atelophobia • {HP universe} (BOOK 1)

~ six ~

It was time for Lily's first Hogwarts classes, and she was already in a bad mood. Other peoples moods tend to affect her, and Draco had ruined what was supposed to be a fun experience from the start. Lily had potions first, so once she got her books together, and changed into her Slytherin robes, (she was rooming with Pansy Parkinson, Daphne Greengrass, and a girl named Rosemary Rootley), Lily headed off to her father's class. Lily had been the first one to potions, wanting to avoid the big crowd of people.

"Take a seat anywhere." Snape mumbled, not looking up from the parchment he was writing on.

Lily took a seat towards the middle of the class, then after a few seconds, called, "Severus?"

Snape looked up with his hand squeezed tightly around his quill, to see who dared call him by his first name, then settled down when he saw it was just Lily.

"Yes, Liliana?" He asked, still with his quill in his hand.

"I just wanted to get a chance to apologize before people started coming in. For leaving during dinner last night." She said with fake confidence, but Severus's facial expression was unchanging.

"Professor McGonagall informed me about your conversation." He said, and he looked like he was gonna say more, but then others started filing into the room. Severus immediately looked back at his parchment, and continued writing. Unfortunately for Lily, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle walked into the room before Harry, Ron, and Hermione did.

Draco sat at the two-person desk next to Lily, with Goyle by his side, and Crabbe sat with Lily. She thought she would vomit from his stench alone. She itched her nose to make it look like she wasn't trying to block his odor from entering her nostrils.

"What are you doing, orphan loser?" Crabbe asked with a chuckle. Severus immediately stopped writing, but continued looking down at his parchment.

"H-how do you—" Lily began, but Crabbe cut her off.

"Word spreads in Hogwarts. Now, explain to me why the sorting hat would put someone like you into Slytherin. You're probably just lying to us, you're probably a mudblood, and you're contaminating our house!" Crabbe argued, and Lily's throat felt tight. But she wouldn't cry, no, she hadn't cried in years, not since—

Snape's quill broke in half on his desk, and he spilt ink everywhere.

"By the way Crabbe, what I was doing was trying to block my nose from your horrible stench. Wear some deodorant next time, will you?" Lily said, and stood up to go help her teacher with the spill. She saw Malfoy smiling at her insult out of the corner of her eye.

"May I help, Professor Snape?" She asked kindly and he gave her a hesitant nod.

"Sorry about him, Professor." She mumbled under her breath to him as she helped clean his desk.

"Don't apologize for other people's stupidity." He mumbled back. Lily flickered his eyes up to her father, and he was still cleaning.

"Someone has to." Lily said, but more to herself, then to Severus.

"I give my thanks for your help, Liliana. Back to your seat, now." Snape ordered loudly. Lily obliged and sat back down in her seat. She sniffed the air, then fake gagged which earned a chuckle from Malfoy and a glare from Crabbe.

Severus stood up in front of the class confidently, staring at each child with burning eyes.

"There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this class. As such, I don't expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making. However, for those select few..." Snape's eyes scammed the area where Lily and Draco were seated.