Her blue eyes softened considerably at my gesture, and a gentle, affectionate smile curved her lips as she briefly placed her smaller hand atop mine where it rested against her cheek. "You'd better, Harry," she replied playfully, though her voice was warm.
"Ara ara, you two are completely ignoring the true victim here-me. While you're over there making promises and exchanging romantic gestures, I'm stuck with the impossible task of writing something polite and respectful to Riser Phenex of all people! I deserve compensation as well!" Akeno pouted at the two of us.
...After lunch, Hermione and I left the Great Hall together. She had been studying diligently at the Gryffindor table throughout the break, her nose buried in thick textbooks and detailed notes. As we descended toward the dungeons for Potions class, Hermione seemed deep in thought, her forehead slightly creased with lingering concentration, but her earlier irritation with me was now mostly gone.
The dungeons were cold, their stone walls always slightly damp and coated in a thin sheen of moisture. As we entered the classroom, students were already finding their seats around the room, placing heavy textbooks, potion kits, and notebooks onto their desks with dull thuds. Sona and Tsubaki were seated on the far side, and when Sona met my eyes, she gave me a small, quick nod of acknowledgement.
Hermione and I moved to take our usual places, sitting side by side at our workstation in the second row from the front.
Just as we started unpacking our own supplies, Professor Snape entered the room, his dark robes swirling around him. His greasy hair hung in curtains beside his pale face, and his expression was even more dour than usual today. He didn't waste time with pleasantries or greetings, immediately pointing toward the blackboard where he'd already written detailed instructions.
"Today," Snape announced in his drawling voice, "you will be brewing a Flogworm Removal Potion. It is a relatively simple and stable concoction, yet still likely beyond some of your meager capabilities. Follow the directions exactly, and perhaps we shall avoid another repeat of last week's catastrophic attempts."
Hermione had already started scribbling down the ingredients and procedures into her notes. But before either of us could stand to gather ingredients, Snape's black eyes suddenly landed directly on me.
"Mr. Sitri, Miss Sitri," he said slowly, turning his gaze toward Sona as well, "I require your assistance immediately. Leave your belongings behind, and come with me at once to my office."
Sona and I exchanged surprised glances. Professor Snape rarely asked students for assistance outside of class, especially not openly in front of others. Still, we both simply shrugged slightly in unison.
I turned toward Hermione, noticing that Tsubaki had already started moving closer to pair up with her while Sona and I were gone. Hermione shot me a look of curiosity but simply nodded, focusing back on the blackboard's instructions. I quickly squeezed her hand in reassurance before rising to my feet.
Together, Sona and I quietly made our way through the rows of desks and followed Snape out the classroom door.
"Professor, are you really sure it's wise to leave the entire class completely unsupervised? Aren't you worried they'll cause some kind of disaster?"
Snape gave an irritated huff, not turning to look at me. "The Flogworm Removal Potion is unusually forgiving. Even if they inevitably prove themselves incompetent, there is little chance for it to violently explode or melt through their cauldrons today. I believe they can manage at least that much without supervision."
He led us swiftly through a short corridor and opened the door to his private office, ushering us quickly inside. It was a dimly lit space, lined floor-to-ceiling with shelves stacked full of glass jars containing strange preserved ingredients, books bound in cracked leather, and various potion supplies arranged meticulously.
In the center of the room stood two empty cauldrons, already set upon tables and surrounded by neatly arranged ingredients laid out carefully on wooden trays. Sona looked at me quizzically, clearly wondering exactly why Snape had brought us here rather than simply instructing the entire class.
"Professor," Sona began softly, examining the cauldrons curiously, "may I ask what exactly you need us to do here?"
Snape hesitated for a long moment, looking oddly uncomfortable, his normally impassive expression briefly betraying genuine discomfort and perhaps even a hint of longing before it quickly disappeared again. "As you may or may not be aware," he finally said slowly, choosing his words with obvious care, "Slytherin House recently received a... new student over the weekend. A sudden and unexpected transfer who arrived without warning or explanation."
His voice became strained, almost pained, as if each word were difficult for him to speak. Sona and I exchanged another quick glance, surprised at the odd tone in our usually emotionless professor's voice.
"This new student," he continued with clear hesitation, "is a girl of exceptional beauty. As a result, she caused quite a stir amongst some of our older male students. Several seventh-years became... overly enthralled with her appearance. When she rejected their advances quite bluntly, tensions escalated. Last night, there was a rather unfortunate altercation in the Slytherin common room."
Sona's delicate eyebrows rose sharply in surprise, clearly not expecting that explanation.
I shifted slightly, uneasily remembering the beautiful redhead I'd glimpsed briefly earlier today.
Snape sighed quietly, clearly exasperated, his thin lips pursed tightly. "Several students were injured-some quite severely-in the ensuing conflict. Due to the aftermath, my house currently has a new... Queen of sorts."
Sona spoke again, her voice cautious and neutral. "I see. But forgive me, Professor-why do you require Harry's and my assistance specifically?"
He grimaced slightly, looking incredibly reluctant to explain himself further. Eventually, Snape exhaled heavily. "Simply put, the injured students require extensive treatment with Essence of Dittany. The infirmary is currently short on supply due to other recent... incidents around the castle. The brewing process is difficult and typically time-consuming. However, you two possess an... annoying talent for instantly producing potions of perfect quality. I have begrudgingly come to accept the convenience of your peculiar skills."
Heh, our Sitri bloodline gave us bullshit cheats when it came to potions. Snape still hadn't figured out how neither of us ever failed to produce less than perfect potions, but now it seemed like he wanted to take advantage of it.
Snape waved impatiently toward the waiting cauldrons. "I require your assistance in brewing sufficient Dittany to immediately treat all injured Slytherin students. Can you both manage that?" he bluntly asked.
"Yes, Professor," I replied simply. "We can handle it easily." My mind, however, kept returning to the mysterious new student Snape had described. Unable to resist, I spoke again, carefully voicing my suspicion. "Professor, this new transfer student... Does she happen to be a beautiful girl with long red hair and unusually bright emerald-green eyes?"
Snape's reaction was immediate and visible. He turned sharply toward me, black eyes narrowing suspiciously and glaring as if I'd touched a nerve. He bit down hard upon his lower lip, appearing visibly conflicted. After another brief silence, he grudgingly answered. "Yes. That would be her," he said stiffly. Then, in a voice tight with irritation and oddly possessive, he continued. "And I caution you, Mr. Sitri, do not entertain any foolish notions about involving yourself with that girl!"
His intense reaction puzzled me. Snape usually showed little interest in students beyond their competence in his subject, yet he seemed particularly fixated upon this girl.
I felt compelled to ask carefully, "Professor, what's her name?"
Snape hesitated, visibly torn for a brief instant before sighing deeply again, his voice lowering to a near whisper, carrying an unmistakable note of fondness as he spoke the unfamiliar name. "Her name... is Lilja Nornas. Lilja is norse for-NEVERMIND, just get started..." he cut himself off!
Without another word, Snape sharply turned away, his back straightening stiffly again as he busied himself organizing ingredients, effectively ending the conversation.
Sona met my gaze, raising an eyebrow silently. I merely shrugged back slightly.
...By the time Professor Snape had finally managed to finish brewing three small vials of Essence of Dittany, Sona and I had each completed well over ten bottles apiece, neatly lined up on the table before us.
Snape stood frozen for a long moment, dark eyes narrowing sharply at the neat row of flawlessly brewed potions we'd produced. The muscles in his jaw tightened visibly, and he let out a long, irritated breath through his nose before straightening up stiffly. "Very well," he muttered tightly, obviously annoyed at having been so thoroughly outperformed. "You've both done... exceptionally well today. Take an Outstanding grade for your efforts and leave my sight. Immediately."
I glanced at Sona, and she returned my amused look with a faint, knowing smile. Together, we quickly gathered our bags in the classroom and left.
We walked side-by-side for several steps, neither of us speaking, the only sound was the gentle echo of our footsteps upon the cold stone floors.
I glanced around the deserted dungeon hallway, carefully ensuring we were truly alone. After everything I'd gone through since yesterday, my patience and self-restraint had reached their limits. Last night's disappointment from whatever was going to happen with Mother getting interrupted only added to my growing sense of frustration.
I abruptly reached out, grabbing hold of Sona's wrist and pulling her swiftly off balance, smoothly guiding her backward until her back pressed firmly against the cold stone wall behind her. She let out a startled, adorable squeak at the sudden movement, eyes widening dramatically behind her glasses. Her delicate face immediately flushed bright crimson, and her breath hitched audibly in surprise.
"Harry?" she whispered softly, clearly startled yet unmistakably excited. Her eyes searched mine, already darkening slightly in anticipation. "What's gotten into you all of a sudden? Not that I'm complaining, mind you, but we're still in the dungeons. Anyone could walk by..."
"I checked carefully. We're completely alone," I assured her quietly, already leaning in close. "After everything that happened yesterday, I just really need this right now."
Without another word, I pressed my lips against hers, capturing her mouth in a deep, messy kiss. My fingers swiftly traced down her sides, sliding beneath her open school robe and firmly cupping her moderate, perfectly-shaped breasts through her tight blouse. My thumb slowly circled the small peak of her nipple, already growing noticeably firm beneath my palm.
Sona moaned softly into our kiss, her eyes fluttering closed as she eagerly returned my affection, her hands slipping upward to clutch at the front of my robes. Her slender fingers tightened desperately in the material, holding me close while we kissed passionately. Her hips shifted slightly, arching toward mine as she pressed herself more firmly into my caressing hand.
After a few long, wonderfully heated moments, I reluctantly broke our kiss, gently pulling my head back just far enough to look down into her lovely, flushed face. Her breathing had grown shallow, her pink lips parted slightly as she gazed back up at me through half-lidded, desire-filled eyes.
"So, Miss Sitri," I murmured playfully, my lips brushing teasingly against hers as I spoke. "Since we've already finished Snape's class early, how about you and I spend the rest of the afternoon together? Maybe we could head down to our usual spot in the Forbidden Forest to practice some new magic... or perhaps practice something else entirely." I gave her a suggestive grin, making my intentions perfectly clear.
Sona's breathing hitched sharply again, and she bit down gently upon her lower lip. She shifted restlessly against the wall, clearly affected by my offer. Her thighs pressed together slightly, betraying her own growing desire, but she quickly shook her head apologetically. "I'm really sorry, Harry," she whispered softly, looking genuinely disappointed. "As wonderful as that sounds-and believe me, it does-I already have plans for later today. I'm supposed to leave Hogwarts shortly and meet up with my older sister, Serafall."
I pulled back slightly, giving her a questioning look. "Mum? Why exactly are you meeting her privately today? And how come I haven't heard anything about this until now?"
Sona's cheeks flushed even deeper, her eyes darting briefly away from mine, clearly uncertain how to respond. "It's... a personal matter, Harry. It's nothing dangerous or anything you need to worry about. Just a secret between sisters." She glanced hesitantly back up at me, looking slightly guilty. "Please don't be upset. I promise I'd tell you if it was something truly important."
I rolled my eyes slightly, but still offered her a reassuring smile. "You know, the beautiful women in my life are incredibly demanding when it comes to not keeping secrets. Yet somehow, none of you seem to have any problem whatsoever doing exactly that yourselves whenever it suits you."
Sona sighed gently, smiling sheepishly back at me. "That's... a fair point. Sorry, Harry. But please, trust me-this really isn't something you should concern yourself over. If it ever becomes relevant or important to you, I promise you'll be the very first person I confide in."
I gently released her from the wall, stepping back slightly and allowing her to fix her slightly wrinkled robe and blouse. Her glasses had slipped slightly down the bridge of her nose during our kiss, and she pushed them back into place with an adorable embarrassed smile.
"Fine," I conceded with a soft sigh, nodding gently. "If you're sure, then I won't pry. But just be careful, alright?"
"Thank you, Harry. I appreciate your understanding."
...I decided to go out into the Forbidden Forest by myself to practice some magic. I'd always found the peaceful isolation of the forest helpful for focusing on new magical techniques. Especially now, after awakening my Sacred Gear, I felt like I was finally close to officially achieving high-class devil status.
The thought of taking devil contracts like the other high-class devils briefly crossed my mind as well. Perhaps it was time for me to start contributing more actively to our clan and earning my place.
