Lesson 1 Potions (Sixth)

Mars was surprised he was the first person to arrive to potions. Maybe he wasn't running as late as he had thought. That was good, at least. Not that he really cared. He doubted he would find the class all that interesting. Maybe they would brew something useful, if nothing else.

Taking a seat, he waited impatiently, balancing an empty vial from the table top on the end of one finger.

Aria made her way into the Potions classroom, noticing that there was only one other student there. It was the new Slytherin boy (or maybe, he had arrived the previous year; hard to tell, being as she'd been dead during that time). She took a seat across the aisle from him - close enough to be polite, but far enough to not seem overtly friendly.

She shot him a brief, speculative gaze. There was... something about him. It was odd. He was human, but... not. A frown crossed the girl's face, but she decided to say nothing.

Quietly pulling out her potions supplies, Aria wondered where the professor and the other students were.

Noticing how the blonde who came in was looking at him, Mars grinned. She was fit.

"Like what you see, beautiful?" he asked, looking back at her. "Because if you do, the feeling is mutual. Got a name or should I just call you Venus? I could go with Aphrodite if you prefer the Greeks."

Charlotte took the short distance from the common room to the classroom and was there in a matter of minutes. With her things in tow on her tote bag that was on her shoulder, Charlotte took a seat near the front.

It was her lesson back in Hogwarts and to be honest to herself, Charlotte was less than happy to be there. Of course, she didn't allow to show it on her exterior as she began to unpack the necessary things in her bag for class. Once taking out her desired things, she leaned back into her chair and stayed quiet until the class begun.

Aria arched a pale brow at the boy. "It's Aria," she corrected. "I happen to be your housemate." Deciding he wasn't that interesting, she turned away.

Looking up as someone else entered, Aria recognized the girl as another housemate. Where was the professor? Seemed like there was always some sort of problem with the professors around here, not that Aria needed their instruction. Resting her chin in one palm, she waited to see if anything of interest would happen.

Livius had followed the students to the classroom, but stopped just before he entered. He leaned against the wall and just listened, chuckling lowly in his throat at the boy's comment. He felt this was an easy way to get first impressions, and from what he heard so far he could tell what they were like. Well, at least the ones that spoke. Without delaying any further, Livius stepped into the classroom and shuffled past all the desks and to his own. "Tell me, does that line really work on any of the women?"

His eyes were looking over the boy that had spoken about the female's beauty, a sly smile across his face. "I am Professor Grimstone, and this as you well know his your Potions class. What we'll be learning is how to...blah, blah, blah." Kicking a small box to the middle of his desk, he stepped onto it so that he could get a better view of the students. "This is the sixth year you've been in school, any school, you don't really need those kinds of introductions, do you?"

With a deep breath, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and eyed the girl who hadn't spoken yet. "Still missing two of your classmates, well can't wait forever. This term, we'll be working on the Chameleon potion, which of you can tell me what you think this is?"

Mars grinned at the professor, having been well aware of his presence. He had smelled the man and heard his heartbeat. It wasn't easy to sneak up on someone with senses like his.

"She told me her name," the American pointed out. Leaning back in his seat, he folded his hands behind his head.

"Assuming that the potion won't give us a chameleon's steroscopic eyes, extrudable tongues or prehesile tail, it is safe to assume that the potion's name refers to a chameleon's ability to change skin colour. The real purpose for this is social signaling." Mars shot a wink at the girl whose back wasn't to him. "We're more interested in its use in camoflauge, thus, the Chameleon potion." He leaned forward to rest his arms on the desk.

"Or will it give us the other stuff? Because a really long tongue could be well cool," he asked mischievously, flicking his tongue.

The amusement Aria felt at the professor's statement did no register on her face. This was only her second year in school - only entering the second year she'd spent alive. But, the idea behind his words were true nonetheless. Humans at the age of sixteen ought to know what is expected of them in classes.

Except the new Slytherin, apparently. It seemed that someone had failed to educate him in the proper etiquette of... everything.

Having nothing to add to what the boy had already said, Aria took notes she wouldn't need, instead. It wasn't as though she'd actually forget anything that was said.

Tightening his jaw, Livius cleared his throat and he slipped his wand into his pocket. "Well, that does it for this lesson. I'm sure you're all adept at making a Chameleon potion by now, and if you're not, I guess you can't sneak around the way you want. Over the break, I want each of you to write a paper on your favorite potion and why, I'll expect it handed in when you return." He smiled at each of them and disappeared out the door, scurrying along the corridor.