The Potioneers of Damocles ✓ | JILY

Chapter Fifteen

"Oh for feck's sake, stop it, Lily," Finola hissed, slapping her hand so hard that a slightly red mark appeared, "You're messing it up - "

"I was just trying to move the roots you'd already chopped out of the way," Lily replied but Finola shot her a glower.

"And I already told you not to touch them," She snapped, "Usually I love free thinking, it's the first step to taking down this toxic society but right now, it's kind of annoying. Don't do it again - "

"Finola, Lily, problem?" Oni snapped, looking up from the cauldron.

Both girls shook their heads as Finola murmured, "Nope, everything is okay."

"If there isn't a problem, then shut up," Oni hissed, before lying back on the desk, "Oh Merlin, my head hurts, I've been writing these stupid letters to my brother as he says he can get me a job at the ministry but it keeps me up at night."

At this, Benjy jumped up, clapping his hands together, "Oh congratulations, Oni, you deserve it."

Whilst Benjy gave Oni some words of encouragement, Finola simply looked down at her cauldron, softly saying, "Nepotism, huh? Thought you were all about hard - "

"Speak louder," Oni snapped, suddenly alert and looking over at Finola.

Defiantly, Finola looked up, "I said, that I thought you were better than Nepotism. You said at the beginning of the year that you'd rather earn a job than get it from Kingsley - "

"Yeah, at the start of the year when I still had hope in my heart," Oni snapped back, "But you three twits have whittled me down to broken husk - "

"I bet N.E.W.Ts helped, made you even huskier," Caradoc grinned but Oni wasn't impressed, shooting him a death stare.

"Caradoc Dearborn, I swear to God, I hope you fail at N.E.W.Ts scratch that - life."

At this, Caradoc looked a little offended, "I didn't say anything."

"Yeah but the way you said it..." Oni's nostrils were flared and Lily knew what was coming next: a long string of insults until Caradoc finally grew tired and retaliated which would no doubt lead to complaints that they were procrastinating and surprise, surprise ... more fighting.

Lily found her eyes drifting over to the door, half expecting (possibly hoping, even) that James and his Marauders would charge through the door. Over the past few meeting since her chat with James, she'd found herself musing about what it could be when things got too rough. Part of her hoped it involved dumping something over Finola or ... any of them really but she knew this was just her own anger and realistically it would be targeted against her. She hoped it wouldn't be too cruel but still bad enough that the others would realise she was a wild card and couldn't be trusted in their group next year.

"Lily," Finola's voice brought her back to reality, "Pay attention."

"Why? It's not like I'm doing anything just shadowing."

"Which requires attention," Finola replied.

"Could you at least give me a job to do? Anything?" Lily begged desperately.

For a few moments, Finola considered this, her hand resting on her chin before surprisingly nodding which was nice considering Lily had been expecting flat-out rejection. 

"You want a job? I'll give you one," Finola replied, "Hold the textbook as I work so I can look at that picture of roots chopped to their ideal size. It keeps flicking up because of drafts and ghosts or some crap like that."

It wasn't much but it was something and Lily held it down, murmuring, "This isn't a proper job."

"Oh, holding the textbook isn't proper enough for you? Feck you, don't be so ungrateful," Finola snapped, rolling her eyes, "Let me tell you something, Lily, don't underestimate textbooks or any books for that matter. Once you have access to the textbooks you can do anything. Make anyone fall in love with you, start a coup and take down Professor Dumbledore or society for that matter... sorry, what was your question again?"