The Project

𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫

4.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤

" 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙆𝙉𝙊𝙒, 𝙄𝙏 𝙒𝙊𝙐𝙇𝘿 𝙃𝙀𝙇𝙋 𝙄𝙁 𝙔𝙊𝙐 𝙏𝘼𝙇𝙆𝙀𝘿 𝙏𝙊 𝙈𝙀"

𖥸

♪ 𝙼𝚊𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝚆𝚊𝚛 - 𝚁𝚊𝚍𝚒𝚘𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚍 ♪

       "I swear to Merlin, Nott, I know what I am doing!"

"Uhuh," was his only doubtful reply as they sorted through the ingredients laid out on the worn wooden desk.

They were in the empty potions classroom, attempting to get a headstart on the project before everyone else raided the supplies. Though it was hard to do when her partner was ridiculing every single thing she did.

Her hazel gaze traced over the ingredients for the first potion again and then her eyes narrowed.

"You forgot the Mandrake Root," she pointed out.

"The Mandrake Root is over there."

"That's not going to be enough! I mean, seriously, Nott."

He scoffed, and she raised a brow, glaring at him. He was insufferable for no damn reason. She couldn't wait for their study session to end so that she could rid of the pounding headache she was developing. She sighed as he grabbed more from the storage cabinet.

"We haven't discussed this project since we've gotten it and you expect me to be fully prepared when you send an owl the night before?" he asked, sounding amused as he came back from the cabinet, his brown eyes trailing her as he walked.

"Uh, yes? What's the point of being a top student if you can only be a top student when you've prepared days before?" she insisted. In all honesty, she had just needed to go out and do something. Her dorm had felt too small, too... suffocating. In the hallways, she felt like anyone was going to jump out and mention her mother. She couldn't go to Draco for help because then she'd be admitting something was wrong. This was her last resort.

Their encounter with the Gryffindor team had affected her more than she'd ever admit.

Theo merely stared at her after her last comment, looking half amused and half bored, like he always did. When she didn't say anything else, he simply turned to the potion ingredients, studying them to check that they had gotten everything.

"Your dorm or mine?"

"Excuse me?"

"Get your head out of the gutter, 'Lina. Your dorm or mine to make the potion?"

Her mouth parted into a small "o" as she considered his words. A hint of a blush crept into her cheeks at her original thoughts, and at her momentary shock, he added, "If we do it in your dorm, I promise I won't climb into your bed or anything. Considering how horrified you currently look."

He looked and sounded amused, and she wanted to strangle him for him even wording it like that. He knew damn well.

"I suppose mine, so I can fix it when you're not there," Alina replied with a shrug, scowling at him.

"Was that a joke, Lina?" he mused, raising a brow at her again. A hint of a smirk showed on his lips, and it made her despise his nickname for her and the way his Italian accent rolled over it.

"Absolutely not," she snapped back, casting him another glare.

He merely chuckled, moving to wrap the ingredients up in a parcel so they could move it to wherever they decided to make the potion. Alina watched him with crossed arms, letting him do the work after his snide remarks. He didn't comment on her lack of help, knowing it would piss her off more than if he did. Once he had wrapped it, he turned to her and slid the parcel into her satchel while maintaining eye contact with her. He didn't say a word, just reached to her side without permission and dropped it in.

She raised a brow, arms still crossed, watching him do so.

He then turned and made to walk out of the classroom, not even stopping as he added, "Next time, give me a bigger heads up before you demand my attention."

And then he was gone.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Alina returned to her dorm and dropped off her satchel before taking off her robe, leaving her in her white button up, a skirt, and her tie. She left the parcel on the bedside table as Pansy came in. Alina turned, nodding in greeting to her friend, whose eyes flicked to the parcel.

"Is that for potions, or did someone get you a gift without me knowing?" her friend teased.

Alina let out a mock groan, shaking her head. "Unfortunately, this is for potions."

"Come on, Dupont, you're telling me you haven't seduced anyone in the first weeks of school? I'm disappointed, I thought I taught you better than that." Pansy shook her head, her short, dark hair swaying before she laughed.

Alina rolled her eyes, but she couldn't hide her own smile at her friend's teasing. "And you? Anybody caught your attention yet?" She raised a brow at her friend, going over to sit on her friend's bed as she removed her robe in a similar fashion to Alina.

"Not yet, though there is this pretty Ravenclaw girl I've seen in the halls..." Pansy admitted with a coy grin in her friend's direction.

"Oooh, fifth year or not?" Alina inquired immediately, smiling at her confession.

"Fifth year," Pansy confirmed, with a small shrug as she hung up her robe and took off her tie.

"Do you plan to ask her out?"

"Maybe. There's a Hufflepuff party in a few days that I might ask her to. You should come too, Alina. I think most of our friend group is going."

Alina sighed, her hazel eyes trailing the roof of the dorm as she considered. "Why am I always the last to learn about these things?"

"Because you're one of the only ones who puts a ton of effort into her grades," Pansy giggled, tossing her tie at her. Alina tossed it right back with a glare, but she was never really mad at her friend.

"Promise me you'll come, Alina. Live a little!"

"...Fine," she finally conceded.