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Bio...something And Head Duties
"This has to be a bloody joke..."
Sirius stared at the flower before him.
"Sirius, don't start," Marlene admonished.
"But this has to be a fucking joke!" Sirius replied in a whisper, desperate.
Marlene rubbed her eyes. Why was she paired with Sirius in this class, why...?!
"Sirius, shut up, and take these scissors," she told him.
"What's the point in cutting a flower into pieces?" he asked back, not touching the scissors.
"I don't know, but we have to do it."
He looked at the bio...something teacher. Merlin, he couldn't remember the name of the lesson again. He looked at the bald round man, with his big blue glasses that made his eyes look too big for his face, and his white coat. He was wearing strange blue gloves as well... Sirius couldn't see why. He didn't reckon a bunch of irises were dangerous. This guy seemed completely mad. He heaved an annoyed sigh.
"Well, do it then, I'm not wasting my time on this," he told Marlene, shaking his head.
Marlene heaved a sigh, before taking the matter into her own hands.
"This is so stupid!" Sirius breathed.
"I know, Sirius," Marlene nodded.
"Who cares about the anatomy of a stupid flower?"
"Apparently, our teacher does."
"Must have something wrong with his head then..."
"Hold this," she told him, handing him a scalpel.
Sirius held whatever she was handing him without even thinking about what it was. He was looking by the window.
"I'm going to hate this class, I can feel it," he muttered.
"If you could hate it in silence though, it would spare me a headache," Marlene replied, still focused on separating the petals from the flower delicately.
"See, that's why we could never be friends. Even when I try to have a normal conversation with you, you're aggressive."
"I'm not aggressive. You're just annoying."
"I'm not only annoying."
"Oh really? I thought it was the strongest side of your personality though."
"Well, you're wrong. I'm also smart, funny, handsome..."
"And your head is the size of the Quidditch pitch..."
"I'm not as stupid and childish as you think I am," Sirius snapped, narrowing his eyes.
"You couldn't manage to survive a week without setting up a stupid prank," she replied.
"I could do that easily."
"Oh really?"
"You know what, McKinnon... let's make a bet."
"A bet?"
"Yup. If I manage to stay out of trouble for an entire week, then you'll have to take a drink with me."
"You mean on a date? You're mental. It'll never happen."
"Don't be stupid, McKinnon. I've never asked you out, and there's a reason for it."
"What's that reason?"
"You're not my type."
She blinked, before narrowing her eyes and wrinkling her nose, what she always did when she was angry, but couldn't shout her lungs out.
"Oh... so I'm not your type... Well I'll let you know, Black, that you're not my type either."
"And what's your type?" Sirius replied, annoyance lowering his voice. "Ugly, stupid Slytherins?"
"And what's yours? Easy girls that you can take to bed in a blink of an eye?"
"Pretty much," Sirius shrugged.
"You're disgusting."
"I am disgusting really?"
"Yes, you are. You think with what you have between your legs, instead of thinking with your brain."
"That's 100% not true. I'm a very clever person."
"Strangely enough, I've never seen this side of your personality."
"And I've never seen you being funny."
"I'm very funny, I have a very good sense of humour. The problem is that you're so annoying that it's hard for me to talk five minutes with you without wanting to curse your arse into oblivion."
Sirius raised a mischievous eyebrow.
"So, you think about my arse, McKinnon..."
"See, I want to curse you again."
"Come on, I wasn't asking for a date with you, just a free drink, like I would ask from one of the guys, if it can reassure you on my intentions about that bet of ours."
"I haven't agreed to bet yet."
"But you're going to."
"Really? You think so?"
"I'm sure of it. You can't resist a bet, that's your biggest weakness."
"And what would I win if you failed ?"
Sirius shrugged.
"I don't know. I want a free drink, what would you like to have?"
"You could stop talking to me for an entire week."
Sirius seemed to think, before nodding and offering the girl his open hand.
"Sounds fair enough."
Marlene heaved a sigh.
"Alright then, if it can allow me to have one week without you..."
She shook the boy's hand.
"Perfect!"
They both turned towards the teacher who had suddenly appeared by their side.
"You did an excellent job! Congratulations!"
And he walked away, turning towards Angel and her partner behind them.
Marlene stared at the pieces of flower on her and Sirius's table.
"I don't really know how I should take the fact that I've been congratulated for cutting a flower into pieces," Marlene said.
"Well, I reckon it was meant as a compliment. You are apparently very talented in killing and cutting flowers. Congratulations, McKinnon. You're a floral psychopath."
"Oh, shut up, Black."
But Sirius was not fooled, and his playful smile doubled in size.
He had seen the smile she was trying to hide curving up her lips...
The bell rang, signaling the end of the class. But the teacher turned towards his students before letting them go.
"Please, please... For our next class, I want you to finish the sketches of your flowers. Oh, and I almost forgot I had a message for some of you, hang on..."
He hurried towards his desk and picked up a little note, holding his glasses closer to his eyes to read the short message.
"Miss Lily Evans and Mr. James Potter are to go to the Headmistress office at midday. You'll receive your timetables there."
There was a silence, the students waiting for the teacher to speak again, but he merely remained standing still, staring blankly at the note.
"Sir?" Angel called.
The teacher started.
"Yes?" he asked, looking at her through his glasses.
"Can we go to our next class now?"
"Of course, go, go..."
The students all stood up as one man and hurried out of the classroom.
"This guy makes me think about a Divination teacher..." Frank Longbottom said, shivering at the thought.
"He's as lunatic as a Divination teacher, you're right," Remus nodded.
"Hey, Cap', " Caradoc called James. "When are you going to ask McGonagall about Quidditch practice?"
"You heard Crazy Flower there, I'll go see the Headmistress at lunchtime, I guess Dumbledore and McGonagall will be there too."
Sirius chuckled.
"Oh Merlin, this nickname is going to stay..." he smiled.
James grinned back at him.
"I have to admit it's a funny one," Remus nodded, a small smile on his lips.
"You heard that, Prongs?" Sirius asked James. "Even Moony thinks it's good. And if Moony agrees, then we have no choice but to adopt this new pet name for our dear teacher."
James laughed at his silly friend. But his laughter remained caught in his throat as Lily was calling for him across the corridor. He turned around, and waited for her.
"Yes, Evans?" he asked her, making sure his tone was neutral.
He had decided not to ask her out again. Not before she had stopped hating him, at least...
"Do you know where the Headmistress's office is?" she asked him.
He shook his head.
"No idea, but I'm sure that if we ask Muggles, they'll show us."
She nodded.
"Let's go there straight after class then."
It was his turn to nod.
"Alright then. Anything else?"
She opened her mouth to speak again, but closed it instantly. They had arrived to their next classroom.
James raised a surprised eyebrow.
"Come on, what is it?" he asked her again.
She straightened her skirt, clearing her throat.
...What she always did when she was nervous.
"Look, about... us both being Heads," she said slowly, carefully choosing her words. "I'd... really appreciate it if you could..."
"Not ask you out and act like a grown-up?" James proposed.
She stared at him.
"I'm not stupid," he told her. "Of course I'll behave..."
"That's not what I meant," she tried to reassure him.
"I won't act like an arse," James promised.
"We'll have to schedule some meetings, to dispatch prefect duties..." Lily told him.
"We'll do that whenever you want. I'm new to these things, but you just tell me how I can help you, and I will."
She seemed... astonished.
"Well, okay...," she muttered. "We'll have to ask McGonagall about Quidditch as well."
James raised an amused eyebrow.
"I didn't know you liked Quidditch so much," James told her.
She rolled her eyes.
"I like Quidditch like everyone else in Hogwarts. But we'll have to match our schedules you and I. We'll have to have meetings, at least once a week," she told him.
James struggled to control the grin that was forming on his face at the idea of seeing Lily alone every week...
"Sure, we'll ask McGonagall," he reassured her.
"Perfect."
She entered the classroom, leaving a merry James on the threshold.
They had asked a Muggle student to guide them to the Headmistress' office. And while their friends were all eating their lunch, James and Lily were knocking on the wooden door of the Muggle Headmistress, who immediately called for them to enter.
The office was large and empty. Merely a wooden desk, a few shelves covered with books, a pile of files behind her comfortable chair, and four chairs for people she would receive in her office. It smelt like dust and moist. The walls, covered by some old green tapestry, gave the room an atmosphere close to the Slytherin Common Room, which for James meant only mistrust and threats. McGonagall was standing by the window, looking at the students hurrying across the grounds towards the cafeteria. Dumbledore was sitting next to the Muggle Headmistress, his blue eyes shining at the sight of his students. Two Muggles were there as well, a blond guy and a dark haired girl, who both seemed to be as old as Lily and James. They were sitting opposite the Headmasters.
"Here you are, did you find Mrs Trumbley's office easily?" Dumbledore asked the two Gryffindors.
"We asked a Muggle student to guide us," James nodded.
James offered Lily the last chair available, and she smiled at him, sitting down when James remained standing behind her.
"Oh, wait..." Dumbledore said, picking up his wand.
"It's okay, Professor, I prefer to stand anyway," James smiled.
The Headmaster nodded.
"As you wish. Well..." the old Wizard went on, clearing his throat. "This is Lily Evans and James Potter, who are our Head Boy and Head Girl," Dumbledore introduced his student to the Muggles. "And here are the Head Boy and Head Girl of the Muggle school, Jersey Mulligan and Ellie Cromwell, " he added to Lily and James.
The Heads exchanged polite smiles.
"As you are Head Boy and Head Girl, for the Muggle and the Wizarding schools, you will be in charge of organizing some events this year," Dumbledore went on "as well as to work on the relations between Muggle and Wizarding Students."
"We thought that it would be interesting to organize some events that could show students some activities practiced in the Muggle and Wizarding societies," said Mrs. Trumbley. "Like sports for example."
James smiled.
"So... The Quidditch Cup is still on, isn't it?" he asked, looking at McGonagall.
The teacher couldn't refrain a small smile.
"Well, of course it is still on," she nodded. "And I expect from you to choose carefully the new players for our team, Mr. Potter."
James grinned.
"Of course, Professor."
"As we are talking about the matter of Quidditch," Dumbledore said, "practice will have to be organized during the weekends. The Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuffs will be practicing every Saturday, while the Slytherins and the Gryffindors will be training every Sunday."
"Only once a week?" James winced.
"I'm afraid that it will be complicated to organize more sessions, Mr. Potter."
"Could we at least have more time a few weeks before a match?"
He looked at McGonagall.
"Please?" he tried to negotiate.
"I'm sure it could be managed," McGonagall answered, looking at Dumbledore.
A mischievous smile appeared on the Headmaster's face.
"I guess we could manage this, yes."
James grinned again.
"It would be interesting to organize some kind of... event where Wizarding students could discover Muggle sports and vice versa," said Mrs. Trumbley.
"How long do we have?" Mulligan asked.
"We should do this before the first Quidditch match," James said.
"At the beginning of October," Dumbledore nodded, " but not later than that."
"We should organize it even before that," Mrs. Trumbley said. "The registrations for the sport clubs here are planned for the last week of September. If some Wizards want to join any Muggle team, they will have to know about these sports before the registrations."
"What if we organized demonstration?"Lily proposed. "We could plan a match of each sport on Sundays or during the evening."
"Excellent idea, Miss Evans," Dumbledore smiled.
"Well, we'll let you organize all that then," said the Headmistress. "Some trips to London will be organized as well during the weekends, to make the Wizards discover more about our society."
"Does that mean that Hogsmeade's trip are cancelled?" Lily asked.
James's eyes grew round.
"We are in London, we will organize some visits of Diagon Alley," Dumbledore answered. "But I am afraid you will not be allowed to go to Hogsmeade as long as you are studying in Saint Peter's School. You will go again in Hogsmeade when you are back in Hogwarts."
James heaved a sigh, but didn't complain any more.
"You will not have to organize prefect duties during the first half of the year, though," McGonagall told her students. "You will not have to do rounds while you are here, at Saint Peter's."
"What about our timetables?" Lily asked.
Mrs. Trumbley handed her a pile of papers.
"Here they are. Don't hesitate to ask your way throughout the school."
"Do you have any questions for now?" Dumbledore asked the students.
They all shook their head.
"You have to be warned," Dumbledore went on. "There will be altercations, tensions between Muggles and Wizards, in the school and outside. You must do as much as you can to make sure that this year is a success."
They all nodded.
"You can go then, you must be hungry."
"Err... Professor?" James asked hesitantly.
"Yes, Mr. Potter?"
"Could I... talk to you for a minute... alone?"
Dumbledore nodded.
"Come with me then."
While the other students were leaving the office to head for the cafeteria, Dumbledore led James in an adjacent office, that had been prepared for him. It was much smaller than his office in Hogwarts, and instead of being filled with strange looking objects, it was rather empty, with a table, a few chairs, a desk... But there was also a large mantelpiece, that James guessed as directly linked to Hogwarts, and the walls were covered with red and golden shades. Despite the size of it, the office was warm and welcoming, just like the Headmaster's office in Hogwarts.
He invited James to sit down.
"What troubles you, Mr. Potter?"
James sat down, suddenly nervous. And seeing James Potter nervous was rare enough for the Headmaster to raise an eyebrow.
"What's wrong, James?" he asked, his voice warm and reassuring.
James stared at the elder Wizard.
"I... I'd like to know... Why? Why did you make me Head boy?"
The ghost of a smile curved up the corners of Dumbledore's mouth.
"Why, are you doubting my judgment?" the Headmaster asked.
"You have to admit that I'm not the one who is the most fitted for the job."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow.
"Why would you not be the one to choose for Head Boy?"
"Have you forgotten how many detentions I had ? I wasn't prefect either."
Dumbledore leaned on over his desk, approaching the boy. His voice was low, and barely louder than a whisper.
"James, do you trust my judgment on people?"
"Of course I do, Professor," the boy nodded.
"Why are you doubting my choice then?"
"I told you, I don't think I have the perfect profile for a Head Boy."
Dumbledore gave him a warm smile.
"And I think you have."
James narrowed his eyes.
"I think you're making a mistake, Professor. I can't be Head Boy."
"Are you asking me to choose someone else to be Head Boy?"
"I think it would be wiser."
Dumbledore frowned.
"Is it because of Miss Evans? You don't get along?"
"No, it has nothing to do with her," James shook his head. "I just... I just think you'll be disappointed."
Dumbledore remained silent for a moment.
"I mean..." James went on. "I'm not like Evans, she was born to be Head Girl. I'm not. I set pranks, and I just... I'm not serious. I'm the kind of guy who never makes his essay before the very last minute, I'm messy, and completely unable to be... mature. I had tons of detentions... And I don't... want to become serious."
Dumbledore slowly nodded.
"James, I am not going to force you to be Head Boy," Dumbledore told him. "But I know you would be good at it. And I do not wish to name someone else Head Boy."
James merely stared at the Headmaster.
"Trust me on this," Dumbledore went on. "I know what I am doing. And if you don't know yet what I see in you, I do."
There was a long silent, during which the Headmaster and his student merely stared intensely at each other.
"What do you want to do, James. Do you want to at least try?"
The boy heaved a sigh.
"I'll try. I'll do my best."
"Good," Dumbledore told him, his tone reassuring. "You should go eat something now, James."
The boy nodded, and walked out of the room. McGonagall entered the Headmaster's office, without knocking.
"Is there something wrong with Mr. Potter?" she asked the Headmaster, clearly worried.
"He doubts my choice of naming him Head Boy."
McGonagall nodded.
"He doesn't want to take the responsibilities that go with it," she breathed, half-lost in thought.
"I think he still needs a bit of time to get used to all this."
"With this program with the Muggles, it's going to be even more difficult to be Head Boy and Head Girl..."
"Oh, I don't worry about Miss Evans and Mr. Potter. I know they will be more than capable of dealing with problems coming from both Muggles and Wizards. And I know you agree with me, Minerva. After all, you named him Captain of your Quidditch team."
They exchanged a small smile, and McGonagall heaved a sigh.
"I hope he doesn't get himself involved into too much trouble too soon though."
When James walked out of Dumbledore's office, he was more than surprised to find Lily waiting for him, leaning against the wall in the corridor.
"Can I do anything for you, Evans?" James asked her, his tone nonchalant.
"Is everything all right?" she asked him.
He could guess worry in her emerald eyes.
"Why, are you suddenly worrying about me, Evans?"
"You're Head Boy, and Head duties are too much work for only one person to handle them on its own," she shrugged. "But don't be misunderstood, you're still the most annoying guy in Hogwarts, Potter."
"Ha, here, it sounds more like you," James nodded, the cocky smirk that annoyed Lily so much back on his face. "Though I have to contradict you on this statement, Sirius is the most annoying guy in Hogwarts. I'm the most handsome."
His smirk turned into a cocky grin, and she merely rolled her eyes in answer, feeling her blood boiling in her veins already.
Hell, this guy was driving her mad. Why, Merlin WHY had he to be Head Boy? Why not Remus? The kind, sweet Remus instead of the cocky James Potter?
"This is going to be a long year," she sighed.
James bit his tongue, and swallowed back the joke he had in his mind. He wanted her to stop hating him. After all, this year was his last chance with her, he needed to be more... mature.
"Why did you wait for me, you need anything?" James asked her, serious again.
"We need to organize this sport events. We also need to take care of the organization of our first night here, make sure that everyone has a dormitory, that no trunk is missing..."
"Okay."
"We also have to give all the timetables right away, and I'd love to have help. I'll take care of the Slytherins and the Ravenclaws if you want. Could you handle the Hufflepuffs and the Gryffindors?"
She handed him the timetables.
"Alright..." James nodded slowly, taking the papers. "You don't want me to deal with the Slytherins though?"
"I don't want a fight on our first day, no thank you."
"I don't fight every time I see a Slytherin," he mumbled like a child.
"No, only when you talk to one," she replied. "I can handle the Slytherins."
At the sound of her voice, and the sight of her reddening cheeks, he knew she was getting annoyed. So again, he bit his tongue.
"As you wish," he shrugged. "I'll take care of the Hufflepuffs and the Gryffindors."
"We also have to be extra-careful about the relations between Muggles and Wizards. So keep your eyes open. And if there is a problem, you're to call for a teacher. Don't try to play the hero."
He nodded again, and Lily went on.
"McGonagall asked me to organize the pairing of prefects, even if we won't have to deal with rounds. Could we do that tonight?"
"Err...Sure..."
"We'll talk with Ellie and Jersey about the organization of the sport events tomorrow, we'll join them right after lunch, before our first class of the afternoon."
"Okay..."
"Can you do all that?" she asked him.
James rolled his eyes.
"I've done much harder things than pairing prefects, Evans," he pointed out. "I can handle all that."
"You're sure? I mean, you're new to all that."
"I'm sure. I can handle that."
"Alright then. We'll see each other before diner."
But they both took a step in the same direction.
"I'm starving as well," James smiled when she frowned at him.
She nodded.
"I don't really know how to go there though," she said.
"It's across the grounds."
"You're good at memorizing maps?"
A mischievous smile appeared on his lips.
"I'm used to mapping places."
"Really?"
"You would be surprised."
"Go on then, Potter. I'll follow you. But hurry up, I'm hungry."
"And I bet you're terrifying when you're hungry."
"Indeed..."
"As long as you don't give me your prefect glare..."
"Don't tempt me, Potter."
"Hey, Evans, can you believe it?"
"Believe what?"
"We are leading an entire conversation without you jinxing me or shouting your lungs out on me."
Despite her best efforts to hide it, a small smile curved up her lips, and James didn't fail to notice it, which explained the grin that appeared on his face.
"It's normal, you haven't asked me out yet," she replied, amused.
"Or it's just because you're finally noticing my wonderful charisma?" he asked, clearly joking.
She shook her head, chuckling.
"Oh shut up, Potter."