Chapter 10 – A Lesson in Control

Disclaimer- Harry Potter is not mine, so there is no need to sue me. Especially since I would not be able to give anyone money.

November was turning out to be a great month for Nora. Alice had smartly started a rumour that Nora suffered from a rare migraine disorder that could affect her at any time, so no one thought she was psychotic.

Well, not more than they used to think she was.

Her relationship with Alice was definitely improving, since she seemed much less frightened of her after the Hogsmeade incident and was now coming to her for advice on how to flirt with the guy she liked. Which she still would not admit was David to anyone.

Quidditch practices were increased for the upcoming match at the end of November against Ravenclaw by the maniacal James, who was about ready to lose it.

"We will not lose this match! Does everyone understand! I will not lose to that rich bastard Ryan Gerard, because if we do, I may hang myself," James bellowed at his terrified team mates.

"He's finally gone off his rocker hasn't he?" Greyson whispered to Fred who nodded in agreement.

Nora smiled at the memory. She liked Greyson Wood. He was very cheeky and could never help but make some sort of remark about almost anything and he had a very easy going nature about him. He also had is signature lock of grey hair always hanging in his face, which was where he had gotten the nickname Grey. Not to mention the way he mooned over Lily was very entertaining. Right now Nora was waiting for Professor Monroe, who was busy taking care of 'secret' business, and was late for their regular training sessions every Wednesday and Saturday. Today was one of their Saturday sessions. Wednesday's sessions focused more on focusing her inner chi and learning how to follow orders. Basically Monroe was trying to teach her discipline and how to not blow up every time someone said she was a whore.

Saturday sessions were the ones she looked forward to. Monroe still was not aware of the full extent of her magical abilities, so she was currently teaching Nora how to use legilimency in the hopes of decreasing any need for her to use telepathy. Although, Monroe often allowed her to do simple mind reading exercises on her to find out what she was thinking about at a certain time. She had yet to get anything wrong.

Nora knew she should at least try and get something wrong but Monroe's calming air was enough to make anyone like her go mad and then forget to inhibit their secret abilities. Nora would try to ask questions about what Monroe had been doing before she came to Hogwarts, or if she knew any particularly strong or deadly spells, but all she would get for an answer would be 'Ms. Wilson focus on taking deep calming breaths and feel the tension in your body disappear.' Nora found that the relaxation exercises did improve her stress levels but they also made her not concentrate on appearing less experienced with her telepathy then she was supposed to be.

With extra pleading on her part, she was able to allow the teachers to let Al help her out with some of their own lessons, which Nora would have done in secret anyways but Al was too honourable to disobey the professors anymore. Stone was also watching them like he was a vulture circling its prey. Nora might have actually thought he was terrifying if she could actually take him seriously.

Nora heard the door knob turning to Monroe's office and she quickly sat up straight in the chair she had been lounging in. The door opened and Monroe glided into the room, a look of tranquility on her face. Nora had to admit, she looked as impressive as always. Today she was wearing midnight blue robes that hung close to her body and seemed to shimmer in the light. Her long black hair was swept up in a messy bun and violet coloured eyes seemed to emanate some sort of calming effect on the room, while her porcelain skin seemed to sparkle in the light.

"I am sorry to have kept you waiting Ms. Wilson," she said serenely, walking past Nora to sit in the large black velvet chair behind her desk. "But the tension between the Gryffindor's and Ravenclaw's over the upcoming quidditch match caused a bit of a scuffle in the Great Hall."

Nora gave Monroe a sheepish grin and laughed nervously. "Well we all know how much everyone loves quidditch."

"Hmm," Monroe said as she looked at Nora in a scrutinizing way, "it seems it was instigated by a Gryffindor player commenting yesterday that Gerard flew like a girl but that, that was also an insult to every female quidditch player on the planet."

Nora instantly recalled the conversation she had had with Greyson and winced when she saw the look of disappointment on Monroe's face. "Oops."

"Yes, oops," Monroe said in disappointment, "maybe we should try more calming exercises today."

"Oh come on professor," Nora protested loudly, "it's in my nature to be competitive and loud and a bit of a bitch, I will admit. The calming exercises are not going to help that."

Monroe sighed impatiently. "Ms. Wilson, are you aware of what my profession was before I came to Hogwarts?"

Nora perked up slightly. "I've heard some stories."

"Well," Monroe said with a slight smile, "I worked very closely with Harry Potter when I was younger. He was a very good friend and before he became the head of the Auror Department we worked together as partners on several missions." Nora couldn't help but think of what Monroe looked like when she was 23, much less than now, which was 39. Mrs. Potter probably never liked her very much.

"However Harry and I had much different views on how to handle suspected murderers and the rest of the foul lot. I soon became far more interested in acting before I thought my actions through. So, at the age of 29 I was told that I was not right for the auror job anymore due to my drastic approach to law enforcement."

"Er- how drastic is drastic?" Nora asked cautiously. Monroe just ignored her and continued.

"I was not happy of course, so in retaliation I became something a bit more frowned upon. I became a hit-witch."

Nora was shocked by this bit of information. "You were a ministry hired assassin," she said in total disbelief.

"You seem surprised Ms. Wilson," Monroe said calmly, "is it the fact that you cannot grasp the thought of me killing someone without knowing what they have done wrong?"

"Merlin, you've killed people," Nora said in horrified astonishment.

"Yes," Monroe said, her voice laced with regret, "I have killed people and I got very good at doing it. Almost to the point where it drove me mad. Harry realized quickly that 3 years of me being used as a killing machine was taking a toll on my mind - especially after the time I blew up my own desk after a particularly hard day - and petitioned for my termination from the ministry."

"Were you mad."

"Oh yes," Monroe said with a frown. "But I wouldn't call it mad my dear, more like deranged."

"That bad huh?"

Monroe chuckled. "Well I ended up in the auror office and it took 5 grown men to keep me from ripping Harry's head off. After that I was quickly let go before the press could here word and sent to 's for psychological evaluation, at the young age of 32."

"Good one," Nora said eyes wide with shock.

"I was soon sent to a rehabilitation clinic for auror and hit-witch and wizard veterans. The psychologists taught me these calming exercises and how to control my temper, in hopes that I would one day learn not to take a man's head off, even if I am a little bit of a bitch." Nora quickly noted Monroe's reference to what she had just said about her conversation with Greyson and she let out a sigh.

"Do you now think less of me Ms. Wilson?" Monroe asked as calm as ever, as she conjured up a cup of tea and took a small sip.

Nora pondered her question. Monroe had obviously been through a lot herself. She had been an auror and then a hit-witch, where she was overworked to the point where she had a psychotic breakdown. Most people would have given up after that but Monroe was sitting in front of her sipping herbal tea as if she were some sort of Buddhist monk. She had made the effort to get better and it had worked. So why should anyone think less of her? "No," she answered honestly.

"You are one of the very few," Monroe said bitterly as she took another sip of her tea. "You were not in England when the wizarding community found out about me being hired as a professor here a few years back. The community thought I was a deranged lunatic who would get her revenge on Harry Potter's children the first chance I got. Fortunately for me McGonagall vouched for me the entire time and Harry managed to come to my defence as well. Only then did the wizarding community grudgingly allowed me to teach their children."

"But everyone loves you as a teacher."

"Lucky me am I right. That's one of the main reasons why I was never sacked after the first year. The students enjoyed my teaching methods and I was very good at being intimidating without raising my voice," she said with a slight smile.

"So do you talk to Mr. Potter much these days?" Nora asked.

"We exchange a few letters here and there," she said with a wave of her hand, "I'm never expecting to be invited over for tea though."

"Since you attacked him."

"No," Monroe said gulping down some tea, her lips forming into a secretive smile, "Ginerva Potter isn't very fond of me. You see when I was younger I was quite friendly." Nora raised an eyebrow at her professor. Of course she was.

"But back to the point of my story, I want to insure that what happened to me, does not happen to you," she said sternly.

"Professor I'm not going to become a crazed hit man when I get older, I promise."

Monroe sighed. "You do not understand how important you are yet. Imagine what the ministry would do to get you to be an auror or a hit-witch. You would be there secret weapon: the girl with more power than any other witch or wizard in history. Someone they dream of controlling."

Nora snorted in offense. "They could never control me."

"And that is something they do not realize yet," Monroe said in a hard tone, "because when they do they will label you as out of control, which is why I need to teach you to control your powers and your temper, so that you will never be labelled as a menace."

Nora was silent as she looked down at her hands. "Some people already think I'm a menace," she said in a small voice.

"My dear, you have a very large personality and a lot of power to go along with it, of course they think of you as a menace. But have you not found that some people are willing to overlook your oddities and accept you for who you are. Look at Albus Potter; he is exactly like his father. Kind, loyal and brave, he would never have allowed you to not be yourself for the rest of the year," Monroe said passionately. Nora looked up at her and saw that the woman truly believed what she was preaching.

"I do want to become an auror," Nora admitted, "not to kill bad guys, but to show the world that I am a good person and that I'm not going to use my powers to take over the wizarding world or something."

"Which we both know you could do right now," Monroe commented and Nora's head shot up in shock.

"I would never do something like that," she said angrily.

"And that is why we will be doing calming exercises today," Monroe said as she brought her hands together in prayer; eyes closing in relaxation. Nora grudgingly followed suit.

Nora walked into the Gryffindor common room relaxed and ready to do an actual telepathic lesson. She was all for not being labelled as a hazard to society but she was also the most stubborn person you could ever find. There was one thing she desperately wanted to practise and it was getting in other people's heads. She had found that with practice it became easier and easier. Nora hardly had to concentrate now to get in Al's, so today she was going to have to ease her conscience and take a step into another person's mind.

"Oi! Nora!" Nora turned to see Greyson grinning mischievously and beckoning for her to come over to the chairs around the fire. Greyson was surrounded by several other Gryffindor fourth years. There year had an abundant amount of guys, since apparently a good 10 were sorted into Gryffindor that year.

"Hullo Grey," she said with a smile that made many of the other boys sitting around the fire blink dazedly, "have you seen Al?"

"No, but you missed me beating the snot out of Gary Wayland. The tosser punched me after I told him what you said about Gerard. I bet him and Gerard are both poofs because he acted like I'd insulted his bloody girlfriend or something," Greyson ranted.

"He's over exaggerating a bit," Daniel White, Darren's younger brother, whispered to her. The two boys did look a lot alike but Daniel so far seemed to view women more as people then sexual conquests.

Nora chuckled and one boy with a bad case of acne gaped at her in a rather unattractive way. "By the way Grey, you got me in trouble with Monroe when you mentioned that I was the one who first mentioned that about Gerard."

Greyson gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry 'bout that Wilson."

"It's no problem," Nora said as she turned her head to see Al talking loudly to his sister, both entering into the common room together.

"What do you mean your dating someone?" Al said angrily.

"Al it's not very hard to figure out. A bloke who fancied me asked me out and I said yes," she said sarcastically, "you have done it before."

Al spluttered. "What's his name?"

"Al!"

"What's his name Lil?"

"He's a Ravenclaw and that's all I'm telling you," she said angrily.

"It's that pretty boy Ben King isn't it?" Al said pointing a finger at her.

Lily turned red at his statement and gave him the dirtiest look Nora had ever seen. "Don't you dare say anything to him Albus Potter or I will curse your balls off," she threatened. She then pivoted with a whip of her dark red hair and stalked away from her brother.

"Wait, did Al say that Lily is dating Ben King," Greyson said in a frantic tone.

Nora chuckled as she walked towards Al, who was visibly fuming. "Are you too mad to practice today or should I help make you feel better and get James to go off on her."

Al visibly perked up at the news. "That's brilliant, do you know where he is?"

"Al I was joking, your sister will murder you if you do that," Nora said exasperation. "Besides Monroe made me do calming exercises again today, so I want to get some practice in."

"But she's dating Ben King."

"Yes I know, but Ben is apparently very nice and we should not forget that he looks like some kind of reincarnated angel."

"But-?" Al spluttered.

"Come on Al," Nora said, pushing him back out through the portrait hole, "you have to let her grow up some time."

Nora and Al liked to hold their practice sessions under the big tree by the lake. It was much easier for her to concentrate on a person's mind when she wasn't surrounded by dozens of other people, so outside was a preferred spot of hers.

"I can't believe my sister has a boyfriend," Al said in disbelief.

"Well she certainly isn't ugly," Nora commented.

"I swear it was just yesterday that she was saying boys were gross and that she wished she had a sister."

"Al, you sound like her father," Nora said in exasperation.

"I'm her older brother," he said in a matter of fact tone, "it's my job to look out for her and make sure no guy ever hurts her."

"Sometimes I wish I had a sibling," Nora admitted sadly, "because something tells me they would never call me a menace to society."

Al turned his head to look at her, "no one thinks you're a menace to society."

Nora kept silent. She had no idea how much Al knew about Monroe and the relationship her and his father had had before Monroe had gone off the deep end. She was also a little curious still about Monroe being 'friendly' when she was younger. A Harry Potter scandal was not something anyone needed right now, but Nora highly doubted anything illicit ever occurred between the two.

"Anyway what did you want to practice today? Are we going to probe my mind further or are you going to just read my thoughts?"

"I need to practice on other people Al," Nora said softly.

"What?" Al spluttered. "Oh no you're not. The last time we practiced on other people you literally had a mental breakdown and puked on my shoes. We are not practicing on anyone other than me."

Nora scowled. "I'm not going to work hard to find out certain information on a person. I'll just read a random person's mind that probably has nothing to hide," Nora looked around the grounds to see a group of Hufflepuff girls giggling and looking obviously in Al's direction, which he had yet to notice. "Like those Hufflepuff's," she said pointing in their direction, "what deep dark secrets could they be hiding? How much they want to kiss you? Whether or not you will ever acknowledge them?"

Al glowered at her. "Isn't reading my mind practice enough?"

Nora's expression softened. "Al you've become far too easy for me to read. I'm going to have to practice on other people so that I don't just become accustomed to being in your head. Everyone's mind is different."

"You're not allowed to," Al said angrily, "I risked getting in shit with McGonagall when I lied for you and you're going to go around reading any mind you want. That's against the rules that they told you to follow."

"Al I need to practice."

"You already are on two different people," Al muttered savagely.

"Al I know my limits, I know when to stop," she said pleadingly. But she had no idea why she was trying to convince him to let her do this. She could easily do it without him even knowing and everyone would be happy. However, every time that thought crossed her mind she was reminded of Al's guilt stricken face from when she was in the hospital wing and a very horrible feeling would settle in the pit of her stomach. She honestly believed that she would never be able to deceive Al in any way without feeling she was betraying him. But the big question was, why? She had only been his friend for 2 months and suddenly she felt like she could trust him with her life. Nora couldn't remember the last time she trusted anyone to that extreme.

"The last time I thought you knew your limit you wound up in the hospital wing," Al said stubbornly.

"And that is how I know my limit. I know I shouldn't try to read minds when I'm tired or when there are a lot of people around that can easily distract me," she explained, "and right now I am relaxed from an hour of Buddhist prayer and there is barely anyone around since it's kind of freezing out here. So this is the ideal time for me to go poking around in a couple airheads minds." She then flashed him a hopeful smile. Come on Al, I know I'm wearing you down.

"Fine," he muttered, "but I'm not lying for you again and-" but Al quickly shut up when Nora leaned in and gave him a loving hug. Nora felt him hesitate-surprised by her show of affection-and then gently hugged her back.

"Thank you for worrying about me," she said into his ear, "I really appreciate it." Al took a shaky breath in and Nora let go of him, looking at him inquisitively. "You okay?"

Al cleared his throat loudly, face slightly red. "Fine, fine. Go and read their minds before I find the mind I have obviously lost."

Nora winked at him and turned to look over at the group of Hufflepuff girls, who were whispering furiously amongst one another. Nora decided to focus on the short pudgy blond haired girl with a nose like a pig and she closed her eyes in concentration. Nora felt Al grip her shoulder as a sign showing that he was there if she needed anything and she smiled inwardly at the warm feeling his hand was making throughout her body. She shrugged off the feeling and concentrated on the girl's face. The sound upon entering Al's mind was always a clear crisp popping noise, but when she entered the Hufflepuff girl's mind it sounded as if she were being sucked into a semi-clogged vacuum and she suddenly was overtaken by the smell of cherry flavoured lip gloss. Huh, she hadn't really ever noticed a smell upon entering other people's minds.

"Albus Potter is far too good for Amy; everyone knows she stuffs her bra. But now he's all over that new girl. I wish I could be her and then I would be able to touch Albus Potter," the girl's voice thought dreamily and Nora resisted the urge to gag as she pulled her subconscious out of the girl's mind.

"What's the matter?" Al asked, staring at her in concern, "you look like you swallowed a dung beetle."

"Well the pig nosed girl wishes she could be me so you would touch her and someone named Amy stuffs her bra," she said with a chuckle.

"Amy Wells stuffs her bra," Al said in astonishment as he craned his neck to look over at the Hufflepuff's. Nora began to laugh loudly.

A/N- Chapter 10!! In this chapter we learn quite a bit about Monroe's past and why she wants to pay extra attention to Nora so that she never has to go through what she went through. Also we get a little appearance from Lily and more fluffiness in the Nora/Al department. I will continue to update as quickly possible, so please please read and review. I love it when I can read what people think of my writing.