The next morning, week, month...
The next morning, rumors were already in full swing when the first-years Slytherins came to breakfast. Fingers were pointing at Titania, whispering about the evil muggleborn or showing surprise to see her still alive and unharmed. She ignored them all, also ignoring the look of utter betrayal that her twin sister displayed right now. She was so not in the mood for this! She didn’t mind being in Slytherin. She minded the looks of pity, disgust, horror, or incredulity. She was ambitious, yes. She was cunning when she wanted. She was self-serving. And she was muggleborn. She was proud of this, no matter what everyone said. She didn’t think it was mutually exclusive.
The next week, and the next month, was the same. The same looks. The same expressions. The same comments. But Titania weathered it all without shame. She was diligent in her work but not over-achieving like her sister. She was brilliant but she did not display it around like Hermione did. She did not have friends, but she didn’t mind. She found some neat wards in some of the books in the Slytherin Library and she successfully cast them on her room. The next time Parkinson tried to enter uninvited, she found herself shocked and covered in mud. It was a marvellous sight to witness at dawn.
She was pitted almost gleefully against her sister in Potions when the dour professor asked questions. She always got points, whereas Hermione lost them. The stern transfiguration professor was weary at first, before relaxing. She wasn’t her sister, but she was a good student all the same. She even respected the length of the essays, something every professor said at the staff meeting at the end of September. Considering she respected the consign, her sister was penalised for transgressing them. This point docked on her essay cost her the first place in their year.
On one early days of October, Titania was leisurely reading in the Library when her sister came in. When she saw her, she took the place in face of her and glared with all her might. Finding her patience quickly eroding, Titania bookmarked her place in the book and shut it in front of her.
“What is your problem?” She asked, bored.
“My problem? It’s you! You just ruin everything! First, you got yourself sorted in the evil house, and then, you undermined me in the professors eyes! Did you know Professor McGonagall docked me a point on my essay because it was too long compared to yours?” She whispered-shrieked.
“Compared to mine? No, dear sister. I know you. Your essay was too long, period. You’re such a teacher pet, always going beyond their expectations. But when they asked for a two-inch essay, they do not ask for the double! I just respect their demands, is all.”
“You… You are such a bully! It is your fault if I am not first in our year! It is your fault if I don’t have any friends! Everyone said that because you are in Slytherin, it means I’m bad too!”
Chuckling, Titania shook her head.
“Always delusional, dearest sister. If you adhere to the rules, you will not have points docked. If you cease to be such a know-it-all, you may have friends. My being a Slytherin will not change that. Think about it, yeah? Good. Bye, Mi!”
And she took her bag, her book, and got the librarian to check it out for her while Hermione was glaring a hole in her back.
To be honest, if the lack of friends did not bother Titania, the fact that her sister was also friendless was worrying her. Yes, she was bossy. But she always means well. Titania thought the other Gryffindors would have noticed it, by now. If they didn’t, maybe it was really her fault for being sorted in Slytherin?
To be certain, the young Slytherin decided to ambush a red-headed Gryffindor prefect one morning.
“Hey, good morning. Weasley, is it? I’m Titania Granger. Say… Are the Gryffindors bullying my sister because I was sorted in Slytherin?”
Startled, the prefect coughed up a bit of toast before clearing his throat, squaring his shoulder.
“Good morning to you too, Granger. And no, there is no bullying that I saw. Did she say something?”
“Oh, no. It’s just, she is friendless, you surely noticed it, yeah? And, well… She has such high hopes of making friends here… I’m just worrying it’s because of me. And I can’t protect her like I did before, being in Slytherin and her in Gryffindor…”
“I will keep an eye on her, if you want?”
“You will? Oh, good! Thank you! You know, she loves learning, but she is always too eager to show it to the professors. Maybe you can counsel her? And don’t worry, she is bossy, but she means well! Thanks! Bye!”
And she skipped to the Slytherin table to eat her breakfast, ignoring the filthy looks from some students glaring at her.