"Now you've got to grind two scarab beetles until there're mashed." Alex told him, without glancing at the book she held.
"You didn't even look."
"I don't have to. I've read this book about fifty times." She said. "It's only grade four potions."
"Let me see." He insisted.
"Just grind the beetles, Malfoy."
"I don't trust you."
"What do I get out of it? If the potion fails inspection, we both get in trouble."
"I still don't trust a Weasley."
"You think I trust you? But I don't peer into the cauldron every five seconds. So just do as I say and we can finish this quickly."
"I don't know what Severus was thinking, pairing you and me together."
"Neither do I, but he did. So stop whining about it. You don't care much for me because I'm a Weasley? Fine, I hate you for your racist, prejudiced ways. But the more you go on about wanting to look at the written instructions or double check to see whether or not I'm leading you astray, or the fact that I'm a Weasley, the longer it's going to take for the potion to brew. So just listen and work and we can leave and not have to see each other until tomorrow after classes." He looked haughtily at her before turning to the jar of dead beetles. He dropped two into his mortar and began grinding it with his pestle. To his credit, he did grind the beetle to perfection. She'd noticed that most of her classmates had trouble when grinding any insects or ingredients when needed.
"Now what?" He asked, after adding the beetles.
"Mix until red." She waited until he looked up. "Add more armadillo bile until yellow. And make sure it's a proper yellow, and not somewhat green."
"Yes, I do believe I know the definition of yellow."
"I'm just reading from the book."
"Technically, you're not. You haven't even glanced at the pages since you opened it."
"I've read it more than enough times to remember what it says."
"Freak."
"You know I don't care what you think?"
"That's why you hexed me when I insulted your friend?"
"Think whatever you want. But when those thoughts start to hurt people I care about, I get involved."
"What did I say that was so wrong? She's a muggleborn. A mudblood."
"You're such a pureblood elitist." She scoffed.
"You're a pureblood too."
"I would take being a muggleborn any day of the week than be anything like you."
"And what's wrong with being a respected pureblood of good social, economic standing?"
"You lack morality."
"Her parents are muggles. She was raised as a muggle. How can you possibly think that's all right?"
"There is nothing wrong with being a muggle. So what if they don't have magic? They have plenty of things we don't."
"Like what?"
"Knowledge. We use magic to explain everything in our world, meanwhile they use science to explain their everything in theirs."
"They use science to imitate magic. They have no real grasp of science."
"They have great big metal objects that fly through the sky. Planes that can carry hundreds of people. A broom is only good for one person. Two, maximum."
"We can apparate, or travel by portkeys instantaneously."
"Apparating is dangerous. Even side along apparition is dangerous to children. And portkeys only work so well. Especially when a large amount of people want to travel a large distance."
"I'm glad you remember your lesson on magical transportation, but I fail to see how it's relevant to your task at hand." Snape drawled, walking in.
"She just started upon a lecture, sir. I tried to get her to focus."
"Oh please, why would I waste a lecture on you? Clearly you're too narrow-minded and-"
"Miss Weasley. I would think carefully on my next words if I were you." Malfoy was looking smug as Snape chastised her.
"Add in the armadillo bile." She bit her tongue. He did just that. "Mix in the rest of the ginger root."
"Is that shaved?" Snape asked.
"I was just following instructions." Malfoy said quickly. Alex met Snape's eyes and nodded.
"Yes, it's shaved." He stayed silent and nodded, walking over to stand beside Malfoy. He watched Alex continue with her instructions. "Potion should be a lime green, so add a glug of armadillo bile." Malfoy continued and the potion almost instantly turned purple.
"Well done." Snape said, glancing at his watch. "And in record time."
"It's the shaved ginger root. Dissolves much quicker. We would've been faster if Malfoy didn't interrupt me every five seconds to score a look at the instructions."
"No wonder you didn't let me look at it. You were meddling with it anyways. So much for knowing exactly what's written."
"I do, not that I have anything to prove to you."
"You were supposed to read the instructions as it was."
"No, I was just supposed to give you the instructions on how to make a wit sharpening potion. Professor Snape never said I had to read to you the exact method from the book."
"It was implied."
"I think I'll decide what was implied. And seeing as the two of you still can't manage to work together like civil human beings, perhaps another potion will change your minds?" The two students stood up straight, and quietened immediately. "You will both bring your potions equipments with you tomorrow. Detention will be at four thirty. For now, you are dismissed." Malfoy began to pack away. "And Mr Malfoy?" He looked up. "I always know what's going on in my classroom. You should probably thank Miss Weasley, or you'd have had to redo the entire potion with the roles I had selected." Malfoy's eyes widened and it was Alex's turn to look smug.
