Alya couldn't sleep that night. On the one hand, her soul throbbed with pure excitement; the desire of revenge had aroused her spirit as if fanned by a burning flame. On the other, once invaded by that profound illumination that had thunderstruck her as she dusted the encrusted ampoules in Slughorn's dungeon, Alya knew she had to take advantage of the lonely, dark night to put it into practice.
When she slipped inside the Slytherin common room, she found herself alone, immersed in the dense silence, with only the crackling of the fire spurting in the marble fireplace to interrupt the muted whispering of the night. It was late and all her housemates had long since taken refuge in their respective beds. A perfect situation.
Alya took a seat on the black leather sofa near the fireplace. She placed her bag next to her as she turned her eyes towards the sizzling flames, the only source of light in the room, except for the green torches in the majestic chandelier that floated just below the stone ceiling. The windows, which usually afforded a placid view of the depths of the Black Lake, seemed to have been covered in black paint, obscured by the dark waters that seemed to have turned into an expanse of black ink.
Alya contemplated the lively dance of the flames, sinuous and scarlet. She smiled at the fire, as if at an accomplice. She reached into her purse and from one of the outside pockets pulled out a small, empty and completely anonymous vial, part of a stash she was in the habit of carrying around in case of need. Meanwhile, he slipped the wand from his sleeve, holding it in midair, ready for use. Young Black's grey eyes meticulously scrutinised the small cruet, weighing its features and measurements. The girl's calculating mind was already comparing it to the one containing the Veritaserum, which had been studied in great detail a short time before. She turned it to one side, then the other, as the swirling, tawny glow of the fire mingled on the glassy surface of the vial with the faint emerald flashes from the ceiling. Alya smiled smugly, grateful at how the situation was unexpectedly turning in her favour; how events had given her the spark of inspiration for a new plan. And the Veritaserum potion would be the main pivot.
Of course, Alya was well aware that it would be impossible for her to get her hands on the original serum, let alone prepare it herself. However, that wasn't a problem: after all, it wasn't essential to have the real Veritaserum, it was enough to simply make the person in charge believe she had it. And if there was one thing Alya excelled at, it was manipulating reality to her advantage. Not only with words, but also through magic. Not for nothing, she was one of the top students in her year's Transfiguration class. Thanks to her talents, Alya would manage, despite the unfortunate setback she had stumbled upon, to obtain the valuable information on the Potions exam.
It took Alya a few hours before she perfectly finished her work of Transfiguration. The thick black ink that flooded the windows of the common room was now beginning to tear, staining itself with stretched purple streaks, heralding the now imminent dawn.
With her eyes tired from the prolonged work of observation, Alya proudly studied the result of her portentous magic: the flask, anonymous and innocent at first, now looked completely identical to the one she had observed during her moments of punishment, containing Veritaserum. Even the golden cap sparkled with the same lustre, radiating with the glow of the flames. Alya grabbed the jug full of water, always present on the small table in front of the sofa and always available to the thirsty students, and poured a small amount of its contents into the transfigured cruet. Fortunately, the Veritaserum appeared colourless and transparent, as harmless as water; it would have been impossible from a mere glance to guess the falsehood that the flask contained.
And so, along with the clear drops of the jug, Alya bottled her revenge, anticipating the moment when she would serve it to her intended victim.
In the meantime, the sun had now risen, as could be seen from the greenish hues across the depths of the Black Lake; soon the students would also wake up. Alya perceived their lazy, sleepy movements, hearing their companions shuffling down the steps. Within a short time, the common room would be filled with the anxious chatter of the Slytherin students. Alya quickly hid the enchanted vial inside one of the pockets of her bag, concealing it from prying eyes. She grabbed a book and pretended to have spent the night studying for the exam, which was to take place a few hours later.
Despite the sleepless night, Alya could not have felt more energetic. Even her appetite, which had almost deserted her the previous day, improved considerably. At breakfast, her friends were astonished to see her voraciously biting into an innocent slice of toast, copiously buttered. Alya certainly didn't look like she was in the grip of exam anxiety. Nor was she bothered by the hours spent in detention the previous evening. When Philippa asked her with suspicious curiosity what had happened to put her in such a good mood, Alya merely replied with an indifferent shrug.
"Lucky you that you are so buoyant! I feel like a wreck, instead. I had nightmares last night because of the exams," grumbled Beth sombrely, her curls boiling on her round head.
"Me too. I dreamt of all my school books chasing me around the entire castle. I feel like I've been running all night instead of sleeping," declared Melyssa, dejected, two deep dark circles furrowing her face.
"I think today will be fine, instead. After all, we'll have History of Magic this morning. It's going to be a piece of cake, I can feel it." proclaimed Alya in a vigorous voice, as she stared with a strange light in her eyes at two large apples, which stood on a mountain of fruit, placed in a bowl in the middle of the table. She grabbed them both and threw them into the bag.
"I see you don't lack appetite! Are you afraid of running out of snacks?" scoffed Philippa, increasingly puzzled. "Really, I think you're the only one who's so relaxed during O.W.Ls!"
The blonde girl couldn't have been more right. In the following hours, Alya tackled the History of Magic exam with evident ease. Her quill flowed smoothly over the rough parchment. The questions seemed to her almost disarmingly easy. Alya managed to finish her long essay much earlier than the end time of the exam. She stood up and handed the thickly worded papers to the lecturers of the Commission, taking her leave with a little bow. She turned on her heel, twirling the hem of her skirt with elegant gracefulness, and walked towards the exit with her head held high. As she walked towards the front door, her glittering grey eyes embraced the tide of students still bent over their papers: some of them glanced at her in astonishment mixed with mild envy (their parchments appeared desolately immaculate), the others didn't even notice her pompous triumphant walk, so concentrated were they on writing. Among them - Alya spotted her immediately - was Lily Evans, whose hair, pulled back into a thick ponytail as was her custom, swayed in rhythm with her excited handwriting. She didn't notice Alya's gaze, which suddenly turned into a sharp blade, cleaving the air with malignant menace. There she was, her prey, still unaware of what Alya had in mind. As she passed by Evans, the Slytherin girl felt her soul boiling with impatience, the seed of her lust for vengeance blossoming mercilessly.
Once out of the Great Hall, Alya looked for a strategic spot from where she could watch, without being noticed, who was coming out of the room. She wanted to keep an eye on Lily Evans, follow her and hunt her down at the most opportune moment.
Alya pretended to wait for her friends who were still busy taking the exam paper, occasionally casting expectant glances at the door of the Great Hall. She clutched the bag over her shoulder tightly and heard the small bottle jingle merrily in her outer pocket. A thrill of wicked excitement pervaded her, her soul tensed like a violin string.
Patience, whispered to herself, like a child anxiously awaiting a promised toy.
And her toy finally appeared on the threshold of the hall. Alya stiffened instantly, pointing at the figure of Lily Evans like a hunting dog. With disappointment, she noticed that Lily was not alone, accompanied by her blonde friend, Marlene McKinnon, the girl who a few days earlier had been blissfully glued to Sirius' lips under the beech tree by the lake. They chatted excitedly about the exam questions they had just finished, and Lily rolled a lock of her thick ponytail around her fingers in belligerent agitation. It seemed to Alya that the girl was not paying full attention to what her companion was saying, immersed in restless thoughts. After a couple of seconds, Lily signalled her dismissal and Alya - who was close enough to be able to interpret the movement of her prey's lips - deciphered a few, but useful words: Prefects' bathroom.
Alya exulted in silence. The situation couldn't have turned out better than this. Sporting an absent-minded expression, she slowly followed the steps of Lily Evans, who walked briskly ahead of her. Alya was careful to keep a safe distance between herself and the Gryffindor girl; she was not to arouse suspicion for anything in the world.
Stealthy as a cat, Alya followed Lily up to the fifth floor of the castle.
Lily Evans finally reached the floor, Alya behind her, silent as a shadow. Before Lily could risk noticing her presence, Alya wedged herself between two columns of hard grey stone, hiding from her sight. A handful of metres ahead, Lily had stopped in front of a statue, depicting a confused-looking wizard. From where she stood, Alya could see Lily without trouble. A contrite expression veiled her face.
"Rosemary" pronounced the girl.
The echo of the password floated sharply in the silence of the corridor, up to Alya's strained ears. The door behind the statue opened instantly, complaining of a low creaking sound. Lily disappeared behind it.
Alya waited a few seconds before imitating her. She approached the statue of the confused-looking sorcerer and repeated the formula she had heard. After a moment, Alya too was engulfed by the splendour of the Prefects' Bathroom. For a split second, Alya was dazzled by the magnificence that spread before her eyes. The whole room was marble, gleaming and white. In the centre, a deep basin, embedded in the floor, took up most of the room, surrounded by numerous gold faucets with shimmering gemstones set into the knobs. Alya frowned indignantly as she realised how much wealth was being reserved for unworthy people like Lily Evans, simply because she was a prefect (which to Alya meant 'teacher's pet'), while she, the descendant of one of the noblest magical families, had been forced to sit in a haze of stale dust, inside a cramped old dungeon, until only twelve hours before.
With a swift gesture, she slipped her wand from the sleeve of her uniform and, still with her back to the door, locked it with a barely whispered spell. She advanced slowly and cunningly, careful not to make any noise that might alert those in the bathroom with her.
Now, Alya stood motionless, in the middle of the bathroom, her eyes riveted in front of her, on the shoulders of Lily Evans, who was leaning over a lavish washbasin, also made of marble, intent on refreshing her face with the roaring water. Lily hadn't noticed young Black's presence yet, although Alya stared at her intensely and menacingly, holding her wand firmly behind her back, ready for use.
When Lily closed the tap, silencing the gurgling water, she let out a deep breath that sounded full of regret. Or remorse, as Alya guessed, knowing why. Her lips rippled into a wicked smirk.
"Does guilt eat at you, Evans?" Alya hissed swaggeringly behind the Gryffindor's back, who gasped, taken aback. Lily turned sharply, widening her emerald green eyes, the moment she saw Alya standing in front of her.
"What are you doing here?" Lily asked sternly, frowning. "This bathroom is reserved for prefects. You are not allowed in here!" she sentenced categorically.
"You'll have to overlook certain insulting rules this time, Miss Prefect. Relax, I just want to have a chat with you," Alya teased her, slowly advancing towards the redhead. She was pleased to see her stiffen as she approached. Lily looked frightened, though she tried to hide it.
"As for me, I really have no intention of chatting with you. I don't know what you're up to or what prompted you to come in here, but you're not allowed. If you don't want to leave on your own, I'll be forced to show you out," exclaimed Lily sustained, drawing her wand. But Alya sprang as swiftly as a feline. She lashed the air with a sharp movement of her wand and Lily's flew a few metres away.
"It's not for you to tell me what I'm allowed and what I'm not, Evans!" thundered Alya menacingly, pointing her wand straight into Lily's face, no longer able to conceal her concern. But despite her fright, Lily still held her head high in the face of Alya's intimidation.
"What do you want?" asked the redhead, through clenched teeth.
"As I told you, I'd like to discuss a couple of little things with you. I guess you know what I'm referring to," Alya replied, in a suddenly affected voice.
Lily held her breath, but said nothing.
"For example," continued Alya, pretending to ponder the topic. "There's that unpleasant matter concerning your little friend - what's her name? Ah yes, McKinnon."
A flash of resignation flashed swiftly in Lily's gaze.
"Poor thing, hexed and with a broken arm. Luckily, Madame Pomfrey got her back on her feet" Alya spoke in a soft voice, as if she were conversing during tea time.
"You know, it's funny. Those who witnessed the accident are, I don't know how, convinced that I was culprit for that spell. Of course, no one could prove it, but I got a punishment for that."
Alya sighed, shaking her head theatrically.
"A real injustice! Considering the fact that I had nothing to do with it" the Slytherin's tone began to become more serious, less prissy. Alya took another couple of steps closer, looking straight into Lily's green eyes, who stood motionless and mute.
''After all, we both know who's the real culprit. I know it. And you know it." Alya whispered the sentence, punctuating the words well, squinting her grey eyes to two slits laden with menace. Now Lily was visibly agitated.
Look, I'm sorry. I really am. It was an accident,' Lily confessed, in a weak voice. Alya scrutinised her unflinchingly. 'I had no intention of casting a bill. It just slipped out. I couldn't control myself - and I didn't want anyone else to get involved." Lily looked genuinely sorry, as one could tell from her sincere look.
"But you were very careful not to confess it," Alya observed, coldly.
Lily's breath caught in her throat. She seemed about to add something, but interrupted herself before the thought could turn into words.
"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry" she sighed.
Feigning conviction, Alya lowered her wand, shrugging her shoulders. Her tone returned to the honeyed cloyingness of moments before.
"Well, I can't blame you for preferring to keep quiet about your guilt. I understand that. After all, you are the perfect Lily Evans, respected by all the professors, loved by your classmates. Your reputation is impeccable, I understand you wanting to defend it - and, as you say, it was a simple mistake, an unintentional act. It would be a pity to ruin such exemplary conduct for such an insignificant mistake, wouldn't it?" said Alya, in a falsely sympathetic tone.
"Look, it's not fair for someone else to be blamed for something that is my responsibility. I'll talk to McGonagall and Slughorn. I'll tell them you had nothing to do with it."
"Very noble of you. But I don't care," replied Alya, dryly.
"Really. I want to help you -"
"I DON'T NEED YOUR STUPID HELP!" thundered Alya suddenly, looking at Lily with fury in her eyes. Lily winced.
"I don't need your help," repeated Alya, this time in a calm tone, regaining her demeanour. "You see, Evans, it's not the punishment I'm interested in. Neither is it about taking the blame for you. In fact, I' m more interested in the reason behind your act."
Lily paled.
"The same reason, I assume, that prevented you from admitting your guilt. Something you absolutely don't want to be known," Alya continued, mercilessly. She advanced another inexorable step. Now, only a couple of centimetres separated the two girls. Alya could hear Lily's slightly laboured breathing.
"Sirius" pronounced Alya, like a sentence.
"He is the reason behind the spell which you cast on your friend. Tell me, Evans, what did you feel when you saw your little friend so ardently snogging my brother? Anger? Envy?" asked Alya, with an amused squeak. Lily did not answer. She lowered her emerald gaze, unable to sustain that of young Black, who scanned her soul like a merciless blade.
"Oh, it's no use trying to hide it from me. I have understood everything. I've seen how you look at him, secretly. How you desire him. And your ponytail - did you take inspiration from the filthy Muggle girls portrayed in his posters?" Alya delicately brushed a dark red lock from Lily's ponytail, who tried to retreat, in vain, as the washbasin behind her back prevented her from doing so "You wanted him to notice you, to look at you - " the voice Alya had become as soft as a breeze.
"But we both know that's not going to happen," Alya concluded, icily. "Not as long as that Potter is buzzing around you. My brother is too loyal to him, he would never jeopardise his important friendship..." Alya looked Lily from head to toe, as if to weigh her worth. "...for you."
"You're right, Evans, better to keep certain feelings to yourself. No use declaring unrequited love if it would only be your impeccable reputation that would lose out. It's not worth it," Alya noted, in a tone that was both practical and cruel.
"What do you want?" hissed Lily suddenly, who had realised that the devious Slytherin was up to something.
"To remind you how pity it would be for you, if Sirius - and the whole school - were to find out about this little secret of yours." smiled Alya, wickedly.
"And I suppose you can't wait to spill the beans out of spite!" blurted Lily, angrily. Alya shrugged her shoulders again.
"Unless you're willing to grant me a small favour"
"And that would be?" asked Lily, feigning indifference.
"Nothing much. Just a little help. The Potions exam is coming up and, thanks to you and the punishment I got because of you, I don't have much time left to prepare properly -"
"Ten years wouldn't be enough for you. Everyone knows you're bad at Potions," Lily interrupted her, with a scowl. Alya glowered at her, raising her wand again.
"I was saying, I don't have much time left to be ready. However, if only I could know in advance the topics the Commission has arranged for the test, it would help me immensely. It would get me out of a jam." Alya spoke very slowly, in a honeyed voice that sounded terribly poisonous.
Lily stared at her, without uttering a breath.
"Don't play dumb, Evans. I know Slughorn spilled the beans, to you of his highly prized Slug Club. What that pompous man wouldn't do to show off, through his favourite pupils!" exclaimed Alya acidly.
"Even so, Black, I have no intention of revealing to you what you have asked me!"
"You are in no position to refuse. Or would you rather have your little secret come out?" threatened Alya again.
"You know, at first I was really sorry about what happened. I really wanted to help you. But now - you are nothing but an arrogant, devious and malicious. It's true, it was me who frightened Marlene, for the reasons you guessed. I feel terrible about what happened, but at least I know I didn't do it on purpose. It was a mistake. A terrible mistake, but an involuntary one. As for you, instead, you seem to get a kick out of being despicable!"
"Don't you dare!" hissed Alya, narrowing her eyes, which darted with anger.
"I'm not afraid of your threats, Black! Go and tell everyone what you found out! It's your word against mine. And, believe me, no one will believe anything that comes out of your mouth!" ranted Lily, looking at Alya visibly disgusted.
However, a glow of triumph crossed the Slytherin's grey eyes.
"Oh Evans, nothing will come out of my mouth at all, I'm afraid. It will be you who will sing like a bird," Alya's voice was back to being annoyingly affected.
Lily gave her a puzzled look as the young Black slipped from the outside pocket of her bag the small vial she had transfigured during the night. Alya showed it victoriously, enjoying the veil of terror falling inexorably over Lily's face.
"Veritaserum" murmured Lily, instantly recognising the small vial Slughorn had shown her in class. Then, she looked at Alya, frightened.
"Where did you get it from?"
"Scrumped from the dungeon." lied Alya "You're right, you know, in the end it was good for me to have got that punishment by Slughorn. Certainly, I managed to get something useful out of it." she grinned triumphantly.
"Now, let me to rephrase my request. Tell me the topics scheduled for the Potions exam or, I swear to you, I'll pour the entire contents into your juice at breakfast. Or in your goblet at lunch. Or at dinner. In my mind there is already the image of you confessing your every intimate thought about Sirius, your silly feelings for him, in front of all our classmates and professors. To the whole school. A humiliating scene for you, but extremely pleasant for me!" proclaimed Alya, exultant.
Lily's confidence suddenly faded.
"You wouldn't dare" muttered Lily, increasingly frightened.
"You think so? It was you who stated that I am a despicable person. And despicable people don't tend to have scruples. Your choice, Evans. Either help me or sing. Unless you want to fast," Alya sentenced, clinking the enchanted flask.
Lily stood for a couple of seconds staring at Alya, silent and motionless, fear mixing with sparks of anger and frustration within her bright green eyes. Alya stared back at her adamantly, steadfast in her malignant triumph.
Finally, Lily Evans let out a long, resigned sigh and extracted a piece of parchment and a long goose feather from her bag. She scribbled something feverishly and handed the note to Alya.
"You win. Here are the topics," said Lily spicily. Alya grabbed the victorious piece of parchment.
"Now we're talking! I really thank you, Evans. You've been very generous!" Alya taunted her in a sickening voice.
"You make me sick!" replied Lily, disgusted.
Alya smiled smugly at her and then turned, walking towards the door. But, before leaving the room, she took out the two apples she had taken for breakfast and threw one towards Lily.
"Ah, I forgot - this is a present for you! To seal our pact." Alya explained with false complicity.
Lily looked at the apple suspiciously, as if it were a bomb ready to explode at any moment.
"Don't worry, it's not poisoned!" said Alya, feigning offence.
Thus, she blatantly twirled her wand, tracing some disembodied letters in the air. On the shiny surface of the fruit, as if engraved by an invisible knife, appeared the word Sirius.
"Forbidden fruit, Evans. Stay away from my brother." she added, a wicked smirk painted on her face.
Alya then sank her teeth into the sugary flesh of the apple in her hand. The Slytherin girl walked triumphantly out of the prefects' bathroom, as the sweet taste of revenge just accomplished flooded her throat.
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A/N: Hello everyone!
This chapter was very difficult to write, especially in English. I hope I managed to describe the scenes well. I did my best!
Also, here we can see Alya's more hateful and arrogant side. But I promise she will get better in the course of the story.
Let me know what you think. Of the chapter, but also of the fanfic in general.
Thanks to all ♡
Vale