A/N: First of all…. I am so so sorry!!! Funny how a few days can turn into two months… I really have no excuse except for a little bit of laziness and some persistent writers block. Then, lo and behold, I write a little ER fic (go check it out! Shameless self promotion, I know…) and suddenly the creative juices are flowing again! So here is my long awaited chapter four. I hope you guys will still read and review! Oh, and finally, HUGE thanks to my reviewers who nagged me to write more. Individual thanks at the end! Ok, you can read now…..
Disclaimer: Well, even though I seem to have adapted her rate of writing, I guarantee you I am not J.K.
Walking in, I surveyed the dungeon that had been a regular feature in my nightmares for the past six years. I headed towards the back of the room to find a table. I dumped my bag on a table and watched as Lee sat down next to me. Angelina and Katie took the table to the right of us, and Fred and George sat at the table directly behind Lee and me. Lee began to flip through the seventh year potions book as I unloaded our ingredients onto the table.
"Huh," muttered Lee, scanning over a page detailing the procedure for something called the Polyjuice Potion, complete with several graphic pictures. I continued to set up our work station, watching out of the corner of my eye as Lee glanced at most of the pages in the book before finally beginning to pour over the index. Finally, apparently giving up, he shut the book, frustrated.
"Penny for your thoughts, Jordan," I said, setting down the last bag of Bollyswag root.
Lee frowned, looking thoughtful. "Well, every year, Snape has been giving his same speech about this whole 'putting a stopper in death' business. And every year, I get let down. Now, do you actually think we'll be let in on his secret this year? Or do you think he's been leading us on all these years? There's nothing in this book about anti-death potions! Nothing! I think we've been gypped!"
I glanced at him, bemused. "I think that you should make sure you have another quill, because that one's going to break in about half an hour."
Lee muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "stupid psychic" as he rummaged around in his bag for another quill. Before I could lean over and smack him, however, Snape billowed with his usual flourish into the room.
"Quiet down. Pay attention. This year will be your most challenging of all of your years at Hogwarts. This course will be no exception. You've all had a fairly easy ride prior to this year. You will now have to put in some hard work if you expect to pass." Snape glared at all of us, hoping to stare away the laziness, I suppose. I heard several groans coming from around the room. Hurriedly, I grabbed my quill and began to take notes.
After ten minutes of lecturing, consisting of roughly half information and half threats, Snape began to demonstrate how to make our first potion of the year. Figuring we would have to make it for a grade during the next class, I turned to a fresh page in my notebook and tried to pay extra close attention.
Immediately, Lee grabbed my arm. I turned to see him practically bouncing out of his seat. "He's gonna use the flask! Oh, this is rich!"
I sighed, sneaking a glance behind me to see the twins. Sure enough, they both bore huge grins on their faces to match Lee's. "Snape's Flask of Overcompensation strikes again," I muttered, sending Lee into a fit of gleeful giggles.
The joke about Snape's flask had started in our third year, when the flask Snape used for measuring liquid while demonstrating potions shattered due to an unfortunate incident involving a misfired curse and an overly enlarged toad. When Snape began class the next day using a brand new flask, Katie observed that it was at least three times as long as the previous flask. This led to Lee promptly dubbing it "Snape's Flask of Overcompensation." Katie, Angelina, and I, after initially being confused as to what the flask could be overcompensating for, then found it funny for a few days. However, four years after it's inception, the joke had worn thin. The boys, however, still found new humorous angles every time it was brought out. As I heard them tittering around me, I realized that today was no exception.
Snape was demonstrating the proper way to make the potion at the front of the room. "Now, after you pour the Sicotore juice into the flask, it will still be separated from the Danslag powder you put in previously. Therefore, you must mix them properly for the potion to work correctly." Snape picked up his wand as I furiously scribbled notes on my paper.
"Watch me carefully. Jenkins, pay attention! Ten points from Hufflepuff. Now, grasp your flask firmly near the top." Lee snickered, and I heard George choke down a laugh.
Snape stopped momentarily to stare suspiciously at our side of the room before continuing. "Now, tap your wand on the dip of the flask. Be sure to use a slow, downward motion." Lee was turning purple with the effort of not laughing. I turned my head over my shoulder. Fred was holding his had over his mouth and was shaking with silent laughter. George had buried his face in his robes. I turned back to Snape.
"Now, watch as I perform this final step. Note that after the liquids have been properly mixed within the flask, you will release them into the cauldron, resulting in a loud explosion."
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"Good thing that Snape finishing off the potion caused that deafening explosion, because otherwise Lee and the twins would have lost the first points of the year for Gryffindor, due to their hysterical laughter at the uh, climax of the experiment." I was recounting what had happened with the boys to Angelina and Katie as we walked from Potions to Charms.
"Ugh," grimaced Katie. "I never want to hear the words 'Snape' and 'climax' in the same sentence ever again."
"Agreed," said Angelina. "Although…. I wonder, do you think when he hits his peak, he yells out 'Gillyweed!' right at the moment?"
"GAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Katie and I began to shriek as we ran up the hall. The boys, who were walking ahead of us, turned around to see us covering our ears, expressions of great pain on our faces, and Angelina trailing behind us, laughing.
"I don't think I really want to know," said George, shaking his head as we entered Flitwick's classroom.
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By the time lunch was over, we had discussed Snape's sex life to a greater extent than I had ever wanted or needed to hear. We had also enthusiastically congratulated Angelina on her appointment as Quidditch captain. She then told us that there would be try outs for the keeper on Saturday, but until then we would begin practicing every evening for a few hours to "get back in shape." And then, right before we left, Professor McGonogall had passed out sheets to all the seventh years informing us of the deadlines for N.E.W.T. registration. In the Main Hall, the six of us split, with Angelina and Katie heading off to Hagrid's for Care of Magical Creatures, and the boys and I walking up the stairs to Advanced History of Magic.
As we wandered towards the classroom, I reflected upon how much I liked to spend time with just the boys. I mean, I love Angelina and Katie. But I kind of like having the guys all to myself, too. It sounds stupid, but it kind of makes me feel special, like I'm the favorite or something. Hey, I already said it sounds stupid.
When we sat down, I ended up in between George and Lee, much to my delight. I pulled out my essay and smoothed it on the surface of the table. I peered over at George's essay.
"George. You only have three feet because you wrote large enough for me to see it from across the room. Binns probably won't even accept this."
George shook his head. "I really don't care too much. I was never actually expecting to do that well in the class."
I turned back to Lee to ask how he thought he was going to do when I noticed that my inkbottle was missing. I groaned. "Lee. This is pathetic. It's only the first day. Give me back my ink."
Lee gave me his best innocent face. "Alicia, what are you talking about?"
I gave him the bitchiest glare I could muster. "Lee. Reginald. Jordan. Give me my ink now!"
Lee put a comforting arm around my shoulders. "Sometimes losing an inkbottle can be hard, Alicia, but you have to –" Too late, I realized what he had done. I whirled around so that I was facing George.
"Nuh uh. I know this trick. Lee put his arm around me to pass the bottle to you. Now give it."
George just grinned. "Alicia, so accusatory! I do not have your ink." I groaned and buried my head into my arms. I hate being alone with the boys! Well, sometimes.
"Did someone misplace an inkbottle?" I heard a dry voice reverberating from the front of the room. Sure enough, Professor Binns was glancing pointedly at my inkbottle, which was now resting on his desk. Muttering curses under my breath, I retrieved the said inkbottle from him and returned to my seat. Flustered, I pulled my book and some parchment out of my bag.
"Hand in your essays, please," croaked Professor Binns. As I passed my essay towards the front of the classroom, I felt George lean over and squeeze my arm. "Sorry for that Alicia," he whispered. "It's just that you're so irresistible."
I blinked. "What?"
George gave me a strange look. "I said, 'Playing tricks on you is too easy, it's so irresistible.' Did you get enough sleep last night?"
Before I could choke out a reply, Professor Binns began to lecture. I began to write. And write. And write. And write. And write. By the time an hour had passed, I thought my hand was going to fall off.
"That concludes today's lecture. A large part of this class will be reading comprehension. You will be reading approximately forty pages for each session of this class. At the beginning of every class there will be a quiz on the previous nights assignment. Therefore, I suggest you keep up with the reading. So for the remaining twenty minutes, you may start on the reading assignment for our next class."
I opened the massive textbook in front of me and stared at the tiny words filling the page. I flipped through the pages, curious to see if there would be any pictures. Huh. Apparently not. For the second time that afternoon, I buried my head into my hands. Quidditch, classes, N.E.W.T.s, inappropriate fantasies about George, mental images of Snape's sex life… I decided it was official. I would be dead before the end of the year.
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dreamcoat: Sorry for not following the soon part, lol! Thanks for adding me to your faves. That means a lot!
Ashliegh: Thanks! Took me awhile to figure out how to describe wizard pictures… how does J.K. do it so well?
Jagged Epiphany: I agree that there aren't enough G/A shippers out there! By the way, your stories about them are awesome, you're a real inspiration to the rest of us!
Lady Mione: You are so sweet! I'm glad I could make you laugh. Please update your story soon, I absolutely love it!
Cinnamon: Glad you thought it was funny! Sorry I made you wait so long…
Legano-san: Your review put a smile on my face… short and simple huh? J
Philyra: Watch out for those premonitions… I'm trying to hint at something for future chapters. I'm glad you like those, they're going to be a BIG part of the story later on!
Heck E. Nah: I'm so glad you love it! I did write more, although it took me a little while, huh?
Lil' Fairy: Ah, you caught me! I didn't update! I'm sorry! That's great that you love the quidditch girls and the Weasley twins just as much as I do!
DaiZe: I hope you didn't die while waiting for me to get my act together! I hope this chapter satisfies you!
Alright, again, thank you to everyone for having patience with me. Coming up in Chapter 5: Quidditch tryouts, a mysterious letter for Alicia, more of those pesky visions and perhaps even some progress with George? Stay tuned! And I promise it won't take me another two months!