The Padfoot Twins

11: A Friend Behind the Mask

Chapter 11.

Brianne's PoV

January 18th, 1993

It was the first potions class in my whole life where I didn't feel like strangling my partner. It turns out the Colin Creevey was actually half-decent at my favourite subject. 

"Nicely done, Brianne! I can see why everyone says you are the best," Colin commented, a slight tinge of annoyance was traced along the latter part of that sentence. 

Despite the clear jealously present in Colin, I grinned. "Why thank you, kind Colin! But I only wish I could be as talented as you in Care for Magical Creatures!" 

Colin's eyes lit up, "Really!?" he asked. Nope. That class is quite horrible, I thought, but my facade was smiling and nodding at him. 

Snape strolled by Colin and I's cauldron, not even trying to suppress the disapproving look. "Might I remind you two that chatter shall be reserved for times that do not interfere with mine? If it does not cease, this is your warning that you might find yourselves in detention," he drawled, then continued to terrify the pair behind us.

Colin and I exchange nervous glances, then returned to our work without a word.

BAM

Our attention was diverted from the conversation as soon as we heard the explosion behind us. Oh, Luna and Jack. Why do you have to be so awful at potions? That is why I always refused to be their partners, and they completely understood. That is why I also loved them so much. 

There was black dust floating around them, falling from the ceiling where the explosion shot up at. Both Jack and Luna looked as if they wanted to either laugh or run as fast as they could from the wrath of Snape. They decided to select the running option, and they sprinted out of that classroom faster than I've ever seen. I looked back at Snape to see him a little flustered, which was surprisingly hilarious to me. The rest of the class was giggling, just as the bell rang signalling the end of potions. Colin, along with my fellow classmates, left the room almost as fast as my two best friends, leaving only Snape and me to each other's company. I started to pack up my things slowly, as Snape made his way over to the cauldron explosion, readying his wand. 

Well, I could either leave as quietly as I could or help Snape, earning an extremely rare place on his good side, especially considering I wasn't Slytherin. I sighed, then joined him. 

"Miss. Dawlish, I do hope you realise that potions class is over, and might I elicit the vexatious fact that this is the second time today that you have gone out of your way to disrupt the quiet tenor of my job?"

I internally rolled my eyes at his impossibleness. "Professor, I am simply helping you clean up. Partly because I take responsibility for Jack and Luna being horrible at potions since I never taught them my ways of success." I flashed him a grin, then turned to continue cleaning, missing Snape's reaction. But if I didn't miss it, I would have seen glazed over eyes and knit eyebrows. 

Flashback 

Jade's PoV

Her fifth year, January 27th

"Oi, Snivellus is that a bloody carrot stick in your robe pocket there?" Sirius ridiculed, causing the class to spur into a fit of laughter. 

The potions room was especially depressing today. Due to there being no windows, on top of a cold winter day, I was trying to make it through this lesson without screaming at my unreliable partner, also known as my best friend, Alice Brown. She just could never get the hang of potions for some reason, whereas me, on the other hand, grew up with a mother who loved to bake, so following precise instructions was a special talent of mine.