Arya sat at her desk, bored and doodling on a scrap piece of parchment. Her class was beyond excited at finally learning about the Patronus charm and the prospect of soon casting one, but the Stark children had bullied - whoops, convinced - Jon and Robb to show them the spell as soon as they had learned it, so it was nothing new for her. Plus, they were still on the theoretical part. Bo - ring.
She stiffled a yawn, which led to Hot Pie throwing her a dirty look and elbowing her in the ribs. She kicked him in retaliation."Stop it, stupid."
"You stop not paying attention so obviously,"he hissed back,"Professor Zabini already keeps looking. AndMr Clegane."
The Stark girl refocussed her attention on the burly man - boy - whatever - in question. While most people had transitioned from refering to him as Hound just last year to Mr Clegane now, Arya could never quite decide what to call him, and Sansa's stupid crush was certainly not helping. Barely out of Hogwarts himself, the teaching assistant still towered over pretty much every professor and all students. And he was, indeed, frowning at Arya. She fought the urge to stick out her tongue at him. One more detention this month and Mum would go balistic. And if she got another howler this week, she'd owe Gendry five galleons.
So she forced herself to atleast appear to be listening. It wasn't until Professor Zabini paused for a moment and everyone stopped taking notes that she actually started listening, though.
"Mister Clegane,"the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor intoned,"If you'd be so good to show the students how to cast a patronus?"
The younger man spluttered, looking uncomfortable and as if he'd rather be anywhere else in the world. Arya leaned forward as he frantical searched for an excuse, knowing Professor Zabini well enough to know there would be none he'd accept. Now things were finally getting interesting.
With a heavy sigh, Sandor Clegane resigned himself to his fate, pulling out his wand and glaring at the students as if they had somehow personally offended him - or maybe daring them to do so and see what would happen. And they all knew what would happen; his temper was the stuff of legends among Hogwarts students.
Why on earth he'd look this uncomfortable being asked to conjure a patronus, though, she had no idea. Surely he knew how to? He'd gotten atleast an E in his DADA Newts, otherwise he wouldn't have qualified for the position. Yet here he was, so what was the problem?
Clegane closed his eyes as if steeling himself for something extremely unpleasant and then cast the spell - non-verbally, one might add. Show-off.
As the patronus took form, a deafening silence spread across the room. In some ways, it was worse than if people had laughed. Hot Pie's eyes looked like they were ready to fall out of their sockets and Arya was somewhat aware that her mouth was hanging open.
Sandor 'The Hound' fucking Clegane had a bird patronus. A teensy-tiny, flipping bird patronus, flying graceful loops, beak opened as if it were chirping. A godsdamned bird. And she couldn't even laugh. Then anger started bubbling in her chest. If that brute thought he could do whatever it was he had done to make Sansa fancy herself in love with him and then not even have his bloody patronus match hers, then he had another thing coming...
Busy with her silent plotting, Arya hadn't even noticed everyone getting up to leave until she was almost the last person there. Grabbing her books and shoving them into her bag, she made her way to the Great Hall for lunch, soon realising that she was right behind Sandor Clegane. Just as she decided to trip him, detention and howler be damned, he rounded a corner and audibly crashed into someone. By the sound of it a bunch of books were now strewn across the hall.
Arya snickered to herself until she heard a very familiar voice stammering flustered apologies. Sansa.
The younger Stark girl peaked around the corner to find Sansa and Clegane both crouched down, gathering up books while a blushing Sansa kept frantically apologising and Sandor kept telling her it was alright and, for some reason, to stop chirping. They both jerked back as if burned when their hands brushed. Had it been anyone else, Arya would have found the situation rather comical. But as it was, she had to fight the urge to jump around the corner and give Clegane a good kicking.
"Again, I'm really sorry, sir,"Sansa said as they both got to their feet again.
"I'm no sir,"Sandor Clegane replied and Arya could have sworn a blush was creeping up his neck if it weren't so ridiculous. He handed Sansa her books."And no harm done, little bird."
For the second time that day, Arya's jaw dropped. Seven hells.