Chapter 2: Let's get this straight….
"Wonderful. And how exactly, oh gifted one, are we supposed to improvise?" Asked Sirius dubiously. He didn't sound quite as annoyed as he did distracted, trying to figure out which ingredients were most like that damn hallucinogen. And why don't they teach something useful in potions? Like that their key ingredients could save them a helluva lot of money?
Remus didn't reply as he was too busy looking in his book for ingredients that were most like moonflower. Was the flower a base for the potion or was it added to balance the poison in the runespoor blood?
Casting a silencing charm, Sirius continued to ramble at a normal volume. "I mean, its not like we can go up to Prof. K and just ask him to hand out one of his rarest ingredients! It's bound to get us a Troll and we'd probably be kicked out of the class for not passing on a project that costs us 80 of our grade! What the hell was he thinking when he decided how to score us? That man is truly sadistic I tell you. Why couldn't we have been prepared for class? Oh why? WHY? Oh mighty Merlin, if you can hear my plea, please take the time to strike down a certain first year with all of the wrath and power your goodness has -"
"Sirius, in all do respect, get your head out of your ass and shut your trap."
Remus continued to pound the shriveled fig roots even after they had reached the fine powder that was required. Sirius thought it best to keep further comments to himself as his partner's nails were subtly getting sharper by the minute.
As soon as the grim-like canine added exactly one cup of plimpy blood mixed with one crushed runespoor eggshell, his companion yelped in triumph. The amber-eyed youth was just about bursting when he announced, " I've got it! I know what to add to our potion! Well, without killing anyone or making us spontaneously combust."
Sirius gave an unmanly 'eep' and just about threw down the mixture he was about to add. He jumped over to where his fellow Marauder was pointing to their potions textbook in triumph.
"It says here that 'any one ingredient that cannot be added for whatever reason, can be substituted with another.'"
"Yes, yes, we've established this"
"Well if you'd pay attention to our textbook, you'd notice that whenever it states the obvious, a chart is usually included." Remus's slender finger traced down the page to follow the chart. "Since this potion is altering the very sexy and masculine physic of our bodies-" Sirius snickered at that, "we have a choice of adding either mandrake leaves to counteract the runespoor blood or we could mix in a bit of the brewer, kind of like polyjuice potion, to give the potion a signature of who it will apply to.
"I don't know about you but I don't have any mandrake leaves on me and I doubt anyone else does either. I'll stick to the latter option. That way when we drink the potion, it won't kill us when we drink it since it's designed especially for us."
"Couldn't it be a poison designed especially for us also?" pointed out Sirius.
Remus silently contemplated this then finally muttered, "Good point" while rubbing his chin pensively.
"Oh look! I found a picture I drew under the table!"
Sirius sighed exasperatedly and threw his hands up in the air.
"Would you get your head off that," here he gesticulated towards Remus' lap where the drawing resided, "and think about this for a second? This is one of the hardest things I've had to deal with in a long time, and I need a little bloody help!"
Unfortunately for Sirius, the silencing charm decided to wear off at this opportune moment.
The class was completely silent and, not for the first time, Sirius felt the heavy weight of many gazes upon him.
Then the class erupted into giggles.
Remus and Sirius just blinked. Remus being the more astute Marauder, caught on and started to snicker at the look on Sirius' face. Sirius just blinked.
As soon as the appropriate detentions had been doled out, and the class settled down with the least amount of violent displays, everyone was back to brewing their potions. It was twenty minutes later when the bell was minutes from ringing that Sirius and Remus gave up on their quest.
"What the fuck, lets just add some of our blood into the potion and then we'll be ready. I can't take this any longer. If we fail, we fail with honor, but if we die, we shall always be remembered as the two that went down in the insane Russian's class. Maybe they'll finally give him the boot that way, anyhow." And with that, Sirius swiftly drew his knife down his palm and held it out over the cauldron, letting the crimson liquid fall into their potion.
Remus just stared at him. Then he shook his head of any thoughts he might be having about how disturbingly easy that was and followed his partner in crime's example.
As soon as both of their blood hit the cauldron, they both jumped back as the color of the potion changed from a deep amethyst to the darkest shade of onyx. They were both staring intently on it and didn't notice when their professor dismissed the class. All they cared about was the swirling colors, which left no room for anything else.
They both could feel the magic pouring through them and into the potion, the swirling of the onyx with the now emerging ochre made the two lab partners plus some lingering students, look on in awe. They could not imagine anything more beautiful, albeit more than slightly dangerous.
It was then that they noticed that the potion had started to look as if it were about to explode. The room slowly began to pulse, and an echoing roar filled their ears. As most of the people in the potions room ran for cover, the room shook and the two Marauders knew no more.
TBC
Yay for splosions! Also yay to death threats on my soon-to-be-a-pin-cushion arse! Here's a 'nother chapter for ya. My lazy bum is gunna head out for a smoke, contemplate the meaning of life, and perhaps post ANOTHER ickle chapter while I eat my coffee ice cream. Mmm, coffee.