The Badger and the Snake

Chapter 2: First Impression

As Slughorn motioned for us to begin the lesson, I shuffled over to where Ophelia was sitting. I pulled up a chair and sat down next to her. As I did, she didn't even appear to notice me. Her stormy grey eyes were staring down at her paper, as her pencil was sketching something that I couldn't quite make out. After a few minutes of sitting in silence, I cleared my throat slightly, and she turned her eyes towards me. "Um...hi." I said sheepishly, putting on my best smile. Still, she didn't seem to react, so I decided to press a little farther. "I'm Marcus. Marcus Creevy. It's nice to meet you." I smiled and she stopped sketching for a bit, as if she was processing what I had just said, and was pondering what to respond with. Finally, she just looked back down and muttered, almost to herself. "Ophelia." Well, you talked to her, Marcus. You proud of yourself yet? Ignoring my inner thoughts, I opened up my Potions textbook. "So, we should probably get started, huh? You ever made a essence of Hippogriff potion before?" She looked up again, this time right in my face. Her eyes had gone from interesting to chilling. She spoke with a tone that was half annoyed, half deprecating. "Look, I get that since you're a Hufflepuff, you have to be nice to everyone you meet, but don't pull that crap with me. I don't like this any more than you do. So how about we both stop trying to be social, and skip to the part where we actually get this done. Ok?" Without waiting for my response, she began to write in her notes again. That certainly wasn't the reaction I was expecting. I had no idea what was ticking her off so much, but we were going to be partners for a while, so I moved past it and got to work as well. As I did, I saw what she had been drawing on her sheet, and I did a double-take. It was the Dark Mark, the skull and snake, the sign of the Death Eaters.

After an entire class of us pretty much not talking to one another at all, Slughorn dismissed us finally, and I grabbed my stuff. Before I could say anything else to her, she grabbed her books and was out of the room practically before anyone else even got up out of their seats. I sighed inwardly. So much for getting to know her. As I looked back at the Hufflepuff side, I saw David looking at me, a sly smirk on his face, giving me a small wink. I rolled my eyes at him, then walked over. "Well Casanova, how'd it go?" I shrugged and walked out with him. "I might as well have sat with the wall. She barely said a word." David frowned. "Figures. She doesn't talk to anyone. She must hate to be stuck with you." I gave him my best withering look. "Thanks for the vote of confidence." David snickered slightly, then went up the flight of stairs while I went down. "See you in Transfiguration!" I waved him goodbye, then as I rounded the corner, I saw an unwelcome sight. A boy with long brown hair and a girl with blonde hair both wearing red uniforms were standing and talking at the bottom of the steps. Conrad Bolton and Lilly Hauser. Year 7 Gryiffindors and the bane of my existence. They'd had it out for me ever since Year 2, and now I had nowhere to go. Conrad turned his head and saw me, smiling evilly. "Well, well. Look who it is." He and Lilly walked up to me, surrounding me on either side. "Guys, can we not do this today?" I looked at the both of them, standing my ground. Conrad looked over at Lilly, who smirked. "I dunno...this is the only time I'm free...so this'll have to do." As they moved closer, I heard Professor Flitwick behind the three of us. "Children, shouldn't you all be in class?" I breathed a silent sigh of relief, and Conrad put on his best fake smile. "Yes sir." As soon as Flitwick was out of earshot, he whispered to me. "This isn't over." As they walked away, I heard someone moving around on the staircase above me, as if they had been watching me from above. I looked up, and was able to catch a glimpse of a green uniform and black hair.