Esther slumped into her seat tiredly at breakfast the following morning. After a few mouthfuls of bacon, she glanced up, her eyes caught by Adam at the Hufflepuff table, who seemed to have been staring at her. He grinned and winked, not looking away. Esther found herself in a staring contest, interrupted when Ella flumped in the seat opposite her, breaking her eye contact.
"Morning." The other girl said "Suppose you've got prefect duty this morning then."
"Yeah, gonna have first years getting lost and stuff. I have copies of all the timetables. I asked Flitwick and he said it was actually a really good idea."
"Timetables haven't been handed out yet."
"I went to him last night, just before he left the common room. You look dead, were you up all night?"
"I might have been." Ella said slyly
"Spill."
"Well, you know how Edgar is the Quidditch Captain, right?"
"Yeah. Were you two having a little private celebration?"
"No. Well, sort of. I guess." Her cheeks flushed pink "this bacon's great."
"Oi. You don't even like bacon. Stop trying to change the subject. Details. How far did you, you know..."
"Not all the way, but we certainly had fun."
"You tease." Esther laughed and groaned in frustration
"Yeah, she sure is." Edgar sat beside Esther and winked at Ella
"I'll leave you two to make eyes at each other." Esther grinned at both and left the table, heading to the common room.
"Why is your hair always up in that tight knot?" A voice asked, before a hand pulled her into an empty classroom.
"Adam! I have prefect duty in ten minutes. I don't have time." Without a word, Adam pulled on her hair elastic, causing it to tumble to below her shoulders. "Adam! What is your problem? Why did you do that?"
"You're sexy when you're angry. Especially wrapped in your hair like that."
"Are you propositioning me?"
"Maybe. Not quite in the way that you think. How would you like to get involved in the little operation you benefited from last year?"
"What do you mean?" Esther asked, although she already knew the answer
"Sell some potions, take a cut, maybe help brewing. Or purchase ingredients. The few of us that there are are going to be leaving either this year or next, we won,t be able to continue the work. We need some new recruits. Maybe your brother in a couple of years. I know Abram certainly enjoyed the party range. You the study and party range."
"Leave Malachy out of it."
"There's a kid he's friendly with, a fifth year. We're teaching him so it's not like he won't be getting involved in a year or two anyway. If what I've heard of his potions skills is true, he'll be a welcome addition in his time. Also, how do you know Luke and David Vance?"
Esther pulled a face "their dad and my mum are together."
"So they're your step brothers then?"
"Not unless our parents get married, I won't count them as such. Until then, they're just housemates."
"So what's up with your brother and the Slytherin? She's back so what's the deal there?"
"They had a kid and they lived in our house over the summer. My brother got a three year lease on a cottage in hogsmeade, so that she could come down and see her kidshe got her timetable juggled and squeezed into two full and two half days, so she gets to go down and spend time with her kid. She even pulled out of the quidditch team so she'd have more time for homework and stuff. Abs has a job in the sweet shop in hogsmeade for Saturdays so she can be alone with the kid, and he can make a bit of money. They both had quite a lot, but it doesn't hurt to have a little income even if it is only a day a week. He went down to the muggle town and got a Sunday job delivering newspapers, cos there weren't any Sunday jobs in hogsmeade going."
"So I could go see if this Slytherin wants some potion. Or maybe you could. Seeing as you're basically family. Your first customer."
~~HP~~
Professor McGonagall called Esther to her office later that day. Esther began to panic, thinking she'd done something wrong, or the potions had been discovered.
"Miss St James, I've called you here to speak with you about your O.W.L. results."
"Professor?" Her O.W.L. results had been good, she was confused
"I'm just saying we haven't seen results this good since Hermione Granger, Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter's. I have been discussing with your professors the possibility of offering you an extra N.E.W.T. subject. Would there be one you'd have in mind?"
"Potions. Astronomy narrowly beat it but I had considered studying after graduation to complete it at the ministry."
"So it was in your plans, then. Of course we can alter your timetable and fit you in starting next week. You will continue with your current timetable tomorrow and begin the new one on Monday. Now, if the extra subject proves too much, you can choose to drop one so you can concentrate on your others. However, I believe that you can study the six subjects, because you will put the effort in. Your O.W.L. results are certainly testament to that."
After some further discussion, Esther was excused and she practically ran to the second floor common area where she knew Frances would be. After having the baby, Frances disliked staying around other Slytherins, because they either stared, made snide comments or just simply ignored her. A few still made polite conversation, but she spent most of her time in the neutral area of the common area on the second floor, the fourth floor one usually full of second, and third years and the odd fourth or fifth year. While the one in the west tower was too small for a lot of people.
~~HP~~
Meanwhile, in said fourth floor common area. Which was empty bar two occupants.
"Garrett, I have to go to class."
"Just say you weren't feeling well."
"And when I didn't go to the hospital wing?"
"Just say you couldn't move from the toilet. Puking and stuff."
"Lovely image there, Garrett. I really, really have to go to transfiguration."
"Just ten minutes, Angel. Ten minutes and then you can go. I really need this."
Angel sighed and glared for a few seconds at Garrett. "Fine." She huffed and let him kiss her.
~~HP~~
"Can I join you?" Esther asked, two floors below
"Of course, free country."
"So you know how I got good O.W.L. results?"
"Understatement of the century." Frances grumbled
"McGonagall's letting me do potions as well."
"So you're doing six N.E.W.T.s now?"
"Yeah. Which means I've got so much more work to do."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Starting Monday, I'm your new potions partner."
"Oh. Right."
"Speaking of potions, and loads of work, there's a potion that can keep you awake for six hours. Would that be something you,d have any interest in? Say for like if you're back from the cottage and you didn't get any sleep, then you're straight to class. Something to keep you from falling asleep in class. Or, I used it to get some extra study time."
"What's the catch?"
"No catch, just don't tell anyone who'd blab to a teacher. A lot of people rely on it just to keep them going through exam revision time. They're getting people from fifth year involved to keep the supply going. It's a galleon for six hours, and if you can, return any used vials."
"Don't blab? So is it illegal?"
"No, just not exactly 'ministry approved'. They're doing other potions for parties and stuff. So does that mean you want some?"
"I'll give it a go, I guess. One vial won't hurt. And we weaned Casper fully two weeks ago. He's on powder milk, cos I can't exactly feed him every day."
"OK, do you have the money on you now? I can get you it after lunch."
"I guess I could give it a go tonight then, I have an astronomy practical class tonight."
~~HP~~
"So I guess I was right then." Adam grinned smugly as he swapped the coins in Esther's hand for vials of potion.
"Yeah. When I was coming down to lunch, two girls stopped me and asked me. That plus the one for Frances, you're well in business."
"Yeah. I think it's only fair I introduce you to the rest of our little family. Before dinner, come to the west tower common area. I'll meet you there and bring you to our secret area."
If it's the room of requirement, I know where it is."
"So do a lot of the teachers. It isn't there. Just meet me at five west tower common area."
"I'll see you there."
"Miss St James, Mr Harbrey. Lunch time is over, please get to class."
"Yes, Professor Nott." The two headed in opposite directions. Esther to transfiguration, Adam to Care of Magical Creatures.
~~HP~~
It was ten past five when Adam showed up. "Sorry, got waylaid by Flitwick. Let's go."
They walked down the corridor and took a few turns until they reached a part of the castle that Esther hadn't been in before. Adam ducked behind a tapestry and beckoned for Esther to follow. They went down a narrow corridor, and came into a small room which had several cauldrons in it, bubbling mixtures in every one. Three girls and four guys either stood at a cauldron or sat at a desk covered in parchment.
"Guys, this is Esther. Esther this is Jonah and you already know Luke." Adam gestured to two boys seated in a heated discussion "this is Amber, Gabrielle and Sophie." The three girls at one of the cauldrons all waved "And Daryl and Garrett."
"I know Garrett, he's a friend of Malachy's."
"Yeah, he's a great kid." Garrett said, barely glancing from the cauldron he and Daryl were tending.
"Are there any more people involved, you said you were getting younger years involved."
"There's Chris and Magnus. They're both in detention after they let off some Filibuster's fireworks. What would you like to do first?"
"I don't know. Maybe not the potion brewing just yet."
"No. As you can see, we really only have the capacity for one teaching area." He waved his hand in the direction of Garrett and Daryl "I can take you over here to go over the theory and method. Just like in class."
Esther nodded and the pair walked to an empty table in an alcove. After an hour, Esther realised she would be due for prefect duty in fifteen minutes. Thanking the the room's occupants, she hurried back to the common room to change into her prefect robes.
