----------------------> THE CONS OF BEING BRILLIANT AT POTIONS AND HAVING A PARTNER EQUALLY AS BRILLIANT, meant that the two of you tended to finish the assignment about twenty minutes before anybody else and would most likely find yourselves very bored. This was the case between Tom Riddle and Artemis Potter.
Professor Slughorn had been smiling so widely when they had turned in their potion, that Artemis was afraid that it might break out of his face. Professor Slughorn had then proceeded to look between the two of them with a coy grin before nodding like his decision to partner them up had been solidified, which left a very confused Artemis.
After heading back to their bench right in front of the teacher's table, Tom Riddle had proceeded to promptly continue to read ahead of his potion's textbook, like how one would expect from the model student. Artemis, on the other hand, had gotten bored at staring at the board in hopes that something interesting would happen, and had thus, taken out a piece of parchment and some charcoal and had begun looking around the classroom for inspiration to draw.
Tom Riddle noticed her action and proceeded to raise a perfect eyebrow. "Why do you have charcoal with you?"
"Why don't you have charcoal with you?" Artemis retorted, making Tom Riddle's face scrunch up in confusion. "Can I draw you?" She blurted out.
Tom blinked. "Pardon?"
"I asked if I can draw you. You know, sketch. Or illustrate, or make a portrait of or-"
"-I know what draw means," Tom interrupted, a little irritated. "I just don't understand why you want to do it."
"Well, I've been told that I am quite talented at drawing and anything related to art, actually. Not to brag, but I had a sculpture at a gallery in New York City at nine." Artemis smiled.
"I meant, why would you want to draw me?"
"Why shouldn't I want to draw you?" Artemis asked instead. "I'm bored, you're also bored- no matter how well you try to hide it. We are both done with all our work, so I thought this would be a fun-ish project that can occupy our time. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to draw you either way. I just thought I should follow social niceties and politely ask you permission even though my action won't change based on your answer and I will most likely ignore it if it isn't what I wanted to hear."
"Well, aren't you a ray of sunshine." Tom said dryly.
Artemis winked. "Only for you, love." She replied, before concentrating on his face and trying to see all the details.
Damn, his face was perfect.
"Now go ahead and continue reading or whatever you were doing before, and don't mind me, I'll just be sitting here and sketching you." Upon seeing Tom still looking at her blankly, Artemis gestured pointedly to his open potions textbook, making him roll his eyes before focusing on the book and attempting to ignore her.
"You're impossible." He muttered.
"Why, thank you!" Artemis said grinning, before proceeding to draw a basic outline of his figure.
------> 0o0 <------
By the time Potion class got over, Artemis had speed sketched most of his face. The only exception being his eyes. This was something that was common for her, usually she saved the eyes for the last because like the age-old saying went, the eyes were the windows for the soul. It was only after Artemis had spent a significant amount of time with somebody and got a proper characterisation of their behaviour, did she finally allow herself to finish their portraits by drawing their eyes.
Riddle snuck a glance at her parchment before she could place it in her bag. "You're good." He commented.
She flashed him a lopsided grin. "Thanks Riddle, means a lot coming from you."
Riddle's face showed exactly how much he believed her statement. "You didn't draw my eyes." He noted.
"Eye know." Artemis grinned. "There is no need to lash out. Eye will draw them later."
Riddle raised an eyebrow.
She raised her hands up in a surrender motion. "Eye am sorry if you don't like my puns, but that is just how eye roll." She said, barely keeping herself from laughing at her very punny jokes.
Tom Riddle simply stood up and held his books to his chest, ready to leave. But just before he did, he leaned down until his mouth was right beside her ear and she could feel every breath he let out and said, "I actually found your statements to be quite cornea." and he began walking out the classroom with Walburga Black and Abraxas Malfoy flanking him.
Artemis Potter laughed out loudly at that, not caring if people were looking at her strangely; and just before Tom Riddle exited their Potion's classroom, he snuck a glance at her beautiful, smiling face and -for a second- allowed a small smile to grace his face as well.
------> 0o0 <------
Gen stared at the mini-treacle tarts that were laid out in front of her and picked one up. "Do you think I could fit three of these in my mouth at the same time?" She asked.
Roman sighed as he set his spoon back down on his plate. "You are honestly a hazard to society."
"And a coward," Artemis added, "Do five."
Gen nodded, before proceeding to -without shame- stuff her face with treacle tarts as the other's seated around them cheered her on.
"I see you and your friends are making spectacles of yourselves." Tom Riddle said, as he walked towards the Ravenclaw table so Artemis and himself could go on their prefect patrol together.
Artemis laughed. "What can eye say, that is just how eye roll."
"You already said that earlier." He stated dryly.
"Jeez Riddle, no need to lash out."
"You used that one as well."
"Eye don't see why me re-using jokes bother you so much, espe-see-ly since they fit the context." Artemis said.
"The originality is lost." Tom Riddle responded. "Eye like new. Old's boring."
Artemis nodded. "Okay. Iris-pect that quality in a person."
Tom Riddle's mouth twitched at the corners. He offered her a hand, so Artemis picked up a mini treacle tart and dropped it in his outstretched palm. He raised his eyebrow and looked at her questioningly.
"I crust you not to disappoint me." She said, standing up.
"You make my tart melt with all your kind words of encouragement," He replied in a dry tone as he placed the tart back on the table. "Ready to go?"
"Of course," Artemis grinned before picking up the mini treacle tart Tom had set down once again and proceeding to take a bite of it. "Let's go," she told Riddle as they began to walk out the Great Hall. But just before they could, Artemis turned around to face them, raising the tart high up in the air, say, "Piece out!" and then turning back around to face Riddle rolling his eyes before the two walked away from sight.
Most of Artemis Potter's Ravenclaw year-mates gaped as their forms disappeared from view.
"What the-" Roman paused. "Did Artemis just flirt with Riddle? Like Riddle as in an actual boy and not a fictional character?"
Nobody answered him.
"I didn't even know Artemis Potter could flirt." Reginald Davis said wide eyed.
"None of us did." Roman replied, still shock-ridden.
"But you can't really blame her, could you?" Gen began. "After all, Tom Riddle is quite an eye candy and I knew that ever since the day they became partners in potions, that they've got a special place in each other's tarts." She finished, laughing at her own jokes.
"If there is one thing this whole experience has tart me, is that eye need to make better friends." Roman muttered, before continuing to eat his dinner.