The inevitables

“I think for today's brewing, I will choose new pairs. Yes, that is what I’ll do.” A collective groan followed Slughorn's uncharming greeting. He went around grouping people together and smiling as he made more absurd pairs. Remus and Marlene, Peter and Mary, Sirius and Lily. The only two content with the idea was Remus and Marlene. Lily seemed more annoyed than ever to be with Sirius, but she kept it civil enough. She glanced at me and smiled as if being nice to the boys was enough to make up for relentlessly hating them for the past three years. I had to make up with Lily though, I did miss her. Like a lot a lot I missed her.

“Mr. Black, you’ve got a long family line don’t you?” Slughorn asked Sirius after pairing him with Lily.

“Yeah and what great things we've done with that time!” Sirius smiled sinisterly, James tried to hide his smile behind me.

“Yes, yes.. It was such a shame I never collected the two of you.”

“Two of us..? Sir?” Sirius added the Sir as if he were patronizing the man. We all knew he meant that Sirius should have been in slytherin. If Sirius got a knut every time he’d heard that, he’d probably be up to ten galleons.

“I’ve always liked a good pair..” The professor's eyes drifted to James and I, the two left unpaired and, coincidentally, the two who are actually a pair.

“Sir?” James asked, concerned. We were both weary of whatever idea that could be conjuring up in the professor's head. I was worried he would make a potion that actually combined the two of us or make us hear each other's thoughts.

“Yes.. yes.. This will do nicely.”

“Sir?” I asked this time, it was getting hot in here now. I felt people looking at us.

“Your father is famous for potion-making is it not?”

“Yes sir.” James said.

“Well we shall see if the two of you combined can make a run for his money!” The professors paired us and gave the whole class the instructions. He kept looking back at the two of us like he was expecting a miracle after we’ve been mediocre for three years. I don’t know if Slughorn just realized that we were twins even though we look the same, just different hair styles. Twins don’t have special powers or intertwined magic. The two of us combining does not make one super strong wizard, it doesn’t work like that. At least, I am 90% sure it does not work like that.

Spoiler alert: James and I did not possess any brilliant potion traits from our father. In our long family history, Fleamont Potter has been the only master potion brewer. The rest of us aren’t bad, I’ve gotten perfect marks in the class, but I could never go and invent something with potions. I’d much rather spend all my hours in runes or transfiguration than potions. James wasn’t much different in the matter, potions just was not our strong suit.

We made the little potion as averagely as possible, it was exactly right and just a little bit wrong. Still Slughorn reacted kindly.

“You two will come to my ‘Slug Club’ ball later this week. Yes, that shall be good.” Slughorn told us. He phrased it as if we were begging him to attend. Lily’s been going to the club for years mainly because she loves potions and this would be her only alone time with Snape. The only interest I’ve had in the club is what exactly they do. I caught Lily’s glance, so keen on knowing if we would go. James would probably ruin the night for her, hopefully I wouldn’t.

James looked weary, he’d never done anything without the rest of the marauders. I wondered if he was going to find a way to bring his mates with him.

“Yes sir..” I not so forwardly agreed for the both of us.

“Mr. Black you shall come too.” Slughorn decided.

“What?” Sirius’s head snapped to the conversation.

“Very good, see you then.” The professor left us there and went to an all slytherin group.

“What just happened? What did I just agree to?”

*****

Mary helped me get ready. She washed my hair and put countless products in it. I did some makeup although I saw no point because I was so underdeveloped. If I chopped my hair up and straightened it, I would be james. Marlene picked out a nice purple dress for me, neither of them seemed bothered by the fact they weren’t invited.

“It’s a posh party, you’ll fit right in.” Marlene teased me, she was undoubtedly right.

“You will be the most beautiful posh there!” Mary giggled like I was her doll she just dressed up.

“Is Lily going?” I asked, I hadn’t seen her get ready or anything but I wouldn’t put it past her to find a clever solution.

“She left a bit ago.” Marlene said. “I told her about Snape.”

“What’d she say?” Mary and I gave Marlene all of our attention. Lily was known to support Snape no matter what, but she couldn’t ignore this! Right?

“Said he’s got family problems that's making him meaner or something.” Marlene sighed and threw a towel on the bathroom counter.

“She did not!” Mary gasped.

“She did.” Marlene nodded. Mary began gushing about the nerve of Lily and how unfair that was to Marlene. She was right, but what about our friend Lily? We couldn’t ignore the girl for the next four years, I would miss her two much. The M’s are best mates and Lily is supposed to be mine, she just happens to have a terrible friend. I did not know what to do.

“Let’s get this over with.” I made my descent down to the common room where James and Sirius were waiting in their dress robes. Peter sat on the floor as he played chess with a ghost, Remus and Lily were nowhere to be found. Sirius tilted his head at me.

“Did you do something different to your hair?” Sirius asked. Mary squeezed my arm and smiled.

“That’s boy code for ‘wow you look ravishing’!” Mary whispered in my ear so excitedly, I could feel her happiness.

“Mary did it for me.” I smiled at Mary before turning back to Sirius. “Do you like it?”

“Suits you.”

The party was mostly boring. There was an assortment of what Marlene would call posh foods and music I’ve only heard at my fathers parties. Lily stuck as far away from me and the boys as possible. So yes, it was a very snobby party.

Slughorn came around and talked more about twin things and our parents. Sirius was not having the conversation.

“So both of your families are part of the longest wizarding groups!” Slughorn smiled with himself. “And yours Sirius, the best slytherin family around!”

“Can you waltz?” Sirius ignored the professor altogether as he asked me.

“Only dance I know.” I shrugged. Sirius took my hand and we made our way to the dance floor. He put his hand on my waist and the other locked with mine. We began to dance, Sirius was excellent. It was like he started lessons before he could crawl. I had learned at a young age as well, but Sirius was definitely better than me.

“You look pretty today.” Sirius said and he guided me through the dance. Each step flew perfectly with the music, each muscle was used to dance like we were the only ones there. And despite all that, I felt nothing for him. He was my friend, my brother, and nothing else.

“You think I should do my hair like this every day?” I asked, was my hair being done properly with product in it instead of a ratty ponytail really the difference between being pretty or not? I hoped not.

“No… no then you wouldn’t be you. You’d be like Mary.”

“I thought you liked Mary.”

“I do, but the world can’t have two Mary’s and no Hazel’s. I’d miss my friend.” Sirius smiled for probably the first time tonight. He spun me around so that he was in front of James. He made a few gestures that insinuated that he was winning some game.

“What are you messing with him about?” I asked.

“He gave us this whole speech about how you’re his sister and none of us are allowed to sing you or something.” Sirius laughed at the ridiculousness, I did too.

“He did not!”

“He did…” Sirius closed his lips together like yeah… that’s your overprotective brother for you. I rolled my eyes and smiled.

“Is that why you said I was pretty?” I teased him.

“No.” Sirius looked in my eyes, “promise.” He added. He took my hand and wrapped my own arm around me as he positioned himself behind me. “In about a minute this entire party will be covered with slugs.”

“Slugs?”

“Yes. I recommend getting out of here.” And with that, the boy bowed and left me for my brother. I scanned the scene for Lily. If I was going to avoid a room full of slugs then so was she. James was right, it didn’t matter what had happened or any part of the past, she was my closest friend! It was my job to be there for her and protect her from an army of slimy slugs.

I walked around the entirety of the party and could not find her. I was wasting time at this point. Was she even here anymore? She could have easily left earlier. Everywhere I went there were rows and rows of kids first years to seventh years all in pretty dresses or well steamed dress robes, but no Lily.

Then finally, I saw her gorgeous red hair and new turquoise dress. Luckily for me she was not with Snape at the moment, but I could see him getting more drinks.

“Lil! Come on, we need to go now!” I grabbed her arm and started rushing. Based on my best guess, we had about twenty seconds left.

“Hazel! You’re talking to me!” She began to hug me but I pushed her back.

“No time, we need to go!“

“What? Why?”

“I’ll explain outside but we-“

“AHHHH!” I was too late. We turned to see slugs squirming around from the food table, then dropping onto the floor or hanging onto any unlucky student who was near. It was a matter of seconds before each slug started to multiply. And multiply. And multiply. Pretty soon everyone was running around getting bombarded by slugs just for trying to leave. Three slugs had made their way onto Lily’s dress and two were on mine. The two of us screamed as I grabbed her hand and we started running. She tried to flick a slug off but that only made it multiply again.

We sprinted until we were out of the party, by now I was a really good runner. Lily not so much. As she heaved outside the party’s door and took out my wand and blasted the slugs off of her.

“Thank.. you..” she breathed.

“Of course, we’re best mates after all!”

“We are?”

“Yes, always.” We smiled, Lily was pissed off at my brother, but we were forever friends.