Strawberry Gashes

Check, check, check check... out reality

Special

You think you're special

You do

I can see it in your eyes

I can see it when you laugh at me

Look down on me

You walk around on me

Just one more fight

About your leadership

And I will straight up

Leave your shit

Cause I've had enough of this

And now I'm pissed

Yeah

This time I'm 'a let it all come out

This time I'm 'a stand up and shout I

'm 'a do things my way

It's my way

My way, or the highway

Just one more fight

About a lot of things And I will give up everything

To be on my own again

Free again

Yeah

Some day you'll see things my way

Cause you never know

no, you never know

When you're gonna go

Just one more fight

And I'll be history

Yes I will straight up Leave your shit

And you'll be the one who's left

Missing me Yeah

Chapter 4: My Way

Tristan barely made it on time to Potions. She and Draco had both just sat down when Professor Serverus Snape burst through the metal classroom door.

"You should all have noted by now, that you are the select few who have show great talent in potion making. I advise you to be very careful with every word you write down, every ingredient you add, and every word you say, for this will be your most difficult course this year. Nothing you do or say will be taken lightly. For this, is N.E.W.T. Potions."

Behind her, Tristan heard a terrified Hufflepuff gasp. She looked around the room. There couldn't have been more than eight students in there, and she and Draco were the only two Slytherins. Not anyone else did she see as familiar. Her gaze finally locked on with Snape's fierce, beetle-black eyes. He smirked.

"It looks as if an American has come to Hogwarts," he said slyly, causing the hair on the other students' necks to rise up. They all turned to look at her.

"Miss McQuerie, I do presume," he continued.

She did not break her eye contact with him. The two Hufflepuffs sat frozen, appearing to paralyzed with fear.

"Now, who can tell me, what should occur when the Draught of Peace is conjured correctly?" he asked.

Tristan's arm shot up in the air. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the arm of a pretty girl with chestnut curls also rise in the air.

"Well Granger, it looks like you've got yourself some competition," Snape hissed. Malfoy chuckled as Hermione shot him a look.

Snape called on Tristan. "A light, silver vapor should rise from the potion when it is made properly," she said. "

Very good, McQuerie. Five points to Slytherin." Hermione looked as if she wanted to wring Tristan's neck. Draco's eyes lit up. McQuerie continued to look up at Snape.

"Now, as a review, we will be making the Draught of Peace. The ingredients and method"- He flicked his wand- "are on the blackboard, and you will find everything you need in that store cupboard over there. Before you begin, I will assign your partners. Malfoy, you'll be with Bones. Flinch-Fletchley, you'll be with Chang. Granger...you'll be with McQuerie." A twisted smile formed at Snape's, and also Malfoy's lips.

"No, I'm sorry. You're supposed to stir the potion three times counterclockwise after adding the moonstone," Tristan said slightly annoyed.

"Look at the board. Line three clearly says to stir potion three times clockwise after adding the moonstone," Hermione butted in.

"I made this potion about a week ago when I took my O.W.L.s, and I clearly remember the directions stating to stir it counterclock-" Tristan was interrupted by Snape who was peering into their cauldron.

"Is there a problem here?"

Hermione stammered, "N-no, there's no problem."

Snape has just turned on his heel when he saw Tristan's arm shoot up in the air.

"Yes, there is a problem," she said.

Hermione's eyes grew big with horror, as she hissed, "NO McQuerie, don't!"

Tristan ignored her. "I think you've made a mistake, Professor Snape."

The other students' mouths dropped. No one had ever addressed a professor in that manner before.

"I clearly remember when I made this potion a week ago that we are supposed to stir the potion three times counterclockwise after adding the moonstone, and not stir it clockwise, as you have it stated on the board," Tristan said boldly.

"Well, McQuerie, you are correct. I made that mistake on purpose, to see if any of you were keen enough to spot it. For any of you who have already completed that step, incorrectly, that is, please empty your cauldrons, now. Be prepared to conjure this potion again tomorrow, and if you make it again inaccurately, you will have to take Remedial Potions," Snape said.

"Evanesco!" a couple of the students sighed into their cauldrons.

McQuerie saw Malfoy mouth "You bitch!" towards her. She rolled her eyes and continued making the potion.

"Oh, and five points to Slytherin, and five points from Gryffindor. I'm very disappointed in you, Granger, I thought you would know better than that by now," Snape said.

"That's not fair," Tristan yelled at him.

"Excuse me?" he said in an angry tone.

"I said, it's not fair for you to give points to my house and take away points from another when she plainly didn't do anything wrong," Tristan growled.

Everyone in the room was baffled.

"Do not question my authority!" Snape shouted.

"But-" she was interrupted.

"I would like a word with you after class," he muttered coldly. "Class dismissed." The two Hufflepuffs bolted for the door. Soon enough, she was the only left behind in the musty dungeon classroom.

"McQuerie," Snape said from behind his desk. "Nothing, gives the student the right to talk back to a professor," he said.

"My apologies sir, but, in America we were taught to speak up when necessary," Tristan said.

"I know, I used to be a professor in America," he said. Her jaw dropped.

"But you are no longer in America, McQuerie. This is England, and you are in one of the finest wizarding schools in the entire world. You could be punished very severely if you disobey my, or any other professor's orders."

Tristan lashed out, "I could care less about punishment, I know unfairness when I see it, and you were unjust to Granger this afternoon."

Snape buried his head in his hands. He ran his fingers through his long, black, greasy hair. "If you question my authority again, you will have to serve detention. Now, get out of my sight, you're about to be late for your next class." Tristan burst out of the dungeons, her temper on fire.

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That night after dinner, Tristan went to the library. There, she saw Hermione sitting alone, completely absorbed in Hogwarts, A History. She looked out the window and out in the distance she could see figures zooming around on brooms. Quidditch season was to begin soon, and those on the teams were practicing. McQuerie approached Granger's table and sat down. Hermione didn't even notice her presence.

"Hi," Tristan said quietly.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Why are you talking to me?" she asked rudely.

"Because, I wanted to apologize for what Snape said to you this afternoon," Tristan said, pulling out her copy of Unfogging the Future.

"What? A Slytherin apologizing to a Gryffindor? Especially for what a professor said...what is this, some kind of joke?" Hermione sneered.

"Umm, no. What's this whole business with Gryffindor and Slytherin anyway? I mean, we're all human. Why the fuck should it matter which house we're in or not?"

Hermione looked up from her book. "Because, Slytherins and Gryffindors have always hated each other. That's just the way it is. Slytherins are evil, rich, pureblooded bastards. Gryffindors hate those qualities. Slytherins just hate everyone. You're that new American student, aren't you?" Hermione's eyes lost their coldness.

"So you just noticed, eh?" Tristan grinned. She put out her hand in front of Granger. "Tristan McQuerie," she said.

Hermione shook Tristan's hand as she said, "Hermione Granger."

Hermione put her book to her side. "So, it must be a big change for you to be living here. What's it like out there?"

Tristan shoved her book to the other side of the table. "Well, it's quite different than it is here. First off, we don't have boarding schools; at least we don't in my state. Nearly all of the buildings are made of adobe-"

Hermione blurted out, "Wait, where exactly in America are you from?"

Tristan stated, "Santa Fe, New Mexico."

Hermione continued, "I've read about those adobe structures, and all of the rituals the Native Americans practiced."

Tristan gave her a look of surprise. "I never thought that anyone would have been interested in the subject- especially here, in a different country." Hermione smiled.

At that very moment, Ron and Harry appeared at the table. They both gave Tristan an odd look.

Harry turned and whispered in Hermione's ear as Ron began to talk to Tristan, "Why are you talking to a Slytherin?"

Hermione whispered back, "She's not like the others, she doesn't understand the Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalry. She's the new American girl. She's quite nice actually."

Harry gave her a look of warning. Hermione just rolled her eyes.

Hermione interrupted Ron. "Oh, let me introduce you to my friends, this is Ron Weasley, and this is-"

"Harry Potter, aren't you? Well, nice to meet you both," Tristan said, cutting off Hermione.

Harry and Ron looked appalled. Before they could utter another word, a bitter voice came from behind them.

"Well look what we have here, Potty and the Weasel, and two Mudbloods. Now the voices in your head seem to be a better choice of friends, McQuerie, don't you think?" Malfoy laughed at them.

Tristan mocked him. "I bet the stick up your ass is a better choice of a friend than those two goons," she retorted, referring to Crabbe and Goyle, who once again were part of Malfoy's life.

Ron, Harry and Hermione fell into a fist full of laughter at her remark, and Malfoy's grin flipped into a frown.

"Seems that it was shoved up so high it could never be removed," she said.

Malfoy snorted, "That one is getting old McQuerie. It seems it's about time for you to find a new list of insults." He stormed off. Tristan rolled her eyes.

"It's about time someone told that fool off," Hermione said.

"No kidding," Harry and Ron agreed.

"Well, no worries, I will have that baboon taken care of, don't you worry. He's been pestering me since I first laid eyes on him, and let me tell you, he will pay. He soon, will severely pay."