Us and Them

Chapter One

"Problems?" he repeated. "Hun, my only problem is that Sirius Black isn't mine."

"Anyway!" I said loudly. "If any of us gets paired up with that clown, then that's gonna suck so bad."

"Tell me about it," Lucy groaned. "Knowing my luck, I'll probably be paired with him."

"I don't know, luck has never really been on my side either," I shrugged.

Just then, the bell rang announcing that breakfast was over.

As I got up, I sighed. "Let's cross our fingers."

"Please let it be me. Please let it be me. Please oh dear wizarding god, let it be me," Will muttered over and over under his breath.

Lucy

When we got to the D.A.D.A. room, we were given a chance to pick seats, well for the first few minutes at least. Everyone knew that the second we were all seated, Professor Linch would move us into assigned spots; however, we all still tried for our favorite spots. There were those who planned to sleep or talk, who sat in the back, the try-hards that sat right in the front, and then there were the people that were in between, or in my mind, normal. As each table only held two people, Will, Maya and I had to be split up. It was long ago decided that Will would be the one to sit in the table in front of Maya and I's when we were lucky enough to have a class with all houses together (such as D.A.D.A.), as he was the people person of our little group. We had just sat down when Professor Linch announced we had a seating chart.

Professor Linch was a middle aged, middle height, crazy woman. She always had her hair curled up at the ends, which made her look similar to Medusa. And in case that wasn't enough, her personality matched. She had a condescending air about her, no matter what she was saying; a way of making everyone feel like a screw up. It wasn't like I was bad in D.A.D.A. On the contrary, it was my best subject. For some reason I had always loved Defense Against the Dark Arts... Except when she taught it. Her passion for it, mixed with the condescending air was more than enough for me to want to be far away from the crazy woman. I wished to be placed anywhere but the front.

"Up first right by my desk, we have... Mr. Sirius Black and Ms. Lucy King." Of course. As if it wasn't bad enough to be by Professor Crazy Train, I just had to be by Black, who apparently decided that he was going to talk to me at the start of sixth year. If you call it talking that is.

I slumped over to my desk as slowly as possible, I didn't want to be there any longer than I had to. Black however, strode over happily, after a high five from his best mate James of course.

"Well, well, well! King! I believe this is fate." He said, and flipped his hair flirtatiously.

"Right, right. Because we all know that whenever Linch thinks something is a good idea, it is." I rolled my eyes. "Like that haircut." I added under my breath, or at least I thought it was.

"Oh I think this is going to be a blast." Sirius chuckled. "I like your style." I mumbled little in reply, and looked over the rest of the room, which was now seated. In the coveted middle of the room desk (where no one noticed you) were none other than Maya and Will. Maya laughed at me and my spot, while Will shook his head enviously. I gave them a glance that told them they were sure to get an earful later, before Linch called the class to order.

"Well let's get right to it, shall we? I'm sure you're all a little rusty after your summer off, so I figured we would do a little bit of a refresher... Duels!" There was a chorus of cheers that erupted. Everyone looked to their friends for potential partners; Maya and I looked over and smiled at each other. Okay, maybe I won't have to interact with Black much at all! Then Linch killed that dream.