Observations of a Slacker Solo Finished

Jack had a reputation among his fellow classmates for being something of a slacker and a clown in classes. It was a reputation he had ironically worked very hard to cultivate since day one because he didn't want to seem like a threat to any students who were competitive about their schooling. By staying under the radar, he was able to read ahead outside of class, teach himself lessons, and complete assignments before they were even assigned so that he could turn everything in prior to their actual due date.

This allowed him to simply laze about when class was in session, appearing to do nothing more than nap or slack off without his teachers really being too concerned for his grades or overall education. While his peers might have thought he was a failing student, his professors knew otherwise and that was the way the Slytherin liked it.

It was for this reason that Jack had probably not been noticed by either of his classmates Ross Stephens or Flash Holmwood during their Potions lesson on the fateful day of February 29th when the two had met for the first time. Jack had not sat at their table at the back of the class but instead chosen one close by, opting to pretend to doze off every so often. He had stayed very still in his seat, arms folded atop the table, his chin resting atop those while his eyes were half-lidded. In this way, despite his apparently idle behavior, the redhead was able to discreetly listen in on both the teacher's lecture and various other conversations going on about the room.

On that particular day, Jack had been keeping an eye on Flash, who he knew more or less, but was still intensely curious about. Ross, however, was a complete unknown to him, and the fact that the bespectacled boy was a Hufflepuff immediately cemented the redhead's resolve not to involve himself if he could help it. That didn't mean he was any less interested in eavesdropping, however, since although Jack detested badgers with a passion, he wondered how Flash would handle them. It always amused the redhead to see the brunet act with a whole different demeanor around other students than he did when it was just the two of them alone.

Flash seemed to be a fairly friendly sort of person when Jack let him be. He seemed to do his best to make what connections he could; treating others cordially, being mindful of his manners, and behaving politely according to popular social etiquette as society dictated. The more proper and upright he tried to behave, however, the more Jack felt the urge to mess with him, and it was with great difficulty he refrained from saying a word to the boy for the entirety of the Potions lesson. He certainly ended up being glad he managed, too, for he probably wouldn't have otherwise gotten to see some sides of Flash he did that day.

"Do ya happen to know how to make this?"

When Ross first appeared to start having trouble with brewing the Forgetfulness Potion they had been assigned, he turned to Flash for help as could have been expected. Flash was obviously the more prepared of the two, but playing the social, good-natured student he did when Jack had seen him around others before, the redhead had expected the blue-eyed Slytherin to happily provide the struggling Hufflepuff with assistance. Instead, Flash responded to Ross with a few curt ingredient names, his tone dull, before politely requesting that the other boy leave him be so he could focus.

"Mistletoe berries. And Valerian sprigs. If you don’t mind, I’m trying to focus on the task at hand."

Jack had not encountered On-Task-In-Class Flash before. He still seemed to be helpful, but not quite as much as he might have been, perhaps, if he hadn't had his own potion to work on. So Flash could exhibit a degree of selfishness directly and in public. That was interesting.

"Say, is it two doses of Mistletoe Berries or is it two doses of Valerian Sprigs?"

Before long, Ross was asking for more help - this time in regard to the amount of ingredients that Flash had just mentioned to him. Perhaps due to the badger's obvious timidity in inquiring, Flash seemed to take pity on him and offered his peer his own notes. It still wasn't in the disgustingly sweet manner with which Jack imagined Flash might have offered to help Opeila, but that just made Jack more confused. The blue-eyed brunet not only gave the other access to his own notes, but actually took the initiative to copy them down in the badger's own.

"Here. Start following the directions, there’s no ambiguity with this one, just do as it says. I’ll copy it down in your notes, but don’t start relying on me, alright? You should be paying more attention, and if you don’t, you should accept the consequences."

This was completely unexpected to Jack. First he had thought Flash had wanted to make friends with anyone he could. After seeing his initial curt reaction with Ross, Jack corrected that image to guess that the other Slytherin was only friendly in public towards those he thought he could benefit from associating with. Now, however, he was having to readjust his impression of Flash yet again - but to what? This time, the studious boy was clearly not pleased with his situation, yet he still made an effort, however more harsh than usual, to help the Hufflepuff in need.

It was the harshness that astonished the redhead. Him, who knew that people's true colors were best shown when they were forced to deal with situations that tested their patience and tempers. What was remarkable was that if Flash had stood to gain anything from helping out Ross, he would have had no reason to behave so brusquely, harshly, or sternly toward him - mannerisms that suggested his real, true feelings on the matter rather than sweet, polite substitutes. Still, however, he persisted in helping and, not only that, but going above and beyond by copying notes without being asked to.

Did that possibly mean that Flash cared more about others beyond what they could do or provide for him?

"Right, right! Sorry 'bout that. Won't 'appen again. Promise."

There was a good amount of time when both Flash and Ross were silent and Jack could only hear the former writing notes while the latter worked on executing the recipe required of them. It wasn't until the sound of pages turning caught his attention that the pretend slacker tuned in once more. If Jack recalled correctly, the recipe for the Forgetfulness Potion was short enough that, even hand-written, it probably should have only taken up one page or maybe a spread at most, especially with Flash's neat writing. What reason, then, did either of them have to turn pages?

As even Ross was not fond of students who didn't do work (or, in Jack's case, who didn't appear to do work), the red-headed Slytherin guessed neither Flash nor Ross had any reason to pay any mind to the seemingly dozing boy draped in dark robes and seated at the table next to them. With his hood pulled over his red hair, he was even less conspicuous, so Jack attempted to chance raising his eyelids slightly in order to get a look at his housemate's face at the corner of his vision.

Apparently, Flash had finished writing up the notes and had thought to flip through Ross' previous ones. Again, it was not a behavior Jack believed the ever-considerate, well-mannered Flash that Opeila knew would have demonstrated, but that just made him all the more fascinated by it. A few page-flips more and the brunet Slytherin was looking over at the Hufflepuff, a smile suddenly dawning on his lips.

Jack instantly recognized the nature of that smile, though he had never before seen it on Flash's face, nor thought he would have. It wasn't one of those phony ones he put on to conceal his insecurities or troubled thoughts, but it wasn't completely innocent, either. There was a certain degree of mischief about it; a hint of wicked amusement. And, naturally, Jack was familiar with all the subtle, tell-tale traits because it was a smile that he himself found on his own lips quite often.

With the coming of that smile, the rest of Flash's entire demeanor seemed to transform right along with it. It wasn't a demeanor that Jack had witnessed Flash exhibit prior, but a new one altogether.

"Property of Ross Stephens…" Flash read out loud, looking the book over as he turned it around in his hands. "That’s you, isn't it?"

And there went the theory that Flash's unusual behavior could be explained by a previous association with Ross. Evidently, he hadn't even known the other boy's name until then. And, for one blissfully ignorant moment, Ross was happy to confirm it.

"Yep, Ross Stephens, that's m-"

At least until the gears started turning in his brain and he had the sense to look back at the one who had spoken. It was a minute or so before realization sunk in.

"There 'aught to 'ave been a mix up, because that ain't my notes."

A little too late to tell him that, Jack thought.

"Perhaps you could give it back? I promise I won't bother ya again."

Even when the Hufflepuff practically began to beg, Flash would not show mercy; no change in his amused expression. Ross had looked around then, as if to search for someone to help him, but Jack wasn't about to interfere. He closed his eyes again quickly, feigning sleep once more, but kept a sharp ear out for more information on the events unfolding.

Heroism was not Jack's thing - especially not when the person looking to be saved was a Hufflepuff. The last thing he needed was some friendship-obsessed badger to think well of him. Besides, Jack wanted to see what Flash had in mind and just how far the other Slytherin was willing to go for it. If Jack listened well and long enough, he thought he might perhaps be able to determine for what reasons Flash was behaving this way, too.

When the Hufflepuff put out his hands to get his diary back, Jack could tell his housemate wanted to laugh because he himself had had to hold back his own laughter on similar occasions under very similar circumstances. Some people just didn't seem to understand when they had lost. But instead of laughing, the brown-haired boy had resumed his countenance into one of cold condescension. What must Ross have thought of it? Would it have been better or worse than outright laughter?

It was another look Jack would have had trouble imagining on Flash's face if he hadn't seen it just then. Was this, then, the side of this boy that Ruka had told him about? Was this the true face of the Slytherin who had tried to take advantage of the Gryffindor's mental and emotional instability while Jack had been avoiding him?

"Right. It’s your diary."

The statement was presumably to confirm that he knew what Ross already did.

"But you completely misunderstand me. Perhaps I left a bad first impression. I don’t really like to be talked to during class, so I was a bit unfriendly."

There it was. There was the friendly, pleasant air Jack was used to seeing Flash put on display when he spoke to others outside of class, hoping to win their favor. This version, however, was tainted with the particular patience and pleasantness one could only afford to offer when one was confident they had their target right where they wanted them. Whether or not the boy meant for it to be visible, Jack could make out the malicious delight dancing within those pale blue eyes.

Obviously Flash's drastic change in manner was intentional, but for what reason? Was he trying to intimidate the Hufflepuff? Because amicable as his words themselves seemed to be, everything else about the conveyance of his message did not match someone who wanted to be liked or make friends. In fact, Flash appeared to be well on his way to deliberately making himself a personal enemy.

Well, Jack had definitely not seen that coming. If friends weren't the only way Flash sought connections and recognition, did this mean he was okay with being hated or feared, too, so long as he was respected?

The way Flash continued to speak to Ross reminded Jack of a cat playing with a mouse. At that, Jack risked opening his eyes slightly once more. The brunet Slytherin taunted his new victim, playing the part of a kind classmate offering to hold onto his diary until Ross 'learned his lesson'. Flash even brought up the fact that Ross could tell the potions professor that he took his property, but was quick to make it clear that doing so would not be without less-than-favorable consequences for the badger. Evidently, Flash had read a thing or two on Ross' feelings regarding Potions in that diary and the Slytherin made a subtle, indirect threat to bring them to the professor’s attention if he was exposed.

He was obviously enjoying his newfound power over the Hufflepuff, but what did he plan to do with it? Did he just want power for power's sake? To make himself feel better by crushing others beneath his shoes because he could? If it was that he relished in discovering and taking advantage of another's mistakes, Jack supposed he could understand and relate to that. He, too, would jump at the smallest chance to prove his intellectual superiority over others by taunting them for their blunders...but only, he realized, when said others were acting high-and-mighty enough for him to feel the need to put them in their place. This - a chance that had simply fallen into Flash’s lap by mistake - wasn’t something Jack could see himself taking advantage of. It was too easy and there was no merit in it for him; nothing he could prove. The power Flash had obtained was power anyone would have had if they’d simply been in the right place at the right time.

Flash certainly seemed eager for acknowledgement and validation, particularly when it came to achievements and being a cut above the rest. But what did this behavior of his and these actions have to do with that desire? It said little in the way of proving Flash’s abilities and intelligence...but perhaps the Slytherin boy didn’t know that. Jack certainly hadn’t known he was willing to take advantage of others' weaknesses for what he might have seen as his own gain. The redhead was suddenly having a hard time differentiating Flash's behavior from that of a common bully. Along with everything else Jack had witnessed during that Potions class so far, it was a very peculiar turn of events.

Little did Jack realize that around that time, Ross’ situation was putting into perspective for him how ‘being a witness and not doing anything absolutely sucked’. Ross himself doubted that there were witnesses to such a ridiculous 'crime' in the first place, but little did he realize that there was at least an audience of one neutral spectator.

"C'mon, please, It won't do ya any good to keep it for now! Could ya please just give it?"

Whether on purpose or on accident, the Hufflepuff’s voice gradually began to rise in volume until it threatened to capture the attention of others. Flash, as calmly as a parent used to their child’s tantrums, simply put an index finger to his lips with no more than a slight furrow disturbing his brow as he gently hushed his peer. Everything seemed so calculated. Just how far ahead had the boy planned?

"Instead, why don’t I tell you what you can do for me to get this back?"

As deftly and smoothly as a slight-of-hand con artist, Flash maneuvered his hostage into his bag from the tabletop.

"Come to class early every day, prepared. Read the syllabus again and come into class knowing what to expect. Learn the recipes before you sit down to make them."

There was a pause as the Slytherin regarded his addressee, presumably checking for comprehension of what he was saying. Again, Jack found himself unintentionally impressed. Once satisfied, Flash continued delivering his instructions.

"Get an O in potions this quarter and I’ll give it back to you. Also, never talk to me during class again.

The redhead was dumbfounded. That was the condition for Ross to get his diary returned safely to him?

Why? What possible benefit was there in the condition for Flash? Was it to keep the Hufflepuff at bay so he didn't pester the Slytherin with more questions during class? Or...was it somehow meant for the Hufflepuff's own good to make him get O's?

Jack was having trouble making sense of the whole thing. So...was this Flash’s game? Did he wear masks so he could trick and manipulate others into revealing their secrets and then hold them over said people? No, that didn’t seem right; that wasn’t how this scenario had played out at all. Flash hadn’t done any tricking since the error had been Ross’ fault to begin with. As for manipulation, the most it would seem he was attempting to do was to manipulate the bespectacled boy into improving his grades - his own grades - for a class he evidently disliked. Even that use of the term ‘manipulate’ was debatable since he had been so clear and direct about what he wanted Ross to do. Still, Flash seemed to have no trouble with said class, so no matter how one looked at it, the one who appeared to gain the most from the transaction was Ross.

Up until then, Jack hadn't been sure if Flash had genuinely wanted people to like him and to get along with them, but this new development involving blackmail and that mischievous smile suggested otherwise. More interesting than that, though, was that neither his methods nor his objectives were easily discerned. A person who thought in black and white while taking things for face value might have used the labels of ‘bad’, ‘evil’, or even ‘villainous’, for Flash’s behavior in having taken advantage of the opportunity given to him. But...would that same person have been just as easily and quickly able to condemn Flash’s motivations, intentions, and goals with the same labels?

Perhaps Flash was more like Jack than either of them even realized.

The more he watched him, the more the redhead realized just how different the smile that the brunet flaunted was different from the one he usually had on around most of his other peers like Opeila. It seemed so authentic, but also slightly twisted. Was it unbridled, selfish glee that varied it so? Perhaps a kind of schadenfreude? But that didn’t seem right, either. If he took such pleasure in others’ misfortunes, why had he not attempted to cause more?

Further pondering his possible theory of the slight benefit that Flash might have gotten from getting Ross to leave him alone during class, Jack quickly scrapped it. If that was all he’d wanted, he could have just as easily made him promise not to talk to him and have been done with it. An O in Potions was a much more long-term and difficult endeavor to ask Ross to undertake. Furthermore, just because Flash had requested that Ross not talk to him during class didn’t mean he couldn’t pester him for help outside of it.

'Instead, why don't I tell you what you can do for me to get this back?'

The words rang through Jack’s head again as he continued to think on them. What Ross could do for Flash?

...'Come to class early every day, prepared. Read the syllabus again and come into class knowing what to expect. Learn the recipes before you sit down to make them.'...

That was it. It had to have been it.

The extra instructions hadn’t been specifically part of the condition to get the diary back, but they were undoubtedly a hint - a key - to what their speaker believed was important about the point he was trying to make.

From the moment they had met, Jack had noticed that Flash had a particular manner about him; a properness that, from what Jack guessed, only resulted from years of strict rules, cold looks, and a significant lack of positive reinforcement. It seemed so ingrained in him that he had even behaved in such a way around Jack, a student he initially had no intention of letting anyone else realize was he was associated with. There had been no real reason for him to put on the show he had except maybe to impress upon Jack the kind of person he wished to present himself as.

Here, though, in class where all that mattered for a grade was to turn in a satisfactory potion, Flash still persisted in his propriety. It seemed to simply be a part of who he was. Whether or not that had always been the case, Jack didn’t know, but if Jack had been in Flash’s shoes, the redhead was fairly certain he probably would have felt some sort of resentment towards Ross for not having taken his studies as seriously as Flash did.

Sure, Jack himself might have preferred to have one less classmate to compete with and thus been glad of Ross’ incompetence. But to Flash, who apparently also had ingrained in him a compulsion to help others whether they deserved it or not, it would naturally have seemed unfair for Ross to have attained the same success that Flash did simply by riding his coattails.

There was also the proverb that if one gave a man a fish, one would feed him for a day. But if one taught a man to fish, and one would feed him for a lifetime. If Flash taught Ross how to take his least favorite class seriously by coming in prepared, knowing what to expect, and familiarizing himself with what he was asked to do before actually attempting to do it, he was metaphorically teaching Ross how to ‘fish’. It was the recipe for getting a good grade and it sounded vague enough to apply to more than just Professor Price’s lessons. Potions just seemed to be one of the most challenging subjects for Ross if he disliked it as much as Flash had implied, so if he got an O in Potions, the chances were that he could learn to get an O in any class.

Now that he considered it from his housemate’s point of view, Jack thought he could possibly understand better than most the contempt that Flash might have felt toward Ross for going about his school life as casually as the Hufflepuff did. After all, Jack himself spent a ridiculous amount of time and effort to teach himself lessons ahead of the class in order to have time to ‘slack off’ during them.

Still, no matter how much he could empathize or how advantageous the results might have become for Ross, it didn’t sit right with the Welsh boy that Flash was taking advantage of something as petty as Ross having accidentally handed over his personal diary. The Slytherin’s derisive snort made Jack believe that Flash was, perhaps, acting a bit too smug for someone who had simply come into his source of power by chance. It reminded him again that this might have been the very facet of Flash that had driven him to get what he could out of Ruka while the Gryffindor had been so emotionally worn down.

Being too complacent or prideful of one’s power and underestimating others were common trickster downfalls that Jack was all too familiar with. If Flash was really as similar to Jack as he seemed to be, the redhead decided that maybe it was time someone take the brunet down a peg. Tricksters were also known to tip the scales a bit from the sidelines in order to balance things out. They refrained from directly interfering, but it was with their hints of wisdom and often unexpected assistance that the playing field was commonly leveled for an otherwise severe mismatch.

Besides...maybe Jack did owe Ross something. He’d learned so much more about his very own dorm mate only due to the Hufflepuff’s unfortunate slip-up. Furthermore, by providing Ross with some indirect help, not only could he return the favor for the new knowledge he’d gained, but he could procure even more information on Flash in the process. Jack may have been tentative about stepping in to help Ross before, but if he offered his help after this event in a more subtle, discreet manner, perhaps the badger wouldn’t make him out to be the hero Jack refused to be. Perhaps even his association with Flash as a Slytherin would be enough to caution Ross against him.

At that time, the redhead remained unaware that Flash’s peculiar actions had actually peaked the Hufflepuff's interest in the blue-eyed boy along with Jack’s own. It was a shame he hadn’t been able to hear Ross’ internal wondering about whether or not ‘it was a Slytherin thing to be such a cold-hearted jerk’, for surely he would have laughed. Even more tragically comical was Jack’s ignorance of the bespectacled boy’s mental note to talk to more Slytherins despite his doubts that he would have the courage to do so.

Luckily for him, at least one more Slytherin was already making plans to take the initiative of talking to Ross first.