Partners for Potions. -----January 17th 1975

We all sat and watched as Professor Slughorn created the potion he wanted us to make and then document the changes. But for this we needed partners. He didn't let us choose our own partners. But Chloe ended up with Ember and James and Sirius were partnered and Peter and Remus. I was partnered with Severus. So I got up and gathered my things and sat down beside him. " Hey Severus."

Me and Ember were already sitting beside each other. I hoped we managed alright. It was awesome that she was in this class though. I might have been partnered with someone I'm not to fond of. Lily got partnered with Severus. Must have made his day, not so much hers or James' for that matter. I looked over to James who had Sirius talking to him and James didn't even hear a word was my guess. " You think he'll survive?"

I had told him what I thought we should do to destroy this potion and have it ready within a few days. He hadn't heard a word I said. " Prngs?" I said as I looked where his attention was. I saw Lily with Snape. I sighed, " Mate...it's just partners for potions doesn't mean anything. If it makes sense....Slughorn didn't let them pick partners."

"Hi." Severus replied, gathering his ingredients, his face businesslike although on the inside he was falling apart. "We're doing a Forgetfulness Potion, apparently; we need to get a frog. I'll go get it." he added, standing up and making his way to Slughorn's desk where a huge far of preserved frogs was sitting. He grabbed the largest frog he could find, then walked back to his seat. "The Forgetfulness potion requires that a frog be fully matured before its parts can be used. This was the biggest frog in there, so there should be no problem in making a decent brew. Just make sure that none of the brain splatters upward onto the ceiling. It can be quite nasty when that happens."

I nodded, " I understand..." I said as I helped although brain splatter on the ceiling was well....gross. " Ew.." I muttered quickly. As I went to business. This was more than kind of gross.

As Severus and Lily worked, Severus let out a deep sigh as he alternated his gaze between Lily, the potion, and James Potter. He'd no idea why Slughorn hadn't given them a choice of partners. He knew he should be happy that Lily was his partner, but the sight of James sitting not too far away made his stomach roil. And who in the world was sighing in that chair right over to his left?

"Er...Lily...I have a question for you." he began awkwardly, as they worked. "It's not about...you know...I mean..." He took a deep breath. "Who in the world is that black-haired girl sitting over in that desk in the corner? I think her name is Betty or Betta or something like that? She keeps staring at me."

I grinned looking over to her. " I think her name Is Betta..We've spoken a few times maybe she's interested Severus.." I suggested.

Unbeknownst to Severus, Elisabetta Domenici had what amounted to more than just a small crush on him. Unfortunately, no matter how many times she tried to keep it hidden, something that gave her away would always come out, sometimes in the most inopportune times. More than once in Potions class, she would sigh, but then attempt to cover it up by yawning.

Why am I so stupid? He likes Lily! she thought. There's no way he'd look at me or any other girl. His eyes are only for Lily.

Curiously, she didn't hate Lily Evans. It wasn't her fault that Severus liked her; things like that happened. It was part of life. But Merlin's beard...why did it have to be so hard watching Snape with Lily? Why did she have to watch the interaction? Why did she have to be stuck with Jerith McKennon for a partner? He was a complete jerk; she hated having to work with him, as he'd always make some comment or the other about Snape and Lily just to try to get a rise out of him.

Betta sighed again, loud enough for Severus to turn his head slightly, then turn back to whisper something to Lily.

Severus chuckled just then, grabbing the attention of Professor Slughorn. He apologized sheepishly, then whispered back to Lily. "I thought she was going with that McKennon character. He's always bragging about different broom closet visits--you should've heard him last night at dinner. He was so annoying--I wanted to hex him into next year." He started stirring liquid into his cauldron. "Some people think he's a vampire." he added, looking back at Betta and Jerith, who was yawning widely, exposing odd-looking teeth. "I wouldn't doubt it, actually."

Jerith laughed at the look on Betta's face as she continued to sigh. "Oi, Betts...you're going to have to get over him. He's a loser, babe. He's flobberworm bait. Raise your standards, will you? It's killing me to see you grovel at the feet at some greaseball."

"He is not a greaseball!" Betta shouted, standing up quickly and knocking her cauldron of potion onto the floor in the process. Her face grew red...she wiped away the mess with one swish of her wand, then ran out of the classroom, somehow managing not to cry until she was out of the castle.

<<Why does this always happen? Damn you, McKennon!>> she thought, making her way down to the lake and sitting on a tree stump. Hot tears ran down her face. << Way to go, graceful. You're never going to live this down; now everyone's going to know! Good job, Betta!>>

Jerith snickered as he watched Betta run out of the classroom, but he stopped moment later. "I'm going to go see if I can bring her back, Professor. I'm sorry about this--she normally never does that when I'm around her. She's probably just anxious about our upcoming two-year anniversary." Saying this, he started for the door, but another voice called him back.

"She doesn't even like you, you freak!" Severus exclaimed. "Merlin's beard, what's it going to take to get that through your impossibly thick skull? She's never gone into a broom closet with you, nor will she ever, so if anyone in here believes that, let me put you straight. Betta wants nothing to do with you, McKennon. Go find someone of your own species to annoy and leave the rest of us alone!"

Looking at the situation in front of me with realization. " Professor...I'm going to see if she's okay..and I'll go see what I can do." He nodded at me and McKennon to sit down. " I'm sorry Severus I'll be back. " I said as I went to see if she was okay. No one deserved to be treated that way. I guess that's what Ember and Chloe always say if I didn't care I wouldn't be lily. I finally found her near the lake. " Betta?"

<< I just realized that I'm taking this way off of what we had originally planned. >_< Shut me up whenever you want to.>>

Betta looked up to see Lily coming toward her. "I'm sorry, Lily. I didn't mean to make an idiot of myself in there. I just get so mad whenever I hear the word 'greaseball' coming out of anyone's mouth. To have it come out of McKennon's mouth...ugh. I absolutely hate him!" She sighed heavily. "I expect everyone knows now. I haven't been able to keep it much of a secret lately."