Potions Paper

Noah had work to do and the common room was being too much of a distraction to get any of it done so he thought it be best if he just pop down to the library to get it done as quickly as possible and then he would be able to go back and join the others in the exploding snap tournament that was taking place.

He hated going into the library because it was always deadly quiet and there was always older students who seemed to be studying hard for their OWLS and NEWTS that he didn’t want to disturb them. So he made his way through several rows of book shelves to find a table away from everyone else and out of ear shot of the librarian, he always seemed to be rather grouchy.

He eventually found a table, it was only occupied by one other student and Noah seemed to recognise him from one of his own classes so he assumed that it would be okay to sit with him.

“I hope you don’t mind if I sit down,” the question was rhetorical but was polite nonetheless, he would have moved if the other student really had wanted to but he didn’t see why there should be the need. He quickly got out his books and opened them up to the right pages and then stared at his notes and the text books blankly, “I really have no idea what any of this is about.”

Luke was pleased with himself for finding the quiet spot to himself, he didn’t like to be surrounded by people, they only frustrated him most the time, with their silly nattering or their constant barrage of questions to one another. He just wanted to get his work done in peace and quiet and hopefully get a bit of extra reading done too; he had fallen behind in his keeping ahead, if that even made sense. He like to keep ahead of the subjects that he was interested in, he liked to be in control during the lessons and not flailing around like the other students.

He had just finished his potions paper which meant that he had concluded all of his homework and was just about to flick open his book to the appropriate page when someone plonked their books down harshly on the table and seated themselves at his table.

He rolled his eyes, it was that bloody Gryffindor, he didn’t say anything and simply nodded. As long as he kept his mouth shut everything would be ok. But then he began to complain and with a quick glance at the text book that was open in front of him Luke saw that it was the potions that was causing him trouble.

Luke couldn’t help but let a small smirk grace his face, he didn’t like to boast about his intelligence, and he hated the stupid know-it-alls that were constantly waving their hands around in the air as if they were trying to get rid of a fly or some other annoying insect.

“Potions?” he simply asked, and looked at the boy, he would acknowledge him, he hadn’t really spoken to him and wasn’t going to be rude for the sake of it, he didn’t feel that it was necessary to be like that all the time.

Noah caught the glimpse of a small smirk cross the Slytherin’s face, he didn’t know his name but he had seen him around enough to know that he was a Slytherin and proud of it. He had told his parents that he would be nice to everyone, that he would give everyone a chance, but there was just something about the Slytherins that he didn’t like in general. They all seemed to stick together and be generally nasty people to everyone that didn’t have the green crest across their chest.

“Yes,” he replied, it wasn’t sharp but it wasn’t that pleasant either, he had seen the look on the Slytherin’s face, “I’m guessing you’ve probably finished it and got it all perfect, I’ve seen you in potions, always finished but never saying anything, why don’t you?”

Noah sucked at potions, he knew it and didn’t mind having to admit it, he just didn’t get it at all. He just got too distracted to keep an eye on what he had already done and how long he had been stirring or waiting. He ended up just guessing or copying someone else, that usually ended up with him burning his potion, or having it bubble over the sides.

Luke rolled his eyes again, why did people think that just because you could do something you had to show it off. He found more satisfaction in knowing that he himself could do it rather than rubbing it in other people’s faces.

“I don’t feel the need to show off,” he sat back in his chair and marked the page in his book with a phoenix feather he had recently found, well he believed it be a phoenix feather anyway, “Does it make me more right if I show everyone else? No just makes you look more stupid, which I suppose wouldn’t make much difference because you seem to do a good job of doing that yourself.”

Luke gave him an obvious smirk, the Gryffindor had asked and so he had given him a straight answer, and the snide remarks seemed to just tag along.

“And yes for your information, I have just polished that one off,” his cold blue eyes looked towards the boy that he still didn’t know the name of but didn’t feel the need to know either, “Piece of cake if you ask me, I don’t understand what your problem is.”

Noah couldn’t help but glare slightly at the stuck up Slytherin, the smug git had a smirk plastered permanently across his face and he knew that he was looking down on Noah, even if he didn’t point it out all the time.

“Well I’m sorry I’m not perfect, like yourself,” Noah quipped, he had no patience for people like him, he had tried, given the boy the benefit of the doubt, but it seemed that all Slytherin’s were the same, they all had the same scaly skin, “I try my best and I will keep doing so until I get there, even if it takes me ten times longer.”

Noah’s eye’s did light up slightly at the sight of the feather that the Slytherin used as a book mark, Noah was a bit of a magpie like creature himself, he liked to collect random things, and his pockets were always full of odds and ends. Feathers were one of his favourite things, and although he hated to admit it the one that the other boy had was rather beautiful.

Noah noticed that the boy look over at him and he decided that it best he just get on with his work, get if finished, so that he could quickly disappear and be out of there and back to the common room. He didn’t need any hassle and he was sure if he was going to be involved in any it would not be in the middle of the library where it was almost deadly quiet.

“Well you should be,” Luke returned the glare of the Gryffindor with his own ice cold glare, he could give just as good as he got, “it’s nice of you to recognise your superiors, and yes you keep working at it and maybe you’ll figure out this simple potion by the end of your seventh year.”

Luke let out a small chuckle, the boy was so easy to wind up and it reminded him of his times at home, making fun of the house elves and making them do stupid things because they had to obey him.

“Keep your eyes on your own things baby cub,” Luke had noticed the Gryffindor’s eyes wander across the feather he had in his book, it wasn’t particularly important to him, but he wasn’t going to let it go. It was his and it would remain that way, “that’s it knuckle down, get your work done.”

Noah was finding it harder and harder to keep his cool and just ignore the boy, he was usually quite good at it, but once he snapped he would lash out and it usually ended in trouble that he had not wanted.

“Wouldn’t even think about touching anything you had laid your filthy hands on,” Noah growled back, keeping his eyes on his book as he reread the days information again. He then dipped his quill in ink and wrote the title of the essay and once again began searching for the information that he needed, “you make whatever it is worthless.”

Noah ground his teeth, he didn’t want to lose his cool, especially not to the taunts of the Slytherin, he would try to remain the bigger person and not give in to the jabs and jibes.

“If you have nothing either helpful or nice to say, then please keep that snake tongue of yours in your mouth,” he snapped and returned to his work scribbling down something for the first paragraph.

Luke snorted and smirked more, the poor little lion cub was getting himself so worked up. People’s buttons were so easy to push it made him wonder why others didn’t do it too. It gave Luke a feeling of power and control, who needed an imperius curse when you could control people like this.

“Afraid you wouldn’t be able to afford it?” Luke replied, he was lucky his family was one of those left that had their family fortunes intact, many families had lost it after the Great War due to a lot of investigations. “I’m sure you can’t. It’s a rare and precious phoenix feather, too far out of your price range.” Luke didn’t care that he was lying, he would make the lion cub squirm in his seat.

He then pushed himself away from the table his chair sliding quietly across the floor, he got up and paced around the back of the Gryffindor’s seat. He peered over the boy’s shoulder, down at the paragraph scrawled at the top of the page. He glanced at it quickly and smirked, it was good, not perfect and concise but correct. He wouldn’t tell him that though.

“Hmm. Interesting,” that’s all he said and turned to look out of the window, there were people down by the lake and other’s wandering about the grounds.

Noah couldn’t help but feel slightly nervous as the Slytherin wandered around the back of him and peered over his shoulder. He tried to quickly cover his work, he didn’t like people being nosy and looking where they were not wanted.

“What do you mean?” Noah didn’t know how to take the Slytherin’s comment of interesting, what was ‘interesting’ meant to mean. He scanned over what he had written and was pretty sure that it was right, well, as far as he could tell. “I don’t need your opinion; I can do perfectly fine on my own.”

He wasn’t going to let the boy know that he had him on edge; he wasn’t going to allow him the satisfaction of him getting one over on him. So instead he just continued with his own work, but with the other boy behind him and out of site, it made Noah want to turn around and check where he was.

“What are you staring at?” Noah asked the boy’s back, who still seemed to be gazing out of the window. There can’t have been anything interesting out there.

Luke smirked again as he continued to watch the people out of the window. He had got the reaction he had planned on, the poor little Gryff was probably scanning frantically through his writing and the best result would be for him to screw up the parchment and start again. But with no sound of the crinkle of parchment, or a frustrated sigh, he guessed he hadn’t been able to milk the cow for all it’s worth.

“Oh nothing,” he sighed, “Just rather intriguing that’s all, whose work are you copying? Stolen one of your girlfriends have you? Or maybe one of the quieter guys that just get the work done, like the nerds they are? There is no way you have been able to answer that on your own.”

Luke would always fall back on the teasing if he didn’t have anything else to say, it had always worked, throughout his life.

“I’m not staring at anything,” Luke sneered, “I see staring as something a gormless brainless idiot would do, pretty much your facial expression during potions, I’m merely admiring the view, it’s a rather nice day today, no real need to be kept indoors. In fact perfect whether for Quidditch.”

Lavender had been wondering through the bookshelves when she heard voices, and they didn't sound very happy. Before she decided to make herself known she peered round a bookcase to see two boys. Neither looked pleased to be around the other, the she noticed why. Luke was in her house, while the other boy was in Gryffindor. She'd only met Luke once, well she thought had anyway. Both boys were glaring at each other, this looked fun.

"Now now, Luke," Lavender stepped out from behind the bookcase. "Play nice," She wagged a finger at him mockingly. To begin with she wasn't going to show either boy her cards, she'd stay neutral. Not letting them know who's side she was on. "Why can't boys just get along?" Lavender rolled her eyes before making her way forward, pushing past Luke and sitting on the table just to the side of the Gryffindor. "You are?" She asked the boy. Her acting skills amazed her sometimes.