RUN - James Potter

Chapter 8

Having already bid goodbye to Asterin at lunch, Matilda and Antonella begun their descendent down to the Potion's room; the pit filled with snakes. The ground under her was cold, just like the feeling in her stomach. She had been dreading her potions class all night, morning and day - enough to drive Asterin crazy... begging Taylor to stop eating Erika's face and to play a game of exploding snap. 

She hadn't muttered anything but how much she would kill the boy, how she would cut each limb out and dangle them in the kitchen... exactly how her mother does with the chickens. 

"It'll be alright," Matilda said, easily blending into the crowd of silver and green, "It's Wednesday... we never do practicals on a Wednesday."

The noises of students heels and sniggering filled the corridor and carried into the cold, dull and most certainly- boring potions' classroom. Taking her usual seat next to Matilda at the front, closest to the door, they both said nothing as they unpacked their textbooks and writing quills.

Usually most classes were more evenly distributed among the houses, however, once she reached NEWTs level, she originally realised how uneven some of her classes would be. With two NEWTs potion classes, she ran the short string of it being filled with only Slytherin's and Gryffindors... she was the only Ravenclaw.

It was lessons like this, that she was proud that she did not let her prejudices against the house of snakes stop her from befriending Matilda Hoggs. A Slytherin in every aspect; driven, cunning, and ambitious. 

Matilda Hoggs was not a black sheep, no, she was well liked. She held her head as if she was the wife of Regulus Black; the richest bachelor in their era, her lips played a dangerous game of cat and mouse... knowing the correct words to win a game. Her sharp features, quick wit and intimidating eyes were enough for her to befriend plenty in a house filled with its own judgement. 

But with the green and silver tie, came many assumptions, including the old debate of blood purity. Matilda, like many other young women raised in pure-blood households, did not believe in the eradication but the seclusion of muggles in wizarding culture. It was how she was raised, and over the six years... those beliefs are beginning to shatter. 

In their first year, Matilda shared every class with Asterin and even offered to tutor her, and there begun a long lasting friendship between the three girls. Not like it mattered much, as Asterin had made it her mission to befriend someone from each house, and she did not stop until she achieved.

Her mind was drawn from her thoughts when Matilda snapped her fingers in front of her eyes, "Antonella did you even hear what I said?"

"No?"

Falling into the back of her chair, she swung her leg over her knees and faced Matilda, who was busy talking about how Claudia Muffons, a Slytherin, had been caught the night before sending love letters to their fourth year Defence Against the Dark Art's professor. No wonder the yelling and whispers occurring in the classroom, even when Professor Slughorn attempted to quieten them all down.

"Enough," Professor Slughorn had said for the fifth time, eventually quieting the room, "Turn to page 78 of your textbooks."

Placing her textbook between Matilda and herself, she flipped to page 78 to see a purple potion drawn. Skimming over the page, she could tell this was a more advance potion then what they had being learning before. Her attention from the book was broken when the cackling of boys rolled into the classroom as the door nearly slammed open.

"Sorry Professor," said James Potter, his voice louder than necessary, "Sirius had too much coffee... and well needed the gentlemen's room."

Rolling her eyes, she watched Sirius Black and Remus Lupin walk straight past James and Professor Slughorn to the only available desk... right behind her.