When she had woken up this morning, Alicia Spinnet had no idea that it was going to be a bad day. Scratch that. She hadn't known that it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Times two. Times infinity.
When she rolled out of bed, she did not land on her face. When she got dressed, she buttoned up her shirt correctly and tied her tie to perfection. Breakfast in the Great Hall was the usual, slightly-groggy affair of bacon, eggs, and Wood rambling on about practice. There was nothing to make her suspect that it was going to be one of the worst days of her life; it seemed a bright, sunny start to a lovely day.
Yet disaster struck like lightning on a cloudless day as Alicia walked to her first class. Angelina and Katie walked ahead to their respective classes, and Alicia ran back to grab her satchel that she had forgotten (again). Traveling the halls alone was what attracted the group of Sytherins to her in the first place. Cowards the lot of them, she thought as they surrounded the lone Gryffindor. There were eight of them, all older Sytherins who should have been in class themselves, although she would have ventured that their classes were not Snape's or McGonagall's or else they would not have dared play hooky.
Surreptitiously, Alicia dug in her bag for her wand as the mob surrounded her. Occupied, she did not notice when a brutish girl moved around and shoved her hard from behind. Stumbling, Alicia fell forward as she finally found that dratted wand. Catching herself before she landed on her face, she raised her wand defensively and glared. The Slytherins jeered, but they backed off a bit, realizing that she would not take their abuse passively.
"Ready for the game Friday, Spinnet?" Alicia turned at the harsh voice. Standing gruff and tall like an oversized ogre, Marcus Flint had spat out the words, which they were usually an expression of concern, but in this instance, nothing more than a lightly-veiled threat. She should have known he would be there. The snaggle-toothed monster could often be found lurking in hallways and molesting younger students, especially Quidditch players.
Alicia gave him her best glare of death, "I'm always ready, Flint. I only hope you and your rag-taggle team of misfits and miscreants is." The other students scoffed, but the oversized fiend continued to scowl, looking like any number of ugly beasts. He stepped up to her, towering over her, but she only squared her shoulders and refused to back down, "No, don't come any closer. Back off!"
"Best be watching your back, little girl!" another Slytherin hissed. "Or you'll get really badly hurt. Lotsa pain."
Alicia rolled her eyes; the sorting hat had not put this one in the house of Slytherin for his charm and cleverness. "Maybe you should watch your mouth, you inbred, maggot-loving fish-breath!"
Flint snarled again, "Shut your fat face, ugly."
"Look who's talking! You're nothing more than an overgrown, smelly idiot who is only on the Quidditch team because you bullied your way in– you have no talent, you turd-faced butt-munch!"
Things had escalated badly after that. The insults flew fast between the two. Soon wands were drawn, and creative hexes had left the two weak and moaning on the floor. McGonagall found them as Alicia had just sprouted two pairs of rabbit ears and Flint was looking quite becoming in a frilly pink dress (the saddle shoes were a bit much).
The other students wisely slunk off, like the snakes they so often represented. After she removed their curses, the shrill yelling from McGonagall had begun. Ashamed, Alicia cowered most humbly and was only comforted slightly by seeing Flint looking just as frightened as she was. After she turned quite a violent shade of red, McGonagall had dragged them both off to find Professor Snape, mumbling about idiot children, property damage, and getting too old for this.
Professor Snape looked most displeased to be called out of the classroom, especially by two rowdy students. After she explained the circumstances, they moved aside to discuss their fate. The two students, who would have been glaring swords at each other if they were not so frightened, could only hear snippets of their conversation. "Extreme punishment... Hagrid's busy... don't want to lose Quidditch players, especially since you need all the help you can get... Filch won't do... pain and torture... failing grades... perhaps that's too extreme?... no, I think it will suit them both nicely."
Naturally, both Spinnet and Flint were terrified when the professors had returned with their verdict. McGonagall cleared her throat and began, "Owing to the especially violent and damaging nature of your fight, we feel harsh consequences are in order. We don't think it's fair to anyone to ban you from any games. We've decided that a more... um, academic punishment is in order."
Snape cut in with his characteristic sneer, "Flint, it is no secret that you've been failing most of your classes."
McGonagall frowned at his curt interruption and spoke again, "it's important for everyone to have every opportunity to succeed at Hogwarts. Alicia's been doing all right in her classes for the most part and we feel that tutoring each other would be beneficial for the both of you."
"What!?" both students broke in even more horrified then they had been.
Snape glowered, "Spinnet will learn from Flint's experience, and Flint will be better grounded in what he knows by teaching someone else."
McGonagall gave them her most serious face as she commanded, "You two will work together every night for an hour until we have deemed your punishment long enough. Both of you can benefit from these sessions, but you'll have to learn to get along. Of course, you'll meet after practice." Alicia and Flint could hardly bear to look at each other, how on earth could they possibly stand to be in the same room, talking and being nice and everything!? "You'll start tonight, and I'll be there to supervise. I expect you on time, 7:30, my office."
At that their fate was sealed, set in stone, and written in the blasted stars. Perhaps it would not be so bad. After all, one or both would be dead after only a few minutes and it would be all over.
With feet of lead, Alicia dragged her slightly damp from Quidditch practice self up to McGonagall's office where her punishment would begin. It was absolutely unfair – Flint couldn't be more stupid if he tried, and she wondered if he did try. So what if Alicia did not care about her grades as much as Quidditch; who could blame her? She had never been the scholarly type – that's what Ravenclaws and that Granger girl were for. Getting Flint to tutor her and her help him, absolute rubbish! It would never, ever, ever, not in a million billion years work.
After prolonging the inevitable, Alicia rapped on McGonagall's door, hoping vainly that somehow everything had been a really, really bad dream. Yet no, McGonagall dry voice bid her enter and Alicia opened the solid door. Inside, Flint sat at a desk, looking highly uncomfortable as McGonagall loomed over him, riffling through his parchments. "Yes, come in, girl. You're almost late; have a seat." With the smallest of sighs, Alicia complied. Giving her a sharp look, McGonagall snapped, "Hurry up now. Let me see your most recent tests and your upcoming assignments." She skimmed Alicia's sloppy work with a critical eye, and pulled out several sheets.
"These will do. Now you both will go over these different charms. Start with Miss Spinnet's work here. She got several wrong on the test of standard charms. Flint, help her understand where she went wrong. It will be good practice for your both, since these are the bases for most charms, and neither of you have them down very well." Both students looked at her morosely, and she scolded them in return, "Now get to work, you two. I'll be right here, listening. If you can't work together tonight, I will make sure that you have more time with each other to fix your problems."
After a few moments of frozen silence, Alicia dared a look at the brooding Flint. As luck would have it, he had chosen that precise time to look at her, though he quickly covered it up with a sneer. For the strangest reason, Alicia was strongly tempted to stick her tongue out back at him. Fortunately, before she could expose herself so childishly, McGonagall cleared her throat loudly. The two shamefaced students quickly moved papers around desperately trying to sound busy.
Seeing that Flint was not going to make the first move, Alicia sighed and turned toward Flint, "So what are you—"
"Do you have—" Flint seemed to think Alicia was not going to be speaking first either.
With a disgusted snort, Alicia tried again, "I was going to ask, before you interrupted me, what charms did McGonagall give you."
Crossing his arms and frowning, Flint disagreed, "You cut me off! Here's the charms. I doubt you know any of them, though. We should start with your work first."
"Fine," she hissed and found her assignments.
"Fine!" he matched and found a chewed-upon quill.
The next hour was spent going over beginner charms, on which both needed work. Though perhaps, more time was spent glaring at each other's insults. However, McGonagall was very good at getting them to work. After their time was over, Alicia left with a headache and almost as confused about charms as before.
The next night was spent in Snape's dungeon with potions. While work occupied Snape, the two of them got into intense argument about the right way to hold the spoon whilst stirring the bubbling potion, which led to Alicia screaming "No, you're wrong again, you stupid idiot!" as she hurled the spoon at his head. Although failing at most subjects, Flint had enough sense to duck the airborne utensil. Alicia was not quick enough to dodge the pot of now lukewarm potion as he dumped it on her head. Snape came roaring in and sent them both away in disgrace, telling them they would have an extra hour with McGonagall tomorrow, which seemed more punishment for their professor.
As she angrily (and messily) stomped her way back to her dorm, Alicia just knew that Flint's stupidity was rubbing off on her and she would never pass any of her classes now. The stupid git had a very unusual way of explaining things, might as well do everything backwards.
Night after night they met with one another. They fell into a routine, working hard while the teacher was in the room and taunting each other when they were not. They only came to blows once more and only a quick trip to Madam Pomphrey's had enabled them to play the next day's game. Alicia had been so surprised when she received her first perfect score in charms that she was polite that evening to Flint, and almost smiled at him once. Flint was even passing his tests, though Alicia had no idea how, he did everything so oddly.
McGonagall and Snape kept refusing to let them know when their punishment would be up. Alicia had the sneaking suspicion that since they were both improving, it would not be over for quite sometime. Which sucked, but hey, grades were grades. Good grades like these would keep her on the Quidditch team. Though maybe, Flint should start failing again.
An entire month had gone by and Alicia had almost grown used to Flint's ugly, glowering, sunshine personality. Now, ugly was not quite fair, some teeth-shrinking spells and pluck that uni-brow and he would not be so painful on the eyes. He did not constantly scowl anymore. Not that she would ever tell him that. Appearances had to be kept up.
Spring was beginning to show its sunny head, and it was miserable being stuck indoors. Since they held their detention/study sessions earlier on days without practice, Alicia had begged McGonagall to let them study outside. McGonagall only relented when they promised they would work really, really hard.
It was wonderful sitting out in the sunshine. Alicia was wearing a light sweater and could feel the sun warming her back. Flint had to poke her to get her attention, "Time to get to work, Spinnet, I don't want McGonagall on my case."
"Fine," she sighed and found her work, "transfiguration today?"
"Yeah, I've almost got most inanimate objects down. We should work on living ones now. Snails?" Flint was better at Alicia at staying on track.
"Gross." Alicia prodded the slimy creature with her wand and it darted back into its shell.
"Hey!" Flint looked affronted.
"Not you, dummy, sheesh! What's the text say about snails, anyway?" Flint read the passage to her, and they attempted to transform their snails, both failing miserably at their first attempts. Flint tried something different and his snail looked liked a ring, albeit more brown than gold and slightly gooey. "That's better! How'd you do that?" Smugly (though he had no reason to be, this was third year text), Flint showed her how he had down it. Finally Alicia got it and tossed her wand on the table. "Enough for now. Isn't it nice out here?"
Flint stared at her, "Aren't you worried that McGonagall or Snape will see us?" Alicia shrugged. "All right then." He leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms as he looked up at the lightly-clouded sky.
They sat in silence for a while, but soon began chatting. They found that they had a lot in common. Eventually, they argued about Quidditch and which team was going to win the coveted cup. Neither of them were angry for once; it was too pleasant outside to be unhappy. When the hour was over, both went inside, feeling guilty about their lack of study.
The next time they met, McGonagall was less opposed to them working outside and they quickly headed to their new spot at a table under a large oak in the courtyard. It was an attractive spot secluded by large bushes that saved them from prying eyes that would be wondering why they were not at each other's throats.
Spinnet and Flint worked hard on their history texts for around ten minutes, but stopped. Alicia felt strange, like she needed something, but she had no idea what it was. Maybe ice cream. She could always use ice cream.
Suddenly, Flint sat next to her, close, their legs were lightly touching. "What?" she asked confused, "want to go back to history of magic?"
"No," he scoffed. "I was just, you know, wondering..." he trailed off and looked away.
"Wondering what, Flint?" Alicia attempted to keep the annoyance out of her voice, but he could be so trying sometimes.
He looked back at her, and she noticed how close his face was to her and how his dark eyes seemed to have hints of stormy grey in them. Flint frowned again, but leaned even closer. "I was just wondering... if I could.... would you mind...."
"Spit it out, Flint!" Alicia was getting irritated and uncomfortable with his large proximity.
Looking vexed, he let out a mild oath and grabbed her hand. Alicia panicked as he closed the final distance and kissed her gently on the lips. Her eyelids fluttered shamefully and she pulled away quickly. That oaf, that idiot, that scoundrel daring to kiss her! Inconceivable! She didn't want ice cream anymore. In fact she wouldn't mind....
Flint leaned back quickly, red-faced and muttered, "Sorry, Spinnet, don't know what came over me. Won't ever happen again."
Alicia gave him her dirtiest look and whispered as she leaned toward him, "No, don't stop."
After their hour was up, they stepped sheepishly out from behind the old oak. Study sessions promised to be a lot more interesting after this.
A week and a half later, McGonagall looked displeased as she summoned the two into her office. "I'm afraid that you have learned as much as you can from each other. I was encouraged by your grades, but they've begun dropping recently. Professor Snape and I think you've been punished enough."
Alicia was relieved at first, but then sad as she looked at Flint, who looked stormy as always. As they walked out her door, they parted down separate hallways. Alicia realized that she was going to miss these "study" sessions. Just then she felt Flint's hand at her elbow as he leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Just thinking, maybe we could study on our own, you know? Not tell anyone."
Flushing Alicia stammered, "Uh, yeah, don't want my, um, grades to slip any further. Same time...?"
"Same place," he finished with a wink. Marcus turned and walked back down the hallway. Alicia sighed.