Leave it to me to be late on my first day… and make a scene in the entire dining hall. It took me a few minutes to wrap my head around exactly what just happened, as well as get over the shock of what was happening. Never in my life had I imagined the accounts of the past hour taking place and could not keep saying "what just happened?" over and over again in my mind.
Rushing to transfigurations, almost falling down the stairs... twice, and stepping on a staircase that turned the wrong way, I just knew the scalding I'd get from Professor McGonagall.
"Miss. Greengrass," Professor McGonagall didn't even turn around when I walked through the door, "it's nice of you to join us finally, I hope we aren't too much of an inconvenience."
"Sorry professor, I had a bit of a... hold up," I said ducking my head and taking a seat at the first open desk.
"So I've heard from Professor Snape. Detention on the first day, that's not a great start."
I felt like I was going to be sick. This was too much attention in one day.
"If it makes you feel any better," the voice next to me whispered. "I've already got a week's worth, and I've only been awake for one hour."
I looked to the left of me. The seat I had taken was next to Theodore Nott who was also in the Slytherin house. Theodore's father used to be really good friends with my father. I used to be infatuated with him. I would write Mrs. Astoria Nott on parchment and then burn it so no one would find it. He was very good looking and charming, girls from every house had a crush on him. When the article came out that his father was a Death Eater, his charm went away, except for maybe in the Slytherin house, a lot of the girls thought the more dangerous the more attractive. There were even rumors that he was a Death Eater himself, but I'm still not sure if that is true.
"What did you manage to do?" I asked him.
"Went into Flich's office and stole my time turner back, then went back an hour and stole a few potions from the new Potions cabinet." He said it nonchalantly. "I got caught in the past and present, therefore double detention. What did do to land herself in detention on the first day? Mommy and Daddy won't be happy to hear that."
Making out with Draco Malfoy in the forbidden part of the seventh-floor corridor. "Wandering around in places I'm not supposed to be."
"Leave it to Snape to wander the halls looking to get students in trouble," he smirked. "Don't worry, you got off easy. One night, and I'll be there to keep you company."
"Miss. Greengrass and Mr. Nott, I know you are partners for the class, but I am trying to lecture, if the conversation is so interesting perhaps we would all be interested to know." Professor McGonagall and the whole class' eyes were on both of us.
"Oh I'm sorry Professor," Theodore spoke smoothly, "I am really looking forward to this year's class, I was just telling that perhaps she can transform me into a mirror just so I could see her reflection and so she can see how beautiful she is."
For the fifth time today, I felt my cheeks warm up. I have had too much attention on me for one day.
"Charming, Mr. Knott," McGonagall spoke, although the look on her face showed she was anything but charmed, "but you can only change humans into a living object, not an inanimate one unless you want to face serious consequences. Perhaps you would know that if you stopped flirting with Miss. Greengrass and started paying attention."
Flirting, at that word every Slytherin girl in the room shot daggers my way. Theodore looked smug and content. And every boy seemed a little impressed and jealous at just how smooth he was. McGonagall looked like she was about to give both of us detention for the rest of our lives. And I felt the urge to throw up.
"Sorry professor!" I spoke up. "That was my fault, there will be no more interruptions from us for the rest of the class."
McGonagall turned back and continued lecturing on how to turn a Guinea fowl into a guinea pig. It didn't take long after that scene for rumors to spread that Theodore Knott and Astoria Greengrass were dating. It didn't take long for a lot of rumors about Theodore and I to spread. All that was untrue.
Later that afternoon when all my classes were over, walking up the stairs to the Slytherin common room, I bumped into Theodore, causing all my books to scatter all over the staircase.
"Sorry," he mumbled and bent down to pick up my books and handed them to me before rushing off. He looked distracted and in a hurry. When I entered I sat down at a table and opened up A History of Magic to start on the long bit of homework I had due. As I flipped to chapter one, a piece of parchment sat between the pages.
Meet me on the seventh floor, in the northwest alcove.
We can work on our "transformations".
Don't get caught.
-Theodore
And then the note burned up in my hand, only leaving a pile of ashes in its place. I sat there wondering what I had gotten myself into.