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Beater Skills and Vultures
And exactly why you shouldn't rest your eyes on history books.
Lucy wearily rested her head on her hand while she shifted through her history notes with her other hand and groaned when she saw just how much she needed to memorise for next week.
She thrust it all away from her and rested her head down on one of her thick history books and closed her grey-blue eyes. The library was stifling and the heat just added to her exhaustion. She was startled out of her brief nap when a familiar voice came from her right.
'That cannot be a very comfortable pillow, my dear,' her older cousin said as he sat down on the vacant seat next to her and she sent a tired glare at James' grinning face.
'No it isn't,' she admitted through a yawn as she sat up and rubbed her eyes.
'Taking a nap were we?' he asked, an amused smirk aimed at her and she narrowed her eyes while she replied in a dignified tone.
'I was just resting my eyes,' she said and he chuckled.
'Of course you were,' he snickered.
'What are you doing her anyway? She asked stifling yet another yawn as she sent him a questioning look. In response he held up his bag which she saw which was full of his school books along with lots of notes.
'Surprise though it may be to you Luce, I do actually study,' he replied loftily and Lucy smiled.
'Will the worlds shocks never cease?' she asked in a mock surprise tone causing him to send her a mock-stern look.
'My dear Luce, how you wound me,' he said, a hand slapping against his chest causing her to giggle and his look of pained disbelief.
'What else do you expect?' she queried with a teasing grin.
'Is it too much to ask for a kind relative?' he asked the ceiling, causing Lucy to giggle once more.
'Of course it is! It's our right to tease you! Do you really think any of us would give that up?' she asked rhetorically and James laughed loudly causing Lucy to elbow him and they glanced around for Madam Pince.
Once it was ascertained that the vulture was not around the cousins relaxed, Lucy turning back to her history notes and James cast them a derisive look.
'Why don't you just ask Hugo for help?' he asked. 'That kids a genius with history and he'd gladly help you.'
'He'd probably make more sense than any of this too,' Lucy said, glaring at all her work before shoving it into her bag.
'What were you studying by the way,' she asked as James picked up her uncomfortable history book and passed it to her.
'Charms, though I really wish I didn't have to,' he said as they got up and pushed their chairs in and started to leave, James swinging his bag round onto his shoulder. His bag knocked a stack of books from the end of the table and they crashed to the floor.
'Run,' James said immediately taking a few steps back.
'Shouldn't we pick them up?' Lucy questioned, going to start picking the books up but James grabbed her arm and started dragging her back.
'No,' he said quickly, glancing around as he did so. 'C'mon, quick, before the vulture arrives.'
He quickly dragged her along a long lengthy aisle and then down another and another as Lucy tried to regain her sense of direction.
After a few dread-filled minutes the two burst out into the corridor along which James pulled her until they were out of sight of the library.
They panted for breath and then met one another's eyes and they couldn't stop themselves from laughing.
'Perhaps next time James,' she said once they'd calmed down, 'you could practise your beater skills on the pitch.'
James snorted with laughter and Lucy grinned before they start to make their way downstairs.
So what did you think? Constructive criticism welcome.