Forever and a Day ~ James Potter

Partners. Potions. Broomsticks.

Chapter Six

11:05

Arriving in the dungeons of the castle only took around ten minutes. The girls entered the dingy classroom to take their usual seats around one of the tables before Slughorn waddled in - belly first as always.

"Good morning, fifth years!" he beamed, his shiny balding head catching the light of the candles and making some of the students chuckle. "I hope you all had wonderful holidays. Welcome back to O.W.L level potions," he said as he went to sit behind his desk and pulled out some pieces of parchment. The large man tutted as he looked around the room, observing everyone's choice of desk partner.

"Before we begin, I would like to introduce you to our new seating plan-" the whole class groaned as they looked at their friends worriedly. They hadn't had a seating plan since first year when the teachers needed to learn their names. "All right, all right. I know this may not be ideal for some of you, but I thought that since this year we have our O.W.Ls, I would seat students with partners that will enhance each other's skills rather than compress them," he explained as he waved his hands around and glanced at particular students - including James and Sirius.

Rosie and Lily rolled their eyes, packing up their things quietly and preparing to be inevitably moved.

"I shall place the list at the back of the classroom, so please form an orderly line while I prepare today's examples," Slughorn boomed as he waved his wand and sent the list to the back of the room, pinned up on the stone wall.

Everyone rushed towards the back wall, and some Slytherins shoved each other out of the way in hopes that, if they got their first, they would somehow will the list to put them with someone they liked.

Rosie, Lily and Mary arrived at the front of the line and read down the list. Lily sighed in relief while Rosie and Mary groaned, throwing their heads back and rolling their eyes in annoyance.

"Who'd you get?" Lily asked. "I'm with Severus, so I suppose that's fine."

"I got a Slytherin!" Mary pouted. "How on Earth is some Slytherin girl going to 'enhance my skill'? If anything, she will make me mess up to laugh at me! Who did you get, Rosie?"

"Sirius bloody Black," Rosie replied irritably.

"I thought you were on good terms with him?" Mary questioned.

"Hardly," Rosie scoffed. "I mean, he's alright when we have to visit each other in the summer holidays, and he's not with his friends. But at Hogwarts, whenever he's around Lupin, Potter or Pettigrew, he always tries to show off, and it's really annoying."

"Oh," Lily sighed. "Well, at least he isn't a Slytherin?"

"Yeah... fantastic," she replied dryly, dragging herself towards the back desk where Alice and Peter sat. Mary and Lily glanced at each other before wandering off to find their partners as well.

"All right?" she smiled politely at Alice, who smiled back.

"Yes, I'm glad I got someone I'm actually sort of friends with."

Peter smiled back as he planted his bag on the floor beside him, looking at Rosie, "Who did you get?"

"Sirius," she replied, rolling her eyes yet again.

"Oh, that's good," Peter smiled but wiped it off his face when he saw her expression. "Well, it's good for me... because, you know, he's actually my friend. At least you're sat with Alice?"

"Yeah, I suppose that makes up for it," Rosie smiled at her friend before continuing her rant. "But I just know I'll hardly get any work done this year, and this is the most important time!"