Odessa {S.B}

CHAPTER IV

CHAPTER IV | I'm Switzerland

True to his word, Xenophilius failed to arrive at the Ravenclaw/Slytherin Arithmancy lesson the following Monday morning. Odessa was incredibly annoyed that Xeno had ditched her for the first Arithmancy lesson of the term. Odessa was a firm disbeliever in house stereotypes, but even she struggled to find pleasure in the company of her Slytherin classmates. It seemed that her generation in particular had been blessed with an exceptionally cruel bunch who mostly flocked to the same house.

In previous years, Odessa and Xeno would have chosen the seats opposite Fabian and Gideon Prewett, the only other Ravenclaws who, in a moment of weak judgement, had chosen to take Arithmancy. Alone, Odessa took her usual seat and wished that her friend had been bothered to show up to ensure that no one else took it upon themselves to sit down besides her.

"Hey, Dessa!" The twins both greeted their friend when she sat opposite them. When Odessa entered the room they had been hunched over a piece of parchment and whispering to each other. After Odessa had dropped her books onto the table, Gideon scrambled to shove the parchment back into his robes' pocket. They sighed in relief when they saw it was only her.

Odessa peered at the two curiously. "What's that you've got there then?"

Fabian's blue eyes twinkled when he replied, "Plans."

"We've spent the entire summer on them." Gideon interjected. "Only days we didn't work on them were when we visited Molly and Arthur and the kids."

"There's no way those Marauders will have the last laugh this year." Fabian said, Gideon nodding his head in agreement.

"Still continuing with that prank war?" Odessa asked, despite already knowing the answer. The Prewett twins and the Marauders were as stubborn as each other, and there was no foreseeable end to their friendly feud.

"You bet. And we might need your involvement thanks to your trusted position among them."

"I'm Switzerland, thank you very much. Don't include me." Said Odessa, but she knew she wouldn't be able to help getting involved in some mischief to spice up her year. "I take it Xeno was still in bed when you left this morning?"

"Dead to the world." Gideon said. "Kingsley tried to get him up, but he didn't come in til late last night and I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't even make it to second period."

"Yeah." Odessa sighed. "Pandora was teaching him how to make radish earrings in the common room. At least she made it down to breakfast this morning."

"It's okay. Benjy and Kingsley said they'd go up after Muggle Studies and drag him down to Transfiguration. I'm sure McGonogall would turn him into a pocket watch if he's late again."

Odessa laughed in response but was cut short by the chair beside her screeching as someone pulled it out from under the table. The three Ravenclaws looked up to see Theodore Nott. Theodore Nott was the tallest wizard in fifth year and well-built, rather than lanky. He possessed the same aristocratic beauty that the Black brothers shared and, like Sirius, he knew it. Unlike Sirius, however, his confidence was much more like arrogance and Odessa found his cockiness unbecoming.

"Professor Vector told me to sit here." Theodore explained. "You don't mind, do you?"

At the front of the classroom, a stern Professor Vector was watching Nott interact with the three. "Sit down please, Nott. I'd like to start my lesson sometime today."

The brunette shrugged at Odessa and sat down. Odessa forced herself to smile at her new deskmate, knowing that she was expected to remain on friendly terms with the other pureblood families. Unfortunately for her, Nott saw this as encouragement. Once the Professor had finished her lecture, leaving them with a task to complete, and the twins went back to planning their 'extracurricular activities', Theodore saw it as an opportunity to start a conversation and perhaps win some favour in a family much more prestigious than his own.