Lucinda Evans - still in progress

Chapter 8 - Dance Partners

It's the usual Thursday afternoon during our Transfiguration class. People do not pay much attention. They want it to be Friday evening so the weekend could start.

"Potter! Weasley! Will you pay attention?" Professor McGonagall's irritated voice cracks like a whip through the class. Her voice interrupts my daydreaming. Next to me I see Merope jump up. She has ink on her face since she was sleeping with her head on her desk. I laugh at her when she looks around confused and clearly still with a sleepy glance in her eyes. 

"Now that I have everyone's attention back. Please copy your homework of the blackboard," Professor McGonagall signs, clearly irritated.

I copy the blackboard, Describe, with examples, the ways in which Transforming Spells must be adapted when performing Cross-Species Switches,  and look next to me to check if Mer is doing the same but she has her head back on her desk and is drifting away again. What did she do last night that she is so tired?

When I'm done copying I look around the class to see if the others are finished yet. What catches my eye is a sword fight between a couple of fake wands, a tin parrot and a rubber haddock. It's actually really stupid but I'm still fascinated by it because there is nothing else to do. At the moment when the haddocks head falls on the floor, because the parrot had beheaded it, Professor McGonagall starts talking again.

"Now that Potter and Weasley have been kind enough to act their age, I have something to say to you all." I hit Mers are to wake her up. She jumps up again and asks a sleepy 'what?' while she lazily rubs her arm where I hit her. "The Yule Ball is approaching — a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above — although you may invite a younger student if you wish —"

She is interrupted by 2 girls in the front, the same two girls who are always excited during Divination, Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil who are giggling.

"As I was saying, dress robes will be worn," Professor McGonagall continues, "and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. Now then — The Yule Ball is, of course, a chance for us all to — er — let our hair down," she says, in a disapproving voice. 

Lavender giggles even harder now, while she presses her hand hard against her mouth to stifle the sound. Mer and I look at each other, we finally see what was so funny: Professor McGonagall, with her hair in a tight bun, looks as though she had never let her hair down in any occasion. We start giggling too, but I like to believe a lot more restrained. Because that would be, how Draco puts it, more lady-like.

"But that does NOT mean," Professor McGonagall goes on, "that we will be relaxing the standards of behavior we expect from Hogwarts students. I will be most seriously displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way." 

The bell rang, and everyone packs their bags and leaves the classroom. 

"God! Now we need to go and look for good dance partners now everyone knows. And we need to be fast if we want good ones," Mer says when we're walking to our next class, Potions.

"I'm sure I know who you want to go with," I say and grin at her with mischief in my eyes.

"Ow, like we don't already know who you want to go with," she teases back with the same mischief in her eyes and the same grin on her face.

—————

"Today we will be brewing a Potion that would make the drinker younger. Who knows one?" Professor Snape asks. 

I poke Mer because I see her closing her eyes. Immediately her eyes fly open, "Yes, Professor!"

Hermione, who had her hand in the air, puts it down again and Draco gives us an angry glare. I look back at Professor Snape and try to have a neutral look on my face.

"Ah, Miss Black. How nice of you to wake up for my class. Now, please enlighten us with your answer." Professor Snape sneers.

"Uhm,..." I know she didn't hear the question so I repeat it in my head. She is a talented Legilimens so I know she will hear me. "Maybe the Shrinking Solution.., or something.."

Professor Snape just looks at her and narrows his eyes, looking at her in suspicion before his glance moves over to me. I just look back since I didn't do anything wrong, I just repeated the question in my head.

"Miss Black has decided that we will be making Shrinking Solution today. Go get your ingredients and start brewing."

The boy next to us sighs and looks up the instructions. I give a side glance to look at the instructions too.

Juice two Shrivelfigs and add their ruby blood to your cauldron.Stir slowly.Gently heat your potion.Chop four daisy roots more finely and add to cauldron.Add five hairy caterpillars.Add well-shaken wormwood.Stir vigorously.Juice four leeches and add.Stir slowly and with caution.Shake rat spleen and add to cauldron.Add a splash of cowbane.Stir slowly.Heat on a high temperature.Wave wand in a particular figure. 

I frown. Those are not the instructions I recall. I poke Mer again and when I have her attention I point to the instructions. 

"Those are not correct, are they? I believe we did it differently last time, no?" she asks.

"I recall so too," I answer while I open my book. 

Add five sliced caterpillars.Heat till the potion turns red.Shake the peeled Shrivelfig until it is ready (this is extra important, as if one tries to add it before it is ready the potion may emit noxious green gases).Add peeled Shrivelfig until the potion turns yellow.Allow the potion to simmer till it turns purple.Add four rat spleens to the cauldron.Add the minced daisy roots till it turns green.Add five drops of leech juice.Add more of the Shrivelfig, this time till it turns pink.Add one sliced caterpillar.Allow the potion to simmer till it turns green. 

I look over the instructions in my book. These are the one I remember. Mer and I look at each other and both shrug. We're just following our instructions.

"Luce I think you have the wrong instructions," I hear a familiar voice say behind me. I turn around and see Draco standing there. "But it's ok. You're not looking too good today, so I'll let it slip today. But I do hope that you'll look better soon, I don't want to go with a girl that looks like she has Necromancy." 

"I'm sorry how did you call her?" I hear Mer hiss angrily. I know I should say something too to defend myself. But I can't I'm too numb at the moment. "Where did you even get the idea that she wants to go with an ass like you?" she continues, getting more and more livid while she speaks louder and louder to the point where everybody at our table stops working just to look at us and to find out what is going on.

"You better watch your mouth Merope or father will hear about this," Draco threatens her. I see her open her mouth to — probably — yell lots of bad words to him but I have refound my voice.

"I appreciate your concern and I thank you for the offer, but I must decline since I've already been asked and I agreed," I say with an emotionless face while I look into his eyes.

Draco just looks between us with and angry and red face before he turns on his heels and walks seething back to his cauldron on the other table.

"Now we really need to get good dance partners," Mer looks at me with a huge grin on her face while I'm trembling on my legs.

"Looks like at least somebody was able to make a perfect Shrinking Solution," I jump up when I hear, again, a voice behind me. This time it's Professor Snape, to praise my potion while Mer just did the same as I and also has a perfect potion. I'm starting to think he hates her..