"Reg! Reg, stop running away and tell me what was that?" Sirius barked at his younger brother, grabbing him by his arm and harshly stopping him. "Were those guys messing with you?"
"I can manage my own school life, thank you very much," the youngster replied, looking anywhere but into his brother's eyes.
"Those were Gryffindors. Why didn't you tell me?" Sirius added, feeling exasperated.
"Because it wouldn't make a difference. You're one of them after all." he said, "I don't need you to take my side. We're not the same."
Regulus' answer hit deep into Sirius' heart, making the older boy let him go and sigh loudly.
"Did mother tell you something weird again? Did she advice you to stay away from me?"
"She didn't have to. People can't see us together, it's not as if we're kids."
"Yes, we are. You're a first year, Reg, and you already made an enemy out of Gryffindors? Is this Lestrange's influence or-"
"Slytherin. I'm a Slytherin, brother. This conversation is useless. Just, don't talk to me anymore," Regulus mumbled before he ran away, leaving Sirius both furious and confused.
"He told me to never speak to him again, can you believe it?!"
It was only natural that Black would go running to his best friend and complain to him. That was fine, moving even, but Sirius chose the wrong time and wrong place for their brotherhood time.
"Hey, Black, we're trying to concentrate here." Cissney hissed and she was not the only person to be interrupted during DADA. Cerberus was a fun professor but he still needed them to take notes, Since the subject was werewolves, he particularly gave them strict information to copy down.
"Everything's alright, Sirius?" the owlish professor turned his wide eyes to the dark haired boy.
"Sure, professor. Extraordinary!" Sirius said sarcastically but Cerberus shook his head and shrugged the teenager off, knowing it was better to not know.
"Kids," the professor mumbled as he went back to his desk. He could really see the reason why Spinnard hated teaching, especially when he had Ravenclaws interrupt him every few minutes in order to add to his explanations.
"You should control yourself during classes, Black. You were lucky professor Knowingall is so kind...if it was Spinnard..." Alice stopped, shuddering at the thought.
Once classes were done, students rushed out as if the Devil was on their trail. That was far from the characterization of their professor -who was angelic compared to Spinnard- but they couldn't wait for their dueling club.
"Hey, Molley, I'd like my partner back this term." Sirius started, grabbing a hold of Potter.
"It's alright," as soon as she said that she turned to Frank Longbottom, "I already have someone else in mind."
The way she smiled cutely made the boy shudder. He noticed how fast she was improving and how sharp she was and yet he couldn't say no.
Nothing major really happened afterwards, not until their Hogsmeade break on Valentine's Day.
"Um-this is odd,"
It wasn't exactly odd as it was different.
Cissney became quite a big influence in the student council and getting many cards was expected. Lily was also very smart and although she seemed to be on good terms with everybody, she only got a card from Severus although he said it wasn't necessarily romantic. Ophelia couldn't care less and there was Alice...it wasn't so peculiar that she received a card as much as it was the person that gave it to her.
"Frank, I am speechless." She mumbled, playing with the card nervously.
Frank blushed. He would have liked to give it in a quiet and more intimate place in Hogsmeade but his friends wouldn't hear it.
"It's the dreadful day! Prepare yourself!" Potter started, his toothbrush hanging loosely in his mouth.
The other boys only groaned, expecting a lot of moaning from their boastful friend. During the first and second year, students weren't allowed to receive and give Valentine's Day attentions because they were too young -or so said Spinnard- but now it was different. They could even have dates! Oh, James couldn't wait!
"So, mates, who'd you like to invite to a smooch?" Potter joked around, grabbing the closest friends. Sirius shrugged his eyes while Frank tensed with a red blush contouring his cheekbones. "Well, well, well, Frank...spill it out mate,"
"No thanks. I'll just give it to her silently," the boy replied meekly.
"Nonesense!" Potter screamed out before he slapped his friend on the back quite hard. "Give it to her now! If you see her, be a man and do it!"
Frank swallowed nervously but unconsciously searched for the girl with his eyes. When finally found, he took a few moments to calm his rapidly beating heart before he walked up to her. Potter watched with bright eyes as Frank went to the cushion in front of the fireplace.
"A-Alice...um, here," he didn't wait for an answer but just pushed it into her hand and moved to the back, his blush intensifying.
Walking out into the halls was even more embarrassing if you were Cissney Littlewood. One blond boy came rushing to her and almost fell over before he recuperated.
"Ci-Cissney...Maybe we can grab a cup of tea at Madame Puddifoot's?"
"Why Miss Littlewood, you seem to be far more popular than you tell us." Lily joked, nudging her friend playfully.
Cissney took a long look around the corridor before she sighed in disappointment. Ophelia raised an eyebrow, noting how she seemed to be looking for one boy in particular.
"What's your answer, Cissney?" The brunette asked, leaning towards the student council member.
"Thanks, Rudy but I will be very busy with the council." The girl answered before she rushed out of there.
Rudy Willowbee remained there with wide puppy eyes and his mouth slightly agape. He looked down at his feet before he looked up at the rest of the group. It suddenly became very awkward for both sides.
"You're a Hufflepuff, aren't you?" Lily asked once silence fell between them.
"Yes. Fifth year." He answered as if life has been sucked from his body.
"Chin up, Willowbee. Try to impress Littlewood during Quidditch. You're a decent Chaser." Potter advised the poorly looking boy.
"Whatever," he mumbled as he left, dragging his feet against the floor.
That sort of events continued for the rest of the day, even in Hogsmeade. Ophelia glanced a few times at the plain yet popular girl before she asked.
"Who are you waiting for?"
"What do you mean?" Cissney asked as if she didn't know.
"You're waiting for somebody."
"No, I'm not." She replied quickly. Ophelia raised an eyebrow and almost used legilimency when they reached Honeydukes. She stopped herself when she saw Potter talking animatedly with a tall boy, with broad shoulders yet not exactly good looking but more like dark and brooding. "Blimey, he knows Potter," she whispered, dusting herself off and patting her dark hair.
Ophelia nudged Lily who also nudged Alice and all the girls waited curiously for the face of this anonymous boy. A few minutes passed and it didn't seem like the boys noticed them so Ophelia took the matter in her own hands.
"Hey, Potter, you seem to know an awful lot of people lately!"
Finally gaining his attention, Cissney's heart beats quickened. The mysterious boy turned around but something else blocked their view, a person with the same broad shoulders but in no way brooding. If anything, the blond was radiating happiness.
"'ello girls!Nice to see you Molley!" Goldstein's blue outfit was only highlighting his uncovered golden hair.
"Have you become taller during the holidays? You seem enough to block two boys from view," Ophelia answered as bluntly as usually. That might have been the only reason why the Ravenclaw didn't take it to heart.
"Ah, yes," he laughed it off but noticed Cissney trying to peek around him. Goldstein looked over his shoulder at Potter and the other boy before he smiled widely, probably getting the picture. "Potter and Zabini, huh? It's quite strange how those two seem so civilised with each other."
"Why?" Lily asked, wasting no minute.
"Ah, don't you know? Zabini is a Slytherin. He used to run the Dueling Club but now that he became the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, he doesn't have time. That's how he met Potter, probably."
"Wait, wait, wait, he's a Slytherin? A full fledged Slytherin that is most probably insufferable and prejudiced against everybody." Alice concluded before she glanced at Cissney, "A Slytherin."
"Also a pureblood. He's in the same year with Rabastan Lestrange and they seem to be friends. I have to admit I wouldn't have pictured Zabini and Potter together before." Goldstein gave his input, waving at Potter when Zabini left. The glasses boy ran to the group and gave Goldstein a big pat on the arm.
"Blimey, Tim, you've gotten huge in what-two weeks? What do they feed you?"
Seeing how the man of interest was not in sight anymore, Cissney relaxed and even sighed in relief although she would have wanted to see her crush up close. Ophelia looked at her friend before she looked at the spot the two boys occupied only a few minutes ago. Maybe she could help if she asked the right questions to the right people.
As soon as they finished their trip to Honeydukes, most Gryffindors went to look around which let Ophelia sneak away from her group. Probably Sirius noticed but she couldn't care less what he believed she was doing thus she started to search around for any Slytherin- it didn't matter as long as she could get an idea of Rabastan's whereabouts.
Walking around, Ophelia remembered Spinnard's journal. He was busy with his own stuff and then his filthy brother and his companions turned his life upside down. One single moment changed Spinnard's life and perception of people completely. They made him a recluse, a man nobody wanted around and he got to the point he started to believe that too, that he wasn't meant to live among others. Ophelia sighed and leaned against the first wall she found. Looking around, she realized that her feet brought her to that place. If she opened up her mind, she could literally see the story unfold before her eyes.
I wanted to get away so I thought to myself that they wouldn't follow me to the Shrieking Shack. Well, it was definitely close- not even 100 feet from the alley she was in. And then suddenly, green light! It blinded me, that's how powerful it was and when I opened my eyes, Eilian was dead. Ophelia could see that, she had seen it before after all; someone dying.
"Life is so fragile, isn't it?"
Ophelia shuddered at the voice. She couldn't even look at him although she could feel him coming closer to her. He stopped a foot from her right side and breathed out, making her swallow nervously.
"Nobody believed an introvert like Luce; ever. I did though. I could see the power into his eyes and how loyal he was to those he cherished."
"Like Peverell. They were best friends."
Tom sighed loudly, making Ophelia uncomfortable. It sounded like she said something that deeply offended him.
"Peverell was an incredible wizard from a long line of pureblooded Gryffindors. He had potential and he wasted it all on emotions." he started off nicely and by the end of the sentence he seemed pissed. "Emotions, Ophelia, do not matter. They fluctuate, they make you weak and break you slowly, piece by piece. Emotions give you strength but also takes it away just as fast. What you must understand is that nobody remains loyal to you if you do not force them to. Fear can make wonders," he whispered to her, leaning towards her neck as he grabbed her chin and made her look straight into his eyes, "Don't let emotions fool you, my daughter. Your future promises so much, you don't want to disappoint your father, do you?" he literally hissed like a snake, his eyes dilating as if he was going to attack her.
"No, I don't want that. But I don't want to be afraid of you either."
Saying those words out loud might have not been such a good idea but it made Tom chuckle. It was an odd sound.
"If you were afraid of me, you wouldn't have told me such impertinent words. Don't lose focus on your studies, Ophelia. Don't lose focus on your future." he advised before he vanished. Ophelia could still feel the coldness on her face but tried to regain her senses.
"What are you doing?"
The girl looked up and met Nott's dark eyes. He was by himself, fortunately, but he was staring at her as if she was a ghost. Feeling a bit awkward, Ophelia shrugged.
"I'm walking. I'm allowed to do that, aren't I?" she used sarcasm in order to cover the tension she felt just a minute ago.
"Who were you talking to?" he asked as he moved closer to her spot, "And don't lie. I saw him. He was hissing something to you."
"Who was?" she asked, looking at anything but the boy.
"The snake."
"What snake? What are you talking about?" she asked, growing annoyed with his persistence.
"Right there! There was a snake hissing into your ear! I saw it with my own eyes! And you answered. You're a parseltongue. You can speak with snakes." Nott continued, blaming her for stuff she knew she couldn't possess.
"I-" she stopped, knowing she had heard a snake talk before; always the same one. "Believe me, it's not that."
"Then what is it?" Nott seemed very agitated as he straightened himself up and looked at the Gryffindor with a lot of curiosity. "You tell me, Molley. Why are you taking dark arts and why were you at Malfoy's house?"
Ophelia looked into those dark orbs but couldn't find her words. There was so much to lie about and he has seen more than she would have liked, especially that Bellatrix incident. While she was fidgeting, something shiny caught Nott's eye and quickly grabbed it so he could see it up close. His eyes widened and harshly pushed her against the wall.
"What is this?" he growled.
"A ring,"
"A green serpent on a silver ring. Do you know what it means?! It's a Slytherin symbol. You're not even a pureblood and this is-" he couldn't even spell out his emotions. He was confused and suspicious and angry because someone so unworthy seemed to crawl easily under Lestrange's skin.
Nott was grasping her hand roughly and it started to hurt which automatically made her panic. But one look into his eyes, one clear look and she could finally see why her father was so adamant on avoiding emotions at all cost. Nott was either jealous or furious and both were emotions. He was acting upon those sentiments, letting himself be led by them and naturally, swayed by them. One blink and Ophelia easily penetrated his mind, seeing what he has seen. There was no snake but there was a cloaked figure with eyes that scared him. There was no hint who she was talking to except the danger emitted from that cloaked man. But what Nott heard was parseltongue and for some reason she could understand it but she did not speak the language of snakes. She saw something else which she could use in her benefit. Letting him go, she looked into his eyes once more and realized how close he was.
"Augustus, by any chance, do you fancy me?" she asked in what was the most calm voice she could muster. It was as if she became another person and his anger backfired in an interesting way.
"Wh-what?! N-No! Stop making a fool of myself Molley!" he stuttered as he let her go and backed away. His cheeks looked like they were two tomatoes before he ran away.
Someone chuckled from the side as they watched everything from around the block.
"Well, isn't that something to look forward to,"
The rest of the trip was not as interesting. Ophelia returned to the castle by herself and was met with a very bored Remus Lupin. He waved and smiled at her when they met in the Entrance Hall and joined her for dinner.
"No love potions or chocolate for you, Remus?" she asked bluntly, making him laugh.
"I don't see you holding anything either." he answered, making her look at him with wide amused eyes. "Where did you go after Honeydukes? Cissney thought you went to meet a secret admirer but nobody believed that."
"Why not?" she asked, feeling a bit annoyed, "Can't I have a secret admirer?"
Remus' expression was not convincing which made Ophelia scoff.
"As a matter of fact, I do have one. But I will keep his identity for myself."
"Shouldn't he be a secret from you too?"
"Not when you are good at getting into people's minds." she said that without thinking twice to someone who wasn't Severus. When she realized what she has done she stopped and looked into the warm eyes of her friend, "Let's not tell anyone about that."
"Your secret is safe with me." he said with a smile on his face yet there was a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"And yours with me." she added, in a way telling him that she could easily blackmail him if he'd kiss and tell. Remus raised an eyebrow, curious what she was talking about until his face paled.
"How-What-" he was speechless. "What secret?"
"Don't worry wolfie," she whispered as she leaned towards him so passer byes won't hear. "I'm good at keeping secrets so please keep mine too."
Remus was surprised by how Ophelia was looking at him with her long green eyes and for a moment he could swear he was talking to a completely different person.
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