Me: *screaming in terror as my responsibilities chase me around with chainsaws and butcher knives*
Where Memories Sleep: *watching with a bowl of popcorn* Meh. At least I finally got updated.
"Morning practice?" Levi demanded as Erwin finished scrawling the dates of practices on the calendar hanging in the common room. "Who the fuck needs morning practices?"
"A team that wants to win," Erwin said, standing up and capping the pen, dropping it in the macaroni-can pen holder on the side table (made by a first-year during her Muggle Art Club). "You signed up for this," he reminded Levi as the younger boy scowled. "Remember?"
"Yeah, whatever," Levi snatched a lollipop from a first-year as they passed a group of girls. The little Hufflepuff whirled around with a start, but shrank at Levi's sour glare, rushing after her friends.
Erwin shot Levi a reprimanding look, sighing as the younger boy simply shrugged and popped the grape-flavored candy into his mouth. "Don't see you eating often," he commented as they walked into the Great Hall. "Mostly just drinking. Tea, is it?"
"Hm," Levi pulled the candy out from his mouth, giving his lips a quick lick. "Don't need that much," he said. "Small appetite?"
"Any reasons behind that?" Erwin asked casually as they sat down, taking the plate of waffles Mike slid to him.
Levi caught Hange's enthusiastically thrown orange with a sharp glare towards the blonde. "No."
Erwin raised an eyebrow. "You know, most people –"
"Mike!" Hange interrupted, nudging the mountainous boy with their shoulder. "Nanaba's giving you that look."
Mike jumped. "What look?"
Hange, Erwin, and even Levi stared at him, exasperated. Hange sighed, standing up and waving at the blonde-haired tomboy. "Oi, Nanaba!"
"What the hell are you doing?" Mike hissed as the other Hufflepuff prefect stood up, walking towards them. "She's –"
"Hey, Nana!" Hange said cheerfully as the blonde walked up to them. "How's it going?"
"Good," Nanaba said, glancing at Mike. "You, Zoë? Smith? Mike?" Mike nodded quickly. "And, uh. . . Leonard, was it?"
"Levi," Levi didn't glance up as he peeled the orange, tossing the orange skin onto Hange's plate.
"Levi," Nanaba amended. "What did you want to talk about, Hange?"
"Well," Hange leaned forwards on their elbows, grinning conspiratorially. "Just thinking. . . we haven't really had a chance to hang lately, have we? We were just wondering if you'd like to come with us for the next Hogsmeade weekend? You don't have plans, do you?"
There was a scuffle under the table as Mike presumably attempted to stomp on Hange's foot, but missed, crushing Erwin's toes instead. The Slytherin jumped slightly in his seat, biting his lip as tears welled up in his eyes, shooting Nanaba a half-charming, half-pained smile.
"No, I don't think so. . ." Nanaba said, glancing at Erwin, face covered in obvious concern. "Aren't you going with Moblit, though?"
"Oh, he'll be coming, too!" Hange grinned.
"I suppose that'll be fine, then," Nanaba said. "See you then, then." She smiled as she turned, jogging back to her table.
Mike waited until Nanaba was a safe distance away before seizing Hange by the ponytail and giving them a Wet Willie. "What the hell was that?" he demanded.
"Huh?" Hange leapt back away from him. "I don't know what you mean!"
"Fuck you, you know what I mean, you conniving little pest –"
"Hey, Levi!" Hange suddenly moved around the table, scooting closer to the shorter boy. "Ever seen a chimera get dissected?"
"No," Levi replied simply, chucking a piece of his orange at them. They caught it between their teeth with a wink. "Sounds fascinating."
Erwin snorted into his milkshake.
"Now," Professor Langar snapped her notebook shut, looking over the (admittedly tiny) class. "I know the first few months of the year haven't been exactly monumental –" Frieda gave a short, stifled cough from across the room "— but I believe that we've now reached the point where things will get more interesting. We," she clapped suddenly, and a few people jumped. "Will begin creating our own spells."
There were excited murmurs throughout the room. Next to Erwin, Levi glanced over at Langar, straightening slightly and removing his chin from his hand.
"Before we begin," Langar said, waving her wand at the blackboard. A piece of chalk flew into the air, positioning itself, ready to take notes. "Can anybody tell me what the basics of spellmaking are?"
A few glances were exchanged. To Erwin's eternal shock, Levi's hand shot into the air. Judging by Levi's expression, he, too, had been surprised.
He wasn't the only one. A few people had turned around to stare at the younger boy (he and Erwin were in the back row, by the window), and a few people sniggered. Langar blinked.
"Ack –"
"Levi," Levi interrupted.
Langar frowned, but didn't reprimand him. "Levi," she said. "Care to share with the rest of us?"
"The basis of all Caster-type magic is language," Levi said immediately, and a few shocked looks were exchanged throughout the room. "Wizards can't tame magic – they can barely even control it. Casting spells is dangerous, always has been. It's like leashing a rabid manticore with an elastic band. It's enough, but barely. One misspeak, and you could end up blowing up the whole room, or causing your friend to grow a pair of horns, or something. It's one of the reason creating new spells is looked down on unless you're a professional."
Everyone's jaws were hanging open, and Langar looked shock. "Very good, Levi," she said after a moment. The chalk began moving, scrawling down what Levi had just said. "For today," she said, addressing the whole class. "All we'll be doing is examining the language behind the spells you already know."
"Impressive," Erwin whispered to Levi as Langar continued speaking. "How'd you know all that?"
Levi shot him an unimpressed look. "I've made my own spells before, shithead," he muttered.
Erwin nodded, remembering the neon green explosion. "Spellmaking runs in your family," he commented absently, recalling what he'd learned about Lieutenant Ian Ackerman previously.
Levi froze, glancing at him. "What the hell did you just say?" he whispered, voice quiet, almost dangerous.
"Ah –" Erwin glanced back to the book. "Nothing. Forget it."
Levi frowned, but didn't press the matter, resting his head back on his hand and turning to stare out the window.
Burning pain exploded across the side of his face. "What the hell was that?"
"I'm sorry!" He scrambled backwards. "It was an accident! I didn't mean –"
"Easy as pie? Seriously? What are you going to do, bake a cake?" Another slap. "How many times do I have to tell you? Word mean nothing if you don't understand what you're saying!"
"But I –"
"No excuses!" he roared. "Now, this won't hurt a bit!"
He screamed as pain exploded over his body – worse than the Cruciatus Curse, making him roll on the ground in pure agony as every cell in his body burnt hotter than an iron brand, tearing him apart from within.
"Do it again," the snarl was followed by the sound of a door slamming. "And get it right, this time."
Who dat.
You know what you could do right? Checking out another one of the my AoT fics, a reincarnation/zombie apocalypse/shameless shipping story: Do It Right This Time! :)
