A shiver ran down Jane's spine as the dungeon's chill seeped into her bones. The Potions classroom was a sensory overload of pungent herbs, earthy roots, and unfamiliar aromas. Flickering candlelight danced on the ancient stone walls, casting eerie shadows that amplified the room's mysterious aura. Professor Slughorn bustled animatedly in front of the class preparing for the day's lecture.
Jane's rebellious curls kept escaping her from tucked behind her ear, falling into her eyes as she focused on the bubbling cauldron. The potion's heat made her face clammy, and she impatiently pushed the errant strands away. Her mind raced, anticipating Slughorn's questions. Potions was her favourite subject, and she was determined to excel.
With a steady hand, Jane dropped a few doxy eggs into the cauldron. Her eyes fixed intently on the potion as she waited for the tell-tale bubblegum pink hue to emerge. A glance at her textbook confirmed she was following the instructions to the letter.
"Who," Slughorn's gaze swept across the class as he posed the question, "can tell me the primary component of a Draught of Peace?"
Slughorn believed a true potioneer could multitask. So while his students stirred and monitored their second or third-year brews, he'd fire off questions. Jane harboured the suspicion that Slughorn also derived a flicker of amusement from his interrogatory tactics.
Jane's hand shot up. A familiar thrill danced in her stomach whenever she participated in class, a chance to prove herself and showcase her knowledge. With her fingers stretching above her head, an icy sensation prickled down her spine. It was the unmistakable scrutiny of Snape's gaze. His dark, greasy hair, perpetually unwashed it seemed, hung limply around his pale face. His black eyes, cold and fathomless, were fixed on her with his usual disdain. It was a look that could curdle milk, a clear message that her enthusiasm was unwelcome and perhaps even irritating.
"Miss Lewis, please!" Slughorn encouraged, with a broad smile.
Jane kept her focus on the simmering potion, maintaining a steady clockwise stir with her wooden stirring rod. "Powdered moonstone, sir," she answered confidently.
"Correct!" Slughorn beamed, his bushy moustache twitching with delight. "Ten points to Hufflepuff!"
Jane was the only one to notice the uncontained scoff that echoed from the back of the room. She felt a familiar sting as a blush crept up her cheeks, but she resolutely ignored the source. Snape's disdain was like a fundamental law of magic. She could always depend upon him to inject his haughtiness into any classroom. Determined to get her potion right, she carefully added the toasted dragonfly thoraxes as she watched the colour transition from pink to vibrant orange.
"Now, who can enlighten us on the consequences of an overdose of powdered moonstone in this potion?" Slughorn inquired expectantly.
Jane's hand shot up again. She could practically feel Snape's Ice-cold glare on the back of her head. She lowered the flame beneath her cauldron, signalling she had already moved on to the next step.
"Yes, Miss Lewis?" Slughorn prompted expectantly.
"An excess of powdered moonstone can induce an unintended side effect, Professor," Jane replied, her voice steady as she once again stirred the potion. "Instead of the desired calming effect, it may lead to excessive sleepiness."
"Precisely! Another ten points for Hufflepuff!" Slughorn declared, pride beaming from his eyes. Jane got a few thumbs up from Eleanor and Olivia from a nearby table.
Snape couldn't seem to help himself. He scoffed louder this time, clearly aiming to insult, and went on to mutter under his breath as the chatter of the classroom drowned him out. Jane clenched her jaw as a surge of anger and frustration threatened to boil over. The dungeon air became oppressively heavy, pressing down on her like a physical force. Jane focused on her potion, carefully adding a single dehydrated flying seahorse to the bubbling concoction. The vibrant orange potion sizzled along the edges of the dessicated seahorse, transforming into a tranquil turquoise.
Slughorn moved about the classroom, his jovial demeanour a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere. Slughorn dispensed encouraging words and helpful pointers as he weaved between the bubbling cauldrons. Jane knew without looking that Snape was still glaring at the back of her head. She'd seen him quickly averting his gaze when Slughorn had come around to her workbench.
She refused to let him get under her skin, at least not as much as she was clearly getting under his. Now was not the time for distraction.
Jane continued to excel, answering question after question with confidence. Each correct response earned Hufflepuff more points, and with every point, she sensed Snape's irritation deepen. His scoffs grew louder, his muttered insults more frequent, yet Jane remained steadfast, her focus unwavering.
Jane continued to excel, answering question after question with confidence. Each correct response earned Hufflepuff more points. However, a pair of Slytherin girls in the back couldn't contain their resentment.
"She's such a know-it-all," one of them muttered under her breath, her voice barely audible over the din of the competition. The other Slytherin nodded in agreement, her eyes narrowing in disapproval.
Ignoring the Slytherin girls' petty remarks, she remained focused on the competition. As she answered another question correctly, a small smile played on her lips. However, her attention was momentarily diverted when she noticed a peculiar sight: the steam rising from the Slytherin girls' cauldron was an unnatural shade of green.
"Idiots." She mumbled to no one as a smirk grazed her lips.
As Jane sliced the gingerroot into thin, even slices, her desk partner, Chuck, stumbled over his counting. "Help!" he mouthed, looking to her for assistance.
Glancing down at Chuck's cauldron, which was turning an alarming shade of dark orange, she knew he was in dire need of her assistance. Turning over her shoulder to Snape, she realized that he was slicing the ginger root into perfect four-millimetre slices. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she assessed the situation. Chuck looked to her expectantly, hoping for a saviour.
Jane hesitated, her mind racing. She knew she should help her housemate, but she was also determined to outbrew Snape. A competitive streak flared within her, and she decided to let Chuck figure it out on his own. After all, this was a competition, and she needed to focus on her own performance.
"Sorry."
And with a firm nod, Jane turned back to her cauldron, her expression resolute. She had a potion to perfect and a prat to take down.
Jane completed her final stir and, with a flourish, pulled the stirring rod from her cauldron. She watched as the potion transformed into the desired pale green. A smug smile crept across her face as she admired her handiwork.
Slughorn leaned towards Jane, a conspiratorial glint in his eyes. "You know," he began, his voice low, the scent of expensive scotch wafting towards her, "Severus might have some real competition this year."
That alone made dealing with the bastard worth it.
Slughorn, a man of unwavering optimism, made his rounds, showering his top students with praise and offering words of encouragement to those who needed it. As he reached Chuck's station, anticipation gleamed in his eyes. However, his smile faltered as he peered into the cauldron. A putrid, smoking grey crust had replaced Chuck's potion, fusing with the once-pristine pewter. Slughorn recoiled in disgust, a gasp escaping his lips.
Chuck's face flushed crimson as he awaited the inevitable verdict. Slughorn, a champion of positive reinforcement, was momentarily speechless. Beads of sweat trickled down Chuck's cheeks, his apprehension growing with each passing second. Even the most optimistic professor had his limits, and Slughorn, for once, was at a loss. He could only offer a pitying pat on Chuck's shoulder, his usual effusive praise replaced by a stunned silence.
With that, Slughorn dismissed the class. Her classmates scrambled to gather their belongings, eager to escape the stench of Chuck's failed potion. Jane, however, moved with deliberate care, meticulously cleaning the school's fragile and expensive potion equipment. She wiped down each glass stirring rod, even those she hadn't used, her perfectionism demanding thoroughness. Aware of the potential for contamination, she made it a priority to sanitize her instruments after every potions lesson.
As she packed up the last of her ingredients, she felt Snapes burning a hole into her back. But she refused to acknowledge his presence.
She glanced over at her friends, who were already starting to gather their things, and mouthed the words, "Meet you in Transfiguration," before turning back to her potion kit.
"Miss Lewis," Slughorn called out as she was about to leave, his voice warm and encouraging. "Excellent work today. Keep it up."
A blush crept up Jane's cheeks as she turned to face the professor. "Thank you, Professor," she replied, a genuine smile spreading across her face.
As she stepped into the hallway, the heavy dungeon air was replaced by the fresher corridor atmosphere. She was about to turn the corner when she heard the familiar sound of approaching footsteps. Turning, she found Snape standing a few paces behind her, his face a mask of contempt and an underlying animosity that irritated her.
"Sick of being the teacher's golden girl, Lewis?" Snape spat, his voice laced with venom.
Jane's temper ignited, but she forced herself to remain calm. "I'm here to learn, Snape, not to impress you," she retorted. She tried to keep her tone steady despite the rising anger within her.
Snape's eyes narrowed into slits. "Such a desperate need to please. It's pathetic," he sneered.
Jane bristled, her chin jutting out defiantly. "If your need to judge is so insatiable, perhaps you should focus on your own shortcomings instead of nitpicking mine."
"I pity any dunderhead that chooses to be around you." Snape's lip curled into a sneer, looking at her as if she was nothing but a bug beneath his shoe.
Jane's anger flared, a tempest brewing within her. She clenched her jaw, stifling the urge to curse him where they stood. "Perhaps, Snape, it's because I possess a certain charm that people find endearing. Don't delude yourself into thinking your social ineptitude is a universal condition. It just means you're a miserable git!"
"Who enjoys your company? That unkempt hair makes you look like a rabid Kneazle. How does anyone tolerate your proximity?"
A sharp pain shot through Jane, but she refused to show it. "Well, at least my hair wasn't used to clean up an oil spill"
Snape's face contorted into a mask of fury. For a heart-stopping moment, Jane thought he might kill her on the spot, but he merely ground his teeth together. "You are beneath my notice," he hissed, his voice steely. "You will regret this, Lewis. I promise you."
A surge of adrenaline coursed through Jane, but she met Snape's gaze without flinching. "I dare you, Snape," she replied, her voice low and determined. "I'm not afraid of you."
They glared at each other for a long, tense moment, the air between them crackling with hostility. Finally, Snape turned on his heel and stalked off down the corridor, his robes billowing behind him.
A surge of adrenaline coursed through Jane as she watched Snape's retreating figure. Her heart pounded in her ears, and her hands trembled uncontrollably. She took a deep, steadying breath and forced herself to relax.
As she made her way to the next class, Jane couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered after her clash with Snape. The encounter had left her rattled, and a knot of apprehension tightened in her stomach. She wondered if their relationship, perpetually teetering on the edge of hostility, would ever improve. Perhaps, she thought, there was a way to coexist peacefully with the bastard.
Relief washed over Jane as she spotted Olivia and Eleanor in the classroom. Their concerned looks told her everything she needed to know.
Olivia's eyes widened as she looked at Jane. "Where have you been? We were just about to look for you."
Jane slumped into her chair. "Snape. The usual."
Eleanor frowned. "Are you okay?"
Jane nodded, though she felt far from it. "I will be. Let's just focus on class."
As the lesson commenced, Jane fought to banish Snape from her thoughts. OWLs loomed large, and the new friendship project promised to be challenging and rewarding. Yet, she knew the Snape issue wouldn't evaporate; it was a storm cloud on the horizon. For now, she'd weather the present.
