Hufflepuff, Quidditch, & Queer

Chapter 2: Student Life

Chapter image is of a soft Gryffindor mood-board

~.~.~

"Welcome to your final year of Defense Against the Dark Arts," Professor said. "This year we'll be polishing your knowledge on the dark arts and how to defend yourself against it. I have a seating chart here. As you know, I will not tolerate lallygagging or horse-playing of any sorts."

The Professor than began to read off names. No one from the same house was sat together. Slowly, the seats throughout the room filled.

"Marie Jones, Minerva Summers," The Professor pointed to two seats. Minerva couldn't believe her luck. Marie, sitting next to her, was something she had daydreamed about but never thought it has the chance for coming true.

Minerva sat, awkwardly fiddling with the softness of her quill. She didn't want to seem weird, watching Marie sit beside her or when she took out her books and parchment.

"Have you decided if you're trying out?" Marie whispered.

"Um, not yet. My friends think I should though." Minerva said.

"Well, if you think you want to practice or something, you can let me know and maybe we can hit up the Quidditch field."

Minerva felt that flutter again. "Yeah, I'll let you know."

"Now that everyone's settled, please take out your textbooks and some parchment. Let's begin."

The class drew by filled with the sounds of quills scratching and the professor talking. Minerva took studious notes, but sometimes —when she got extremely bored— she caught herself watching Marie in the corner of her eye. The way she jotted down notes with a scribbled hand and the way she glanced from the paper back up to the blackboard always caught Minerva attention. For no other reason than it was Marie who was doing it.

Minerva wasn't the only person distracted. Because Poppy and Tom were sat an isle apart, the two resorted to absurd arm movements and facial expressions as their form of communication. They'd pass notes and smile, and Minerva couldn't help but be a little jealous. Not because of her friend's divided attention, but because she wished she had someone to mess around like that with.

"That concludes our class for today. No homework tonight, but it won't always be like this. You're dismissed."

"I'll see you tomorrow, if not later." Marie smiled, "It was nice meeting you officially."

"Yeah, you too. See ya." They waved and Minerva parted to meet back with Felicity, Poppy, and Tom.

"I saw you got sat with Marie," Felicity teased with a quirk of her eyebrows.

"Yes, I did."

"Is she nice? I've heard she can be kinda... a bitch," Poppy said. She was obvious to Minerva's growing crush on Marie.

"Yeah I've heard she can be a little two faced with her friends," Tom shrugged. "I've heard that the whole little squad she's in is like that."

"I like them, but I've never really been friends with them all in once space. Separate, they're all really cool," Felicity said as they group walked through the quad. "Especially Marie."
Minerva shot her a look, but if Felicity saw she ignored it.

"I'm thinking about spending next period in the library," Poppy said.

"You have Potions next period," Minerva said.

"I know, but that's my best class and Professor Jacklin will understand. I'm doing research for a personal project on quidditch history," she said. "Plus, Potions is my easiest class so it's really no biggie if I skip out on the first day. It'll mostly be intro stuff anyways."

"I'd talk to the professor first, but if they're chill with it I'm totally skipping with you."

"You actually need to attend that class," Poppy said. "I don't like it that you skip classes out to hang out with me. I can afford to miss those classes, but sometimes you can't."

"Like you said, they're only giving their grand ol' speech today anyways. Nothing important, babe." Tom kisses the top of Poppy's hand and all the arguing dissolved from her eyes.

"Come on Minnie, let's go to the R.R.. We have free period, right?" Felicity said.

"You have free period. I've asked Professor Longbottom if I could student teach with him this semester," Minerva said.

"They're letting you student teach?" Felicity asked. "They" meaning the Hogwarts staff. Hogwarts since the battle with the Dark Lord had become more open to change and flexibility, thus the starting of graduation ceremonies and allowing muggle borns like Poppy into Slytherin.

"Yeah, and I better get going if I want to meet the first years on time. I'll see you guys after." Minerva sped walked towards the other side of campus, where Herbology was held. It wasn't her favorite class and was by far not the class she would want to teach, but she came to love Professor Longbottom and the way he taught. He was kind and understanding. He knew how to teach children based on their strengths and their passions rather than sticking to one method.

Minerva made it to class just minutes before the first years began shuffling through the door.

"Would you please set up the Mandrakes?" Professor Longbottom asked.

"Starting them off with a classic, I see." Minerva remembered her first day in Herbology, where the kid next to her had lose earmuffs and passed out. The Professor laughed and moved to the door to say hello to his new students.

You can tell a first year from just looking at them. Young, curious, and anxious were the whole lot of them. Each with doe eyes and rounded cheeks, ready to face the newest chapter in their lives.

First year is one of the hardest years, starting off. Everything is new, even for children born into a magic family like Minvera, a half-blood. It's easy to get lost with the winding halls and moving staircases. Making friends was hard too. Minerva didn't even talk to many people the first two days until she met Felicity and Poppy. And Minerva wanted to make these first years' lives less difficult.

"Hello everyone. For those of you I didn't get to meet at the door, I'm Professor Longbottom. In this course, I'll be beginning to introduce you in the world of herbology. Now, I know this might not be everyone's cup of tea, and I understand that. What I expect of you, not matter if you love of hate this class, is that you try your best and ask for help. Not only will you have me, but this semester Minerva Summers will be student teaching along with me," Professor explained.

"You can just call me Minerva," she said as she placed the last Mandrake down, "or Ms. Summers, what ever suits you."

"Everyone, please put on your earmuffs."