A/N: So I wanted to start off with the fact that things seemed a little awkward between Harry and Taylor, I meant absolutely nothing by it. Don't even know why I wrote it. Also, I've made a bad mistake in The Unexpected Visitor, I made a mistake: Taylor's mother said that she would be going into her OWL year, but that is wrong. Sirius found them right after escaping from the Dementors (Book 3). So Harry had just finished his 3rd year, and would be going into his 4th. And Ginny is a year younger, and as I have Taylor in Ginny's year, she therefore would be going into her 3rd year, not her OWL year. Very sorry about that mistake.
A week passed and Taylor still had to try her experiment. She gave herself all kinds of excuses as to why she was avoiding the task, she had too much homework, she had to help Ginny with her homework, she was too tired and wanted to go to sleep, she deserved a day off because she was working so hard, she needed to practice a certain spell, charm, or jinx. Gradually, though, she ran out of excuses. When it actually came down to it, Taylor had to admit that she was purposefully avoiding a moment in which she would have the time to try such an experiment. Fear at what would happen, anxiety that nothing would happen, haunted her. When the next Hogsmeed trip was posted up on the announcement board in the Gryffindor common room, she had run out of excuses.
"Great!" Ginny cried when she saw the parchment announcing the date of the Hogsmeed trip pinned up on the board. "I've been wanting to visit Honeydukes, I really, really want a sugar quill, you know. I love Flitwick's classes and all, but they're just so easy, it'd be nice to actually dose off but have him think I was still thoroughly interested in what he has to say. Not that what he has to say is boring or anything, but seriously, it's just so easy. What do you want to do?" She turned to Taylor, who was frowning slightly at the board, upset that such a perfect opportunity had presented itself. "I expect you'll be wanting a stop at Madam Rosemerta's for a butterbeer?"
"I wish," Taylor said, making up her mind that this was the moment that she had been waiting for, and besides, a better time might never come. So reluctantly she gave up her weekend away. "I have, um, I have to do a remedial lesson with Flitwick, actually," she hurriedly made up an excuse. Ginny was almost professional at Charms, however, Taylor was less than satisfactory.
"Oh, I'm sorry, that really sucks," Ginny said as the two of them left the bulletin board and headed towards two squishy armchairs. "I could help you, and then you could come to Hogsmeed with us!"
(Damn. That's a good point) Taylor thought. "Well, that's what I said," she hastily searched for an excuse this time, "but Professor Flitwick says that I really should learn with a qualified teacher, I'm so far behind." There, that should work.
"Oh," Ginny's hopefully face fell, and she looked utterly woebegone. "Well, in that case, I guess I'll just go with Dean then. I'll be sure to bring you back a butterbeer, though!"
The weekend arrived bleak and cloudy. This heightened Taylor's feelings a little, as in this weather, Hogsmeed was not nearly as enjoyable as when the sun was bright and shining. She would still miss Madam Rosmerta's butterbeer though. She walked with Ginny and Dean towards the entrance hall, where she pressed a couple silver sickles into Ginny's hand.
"Get me a butterbeer!" She said, giving Ginny a hug goodbye and started back up the stairs towards the Gryffindor Common Room.
"Fuzzy-wub," Taylor told the password to the fat lady, who swung open, allowing her to clamber through the portrait hole. She was just crossing the Common Room towards the stairway up to the Girls' Dormitory, when a boy from her year stood up from one of the squishy armchairs by the fire and turned towards her. He was tall and sturdily built, muscles visible through the muggle T-shirt he was wearing and long legs covered in a pair of black track pants. His curly brown hair topped his head haphazardly, falling cutely in his bright blue eyes.
"Hey, Tay," Sean, one of the most popular fifth year kids that year, said, walking over to join Taylor. "I forgot Ginny told me you were staying here. Flitwick right?" He asked, perching on the arm the scarlet upholstered couch by her.
(Fuck,) Taylor thought, (just what I need, an interruption. Right when I finally get up the nerve to actually try this thing, and now this.) She had to admit, though, Sean was pretty good looking, and she wasn't about to give up this opportunity to talk to him.
"Yeah," she said, nodding. "I'm a little behind on Cheering Charms and Calming Charms. I don't know why, but I just don't get them."
Sean laughed, "Yeah, well, we can't all be Ginny. And anyway, you're an expert at Potions – even Snape can't ever find anything wrong with your potions, and we all know how hard it is to please him. And you're a fair hand at Transfiguration." Taylor blushed at the fact that he knew what her good subjects were.
"Well, I just go on whim with potions," she said, trying to modestly wave away the semi-praise. "And Transfiguration just makes sense."
"Ha, speak for yourself," Sean said. "Me and Transfiguration mesh about as well as Hagrid and fluffy pink toe-socks."
Taylor laughed. Throwing caution to the winds, she said, "Well, maybe you could help me with Charms – you're pretty sound at that class yourself – and I could help you with Transfiguration."
Sean considered her for a second, and then replied, "You know, I think that sounds like a plan. I could definitely use help in Transfiguration, and well, if Flitwick's got you going to remedial classes…"
"Hey!" Taylor said, laughing and slapping Sean gently on the arm. "I'm not that bad. At least I didn't cause Flitwick to almost crack a rib from laughing when that bloke McNitt from Hufflepuff tried his Charm."
Sean laughed too. "True, true."
"So now that we've established why I'm not in Hogsmead, why aren't you?" Taylor asked, perching herself on the armchair opposite Sean.
"Oh, I was just watching the fire and relaxing for a bit," came Sean's unlikely reply. "I like to watch the logs burn, you know. Very meditative."
"That's pretty deep for a kid as popular as yourself," Taylor said, impressed.
"Yeah, well, you know. I can't always be cool. Sometimes I just gotta be me," Sean shrugged. "I dunno, I guess you're the only one that knows my weak side now."
"Well, it's nice to know that you have a sense of things."
There was a bit of an awkward silence, and then Sean stood up and said, "Well, as much as I'd like to study Transfiguration and Charms with you right now, I promised Nate that I'd meet him in Hogsmead later."
"Alright, well, have a good time," Taylor said, waving to Sean as he got up and walked through the portrait hole.
Once she was finally back in her dormitory, she closed the door behind her, walked softly and a bit timidly over to her bed, from under which she pulled a huge black book titled "beyond the Veil of Death". Sighing heavily, she turned to page 164 and began reading.
A/N: So, hope you liked, I'll have the next chapter up soon. If you liked, review. If you didn't like, please review also. It'd be greatly appreciated.
