a/n: Back again! Another lovely, *fluffy* chapter. Yes, fluff for you,
Annoriel. *grin*
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Chapter 18 - - - Barely Breathing
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"Wake up, Maria! Double Potions, first thing!" Lily shook her friend.
"I'm up, I'm up.." Maria rolled off her bed, landing at Lily's feet as the door burst open. "Hey!" Lily snatched Maria's blanket, covering herself, and Maria dashed under the bed as Sirius, Remus, and James trooped in.
"You guys could have knocked!" Lily complained. Maria nodded, scowling up at them from under her four-poster.
They shrugged and sat down on Lily's vacated bed.
"If it'll make you feel better, all those whose names don't end in 's' will avert their eyes," James suggested, grinning.
Maria rolled her eyes. "Very funny. How 'bout you *all* avert your eyes or I'll curse you?"
Sirius laughed. "Suuuure, Maria!"
Remus poked his friend. "I wouldn't...you've never been on the receiving end of her tickling charm, have you?"
"Until now!" Maria grinned, brandishing her wand at Sirius and James. "Rictusempra!!"
Remus winced. If his friends had been laughing before, it was nothing compared to now. He closed his eyes as Maria and Lily went to the bathroom, dragging Noel as the passed.
When the girls were cleaned up and Maria had (very reluctantly) performed the countercharm on Sirius and James, they all headed to the dungeons.
Professor Cheewa met them at the door. She gave them a sickeningly sweet grin, which they returned skeptically.
"Wonder what's up with her?" Noel whispered as they took their usual back seats.
They found out soon enough.
"If you remember, today is the day I choose a pair of you to test out your antidotes to the Draught of Living Death." She grinned, particularly at the Mauraders, who were suddenly feeling very faint. "So, if you'll put the finishing touches on your antidotes..."
"Which of us will she pick!?" James cried. "We can basically rule out Moony and Noel, they have no chance of failing. I've got Lily, so..."
They all looked at Maria and Sirius.
"Uh...are you insulting our potions skills!?" Sirius demanded, just as Maria added something to the antidote. It blew up in their faces.
"Ouch," Noel said.
Remus snapped his fingers. He filled a tiny vial with some of his and Noel's antidote and gave it to Sirius. "Here," he whispered, "because I don't want one of you in a coma."
Sirius nodded. "Thanks."
"Alright, you should be ready by now!" Cheewa called. "Let's have a volunteer pair! How about some brave little lions?" Her nasty gaze settled on the Gryffindors as the Slytherins snickered. "Hmmm...Black and Ravenwood! Would you kindly join me up here?"
Maria and Sirius looked at each other. Maria spoke.
"Well, if it's all the same to you, Professor, we like it back here-"
"GET UP HERE NOW!!"
"Ahh!" they scrambled up.
"Now," she said sweetly as they joined her in front of her desk, "Here's the plan. Miss Ravenwood, you will drink the Draught. Obviously, you will fall, but I daresay Mr. Black will catch you. Then he will give you some of your antidote."
Maria nodded and took the cup offered to her. She looked at professor Cheewa, who smiled nastily; her friends, who gave her smiles and thumbs-up; and finally Sirius, who grinned and mouthed, "I'll catch you." She took a deep breath and downed the potion.
Sirius watched. Maria's eyes rolled up into the back of her head and her legs gave out. He sprang forward to catch her, staring down. He stood there, unable to take his eyes off her, his breath caught in his throat.
Maria's eyes were closed, he bangs moving gently when she breathed. She looked radiant in sleep.
"Ahem...!" came a soft cough. Sirius looked up; James and Remus were motioning and pointing frantically while the Slytherins were sniggering. He looked to his left: Professor Cheewa was glaring at him and tapping her foot impatiently.
"Are you quite finished, Mr. Black? Tell me, do you always watch Miss Ravenwood sleep, or is this just an accident?" she leered spitefully at him.
Sirius flushed and muttered something. Then he pulled out the antidote Remus gave him and helped Maria swallow it. She didn't move. He looked at Remus.
James and Lily were whispering frantically to Noel and Remus, who were looking panicky. Sirius stood, immobile, at the front of the classroom, Maria still in his arms. All eyes were on him, he knew.
Professor Cheewa's grin, if possible, widened. Sirius looked back at Remus, who mouthed, "Distract her!"
Sirius grinned at Professor Cheewa. "Please, professor, give me another chance," he paused, watching as James dropped to his knees and crawled forward, "I think that was the sleeping draught we made in class last week. Here, I have the - oops!" he dropped the vial. It rolled toward James, who exchanged it and ducked away. Sirius picked up the new bottle. "See, this is the real one!"
The professor looked at him with disdain. "Fine." She seemed disappointed when Maria stirred awake.
"Wow, I feel rested! Thanks for lettin' me sleep through your class, Professor!" Maria said as she bounced back to her seat, followed by Sirius.
"Interesting little show you two put on up there." Lily whispered slyly. "Or rather, *Sirius* put on."
"What do you mean, Lily?" Maria asked interestedly. Lily whispered in her ear and she giggled.
"Good goin', Padfoot," James and Remus sniggered as they gathered their books. "Reeeeal smooth."
Sirius groaned as they headed to Herbology.
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a/n: Whee, fluffiness! And some mean-teacherness. Heh, heh. Something for everyone! Thanks for reviewing, everyone! Have you guys read the fifth book yet!???!! The you-know-what of you-know-who (not Voldie) made me so mad! I cried. Sigh. At least I have my story. Until tomorrow! Caio!
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Chapter 18 - - - Barely Breathing
~ * ~ * ~
"Wake up, Maria! Double Potions, first thing!" Lily shook her friend.
"I'm up, I'm up.." Maria rolled off her bed, landing at Lily's feet as the door burst open. "Hey!" Lily snatched Maria's blanket, covering herself, and Maria dashed under the bed as Sirius, Remus, and James trooped in.
"You guys could have knocked!" Lily complained. Maria nodded, scowling up at them from under her four-poster.
They shrugged and sat down on Lily's vacated bed.
"If it'll make you feel better, all those whose names don't end in 's' will avert their eyes," James suggested, grinning.
Maria rolled her eyes. "Very funny. How 'bout you *all* avert your eyes or I'll curse you?"
Sirius laughed. "Suuuure, Maria!"
Remus poked his friend. "I wouldn't...you've never been on the receiving end of her tickling charm, have you?"
"Until now!" Maria grinned, brandishing her wand at Sirius and James. "Rictusempra!!"
Remus winced. If his friends had been laughing before, it was nothing compared to now. He closed his eyes as Maria and Lily went to the bathroom, dragging Noel as the passed.
When the girls were cleaned up and Maria had (very reluctantly) performed the countercharm on Sirius and James, they all headed to the dungeons.
Professor Cheewa met them at the door. She gave them a sickeningly sweet grin, which they returned skeptically.
"Wonder what's up with her?" Noel whispered as they took their usual back seats.
They found out soon enough.
"If you remember, today is the day I choose a pair of you to test out your antidotes to the Draught of Living Death." She grinned, particularly at the Mauraders, who were suddenly feeling very faint. "So, if you'll put the finishing touches on your antidotes..."
"Which of us will she pick!?" James cried. "We can basically rule out Moony and Noel, they have no chance of failing. I've got Lily, so..."
They all looked at Maria and Sirius.
"Uh...are you insulting our potions skills!?" Sirius demanded, just as Maria added something to the antidote. It blew up in their faces.
"Ouch," Noel said.
Remus snapped his fingers. He filled a tiny vial with some of his and Noel's antidote and gave it to Sirius. "Here," he whispered, "because I don't want one of you in a coma."
Sirius nodded. "Thanks."
"Alright, you should be ready by now!" Cheewa called. "Let's have a volunteer pair! How about some brave little lions?" Her nasty gaze settled on the Gryffindors as the Slytherins snickered. "Hmmm...Black and Ravenwood! Would you kindly join me up here?"
Maria and Sirius looked at each other. Maria spoke.
"Well, if it's all the same to you, Professor, we like it back here-"
"GET UP HERE NOW!!"
"Ahh!" they scrambled up.
"Now," she said sweetly as they joined her in front of her desk, "Here's the plan. Miss Ravenwood, you will drink the Draught. Obviously, you will fall, but I daresay Mr. Black will catch you. Then he will give you some of your antidote."
Maria nodded and took the cup offered to her. She looked at professor Cheewa, who smiled nastily; her friends, who gave her smiles and thumbs-up; and finally Sirius, who grinned and mouthed, "I'll catch you." She took a deep breath and downed the potion.
Sirius watched. Maria's eyes rolled up into the back of her head and her legs gave out. He sprang forward to catch her, staring down. He stood there, unable to take his eyes off her, his breath caught in his throat.
Maria's eyes were closed, he bangs moving gently when she breathed. She looked radiant in sleep.
"Ahem...!" came a soft cough. Sirius looked up; James and Remus were motioning and pointing frantically while the Slytherins were sniggering. He looked to his left: Professor Cheewa was glaring at him and tapping her foot impatiently.
"Are you quite finished, Mr. Black? Tell me, do you always watch Miss Ravenwood sleep, or is this just an accident?" she leered spitefully at him.
Sirius flushed and muttered something. Then he pulled out the antidote Remus gave him and helped Maria swallow it. She didn't move. He looked at Remus.
James and Lily were whispering frantically to Noel and Remus, who were looking panicky. Sirius stood, immobile, at the front of the classroom, Maria still in his arms. All eyes were on him, he knew.
Professor Cheewa's grin, if possible, widened. Sirius looked back at Remus, who mouthed, "Distract her!"
Sirius grinned at Professor Cheewa. "Please, professor, give me another chance," he paused, watching as James dropped to his knees and crawled forward, "I think that was the sleeping draught we made in class last week. Here, I have the - oops!" he dropped the vial. It rolled toward James, who exchanged it and ducked away. Sirius picked up the new bottle. "See, this is the real one!"
The professor looked at him with disdain. "Fine." She seemed disappointed when Maria stirred awake.
"Wow, I feel rested! Thanks for lettin' me sleep through your class, Professor!" Maria said as she bounced back to her seat, followed by Sirius.
"Interesting little show you two put on up there." Lily whispered slyly. "Or rather, *Sirius* put on."
"What do you mean, Lily?" Maria asked interestedly. Lily whispered in her ear and she giggled.
"Good goin', Padfoot," James and Remus sniggered as they gathered their books. "Reeeeal smooth."
Sirius groaned as they headed to Herbology.
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a/n: Whee, fluffiness! And some mean-teacherness. Heh, heh. Something for everyone! Thanks for reviewing, everyone! Have you guys read the fifth book yet!???!! The you-know-what of you-know-who (not Voldie) made me so mad! I cried. Sigh. At least I have my story. Until tomorrow! Caio!