The Ice Queen [s.b.]

↠smile like that again, 1.8

The next morning, Annalee avoids Dorothy and Regulus like the plague. She spends the entire day with Marlene, Alice, Dorcas, and Lily. They have potions, transfiguration, and charms together.

"Ms. Fawley, Ms. Evans, Mr. Potter, and Mr. Black, please stay after class," Professor Flitwick commands during charms.

The four children do.

"What's this about, Professor?" Lily asks, polite as always. Meanwhile, Anna is busy denying her feelings and glaring at an uncomfortable Sirius.

"Your other professors and I have agreed that we would like to start a dueling association. Professor Dumbledore picked you four himself. We ask you not to tell anyone, even your other friends. Just while we measure it's enjoyability," Flitwick explains.

Lily beams. "We'll get started tonight."

"Hey!" Sirius protests. "Speak for yourself, woman!"

"Don't talk to my Lily-flower that way, Padfoot," James says stubbornly.

"Here we go," Anna mutters. Lily snorts.

"Lily is the queen of everything-"

"-except ice, that's Anna-" Lily interrupts.

"-and must be treated as such!" James declares.

Anna and Sirius face-palm in congruency. Then glare at each other for doing the same thing at the same time.

"I'm in for tonight. It's not like we have anything better to do anyways," Anna decides.

"If Fawley's doing it, I guess I will," Sirius mumbles.

Flitwick looks mildly amused at the fourth years.

Lily claps her hands, "Great! Then it's settled! The Come and Go room, nine o'clock."

"The Come and Go room?" James and Sirius ask at the same time.

Anna laughs, "You call yourself marauders, but you don't even know the best place in the castle? That's rich, Potter. Thank you for that. I needed a good laugh after the day I had. Bye, Lily. See you three tonight."

She waltzes out of the room (much to Lily's chagrin) where Marlene, Alice, and Dorcas are waiting for her. Together, they walk to dinner.

At dinner, Anna collects glares from the other Gryffindors. Funnily enough, her fellow Slytherins pay her no mind. Probably because they're scared of her, but whatever. 

On her way back to the Slytherin common room after dinner, Anna is intercepted by a couple sixth year Gryffindors who seem to have forgotten that Anna earned the role of Queen. She wasn't born into it.

"Why are you sitting at our table? Lily and her friends are perfectly nice, they don't need you corrupting them," an especially ugly brunette confronts.

Calmly, Anna says, "I'm happy to play nice with insolent mutts - for the better of you, of course - but I don't have to. If you'd like me to abandon such pretenses, and school your sorry (butts) I am perfectly happy to. But that wouldn't look good, would it? Five sixth year Gryffindors getting beat by a single fourth year Slytherin. No, that wouldn't look good at all."

"Please. Like you could," a blonde calls.

A serene smile passes over Anna's face. "I'm called the Ice Queen for a reason, you know. Last chance to back away."

A redheaded boy snorts. "Why would we do that? You're just a bratty child. You can't do any damage."

"I think you're forgetting when she beat a seventh year in her first year," the surprising voice of Dorothy Hawkins swoops in. "But please, go ahead. Provoke a Fawley. See what happens."