The Ice Queen [s.b.]

It's No Surprise It All Fell Apart - 44

September 22nd.

Ginger and Annalee are sitting doing homework outside.

In the distance, by the old beech tree, they hear a faint, "Stop!"

"That's Severus," Annalee mutters. "I have to go. Are you coming? He could be in trouble. It could be dangerous."

"My weapon of choice is my smile and charm. And when that doesn't work, I've got a pretty killer right hook. So don't you go worrying your pretty blonde little head, Annie, darling," Ginger says cheerfully.

Grimacing, Anna says, "Then let's go."

The two Slytherins take off to the tree.

There, they see Severus dangling upside down, James with his wand out, Sirius laughing smugly, Remus and Peter standing off to the side looking disappointed, and a crowd of people laughing.

Ginger gasps, "That's too far, Potter! Let him down."

"Why?" James drawls with another crooked grin, he still hasn't turned around.

"Because I'll curse you otherwise," Lily says, appearing next to Anna and Ginger.

"And I'll curse the rest of you," Anna threatens.

The crowd dissipates, looking scared. Only Remus, Peter, James, Sirius, Annalee, Ginger, Lily, and Severus remain.

"Evans!" James exclaims with glee. "Go out with me, and I'll let him down."

Ginger scoffs, "You've got to be shitting me."

"I don't need a filthy mudblood to save me!" Severus yells from his place dangling upside down.

"You take that back!" James roars as the others gasp.

"Then I guess I won't, Snivellus," Lily sneers. "And you, Potter, I'd rather kiss a squid than go out with you. You're an arrogant toe-rag."

With that, the redhead stalks away.

"Go with her," Anna commands Ginger with clenched teeth, gesturing to her best friend. "I'll deal with them."

Ginger nods and hurries after Lily, leaving Annalee alone.

And with her nearly-white hair fluttering behind her and her sleeves pulled up to her elbows with her wand in her right hand, the boys decide that this is the scariest they'd ever seen her.

James lets Severus down. He scampers off.

"Happy now?" Potter jibes.

Annalee's eyes are alit with fury, "I trusted you, Potter. And then you go and do things like this. You ever want Lily to like you? Then don't pull this shit. You just lost her one of her best friends. You just traumatized one of my friends for life. And you, Black," she spits, making them shrink under her glare, "I know you have no control over yourself, but I didn't think you were this stupid. I thought you had some note of kindness left in you. I guess your family beat it out of you. And Pettigrew. You're a coward. When you see your friends doing evil, you can stop it. When you see them torturing innocents, you stop it. And Lupin. You should be bloody ashamed of yourself. You of all people should know that it's not always easy to be different. And you're the most able to help them. All of you should be ashamed of yourselves.

"I- I can't even believe you all would do this. Detention for the next three months for you, Potter. Two months for Black. Which means you'll both be benched from your quidditch games and D.A. meetings until you're all out of detention. Otherwise, believe me, I'll curse you all. One month each for Lupin and Pettigrew. And fifty points from Gryffindor. Ten points from Slytherin for Snape calling Lily the m-word. Any of you have a problem with this, take it up with Dumbledore. I'm sure he'd be delighted to tell your mums exactly how cruel their children are. And don't you dare try to talk to Lily Evans or Severus Snape again."