𝔪𝔢𝔱𝔞𝔪𝔬𝔯𝔭𝔥𝔬𝔰𝔦𝔰
cinq. — potions class!

The rest of the weekend passed by in a blur for Persephone — she was unfortunately not able to return to the library, Druella and Costia content on making her their personal doll and adamant that they needed to teach her the ins and outs of Hogwarts. Who she could and couldn't associate herself with, they had a strange view that certain people had dirty blood and she was not to make contact with them. It was a strange concept to Persephone, that people could be below others simply because of their parentage, but promised not to interact with anyone unseemly. She didn't wish to lose the only friends she had or be ostracised by her house.

In a sense she could understand where they were coming from. They were scared, bit by bit there traditions and holidays were being pushed aside in favour of their muggle counterparts — Samhain was approaching fast yet their was talk of Dumbledore wishing to have a Halloween feast. At Yule tide, Christmas decorations could be seen all over the castle. And Lupricalia seemed to be safe for now, but Wallburga was insistent that soon it would be pushed out by Valentine's Day. Slowly and subtly their culture, their traditions were dying.

Persephone found it intriguing and disturbing that the pureblood families would rather marry family — Walburga not seeming too upset about her betrothal to her younger cousin — than anyone that they deemed tainted.

Professor Dumbledore had filled her in on his family line briefly — and though he was a half-blooded wizard none of her new friends seemed to be any the wiser. She put it down to the fact that they had revealed that none of the students really knew anything about Dumbledore or his family, apparently he was quite secretive.

Though Druella had been trying to get Persephone to fess up any information Persephone had on his rumoured relationship with the dark wizard Grindelwald — of course she knew nothing of this and the dark haired girl soon grew bored of prying.

All too quickly Monday arrived and Persephone found herself with Druella's mascara stick poking her eye out as said girl leaned over her, wafts of her intoxicating perfume filling her nostrils with the scents of citrus, hyacinth, and clove, "Ouch!"

Persephone held a hand over her throbbing eye for a moment only for Druella to swat it away, "No! You'll ruin your make-up!"

"And you've blinded me!" She blinked her watering eye several times, sighing with relief as the pain seemed to leave her exceedingly quickly.

"Don't be so dramatic, Seph," Druella rolled her eyes with a teasing smile before leaning closer to apply a dab of lipgloss to her lips, "it's so unfair that your lips are naturally so red."

The pureblood girl pouted before striding over to her bed and picking up a lipstick for herself. The other girls practically ready — Costia had coated her lips in a black lipstick that made her look particularly striking in a way that only she could pull off, "I don't know why you bother," Walburga scoffed at the girls black lips, "you already know Merrythought is going to tell you to take it off."

"And I'll politely tell her to bugger off," Costia said finishing tying her hair into two braids, "that old bat has it out for me I swear."

"Probably because you called her an old bat in front of her in second year," Druella spoke a sly smile on her lips that promptly fell when she glanced at Persephone putting on her shoes, "what are those?"

"Shoes?" Persephone glanced down at the plain black flats on her feet with a confused furrow of her brow.

Druella rolled her eyes as she rummaged around in her large trunk, "They're ghastly," she pulled a pair of shiny black kitten heels complete with a small strap around the ankles, "You can have these — they should fit you." Persephone was given no room to argue as they were shoved into her arms. She noted that all the girls in the room had some type of hell on though in different styles, "We have to do something about these horrid uniforms, the shoes add a touch of class."

Slipping her dainty feet into them, Persephone found that they fit like a glove. Unfortunately walking in them proved to be quite the challenge, she wobbled around the room — no doubt looking ridiculous — as she tried to get the hang of walking in them. Managing to stumble into their bathroom she hardly recognised the person in the mirror.

Her waist length curls had been tamed into long straight locks that reached her backside with a few swishes of Walburga's wand, the girl having perfected the particular spell at twelve years old after realising that the famous Black family hair could be quite a handful. Her green eyes seemed to glow ever so slightly surrounded by thick black lashes, and her natural red lips were highlighted by the lipgloss. That mixed with the uniform made her realise just how different she looked from when she awoke just days before.

"Come on you can admire yourself later, don't want to be late on your first day do you?" Costia spoke from the doorway, a perfect eyebrow raised in question.

Persephone took a deep breath before stepping out with her. She could do this.

—————

She couldn't do this.

Persephone struggled to lift her eyes from the stone floor as she and her new group of friends struggled to push their way through the crowded corridors after breakfast to their first class — Potions.

Out of nowhere a muscular arm wrapped around her shoulder as Abraxas helped pull her through the thick group of people, "Move out the way, fresh meat coming through!" Persephone's ears and cheeks blossomed into an awful shade of cherry red as she tried not to raise her eyes from the floor — the feeling of so many eyes on her immediately overwhelming.

She was glad when they finally stumbled into the potions classroom, only to receive a shock as a rather plump and stout man from the front of the room gave an excited yelp, "Persephone Dumbledore!" She smiled awkwardly as she shook his hand, "So wonderful to meet a relative of Albus, I'm sure you have a brilliant mind!" He paused leaning closer, "Even after that nasty accident at your other school."

"Thank you Professor." She muttered shyly before spotting one of the only open spots in the room. Sliding into the seat Persephone let out a sigh of relief as the teacher started finishing setting up for teaching.

"Slughorn already bothering you?"

Persephone jumped, holding her hand to her heart as she spied the handsome boy seat beside her, an easygoing smile on his lips, "Tom! You've got to stop sneaking up on me," she placed her book on the table, "and yes, I'm sure he just wants to see if I know any secrets about my uncle I'm sure."

"Do you?" Tom knew the answer to that already.

"No."

Slughorn suddenly clapped at the front of the room a beaming grin on his face as he welcomed his new student to the school. Persephone giving the room a halfhearted embarrassed wave, though from the looks on the Gryffindor's faces it was not well received. Persephone was joining a few weeks into the school year meaning in theory she hadn't missed that much — she and the other teachers were hoping that muscle memory may help her get caught up quicker.

"Today Students we will be brewing the Wit-Sharpening Potion," he glanced at a pair of giggling Gryffindor's at the back of the room pointedly, "can anybody tell me the purpose of this potion?"

Tom's hand shot up lazily and she found that not many other people had their hands up — most of the class already looking at Tom including Professor Slughorn, "Tom, my boy!"

"The Wit-Sharpening Potion is a potion which allows the drinker to think more clearly. Due to this, it acts an antidote to the Confundus Charm." It was clearly a textbook definition regurgitated from the textbook but by Slughorn's beaming grin you'd think that Tom invented the potion.

"Excellent as usual, ten points to Slytherin!"

They were sent off to work on their potions in pairs, Tom immediately striding over to the cupboard to gather the ingredients while Persephone set up, "Would you like to try and create the potion yourself? To test your memory of potions and such," he offered her a charming grin, the test on his tongue sending waves of excitement through his bones. He was challenging her, "of course I will be here to help."

"That's fine." She smiled at him brightly before turning to her textbook,

1. Use knife to cut off two pieces of ginger root and add to cauldron. Potion should turn from blue to green.
2. Add armadillo bile until potion turns blue.
3. Grind scarab beetles in pestle, sprinkle in cauldron until potion turns red.
4. Add more armadillo bile until potion turns yellow.
5. Chop four more pieces of ginger root and add to cauldron. Potion should turn green.
6. Stir clockwise until potion turns yellow.

Tom noted that she only read through the instructions once before closing the book as though she had absorbed the information into her brain with just one look. The girl appeared to be in her own world as she prepared the ingredients, oblivious to the world around her or the wide curious blue eyes watching her every move.

By the time Slughorn came round to their table she had finished having done every step perfectly, "Well done, Tom," Slughorn clapped him on the shoulder, "perfect as usual, twenty points to Slytherin."

"Actually sir, it was Persephone who brewed the potion," his voice was softer when speaking to the Professor as though he were putting on an elaborate play. Everything seemed softer, his blue eyes, his brown curls — even his prefect badge glinted in the sunlight. "I was curious as to her skills sir."

"Ah always taking initiative," Slughorn smiled with pride, "I knew there was a strong mind in their miss Dumbledore, speaking of I brewed a memory potion for you." He took the vial from his pocket the golden liquid swishing about as Persephone stared at it, "I'm sure healers already tried such things, but it can never hurt to try!"

Persephone stared down at the glass vial in awe, "Thank you, sir. I don't know what to say."

"My pleasure, my dear." He patted her hand comfortingly before moving on to the next pair.

Persephone contained to stare apprehensively at the vial in hand, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth, "Do you think it will work?" Tom questioned from beside her, though his tone was bored as though he thought it wouldn't.

She shrugged, slipping the vial into her pocket, "Only one was to find out, I guess."

AUTHORS NOTE!
So sorry for such a long chapter aha, first class of the year and Seph is already a little smarty. Also I just wanted to say because it's literally killing me inside just not spoiling this whole book with where Persephone came from and stuff I've never been good at keeping secrets and stuff. So I'm going to give you guys one hint — though it's a broad one.

This book is based on a greek myth (not the obvious hades and persephone) but yes it's partially based on a greek myth.

Thank you for reading! Remember to vote, comment and or share please lovelies! <333

unedited
-summer