"He has it out for me, I swear," Aurore whined.
She clutched Phyllida Spore's 'One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi' against her chest and shot Niall a playful glare as he laughed at her.
The two were leisurely walking side by side through the icy dungeons, having just finished Potions class.
"Snape doesn't hate ya; he's just serious about his occupation - I think. And ya shouldn't take his words to heart," Niall insisted.
It was hard not to when the rancorous professor seemed to belittle Aurore whenever she messed up.
He had given the class the assignment to brew a Forgetfulness potion and though it was at a beginners level, Aurore almost stirred the mixture of crushed Mistletoe Berries, Lethe River Water, Valerian sprigs, and Standard Ingredient clockwise instead of anti-clockwise until Niall cleared his throat and reminded her.
"Let's hope Greenwood, that O'Shea is nearby should you ever need a potion brewed… Or else you might expire," Snape had stated, giving her a somber look from across the room.
This particular statement made Aurore doubt her ability to properly brew potions on her own. She valued Niall's help, but Snape was making a valid point; if she couldn't do it without his help, she was never going to be efficient at it.
"Je comprends (I understand)," Aurore uttered with an uneasy sigh. "But I want to ace this class knowing I didn't piggyback the entire time."
"Ya got this. Even if it takes ya the entire time, follow the instructions to the letter and study the material if ya need to," Niall mentioned with an encouraging look.
He had a point.
Aurore offered him a thankful smile and turned with him up the stairs near the Slytherin common room. As they neared the stone statue of the Sleeping Dragon, she recognized a familiar thick-haired blond standing to the side with his back to them.
The wide-eyed expression on her face didn't go unnoticed by Niall.
"Do ya know him?"
"His name is Ezra," Aurore answered with a smile. "I met him on the train."
Niall hummed.
"He looks like he's waiting on someone."
He was right.
Ezra seemed to be peering around the corner toward the stairs, bouncing his foot impatiently.
"It would be rude of me to interrupt him," Aurore mentioned with a sigh. "But I want to say hello."
"He isn't busy at the moment," Niall stated.
Was he urging her to approach him? Perhaps she should.
"What harm could it do?" Aurore asked.
"Take yer time," Niall suggested. "I'll meet up with ya later before the Astrology class."
Aurore waved to him, watching him saunter up the stairs before she nervously approached Ezra, clearing her voice to draw his attention.
His eyes averted to her before widening.
"Aurore? What are you doing here?"
She brushed off his strange greeting and forced a smile.
"I had Potions today. Then I saw you here as I was walking to the Central Hall and thought I'd say hello."
His eyes softened.
"That's… Kind of you. But I'm afraid I'm a bit too occupied at the moment for small talk," Ezra uttered.
"Je comprends (I understand)," Aurore retorted. "It was lovely seeing you again."
Tightening his jaw in remorse, Ezra shook his head. He wanted to catch up with her but now wasn't the time.
With a sincere smile, Aurore turned, nearly running into Draco as she tried to walk away - Crabbe and Goyle were strangled nowhere to be seen. His silver eyes narrowed at her a moment, before averting his eyes to Ezra.
"Am I interrupting something, Frost?" He asked with a grin.
"Aurore was just leaving," Ezra mentioned. "She and I met on the train the other day."
What had she walked into? Aurore could almost feel the tension surging between them.
"Excusez-moi (pardon me), I need to get to the greenhouses for Herbology class," she uttered, clutching her textbook.
Draco walked past her, bumping against her arm as he did.
"There's a motto revolving around this statue, 'Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus' it means 'Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon'. Me, I think it's clever," Draco explained, as he stood next to it.
Aurore tried hard not to turn up her eyes in annoyance. Was he threatening her? She peered over her shoulder and forced a smile.
"As much as I adore lessons, I must be going. Adieu (farewell)."
She turned her back to them, knowing that with Draco there, she was intruding. Still, something strange was conspiring between him and Ezra and she was curious as to what it was. Aurore only hoped that Ezra wasn't in any trouble.
Near the fountain at the Central Hall, Aurore met with Gabriel Truman and her house. She stayed to herself, stuck in her thoughts, even when he led them from the hall to the greenhouses where the sweet aroma of damp earth permeated the air.
She only came to when Professor Sprout, a woman with short wavy hair beneath a patched and battered hat, welcomed the class. To her relief, her house seemed to be sharing the class with Gryffindor.
So long as it isn't Slytherin.
Aurore took an uneasy breath and tried to focus. She didn't need to think about whatever Ezra and Draco were meeting for.
"Our lesson is going to take place in Greenhouse One this morning," Professor Sprout announced with a friendly smile. "Come this way."
She led the first-year students to Greenhouse One, a massive even style structure with glass panels. There didn't seem to be any dangerous species of plants or fungi inside, however, there was a fat cactus-like plant in the corner that weakly moaned to itself.
"Poor dear," Aurore uttered.
"Ignore them, Miss Greenwood," Sprout mentioned with a smile as she motioned her to gather with the others. "They are a moody species; can't be helped."
Aurore hummed in interest and stood in front of one of two long tables parallel to one another, directly in front of Neville Longbottom, the round-faced Gryffindor who found his familiar before the Sorting Ceremony.
"Welcome dears," Sprout announced, standing at the head of the two tables. "Our first lesson will be on familiarizing ourselves with the plants found around the Hogwarts grounds. Without using the 'Ingredient Encyclopedia' as a reference, what can you tell me about the plants in this room?"
The class peered around at the various plots of soil and terracotta pots spread around the room, then like lightning, Aurore and Neville raised their hands almost in unison; he beat her to the punch.
"How exciting!" Sprout exclaimed with a smile. "Mister Longbottom, you first, and then Miss Greenwood."
"I see Moly," Neville uttered. "It's um… A black-stemmed plant with white flowers that can be eaten to counteract enchantments."
Aurore gave him a sweet smile. She was impressed.
"10 points to Gryffindor," Sprout declared. "Though it may not look like much, Moly is a powerful plant that in addition to counteracting enchantments is also used as an ingredient in the brewing of Wiggenweld Potion."
When she was done explaining, she turned to Aurore and motioned for her to take her turn.
"I see Dittany or Burning Bush, which is a powerful healing herb that can be eaten raw to heal shallow wounds," Aurore explained.
It was the first plant she had seen; its dark green colored stem and matching leaves seemed to call out to her. Aurore had seen them before plenty of times in her mother's shop.
"And 10 points to Hufflepuff. Very good, chaps! Dittany is also a restorative herb that when in use grows fresh skin over a wound," Professor Sprout explained. She clapped her hands in excitement. "Now, for an additional 10 points, what can either of you tell me about Devil's Snare?"
Aurore hummed in thought. Her curious eyes observed Neville as he seemed to be struggling as much as she was with remembering the answer.
What did she know about Devil's Snare? She knew her mother didn't grow the plant, but she had heard of it before.
But from where?
Aurore gasped in realization. Her father had told her a story about Devil's Snare once, though it wasn't much.
"Nearly got squeezed to death eradicating spiders near Feldcroft," he had mentioned. "I walked into an overgrowth of Devil's Snare while searching a damp shoddy hole in an abandoned cellar."
"It grows in the dark and hates fire and the light."
Sprout grinned then awarded Aurore the offered points; the latter averted her eyes in embarrassment once the entire class began to clap. She didn't much like the attention but Herbology was something she was passionate about.
"If ever you should encounter Devil's Snare, remember this rhyme: Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare, it's deadly fun… but will sulk in the sun. And with that, please take out your wands. I'm going to teach you the Fire-Making Spell, Incendio," Sprout announced.
Eagerly, Aurore took out her wand.
"That was impressive," a familiar voice stated, scaring Aurore as she sauntered from Greenhouse One.
She peered over her shoulder to see Hermione behind her on the stairs; the latter gave Aurore a sympathetic look.
"Désolé pour ça (sorry about that). You snuck up on me," Aurore mentioned.
"It was I who frightened you," Hermione stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "I merely wanted to congratulate you for answering the question about Devil's Snare. I've read a lot about magical plants but I didn't even know about that one."
Aurore felt her face turn red.
"My mother taught me everything I know about magical plants. She's a Herbologist. But honestly, I was impressed with your wand work; you managed the Fire-Making Spell in one try."
"I practiced a few simple spells the summer before coming here, but it all comes down to pronunciation and wand work. I noticed that you have a maple wand; tough luck, those are said to be temperamental," Hermione explained.
Indeed they are. Aurore sighed.
"It chose me for some reason."
She honestly had no idea why.
"Perhaps you can show me sometime the proper wand work," Aurore added.
Hermione smiled.
"Of course. I would be interested in learning more about magical plants. Our first-year textbooks are well… Limited."
"Absolument (absolutely)! I appreciate it, Hermione," Aurore exclaimed.
Her heart was pounding in her chest, but something about the frizzy-haired witch made her eager. Aurore had never had friends before, let alone female friends. A part of her wanted to run and hide, but the part craved someone to talk to.
"On free days I can be found in the library doing some light reading," Hermione mentioned. "I can meet you then."
"Of course. It was good talking to you," Aurore stated.
The brunette smiled.
"And you."
When Hermione sauntered past, continuing up the stairs, Aurore took a moment to catch her breath. It wasn't a terrible feeling, but it was nerve-wracking for her. She clutched her textbook tight and couldn't help but smile.
It felt like she had made a friend.