Slugging It Out

Chapter 2 - An Inauspicious Start

On his first full day at Hogwarts, Severus found that the other Slytherin boys spoke a language completely alien to him, full of nicknames and in-jokes and coded references. Every lesson was like a lengthy 'who's who' as the teachers reminisced about the relatives of their new charges. It soon became clear that what counted most at Hogwarts was not what you knew, but who you knew. And Severus knew no one.

Apart from Lily of course, and she seemed to have become surgically attached to two other Gryffindor girls overnight. He caught fleeting glimpses of her. It wasn't how he'd imagined things - and he'd spent a lot of time imagining Hogwarts. He'd assumed he and Lily would both be in Slytherin, and spend every day together. The Hogwarts of reality was so different from the Hogwarts of his imagination that he wasn't quite sure how to cope with it.

At dinner, unwilling to spend another hour listening to the other first years going on about Quidditch and people their parents knew, he approached Lily at the Gryffindor table. He stood staring at her, until one of her friends noticed him and made a squeaky noise of horror. 'What do you want?' she asked.

But Lily's face lit up at the sight of Severus, and she jumped up to greet him. 'This is my friend Severus, that I was telling you about! He told me all about being a witch and Hogwarts and everything. If it weren't for him, I shouldn't have known half as much as I do. Come and sit down, Sev. This is Mary, and this is Morgana. I was just showing them some pictures from home. Did you have a good first day? What lessons did you have?'

He sat beside her, ignoring the glances of the other two girls. For all he cared, they could shrivel up and die. All that mattered was Lily, and her smile. He began to tell her about his day, and she enthusiastically joined in with her own experiences, knocking over the pepper pot with a clatter as she demonstrated the four basic wand movements they'd been taught in Charms.

The noise attracted unwelcome attention. James Potter and Sirius Black were sitting just along the table, already looking as though they belonged there. Potter stared at Severus for a moment as though he couldn't believe his eyes. Then he said loudly, 'Hey! I say, what d'you think you're doing!'

Sirius Black also turned. 'It's Snivelly!' he cried. 'What's wrong, Snivellus? Did the Slytherins decide you were too smelly to sit at their table? Or have they just decided to send you home full stop?'

'I don't know, d'you think your family will still let you sit at their table, since you're a Gryffindor now?' retorted Severus.

Black's handsome face reddened. 'Shut up about my family, you stupid greasy little toerag! You don't know anything about it. Least I'm from a decent family that people have heard of.'

Meanwhile, Potter had alerted a prefect, who was bearing down on them. 'This boy here says you're not in Gryffindor. Is that right?' he asked.

'What if I'm not?' asked Severus insolently, feeling his cheeks redden.

'Well, if you're not, I'm afraid you can't sit here. Didn't your prefects tell you? You have to sit at your house table. See, the colours at the end of the hall show you which one's which. Can you remember which house you are in?' The boy asked the question earnestly, but Potter and Black were sniggering fit to burst. Severus knew he'd never hear the last of this.

'Of course I can remember what house I'm in!' he snapped. A moment later a hand fell on his shoulder, and he looked up to see Lucius Malfoy.

'Is there a problem, Larson?' asked Malfoy calmly.

'This little boy tried to sit at our table, I was just setting him straight,' began Larson the prefect.

Malfoy gave a small cough. 'Well, that must be the most exciting thing that's happened on the Gryffindor table since you last won the house cup... which is, what, three years now? After all, what greater threat faces us than first years who stop for a moment at the wrong table?'

'Look Lucius, you wouldn't stand a Gryffindor sitting at the Slytherin table,' pointed out Larson, although he looked decidedly uncomfortable.

'You're quite right about that. After all, one can never be sure of where a Gryffindor has been. Well, we won't detain you any longer. I'm sure young Severus doesn't want to spend any longer here than he has to.' Lucius' hand tightened on Severus' shoulder, which he took as a sign to get up.

Larson was now red in the face and shifting awkwardly. 'Look, I never meant to upset you, Malfoy. If I'd known he was a friend of yours...'

'It's nothing,' said Malfoy graciously, steering Severus away from the table.

Severus managed a last look at Lily, who was red faced and mouthed 'Sorry' at him. He gave her a smile before Lucius yanked him round towards the Slytherin table. He could feel the older boy's grip as they made their way across the Great Hall. Around them, heads turned and he could hear derisive laughter from the Gryffindor table. His cheeks were so hot he thought they might actually burn.

At the Slytherin table, Malfoy pushed him onto a bench, taking his own seat next to him. He caught Severus' chin with his hand and forcibly turned the boy's head to face him. Severus' black eyes met Lucius' pale ones. 'Now, Severus, listen to me. You are a Slytherin man, yes? In Hogwarts, we stick to our own houses. Otherwise what would be the point of having houses? I'm surprised your father didn't explain all this to you. You are a Slytherin, so you sit here. Green and silver, picture of a snake on the banner. I'm sure you can remember that, yes?'

'Yessir,' whispered Severus. Inside he screamed at the injustice of it.

'There's nothing wrong with speaking to people from other houses, but sitting on another house table... it's just not done, old chap. If you don't want to be embarrassed like that again, stick to your own.' He lowered his voice. 'You don't want to go mixing with Gryffindors. Half of them aren't even from wizard families.'

'OK,' said Severus.

'Good. Now, eat up.' Lucius reached for one of the big dishes in the centre of the table, but Severus had never felt less hungry in his life.

'I think I'll go to bed,' he muttered, and fled the Great Hall.

He spent a miserable lonely evening staring at his History of Magic homework and not reading a word. When the other first years got back to the dormitory, he had a frosty reception. He tried to catch the eye of one of them, a skinny boy called Jones, but the other glared and blanked him. Unable to bear it, he said timidly, 'It was a mistake. I never meant to sit at their stupid table. I just got confused.'

'You must be pretty stupid then,' said another, a heavily built red-head called Moran. 'It's not hard.'

'It was just a mistake,' he repeated, helplessly.

Moran stopped halfway through pulling off his socks, and turned to face Severus. 'Look, Severus, I don't know what your problem is. You think you're better than us, or something?'

'No!' gasped Severus, stunned that they could suggest something so far from the truth.

'You don't talk to us, you go off from the feast yesterday with Malfoy, you try and sit with Gryffindors at dinner. You think you're something special. No doubt your parents are head of some foreign government or something - though judging by the state of your stuff it must be a pretty rubbish one.' He glared at Severus.

'My parents... my parents aren't head of any government,' said Severus weakly.

Moran continued to stare at him. 'Well, whoever they are, you're not one of us,' he said coldly. 'And you're not going to be if you go around giving yourself airs.'

'I'm not giving myself airs!' he snapped, unable to let this go unchallenged. 'Just 'cos I'm not some toffee nosed prat with more money than sense.'

Moran's eyes narrowed. 'If you're trying to make friends, you're not doing very well at it,' he said coldly, turning away.

Severus' second day was characterised by none of the other boys in his dormitory talking to him. He sat silently at breakfast and poked at a bowl of porridge, more for something to do than because he actually felt hungry. His first lesson was Potions, and as he arrived he realised with a sinking heart that they would be sharing this one with Gryffindors, rather than the Ravenclaws like their previous day's classes.

'Snivelly!' cried Sirius Black, like he was greeting an old friend, except for the nasty look in his eye. 'Let's hope that snot dripping into potions doesn't spoil them, or you're going to be getting rubbish marks.'

'Snivelly's going to be getting rubbish marks anyway,' said James Potter. 'He can't even remember which table to sit at, after all.'

'Perhaps he's colour blind and can't tell the difference between red and green!' piped up a very small boy, who looked too young to be in Hogwarts. He looked hopefully at Potter and Black after he spoke, and was rewarded with a lukewarm smile.

'Or perhaps you're all jealous that Severus has friends in more than one house,' chimed in another voice, and his heart soared as he saw Lily. 'Come on Sev, stand here with me.' He gratefully tucked himself in next to her. 'I'm really sorry about yesterday, I didn't realise they'd make such a big thing about it!' she whispered. 'I felt so terrible. I wanted to come and find you after dinner, but I didn't know where the Slytherin Common Room was.'

'It doesn't matter, you you'd only have got in more trouble,' he replied, smiling at the thought of Lily being worried about him. 'I should have realised, I'm the one who knows about Hogwarts.'

'Well, I think it's rather silly,' said Lily, tossing her head. 'Fancy making such a fuss! It's all the same food. If stupid Potter hadn't gone running to a prefect,' she raised her voice, 'like a pathetic crybaby snitch, no one would even have noticed.'

Potter might have retaliated, if Professor Slughorn hadn't appeared in the doorway and ushered them into the classroom. Potter and Black headed to the back of the room, apparently already inseparable, followed by the two other Gryffindor boys. Lily took hold of Severus' sleeve and led him to a desk in the middle. 'Come on, let's sit together.'

He hesitated, torn between desire to spend time with Lily, and fear of more ridicule. 'D'you think it's allowed?'

'I don't care,' said Lily, rather loudly, looking defiantly at Potter. 'You're my best friend, I want to sit with you.'

The glow that Lily's words gave him was worth the sidelong glances and mutterings of the other Slytherin students. He ignored them - they didn't like him anyway so what was the point in sucking up to them? At that moment, he felt like all he needed in the world was Lily by his side.

But at the end of the lesson, she was hurrying off for a different class. 'When will I see you again?' he asked, wishing he could stay with her.

'I don't know, Sev,' she said distractedly, forcing her scales back into her bag. 'I've got to go, I've got Herbology and I'm not sure of the way.' She gave him a fleeting smile before rushing after the Gryffindor girls. 'Mary, wait!'

'When will I see you again?' came a silly, high-pitched voice. It was Potter and Black, apparently not worried about being late for Herbology. 'Ah, is little Snivelly missing his ickle fwend?'

'I expect when he sees her again really depends on whether Evans sees him first or not,' said Black, slinging his bag casually over his shoulder.

'She's my best friend!' said Severus hotly, trying to walk past them.

'Yeah, but for how long, Snivellus?' asked James Potter, lazily blocking his path. 'You really think that now she's at Hogwarts, in Gryffindor, with so many other wizards to choose from, that she's going to want to hang around with a little Slytherin creep like you?'

'She sat with me today,' he snapped back, feeling the heat creeping into his cheeks. He would not cry in front of Black and Potter.

'That was today,' said Potter dismissively. 'I'd bet you good money that she won't want to soon - except you don't have anything worth betting.'

'Oh come on, James, wouldn't you like a rust bucket cauldron or a set of patched up robes?' Black made a move to grab Severus' bag. Before he could think, Severus brought round his wand and willed something nasty to happen to Black. To his surprise, the boy gasped and his hand flew to his face, as though struck. Severus took advantage for this distraction to get round them and hurry away up the corridor. He could hear Black saying, 'He hexed me!'

'Yeah, run away, you Slytherin coward!' called Potter after his retreating back. 'You can run but you can't hide, Snivellus!'

*****

Severus had never had any real friends. He had an air of strangeness that repelled his classmates, with his odd clothes and obsessive eyes, his lack of knowledge of television shows or normal things. There was an edge of desperation in his interactions which put off other children almost immediately. Yet when he did find someone to play with, it wasn't long before he upset them. He had a superior, know-it-all attitude and seemed unable to resist the temptation to show off his cleverness, usually at the expense of his new friend.

At Muggle school, he was the boy who walked around the edge of the playground, putting one foot in front of the other with exquisite care, cocooned in a world of his own. When the class did partner work, he was usually paired with Fat Gary - a boy whose simple-mindedness Severus despised. When children handed out party invitations, Severus was always the one left out.

So he was used to loneliness. He could survive. He told himself this as he awoke every morning and silently dressed, while his housemates chattered around him. He repeated it as he sat at breakfast, watching Lucius Malfoy and his gang as they hastily finished off homework whilst sharing round sweets from home and discussing the latest wizard music. He spent morning breaktime in the toilets, hoping to keep out of the reach of Potter and his friends. In the evening, he went to the library, the one place in Hogwarts he truly loved.

Occasionally Lily would join him, though never often enough. One Thursday evening they sat together, Severus pretending to read a book whilst really watching Lily trying unsuccessfully to write an essay. She hadn't got hang of using a quill yet.

'Stupid thing,' she cursed, as once again it slipped from her fingers, leaving a blot and trail of ink.

'You need to get the angle right - try to line up the straight bit of the quill with the paper. Like this, look.' He leaned over, taking her hand very gently in his own, moulding her fingers around the quill tip and moving it lightly across the paper. 'See, it runs nicely now. Then you need to watch, ready to dip it again when the ink gets light. The trick is to dip it before it runs out, or it gets spluttery and scratchy and spoils the paper.'

'It would be so much easier to use a proper pen,' grumbled Lily, re-inking her quill and trying again.

'I never liked those stupid pens at school. Quills are nicer, don't you think? They look better. It's fun how everyone has a slightly different one. And they last much longer, you can just sharpen them up. Of course, you can get self-inking ones ...'

'Even if they're self-inking, it's still trying to write with a big feather,' said Lily with feeling, as the quill twisted in her fingers, leaving an inky mess.

Severus removed his wand from his pocket and cleared his throat.

'What are you doing?' she asked, rather alarmed.

'Trust me, I'm a wizard.' He smiled broadly as he raised his wand, then a look of concentration came over his face. Lily fidgeted and looked as though she was considering taking her hand away. 'Tergeo!' he said, with a flick of his wand. The ink disappeared from Lily's fingers, leaving just a faint stain. Severus looked pleased with himself as he pocketed his wand again.

Lily examined her fingers dubiously, then looked back at her friend. 'How did you do that?'

'Magic!' he replied, with a grin. 'It's at the back of the Standard Book of Spells. I had practiced it,' he added, seeing the look on her face.

'You're going to be top of the class at this rate, Severus!' She looked at her hand again, running her fingers over the place where the ink had been. 'Whereas I can't even use a stupid quill.'

'Don't be silly, you'll get the hang of it soon. Come on, give me your hand, we'll have another practice.' He leant in closer to her, his lank dark hair close to her bright coppery head, as he guided her hand patiently across the parchment.

But such times with Lily were too few and too short, and most of them were spoiled by the presence of James Potter and Sirius Black. He read every book he could find on duelling to learn curses he could use to defend himself against his two chief tormenters. He still found he could sometimes work magic without knowing specific spells, but as no one else seemed to do that he became wary of people discovering this apparently unusual skill.

In his third week, he successfully brought Potter out in boils, though his triumph was short lived when he was given his first detention, supervised by the ultra-strict Professor McGonagall. He and the other two detainees were given the task of cleaning the trophy room without magic. Severus found it rather an interesting task, reading the names of previous award winners. He found two Malfoys, five Blacks, and to his delight, one Prince. He spent so long gazing at the latter that McGonagall noticed and sharply reminded him that this was an exercise in cleaning, not in reading.

At the end of the detention the other boys could hardly get out of the room quickly enough, but Severus hung back, trying to get another look at the trophy that bore his ancestor's name. 'What are you doing, Snape?' asked McGonagall.

'Nothing,' he said quickly, turning away. The teacher was looking down at him.

'I must say, I was very disappointed to find you in detention so early in your school career, Mr Snape. You seem like a bright boy, you don't want to waste your talents getting into trouble.'

'That Potter boy provoked me,' he said sullenly, keeping his distance from her.

'Provocation is no excuse, Severus. You must learn to rise above it! Don't let your temper run away with you.' She shook her head. 'What does Professor Slughorn have to say about all this?'

Severus shrugged. 'He doesn't say anything. He can't even get my name right. Calls me Septimus, or Cerberus, or Sagittarius. He doesn't care about people like me. I could be in detention every night and he wouldn't notice.'

Professor McGonagall pursed her lips as though she was going to argue, but instead she gave a sigh. 'Well, I have noticed, Mr Snape, and I expect better of you. And don't think that because I'm not your head of house, I won't write to your parents if this naughtiness continues.'

'Don't do that!' he almost shrieked, before he could stop himself. McGonagall raised her eyebrows. 'I mean... my Dad will go mad if any more owls come to the house.'

McGonagall continued to look at him very hard. 'Well then,' she said eventually. 'You'll have to make sure you behave yourself from now on, won't you?'

Severus nodded and escaped the room before McGonagall could lecture him any further. Behaving himself was all very well, but he knew Potter and Black weren't going to change their ways and he could hardly take that lying down. What was the point of being a wizard if you couldn't defend yourself?

But he did try harder to avoid the two boys. Unfortunately, only a few days after his detention, details of the first flying lesson were posted. With a sinking heart, Severus saw that the Slytherins were paired with the Gryffindors.

The other boys in his dorm talked about nothing else for the next two days. They were all aching to show off their flying and bemoaning the fact they couldn't have their own brooms. Severus was dreading the lessons. It sounded suspiciously like PE to him. Severus had always been terrible at PE.

The teacher did nothing to allay his fears. Madam Hooch had the hard boiled outdoorsy look of PE fanatics everywhere. She also had the foghorn voice and whistle on a string. 'Everyone stand beside a broom!' she bellowed, in the tones of one who had spent her career addressing large numbers of children in open spaces.

In the scrum to find a broom, Severus tried to get close to Lily, but ended up separated from her by two other Gryffindor girls, who gave him a disgusted look. Opposite him with the other Slytherins, Moran caught his eye before coldly looking away. Severus' heart sank a little bit more. Madam Hooch was bellowing at them again, instructing them to put out their hands and say 'up'. He did so reluctantly, but the broom remained firmly on the ground. He tried again, a little louder. The broom rolled slightly, but didn't rise. Looking around, he could see that most of the class were now holding onto broomsticks that were hovering next to them.

Panic gripped him, and he shouted 'UP!' again almost as loudly as Madam Hooch. Several people looked round and giggled. 'Having trouble, Snivelly?' shouted Potter.

'The broom probably doesn't want to get germs all over it,' commented Black, to the general amusement of the assembled students.

He looked down at the broom with a feeling of purest hatred, and said once again, 'Up!' in what he hoped was a menacing tone. He meant it too - if the stupid thing refused to obey again he had a good mind to snap it in half. Fortunately, this time the broom zoomed off the ground - so hard it knocked his hand aside and upended itself, hitting him on the nose. A wave of laughter spread around the class. Even Lily was laughing, though looking rather apologetic.

Seething, he pushed the broom down so that it was level, whilst Hooch bellowed for quiet, and instructed them to mount the brooms. Many of the class hopped on as though it was no more difficult than sitting on a chair. Severus glowered at the broom and tried to grab it. The broom had other ideas, slipping out of his grip and pulling backwards. He tried again, also unsuccessfully. Glancing sideways, he could see he was the last one not to be on his broom. Everyone else was watching his attempts with growing amusement.

'Come on, boy, we haven't got all day!' shouted Hooch. 'Stop being so lily-livered about it - you need to show it who's boss! Good firm grip now!'

He snatched at the broom, but it moved again, and he lurched over it. The laughter grew louder. Furiously he grabbed again, and managed to take hold of it. The handle tilted sharply, one way and then the other, as the broom resisted his attempts to mount it. He tried to swing a leg over, but the broom hit him painfully in the knee. It was all he could do to cling on. The rest of the students were now almost weeping with laughter, whilst Hooch shouted increasingly impatient advice. His face burned with humiliation, but he kept his hands locked around the broomstick. Letting go and giving up would be even worse than continuing this embarrassing pantomime.

Severus had never felt as miserable in his life before as he did during that lesson. He did eventually manage to sit on the broom, and even rise up and down on it. Potter, Black and most of the other Slytherins were placed in an advanced group, who could already fly well. They were soon soaring around, playing an aerial version of tag, and showing off with dives and tricks. Severus was stuck with mostly Muggle-born students, rising up and down like children on a merry-go-round.

Of course, Potter and Black took every opportunity to rub it in, waving and catcalling as they zipped about like birds. Potter in particular stood out. His turns were sharper, his dives more daring, and his ability to dodge around others in a black blur impressed even a couple of the Slytherins. Severus heard Jones and Moran both saying admiring things to him.

Finally it was over, and they were allowed to leave their brooms behind and return to the castle for dinner. Severus could hardly get away fast enough, and virtually ran from the scene of his torment. Someone was calling his name, but he ignored them. All he could think of was reaching the castle, and the relative safety of the common room. He couldn't even face the library.

'Severus!' Someone snatched at his sleeve and he rounded on them, teeth bared and wand out. He found himself face to face with Lily, looking shocked at the expression on his face. 'Are you all right?' she asked, tentatively.

Anger and hatred rose inside him like a tide of bile. 'Come to laugh at me some more?' he spat, tugging his robe furiously from her grasp and continuing up the steps.

'No! Severus, Sev! Wait!' She managed to get in front of him. Her cheeks were flushed and a couple of strands of hair had been blown across her face. 'I didn't mean to laugh at you - I didn't! It was just... I couldn't stop myself. I didn't mean to upset you, I really didn't!' He could see tears in her big green eyes, but all he could hear was the mocking laughter, all he could see was Lily, giggling with the rest and trying to hide her smile behind her hand.

He could also see, for real, the rest of the class approaching, Potter and Black loping in the lead. He only had a minute to make his escape before they were upon him. 'Just leave me alone!' he hissed to Lily. 'Go off to your stupid Gryffindor friends and enjoy laughing at me, you... traitor!' He pushed her aside, ignoring her continued pleas, and headed for the dungeons.

He found a chair in the common room near the fire and curled up in it, hoping to avoid notice. The dorm wasn't safe - Moran and the rest would be sure to go back there to change before dinner. Fortunately, the common room was quiet, with most students simply passing through to drop off books and meet friends before departing for the Great Hall. Severus had no desire to eat dinner. All he wanted was to disappear. He wished he could curl up so small, so tight, that he vanished altogether. Maybe he would die of shame, and become a ghost. He tried to imagine himself swooping around the castle, haunting Potter and the rest. Even that thought gave him little pleasure.

After a while, voices and footsteps indicated the first of the students were arriving back. He got up from the fire, shaking slightly, and made his way towards to the corridor leading to the dormitories. He would draw the curtains around the bed, get in, and pull the covers over his head. He would lie there and pretend to be asleep. The boys in his dorm did not actively tease him, they simply ignored him. He hoped that tonight would be no different.

'Severus?' He thought about ignoring the voice, but turned slightly, and saw Lucius Malfoy approaching him. The boy's long blond hair shone in the firelight. He looked, as always, impossibly cool. 'I didn't see you at dinner,' said Malfoy, laying a hand on his shoulder, something which made Severus squirm immediately.

'I didn't go,' said Severus, feeling his face burn hot. He didn't want Malfoy asking questions, looking at him suspiciously. He didn't want to be delayed so he was still there when the rest of the first years came back, ready to spread the story of his broomstick nightmare to the rest of the house.

Malfoy frowned as he looked him up and down. 'You're always missing meals. You must eat, Severus, a man has to keep his strength up.'

'I wasn't hungry,' whispered Severus, hating this, wanting to run. 'There's no rule says you have to go to meals.'

Lucius made an exasperated noise. 'No there isn't a rule, because most people want to go and eat. You have to eat, Severus, or you will get ill. You're already thin. When winter comes it gets very cold here. A little boy like you is sure to catch a chill, and then you'll be weak and tired and you won't be able to do your classes. You don't want that, do you?'

Severus shook his head. 'Sorry,' he whispered, hoping that would suffice to let him go.

But Malfoy was still staring at him with a slight frown, as if genuinely bewildered by Severus. 'You don't have to be sorry to me,' he said eventually. 'Look, why don't you run down to the Great Hall now? There'll still be some pudding left. It's spotted dick and custard.' He smiled in what he probably thought was an encouraging way.

The thought of going down to the Great Hall now, walking in as everyone else was walking out, sitting conspicuously trying to eat pudding, made his stomach tighten and constrict. For a horrible moment he thought he was going to be sick all over Malfoy. 'Please don't make me,' he said, in a choked whisper.

The crease between Malfoy's brows deepened further, and he looked for a moment so baffled that Severus felt a surge of liking for the older boy. 'Well, look,' he said eventually. 'You shouldn't go to bed with nothing to eat at all. Here.' He reached into a pocket and brought out a handful of brightly wrapped sweets. 'Why don't you have these? Keep your energy up.'

Severus looked down at the colourful wrappers and felt the tears rising inside him again. He swallowed hard to hold them back and tried to refuse, but Malfoy pushed them into his hands. 'Go on, take them, I've got lots more. My mother's always sending them to me. She'll send some more tomorrow, I expect.'

Realising it would be faster to accept than refuse, he forced them into the threadbare pocket of his robes and whispered, 'Thank you,' without looking Lucius in the face. To his alarm, he could feel the tears rising faster than he could resist them. Why wouldn't Malfoy just let him go?

'Hey, come on now,' said Malfoy, awkwardly patting his shoulder again. 'There's no need for that.'

With a superhuman effort, Severus forced down the urge to sob, and quickly wiped his face on his sleeve. 'M'OK,' he said. 'I think I'll go to bed now. Thanks, Malfoy.' He fled into the cool darkness of the corridor before the older boy could think of another reason to hold him back.

Lucius stood and stared after the little boy, before returning to his friends, who were now settled around the fire. He sprawled into the seat they had left for him, in a prime position close to the hearth. 'You're not making firsties cry are you, Lucius?' asked Narcissa in a teasing voice.

'No,' he said thoughtfully, looking again towards where Severus Snape had stood. 'He's a very strange little boy, he never eats anything.'

'So? More for us!' said Walden Macnair, who had taken the chair next to him. 'Runty little thing like that wouldn't need much anyway.'

'I'm supposed to look out for the younger boys,' said Malfoy, with a hint of irritation. 'I am a prefect, you know.'

'You may have mentioned it once or twice,' said Narcissa, with a roll of her eyes, but she rubbed his hand affectionately. 'I think it's very sweet that you're worried about the first years, Lew.' She leaned over to kiss him, and suddenly all thoughts of the strange little first year went out of Lucius' mind entirely.