Fragile

As classes dragged on and fall became more prominent, Lissy was starting to know the ins and the outs of her roommates. Over the last few weeks, she had been attempting to adjust to the big changes. In a world where she was built to be so big, Lissy couldn’t help but feel very small. The wizarding world had talked her up so much that more often than not, it felt like she was drowning in her own shadow. Sometimes her bed was too open, too vulnerable and she’d pull the curtains shut and stuff pillows around her to help shrink it. In that space, at that time she could pretend that everything was fine. No classmates or upper years to stare and whisper about her like the freak show she had grown up feeling like. No, in those moments it was just her and it was quiet.

The air was a lot colder here and whilst the layers that she had begun wearing were slightly helpful, they weren’t protective enough to stop the chill that was constantly seeping in. It was a bit ironic really. Somehow even with the weather, Lissy was still struggling to find a way to fit in and adapt. Hogwarts was new waters that she was trying (but failing) to stay afloat in. Things that her classmates found normal and easy were more often than not a huge struggle and it was just a big reminder that this was definitely not Privet Drive. Though that’s not to say she was unhappy. Everything here was just very… different. It felt odd to be able to make semi loud noises and not be yelled at. Actually, it just felt very weird to not be yelled at in general. Her mere existence there had been a sin so this was absolutely a step up. Yes, it was difficult and not completely ideal but even through the worst of it, it was still better. Snape’s jabs were hurtful but he never raised his voice the way Uncle Vernon loved to. With Snape it was all sharp edges and menacing looks but never did he truly shout at her. It seemed he preferred the ‘subtle’ art of intimidation, Lissy supposed. Hogwarts was different from Privet Drive and Lissy liked that. Mostly. The adjustment period was going to take some time though.

Her roommates were the complete opposite to her. Daphne made herself immediately at home, marking what space was clearly hers and threatening that she charmed all of her stuff against sticky fingers. Lissy wasn’t too sure why she thought that they’d steal her perfume but she didn’t think it necessary to ask. Whilst the color changing glass bottles that sat upon her night stand were very pretty, Lissy could not find any temptation arise for her to have it as her own. Millicent wasn’t as loud or aggressive but in her own way she made her space hers without difficulties. Her favorite spot seemed to be the bathroom, just like Lissy. Curly haired potions lined the bottom cabinet and she had placed some bath fizzers atop the counter that she’d given Lissy permission to use. Lissy appreciated it but a part of her was hesitant to touch it so it still sat full on that counter. 

Her roommates were different. It wasn’t like back home where Dudley poisoned everybody’s image of her. She was actually being treated normally (well, as normal as you can get for a celebrity). When she met eyes with someone, she wasn’t that freak cousin of Dudley’s anymore. Here she was Amaryllis Potter, the-girl-who-lived. Still a freak, but in a much better light. Ironically, there was always a reputation preceding her arrival. Whilst some of it was nice, it was hard getting used to such contrasts. As odd as it was, a look of scorn was more familiar than the looks of interest she received. Millicent and Daphne were full of those looks of interest and sometimes Lissy didn’t know how to handle it. The only stagnant roommate Lissy had was Pansy, who still remained her reserved self even through her decorations. Her things were elegant but very simple. The comforter she had spread over her bed was a lush pale green that added a nice brightness to their otherwise plain, matching pillowcases included. It made Lissy look at her own plain grey comforter and pillow case with new eyes.

Each of her roommates had their own quirks and Lissy was starting to get to know them. Millicent didn’t sleep without a bonnet on because her curly hair twisted and tangled all through the night till she awoke in the morning with incorrigible knots. Daphne didn’t let her feet peek out from under the blanket and she always stayed strictly in the middle of the bed with a pillow behind her back. Pansy was such a light sleeper that once, only by standing up did Lissy wake the blonde girl up (which was very impressive as back at Privet Drive she had become accustomed to staying light on her feet so as to steal scraps out of the kitchen). Her morning routine - Lissy pondered as she stared into the mirror at the dark circles underneath her eyes - must be torture for the young girl. A brief sense of embarrassment and guilt creeped its way into Lissy’s soul, and her stomach clenched. Lissy hoped with all her might that Pansy wasn’t losing sleep over her. To be such a light sleeper must be a nuisance and the black haired girl didn’t want to add any troubles or woes to her fellow slytherin. In truth, however, Lissy was having a hard time letting go of these moments. She was being selfish but this one thing she wanted to keep for herself. It was amazing to be able to soak in such a warm tub that sometimes, the girl never wanted to leave. The close to boiling water felt like a safe haven for the small girl. Like her bed, she didn’t have to worry about Snape and his gratuitous hatred for her existence or the prying eyes of her school. Not even Quirrel’s off-smelling turban could bother her here. The nipping air that always seemed to follow her around was shut out as well and that tired feeling that she carried on her shoulders was gone. It was quiet, warm, and Lissy felt safe. 

Classes had become somewhat manageable for Lissy. She wasn’t amazing at magic but would find herself getting the job done after practicing it numerous times. The wand, though Ollivander matched it specifically to her, felt awkward in her hands and sometimes Lissy just wanted to toss it away and cheat by using her hands. Pansy, who had become accustomed to always sitting on the right of Lissy, was particularly swell at magic. Her movements were always graceful, clear, and concise and she even had an icy blue wand guard that attached to her forearm. Sometimes her lack of talent in performing magic frustrated her but it wasn’t a surprise. Even Daphne was a lot better with her wand than Lissy and for all her talk, the girl wasn’t as graceful or great at casting charms or performing transfiguration as she claimed to be. Sometimes, if Lissy glanced over her shoulder, she’d see Daphne asking Millicent for help. Once she herself had attempted to ask, but her voice caught in her throat, dying even before she got the first word out and instead she continued trekking through her miserable attempts. Potions was the only class she wasn’t struggling miserably even though Snape did seem to have it out for her. At times, she felt almost terrified to look up from her potion due to fear of him giving her a ferocious glare. When she felt he wasn’t over her shoulder, it was possibly one of her favorite classes. Herbology was okay-ish as well and would also be one of her beloved classes if it didn't take place outside and she wasn’t constantly freezing. Mcgonagall’s classes were always a bright spot in her day albeit not for the education of it. Sometimes after class, Mcgonagall would accidentally mention something about Lissy’s parents or give her a lemon biscuit but it was more so because all the pent up heavy feelings she felt would slightly lift and Lissy would breathe a lot easier. Whilst Mcgonagall didn’t give obscenely special treatment, Lissy felt very warm in her class, almost like she was covered in a very heavy blanket. It was unfortunate that potions did not extend the same feeling. 

Goosebumps broke out onto the girl's arms as she made her way back down to the dungeon for another potions lesson. The 2 sweaters she wore underneath her robes did nothing to stop the chills that danced down her spine as she met Snape with tired eyes when she entered the classroom. Her heart was racing and for good reason too. Snape was an anomaly that Lissy was having difficulty in understanding. Ever since their first lesson, he had become accustomed to switching off between snarky comments and ferocious glares to simply ignoring her existence. All were territories the girl was very familiar with but somehow, Snape took it to another level. Daphne, who walked next to Lissy as they entered the potions room, took no notice of her professor's narrowed eyes. Instead, she was focused on hushed whispers over how Hendra Mcallen was trying to court Evan Kingston without much luck. Lissy wasn’t really sure what court meant but she listened, regardless. Any distraction was better than being completely focused on Snape’s glare or the soft exhaustion that constantly settled on her chest. They set up their books in the back, readying themselves for another double lesson and Daphne had still yet to slow in her chatter.

“I’m surprised you didn’t partner up with Pansy,” Daphne said suddenly and Lissy glanced up from where she was fiddling around with her pencils, meeting gazes with the girl. That haughty look was replaced by genuine curiosity. “You and her always seem to be partners or Millicent steals you away. Now you can see my expert potions work in person.” Daphne grinned and Lissy ducked her head at the hot feeling that coursed through her cheeks and ears. The truth was that Millicent had asked Pansy before the lesson so Lissy had gone to the now partnerless Daphne instead. Somehow, Pansy was her partner for everything and Lissy had yet to gather the courage to ask why? Had they come to an understanding without speaking or was the black haired girl somehow pushing herself onto the blonde? She knew for sure at least that Pansy didn’t hate her and what more was there to ask than that? Honestly, Lissy was just glad that she was tolerated by her. It was a bit more comfortable to be near Pansy. Although the girl spoke her mind, it was not in the same way Daphne did. Pansy always said just enough. Ever since she had met the girl that day in the greenhouse, they had established some sort of companionship. It was new to Lissy but she didn’t hate it. She just didn’t quite know how to respond yet. Lissy fiddled with her books, offering a shrug in response to Daphne.

“I-It’s uh, it’s just how it usually ends up,” She said and the smile that was on Daphne’s face didn’t leave. 

“Well, after this you’ll be begging to be my partner from now on,” the brunette hummed as she organized her quills and ink pot on the desk. It was a bit surprising to see as usually the girl was doodling away or listening for new pieces of gossip. Lissy followed in suit, readying herself. Class began soon after and Snape waved his wand, instructions appearing across the blackboard in soft flutters. 

“Do you want to get the ingredients?” Daphne asked looking up. She batted her lashes and Lissy shifted foot to foot, staring at her awkwardly. It was obvious this wasn’t really a request rather than her own version of politely telling her. Daphne sort of did that a lot. Honestly, it didn’t bother Lissy too much though. With Pansy, they tended to switch off but Lissy quite liked making the short trip across the room. Gathering ingredients was calming and the potions store room felt comforting.

“Okay,” Lissy agreed softly. Her eyes felt heavy and part of her wished to be in bed right now rather than suffering under the scrutinizing eye of her evil professor. Ignoring this, she began to gather ingredients into her basket. Griffin feathers, jojoba oil, coriander, etc were all placed into her basket but it was with the gunni fur that she found herself having trouble reaching. A delicate hand reached past her, bringing down the small box and Lissy glanced to her side to see Pansy looking straight at her. Malfoy was behind the girl, looking flustered and somewhat agitated.

“Hey- I was going to get the b-“

“Here,” Pansy ignored the boy in favor of offering Lissy some, grabbing some for her own basket as well. Lissy glanced down at the basket for a moment, unsure of what to say before she offered a small sincere smile.

“Thanks,” Lissy said softly. Pansy stared at her for a moment, face completely blank before she blinked. Her mouth opened for a mere second before it closed again. Lissy was expecting a bigger reaction for a moment but then the other girl turned away swiftly. The braid that she always plaited her hair into swung softly against her back as she made her way towards her own table and Lissy let out a shaky sigh before doing the same. Her heart felt a little tighter. It was always like this with Pansy. The ravenette could never tell what was going through the platinum blonde’s mind. She was basically her complete opposite. Where Pansy was more confident and poised, Lissy felt as if she were always walking on eggshells, too tense and afraid. A small part of her felt like a bother to Pansy and even deeper down, she sort of wished they were friends. The companionship they had started was nice but sometimes it felt like Lissy was leeching off the girl. Pansy seemed to excel in anything and everything, never having too much trouble with something. Every feature the girl had was perfect and Lissy wanted so badly to reflect it. So badly did she want to not be herself. Hogwarts was different from Privet Drive, that she could agree but somehow the slytherin still found herself the same useless girl.  Classes were so much more different and Lissy found that she liked listening but it was where performance was involved she had issues. Everytime a professor asked them to utilize their wands and practice a spell, Lissy fell short. Sometimes it was almost painful as she pushed her magic, pushing and pulling and straining so hard to do what the others were doing that marks were left on her palms. Somehow, whilst Potions was in fact her most dreaded subject, it was her best. The ravenette broke off a couple of dried lavender petals, depositing them into the pot absentmindedly. How ironic.

“Wow.” Lissy jumped at Daphne, who was peeking over her shoulder with interest. “You’re really good at this. You sure you didn’t do potions at home with those muggles?” Daphne eyed the girl jokingly but it still threw her off guard.

“N-no,” She shook her head. 

“Well, whatever it is, you’re fantastic! We’re already halfway ahead of the rest of the class,” Daphne cheered. “It’s nice not to be stuck with Draco either. He’s okay at potions and all but he’s such a know it all. Also- since you’re so competent we can write the lab report as we go,” She chatted away whilst penning their report on how they created their potions and the steps they took. If Snape was anything, he was thorough. Daphne looked up from her parchment. “How would you talk about the process of adding in the coriander?”

“W-w-we’ve scattered coriander across the top once every so often as the potion needs it s-s-so as to not uh, not let it spoil.”

“Perfect,” Daphne nodded in agreement and Lissy went back staring down at the potion. The shade of green it was was perfect but the edges felt off to her. It wasn’t turning yellow yet but she still dashed some along the edges just in case. As Lissy stirred, she let her mind wander. Today she was supposed to meet Hagrid for lunch and part of her was happy. Hagrid was warm and friendly and all around a good person to her. Originally when he had shown up to rescue her from the Dursley’s she hadn’t known what to think. Sleeping on the wet floor of a rickety shack, eating only after they’d all had their fill - it had been somewhat of a final straw for her. A big burly man towering over her in the dark, offering her a birthday cake and talking about her parents was strange but she’d jumped at the chance. The small girl was glad she did though. 

“Oh, watch out!” Lissy glanced up only just in time to see one of the gryffindor boys fall towards her. As he went to fall on her, she watched as they dropped an extra griffin feather into their cauldron. The two of them hit the ground and she wheezed as she let out a slight muffled groan of pain.

“Seamus,” a girl snapped and Lissy looked up from the ground to see the angry look on the very familiar face of Hermione Granger. Her hair was frizzy and framed her face like a lion's mane which was somewhat fitting since she was a part of Gryffindor. The boys at the station next to them were snickering in amusement and Lissy spotted Ron amongst them, although he was sort of just standing there awkwardly watching. Only a moment did he look up but that's all it took for their gazes to meet each other. Lissy wondered if the hurt on her face showed but even if it did, she doubted Ron saw it from the way his gaze averted itself. 

“10 points from Gryffindor for the inability to walk.” Lissy glanced up to see Snape’s figure coming towards them, wearing a look of irritation. Seamus scrambled backwards almost immediately as he saw the advancement of the Slytherin head of house. He hopped off of Lissy and skittered towards the Gryffindor side of the room, face incredibly pale and Lissy found herself understanding the anxiousness one felt when being scolded by Snape. She herself got up, brushing off any dust that might have been resting on her.

“He tossed something into our cauldron, sir,” Daphne raised her hand angrily and Lissy froze, glancing down into the cauldron. She had almost forgotten about that. It had turned a muddy brown. “Now we’re going to have to do it over,” Daphne complained.

“I-it’s okay, we’ll j-j-just add slug mucus and-and it’ll help di-dilute it,” Lissy mumbled with a shake of her head. Her tongue felt thick and heavy with Snape so close. 

“What are you adding?” Snape's voice cut clear through the room and Lissy froze. She moved her gaze up from the potion to her professor who was narrowing his gaze at her.

“S-slug mu-mucus,” she said and Snape stared at her. 

“What effect would slug mucus have on your potion?” Snape questioned them and Lissy wanted to melt into the floor.

“It- it’ll take away fro-from the uh, the e-extra g-griffin f-feather,” She replied.

“Why not just add one more of each ingredient?”

“O-our c-cauldron is t-t-too sma-small,” She told him, glancing at the almost full object. They couldn’t double up on everything without adding in more water and just doubling up on the ingredients alone would only strengthen the potion. The potentness would be too strong and no longer safe.

“How many drops of snail mucus would be used to counteract this?” Snape grilled and Lissy felt her throat tighten. Maybe they should have just started over. She gripped her skirt tightly in her hands. She could feel herself freezing up.

“S-sh-should w-we jus-just re-restar-restart it?” Lissy asked quietly. She averted her eyes towards the floor. It was an attempt at escape - her offer of restarting it. Daphne would complain but she’d rather that than feel the wrath of Snape. He was grilling her because she had assumed and she so wished she had remained silent, remained quiet and ignored.

“How many drops, Potter?” Lissy looked back up and swallowed thickly. His focus was as intense as ever.

“I-I d-d-don’t k-know s-sir, I’d h-have to add t-them in slow-slowly and watch the c-colo-color an-and th-thickness...” Lissy let her voice fall into a soft mumble but Snapes gaze didn’t leave her face. It was quiet for a moment.

“4 and half mucus drops would fix it however add them in slowly,” He emphasized the last word. His stare was piercing, even without seeing it. He turned away from them and made his way up to the board, flipping around as he reached his desk and overlooked the class. “To all of you nosy newts who cannot help yourself listening in, it is ideal to remember slug mucus is a neutralizar for many common ingredients including but not limited to hippogriff feather, griffin feather, frog eye, fox tail, and adder’s tongue.” The room was silent as they stared up at the man. “Why is this not being written down? Your feeble minds need to write this down at least twice for it to even slightly stick.” At once there was movement as everyone whipped open a notebook to jot it down. Lissy herself dug around her bag for a pot of ink and quill, penning it into her potions notes. It was at the end of the class that Lissy finally let out a breath of relief. Daphne was making her way up to Snape’s desk with their bottled potion and she was cleaning up the desk, a task she chose voluntarily so the girl wouldn't have to come in close contact with the short tempered Slytherin. It was when the clock ticked 12 that she finally allowed her shoulders to untense, moving with the crowd while they exited. As Lissy was exiting the threshold, she and Hermione bumped into one another; There was a moment where they both just looked at eachother and immediately Lissy noted the lack of scowling happening. The raven haired girl smiled apologetically before feeling someone grumble behind her, pushing her to move faster. Rather than add any more unwanted conflict to her day, Lissy continued forward spotting Pansy walking ahead leisurely with Millicent next to her. Catching up, she caught the tail end of Millicent’s somewhat one ended conversation.

“And that’s why I’m nervous for tomorrow,” Millicent said, wiping her hands on her robe.

“F-for tomorrow?” Lissy asked, looking directly at Millicent who nodded. She opened her mouth but was cut off by a male voice instead.

“I assume she’s talking about our flying lessons,” Lissy turned to see Malfoy catching up with them. Behind him was Nott.

“Oh. I don’t believe you should be too worried, Millicent. Draco’s told me all about how much he’s flown. An expert we’ve got here,” Theodore Nott chimed in, nodding his head at the platinum haired boy. Lissy’s gaze moved from him to the other boy, eyebrows raised.

“Have you?” She found herself asking. Immediately the boy’s face reddened considerably as he met gazes with her, breaking it just as quickly. His gaze had shifted to the floor.

“N-not that much,” He replied in a sort of muttering away. Lissy wondered if she was prying.

“O-Oh. Okay,” She nodded before turning back to the other girls. She bit the inside of her cheek, feeling guilty at the obvious intrusion she had just made. There was a grunt from behind her and then a loud yelp that had all 4 of the girls turning their heads to meet the boys. Theo was hunched over, hand holding his stomach but even though he looked to be in pain the boy was still snickering. Next to him Malfoy stood looking very testy.

“Stomachache?” Lissy asked sympathetically, watching Theo wheeze even harder to the point where he had actually had to stop walking. Millicent looked at Lissy in disbelief but she just glanced at a clock before back down to her peers. ”I’ve got to go.”

She left them where they stood, taking the next hallway over to meet a grassy green field bordering the forest Dumbledore had mentioned as Forbidden. It stood patiently and in the distance she could hear chirps. The ravenette stared at it for a moment more before continuing her trek to Hagrid’s. The wooden cabin resided just on the edge of the Forbidden Forest with a pumpkin patch just off to the side. As Lissy approached the porch, she could feel her anxiety arise. What if the man had forgotten or was busy? He was the one to send the letter, however. She raised her fist against the door, rapping at it 3 times softly. 

“H-hagrid?” Lissy called and she watched as the door knob wiggled a bit before it was pulled open. Hagrid stood there looking down at her, the big smile on his face and Lissy was relieved.

“There ya are! Almost thought you’d forgotten! Well, c’mon in,” He told her and Lissy followed him. The inside of Hagrid’s cabin was cozy and nice and he even had a fireplace. In front of it layed a great big dog who popped his head up with a very loud bark as she wobbled in, taking a seat at the table.

“Hello,” Lissy said softly as he came to approach her. She could feel her neck break out into goosebumps as he came closer. Bad experiences with Dudley’s terrible Aunt Marge and her dog flitted across her mind as her body tensed but one in particular stood out. At one point the horrid old woman actually sicked her dog onto the girl and in an attempt to get away she had climbed up a tree where she remained all night till around 1-2 in the morning. The whole time the Dursleys had laughed. Her mouth grew dry and Lissy could feel her heart going like crazy but the only thing the big dog did was drop his head into her lap and drool, giving her a lazy smile. Lissy felt a smile grow upon her own lips and she slowly reached out towards the dog, rubbing his head and ears fondly. He seemed to enjoy it, closing his eyes as he relished the pets.

“That there is Fang,” Hagrid told her, his back facing her as he rustled around in his little kitchenette. “Don’ let ‘is appearance fool ya’, he’s a big softie.”

“He’s very friendly,” Lissy laughed as Fang pushed himself closer to her for more pets. He sort of resembled a very wrinkly bear.

“I bet he fancies ‘imself to be very scary but really ‘e is just a big ol’ softie. Bestes’ friend I ever ‘ad though,” Hagrid said, placing a plate of biscuits onto the table. There were big lumps and skinny golden ones mixed in with one another and Lissy took a chance at the big lump, finding it almost impossible to chew. Lissy held a grimace back. It had a similar taste to that of burnt plastic, something the girl had found she never really enjoyed but she refrained from spitting it out under Hagrid’s watchful eye, afraid to hurt his feelings. 

“Made em meself,” Hagrid said proudly as he took one as well, before his attention was dragged away by a loud tea kettle whistling. He stood up again as the kettle in the kitchen whistled loudly. Lissy spat out the bad cookie into her hand and tossed it into the fire. She offered the cookie to Fang but even he turned his nose up at it so that too was tossed.

“How are yer classes?” Hagrid asked from the kitchen.

“They’re going okay,” She told him. “I don’t particularly think Professor Snape likes me.” She told the man honestly and Hagrid laughed.

“I don’ think tha’ man likes anyone, really. Ye make any friends yet?”

“I think so,” Lissy called unsure. Of course she was friendly with some of her classmates but she didn’t really know if they actually counted as friends. After all, the girl barely spoke much unless prompted and even then. Sometimes she was afraid to open her mouth out of the possibility that her stutter would take over. It seemed to be getting so much better and Lissy wondered if that was because she wasn’t in a constant state of distress.

“Think so? Why you’re bright and nice, you should have a lot of ‘em,” Hagrid told her, setting down a cup in front of her. It was chipped on the sides but the blue doves were still very beautiful. 

“I-I’m not sure; I don’t know if they like me or not,” She said looking down at the tea. “I haven’t really had friends before. My cousin always seemed to ruin it or my magic scared them off.” At one point in primary she had befriended a girl but that friendship quickly ended when she had seen a branch grow from the ground, tripping a boy that had been teasing the both of them.

“Ah, that one,” Hagrid said with a purse. It seemed he hadn’t forgotten of Dudley.“ ‘ow is he doin’?” Hagrid asked her, trying to hide the upturn of his lips. Lissy didn’t bother as she let her amusement show on her face.

“My uncle and aunt had to take him up to a hospital in London the same day they dropped me off at the train station. They didn’t want him going to his new school with a t-t-tail,” Lissy giggled and Hagrid chortled with her.

“It ought to teach ‘im to leave ya alone.” The man leaned back into his chair. “But back to your friends; Real friends will come when they ought ta’,” Hagrid told her. “You jus’ keep bein’ a good person and good people will find you.”

“I s’pose,” She reluctantly reached towards the platter again and grabbed a golden biscuit instead, hoping it’s outer appearance would prove a better taste. Hagrid nodded his head at them.

“Mcgonagall sent ‘em down to me today,” He told her. “I bet she ‘membered you wer comin’ down.” Lissy took a bite, relieved as Hagrid lifted the mug of tea he had made himself and took a sip. “How yer classes goin’?”

“They’re okay…,” Lissy began, attempting to reassure herself at the same time. “I’ve read the books but actually applying the skill in real life is very difficult.”

“Yer a bright lass; Sometimes all it takes is som’ practice,” Hagrid told her and Lissy looked at him, contemplating. 

“Do…do we have to use wands?” She asked him finally and Hagrid furrowed his brows at her.

“What?”

“You- when you gave Dudley his tail, you did it without a wand. Seems it’s easier to do it without than…well…. with,” she explained and Hagrid shook his head.

“Shhh,” he put a finger in front of his mouth. “Thas’ a secret between you n me,” he told her and Lissy nodded, unsure of why it was a big secret but she went along with it anyways. Maybe it could get him into trouble. “An’ anyways, yer wand is suppos’ ta’ make things easier,” Hagrid told her looking a little puzzled. Lissy glanced at her wand which she had tucked into her robe pocket. How odd that it felt like the opposite.

“Oh, uh, right,” She nodded and didn’t ask anything else, already feeling a bit embarrassed. They talked a while longer on different things until Lissy finally decided to take her leave so as to get ready to head to her Charms class. She grabbed her bag and waved bye to the man, feeling a little lighter. The way back up to the castle had her huffing and puffing with all the uphill climbing she had to do and it was precisely why she missed the blonde boy in front of her. Lissy winced as her head smacked against the boy and the both of them fell down. The charms book she carried slipped out of her hands and to the floor along with her bag as well. Like hers, his items went askew too.

“I-I’m sorry,” Lissy quickly apologized, taking herself off the boy’s feet. He turned around, rubbing his head with a wince.

“Usually it’s me running into people,” Neville said before feeling his mouth drop as he stared at the girl in front of him. “You! You’re Amaryllis Potter!” His jaw had dropped open a substantial amount and Lissy felt herself growing embarrassed. The awe on his face made her skin feel jittery.

“I-I uh, I guess,” She said, glancing at the stone tile they still sat on before glancing back up. “I l-like being called Lissy though,”  she told him correctively and he nodded. “W-we’ve met before…uh, on th-the boat ride…”

“Oh, right, right, sorry! I’m Neville Longbottom,” Neville scrambled up to a standing position and held his hand out to her. She hesitated before smiling at him in return, taking his hand and shaking it.

“I-I know. I-It’s nice to meet you again,” She told him softly. “Sorry for the f-fall…” She glanced around them and the mess that their dropped items had created. The two began collecting everything, attempting to separate what belonged to who.

“Aw, it’s alright. Really, it is; I fall enough on my own, at least this time it wasn’t my own fault. My gran said she’s starting to think I’ve become good at it.” 

“You did g-get up fairly quickly,” She agreed, handing him a ball the size of a ping pong filled with smoke. He in return handed her a set of quills that had spilled. She was going to have to go through her stuff in Charms and double check she didn’t lose anything. “I suppose.. you could count it as a t-talent?” She felt a bit silly at the attempt at a joke but he was very easy to talk to, Lissy thought to herself about the Gryffindor boy. Neville seemed to be a really sincere person.

“Lissy!” Before the blonde boy could say anything to her in response, Lissy heard a familiar voice call out. She turned around and spotted 2 boys making their way towards her. Both sported the bold red of their houses on their uniforms and their hair. Surprise bloomed as she watched the Weasley twins stride towards her in glee.

“Our ickle first years seem to have gotten lost!” They cooed and Lissy blinked in surprise before her lips turned down.

“Ickle?” She repeated. It was the same word her Aunt Petunia used to describe Dudley as a baby. Her face scrunched in dislike. One of them leaned down with a grin on his face.

“You’re almost smaller than our little sister,” He said, patting her on the head.

“Now now, Gred, we must treat Ickle Lissy-kins with the greatest respect,” The other boy said, shoving his twin out the way only to continue the patting. 

“Oh dear Forge, we’ve almost forgotten about our Ickle Longbottom as well,” ‘Gred’ replied.

“Don’t you get enough of this in the common room with Ron?” Lissy heard Neville ask and she craned her neck to face the boy, watching as he stared up at the older gryffindor in exasperation. The twins exchanged looks in amusement.

“Never.” They chimed together as if practiced and Lissy blinked again.

“Fred! George!” There was a shout from behind them and the grin on the twins’ faces grew as they watched a tall slender redhead intervene. “Are you messing with first years?” He asked them with a glower and the two shook their heads.

“Never,” they replied again, voices filled with humor. Fred, Lissy assumed, reached forward and latched his arm across the boys neck. “I can’t believe you would think of us so low, Percy,” Fred shook his head sorrowfully. The angry glower on the new Weasley’s face grew and Lissy couldn't help but think that his face must feel very tight. 

“We were just escorting them to the Great Hall,” George slipped in as he began pushing the two forward in the direction Percy had just come in. 

“Aaaabsolutely,” Fred agreed, bowing as if giving a standard ovation. “Now if you’ll let us carry on after so rudely interrupting,” he tsked, following in lead of his brother. Percy huffed and looked at Neville and then Lissy, a brown raised as he waited for any objection.

“A-actually,” Lissy spoke up, “You were supposed to show me to my charms class,” She said as if it were true. She figured she might as well go to the right place if they were to escort her anywhere. Fred grinned down at her.

“Oh golly, how could I have forgotten!” Fred smacked his head lightly. “See there, Percy? Your rude intrusion had boggled my brain!”

“I’m actually still heading towards Herbology,” Neville said as well and George glanced down before shrugging. 

“Oh, well that’s alright! Carry on my good man, I’m sure you know the way,” George patted the boy on the back before he slipped next to his twin.

“We’ll be going now, nosy-pants,” The twins waved bye towards their brother, almost relishing in his growing annoyance.

“You’re well on your way to meeting our whole family at this point, Lissy-kins,” George hummed as he strode forward. 

“Yeah,” Fred nodded his head wildly. “4 down, 5 to go.”

“Ron did say you have a big family,” Lissy muttered, amazed by how extensive his family was. Her heart twinged as she remembered the way he had just stared at her earlier in potions. She had thought they were at least friendly if not friends. “I-I’m sorry, do you m-mind me asking who’s who again?” She felt her mouth tug down as she looked at the two, feeling guilty.

“It has been a while,” one chimed. “Don’t kill yourself over it or than you’ll be the girl-who-died!”

“I’m Fred,” The one with the more devious smirk said before pointing to his brother, “and this is George but don’t get too upset if you forget; Our mum had to mark us for a good point to remember which is which! ‘Course now she’s pretty good.”

“I think Dad still forgets,” George chimed in, “but most days he almost leaves the house without shoes too so we don’t think it too offensive.”

“Th-thank you,” Lissy said softly, feeling a bit embarrassed. Though they had said not to feel sorry, she still felt terribly rude for having to ask. Lissy wondered whether it hurt their feelings. If someone constantly confused her with someone else, she thought to herself, she might be a little saddened.

“How’s Hogwarts treating you?” Fred asked and Lissy felt herself pulled from her thoughts.

“It’s very…big,” She nodded to herself, pausing as she thought of anything more to add. They laughed in response to her. “And sometimes it's cold.” She told them. George looked down at her.

“Is that why you’re wearing three sweaters?” He asked and she nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed that they had noticed.

“I-It was a double potions day today and the dungeons are a bit cold,” Lissy mumbled. 

“Could be the dungeons or could be Snape’s frosty attitude,” George mused. Fred snickered.

“Heard he gave you a hard time your first day so we gave him a hard time,” Fred grinned.

“Yeah, no one messes with our ickle Lissy-kins,” George cooed, mussing up her curly hair. “Especially Snape.”

“Do you like your house?” Fred asked her and Lissy looked up at him before nodding slightly.

“E-everyone is nice to me,” she told them truthfully. 

“That’s good,” George said, and he and Fred seemed to share a look. Something in their face changed as they looked more at ease. “We heard you got wrangled by Atkins and Farley a while ago.” Lissy’s face tinged as she remembered the brief escort she received from the two.

“They-“ Lissy’s tongue was thick and she didn’t know what to say. “They were- were ju-just es-escorting m-me from the l-library.” The Weasley twins were silent for a moment as the three continued walking. 

“You didn’t go back to your dorm,” George finally said, gently and her heart ached as she stared down at the ground, face aflame. She wanted to open her mouth, wanted to say something but it was hard.

“H-How?”

“The paintings are big gossips,” Fred told her lightly and Lissy wringed her hands together, attempting to keep control of her heartbeat. She didn’t want to cry but she could feel the emotions being stirred up as the run in with Snape was dragged back up into her mind. “Are you okay?” Fred asked her straight out.

“I-“ Lissy’s voice cracked as she spoke and she attempted to compose herself for a moment. “It’s a-a-all ve-very d-different.” The black haired girl wanted to confide in them. Complain about it being cold, about how Snape seemed determined to hate her, about how her wand and her just couldn’t manage to bond properly like all the other first years were but instead she just clammed up. When she saw them waiting for her to say more, she just shook her head, not trusting her voice.

“If you’re having any trouble you let us know,” Fred told her pointing at both him and George who was nodding in agreement.

“Yeah,” George agreed, ruffling her hair and the tension Lissy felt was lessened deeply at the distraction. She swatted his hand away with a small smile.

“I’m okay,” she said decidedly, nodding to herself but part of her was curious whether it was more for her benefit or theirs. Fred and George didn’t look entirely convinced which she didn’t quite blame them for.

“Yeah, well, still,” George began, “All you gotta do is look for the red hair if you need us.”

“Or the explosions,” Fred added. “Sometimes Mcgonagall’s office.”

“Often in Mcgonagall’s office,” George agreed. “We’re there so often that I think we’ve almost got her convinced to change out those uncomfortable chairs.”

“They’re uncomfortable because my office isn’t meant for visitors, Mr. Weasley.” All 3 students jumped, whipping around so fast it could have caused a mini tornado. Behind them stood Mcgonagall and Flitwick, the latter looking more bemused than the former. “It’s an attempt to keep you out of my office.”

“But then you’d miss having our chats,” Fred told her. 

“Well, I assume she doesn’t particularly enjoy them when they’re about- well- exploding toilets for one,” Flitwick added as he noticed the stare Mcgonagall was bestowing upon the mischievous twins. Lissy wondered whether it was for his colleagues benefit, the twins, or everyone. His eyes moved to glance upon Lissy and he smiled. “On your way to class?” She nodded in agreement and he gestured for her to follow. “Me too,” he said. “But if we don’t hurry we’ll both be late.”

“Oh,” the raven haired girl was surprised. She could hear footsteps down the corridor now that she was more aware and realized lunch was close to ending. She hadnt realized so much time had passed. “I-I’ll b-be on my way,” She told Flitwick, ready to scurry off. He was staring at the twins who seemed to catch on.

“Oh yea,” They nodded in agreement.

“Gotta make sure we’re not late, Professor,” Fred smiled innocently at the Gryffindor head of house. “Wouldn’t want to be late to our favorite class ever!”

“See you there!” George waved and she found herself being carried away with them.

“I-I’ve got charms,” she said a bit astounded and they nodded.

“We did say we’d drop you off.”

“Yeah, what do you take us for?”

“Scoundrels.” The word popped out of her mouth before she even knew what she was saying and her face blew a bright red at the silent pause the twins took before they burst into hefty laughter.

“Have you been hanging with Perce?” George wheezed.

“That’s a good one,” Fred agreed as they turned the corner to her class. “I’ve got to write mum about that. That one is new.” The ginger shifted a bit as he craned his head towards the group of first years waiting outside the classroom.

“Dare I spot another ginger?”

“Our ginger?”

“There he blows!” George nodded and they dropped Lissy down gently, releasing her arms so she was free from their cage. “Your class, Madam. Our next stop is to bother ickle Ronnie-kins.”

“Didn’t you tell Mcgonagall-“ Lissy began but they just gave her a grin.

“Oh Ronnie!” George bellowed in an opera like tone and through the crowd, Lissy could see the boys face turn pale as a sheet of paper. He almost seemed to resemble Professor Bins with his current coloring.

“Is that our titchy wittle brother?” Fred cooed, approaching him and Ron swatted the older boys hands away. 

“Did you come with the Weasley twins?” Lissy turned to see Millicent staring at her curiously and she nodded slowly in response. Pansy was with her as well as Daphne, both giving her the same look as well.

“T-t-they found me in t-the hall,” she half heartedly explained before glancing back at the small group of Gryffindors. A small frown formed as she stared at the house and then it turned into a sympathetic smile. 

Poor Neville had gotten his classes mixed up.