Chasers and Keepers: A Hogwarts romance

Chapter 2 -

"Right then. This year, we will be practising the basic methods of defense. There will be a lot of partner work involved, so i want you all to find your dueling buddy now so that there are no arguments later." Lupin's voice echoed around the empty classroom like a voice in a well. He had cleared the Defense Against the Dark Arts room to be used specially for their classes.

Paige winked at Miya, who nodded back in response, and grinned. They were always partners. They worked well in a team and had fun at the same time.

"But don't get over excited. I want the teams to be boy-girl, allowing some of the female members of this class to concentrate on what they are doing." he said smiling at Paige and Miya, who were both known to have short attention spans. Their faces fell, and their eyes instantly started scanning the room for a suitable male partner.

"Ok, sort youselves into your pairs, and we'll pick up where we left off last year, with your patronus charms." Lupin ordered.

Paige and Miya stood together not knowing what to do. They never worked with anyone else, they were inseperable.

"Come on then, who's the lucky girl who gets me then?" A voice said from beind. Oliver was standing grinning at them with his wand at the ready. Paige felt Miya tense up beside her. She stopped herself from sighing. She knew that by letting Miya go with Oliver, she'd be stuck with the a random boy she neither knew nor cared much about.

"You best go with Miya, I don't want to embarrass you when you end up on the floor." she laughed

"That's fine." he ginned back. "Come on then Miya."

Miya smiled and mouthed 'Thank you' to Paige, then followed Oliver to an empty space in the corner of the room. Paige stood there alone, her eyes sweeping the room looking for a boy who hadn't been taken yet..

"Do you have a partner?" someone murmered to her right. She turned and looked and was suprised again to see the figure of Ron Weasley, looking at her nervously.

"Oh, urm, no i don't., do you?" she replied ina rush.

"Nope, and I don't much fancy having to work with Eliose Midgeon. She scares me." he laughed to himself and then glanced back nervously.

"I wish you'd stop looking at me like that! I'm not going to hurt you!" she smiled. It had dawned and Miya soon after they first met that people seemed slightly intimidated by Paige. They didn't dislike her, they just tried to avoid arguments with her. She had no idea why though. Miya always said it was because of her honesty and loyalty. Well she didnt exactly say that.. Her phrasing was more along the lines of 'if you don't like someone, you make it plainly obvious and whenever someone is mean to me you throw a bitch fit so everyone thinks your a badass.' But who cares, should she kiss the floor whenever the slytherins go by, just so they liked her? No thankyou!

"Sorry!" Ron said, seemingly amused. "I just don't want to give you a reason to laugh whenever i walk into a room!"

"What?" she replied, confused.

"Oh come on, don't think anyone has forgotton what happened with you and Helena Cook!" he grinned.

Oh damn, she'd forgotton about that.. Helena RooCuk was a Slytherin girl who she had hated from the very first day they met.. She was large and blonde with a face like a pug dog. She was part of the only group of people in the school that gave anybody any trouble, and she loved it.. Draco Malfoys gang, of which she was a part of were the most arrogant and evil people Paige had ever come across. They had no aims in life except it seemed, to make Paige and Miyas a living hell. Helena was currently dating Gregory Goyle, a member of the gang. He, like her was huge and ugly, never seen with out some sort of food in his hand or smeared down the front of his robes. Everyone knew that Helena had only gone out with Goyle to make Malfoy jealous, but the plan clearly hadn't worked as they had been dating a year now. Malfoy was the leader of the gang. He had a sneeky, miserable face, topped with striking blonde hair, making his dark cruel eyes stand out on his pale face. Miya and Paige had to admit, that he was a reasonably attractive boy, but they hated him all the more for it.

One day, Helena had walked into the great hall wearing the most ridiculous hat Miya and Paige had ever seen. It was shaped like a couldron on top of her head with firey red tassles hanging down on each side. Seeing as her body was shaped like a couldron anyway, the hat topped it off nicely. Miya had pointed her out to Paige when she saw her, and Paige laughed so loudly and obviously that most people in the hall stopped eating to find out what was so funny. Helena had deeply hated the girl since that day and had never quite gotton over her embarrasment..

"Yeah well... she would have done the same to me." Paige murmered.

"Hey, I'm not complaining! She had it coming to her." he laughed. "Anyway, we best start on these patronuses. I'm never going to be able to do it.. I'm awful."

"You never know, its all about practice!" she replied.

It appeared however, that it wasn't all about practice. It was about skill, and after forrty-five minutes, neither of them had been able to produce anything more than a light wisp of silver smoke.

"At least that's one good thing about being paired together. We're both awful!" Paige giggled and Ron tried again to create a patronus.

"Oi! I'm not awful, I'm just not concentrating properly." he laughed.

"Alright then! You concentrate and do it." she challenged. "I'll do it at the same time to save your embarrasment when you fail!"

"Fine." he took a step backwards and grinned at her as he raised his wand slowly. She mirrored his action.

"Expecto Patronum!" They shouted in unision, never taking their eyes off eachother, and two silver shapes shot out of their wands.

The Terrier patronus that belonged to Ron darted inbetween the onlooking students, while Paiges Lioness raced alongside it looking menacing but elegant.. Before long, they had dissipated into a wisp of silver and the students around them lost interest and began again, to try and produce their own.

"Bloody Hell!" Ron exclaimed. "We actually did it!"

"I know! I never thought you had it in you" she giggled, scanning the room for Miya to see if she had noticed. "Where has Oliver gone?" she asked Ron, unable to find either of the pair.

"I saw them leave the classroom about five minutes ago. I think they went to find somewhere a bit quieter to practice." he murmered, still looking amazed at his achievement. "Here they come look." he gestured towards the door.

Sure enough, Miya and Oliver came strolling into the room toward them.

"Did you do it?" the girls said together. "Yeah did you?" they laughed, as they again spoke in unison.

"Oliver did it as well. I didn't realise he had any happy thoughts." Miya said still giggling.

"Oi you!" Oliver intervened, "I'll have you know I'm a very happy person!" he winked down at her and smiled. "What about you Ron?"

"Course i did mate. Same time as Paige."

"He looked as though he'd been shot, the suprise on his face!" Paige said.

"I wasn't suprised I could do it! I always knew i was an amazing wizard" he grinned. "I'm just suprised it was a dog!"

"Yeah i was too! It looked a bit small next to my Lioness didn't it" she said and he scowled at her. "What were your forms?"

"Mine was a bear cub and Olivers was a fox." Miya replied. "They didn't stay around for long though, i lost concentration because of the shock"

"Same here, i didn't think I'd be able to do it!" she said.

"Thats only because your shit." Ron laughed.

"Shut your face, your just mad your patronus is a dog and mines a lion!"

Ron opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Professor Lupin.

"Alright then class." he shouted. "For Homework, i want you all to practice the charm whenever you can. Its a tricky spell but i have seen some have already managed it. Well done to you." he glanced towards the four of them. "Class dismissed."