Out of the Shadows
~ Chapter 1 - Potions ~
"You aren't goingKaela!" Nathan spat in my face, pushing me even closer into my prison against the wall.
"Professor Slughorn asked me personally," I said quietly, my words falling on deaf ears. He'd never let me go. Ever.
I could feel his wand digging into my stomach; a silent threat. Arguing is pointless. I would not be going to the 'Slug-Club' meeting. My wand was in easy reach but I did not dare go for it. I did not feel like being hexed today.
Closing my eyes, I sighed and nodded. I didn't want any trouble; I didn't want people asking questions. Not when we were already in the middle of the corridor with so many curious eyes lingering on us, pressed up against the wall.
I couldn't believe I was a Gryffindor. When I got sorted, I was so sure the hat had made a mistake. Gryffindor house is well known for bravery, daring, nerve, and chivalry – i.e. everything I was not. I was the weak link, the cowardly lion. And somehow Nathan was stuck here with me.
I'd bat away questions from my roommates with ease, should they come asking. It was something I'd done for the years Nathan and I had been together at Hogwarts.
I kept telling myself, 'Only a few more years then I'd be free, of Nathan, of everything…' but I wasn't sure I truly would be. No doubt as soon as we leave Hogwarts he'd snatch me away from life and lock me away somewhere. Hell, he'd do that now if he was able.
No.
I was stuck with him.
Now until forever.
His forever.
'Yay me…' I thought sarcastically. But better me than any other girl. I don't mind. At least he's not hurting anyone else. I guess I kind of deserved it, with what I did to my family.
"Move along to your next classes please!" Professor McGonagall had appeared from the classroom we just vacated from and was trying to hurry the remaining Gryffindors along, "that includes you too Miss Davies, Mr Piper!"
Nathan turned and gave her a simpering sickly sweet smile that made most girls swoon. It had certainly made me swoon. At first. Now it makes my heart clench and tears spring to my eyes. I could never escape.
He was definitely handsome; in the ways that psychopaths like him always are. With chestnut hair that was carefully mussed into a quiff and deep brown eyes that could melt hearts with a single glance, not to mention his tall, lean Quidditch-player's body and sculpted jawline, it was no wonder why most girls (me included) had a thing for him. Girls that possessed curves and popularity and beauty; things that I didn't.
But he chose me. It was something the rest of the Hogwarts – including myself – were still trying to figure out.
"Sure thing professor!" he said, cheerfully.
McGonagall gave him a stern look and the stiff smile she was famous for.
He grabbed hold of my arm, too tightly, and began pulling me down the hall, "Don't want to be late for class, now do we Kae?" His voice held none of the cheeriness it'd held a moment ago; it turned cold and harsh. I nodded, keeping my eyes down. I occasionally stumbled over my robes but did not fall – thank Merlin.
"Mr Potter! You and Mr Weasley had better get a move on or I'll give you a month's worth of detentions," McGonagall warned though her voice not holding true to her words; in fact she sounded rather fond.
"Sorry Minnie but Freddie needs to go to the little wizard's room. You know him… he's got the bladder of a baby bowtruckle," said a smooth joking voice getting quieter and quieter as I was moved away.
My eyes turned and caught a glimpse of an unruly dark head of hair. Oh Merlin.
James Potter.
I wrenched my eyes away and groaned internally.
Son of the Chosen One, the school heartthrob/practical joker, captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team and one of the most attractive boys I'd ever seen. Nice too, from what I've heard from the other sixth year Gryffindor girls. Nathan, by default, hated his guts. James definitely rivalled Nathan in the look-
I slammed straight into the hard form of Nathan. He'd stopped yanking me along and I realised we were at the top of the dungeon steps. His lips were on mine suddenly and I gasped. He took the opportunity to force his tongue in. His hands captured my neck, pulling me even closer to him.
Abruptly, he broke off and I was left breathless.
"Have fun in potions," he said; tossing a smile my way over his shoulders, his eyes glinting dangerously, as he strode off down the corridor.
My back hit the wall, threatening to slide down it as I let the world disappear behind my lids.
To anyone who saw it, they might mistake it as passion. It was not. It was a violent kiss. It was him shouting to everyone that I was his. Nobody else's. Thank Merlin nobody was aroun-
"Nice PDA there," a voice came from behind me.
Oh crap.
I shot round to see none other than James Potter walking out of the shadows of the corridor nearby staring at me with an obscure look I couldn't quite decipher.
My cheeks burned with embarrassment and my eyes dropped to the floor.
Merlin's beard, he was looking at me.
With his beautiful hazel-brown eyes, so similar to Nathan's yet so different; Nathan's were cold and hard and angry. His swam with emotions and his thoughts. Oh, what I would give to know what he thought about me!
The small smile I'd watched gather at his lips fell and my heart collapsed inside.
Wait. I shouldn't be thinking any thoughts like that. I had a boyfriend... a boyfriend that would kill me if he knew I was speaking to anyone he didn't tell me to, let alone the one he hated more than anyone...
No sign of the joker now, he said, "Hey, are you ok?" He reached out and tried to touch my arm.
I flinched.
James looked hurt but retracted his arm.
He started down the steps and I followed in his wake, my eyes flitting from his shoulders (oh god), the floor, and back again.
When he reached the dungeon door and opened it. The pre-lesson chatter filtered through the open door. He paused in the doorway and turned back to me. He must've seen my confusion because he waved his arm in an over-the-top fashion, bowed down low and said, in a very badFrench accent, "After you, mademoiselle!"
Ah, the joker was back.
"Thanks," I mumbled. I bit my lip, holding back the laughter and hurried through the door before it broke through.
The door shut behind us but I could feel his eyes burning into my neck. The blush crept back into my face.
"Kaela, there you are! And Mr Potter! I was wondering where you'd got to," Slughorn greeted us warmly but didn't rise from his seat at the front of the class (well… he couldn't), "you know how I feel about tardiness!"
"Yes sir, I'm sorry about that sir," I said as loudly as I dared.
The rest of the class stared at me.
Then at the boy behind me.
Then back at me.
Oh no.
The infamous Hogwarts rumour mill was notorious for exaggeration, and a scandal of the girlfriend of one of the hottest guys in school walking into class late with said-boyfriend's 'fiercest rival' was going to be a hot topic.
I sat at the only table available, in the far left corner, unpacked my cauldron and books and let my dark hair form a curtain around my face. Unfortunately I heard the stool next to me scrap along the floor; he'd decided to sit next to me.
"Right then right then right then. Has everybody got their scales, cauldrons and books out? Yes? Ok then. Turn to page 393 in Advanced Potion-Making…" I stopped listening as Slughorn rambled on about the effects of not adding hellebore to a Draught of Peace.
Potions were the only lessons that I was away from Nathan in; he didn't get an 'Exceeds Expectations' on his potions OWL. He ranted and raved about it for hours but strangely enough did not protest me taking it. It might have been because I told him I wanted to be a Potions teacher when I was older – not that that was true. He can be sweet when he wants to be. When he wants something. I found, long ago, that to just go with it is better than to dig your heels in and fight. When you fight or disobey, bad things happen.
I screwed up my eyes, forcing the memories back. Reliving them in the middle of class was not a good idea. Tuning back in, I caught the end of the instructions Slughorn was giving.
"I've created a few potions for you to look at. If you'll look at the centre of the desks you'll see the one I have assigned to you. In the next thirty minutes I want you to identify it, find out what it does and write down a list of ingredients. This is a paired activity, "(cue collective grimace), "so you're to work with the person you're sat by. Right class, off you go," Slughorn slouched back in his seat, wheezing from the effort of talking.
The class erupted into the babble of smaller conversations, the groaning of moving chairs and the occasional puff of a potion.
Half an hour for that? Seems a bit much for a simple exercise to me. Maybe I should've listened. I stood and went to start working.
"So partner, what's first?"
I froze.
Paired work.
I had to work with James.