"You're joking. You actually did it?" Tati exclaimed as I joined her and her sister at breakfast. I had only just sat down when Sam asked me how my potions exam went.
"Here's my schedule for proof." Sam took the parchment before her sister had a chance and began to scan.
"It seems like your potion's class goes over our scheduled charms class. Guess you're taking charms with the Gryffindors this year. Ginny'll be happy."
"Wait, seriously?" I asked, glancing up from the midst of buttering toast. Sam gave me a hazy glance.
"Of course you haven't looked at your own schedule yet. How stereotypical of you."
"You try functioning after an intense two hour potions test and then talk to me about reading something as tedious as a schedule." Sam nodded fairly at my point before sliding my schedule back. Tati, who was listening quietly while eating a bowl of oatmeal, stole a glance at the parchment.
"Does this mean you'll have to take a potions O.W.L now? What with being in a fifth-year potions I mean," she added hastily as I cast her a dubious look. I turned to Sam who gave me the same expression.
"Well?"
"I don't know. He never said," I explained with rising anxiety. "Merlin, if I have to take an O.W.L I should have just stayed back a year in the class."
"You'll be fine. Think about it. You'll have one less O.W.L then the rest of us next year."
"Not helping," I muttered before taking a massive gulp of coffee and glancing at my schedule. I cursed at what I saw for my day.
"Double potions? Oh for the love of-"
"Isn't it a bit early to be cursing at the table? Classiness aside, shouldn't you be powdering your nose and drinking tea with your pinky raised?" I gave my brother a long stare as he approached and joined us. Noticing the tired look in my glare, my brother chuckled.
"Whatever will you do without your beauty sleep? Mamen would riot."
"She took a potions final at six this morning," Sam explained with a slanted smile as my brother took the leftover Danish off Sam's plate and ate it in a bite.
"No kidding." He turned on me, licking his fingers. "How'd it go?"
"What do you think? I was amazing," I explained with little gusto. My brother's brow rose skeptically but remained silent.
"She'll have class with Malfoy," Sam added slyly making me give her a look. Theo gave a low whistle before turning to my toast like a hungry hound.
"You touch my toast, you die," I warned, angling my butter knife at him. He frowned, but retreated from my plate.
"You're a real grouch on limited sleep, you know that?" I gave him a sarcastic grin before taking a massive bite out of my toast. Sam was watching this interaction with a growing smile. She always enjoyed watching the Fountaine siblings.
"Well, have fun with potions. The potion's O.W.L was the absolute worst. And I pride myself in thinking that I was a master in that class." Theo went on, looking at me wearily.
"Did Snape ever say that to you?" I asked curiously. Theo looked as if my question was stupid.
"Course not. Snape doesn't compliment anyone."
"He did to me," I gloated happily before turning to my coffee. Lowering the mug, I saw both Sam and Theo giving me matching looks of surprise.
"Don't tell me he complimented your handbag-"
"Oh shut up! I wasn't holding a handbag," I remarked as if this news was important. Sam's brow rose at the comment, but I continued. "He said I was a gifted potion's student. Though he followed the comment with news that I would have a lot more work to prove it in the future."
My brother muttered "yikes" while Sam gave me a similar look of discomfort.
"Once again glad I'm not you."
"Thanks, Sam."
"If you live long enough to pass his class, I'll buy you a butterbeer," Theo said in his usual fashion, making Sam turn to him with expected eyes. "But only one. I'm not made of money."
"Theo, your parents are multimillionaires if not more. You can pay for more than one bloody butterbeer," Sam cut in, matching my brother who was looking a bit hurt by her words.
"For the record, my parents don't give me a cent-"
"I don't really care much for butterbeer though," I said causally, gaining looks of outrage from both Sam, Theo and Tati (who had been minding her own business until now).
"I wash my hands of you. You're a lost cause," Theo said my way before turning on Sam.
"Anyway, I'm here to fill you in on Quidditch tryouts. Montague wants the team there to watch. And supposedly we are all on the line if he finds someone better to replace us."
"Get off it! Graham wouldn't do that."
I drowned out their conversation and finished my coffee before leaving for our first class.
Transfiguration was supposed to be a better subject for me after experiencing the expert teaching from Beauxbatons. But it really wasn't. Like really really wasn't as good as it should have been. Not half an hour in and I was still staring at the bird I was supposed to transfigure into a wine goblet. Sam had already managed halfway, with her goblet squawking curses every so often.
"I should send this as a gift to my grandmother. She'd love this," Sam remarked fondly while I sat next to her looking miserable.
"Miss Fountaine, if you please. Stay for a moment." The class had ended and not much success had come about my day. I walked to the front as the rest of the class filled out, feeling low.
"Yes, Professor?"
McGonagall turned from her notebook and gave me one of her piercing stares that made me feel miniscule.
"I received a letter from your past advisor yesterday evening. She explained that your work in Transfiguration should have made your skill level surpass that of your fourth-year classmates."
Way to make me feel worse, Professeur Beaupré. I, the only one in this class to have yet to complete transfiguring a bird to glass is supposed to upgrade to a higher level class.
By all means kill me now.
"But as I've seen today, I fear your advisor far outweighed your talent in this field. I hope you will not be disappointed in my keeping you in this class for the remainder of the year."
"Not at all," I said simply in reply, masking the rising sarcasm in my voice.
McGonagall gave a final nod before letting me go. Sam was outside, talking to of all people, Dominic and Jasper.
They had both shot up in height since I last saw them. But after a glance at one another, I knew they still hadn't forgiven me for the Yule Ball.
"We'll see you in charms," Dom said without another glance my way, before he and Jasper walked off toward the stair well. Sam turned to me, looking guilty.
"Don't look at me like that," I said coming up to her. "I could care less about talking to them. If you want to make up, you should do it."
"Really? Where's this sudden sense of forgiveness coming from?" I chuckled and gave her a tired smile.
"Sometimes I think you only see me as a bitch. You guys have been friends longer than we have. We don't need to have the same friends. All I ask is that you tell me if either of them start talking crap about me."
Sam rolled her eyes but smiled all the same.
"Boys don't usually gossip like girls do, but sure. I'll double team. Do you need me to walk you to potions? Should be a fun confrontation when Malfoy's clan sees you."
"Actually.." I said with an intake of breath. "I think I'll do that myself. You just go cozy up to the Ravenclaws." Sam rose her brow at me comically before we broke off, walking in separate directions.
The door to the potions room was already open with students finding their seats as I entered. I felt my heart rate increase steadily as nerves started to infiltrate my thoughts. I wasn't noticed at first, as I blended in with some of the other Slytherins walking in. But Snape made quick work of that, by calling me up to the front. Like a beam of light hitting me in the face, a large majority of students turned my way.
Brilliant.
I stepped up to Snape's desk and waited patiently for him to begin.
"I forgot to mention earlier the business of the O.W.L. Professor Dumbledore has approved you taking the potions O.W.L this year. Meaning, I will grade you accordingly and with no added help. You've shown your skill, now it is time for you to maintain it."
I nodded slowly, feeling dread seep into my stomach. My brother's words from earlier echoed in my head.
"As for your question earlier," he added, regaining my focus. "I spoke to Madam Pomphrey, and she has, to my new knowledge, used lavender occasionally in her skelo-grow potion."
I blinked. Did I seriously just override Snape? As if reading my mind, Snape continued, his black beady eyes watching me closely. All student movement behind me hushed.
"While you may have been right in this occasion, a word of warning. There are many forms of potion brewing that can in the end make the same result. However, certain paths are less qualified than others. Hogwarts expects you learn the academic methods of brewing potions rather than, shall I call it, the more artistic methods of brewing..."
He said artistic like it was a filthy word. How was adding lavender to skelo-grow considered filthy?
"I will ask that you focus on following the instructions given to you and not any notion of your past experiences. Am I understood?"
Sure, I'll just forget every last lesson I've learned at Beauxbatons because we don't shy away from flowers like you do, Snape.
I nodded.
"Go find your seat. It seems Mr. Malfoy has saved you a place." He glanced toward where the silver group sat. Draco was watching us until he saw us looking, and nodded toward a seat open besides Blaise.
Who was to bet money that seat belonged to Pansy Parkinson?
Biting my tongue, I nodded toward Snape before walking to the empty seat in question. Draco gave me a comical glance over as I dropped my bag next to him. I looked over toward the Gryffindors and saw Hermione giving me a pitiful look.
Yeah, I was sure going to hear an earful from her later.
"Let's begin," Snape said sharply, causing the entire room to go mute.
While Snape started off on the incoming O.W.L and what that meant for this class, I was feeling hyperaware of those around me. Crabbe and Goyle sat opposite me, smelling oddly of sweaty ham and cheese sandwiches. Apart from the smug expressions on their thick faces when I first sat down, they looked on at Snape, unable to put one word his said together with another.
Blaise, who sat to my right at the end, was fiddling with the edge of his potions textbook while looking to Snape with his long slanted eyes. I knew enough about him to know that he preferred being alone, watching others through those judgmental eyes of his. Rumors had spread long ago that his mother, this supposed beautiful witch, had killed all seven of her husbands and received money galore in each will. His keeping silent on the matter didn't really help his image, but go figure, of course Draco had a liking for him. They probably bonded over dirty money.
And then on my right there was Malfoy. Although he was not looking Snape's way, I could tell he was listening intently to every word. His side profile was all I saw through my side vision, though I was taking a notice of his hands. They were rolling a white quill slowly between his pointer and ring finger that held the Malfoy family ring.
I recognized the quill he rolled immediately. It was the same one my mother had bought me that Christmas three years ago. She and Mrs. Malfoy thought it would be fun to buy their children matching presents one year and Draco didn't stop bugging me about it for over a month.
I glanced away from the quill and up to the back of the room where the door had just opened, revealing Nott and Pansy walking in. As always, Nott saw me first, and getting an idea of what had happened, immediately rushed to his seat at the other end of the table before Pansy had taken notice.
By the time Pansy saw there wasn't a chair left for her, she was already halfway to the table. She made a b-line to a table with Millicent, Daphne and Tracey without another word. I didn't need to stare long at her to know how angry she was. The back of her neck was red.
"You will have half an hour to complete the potion on the board. All vials are to be brought up afterwards. The ingredients and method," Snape flicked his wand, "Are on the blackboard."
Writing appeared in Snape's elusive cursive hand. The potion, Draught of Peace, appeared at the top. I had seen Pomphrey brew this potion before for past fifth years stressing over O.W.Ls. It was used as a numbing agent though dangerous all the same. Too much of the potion and you could make your patient fall into an unwakable sleep.
Charming.
"You will find everything you need in the store cupboard." The door of the cupboard sprang open at his words. "Begin."
While students started to move, I turned my attention to the blackboard to read over the ingredients and notes. I had thought that what Snape pulled earlier was hard but this potion told me differently.
Everything had to be precise for this potion to come together correctly which meant that I had to bring my A game. I turned back in my seat, about to stand up, only to jump at seeing Draco sitting right next to me. He too had been studying the board while the others went to grab ingredients.
He saw me jump and raised a brow.
"What's with you?"
"Nothing," I said in reproach, moving to stand. "I just didn't see you there."
"What are you doing here?" He asked curiously. "Snape doesn't usually let others skip classes. You must know what you're doing." I scoffed and moved out of my chair gracefully.
"I don't have to explain anything to you, Draco."
"Maybe not, but you don't have to stand up. Crabbe and Goyle are bringing my ingredients. They'll bring yours too." I gave him a haughty look of disbelief before leaving the table.
"I'd much rather grab my own ingredients, thanks."
"Suit yourself."
I met Hermione by the cupboard and the pair of us exchanged looks.
"Suffice it to say this was not how I planned potions was going to go this year," I said to her as I measured out grinned moonstone.
"I guess you were stuck with Snape pointing you to them but next time, you can always sit with us. Harry and Ron usually work together as is. I can always help you catch up-"
"Thanks Hermione. But actually, I think I'm all set with potions. Now transfiguration on the other hand..."
She chuckled down at her ingredients, having finished gathering, and left for her table after a small wave my way. Pansy was glaring daggers at me as I passed her table back to mine. The others were already getting started, with Draco working on sifting moonstone powder to a hot cauldron.
I never thought to wonder if Draco was any good at potions.
"So what are you doing here?" Nott asked as I joined them.
"She's not saying," Draco informed his friend before giving me a curious glance. I sighed ruefully as I bent down to light the flames under my cauldron.
"Oh that won't do. We can't have another mute at this table!"
"Who's the first?" Goyle asked out of the blue, making me stare. I wasn't used to hearing him speak much. Only grumble. Nott nodded to Blaise who was in the process of fanning his fire. He gave Nott a stubborn glance over before continuing.
"What's so bad with having another?"
"I'm not mute," I clarified, as I began adding my standard ingredients. "I just want to focus. This potion is finicky."
"So you will tell us, then?" I gave Draco a dry look before returning to my work.
Once adding the moonstone to the cauldron and stirring clockwise, the potion began to take a form of royal blue. As I was adding my second wave of moonstone, I glanced up to see the others work.
Crabbe's was already a mess, with mushed ingredients across his side of the table. His cauldron base was molded with dried moonstone and syrup of hellebore while Goyle's wasn't much better. A smell similar to burning toast came from his concoction. I was too far to see Nott's but Draco's was surprisingly similar to mine, being a nice royal blue color. He caught me looking and snapped his fingers at me, making me jump again.
"So jumpy. Are you always like this?"
"Take a guess," I replied haughtily, gaining raised brows from a few of the listeners. Blaise remained coolly composed though his eyes were suggestive.
"I was up early, alright?" I added with a huff, turning back to my cauldron. At the corner of my eye I could see Blaise smirking. I looked at his cauldron and was pleased to see his mixture had gone the wrong side of purple. I hoped it would blow up all over him.
I lowered the flames of my cauldron, letting the mixture simmer and waiting for another color change. Draco was right alongside me, finishing lowering his flames before turning back to me.
"Is Beauxbatons known for their potions classes or something?" I nodded slowly.
"If you must know, I was up early today taking a potion's final for Snape to show I belonged in this class. My last two years had been an escalated curriculum."
"And I thought you were just messing around with perfumes all day," Draco said mockingly. A quick look at him and I knew he was remembering that one meeting we had in the library last year. Back when I was caught with a potions and perfume book.
"You're going to be taking this class from now on." Goyle said stupidly causing both Draco and I to share dumbfound looks his way. Crabbe, who was sweating profusely, looked up and snorted, before pointing dumbly at us.
"What's so funny Crabbe?"
"You two just reacted at the same time," Blaise said in a bored tone. A popping sound was echoing in his cauldron, making me smile down at my work. Blaise could be as cool as he pleased, but at least his sucked at anything related to potions.
"What are you smiling at?" I shot up to look at Draco and dropped my smirk.
"Who gives a damn why I'm smiling? Are you always breathing down people's necks in potions or am I just lucky?"
Nott mouthed the word lucky my way but Draco dropped his comical glance and returned to his potion which had turned pink. I looked at mine and was irritated to find that it had yet to change colors.
"Just trying to help," Draco said casually, as he worked. "You don't have to be exceptionally rude. Can't imagine what your mother would have to say about that." He turned to his workbook and began jotting something down in that familiar handwriting of his.
"Oh not this again," I said, looking to the ceiling. "Going to rat on me for giving you attitude, Draco?"
"He could give you detention," Nott pointed out, making Draco nod in agreement. I tutted in agitation, as I watched him continue to write, that white feathered quill moved as if to mock me.
"I see you still have that quill," I said randomly, causing Draco to look to his quill. He glanced up at me knowingly and turned the quill over in his hand.
"That's right. You've managed to get your hands on one of these too last I remember."
"Wrong. I burned it," I said calmly, with a smile. Nott bit back a laugh while Draco's gaze deadened.
"If only you knew how much these are worth."
"Oh I assure you I've confident that I've burned far more expensive things than a stupid swan feather."
"Do tell," Blaise commented, looking up with interest.
"Or maybe," Draco started, "you focus on keeping your potion from burning. Wouldn't want you to ruin your potion by chatting, would you?"
I shot back to my cauldron and felt heat rise to my cheeks as I took notice of the immediate color change my potion decided to make right at that moment. The others snickered but I didn't pay them any mind as I went on with my work.
The half hour felt longer than my entire potion's exam earlier that day as Draco continued to talk on with Nott adding ad lib here and there. Blaise only commented with silent looks and simple comments to the side while twiddle dee and dumb became progressively dumber. Crabbe's potion was looking more like cement by the minute and Goyle was too oblivious to remember to change the temperature of his fire. His entire potion was a raging boil of orange liquid.
Nowhere near close what it should look like now at a rolling boil turquoise.
"Any other classes we should know about you joining in on?" Nott asked curiously, as he leaned over his workspace to see me better. I had been chomping valerian root when I looked up.
"Thank Merlin, no."
"Right, thank merlin," Nott repeated, causing the boys to snicker again.
Ten minutes before we were to finish, Snape walked around, eyeing our potions while commenting that we should be seeing a silver vapor erupting from our cauldrons at this point in time.
I noticed students around me had varying results, not many being silver vapor. But upon Snape walking by my cauldron, he gave an affirmative glance over at my potion before walking on. Draco's, I found, was also spewing silver vapor. He saw me looking and rose a brow at me daringly. I scoffed and looked away.
"Incoming," Blaise muttered in a low voice, causing all of us to look up automatically. Before I could ask what was going on, I caught sight of Snape nearing Harry's cauldron. Harry didn't look too happy.
"Potter. What is that supposed to be?"
"The Draught of Peace," Harry said tensely.
"Tell me, Potter," Snape continued in a dangerously soft voice. "Can you read?" Draco laughed aloud, while the others snickered. They were that obnoxious that Hermione and Ron both looked up. I gave an apologetic shrug, but Ron still turned back looking heated.
"Yes, I can," Harry said, clenching tightly to his wand. He'd be stupid to use that on a teacher.
"Read the third line down, then Potter."
There was a silence where Harry read and found his mistake and Snape pointing it out again aloud for all to hear.
"Did you do everything on the third line, Potter?"
"No," Harry muttered but Snape wasn't satisfied.
"I beg your pardon?"
"NO," Harry said louder than necessary. "I forgot the hellebore."
"I know you did, which means that his mess is utterly worthless. Evanesco." Harry's potion vanished, and Snape moved on with a wicked smirk on his face while those at my table turned back cheerfully.
"Happens almost every class," Nott explained, as I looked after Snape, who neared a shaking Neville. "Always a good time."
"You should be lucky Pansy came in late," Draco said, turning on me.
"Why's that?" I asked, not giving him the satisfaction of looking at him.
"Because if Snape saw you choose to sit with them over your own house, he wouldn't be so kind to you. Especially if you sit with Potter."
I looked back to Harry, watching as he looked at his empty cauldron with a tense face. Hermione was trying her best by the looks of it to whisper encouragement to him, but we all knew it was hopeless. Harry would get a zero for the day.
I looked back to Draco to see he was giving me a warning look.
"Choose wisely."
Goyle would later have his potion blow up in his face, setting his robes on fire as we vialed up our potions. Thankfully I was half across the room with Nott on my heels when it happened. I packed my bag before the others and made to leave when I passed Pansy on her way out.
"Don't think for a moment you'll keep that seat. The only reason why I was late was because a stupid first year got stuck on the stairs. It won't happen again."
"That poor first year," was all I said in return before moving on, through the corridor, and up the stairs.
All I wanted right now was a massive cup of coffee and some dummies to hex. But it looked like I would just have to settle with the coffee.
-
I'm proud of myself. I wrote this the day before and only had to look over it this morning. But now I feel like writing today, so I'll probably finish another chapter. That being said, I will still have to update on Friday, to keep with a schedule.
I was messaged yesterday evening with a question related to how I keep the details in my story in line with the books of JKR. I wanted to clarify that while I find that I've read her books numerous times, I still have the fifth book with me as I write each of these chapters. I read the chapter where I currently have Ava situated and come up with an idea of what she's up to. I don't use every chapter in her book for material because if I did, these books would be much longer and I don't have time for that. Sometimes though, I do quote what JKR says, like for example, the conversation Snape has with Harry in this chapter is from her book. Doing this has helped me keep close to her storyline while going off with my Ava storyline.
Okay i'm done. See you friday.
-WG-