The first fic written for WitAngerandBravery's Quote Challenge on the Harry Potter Challenges Forum. My quote was:
"You are such an idiot!"
"Wow, you sure know how to make a guy feel good about himself, (name)."

Author's note: *runs back into the Harry Potter fandom on a white horse* Why, hello again. Beware/ignore the mini-rant that will follow, but I feel the need to explain some things.
First of all, sorry for the wrong hiatus I took from writing anything Harry Potter related. I felt like I really needed that rest; I was out of inspiration and whenever I tried to write something, I only felt worse and worse because it sucked. I decided that trying to write for another series may help me; and it did.
This doesn't mean I'll stop writing my TMI and TID fics. It just means that I'll do both. But, no matter which fandom I write for, any multi-chapter stories I have going on now will remain without update until the end of the school year.
Anyway. On to the fic.
I had this headcanon for Dorea and Charlus going on ever since I wrote To Love and to Cherish. I'll explain it better once the next fic for this challenge comes around, which must be in two days or so (this one is just a little drabble as a prequel). I feel that this author's note's already longer than the story itself, so… enjoy, and reviews are appreciated as always.

Charlus looked in disgust at his cauldron – he wasn't paying any attention to it until now, but when a thin spiral of smoke started to swirl over it, he actually got worried. The inside of said cauldron revealed some strange, sticky mess that was starting to turn an unhealthy shade of… green? Or maybe blue?

He sighed and freed the cauldron from its content – for the third time in the last forty minutes – with a flick of his wand. Concentration was a lost cause by this point. It was about time to give up.

His partner in Potions – Marius Black, who was sitting in his chair and paying next to no attention to the whole potion-making process – grimaced at him; his dark blue eyes straying to Charlus with annoyance mixed with boredom.

"What's with you these days?" the boy asked, lowering his voice and frowning when the teacher glared at them. "Seriously, mate, even I can do better than that."

It was true, Charlus though, crestfallen. Marius, who was tragically unsuccessful at everything that even resembled magic, could make a better potion than he could. It took him hours of practice every day, but at some point, he succeeded. And Charlus's mind was currently as far away from practice as it could be.

"Would you believe me if I told you your sister is involved?" Charlus asked hesitantly. He wasn't sure how Marius would react to that; after all, he was the youngest one from the Black children. He and Dorea were in the same year only because she was born in January, and Marius – in the late November.

The boy shrugged.

"My sister is always involved. Which one of them are you talking about?" he asked without much enthusiasm. Charlus was rather relieved; Marius seemed genuinely uninterested. If he had any luck, he'd lack any brotherly instinct to protect his siblings.

"Dorea," Charlus said hesitantly. "She… well, you know that she was engaged to Percival Lestrange two months ago, right?"

"Of course."

"You also know that we shared a rather… passionate relationship not long before that?"

"I didn't exactly know it, but I suppose I always thought of it that way." Marius had subconsciously lowered his voice as well; his brow furrowed slightly in concern. As careless about anything involving his relatives as he seemed, Marius actually loved them. Or so Charlus supposed; when he talked about his siblings, there was always a surprising amount of fondness in his voice – which lacked when he mentioned his parents. Or just about anyone else.

"I met her one night during the Christmas break." Charlus was whispering now; potions and the whole class forgotten. "I actually sneaked into her room. We talked and we fought and I saw how much her engagement actually hurt her."

"Because she loved you?" Marius asked softly, looking at the other side of the room where his sister was currently giggling with her friends.

"I suppose so." Charlus felt his face warming up; he had never talked about this with anyone but Dorea herself. It was rather relieving, actually – to have someone who he could trust not to tell anybody – but he still couldn't get used to it.

Marius frowned, but didn't take his eyes away from his sister. "She doesn't seem… interested now," he pointed out delicately. "What happened?"

"When she fell asleep, I…" Charlus's voice died; as much as he tried to control himself, he still couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he had done something else. "I… I casted Obliviate on her." He whispered at last. "I thought that maybe if she does not remember me, things would get easier for everyone."

"But they didn't get easier for you."

Charlus gave the other boy an angry look at that, but Marius didn't seem impressed. He was just pointing out facts – he was better at seeing what people felt that everyone thought.

"No, they didn't."

"Did you try to talk to her?"

"Of course I did! But it's not only that she doesn't feel anything – I irritate her with everything I say! Look at that." Charlus raised his voice. "Hey, Dorea?"

Dorea raised her head from her cauldron, scowling at him.

"What do you want, Potter?"

"Can you…" in panic form his sudden loss of words, he just blurted out. "Can you help me with that Transfiguration essay we need to write for tomorrow? I don't seem to get what we're supposed to do…"

She just grimaced. "You are such an idiot."

Marius laughed. "Wow, you sure know how to make a guy feel good about himself, Dori!" he murmured. Charlus was possessed with the sudden desire to attack him with something heavy. And sharp.

"You are not helping," he hissed. Marius had the dignity to look ashamed at that, and turned back to his Potions partner, smiling apologetically at him.

"Sorry. Look, I don't know what to do. All I can say is that I prefer you for my sister instead of that Lestrange heir. I don't know what's happening in their family, but the whole lot of them are messed up in the heads. I'm worried and…"

"Mr Potter! Mr Black!" their Potions professor had raised his voice and Marius immediately lowered his head, locking his eyes on the floor as he often did when all the attention went to him. Charlus sighed.

"Can't you at least talk to her?" he asked, almost pleadingly now, when the danger had passed. Marius grimaced – he seemed even less eager to do such a thing than making potions. And that was saying something.

"I may," he said at least, half-heartedly. "But I really don't know what to do. You made her think that she doesn't know you, Charlus. And now you want her to like you again? You're even more masochistic than I thought you were."

"Will you try?" Charlus insisted, ignoring the last comment. Marius sighed.

"I will."

o.O.o

"Charlus? Do you have a moment?"

The Slytherin common room was full – as it was typical for the late afternoon on a weekday when everyone was still getting ready and writing their homework for the next day. But it was the first time someone mentioned Charlus's name and he did not doubt that it was someone asking for help for an assignment until he recognised the voice.

It clearly belonged to a girl, and it was pleasantly familiar. For a second, before looking at her to see her frown, he let himself remember the time when this voice said his name in another way entirely. The time when her warm brown eyes were looking at him in a way that was more welcoming than now. Much to his dismay, right now her eyes lacked all of that – even recognition.

But, when he looked back at her, he was surprised to find that she was actually smiling.

"O-of course," he stuttered and stood up nervously. "What is it?"

Dorea gave him a strange look – it still held the annoyance he had gotten used to seeing last days, and yet, there was something else as well.

"Marius wanted me to talk to you," she said, smiling apologetically at him. "He said that he had problems with understanding the way that potion from today worked and… well. He was too shy to actually say something directly to you. You know how he can be."

"Sure." Charlus nodded hastily, pretty certain he knew exactly how Marius 'could be'. He wasn't the slightest bit nervous to ask for help when it came to Charlus, and yet he had sent his sister. The boy made sure he remembered to thank him about that later. "So… he wants me to explain it to you just so you could repeat it to him later?"

"I suppose." Dorea's cheeks suddenly became the lightest shade of pink. "Actually… I don't get it much either," she admitted quietly. "I hoped that you would help me as well. You know. Since you're already helping him."

"Of course, no problem." Charlus saw the chance and caught it, wondering what exactly he was doing. What was the point of becoming Dorea's friend, if he would only torture himself by it? Wasn't that where they had been in the beginning, just a week and a half ago, when he had casted the spell on her? And yet, he couldn't make himself to stop.

"What do you want me to teach you first?"a