14 Slytherin Traits
The library was rather empty, being as it was early Saturday Morning. Natilee's long black hair fell in a soft ponytail over her shoulder as she sat at the table. Books about werewolves were open around her as she wrote the ridiculously long essay her father had assigned. She stirred the hot chocolate that Pansy had given her that morning. It was a great accompaniment to the long hours of studying she had ahead of her. Looking up from her note book with 3 pages of neat notes already taken, she noticed a familiar dirty blond head nearby.
Hermione was skimming the shelves where almost all of the books on Natilee's table came from. It was an opportunity perhaps? She stood up, smoothing her sweater dress and walking over to her. The other girl looked troubled, and hardly noticed Natilee's approach.
"Hello, Hermione. Are you looking for something?" Natilee asked and Hermione startled from her own thoughts. Seeing and recognizing Natilee she stopped chewing on her lower lip and smiled.
"I am working on that Essay for Sn… Professor Snape." She replied by catching herself before speaking informally. Natilee chuckled at her.
"You don't have to be formal about Dad with me. He isn't the most lovable of serpents. That said, what book are you looking for? I might have it over there." Natilee pointed to her desk and the 15 Books opened to different pages. Hermione nodded.
"It looks like it. Let me know when you are done perhaps?" Hermione asked and Natilee laughed.
"Why don't we share resources? This is a multi parchment Essay and there is no way I will finish for a while. Too much information to organize." Natilee motioned to the chair across from her at the desk. Hermione smiled and nodded, seeming relieved that she wouldn't have to wait. They sat down at the table and Natilee adjusted things so there was plenty of space for Hermione here.
"Thank you, Natilee. There is so much homework today and this is my last bit before I can finally rest for a while." Hermione sighed looking tired as she laid out her materials on the desk. Natilee nodded offering a soft smile of understanding.
"I can understand that. After that Howler at breakfast I knew any class he taught that day was going to have an exorbitant amount of homework. Mom has that effect on people." She chuckled apologetically. Hermione raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Your Mother was the sender of the mysterious howler? People have been debating who it was for nearly a week now. Hermione laughed, seeming rather amused. She seemed to glow when she smiled, warming up to the little world in the library where Slytherin and Gryffindor didn't really matter.
"Yes. She was angry I got hurt. She's a bit protective. Hopefully he will be less poor tempered about it soon." Natilee started writing down another note on the spiral notebook in front of her.
"Oh you're brave. I haven't seen anyone use muggle paper at Hogwarts." Hermione rolled her eyes as she said the word in a voice of mock horror. Natille shrugged.
"Back home our professors urged us to use any tools at our disposal to improve our learning. Taking notes on parchment is too inconvenient. Using a spiral keeps the notes together and more compact. I prefer pencil to ink too." Natilee added as if it was scandalous. Hermione met her with another look of horror.
"Oh you naughty witch you. A total disgrace that's what you are." She couldn't keep a straight face and began to laugh louder. Mrs.Pince walked around the corner and gave the two girls a look. Natilee nodded and cast a silencing spell on their table. There was a subtle smile on the older witch's face as she touched her pointer finger to the side of her nose in acknowledgement of the charm.
"I am absolutely Vile." Natilee agreed as she put the back of her hand to her forehead in despair.
"I never thought the hat could make a mistake but your nothing like a Slytherin." Hermione replied, shaking her head slowly. Natilee sighed and continued gleaning information from the book as Hermione joined in taking her own shorthand notes. A few minutes passed and Natilee couldn't focus on the werewolf information in front of her. She sighed and looked up, focusing on the brunette across from her.
" Hermione, can I be really honest with you for a second?" Natilee asked, setting her pencil down on the page of her notebook. Hermione looked up and nodded with a bit of confusion on her face.
"I don't see any reason why not?" She agreed realizing this was going to be a more serious moment.
"Have you considered that maybe the Sorting hat isn't the one who misunderstands what Slytherin is all about?" Natilee asked, her tone showed her frustration. Hermione started slightly surprised by her comment.
"What do you mean?" Her expression showed her distrust and the slightly defensiveness now.
"Ambition, cunning, leadership, and resourcefulness. None of these values are inherently evil and depend on the person to decide how to direct those characteristics. You have seen me in H4P, I am a leader and resourceful. I am ambitious and have goals that are a little larger than life. I will admit cunning is mostly negative but everyone has negative traits." Natilee explained, though she didn't intend for this river of words caught in a current of emotion to pour from her lips. Hermione frowned, sitting back a little looking at Natilee a little indignant.
"The problem is Natilee, that all the Slytherins seem to share the same pure blood mentality as their founder." Hermione replied firmly, Natilee knew the word was hanging in the air between them.
"Not every Slytherin is a pure blood, and not every mixed blood is ostracized in our community. Malfoy and the Silver Spoon Goons yea, sure. They are extremely Blood supremacists." Natilee admitted and she was met with a look of skepticism.
"And that is supposed to make you better? For agreeing to, graciously, accept us?" Hermione asked the chip on her shoulder being flung at Natilee.
"We don't graciously accept you. The majority of us know there is no difference between Pure and Mixed blood. The problem is all you hear from are the ones like Malfoy because the Loudest voice is the most heard. You don't see those of the Slytherin group like Astoria, Daphne, Wallace and the majority of the Slytherins accept others." Natilee points out, the heart crushing realization that she could be ruining everything she had worked for. The friendship they had begun to build but at the same time a swing hung from a rotten branch would never hold any true weight.
"Then why don't any of you stand up when they are treating people like that?" Hermione replied, folding her arms and Natilee smiled softly, shaking her head.
"Do you know why Malfoy isn't using the word Mudblood anymore? Do you know why he told off Goyle the other day?" Natilee asked, referring to flying practice. "I said something about it at breakfast. I called him out for using such dirty language. Just because you don't see us call eachother out doesn't mean we aren't. We just don't do it in the open where people with so much pride like the pure blood heirs would double down rather than think about it." Natilee explained calmly. Hermione stayed silent for several moments, watching Natilee who didn't avoid her gaze. The two young witches waited, as if letting these words and things sink in.
"Why would you stand up to Malfoy?" Hermione asked "That could ruin you."
"Because we have more in common than you think, Hermione. Sayer is my surrogate mother. My biological mother was a woman born to two Muggle parents. My father is half muggle and half witch." Natilee explains and then freezes. She never planned to admit this, and those words shocked her for a long moment. The words left her mouth on their own accord and shock rushed through Natilee as she recognized the sensation that just hit her. She glanced at her flask and frowned slightly.
"Then is Snape really your father?" Hermione asked and Natilee nodded slowly.
"My mother was married, having marital issues she slept with my father who was an old fling. Mother couldn't keep me, and they used magic to transfer me to the womb of Sayer who wanted a child. So Long story short here I am, a daughter of Serverus Snape with two biological Mothers." Natilee replied, unable to keep the cat in the bag anymore. The magic prevented her from holding her tongue and was now in full affect.
"Wow… with how the Slytherin's act with you I thought you were pure blood." Hermione replied a bit shocked. Natilee chuckled darkly.
"No, I'm far from it. Everyone knows Professor Snape isn't pure blood. I am accepted because most people don't care." Natilee replies "The Silver Spoon Goons don't know but that's because they haven't asked. I wouldn't hide it except my mother. I won't hurt Sayer like that."
"I didn't know." Hermione replied and Natilee offered a warm smile.
"I know, and that's fine but please, look past the color of the house and look at the true colors of the person." Natilee replied and picked up her pencil and went back to taking notes and organizing her essay.
By the end of the afternoon two perfectly composed essays were ready to be turned in, and a realization came as the two looked at eachother.
"Does Professor Snape have a history with Professor Lupin?" Hermione asked.
"Not that I know of." Natilee replied as the pair began putting the books away. Looking at the clock on the wall she had about an hour and a half before dinner tonight. "Time flew. Thanks for keeping me company while I worked on my homework." Natilee smiled at Hermione and the other teen smiled.
"Thanks for letting me work with you. You saved me loads of time." Hermione admitted and Natilee smiled.
"Anytime. We may be in different houses but we aren't on different teams. If you need anything let me know." Natilee smiled and the pair said their goodbyes.
