Harry Potter Oneshots

Teaching Affection (James Potter)

Fourth year was always a rough year for students. Not only was it when all of the classes began to become difficult, it was when the pressure to decide what your future career was started to build. Professors began putting more focus into some students rather than others and as a result those students who have been neglected fell behind in their studies.

This wasn't a one-way process, however. A lot of students would have stopped trying to be well-rounded and mentally check out of a lot of their courses by now. Most of the professors didn't seem to get too frustrated with it, though, as it was the norm around this time. They simply brushed past it as a part of life and hoped that those students would at least pretend to care or, even if they couldn't be bothered to pretend, work hard anyway.

However, some professors had the naïve thinking that if they only tried harder with their students, all of them would do well. This was simply not the case, not ever, but Professor Beery was perhaps the most optimistic of them all and thus poured an admirable amount of energy into each of his students. Including the ones who thought that his subject was, and I quote, 'a waste of time.'

Those rude words have just exited the mouth of Sirius Black, and my own lips part in shock as I ready myself for the professor's reaction. It's not at all what I expect. He simply shrugs and says, "You must still take it, Mr. Black."

"It's still stupid," Sirius mutters.

Professor Beery folds his hands. "I don't think you understand it well enough, Mr. Black, and I think that that's why you feel this way."

My eyes flit to Sirius curiously. Could he not be doing well in Herbology of all subjects? I'm no genius, but Helga knows that this subject wasn't difficult at all. At least, not compared to the other ones we are forced to take and I know for a fact that Black was extremely proficient in Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Sirius scowls. Professor Beery looks at me expectantly as if I should know why I've been asked to be a part of this horrifically awkward conversation. I stare back blankly, and he speaks. "Jones here absolutely excels in Herbology. Perhaps she could be of help?"

My eyes widen slightly and I suck my lip in between my teeth. Black looks at me as if just noticing that I was here, appraising me slightly as I'd seen him do to countless of Hogwarts witches. He shrugs. "I don't mind." He shoots me a wicked grin.

I look away from his dark eyes and to Professor Beery, who is smiling. He shuffles a few papers on his desk before saying, "Okay, sounds like a plan!"

I sigh and nod. I was nothing if not willing to help, even if the one who needed it clearly had other things in mind. "Of course, Professor."

He turns around, his work done, and I turn around to leave the classroom, my head throbbing with a mixture of irritation and resignation. Of course this would happen to me; people always say to excel at whatever you do but maybe in this case I could have done with not doing so?

"Jones."

I stop and turn, an irritated expression overtaking my expression as I notice he is not looking at me. "What is it, Black?" I ask impatiently.

He's silent for another moment and I huff. "Out with it then. I'm trying to live my own life here without having to drag your sorry arse through the course."

His brows furrow. "I can do it on my own."

"Beery doesn't seem to agree with you. We can start on Thursday after my Defense Against the Dark Arts if that works for you. Say, 5 o'clock?"

He doesn't say a word and I nod, leaving the room in a huff. Of course he would have to try and preserve his pride with me. As if I didn't already know that he was doing poorly in the subject, he had to act as though he was doing me a favor.