The Summer Project
Chapter 1: The Assignment
'It was a pretty fierce rivalry. I'm just speaking for myself, but I think it was general through the clubs. We didn't like them, and they didn't like us.'
Boby Thompson
"As we reach the end of another year we will be saying goodbye to old friends, and saying hello to the new. Some new friends you may gain from people you already know, students you have worked with before. Some may even be new students." Dumbledor stood at the front of the great hall speaking to all the students, year one straight through to year seven. "Professor Slughorn, has requested something of all you though. It's a bit of a... experiment so to speak." Dumbledor motioned for Slughorn to take over the podium. Slughorn smiled and came up, a giant chalk board appearing at the front of the large room.
"Hello students." He greeted in his usual chipper tone. He picked up a piece of chalk and turned to the chalk board. "Can everyone hear me?" He heard a few mumbled yes's and turned to see a few others nod their heads.
"Good... Now what we are going to do here... is split up the student body." Slughorn said.
"But we're already sorted into houses." A student piped up. Slughorn smiled.
"Yes, yes but that's not what I mean when I say split up." He said. He moved the calk up to the top of the board. "We're going to split the student body into categories." He said as he began writing on the chalk board. "Five categories to be exact. We have.... the Jocks..." He wrote down the word jock in the top left corner of the calk board in big bold letters. "The Prom Queens..." Everyone snickered. "The Geeks." A few people shrunk down in their seats. "The loners..... and...." He turned to everyone waiting for someone to say the final category.
"The sluts?" Someone piped up making everyone laugh. Slughorn turned to the chalk board and wrote down the word "friendly".
"Alright we have our five categories. Now what you see on the board isn't determined by yourselves. You may be viewed by your student body in a different way than you see yourselves." He looked around at the students and smirked. "Danny.... Describe James Potter in one word." Danny looked at James and automatically said 'Jock'. Which everyone agreed with.
"James, described Sirius in one word." Slughorn said next.
"Prom queen." Everyone burst out laughing at this.
"Eh!" Sirius said smacking James on the arm with his book.
"Sirius.... describe Severus in one word." Sirius smirked evily at Severus from across the room.
"Freak." Sirius said simply. Everyone laughed at this as well. Slughorn ignored him and turned to Remus.
"Remus describe Severus in one word."
Remus looked over his shoulder at Severus and shrugged.
"I don't know.... nice?" He said earning odd angered looks from his friends.
"Well since the closest thing we have to nice is friendly.... you just called your fellow student a slut..." He said with a slight smirk. Everyone knew Slughorn's sense of humor and had gotten used to it by now. Remus saw Severus shrink into his seat his face turning a deep shade of red.
"This summer, with the exception of the seventh years, you will all be given an assignment. Ravenclaw and Gryphandor, if you would be so kind as to all place your names in this hat... we will be sorting you into pairs." He said. All the students did as they where told and all the papers flew up to the front of the class and where placed in the hat. "Good.... now.... Slytherin and Hufflepuff will each draw a name...." The hat floated of it's own accord down the rows each student taking out a name. Remus saw Severus' eyes nearly bug out of his head and saw him physically deflate in his seat as he opened the small paper.
"Now that you all have your partners... You all have, under your seats, a piece of paper. There is a list of thirteen questions or things to do." Slughorn explained as all the students pulled the cards out from under their seats. "Over the summer, you will either answer or do what is said on the card with your partner. If you choose to do the whole thing in a week, and that is the minimum amount of time it will take you to do it in because of some of the requirements, then that is up to you. Or if you plan to spread it out throughout the summer that is also you're choice. Now having said that at the beginning of next year I will expect an essay no shorter than three parchments long on my desk. No later than the week after school starts. Now... go meet your partners."
A lot of the students got up excited of meeting their new partners, excited for the new project. Severus stayed in his seat staring at the small piece of paper with utter loathing. He slowly stood up and made his way over to the Gryphandor table.
"As fates would have it..." He said sitting down at the table. "I've landed with you Potter..." He said throwing down his paper in front of the boy as proof. James looked utterly horrified... dramatically so.
"You mean I have to spend my summer with.... you?" He asked. Severus sneered at him.
"Yeah I'm not all too thrilled about this either." Severus looked at the card of things to do. There was no way he was answering some of these questions to Potter.
'1. Choose a song or poem you think suits your partner.
2. Share something personal with your partner.
3. lighten up. Do an impression of a celebrity or famous character.
4. Admit something that worries you or something your afraid of.
5. What do you want to be in ten years?
6. Tell your partner a secret.
7. Spend the weekend at your partners house or home.
8. Find something you both have in common.
9. Do something that relates to the thing you have in common.
10. We all like to play. Play a game with your partner.
11. Speak your mind. Say something that you normally wouldn't say but have wanted to...
12. Now that you know your partner better pick another song or poem that you think suits them now... is it the same as the one you chose before?
13. Take a picture of your partner in a way you think best suits your partner. This image will be put into the Hogwarts yearbook and will be there for the rest of time... choose your images well.'
Perfect... Severus thought. This should be fun... He though sarcastically.
"When do you want to get this over with? I'd prefer the beginning of summer, as I'd rather not have to suffer through the majority of it knowing I'll have to spend pretty much a week with you." James said.
"When ever is fine." He said. "Who's house are we staying at for number six?" Severus asked.
"I'd prefer it to be yours. I don't want grease all over my house." James said with a laugh. He looked over at Lily who was paired with a young Hufflepuff boy. Lucky bitch. Severus rolled his eyes at him. The last thing he wanted was for Potter to be at his house. His father was not going to be happy with this.
"Fine... we'll get this over with the first weekend of summer... As much as I detest the idea of you being in my home you can come there." He said standing up. "With any luck this won't take as long as we think. Who knows.... the worst part of it is probably going to wind up being having to write three damn parchments of the famous Potter."
"Hey man you got it easy, what the hell am I going to say about you? I can sum you up in just a few words. Annoying, greasy, ugly and selfish." James said with a smirk.
"What ever Potter... see you later." He hated having to say that knowing that he would indeed have to see him later. He handed him a piece of paper with his address on it and turned to walk away.
"Hey you live down the street from Lily." James noted and smirked. "Maybe something good will come of this." Severus stifled a groan as he walked away from him. Severus was officially convinced that the only reason Potter even liked Lily was because he knew that he liked her. This summer.... was going to be horrid.
((A/N.... some of you may recognise the assignemnt from One Tree Hill.... I'm not a fan of it but my sister was watching it and it seemed like a good way to get James and Severus together.... May imply slash in later chapter but may not I'm not sure yet. I'm on the fence on that one... anyway play R&R))