A/n: Anyway reading this, please review! I'd like to hear from you, get your thoughts on the story thus far?
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The Wallflowers
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Book 1: Sorcerer's Stone
Chapter 4:
We're Fated To Pretend.
(Time To Pretend- MGMT)
Tracey slumped into a seat beside Theodore at the Slytherin table after having followed a small group of Slytherin's to the Great Hall the following morning. Her eyes were having a hard time staying open as she grabbed a few pieces of toast and smeared marmalade over them.
"Not a morning person, are you?" Theodore asked quietly from his seat beside her.
"If you spent most nights wide-awake, you wouldn't be either," Tracey replied monotonously as she rubbed her eyes with her fist before continuing her task and eating slowly. Putting some food in her stomach seemed to energize her a bit, or at least wake her some. Looking around, she found that there weren't very many people in the Great Hall. "You're up early."
Theodore shrugged his far too thin and almost angular shoulders. "I'm used to waking up very early," he replied simply. Tracey could sense his reticence and dropped the subject, even though she was curious.
Both Slytherin's fell into silence as they both ate. Tracey wasn't surprised when a while later Theodore pulled out a book and started reading it there at the table, nor was she offended that he didn't find her company particularly riveting as he lost himself in whatever book he was reading now. Tracey merely placed her chin in her hand, her elbow resting on the table's surface as she attempted to keep her eyes open.
"You look like hell this morning, Davis," Tracey barely looked up when a while later they were joined by Malfoy and his two goons.
Tracey didn't respond to this. She'd caught a reflection of herself this morning when she was getting ready and she was more than aware of the deep, dark bags beneath her olive-green eyes. She was more than aware how she looked, it didn't help that her pale complexion probably added to her sickly appearance. However, she couldn't be moved to care about Malfoy's opinion.
Clearly dissatisfied by her lack of response, Draco drawled on, "Missing home already?"
Tracey ignored this barb too, being as it wasn't much of a barb. There wasn't really much of a home to miss anyway. The place she and her mother were forced to move into after her father left them was a rather dreary neighborhood. One Tracey never bothered to explore, she wasn't really much of outdoors-type person. Although, she did like rain, and the stars and the moon.
Draco was further annoyed to be so thoroughly ignored and moved away, followed by his goons.
"Are you really that tired, that you can't even manage a retort?" Theo asked amused, not looking up from his book.
Tracey shrugged her shoulders lethargically. "It made him go away, didn't it? I'd call that a success."
Some time later, Tracey watched as Pansy strode past them, followed by Millicent and Daphne, the last of which waved at them. Pansy and the other girls moved and settled across from Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. Tracey rolled her eyes at this, and merely nodded at Daphne in response to the wave the blonde had given her.
It was quite a while later when Blaise showed up and sat across from them. "About time, sleeping beauty," Theodore mocked, once more without looking up from his book.
Tracey smirked at the glare Blaise shot at the other boy as he piled food on his plate. Tracey did note that the Great Hall was once more nearly full, and it was already eight thirty. Blaise had arrived so late to breakfast, that Tracey noticed the Heads of House were making their way down the tables; she guessed to hand out schedules.
Blaise was emphatically not a morning person, Tracey noticed as she watched him eat in silence. He seemed rather foul-tempered and grouchy, a fact that would have greatly amused her if she weren't so tired. The sleep-deprivation hardly allowed her to notice when their Head of House, a very tall, slender man in all black, passed them while handing each of them a time table. Or in her case, letting her schedule fall on an empty spot on the table before her as she hadn't bothered to turn and acknowledge him.
A little burst of energy appeared through her as she reached out for her time table and looked at it with interest. Unlike going to a muggle primary school, she was actually very interested in her classes and couldn't wait to see what she had first. The prospect of all she would be learning was positively thrilling for her.
Monday
9:00 am- Herbology
Lunch
1:00 pm- Charms
3:30 pm- History of Magic
Tracey groaned at the thought of having Herbology, first thing in the morning. She was not the most nurturing of people. The idea of looking after something living rather... vexed her. It was the reason why she hadn't gotten a pet to bring to Hogwarts. The idea of having to deal with plants the first thing in the morning did not appeal to her in the least, even if she had nothing against animals and plants. She just preferred to see them from afar and not have to look after them or be responsible for them.
However, the prospect of having Charms later on did brighten up her day a bit. Although, she got the feeling that she'd be falling asleep during History of Magic, despite the fact that she thought History an interesting subject.
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As predicted, Tracey did not do well in Herbology, despite being paired with Theodore Nott. She found she rather despised the class; not to mention the Ravenclaws, who did not waste any opportunity to show off by answering every question asked. Tracey found it obnoxious, she always did hate show-off know-it-alls; she refused to be like that.
Charms was only marginally better, despite the fact that Professor Flitwick was Head of Ravenclaw, who they happened to have the class with. However, to Tracey, Charms were incredibly simple and despite the fact that she knew more advanced magic, she enjoyed the class. Professor Flitwick was a good teacher who made class enjoyable and really knew what he was doing.
Also as predicted, Tracey fell asleep through most of History of Magics. However, she blamed that in part to Professor Binn's teaching. He just droned on and on and on... a pity really. It had been one of the classes she was looking forward to.
As the week slowly progressed, Tracey found that not much else was different. She was a bit annoyed by the fact that all of her classes thus far had been with the Ravenclaws, and that they had to do Herbology three times a week. When Friday morning came, Tracey was glad that the week was nearly up.
"Double Potions with the Gryffindors this morning, that should be interesting," Theodore remarked as he, Tracey and Blaise got up from the Slytherin table after they finished breakfast and headed down to the dungeons.
"Why's that? Because it's Potions? Because it's taught by our Head of House? Or because it's with the Gryffindors and the-boy-who-lived?" Tracey asked, a bit snidely as she tried to rub the sleep from her eyes. Despite the fact that she'd been having to get up early all week for classes, she was still not back to a normal sleeping schedule. She supposed the naps she took in a couple classes, causing her to lose points for Slytherin and the fact that she fell asleep after dinner only to wake up hours later and spend most of the night awake didn't help. But she couldn't help it, she was damn tired by the time dinner was over!
"All of the above, I should think," Blaise responded, apparently beginning to emerge from his usual morning foul-temper. It usually took a couple hours, and a full stomach to get Blaise to mellow out a bit in the mornings. "From Theo's point of view."
"And the fact that Professor Snape hates Gryffindors and that we're his House, we'll have an even greater advantage," Theodore pointed out, as they made their way down the stairs towards the dungeons.
"Good, because I've never done a Potion before and I'm already at a disadvantage, even if I did pour over the text book incessantly," Tracey replied as she chewed her bottom lip nervously. Normally, she didn't really care about her Professor's opinions of her, unless of course she respected them because they were very competent. However, Professor Snape was a different matter. He was her Head of House, and it wouldn't do to fall on his bad side as he had ultimate power over Slytherin.
"Merlin, you're just like Theo aren't you? And here I thought you were less academic because you've been falling asleep in several classes this week," Blaise muttered almost under his breath as they arrived at the Potions classroom. Tracey glared at Blaise but ignored the comment, as the trio made their way inside.
Tracey was starting to get a reputation with the Ravenclaws for being lazy. For some reason, falling asleep in class automatically made people think that you were a dunderhead. Never-mind the fact that she was one of the few to get a charm done correctly the first time, or one of the few who'd been able to turn a matchstick into a pin in Transfiguration.
"Tracey's an insomniac, her falling asleep in class has nothing to do with a lack of interest in the subject," Theodore commented dryly, causing Tracey to look at him with wide eyes as the three of them picked the first table on what they deemed as the Slytherin side of the classroom; they were the first students to show up.
"Finally, someone with some sense," Tracey breathed as they were joined by several other Slytherins in the class and a couple of Gryffindors. Tracey tried to ignore Draco and his two goons as they sat at the table behind them. Something the Slytherin's learned very quickly, was to always travel in packs, Tracey found. "You know, for all their logic, Ravenclaw's severely lack in common sense."
"Well the sad truth about common sense, is that it is severely lacking in most people," Theodore commented dryly, causing Tracey to smirk. She was really starting to adore Theo, despite the fact that he was usually quiet and had his nose shoved in a book. Perhaps more so because of that.
"Why do I associate with you two? Your Ravenclaw is showing," Blaise commented, earning another glare from Tracey.
Tracey chose to ignore this comment like Theodore and rifled through her bag for her glasses. Being as she was near-sighted, she needed them to see the board in all her classes, a fact that came as a bit of a surprise to Theodore and for some reason happened to amuse Blaise immensely. The first time she wore her glasses in class, Theodore has asked why she simply didn't wear them all the time, not understanding why she would choose to be partially blind most of the time. However, Tracey couldn't explain it, she simply found glasses inconvenient to wear at all times. Especially as the thick black frames blocked her peripheral vision.
When the bell rang to toll the start of first class of the day, Professor Snape strode in, his black robes billowing behind him and shutting the door with a loud bang. Immediately the quiet murmuring from before died away, even before Professor Snape hissed for silence as he stood at the front of the class.
"When I call your name, you will raise your hand. Speaking is not necessary, so I expect you to be silent," he commanded coldly as his dark eyes swept across them all. Tracey felt a shiver course through her that had nothing to do with the cold that permeated the Dungeons in general.
Great, my Head of House is a terrorist, Tracey thought sardonically as she watched the dark man, noting that apart from Quirrell he was the youngest Professor on staff. She found his pale and almost cruel features intensely fascinating, though she wasn't sure why as she continued to watch him curiously. She wondered just who this man was. He seemed too young to be a Potions Master, a title one did not come by easily. Tracey was well aware of this, and the fact that he must be the youngest Potions Master in the world.
"Tracey Davis," his voice rang out, some several names later. Tracey raised her hand, drawing his eyes immediately as they sought her. Their eyes clashed for a moment, and Tracey found herself caught in the black pools. For a moment, she felt that familiar sensation that she was sinking into those eyes, a sensation she often got when she met the eyes of certain people. It was like sinking beneath the surface of water. However, she felt suddenly something she'd never felt before. Like she'd crashed suddenly against a barrier and she couldn't see anything but herself looking at the man.
Shaking her head, she noticed a frown that crossed his face as he continued to look at her, before he went on with roll call, as if nothing happened. Tracey furrowed her brow and looked about herself for a moment, wondering if anyone else had noticed that. However, it seemed the moment that to her seemed to last an eternity, had only really been a matter of seconds.
Tracey frowned as she hunched on her stool, her hands grabbing onto the hard wooden surface of the worktable before her. She wasn't sure what had happened. She thought, like many times before, she was about to see something more to the man; gain knowledge of him the way she did with many others, however, she had gotten nothing. Nothing but that strange sensation of falling against a barrier, like a wall.
She was so distracted by her thoughts, she hardly paid attention to Professor Snape as he went on and finished the roll call.
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making," Professor Snape began suddenly, speaking barely above a whisper, his deep velvety tones almost making his voice feel like a caress. Tracey was further intrigued. His tone, his voice, his words... Tracey thought the man could almost be a poet. The thought causing her mentally to snort, a poet about Potions? The idea was ridiculous.
"As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death- If you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."
He's definitely waxing poetic, Tracey thought, trying not to feel uncomfortable. She'd never seen that level of passion for anything before, from anyone. And coming from her Head of House, it seemed strange. Subtle science...wand-waving... softly simmering, such alliteration, she thought to herself, trying to keep her wonder at it. Well he has a way with words, that's for sure...
"Potter! What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Professor Snape suddenly called out, startling everyone after the silence that he'd allowed after his speech. Everyone turned in their seat to look at The-Boy-Who-Lived.
Tracey really hadn't gotten much of a look at Harry Potter, even when he'd been sorted as she had been too distracted. However, now as she looked at him, she could't help thinking that he didn't look like much. The confused boy with a messy mop of black hair who looked even smaller than she was, seemed an unlikely candidate for savior of their world.
Draught of Living Death, Tracey thought, as if the thought alone could somehow help the boy she felt a slight amount of pity for. It was never fun to be picked on, especially by a teacher. However, the answer seemed so easy to her.
"I don't know, sir," the boy replied, his voice soft, quiet but still respectful and not quite meek.
Snape's lip curled into a sneer. His satisfaction was so clear, that to Tracey it was physically palpable. As sadistic sort of pleasure suddenly started seeping through her skin as Professor Snape went on, "Tut, tut- fame cleared isn't everything. Le't try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to find me a bezoar?"
Stomach of a goat, Tracey thought. However, once more the Potter boy seemed to not know. Tracey shook her head, feeling a bit exasperated. Especially as she could see a bushy haired girl practically begging with her eyes to be picked to answer the question with her hand so high in the air that it would've reached the ceiling if the girl so wanted to. Tracey felt annoyance at this. Another know-it-all, and here I thought we would be free of them.
"Thought you wouldn't open a book before coming, eh, Potter?" Professor Snape asked coldly, sneer still in place. Tracey couldn't help frowning slightly at this, wondering why Professor Snape was so adamant about picking on Harry Potter and why he seemed to enjoy it so much. "What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?
Trick question, same plant, Tracey thought. Tracey tried not to feel disgust when the bushy-haired girl jumped out of her seat, practically waving her hand in her extreme desire to be noticed.
"I don't know. I think Hermione does, though, why don't you try her?"
Tracey was shocked at the blatant disrespect towards her Head of House and though thus far she wasn't sure what to think about the man, she couldn't help feel offended on his behalf. It didn't help either that she could suddenly felt the white hot ire of the Potions Master form across the room. The anger and hate form him was so intense, she felt like her body was on fire and she couldn't help from recoiling in her discomfort.
"Sit down!" Professor Snape suddenly snapped at the girl who's name was apparently Hermione. "For your information, Potter, asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomach of a goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane, they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"
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By the time Potions was done, Tracey was incredibly relieved and was quick to escape. "What's up with you?" Theodore asked, making his long stride quicken to catch up with Tracey. Throughout class, due to the fact that they had been paired together to make their potion, he had noticed how uncomfortable Tracey had looked.
Tracey shook her head. "Nothing, it just got really hot in there," she replied, waving him off. However, that wasn't the truth, but she couldn't bring herself to explain to him her issues and the fact that Professor Snape's angry, brooding, dark presence set her on edge.
Theodore looked skeptical of his friend, but chose not to comment. They all had their secrets, and he wasn't one to pry in someone else's.
TBC...
