Yay! So chapter four ... Mm hmm ... Hope you like!


Chapter Four

Next morning when I entered the Great Hall I went and sat at a table with my book and read while I ate. A few minutes later Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter showed up.

"Hey, Maya!" Sirius greeted, ruffling my hair as they sat down across from me.

"What're you reading?" asked Lupin, putting his own book on the table.

"Er … History of the Werewolf," I replied quietly.

Sirius, James, and Peter's heads all whipped to stare at Remus who grinned at me widely. I looked around confused.

"What? Do you like werewolves?"

Remus shrugged. "No, I don't like ones like Fenrir Greyback, ones that hurt others but …" He shifted his eyes and looked down into his hands. "… I don't know!"

"He doesn't like how werewolves get shunned!" James explained.

"What about you? Do you like werewolves?" Remus asked calmly.

I smiled. "Yes, I find them very interesting! But I agree with you about how people make them outcasts and hate them or are terrified of them. I mean, come on, they can't control attacking people when transformed!" I shook my head. "Yet there are werewolves like Fenrir Greyback that are just horrible!" I shuddered, getting really lost in what I was saying. "But there are wizards like You-Know-Who just like that and we aren't afraid of every wizard!"

Remus looked impressed and I blushed. I wasn't used to people being impressed with me. I smiled awkwardly and opened my book again.

James burst out laughing. "Look, it's Snivelly!! I swear, has he ever heard of shampoo and water?!!"

I looked up from my book to see Sirius whip around to stare and laugh, joining in on the criticisms. Peter laughed along with them and Remus frowned into his book. I shook my head at Sirius. Sometimes he could be a real hypocrite. He constantly bullied Snape with James and then when people teased me freaked on them! Told them to grow up! And that he wouldn't take it! I asked him to stop many times but he always had an excuse: "You don't understand how horrible Snape is to everyone!!" "He's not as innocent and sweet as he may seem!" I never thought he was innocent and sweet! I just glared at Sirius and would leave when he tried to justify his actions.

"Hey, Snape!!" Sirius shouted loudly.

Heads turned from all tables to watch. As Sirius and James started making wisecracks about Snape, I slammed my book onto the table furiously. Sirius spun around startled.

"What?!"

"I wonder!!" I snapped and got to my feet, grabbed one more piece of toast, and stormed out of the Great Hall and up to the common room. I sat on my bed and stuffed my book to the bottom of my trunk. Sighing, I grabbed my Potions stuff and headed off. I entered the dark room and sat at a seat in the front. I was so early that even Professor Slughorn wasn't there yet. I pulled out a scrap piece of parchment and started a new poem.

Lily, Kara, and Mary were the first to join me, sitting at the other table in front. I glanced over then back to my poem. The last to arrive were, of course, Sirius, James, and Remus, who all sat at the only empty table, the one behind me and three Slythering gits. Peter didn't get a good enough NEWT to get back in Potions, Remus barely got in (he's real smart but Potions was one of his few weaknesses), James was only here because Lily loved it, and Sirius always backed him up.

The whole class buzzed with gossip and everyone's adventures over the summer, until Professor Slughorn arrived a few minutes later.

"Sorry I'm late, class!" he said, the buzz completely gone. "Okay! Everyone pair up and open to page 109!"

The Slytherin next to me was dark haired, dark eyed, darkly tanned, and looked very frustrating to deal with. He groaned loudly when he realised he was stuck with me.

"Oh, shut up!" I snapped, getting out my cauldron.

"Don't talk to me, freak!" he spat, flipping through the pages of his Potions book.

I rolled my eyes at him and ignored Professor Slughorn explaining the lesson, reading page 109 instead.

When Slughorn finished, my partner turned to me.

"So … what are we doing?"

I shrugged.

"Weren't you listening?!" he blurted.

"No."

"No?!"

"No."

"Well …" He looked around, desperate. "… What do we do?"

"Mash these!" I pushed some root-things over to him.

"Mash them? But it says cut!"

I glared at him. I wasn't going to let him walk all over me so I had to be rough. The rest of the class was the same – me telling him what to do, him telling me I was wrong, and then him giving in, and us getting a good mark. When double Potions had ended, we had free time before lunch.


Yes. Please review.

I'm listening to Smashing Pumpkins right now. Anyone else like them? My Chemical Romane? Fall Out Boy? Panic! At the Disco? The Beatles? AFI? Linkin Park? Anyone?

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