Remus was baffled when Adrianna walked into the common room, a deep scowl on her face, anger and frustration radiating from her. After all, she had just come from Double Potions, her favorite class, so why was she so angry. "What's wrong?" He asked as she walked over and flopped onto the seat next to him on the couch.

She didn't look at him but her scowl darkened. "Marcus Zalphin was just assigned as my lab partner. For the entire year." She glared into the fire and then turned to look at him.

Remus frowned. Marcus Zalphin was an arrogant jerk who never once stopped to hide the fact that he was interested in Adriana. This was not good. "Isn't there any way-"

"I already asked Professor Smyth," Adriana cut him off, anticipating his question. "He said that 'In the real world people have to deal all the time will others they don't like. So suck it up.'" She mimicked his former Professor's voice perfectly and Remus knew that once Smyth decided on something, there was no going back.

"Well …" Remus thought of another idea and voiced it even though he knew there was no way she'd agree to it. Oh well, it was worth a shot. "You could always drop out of Potions."

Adriana smirked at that. "I did consider it for all of three seconds. But Lupin, it's my favorite subject. Besides, if I don't take it they won't admit me into Auror training."

"So you have decided than?" Remus asked, looking intently at Ri.

"There was never really any choice. I love potions and I have to take it. I guess I'll just have to deal with that prat for the year." She smiled reassuringly up at him, noticing the worried look on his face. "It's only one year."

"A lot can happen in a year," he whispered back, unsure of why he was so … unsure.

She leaned forward and kissed him lightly, he could feel her smile against his lips and he smiled back. "Nothing we can't handle."

Remus opened his mouth to reply when he was interrupted by two loud and angry voices as James and Sirius walked into the room, each wore a similar scowl.

"Why don't you just mind your own damn business for once Prongs? You don't have to put your two cents in on every subject under the sun!" Sirius growled at his friend in frustration. The boys were having another inconsequential fight and both Remus and Adriana rolled their eyes. This fight, along with every other one they had ever had, wouldn't last long.

"I'm just trying to help you arrogant jerk. And we both know that you could use my help!" James replied to Sirius, annoyance crossing his face as he glared at his best friend. The two sat on the chairs closest to Ri and Remus.

Remus smiled, "What are the two of you fighting about now?"

"Yeah, which girl?" Adriana asked, leaning into Remus who placed his arm around her.

Both Sirius and James turned and looked at the two, seemingly as if just noticing them. Each wore a similar expression as they asked "What?"

Remus raised an eyebrow. "Over the last two years almost every time the two of you have gotten into an argument it has been about a girl."

James laughed as Sirius spoke out. "We're talking about Quidditch."

"Quidditch?" Adriana laughed, as if the excuse was absurd. "What about Quidditch then?

Both boys tried to answer simultaneously.

"Prongs is trying to convince me that –"

"Padfoot here doesn't want to try out some new strategies –"

"- I need to practice these completely idiotic tricks -"

"- That I came up with over the summer which will help in our winning streak." James finished.

"- Which I really don't think will help at all. Really, they're just a waste of time." Sirius finished right after James.

Remus burst out laughing. "That has got to be the stupidest argument you have ever had."

"Ah, but you forget," James started speaking, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms confidently. "The time in 4th year when Sirius and I got into a fist fight over who played seeker on that Canadian Quidditch team. The Flying Victorians."

Sirius laughed too, "Oh yeah! I remember that! And we were both wrong too."

"Professor Smyth had to split the two of us up! And you had a bloody nose and I had a –"

"- Black eye. I remember that. But do you remember the time in 2nd year when we beat each other up over the label on chocolate frogs?" Sirius asked all his anger at James gone.

"Now that was a dumb fight. We didn't talk for a week." James smirked at the memory.

Ri, who had been staring at them, reminiscing about the years they had enjoyed burst out laughing and Lupin smiled down at her. He loved Adriana so much and always had. And he loved to see her laugh …

James cleared his throat, sensing that a moment was arising between Ri and Remus. "Any way, we'll leave you two to your conversation and go up to the dorms to continue discussing my genius strategy." James rose up out of his chair.

"Genius strategy? You mean your hair-brained scheme that's going to have the entire team thinking of you as a slave driver?" Sirius followed his friend to the stairs leading up to the boys' dorms.

"You said tomato, I say –"

"I say that you're insane." Sirius's was the last voice they heard as the two boys went up to the dorm, leaving Adriana and Remus chuckling in their seats.

A minute or so after James and Sirius left Adriana turned her face up to Remus, looking at him with a serious expression. "You know Lupin, Zalphin won't ever come between us. Nothing will."

"I know Ri. I won't let anything." She smiled at him and his tendency to always say the right thing and leaned forward to kiss him.

The next day, Adriana sat in stilted research with Marcus Zalphin. They had been given a lengthy essay and a visual project on famous and valuable Herbs which had to be worked on by both of them and was due in one month. This project also required a lot of out of class involvement and that was something Ri was definitely not looking forward too. Remus was not going to be happy about her spending outside time with Zalphin.

But as she read and researched she experienced an epiphany. She read page seven of Burberries 17th Edition Mystical Herbs and Legendary Plants over again, and then a third time to make sure that what she was reading actually made sense. Reading it a fourth time made her sure.

The page talked about a plant that was only found in the darkest of dark woods. It was cultivated by centaurs and was usually planted in clusters. It was a strange plant known as aconite, and while many of the most skilled potion masters knew of its existence and of its potential magic, few knew what its magical properties were. The only beings in existence that knew all it did were the centaurs who planted it.

But all the signs were there. Each property that was considered in theory would work marvelously. Adriana smiled widely, a plan already formulating in her mind. This would do very nicely.

A/N: So so sorry for the long delay in updating. I was backpacking in Austrailia for the summer and then got back in September just in time to start my final year of High School and have been having SO MUCH homework and actual work. I promise I will try and update sooner and more frequently!! Once again, sorry for the delay and hope you like this chapter. Pay close attention to the chapter title. It might show up again :P