Thicker than Water (Marauders Era)

31 October, 1971 - Halloween Part 2

They settled into Potions at their usual tables, the classroom almost perfectly divided between Gryffindors and Slytherins. Lavinia swept into the classroom almost as soon as Slughorn had opened the door, wanting to put as much distance between herself and Black. He made her blood boil. And Potter wasn't any better.

She plunked herself down in her usual chair towards the front of the classroom, where she usually sat next to Alexandra. She was somewhat surprised therefore when Snape, who had followed right behind her into the classroom approached her.

"Can I sit here?" he asked, his face betraying no emotion.

She shrugged. "Sure." Snape was notoriously good at potions, almost always excelling and Lavinia knew he was a good person to keep on the good side of.

"They're real pieces of work, aren't they?" Snape asked as he unpacked his bag.

Lavinia didn't have to ask who he was talking about. "Well what do you expect. Their own house worships them." She struggled to keep the jealousy out of her voice and Snape shot her a sideways look.

"They're prats," he said simply. "Don't let them get into your head."

Lavinia snorted. "Hark who's talking," she muttered, half smirking as she set up her cauldron. She caught Snape smiling at her out of the corner of her eye and felt a momentary kinship with him. Definitely a useful friend, she thought, pulling out her ingredients kit.

As she turned to face the front of the classroom, she saw Alexandra shoot her a look, eyebrows raised from across the table. Lavinia could practically read the meaning in it. You good? She shrugged in response. All good.

Slughorn began to lecture about the uses and dangers of sleeping draught as the students opened their book to the appropriate pages. Lavinia flipped through her pristine copy of Magical Drafts and Potions, skimming the book as Slughorn spoke, and adding little edits to the notes she'd taken on the potion the previous night.

Next to her, Snape's book was slightly tattered and covered in annotations. She raised her eyebrows slightly at it and Snape gave a one shoulder shrug, adding another note before looking back to the Professor.

Class proceeded uneventfully, with the students brewing a basic sleeping potion, being careful not to add too much lavender, lest the potion be too strong or too little Valerian, lest it be too weak.

Forty five minutes in and Snape's potion was the perfect violet color described by the book. Lavinia's was a slightly softer purple, bordering almost on lavender. She frowned at it, stirring again clockwise. Unsurprisingly, the color didn't change at all. She pursed her lips and tried again. Still nothing. She stuck her tongue out at it.

Next to her, Snape laughed. She turned to tell him off, but her just quirked an eyebrow. "Try counterclockwise," he said simply, and her reprimand for daring to laugh at her died in her throat.

She stirred once counterclockwise. The color deepened. It wasn't quite the vivid color of Snapes, but it was certainly better than it had been. She looked back at Snape, mildly confused. Why would he help me? Didn't he know that by helping her he was hurting himself in comparison.

"Thanks," she said, almost hesitantly.

His only response was to shrug.

Lavinia opened her mouth again, not sure what she was going to say. Thank him again? Ask him why he bothered? Invite him to eat lunch with her? The fumes were making her brain a muddle.

She needn't have worried, however, because just as she opened her mouth, Snape's cauldron exploded and she and him were both covered from head to toe in sleeping draught. Lavinia's open mouth caught some and she spat as quickly as she could, spinning around even as she coughed and sputtered.

Just as she'd suspected, Potter and Black were standing at their table, both with wands out, laughing.

Fuming, Lavinia took a step towards them, rage radiating in every bone in her body. She didn't know what she planned on doing, but it didn't matter. Snape put a hand on her shoulder. She turned on him, ready to release her rage on him, but he just tipped his head to the side and she glanced over to see Slughorn marching down the aisle between tables, furious.

Once he had passed them, Snape took his hand off Lavinia's shoulder. "They're not worth getting in trouble over," Snape said.

Lavinia ground her teeth and didn't answer. She shouldn't need to be reminded of that - didn't need to be reminded. Merlin, she'd almost lost her head completely. She turned back to Potter and Black and Slughorn, who was beside himself.

Black and Potter were both unconvincingly protesting their innocence even as tears of laughter spilled from their eyes. Lupin at least had the decency to look guilty about it. He even dared to look past Slughorn and make eye contact with Lavinia, mouthing "I'm sorry" at her. She responded with a hand gesture that made it perfectly clear what she thought of him and his apologies.

By the time class was over, Potter and Black had both been given detentions and told to wait after class and Slughorn had most helpfully siphoned the potion off of Lavinia and Snape. Lavinia used the opportunity to suck up to this most crucial professor, bemoaning the fact that she didn't have a potion to present for the class.

"Sir, I'm terribly sorry about this! I can make it up sometime. Please let me make it up!" Lavinia slipped seamlessly into the roll of student desperate to save her grade from perceived disaster.

"Not to worry! Not to worry, m' dear. It's perfectly clear both you and Mr. Snape are excellent potioneers. You'll get full marks for the day and my apologies for the mess," said Slughorn jovially.

Lavinia beamed. "Thank you so much, sir. Thank you! My uncle always said you were the best."

"Ah yes," Slughorn said, nostalgia in his voice. "Abraxas was a favorite of mine. Did you know-" The bell signalling the end of class rang and Lavinia breathed a sigh of relief as they were saved from Slughorn's notoriously long reminiscences.

Lavinia smiled at the professor again and thanked him. Behind her, Snape mumbled a thanks as well and they left the room to go change before dinner. The potion might have been removed but Lavinia still felt dirty. She wanted a shower. She wanted to wash Potter and Black's laughing faces out of their memory. As Lavinia and Snape left, they passed the two Gryffindor boys, who were waiting to talk to the professor, as instructed.

"They'll pay for this," Lavinia said through gritted teeth as they passed. Black and Potter smirked at the two Slytherins as they passed and Lavinia's jaw started ache as she contained herself with some difficulty.

She might loathe to admit it, but Snape was right. And she ought to be grateful to him for restraining her. It wouldn't do to get in trouble over those two. They were idiots, attention seekers. And Lavinia's parents would kill her for getting in trouble, especially if it was with Slughorn.

Snape didn't respond, but the look on his face told Lavinia enough to know that he wholeheartedly agreed with her.

Neither of them spoke again as they walked the short distance through the dungeons to the Slytherin common room, but Lavinia at least felt something grow between them - a mutual understanding of sorts. Potter had to be punished. Black had to be punished. No one got away with treating Lavinia Selwyn like that. No one.