My fifth class, and the fifth time this is happening today.
I don't even have to raise me head. I hear the shuffles of papers being transported in clumsy, ineffective methods, I feel the absent minds, not focusing on their current assignment – luckily, a relatively harmless potion, this time – and I know that, if I prowl around the small students, that my nose will be brutally assaulted by the reeking scents of perfumes. They obviously do not know the meaning of exaggeration.
That particular organ has already met more than enough fragrances for one day, and so, I remain seated and decide to only use my eyes as the main supervisor.
It seems that I am just as quickly distracted as the third years. Noon is almost ending.
One glance, even from this distance, and I see who is affected, and who innocently remains in their isolated, safe world, a world which will have been changed, by the time they enter their final year.
This class is one of the few in which the genders are balanced. A perfect control-group for the other four classes.
Girls seem to be mainly influenced... or the boys are more talented in hiding their true emotions.
This is not the perfect environment, since I've made it very clear that I only accept sound when absolutely needed, and most are undoubtedly already hiding or repressing most of their thoughts and actions in front of me, but it seems wasted to abort this small examination. I also have no other pressing matter to attend, at this moment.
A girl in the middle left row reads a crumpled, small paper and her cheeks turn red. She quickly flips it over, scribbles and clumsily sends it back to the male sender. His head does not mirror her's, but he does show a cocky smile, turns his face to the girl, and dramatically winks. I roll my eyes.
Two rows to the right, I zoom in on a girl and boy, working together. Their hands are lingering, longer than needed, on whatever part of the body they can find, particularly the arms, hands and middle. Both mouths are open, no doubt whispering nonsense to each other.
Two tables below the distracted couple is a boy, ever now and then peeking to his left, trying to get a girl's attention. Fifty nine minutes he's already trying, and fifty nine minutes, he's failed.
I've seen countless heads, minds and intelligence grow – but the last mentioned seems to be forever missing by some, even long after our final, shared glance – each into a different result, but what most have in common is their ability to show the same behaviour, some from year one to year seven, others starting at a later year.
Each face, new or changed, focuses on a different target, ignoring their last acquisition, restarting the process again, restarting their crusade, for absolute bliss. It will always fail, but the mind has somehow find a way to ignore this tiny detail, and not learn from past mistakes.
I don't understand this. I never will. I can examine their mind, something he has repeatedly prohibited me from. But even if I have permission, I'll only hear chaos, see idiotic, valueless images, and feel nonsense. Very unlike my own, past youth.
I can't seem to stop wondering whether my peers had demonstrated the same... problems. I wasn't always attentive of them, but I do remember that I would occasionally see couples in the hallways, outside on the grass, in the common room or even worse: in class.
Each, passing year, I saw sad, lone faces, staring mindlessly at the ground, or eagerly wobbling their head in all directions, but also satisfied, twin faces, their expression mirroring each other.
It seems that the general population of every generation fall victim to this.
I still don't understand why the Headmaster has applied this rule that each student is allowed to take with them, a cat, a toad, or an owl. A select few, the rare, intelligent breed, respect this rule, but the common, idiotic ones interpret this by taking all three of them.
More joy for the students. More irritable teachers. One person ready to snap.
I understand that owls are a necessity, but a toad? I remember that I've last used different parts of multiple toads as ingredients for a potion.
I can barely withstand the thought to add that one as a requirement for all students. I can already imagine the shocked, terrified expression on their young faces when reading the ingredient list.
Teachers are also allowed to have enjoyments...
I don't understand how one can bond with an animal, destined to end in strangely coloured liquids. Dead. Or alive.
An owl is only suitable for one purpose: sending messages. I comment the record times of some, but I prefer quicker, safer and more convenient methods: the hearth or a Patronus. Also, some have sight problems.
Looking back, I notice that I am still being followed by that pesky thing. She... or he, I haven't checked their gender, but this persistence must be caused by a she, has been trailing me for a few days now. When I open the door in the morning, she is sitting in a corner, already gazing at my direction. When I open and close the door in the afternoon, she takes my vacant spot and makes all kind of noises and movements. When I close the door in the evening, I usually find her lying on the ground, one eye opened to lazily follow my form.
This had happened a week ago. Starting from a few days ago, she had decided to not only passively watch me, but also accompany me wherever I go. It can lead to quite bothersome situations. It is that my self-control has not wavered, because it may occur that the Squib will find a butchered, cold corpse soon.
This is not a stray animal. Her body is well-fed, and her manners are civilised, as civilised an animal can be. That only leads to the conclusion that an idiotic student cannot even complete one simple task, and has lost their pet.
The face of a very clumsy, and hopeless case appeared. He fits perfectly in the description, but I recall seeing him holding a giant toad in his hands once. I wonder whether that poor body is still fully intact: he must have fallen countless times from those sloppy hands.
She's trying to communicate with me, again. I've heard this sound countless times now. I still abhor it.
She doesn't think I understand her, judging from these persisting sounds. I do understand, but I've decided to ignore her. The simplest, uncomplicated way, for I know this... situation will dramatically worsen if I surrender now.
It will do her, and I, no good. If we're seen together, and he will discover, I must hear that amused, slightly smug voice for many days. Not to mention his accomplice, her bothersome presence bothering him even more. That will not do me good, and that will mean a horrible fate for you, if I haven't poisoned you already to a point beyond recovery, with my... lacking abilities and... unsuitable behaviours.
Swift, soft footsteps. Students, searching students.
I quickly conceal myself, knowing reluctantly that I will soon feel a cool, frozen pressure against my legs and a soft tail wrapping around my ankle. What will irritate me more than this... attachment is that each head will look even more ridiculously at me, tomorrow. The relative peace and silence that I've easily created in my classroom, will just as easily be destroyed. Not to mention my reputation.
"Are you sure you've heard it?"
"Yes! I can recognise her voice easily."
A small girl pivots, and searches an area she's already examined. A first, or second year.
"Maybe you've confused it with something else..."
"No! I know she's here: I can feel it."
I swiftly move my eyes upwards, a movement regularly started by persons such as her.
When I focus them on the two, new presences, I see they're standing quite close to me, their backs visible.
"I don't understand!"
"Maybe... maybe you've just, you know, heard it wrong?"
"I know I've been wrong many, many times, but I just know I'm correct this time!"
She wildly gestures her hands and turns her body around, walking towards me.
A second year... Hufflepuff, I think. Her name... I do not remember.
That familiar noise again, and a moment later, a burst forward, almost dragging me away from the safe place, and into a predicament.
A surprised cry, followed by a happy yell. The small weight against her small body purrs. No doubt because her body is slowly breaking...
A word is repeated over and over again now... wait, it's a name. A very curious, unsuitable name, in my opinion.
"You've scared me, did you know that? I thought I've lost you forever!"
Such a dramatic presence, she is...
"Yes, yes, you've found her. Now, can we finally go now?"
"Why are you being so cold? I've almost lost her: the only one who means everything to me."
I roll my eyes again, and hear departing, clicking sounds on hard stones.
"Sure she is..."
I can't agree more with her friend's whispered comment.
The first chapter of a brand new story, and my first attempt to write something light-hearted. I've never thought that I would ever explore this road, and haven't known that writing this different genre can be a fun thing to do. I hope you've enjoyed this, so far. I certainly enjoyed writing it, it's a welcoming change from the usual.
A small warning. The cheerful nature of this chapter isn't representative to some future ones. Each chapter can be read as an one-shot (as I try to make each chapter focus on a different 'form' of love), but minor details can cause a small frown, and details from previous chapters can be further explained, or used, in present chapters.If you want to enjoy the whole story (for there is a story in this one), I recommend reading the whole thing.
One more thing: I will not name the chapters, because that will most likely tell what the chapter is going to be about.
This is currently rated T, but it will definitely change into M. Keep this in mind, too, before you decide to read further. Which kind of situations are rated M in this story, will remain a mystery for now. I don't want to spoil them, but if you want absolute clarity, make your request known to me and I will try to answer as best as I can.