𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 | 𝗷. 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

𝗻𝗼, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗲

Later that day, as Cherry is making her way back to her dorm after her Magical Theory class, she is approached by two Slytherins. One, she recognizes as Regulus Black, and the other, she thinks is Evan Rosier. She knows Black only because her mother still hopes she will restore the Parkinson family name by marrying a respectable pureblood someday. Rosier, she recognizes because he is in her year.

"Hullo, Parkinson," Rosier greets, offering her a small twitch of the lips. Cherry isn't sure if she should be worried by that.

"'Evening, Rosier, Black," she nods, eyeing the two warily.

"Relax, Parkinson, we're not going to start hexing you," Rosier laughs.

"That's not what I'm worried about," Cherry says darkly.

It's true. She lives in a house full of Slytherins. She knows brute force is not their area of expertise.

"I was watching you deal with my brother and Snape," Black says, speaking up for the first time. "You must have been frustrated with that mu— that redhead."

Cherry ignores his obvious slip-up, curious to hear where it will go.

Rosier nods. "And I've been fed-up with Snape recently. Slughorn rewards him for experimenting in class, and I should have the top spot."

Rosier pauses, and Cherry wonders if he expects her to read his mind.

"And . . .?"

Black rolls his eyes. "Spell it out for her. She's a Hufflepuff."

Cherry raises an eyebrow and starts to walk past them. She is not going to deal with that attitude, and if it was anything worthwhile, they would realize that they had to apologize. Indeed, not even a minute later, the two boys apologize, and Cherry turns around.

"We want Snape to be rid of that Gryffindor, you hate the girl, and Regulus is willing to help me. If Snape doesn't have her, his performance in class will go down."

Cherry wants to say yes. It's her first instinct to help when asked, and she genuinely wants to see Lily Evans suffer. She knows, however, with people like Rosier and Black, that quality of hers will only be taken advantage of, just like it was at home.

"And why should I help you, a boy I've never even spoken to until now?"

"Because you hate Evans, too— I've said so already."

Cherry shoots him an unimpressed glance. "That's not enough. I can easily ignore her as I have been."

Black cocks his head, as if re-evaluating her, and whispers something in Rosier's ear. He groans, but opens his mouth anyway.

"The House of Rosier will owe you a favour of your choosing," he sighs, looking irritated to say so.

"Excellent. And you, Black?"

"You are helping Evan, not me," he sneers.

"Ah, well I had to try, didn't I?" she says, smiling.

"Are you in or not?" Rosier asks impatiently.

Cherry rolls her eyes, "Yes, I am. Anyway, it's quite simple. Lily Evans is beloved by all. She's the perfect friend, student, etcetera, etcetera. Only, she's a muggleborn, and to you pureblood prats that's unacceptable."

Merlin I can't believe I'm telling them to turn someone into a blood-supremacist.

. . . it's for a good cause. Right?