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Tenzo picked through the breakfast food before him in the Great Hall, trying his hardest to not meet the eyes of Professor Danzo who sat above him at the Head Table. Why did Potions have to be the first class he had this morning he wondered? And a double-block at that just to spite him?
As a Slytherin, it wasn’t just expected that he be good at Potions, but that he excelled at it because their Head of House was also the Potions Professor. It wasn’t the case for the other houses though. Gryffindors didn’t always have to be good at Transfiguration or Defense. Ravenclaws were supposed to excel in a variety of subjects, not just Charms. And as for Hufflepuff- well, he wasn’t too sure about what they were supposed to excel at, but he knew it was nothing like the stress placed on Slytherins when it came to potions.
It just wasn’t fair! Especially, when he struggled in Potions, and always dreaded the class and Professor Danzo’s glares and disappointment during it.
Why couldn't he just be good at this one thing?
He saw a few of his classmates get up from the table. Kurenai, the sixth year Prefect who was daring enough to date the Headmaster’s youngest son--and a Gryffindor Prefect at that--raised a brow at him as she stood to leave the hall. He shook his head to tell her he was fine and sighed once more.
He might as well go down to the Dungeons and face the music.
And so Tenzo walked down the corridors of Hogwarts, school bag tucked by his side, wand hidden under a sleeve because anti-Slytherin sentiment always plagued the halls, even now, years after the Great War and Voldemort's death. He descended the stairs towards the dungeons, back to the same place where his dormitories were. He would have liked to get away with not attending breakfast and simply rolling out of bed to attend class, but Professor Danzo was strict with his students. They had to show up for all meals unless they had a valid excuse, and it was rare that such an excuse was deemed valid by the Potions Professor.
When he got to the classroom, he noticed a Ravenclaw hanging outside by the still closed door. He recognized the Ravenclaw--it was Kakashi Hatake, the number one student in their year.
Hatake looked up when Tenzo approached, using his fingers to mark a place in the salacious book he was reading. Tenzo wondered how Kakashi got away with reading so much porn in public, but figured it must be some sort of transfiguration Hatake was using that the teachers were rather proud of, so they let it slide. He couldn’t think of any other reason it was allowed.
“Yo.” Hatake greeted moving to the side, an indication for Tenzo to come over.
“Hey.” Tenzo greeted back.
He never had a reason to interact with Hatake. They knew each other from classes, and he had heard that Professor Minato, the DADA professor, was supposed to be Hatake’s guardian. Besides that, he’d only met Hatake once or twice on the Quidditch pitch, when Ravenclaw and Slytherin played against each other.
“Potions isn’t your strong suit is it?” Hatake asked, attention once more on the book. Tenzo blinked, then stared at Hatake who still silently read.
“Um, no?” He ventured for lack of anything better to say. Hatake nodded even as he continued reading. It irked Tenzo to see that he didn’t seem to really bother with the conversation.
“We’ll work together.” Hatake stated, flipping a page in his book. “I think we’re going to cover burn-healing pastes today. I’d rather not have you accidentally melt the tables in the classroom again by adding ingredients that are unnecessary.” Hatake looked up, one brow raised. “You know, like you did last month with the porcupine quills.”
Tenzo opened his mouth to argue, but Kakashi was already focusing on the book again. He crossed his arms in frustration and looked away, stewing in his own anger. Who was Hatake to lecture him like that? He knew he was bad at Potions. Heck, at this point, he was sure there wasn’t a soul in Hogwarts--ghosts and portraits (and poltergeists) included--that didn’t know how bad he was at the subject.
But Hatake didn’t have to rub it in that way.
They stood there in silence as their classmates slowly meandered down from breakfast, some of them shooting Tenzo concerned looks filled with sympathy.
He really did need to get better soon. He was tired of everyone’s reaction when it came to him and Potions.
Professor Danzo arrived shortly after the students had gathered, his cane clacking harshly on the cold, stone floor of the Dungeons. He swept his gaze over the gathered students, eyes lingering once on Tenzo, before flicking the classroom door open with a wave of his hand.
“Enter!” He barked.
The students--a mix of Fourth year Ravenclaws and Slytherins--moved past him, making their way to the tables. Tenzo grudgingly made his way to the table in the back right corner, hoping it would keep him out of Danzo’s sight. He began to take his potions ingredients out of his “Never-ending” bag, an investment he’d made this year after getting tired of lugging around three or four heavy bags all day. The charmed bag, complete with hidden pockets, was one of the best investments he’d made.
He heard someone pull up a seat but didn’t look up yet. His Slytherin yearmates often took turns partnering with him in Potions. None of them wanted a bad grade, but it was a given that whoever partnered with Tenzo that day would give up a chance at a good grade. He did appreciate that his yearmates did that, though he hated that he forced them to do so.
“So,” he heard Hatake’s voice drawl near him, “are you normally this slow in getting ready?”
Tenzo whipped his head around, his elbow colliding sharply with the edge of the table and causing him to hiss. Professor Danzo glared at him for the interruption, and he apologized profusely before turning to look at Hatake.
“Hatake?” He asked stupidly, rubbing his elbow. “What are you doing here?”
Hatake shrugged, placing a book on the table by Tenzo. It was his usual porn. Tenzo scowled at it, until Hatake opened it and revealed the contents inside.
He’d been right with his guesses all along.
Hatake charmed his textbooks, or transfigured their covers (Tenzo wasn’t really sure which) to look like something they weren’t. He peered down at the sharp, severe scratched lines of writing in the margins of the textbook.
“What?” He murmured realizing they were notes and scribbles about the potions on the page. Some pointed to scratched out instructions, others to replacements for ingredients, or new measurements of ingredients.
“What is this?” He asked looking up at Hatake as Professor Danzo shut the door and started class.
Hatake shrugged his shoulders. “Figured you’d need some help in Potions. Thought I’d partner with you and give you a hand.” He tapped the page on the book, coincidentally the Burn Healing Paste they’d been talking about: the very same one that Professor Danzo was instructing them about near the blackboard.
Tenzo looked at it, then back at Hatake. He eyed the instructions Professor Danzo was making on the board, wondering what to do. Finally, he nodded, deciding to listen to Hatake for once.
Hatake did always get amazing grades in Potions after all. Maybe this partnership would work out in Tenzo’s favor for once.
“Great.” Hatake whispered as Professor Danzo began to walk down the aisles, tapping his cane. “Welcome to a new partnership, Tenzo. I’m Kakashi Hatake, 4th Year Ravenclaw and your new Potions partner. Now, first things first, how about you gather the ingredients from the storeroom like a good partner?”
Tenzo opened his mouth to say something, but Professor Danzo was walking closer to their table. So, he nodded, fleeing to the storeroom, Kakashi’s book tucked under his arm.
He procured the proper ingredients needed, then came back to their worktable, surprised to see that Kakashi already had a Standard Size 2 Pewter Cauldron on their worktable and was in the process of lighting a small fire underneath it. It was weaker than Tenzo thought they would need for the Burn Healing Paste, but he let it slide, deciding to trust Hatake.
He set the book and ingredients down at their table and for the next hour, followed Kakashi and the book’s directions exactly.
At the end of the hour, after the final counter-clockwise stir, he stepped away, and Kakashi peered down. He frowned, then reached out for the remaining ground beetle eyes that he’d stopped Tenzo from adding earlier. Murmuring to himself, he nodded, then took a pinch and added it to the cauldron.
The cauldron belched once, just a sound, with no liquid splashing out. Kakashi nodded, then lowered the flame further with a flick of his wand. Tenzo peered down into the cauldron, surprised to see the light orange mixture slowly thickening and darkening.
Ten minutes later, it resembled the goopy, slightly slimy texture he’d become familiar with after many unfortunate results in the Potions classroom. Kakashi seemed to think it was done, and extinguished the flame before giving Tenzo the ladle.
“What are you waiting for?” He asked, pulling vials out of his bag. “Let’s bottle it and turn it into Professor Danzo for our grade.”
Tenzo did as instructed, then walked towards the front of the classroom with the two vials that Professor Danzo would use to grade him and Kakashi. Professor Danzo raised a brow but nodded for Tenzo to set the vials down.
He opened the vials, touching the paste, sniffing it, even rubbing it between his fingers. Finally, he set them down and nodded.
“Very well. You have produced a most excellent paste.” He stoppered the vials and handed them back to Tenzo. “You are dismissed. Be sure to deliver these to Madam Tsunade in the Hospital Wing.”
Tenzo blinked for a moment, startled by the fact that for once, he had created the perfect potion. He took the vials back in confusion and made his way back to Kakashi. The Slytherins who heard Professor Danzo watched his progress and began muttering to themselves, until Professor Danzo tapped his cane harshly against the stone floor.
“Good?” Kakashi asked, already packing away his materials into his bag when Tenzo returned.
“Yes.” Tenzo answered, still stupefied about his perfect potion. “Professor Danzo says we should deliver these to Madam Tsunade.” He told Kakashi, holding out the vials.
“You can do that.” Kakashi answered, looking up at him. “Can’t you? I’m going to head out by the Lake to read.”
“Yeah.” Tenzo answered, setting the vials down, still a little shocked by what had just happened. “I can.”
“Great!” Kakashi looked over at him as he began to pack his own materials away. He crossed his arms, then narrowed his eyes. “You know, you’re not a bad partner, Tenzo. Want to do this again?”
Tenzo looked up from his packing. “Again?”
Kakashi shrugged. “Yeah, you’re not a bad partner, just need some help with instructions. So, what do you say? Partners again?”
Tenzo hastily shoved the rest of his books and supplies into his bag, knowing he was going to regret it later, but too excited right now to really care. The prospect of a decent partner and a chance to pass fourth year Potions was too big an opportunity to not take.
“Yeah, that sounds good Hatake.”
“Kakashi.” The Ravenclaw corrected as they began to make their way out the door to the classroom. “And you know,” he eyed Tenzo as the two began to trek up the stairs leading away from the dungeons, “you need some work on Defense too. We’ll talk about that later after dinner. But for now, thanks for delivering those Potions!”
With that said, Kakashi moved away from Tenzo, down a corridor that led outside, while Tenzo stood in the middle of the hallway, eyes wide.
“Defense too?” He muttered frowning. Hatake--Kakashi--was long gone, but Tenzo still scowled nonetheless.
Potions was one thing. Criticizing him in Defense another. But, for now, he’d push those thoughts out of his head. He had vials to deliver to Madam Tsunade and a Charms Essay to edit before the afternoon.
Figuring out Hatake--Kakashi’s--words could wait for another day.