tradition

04

Professor Snape's voice cut through the air, sharp and cold as ever. "As this is your fifth year," he began, his tone laced with a mixture of disdain and authority, "you will be assigned partners for the semester. I will not entertain any requests for changes, nor will I tolerate any attempts to complete these assignments independently. You will work with the partners I assign, or you will fail. Is that understood?" The class nodded their heads and Briar crossed her fingers for Hermione, Eloise, or Georgia to be her partner.

"Granger with Diggory," Professor Snape announced in his usual drawling tone, his eyes flicking up from the parchment to gauge the class's reactions. Hermione and Eloise exchanged triumphant grins and high-fived each other, the delight evident in their expressions as they anticipated working together on their assignment. Snape's eyes moved down his list as he continued, "Georgia Longbottom and Weasley." Georgia exhaled deeply, her shoulders slumping slightly as she reluctantly glanced over at Ron. Despite her apparent reluctance, Ron seemed quite pleased, clearly looking forward to having a partner who might take on the bulk of the intellectual effort. "Don't think I'm doing all of the work, Weasley," Georgia whispered loudly, her tone firm, making sure Ron understood her boundaries from the start. Snape's voice droned on as he methodically read off the remaining names, ensuring every student had been paired up, save for Briar and Harry.

"Potter and Rose," Snape finally declared, his tone indifferent but final. Briar let out a small sigh, gathering her belongings with a resigned expression. She made her way over to Harry, who greeted her with a smirk and courteously pulled out a small stool for her to sit on. "You will be brewing a Babbling Beverage today. You have precisely forty-five minutes to complete this task, and not a second more. Fail to meet this deadline, and your incompetence will be duly noted." Snape's warning hung heavily in the air as Briar nodded, her eyes scanning the parchment that materialized on the table before them. She picked it up swiftly and hurried over to the ingredient cabinet.

"Potter, can you get two billywig stings and fresh ailhosty leaves?" Briar requested, her tone brisk and businesslike. Harry, taken aback for a moment, broke into a grin. "I will if you go out with me," he quipped, his smirk widening as he saw her shake her head in refusal. Unperturbed, Briar continued to gather the necessary ingredients with practiced efficiency. As the potion simmered, she tossed in the ingredients with precise movements, her face softening slightly as she observed the mixture's progress.

Briar's hair, tightly curled and neatly braided into two Dutch braids, framed her face as she leaned over the large cauldron, a pleased smile spreading across her lips at the sight of the potion's color and consistency. "Come on, Rose. Any other girl would gladly go on a date with me," Harry said, a hint of impatience in his voice. Unfortunately, Harry's boast wasn't far from the truth; most girls would have been thrilled at the prospect of a date with the famous Harry Potter.

"Well then, why don't you ask one of them?" Briar retorted, a scowl forming on her face as she tried to focus on the task at hand. "Because they aren't you," Harry replied, resting his chin on his hand and gazing at her intently. Briar shot him a frustrated look. "And what does that have to do with anything? There are plenty of beautiful girls here who, like you said, would love to date you. Just ask them!" she snapped.

Harry shook his head, taking off his glasses to clean them absentmindedly. "Are you my glasses? Because I can see my future with you," he said, his attempt at humor only earning a groan from Briar. Georgia and Ron, who had been listening in from behind, couldn't suppress their laughter. "Put your glasses back on, Potter," Briar muttered, forcing a smile as Snape approached their table. "Your potion, Miss Rose," Snape said, his voice devoid of warmth. Briar nodded and took a small sip of the potion, immediately beginning to babble nonsensically. Snape observed her with a critical eye, then waved his wand to end the effects, satisfied with her performance.