brewing trouble pv

Banner by the amazing Lyanna Oak

Current characters: Reducio @Emalyn Waverly

Time & Place: Reducio Potionsss

Extra: Reducio Italics= thoughts

The only thing going on in Gracilia's mind as she descended to the potions classroom was 'I'm Late, I'm Late, I'm Late, I'm Late, I'm Late!'

She wasn't quite late yet, but if she tarried any longer, she would be. Just make it in time and you'll be fine, stop worrying. She slowed down slightly, not needing to be running into her class.

Surveying the full classroom she noted two things, first, she wasn't late, but just on time, and second, there was a seat next to a nice looking girl, no stinky boy this time. Or any time, but she didn't want to jinx it.

She slowly slid into her seat as the professor addressed them.

Graci glanced at the girl next to her out of the side of her eye. She looked quite similar to Graci, brown hair and eyes. Though, Graci had already met a few people who looked similar to herself.

Tapping her foot she zoned back in, focusing on the lesson as opposed to thinking about people. Fortunately for her, they are an engaging teacher, and it isn't hard to be intrigued.

Her quill drifted to the edge of the paper, doodling flowers on the edge of her page, twirling around in loops of petals.

Soon, the lesson is over, and it's time to work with her partner.

"I'm Gracilia, and I guess I'm your partner, nice to meet you." She smiled at the girl adjacent to her, hoping she was in a good mood.

Leaning back, Emmy completed the assigned questions. A Gryffindor girl ventured into the classroom, almost late. Well, at least she had made it. A few more seconds and she would have been late. Looking her up and down, Emmy had to admit, she was pretty, with brown wavy hair similar to Emmy's.

The girl took a seat next to Emmy, and Emmy scooted a little closer to the edge to give her more space if she needed it. Today's lesson was exciting, and Emmy found herself completely absorbed into it. Occasionally stealing glances at the girl next to her, she noticed some elaborate flower doodles at the end of her paper. Emmy couldn't help but stare. She was probably really into Herbology or something. Or maybe she just liked plants and such.

There was a project assigned, a partner project. Emmy was alright with those. As long as it wasn't those huge group projects. The thing wrong with large group projects was there was always that one kid who messed everything up. Solo and partner projects were much more suitable. Emmy was assigned a project with the Gryffindor girl next to her.

"I'm Gracilia, and I guess I'm your partner, nice to meet you," the girl next to her introduced herself politely.

"Hi. I'm Emalyn, but you can call me Emmy," Emmy replied, "So, you understand the assignment, right?"

She hoped that Graci had paid attention in class. Or else Emmy would have to do everything. Emmy examined Graci again quickly. She seemed like the neat, organized person, and not the type to zone out during lessons. The only thing that refuted that thought was her doodling. But maybe that was her way of focusing.

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Banner by the amazing Lyanna Oak

Current characters: Reducio @Emalyn Waverly

Time & Place: Reducio Potionsss

Extra: Reducio Italics= thoughts

Partner work, the joy that it was, was assigned. In reply to Graci's introduction, this girl introduced herself as Emalyn, but I could call her Emmy. Everyone probably did.

"Wonderful to meet you Emmy, and yes, I'm about ninety-nine percent sure... I had to leave some wriggle room because I'll most likely forget something. And sorry if my doodling was distracting, it helps me focus." She had the occasional ink stain on her hand now, she was left handed, so it was inevitable, really.

"Okay, so burn healing or bruise removal first?" Graci still didn't know how she felt about potions. Sometimes it could be cool and amazing, sometimes it could be a wee bit nasty and frustrating.

She opened up her book and flipped to the adjacent pages, noting that she definitely couldn't doodle in this. Most of all her notebooks and anything paper she owned were covered in doodles. Even some things that weren't paper. She had a pair of sandals that weren't quite rubber, and weren't quite foam, but a mix of the two, and when her doodles faded from those she redid them with a different colour.

She re-directed her mind towards potions, reading over both of them. The pus and mucus were less than desirable, but it was potions, and she wasn't squeamish, so she'd have to toughen up.

Opening up her book, Emmy looked for the section that included information about burn healing and bruise removal. If the lesson was taught together, she'd have to assume that they were around the same pages. Emmy listened to what Graci was saying while flipping through the book.

"And sorry if my doodling was distracting, it helps me focus," the Gryffindor said.

"Oh no, it wasn't. I just have a staring problem, sorry about that," Emmy replied, smiling.

She really needed to fix that. It portrayed Emmy as a rude, judgy person. Emmy could be judgy sometimes, but only when necessary. It was hard to tell if "observant" or "nosy" was a better word to describe her.

"Okay, so burn healing or bruise removal first?" Graci asked.

Emmy found the page, and saw that burn healing was on the left side, so they should probably start with that.

"Let's do burn healing first," she answered, and checked to see if Graci was on the same page.

Her first impression of Graci was pretty positive so far. She seemed like a very productive and collaborative person. Emmy scanned the page and realized that it involved some gross things that Emmy would prefer not to interact with, like pus and mucus. Well, the project was dealing with burns and bruises. What did she expect? Wrinkling her nose, she continued to peruse the page.

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Banner by the amazing Lyanna Oak

Current characters: Reducio @Emalyn Waverly

Time & Place: Reducio Potionsss

Extra: Reducio Italics= thoughts

Alright, burn healing it is.

Graci gathered all of their supplies into neat rows, setting in order from when they would be using them.

"Three Murtlap Tentacles, four spoonfuls of crushed Seaweed, one Jar of Honey, two Measures of Flobberworm Mucus, one Sprig of Dittany," Graci read off her paper,"and... that should be all, for this one, at least."

They set up the cauldron and Graci thought this was going quite nicely.

"Do you rather like potions Emmy? I don't love them, I prefer charms, but does potions call to you?"

She knew it was a rather oddly phrased question, but that was how it came out. Graci was humming a bar from 'seven nation army' and chopping up seaweed into the specified small pieces. Much like thinly slicing lettuce for salad back home. Just, instead of the familiar feel of lettuce it was the odd texture of seaweed.

"Emmy, could you get the Murtlap tentacles in?" Graci hoped she wasn't being controlling, but her desire to not be a slacker won over. It gave you a bad rep when you were a nonparticipating partner. It was also really annoying to have a nonparticipating partner. There was a boy in one of her classes that did that, before coming to Hogwarts, though.

Assisting Graci in organizing the materials, she wrinkled her nose at the sight of the Murtlap tentacles and Flobberworm Mucus. Ew. This is disgusting. How could all these gross things make one burn healing? Emmy couldn't help but think. She gave the Murtlap tentacles a poke and yelped when her finger made contact with the icky thing.

Together, they set up the cauldron, and as Graci got started with the seaweed, Emmy decided to prepare the Jar of Honey. She was secretly hoping that Graci would be the one to put in the Murtlap tentacles. Touching those things were genuinely nasty.

"Do you rather like potions Emmy? I don't love them, I prefer charms, but does potions call to you?" Graci inquired.

"Oh, I love Potions. Not as much as I like Defense Against the Dark Arts though, that class is something else," Emmy answered with a smile.

Emmy twisted the top of the jar open, and it easily opened up with a pop. She tipped the jar of honey into the cauldron, which took a while, since honey wasn't as runny as a thinner liquid like water.

"Emmy, could you get the Murtlap tentacles in?" Graci asked the dreaded question.

"Yuck. I'm not touching those things. You do it," Emmy replied, not wanting to seem frustrating, but she was not letting those tentacles touch her fingers again.

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Banner by the amazing Lyanna Oak

Current characters: Reducio @Emalyn Waverly

Time & Place: Reducio Potionsss

Extra: Reducio Italics= thoughts

Emmy did seem like a Defense Against The Dark Arts person. People like her usually were. Graci didn't yet know who people 'like Emmy' were, but there was a type.

The thing that shocked Graci the most about Emmy was the fact that she was squeamish. She said no to touching tentacles.

Bombastic side eye. Criminal offensive side eye.

"Why not? I mean, it's gross but get some, like, tongs or something. Pick it up with your robes if you must." Graci picked up the tentacles anyway and plopped them into the cauldron. "See, it wasn't that hard." She knew she was being annoying, but it was just some tentacles.

Yeah, Graci, it was just some tentacles, you don't have to be so rude about it.

Okay Graci thought, just tone it down.

"Sorry Emmy, that came out ruder than intended. It's fine, really."

Graci crushed up some of the seaweed and right at she was going to put it in, she noticed something. "Emmy... did you put the honey in? We're doing burn healing, not bruise removal."

If she did they weren't in too much trouble. They could just switch to the bruise removal and it would be fine.

"Okay, let's just switch to bruise removal."

Graci said that it wasn't that hard, in a louder tone than Emmy would consider respectful. Emmy raised her eyebrows at this. Graci, realizing her rudeness, apologized for this. Unsure if this was genuine or not, Emmy did not respond, neither accepting or denying her apology.

The final trickle of honey dripped in, signalling that she had dumped in the whole jar. Emmy tilted the open part towards her, making sure that it was fully empty. Her observations proved this even further. She put the empty jar over to the side, making a mental note to throw it out at the end of the period.

"Emmy... did you put the honey in? We're doing burn healing, not bruise removal," Graci asked, staring at the cauldron in front of them.

"This IS burn healing," Emmy raised her voice, pointing to the textbook. Or...wait. Now she was confused.

Now Emmy realized she had gotten a little rude too, which was quite immature of her. But she was too perplexed to worry about it. She flipped the book back and forth between pages, making sure she hadn't skipped any. It seemed right. Emmy recalled Graci saying, "Alright, we're doing burn healing," or something like that.

"See, we're following the recipe. Crushed seaweed, honey, murtlap tentacles, and the other stuff," Emmy motioned toward the cauldron, "Are we not?"

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Banner by the amazing Lyanna Oak

Current characters: Reducio @Emalyn Waverly

Time & Place: Reducio Potionsss

Extra: Reducio Italics= thoughts

"Well, the bruise removal says:
'Put cauldron on medium flame
Heat on medium flame for 10 minutes
Add 3 Murtlap Tentacles to cauldron
Add 1 jar of honey to cauldron' .

"And that's what we've done so far, but we're doing burn healing, not bruise removal. The burn healing said:
Add 3 Murtlap Tentacles to cauldron
Chop seaweed into small pieces
Add seaweed to the mortar and crush to a paste."

Graci was pretty sure Emmy was getting the two confused, but she didn't want to say anything more, in fear of further offending her.

Her foot was tapping now, getting all the feelings out through her foot as opposed to her mouth. She frowned, glad she had noticed the honey before putting in the seaweed.

Graci turned up the heat, and got ready to stir. Clockwise, she noted. She started humming again, this time a different song, one she hadn't heard in a while. Mr. Rager by Kid Cudi.

~I'm off on an adventure / Mr. Rager tell me some of your stories, tell us of your travels~

"I am sorry though, I shouldn't have said it that way." Graci was sorry, but not for what she said, but how she said it. Words could be damaging, but in multiple ways.

She didn't know if she should be petty or to just delve into the pit she dug herself into. Both were bad options but one would prolong the inevitable.