A/N: Thanks for all the wonderful feedback guys! You're the best. Welcome all you new readers!

Chapter 10: Friday Frenzy

Friday morning had finally arrived and Morgan could not be more grateful or more anxious. With detention looming over her, the week had past slowly for her. As she struggled to balance her new life Morgan had lived the week a recluse, still feeling like an outcast whenever she attempted to hang out with her roommates. Today was the day of reckoning; Reid's first potions class with the Ravenclaws and the Slytherins.

Knowing she was intruding, Morgan wandered slowly into the filling classroom as the other students automatically took seats next to their friends at the tables set for two. Nervously, she looked around the dim dungeon for a harmless place to sit. Finally she spotted a spare seat at a bench on the right of the classroom next to a broad-shouldered boy. Noticing his green lined cloak Reid timidly approached him.

"Is it ok I sit here?" Morgan asked timidly, trying her hardest to sound polite.

The boy looked up disdainfully, "I know your kind is slow, but I'm not working with a mudblood just so you can raise your grade."

The insult hit hard. Reid's mouth dropped open in shock. In her entire life, Morgan had never heard anyone actually use that insulting word and she'd certainly never been called that by anyone. "Excuse me? I'm a half-blood!" Morgan explained at first, not sure if she'd heard correctly. Finally rage took over and she started in on the boy. "Who the hell said I wanted to work with an ignorant ass like you anyways? I just needed a seat-"

"Don't pay any attention to Pucey, inbreeding hasn't been kind to his family" A tall boy with wavy blonde suggested from the table behind them. His tie was blue and bronze, identifying him as a Ravenclaw.

"Don't joke about my family Davies." Adrian Pucey threatened heatedly.

"Why you don't get the joke?" The Ravenclaw countered.

"Shut it."

"I would ask for your IQ but I'm afraid fractions don't count." The blonde continued to mock derisively.

"I said Shut It!" The Slytherin boy demanded.

"Or what?" Asked Davies as he stood up and leaned over the table, his wand clenched at his side, voice still calm and cocky. "What are you going to do about it?"

They looked ready to fight until Snape walked into the classroom. Both boy's glared at the other but made no more forward movements towards the other.

"This aint' over." Pucey sneered.

"Isn't." Morgan finally interjected.

"What?"

"I think you mean to say is 'It isn't over." Morgan added. It was an awful comeback; embarrassingly bad but she needed that one barb to feel like she'd contributed at least a little to bringing him down.

"Whatever," Pucey said turning around in his desk.

"Reid, my normal lab partner's abandoned me for his girlfriend this year, come share with me." Davies directed pointing to the empty chair beside him.

"Are you sure?" Morgan checked uneasily.

"Of course." Davies assured her. "Two heads are always better than one. I'm Roger Davies."

He held out his hand and she shook it hesitantly.

"Morgan Reid. Thanks for the chair," she said claiming the seat next to him. "I was beginning to feel a little like an outsider."

"You are the only Gryffindor here. And the only American." Davies pointed out with an easy smile. Morgan looked up appreciatively, taking in the boy's appearance. His blonde hair was shaggy and perfectly wavy, framing striking blue eyes and a strong virile jaw. The Ravenclaw stood a foot taller than Reid but his presence was warm, not the least bit intimidating.

"These houses are driving me nuts, everyone is so competitive." She confessed pulling out her schools supplies. "At my old school everyone was all mixed in together. Here they just lump everyone into giant cliques according to some thirty-second magical personality test. Why they thought banding all the criminally insane together in Slytherin would be a good idea I'm not sure.

"I actually think the competition is good," Davies defended. "It makes us all work harder, which as a school makes us better in the long run."

"But's there no unity between houses."

"Of course there is. There is so much pride in Hogwarts. If there's ever a crisis you'd see a lot more inter-house unity than you'd think."

"Well, I'll believe in inter-house unity when I see it."

"Good, I'll enjoy being the Ravenclaw to show it to you." Davies stated brightly. Morgan noted the large dimples that flanked his perfectly straight teeth. His smile couldn't be described as anything but dazzling.

"There is one thing we all have in common." He added softly as if it was a big secret.

"What?"

Davies leaned in and he whispered closely in her ear. "We all can't stand Slytherin."

Morgan blushed and gave him a playful eye roll. "That's hardly confidential knowledge."

As class began, the two worked closely together their potion. Adding the beetle eggs slowly, their potion was turning a nice shocking pink.

They peered over to look at Orek and Pucey's maroon concoction and snickered.

"Top-notch potion there Pucey. I bet your mother would be proud," taunted Davies.

Pucey revolved to face the two angrily. "I don't know why you're smiling Davies. You've added far too much Wolvesbane."

"No we haven't -" Morgan started but stopped as she saw the Slytherin release a fistful of the herb heedlessly into their potion.

"Oops. Better luck next time losers."

Morgan stood up rapidly to retaliate but Davies tugged her back down by the sleeve of her robe. He nodded towards Professor Snape who was checking the progress of the potion right next to them. "From what I hear Snape's already got it out for you. Don't chance it." Davies warned her.

"Is anything in this castle a secret?" Reid wondered aloud. Even the other house's seemed to everything about her life.

"Let's just try to salvage this." Quickly, Roger stirred the potion a few times to see the effect of the added ingredients.

Surprisingly to both teens, the potion began to turn an even more neon pink, practically radiating.

Snape walked by at that exact moment, assessing the potion.

"You diverged from the recipe, what else did you add here Reid?" Snape inquired with an intimidating snarl.

"Extra wolvesbane sir" Morgan confessed.

"Five points" Snape grimaced as hesitated, "to Gryffindor and Ravenclaw for an exceptional example of a Sleeping Draught. How did you know extra wolvesbane would enhance the potion?"

"Lucky guess, sir." Davies said quickly claiming credit.

"There are no guesses in potions. There are estimations, assessments, and hypotheses but never guesses. Guesses are a gamble and gambles lead to costly mistakes Mr. Davies. Be sure to remember that." Snape reprimanded before moving on.

As Snape turned his back, Reid stuck out her tongue at Pucey's scornful glance. Davies gave Morgan a quick wink and a smile.

Morgan felt herself happy for the first time in days. Maybe Hogwarts wasn't going to be that bad after all.

I retract that statement. Reid thought bitterly much later in the evening as she and Oliver stood frozen staring repulsed at a table full of dead porcupines. Morgan had been warned that Snape had a twisted sense of humor when it came to detention but this was a bit much. They're eyes were still looking at her.

Snape had only gone through the process once before departing for dinner leaving Wood and Reid standing there awkwardly bewildered by their job to dequill all thirty of the pincushion corpses without magic before he returned. With the absence of Snape's low snarls, the room had grown a deafening silence as the two teens looked uncertainly at each other. Morgan stared blankly at Wood for a few seconds, the tension of their fight lingering in the air, before she pulled on her dragon hide gloves silently and stepped up to the workbench. Gingerly, she picked up a carcass and began removing the quills.

Wood moved abruptly out of his sullen stupor and placed a hand in front of her blocking her from continuing.

Morgan rolled her eyes and glared frustrated at him, as if this might somehow propel him to move out of the way. When that didn't work, she just circled around him intending to pick up another but he quickly turned and repeated the action.

"So is this how it's going to be?" Oliver asked her sternly.

Caught off guard at his troubled tone Reid turned to look at him baffled by his behavior. "What are you talking about?"

"This, ye're just not going ta talk ta me anymore?"

"Seriously? You're being wicked annoying today. Can you just move? I want to get this over with so I can get back to forgetting about this whole episode." Morgan replied, blowing him off as she moved over and picked up a new porcupine and began pulling of it's quills.

"I don't want ta just forget it. I think we both owe each other an apology." Oliver suggested, not giving up.

"An apology requires a confession of wrong doing. I stand by what I said."

"Ye do?" Wood asked taken back a bit.

"Yes."

"Every word?"

Morgan's hand froze and Oliver could see visible shame cross her features as she recalled everything she'd said to him

"You're wasting your fucking time!" She screamed at him. "Don't you get that? Quidditch is a waste of time and energy! This is your last year at Hogwarts. Tell me how many real friends have you made?"

Wood was silent as he contemplated her words. Morgan saw his eyes considering the truth as the barb hit home.

"You don't have even one do you?" Reid chided cruelly.

"Look, I apologize if what I had to say hurt, but I don't regret saying it." She said going back to pulling out quills roughly, refusing to acknowledge her fault in their argument. "I'm sorry if I'm the only one with the guts to tell you the truth. My roommates, the Weasleys, Spinnet, Bell, heck even Davies they've all said the same thing – that you're obsessive and-"

"Davies?" Oliver cut her off suddenly distracted. "What th' bloody hell are ye doing talkin' ta Davies?"

Morgan continued talking as if he hadn't interrupted. "-and that you control everyone on the team with an iron fist_"

"I asked ye a question! Since when are ya buddy-buddy with Roger Davies?"

"He's my lab partner." Reid replied with a shrug.

"Sixth years have potions with Hufflepuff."

"I switched because it conflicts with transfiguration."

"Ye switched inta my class 'n ye won't even speak ta me but ye switched inta Davies class 'n all of a sudden yer talking wit him aboot me behind my back? How does that make any sense?" Oliver questioned contentiously.

"It's not like that! I wasn't gossiping about you-"

"Oh so ye can git mad at me fur talking tae yer roommate, when I was only tryin' tae help ye 'n yet ye do th' same bloody thing 'n its ok? I ne'er met a person that's more hypocritical."

"How were you helping me?"

"I thought Lenore was askin' so she could make yer life easier. I didn't imagine she'd make it worse!"

"Like I'm supposed to believe that after what you said to me that night on the lake."

Oliver paused recalling hazily the words from their drunken argument that summer.

"I didn't even say anything! All I did was ask a question!"

"A question you had no fucking business asking! Who said it was something I did? Why is it MY fault?!" Morgan argued distressed.

"It was just a guess. Probably a good one considering…" Oliver trailed off.

Considering what?!" Morgan probed.

"What a blighter ye are! Blimey I was just trying ta be nice ya barmy besom!"

"MERLIN CAN'T YOU SPEAK ENGLISH!"

"I AM!" Oliver roared frustrated. "S'not my fault yer to thick ta understand!"

"I'm thick! Say's the boy who can't even pick up basic social cues!" She slurred.

"I can see now why yer ma sent ya away. I'd kick ya out too if I had to live with this every day!"

It was a low blow, Oliver could tell the moment he saw the way the words settled over Morgan's face.

"Reid, I dinnit mean it. I was frustrated. I was just tryin' ta get ta know ye. I thought we were on th' way ta becoming friends 'n then ye blew up at me for askin' aboot yer past. I still don't even know why!"

"Because it's none of your business! Not yours, not Eudora's, not the whole freakin' house. It's nobody's business but mine. I don't want to even think about the past and I certainly don't want to talk about it with you of all people."

"Why not? Do ye honestly hate me that much Reid?"

"I don't hate you Wood! Merlin, take a chill pill drama queen." Morgan urged surlily as she pulled a quill. She was far too aggressive and the quill slipped slashing through her protective gloves. "Shit." Reid swore heatedly, throwing down the offending quill as she saw blood oozing out of the gash.

Wood rushed over, grabbing her hand forcibly so he could examine the wound.

"Why can't ye be more careful?" Oliver barked at her concerned as he gently touched the jagged cut that ran the interior of her palm.

Morgan inhaled painfully, the quill had been sharp and the cut was deeper than it looked. Looking around, Wood saw some spare rags and reached for them on his way towards Snape's wall of potion ingredients. He took down a vial of green leaves and came back hastily. Wordlessly, he placed the leaves delicately on her wound before wrapping the cloth around it.

"That will stop th' bleedin' for now. Go 'n see Madame Pomfrey she'll give ye somethin' ta seal it 'n prevent an infection. I'll finish this myself." Oliver told her.

"But Snape…"

"Snape is at dinner. He won't be back for at least an hour maybe even more. I don't think thae will take that long. I'll take care o' it"

"Are you sure…" Morgan asked warily.

"Go. Snape's not goin' tae fault ye for seeking a healer but he will fault ye for bleedin' all over his precious dungeon floor." Oliver explained turning back to the pile of porcupines without another word.

Morgan didn't say another word just disappeared out the door leaving a frustrated Oliver Wood angrily dequilling with fervor.

After his detention Oliver returned to the common room still upset from his argument with Reid. Sitting by the fire, he attemptws to read his History of Magic text but the exchange kept playing over and over in his mind. He'd gone to detention so sure that they could hash out their problems and yet again Morgan had made it virtually impossible to have anything close to a rational discussion.

"Bloomin' prat," He grumbled aloud.

"I resemble that remark.' George Weasley commented looking up curiously from his Zonko's magazine at the Gryffindor captain in the chair next to him

"I wasn't talking ta ye." Wood snapped.

"Apologies mate." The red-hair boy said taken back by Oliver's uncharacteristic anger. "No offense meant."

"S'not ye. I'm just…." Oliver finished the sentence with a frustrated sigh. He rubbed his temples agitatedly, his mind a jumble of emotions.

"Just what?" George probed.

"I don't know! I'm just going bleedin' barmy."

"What are you so gutted about?"

"Nothin'"

"Come off it, I've never seen you anything but cool and composed, now your over there talking to yourself. What's with the sudden breakdown? Did someone quit the team? Did we lose Harry?" The twin asked worriedly.

"What? No. It's nothin' ta do with quidditch." Wood said waving off his suggestions staring off into the flame of the fire. Quidditch was easy, if only it was that.

"Nothing to do with quidditch? You?" George perked up, his interest peaked. "What's wrong then? Are you dying? How long did they say you have left to live?"

"I'm not dying nitwit. If yer going to take the piss out of me then sod off. I'm nae in th' mood."

"Fine. Sorry mate, I'll be serious." George promised, he sat up straighter, his face losing its teasing grin. "Tell me what's wrong."

"It's Reid. We just had a row. More like a series of 'em actually…"

"Reid? Morgan Reid?" George clarified.

Wood didn't even confirm it just, kept on ranting. "I feel lik' I've gone daft ever since she showed up. All I wanted ta do was be nice 'n help her have a go at fittin' in but everythin' I say she twists round and she makes me out ta be an absolute git when all I am trying ta do is be nice! No matter what I do she takes offense. She's absolutely the most irritating woman on the planet."

George smiled widely as realization dawned on him. This was far too good to be true.

"My misery ain't funny, so stop bloody grinning." Wood griped. "Do ye know what that crazy lass told me? 'There's nothing entertaining about quidditch.' Those were her exact words to me. Says she hates it! What sensible person on earth doesn't like Quidditch? We can't even have a reasonable chat but o' course she gets along just fine wi' bleedin' Davies. Lik' that makes any sense! He's just as obsessed aboot quidditch as I am."

"Why do you care if Reid talks to Davies?" Weasley probed purposefully, enjoying himself far too much.

"Why? He's a gallus jerk! That wanker's so full o' himself I'm surprised his muckle head doesn't roll right aff. 'N that's th' kind o' person she wants to hang oot wit? Fine. But then she's no right ta call me a git! That's right shite. Ye know me Weasley, I'm not that much o' a blighter. Right?"

George looked at Wood a bit astonished. "You're a bit.. passionate about quidditch but I would never call you a jerk Wood."

"See? It's all Reid. She's just tryin' ta feel better about herself. I never got what people said aboot girls 'n emotions afore, but this lass her mood's changes faster than the wind. I can't seem ta get on the right side of her no matter how hard I try!"

Weasley just shook his head in disbelief. "You've really got it bad."

"Aye! Don't I know it! O' all th' places in the world how come she had tae move in next ta me?"

"That's not what I meant mate. It sounds like you fancy her."

"Don't be ridiculous. Dinnit ye hear anythin' I just said? She is driving me up th' wall!"

"Oliver, I've barely seen you look at a girl, let alone rant on about one like this. If you don't like her why are you trying so hard?"

"'Cause this is what she does to me! She's enjoys getting on my last nerve! I wouldn't bother tryin' if her family and mine weren't so damn close. I promised my parents I'd have a go at makin' sure she felt at home here but I'm over it. Ye got ta help me. I need ta focus on this season. Why don't ye just look out for her? Ye've similar friends right?"

"Oh no. Weasley's don't believe in babysitting. My mother is of the firm belief that children should be left to their own devices."

Wood glared at him. "Just talk to her once. Make sure she's gettin' on and I swear I'll never ask for anything."

"Are you sure you don't want to do it? You crazy lovebirds have to resolve this sometime."

Wood glared and George quickly retracted the statement.

"Fine, say I help you out, what do I get in return?"

"One free pass from practice."

"One? From the sounds of it mate I'm doing you a huge favor. Can one really put a numerical figure on the value of my kindness?"

Wood's eyes narrowed. "Ye bet I can. Two free passes from practice, no questions asked, 'n in addition I promise not ta boot ya for insubordination."

"Fair enough mate." George agreed with nod. "Well, I've got to go find Fred. I'll catch ya later."

He practically bounded out of the portrait towards the Great Hall. There was so much he had to fill in Fred in on. This season was going to magical. Oliver Wood had his first crush and he didn't even realize it yet. The potential for mischief were endless. Giddy, George took the stairs two at time desperate to find his twin.

British/Scottish Slang Vocabulary:

Barmy: crazy

Bloody/Bleedin'/Bloomin': swear word used for emphasis or surprise

Blighter/Prat/Git/Wanker: insult meaning jerk or unpleasant person

"Gallus: a British dialect word, chiefly Scottish, derogatory in origin and meaning "wild, a rascal; deserving to be hanged (from the Gallows)"; later meaning: Self-confident, daring, cheeky; Stylish, impressive."

Sod Off: Get lost

Read and Review Porfa!

A/N: So JK Rowling never described what Roger Davies looked like in the books and in my head I always imagined he looked something like the actor Alex Pettyfer . I know in the movies Davies is not a blonde but in my reality Roger Davies will always be a blue-eyed blonde Adonis.

-ER