A Cure For Leo | hp

One

JUST AS TINA HAD HOPED, the interest surrounding her end-of-year exams died down as the year went on. Why everyone was so worked up about her exam results was beyond her, but she was sure their lack of interest had to do with their attention being drawn toward the chaos of house rivalry and Harry Potter.

Oh, scrawny little Harry Potter. Tina couldn't care less about the boy.

Until they bumped into each other over a month ago, she's had no encounters with him and wasn't planning to have any others. And if she were being honest, she often forgot he existed.

How could you possibly forget that the Harry Potter exists, you may ask? They were in the same year after all, and had two classes together, not to mention he was the talk of the school at least once a month.

Easy explanation.

Tina couldn't care less about most things, including listening to school gossip, paying attention to those who she's deemed irrelevant, or going to classes she's also deemed irrelevant. It just so happened that the classes she doesn't attend, he does.

Quite the coincidence, don't you think?

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NOW THAT SHE WAS BACK TO BEING IGNORED, Tina continued at school as usual. Wake up before 6:00 am, before anyone else in her dormitory, and take a warm shower. Quickly gather her things so she could make it to the library before the other early birds began to walk the halls. Place her things down on the table she's claimed as her own and go out to look for more books.

Very simple, I'd say.

She'd be spending most of her day in the library today, as the only class she'd be going to today was Herbology with the Slytherins.

"LeBleu,"

Well, speak of a snake and one shall arrive.

Tina hummed in response, her eyes not looking up from the book she scribbled unorganized annotations in.

"This came for you during breakfast."

From the corner of her eye, she saw a letter placed on the top of her smallest book stack. Still, she didn't shift her gaze. "Thank you, Draco." She could feel him roll his eyes, and was surprised enough to look at him when he sat down. "What are you doing?"

"What are you doing?" He responded from across the table.

"I asked you first."

"Very mature of you to say."

"Thank you."

Draco rolled his eyes again. "Are you sure you haven't read the whole library yet? You've had to have gotten close, at least."

"Not even." She said, the left corner of her lips twitching upwards in amusement. "Don't you have a class to get to?" She stated more than asked.

He hummed in agreement and stood. "I just came to drop some stuff off," He reached into the pocket of his robes and pulled out a green apple. "Until tomorrow."

Tina watched as Draco slipped out of the library and shook her head. Grabbing at the apple he'd left for her, she put it in her bag with all the others he gave her that week. She didn't like apples, but she's never had the heart to tell him that. It was the thought that counted, and besides, they were useful in her experiments.

Quickly, as if the interaction never happened, Tina got back to work. For hours she sat reading and scribbling and rereading books, picking the tiniest details apart until she was satisfied enough to reread it again, just in case. By the time she got up and began packing her things for Herbology, she was a chaotic mess. Her hands and clothes were stained with ink, her hair was disheveled behind its headband, and her eyes were red from both lack of sleep and forgetting to blink.

She wasn't vain enough to notice any of this though.

Most of the books and parchment Tina decided to leave at the table. There was the occasional incident of students stealing things left on tables, but she's come to realize very few, if anyone at all, cared about her work. At least right now.

In the future though, Tina knew they'd all care.

She'd make them care.

Leaving the library, Tina made her way to the greenhouses for Herbology, gaining a few looks for her appearance. She noticed not, her focus on the letter Draco had brought to her a few hours earlier, from her mother. It was short and straight to the point, just like her.

Tina,

         No dear, you may not have a niffler, nor can you bring it to school. They're not even allowed, though I'm sure you already knew that and simply don't care.

        Also, I seem to remember telling you to clean your potions room before you left. Don't worry darling, it'll be waiting for you when you return for Christmas.

Love, Mum

Tina grimaced at the thought of cleaning the four month old rat spleen she'd 'forgotten' about before she left. It was moments like this she wished she was meaner, more cold-hearted; she'd have never set her house elf free. But that wasn't who she was, and besides, why would she be okay with owning a slave?

When Tina entered greenhouse three, late but not enough to miss anything important, she was directed to stand by fellow Ravenclaw and dormmate Jung Sun-Hee. They exchanged quick, meaningless looks, then direct their attention towards the front. They were taking care of their mandrakes again.

Tina was bored and it was obvious.

Looking around, she caught the eyes of many people in the class, most of them (all but a few Slytherins who actually knew her) averting their own quickly. She felt the amused looks of her acquaintance as she contemplated leaving, but decided against it.

She supposed she'd suffer in silence.

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This one is shorter than future chapters will be, but that's mostly because second year is the shortest part of this book. If you want longer chapters, just let me know. I won't mind, because I'm really excited for third year.

Dedicated to Robbie Coltrane, rest in peace Hagrid <3