School was one of those things that Aveline really didn't think much about. She showed up to her classes, sometimes she listened, most of the time she didn't. she would finish her essays and assignments in time, even if she didn't think about them till the night before. Yet somehow always, she seemed to do well, putting in limited effort whenever possible.
So naturally when she got her schedule for the upcoming year, it wasn't a surprise to her that she was in all the hardest classes. Potions, defence against the dark arts— all the classes that people usually failed after OWL year.
"Oy Meadows what do you got?" Aveline asked, scooching over to a girl with soft black braids falling down her back.
Dorcas Meadows was one of Aveline's most favourite fellow Hufflepuffs. She shared a room with her, along with a couple other girls, but her and Dorcas had always got along the best. Dorcas was the type of girl to always be positive, even when facing the worst possible situations.
"Care of magical creatures first, you know me Ave I can't be bothered with the hard classes," Dorcas sighed, moving her schedule so Aveline could see.
It was common knowledge that classes were harder after fifth year. So much so that no longer were they even divided based on house, but more or less simply with whoever was continuing to take that class. Of course the basics like charms and transfiguration remained the same, but more difficult classes like potions turned into one class for the entire year.
"I can't believe you're still taking divination," Dorcas asked, as her warm brown eyes scanned over Aveline's schedule. "That class is horrid."
Aveline shrugged, reaching out and plopping a strawberry in her mouth. "It's easy marks," she stated simply.
"ROSIER," someone called from across the hall, and at once both Rosier children snapped their heads.
Except, the person calling the name was Sirius Black, who was standing on his seat frantically waving Aveline over. Dorcas let out a bit of a giggle at the commotion, and Aveline never wanted to strangle Sirius more. Nevertheless she picked up her book bag, as the whole school watched her walk over to the Gryffindor table.
"How's your schedule Tink?" James asked, moving himself over so Aveline' could sit inbetween him and Remus.
She groaned, tossing her bag on the ground as she sat down, handing her schedule to james.
"Merlin, you've got potions too! That makes all of us except Pete— sorry mate," James exclaimed, handing the schedule back to Aveline.
"Potions is rubbish anyways," Peter interjected, pouring practically the whole bottle of syrup on his pancakes.
"It's only one class," Aveline groaned again, smacking her head on the table.
The reason she was so disturbed by this, is because one class meant she was going to have to spend the whole year in a class with the Gryffindors, and a bunch of hormonal Slytherins. One of which would certainly be her brother, who really seemed to get particularly angry when he saw his sister talking to any of the marauders.
"Oh goody," James said sarcastically. "We will all get the joy of watching Snape kiss sluggy's ass."
Their was a collective groan amongst the group, all except Peter who was loading more syrup on onto his plate with a smug expression.
"Well you guys have fun with that!" Peter said cheerfully. "I'll be enjoying my spare block, probably doing something relaxing like taking a nap."
"Pete you just woke up."
"And what's your point?" the boy asked back, raising his eyebrow .
Eventually it was time to go to their first class of the day. It seemed as the whole group except for Peter was dragging their feet. Aveline always rather liked potions class, though she never really told anyone out of fear it would make her seem too much like a Rosier. So instead, she pretended to complain with the others.
When they arrived in class, naturally it was already over half full with Slytherin's. Besides that, there were two ravenclaws, Lily Evans and them making up the rest of the class. Aveline was very aware she was the only Hufflepuff in the room, and she had never been more grateful her friends weren't a bunch of idiots who ditched the class.
Evan spotted her at once, keeping his dark brown eyes on her as if he was trying to make her explode by sheer will. He was sitting next to Nott, his brown hair slicked back in a way that made him look like a stuck up prick.
Aveline sat down next to Remus, in the table behind Sirius and James. The tension in the room was so thick the windows seemed as if they were about to explode. For as the Slytherin's glared at the few Gryffindors, the Gryffindor boys glared just as harshly back.
"Ah my wonderful students have all arrived!" a very cheerful voice said, and in walked Slughorn with his usual red cheeks and distance looking smile.
He paused infront of the class, eyes looking around at each and every student
"Now this won't do won't it?" he asked, and no one had any clue what he was talking about. "This class is supposed to be about intermingling between all my most brilliant students! Yes, this certainly won't do."
They watched as he tapped his foot, finger on his chin as he thought. After a moment he waved his hand.
"Alright everyone out of there seats! I'll be picking your seats this semester!"
There was a collective groan, as everyone got up very much dreading what was to come. They watched as Slughorn got to rearranging people, trying his best to match people with others they would have never sat with in their life.
"Alright and this desk will be..." he trailed off, eyes looking around the room. "Mr Potter and Miss Evans. Yes that will be a splendid match!"
Aveline audibley gasped, earning her a nudge from Remus. James looked as if he was about to have some sort of seizure, his eyes wide as looked back at his friends mouthing an oh my god as he went to take his seat next to Lily. Lily obviously looked a bit less impressed, giving him a closed lip smile out of pure politeness.
Sirius was sat next to one of the Ravenclaws Bloke's mostly because Slughorn was too scared to see what would happen if was sitting next to a Slytherin. As more and more people were getting sat, Aveline couldn't deny she was getting a little more worried. Especially as the poool started shrinking and it was her and remus with a bunch of her brothers friends left.
"Alright next I think let's go Rosier and Mr Lupin."
Though when two Rosier's moved forward, Slughorn let out a chuckle.
"Mr Rosier that is."
Remus gave Aveline the most you've got to be fucking kidding me look of the century, before dramatically making his way over to the table where Evan now sat. Evan had an equally pissed off look on his face, and both boys sat down as far as possible away from one another without it being downright weird.
"And finally, that leaves Miss Rosier and Mr Nott. Right up front you two please."
It seemed as Slughorn really did want to make everyone's life miserable. Theodore Nott was quite literally her least favourite Slytherin of all time. He was exactly everything she hated about pureblood society wrapped up into one disgusting ball.
She watched him smirk his horrid smile the closer she got. Running a hand through his icy blonde hair.
Aveline had spent many balls, dinners , lunch's and get together trying to avoid Theodore. Ever since they were seven and he wouldn't stop asking to
kiss her on the lips, she hated the boy. And now here she was, doomed to spend a whole school year making potions with the idiot.
"Hello Aveline. It's been awhile hasn't it?" he greeted, knowing full well they just saw eachother at the end of the summer pureblood ball.
She didn't say anything, merely pulling her textbook out of her bag and letting it hit the table with a thud. Luckily enough, the first lesson was merely just Slughorn's review. Which meant a whole lot note taking which meant Theodore got to stay silent.
That didn't stop him from trying to get her attention however. For every-once in awhile she'd feel him whisper something stupid down her ear, or move her note page so he could read it too.
By the end of the lesson the usual calm and collected Aveline was ready to punch a hole in a wall. She snatched her bag off the floor as quick as possible, making a b-line for the door before she actually took Theodore's head off.
Her next lesson was divination anyways, which meant a whole period of relaxation as her, James, Peter and Sirius napped in the back anyways. So taking a few deep breaths she stuffed the anger away, just as those two boys showed up.
"Merlin why'd he put you with captain dick face?" Sirius groaned sympathetically, throwing his arm over Aveline.
"I don't know about you guys," James said, his face plastered with an idiotic grin, "but I love what Slughorn is doing with the seating this year. Most definitely his best idea yet."
"Your lucky," Aveline sighed as they began to walk the stairs to divination. "If you had to sit Nott for one second you'd be dropping the class."
"Touché," James nodded, knowing very well he wouldn't have had the temper for that.
The Divination classroom was as usual, flowing with the soft scent of various essential oils and the low sound of harmonic music wafting from the ceilings. Various cushions and bean bag chairs were spread around the room, as the lights were dimmed, only fancy soft yellow lamps filling the room.
As usual the three of them choice seats near the back on the comfiest bean bag chairs in the room. There were little tiny tables besides them, on which of each sat a crystal ball. Remus was the only one in the group who didn't take divination. The werewolf boy not making it past third year, after he exclaimed it was a load of bull shit, after nearly failing his year end exam. Peter hadn't joined them yet, most likely because he stayed true to his promise and fell asleep.
Overall there was probably only 15 sixth years in the room, most of which who took the class for similar reasons as Aveline and her friends— it was easy and you could nap.
There was a couple girls up front however, who sat eagerly. Karrisa Brown and Marilyn Patil, two girls who Aveline swore were obsessed with divination. Ever since third year they desperately had been trying to get Proffesor Rythia to tell them that they had the sight.
Except standing at the front of the room wasn't Proffesor Rythia. It was a very young woman, in a flowy purple skirt on as she wafted some sort of burning herb in the air. She was rather young to be a Proffesor, only in her late 20's with wild curly hair and a very calming aura.
"Greetings my wonderful students," she greeted in a soft voice, weeving her way through the crowd of students and wafting the wad of burning herbs in each of their faces.
The door open, and in came Peter, indeed looking as if he had just woken up. His tie skewed and his hair a mess as he apologetically made his way over to his friends. He sat down next to James, who leaned over and ruffled his hair like an annoying older brother.
"Ah and the last member of our ship has arrived," she said softly, smiling at Peter in a way that made him jump.
"This year we will be opening your eyes," she was back at the front of the room, tossing some strange looking sparkly powder in the air.
"How much you wanna bet that's cocaine?" Sirius mummbled in Aveline's ear and it took everything she had in her not to burst out laughing.
"...removing the blockage from your ears," she blew strange smoke out of even stranger looking pipe.
".. And unfogging those brilliant minds."
She moved her hands dramatically, pretending to stare into the distance like actors did in back flashes in movies.
"I have gone by many names in my life. Though you all may call me by my favourite, Emerald. No Proffesor or Miss, just Emerald."
Aveline let out a yawn, there were sounds of water falls trickling and birds chirping it was almost impossible not to feel relaxed in the room. Eventually Emerald was moving around, placing different crystals in the palm of everyone's hands.
When she got to Sirius she looked the boy up and down, before placing one that was bright pink in his palm. Next was James, who got a pretty blue one, and Peter who got a rather piss looking yellow.
At Aveline, she stopped, strangely leaning forward and taking a deep sniff of the girl. Aveline leaned back, sending a look to Sirius that said help me. The boys were stuffing back their laughter, especially when the woman grabbed a string of her blonde hair, pulling it close to her wide beady eyes.
It seemed she was in some sort of weird trance, as she reached another bony finger out to Aveline, tracing the line of her face. At this point the boys were audible laughing so hard it seemed as they were about have heart attacks.
"Er," Aveline wanted to say something, but wasn't sure what she was exactly supposed to say.
"Ah Helios looks down on you dear girl," the woman said after much to long had gone by. She was still weirdly staring at Aveline, with a very distance look on her face. "His celestial light tints your pure blood ."
"Ohh," Aveline said, as if she understood what the woman was saying.
"I know just the friend for you," she whispered, before rummaging around in her bag of crystals like a mad woman.
She pulled a rather beautiful one out. It was a glowing orange color, with hints of red swirling
in it. Almost looking like a piece of the sun that had fell from the sky. A jagged beautiful rock she ever so gently set in Aveline's hand. As soon as it touched her Aveline felt an odd spark hit her finger tips, so much so that she winced, nearly dropped the thing from her grasp
Emerald leaned forward, grabbing Aveline by her shirt and whispering in her ear so only she could hear.
"May the protection of amber bring you strength against the bright crowned son of hyperion, granter of vision, guardian of oaths."
She pulled away, making a weird swooshing motion with her arms above Aveline before moving onto the next person. For a moment Aveline just stared at the rock in her hand, feeling very odd. Very odd indeed.
"That was weird wasn't it?" she asked the boys, who were still in a mass fit of giggles.
"I thought she was gonna kiss you on the lips," James giggled, his face red from all the laughter.
As the class went on Aveline was barely paying attention. Not because she was about to fall asleep as per usual, but because her mind couldn't stop thinking of how weird the things Emerald was saying were.
And she couldn't ignore the feeling of warmth in her hand as her fingers played with the soft amber crystal.
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