Heredity vs. Solidarity (S. Snape)

Chapter Forty-Two

Read Chapter Thirty-Four again, and this one will ALL make sense... just thought I'd give you a hint... ;D

Avery carelessly lobbed a luscious red apple into the air, and caught it effortlessly, pressing the fruit to his mouth and taking a bite out of it. He leaned back casually against the archway of the Great Hall, eyeing several Gryffindors with displeasure as they walked by, the three too immersed in their conversation to notice him. He lifted his foot very slightly, but just enough that the Gryffindor closest to him walked into the offending limb. In a clattering of bodies, robes, and several items, the three fell in succession to the ground.

Avery laughed raucously as he walked away, tossing the half-eaten apple over his shoulder as he retreated further into the corridors of the castle.

“You shouldn’t have done that!”

The seventh year pivoted on his foot, and looking at the redheaded, audacious Gryffindor behind him, he could only smirk pleasantly. Lily Evans now stood before him, her fiery green eyes set into a glare as she openly scowled at the Slytherin.

“That’s ten points from Slytherin, Avery!” she continued. “And you best bet I don’t catch you doing that again!”

“Aw, Evans!” Avery chuckled. “I know you’re jealous that as a Head Girl you can’t go around hexing people like your lovely boyfriend, but that doesn’t mean you have to take it out on us privileged students,” he winked.

“Jealous?!” she seethed. “I’m not –“

“What do we have here…?” a male student had sauntered over, his silver and green tie gleaming proudly in the dim light. His lips were quirked into an unmistakable smirk, eyes lit with fire as he took in the redhead before him. “Evans.”

“Mulciber,” she hissed. “You’re still just as horrible as I remember. All of you. Terrorizing the students. Hexing everyone in sight.”

“That sounds more like Potter, to me,” Mulciber confessed, shooting her a sleazy smirk.

“He’s changed,” she growled. “Unlike you.”

In a quick fashion, the two Slytherins had their wands withdrawn, lips curling into sneers as they stared on at the redheaded Gryffindor. She slinked back in slight fear, though her fists remained clenched, and her eyes were still narrowed in hatred. One lifted his wand to aim when a flash of black swept by Lily’s peripheral vision. In a last attempt at help, she did the one thing she vowed she would never do again.

“Severus! Please!”

She pleaded for his help.

It was slowly that he turned, his black eyes flashing with loathing, and perhaps the fact that he had a girl’s hand attached to his own didn’t help. It was clear that he wanted nothing to do with the Gryffindor, not to mention he clearly didn’t want to be interrupted.

“He’s on our side,” Mulciber jeered. “Forget about it.”

“Please, Sev,” she continued, green eyes pleading, and mouth set in a beseeching frown. “I’d never, ever –“

“Shut it!” Avery snapped, and in a flash of angry sparks and with the swiping of his wand, she was falling to the ground, grasping her sliced wrist in pain, and releasing a soft gasp.

“Don’t just stand there!” Selena whispered, looking towards her boyfriend in silent displeasure and plea. “Help her.”

“But –“

Selena sighed in aggravation, brushed past him, and withdrew her wand in a quick flash. Pointing it towards the two Slytherins, she flicked it silently, but was pushed aside far too quickly for it to have connected to her targets. Her eyes narrowed sharply as she turned and gave Severus a quizzical look, a little concerned as to what his intentions were.