𝓐𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓼𝓶 |𝓢𝓲𝓻𝓲𝓾𝓼 𝓑𝓵𝓪𝓬𝓴|

Chapter 8

Laura had zoned out apparently, her trance was broken by Regulus clicking his fingers in front of her face. "Done staring?" He remarked as he passed her a butterbeer, Laura stuck her tongue out at him as she took it. "Remember the first time we met each other? You were eight then, weren't you?" She asked after taking a swig of her butterbeer. Regulus' face instantly flushed with colour at the mention of that so very embarrassing memory, "I wouldn't really refer it as the first time we met, you just caught-" he was cut off mid-sentence "You staring at me?" Laura finished his sentence smirking at him.

Sirius on the other hand was slightly hurt when Regulus walked out of the store like that, but when he saw his brother smiling and laughing with the Lestrange girl as they were walking towards the Three Broomsticks; Sirius thought maybe, maybe Regulus was better off without him. So when James suggested that they go get some drinks at The Three Broomsticks, Sirius said he didn't want to go. He walked out of Honeydukes and shoved his hand in his jacket as he started walking away. Regulus and Laura finished their drinks and then walked back to the castle, Laura pulled his cheek once they reached the common room and said "That was good, Regulus, I forgive you for standing me up" she said dramatically as Regulus rolled his eyes and pulled his cheek away rubbing it slightly "Ow". Laura chucked before walking back to her dorm.

It was now the second week of November, The Slytherin and The Ravenclaw Quidditch teams were having a match that Thursday. It was the first Quidditch match of the season, "...I knew this was the best potion to make, and I'm very happy with how it turned out. Professor Slughorn will certainly give us an 'O' I mean we did work hard, we earn it...." Marlene McKinnon's rant continued, Laura had stopped listening to her partner's blabbering when Marlene had mentioned for the second time how hard 'they' had worked. And Laura was just utterly bored and also so very tired at this point that she didn't even care to point out to her pretty partner that it wasn't 'their'  hard work for which the potion turned had out so well, it was 'her' hard work.

Slughorn was walking around the classroom grading everyone's potions, if Laura was being completely honest Slughorn was being rather generous. As he gradually walked towards Laura and Marlene he smiled and asked "And what do we have here?" Before Laura could even start to answer Marlene stated proudly "It's a truth serum" and Laura mentally facepalmed 'truth serum?! Really Mckinnon?!' she exclaimed in her head. "Oh, a truth serum?" Slughorn said looking at Marlene with an unimpressed look "We have brewed Veritaserum, Professor" Laura said now standing straight and looking at Slughorn. "Very well, and what are its properties Ms Lestrange?" he asked "It is a clear and odourless liquid, it forces the drinker to speak the truth," Laura answered correctly. Slughorn smiled "Excellent, take ten points for Slytherin." He said Laura smiled at him as he started to inspect the potion.

"'Excellent take ten points for Slytherin'" James mimicked their potions master, "That crazy old bat, he just needs a reason to throw points to those snakes." He said with a huff as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "Yeah, he does favour the Slytherins." Sirius agreed eyeing Laura, Remus chose to remain silent although he did not disagree with his friends.

After Slughorn finished grading their potion, Marlene beamed "I told you, we were getting O's" she said trying her best to not squeal. And Laura on the other hand tried her best not to roll her eyes 'How could she be so happy? She never even did so much as to stir the potion.' She thought. Severus Snape struggled to keep a straight face; like he had just heard what she had said in her head. Laura furrowed her eyebrows, at this point she was absolutely certain that Snape was a legilimens, Snape instantly stiffened up and looked away.

The class was dismissed and Laura walked out quite glad that she wouldn't have to deal with her boy-sick partner anymore. James Potter had Snape cornered as he was picking on him again, Laura had seen Potter bullying Snape on countless occasions, and of course Sirius Black would be there supporting the great work done by his best mate. Laura never said anything even though from what little she knew Severus, it would hurt his pride if anyone stood up for him. People seem to enjoy this little gig, She walked past the crowd watching Snape getting picked on. Sirius saw her as she looked back at him he could notice disgust on her face, he looked down feeling guilty. He couldn't tell James to call it off now, they've gone too far already, and why exactly should he stop? For some random Slytherin girl?

"What have you got there?" Laura said as she walked towards the tree by Black Lake. Regulus was smoking a muggle- what is it called again? He turned around to look at her as he said "A cigarette" Regulus said in a calm tone "Rosier was handing these out to everyone on the team, to calm nerves before the game," he explained as he handed her the cigarette. Laura took a long whiff and tried not to wheeze as she then asked looking at Regulus "Where did he get these from?". "He said he smuggled them from some half-blood Hufflepuff, he also said he's selling a bundle of these for four sickles."  The latter explained "Hm sure sounds like him," Laura remarked before taking another puff. Regulus chuckled, she asked him "So how are your pre-game nerves, Mr Black?". Regulus gulped and then shrugged kicking the dirt "Well it's my first game," he said looking at her. Laura threw the almost out cigarette on the ground before smudging it with her shoe as she then swung her arm around her best friend "And you're going to ace it" she comforted him along with a reassuring squeeze "Just don't fill your head with Evan's supplies" she joked trying to lighten his mood, Regulus shook his head smiling.