As I enter the dungeons Telula practically assaults me and drags me right back out. "We have half and hour before dinner starts and I have to tell you about what happened today!" She looks at me intently.
"I don't need to be dragged around for you to tell me do I?"
Shaking her head she said simply, "Nope!" and then continued to drag me to our special spot by the Black lake under our favorite tree.
"So you know how I partnered up with Felix in Herbology today?"
Amused I nodded, "The same kid you've been crushing on for only forever, yes I remember Felix."
She blushed at this, "Well, he ran into me after classes ended and we got to talking, discreetly of course, can't be too friendly you know?" I hum appropriately. "Well he's just positively dreamy Selena! We have the same favorite color and he loves to explore the castle just like I do!"
Rolling my eyes, "So Prince Charming isn't just pretty then? You've got things in common?"
"Oh boat loads we talked for 2 hours Selena! TWO HOURS!" She sighs and leans on me faintly at this.
"You know for all your sarcasm and eye rolling you are seriously the more dramatic of the two of us."
"Yes, and life is tragically unfair."
Leaning on her now I sigh, "I know Looah, maybe it'll be easier some day."
She sat up at this making me fall a bit without her presence, "You know it won't Selena, it'll never get easier. I'll never get to make my own decisions and if I ever do my parents would disown me. You know that We can't all be lucky like you and fall in love with a high society pureblood and him fall for you. There are expectations to be held." The bitter wasn't too hard to discern from her voice.
Wrapping my arms around her I whisper, "I know Telula, but I can still hope that everything will change and that I'll get to see you fall in love with the man of your dreams and it won't matter what blood he has as long as you are happy and your parents would just be happy because you are happy." Relaxing into me she sighed and looked out at the Black lake.
"I know Selena. I hope so too."
Trying to brighten her up, "Well until that day I suppose you'll just have to live your life with scandalous rendezvous and hot snogging in broom cub-bards under the security of darkness. It can't be all that bad until things get better, right?"
"I suppose it isn't all bad for a bit."
"And plus, you've only just started actually talking to Felix, what if he turns out to be a total prick?"
"Oh he wont, I just know it! We will just have to keep things on the down low, even if we're just friends. My parents wouldn't be too happy if they found out I was consorting with that type."
Abraxas had joined us for dinner this time bringing with him his two more pleasant friends Rachel and Richard. "You know Abraxas, your birthday is tomorrow." I mention nonchalantly reaching for some food to plate.
"Oh really love? I had no idea."
"Yes, it seems as though you'll be turning the eventful age of 18."
"Oh? And does that age come with a surprise?" He leaned in and smirked at me.
"Oh perhaps, but they say that to say there is a surprise would in fact lessen the surprise should it come."
He growled back, "Love, don't play coy with me. What do you have planned you wicked witch?"
"That's for me to know and you to find out. My lips are sealed." I made a motion to lock my lips.
"And you say there is no amount of persuasion I could recruit in order to loosen those sweet plump lips of yours?"
Rolling her eyes Telula groaned, "Take your sweet nothings elsewhere Abraxas, you know she wouldn't ruin a surprise and your lines are gag worthy I swear." Rachel and Richard laughed at Abraxas' pouting.
"Don't worry my sweet, all will be revealed in time no?" Patting him on the cheek I returned to my dinner not to ignore the glare being thrown my way from across the hall from the impossible self proclaimed cretin that inhabits the most honorary table of crimson and gold. Maybe this year will be more interesting than I thought.
"My love, wake up." The responding grunt and turn over was discouraging. "Love, come on."
"Lerv- m- lone." Chuckling softly I shake him one more time and one of his eyes peer open. Smiling at him I hold up the tray of all his favorite breakfast foods.
"I figured that for your birthday you would prefer breakfast in bed; however, if I'm wrong I can always just bring this back to Telula and I's room to a splendid time since there seems to be enough for two."
"No, no come back to me." Putting the tray down on the bedside he reached his arms out to drag me under the covers with him and cuddle up.
"This is positively scandalous you know?" He snuggled into me further mumbling incoherently. Laughing I said, "I know you don't want to get up, but you do still have classes today." Squeezing me a little he relented and sat up. I pulled the tray from the bedside table and we ate our breakfast together happily and peacefully thanks to a little bribing on my part for his roommates to vacate the premises early in the morning. "Now, I've planned a bit of a get together tonight for you and your friends and some gift giving. Mine will of course be for later, but I figured you couldn't go wrong with a merry night of drinks and games."
Leaning over he kissed me soundly on the lips, "Now, what I would do without you woman I know not." Rolling my eyes I shove a slice of fruit into his mouth.
"Yes well, I'll see you tonight then, I'll be busy the rest of the day with Telula and I'm sure your friends will demand some attention from you as well." I pause to blow him a kiss from the entrance to his dorm and leave to get ready for the day.
"Welcome to potions for your 5th year with me and one of your most important. We will be brewing a different potion every two weeks for the first half of this year. The first week will be the theoretical week going over the potion and it's uses followed by discussion for further research and the next week will be the practical week. This is where you will have two tries to brew the potion and with enough time you may attempt to alter the potions and write a 10 inch paper on your reasoning behind the change you made, what you expected to happen, and what truly happened. Furthermore, you will be switching partners for every potion. We will do a total of 4 potions in this cycle for this semester, the Invigoration Draught, Draught of Peace, Strengthening Solution, and Calming Draught. The second half will be a review period of the past 5 years along with a final project for this class. With that done and out of the way, partner up! Oh, and I almost forgot, two of your 5 partners for this year must be from the other house!" In a class full of Gryffindors I was about to make my way to a table with Telula when to my surprise Lily walked up to me. I could feel the instant gazes from the Marauders and Severus.
"Hello Selena, I was hoping that for this first potion you wouldn't mind being my partner?" Glancing sideways to Telula I could see the confusion on her face and could only imagine how it looked reflected on mine. Noticing this Lily looked to see Telula, "Oh, are you already partnered? I get that don't worry about it."
She went to turn away and with one nod and eye roll from Telula, "Oh come on Evans, we can sit at the front. I know that's your favorite spot anyhow." Turning around I could see the shock and small smile form on her face as she walked towards the table in the front. Shoulders shagging I followed behind her, noting the gazes that followed. Interesting indeed it would seem.
The short reprieve with the Ravenclaws was not nearly long enough for having to share class yet again with the Gryffindors for no other than DADA. "I wonder what our DADA professor will be like this year. Hopefully competent." Telula mused from beside me as we entered and sat down at the desks. The class settled waiting for Professor Dawlish to appear. With a flourish of his coat he emerged from his office.
"Divide yourself into pairs partnered with someone from the opposite house. Have an issue and I will assign you myself." His no nonsense attitude jump started people to pair up with others and thanks to the familiarity of it all the past day and a half most people already knew who they would most likely be partnered with. Looking around I half expected Lily to approach me once more, crossing my fingers in my head that she wouldn't potions today was already too much of a spectacle to make another. As I scan the room for a potential partner a finger tapped me on the shoulder. Turning slowly I happened upon the half smile of Remus Lupin. Giving him a small smile of my own we line up with the other partners at a line that Dawlish had made in the floor of the classroom. Leaning over I whispered to Remus, "I wasn't good enough for potions, but here you seek me out?"
He chuckled at this, "Lily seemed to have her mind set about you in potions. I wasn't going to be one to try and get in her way." Rolling my eyes, I notice Black staring at the two of us.
"I'm not going to get too much grief from one of your partners in crime over there am I?" He looked to where I indicated and saw Black too standing unhappily next to a simpering half blooded witch from Slytherin, Cassandra if I remember correctly.
Sighing, "No, hopefully not. I can't say he likes you very much though. Complained about you last night quite a bit to the fairly sympathetic James."
"I can only imagine how intriguing the conversation was." Chuckling together waiting for the final pairs to line up, I notice Severus' glaring as well.
"Now that you're all paired up, let's begin." Walking around the open space of the classroom he took in all of the pairs. "Your partner will be your partner for the year. They will be your dueling partner. Much of what you've learned you've practiced on dummies, which are effective for just learning the spell itself, but not learning how to use it like it is meant to be used. This year I will teach you a series of charms, jinxes, hexes, and curses. You will master it with your partner and every week we will attempt to duel using what you have learned over the course of the past 5 years. This will aid you most surely in your practical exams as surely if you can hit a person you can manage a measly dummy when the time comes. As for the theoretical uses, we will open with a quick quiz at the start of each class, so being here promptly on time is expected unless you wish for a an automatic zero. Once a month starting the first class of October we will have an exam, which in class will be a written portion and for practical aspect you will sign up for a time slot that will be posted the week before the exam." Clapping his hands and looking at the class he peered at some of the more well known students. "Now, let's see what you're all made of?"
Dueling with Remus was exhilarating. If he was studious in other classes, this surely must be the one that came the most natural to him. His concentration was impeccable and his movements swift. At least enough so to best me our first day. One should never underestimate their opponent, and I clearly did.
"You know, with moves like that you are destined to be some kind of extraordinary Hero or Villian," I told him at the end of class shaking his hand as one was want to do when a duel has finished.
Smirking, "You're not so bad yourself Davenport."
"Well, I hope I've got you on your toes at the very least. I won't let you win so easily next time." With that I left gathering Telula as we headed to the Great Hall for dinner.
"You've had quite the day today Selena. First you partner with Evans and then with Lupin? Feeling especially daring lately?"
"Telula, you know we have to partner with the other house. I might as well partner with the best they have to offer no?" Humming a response she did not seem too convinced.
After dinner, I prepared a small area of the common room for Abraxas' birthday gathering with the help of Telula and Rachel. Richard went to go get the butter-beer and fire-whiskey that was stored for the occasion. Adjusting the final bits of snacks and card games and set of arms wrapped themselves around my waist from behind. "You've really out done yourself you know?" Turning in his arms I smile.
"Abraxas Septimus Malfoy, it is your special day and as your girlfriend I've only done what any girlfriend would do."
"Selena Agatha Davenport, my betrothed, my fiance, you have still gone well and beyond what is necessary." He mocked back kissing me every few words.
"Just wait until you receive my gift!" One more kiss for good measure, "Now off with you love you have merriment to enjoy I'll be right next to you the entire time." He gave me his cheekiest of grins and then greeted the others as they made their way over to our little corner. Games of chess and exploding snap ensued with the conversations only those who are drinking have. Finally, at the end of it all when his friends went to sleep and Telula rolled her eyes at me and headed to bed, we collapsed onto one of the couches into each others arms. Wrapping his arms around me he burrowed into my neck leaving soft kisses. "Love, as much as I would love to continue this I still have my gift to give you."
"But you've already given me so much," he murmured into my neck. Slowly detaching myself from him and giggling a bit at his pout I pull a big box wrapped and ribboned from under the table where the rest of his gifts had been stacked. Eyes shinning he grabbed the box from me.
"What is it?"
"Open it and find out." Peeling the wrapping paper off and slowly opening the box he glanced back at me. "I know your father doesn't quite approve of your extra curricular activities, but I can't help but support you. Your work is beautiful." From within the box he pulled out a charmed notebook, a set of forever sharpened pencils, and specialty refilling oil paint set.
"Love, you must have gone out of your way for these."
"Well the pencils were a peculiarity but an owl here and an owl there and it turns out there are quite a few muggleborn artists that were taken with art and how to expand it in the magic universe. The notebook is specialized to your touch though. Only you can open it and it is made to be durable so no burning it, no amount of dropping it, or accidentally spilling things on it will ruin its pages." Putting aside the gifts he grabbed me and kissed me hard.
"You truly are my inspiration, my love." He whispers and kisses me once more.
