"You know, not all Slytherins are Death Eaters,"
Slytherins are depicted as stuck-up, conniving, Gryffindor hating Death Eater purebloods who don't share any compassion for anyone or anything. Well, most of them.
Holland Lux is different, she's kind...
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NOVEMBER 1976
6th Year
• • • •
Holland let out a laugh, as she and Regulus watched Bronwyn shake Maxine awake, as the redhead rested her head on the table at breakfast.
"Leave me alone," The girl sleepily muttered, tiredly, "Let me sleep."
"Why are you so tired, anyway?" Regulus inquired.
"We had Astronomy last night." Holland informed the younger boy, buttering a piece of toast.
"We didn't finish until one in the morning." Maxine groaned, lifting her head up, putting it in her hands.
Bronwyn turned to Holland, "How come you aren't almost passing out from exhaustion?"
"Because I actually slept last night. I'm perfectly energised after about three hours of sleep." The dark-haired girl shrugged, biting into her toast.
"Right," Bronwyn said, standing up and grabbing her bag, making Maxine groan, "Holland, we have Potions." She said, making the Irish girl nod and stand up too, bringing her second piece toast with her, biting into it.
"I need to get to History of Magic." Regulus told them, joining the two girls on their feet, making them all turn to look at Maxine.
"And I have a free period, so I'm going back to bed." The redhead said, getting up with a groan, making her friends chuckle at the girl, shaking their heads as they excited The Great Hall.
***
"Now, today we shall be brewing something amusing. The Elixir to Induce Euphoria," Slughorn excitedly told his students, "Who can tell me what this does? Um, yes, Miss Evans."
"The Elixir to Induce Euphoria is a sunshine-yellow potion that induces a sense of inexplicable, irrational happiness upon the drinker." Lily recited with a proud grin.
"Very good, ten points to Gryffindor," Slughorn nodded, "Anything else?" Holland put her hand up, "Miss Lux?"
"The potion has an aromatic smell, and emits a rainbow upon completion," The Slytherin answered, "It also causes the side affects of excessive singing and nose-tweaking."
"That is correct. Ten points to Slytherin," The Potions Master grinned, "You'll find the recipe on page thirty-nine. Good luck." Slughorn said, before allowing them to start.
"I swear you and Evans are his favourites." Bronwyn said, as she and Holland collected shrivelfig, porcupine quills, peppermint sprigs, sopophorous beans and wormwood.
"Severus is, too," The dark-haired girl informed her dormmate, walking back to their shared bench, looking at the said boy, who was scribbling notes into his potions textbook, "There's a reason we're in the Slug Club."
The pair followed the instructions carefully, pouring exact amounts of ingredients and stirring the correct number of times, smiling as their brews started to take form.
"Merlin's beard!" Sirius exclaimed, unable to open a jar of porcupine quills.
"Aw, Padfoot," James mockingly cooed, "Do you need a big strong werewolf to come and help you open it?"
"Shut up, Prongs." Sirius told him, huffing, before the lid to the jar popped off, the porcupine quills shooting out of their containment and into the direction of a student passing by, who was returning from collecting a second ladle.
"Ow!" Holland cried out in pain, dropping the item in her right hand, cradling it in her left one, looking at the five porcupine quills that were now sticking out of her right hand, "What the hell, Black?!" She exclaimed, tears prickling in the corners of her dark eyes.
"I-I didn't mean..." Sirius stammered, trailing off, looking at the blood that was protruding from the Slytherin's hand, dripping onto the floor, gaining the attention of the rest of the class.
"Oh my- Holland." Bronwyn rushed over to the girl in worry.
"What hap- Oh, my goodness, Miss Lux," Slughorn gasped, "Mr Black, would you mind taking her to the hospital wing?"
"Uh, yeah, yeah okay." Sirius nodded, as Holland swiftly turned around and exited the classroom, a guilty looking Sirius following behind her.
"Do think she's alright?" Peter asked his friends, as he, James and Remus watched the pair leave, the latter being exceptionally worried.
"Oh, Lux'll be fine," James waved off, "It's Sirius we should be worried for."
***
Holland held her bleeding hand close to her chest, as she and Sirius walked to the Hospital Wing.
"You know I didn't mean to-"
"I know." The Irish girl cut him off with a curt nod.
"Does it hurt?"
"Yes."
"Right, sorry. Stupid question."
"Can I ask you something?" Holland questioned.
"You just did," This received a look, "Sorry. Go ahead."
"Why do you hate me?"
"You're a Lux." Sirius simply answered.
"And you're a Black." Holland quipped.
"You know what I mean," Sirius said, "You're family's a bunch of stuck up, Slytherin Death Eaters."
"And yours is full of righteous, prejudice pricks," Holland shot back, "No-one in the Lux family is a Death Eater. And by the way, being a Slytherin isn't a personality trait."
"Whatever."
"I'll have you know that my Grandpa was a Gryffindor," Holland said, gaining the boy's attention, "And both my Grandma and Father were placed in Ravenclaw."
Sirius furrowed his eyebrows, "Really?"
"It's like I said," Holland told him, stopping just in front of the doors to the Hospital Wing, "Our houses don't define who we are. I'll be fine from here on my own." She said, before walking through the doors, and up to Madam Pomfrey, leaving Sirius standing outside of the Hospital Wing, alone.
***
Remus and Holland sat on the floor in the Room of Requirement, leaning against the sofa, as the pair stared into the crepitating fire in front of them.
"Does it hurt?" Remus questioned, taking the girl's now bandaged hand into his own.
"A little bit," The Irish girl shrugged, "But not as much as it did before."
"Sirius didn't mean to," Remus said, "You know that, right?"
Holland nodded, "I know. Doesn't mean he's not a prick."
Remus chuckled at the Irish girl, taking her uninjured hand in his own.
"Although, I'm not particularly happy that one of my shirts now has a blood stain on the cuff." Holland added, looking at the stain, making Remus laugh, "My favourite shirt, as well."
"Here," The boy said, taking out his wand, before waving it, muttering a spell, and Holland watched with a smile as the red stain disappeared, "There." He said with a smile, looking down at her.
"You're incredible, Romeo." She said in a whisper.
