Chapter 22: Acquired taste

Within 5 min I was at the library entrance with Madam Pince. She told me to follow her and we make our way towards the potions lab. 'If Snape catches me, I am pinning the blame on her.'

When we reach the door to our destination I look towards her to see her next move.

'I wonder how a teacher breaks in, what spell would she use.'

And..........she takes out a key from her pocket.

'Of course, she takes out a key. She is a teacher, why would she need to break in? She can just open the door and waltz in.'

"Your face says you were expecting something else, perhaps you thought I would break in like you did?" She taunts me.

'Am I that easy to read? And does everyone know about my heist? Well, I did break a potion on Snape's face, I guess that does deserve a mention in Hogwarts history.'

Once inside, she gathers the ingredients from my list and tells me to start brewing my potion.

Which I easily do, after one failed attempt, but we don't talk about that.

The result was an Arctic Blue potion instead of the normal blue colour, which in all honestly looked better than the original one.

"It did seem to have improved the potion's efficiency by a good margin. Very good Mr. Patil, this experiment could be considered a success. Your hard work paid off."

"Of course, it did. If I did it, there is no way it would fail." What can I say, I am just awesome.

She did not comment on that and just scooped in a vial and handed one portion to me and kept one with herself.

"Give that to Professor Snape along with the assignment."

Taking the potion, I put it in my bag and just hoped that the glass container wouldn't break.

"Thank you for the help, Professor. Now I just want to see his face when he realizes that I actually completed his assignment, pretty sure he wanted me to fail." Wish I had a camera.

"*Cough cough* That's not a nice thing to say, Mr. Patil. Now, forget that, and let us have some dinner."

I stop thinking about where I can arrange a camera from and started going towards the great hall for dinner.

"Where do you think you are going Mr. Patil?" I heard her behind me.

"To the great hall for dinner?" 'She just said to get dinner, does she have short-term memory loss?'

"Do you know what time it is?" she asks with a smirk on her face.

"I don't like that smile; but no, I don't have any idea about the time."

"It is past 9'O clock." She said as if she revealed something grand.

"And....." Surely there must be more here.

"*sigh* Do you have any idea about the dinner timing i-, forget it. Dinner is till 8 and even the library closes at 8. By the time you left, it was already more than a quarter past 8."

"I am guessing a quarter past 8 means 8:15. And why did you not kick me out if it was already closing time?"

"You got the time right. And I just had to arrange some books in the library anyway so I didn't say anything to you. But if my work would've been over before yours, you would be out."

"Okay, thanks for the extra time. Good night then."

"Now where are you going?" She grabs me by my collar and stops me.

"To my room, I am definitely not going to roam the halls at night, I swear."

"Then don't cross your fingers behind your back. And I meant to ask, what about dinner."

"Nothing. I'll just have breakfast tomorrow, or lunch most probably, I don't think I will wake up in time for breakfast." I say, but noticing the concern on her face I quickly add.

"I am used to it, don't worry." Judging by her expression, that did not satisfy her.

"Come with me, a growing child shouldn't miss their meals."

Well, I am hungry anyway, so why not follow her?

Following through the moving staircases, we came and stopped in front of a wall.

"Okay, so why did we stop?"

"Just watch." She wiggled her finger at the painting a few times and the wall shifted.

"Holy fudge, a secret entrance. I knew there would be some in this giant castle." New quest: Find some secret rooms in this castle, possibly one with a skeleton from old times inside.

"Language, and this not exactly a secret entrance. It is the kitchen." And with that revelation, she walked inside.

'Right, the fruit basket picture. Totally forgot about that, my brain remembered even the tiniest details.'

Following her inside I am greeted with the sight of elve-, no, of House-elves running around, 'no way am I calling these creatures elves, I am still determined to find a sexy elf babe'.

They all stopped their work and turned towards us at once, a person with a weak heart might jump at that sight but not me, I stared at them with the same ferocity for I am not one to back down.

"Stop hiding behind me, they don't bite." Said my meat shield with a suppressed laugh.

"Come down and sit, have what you like." She sat down on one of the tables and the elves began filling the table with all kinds of food, none of which looked appetizing by the way.

"No, I'll just have 2 omelettes." Right as I said that a house elf came with my omelette.

"That was fast." I mean, I get that these guys are good at this but still, how do you reduce the cooking time?

"Tommy knew young wizard don't like this food, so Tommy made omelette fast. Tommy be making it every day for young wizard." The house elf declared with pride and butchered language, that honestly after reading so much mtl didn't bother me at all.

"Well, great job Tommy. You get a 5-star rating for that." The omelette was actually good, with some actual spices in there. I once tried the normal one during breakfast and it was bland, so it really was a boon my brain conjured him here.

"Young wizard give Tommy 5-star rating. Tommy be very happy. Tommy make sure to continue cooking for young wizard." The el-, 'house' elf exclaimed in joy and went to boast to other house elves about getting 5-stars, though I wondered if it knew what they were.

"You don't like anything from here." Madam Pince said pointing to the whole assortment on the table.

"No, too bland for me. I mean, I could eat it if I absolutely had to, but that would be after I was starved for 4 days, and made to choose between this and just plain rice-water." I say before focusing on filling my stomach, I was hungrier than I expected.

"So, no then. Got it. Why the hate though?" She asked while displaying table manners only seen in movies, she is literally using a fork and knife and I saw her changing spoons before.

'Fancy shit.'

"Not hate, just dislike. I just can't eat bland food."

"What's so special about yours then?" Well, if she wants to take a risk, it is my holy mission to encourage her.

"Why don't you try for yourself?" I said pushing my plate toward her.

"Sure, just how much difference can there be?" She says taking a bite.

And............

"Not that bad actually. It is certainly an acquired taste, I must say." She says while seeming completely fine.

"Here, have some milk." I push the glass towards her.........….which she half spills because of how fast she is gulping it down.

"Hahahahahaha, the best thing that happened today." I can't help it; it is always fun seeing someone suffer because they were curious about my food. My friends can't handle it, how can she?

"*panting* Just how do you eat that? It is like fire in my mouth." She half pants.

"Oh please, this is nothing. Give me a chance and I will make something truly spicy, though I might be the only person who will enjoy it. And 'this' is how food should taste, not that boiled stuff you are eating. Though I do eat a bit more spicy food than others, still your reaction was hilarious."

" 'Not that bad actually. Certainly, an acquired taste I must- hahahahaha.'" I try to imitate her seconds ago.

"Okay, that is enough. Don't talk while eating. Eat your dinner and go to bed." She says with a slight flushed face.

I just smile and continue eating, while bursting into laughter a few times.

"Oh, and after breakfast come to the library tomorrow." She adds after a few minutes.

"What for? Don't tell me you are after my body?" I say while covering my chest.

"I feel that I should be worried about the way you talk, but anyway, you have detention tomorrow."

"What for?"

"Did you forget your stunt in flying class? I didn't have time earlier so I didn't say anything, so you'll get your punishment tomorrow."

"Oh right, I just forgot about that. So, what are we doing tomorrow, some private student-teacher time?" *wink wink*

She got up before me and left with a 'Good night'.

'She didn't say no.' With that thought I finished my own dinner and headed towards my room.