Chapter 6: The Dungeons
I own none of these people.
"I can't do it. I'm terrible at Potions. I'm sure Remus thinks so too." Mary shut her Potions book and laid her head on the table glumly.
"I'm sure he doesn't. Remus is nice." Lily said retrieving the book and peering into Mary's cauldron. "And your potion isn't that bad."
"It's green goop Lily. The potion is supposed to be a clear blue liquid that shimmers in the light." She said reading the description word to word from the textbook.
Lily could not argue with that logic.
"See even you think I'm terrible at potions!" Mary threw up her hands feeling quite defeated. "I give up. I'm going to apologize to Remus and tell him he'll have to find himself a new partner if he wants the chance to get an O in Potions."
"Mary you're overacting!" Lily grabbed her friends arm and pulled her back. "Remus won't have to find a new partner because you're going to stay his partner. I'll teach you."
"But Lily I'm hopeless." Mary sighed. "I can't make a simple cure for boils potion. I got a 'P' on my potion last week and," she sighed "Slughorn said if I don't start getting better I'll have to take his class on the weekends and I don't want to see him on the weekends Lily!"
Lily smiled and took a seat next to Mary. "You know I was just like you. If you can believe it. Absolutely terrible at potions. But I had Severus, and he helped me practice and get better and look at me now. I'm doing just fine."
"Fine?" Mary rolled her eyes. "You're brilliant."
"Come on." Lily said suddenly standing up, her brain whirring suddenly. "I have an idea."
"Where?" Mary asked following Lily without a second thought. "Wait my books!"
"You won't need them!" Lily pulled the girl along with her, both of them sprinting out the potions room and down the dungeons.
"Lily where are we going?" Mary asked catching up to her. They had stopped in front of the entrance to the deeper dungeons. It was dark and lit with green fires instead of the red orange flames everywhere else around the candles. Mary was looking at the blue green flames curiously. "Lily look at these, they're so pretty. I wonder how the flames get so blue..."
"I wouldn't get too close."
Both Mary and Lily turned to the speaker. The girl looked about 15 with dark skin and long waist length braided hair. Her amber eyes looked at them with such intensity they almost looked solid gold. Lily didn't know beauty until she had seen her. Though young she was quite pretty and there was a spark behind her eyes that told Lily she knew it too. Her image of perfection was unfortunately ruined by the smoke in her hand.
"I know a first year who touched them-she never came back." she said letting out a stream of gray smoke from her open mouth. Mary stepped back from the flames instantly.
Another girl emerged from behind her with rich dark brown hair, hazel eyes and full thick brows that Lily thoroughly envied. "Oh Niki look we've been caught by a couple of righteous brave lions cubs."
Both girls laughed quietly. The one nicknamed Nikki blew the smoke directly into Lily's face.
"Smoking's not allowed at Hogwarts." Lily said coughing through the stench of smoke that filled her nostrils.
Mary pulled Lily back. "If you don't mind, we have somewhere to be. Lily?" she insisted. "Let's get going to where we were going."
Lily didn't move. Instead, she turned to the girls in front of her. "We were looking for Severus actually."
Mary turned to her, eyes wide like she couldn't believe the words that Lily had uttered. "Lily!"
"Snape?" The girl with gold eyes said looking interested "He's been quite popular in the common room lately. What's your business with him?"
"I don't think I need to tell you that." Lily said boldly.
The girl looked at Lily angrily and Lily expected her to pounce on her any minute now. Not to mention they were older and more experienced with a wand than her-she would be dead if they wanted her to be.
"I'd watch your mouth if I were you little cub." The other girl spoke. "Niki doesn't take cheek very lightly. Fortunately for you she's in a good mood tonight."
Nikita nodded her eyes still resting on Lily. Mary was looking between the two girls deciding which one was more frightening. "Really? Why's that?" she asked curious.
The girl with the smoke, Nikki laughed. "I'll tell you when you're older."
"And a little tip," Her friend continued. "Next time you're down here I suggest you think twice about staying. Not all Slytherins take kindly to just" she looked Lily and Mary up and down. "anyone."
"I need to talk to Sev-" Lily started when the large iron gates opened, and Severus emerged with his wand out. "Lily?"
Lily ran up to him and hugged him tightly. "I was looking for you."
"Er why?" He asked as they pulled away awkwardly. He looked at the two girls that stood there watching them with amusement.
"See you in the common room, Severus." Nikita said with a wink. The hazel eyed girl looked at Lily once more before disappearing into darkness.
"What are you doing here, Lily?" Severus asked leading them away from the common room for fear of someone overhearing them. "Did they say anything to you?"
"No, we were just having a friendly chat about last night's dinner." Mary grinned and turned to Lily "So exactly what are we doing here Lily?"
"Well Severus you know how I've never asked you for anything?" She blinked up at him and smiled. Severus took one look at Mary MacDonald and understood.
"Lily-" Severus warned knowing exactly what she was thinking.
"Please Sev, she just needs a little help. You helped me, right? All I'm asking is for this one favor!"
"Lily I have things to do!" Severus tried to protest.
"Sev, going to your common room to read is not a thing." Lily sighed. "Please Sev?"
Severus sighed defeated. "Fine. Only for a little bit." he turned to Mary and asked. "We'll start with the cure for boils. Do you have your book?"
"No-" Mary started as Sev sighed. "I'll bring mine."
"Oh Sev," Lily grinned and hugged her friend. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
Severus turned back heading into the common room to get his book and Lily turned to Mary. "See, now you'll be a pro in no time-what?"
Mary was looking at her oddly. "How long have you known Severus?"
"Since I was about ten." Lily said fondly. "He's the one who told me I was a witch-why?"
"No reason." Mary smiled.
"That's a 'I know something that you don't smile'. Mary what aren't you telling me?" Lily asked.
"Nothing." Mary grinned. Severus had returned with the book and with a look towards Lily they headed towards the extra potion's lab. Severus wasted no time to get ready.
"The potion is on page 10. The ingredients are in the back-you'll start, and I'll watch to see what you do."
Mary nodded with a look of encouragement from Lily and turned to the cabinet to get ingredients. She double checked them twice and began chopping the necessary things.
"Thank you again." Lily and Severus sat a few tables away from Mary watching her attempt the potion with a new rigor. "I owe you anything you want."
"Anything?" Severus asked teasingly.
"Anything." Lily finished. "Except my Beatles and Beach Boy posters. Those are strictly for me and Petunia." Lily looked down at her feet suddenly reminded of her sister.
"Lily," Severus looked at her. "She'll get over it. She's just jealous you're special and she's not."
"That's a terrible thing to say Severus. It's mean."
"It's true." Severus finished. "You are special."
There was a whiz and Severus pulled Lily down as Mary's cauldron bust. When they got back up Mary was standing in the middle of it all looking quite horrified. "I told you I was terrible."
"We," Severus sighed with a side glance towards Lily. "have a lot of work to do."
He turned to inspect the damage. "I can point out 12 things you did wrong already. First you over-heated the cauldron which of course led to it busting in the first place. Second you didn't cut the beetles fine-it should resemble a powder. Third you are to use the essence of the heated bugleweed, not dump the entire thing in the cauldron-"
"Alright," Mary folded her arms looking rather annoyed. "I get it, I'm an idiot."
"You're not an idiot." Severus corrected. "You just aren't concentrating or reading for that matter."
"Well, I'll add that to my list of things I need to work on." Mary sighed. Lily brought out another cauldron, shutting the cabinet as she walked towards them. "Here let me and Severus show you how it's done."
Severus looked at Lily but agreed and joined her. He set the ingredients to his left and began chopping the ones that needed to be chopped while setting the bile weed in a small pot to be boiled.
Lily lit the cauldron and mixed the base of oil and fluxweed letting it simmer until the bugleweed was ready.
"That way we can knock those two things out of the way while the base is getting ready." Lily explained to Mary who was watching them intently.
Mary nodded. "That makes sense-and I get all that. It's the part about stirring clockwise and then counterclockwise that I don't get. Why does the direction matter, it all goes around either way."
"Potions isn't just about stirring and dropping things in a cauldron. It does-contrary to popular belief require magic. You must will it to brew in order it to work and that is why I think you're not doing well. You aren't willing yourself to brew-that is you aren't using your magic to brew."
Lily looked at Severus oddly. "Why, Severus you sound almost like a teacher"
"Yeah, I'm getting Slughorn deja vu all over again." Mary nodded looking at Severus oddly. "Okay I think I can do this."
"Woah woah there." Lily put her hand up. Mary froze. "Watch us finish this one first and then you can tell us if you're ready."
"Alright." Mary sat back on the desk and folded her hands, a grin etched onto her face. "Go on and teach me everything you know."
"Is she always like this?" Severus grunted.
Lily grinned. "If by this you mean optimistic and bubbly then yes, she is. It's not a crime to be happy Sev."
"No one is that happy." Severus protested.
"Oh boy," Lily said stirring clockwise thrice. "Are we really going to have this conversation again?"
"I believe we never finished," Severus said. "To my knowledge we were interrupted."
"Dorcas was having a crisis." Lily defended.
"Yes, I can only imagine how hard it must be to decide how to do your hair in the morning."
Lily sighed. "Is that all you think girls do? We can have intelligent conversations you know."
Severus smiled- a rare thing for him. "If not hair than what were you discussing?"
"Transfiguration homework." Lily said. "And if we don't show Mary how to do this, I'll never be able to talk to you without getting interrupted again."
"It'll take ages to teach her-"
"I'm right here you know." Mary grinned getting their attention. "Yeah me- right here. Listening to every word you're saying."
Severus glared at her. Lily smiled at him sweetly and so he continued. "Now Lily here is going to add a cup of ginger roots, and once it cools down the potion should turn a pale yellow..."