wanted: partner in crime who won't ask too many questions

Her breakfast had gone cold. Christian had run off to a study session with Molly that Ace claimed she didn't need. It was barely a lie, she didn't need to study as closely as she paid attention in class, but she wasn't one to pass up extra study opportunities either. He looked at her like he didn't believe her, but seemed to remember what she had insisted all over Christmas break. If you don't treat me like nothing happened, I'll murder you in your sleep. So he left.

And time had passed. The bulk of the students eating had gotten up and left and yet she waited, not exactly sure what she was waiting for.

And then it came in.

It.

Christian would be hurt, probably angry but mindful of the fact that he had no right to be, that she still wanted to watch Pavo Hitchens, still let herself be in a room with him, without allies. She couldn't stop. Couldn't turn away her gaze. Especially now that the number had grown...

Gretel Elkin was one of the few that Pavo seemed to spend one on one time with. It was either him and his sister, or him and the group, but she had seen the two of them walking together. She seemed to do almost no talking, simply walked alongside with a peaceful look. Just listened. And he... just... talked...

She realized she was bending her spoon. She let it go with a clatter, causing a nearby first year to jolt. She shot him a look and forced herself to relax. A plan was forming and it was impossible. Especially alone.

She found a familiar figure and was suddenly crossing towards the Gryffindor table. She flopped down next to Alva, not looking at her, her fingernails tapping anxiously on the tabletop. "Alright, Zolkin? Exams going well?"

Exams were upon them, oh joy. Alva was a pretty decent student - or at least she thought - so it may not have made that much sense to some why she was studying. But it made perfect sense to her. Especially when it came to potions class. She loved the class so much that she devoted most of her time to it, but it still came as a challenge. You had to remember the ingredients and their properties, which way to stir the concoction and how many times.... Alva guessed it was almost like a personal goal for her now, to remember as many potions as she could by heart. Though most of the students had left, there she still sat at the Gryffindor table, her food getting cold beside her.

"Lethe River water.... makes sense. A potion made for forgetting things would have to have water from the river that makes you forget things. Yay for putting two and two together. You're a genius, Alva. Pure genius....."

It would be at that moment that someone would plop down beside her. Alva jumped a little, surprised, as she back to reality. Glancing to her right, she would find a familiar face. The face of Ace Longbottom. It didn't take much to notice that she was agitated about something, or at least in deep though. It was evident by the way that she tapped her fingers on the table. "Going decently I suppose." She hesitated before her next comment. "Are you....okay?"

She hated that question. People tended to ask her that, and it was irritating. Given that dark forces were on the rise beneath the noses of their professors, reparations for past wars had still not been made, and they lived in a world that rewarded the crooked, no one should be okay. But if all of that was to be set aside, of course she was okay. What else was there to worry her?

"Uh huh," she muttered, eyes squinting as she watched Gretel Elkin quirk a coy grin, glancing away from the Pavo as he smirked widely and continued to talk about... whatever he was talking about.

She turned to Alva. "So. Potions. Yeah? You ever seen Polyjuice Potion? Interested in seeing it in action?"

"Polyjuice potion?" she asked. "O-of course. It's like one of the most interesting ones out there."

It was true. The whole process of making Polyjuice potion was as great as it was complex. Though drinking something had leeches in it made her stomach churn just a little. Not to mention you were probably going to drink a persons hair or something of the like as well. But it was on her top five list of potions that she had always wanted to try her hand at.

"Wait. Before I totally agree to this... what on earth are you up to?"

Ace wasn't sure her idea would work. She wasn't much of an actress, but she also didn't know that anyone else had spent enough time monitoring Pavo and his cronies. She knew for sure that Lily wouldn't just lend her the potion either. She was wondering if Lily had any in the potions storeroom, prepped for when it was covered in class. That could save them a lot of time, a lot of effort. Still left getting the Elkin girl's hair, but she supposed that was just details-

Alva interrupted her thinking with questions and Ace bristled, shooting the girl a look. As she looked at her, however, she forced herself to remember that Alva did not have access to what was going on in her skull - of course she was confused. She took a breath, and glanced around suspiciously, casting a quick muffliato.

"It's almost fact that Pavo is leading the Dark Followers," Ace whispered. "He doesn't speak to many people about it but he seems to speak to Elkin. Getting a chance to hear his plans as one of his friends could be very helpful."

Alva was slightly taken aback at the look that Ace had just given her, but she chose to disregard it. AJ understood that the other girl was thinking, just as usual. If it had been anyone else, she probably would have been a smartass and pointed it out.

Alva was more curious to Ace's response than ever as she casted the spell. She got a certain feeling in her stomach as Ace mentioned that Pavo was the leader of the Dark Followers. Granted she did say that 'it was almost fact' but that was as good as saying that he did. Besides... the way he acted, AJ wouldn't doubt it for a second. She took a quick moment to think. "Polyjuice potion is time consuming..." she said, chewing on her bottom lip, thinking still. "If nothing else, the Room has provided me with ingredients and what-not for when I wanted to practice my had at a few other potions.... That would take forever, though."

Ace tried to keep the flinches of irritation to a minimum. This is why she usually stuck to just partnering up with Christian. With as much time as they had put into working together, he could usually connect the dots between her intentions and her questions, jumping to her plans. Even so, for every time he managed to read her mind, there were three or four failures to do so. With anyone else, that number doubled and tripled. It would take much longer than most people for Ace to realize that problem was not a reflection on the people around her, but of herself.

For now, she just took a deep breath.

"Not quite," she said. "I imagine Professor Potter has a batch stored for her lessons on it. I imagine there's enough that if one or two portions went missing, she might not notice."

Alva raised her right brow, in a questioning manner, as she thought about what the other girl had said. Steal potions from the dungeon? Steal potions that were technically school property and risk getting expelled? Sure, she'd do it. She had broken rules before, and they had nothing to do with doing something for greater good. It did make sense. Lily always kept spares. "How would you suppose we get them though? I have potions latter today, but.... I don't see that working out all that great." Then there was a matter of getting the Elkin girls hair - or one of her personal belongings, at least. "If you honestly think we could get some from the potions room, I might have an idea for getting something of Elkins."

At least they were on the same page now. Better yet, Alva didn't start with that usual whimpering claims that it was impossible, against the rules, too much and that there just had to be another way. That meant that if things go tricky, she wasn't going to bail so easily. Sometimes ignoring that voice of reason was the only way to ensure things got done.

Alva did bring up a pretty good point, as far as a good time to get in to the storeroom. The whole plan had been concocted so quickly that there were bound to be holes in the plan. But there were options. Especially with Lily...

Oh no. Of course.

She opened her mouth to explain when Alva continued. Her mouth clamped shut as she processed this, before squinting at the Gryffindor. "You know how to get Gretel's hair?"

"What can I say," she said with a smug smirk, a playful tone in her voice. "I have my connections. Some of them happen to be some very.... helpful younger students who would love help with their homework in exchange for a little favor." It was true. There was a third year girl in her Transfiguration class who she had seen in an altercation with Elkin more than a few times. Johanna couldn't stand Gretel. "It'll just explain to my... connection that if sh- they, cut off just a tad bit of Gretels hair, I'll be using in a prank. I'll offer to do her Transfiguration homework for a week or two...."

AJ admitted that maybe it wasn't the best of plans, but it was an option. And Jo was a prankster, and gullible as well. Though the thought of exploiting the other girls innocence would seem a little mean or ill willed, Alva was now on a mission.