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

I smiled, " No you haven't..." I tried to help her.I mean she is a girl and I understood liking someone. I mean, I liked the guy who drove someone nuts. But I wasn't wanting to tell him I liked her yet. Although I am damn sure he knows. Might be why he's been staring at me working with Severus. " I have an idea though....if you want we can work with Severus together...I sure don't mind leaving McKennon by himself and hey If I ask Professor Slughorn will have no problem with you coming to work with us?" I suggested. I mean it's not like I liked Severus that way so I could always help her.

Betta smiled up at her. "That sounds good. Let's just hope McKennon doesn't get his robes all twisted into a knot because of it. Rumor has it he can turn rather nasty." She got up and brushed some leaves off of herself. "Let's get back--I'm sure Slughorn's not going to take our being out of the class for too long."

Jerith smiled to himself, then chuckled as he looked at Severus. "Oh, I'm so very scared of you, Grease Master.--" he began, when Severus pulled out his wand.

"You really should be, McKennon." he growled.

"Ooo, wand play! Let's get down and--OI, DOMENICI!" he shouted, seeing Betta walking back into the room just then. "How was the great outdoors? Was it great enough for you?"

" As hard as this will be just go sit down and ignore him. I'm very sure I know the guys who will pay somethings to Jerith soon." I said to her with a grin. Walking back over to the table. " Hi Severus."

Betta nodded at Severus as she brought her own cauldron over to Lily's and Severus' desk and started making another batch of potion again, hearing Jerith's sarcastic taunting from behind her the whole time. Tears prickled in her eyes; she'd no idea why he'd started harassing her--or more correctly, why he'd been harassing her from the day they'd met. She hadn't done anything to him except turn him down for a date that one time in Hogsmeade. Ever since that time, Jerith had been nothing but crude and obnoxious. Now that he knew about her liking Severus, he'd only gotten worse...

She shook her head and forced herself to focus on the potion she was making. Maybe she could drink some in order to forget ever meeting McKennon. Somehow she doubted that Slughorn would go along with that. One could always hope, however.

<< How is it that I've suddenly become so popular? >> Severus queried to himself, not quite sure what to make of the fact that he was working between two girls, one of whom he really liked, and one who apparently liked him so much that she would willingly make a fool of herself by defending him from the 'g' word.<< Last week I was being hung upside down by my ankles; today I'm in the middle of Lily and Elisa..Elisa...damn it, why does her name have to be so hard? Elisabetta, that's it. This week I'm surrounded by women. Go figure. If my life is anything, it's extremely weird. >>

I smiled as we set to work. to look up the definitions from some of the words we weren't 100% sure on. " So, according to this book, brains splatter is very easily made. sadly..." I said with a laugh.

Severus pointed up at the ceiling. "Do you see that black crusty spot up in that corner over there?" he asked, pointing to the corner. "That's what happens when frog brain splatters up and is never cleaned. Gruesome, isn't it?"

"That's disgusting!" Betta exclaimed, although she couldn't stifle a giggle. "Do you often talk about frog brains, Severus?" she asked, finally finishing her potion and pouring some into a vial, which she then labeled with her name.

"That's not the only brain he talks about." Jerith muttered from behind them. "And even that brain isn't in his cranial cavity."

Against her instinct to turn around and throw something at Jerith, Betta managed to keep her cool as she made her way up to Professor Slughorn to hand in her potion. Turning around again, she kept her eyes on the back wall, refusing to meet Jerith's eyes. She saw him scowl, but she merely lifted her chin in return before sitting down at Snape's desk and starting to scribble on a scrap piece of parchment.

" Hey...good job...as annoying as he is..you have the ability to ignore him." I said with a smile as I wrote down all the effects of the potion and if it goes wrong and how to fix it.

I grinned to Prongs as he seemed to be a little distracted, " Prongs..mate you there?" I asked him as he seemed to be dazed.

Bella made her way into the class. He school girl uniform as well as her hair looked messy, untamed. Despite the fact that she was terribly late, she made no effort in moving any faster, in fact her every movement was relaxed. She looked like she was anywhere but the potion’s class. Slughorn looked up from his desk, his eyebrow curled. Bella shrugged to his questioning look. Slughorn looked at the clock and, sighed. She knew he would ask her to stay after classes, detention would be quite appropriate at this instance. Bella looked around the class, she needed a partner.