Severus nodded, determination in his eyes, and together they set off toward their first class of the day.
The two Slytherins gracefully made their way from their common room to the grandiose dungeons, heading towards the Potion's classroom. They arrived second, as a quartet entered from the opposite door. Sophie locked eyes with Sirius, and in a synchronized motion, they glanced at the front row and then back at each other.
It became a race.
Sophie and Sirius bolted towards their desired desks. With two seats per row, the mischievous Marauders were fixated on claiming the front two spots. Sophie swiftly aimed her wand at Sirius and whispered, "Confundo."
Sirius momentarily paused, then regained his composure. "Hey, that's cheating!" he protested.
Sophie grinned triumphantly as she claimed the left side of the front row, leaving room for Severus to sit beside her.
The other boys sighed and begrudgingly settled for their respective seats. Severus hurriedly occupied his spot, wary of potential pranks from the boys behind him. He placed his books next to Sophie's and took his place beside her.
"Thanks," he expressed bluntly.
James restrained Sirius, preventing him from lunging at the pair of Slytherins.
"One of these days, I swear to it," Sirius proclaimed, eventually giving up and sighing.
Remus mirrored the sigh and seated himself in the second row on the right side, with Peter following suit and taking the seat to Remus's right. Lily joined another Gryffindor girl in the back left corner.
Once the rest of the Gryffindors and Slytherins entered the classroom, their professor materialized before them. "Ah, apologies for my tardiness," he acknowledged.
"It was only a minute, professor," a boy from the back row pointed out.
"I have a duty to be punctual and be held accountable for my time misjudgments. A minute could cost me my job," Slughorn responded, smiling at the student in the back. His gaze then swept across the class and settled on Sophie. "Oh, we have a new student among us. Sophie, would you kindly stand?"
Sophie's eyes widened with surprise at being called upon. She rose from her seat and faced Professor Slughorn.
"Since you're new, let's test your knowledge... how about a little game? A Slytherin versus Gryffindor game," Slughorn proposed with a mischievous smile.
"That sounds fun, professor," Sophie lied, not wanting to appear weak to Severus or her fellow Slytherins. She approached Slughorn's table on the left side.
"And who would like to volunteer for the Gryffindor side?" Slughorn inquired, casting his gaze back at the class.
All hands pointed towards Remus, but before he could accept or decline, someone interjected, "I'll go." Sirius stood up from his chair.
Sophie concealed a small smile, knowing Sirius would be a formidable opponent for this challenge. Slughorn opened his book to the back index and quickly scanned it.
"Ah, here we are. The first question," he paused, glancing at Sophie and then Sirius, "Whoever can name the most uses for dragon's blood wins. I'll provide the parchment, but you must use your quill."
Sophie and Sirius both smiled.
'She won't know many, so I'll make it seem like she's smart,' Sirius thought as he returned to his desk for his quill.
'I'm about to outshine Sirius Black, the other SB,' Sophie thought, heading back to her desk. She picked up her quill and opted for grey ink instead of the typical black.
Severus leaned in and whispered, "The uses of dragon's blood are-"
He was abruptly interrupted. "I know, Severus," Sophie replied with a smile.
Severus closed his mouth, squinting slightly. "How? You only transferred here yesterday."
"It's not like I didn't study before arriving silly," she responded with a smile. Holding her quill, she made her way back to Slughorn's desk, ready to write.
"Are both sides ready?" Slughorn inquired.
"Ready," the two competitors replied in unison.
"Alright, ready... Go!" Slughorn initiated the challenge.
Sophie began swiftly jotting down every use she could recall. She had reached her third line when Sirius exclaimed, "Done!" and placed his quill down, displaying his answers.
Sophie continued writing despite Sirius already finishing.
'Alright, done,' she thought, gently placing her quill down.
"Let's compare the answers," Slughorn declared, proceeding to Sirius' side since he had completed first.
Unrolling Sirius' parchment, Slughorn revealed only two words, which he read aloud to the class, "Ask Dumbledore."
Laughter echoed throughout the room, and Sirius shot a mischievous grin back at James, Remus, and Peter. Slughorn sighed, growing somewhat exasperated with Sirius. "Now, let's read Miss Bussell's."
Unfurling Sophie's parchment, Slughorn's smile returned. "Why, Miss Bussell... you've written them all! Even the uses of an oven cleaner and a spot remover. Remarkable!"
Sirius's jaw dropped, and he couldn't help but shrink where he stood. The Slytherins in the classroom erupted into applause, cheers, and congratulations.
"Mr. Black, I suggest you study more and begin to care about what you learn," Slughorn advised, motioning for the two contestants to return to their seats. He saved Sophie's parchment with her answers to show Dumbledore, impressed by her first-day performance.
Sophie extended her hand to Sirius, and he cautiously shook it. She returned to her seat next to Severus, while Sirius resumed his place, his expression stunned, and Sophie wore a smug grin.
"That was... amazing," Severus remarked, turning to face her in their seats.
Sophie regarded him with affectionate eyes and replied, "I've told you before, I had a great mentor."
Severus turned back to his book, attempting to conceal the sudden blush on his face. Slughorn spoke up again, "Due to recent requests, we will now have a seating chart. I will place it at the front of the room, and you must find your new seat."
With a wave of his wand, Slughorn conjured a parchment bearing a list of names and their assigned seats. It was organized alphabetically across rows, meaning two individuals with the same initial wouldn't be seated together.
Sophie was the first to scan for her name, closest to the front desk. 'Bussell... Bussell... Ah! Bussell!' she thought, locating her name but failing to notice the name adjacent to hers.
Returning to her new location, the middle desk, left seat, second row, she placed her books down, laid her head on the desk, and awaited the rest of the class to find their seats. She observed as Severus made his way down the right side and settled in the third row, right side. He seemed so far away now.
She had hoped Potions would be the one class where she and Severus could connect. But it seemed it wasn't meant to happen this year. Everyone, except for the Marauders, had found their seats, and the spot next to her remained unoccupied. That meant one of the Marauders would be sitting beside her. She silently prayed it wouldn't be Peter.
Relief washed over her as Peter passed by and took a seat a few rows behind her. She sighed, closing her eyes. Suddenly, she felt a presence plop down next to her, accompanied by a subtle scent. Opening her eyes, she discovered none other than James Potter beside her. He was already facing the front when she glanced at him, emanating an aura of warmth and hope, much like the sun. Severus, on the other hand, carried the atmosphere of a caring yet tempestuous night. Personally, she preferred the rain to sweat in intense heat. As the class began, she found it difficult to focus with a wizard like James seated beside her.
"Miss Bussell, can you enlighten me on the difference between monkshood and wolfsbane?" Slughorn inquired, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.
She hid a small scoff before she spoke, "There is no difference. They are one and the same plant, known also as Aconite," Sophie explained, scanning the room momentarily to locate Remus, who sat directly in front of her.
In a hushed whisper, she added, "You would know all about that, wouldn't you, Lupin?" Her words came out sharper than intended, reminiscent of Draco Malfoy's venomous jabs at Hermione.
Remus's posture tensed, and she caught a glimpse of one of his eyes through his tousled blonde hair. They trembled, perfectly reflecting her image.
"Hey," James interjected, grasping Sophie's right arm. "That's enough." He squeezed her arm briefly before releasing it, attempting to console Remus.
'Oh no... I didn't mean for it to sound like that,' she thought, clutching her arm where he had held it. His grip had been intense. Glancing at Snape, she noticed his hands clenched into fists, anger radiating toward James. He had witnessed what happened to her.
She looked to Severus's left and saw Sirius. 'How ironic,' she mused to herself. Emboldened, she decided to speak up again, albeit in a whisper.
"I'm sorry, Remus. I didn't mean to offend you. I want to help you. I know of a potion made from similar ingredients that can temporarily alleviate your... condition," Sophie confided, scooting closer to Remus.
This time, he turned around completely. "Are you serious?" he inquired.
She saw an opportunity for a jest and pointed over her shoulder, saying, "No, he's Sirius. I'm Sophie." Her lips curled into a grin. James managed to crack a smile as well, and Remus's face lit up.
"If only you knew how many times we play that prank on him," James chuckled, tousling his hair to lighten the mood.
Remus smiled, then earnestly pleaded, "If what you said is true, please... help me."