Lab Partners

By Khavi and Lynn

I won't weigh you down

with good intentions

won't make fire out of clay

or other inventions

Will we burn in heaven

like we do down here?

(Sarah McLachlan- Witness)

"Advanced Potions. Remind me again how you talked us into this, Moony?" groaned Sirius as they approached the dungeon classroom on the first day of sixth year. The halls were dimly lit with various torches and floating candles, making quite an obstacle course for any firsties or other students who were un-aware of the constantly re-shaping stones and hidden passages that led to their classes. The dungeons, it seemed, were not fond of being treaded in. There was even one hall whose floor would collapse completely if you spoke of gumdrops while you walked on it.

Remus smiled as he waited with a group of students for the stones to return to their original positions. "I didn't. You handed me your course signup sheet and said 'here, pick me some classes that'll get me a future,' then off you scampered to Honeydukes to get some supplies for the big 'After Owls' party," he said matter-of-factly.

"Oh yeah." Sirius grinned sheepishly in remembrance, his eyes glazing over. It as if he was remembering the party, and the sugar coma they'd fallen into for the next three days as a result. James, who'd been present at the time in question, also laughed at the memory. Remus felt the corners of his mouth twitch in amusement as he pushed his way through the crowded, but now stable, dungeon corridor and into the damp classroom. His high spirits faded slightly at the sight of the lone figure at the front of the room. He nearly stopped in his tracks.

Well, of course he's here. Severus has always loved Potions... I hope James doesn't start anything...

By this time, Sirius had realized the same thing Remus had. "Oi, Prongs, look who it is. Old Snivellous."

Remus winced, waiting for James to reply. Surprisingly, he didn't. He just walked to the head of the class and pulled up a chair next to Snape.

"Hallo, Sevy, how was your holiday?"

Severus didn't look up, but his quill, which had been scratching across his parchment, stoped suddenly. "... I'm surprised to see you again, Potter. Shocked, really. How did you ever make it into this class?" Severus drawled from under a curtain of dark locks. James's smile widened. He began drumming his fingers idly over Severus's parchment. The dark haired youth raised his face to look at James with disgust. Agitated, he pulled his paper towards himself. "If you have nothing to say, Potter, I suggest you leave."

At this point, Sirius had come up behind the two and he placed his hands on Severus's shoulders. "Now, Snivelly, there's no need to get snappy. You're being quite rude." He tightened his grip as Severus tried to pull away. A slightly panicky look passed over Severus's gaunt face.

"What's wrong? I'd almost think you were unhappy to see us," James said, picking up Snape's textbook and flipping through it, obviously doing everything in his power to irritate the other.

"Get off me, Black! And put that down, Potter!" Severus growled. When neither made a move to comply, he reached for his wand. Just what the other two had been counting on. Remus saw the subtle look passed between his friends as they both moved as one.

Immediately, Sirius had Snape's arms pinned behind his back as he yanked him roughly to his feet and James drew his own wand. Sirius, never one to miss an opportunity to make Severus feel inferior, entangled his fingers in the thin boy's hair and jerked his head back so he was forced to look at his attackers. At first, Remus made no move to interfere. But this was so childish! Honestly! And Severus's face, usually so pale, now colored with rage and humiliation, was enough to motivate him to action.

"Prongs, Pads, that's enough. Class is about to start," Lupin said, voice slightly raised. It was not untrue. Students were beginning to file in and take their seats, a few shooting them wondering looks. But not even the Slytherin students that were now present were attempting to help Severus. James looked hesitant, but eventually re-sheathed his wand. Only then did Sirius release Severus, and none too gently. He gave the newly freed man a final rough shove before taking his own seat.

Remus turned to send an apologetic look at Severus, but it was received with a cold glare.

"I don't need your sympathies, beast," he growled, brushing his shining mane behind his ears. Remus flinched inwardly at the remark. He hadn't been trying to insult Severus...

"Class, sit and take out your texts," came the professor's voice suddenly, snapping Remus out of his thoughts. He blinked and, taking a seat next to James, attempted to concentrate on what was being said.

"Now, I realize that this is the first day, but this is Advanced Potions, and as such, I will be writing down the ingredients for the 'Extreme Exhaustion' potion, and then you will be dividing into pairs to start the process. Yes, pairs, Potter. You'll have to give up one of your little minions for the year," she said, eyeing James, Sirius and Remus. "This is a difficult potion, and it will take at least a month to complete. So once it's started, no mistakes are acceptable." She looked once again over at James, whose hand had shot into the air, and was now hanging there, waving slightly from side to side.

"And I don't want to hear any protests," she declared, waving her wand at James as he opened his mouth. "Eternamente Silencioso(1)," she murmured.

A small yellow flash flew from the tip of her wand and struck James square in the voice box. James's eyes widened to the size of platters and he clutched at his throat. He gagged once, attempting to speak. Several small butterflies flew from his mouth and fluttered around the room like brightly colored and sparkling imps. The class erupted into laughter as a few of the butterflies hovered over James' head and dissolved, leaving glitter in his hair. Even James had to laugh; but when he did so, about a dozen more shocking pink butterflies flew from his mouth. Sirius turned to the professor, who had a small smirk on her aged face, and said, "C-could you teach me how to do that?"

"No." She turned once more to James. "Do you think you'll be able to hold your tongue from now on, Mr. Potter? Or shall I have to keep you this way for the rest of our time together this year?" He gave her a pleading look and nodded.

A pretty Slytherin girl with dark brown hair laughed. Remus recognized her as Sirius' cousin Bellatrix Black.(2) "Please, leave him like that! It's much more pleasant this way!"

The professor looked at her, as though she was seriously considering leaving James that way, but finally decided against it. "Bella, as much as I might like to, I think Mr. Potter might have a few complaints."

Bellatrix looked disappointed, but didn't say anything else. She merely sent and amused smirk at James and sat back in her chair, running a hand through her thick locks. Sirius looked at her with contempt, but thought better of saying anything to her here, in a classroom where the teacher might deduct points from Gryffindor.

The giggles died away as the professor removed the spell with a swift flick of her thin wrist. The butterflies gave a shudder and disappeared with a rainbow colored spark.

"Now for lab partners. These will be for the year, so choose wisely," she warned, turning her gaze back to her class. "Break into pairs."

The class became a world of chaos as everyone tried to get with their friends. Remus saw Bellatrix looking between two handsome blokes. One he recognized as Rodolphus Lestrange(3), the other Davey Gudgeon(4). She eventually slipped over to Lestrange's table, taking his arm. Sirius and James had both reached for Remus, but the professor stepped in, eyebrows slightly raised.

"I don't think so. This isn't going to be a repeat of last year with you two slacking off and Mr. Lupin giving you all the answers. You two will have to fend for yourselves."

They opened their mouths to argue, but shut them quickly when she touched her wand threateningly. Neither one of them wanted anything else unnatural coming out of their mouths.

James looked at his dark haired friend, and back at the professor, who seemed to have lost interest now that the issue was resolved. He ventured to ask, "Ah, professor, with all due respect, don't you think this is, well, a match made in Hades?" He was appealing to the teacher in her that knew putting those two together was just asking for a disaster. Unfortunately for him, she didn't seem moved.

"Perhaps so. But I won't allow you to ace this course on your friend's coattails. If you wish to pass, I suggest you learn how to work together," she replied, a wicked twinkle in her gray eyes.

Remus frowned. While it was true that he had done most of the actual in-class work these past five years, he didn't really have any knack for the subject; James and Sirius had been as useful to him as he had been to them, and the thought of having to go it without their help worried him.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Remus said cautiously, still thinking about the look on James' face when then winged creatures glided from his mouth, "but who will I work with?"

The professor craned her neck to look around the now bustling classroom.

"Mr. Snape doesn't appear to have a partner. Why don't you work with him?" she suggested.

Remus felt his stomach clench. Him and Severus? It was practical, academically. Severus excelled at Potions, and Remus himself did reasonably well with the bookwork if not the actual potion-making. In theory it was a good idea, but Severus might have a slight problem working with a werewolf. Especially the werewolf who'd almost killed him and whose friends tormented him relentlessly. He took a deep breath and gathered his things.

Nervously, he approached the Slytherin boy, who was looking down at his desk. Remus cleared his throat and Severus looked up. He glared, distaste apparent on his pale face.

"What do you want, Lupin?" His last name was hissed out, obviously with a great deal of hate.

"I, uh, well... the professor suggested... that is..." Remus lowered his eyes. He felt like an idiot. "Would you like to work together?" He looked intently at his foot, not wanting to meet Severus' eyes, to see the disgust there.

Severus didn't answer at first. He seemed to be studying Remus, then he glanced quickly over to look at Sirius and James, trying to figure out if this was some kind of joke. Finally, he reached for his various parchments and books and cleared half the work area. Remus blinked. Was that a...yes?

Remus stood there a few moments, just staring, unsure of what to do.

Severus had begun to copy down the assignment, apparently having lost interest in him already. Remus shifted his weight uncomfortably.

"Well?" Severus snapped, looking up at him expectantly.

"Well what?" Remus questioned, gazing at him, still unsure.

Severus sighed and rolled his eyes. He looked at the man standing next to him as if he was a total moron and spoke again. "Are you going to stand there like Squib all day or are you going to be seated? We have work to do."

1- it means "forever silent" in Portuguese. "I am far to lazy to think of anything better." Khavi

2- Bellatrix is sent to Azkaban for torturing the Logbottoms into insianity. She is involved in the battle at the Ministry, and she kills Sirius.

3- Bellatrix's future husband, he and his brother Rabastan along with Bella and Barty Couch Jr. are sent to Azkaban for torturing the Longbottoms

4- Mentioned in book three by Lupin. Davey nearly loses and eye to the whomping willow the year it is planted.