The Bad-boy and the Red Head

VII

Lily's POV

The Halloween decorations appeared as we moved through October; the castle looked beautiful, full of golden pumpkins and snowing red and amber leaves in the great hall-

A wad of paper hit me in the back of the head and I turned around to glare at Potter who was sniggering in the back row of the Charms classroom. Professor Twiple hadn't arrived yet, and the class was taking full advantage.

Sirius Black had climbed onto a desk at the back of the class and was doing his impression if Slughorn at his Christmas party last year, after having drunk a little too much fire-whisky. Black had got hold of a hat like the one Slughorn wore, which was positioned precariously on his head as he spun and weaved on top of the table, singing very loudly and very off-key about a little goblin who got stuck in the mud.

Most of the class was crowded around him, as he hauled Potter up into the desk beside him and the two mimed dancing a drunken waltz. I rolled my eyes at Alice who giggled and twisted to watch Sirius bowing flamboyantly - I think she has a crush on him. Oh dear.

Th door popped open and Professor Twiple came in, swgging from a flagon of sugared tea. He paused and eyed the Black and Potter who were now dancing a jig on the desks.

'Professor!' Remus yelped suddenly, and the whooping ground to a halt. The crowd around Potter and Black quickly disperced. Twiple eyed the two students menacingly. There was an awkward pause.

Potter cleared his throat. He stamped a foot on the desk and shook his head, tutting.

'Yeah... Professor I think we need some new desks,' he said. Twiple raised his eyebrows incredulously, but nudged Black who continued.

'My friend and I have just carried out an extensive test, and we believe that, urr...'

'These desk are on the verge of collapse, and are so a serious health hazard.' Potter finished for him.

'Yeah,' Black was warming to this new game, 'These are a severe health hazard. We could have been hurt. I heard several loud creaks... I could have died Professor.'

'If you wish to fill in an application for new desk, you may do it this evening,' Professor Twiple said calmly, 'In detention. Sit down. Books out.'

The whole class sniggered, and i covered my mouth to hide my smile. Potter and Black took it on the chin and sat down without a fuss: it was hardly their first detention of the year...

Professor Twiple began explaining an experiment the class would be working on until Christmas: the effect of light absobtion charms on different materials...

' You'll be working in pairs for this...' he said.

I glanced at Alice out of the corner of my eye and we exchanged smiles. We always worked together in charms.

In the back row, Black whooped and high five Potter, "This is gonna be epic Bro, we should totally-"

"OH NO," Twiple said decisively, "Oh absolutely not will you two be working together, never again, not after the Self Brushing False Teeth prodject last year, I'm still finding books with pages stuck together after the mint - flavored grand-finalé. Mr Black may work with Mr Pettigrew, and Mr Potter-"

Potter grabbed Remus's arm hopefully.

"Mr Potter will be working with Miss Evans."

I chocked, as did Potter.

"Kill-Joy-Evans?" Potter wailed.

"What? Professor, I can't, can't work with it, surley-"

"My decision is final," he said firmly, "You may all find space in the classroom to start planning. You have until Christmas to produce your experiment complete with Hypothesise, Results and Diagrams."

~

"Ok Evans, let's get some things clear," Potter did, slouching into his seat at our (cringe) chosen desk in a corner of the classroom, "I don't do reports and write ups and boring guff. I don't do library research. I-"

"So way exactly are you planning to contribute?" I asked, furious.

"I will be director, you can be leg-work."

"Fat chance! I am not going to wreck my straight-O record by letting you mess up this project. You'certainly got brains, time to use them."

He spent the entire lesson slouched back, sulking, and occasionally flicking paper or insults at me as I brainstormed ideas.

Welcome to the project from hell.