Enjoy chapter 2!
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"Dang, these lamb chops are really good." I say, and stuff my face.
"You han seem amthing til you seem dethert." Josefina chimes in with a full mouth.
"Will you two stop eating so much? Is the food even touching your tongue? Are you even tasting it?" Kelsie says.
I ignore her.
I am seated at the Slytherin table in between my two best friends - the only two people I know in this entire room. Dumbledore decided to put me in Slytherin in hopes that having my best friends with me would make me more comfortable.
I wipe the back of my hand across my mouth, feeling extremely satisfied, and pull a hefty book out of my bag to crack open on the table.
"Ew, she's reading again." Josefina says.
"What's new." Kelsie sighs.
Draco's POV -
I'm not hungry. I don't know why. The food that I've eaten year after year doesn't look appetizing to me anymore.
All I can think about is the task I was given by the Dark Lord at the beginning of the year - to kill Dumbledore. Which obviously, is the last thing I want to do. As I look around at all of the laughing and grinning students surrounding me, I realize how much I crave a normal life. Not the one I have, where I'm being used as an instrument of murder.
I look up from my empty plate, and something - or someone - catches my eye.
A girl.
Vivid red hair and forest green eyes that I can make out from far across the table. She was the girl that bumped into me on the platform.
I wasn't trying to be rude when the two of us had collided - I was just already pissed when it happened. I'd just had a conversation with my father, Lucius, beforehand, and I wasn't exactly in the mood for friendly run-ins. I'm not saying I wouldn't have been an ass, maybe just not as much of an ass.
Her chin is propped in her hand, her elbow resting on the table. Her eyes are trained on the pages of the book in front of her, and I can't help other than to notice how gentle she looks with her red curls falling in her face.
I keep on staring. Something about her makes me not want to look away, ever. I try to look away, but I can't, and once again, I don't know why. After all, I don't even know the girl.
"What are you staring at?" Blaise says from beside me, interrupting my thoughts.
Before I can come up with a good lie, his eyes have already followed my line of vision to the girl.
"Or who are you staring at. Shit, man, she's hot. God damn, I'd hit that." He says.
The redheaded girl is too absorbed in the pages of her book to overhear the things being said about her just a few feet away.
I quickly tear my eyes away from her and stare at my plate again, hoping that this will make Blaise look away, as well. But it doesn't.
"Hooooly shit. She's crazy hot. Fucking hell, man, I'd be all up on that."
I've had enough.
"Shut the hell up, idiot."
"Damn, no hard feelings. Just saying." He says, backing down. This is a good decision on his part.
I don't know what it is, but I just don't want anyone to be able to stare at her, except for me. Obviously, I don't have feelings for her - I'm far too preoccupied with my dreadful task this year to get caught up in such superficial things as relationships. I just think she's really good looking. But no, I don't feel anything for her. She's just another pretty girl.
Jennifer's POV -
I am staring into the roaring green fire, a thin blanket draped around my shoulders.
The Slytherin common room is oddly comforting. On paper, the frigid air and emerald flames should make anyone feel eerie, but I find myself rather attached to the oddness of it all.
After a large meal that left me in a sleepy food coma, Josefina, Kelsie and I pushed our way back to the common room through a sea of students. Everyone seems to be thrilled to be back at Hogwarts, and I can already envision myself feeling the same way when I return for a second time next year.
"We haven't even started classes yet, why are you halfway through that textbook?" Josefina questions when she notices the Transfiguration textbook propped open on my lap.
"You can never be too prepared." I respond, my eyes remaining trained on the words before me.
Josefina surveys me with mock-disgust. "Uh, yes you can. You're a fine example of that."
"Shhh." I whisper, and tap the tip of my quill to her nose, causing ink to blossom across her skin. She wipes it with the hem of her sleeve, and lazily throws a fist my way.
I laugh a little. "Now, really, be quiet."
"Whatever, smarty-pants."
These moments with my friends are sometimes the only things that keep me going - small beacons of light in my dark world of insecurity and family-neglect. Without these two girls, I don't know how I would've made it through the past several years alive and with a smile.
Just then, two boys walk through the portrait hole. They're quietly chatting as though they're afraid someone might be listening in. Something about them reels me in - perhaps it's the mysterious aura that surrounds them, separating them from everyone else in the room.
I make eye contact with the blond one for a moment, and then quickly look away.
I saw something in his eyes, but I couldn't tell what it was. Anger? Dread? I find myself wanting to look back and see if it's still there, but I get the feeling that he'll lash out at me.
The two disappear up the staircase to the boys dormitory swiftly, leaving no trace that they were ever here at all.
Instantly, I become curious. Who were they?
"Who were they? Oh, no one you want to be around." Kelsie responds.
Her words prompt me to realize that I've just thought aloud. I decide to push my question a little bit further.
"Ah, really. What are their names?" I ask.
"The shorter one was Draco Malfoy. Pure blood, obviously. Really thinks he's superior to everyone in this school. And the taller was Blaise Zabini. He loves to mess around with girls. They're both dicks, in their own special ways." Kelsie says.
"Hm." I say. I swear I could almost recognize one of them - Draco - but I don't remember from where. The faintest image of his face flickers across the front of my mind, but it disappears almost as fast as it comes.
Draco's POV -
"No, Blaise, I'm telling you. Pansy was the one who came up to me." I explain, frustrated. He's having a difficult time grasping the whole 'Pansy asked me out, I didn't ask her' concept. Either that, or he's toying with me.
"Whatever you say man." Blaise smirks.
We enter the Slytherin common room, irritation lodging itself in my chest.
Almost instantly, something stands out to me. Those red curls. I see the same girl from dinner, her tiny figure sprawled out across the couch with a textbook propped open on her lap.
She looks up upon our entrance, and her soft eyes meet mine. It's only for a split second, but they do meet. I don't realize that my heart beat has sped up the tiniest bit until she's already looked away. I glance down at my feet.
"Shit, man. That's the same girl, from dinner. You know the one? I love myself a red head-"
"You don't even know if you're going to get to her, Blaise."
"Hey, I can get any girl I want, and we both know it."
We cross the dungeon and head for the boys dormitories. My fists clench uncontrollably at my sides, fingernails pressing into the flesh of my palms. For some reason, Blaise is really annoying the shit out of me tonight.
Jennifer's POV -
The following morning, I am awake bright and early.
It's my first day at Hogwarts, and I refuse to screw anything up.
When I am done making myself look presentable, I fasten my charm bracelet around my wrist and immediately feel blissful. I look into the mirror, my reflection staring back at me with uncertainty.
I can do this. I have to do this. It can't be that hard.
And that's all I let myself think, because I know if I continue to think and think and think, I will start freaking out and having doubts about the way I want this day to go, which, by the way, is quick and painless.
I pull my heavy book bag off of the floor and sling it over my shoulder before I quietly creep out of the dorm.
When I make it to the great hall, it's as quiet as the dead of night. It's still very early in the morning, and few students have risen before the sun for breakfast. The ceiling is sprinkled with faded stars, signaling that the day hasn't truly arrived yet.
I grab a seat relatively close to the middle of the Slytherin table, at which I am completely alone, and reach to pour myself a glass of orange juice - a Mania staple.
A few minutes pass by during which I examine my jam-packed schedule and grow increasingly nervous. Charms? Runes? Advanced Potions? I'm not sure if I'll be able to handle all of this. Being at a new school is scary enough as is, and the thought of foreign classrooms and advanced curriculum certainly isn't calming my fears.
It's then that I hear soft footsteps approaching from behind me. There's a gentle creak as someone sinks down onto the bench next to me, and I feel my chest tighten up. I'm shy, and unless this is Josefina or Kelsie, I've never spoken to this person before in my life.
"Hey." The person says in a deep voice, still groggy with sleep.
I turn to the side. To my surprise, the taller and darker-skinned boy that Draco seems to be around most of the time is sitting beside me, grinning cheesily.
"Hey...Blaise?" I say, subtly asking if I have the right name.
He nods.
"So, what the hell are you doing up this early, huh?" He asks, gesturing towards my book.
I let out a small giggle. "I could ask you the same."
"First day of classes, duh. Gotta start preparing early. Kind of lucky I ran into you, right?"
"Really? Me too, actually. I'm reviewing all this stuff in my potions textbook - I'm totally lost, and it's my first lesson." I respond. My nerves have begun to back off a little - from the way Kelsie described this boy, I assumed he'd be a self-assured dick. So far, he seems pretty friendly, and also appears to share my interest in being prepped for the first day of school. I make a mental note to tell Kelsie and Josefina about this.
"Do you have Slughorn?"
"Yeah, why? Do you?"
"Sure do. And they just got rid of Snape as the potions master. Let me tell you, an advanced class with him would've been hell on earth."
Yet again, a laugh escapes my lips. I don't know what Kelsie was talking about - Blaise seems so friendly, and he makes me feel warm inside.
"Well, I guess I'm just lucky then."
"You sure are." He says poking me in the arm. "Well, I'm gonna go. I agreed to meet my ass of a friend named Draco for breakfast. See you in potions?"
I nod, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips.
"Bye, Jennifer." He says, and stands up, walking the opposite way.
Strange. I never told him my name.
***
My first impression of the potions room is that it's extremely dark - and I'm not just talking about lighting. Jars of pickled animals deck the shelves, and posters that detail all of the most lethal concoctions known to wizardkind plaster the walls. There are wooden stools encompassing the tables scattered about the room. Unfortunately, most of the seats have been taken already.
Lucky for Josefina, Kelsie, and I, though, there are three seats open around one of the back tables. The other three are occupied by Blaise, Draco, and a stocky boy I don't recognize.
I look back at my two friends questionably. This table seems to be our only option.
Josefina rolls her eyes. "Fine, if I must."
I shake my head at her, and chuckle beneath my breath.
"You won't be laughing when you meet Draco." She says. When I realize she isn't kidding, I stop.
We end up taking the three open seats with the boys at the back. I am sitting directly across from Draco, who currently looks like he hates everyone. When I see his face, I begin to wonder if Josefina was right. Is he as bad as he looks?
"Hey Jen!" Blaise whisper-yells to me from across the table. I sheepishly wave back at him.
When I glance back at Draco, he somehow looks even angrier than he did before. What's his problem?
Draco's POV -
This day is going to suck ass - I can tell already.
So far, there are several factors that contribute to the shittiness of the coming hours.
For example, I stayed up until 3:00 in the morning, my ming wandering restlessly as I tossed and turned in my four-poster.
I also heard Blaise, who's practically the laziest person I know, leaving early this morning. Like, really fucking early. He never, ever wakes up that early. Ever.
He was talking to Flint before he left, and I can't remember if this was part of a dream I had or not, but I swear I heard him say something about a girl. Blaise really does think he can get any girl he wants, and the fact that he dedicates his existence to chasing them around pisses me off.
So here I am, feeling like utter shit, sitting in Potions and wishing I could be back in bed right now. My eyes drift shut for a few seconds, and it's a blissful, but a sudden rustling noise from across the table prevents me from truly enjoying the feeling.
It's the girl with the red hair, sliding into the seat opposite of me. What the hell is she doing here? Who is she friends with at this table? My questions are answered seconds later.
"Hey Jen!" Blaise sounds from a few seats down.
Jen. Jennifer? That must be her name.
She waves back very shyly, and I let out a laugh that resembles a lazy exhale. Now I know which girl he was visiting, and it definitely wasn't part of my dream. I suddenly feel a lot more pissed.
When Slughorn starts talking, it feels near impossible for me to pay attention me. My mind keeps wandering to my task, or to why I'm so pissed at Blaise.
I really only pick up the last part of his lecture.
"Today, I would like you to create any potion you like. Show me what you can do! Show me your talents! I want to see what you all are capable of, so just give it what you have." He says.
Numerous students begin to move toward the ingredients, excitedly discussing which potion they'll brew up. I roll my eyes to myself. Does this kind of stuff actually matter to people? In less than a year, I'm expected to kill someone in cold blood, and endager everyone else in the castle while I'm at it. Classes, friends - they just don't seem meaningful to me anymore.
"Ah! Hold on, students - I'm not done yet. I want to assign partners for this project, just to observe how well you work together. And so you don't all choose your friends, I'm going to pair you each up with..."
He pauses, surveying the room tastefully.
"The person who is sitting across from you."
I look up. Jennifer's timid eyes are already on mine, laced with what might be - fear?
Before I can tell for sure, she looks away.
Jennifer's POV -
Wait, isn't this the guy that my friends told me to watch out for? The one that I would be sorry to even meet?
And now I'm partners with him. Lovely.
Personally, though, I like to make my own first impressions before totally believing someone else's, so I decide not to make any judgements.
He stands up and drags his stool to my side of the table so loudly and obnoxiously that it sounds like he's actually trying to annoy everyone as much as possible. His negative mood is clear as a cloudless sky. What have I gotten myself into?
Nevertheless, I am still very excited to brew this potion. I already have one in mind.I leaf through my textbook to find the desired page.
I try to stay quiet and leave the ill-tempered boy alone, but I can't help myself. "So, what potion do you want to do? Personally, I was thinking Bloodroot, but if you have another pref-"
"Listen, I honestly don't give a fuck." He says. Right away, I recognize his deep, rich voice. It belongs to the man who bumped into me on the platform.
Once again, his rudeness has stunned me beyond words. I close my jaw, which is hanging slightly open, and decide to ditch my attempt at gathering my own opinions about this boy. Josefina was right - he's clearly a dick.
"Bloodroot it is, then." I sigh to myself.
-
We are twenty minutes into the class, and Draco has completely opted out of our partnership. My first impression of him has devolved from bad to worse. His activities so far include sitting and talking with the stocky boy whose name I don't know and glancing at me every few minutes like I'm stupid.
Truthfully, though, I am kind of glad that he's letting me take the reins on this project. I don't want his help, anyways.
I tuck a curl behind my ear and reach for the lacewing flies, and begin to slice them in half. Once I am done, I sweep them into the cauldron, and the silver liquid inside sizzles, fading into a copper color.
I've brewed bloodroot poison countless times before - mostly at my old school - and I know the recipe like the back of my hand. So when I read the information in the textbook, it appears off to me.
Isn't it supposed to be 5 clockwise stirs, then 1 counterclockwise stir? Not 7 counterclockwise stirs and 2 clockwise stirs.
Screw it - I'm doing it my way.
I close the handle of the ladle in my fist and repeat the process. 5 clockwise, 1 counter clockwise. Again, and again.
Draco peers at me from over his shoulder - I can see it out of the corner of my eyes. But I do not care.
"You're doing that wrong." He says. It pisses me off.
"Wow, now you're going to chime in?" I say, not bothering to hide the aggravation in my voice.
"Yeah, I am, and you're doing that wrong."
"That explains why it's turning the exact shade of red that the book describes." I retaliate.
"Yeah, and the book also says 7 counterclockwise stirs, and then 2 clockwise stirs."
"And I say 5 clockwise stirs, and then 1 counterclockwise."
He looks at me tauntingly, and I already know he's going to say something totally dickish before he opens his mouth. "You know, I like you a lot better when you're not talking ."
"And I like you a lot better when you're a lot farther away from me than this. That way, I don't have to listen to the huge amount of bullshit that comes out of your mouth. But we don't all get what we want, do we?" I say under my breath, not intending for him to hear me. But no such luck - when I look up, he's staring at me as though I just shot his mother.
Draco leans in very close to me and whispers, "Listen. I have a name that can buy you and your whole family."
"Funny that I don't know it, though." I say, my blood getting hotter by the second. Who does he think he is to talk to me like this? I don't think I've ever heard someone speak like this before, and that's saying something.
"Maybe if you did, you wouldn't be talking back to me like you are." He sneers.
An intense moment of silence follows in which we both glare at each other. His eyes are filled with blossoming hatred, as if the longer he looks at me, the more his distaste grows.
"Shit." I hear Josefina say.
Draco sits up, his eyes venomous as they focus on me. Then, he turns back to continue his conversation with the stocky boy.
I finish the bloodroot potion with a certain aggression, and end up messing it up - something that I've never done.
I try to focus on my charm bracelet - my mother's only gift to me - to calm myself down.
So much for the great year I was planning on. So far, my stay at Hogwarts is not off to a very good start.
•••
As you can see, Draco and Jen are getting along fine.
This chapter makes me laugh, kind of.
What do you think, any final thoughts and/or conclusions? Thanks for reading! :)