Chapter Four
Potions, while an interesting lesson would never be a favourite of James and his friends. It wasn't that they weren't good at it, potions was in fact one of Remus and Sirius' best subjects, but, more simply, that they shared the lesson with the Slytherins. Including Severus Snape. Severus was extremely skilled at potions, and thought they would never admit it, Remus suspected that James and Sirius were jealous.
The four boys filtered into the dungeon along with the rest of their class. James and Sirius settled at their usual desk, with Peter and Remus at the table behind them. Lily Evans joined them and James twisted round in his chair to smile at her. She ignored him; James turned the movement into a stretch to retrieve a set of vials from Remus who shook his head as he handed them over with a vague smile. He, like Sirius, thought James should give up on pursuing Lily, and perhaps she would come to him.
While the Slytherins took up their own side of the room, one girl made her way across and slumped into a spare chair at James' table. He raised an eyebrow.
"Um…Drusilla?"
She looked up irritated, "What is it, Potter?"
"Nothing, apart from this would be my dear friend's and my table. As well as a Gryffindor table. Why in the name of Merlin are you sitting here?" Drusilla's irritation had now become mild anger.
"Actually Potter, I think that you will find that there is no law that says I cannot sit here. Not only that, but since you find yourself in the dungeons, which belong to Slytherin then technically you are sitting at a Slytherin table."
Sirius sat up finally. He had been slouching, unusual for him as normally his pureblood upbringing made him sit perfectly straight. With a mildly amused smirk, he addressed Drusilla,
"Yaxley," They amusement on his face grew as she interrupted him. James knew that Sirius would enjoy criticising the Pureblood girl on her bad manners.
"Yes, Black?"
"Don't interrupt, it is very rude." It was obvious to the boys the effort exerted controlling the scowl threatening to take over Drusilla's face. "I was about to enquire, why it is that you are sitting with us?"
Miss Yaxley opened her mouth to respond, but at that moment Professor Slughorn entered the room, and the lesson started.
"Good morning my students. I hope you are all feeling particularly sprightly this morning?" Slughorn looked around brightly at his sixth years. "No? Well no worries at all, for today's lesson will make all those depressing feelings disappear. Can anyone guess what we might be learning? Anyone at all?"
Severus' hand shot up; there were sniggers through out the room as the seam of his robes under his arm spilt. Even Drusilla smiled, for she had seen the flick of James' wand, which caused the incident. Slughorn however intelligently ignored the situation.
"Yes Mr. Snape?"
Blushing furiously Snape cleared his throat and gave his answer, "Would it be the Felix Felicis sir?"
However, Slughorn tutted ruefully, "No no, my dear Severus. Good old Felix will be waiting until next term I fear. Anyone else care for a go?" This time two hands raised, those of Lily Evans and Remus Lupin. "I will of course assume that there has been no conferring here?" Slughorn inquired. Both Students shook their heads quickly and waited for him to pick.
"In which case would you please present your answer Miss Evans?" With a quick smile at Remus, Lily said
"An Elixir to Induce Euphoria professor?"
"Yes indeed. Well done, twenty points to Gryffindor." The professor beamed at her. "Well if you will all turn to the correct page of your text books. The first and best will be exempt from tonight's homework. You may begin." Slughorn turned away to sit at his desk as the class began to bustle into activity.
"An Elixir to Induce Euphoria professor. Please professor let me lick your shoes professor." Drusilla mocked Lily just loud enough for the poor girl to hear, as well as the surrounding four boys. She grinned to herself as Sirius let out a bark of a laugh, soon joined by Peter, but that stopped as he saw the look on James' face. It was clear; at least from where Remus was sitting that James could have cheerfully strangled the Slytherin girl there and then. Lily herself, looking distraught, almost ran to the stock cupboard to find her ingredients, and luckily, Lupin was the only one to notice that she had forgotten the list she of what she needed. As she left James did laugh, causing her face to darken further. Yet Remus knew that he was only laughing to cover up his reaction to her distress.
For the rest of the lesson Sirius and Drusilla spent their time heads together, helping and hindering each other's work. James, as usual split his efforts between plotting with Sirius and helping Peter with Remus. Peter always would struggle in potions but he enjoyed the work, and wasn't too bad really. James and Sirius' plotting, which was, typically, based around "what horrible thing could they do to Snape next?" was eagerly assisted by Drusilla. Drusilla would appear to be a newfound ally in Slytherin house, Remus and Peter, discussed in quite whispers while James was scheming, privately believed this was due to her obvious attractiveness, not just physically, but she also appeared to hate Snape too. Even referring to him with their own devised nickname of Snivillus.
It was later that evening when sitting in the common room, that Lily decided to interrupt the boys talk. She walked over almost nonchalantly, however there was a certain stiffness to her movements. With a warm smile from Remus, she approached.
"Good evening Remus, Peter." She even smiled to Sirius and James, who were instantly on alert for some kind of trick. They had been caught out that way before. Yet it was James who answered her.
"Evening Evans. What is it that my fellows and I can do for you?" He treated her to his most courtly smile, "If indeed it is something you desire that can be given?"
"That's quite enough thank you Potter. No, I actually came to give you a message. Sirius, professor Dumbledore would like to see you in his office." with that she smiled and turned to leave,
"Wait," It was Sirius, "Did he say why?" For once Sirius looked nervous. It was only for a second, but Remus saw it all the same.
"No, sorry but he didn't. He just said it was urgent." With that, she turned on her heel and left.
Sirius slumped in his chair, a dark shadow clouding his face. The others exchanged a look.
"Right," Decision made James took control of the situation. "We'll go with you and map out that area on route, and then we'll do that passage behind the mirror on your way back."
"Shhh!" Peter looked worried as there were, as always, several younger years trying to listen in on the talk of the four enigmatic teens.
"Yeah, yeah I guess" Sirius shrugged and followed the others upstairs to get their things.