Chapter 11° Golden snakes
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The clock continued to turn and the days passed. The nights got later and the wind direction changed. When the next potions lesson arrived, both Amelia and Remus were pretty unmotivated.
Remus' confusion about Amelia persisted, but he decided to ignore it. In retrospect, he'd spent so many thoughts and so much time thinking about her or her habits without even being sure why. He didn't know this girl and just because she was different from the others, that wasn't supposed to be the reason Remus got stuck in his thoughts. He didn't like the influence she had on him at all. Remus just wanted to get this project done with and carry on as he did before.
On thursday the two mostly spent the hour discussing their ingredient list and the ways to source the ingredients.
Flashback:
Amelia and Remus were sitting in the same, cold room, where they met the first time. Sitting in the back of the room, in the seats, where Lia usually sat, both the students pulled out their notes.
After a brief moment of silence, none of them knowing how to start, Remus raised his voice. ,,Did you already think about, where we could get the other items from?"
Lia looked up at him and met his eyes, his caramel-brown ones piercing into her dark ones. ,,I did, but I'm not sure if everything will work out."
As Amelia expanded her list of suggestions, Remus' brow furrowed.
𝓐𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓲𝓪
-𝓐𝓼𝓱𝔀𝓲𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝓮𝓰𝓰𝓼/𝐷𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑒
-𝓡𝓸𝓼𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓻𝓷𝓼/𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡
-𝓟𝓮𝓹𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓽/ 𝐺𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑛ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑒
-𝓟𝓸𝔀𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓭 𝓜𝓸𝓸𝓷𝓼𝓽𝓸𝓷𝓮/𝐻𝑜𝑔𝑠𝑚𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒
-𝓟𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓵 𝓓𝓾𝓼𝓽/𝐿𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑜𝑛
-𝓡𝓸𝓼𝓮 𝓟𝓮𝓽𝓪𝓵𝓼/𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡
He leaned a little closer to the paper so as not to miss anything. The suggestions were really good, but there was one thing that didn't make sense to him.
,,What do you mean by London? Where in London exactly?"
,,I live in London. I own pearldust in the house I live in, it once was a gift." Her mother got her some for her seventh birthday. Amelia loved to play with fairies and the vision of flying. Adena often told her daughter the story of Peter Pan, Wendy Darling and Tinkerbell as a child. How he could fly with only fairy dust and conquer the whole world. He lived on an island, far from adults and the duties of life. Peter Pan escaped growing old. He always wanted to stay young He wanted to live forever. It was a little dream, but Lia quickly learned that it was total bullshit. To live forever would be an even greater agony than it can be once. Never dying is just seeing everyone around you die. The agony in their eyes, the wrinkles on their face. Just to be the only one who survives. This part of the story has been forgotten many times. After spending some time in Neverland, Wendy left Peter to be with her family. To live with them. And to die with them. She left him alone and Peter stayed behind, forsaken by the only love he ever felt. He saw Wendy growing up, how she was happy without him and died contentedly. Life was fleeting and it shouldn't be any different.
,,So it's your home?" Remus asked with a concerned look in his eyes. The place where she lives. In London. Why didn't she just say at home?
Home. The word echoed in Amelia's head again. At home. No it wasn't. The house she lived in outside of hogwarts was not her home. No more. The home, the place where you feel comfortable, where you feel safe, understood. Where you are always welcome and where you can enjoy life. No, it wasn't like that. Even if it had been once, it wasn't anymore. In the house of her childhood, Lia felt nothing but pain. Despair, fear, abandonment. A household in which she no longer had anything. In everything full of beautiful memories that kept reminding her that it will never be the same again. That it can never be like that again. Remembering how her whole life broke down in that one night.
Regaining the strength of her voice, her eyes froze into the stare of the damned. ,,No, it's not my home."
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Amelia was currently walking through the corridors. The others were spending their time eating in the great hall, but she already ate an hour ago, as she had a free period. She took a quick nap in her dorm, before she decided to head to the library to look for a novel. The boredom took over her quite sometimes, so she hoped to find a nice story to read.
However, that might not have been the best time to do so. The schools biggest pranksters had planned a prank on the Slytherins. As the students and professors were sitting at their tables, there was a loud bang. Turning their heads, the entire student body stared at the green table of the snakes. After a moment of silence and shock, the hell broke and loud laughter came from all sides. Fingers protruded in their direction and the tones were only meant for the students of Salazar, who began to scream and curse as they looked down at themselves. Their entire bodies, which were covered by robes, were now covered with red and gold paint. The colorful liquid soaked the fabric of the clothes and gave their skin goose bumps. It hurt their pride and seriousness, so the students reacted angrily to it. The four marauders were sitting at their table, nearly dying of laughter. They really enjoyed seeing their enemies like this. Their flustered and angry faces. The upset noises that barely broke the barrier of laughter. James and Sirius were high-fiving each other, laughing together, while Peter and Remus smirked at the students, who were getting more and more red.
As Amelia walked past the entry of the great hall, to get to the library, Alecto and Bellatrix ran out of the hall, their faces filled with pure hatred. As the two Slytherins spotted the girl, their eyes went wide. Her robes were clean, perfectly fine and her face was a neutral as always. Nothing happened to her. Bella's face twisted into a hideous grimace, as she clenched her fists. The current anger and the basic hatred against Amelia came thick and fast. She stepped up to Lia quickly, grabbed her shoulder, and jerked her around. Bellatrix suddenly pushed the back of Lia's body against the cold wall, which gave her a brief shock. Holding her wand to Lia's throat, Bella approached her face.
,,WHAT DID YOU DO?!" she shouted angrily
Lia didn't move a bit. She was perfectly calm. Anyone else would be concerned in this situation, but she simply didn't care. Bella was angry, like so often. If she wants to take this anger out on her, let her go ahead and do it. Lia wasn't afraid of Bella or the pain she could cause her. She had already seen and been through worse.
,,Bella." Lia said in a bored tone. She let her gaze wander over the body of her opponents and also Alecto, who was standing behind, her face not as angry as Bellas. When Lia recognized the liquid and its color, she immediately knew whose work it was all. The marauders. And the reason for Bellatrix' anger quickly became clear to her. She was unaffected and probably just at the wrong place at the wrong time. A smug smile fell on her lips when she looked again into the eyes of the person opposite.
,,What happened to you? You look different, but sis, red really isn't your color." Lia said sweetly. ,,Sorry."
,,What have you done, Grey?!" Bellatrix pushed her wand deeper into her neck. The wood of the stick pressed further into the shell of her body and almost reached her veins. And yet the clean girl's face was completely carefree and relaxed.
,,You think this is my fault? You should know that I'm neither a lion nor a gryffindor sympathizer. I thought you were smarter than that." Amelia just laughed at her and the whole situation, which was just too good to be true. ,,And by the way, you're getting wrinkles when you look at me like that. I already told you."
Bella's face kept puffing up until it resembled a red balloon. The anger that burned under her skin was palpable. The sparks that raged in her eyes and the fire that burned in her soul was mighty. And yet there was nothing left for Lia to do but enjoy this sight. She enjoyed this switch of positions. Because even if she didn't like the gryffindors, this was a clear point for the lions and the snakes were beaten in their own game of humiliation.
The marauders were currently running out of the great hall, turning around the corner. They knew that it wouldn't take McGonagall long to pace after them so they already fled as a precaution. However, when they turned, looking for their way to run, they spotted Alecto, Bellatrix and Amelia. The girls stood a little apart from the boys and stared into each other's eyes. Lia was still pressed against the wall and the four quickly registered the wand and who was at an advantage.
,,What's happening over there?" Peter asked quietly, without looking away from the situation.
Sirius grimaced sourly when he recognized his cousin. With her wild curls and crazy face she could not be overlooked. ,,Guess my cousin is in a great mood and has found a victim."
,,We have to help her." Remus insisted. Even if he saw the indifferent and disinterested look on his partner's face, he wouldn't watch her being threatened. Other than that, Bellatrix is absolutely crazy and capable of anything.
James propped himself up and silently approached the students, his friends following immediately. ,,What's going on?"
Spinning around, Bella let go of Lia, who stayed in the exact same position as before, and lowered her wand but tightening her grip around it. Lias eyes met the gaze of Remus' as she registered the four boys. His eyes were fixed on hers and she returned the look with the same power and rigidity. ,,Lovely Bellatrix over here thought I had something to do with the reason, her clothes are all red and golden."
That caught the boys off guard. Her? Responsible for the prank?
,,Why would she?" Sirius asked confused. He was aware that his cousin was mental, but she definitely was not stupid. She must have had a reason to consider Grey.
,,Oh, how nice. The other bloodtraitor has arrived. Hello, dear cousin."
Why the other bloodtraitor, Remus thought. Does she mean James? Or does she mean-
,,I see, your still the same bitch you always were, Bella." Sirius gave her a disdainful look.
,,Believe me, she is." Amelia mumbled, facing Bellatrix.
But she just laughed at. She knew exactly which string pull to make Sirius mad. ,,Maybe I'm a bitch, but at least I didn't lose my own brother-" she started.
Now Amelia was the one who's blood started boiling underneath her skin, as her head snapped up. Lose my own brother. How dare she say something like that? Lia thought getting angrier. This motherfucker. She doesn't have any fucking idea how it feels to lose someone. Just because she doesn't have any family worth to mention, she didn't have any right to address that.
However, Bella continued with a smirk. ,,Regulus is-"
Everything that happened after that, happened way too quickly. A fist flew, a crack could be heard and Bellatrix staggered out of her stand while her cheek flushed and blood oozed from her nose. You might think that it had been Sirius and he would have been the one to do something (as he obviously wouldn't beat a girl), but Lia was faster. She pushed away from the wall behind her, took a quick step towards the girl, reached out and clenched a fist. She punched Bella as hard as she could and let out all of her frustration. To someone who deserved it too much.
,,HOW DARE YOU BRING HIM INTO THIS?" Amelia shouted at the stumbling girl, who happened to hold onto the wall. ,,What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Time stood still. Everything stopped. James, Peter, Sirius and Remus' eyes widened and shifted from Bellatrix to Amelia. What did just happen?! But before one of the four could open his mouth to say anything, Professor McGonagall stormed out of the great hall and ran towards the seven students. Alecto was still standing in the background, not saying a word.
,,What happened?" the professor asked, her voice loud and clear, shaking with anger.
None of the students dared to say something but Bellatrix. Of course. ,,Grey broke my nose!"
McGonagall went silent. Amelia did what? She knew the girl, she had been her teacher for many years now, but she has always been an undiscovered and reserved natural. But violent? ,,Is that true, Miss Grey?" she asked.
Amelia didn't even think about denying it for a second. Besides it being obvious, she was very pleased with herself. She never stood in the way and always waved everything off, but when it came to family, she would do anything. She wasn't going to just stand by and let it happen. Putting on a bored look, she faced her teacher. ,,Yes, Professor. It's true."
And once again all the eyes were resting on her, being stunned by the pure honesty of the girl who just made another person bleed. And for the boys it was also for another reason. A Slytherin, a person of cunning and intrigue said the simple truth and admitted her guilt.
The teacher sighed, even if she was amazed at the sincerity ,,Then you will have detention tomorrow. And you four will be there too. For the prank you pulled today."
AN: I actually love Peter Pan, it's like my favorite fairytale. However, as I was writing it popped up into my mind and I thought it really fit the memory.
AND OMG FINALLY. I'VE WAITED SO LONG TO WRITE THIS CHAPTER. I WAS SO EXCITED TO WRITE THIS SCENE BETWEEN LIA AND BELLA!
I hope you liked this chapter and I'm so excited for you to read the next ones. <3