A/N: I have nothing much to say, but, I hope this one is decent… Been too busy to edit and I know a lot of you are annoyed or something because I'm taking too long to upload, but, please, bear in mind that I'm a college student. I suck at balancing priorities…
Chapter 11:
"Where were you?" were Hermione's first words the moment she took a seat beside her.
Wille reddened quickly. Not meeting her gaze, she muttered, "I was called upon an emergency. Before you could judge me," she raised a finger to silence the opened mouth of hers, "it involved Harry's problem."
Hermione nodded absentmindedly, "And, I was talking to Ron yesterday. He's so pigheaded."
Wille hummed in reply. "When was he not?" while sipping a cup of pumpkin juice, glad that the topic was stewing away from her at the moment. She was not ready to face the fact that she slept in Mustang's room and what supposed to be his bed.
"Now, he won't talk to me because I'm siding with Harry," Hermione went on complaining. "Honestly, if he was in Harry's position, I'd do the same thing. He's also telling me to stick my nose in my own business."
I agree with him on that, Wille agreed reluctantly.
"Not wanting to change topic or anything," she lied nonchalantly, "but, where's Harry?"
"Professor Mustang called for him," she replied simply.
He's starting, then.
Staring into nothing as she drank her juice, she blurted out dreamily, "What say you if I dye my hair?"
Hermione looked at with a startled expression that she managed to cool into a thoughtful expression. "I don't know, Wille," she smiled mildly. "I'm so used to seeing you with purple hair that I don't seem to see you as someone with another hair color."
She stood up and went to the other side of the table, scooting closer to Hermione. Feeling quite confident for some unknown reason, she blinked her eyes twice and said, "Please, Ms. Hermione Jane Granger, smartest witch in our generation. Will you do the honors of coloring my hair?"
Hermione blinked her eyes in amusement. "You're honestly desperate to do it, aren't you? What brought about the change?"
Wille twirled a few strands of hair around her finger unconsciously. "No reason."
Actually, there was a reason. She was just not vocal about it.
"You really should have kept that hair of yours," Mustang frowned.
"I like it," she shrugged, the shortness and its color quite charming in her eyes.
He just shook his head, saying, "But, the earthy tone of your hair suits you. Warm, charming little Lark."
She shook her head out of that reverie.
"So…" Wille goaded. "Will you?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I suppose I could help. I'm sure there are spells in –"
"The library," Wille muttered under her breath in unison to Hermione's factual tone.
"–on charms that would give you a proper hair color. I might as well look up some charms that could help Harry, too, which I think would also be ideal work for you." There was a conniving glint in Hermione's eyes, and Wille could not help but groan to that.
"You know the reason why wasn't able to catch up, Hermione," she whined.
Harry suddenly popped out of nowhere and sat between her and Hermione.
"Hello to you, too," she said, reaching out for a vanilla parfait. Taking a long spoon, she took a bite and moaned loud enough to garner the people's attention close to them.
"How did it go?" Hermione asked instantly.
Harry looked at the two of them. "He said he'll try to work on my magic. He wants to also teach me basic Alchemy attacks, but, we're going to have a problem with keeping it down from the people that I'm learning something pretty advanced for my year."
Hermione looked at him with interest.
"He proposed something different." This time, Harry's eyes darted towards Wille. Hermione's eyes brightened with vigor as she smiled brightly at what Harry was mentioning.
Wille looked back and forth between the two of them, not understanding why they were eyeing her like a prize. Gulping lightly, she inquired in a squeaky voice, "Um, guys…why are you two looking at me like that?"
"Oh, Wille!" Hermione exclaimed. "Don't you see? Mustang wants you to teach Harry Alchemy."
Wille's eyes went hilariously from narrow with suspicion to wide as saucers with utter complete bewilderment. She quickly hissed at them and looked around nervously, looking at the different house tables. Contented with the fact that no one was actually paying them any mind, she whispered, "Hush, you! You'll get me into trouble!"
"Sorry," Hermione said, not sorry at all.
Looking back at Harry, she went on, "Harry, I'm not sure I'm qualified for this. I don't have a license to do so."
Harry looked at her imploringly, "But, this is my only chance to survive, Wille. Just teach me the basics."
"You can't learn Alchemy within," she counted down her fingers, "a few weeks, Harry. It takes a lot of theory-based studying that I'm sure only Hermione can do due to her photographic memory skills," Hermione gave her an embarrassed smile that she was sure hid an ego boost, "and drawing the symbols would take time, not unless we get you gloves like Mustang's."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.
Wille explained in a Hermione-like tone, "Of course. If you noticed, Mustang's hands are with gloves. If you look up there." She pointed with her spoon at the flirting Colonel, who was talking to Beauxbatons's headmistress that resembled a troll in her opinion.
Both Harry and Hermione whipped their heads towards the direction she pointed to and nodded.
"His gloves have the written symbols of a flame-based Alchemy. Without those, Mustang would have to work from scratch. The idea of having those gloves was for the sole purpose of limiting his time in casting Alchemy. Just by snapping his fingers," she made a demonstration, "the atoms around him will disintegrate and form into new ones. They combine with different elemental atoms in the air. With the friction on his gloves and oxygen in the air, he creates flames."
"Do you think we could get a pair for me, then?" Harry asked.
People started to disperse, catching the trio's attention.
Standing up, Wille replied reluctantly, "We could, but, it has to be the special type that seemed to be both compatible and empowering to your choice of Alchemy. Just focus more on your spells and let Hermione and I do the researching. See you later."
Arriving in the class of Mustang, she couldn't help but feel stressed out. She was actually reluctant to enter the class, afraid of seeing him and meeting his eyes after the intimate moment they shared both yesterday and a while ago. Well, for her that is. For one thing, she never had shared that kind of closeness with anyone. She only read them in books, and that was everything she got in terms of closeness with any male being.
The moment she sat in her place, Sonata piped up suspiciously, "You weren't in bed."
Wille squirmed under her eyes. "I got a little…sidetracked."
"Good," Sonata nodded. "Then, I'll be really happy to share with you the latest gossip in our dorm."
"Which is?" she asked.
Before Sonata could reply, Ginny popped in with a grin, "Jesse and Louisa broke up."
Wille snorted. "Called it."
"Apparently," Sonata grinned, "she was being too suspicious of him, thinking he was offing with you, but, caught him with a Ravenclaw. They were in a broom closet at the sixth floor and were apparently already doing the deed."
"Disgusting," Ginny nodded.
Wille couldn't help her curiosity. She looked around and indeed did not find Louisa with them, who was probably balling her eyes out at the moment. It was one proof that she was too ashamed to face everyone else.
"How did you find out about this, anyway?" Sonata asked.
Ginny shrugged. "Secrets go around like wildfire around here, Son."
Wille, whose eyes were darting everywhere, landed on the door. She caught sight of Louisa, who looked subdued. There was an air of depression and hurt around her that Wille seemed to be feeding off from, making her usual indifference turn into malice. She was avoiding them, that was for sure. Not one to let go any grudges, she said aloud, "Talk about dicks before chicks."
The room slowly turned into silence. Louisa's head quickly whipped towards Wille as she screamed, "I will kill you!"
"Petrificus totalus!"
Ginny's wand was out of her robes, sending Louisa into a petrified state on the ground.
A snap of a camera made everyone turn to face the other Gryffindor, Creevey, who was stunned at the sight, yet, at the same time, entertained.
"Move on, guys," Wille called out to the older years. "Nothing to see here."
Sonata shook her head with disapproval. "You shouldn't have taunted her, Wille. Sometimes, it is best to leave things alone."
"That twat deserved it," she grumbled back.
"But, Sonata is right, Wille," Ginny said, muttering a levitation spell while directing Louisa to the farthest corner of the classroom, where she would remain unseen until the spell's done. "Honestly, sometimes, I think you're more Slytherin than Hufflepuff with that grudging attitude of yours."
They did not have time to discuss Wille's attitude when Mustang walked in. Instantly, heat flooded her face, her cheeks turning from its normal tan to crimson. Her hands felt cold, sweating as if the entire class was, pun not intended, on fire.
"You alright, Wille?" Ginny inquired softly as Mustang began his lessons.
She nodded. "Just…not feeling so well at all."
"Do you want to go to the hospital wing?"
"Nope."
She tuned out everything else as she looked at Mustang and Edward, who were busy teaching the entire class about the locations of each rune and symbol used in Alchemy. By the time classes were over, Wille felt as if her fingers died from too much writing, and she was still going to her other classes that needed so much more. She was seriously not interested in relearning the symbols due to her past knowledge, but, she nearly failed a surprise quiz earlier when she decided to ignore the idea of note-taking.
She quickly left the class, too afraid to face Mustang.
Why the hell did I call him by his first name?!
"Hey, Wille!"
She groaned internally.
Jesse came up to her, a wide grin on his face.
Thinking of coming up with a random something, Wille placated a fake smile. "Yes?"
"Wanna go out with me?"
She shook her head. "I'm busy."
She tried to leave, but, Jesse had his hand on her arm before she could. He gripped it tightly as he leaned closer to her, his breath fanning her cheeks.
"Don't be such a prude, Wille."
She tried to pull herself away, but his grip worsened.
"Let go of me!" she hissed, trying to reach for her wand inside her robes.
Jesse gripped on her tightly, making her cry in pain. He immediately pressed his hand against her mouth, muffling the sound quickly before anyone can hear.
"Oi!"
The sound of Ron's voice was a welcomed interference. He was walking towards them, his hand holding what seemed to be a Divination book, the one they saw together in Diagon Alley a few months back.
"Buzz off, Weasel," Jesse sneered.
Oh, my Gods! He's acting like Malfoy!
"I can call the professors and see what they'll say with you harassing a girl younger than you, you prat!"
Another presence was welcome when a certain friendly bushy haired friend of hers interjected, "What is going on here?"
Ron glared evenly at Jesse. "This prat decided to harass Wille. Apparently, he wanted to have a go with her even when she was trying to leave. It doesn't seem nice and fair, now, don't you think?"
Jesse immediately let go of her arm and shoved her towards Ron. She tripped over, her balance messed from the assault as he said, "Fine. You can have her. She's not worth my time, anyway."
Ron went up to her and pulled her from the ground.
"Thanks."
"What was that about?" Hermione asked.
Wille saw a shadow somewhere hiding behind one of the great statues. She recognized the height instantly, knowing how those broad shoulders brought about the beating of her heart. She could feel his intense gaze, feel how he was about to pounce on Jesse a while back.
I'm rusting on my sensing-the-people-around-me shit…
She shook her head. "He's been targeting me since the beginning of this school year. He is, Sonata said and I quote, 'trying to get into my pants'. He hasn't been successful so far."
"Want me to beat him up for you?" Ron volunteered
"Ronald!" Hermione glared.
Ron ignored her as she shook her head. "No. he'll give up soon, I'm telling you, that is, if he finds out which teacher seems to be taking his guardian duties over me too seriously." She nodded at Mustang, who came out with a blank expression on his face. He looked as if he was ready to kill, and she knew instantly whom he wanted six feet under.
"Professor Mustang," Hermione greeted.
Mustang shook his head in annoyance. "What did I say last time, Ms. Granger, about addressing me as Professor?"
Wille rolled her eyes. "Keep a lid under that steam, Corporal Flirt. No need to throw a curve ball at her."
Ron's jaw dropped at the informality of Wille's crude words.
Mustang turned to Ron. He seemed to be sizing him up. It was pretty obvious who was better built: when Ron was tall and lanky, Mustang, despite the height differences, was broad-shouldered with additional muscles and a six-pack (from what Wille could recall). Ron was more built for a normal school boy while Mustang had his own experiences in the battlefield. That alone was enough. This just left Wille wondering why he was sizing Ron up.
"You are?" Mustang raised a fine eyebrow.
Ron nervously shook his hand, "Um…Weasley, sir. Ron Weasley."
"He's Harry's friend," Wille beamed at Mustang.
"Was," Ron sneered cruelly.
Hermione let out a huff. "Stop it, okay? Just stop it!"
Wille instantly backed away at the temper Hermione was exuding. Her eyes trailed to Mustang, who actually looked surprised himself.
Ron walked off angrily, forgetting the presence of an adult. Hermione, in turn, excused herself, apologized for his behavior and followed him, hot on the trail.
After a few seconds of silence, Wille spoke cumbersomely, "Well, uh…that was awkward."
"The people you surround yourself with," he mused. Looking down on Wille, he asked, "Are you alright?" he checked on her with a critical eye, observing her as if she was a specimen to be so.
Wille nodded. "He didn't do much damage, except, perhaps, my pride."
Mustang chuckled lowly. "I was about to beat Mr.…" he trailed off before shaking his head. "Anyways, I'm glad he got there before I did."
"I'm fine, Mustang," she said softly. "I know that it was stupid of me to forget to have my wand around everywhere. I won't next time."
He shook his head. "You have Alchemy."
She countered, "I'm not supposed to use it, remember?"
"Lark," he said sternly, surprising her, "I know that I have no right to pry into anything, but, I think it's about time you forgive yourself."
She was taken aback by his words.
When she did not speak, he continued, "Alchemy is not bad, Lark. I know you did something horrible. I do not deny that. But, don't you think it's about time you let go of the past and move forward?"
Wille stared at him, confused. "I already have. I'm opening up to Harry and Hermione, aren't I?"
"Correction," he pointed out. "You're beginning. They don't know the full story, do they?"
She shook her head.
He placed a brotherly hand on her shoulder, or, what she could call a brotherly gesture. Her stomach was too busy erupting with butterflies that resembled C3s for her to focus.
"Forgive yourself," Mustang advised. "In turn, you would heal." He pushed her gently and went on, "Go to class. I'm sure you don't want to be late."
The rest of the day, Wille was quiet, letting Mustang's words sink into her.
Did she truly not forgive herself for what she did?
After dinner, she immediately went to the library, where Hermione and Harry were already situated, and decided to put his words behind her head while she helped Harry find his answers against the dragon would be facing as she also looked for a hair dying solution through the use of magical spells.
10
