Corrupted Souls | remus lupin

return to hogwarts

Neoma's gaze swept over the Slytherin table as the sorting commenced, observing her classmates as their chatter dulled. Most of the older students were directing their attention elsewhere, the excitement of the ceremony having faded long ago. 

She was surrounded by old friends, though this was a term that she'd use loosely. They had grown up together, and she did share some fond memories with them - but she knew from a young age that their paths would diverge. Most pureblooded families had prejudice deeply engrained into their identities, and with the rise of Voldemort, this prejudice now dictated their future actions. 

Neoma was raised no better than her peers. She was fed the same dogma, and while she was never as vocal about it as her friends, she did have some sense of superiority when she was younger. 

But people change, and while her friends may not have picked up on it yet, Neoma had defected from their beliefs entirely. She only had to survive one more year with them, and then she would happily leave them behind in dust soaked with blood and pomp.

 "How was your summer, Neoma?" Brityn Crabbe inquired softly, as to not disrupt the sorting. "We missed you at the Malfoy's this year."

She was referring to an event that had been happening long before the girls were born. It was a weekend-long quidditch tournament held at the Malfoy Manor every July, where their families would get together, gossip, eat, and play (or watch) lots and lots of quidditch.

"My father and I thought it would be best to visit my mother's grave that weekend."

She spoke the truth, and Brityn knew it - the anniversary of Everleigh Nott's death was not one to be forgotten - but her response was only half-baked. Neoma had a feeling that Brityn wouldn't react well to 'my father and I are plotting against Lord Voldemort and despise you all'.

"I don't understand why you bother," Brityn tutted, averting her eyes from Neoma as her brother was called up to the Sorting Hat. 

"Well she was my mother." Neoma frowned, her jaw clenching in anticipation for whatever snarky comment Brityn had prepared. 

"She was a blood traitor - YEAH EMERY!" Brityn cheered as the hat announced Slytherin's newest member. 

Neoma pressed her palms against her thighs in an attempt to calm herself down, her fingers curling around the hem of her skirt. She was used to these comments, but they would still rile her up as if it were the first time anyone had said such things. "Whatever, Brityn." She mumbled, watching as the youngest Crabbe waltzed up to his new house. 

"Crabbecakey boy, welcome!" Ernest Parkinson clapped the boy on the back. "Already caught the attention of some beautiful ladies - look around!"

Emery Crabbe craned his fleshy neck to scope out his surroundings. There were absolutely no girls looking in his direction, but his face reddened anyways. "Shut up, Ernest."

"Missed you at the Malfoy's." A familiar voice spoke up from next to her. Neoma turned to be face-to-face with Regulus, who seemed to have switch places with Lucius Malfoy. Unlike her peers, his gaze held a modicum of sympathy. "You alright?"

"Yeah," Neoma shrugged, letting her unbothered exterior falter slightly under his watch. "It's been two years now - you'd think it would get easier."

"I know." Regulus offered her a small smile, glancing over his shoulder when another student was assigned Slytherin. "You didn't miss much, anyways. Lucius proposed to Cissy, though - I dunno if anyone told you."

"She practically fell over herself to show me her ring on the train." Neoma laughed lightly, glancing over at the wiry blonde a few seats down, flashing her ring at anyone who had eyes. "I'm happy for them. She's really excited."