AN: *slumps to her knees and begs for forgiveness* I feel like what is written under this note does not atone for the prolonged silence... but there you go. Ill try make something interesting happen in the next chapter maybe with a face to face encounter but right now their friends will take center yes,a short chapter to not let you forget that my story exists :P Dunno if the missing words thing will be at my throat again but...uh enjoy :s Love,
Acid x
Meanwhile, in the Gryffindor Common room Oliver Wood worshiped a black haired enchantress. She had dark cunning eyes and thin ruby lips which curled up slightly in amusement at the sight of the domesticated Quidditch Captain. He held her on his lap like a gift from God, adoring her sharp features as a starving poet bestowing all hope on a masterpiece inspired by a stern and temperamental muse. Oliver Wood was never so sure that he was in love. His infatuation and lust for Connie even overwhelmed his fantasies of Marcus. Her smooth legs fascinated him and in the darkness of their corner he covered them in burning kisses. Connie Bollato however felt nothing, she let Olivers caresses slip over the surface while her mind firmly held the image of another, imagining his face in a scowl of jealousy and eyes burning with renewed want. Of course, she was in love with the dark haired Gideon Pends. But he didn't seem to care about how she got along, what she did and he no longer spent long evenings with her in that courtyard that we were briefly introduced was definitely not stupid, she as most women knew when she was wanted, and left before he had the chance to ask her to. Connies infatuation was a stretched out version of Nyxs. But Oliver was oblivious to this. He didn't sense his partners disinterest, Oliver was naturally blind to false emotions and was usually the last to find out that he was cheated.
"When are we going to tell everyone about us?" Connie asked wrapping her arms around his neck. Oliver blushed and stuttered.
"Do we need too? It's no ones business but ours."
"But then other girls will try to steal your love! Or nasty boys like that Marcus Flint." she replied haughtily taken aback by this obstacle.
"Believe me,Flint stands no chances." Oliver scoffed.
"Is that so?" Fred sneered from behind a book. He could see right through Connie and didn't blame her,but he was awfully angry at Oliver for buying all her crap so naïvely.
"Yes,Fred. That arrogant Slytherin prick is loathsome to me." Oliver snarled turning to Fred.
"I believe you,love. I'll go to bed now, goodnight." and she fled the scene feeling that Fred will try to uncover her.
"What the fuck,man?" Oliver cried snatching the book away from Fred.
"Saving your head,you git. You know Connies history,don't you? She loves that Pends guy not you!" Fred snapped, eyeing Oliver challengingly.
"Thats not true! She said she loves me. She let me touch her!" Oliver said sternly, a look of a small child giving the argument all he had.
"You're kidding yourself. As for Flint, guess what? He ditched the little girl, Adrian Pucey just sent me an owl." Fred informed, carefully waiting for reactions.
"That man-whore! Two people in two days!" Oliver scoffed, averting his eyes from Freds piercing glare," And what's up with you and Pucey? Are you trying to hook us up?"
It was Freds turn to look away. As the only two indirectly involved souls that knew the whole story, him and Adrian have had conference through post and kept each other in touch.
"No, it's just we're friends and all now." Fred defended his position,sourly looking at Oliver.
"Ah, of course. Fred Weasley befriends a Slytherin! Not just any Slytherin either,an older Quidditch playing Slytherin,a dangerous rival. Very bloody believable." Oliver arched his eyebrows, determined to take the upper hand, he needed to reassure himself of everything.
"Whatever,mate. All I'm saying is: you're a tool of Connies vengeance and Flint is now single again, right after your talk. What can you make of that?" Fred pressed on leaning in, he had a piercing stare.
"But I love Connie, so it doesn't matter. My and Marcus' paths were different from the start anyway." Oliver replied turning away. He closed the topic for discussion. "I'll go to bed now. So sorry to foil your and Puceys plans."
Once Oliver was out of sight Fred snatched a piece of parchment and scribbled a few lines then strapped it to the black owls leg, webbed with deep cracks. The post should be delivered around breakfast thus before that time his hands were tied.
"Oi,Marcus! I've got a surprise." Amanda Harley ran up to the Slytherin table during breakfast, she was sloppily plaiting her long hair. "I've got you into the Expert Potions Class!"
"What? Do I need it?" Marcus stammered,he wasn't expecting it at the least.
"Duh. To graduate it will help. Plus Snape is pretty sympathetic to you Slytherins," she laughed and handed him a timetable."maybe even you can pass his class."
"Great! You're with me and Miles! And Orlando of course." Adrian came up behind them after checking his post in private.
"Well, since the year is just starting I did some fussing and got you in. There aren't too many people in this class though. Mostly prefects and quidditch players actually. The other expert class runs on Saturdays and Mondays with normal people." Amanda mused as bewildered Marcus studied the timetable.
"Holy shit! I'll never pass this class,Amanda!" Marcus complained, he really did think so. In fact, he was having slight worries about graduating in general.
"You'll pass it,I promise, mainly because I'll look after you. I said I'd tutor you,didn't I?" she smiled and gave him a pat on the back. He picked at the scrambled eggs on his plate. After a short silence she added:
"Class in 15 minutes, don't forget."
On the other end of the table Nyx was watching Marcus miserably. Lachlan York did find her in a sorry state, and this invasion of privacy humiliated her, the poor lad had to work on the project alone.
"If it's that bad quit the bloody team,Nyx." Daphne asserted, her mouth full of scrambled eggs.
"But I love Quidditch, I've wanted the position for my whole life. I can't let that pig take everything." Nyx murmured more to herself than to Daphne.
"Fine, don't quit. But bear it silently or they'll kick you out." Daphne theorised still chewing.
"They wouldn't!" Nyx protested, doubting herself.
"Amateur beater, star chaser captain,amateur beater,star chaser captain…" Daphne made hand gestures as if weighting the titles,with 'captain' being the obvious favourite.
"Fine,I get it. Maybe I will just quit. But later. We have Charms now." Nyx moaned and left the table with one last look at Marcus baring his crooked teeth at something the long haired Ravenclaw girl said.
"Bloody brilliant, Anderson is in this class." Miles whined as they stood outside the grim dungeons.
"My my! Not alone either,eh? With her boyfriend! A shame,Miles." Marcus taunted eyeing the redhead hand in hand with the latino Hufflepuff prefect.
"You're so annoying,Flint!" Miles grumbled towering over the Captain.
"Aye, I must agree with that." Marcus acknowledged nodding. Obviously, an eye roll followed.
"So who are we stuck with?" Orlando asked Amanda who was arranging books for the group.
"Well,er, there's two Gryffie girls, one of which is a prefect."she nodded at them,"Dont look that way,Adrian, they are lesbians and they're dating each other. Then you guys are the only Slytherins in this class except for that chick, then there's Ruth Anderson and Lambert Dorn that you know, and Ruths boyfriend Esteban Town-something the Hufflepuff Prefect." Amanda was pointing at the seventeen year olds during her monologue,"From my house there's Robbie," Orlando arched an eyebrow at this obvious familiarity,"chill,darling, Robbie is a childhood friend of mine, and that pink haired lady there is my best friend Venetia who is also a lesbian,sorry Adrian. All in all that's sixteen people some of which I don't know." she finished. Adrian didn't seem impressed by the crew of their class.
"Great. Let's be kids and bugsy seats,eh?" Adrian proposed,"I bugsy Miles!"
"Bugsy Amanda!Sorry,mate, but she is my tutor." Marcus called,apologising to Orlando who scowled.
"I'll just see how it goes. Looks like I'm stuck with Dorn." Orlando shrugged, picking up his books and arranging them in his brass cauldron.
Snape appeared in the doorway, his step was silent as ever. He held a piece of parchment.
"Good morning. You're supposed to be exceptional Potions students,eh? This will be more than interesting. I will not tolerate mediocre potions so you will feel very much challenged. And it is your seating arrangements that I hold in my hand." Snape smiled coldly, his lowvoice echoed across the dungeons. Plans foiled,Marcus grimaced.
"When I call your place,go and set up" he commanded,"Monica Coalhill,Venetia Claret second row left table." the two girls hurried in with the Gryffindor prefect one pursing her lips not wanting to leave her girlfriend,"Orlando Morton,Robbie Bowden front center desk." Orlando was glad for the opportunity to study this potential rival,"Ruth Anderson,Adrian Pucey second row left table." Ruth looked disappointed,Adrian terrified,"Anne de Reims,Esteban Townsend first row left table," their faces remained blank," Amanda Harley,Miles Bletchley, second row right table," Marcus crossed his arms, Amanda glanced at him apologetically," and finally, Lambert Dorn, Marcus Flint front row right desk." Snape took a deep breath and continued but Marcus didn't hear the other four names.
Now Marcus was cut off from passing this class, after at least five years of not working he couldn't possibly master expert Potions, and he knew Dorn wouldn't even consider letting him copy. He set his cauldron half heartedly watching as Amanda tried to convince Snape, without doubt in vain. He wondered what would become of him if he didn't graduate,he knew he was only good for Quidditch and didn't consider any other profession, Falmouth Falcons was his team he knew. But he needed the damn grades.
"Lets start with the simplest,shall we? I want you to make a perfect antidote to common poisons, you studied it before fourth year so I expect no mistakes." Snape said looking around bleakly then striding to his desk and paying them no more attention.
Amanda took the opportunity to poke Marcus. She was sitting right behind him and leaned over her table to talk to him.
"Give me your wolfsbane leaves,I'll stew them for you properly." she whispered cracking open her textbook. He obediently handed her the small paper bag with the strong smelling dried greenery.
"Marcus isn't as dumb as to screw up this potion,Amanda." Miles remarked perusing his own textbook.
"Better safe than sorry." Amanda breathed lighting the fire under her cauldron. She sprinkled the leaves and cast 'Aguamenti' after them.
"Harley, he's not going to pass even with your help." Lambert stated calmly without even turning around.
"Shush. Marcus, here's the stew carefully chop the bezoar,okay?" she fussed stirring the purple concoction.
The hard dark brown lump strongly resisted against the steel sides of Marcus' right index finger and thumb were finely chopped instead. After Snape taking a point off Slytherin for Marcus' never ending swearing Amanda took the initiative and did the chopping and crushing with the pestle to save Marcus' hands. Double potions was finally in a countdown of time.
" . .Very . . .Very ." Snape peered into every cauldron with a critics eye. Marcus received an 'acceptable' and Amanda a 'perfect'. Marcus gave himself a pat on the back, if everything else goes this well he will clear his path to a quidditch future and in that big open world find a less confusing soul-mate.