| Details for Stealing the Show |
| Summary: | Alphard and Andromena present their Transfiguration theory project to the class. Alphard proves very bad at sharing presentation time. |
| Date: | 1938-10-22 |
| Location: | Transfiguration Classroom |
| Related: | Transfiguration Class 6th Year Attack of the Lionpig |
| Characters |
  |
Though originally their project group had consisted of a four students, by petition and attrition, they were now down to just two. Alphard and Andromena. Which was perfectly fine with him, since the other two hadn't added anything of value at all as far as the Black was concerned. Why should it be on his back to pull all that dead weight? At least his current partner actually knew what she was talking about most of the time. At the head of the classroom, another group was making its presentation. "Ugh, I hate listening to others drone on.." He murmured in Meanie's direction. His whole body had slumped down, slowly leaking down his chair and towards the floor in that characteristic IMABOREDTEENAGER poise.
Truth be told, Andromena was not listening to the current group either. In fact, she had doodled a picture on the corner of a scrap of paper. When Alphard's voice slithered into her ear, she glanced up. "Just endure it," she whispered, suppressing a snicker. Ever since they had been allowed to work on their own, Andromena felt a lot more confident about their project's success. Alphard could be domineering and, to be blunt, an arrogant ass, but he wasn't an idiot. Though she might hate to admit it, he even knew a bit more on the subject in question than she. "It won't be long before we're up."
"I'm trying to, but it's like they're hurling splatter hexes in my direction. It's like everything they say soils both me and Transfiguration as a subject.." It was part mockery, part genuine whine, all of it barely audiable since he wasn't going to risk draw the Professor's attention. "Wrong.." he commented. "Also wrong.." when something else was said. "Not wrong, just completely bloody stupid." He sighed, using his thumb to brush away a bit hair that had fallen into his eyes. "So.. you're good with your side, right?" It was just like Alphard to wonder if he shouldn't just do the whole presentation himself. She could stand by and look pretty.
"Don't insult me," she warned, eye rolling. She wasn't entirely serious, but the tone was there, just below the surface. "Everything will go perfectly." He had already done over everything she was meant to say anyway, making corrections and additions as he saw fit. Andromena was only surprised he had not asked her to recite it out loud before him. By then, the professor was thanking the current group for their presentation, and they were filing to their seats. "Should we volunteer, get it over with?"
"I wasn't insulting you. Just giving you the oppertunity to step back if you were nerous." Though his protest didn't sound particularly convincing, not even to himself. When the current group finally finished, Alphard released a relieved sigh, his body losing some of its tension. "Salazar have mercy, that wasn't a moment too soon." His shaggy haired head rolled sideways so he could look Andromena over consideringly for a moment. Then he glanced to the Professor. "Sure.. sure. Go ahead. Might as well be done before the Professor's mind is too gooified to actually pay attention."
And so Andromena raised her hand when it was asked if anyone would like to volunteer. It was between herself and one other student…but thankfully her name was called. She straightened the parchment upon her desk as she stood, waiting for Alphard to unseat himself before making her way to the front of the classroom. "Today, we shall be presenting our theory on how to properly transfigure a desk into a pig," she dutifully informed; as though no one else had been tasked with the same exact thing. It was simply expected. Pink, rose petal lips quirked into a self satisfied smile. Yes, they /would/ be telling the others the right way to do it, because as yet no one had managed to do it correctly.
"As well as a short synopsis of the wider Theories and Laws of magic on which our work is based," Alphard chimed in, unable to help himself even if technically this part of the presentation was all Andromena's. Among his many flaws was his inability to let someone else have the spotlight all to themselves, when he felt like preening. Because who preened better than him? The polite thing to do would have been to take a step back, once he positioned himself by Andromena, to 'fade' into the background while she talked. Instead he struck his most regal and arrogant pose, head held high, back straight, looking down at his fellow classmates like the plebian scum they were, destined to suffer through life without ever being as awesome as him.
The presentation went swimmingly, at least to those watching…you know, those students who weren't just as bored as Alphard and Andromena had been before it was their turn. However, the reality was that Alphard continued to finish Andromena's sentences, if not more, as the project moved forward. Despite having no formal training in acting, the Ravenclaw relinquished her 'spotlight' with grace. Once she thinned her lips so dangerously that they were threatened with disappearing, however! It was one thing to have a sentence finished, to make it look as though they were trading off, but she had only just opened her mouth when Alphard spoke over her entirely! Finally, it was his real 'turn' to speak on the aforementioned wider theories, and Andromena gestured toward the Slytherin with a flourish of her dainty hands. He stepped up to his mark with, to her eyes, a clear relish.
Just as well that she'd not made a fuss about him contantly slipping his own little commentary in, since it wouldn't have done any good at all. Except burned their presentationd own into a catty back-and-forth to the great glee of the whole class. Alphard gave her a pleasent smile, completely oblivious of any notion that he should have felt guilty for nudging her aside. Instead he took the spotlight with a glee, expanding on what Andromena had been talking about. Despite how many bad things you could say about Alphard (it wasn't hard to come up with some), he wasn't a dull talker once he set his mind to it. Self absorbed, yes, superior, yes, but he used every trick of the trade. Hand movements, bodylanguage, transforming the pitch of his voice to catch people unaware and leave them more alert. He talked all the way until the Professor went: "Thank you, Black, for a very thorough presentation. But perhaps we should let the other groups have a chance, too. Superbly done, Rowle." The latter added with a knowing look of understanding.