A Serpent Among the Eagles

Chapter Six - First Day of Lessons

  Lily awoke earlier than the other girls in her dorm and hurried down to breakfast. As upset as she was, she still smiled at the memory of the look on her father's face when Dumbledore announced that it was time to sing the school song last night... and at the redheaded twins taking so long. She wondered if they were related to Ron Weasley, the redhead from the train.

  She silently nibbled on her bacon. She didn't usually eat much for breakfast, if anything. She watched others come in. Before long, Professor Flitwick came by with the schedules.

  "Hello, Professor."

  "Hello, Lily," he squeaked.

  She grinned, her first since the Sorting,  as he handed her her schedule.

  Her first lesson this morning was Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. As others were joining the table by now, she quickly got up and hurried along toward her class... Perhaps she could get a seat near the back, avoid the stares of other students...

  Not paying attention to where she was going, she ran into someone.

  "Oof!"

  "Oh! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to -"

  "No. Don't apologize, I -"

  "Should have been watching where I was going..."

  Both Lily and the stranger trailed off. She could see that he was one of the red-haired twins from last night.

  "Hullo," he said.

  "Hello. I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going."

  "No, it's fine... Hey, you're Lily!"

  She looked down. Of course he remembered who she was.

  "Yeah... I don't know who you are, though."

  "Well! I would have assumed, considering... You are related to Professor Snape, right?"

  "He's my father," replied Lily with a glare. "So what?"

  "I would have thought that dear old Severus would have spent hours preaching of the horrors of the Weasley twins! Perhaps we haven't caused enough mayhem. I'm George Weasley."

  He held out his hand, and she shook it. "No, he's never mentioned you, but we really don't... talk much."

  "Why were you in such a hurry?"

  "I was going to class..."

  "But class doesn't start for over an hour! Please don't say you're going to be some goody-two-shoes-Snape."

  "I might be." There was a bit of a michevious gleam in her eye. He grinned, but it soon faltered.

  "What happened to your eyes?"

  "Huh?"

  "They just went blue! You're a metamorphmagus!" His grin quickly returned.

  "I am," she replied, returning her eyes to their natural green color.

  "Is that what you really look like, then?"

  "All but for one feature that I keep hidden. A blemish, of sorts."

  "What?"

  "That's something I don't let people see... Maybe one day, in the future, but not now."

  "Okay.'

  Suddenly they were joined by Harry.

  "Hullo, Lily."

  "Hi, Harry."

  They looked at George and said simultaneously: "Hi, George."

  George looked from one to the other, his expression one of surprise.

  "What?" asked Harry and Lily.

  He shook his head. "It- it's nothing. Hey, it was nice meeting you Lily, but I should... get to breakfast..." George looked at Harry again, then at Lily, and shook his head as he walked into the Great Hall.

  "What lesson do you have?"

  "History of Magic..." replied Harry, checking his schedule.

  "You should go! That'll take forever to get to!" She gave him directions to the classroom, then left for Transfiguration.

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  The day went by quickly, Lily receiving multiple points for her abilities in class, but never raising her hand. She didn't want the attention she was getting. Nobody liked her, so he wish was to remain separate.

  Their last class today was Double Herbology with the Slytherins.

  Within ten minutes, she had been awarded anther ten points. She said nothing, pale pink patches appearing on her high cheekbones.

  After class ended and she made it into the castle, she was soon approached by Draco.

  "Have you learned anything yet?"

  "He has a snowy owl named Hedwig and can't find his way around the castle. There's been nothing more to learn yet."

  He nodded. "Okay then... I was hoping there'd be -"

  "Draco, you'll need to be patient. It's only the first day of school. Wait. Something will come up."

  "Right."

  "I need to go, Harry won't trust me if we're caught alone together."

  "Oh, right."

  She left, not waiting for his "good-bye". Draco was not someone she cared to associate herself with.