"Hey Nicole wait up!" Nicole turned around and saw Sirius jogging toward her. She waited for him to catch up.
"Hey. I didn't see you at lunch," Nicole said.
"Oh...yeah...I had some stuff to research," Sirius said nonchalantly.
"You don't really seem like the 'research' type," Nicole said smiling. Sirius began walking backwards so he could look at Nicole as they talked. Sirius feigned like he was hurt.
"You're going to trip and fall if you keep walking like that," Nicole warned.
"First, you say that I'm not studious and then you insinuate that I am clumsy. You kind of a bully you know. But then again..."
"But then again what?" Nicole asked.
"Nope...I shouldn't say it." Sirius turned around so he was walking straight again. He began walking at a fast pace trying to get away from Nicole. Nicole caught up to him and grabbed his arm to make him stop.
"OW!" Sirius said holding his arm. "That hurt!"
"I barely touched you," Nicole said as Sirius stood against the wall of a long corridor. Nicole was standing in front of him. Sirius rubbed his arm where Nicole had grabbed him. She rolled her eyes.
"You really are a bully."
"Tell me what you were going to say!"
"About what?"
"Sirius!" Nicole said exasperated.
"OK OK. I was saying that you're kind of a bully but since you're an American you don't really know any other way to be," Sirius said quickly adding a smile at the end to take some of the sting off. Nicole stood there her eyes wide.
Without saying another word Nicole walked off. Sirius stepped in front of her.
"Nicole!" Sirius whined. Nicole folded her arms across her chest and began to pout. She looked at the floor and made sniffling noises that were obviously fake. Sirius took a step closer to Nicole.
"I didn't mean it!" Sirius said lifting Nicole's chin with his fingers. Their eyes met.
Sirius was barely touching Nicole but somehow his entire body was electrified starting at his fingertips that touched Nicole's skin. This was the first time that Sirius had really had a chance to look at Nicole, up close and personal. Nicole was very attractive, and it wasn't just about her face and body but who she was as a person.
"I did," Nicole said, her voice not much louder than a whisper.
"Did what?" Sirius asked not removing his hand from her face.
"Mean it," She stepped closer to him so that their bodies were inches from each other.
"Mean what?"
"This!" Nicole took the notebook that had been in her hand and smacked Sirius hard across the head with it. She immediately began running away laughing. Sirius took off after her.
"Oi! Where's new girl, Remus?" James asked. Remus sighed.
"How would I know? We're not attached at the hip."
"Just the heart," James replied. Remus shook his head at James. He seemed to be dead set on this idea that Remus liked Nicole, no matter how much Remus protested.
They were waiting in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. Students slowly began trickling in as it was almost time for class to start.
"I don't see Sirius," Peter said looking around. James and Remus also began looking at the other students, who were standing around the classroom, trying to find Sirius. All the other Gryffindors were there along with most of the Slytherins.
"PUT ME DOWN!" A feminine voice yelled. Everyone in the classroom turned their heads toward the door where Sirius walked in with Nicole slung over his shoulder. Sirius walked nonchalantly toward where the boys stood closer to the middle of the room.
"Whats up guys?" Sirius said.
"Sirius, let me go!" Nicole began kicking and hitting at Sirius' back.
"Did you guys hear that?" Sirius asked.
"Seriously!? I am going to kill you if don't put me down!"
"OK." Sirius jerked Nicole so that it looked like she was going to fall straight on her head. Nicole yelled as James, Remus, and Peter all jumped, ready to catch her.
Sirius laughed and put Nicole down the right way. Nicole's face was flushed from hanging upside down. Back on the ground, Nicole gave Sirius a dirty look as he just smiled.
"It was payback," Sirius said shrugging. Nicole's eyes went wide.
"Playfully hitting you with a book is not the same as being carried down the hallway kicking and screaming!"
"I told you to stop making noise," Sirius said innocently. Nicole gave him a look of disbelief as several snorts and stifled laughter were heard from other students who had watched the entire thing unfold. Nicole reached out and tried to smack Sirius again but James held her back.
"Come on Sirius. Apologize to new girl. I can't hold her back forever," James scolded while trying to hold back laughter. James released Nicole as she glared at James.
"OK. Fine. I'm sorry. Truce?" Sirius held out his arms for a hug. Nicole shook her head no. Sirius began to pout and whimper like a dog. A smile broke onto Nicole's face as she conceded and hugged him. James began to hoot and applaud.
Nicole looked at the students gathered while hugging Sirius. Her eyes immediately fell upon Avery who met her gaze. He smiled at her and she smiled back. Nicole wondered if Avery had stood there the entire time. She inwardly cringed wondering how he felt about all this especially since what had happened between the two of them in the Potions room the night before.
Someone cleared their voice loudly.
Sirius and Nicole broke apart and turned their attention, like every other student, to a young man who stood in the back of the classroom. It was obvious to all the students that he was their teacher. Nicole immediately felt her cheeks turn red as she was sure that he saw everything that just happened. She hoped she wasn't about to get in trouble on her first day.
The man walked past the students. He smiled at Nicole when he passed her and Sirius which made Nicole a little less tense about the situation. The man stopped at the teacher's desk in the front of the classroom.
"Let's begin class."
The students in the room made their way to their seats. Sirius and Nicole sat together at a desk that was behind James and Remus. The students looked around nervously waiting for further instructions.
There were five rows of two desks with two students at every desk. Nicole glanced in Avery's direction, who was sitting at the desk next to her. Avery's attention was solely focused on Elizabeth, as he whispered something in her ear.
"Alright. I'm going to call out your names so just raise your hands and say that you're here. Avery."
"Here."
"Black."
"Here."
"Calhoun."
"Here"
"Dolohov."
"Here." The Slytherin students began to whisper to each other and stare at Nicole. Nicole felt somewhat uncomfortable with all the whispering. She didn't even know why they were whispering or what they were even talking about.
"Settle down," The teacher continued to go down the list.
"My name is Professor Tessler. Can anyone tell me what Defense Against the Dark Arts means?" Students looked around at each other.
It seemed like an obvious question so automatically the students assumed that there was a not-so-obvious answer.
"Anyone? Don't be afraid. It's easier than you think." Lily raised her hand timidly.
"Ms. Evans, right?" Lily nodded
"It's the study of defending yourself against dark magic."
"Very good. You said Dark Magic, correct?" Lily nodded.
"So, we think of magic as two overarching categories. Dark and light. Bad and good. What's potentially problematic with this ideal?" He looked around at the students who pondered the question.
"Choices," Nicole whispered.
"Who said that?" Mr. Tessler said excitedly. Nicole rose her hand. He gestured for her to continue.
"When magic is broken into two categories, dark and light, people tend to overlook choice. A spell isn't inherently bad or good, it just depends on how a person uses it. It depends on their choice. Magic isn't dark. People are."
"What do you all think?" Professor Tessler asked to the class.
"It doesn't make sense," Marlene said not waiting to be called on. She continued without prompting.
"Some spells are just inherently bad. Their intent is to harm."
"What harms one can benefit another," Avery interjected.
"Exactly. A spell may be harmful or dangerous to one person but another might use that same spell for something good or beneficial," Nicole explained
"What about the unforgiveables?" Sirius propositioned. The students looked at Nicole waiting for a response. Nicole shrugged and looked at the teacher.
"I don't know what that is," Nicole said.
"How could you not know what the Unforgivables are? I mean, where have you been?!" Elizabeth said in a condescending tone.
"Living in another country. Obviously," Nicole retorted. A couple of students snorted at Nicole's statement.
"Alright. Let's focus. Unforgivable curses? Anyone? Mr. Avery," Professor Tessler said.
"There's three. Avada Kedavra which is the killing curse, the Cruciatus Curse, which causes extreme pain, and the Imperius Curse which makes the victim completely susceptible to the caster's will. The use of any of those results in a life sentence in Azkaban," Avery explained. Mr. Tessler looked at Nicole.
"In America, a person can use any of those spells and if they can prove a legitimate reason behind it, nothing happens. There's life sentences but only in the most extreme cases."
"What's a legitimate reason to murder or torture?" James asked incredulously.
"Self-Defense. Prevention of incalculable damage to the masses..."
"What's that?" Remus asked cutting Nicole off.
"It's when a person uses lethal spells to stop someone else who's trying to harm another group of people by inciting a riot or creating a group dedicated to the terrorization of others..."
"Like You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters," Adrianna said. Everyone turned to look at her. The room became silent as she continued.
"Death Eaters are trying to rid the world of Muggles and Muggle-Borns. They're killing people and making others disappear. So based on what Nicole said it's okay to use those spell against him and the Death Eaters because they're killing Muggles and Muggle-Borns?"
"That's not what they're doing," Severus said under his breath. He didn't think that anyone had heard him but he was wrong.
"Of course you would make some sort of excuse for them. Guess we know who you're gonna work for after Hogwarts," James snapped.
"And what about you Potter? All those quaffles to the head can't give you a lot of options, but it is brawns and no brains, at least over there," Avery interjected.
"No surprise that you would defend Snivelly. The whole lot of you are bloody mental with that purity rubbish," Sirius countered.
"Don't worry Black. We'll save a spot for you. Toujours Pur right?" Avery said.
"Enough!" Mr. Tessler said. His voice carried through the room and everyone immediately quieted again. The students had been whispering among one another as they watched the banter continue. It was obvious that temperatures were rising in that room between the Gryffindors and Slytherins.
Nicole looked at Sirius. His jaw was clenched shut as if he was struggling not to say anything.
"Even though we got slightly off-topic, this was a good start. I want you all to keep thinking about Dark Magic and its uses. As Ms. Monroe briefly touched, there is a lot of things going on at the moment. Wether good or bad, that is for your personal discretion. However, I would like you to look at the situation as its unfolding, in particular the Ministry's response to some of what's been happening. Now since this is my fist year I will explain a little about how this works. This course is a partnership, meaning that you will choose a partner. The two of you will complete homework assignments, take exams, and practice spells as a pair. You pass or fail, as a pair, so choose wisely."
The students excitedly looked at each other. It seemed like a great idea.
"Partners?" Sirius asked Nicole. She nodded. Sirius wouldn't have been her first choice but Nicole was sure that Elizabeth had already staked her claim on who she really wanted.
"Once you have your partner, come on up and let me know." Students began getting up and walking toward the front desk.
"Oh yeah. Your partner must be of a different house." Every student froze and stared at Professor Tessler.
"You're joking right?" Elizabeth said. Mr. Tessler shook his head no and sat down at his desk with his quill ready.
The students grumbled with one another, debating whether they would openly defy their new teacher. Nicole simply sat in her seat watching the Gryffindors, except for Lily, huddle together discussing their fury and discontent.
"Need a partner?" Avery whispered in Nicole's ear. Nicole turned to face Avery.
"If you'll have me," Nicole said smiling. Avery looked Nicole up and down. The way Avery looked at Nicole made her body start to tingle as she remembered their time together in the potions classroom.
"I would love to have you," Avery said in a sultry voice. Nicole blushed.
Avery held out his hand and Nicole took it. They signed up as a pair with Mr. Tessler.
"All right. I would take the rest of the time getting to know one another. You may or may not be questioned about your findings. You may go somewhere else if you wish."
Avery and Nicole gathered their belongings.
"What do you say? Another trip to the potions classroom?" Avery asked playfully. Nicole hit his stomach with the back of her hand as they walked out the classroom.
"You're so bad."
"You have no idea." Avery whispered putting his arm around Nicole's shoulders.