the_debt_of_time

Mia glanced up and narrowed her eyes at Snape. "Want me to hex him for you?"
she asked eagerly, remembering all too well how easily the word "Mudblood" had fallen
from his lips. While she had eventually forgiven her own childhood bully—Draco Malfoy—
that was long after he stopped being a vicious blood purist. Mia could not blame Lily for
holding a grudge against Snape now.
"Just ignore him," Lily insisted, huffing when she added, "It'll piss him off more if
we pretend he doesn't exist." Her lips then curled into a soft grin, and she chuckled. "Plus,
if he doesn't stop by the end of class, I'm going to slip this Amortentia in his pumpkin
juice."
"Wouldn't that just make him fall in love with you?"
"Then I'll dump Belby's Amortentia in his pumpkin juice," Lily primly corrected, and
both girls struggled to fight back the bubbling laughter that arose within them.
"It's so funny that you try and make everyone think that you're so sweet and gentle."
Mia rolled her eyes affectionately at her friend before turning her focus back on the
simmering cauldron in front of her. "You, Lily Evans, are devious."
"You're just a bad influence. I was perfectly obedient before I ever met you and
Mary. Now I read filthy romance novels, hex boys by the lake, and plot against Slytherins
in Potions class. Speaking of Slytherins, how's Black?" Lily looked up from her cauldron,
a frown of concern on her face. "I heard he got hexed pretty badly."
Mia's shoulders tensed at the mention of Sirius. "Yeah, I saw him before I came to
class. It's getting out of control. First, everything that happened to him this summer, and
now he has to deal with all of this?"
"Do you think You-Know-Who is behind it?" Lily whispered.
"Yes," Mia confirmed, taking only a beat before insisting, "You stay out of it." At
her friend's indignant scowl, she shook her head, unshakable in her request. "I'm serious,
Lily. Just be a good prefect and keep the fighting out of the corridors. You're a Muggle-
born, and that automatically puts you at risk."
Lily eyed her with annoyance. "No more than a blood-traitor."
"Yes, more than a blood-traitor." Mia glowered and then glanced at Lily's cauldron,
eager to change the subject. The potion had taken on a mother-of-pearl sheen and had
steam spiralling up out of the pewter vessel. "Yours looks about done."
"Think it looks right?" Lily asked nervously.