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At Madam Appleton’s suggestion, Demetria had requested Blackthorn for a partner change as soon as she’d been discharged from the hospital wing. At first, the Potions master had been confused. He’d told her that his reason for sitting Kalder and her together was due to them having the highest O.W.L.s of their group, and thought that the pairing would help them reach their full potential. However, upon reading the letter from the matron of the hospital wing, his tone changed. He offered Demi a sympathetic hug before making the necessary arrangements. From the next class on, she would be joining Noel Jameson at table 16. Kal’s best friend wasn’t exactly what Demi had been hoping for when she’d requested the partner change, but it was still better than having to sit next to the man who ripped her heart out and tore it to pieces in cold blood.

The next day, Demi had arrived early to the dungeon (a strategy in order to avoid crossing paths with Kalder). She didn’t have to wait long for her partner to show up and take the seat next to her. From his nonchalant attitude, the girl assumed that he was previously notified of the partner change. She could tell he was watching her out of the corner of his eye, because so was she. An awkward silence settled between them, which would soon be broken by Demetria’s rather confrontational ‘introduction’.

[color=darkred]“Let me warn you right now, Jameson,”[/color] Demi began, turning her body towards him and giving Noel a serious look. [color=darkred]“Wherever beef you have with us ‘mudbloods’ stays at the door of this dungeon. But in here, we’re partners, and I am [i]not[/i] about to let that bullshit bias of yours get in the way of my N.E.W.T.s. If you try anything to sabotage me, I swear on my mother’s grave that I will send a rogue bludger your way and make it look like an accident. Am I understood?”[/color]

The Gryffindor watched as the blond Slytherin boy eyed her curiously without saying anything for a moment. After the silence lingered, his fingers would tap the desk as he bit his lower lip. "[color=green]Ah...I promise the sabotage will not be intentional,[/color]" His voice was actually rather quiet--was he embarrassed? [i]That[/i] would be a first, in her eyes. "[color=green]Potions isn't exactly my strongest class.  I'll simply have to follow your lead to make sure we get our N.E.W.T.s, hope that's alright...[/color]"

Demi, still wearing that stern expression, was quick to reply. [color=darkred]“That’s fine. As long as it’s just following my lead and not expecting me to do everything for you or even think of mooching off me, everything should be good.”[/color] she told him, her tone slightly less hostile now. Just then, Blackthorn called for silence, as class was about to begin.

Just before the clock would signal the beginning of first period, a breathless Kalder skidded into the classroom and straight to his table, where he pretty much threw down his belongings and plopped into his seat. Out of the corner of her eyes, Demi watched as Kal do a double take on the blonde girl sitting next to him, and the look of despair on his face told her that Beatrice had just told him the news.

With an aching heart, Demi quickly pretended to be neck-deep into the lesson in case Kal caught her staring. Because of this, she didn’t see him looking back at them, the color draining off his face or how the sight of her sitting somewhere else had brought an unfamiliar emptiness to his eyes. As much as this hurt already, it was for the best. Soon enough, Demi was truly immersed in the lesson, Kalder’s face now at the back of her mind.

Her first lesson with Noel Jameson as a partner had gone surprisingly well- much to her surprise. They had agreed to let him be in charge of the cutting and measuring, while Demi would do the brewing. They had a few mishaps along the way (like nearly adding the wrong amount of beetle eyes in the potion or Noel cutting the bat spleen in pieces that were too big), but had achieved a successful potion in the end. Professor Blackthorn had awarded them high marks, which had made both students happy. The feeling was short-lived when, before sending off the group, he had assigned homework for next class… To be done in pairs.

Although Demi wasn’t particularly thrilled with the idea of spending even [i]more[/i] time in the presence of Noel Jameson, she shrugged off the negativity. [color=darkred][i]‘At least it’s not with Kal-’[/i][/color]

She immediately stopped herself before her brain could finish uttering his name. KS was past, gone and forgotten. Thinking about him would only give her a relapse, and she’d fought too hard to recover from that fateful night only to have a silly thing like his name send her back on that downward spiral. That topic was over and done with.

To distract herself, Demi focused on the present happenings. [color=darkred]“So I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, in the library, at 8?”[/color] the brunette asked her partner as she gathered her belongings and placed them in her bag.

"[color=green]That you will.[/color]"

Demi looked up just in time to see Noel actually [i]smiling[/i] at her. And it wasn’t his usual smug, hypocritical smile; it actually resembled a [i]genuine[/i] one. The young woman couldn’t hold back on the bewildered expression that came to her face, and it only intensified when the young man shot her a wink before leaving the room.

[i][color=darkred]‘What in the world was [b]that[/b] about?[/color][/i]