Thou shalt not kiss in the corridors...

Closets are darker.

It was a beautiful morning; damp, dark and generally miserable. I had double NEWT Potions with my new sixth year students. This was the chance for me to teach those who actually wanted to be in my lessons. Those who would make sensible suggestions and only ask appropriate questions.

I looked back down at the list of students. Two Gryffindors and a Huffelpuff - maybe not. Potter, unfortunately, had passed his OWL, scraping Outstanding. Granger, surprise surprise, passed with flying colours, and the Huffelpuff...a quieter, more pathetically good character you couldn't find - not even in the trashy romance novels Minerva reads - though, I admit, suitably determined to succeed. Susan Bones. And, who else? Malfoy, Nott, Zabini, the three Slytherins; and Lisa Turpin and Terry Boot from Ravenclaw, all good substantial potion-lovers. It ought to be an interesting year.

xxx

As I entered the room ten minutes early on this particular morning, only the Huffelpuff and Zabini were there, sitting at opposite ends of the room. I began.

"This year, you shall start by working in...yes, Miss Bones? What is it?"

I glowered at the girl, who did not, to give her credit, shrink very much. "Sorry sir, but not everyone seems to be here."

"So?"

I saw Zabini raise his eyebrows and felt my heart sink. Every year it was the same. "As you are both here I shall explain myself to you, but only you. The lesson starts as soon as I enter the room. If you, or as is the case today, other students, are not here, then I begin without you. Take notes please. And sit together - I do not want to have to turn from one end of the classroom to the other every time I address you. As I was saying..."

I ignored the pleading look that Miss Bones sent my way and continued. Silently, she moved over to Blaise Zabini who was leaning back in his chair nonchalantly, who clearly had intention of moving. She got out her parchment and quill with an air of defiance. She, I was horrified to observe, had seen fit to discard the regulation parchment. Hers was pale pink. And fluffy round the edges. I closed my eyes and counted to ten. When I opened them, the offending object was still there.

Zabini's eyes were dancing. "Pink, Bones? Pink?"

"I like pink. Of course," she added, her voice switching from defensive to sarcastic. "If it's too offensive, I can always switch to baby blue."

I cleared my throat.

"Sorry Professor, you were saying?"

I restarted, "This year, you shall start by working in pairs on assessments that I assign you each week. Each assessment will require you to do extra research and the write-up will include: detailed information on each of the ingredients used; step-by-step instructions for the making of the potion; the evaluation of your personal practical skills; the application of the spell in modern society; and other spells which might help to advance your knowledge and understanding of it." I paused. The other students were trickling in.

"As both of you were the only ones here when I actually started the lesson, you will work together." I turned to the rest of the students who had now, finally, assembled. "You are late. Get notes off Zabini and Miss Bones and do not be late again...and do so quietly."

I looked down at the list of students. "Pairs. Zabini and Bones, the potion which give the consumer the power to see people's inner selves; Malfoy and Potter, the potion which give the consumer to heal by touch; Nott and Boot, the potion which makes the consumer, when having a fit, lie as if dead; and Turpin and Granger, the potion which brings those whose lips it touches, out of unconsciousness, though not madness. You may discuss your assessments in your pairs for the next quarter of an hour."

And so it began.

xxx

Susan never quite trusted me in those first few weeks. She always checked whatever I put in the potions we made, whatever I wrote down on our joint assignments. Once she'd established that I wasn't going to Avada Kedavra her, Susan began to relax and I began to see a side to her that I hadn't been aware of. She seemed so naive at a glance; yet I realized that she used her pink parchment in class, just to see Snape's face each week. I could tell from the way her eyes danced when she watched him, the only telltale detail in an otherwise somber face.

But I had to remind myself that she wasn't a Slytherin, especially when she winced at my less than polite remarks about Muggles and the other houses. It was as if I actually cared about the impression I made on her. A ridiculous concept, yet, as I had to work with her every week I made a small effort not to cross the line.

xxx

It was strange, being in that class without any of the others. Ernie, Justin and Hannah were all doing Care of Magical Creatures and thought me mad for wanting to do something like Potions, but I liked it, it was...different. In fact, I'd never done anything like it in my life; I'd come in, sit work with a Slytherin all lesson and then leave. There was something almost alluring about the way that the different potions we made bubbled and simmered. And Zabini...he wasn't as bad as I'd expected. Yes, he was snooty, sarcastic and downright rude about Huffelpuffs and Gryffindors; but he was also highly intelligent and funny. However, there were still times when I felt awkward. When he insulted Hermione Granger behind her back and the things he mentioned about his housemates. According to him Malfoy had a thing for Ginny Weasley and Theodore Nott was a drag queen. But he was always polite to me, and when he noticed I was uncomfortable about the things he was saying, he changed the subject.

Nevertheless, he was a Slytherin and I Huffelpuff. We never forgot that. However friendly we may have been in Potions, we neither of us even contemplated mentioning You-Know-Who or the DA; despite the fact that it was always hanging there, that question: Whose side are you on? Who would you fight for? It was never said.