rises the moon by Liana Flores
Chapter Three: rises the moon by Liana Flores
The next week and a half was spent glancing nervously over her shoulder. Waiting for the day she’d be stripped of her prefect status. She waited, and it never came. She went to her classes, she did her homework, she talked with Drusilla, and carried on her normal duties. She finally started to relax. Percy hadn’t said anything, and he hadn’t tried to speak to her once since.
She had since learned she shared most of her classes with him. She’d noticed Percy the day after the bathroom fiasco, her eyes locked onto the back of his red head near the front of the classroom.
In muggle studies, he was about two ahead of her in the aisle next, she’d never noticed him before, she’d had no reason to. She never paid much attention and never really needed too. She then spent more time that day than she would care to admit watching him as casually as she could, stealing glances every now and then between notes. It was surprising she hadn’t noticed him. He took notes, and answered a lot of questions, But no more noticeable than before; but since that night she had found herself watching him out of the corner of her eye more and more. At first it was natural curiosity and anxiety seeing if he would say something, give her a look, anything. Nothing happened, unless answering a question or looking at the board he didn't look up and he didn’t look around, he didn't acknowledge her existence any more than he, or she, had before.
This went on for about another week. She was watching him at breakfast one particular day, from across the hall, reading the morning edition of the daily prophet and sipping his tea. His perfectly messy wavy red hair slicked back, a strand or two hanging down loosely touching the rim of his dumb glasses. Aemilia mused he must spend his whole morning perfecting it. Looked as though he steamed and pressed his clothes too. Head Boy badge polished to perfection, sitting neatly on his lapel.
“Hello? Aemilia? Hellooo!”
Drusilla’s hand waved in front of her, waking her from her trance.
“What’s with you?” Drusilla said “You’ve been more quiet and spacey than usual”
Aemilia hadn’t told her about what happened that night
“I’ve-well, It’s stupid.” Aemilia said with as much casuality as she could muster.
She looked up and down the table feeling suddenly a little flustered, explaining what had happened seemed to be embarrassing. She was starting to be upset with herself because she kept thinking about it.
She sighed, it didn’t matter, He wouldn’t do anything anyway she told herself offhandedly. he hadn’t said anything after all. She tried to brush it off but something wedged itself in her brain like a thorn and she couldn’t shake her thoughts of Percy, however annoying it was to her.
“Okay yeah, what’s up?” she asked seriously this time
Aemilia sighed, giving one last look around and to where Percy just sat, he was gone. probably on his way to his first class already. He never stayed long at breakfast.
“You know a week or two ago when I broke my phone?”
“When you ran into that Gryffindor git?” she said puzzled “Um, Yeah what about it?”
Taking a deep breath Aemilia continued annoyed at her own apprehension, “Well that night when I had rounds I snuck off early to go take a bath in the prefect bathrooms,”
“Okay…” Drusilla watched her closely, looking a little perplexed
“Well when I was in the bath, Percy came in- the same Gryffindor-”
“No fucking way.” a mischievous smile played on the corner of Drusilla’s lips and it made her more uneasy than before. She continued on quicker now, annoyed, just wanting to get it over with.
“Well he got upset saying I should be doing my rounds, and whatever and threatened to tell Snape and Gemma and was just being a real fucking--.”
“D-bag, twit, wanker, idiot, g–.” interjected Drusilla rambling insults condescendingly.
“Yes, and I got upset, I said some things, in the heat of the moment, and since then I’ve been waiting for him to report me but, nothing, he hasn't said a word to anyone, or me, not even acknowledging it, or me.”
“So he saw you naked you reckon?”
Aemilia's face paled and she groaned
“Shut up” Aemilia snapped, she could now feel her face go slightly warm. Looking around to see if anyone was eavesdropping on their conversation.
“It’s too easy, I’m only joking, chill. You probably scared him, I mean you can be a real bitc-” You glared at her and she smiled
“And I mean him perving on a naked girl bathing, for whatever reason, definitely wouldn't look good on him,”
“Oh Sorry to disturb you professor Snape, I have urgent information about one of your prefects, I just walked in on your Ms.Otte bathing in the prefect bathroom-” she finished her deeply nasal impression when Aemilia jabbed her side with a small smile,
Drusilla waved her hand away, turning to stab at her eggs
Aemilia relaxed her shoulders, that actually made a lot of sense she guessed. Snape wouldn’t be liable to care much what a Gryffindor head boy had to say.
“That’s why you've been acting so spacey, I’m really surprised to see you actually give a fuck.”
“I don’t, it’s whatever.”
And she really didn’t, she just shrugged it off, she was being silly and making a big deal out of nothing. But still the whole situation left her feeling weird, she wished he’d at least acknowledge it, or her but his stoic disregard was pissing her off slightly.
She stabbed her own eggs, watching the yolk ooze out.
“He’s just annoying.”
Drusilla gave a knowingly eyebrow raise,
“It is weird, I guess, but just go back to not being aware of his putrid existence like before”
Amilia scoffed, “Easier said than done.” she thought
Aemilia tried to let the last of the thoughts of Percy she was holding slip away, she was right, she shouldn't let it get to her. She shouldn't even give it another thought, what a waste of her time. She felt a little bit better and ate a little more toast, she was being dumb, where had her misplaced confidence from that night gone? She had to remind herself she didn't give a fuck.
“Oh and did you get your report on Dark Matter finished for Astrology, I still need a few more inches-”
Aemilia rolled her eyes, somewhat thankful she changed the subject, and for at least not teasing her so much.
Her footsteps pelted the stone floors, torches waved and blurred past. Her breaths came fast as she ran through the dungeon corridors. She couldn’t believe she was going to be late.
“Damn you Drusilla”. She cursed internally
She asked her to do one thing, wake her from her nap between classes, When she finished copying her paper. She awoke to Drusilla face down in some wet ink snorting away.
She rounded the corner quickly, jumping the last few stairs and stopping at the old oak door of Snape’s classroom. She did her best to compose herself, taking a few deep breaths and straightening her uniform. She ran her fingers through her hair and breathed out again. Only 5 minutes, It could have been worse.
She pushed in as quietly as she could, her heart still pounding behind her ribs. Aware of the several eyes turning to watch her enter. Snape was standing in front of the classroom about to start the lesson.
“Ms. Otte, take a seat please.” was all Snape said motioning to an empty seat near the front. she sighed in relief, thankful for his obvious house favoritism. Stomach twisting she saw the empty seat’s neighboring occupant. Nevertheless she slipped into her seat wordlessly, softly sitting her bag on the table as Snape began explaining the next step in the brewing process of Veritaserum.
She looked ahead towards Snape but was uncomfortably aware of Percy sitting mere inches to her right. She stared into the side of his face as he listened intently to Snape's lesson. No acknowledgement that she had even entered. She pulled out her new pheasant quill and began to jot notes on her parchment.
Now back in close proximity to the ginger she felt indignant. She remembered how annoying and self important he thought himself. She was angry to have given him the time of day or a passing thought. I mean why should she? She gritted her teeth and continued, she never once looked over at him again. Resolute that if he wasn’t going to say anything she wouldn't either. After what felt like hours, the class came to an end and without a word Aemilia scoped her things into her bag and left quickly without looking once in his direction.
You can imagine her shock when the next potions she walked in to see the only spot not taken again was by Percy. Although somewhat vexed she simply sat down and took out her things waiting patiently for Snape to start his lesson.
He sat to her left today and she stole a glance in his direction. He looked the same as he always had, wavy red hair kept neat, a small amount of hair hung down barely reaching his horn rimmed glasses, he pushed it back and continued writing something. She watched out of the corner of her eye for as long as she dared, noting the freckling across his pale face, His perfectly rigid roman nose, as if it’d been carved out of marble. His face betraying no emotion, expressionless and rigid. His every move is exacting and precise. Even his script was perfect, even, and rehearsed.
She had started to study his pale lips before she heard the door close behind her. Snape’s voice announced the start of class, breaking her from her trance. She did her best to pay attention to his lecture only making occasional glances at the back of his head under the rouse of looking ahead at snape. He never faltered, she never caught his eye.
“Now that we have transcribed the formulation, and it should really only be a refresher from last year, it is time to start the process of creating Veritaserum. Now as you’re aware this is a very complex and difficult potion to brew. Requiring many rare and difficult to obtain ingredients, that being said, you will be partnering with your neighbor to brew this potion, and as such, your final grade will depend on how well you both can work together and how well you’ve paid attention in my class, Which for some might mean the difference between passing…and failing,” Snape stopped in front a few Gryffindors before continuing.
“I have remotely little hope of many of you passing, " he looked again at some of the Gryffindors and rested on Percy, “Despite how intelligent you might think you are.”
Aemilia smiled slightly.
“Today will be spent working with your partner to brew the potion correctly, which as you should know by now takes a full lunar cycle to complete maturation. We will continue the history of Veritaserum-.” Aemilia had now stopped listening. looking to her left at Percy’s head she was thinking today of all days was the day she had sat next to him, of course. Snape continued his spiel and she tried to listen.
“Alongside the potion you will also be documenting the process and results, which will be included in your final grade along with the quality of the Veritaserum you produce, you may begin.”
How perfect. She thought,
With a minor clenching of her jaw she turned to look at Percy. His face was unreadable, He just took out the ingredients out from his satchel mechanically.
“We need to bring the water to a simmer before we can add in our first ingredient,” he said, lighting the fire below his cauldron, his face wooden and immutable “It’s very important we follow the rules exactly or we won’t have enough time to complete the potion before the end of class, it must be-”
“Brewed today, as it’s the new moon, so it can be left out during the light of the full moon to absorb its light and complete the brewing process.” Aemilia finished, trying to sound as natural as possible. Did he think her an idiot too?
He didn’t glance over but continued readying his ingredients.
“I’ll measure and ready the ingredients, you can keep it at a rolling boil, and when I add them you can stir in the proper direction for the allotted time, I’ll let you know when the temperature needs to change.” She continued simply, daring him to attest, wanting him to say something.
He finally looked at her simply, face still unreadable, nodded and continued to watch the water steam in the cauldron. She measured the ingredients carefully on her scales, setting them in the order they were to be added, cross checking her notes and sharing occasionally and offhandedly what he would have to do after each was added. They would have to be fast, to finish it by the end of the class if there was even one stir too many, or in the wrong direction, it could sour the potion.
“Okay, I’m about to add the Vial of Ptolemy, counterclockwise, now yo-”
“Allow to simmer for 10 minutes, then stir powdered moonstone in one spoonful at a time.” This time he interrupted her, his tone was even and monotonous, she tried to detect any annoyance or bitterness, but he simply added the ingredients and stirred.
The class came to a close as they finished their potion. They followed all the instructions to a T. Aemilia was quite proud of their work. They transferred it to a vial. Snape put it in a dark cupboard along with the rest, to be completely undisturbed until the full moon.
“Now that most of you have finished your potion I advise you to work on your process paper, I want a full yard and ⅓ on the process, ingredients, history and why it works, It will be due the day after your potions are done so you can transcribe the final qualities of the developed Veritaserum and to test its effectiveness, I recommend and insist you work with your partner on these...that being said, even good partner can’t save you.” his gaze fell slowly on a few Slytherins partners and he swept away behind his desk
The bell rang out and class was dismissed. Aemilia moved to pack her things, thinking about what Snape said.
“When is your free time this week?” asked Percy suddenly, things already packed.
He was standing over her, Too close, she thought,
He watched her fumble a few vials wordlessly and finish packing.
“Before muggle studies in the afternoon and directly after breakfast in the morning, I also have this weekend off from Prefect duties beside our meeting on Sunday.” she hoped she sounded as detached and matter of factly as him.
“I have off before muggle studies, but I’ll still have duties most weekends, beside Saturday morning, if you want to meet then to go over the Veritaserum homework.”
Aemilia had now finished packing and was looking up at Percy meeting his cool vacant look
“We can meet in the library, tomorrow or Satur-”
“Meet me tomorrow before muggle studies then.” and without so much as a parting word he stepped past her and left.