The snake and the lion (Severus x OC)

6- The calm before the storm

From that day on, rumor had it that Rosalind Benson, the most beautiful, smartest and richest girl in 7th grade, was dating Severus Snape, a complete loser, coward and weakling who, to make matters worse, had a nose bigger than his own feet.

Rumors, of course, surrounded those interested, but they affected them in different ways.

Severus was the reason for his classmates' ridicule and envy in equal measure. On one hand, Rose was truly a beautiful girl, with charisma, and many would want to be in the place that Severus occupied every evening, but on the other, Rose was also a Gryffindor, and that made her a bigger piece of trash than a Slytherin could imagine.

Severus tried to take refuge from the snarky comments with Lucius and his friends, but it wasn't a good idea.

"I can't believe you're even talking to her," said Lucius, drawing out his words with his usual disdain. "I understand that you are attracted to her, after all, she is an attractive girl," he confessed, lowering his voice so that Narcissa wouldn't hear. "And she has also saved your skin. For that punch she gave to Black, I would put an altar to her. But you must not forget that she is a Gryffindor, Severus," he insisted, in his normal tone of voice, "and a mudblood, too. It could put you in danger, and you know it. Your reputation should not suffer because of a girl like that."

"I think I'll go for a walk," Severus tried to control himself and not punch Lucius in the face.

However, he couldn't help but hear his friend's words before leaving the common room.

"Listen to me, my friend. Have fun with her if that's what you want, but don't prolong it any longer. A mudblood isn't worth it."

Severus slammed the door shut, feeling his blood boil with fury.

Who did they think they were to talk about Rose like that? They, who had never cared about him more than when they needed help with homework or Potions assignments. Where were they every time Sirius and James picked on him, every time they humiliated him? Where were they when he needed to vent about what was on his mind? Where were they when he had nearly died in the lake?

Only Rose had been there, next to him, listening to him the entire time, asking for nothing in return other than a little understanding for her fears. Only she understood him and knew him. It was her only friend, Rose, who had given Sirius Black the black eye, not them, the ones who called themselves purebloods.

Compared to them, Rose was a goddess who towered above the trash. And how dare they insult her?

***

Rose also had to endure comments of all kinds.

Her classmates, who had always envied her for her body, her grades, and her friendship with the Marauders, now saw the ideal opportunity to take revenge on her and humiliate her.

"What's wrong, Benson, can't you find anyone better?"

"Is Sirius not good enough for you?"

"What a two-faced hypocrite, she goes around licking the teachers' asses and then hangs out with a Slytherin."

Rose showed off her willpower and sat down in an armchair in the common room, next to Lily, without uttering a single curse, even though she was repeating them in her mind at full speed. She was grateful for the lessons from her self-help books, since a few weeks ago she would not have been able to control her emotions that way.

"It seems like I'm the center of attention, don't you think?" she asked ironically.

"They are a bunch of envious cretins," Lily was finishing writing a paper on ancient runes. "Although, to tell you the truth, the way you punched Sirius, and the circumstances around it, were memorable."