The next day, we had double potions with the Gryffindors to start. Lily, Severus and I alternated with sitting with one another. Today it was Severus's turn to sit with Lily, so I sat in the back by myself. Slughorn didn't mind, as I could function pretty well on my own in his class, so he never nagged me to move seats.

He'd just starting discussing how we would be working in partners to brew the Draught of Peace when Sirius and James tumbled into the classroom, out of breath.

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, I do hope you have an excuse for being late?" Professor Slughorn demanded. It was common knowledge that he disliked the two boys, as they always disrupted his class and were miserable at potions.

"Um..." Sirius began, scratching his head. "Would you believe us if we said we got lost?"

"As fifth years who've had to come to this classroom every other day for the last four, five years? Absolutely not. Detention, to the two of you. And I won't have you sitting next to each other either. Potter, sit with Mr. Rosier, Black, Miss Elise."

"What? No, sir!" Sirius complained, glancing over at me as I silently cursed Slughorn to hell. "Cascade and I don't get along very well, you see-"

"Ah, well, alas, you'll just have to put aside any bad feelings between the two of you for my class, as that's now your permanent seat, Mr. Black!" Slughorn hollered, slightly red in the neck. Sirius face palmed and Lily looked back at me sympathetically. 

I'll plan your funeral. She mouthed helpfully.

Gee, thanks. Tell Severus I expect him to wear neon, by the way. I want everyone to wear neon at my funeral. I mouthed back. Lily didn't seem to understand what I had said, and shrugged, turning her attention back to Slughorn who had finished speaking with Sirius, shooing him in my direction.

"You just had to be late today, Black." I muttered angrily as he sat down. He wasn't any happier, grumbling under his breath and cursing as his quill tip snapped under the pressure of his writing.

"Damn it! You think I want to be sitting next to you, Elise?"

"You're insufferable."

"You're unendurable."

"That literally means the same thing, Black. Couldn't get anymore creative?"

"Shut up, Elise."

"You know, I can't wait until you two are married and look back on this moment in time and laugh."

Sirius and I exchanged a glance, for once agreeing on something else besides the continued agreement to hate each other forever.

"Shut up, Potter."

---

"Oh Merlin, I thought I'd never make it out of that class alive!" I exclaimed to Severus as we walked to Defense Against the Dark Arts, waving a quick goodbye to Lily. "I can't believe I'm stuck sitting next to him permanently! This is awful!"

"Lily said something about planning your funeral. I'll be sure to attend." Severus said comfortingly, patting my shoulder.

"I want you to wear neon, that's what I was trying to tell Lily. You already wear black on a daily basis, I want you to spice it up. In fact, I want everyone to wear neon at my funeral, note it down, okay?" I blurted out, before flushing slightly at my outburst. Severus chuckled, and mimend taking down notes. He finished with a dot of his invisible quill, and spoke.

"Got it."

"Good, I expect you to remember it. Considering the fact that I didn't just die in potions, I'm bound to loose my life in DADA, I don't really like that class, all of it is common knowledge really." I said sternly, before the two of us bursted into a fit of giggles.

"Really though, a neon funeral? That would be something. I'll be sure to attend." He said, trying to keep a straight expression.

"Well, I'd like to think that my funeral would be different than other funeral. Instead of people wearing black and moping around somberly, I'd like them to have a party and wear neon and maybe dance around my coffin. Remember me happily, remember what I would've wanted, remember the good times. I really hate funerals, I'd hate mine to be all sad and gloomy." I explained as we reached the classroom, filing inside with the fellow fifth year Slytherins and Ravenclaws.

"Alright class, settle down." Professor Ridgendorf shouted, closing the doors with a wave of his wand. "Today we be covering the patronus charm and a beast that can only be repelled by it. Although this lesson is usually taught either in seventh year or after graduation, I've spoken with Dumbledore and he agrees that there's no harm in trying it now. Now, who can tell me about the patronus charm?"

My hand immediately shot into the air and Severus chuckled at my eagerness, muttering something like, "should've been a Ravenclaw," under his breath.

"Yes Miss Elise?" Rigendorf asked, and a few Ravenclaw students groaned, they hated it when I beat them to a question.

"The patronus charm is the most famous and most difficult to produce defensive charm. The goal is to produce a silvery and misty guardian can protect you against Dementors as well as Lethifolds." I said, and Professor Rigendorf nodded approvingly.

"Correct, ten points to Slytherin for an excellent explanation and another five points for naming two beats you can use it to fight off, one of which we will be studying today." He said cheerfully, and then flicked his wand, causing us to all scoot back from our desks and stand.

"We will be practicing the patronus charm for the first half of class. In order to produce a full patronus you must think of your happiest memory. The incantation is expecto patronum! You may begin." He said, and with another wave of his wand all the desks disappeared, our bags moved into a neat pile on the side of the room.

Cries of, "expecto patronum!" filled the room as I stood by Severus, trying to come up with a qualifying memory. Settling on the time Lily, Severus and I had pushed each other all into the lake, I readied myself, before speaking the incantation.

"Expecto patronum!" I called, and to disappointment, nothing happened. Racking my brains for a happier memory, I decided on the moment when we'd turned the four Gryffindor boys' heads into constantly changing animal heads.

"Expecto patronum!" I said more forcefully, and everyone halted in their attempts as wisps of silver mist escaped from the tip of my wand, slowly but surely moving together to form the shape of a rapidly fading coyote.

"Wow." I breathed, impressed that I'd been able to somewhat summon my inner guardian.

"Well done Miss Elise! Ten points to Slytherin!" Professor Rigendorf applauded. "Very well done indeed!"

"Thank you, professor." I said shyly, soaking up the praise.

Maybe this class wasn't so bad.