𝐒𝐎 𝐒𝐄𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐍; 𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐫.

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐢: ❞𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐈❜𝐦 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲, 𝐀𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧?❞

❞𝐘𝐨𝐮❜𝐯𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠,❞ 𝐀𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥. She grabbed her wavy blonde hair roughly and twirled it up into a bun, before sticking her wand in it to hold it up. 

"Sorry," Slughorn said with a not-so-sorry-looking shrug. "We're supposed to be encouraging inter-House unity, what with what's going on right now in the outside world. And we can start by getting to know our classmates in other Houses a little better, right?"

"Respectfully, Professor," Amara said, rolling her eyes when the dark-haired Evan Rosier sauntered in, "that's what things like Gobstones Club and the Hogwarts Choir are for. This is a classroom, for learning and studying, and I'm not going to get anything done with a prick like Rosier at my table."

"We're sitting together?" Evan said, looking searchingly at Amara. Upon her disdainful silence, he chuckled slightly. "Well, alright, then—you don't have to pretend to hate it that much, you know—I mean, I know you've got an image to uphold and all, but—"

"—shut up, please," Amara said sweetly. She took off her black robe and folded it neatly before setting it on top of her bag. Her piercing eyes, carefully lined, gave him a quick once-over. "I'd say you grew this summer, but I'm a rather bad liar."

Evan watched as Slughorn began discussing the difference between airborne and non-airborne potions. "Who are you trying to convince, darling—me, or yourself?"

"Please," she seethed. "You think I'm so obsessed with you, and—"

"—are you not?"

"Rosier," Amara snapped, sneaking a quick glance at Slughorn, who was all the way in the front, to make sure he wasn't catching them talking. Her gaze flitted back to the Slytherin boy next to her. "Anyone ever tell you you're a lot prettier with your mouth shut?"

He leaned forward on the table, smirking deviously. ❞𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐈❜𝐦 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲, 𝐀𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧?❞

"Sure," she replied. "A pretty annoying chap, that is. Now shut up, I'm trying to listen."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, holding his hands up in mock surrender.

"And that'll be just in the time limit, since it's a twenty minute potion to brew," Slughorn was saying. "All right, then—for those of you who are still in summer mode and didn't hear a word I said, instructions are on the board. Let's get to it!"

Amara rolled her eyes. "All right, then—let's see your superior magic skills while you whip up that Blemish Solution. Don't mind if I pop a book open, do you?"

"You're helping, Mudblood," Evan replied, not even sparing her a glance. "Go get some boomslang skin, drublets, and hareweed. Quickly, please."

"You want me to get gloves on first?" she said dryly, rolling her sleeves up and averting her gaze pointedly when he moved to do the same. He'd...grown over the summer. A lot. And Amara couldn't help but hate the way her gaze followed his veiny hands, all the way up to where his white, crisp long-sleeve dress shirt was rolled up at his elbows. She swallowed. "Try not to burn the room down when you start the fire, will you?"

"Go already," he sighed. 

Amara met James at the ingredient cupboard. He was halfway through scooping himself the nasty, slimy masses of wriggling drublets—a three-eyed, squeamish yellow worm that clutched pathetically to any substance it touched. 

He grimaced. "I would pay so much to not be here right now, Tal, lemme tell you."

"Are you kidding? If I could hang out at this nasty cupboard I would all day."