Saturday evening


In the gloom and chill of the potions dungeon, Eirene rubbed her hands together and breathed on them, surveying the ingredients she'd gathered on the work table. She wore her warmest sweater and slacks, and had put her hair up in a french braid. So cold! The dungeons were kept so cold in January that the gargoyle fountain in the corner gurgled in protest. But at least the professor kept the place tidy. Eirene had arrived a few minutes early, finding the usual supplies on the storage shelf: sharp porcupine quills, pearly white sopophorous beans, silvery green wormwood. The rest: sprigs of peppermint and purple shrivelfig, she'd brought from the greenhouse, after asking permission, of course.

Eirene glanced at the open door, and checked her watch. Lucinda should be arriving soon. She'd sent her a note informing her of the reserved time.

Two weeks had passed since the day that Lucinda Temple had hugged her in the library and apologized for how she'd acted last year.[1] A lot had happened since they'd reconciled. The Hogwarts Howler had printed a ridiculous rumor about Frank having feelings for her, Eirene had found the room of requirement and sought the advice of a mysterious student, Eirene and Frank had brought news of a criminal to Professor Onuris (Professor Onuris!), Eirene and Frank had held hands, Eirene and Frank had argued about whether the criminal had accosted or assisted them in front of Professor Onuris (Professor Onuris!) and Eirene and several other students had attended the fascinating lecture offered by Adrianna Xin. Perhaps Lucinda would want to discuss the lecture while they were preparing the potion! Eirene's eyes lit up. Perhaps...

Probably not.

Eirene eyed the open door. What if Lucinda ignored the invite? She shouldn't. She wouldn't. Eirene was doing this for her, after all. Lucinda was the one who wanted to learn how to brew an elixir of euphoria.

The benefit, of course, was that Eirene would learn it too. This was practice for whenever the professor introduced the potion to the class.

So maybe, possibly, perhaps, Eirene wasn't truly doing this for Lucinda, but because of Lucinda. She'd offered to help after Lucinda had apologized. She'd followed through on the offer after thinking of the times she'd talked badly about the Gryffindor behind her back, or completely ignored her problems in class, or completely ignored her personal problems, in retaliation for the teasing and bullying and hurt feelings.

Perhaps Eirene would be the one ignored this time.

Eirene paused, letting out a loud, annoyed huff.

Someone appeared in the doorway.

"Hello!" Eirene chirped, glancing up from the ingredients she was sorting on the table.

1.

I'm sorry

Lucinda was not one to fear the cold, she liked to swim in the great lake during the winter. Why? No one could answer, likely not even herself, swimming in the lake in general was tricky to do as the water was always cold, even during the hot seasons it was never really that hot at Hogwarts, so it was always cold, going swimming in the cold water. And ontop of that winter made it colder. How the lake doesn't freeze, was anyones guess, likely magic. But even with her experience of the cold lake. She was never prepared for the dungeons. How could it be this cold inside? That would be like making a base in the artic that is a refrigerator. How could wizards be able to control dragons and build castles but not know how to put a fireplace in the dungeons! Surely some of the ingredients must be bad to have cold so keeping them here was terrible!

It didn't help the dungeons were labyrinths. It was impossible to tell your way around, how did Slytherins manage? Other then being snakes and crawling through the wall gaps to find their way around. Can snakes do that? Did it matter? She just wanted to find her way around the dungeons, her breath kept forming infront of her and her body shivered without her wanting to. She could of worn something warmer then just going in her school uniform, but she didn't want to spend time changing, she probably should of worn trousers today though, that would of helped her. But no one valued Gryffindors for being smart did they?

She found the room though! Before she could speak someone said hello to there, it sounded like Eirene, and upon entering the room. It was Eirene! She was correct! Yay! She moved over to the cauldron quickly with the hope in her head that the burner was lit so that she could warm up. Plus it got her closer towards the Ravenclaw.

She flew her arms out, in a safe fashion! Prepared for a hug, hugs were for greetings right? She knew some did, she wasn't sure if Eirene was one of the hug type girls, she has hugged her but that may be a one time off hug, not a hello or good hug, it obviously was not a so long hug, or a final hug. The complexities of hugs were hard for a beginner to get into.

"Eirene! How are you doing?" She asked excitedly, would it sound weird? It probably did, but she was happy to be here! She hadn't seen Eirene since the Library...and lessons but she was better to stay out of the way really. Don't want to disrupt Eirene when she is working. Although she may have to so that she can keep up now. But she was happy to see her! And really hoping for that hug as how is it so cold down here?

"You're on time," she said in a pleased tone of surprise.

Lucinda was on time and she'd showed up and she seemed to be in a good mood. The Gryffindor hadn't been getting along very well with other students this year, and Eirene rarely ever saw her happy. This was what schoolwork did for people, Eirene theorized. It was the making of the potion that made everything better - Eirene should write that on the blackboard for the next study group.

She glanced at her Gryffindor uniform. Wasn't she cold? Perhaps she hadn't had time to put together a weekend outfit. That happened to Eirene sometimes, when she was working on a project. As much as she liked to dress up, a uniform meant she didn't have to waste time thinking about it.

Eirene looked back at the table, and placed the shrivelfig first, then the porcupine quills, then the pepperment, then the beans, then the wormwood, in the order that they'd go into the cauldron, after they prepared the ingredients.

"I'm well, thank you, despite the cold. How are you?" She responded politely, with more warmth in her voice than usual. Social niceties made her feel grown up and sophisticated and on the level of proper adults, and niceties were easy to say while she was concentrating.

She glanced at her again. Lucinda was standing there, close to the cauldron. Her arms were outstretched.

"Oh."

Eirene hesitated, then hugged her with one arm - awkwardly, perfunctorily - and let go. She and her friends so rarely hugged! They hadn't studied hugging.

it was a brief hug, she was a little disappointed, she'd have to teach Eirene how to hug properly, and to do it properly. She'd hoped for a proper hug, although both due to greetings hugs, and she really liked hugs. Or any sort of thing close to affection, last time she remembered having any really was...the terrible asking out where it was more from pity then affection. There was the one with Eirene before but that wasn't affection either. She needed more hugs, everyone needed more hugs. More pampering was always good, unless someone had too much pampering, thats probably why the person who did the attacks was doing them, was pampered too much as a child and never told no. Pampering was good in controlled amounts. (But she deserved lots more pampering!)

Despite the cold yes, it was freezing! They needed to start the burner and soon or she would be a frozen pupsicle. Her bedsheets would be nice and warm right now, perfect place. She could of invited her to Gryffindor so they could make the potion in her bedroom! No one would really care would they? Most would be out still, can use spells to clean the smells and messes. Be the perfect plan, if they got cold they can share the sheets!

Much better then the dungeons. "I've been okay, woke up way too late today, barely made it to breakfast. Chucked on first thing I found and it was not worth it." With a little sigh she rubbed at her arms, swiftly she pulled her wand and looked for some fuel to burn, she wanted that fire and quick. She didn't want to risk her wand again like in the boat house, her wand had been complaining ever since no matter how much she apologized to it.

She gave a look over the ingredients set down, she had read the recipe, then re-read. Then again. She'd not had much coming up really, other then her favourite time of the month and SAWS, but both of those were dreading more then looking forwards to. Valentines soon also but...she was unlikely to find anyone who'd want to go out with her for it. Zeta was a no go, a million times no. She didn't really know anyone else she could, either no one was likely to go with her, or already dating. Even Eirene had Frank to go out with!

This however, making the potion, was something she was looking forwards to, as it gave her something to do and someone to talk to. And if it went well, she wouldn't have a bad time at the full moon would she? Maybe it will make her confident enough to talk to new people aswell, expand her circle. So many people to talk to, even if its atleast one other person, if she can spend lots of time with them then she will be fine!

But for now she needed to focus, first it was the shrivelfig, then the porcupine quills. She remembered that part and she was good with that. Attention refocused she looked over to Eirene and took her in. "Did you manage to sort out that stuff? Your letter said about something bad happening?"

Eirene opened her mouth, about to helpfully inform Lucinda that the best way to get a start on the day was to wake up before everyone else, and to plot out her day in a planner the night before, and to eat a healthy breakfast, and to wear warmer clothes, and so on and so on, however, Lucinda was looking around for a way to start the fire under the cauldron, and Eirene held back a snicker.

"Just use Incendio," she said helpfully instead. Eirene mimed the wand movement with her hand, in case Lucinda had forgotten.

It would take a few minutes for the water in the cauldron to bubble, and in that time, they could chop the porcupine quills, the peppermint, and the wormwood, so that everything was ready to go once they dropped in the shrivelfig. Eirene rummaged in her backback, and found her set of working gloves. They were blue with bronze trim, and made of an extremely fine knit that protected the hands from small cuts by bunching up whenever a blade started to slice through. Her father had gifted them to her over the holidays, advising her to use them while preparing ingredients in the dungeons or handling prickly plants in the greenhouse.

Eirene hesitated with the gloves in her hands, battling a twinge of guilt. Lucinda looked so cold. Lucinda was asking her how she was, having remembered and read the note that Eirene had sent.[1]

She looked at her in surprise, then donned the gloves and set the knife next to the quills.

"Oh it's nothing. I solved it," Eirene sniffed, thinking through how much to tell her.

"The Hogwarts Howler printed an unfounded, baseless rumor about me," she glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, and fiddled with the end of her braid.

"Not surprisingly, it caused strife between one of my closest friends and I."

Eirene paused, looking down at the ingredients. One of her closest friends. That was true, but Frank had told her that she was his best friend (best friend!) and it had made her so happy, even though she counted Noriko as her best friend, and simply didn't know how to categorize Frank.

Close friend? Second best friend? Also best friend? Boy who was a friend? Potential boyfriend?

Had. she. solved. it?

No.

1.	You're welcome

She can just light the fire she guessed, she was looking for something that wasn't the burner as she wasn't sure if they should get it started yet, but Eirene was allowing her to indulge in her inner pyromaniac, as she knew also, inside every girl was the heart of a pyromaniac, it was a burning passion. She didn't need the reminding of the spell though, she pointed at the target and flicked her wand. "Incendio." A grin forming on her face at the sight of the flames starting up. Warmth finally.

The gloves were...fancy, Lucinda was not sure if they were needed, maybe since Eirene reads and writes alot cuts aren't great, but you can just magic them healed right? Atleast that is what she goes with, she's learned the spell rather well since starting potions, to the detriment of her potions with almost constant contamination the first two years. But that was in the past, she had managed to bring some things with her for helping the potion, admittedly she only managed to bring basic potion ingredients she had found, none that were for this potion though sadly. But she had important things, like snacks and her potion knife.

What she said caught her interest however. "You aren't dating him?" She said before her mind caught up, then immediately she turned red, she wasn't one to talk about romance, Eirene was doing better then herself, with a shake of her head she looked down at the ground. "S-sorry..I didn't..."

She set out her own stuff to the table, the knife looking somewhat worn down by unprofessional cutting in class and the snacks so that they have something to eat that isn't potentially explosive potion ingredients. Or would potentially make you into something unnatural by eating. Plus some were chocolate and you could always do with them. Chocolate frogs can't harm potions can they?

The bigger question was, if she can find out Eirene's friends, can she get hints on the essay to become her friend?

Lucinda was so funny sometimes! She vacillated from brash and confident to bashful and apologetic so quickly. Eirene caught her blush, and thought she must want to avoid intruding. Tactfulness happened to be a trait she greatly appreciated in her friends, as well as a good memory (remembering the rumor), and listening skills.

"We are not dating, no. Not at this present time," Eirene smiled primly. Sometimes she sounded exactly like her businesslike parents.

Eirene rolled up the sleeves of her sweater and set about chopping the porcupine quills. The fire Lucinda had set warmed her arms.

After several moments had passed, she spoke again, lulled by the menial task and Lucinda's nice behavior.

"I care about Frank a lot," she admitted. "At the beginning of the year, we weren't very close, and it's strange to think how much has changed since then. I used to see him like a younger acquaintance, an immature boy, to be honest. But he's really not immature. He can be quite mature. He does make silly jokes, but he doesn't expect me to laugh at them."

Eirene sneaked a glance at Lucinda, and then at Lucinda's work, noticing that her knife needed sharpening. Let other students say she lacked a sense of humor, but she preferred to think she'd laugh at a good joke when she heard one.

They 100% weren't dating, but they had both been getting closer over the year. So there was that, she was happy she was getting friends but, felt relieved someone else atleast wasn't going anywhere dating wise, was it wrong to be happy with that? Eirene deserved to be someone as much as herself after all.

She shifted the topic away from her mind. her cutting was going well, even with a dull blade but she didn't really want to sharpen it, she knew how to cut well! She didn't need it sharpened did she? And of course, she didn't really know a spell to sharpen it, she probably had learned one but she just ignored it, just get a sharpening stone...rock...thingy? One of those, she didn't have one but thats all she needed.

The room was warmer, the fire was perfect and she felt nice now instead of freezing cold, it was still chilly for her but the fire warmed her heart.

Lucinda took one of the chocolate frogs she brought with her and offered it towards Eirene, unsure of if she's the type to eat at all during work incase it interferes, she did seem like the type but it would be rude not to offer it towards Eirene.

"Hey so, I may have to babysit someone within it. But, would you be interested in spending the valentines Hogsmeade trip with me?" She suddenly realized how she sounded, with her cheeks flushed she added on quickly. "W-well, not the entire obviously, unless you want to. But like some of it?"

Lucinda wasn't making fun of her, or asking a bunch of questions that Eirene couldn't answer. Not even one question. Eirene blinked, realizing that she wouldn't have minded answering a few questions, if only to make better sense out of everything.

Eirene side-eyed the chocolate frog, "That doesn't go into the potion."

She accepted it with a little smile. Now where to put it? Eirene wrapped the frog carefully in a handkerchief and set it aside on another work table, away from the ingredients they were preparing.

The Hogsmeade trip around Valentine's Day?

She looked at Lucinda in surprise, finding it difficult to understand her nervous tone. Maybe Lucinda had never disliked Eirene as much as Eirene had thought. Maybe she'd only acted like it, to impress her friends.

"I should certainly be free for some of it," she nodded slowly, unable to work out how she felt in that moment, and unused to another student asking to spend that much time with her.

"There's a book sale coming up at Tomes and Scrolls that I'm excited to go to, and Noriko likes the Divination section there," she sniffed. Ugh, Divination! "But those are my only plans so far."

Her planner had lots of room yet for the Hogsmeade weekend. Lots of space in the big, hopeful heart doodle.

"Who are you babysitting?" Eirene asked curiously.

She didn't think Lucinda had any siblings at the castle.

She wasn't saying no, this was a good thing! Surely it was, she wasn't eating the chocolate frog, did she think she intended to add it into the potion? They're delicious but she wasn't sure if it would improve the potion, although the realistic froggyness always unnerved her, especially when some wouldn't stop the enchantment and they moved as you tried eating them...it wasn't something she was fond of and rarely had now. But she figured chocolate was an okay snack when everything is freezing down in the dungeons.

There would be a book sale, of course there would be. And of course she would want to visit it, she guessed she would be okay with going to one, maybe she can look for some more books herself. She's only just started on the Slither Girls so she could get the next few books. She'd need to return the borrowed book also so it would be perfect to get more.

"I would be down for going book shopping." She said softly, Noriko would also be there? She hasn't really talked to her much she thinks, but she supposed if neither was against it she could join.

But then it turned to the babysitting, she did bring it up, so she should mention it really, if it happens it would be better for Eirene to know and not think she's being followed by a mini me.

"I may be having to babysit Greer, I was speaking to the Headmaster a bit ago now and asked if I can go Hogsmeade still, made the point of I could look after her for it and it would be her first Hogsmeade. I don't know I have to look after her, but I may."

That sounded like an okay explanation, she hoped.

Lucinda would be down for book shopping, she said so easily and simply.

Eirene paused in preparing the ingredients and smiled brightly at her, surprised but pleased to hear it.

One of the reasons she got along so well with Noriko and Frank was because they understood and related to her interests, which were almost always nerdy interests, and unappealing to the majority of her peers. If Lucinda didn't mind going book shopping, perhaps she read books by authors other than Lockhart.

Or Eirene could introduce her to a new series.

She'd have to run the idea by Noriko, of course, and navigate the delicate ecosystem of teenage alliances. Still, this could be fun. This could be-

Greer.

Greer Grant? Eirene set down her knife and raised her eyebrows at the porcupine quills she'd just finished chopping. Oh no, Lucinda was babysitting Greer.

In a flash, she imagined what little social life she had shot to hell, if Greer the third-year tagged along with their group of fourth-years during the Hogsmeade weekend. She seemed ages and ages younger than Frank, and looked ill at ease in the confines of the castle, her curls perpetually mussed, her face often tilted to the windows. The kid had already gotten into trouble for fighting about the flier. She'd gotten into trouble for much worse before her time at Hogwarts.

That was all Eirene knew. She was just getting to know Lucinda, former bully, currently and permanently werewolf, and had given very little thought and certainly no welcome to the little one. The other one. The one who seemed to be doing worse than Lucinda even, here at school.

Her face flushed slightly, confronted by her own reluctance.

"That's nice of you," she managed.

It was nice, actually, and Eirene made every effort to agonize over the social aspects later.

"Headmaster Greyfriar must surely appreciate it."

Eirene was turning red! W-why was she turning red? Was she embarrassed by Greer coming along potentially? Was it cause Lucinda was asking to go with her on Valentines trip? She wasn't sure but it was making her nervous,  could it be possible she was seeing it as her asking her out?

Her face also flushed a shade of red as she looked down at her work, making sure to cut properly and to take her mind off of the questions, she was good at cutting ingredients and she needed her focus on that. Who had time for silly questions like what she wanted to do in life or things that would make her less lonely, what silly things.

Its not like the thoughts of dating people were in her head, its not like she wondered often at all, or regretted badly asking out people she shouldn't have, no never thought about that constantly. She was always positive...always.

"Uh yeah, I hope he does." She gave as a weak response.

She hoped he would appreciate it and not the very obvious bargaining attempt that it was at the time attempting to convince him to just let her go away to Hogsmeade, considering he said about before they should both stay close to the castle. He didn't see why, the grounds would be safe its once you leave the protective bubble.

She glanced down at the knife as she cut, she was almost done atleast, just some effort with her dull knife. But it gave time to think, this potion if they did it right, which she had faith in Eirene, she wouldn't want it to go tits up would she? This is preparing for the next year so its not like she will let it go wrong.

She just hoped ultimately it worked during lead up to a full moon so that whe-

"AH FU-" She cried out suddenly and shook her hand, the knife dropped from her other hand. A small drop of crimson fell from her finger.

"Oh no," Eirene stared in horror at Lucinda's bleeding hand.

Oh no! Eirene should have let Lucinda borrow her knife until she had time to sharpen hers. Or, she should have let her borrow her gloves. A glove. One glove, at least. This was what happened when she didn't tell people what to do and when she kept her superior possessions all to herself.

They walked into walls, like Frank had at the train station, while Eirene had been hurrying to get there on time.

They batted quaffles at each other, like the sick students had in the infirmary, while Eirene had been sleeping.

They accidentally cut themselves with a dull blade, just like Lucinda had, while Eirene had been wondering why she was so quiet and if Eirene had perhaps said something wrong or given away her discomfort about Greer.

"It's alright," Eirene said, setting the porcupine quills down and gesturing Lucinda away from the worktable, where she'd be less likely to bleed on the ingredients.

"You're alright," she said quickly, rummaging through her bag for a spare, clean handkerchief (thank Merlin for handkerchiefs). She found one, embroidered and monogrammed, and pushed it at Lucinda.

But wait!

"How bad is it? Lucinda. Let me see."

Eirene imperiously outstretched one gloved hand, palm up.

She had cut herself, she couldn't tell how bad it was yet, the fact she felt all her fingers still suggested it wasn't bad...but now Eirene was panicking! And she...wanted to give her a handkerchief...a really nice looking one, even if it was worse she wasn't sure if she could accept it, after all it looked so nice and even had writing on it! Why would she ever use that! It would be covered in blood and ruined, even with magic blood is hard to get out of white clothing!

"Its fine! Really!" She tried to reassure her, as she tried find what she cut. She figured it was just a finger, it seemed likely it was, it almost always was a finger she cut. But never cut off so she was lucky in that regard. Not so lucky in not being attacked though. She found the cut fingers, plural as her knife went from back of one finger and hit another before she yanked it back.

Nose wrinkled from the smell of it, she put the affected areas to her lips and sucked to clear the blood away and get a look, it wasn't much there but a look of disgust came upon her. "See? Its fine, just a small cut. No need to get alarmed." She attempted to reassure Eirene, hoping it would reassure her, although the handkerchief suggested otherwise as to how easy it would be to reassure her on this matter. Hopefully if she did some magic its something Eirene would of already practiced, although she didn't suspect there were many cuts she would have to heal about the place. Its also not like it wouldn't heal up quickly anyway, just a few days.

Its not even the worst cut she'd done to herself, that would be day one of Potions, when she figured that as an eleven year old being given a sharp knife was not ideal, as she picked it up the wrong way and opened her palm, but in her defense, why would she expect something for cutting to be sharp, Hogwarts had safety precautions didn't it?

Eirene's eyes widened. Did Lucinda know how much bacteria the human mouth had? Ugh and ew!

"It's not fine," she withdrew her hand. "You shouldn't put the cuts to your mouth, by the way. It's not sanitary."

She left the handkerchief on the table nearby, and marched over to the cabinet in the corner with the green sparks painted on it. Eirene pulled out the first aid box, and opened it to see the usual assortment of vials and bandages that would help heal minor cuts and burns no matter a student's magical skill level. Eirene had her magic back. She loved having her magic back. Eirene couldn't use her magic, unless she saw the injury.

Was Lucinda just too embarrassed, or did she not trust her? Eirene had plenty of handkerchiefs to spare, and kept them very clean. Frank had one. Vanessa Carson had one. She'd knocked into the famous singer/songwriter while she'd been out holiday shopping, and had accidentally injured her, and had lost the handkerchief to blood stains. Famous blood stains. Still, a complete stranger had accepted her gesture of help.[1]

Eirene went back to Lucinda and held out a gauze bandage.

"Hold your hand up and apply pressure to the cuts, until the bleeding stops. You might want to take a seat."

Eirene nodded curtly at the chairs tucked in at the worktables. She turned away, about to check on the bubbling cauldron and the prepared ingredients.

1.	Holiday shopping