alohomora

three

I went through the rest of my day fine, but when it came time for potions class, things got a little weird. I walked in and took the first seat open as Professor Snape explained today's lesson, a pepper-up potion. It was simple, made with mandrake root and bicorn horn to cure a common cold. 

I took out my potions book and started reading the instructions and I guess I had stopped listening to what Snape was saying when I noticed him standing right in front of me, "Mrs. Octavius, can you repeat to me what I've just said?" his cold eyes stared down upon me.

"Um- no, sorry sir." I replied, and he sighed. 

"Pay attention! Now, as I was saying, I will pick your partners and you will work to make the perfect pepper- up potion." I looked around the room to see any familiar faces and saw Cedric sitting with a black haired boy with glasses, and on the opposite side of the room, Draco and Pansy. 

Snape pulled out a jar with papers in it and started pulling out names, "Potter, Weasely, and Granger, you will be in the first group. Parkinson, Chang, and Finch-Fletchley, group two.." I waited and waited, hoping my luck would bring me somebody I knew, or at least somebody nice. 

"Diggory, Malfoy, and lets see, Mrs. Octavius. You will be our last group. Move along students, get together and begin." I began writing a list of ingredients and when I looked up, there were the two boys sitting next to me.

"Do you guys know where to find these?" I asked, and handed the paper to Cedric.

As time went on, we began to work through our potion, but Cedric and Draco started arguing. I don't even remember what it was about, something about boiling versus freezing the potion. As their arguing grew louder and louder, Draco raised his arm and knocked over the potion, spilling all over the desk.

"Nice going, Malfoy." Cedric laughed. 

"If you hadn't been trying to change the potion then this wouldn't have happened!" said Draco.

"oh my god." I said, breaking my silence from their argument, staring at the dripping potion in front of us. The boys turned to face me, as Snape walked over slowly. 

"That's detention for all of you. Report to my office after school. Dress warm." Snape said, looking down at my bare legs under my skirt. Then he waved his wand over our failed potion and cleaned our mess. 

-

"You have detention from Snape! It's the first day!" Daphne whisper-screamed during our last class together, Astronomy. 

"Uh, yeah I think he like hates me now."

"It's Snape, it's not like he has favorites, he hates like everyone," she laughed. "Do you know where you're going?"

"What do you mean? Detention means just sitting in his office and we get like a lecture or have to clean desks or something right?" I questioned.

"Oh god, not with Snape, you poor thing he's going to send you on some quest out into the lake or forest or something."

"He's going to WHAT?" I said a little too loudly, earning a glare from the other students. 

"Good luck," Daphne giggled. 

-

When Astronomy was over I quickly went to my dorms and changed into something warm, like Snape suggested, opting for a sweater and sweatpants with boots. I put my hair into my ponytail and walked out to Snape's office, to find Draco and Cedric already waiting, dressed similarly to me. 

Snape appeared from a back door and said, "Go to the forbidden forest, and take these with you," he handed us lanterns, "You're going to look for a Moly flower. A powerful plant that can be eaten to counteract enchantments. It is a black-stemmed plant with white flowers. Be back before midnight." He ended, "And don't make a mess in my class again!" and left. 

The group walked in silence through the yard to the forest. The fog and wet grass made for an unpleasant scenery and Snape was right, it was freezing. I started to shiver as we entered the forest, and then Cedric and Draco started arguing again on where to go.

"I'm telling you Malfoy, it's west!" shouted Cedric

"No, no, its a Moly flower, it grows east!" Draco shouted back.

"Why don't we just freaking split up!" I said, and the boys looked at me, almost if they had forgotten I was there. 

"Fine." said Draco. "Cassie, come with me, we'll be done soon."

"No, come with me, I know herbology." said Cedric. 

I stood between them for what seemed like forever, "He's got a point y'know?" I said with sad eyes to Draco. Cedric smiled and Draco started to storm off in the other direction. 

"Alright, we're off then," Cedric smirks and we begin to walk through the forest. "Moly flowers grow at the bottom of the trees, near the moss, they're a bit rare but I'm fairly sure they grow about a half mile down this end of the forest."

"yeah, I guess. I don't know that much about them to be honest." I said, crossing my arms to keep warm. My boots squish the soft earth beneath me as we walk deeper. 

"Hey, so what do you know about the muggle world?" He smirked, walking a bit closer to me now, "Hogwarts is a bit far from normal school, and in the summer I don't see muggle world that much. Do you know what muggle school is like? In America I mean," he trailed on, looking eager to hear my response. 

"Oh god, I have a friend who goes to muggle school, and literally its all just kids smoking weed and doing it in bathrooms, oh and they're football games and homecoming weeks and standardized tests.." I rolled my eyes. The American school system is a headache. 

Cedric giggles, "sounds more similar to Hogwarts than I was thinking," I looked up at the boy next to me, smiling, noting his hazel eyes looking into mine, "oh my god," he says.

"What?" I say softly.

"Look! It's the flower!" says Cedric, walking behind me over to a tree where a large collection of the Moly flowers grow. He begins picking a bunch of flowers and I sigh. He's cute. Cedric. Is. Cute. He's tall and handsome and smart and curious and I really thought.... No. stupid. we were looking for the flower. As I take a deep breath suddenly a loud screech comes from somewhere else in the wood. "Malfoy." Cedric looks at me with worry. 

We run off in the direction of the scream, shouting for Draco. We run for what seems like forever until we find him, against a tree holding his arm in his hand, blood dripping down his body. 

"Oh my god Draco are you okay!?" I ask, helping him up.

"That looks bad, Malfoy, you should go to medical." Cedric insisted.

"I'll take you, lets go." I say, and with that we start back towards the school.

"Did you guys find that freaking flower?" Draco grunts,

"Just one," Cedric lies.

-