Catsup for Lunch

Characters: Daphne Greengrass, Tracey Davis, Theodore Nott

Type: Just your average Slytherins first meeting

Note: this fic takes place before all the events in my Harry Potter fanfiction era. If curious about the rest of the story, please look through the rest of my storiesfor the subsequent fiction.

From the mind of Tracey M. Davis, talentless extraordinaire:

When adding moonstone to the potion, stir six times counter clockwise with a single half stir clockwise every third stir. My quill flew across the paper as I tried to complete the potions homework for Snape during lunch. Cursed romance books! They always get good right before I have to go to bed. There were a few Ravenclaws doing some extra research running around, but other than that, there was me. And that other Slytherin in the corner. Terrence? Terry? Note. At least I think thats what his name is. He never really speaks up in class because he hides in a corner, reading. I glanced up before I went to the next question and I stopped.

He's staring at me.

I was shocked. I mean, I'm no Millicent Bulstrode, but I'm nothing like Daphne either. Daphne would have been fine with him staring, she'd be used to it. Daphne would be happy with him- Oh merlin, he's coming over here. He slid into the chair across from mine, dropping his bag on the floor next to him. He still didn't speak, just looked at me, smiling. I tried to go back to my work, I know, I know. I have to get this done! My quill skritched on the scroll for a few seconds then I paused. He was still staring. I pulled myself together and smiled the second most charming smile of Slytherins. First place went to Draco Malfoy. I don't have time for this!

"Can I help you?" I tried to sound nonchalant...and failed, sounding just a bit testy. A bit like that silly Gryffindor bint when someone raised their voice above a whisper in the Library around exam time. He smiled some more and my smile became strained. I'm giving him six seconds and then if he doesn't go away...I'll strangle him. Must. Complete. Essay. For. Snape!

"No, but I can help you." The Slytherin Pride, oh what a wonderful thing. I opened my mouth to say, No, thank you. I'm single and happy - "You have a bit of catsup on your cheek. Right here."

He tapped his left cheek and my hand flew to my own, my eyes widening. My fingers encountered something hard yet gooey. Yeuch. Dried Catsup. On my cheek this entire time...Let me die of embarrassment please. I was blushing...I had to be blushing, I could feel my cheeks flare up and my ears started to burn. I groaned, rubbing my cheek with the palm of my hand, trying to get the catsup off. The boy laughed. "I'm Theodore. Theodore Nott."

"Pleasured. I'm Humiliated, but most people call me Tracy." Nott let out a burst of laughter and settled back in his chair.

"It wasn't so bad really. I doubt other people even noticed it."

"Oh no, they probably thought I had a humungo zit on my cheek. Thats alright...so much better." I rolled my eyes and looked mournfully at my potions homework. Then I turned to look at the clock. "Bloody hell." I said, dipping my quill into the inkpot once again. There were still two more inches left and I had spent the time I needed to finish them, being completely humiliated. I looked at the clock again. Ten minutes. Bloody, bloody hell. I leaf through my books dejectedly, trying to find something that I can write about for another two inches. I reach for my quill and go to write on my paper....which isn't there. I look around frantically to see Nott reading it.

"Hey!" I cry, reaching for my essay. He slid back in his chair, keeping it just out of my grasp. "I need that you little-" He tossed my essay on the tabletop and instead made a grab for my books. I'm no Granger that turns rabid when you touch my books, but even I was a little upset. "Will you please sto-" A book passage was shoved under my nose. I stared at it until my eyes focused enough to read what it said. Moonstones have many uses, one of which being... oh.

"Here, copy the effects of the potion. That, if you write big enough, should be enough to give you the extra two inches." He placed the book on the table next to me. I was already armed with my quill and started scribbling furiously. He quietly gathered his things and stood, preparing to leave for class. I look up at him.

"Hey, Nott?" He looks down at me for a moment. I give him a smile. A real smile, something rare and precious in Slytherins. "Thanks." I say it quietly, but it makes him return my smile with a quaver, almost as if he's not used to smiling at all. He leaves the library without another word and I dive for my parchment, squeaking. Five bloody minutes!


From the mind of Theodore Nott, the Clever Loner:

At the library again. I suppose I should be used to these excursions, but my self imposed solitary nature has defied me once again. As in, its not there. I like people, I really do, but lately there's been no one worth talking to any more. Everyone in my house is obsessed with power, the Gryffindors are obsessed with themselves and the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws? Well, the less said about them, the better. I am seriously contemplating throwing my quill at either the Ravenclaws snogging in the bookshelves (it is my personal opinion that the smell of the books turns them on) or the Hufflepuffs toiling over their homework. Just a quick, throw at their heads, finishing them off properly. I jab my quill into the paper violently, causing a tear. Wonderful, now I need another parchment. As I rummage in my bag for another scrap of paper, my eyes land on her.

She came into the library today like a whirlwind, all wild hair and flying parchments as she settled in a flurry of activity. I remember her from my classes, she's usually chatty, but reserved when the teacher comes in, ready to learn. Her exile is probably to do some unfinished homework rather than to hide from people she'd rather not talk to. I see something a little off with her face and I lean forward, staring intently. I finally catch what it is and snigger. She has a smear of catsup across one cheek, obviously a refugee from lunch, what ever it was.

There she is, slaving away over an essay, yes I can see its an essay now, probably from next class as Snape had assigned us a foot long essay, with a large smear of catsup dancing across her cheekbone. I wonder how it got there? Was she eating it and unnoticed, wiped her hand across her cheek?Or was she eating something that it was on and, again unnoticed, when she bit into it, some attacked her? A vicious attack indeed, for if one didn't look carefully, it did look like she had some sort of skin disease. Poor girl.

She looked up and caught me staring at her. Bugger. Hope she doesn't get some silly idea in her head like that I fancy her, that could be disastrous. I contemplate leaving her in her current state of catsup-attack victim, but my kind heart (the part that isn't sniggering away inside of me at the moment at the sheer ridiculousness of her state) won't let me leave a damsel in distress. Besides, then she'll owe me. I abandoned my parchment hunt ages ago and so I just had to sweep my quill and inkpot into my bag. I wandered over to her table and slid into the chair next to her. Now that I was this close, it gave me a chance to scrutinize the face attached to the catsup. She was no Daphne Greengrass, thats for sure, but she did have a certain charm with her long brown hair and delicate features. She ignored me for a moment, scratching away at her essay, yes, I was not mistaken, Snape's. She looked up from her essay and flashed what she must have thought was a charming smile. However, dorming with Draco Malfoy for years has made me immune to anything like charm.

"Can I help you?" She sounded annoyed, her fingers twitching from the distraction. My smug smile was back, I couldn't help it. When she looked up, the catsup looked a bit like a sideways map of England. I was trying to see if this map of catsup on her cheek included Ireland when I realized that I was staring at her and smiling.

"No, but I can help you." I couldn't help smiling wider as I saw a muscle in her cheek twitched and it made the catsup blob move. England was dancing! She opened her mouth to say something, something snarky I'm sure, but I beat her to the punch. "You have a bit of catsup on your cheek. Right here." I tapped my left cheek and grinned as she slapped her hand to her cheek as her mouth dropped open in horror. Her face flushed with color and I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She probably thought that I was gammoning her. She rubbed her cheek ruefully and I couldn't help it, I burst into helpless laughter. Most of it resisted being rubbed off. "I'm Theodore. Theodore Nott."

"Pleasured. I'm Humiliated, but most people call me Tracy." She said, slightly annoyed and I let out a burst of laughter that had the librarian, Pince, look down on me from over her glasses. She sniffed and went back to shelving looks when I sent her an apologetic look. I settled back in my chair.

"It wasn't so bad really. I doubt other people even noticed it." I tried to salvage her self confidence, but I could see it didn't work.

"Oh no, they probably thought I had a humungo zit on my cheek. Thats all right...so much better." Ah, sarcasm, a Slytherin's last ditch attempt to save his or her's dignity. Draco Malfoy was constantly on last ditch attempts. She muttered something, looked at the parchment in front of her, then at the clock. She began to idly rifle through the pages in her books and I snaked a hand forward, snatching her essay. I skimmed it, and spelling and grammar aside, it was a fairly good essay, she covered everything except for the effects on the potion, which I knew for a fact was in chapter 9 of the purple book under her elbow. She reached for her quill again and her head snapped up to see me with her essay. "Hey!" She yelped, her arm shooting across the table to grab her essay. Her foot connects with my kneecap accidentally and I slide down in my chair in pain. "I need that you little-" Not wanting a direct connect, I tossed her essay on the table towards her, but my hands fall on the purple book, Potions, Ingredients and Effects. Her eyes flash dangerously and she started furiously, "Will you please sto-" . I shove the passage that stated the effects under her nose and she freezes, refocusing her eyes to read the passage. Her eyebrows unkink, and she relaxes a little.

"Here, copy the effects of the potion. That, if you write big enough, should be enough to give you the extra two inches." I slide the book down next to her and by the time that I get my bag handle, she's already scribbling furiously. I look at the clock, I have five minutes until class, I test out my knee for a moment and then get ready to go.

"Hey, Nott?" I hear a tentative voice behind me and I look down from where I'm standing across the table. She smiles at me, white and dazzling, a real smile, something rare and precious in Slytherins. "Thanks." She says it quietly and I know she means it. Involuntarily, the edges of my mouth curl up in a smile as well. It quavers, but its there. I turn before I can talk myself into staying and I hear a squeak behind me as she obviously realizes the time.


Authors notes: Actually this entire series was done for a friend on DA, and is nothing more than an exercise in side by side storytelling.