Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.x
x~Chapter 3, Hard to Concentrate.~x
x
Katja was still adjusting. Life at Hogwarts seemed as though it would suit her just fine, even though she still missed Ilvermorny terribly.
It was lunch time, and Fred and George sat on either side of her at the long Gryffindor table in the Great Hall. She smiled and waved at Ron, the youngest Weasley son, who sat farther down with his friends Hermione and Harry. They were the same age -15- but for some reason she just didn't fit in with their little trio.
That suited her fine, Fred and George were good company and quite entertaining as they filled her in on the details of their skiving snack box. She made a mental note to steer clear of ALL British wizard sweets that were unfamiliar.
Particularly the puking pastilles and fever fudge.
"So, what was Ilvermorny like?" Fred asked conversationally. Katja's green eyes flickered to his and she smiled warmly. George leaned in on her other side to hear.
"Is quite lovely, much more modern feeling than Hogwarts. It's tucked away in Massachusetts, in the mountains. It's similar to Hogwarts. there's also four houses, Wampus, Pukwudgie, Horned Serpant, and Thunderbird."
"Are they like our houses?" George asked curiously. She shook her head.
"No, not really. The Ilvermorny houses represent the wizard-or witch- themselves. Wampus is the body, they favor warriors. Pukwudgie is the heart, they're healers. Horned Serpant is the mind, natural scholars, and Thunderbird is the soul. They're adventurers." She ticjed each house off one by one. "I am- was- a Wampus." She smiled serenely at the twins who were mulling her words over.
"What would we be?" They asked in unison. She laughed, hardly having to think.
"You would both definitely be Thunderbirds."
x
Later that day she had potions with Professor Snape. It was nothing short of unpleasant. She worked quietly and diligently, not bothering to send her pity to those around her that were unfortunate enough go be the recipients of Professor Snape's ire.
The Draught of Living Death was more complex than she'd thought and it aggravated her thoroughly. She bit her lip, gently introducing her crushed bezoar into the cauldron before stirring it. She felt a presance at her back and she looked to find Professor Snape stooping over her menacingly.
Katja looked back at him, unfazed. Their gazes locked in some silent battle of will. His black eyes were like dark glass, cutting and brutal.
She was a Wampus, and they didn't back down from a fight.
"May I help you, Professor?" She said sweetly, but her face was hard with challenge.
He furrowed his brows and glared down at her in distaste before gesturing to her potion.
"Why, yes, Miss Solomon. You could help me by not allowing your potion to smoke up my classroom."
She narrowed her eyes at him before turning them on her potion, which was just barely begining to release smoke. She promptly stirred it, glancing back over her shoulder at the Professor who stood smirking at her.
"10 points from Gryffindor."
"Uh, no." She said, disgust rising in her voice as she stared at him. There was a collective intake of breath and gasps from her fellow students.
"Yes." His eyes were dangerous and hard.
"You came to me, to purposely distract me with your glowering and doom and gloom attitude in order for you to find something wrong with my potion, which was quickly remedied." She jabbed her finger at the potion in question which was no longer smoking.
"Had you not been distracted, you never would have noticed me behind you." He countered, expanding his hands and giving a half shrug.
"Oh, please... It's hard to ignore the sensation and heat from someone's body pressed against yours, Sir." By some miracle she resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him.
Professor Snape looked horrified.
"I most certainly was not pressing my- my body against you, Miss Solomon. I was looking over your shoulder into your cauldron."
Katja blinked in surprise at the slow and barely perceivable blush coloring his pale cheeks and found herself apologizing. "I'm sorry sir, I did not mean to imply- um- that you were purposely trying to make contact with me. I just noticed the temperature increase behind me. That's all."
His face smoothed and he sneered at her. "Indeed, and that will still be 10 points from Gryffindor. Plus a detention."
Before she could protest he was almost on the other side of the room. Katja growled in frustration, pouring that anger into her potion.
It's gonna be the best fucking potion in the room... she seethed as she glanced up at Professor Snape, their eyes making contact. He raised an eyebrow at her, and she swore he had heard her.
But that was ridiculous. He'd have to be a legilimens.
