A/N: So it is a little bit shortish. The next chapters should be longer than these first two chapters ;) Anyway, if you want more you better review! If not, well, what are you doing reading my story, anyway? But seriously, please review even if it's just to say you like it or to say you want more OR even to tell me I should do something differently or to say something random (because I've received that before O_o) or to ask me a question. I'm usually pretty good about answering! Oh, and thanks to jennyellen for the first review :P NOW ONTO THE STORY!

Chapter Two: Amortentia

I waited a good minute before leaving the classroom, letting my anger settle down enough so that if someone approached me in the dungeons I wouldn't bite their head off. However, I was still so frustrated by the antics of James Potter that I was sure my face was still flushed. Seeing as we had Potions after lunch, and there was a free period for everyone until dinner, I set off to the common room in the hopes that I would intercept Gemma. Finding the appropriate stretch of wall, I breathed the password, "Amortentia," noting the irony in the password being the name for the most powerful love potion in existence, and stepped into the tunnel that led to the common room.

Looking around for Gemma, I was a bit disappointed when the only people I noticed in the common room were a few third years sitting on the sofas and my cousin, Scorpius Malfoy, speaking to Rossa, a girl in her sixth year. Figuring that I may be able to appropriately channel my anger for Potter onto Scorpius without offending him, I walked up behind him and prodded the back of his head.

"Merlin's beard, Nee!" He exclaimed, making Rossa jump when he did, "Why do you have to be so violent?"

"Because nargles," I said, adopting Lorcan Scamander's usual response to certain questions he didn't want to answer. Lorcan was a Ravenclaw and was in his sixth year, but considering he wasn't exactly a fan of James Potter for always giving his best mate – and by his best mate I mean Albus Potter – a lot of shit, he and I got along well.

Scorpius seemed to be annoyed by my pointless response and narrowed his eyes at me, "What do you want?"

"Have you seen Gemma?"

"Yes!" Scorpius said, annoyed, "She's in the girls' dormitory!"

"Thanks, you prat," I remarked before turning to walk away, merely receiving a rude hand gesture from Scorp as he turned back to Rossa to continue their conversation.

I had to cross the room and push open a door before walking down a short hallway and pushing open the door to the girls' dorm. Spotting me, Gemma stopped in mid-conversation with Emmy Ross to greet me, "Hey Rainee! You're missing out on some fantastic gossip."

Emmy didn't seem to notice the sarcasm in Gemma's voice, but I did. Gemma didn't particularly like Emmy because she tended to be the type to start and spread rumors frequently; it was for this reason that I didn't care much for her either.

"Erm, despite how interesting that sounds, I'd really like to talk to you for a moment if you don't mind."

"Okay," Gemma said before Emmy could interject anything, "Sorry Em, I'll have to listen to you later," and then she accompanied me as I led her out of the dorms and the common room and into the silent sanctuary of the dungeons.

"So did you hurt Anthony again?" Gemma asked once I slowed down, approaching the stairs that led up to the ground floor.

I shook my head, "No, and I won't be able to again; Norman isn't my partner anymore."

"Oh," Gemma looked concerned, "Did Professor Twiddle give you a new partner, then?"

"No," I was exasperated as I spoke, "He asked the class if anyone would like to be my partner."

"Oh, Rainee," she said consolingly.

"That's not the worst part, Gem," I said, shoving her remark away, "Potter volunteered to be my partner."

She halted to a stop in the corridor, and I stopped as well, "He did what?"

"He volunteered," I said slowly, "To be my partner."

"You're bloody joking!"

"I'm afraid not."

"Merlin's bloody sodding beard," Gemma breathed, "What did you do?"

"Wished I would have run from the room before he said anything," I said very seriously.

She seemed to roll her eyes before re-phrasing her question, "What did you say to him?"

Instead of going through the entire conversation I had with James, which wasn't really all that long anyway, I just answered, "I told him that if he was going to be my partner he was going to have to refrain from calling me Monty."

Gemma was very quiet for a while before saying, "I see."

"I think I'm just going to drop Potions now, though," I said, defeated, "It's not worth the trouble of struggling through it with that sodding git sitting beside me the entire time; I'll probably fail anyway."

"Oh come on, Rainee," Gemma said, her words eerily similar to what James Potter had said to me earlier, "You're not going to fail Potions; you're too determined to become a Healer to allow that to happen and we both know it."

"But Gemma, even you think I'm horrid at Potions."

"Well..." she frowned, "I have to admit that you're right because you are horrid at Potions, but, like I said, you're too determined to allow yourself to fail."

I groaned, "But now that James is my partner I'll be too distracted to concentrate on doing well."

"You seem to forget that James received higher marks than anyone on his Potions' O.W.L. in fifth year, and that he wants to be an Auror like his father. It may not seem like it, but James takes it too seriously to let you get in the way of him passing."

I raised a brow, "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that maybe he took pity on you and figured he could help you out."

Once again, I was at a loss for words and only managed to ask, "What?"

Gemma laughed, "Seriously Rainee, Potter isn't all bad. Or maybe he is and just lives for the amusement that comes with arguing with you. I don't know, but the point is that you should at least try to learn a thing or two from him. Anyway, let's go to the kitchens. I'm starving and dinner isn't even for a few hours."

Before I could fully register everything Gemma had said and form an appropriate response, she grabbed my wrist and pulled me off in the direction of the painting of a fruit-bowl. Needless to say, I didn't know what James Potter's reason for becoming by Potions' partner was, but it was certainly going to make for an interesting year. If Potter thought he would find his amusement in making me squirm, well, he wasn't going to get it. I would make certain of that.