Amortentia (a Scorose Fanfiction)

Chapter Eight

      There was a knot in Rose's stomach as she slid into her Potions class, five minutes late. 

      Professor Dobbs fixed Rose with her unimpressed gaze the moment she walked into the classroom.  The Potions professor was a stout woman with short, greying hair and a round face.  She had blue, thin-rimmed rectangular glasses that were always perched halfway down her pointy nose.  Rose suspected she didn't actually need them and only wore them to give her beady eyes a more intimidating effect when she glared with them. 

      "Miss Weasley," she sneered.  "You're late."

      Rose ducked her head, feeling the stares of her classmates.  She was late at least once a week, something most people considered difficult in a boarding school.  But with Rose's last minute attitude she found it fairly easy. 

      It never failed to disappoint Professor Dobbs.  She almost always ended up issuing Rose with a detention.  By the looks of it, that morning would be no exception.

      "Detention, Miss Weasley," the grumpy old bat tutted.  "After lessons end today, with me."

      Rose sighed but not nodded obediently, weaving her way around the desks until she reached the one she shared with Albus.  Usually, Rose would embrace her act of rebellion.  That morning, however, she felt the stares of her classmates as though they knew why she was late.

       Albus shot her a sympathetic smile when she slid into her seat and Rose rolled her eyes in response. 

      They shared a special dislike for Professor Dobbs.  She returned the feelings equally.  Rose couldn't recall anything the two had done to earn such feelings from the Potions professor, but as the years passed she assumed Albus' being a Potter and she a Weasley had to do with it, in large part.  It was a rather childish reason to prey on students, but Rose knew there was people like that.

      When Professor Dobbs returned to the lesson Rose had interrupted, Albus leaned over the table.  "Where have you been? You left the Great Hall in plenty time," he whispered to her. 

      Rose forced herself to keep her eyes trained on Albus.  "I just lost track of time," she said.  She could taste the lie on her tongue and was almost certain Albus would catch her out. 

      He simply frowned at her, however.  A shrug followed.  "Okay."

      Rose sucked her bottom lip between her teeth.  As soon as Albus looked away, Rose's eyes flickered to over his shoulder, where she'd had to fight herself to keep from looking. 

      Scorpius was already looking at her when their eyes met.  His steely gaze seemed to search hers — for what, she was unsure, but Rose felt like she couldn't breathe. 

      He tilted his head, blonde hair falling onto his forehead again.  Rose quickly averted her gaze, all the air rushing back to her lungs immediately. 

      She was so unsure around him now and she had only forgiven him ten minutes previously. 

      She gave her attention back to Professor Dobbs, who was rattling on about the NEWT-level curriculum. 

      "As you are all very much aware," she was saying in her nasally old-woman's voice, "we have now completed our study of Draught of Living Death.  After the Christmas holiday I will be giving you a short test on the potion to recap your memory.  You will be expected to study for this over the holidays — it may also include the other subjects we covered prior to Draught of Living Death.  It is not to be taken lightly." 

      Rose swore Professor Dobbs' gaze flitted to her as she spoke those words.  Rose would have been offended, if she wasn't almost certain that she would leave revising until the last minute.