Random OUAT/HP Drabble: The first day of Introduction to Muggle Literature
Chronologically, this would happen after the Christmas Morning Drabble (ch5) and well before the Quidditch match (ch6).
Rating: T
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Emma chewed on her thumbnail with concern. Without Killian and the other Hufflepuffs, there were only five Gryffindor and Ravenclaw girls in the classroom—in Trelawney's classroom, at that. Why had Professor McGonagall scheduled the introduction to muggle literature class here of all places?
The dark red curtains had been mercifully pulled back, allowing sunlight to filter into the dusky room. There was a fine dusting of snow in the window sill closest to Emma. The room was a little chilly this time of year; students had only just come back from Christmas break a few days before, and it seemed like the north tower had been frozen solid during their absence. It was such a strange contrast to the way the room was stiflingly hot when Trelawney used it.
The two Ravenclaw girls, Belle French and Ariel Sebastian, were chatting quietly at one of the little tables, while Ruby, Mary-Margaret, and Emma sat in their own little clump. Ruby and Mary-Margaret were talking in animated whispers, but Emma wasn't really listening. Her eyes were fixed on the trap door in the floor of the room.
Emma gave a visible sigh of relief when the Hufflepuffs arrived—five of them, as promised; Aurora and four boys. All conversation among the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw girls stopped as the boys entered.
Hufflepuff boys had that effect on most girls. Helga had good taste.
A messy head of brown hair popped up first. Emma recognized August Booth, from her own year. He caught Emma's eye and winked at her as he climbed into the room.
Killian Jones followed, his hair just as artfully tousled as August's—maybe it was a Hufflepuff thing. Killian looked positively wicked with his shirt collar popped up and his tie hanging loose. The buttons of his shirt above his vest were both undone. He gave Emma an amused little grin when he spotted her.
The Hufflepuff keeper climbed up next, devilishly handsome in his own way (and just as tousled as the two previous boys; this was definitely a trend). Graham, she remembered dimly. Graham surveyed the class in an appraising manner, his eyes lightly touching everything and everyone as he climbed into the room.
Graham was followed by Aurora Briars, the pretty third year, who looked around with the slightest frown as she waited near the trap door for her fellow chaser, Phillip Kingston, a fourth year. Phillip was just as handsome and messy-haired as the other three, though his hair was shorter. Aurora immediately tucked herself under Phillip's arm and dragged him as far away from the other girls as possible in the small, round room.
"How do Hufflepuff girls ever get any homework done?" Ruby murmured to Emma and Mary-Margaret during the procession. "Yum."
Mary-Margaret tittered at that. Ruby looked like she was going to say something more, but she stopped as Professor McGonagall climbed through the trap door. The Hufflepuffs quickly found seats. August spread out near the middle of the room, his feet kicked up on one of the low tables. Killian and Graham sat down somewhere behind Emma's group. She could feel his eyes on her. She looked over her shoulder to see the two sixth year boys lounging like ridiculously handsome cats. Killian caught Emma's eye and quirked a brow at her, his gaze slowly trailing over her back. His mouth moved, carefully forming words at her with no sound: "I'll watch your backside."
She rolled her eyes at him and turned back to face the professor.
"Welcome to 'Introduction to Muggle Literature'," trilled McGonagall. "This will largely be a student-driven course, since there is not yet a formal curriculum established for it. You will be researching and presenting your work through a series of story reviews. We will only meet formally once every two weeks, but I expect you to make time to meet with your partners to complete your projects between classes."
Partners?
"Partners?" Mary-Margaret said, speaking Emma's thought.
"Yes, Miss Blanchard," Professor McGonagall said. "I think that you'll find having someone to discuss your assigned readings with will be quite useful in interpreting themes."
"Will we be choosing our own partners?" Belle asked. "Or will they be assigned?"
"A little of both," McGonagall said. She surveyed the students in the room and then gave a little nod. "In the spirit of exploration that this class should embrace, students will not be allowed to partner with someone from their own house."
Aurora made an unhappy gasp.
Mary-Margaret was frowning.
"And," the professor went on, "since they are outnumbered, I think I will let the gentlemen choose with whom they wish to work."
Killian, Graham, and August grinned at one another. All of the boys in the class were Hufflepuffs, so they'd each be working with a girl. There was a moment of silent communication between them, and then August sat up straight.
"I'm going to claim the pretty brunette Ravenclaw," he said, grinning at Belle. "If you'll have me?"
"I'll take you," Belle replied gamely, giving him an appraising look.
Graham stood up and approached the table where the Gryffindor girls were gathered. He actually knelt down in front of Ruby and took her hand.
"Will you do me the honor of being my class partner?" he said, staring into her eyes with only the slightest hint of mirth.
The other boys snickered in the background.
Ruby bit her lip and nodded, grinning. Her cheeks might have pinked a little, but it was hard to tell in the divination classroom's strange lighting.
"Swan?" Killian said from behind Emma.
"Yeah?" Emma said, turning to look at him.
"Good, that's settled," he said with a little smirk.
Emma opened her mouth to protest, but she realized she was either stuck with him or one of the lovesick chasers who were still bickering in the corner. They didn't seem to realize it was Phillip's turn. Finally, the silence caught up to them.
Aurora looked at the class and frowned.
"Ariel," she said tentatively, "you could work with Phillip, right?"
Ariel smiled at Aurora. Emma knew the two girls were in the same year.
"I believe I said it was the gentlemen's choice, Miss Briars," McGonagall said.
"I choose Ariel," Phillip said dutifully.
"That leaves Miss Briars and Miss Blanchard to work together," the professor said.
Mary-Margaret smiled at the Hufflepuff girl, and Aurora gave her a tentative smile in return, but she clearly had assumed this class would be a way to spend more time with her boyfriend. Emma predicted that the class would be down to eight rather shortly.
McGonagall instructed everyone move to sit with their partners. Graham was already by Ruby, so Emma and Mary-Margaret got up to join their respective workmates.
Emma took the spot that Graham had vacated next to Killian, though she sat upright instead of reclining the way the Hufflepuff seeker did.
"Thanks for showing up," Emma said quietly to Killian once she was settled.
"Thank you for the invitation," he replied with a slight incline of his head.
Killian's eyes were lingering on her, and it made Emma a little self-conscious. She realized they're been looking at each other for longer than strictly necessary. Emma tried to switch her focus back to Professor McGonagall, but she found she'd already missed part of the lecture.
"…is the proper way to go about it," the professor declared, finishing some train that Emma hadn't heard, "so we'll begin with children's stories."
"Children's stories?" Emma echoed, disappointment clear in her voice.
"Yes, Miss Swan," McGonagall said. "You can't expect your classmates to understand the intricate themes and archetypes in muggle literature without having the basics, can you?"
Emma frowned.
"No, professor," she sighed.
"Well, then, let me assign you each your fairy tale to research," the older woman said. "I expect you to be experts on the tales when next we meet. You should find the different versions, the archetypes, the so-called 'moral of the story,' and modern adaptations."
Emma wondered how McGonagall expected them to do modern muggle research in a wizard castle.
The professor drew a short stack of envelopes from her sleeve and handed one to each pair.
"In the envelope, you will find your assigned story and a list of recommended books," McGonagall said. "Please take a few moments to meet with your partner and discuss your planned course of study. When you've come to a decision, you may leave. Our next meeting will be two weeks from today, in a classroom to be determined."
She looked around the room with pursed lips.
"We certainly won't be meeting in this room again if we can avoid it," she said.
With that, the older woman descended from the classroom, leaving the students to themselves.
Killian plucked the envelope out of Emma's fingers and tore it open, his eyes darting across the card he found inside.
"Jack and the Beanstalk?" Killian said, forming the words as if they were from another language. He looked at Emma over the card, raising an eyebrow. "Care to enlighten me, love?"
Emma frowned for a moment and then stole the card back from Killian. She looked at the name of the story, written in McGonagall's flowing handwriting. There was a short list of references below the title.
"There was a guy named Jack," Emma said, meeting Killian's eyes again, "and a cow, and something about an evil giant with a treasure and a golden goose… Or harp, I think."
"Sounds like a lovely tale," he said, dripping sarcasm.
"It wasn't one of my favorites," she said, shrugging. "Fairy tales were never really my thing."
"Then what is your thing, love?" he purred, his tongue caught between his teeth as he looked at her under half-lidded eyes.
"Let's focus on the assignment, Jones," Emma sighed, rolling her eyes.
"As you say, Swan," Killian said, sitting up a little straighter. "How do you suggest we begin this task?"
"Well, we could check the library," Emma said, looking at the list again, "but I'm guessing they don't keep a lot of muggle children's books lying around. Maybe Hogsmead?"
"Are you asking me out, Swan?"
"You wish," she retorted.
"Perhaps I do," he said earnestly, voice low.
Emma pretended she didn't hear what he'd said.
"Ruby's granny runs a muggle bed and breakfast," she said. "I'll ask Ruby if she'll send us some muggle books. Are any of your lot muggle-born or half-blood? They might have a leg up on the purebloods."
"Jefferson's pureblood, but he's done a fair bit of travel," Killian said, looking thoughtful. "He might be willing to help. I'll ask around the common room tonight."
"Good," Emma said, nodding. "then let's meet… uh, when are you free?"
Killian scoffed.
"Darling, I'm a sixth year," he said, "I have far more free time that do you. When are you free?"
"Um, I have a free period on Wednesday mornings and Friday afternoons," she said, going over her schedule in her head.
"My Wednesdays are clear," he said, nodding.
"Okay," Emma said. "Wednesday, then?"
"It's a date," Killian said with a mischievous smile.