Severus Snape's Sister

III. Fifth Year Begins

Natasha Prince

Natasha was as much as an outcasted Slytherin as possible; she had no friends, mostly because a lot of them suspected she was muggle-born. She didn't deny it because she wasn't sure if Apollo counted as making her muggle-born or not, and she didn't really care. She was called Mudblood about every day, normally by Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe. Draco Malfoy didn't directly abuse her for one reason or another. She was sure he was smart enough to know Severus liked her even though he (and everyone else) was ignorant of their relation.

She sat alone on the train staring out the window, watching the landscape fly by. She heard a commotion outside the compartment and decided to watch. She saw the Weasley girl with a first name starting with G in her year curse someone. She realized it was the Bat Bogey curse. Weasley looked up at Natasha like 'tell a teacher and I'll curse you too.'

"Nice one, Weasley," she said with a slight smile. Weasley shrugged as a teacher came up behind her. Natasha disappeared back inside her compartment but didn't hear yelling; the Weasley girl must've got off with it.

When the train arrived at the school, she got off onto the platform with the usual throng. When she trudged to the carriages, she ended up being in one with two sixth year gryffindors and the Weasley girl. "Did you get off with that curse? I've heard Slughorn isn't very strict," she said in her usual quiet tone to the Weasley girl.

"Basically. He had me come down to a party with people that were well-connected. You know Zabini don't you?" She shifted a little as she spoke like she was hoping the thestral pulling the carriage would move faster.

"Oh yes. Doesn't surprise me he was there; I mean living proof that a person doesn't need a brain to survive is pretty impressive," she said in her same quiet tone although she smiled.

The two boys caught each other's eyes before laughing slightly. The Weasley girl didn't hold back. "I like you," she said. "You're funny. Sorry but what's your name again?"

"Natasha. I'm glad you forgot mine so it seems a little less rude not recollecting yours," she confessed.

"Ginny. This is Dean, my boyfriend, and Seamus, his best friend. They're both sixth years," she added.

"Mhmm. Nice talking to you, Ginny. I'm sure we'll have one class or another together," she said in the same quiet voice. She hopped out of the carriage as it stopped. She lingered by the thestral. Once the others came out, she asked, "Can any of you see him?"

"See what?" Ginny asked.

"I think she means the thestral. You can only see them if you've seen death," Dean told her. "Hagrid taught us."

"Exactly. It's a shame most people can't see them. They're fascinating. There's no reason to fear them besides the stigma of death," she said in the same flat tone as she stroked it like a regular horse. To the three people behind her, it looked as if she was petting thin air.

"Who did you see die?" Ginny asked.

"Lots of people. I work at a hospital in the summer. We can't save everyone. It's quite sad," she said, even quieter than normal. She decided to leave out that her brother was a doctor and said quietly, "The doctor gets very upset. Sometimes that's worse than the person dying."

The three looked at her with a mixture of horror, sympathy, and confusion. She turned silently and continued to the castle alone.

The next night, Natasha sat in a secluded corner of the common room. She flipped through her potions book with hardly any interest. She listened to the loudest conversation. "And then I stepped on his face and broke his nose," she heard Draco Malfoy say for the thousandth time.

"But Draco," Pansy Parkinson simpered. "What about the thing you were talking about on the train? Is it true? Are you really..." she trailed off.

He took a deep breath like he was ready to talk for a long time uninterrupted. "Well," he started. "I've-"

He was cut off by Crabbe who said, "Wait. The mudblood is listening, I think." Natasha grabbed her wand from the desk and pointed behind her. Crabbe's wand flew to her other hand. She turned on the stool and faced them.

"Really," she said. "I congratulate you for figuring that much out; it's truly the most intelligent thing that's come out of you. However, don't announce things like that." She twirled his wand between her fingers and flicked it back to him. He tried to catch it but failed. "Failure. Anyways, he was gonna say something about replacing his father as a Death Eater."

"How did you know that?" Malfoy said sharply.

She ignored his question and continued, "It doesn't surprise me. Someone just as useless as your father has to replace him," she said quietly but savagely.

"You dare?" he asked quietly, as if she had pulled a knife to his mother's throat.

"Oh, I dare. Try and fight me. Go for it," she teased. "Exactly," she said with a smirk. She closed her potions book and grabbed her wand. She turned to walk to her dormitory.

"Per-" he began to shout. She didn't even turn as she put her arm back. She flicked her wand, and his wand flew from his hand. "Nonverbal?" he marveled. "How?"

"You have to be capable of complex thought. You obviously lack that," she said in her same quiet voice which seemed to make it more insulting. She disappeared from sight while Draco Malfoy was left speechless.

"Bitch," he muttered.

"Thank you!" she called, out of sight. His face turned incredulous.

A few days later, Draco saw her in a corridor. He stuck his wand into her chest. "You better keep your mouth shut," he threatened.

"Fuck off," she whispered and reached up to his wand. "Are you going to be good and put your wand away or should I snap it?" she asked impatiently.

"How dare you-"

"Not be threatened? Hun, you aren't that scary." She moved her hand to his and scratched across the back of his hand with her nails. He dropped his wand and looked at his hand. She patted his face twice with a smirk and continued to class.

"Fuck you!" he yelled at her.

"Sorry, but there's a long line for that already," she sassed. "Ask Pansy; she'll gladly agree."

"You filthy little whore," he spat.

"You disgusting jackass," she mimicked. "I'm going to be late for class. Byyyyye," she drawed out. She skipped down the hall without another word. He stared after her with a twisted expression on his face.

She was invited to suppers with Slughorn a few weeks later. She didn't like him complimenting her but liked making a few friends. Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley were her favorite people in the group.

During the first Hogsmeade visit, Crabbe and Goyle took the walk there as an opportunity to insult Natasha. Draco wasn't with them. When they were halfway there, she got bored and jinxed them.

After the trip, she heard that a seventh year Gryffindor had been cursed during the Hogsmeade visit. It scared her.