Folie à Deux

Chapter 3: All Dressed Up In A White Straitjacket

Chapter 3: All Dressed Up In A White Straitjacket or, I Can't Compete With All Your Damn Ideas

Rating: M mainly for language, and I can't discount any funny business later on

Disclaimer: I work with only what the infallible J.K. Rowling has given me.

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It was not going to be a good day, Scorpius could tell that from the off.

He'd met Liv in the Room of Requirement the night before after sending her a note reading "RoR for a quickie", but instead of the ten minute romp he had been hoping for, she'd decided the summer had been too long for them to be apart and updated him on the agonisingly mundane details of her holiday until past two am.

Because of this, he'd completely forgotten to set his usual alarm and had woken up only ten minutes before Transfiguration was due to start.

Jumping out of bed, he made a beeline for the bathroom, hissing to the sleeping girl beside him, "Liv! Goddammit, get up!" only to have her mumble, "Free period" in response.

He groaned, and focused hard on a clean set of robes appearing at the foot of the bed. He haphazardly flung them on whilst attempting to brush his teeth.

Without saying goodbye, he dashed out of the room, muttering a Summoning charm for his books, quill and homework. Luckily, he made it to McGonagall's classroom and set his essay down on her desk mere seconds before she herself entered.

"Thank you, Mr Malfoy," she commented lightly as she passed him. She looked him up and down but made no remark as to his dishevelled appearance.

He took his seat next to Toby, self-consciously pulling a hand through his bedraggled hair.

"Good morning," McGonagall announced. "Today, we will be applying the theory that I trust you all read and reported for homework." She glanced at the Gryffindor girl in the third row. "Textbooks closed, Miss Lancaster."

The girl sheepishly stowed it back into her bag.

"Mate, you smell like sex," Toby said, making a face. Scorpius kicked his shin under the table.

The Professor flicked her wand towards the chalkboard, speaking the words as they formed behind her. "Untransfiguration." She focused her sharp eyes around the room. "What is the meaning of 'Untransfiguration'? Yes, Mr. Malfoy."

From the seat across him, Rose lowered her hand in disappointment.

He smirked. "Reverting something that has been previously Transfigured back into its original form."

"Correct. Five points to Slytherin."

Scorpius exchanged a smug grin with Toby.

"Now, can anyone tell me why we only study Untransfiguration at a N.E.W.T. level? Miss Weasley."

"Untransfiguration is considered both Transfiguration and a counter-spell. This simultaneous use of multiple branches of magic means successful spells can only be performed by witches or wizards trained at a sufficiently advanced level."

"Exactly. Ten points, Miss Weasley."

No one in class seemed surprised that their two Heads were the first to offer answers, and most were reluctant to compete.

McGonagall looked around the room, her gaze hardening as she realised perhaps not everyone in her class was quite up to the task. Still, it was only the first week.