Pragma // s.b.

4

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My breath hitched and I felt every emotion possible run through my body, as soon as my brain registered what had just been said. "You have got to be kidding me", I gritted my teeth. This had to be some terrible mistake. Or some prank the boys had orchestrated that they had some how gotten Professor Terence to play along with. However, he was still reading out names in a monotone voice, blissfully unaware that my world was coming crashing down, so that seemed unlikely.

I let my bag drop to the ground and ignored the burst of laughter from the group of guys across the room. I slouched onto the bench and scooted so far to the side that practically my entire body was pressed against the cold smooth wall. What cruel fate. Out of all the people in the whole school, I had to be stuck sitting next to Sirius Black. We had never even come in contact once in the past five years I had attended Hogwarts. I rarely wasted time thinking about him, only when him and his cronies took advantage of some poor soul who was the target of their cruelty. 

I made eye contact with Olivia, who mouthed, "Sorry", with a slight smile, sliding into a desk across the room next to a tall Gryffindor boy. Amber winked at me and plopped down next to Skye. No fair, they had the same last name. I trained my eyes down at the desk, tapping my wand against my leg. The unwelcome smell of smoke filled my nose as I felt the heat of a body sit swiftly down next to me. "Hello, love", Black's voice spoke from beside me, dripping with unspoken laughter.

I ignored him, bending down and pulling out my thick dark green Potions textbook, the margins already filled with notes from some experiments I had done over the summer. I adjusted the large black cauldron on the desk so it was between Sirius and I, blocking most of him from view. He just snorted and shifted it forward so he appeared in my peripheral vision. I could tell he was smirking once again and my insides burned. It took a lot to make me not like someone, and I had tried for years to give Black and his friends the benefit of the doubt, but their actions spoke louder than their words.

Lily Evans sat across the classroom next to Maggie. They chatted politely, smiling and showing each other the chocolate frog cards they had gotten on the train. Why Evans was friends with the "Marauders", I would never understand. She seemed so sweet and kind, always standing up for Snape. I bit my lip, deep in thought. Don't get me wrong, Severus Snape was no saint by any means, I just wish he had a fair shot. He was always preyed upon when he least expected it, and at the most embarrassing times.

"Oh come on, sunshine. Did you forget how to speak or just run out of one liners?", Black's voice cut through my thoughts and my eyes snapped up to meet his for the first time. I noticed golden flecks ran through them in ribbons. I opened my mouth to retort, but Professor Terence addressed the class at that exact moment. "Today you will be making a draft of the cheering potion with your partner", he said, and sprawling words began spelling out lists of ingredients on the board, "You may begin".

The sounds of benches shifting filled the air as students got up to grab what they needed to complete the task we had been given. I shook my head and bit my lip, reminding myself that it wasn't worth my time to be sharp with the annoying boy next to me. "You go get the ingredients and I'll start heating the cauldron", I breathed out, igniting the tip of my wand. He raised an eyebrow at me and leaned back. "You're bossy, sunshine", he mused, not moving. I flicked my wand so the fire extinguished and clenched my jaw.

"I am not bossy", I said through gritted teeth, "And don't call me sunshine". I carefully leaned over the cauldron, one of my braids falling over the shoulder. I already knew that the first step was to add a sprig of buttermint into the boiling cauldron. When I did, the substance fizzled and began to glow a bright golden color. "Very good, Miss Carter!", Professor Terence called over the bangs and clanging from the room. I looked up and smiled. For a brief moment, I forgot why I was annoyed and on edge. I was just happy to be back at Hogwarts, in my element.

"I don't understand you, Briony Carter", Black's amused voice spoke suddenly. My eyes moved from the liquid to meet his. I arched an eyebrow and straightened so, for the first time, we sat facing each other. "Well, Sirius Black", I said firmly, "I understand you perfectly well". He opened his mouth to retort, but I continued, "Which is why", I reached over his shoulder, grabbing a lacewing to add to the potion, "You'll never get to know me well enough to "get me"", I finished.

It was his turn to raise an eyebrow. It looked like he was contemplating saying something, but he just licked his lips, and leaned back, watching me fuss over the potion for the next half hour until class ended.

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