Take them all. If it ever came to a fight between the Founders, who's ever side she was on would win. Just by the sheer size of her following and the hidden talents she had found and nurtured in all of them.

I tore my eyes away from the teacher's table and found myself looking at the Gryffindor table that was placed on the other side of the Great Hall we were sitting in. They were the loudest of the tables, as mainly wizards made the cut for the lion's house. They were all cheering and laughing at some stories that were told over the dinner and even the girls seemed to have looked into the goblet of wine in front of them a bit too deeply. One of the loudest of the witches was Gwen. She was loudly telling the people around her about how one of her fellow Gryffindors had been struggling against a centaur and had ripped his pants after managing to roll in the dirt and missing every spell he fired at the centaur. The people around her were laughing loudly and patting the back of one in their midst – I'm guessing that he was the poor fellow that the story was praising.

I sighed and came back to the question that had been plaguing my mind all night. What was I thinking? Not only was she a Gryffindor, but also of a lowborn muggle family. What lady with any self respect would be standing on her chair and hollering out into the crowed?

"Can you believe her?" I suddenly heard a girl next to me say. Looking around again, I stopped my train of thought.

"What?" I said, not having listened to anything that had been going on around me.

"That Ballard girl, can you believe her? The nerve! Hollering around like some drunk mule," the girl said, a look of disgust crossing her face.

I stayed quiet. Quite honestly, I was jealous of Gwen's freedom. She did not have to be proper at all times; she could have fun when she wanted to. So what if she embarrassed herself a little? At least she had enjoyed the time.

"She does rather seem to be enjoying the wine a bit too much," I said, when I saw Gwen stumble on her chair after gesturing wildly. One of the wizards around her had stabilized her again – with a hand on her buttocks. And the hand was still there. Setting my jaw, I very carefully slipped out my wand and pointed it under the table at the goblet of the "helpful" wizard. The goblet tipped over by itself and the red wine that had been in it spilled over the wizard's robes. Startled, he let go of Gwen's buttocks and tried to get the red liquid off of his robes.

Noticing that the goblet could not have spilled by itself, Gwen looked around the room, until she caught my glaring eyes and my stiffly set jaw. She frowned a bit, but quickly slipped off the bench and sat down again. The girl next to me was laughing.

"Good one," she giggled, clapping her hands stupidly.

"Huh?" I looked over again and could have cursed myself. The girl next to me had noticed how I had sent the spell to the Gryffindor table!

"That pig had it coming," the girl said, noticing me glance at her coolly. "Although, I would have probably spilled her goblet as well, she should have rid herself of his hand herself," she added, trying to keep me in the conversation with her. My brother looked up from his conversation with on off his goons and caught my eye.

I shrugged, nonchalantly and looked at the food that was laid out in front of me. "It doesn't really matter, does it?" I said coldly and began eating again as if nothing happened. Inside I was roaring. I was cursing Gwen for allowing some guy to touch her, I was cursing myself for letting it phase me, I was cursing the girl next to me for noticing and alerting my brother. If my family got wind of me helping out a muggleborn… even if it was just something small like this, who knew what would happen.

I bit my lip softly, as my brother looked the girl that ad talked to me up and down. I could see him memorising her face so that he could later ask her about what had happened. But then his interest wavered and he turned back to talk to his goon again.

I took the chance to glance over at the girl again. She was two years below me, the same grade as my brother and quite low ranking our group of followers. Her parents, although pureblood did not have any special positioning's or wealth. She was blond, with blue eyes and a nice face. "McFerrin, correct?" I asked her softly. I needed to make sure she would never tell my brother about this.

She looked at me surprised and started to grin "Yes!"

It was her first time that she had been able to snatch a seat beside me, and the first time I had directly talked to her alone in five years. She had never caught my interest in any way. Not excelling in her studies, in status or in looks, she had always seemed rather unimportant.

I looked away again. "Why don't you join me later for a game of chess?" I asked with a stony face that my family perfected.

Everyone around me turned quiet and I saw my brother shoot me a swift meaningful glance. He knew what I was trying to do. In the corner of my eyes, I saw her eyes widen in shock. But the shock was quickly replaced by a broad smile as she accepted.

A murmur went around the table. I had never before asked someone in the lower grades to spend time with me and even if, they would not have expected me to ask someone as low ranking as her. I looked around at them all in distain. These people were all cockroaches. None were my friends and none cared for me, only the position I could grant them. I was a steppingstone towards my father. If I placed a good word in my father's ears about anyone, I could ensure them a high-ranking position wherever they wanted to go, and they knew that.

I had enough for today. I slowly stood up from my chair and waited for one of the wizards around me to quickly pull it out for me. When that happened, I send a soft nod to my brother and started moving along the row of tables towards my family. From the corner of my eyes, I saw that the girl, McFerrin, also stood up and followed me. Sighing, I ignored her and left her standing at the stairs base as I walked up to the teacher's table.

"Good evening, father, mother. I wanted to excuse myself," I stated formally when I stood in front of them.

My father looked up at me, "Are you feeling alright?" I could see a shimmer of concern in his gaze as he took in my face for any signs of discomfort.

I smiled, "Yes, I'm perfectly well. Just cant stand the cockroaches around me any longer." I told him honestly and he laughed. My father had a nice laugh, full of feeling.

"Don't let them slimy bastards bother you, lovely," he told me glint of laughter still in his eyes. I know from what I have said earlier, you would have expected him to be very strict and sinister, but he was nothing like that at all. He was a truly great and charismatic man that people couldn't help but fall in love with, but he was also stubborn and set in his ways. His fun and loving nature could swiftly turn into hells wrath if you weren't careful.

His gaze swept down to the foot of the stairs a few meters behind me. "Who is that girl following you around?"

I sighed, "McFarrin's, her name, I asked her to play a game of chess with me."

My father arched one of his eyebrows at me. "McFarrin? Why her?"

I shrugged; we were getting into dangerous waters. "She was sitting next to me today and I felt charitable."

His gaze lingered on me. "Don't give your favours to random people just because you feel charitable," he said, staring at me intensely. I swallowed hard.

"Yes, father. It won't happen again," I said, looking down on the floor.

"Oh well, enjoy your chess game with the charity case," he said and dismissed me.

"Thank you."

Sending a swift smile to my mother, I turned around and walked to the girl. "Come," I simply stated and walked passed her, down the long tables and out of the door, only briefly moving my fixed gaze from the door when I walked passed Gwen and caught her eyes in mine.