By the time Scorp and Evanna managed to get from the tower to Hagrid's old hut Charlie had already begun to address the class. He thankfully did not notice the heads join the group. Scorp was pleased to see that Charlie had conjured benches for the class. He quietly slid into a spot next to Rose who looked up. Recognising him, somehow, she sneered.
"Oh looky here Scorp Nom dyed his hair to please his girlfriend."
He gave her cool eyes, "Actually it's Scorp Bloom now and I didn't choose the hair, or the eyes."
Rose's look of distain changed magically, "Headmistress Bloom… offered to adopt you?"
He grinned and nodded, "And I accepted. Hence the hair and eyes."
Suddenly Rose's eyes were all business, "Wow I've never seen the effects of a blood adoption. This is amazing, you're face has completely rearranged itself you don't even look like Scorp Nom anymore." Suddenly she slapped him on the shoulder, "Stop changing damnit! It's confusing! First you turn up as Scorpius Malfoy with your stupid blonde hair. Then you're Scorp Nom with stupid brown hair and ridiculous highlights and now this? Scorp Bloom the frickin redhead! Make up your damn mind and stop with the identity crisis!"
"Ahem," Charlie's voice cut through Rose's rant, "Am I interrupting something Miss Weasley, Mr Nom?"
"No sir," they said together.
He smiled warmly, mostly at his niece, "Good. Now as I was saying as this is our first lesson I don't actually want you doing anything with the creatures since you don't know the safety yet-"
There was a groan as everyone recognised the beginning of a statement that always ended in, 'so we'll be doing written theory.'
Charlie smiled, "I know that groan, and you think I mean we'll be doing theory. Well we won't. Anyone who knows what the muggle game orienteering is, raise their hand." A few muggle borns raised their hands. Charlie pointed to one, a boy from Hufflepuff.
"Orienteering is a competitive sport that tests the skills of map reading and cross-country running, in which competitors race through an unknown area to find various checkpoints by using only a compass and topographical map, the winner being the finisher with the lowest elapsed time."
"Excellent, ten points to Hufflepuff. Now I've adjusted this to a form of bird watching. You will each be getting a map and a camera. The map is a magical one not unlike the Marauder's Map" Al and Scorp shifted guiltily, "There are seven creatures each with a tag on them, you must track each of them and take a picture. You must do this in team of two. First team back here with all seven pictures will be the winners. And no, you do not get to choose your team. Also, you may not use magic unless you are being attacked. No summoning the animals, no using magic to stop other teams got it?"
The class nodded.
"Ok. Umm, Jonnie Francis with Hannah Pierce. Thomas Whitcomb with Riana Benson. Albus Potter with Opal Muns. Evanna Longbottom with Natasha Port. Liam Crian with John Doe. Bethany Wells with Mathew Nickerson. Which leaves Rose Weasley with Scorp Nom… oh hang on," Charlie checked his list, "Scorp Bloom, my bad."
Scorp and Rose groaned together, they hated working together, even when they were getting along. You can never put two geniuses in a room together and expect them to work together; someone always has to be dominant.
Sighing Scorp pulled himself up and took a map, he handed the camera to Rose.
She glared at him, "What? You think because I'm a girl that I can't use the map?"
He glared back at her. "I did not say that. If you want the map then fine." He held it out to her.
"I don't care," she said stiffly and turned her back on him.
"Everyone ready? On your marks. GO!" yelled Charlie. Each group went their separate ways, each after the animals.
Scorp walked off straight following the small dot marked 'Jarvey' since it sounded the least dangerous. Rose trotted after him silently clutching the camera to her chest. She glared pointed daggers at his back.
He sighed, "Could you please stop?"
She blinked innocently, "Stop what?"
"Glaring at me."
"I wasn't"
"Was so"
"Was not"
"Was so"
"Was not"
"WAS SO TIMES INFINITY FULL STOP!"
"I liked the silence."
"Me too…"
They carried on walking and the minutes rolled by until, suddenly, Scorp held out a hand and stopped Rose dead in her tracks.
In front of them, its head sticking out of a hole in the ground was a Jarvey. The Jarvey, the one they were looking for. It looked just like a ferret only much bigger. It opened its mouth and yelled in a shrill female voice.
"Andrew! Get your fucking arse in here!"
Another Jarvey shot out from behind a tree and yelled back, "Sorry Mum. Some bloody Furlesses stopped me and stunned me with a bright light."
"Take the picture," hissed Scorp at a stunned Rose, who had never heard the legendary foul mouth of a Jarvey before. She raised the camera and took a shot. A flash of light caused the Jarveys to jump and the one called Andrew yelled, "Yeah! Just like that one!" Scorp turned and grabbed Rose by the arm before speeding away from the thoroughly pissed Jarveys.
They collapsed a few meters away giggling and gasping for air. Scorp pulled the map out of his pocket.
"What do you want to do next?" he asked.
She pointed to a rapidly moving dot, "That one, Billywig."
He groaned, "Fine. But if it comes at us, let it sting you, not me." He got to his feet and pulled her up.
The billywig was only a five minute walk away and they managed to avoid any awkward moments in that time. Finally they stopped and crouched down. A sapphire spinning thing flew over their heads and Rose managed the take a shot. It didn't see them, thankfully, a billywig's sting was ferocious and often left a wizard with a fever and sick stomach for day. They carried on, this time engaging in conversation.
"I thought Billywigs were native to Australia" (A/N: Woo! Go Australia!) Rose said.
Scorp shrugged, "I dunno, they might have found one in Hagrid's hut, you never know what you're going to find in there."
"Where
to next?"
"I guess flobberworms, it's closest."
"Yuck. Do we have to," complained Rose.
The flobberworm farm was right next to Hagrid's hut and Scorp really wished he had noticed it before hand, they were now miles from the hut.
"So did you get your time turner?"
Rose shook her head, "No, they made me drop everything except Muggle studies, Care of Magical Creatures and Ancient Runes. Something about last time they gave a student a time turner a criminal ended up escaping as well as a Hippogriff. But I really don't think I should be punished for some idiot's mistake! I'd be much more careful."
Scorp couldn't help but notice how cute she looked fired up. He shook the evil friendship ruining thought away and grinned. "They're just being cautious Rose, you can't blame them. Besides you'd get no sleep taking every subject."
She nodded, "I guess. It's just I wish-"
"Hey! Scorp! Rosie!" Al ran towards them waving his arms Evanna right behind him. Scorp grinned at his friend, only slightly put out that his conversation was interrupted, "Hey, what happened to Opal and Natasha?"
Al
starched the back of his head grinning slightly, "Yes well see
about that… turned out Natasha had pashed Opal's boyfriend at the
end of last year and today was the first day they had seen each other
and…"
"And Opal pushed Natasha down a hill into a Pixie
group," said Evanna cheerfully, "I got some wonderful pictures."
Scorp burst out laughing, "So did Cha-Professor Weasley put you two together then?" They nodded. "What had you photographed?"
"Opal and I got a picture of the Plimpy and Evanna got the Pixies and the Fwooper. (A/N: Not made up names. Taken randomly but directly from FANTASTIC BEASTS & WHERE TO FIND THEM.) We're heading up to Hagrid's place to do the flobberworm next, seemed the easiest."
"Excellent that where we were going," said Rose. She walked over and linked arms with Evanna and they walked off chatting leaving Al and Scorp in a very awkward situation. Scorp began to walk unsure if his friend wanted to talk alone yet. Al hurried after him and they walked side by side behind the girls.
Sighing Al spoke up, "You're an idiot."
"Yes I am. Why now?"
"You just stepped in Hippogriff poo and were so deep in thought you didn't notice."
Scorp looked down at his shoe and sure enough it was covered in brown smudge. "Crap…" he shook it off to the side and glanced at Al. "Thanks for that."
Al nodded, "You're also an idiot for not telling us the entire truth. What did you think we would do to you?"
He shrugged, "Well I thought you'd yell at me for using violence and Rose would slap me for no reason what so ever."
"true, she is getting unreasonable when it comes to you lately. I have a theory on that… But that doesn't matter, do you really think that poorly of us?"
"Sorry," Scorp muttered.
"You should be. Now come on, you don't know what those two are talking about and there's a ninety percent chance it's about us."
Scorp laughed, glad to have his friend back.
-ooo000ooo-
"So, three groups got attacked by Centaurs and had their camera's stolen, two halves from different group fought each other and only one group managed to get all seven photos is that right?" Charlie glared at his students who said nothing. "Is that right?" he repeated.
"Yes sir."
Charlie groaned, "I don't know what to say… apart from you're all idiots. Now for punishment I want two rolls of parchment on one of the creatures you saw today. Now get out of my sight."
The class groaned but dared not to complain.
"Oh and Mr Potter and Miss Longbottom? Congratulations your prize is you don't have to do the essay. And someone please inform Ms Port and Ms Muns that I want four rolls from them."
Scorp grimaced at Al as they walked away, "Mate, you're uncle's such a Snape."
A/N: Two weeks, two long agonising weeks a trying to push through writer's block and this is the end result. You'd think it would be better. Oh well. Ok listen up I have bad news. Next weeks from Tuesday to Thursday I have National Assessment Program–Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). So the whole weeks I'll be a nervous wreck of self-doubt. On the plus side Charlotte is so mad that I took so long writing this chapter she'll probably cause me a lot of pain if I take this long again. Anyway if you are super mad at me you can yell at me by reviewing.
Just follow the arrows.
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