Yo! Sorry I forgot to post yesterday. I slept the whole night and woke up right on the dot at noon. That's 14 hours of sleep! Never slept that long before. Then I caught up with all the TV shows I missed... Charmed, Smallville. Must. Watch! K, so then I had hardly enough time to post. So here's today's postie!

Chapter 28

We had a period of Potions first thing the next day. Professor Valentina had kept to her word and the large box full of our vials stood at the center of her table. She came out from behind the door that led to her private stores, gliding seamlessly, her jet-black robes trailing across the dungeon floor.

"Good morning class," she said with the tiniest of smiles and a tiny nod of acknowledgement.

The class returned her greeting monotonously and settled down onto their seats. I sat right at the back, at the corner, and at the other end of the table was Christella. She was admiring herself from the reflection of her silver ladle and adjusting her hair and make-up, completely oblivious to the surroundings.

"Miss Trepe?"

"Yes, Professor Valentina?" She perked up suddenly, flashing a million watt smile and wearing an innocent face.

"Could you please distribute these vials?"

"Certainly, Professor," she said, still smiling her fake smile and shaking her mane of golden hair.

She swept off her seat and sashayed to the front of her class. I noticed she had given a very meaningful flirtatious look to someone at the Gryffindor half. I wonder who it could possibly be. I suddenly felt a surge of anger through me. But I suddenly thought... Sirius wasn't mine... anyone had the right to smile at him, or flirt with him or do whatever they wanted. It wasn't as if he was mine. And he never will be.

I sighed dejectedly to myself as Professor Valentina glided around pairing people up. Some of the lucky ones got paired up with someone from their own house... but the less lucky ones... Well, I can safely say that the dungeon was full of shouts of protest. Mainly from the Gryffindors.

She went over to me with a gracious smile on her face... almost ethereal.

"Miss McKinnon, why are you seated here all alone?" She asked.

"I dunno..." I shrugged.

"Don't you have your friends to sit with?"

"They're on the other side of the room."

"Well, if it'll make you feel better... why not I pair you up with a Gryffindor if that's what you really, really want... hmm?"

"That would be... better," I said thankfully.

She gave me a look of slightly concerned about my sanity and of shock. "Alright... what about that Black kid? You can help him improve on his abysmal potions."

"That's...good, thanks," I replied with a smile.

She turned, her inky black hair fell over her shoulders and her sharp eyes scanned the classroom.

"Black!" She screeched, all gracefulness lost from her voice. "Come here."

Sirius trudged involuntarily with a tired frown on his face to Professor Valentina's side.

"What?"

"You shall say, yes Professor Valentina," she corrected.

"Yes, Professor Valentina..." droned Sirius exasperatedly.

"Good, now partner Miss McKinnon," she ordered.

"Okay."

He settled down on a chair next to mine grinning. "So how's stuff?"

"Fine... I guess..." I replied unsurely.

"Here Sirius," crooned a girlish voice. Christella held Sirius's tube shaped vial in delicately in her fingers. A lingering sickly sweet smile stretched across her rose red lips as she shook the vial slightly.

"Thank you," said Sirius awkwardly, giving her odd looks as he took the vial but Christella held on to it with that smile still on her face. "Thank... you..." muttered Sirius trying to pull the vial away from her fingers.

She let go finally with a high-pitched laugh. "Here," she said rudely, dumping my vial on the table. But her irritated glare was soon replaced by a love-struck smile.

"Well, see you later Sirius," she said flirtatiously as she strolled away, running her fingers along his shoulders as she passed.

Sirius raised his eyebrows egotistically and flicked his bangs back.

"They all want me," he breathed smugly.

I frowned back at Christella as she distributed the rest of the vials. Soon after everyone had been paired, Professor Valentina went up to the front of the class and called for attention.

"Alright," she said. "I have already graded your potions. But what's a potion for if you don't know how they work. Today, you shall be drinking your partner's potions instead of your own. Your potions should last approximately an hour... just until this period ends. You may begin whenever ready."

I looked at Sirius' vial. Instead of being crystal clear, it was slightly purple in colour.

"Um..." I said unsurely. "I guess I'll be drinking this then..."

I laughed nervously and uncorked his bottle, wondering whether or not it'll poison me. Sirius reached over and took my vial. He uncorked it and looked almost wistfully at it.

"Promise you won't ask me questions okay?"

"Okay, same here..."

"Cheers!" He said cheerfully, raising the vial and downed it in one gulp.

Suddenly, he choked and the glass vial he was holding shattered into pieces on the stone floor. He gripped his neck, coughing and sputtering with a pained look on his face. I panicked. Oh my god... something bad happened to him. What if someone serious happened... what would happen to me? Would I go to jail? For attempted murder? Of go to jail for murder itself! I might have to change my name... run away to someplace like Mexico and make burritos by the roadside for the rest of my life!

I shook that insane thought out of my head and stared in shock as Sirius bent over, groaning.

"Sirius! Sirius! Oh dear god..." I murmured in panic.

And suddenly it stopped. He straightened up with a cheeky grin plastered to his face. My face fell as I stared in shock. He threw his head back and laughed. And laughed.

"You should've seen your face!" He gasped in between chuckles. "Hilarious!"

"Hey!" I scolded him angrily. "Never do that again or I promise you'll pay for it."

"Sorry..." he said, still stifling his laughter. "Anyway... drink up."

I closed my eyes and poured the liquid down my throat. It burned its way down leaving a bitter aftertaste. There was a sudden bout of dizziness and I balanced my head on my hand, putting the vial back onto the table where it rolled precariously near the edge.

The drowsy spell faded away and I blinked a couple of times and the world came back into focus.

"Um... how do you tell if it worked?" I asked, shaking my head slightly.

"Who do you have a crush on?" He shot suddenly.

I frowned slightly. "Nobody..." I answered carefully.

"Ha! I know you're lying! Which means... that potion didn't work... that means..." he frowned in concentration. "I failed!"

I shrugged with a smirk on my face and grinned. Everywhere people were turned away from their partners with their mouth clamped shut, as though it would help. There was a distinct sigh of relief from the class as soon as the bell rang signaling the end of the lesson.

I trudged alone... again, up the spiral staircase that led to the Entrance Hall. I escaped into the periwinkle blue skies, the lush greenery and to the gentle autumn breeze.