"WHAT A PIECE OF SHITE," GEMINI HISSED; SCOWLING AT HER PRETENTIOUS RELATIVE. - Malfoy had reappeared, behindhand, in the post meridian of Thursday's timetable; just as the Slytherins and Gryffindors were halfway through double Potions. The platinum-haired boy swaggered into the dungeon, his right arm painted in various bandages...even enclosed in the eyesore of a sling. The stride he demonstrated comparing itself to that of a heroic surviver of some dreadful battle, and the alternative Black descendent wished to give him a proper excuse to require such medical equipment. Gemini fumed at his entrance; the mangled shrivelfig situated before her making that emotion perfectly clear. There went the possibility of a successful Shrinking Solution. - "Gem," Hermione hissed; watching out for her fiendish friend, "Watch your language! There is only so much trouble one can cause within the first week of classes without expulsion as the consequence; are you attempting to break that record...see how much it truly takes?" An undignified snort tumbled past sneering lips, "Pardon me. I simply meant, Draco Malfoy is the definition of ordure...does that sound eloquent enough?"
The boy in question, cockily, slid onto the vacant seat adjacent from Ron and Harry; setting up his cauldron on their chock-full workspace. Gemini's eyebrow furrowed in tumult; why position himself there when Parkinson, noticeably, preserved him a stool alongside his Slytherin acquaintances? "Sir," Malfoy intoned the resident dungeon bat, "Sir, I'll need help in cutting up these daisy roots, because of my arm -." Oh, that's why that particular seat was chosen. Of course. - Without a glance spared in the area of vociferation; Snape instructed, "Weasley, cut Malfoy's roots for him." Burgundy instantly flared across Ron's freckled exterior; desiring not to aid Draco Malfoy in anyway. "There is nothing wrong with your arm," Gemini spit; angered for her, uncomfortable, ginger friend. Though, Malfoy ingenuously smirked in her direction; giddy that they'd finally caught on. "Weasley," he loudly drawled to the unmoving Gryffindor, "You heard Professor Snape...cut up these roots." Snape then awarded the resident Weasley with a sharp look. Having no choice; Ron seized his knife, pulled Malfoy's roots towards himself, and began to roughly chop...resulting in the weeds ending up in divergent lengths. "Professor, Weasley is mutilating my roots," Malfoy tattled; a joyful glint in pale blue eyes. At his chirpy elucidation; Gemini could no longer hold in the already existent irritability, "Are you joking me? Why is nothing ever good enough for you, Princess? Is your head so-." Lamentably; the greasy-haired educator, who now loomed over the evidence of Ron's carelessness, silenced her denouncement. "Miss. Black, you will extinguish your unnecessary commentary at once! One more word and the loss of fifty house points will hang over your shoulders," then twisting to the disturbance beforehand; he demanded, "Switch roots with Malfoy, Weasley. Now." Begrudgingly, Ron shoved his own beautifully cut roots across to the Slytherin. "And, sir, I'll need this shrivelfig skinned," added Malfoy; voice full of malicious laughter. "Potter, you can skin Malfoy's shrivelfig," versed the Professor; awarding Harry the look of loathing that seemed reserved solely for him. Harry seized Draco's ingredient; all the while Ron had a crack at salvaging the damaged roots he now had. The Boy-Who-Lived removed the outer covering of the shrivelfig as fast as he could; pettily flinging it back across the table at his arch-enemy. - Gemini, who had been observing their exchange, tried to shake away the floaty feeling she felt from Harry's display of dander. Merlin, what was happening? Why did she feel sick lately when her best-friend's face came into view? A mental note was made to check with Hermione about it postliminary.
"Seen your pal Hagrid lately?," Draco quietly questioned the two boys. "None of your business," replied Ron jerkily; refusing to glance at the haughty blonde. "I'm afraid he won't be a teacher much longer," the Slytherin expressed; tone drenched in mock sorrow, "Father's not very happy about my injury. He's complained to the school governors and to the Ministry of Magic. Father's got a lot of influence, you know. Taking into account a lasting injury like this...I mean, who knows if my arm'll ever be the same again?" Brandishing a dull blade; Ron snarled, "Keep talking, Malfoy, and I'll give you a real injury! Merlin, what does my brother even see in you?" Harry, inspecting Draco's furrowing eyebrows, quickly intervened; asking, "So that's why you're putting it on, all to try and get Hagrid fired?" The blonde indignantly sniffed, "Well. Partly, Potter...but there are other benefits too. - Weasley, I'll have you know that my mouth isn't only useful in constantly berating others. Though, it is assured your brother admires me for many other qualities, I do assume it to be why he favors me so. Now, slice my caterpillars for me." Despite the situation, a large smile spread across Gemini's face. This was the first time Draco hadn't denied his connection to Fred Weasley...she couldn't help but feel proud.
Though, a commotion quickly washed away fleeting feelings of satisfaction. A few cauldrons away from the cluster of tension; Neville stood in obvious trouble. Longbottom regularly went to pieces in Potions lessons; it was his worst subject, and his great fear of Professor Snape only made things far worse. His potion; which was supposed to be a bright, acid green, had turned - "Orange, Longbottom," observed Snape; ladling some of the substance up and allowing it to splash back into the container, so that everyone could see. "Orange," Snape continued, "Tell me, boy, does anything penetrate that thick skull of yours? Didn't you hear me say, quite clearly, that only one cat spleen was required? Didn't I plainly state that a dash of leech juice would suffice? What do I have to do to make you understand, Longbottom?" From the reprimanding, Neville appeared pink and trembling. He looked as though he was on the verge of tears, and Gemini felt a strong sense of mercy towards the fellow. Swallowing her pride; Gemini requested, "Please, sir. I could help Neville put it right -." However, her fleeting moment of respectfulness proved short lived as Snape interfered with the importune. "I don't remember asking you to show off, Miss. Black," he coldly hissed in response; then turned to face Neville once more, "Longbottom, at the end of this lesson we will feed a few drops of this potion to your toad and see what happens. Perhaps that will encourage you to do it properly." After his threat was voiced; Snape moved away, leaving Neville breathless with fear. - "Help me!," he moaned; automatically turning to face both Gemini and Hermione. "That man is a monster," Gemini seethed; glaring holes into the back of Severus Snape's head, this time Hermione having felt no need to correct her.
"Hey; Harry, Gem," called Seamus Finnegan; hindering the female's malicious train of thought, "have you two heard? Daily Prophet this morning - they reckon Sirius Black's been sighted." Well that's just magnificent; no wonder Remus appeared in a tizzy at this daybreak's breakfast. "Where?," the two targets questioned. "Not too far from here," enlightened Seamus; who looked stirred, "It was a Muggle who saw him. 'Course, she didn't really understand. The Muggle's think he's just an ordinary criminal, don't they? So she phoned the telephone hot-line. By the time the Ministry of Magic got there, he was gone." Looking significantly at both Gemini and Harry; Ron quietly repeated, "Not too far from here." He hastily turned around and saw Malfoy watching closely, "What, Malfoy? Need something else skinned?" Draco, who had been listening closely, smiled malevolently. "Thinking of trying to catch Black single-handed, Potter?," he instead mocked; leaning across the slab. "Yeah, that's right," offhandedly affirmed Harry. The Slytherin's thin mouth curved into a mean smile. "Of course, if it was me," he quietly started, "I'd have done something before now. I wouldn't be staying in school like a good boy. I'd be out there looking for him." The Gryffindor Quartet shared a contemplative look. Taking the bate; Ron queried, "What're you on about, Malfoy?" Pale eyes now narrowed; the blonde breathed; "Don't you know, Potter?...How about you, Black? Surely you'd be familiar with it." The girl huffed, "Familiar with what?" At that utterance; Malfoy let out a low, sneering laugh. "Oh, cousin," he taunted, "Maybe you'd rather not risk your neck. Want to leave it to the Dementors, do you? That way you wouldn't have to worry about the possibility of you and Boy-Wonder's relationship reducing itself to pieces. - But Potter; I'm simply stating, if it was me, I'd want revenge. I'd hunt him down myself." Angrily; Harry questioned, "What're you talking about?" Gemini continuing, "Yeah! What're you on about, you supercilious prick?" However, at that moment, Snape called, "You should have finished adding your ingredients by now; this potion needs to stew before it can be drunk, so clear away while it simmers and then we'll test Longbottom's." Crabbe and Goyle laughed openly, watching Neville sweat as he stirred his potion feverishly. In the interval; Hermione muttered instructions to the boy out of the corner of her mouth, so that Snape wouldn't see. - Harry, Ron, and Gemini packed away their unused ingredients; going to wash their hands and ladles in the stone basin located in the corner. "What did Malfoy mean?," Harry probed the female, "Do you know something that I don't, Love? Because on account of your Mother having yet to do anything to me, why would I hold a thirst for reprisal?" Gemini shrugged; sticking ring-cladden digits under the icy jet that poured from the gargoyle's mouth. "I know just as much as you, Harry," she assured; continuing, "He's just making it up. Obviously; that was him trying to get you, or I, to do something stupid." Though, Gemini wasn't too sure she believed in her own affirmation.
The end of the lesson in sight; Snape strode over to Neville; who cowered by his steaming cauldron. "Everyone gather 'round," Snape demanded; black eyes glittering, "and watch what happens to Longbottom's toad. If he has managed to produce a Shrinking Solution, it will shrink to a tadpole. If, as I don't doubt, he has done it wrong, his toad is likely to be poisoned." The Gryffindors watched fearfully in contrast of the Slytherins excitement. Snape gathered Trevor up into his left hand and dipped a small spoon into Neville's potion, which now frothed green. The Professor then trickled a few drops down the salientian's throat. - There was a moment of hushed silence, in which Trevor gulped; then a small pop bounced off the masonry, and Trevor the tadpole wriggled within The Potion Master's palm. Snape, looking sour, stated, "Five points from Gryffindor. I told you not to help him, Miss, Black." Not wanting Hermione to take the fall; Gemini plastered on her best smirk, eyeing authority in her daunting way, "First, what actual proof do you have that I aided in the successfulness of Neville's potion? He's quite intelligent on his own. Second, last time I checked my name is Gemini Lupin-Black. LUPIN-BLACK. You know, as in Professor Remus Lupin? The man who now teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts...the position you've always wanted but have never had. Surely that alone would add support in you remembering who I am. And third, fuck you. You were putting the life of an animal on the line, psychopath. At least someone in here, ostensibly I, has some shred of common sense as to not blindly follow the words of some pathetic 'teacher'." - The populace of that dungeon classroom presently had jaws dropped in complete surprise. It was readily made clear that Gemini was not to be messed with midst the search for her Mother; her lashing out on Pansy Parkinson acting as the show of admonitory. The habitual comic female straightaway became on the defense once word of mouth started, but now any little caviler resulted in her feeling as though she had to prove something. As if she had to establish she wasn't someone to be walked over...by anybody. This term; Gemini Lupin-Black regularly stood on the edge, and today Snape existed as the metaphorical push overboard. "Miss. Lupin-Black," Severus bristled, "one does not communicate with instructors in such a vulgar way. You will apologize at once, and your Head of House will be informed about your tantrum. Perhaps you do not see it, but in moments like these I can clearly recall Sirius Black. You are just like him; unnecessary confidence oozing off every syllable you speak, unamusing tricks, and an arrogance that will get you nowhere in life. If it is you trying to convince everyone of a separation between the two, perchance you should comprehend the the stupidity of that all. You are his carbon copy, and nothing you do is going to change that."
That was the first, and last, time peers viewed tears shine in the Lioness' orbs. However, her now raised middle finger swiftly gained attention...there she was.