"Mudblood."
"Another one?"
"Where?"
From the first morning, Nala had discovered that her upbringing was going to prove a problem. She'd always been teased and this was nothing new. She just had to ignore them, that's all. It was just a different word just like nerd. Only, this time it was nothing to do with her. This time it was pure discrimination, she hadn't chosen to be born to muggles. At least nerd was a well earned title that she had learnt to love and take pride in. She couldn't imagine a day when she'd take pride in the title "Mudblood". The word itself seemed vile. Her friend from the day before, Hermione, didn't seem to have quite the same although one Slytherin had taken to teasing Hermione relentlessly. Nala had many Slytherins onto her. Her friends however, were true Hufflepuffs.
"Oh, speak to someone who cares why don't you?" Hannah had said. Nala's face had broken into a rare true grin after that statement. After the insults though, Nala and her friends always seemed to have to run to class. The school was so confusing, what with 142 staircases, hundreds of annoying doors and most importantly, Peeves. Peeves was the school poltergeist.
Once Nala got to her classes, she excelled. As the week grew on, she got less and less insults because the others were in awe that she was so good. Nala always seemed to remember everything.
"She's a natural," Nala heard Harry mutter resentfully. The truth was, Nala was not a natural. Not at all. Her true friends knew that after classes finished every day, their friend would make her way to the library and study hard until dinner when she'd have her nose in one book or another. It was only after dinner that she'd socialise with her friends.
Nala's favourite teachers were Professor Sprout and Professor McGonagall. Professor Sprout had taken a shining to Nala Dursley, and allowed Nala to do higher up things and grow her own things in the Greenhouse after lessons.
McG as Nala had started privately calling the teacher was different. She was strict and rarely gave out smiles. Nala and Hermione got the first ones that the first years had gotten.
"What've we got today, again?" Hannah pulled out her timetable. "Ugh! Potions! With Snape!"
Nala supposed Snape must be bad but she'd see today if he was as bad as he was made out to be. Surely nobody could be as bad as Snape was made out to be.
"I always thought potions seemed exciting." Susan pulled a thoughtful face as she spread marmalade over her toast. Hannah shrugged.
"Don't go judging it before we've had it!" Nala scolded.
Later on, the three girls headed into the potions classroom. Nala looked up to see a teacher dressed in entirely black widen his eyes as he saw them and turned away. Nala wondered what was wrong. He started the lesson by taking the register. As he called Nala's name, he did the weird eye widening thing again. Nala was nonplussed. Why was this teacher reacting like this about her? She decided that she'd ask, at the end of the lesson.
The class turned out to be very interesting. Nala had, like usual, excelled. She'd known the answer to every question thrown at her, including one which was NEWT level. She headed over to the potions master with a slight tremor in her step. He'd come across as strict but for reasons unbeknownst to Nala, the teacher appeared to have taken a liking to her.
"Uh. Um. Excuse me?"
"Yes," Snape said, swiftly turning around.
"I was wondering. Um. I mean. I was wondering why when you first saw me. Merlin, this sounds vain. You looked like you recognised me but like it was painful that you did."
Nala swayed on the spot nervously, waiting to get yelled at to get out, or leave her alone but to her surprise, the teacher stopped still. She could see a tear form in his eye and was getting slightly uncomfortable, even more so when he reached down and hugged her. She froze.
"Who do I remind you of?" Her voice was soft, kind and understanding.
"You know, although you never met her, you're exactly like your aunt." Nala's hand flew to a locket on her heart. Inside was a picture of her Aunt Lily on one side and Petunia on the other. Professor Sprout had given it to her, saying it used to be Lily's and Lily wanted it given to Nala should she die. "You look the same and your personality... it's all her. You're not like your parents. No you're Lily's niece. She used to be my best friend you know?"
Nala smiled and suddenly Snape seemed to realise that he'd lost his view as a hard, cruel strict teacher. He scratched his neck awkwardly.
"I'd appreciate if this stays between us."
Nala nodded, "Okay, bye! Thanks for the great lesson."
Nala never heard Snape's next words, nor was she meant to.
"I miss Lily but it's like I have her back."