Love, Potions and Legacies: Fifth Year (UPDATED)

Chapter 2: Essays in the library

By the end of my first week of tutoring from Tom, I was already seeing improvement. I'd taken his essay plan he'd shown me last week to answer this weeks Potions essay question. When i'd got it back, I wasn't expecting much. It was literally my worst subject and I was sure not even the influence of perfect Tom Riddle could fix that. I'd probably not used his essay structure well enough or understood it right but when I saw the A- Acceptable on the corner of my paper, I couldn't help but grin. 

The mark was higher than i'd got previously and it had raised one of Snape's greasy, thick black brows when he had placed it back on my desk. It had made me smirk to see his face twisted into somewhat of a surprised grimace. I lean back in my seat, pulling my phone out of my bag as I pretend to listen to Pansy and Daphne squabbling over the Charms homework and I text Tom to thank him, making sure to keep my phone angled away from them so they couldn't see his name on my phone.

Me:

Hi Tom. I used the essay structure you gave me for my Potions essay, got a higher mark than normal. Just wanted to say thank you.

Tom:

Of course you did. The structure is perfect, you just need to work on the content.

Me:

Uh...thanks...I think?

I was going to ask are you able to help me with the actual potion making too, please? I suck at it. I nearly blew our potion up today in Pansys' face. 😅

Tom:

Shame it might have improved it a little.

Tom:

And no. Do that in class. I don't fancy having my handsome face rearranged because of your clumsiness. If you could manage to make Parkinson look worse than she already does, I'd dread to think what you could do to my perfect features.

Me:

RUDE!

Me:

Fine! I'll just ask Mattheo, he's good at Potions.

Tom:

Two sessions next week. One on Monday, essay writing in the library. Wednesday, practical work potions classroom. Same time. Don't be late.

Me:

Thank you Tom!! 😁 You're the best!

Tom:

Obviously. Just try not to blow me up. I'll bring my dragon-hide gloves for extra safety.

Me:

Funny! Make sure you've got safety goggles too and maybe some sort of headgear...protect that perfect quiff of yours!

Tom:

Hysterical.

On Monday evening I make my way to the library to meet with Tom. After his help last week, I'm almost looking forward to studying, which is a weird feeling. One that I didn't get often, except for in Care of Magical Creatures class, my favourite and best subject. I know, I know, not very Slytherin of me. But we can't help what subjects are our best. Creatures were just easy to be around and Professor Hagrid was one of the nicest teachers we had. I also liked being outside, I could switch my brain off and focus on the creature in front of me, instead of having to try and memorise difficult spells or complicated Potions recipes. Not that I didn't like the challenge of some of my other subjects but i'd wanted to be a Magizoologist since I was about five and my Mum would read the 'That's not my creature' books to me.