DISCLAIMER: Wicked is not my property or creation, I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while.

AN. This was inspired by the One Tree Hill season 4 episode "Pictures of You". Thank you to Kelly for helping me decide on the pairs for the assignment.

One Hour

By Vinkunwildflowerqueen

The Assignment

Dr Jaala Dillamond was exhausted. It had been one of those days where he just wanted to be curled up in his office with a cup of tea and maybe a can or a piece of paper.

But instead, he was in his classroom, trying not to gape at Glinda- no, Galinda (that damn 'Ga' could never come out right) Upland of the Upper Uplands. Miss Upland had just interrupted his lecture on the Great Drought to ask "why do we even have to learn this? I mean, who cares? It's nothing important."

As insane as Dr Dillamond found the question, he would rather this interruption than more cruel words painted across his chalkboard.

"Miss G-Gl-Glinda," he replied, not noticing her flinch at the mispronunciation of her name, sighing deeply as he gained the attention of the rest of the class.

"Do none of you realise why history is so important?"

Miss Elphaba, Dillamond noticed, looked as though she wanted to say something, but she was refraining, for some reason.

"We may be learning about events and dates, but more than anything, history is about people. Ladies and gentlemen, you are forming history right now."

He saw several of his students exchange looks, and some boys at the back- Fiyero Tiggular included- were not engaged at all.

"Mister Tiggular," he called out to the young man, who startled and sat up straight.

"One day, you will be written into the history books as the King of the Vinkus, I'm sure you know that. But I don't know if you're aware that how you will be remembered in history is already largely shaped by your... activities of the past few years."

"My awesomeness is also helping define history," the young man replied with a smart-assed grin and most of the class laughed.

Dillamond distinctly saw Elphaba roll her eyes, but Galinda giggled and beamed at the boy who- if campus gossip was right- was dating the Vinkun prince.

He cleared his throat to gain back their attention. "Every day, you are all helping form the image of how history will remember you."

There were faint whispers darting across the room, and Dillamond wasn't sure what they were; but when he saw Elphaba stiffen and look away, and Galinda frowned at the girls who had been whispering, he could guess what it was about.

The recent friendship that seemed to struck up between his best student and the popular Miss Upland was a very popular discussion amongst the campus- both students and staff. But Dillamond was pleased if it gave Elphaba an ally. Dare he even say, a friend.

Dillamond decided to abandon his lecture and his lesson plan, and go in a different direction today. They still had forty-five minutes of class, and he had an idea.

"Some of you in this room will go on to do great things. Some of you won't. However, it is the people who know you and that you come into contact with that help shape how you will be remembered. But the image and ideas you have of someone, may be very different from how that person actually is."

His eyes lingered on Elphaba, and she managed a small, weak smile in response.

"Can I have everyone write their name on a piece of paper and pass it to the front of the room, please?"

There was some confusion, but the class did as requested, and Dr Dillamond slipped all the slips of paper into a hat he borrowed from a boy in the front row.

"I am going to draw the names out and put you into pairs. This will be completely at random and there will be no changes. When I have paired you, please go and sit with your partner and await further instructions."

He began calling out names and pairing students off.

"Milla, Hob. Pfannee, Amata. Gl-Glinda, Nessarose. Boq, Avaric. Elphaba, Fiyero. Shen-Shen, Tiphanie."

Dillamond didn't miss the expression on Elphaba's face when she was paired Fiyero. For a moment, Dillamond wanted to make an exception to his 'no changes' rule, but he didn't. Instead, he tried to send her an apologetic glance as she turned to find Fiyero.

For a moment it was a battle of the wills to see which of them would move- Fiyero to the front, or Elphaba to the back. Finally, Elphaba got up half-heartedly, stalked to the back of the room, and threw herself into a chair two seats along from Fiyero, looking miserable.

Regaining the class's attention, Dillamond explained the new plan.

"I am going to write five questions on the board. Once you have them written down, I want you and your partner to leave the room and find somewhere, anywhere you want- within reason. Stay out of the dormitories. I'm talking to you two, Miss Hason and Master Jaxon."

The two students, who had been randomly paired together as well being a couple, blushed.

"I want you and your partner to each answer all five questions. Get to know one another a little. Once you've completed all the questions, I want you to borrow a camera from the photography lab and take a photo that represents about the way you think your partner should be remembered. Something about the way you see them, the way you think of them once you know them better. Please keep them appropriate, or I will fail you and you will be visiting with Madame Morrible. Any questions?"

Dillamond quickly thought up a few simple questions and wrote them on the board, and then sat down at his desk. He watched silently as slowly, the pairs began to trickle out of the room to find a spot.

Boq didn't look very happy to be paired with Avaric- not that Avaric looked very happy to be paired with the Munchkin boy.

Nessarose and Galinda were talking about heading to the local campus cafe and completing the assignment over coffee. Galinda was shooting wistful glances at Fiyero, although she didn't seem to mind being paired with the younger Miss Thropp that much.

"I wish we could switch," Dillamond heard the blonde girl say, as they headed out of the classroom at the same time as Fiyero and Elphaba. "Elphie-"

"If we switched, I'd be with Nessa," Elphaba retorted. "I know everything about Nessa, which would make the assignment pointless."

"It's pointless anyway," Dillamond heard Fiyero mutter and pretended not to hear.

"Let's just get this over with, Tiggular," Elphaba said with a sigh.

"Be nice, you two," Galinda beseeched them. "Come on, Nessa."

As the classroom was finally empty and silent, Dillamond sighed.

Maybe now was a good time to get that cup of tea.