*＊✿❀ Chapter 5 ❀✿＊* The next morning, Nora reluctantly rose early, earlier than her dorm mates anyway. She got dressed and headed down to the common room, there were only a few students here and there, but no first years. Nora sighed and went to go wake them, she (and Jeremy) had to make sure they got to their classes on time, but after fifteen minutes they first years were up and ready, sleepy and groggy, but ready nonetheless. But Jeremy wasn't, he was apparently still sleeping. "Pathetic," Nora muttered as she led them up the spiral staircase. She led them to the Great Hall where she would eat breakfast and make sure that they finished quickly enough to give them time to find their first class, though Malfoy had other plans. He kept messing around and trash talking about others (mostly Harry Potter, Nora had noticed). Nora peered over the heads of students, standing slightly, trying to catch a glimpse of Dakota, but she wasn't there, only Della. *Odd, Dakota never misses breakfast, not a single day in all of our time at Hogwarts.* Nora sent the first years out of the Great Hall and they all headed for their classes. Dakota wasn't the only one missing from breakfast, Jeremy still hadn't been up. But as Nora was walking out of the Great Hall someone ran right into her with great force, knocking her right off her feet, she looked up to see Jeremy panting; his tie and robes were all crooked and he had dark eye bags. "Watch it-" "Sorry, super sorry. You already sent them off, didn't you?" He asked, offering his hand to help her up. Nora sort of just stared at him weirdly for a moment, he actually....Apologized? Nora took his hand and stood up, brushing the dust off her robes. "Yes, yes I did. And I don't know if I heard you right....You said sorry...?" "I was up late last night and hardly got any sleep." He said, his pride not letting him answer her question. "Next time I promise I'll be up." He said. Nora nodded slowly, still not daring to believe her ears. He headed into the Hall for breakfast while Nora started on her way to Transfiguration. In class, professor McGonagall made them all review to brush up on the basics and make sure they were all ready for their O.W.L's, transforming owls to opera glasses and whatnot. This class they had with the Hufflepuffs, and they didn't have potions with the Gryffindors until the end of the day, which meant that Nora would have to wait even longer to tell Dakota about Snape and Quirrell's little chat. Though this class with the Hufflepuffs wasn't all bad, the worst was to be with Ravenclaws due to their eagerness and their attitudes especially towards Slytherin, it was most likely because Isma and Eva had dated but Isma cheated on her, so Eva, being a very influential Ravenclaw, made it sound like all Slytherins were dumb traitors. Nora sat up straight and began to copy after McGonagall, trying her best to focus but it was difficult due to one person, not Jeremy, not Odette, Yasmin and Yvette, not Tryxi nor Isma, not even any of the Slytherins.
But a certain Hufflepuff, Calvin Conner, a charming and thoughtful boy, and he constantly was staring at Nora. Yes, it was true, he did like her, and he had since the first year when he, Dakota and Nora had sat in the same cabin together in their first year. Ever since then, he has been trying to win her over, however, Nora has declined multiple times, saying they can just be friends. Sure, Calvin was a nice boy and all, but Nora just hadn't felt like she needed to be in a relationship, and since he's the type to not give up so easily Nora even asked him to wait when they were in their third year, the very year he confessed his feelings for her. Nora gave him a side glance, he smiled at her then turned back to his owl and transformed it at once, Calvin, after all, was probably the smartest Hufflepuff in the school, always getting perfect scores on tests and exams. "I want all of you to concentrate, some of you may have forgotten-" McGonagall gave Tryxi, Isma, and a few Hufflepuffs a sharp side eye, "-That you will be taking your O.W.L's this year, and next year we will start self-transfiguration, if you pass." She added in an undertone. After Transfiguration, the Slytherins had Charms which they reviewed Depulso (the banishing charm) and learned Decendo (the charm useful for pulling objects or people to the ground), and after that they headed to Defense Against the Dark Arts, where stuttering professor Quirrell retold his traumatizing encounter with a vampire. And, at last, it was Potions, not only was Nora eager to get there to inform Dakota about what she heard, but Potions just so happened to be her favorite class as well. "There will be no silly wand-waving or foolish incantations in my class," Snape said as he strode over to his desk, his black cloak billowing behind him. Snape's teaching was rather different from the other professors, he didn't review he just began by asking questions. "What is the use of Murtlap essence?" Nora raised her hand and answered, "To sooth wounds," "Correct, ten points to Slytherin," He then asked, "What is the use of the Endurus potion?" She raised her hand again, "It is a combat potion that creates a rocky, cement-like film on the users skin." Snape gave another ten poits to Slytherin. But when Percy Weasley answered a question, Snape didn't give him any points at all. "Today, class, you will be brewing a Thunderbrew potion, used in combat to create a thunderstorm around the user and striking their adversaries with lighting. Open your textbooks and you may begin." Nora very carefully measured her ingredients and pretended to need more ingredients so she could talk to Dakota for just a minute. Nora headed over to the shelves next to Dakota, Percy, Jeremy, and Isma's table, she acted like she was looking for more leech juice then leaned over and whispered, "Meet me in the library," to Dakota, who nodded as she added a whole Shrivelfig into her cauldron, which began to bubble uneasily. "You're supposed to slice it first or else-" the green substance which was supposed to be a violet color, exploded. "That will happen," Nora said. Snape sighed, "A new record for Gryffindor, already losing points. Ten points from Gryffindor." Nora pulled out her wand and pointed it at her robes and whispered, "Scourgify!" And the stains on her robes from Dakota's potion vanished. And as Nora sat back down at her table with Odette, Oliver Wood, and Della, she saw Jeremy and Dakota whispering about something.
