So here I was now, sitting in front of Fortescue eating an all chocolate ice cream while surfing the internet on my phone, yes, I had discovered that this thing was connected to the Company network, meaning it had access to a multiversal internet where multiple company contractors or waifus/husbands basically hung out and... it was the same as any internet, full of people insulting each other, memes, fangirl fights, porn, more porn, and waifu groups, which were groups where they basically bragged about their waifus.
I had just left a group of almost 50 people who were arguing about which of their Rias Gremory was the best, I must admit that the pictures were excellent, Rias was sexy, there was no doubt about that, but I left once they started fighting about which Rias had the best feet, I really didn't want to join any of those groups anytime soon, the forums were at least informative, people exchanging advice and stories that seemed taken from fanfics and that was where I was now reading the comments while eating an ice cream.
I had tried the ice cream that changed flavor with every bite but it wasn't my cup of tea, plus I had a sweet tooth for chocolate so chocolate ice cream was divine no matter how many times I ate it (plain chocolate, whoever invented mint chocolate should get an AK to the face for such an abomination). I completely ignored all the other wizards and witches walking past me, I didn't care if they looked at my phone, it was something no wizard or muggle had ever encountered before so none of them would know what it was or what it did, to most it would just be another magical item. I blinked when I felt another person sit in the free chair across the table from me.
"Well hello beautiful, this is the first time I've seen you in the Alley." I felt like vomiting, shivers of repulsion arose from my entire being, I easily recognized the voice but it seemed like the person speaking to me hadn't recognized me, I had to admit that I was changed, even more so with my new source of money. I had decided to buy violet eye shadow and violet lipstick, and by buy I meant that I made them myself, I had been to both muggle and magical stores and I wasn't happy with the quality of the products. I may have been a man and not used makeup, but having so many sisters/friends/girlfriends and genuine curiosity on my part, I had more than enough knowledge on the subject, and for someone who was basically spoiled with 2024 products, I would certainly find makeup from 50 years ago lacking, even magical ones. "If you want, I could show you the good places in the Alley." I didn't miss the subtext and again I felt the gag in the back of my throat, I went to take another bite of my ice cream only to hit the bottom of the cup, I didn't know when but I had finished my ice cream, I made a face as I set the cup down on the table completely ignoring the other person sitting there and pulled a small case of cigarettes out of my pocket "Allow me..." the irritating voice said, this time I reacted automatically when he pulled out his wand and pointed it at my face, I calmly slapped his hand away knocking the boy's wand to the ground "W-what-?"
I snorted and finally looked at the boy sitting next to me, Sirius Black, one of the people old Serena hated the most. I didn't feel the same hatred, or rather, I did but I could easily dissociate myself from it, but I was still repulsed by Sirius Black as a person, he may have just been a teenager but that didn't change the fact that he was a terrible teenager and an even worse person. I wanted nothing to do with him and the marauders but here he was, trying to flirt with me, so I looked at Black's shocked figure, I raised my fist in front of the cigarette I had on my lips, I extended only my middle finger in Black's direction and a small fire came out of the tip of my finger lighting it up.
I had to suppress another attack of disgust when I heard three bursts of laughter from the side, it seems that Black had not come to the Alley alone, next to him were James Potter, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew's rat laughing out loud at Black's obvious rejection, Black began to blush in embarrassment.
I was already feeling the beginning of a headache, luckily my cigarette was working like a charm, a creation of my own, it was relatively easy to mix the ingredients of Draft of Peace into a sort of paste that I would let dry for a few hours before chopping it up so I could roll it into a cigar, it wasn't as effective as the potion itself but it certainly helped. Unlike Occlumency which suppressed emotions, emphasis on suppressing, where I still felt the emotions but being locked away was what caused me to not be able to use my magic properly, Draft of Peace was basically an anxiolytic with extra steps, it relieved anxiety, agitation and helped calm down more easily without suppressing the other emotions so this was the second best option, even Mary's Hag had liked it and stole half of my supplies for her pipe, unfortunately I couldn't complain since I had used her ingredients.
"Come on, don't be like that, beautiful, I promise you won't regret it," Black tried once more with a smile that he would surely describe as attractive, I could only classify it as stupid, I repressed my gagging, but the grimace on my face was visible to all the lurkers, three of whom snorted amusedly, this was becoming more and more annoying.
"Black, just, shut the hell up, your dog breath is making me gag, in fact, your whole face makes me want to vomit, if you could just leave everyone in the Alley would thank you" I slurred with a grimace, the group looked at me in shock before Potter and Pettigrew let out a loud laugh, Black blushed again and Lupin the... interesting one, had turned pale as he stared at me with wide eyes, it seemed he recognized my voice, I smirked in his direction making him shudder.
"E-hey guys?!" Lupin shrieked quickly "w-why don't we just go?!" Lupin's gaze moved erratically.
"Now, now Moony, we're being good friends to our dear Padfoot, we're showing him our full support." Potter smiled widely in Black's direction, who groaned pitifully.
"Fuck you Prongs" Black muttered, Pettigrew laughed amusedly.
"D-don't worry Sirius, we're supporting you" He gave Potter a thumbs up making him laugh, Black groaned louder.
"Guys?!" Lupin yelled more urgently as he looked at me, I just rolled my eyes, looking as if I was expecting him to attack them in the middle of the alley.
"Potter, you better listen to the werewolf and leave already," I took another drag of my cigarette as I watched the group come to a rigid halt as they paled, Lupin more so than the others.
"W-what did you say?" Potter stammered with wide eyes, I snorted.
"You heard me Potter, I don't have the patience or the desire to deal with you guys" I slurred again, Potter continued to look at me pale but confused just like Pettigrew, but Black seemed about to faint as he looked at me with wide, disbelieving eyes.
"Snivellus?" He muttered in disbelief, that shook Potter as if a bolt of lightning had struck him, he looked me up and down more than once, I glared at him.
"Keep your eyes to yourself Potter, or I will rip them out" that stopped Potter and he looked at me once more.
"Snivellus?!" he exclaimed in disbelief, I rolled my eyes.
"Still that childish nickname Potter? I expect nothing from you and yet you manage to disappoint me." I blew smoke in his direction, Potter still hadn't snapped out of his daze.
"SNIVELLUS?!" he exclaimed again, I closed my eyes tiredly, this was giving me a terrible migraine even with my cigarette I still took another drag.
"Oh Merlin, I'm going to be sick," Black said between gags, "I tried flirting with Snivellus, oh Merlin, I'm going to throw up," I rolled my eyes.
"The feeling is mutual Black, I'd rather have my eyes gouged out with a rusty spoon than listen to your pathetic attempts at flirting."
"Merlin's well-wrinkled balls, I flirted with Snivellus" Black now looked traumatized as he stared into the distance with glassy eyes.
"SNIVELLUS?!" Potter shrieked again.
"Prongs!" Lupin tapped Potter on the shoulder, finally waking him up. He was already getting annoying.
"b-but-" I stuttered while still looking at me in disbelief "Snivellus is Snivellus! Hooked nose and greasy hair!! and she's not-" Potter pointed at me completely with both hands "-this beauty!!" It was impossible to stop the involuntary gag that came out of my throat.
"Potter, don't you ever say that again, ever," he hissed at him, it was wrong in so many ways, almost as if nature was going against its natural course, like some cosmic horror was peeking through the cracks, Potter seemed to realise what he said as he paled, before turning green and then white once again, instinctively bringing both hands up and beginning to tear at his neck forcefully.
"AAAAHHHH!!!!" Potter screamed in pain "Merlin, I paid Snivellus a compliment!!!! AAAAHHHHH!!!!!" He scratched his neck again, hard enough to hurt himself .
"Stop exaggerating Prongs" Lupin rolled his eyes, though he was still looking at me nervously and somewhat pale, Pettigrew was watching me from behind the group without saying anything, he hadn't looked away even once as if he was hypnotized, disgusting, I snorted mockingly and stood up, that stopped the group who looked at me on guard, I took a long drag on my cigarette.
"I would say it was a pleasure meeting you, but even I am not capable of lying so much without vomiting" a last drag on my cigarette and I looked at the group "I hope we never meet again" with that I threw away my finished cigarette and left without looking at them a second time.
"Snivellus! Wait!" I rolled my eyes, I didn't stop, I kept walking while I swallowed pewter and tin and started burning them immediately, the increase no longer disconcerted me so I continued, while I felt and heard the group following me, I snorted but still didn't stop, I entered Knockturn Alley, I moved through the hallways and alleys with extreme efficiency until I reached the Hag's apothecary and entered, I could hear the group of boys arguing outside the store, I rolled my eyes and got to work, the Hag had forced me to do inventory and serve customers, that doesn't mean that I didn't prepare potions, but, besides that, I had to do basically everything else in the store, luckily Knockturn wasn't too busy to have customers frequently.