Bitter ━ HP Golden Era (4)

𝖝𝖎𝖛. Murderer in the Making

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖋𝖔𝖚𝖗𝖙𝖊𝖊𝖓
murderer in the making

(...all about appearances)

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         THOUGH EVERYONE AT Hogwarts was intrigued by Slughorn's newly created exclusive club for the best Potions students (or anyone he thought would succeed in life and wanted a connection to), Maia did not agree with the general want to be apart of it. Maybe it's because she was handpicked by him to join, the invitation arriving to her on the train ride over to school, or maybe it's because she could see right through what Slughorn was doing.

It was creative, she could admit that much, and of true Slytherin fashion, but after spending time with the most manipulative and distorted versions of those Slytherins who do anything for success, she kept the new Potions professor at a distance and could herself eyeing all his actions suspiciously.

The tactic to gain friendship with all those he thought would succeed and do something great after Hogwarts to gain benefits from them later in life was the entire reason for the club, Maia could see that, though she did not mention her observation to anyone else. Emilia would roll her eyes and begin a bitterness towards him, now seeing it not as her excellence in the class but of her connection towards some high Ministry officials and the expectation that she would join their ranks after finishing her education.

And if there was anything Emilia hated more than Severus Snape, it was the Ministry. Not for the same reasons as those in Maia's family, for their corrupt nature, but because of her family's pushing for her to become a Ministry official like all of them. Emilia was more partial to becoming a Potions master than anything else.

It didn't help that Maia had a special hatred for wearing itchy dresses and using spells to hold her hair into the perfect arrangement, earrings that hurt her ears, and bracelets that slipped all up and down her wrists. She hadn't had to dress up this fancily for many events, really it boiled down to three things: the Yule Ball two years ago, a party Demetri held over summer which she was forced to attend, and a wedding for Nadia's muggle friend, Janet Khan. Ugh. She hated how this dress felt against her skin.

But it was all about appearances – that's what Demetri said. She had to appear like she was just the same as everyone else; good little Maia Greene who didn't have an evil bone in her body. Maia Greene whose mother was Nadia Greene, not a Death Eater and a dead woman. It was the appearance of things, not the actual substance.

So she dressed up nicely and flickered the mascara carefully upon her lashes, smiled brightly and sat next to Emilia who was practically glowing. She always did like elite clubs, always liked to feel superior to others for her talent and hard work.

Nadia was proud of her when she wrote of her acceptance into Slughorn's little club, and that was good. She even wrote back about her own jealously for not being included. Potions was always her worst subject. And if Nadia was proud of her, that was enough.