Harry Potter: The Slytherin Rules of Survival

My name is Elise Albert, an "invisible nobody" raised in the Muggle world.

When I was eleven, a talking hat tossed me into Hogwarts's most competitive house: Slytherin.

The good news: I get room and board, and don't have to sleep rough.

The bad news: My classmates all seem to think my bloodline doesn't deserve Slytherin's silver and green.

Survival rule number one: Stay away from that blond prefect.

Lucius Malfoy, the model Slytherin, the walking embodiment of Pure-Blood Principles.

He looks at me as if I'm goblin snot stuck to a dragon-hide boot.

I get it. I'll stay out of his way.

Survival rule number two: Maybe I can team up with that black-haired boy.

Severus Snape is also a half-blood, just as solitary, and a Potions prodigy.

We form a flimsy alliance: no making fun of each other, and we can borrow each other's notes.

Until one day, he tosses me a healing potion with a frown. "Has that troll-sized head of yours finally remembered to stay clear of a Bludger?"

I think my school life will just be a struggle to survive in the cracks until graduation.

Then an accident leaves me locked in the Room of Requirement with that "arrogant" prefect.

In the darkness, his mocking voice sounds unexpectedly low. "There's something about your scent... Why does it seem familiar?"

Outside the door, my flimsy-alliance teammate knocks coldly. "Elise, are you in there?"

#Wasn't this supposed to be a survival guide for half-bloods?#

#The guide doesn't say what to do in this situation!#

#And, Senior Malfoy, why are your hands shaking?#

Theme: A sweet little romance