Year 5: Out of Sync
Chapter 49: May 2018
As May descended upon Hogwarts, the fifth years went into panic mode. The O.W.L.s were looming, and suddenly they all seemed to have collectively realized at the same moment that they should have been studying for these exams all year and not waiting until the last minute. Dominique began rummaging through her trunk in search of notes from her first four years so that she could revise material she hadn't had to think about for a while. Meanwhile, every beginner and intermediate level textbook had been checked out of the library and Madam Maxwell was frustratedly having to explain to students that if they'd wanted to revise their old textbooks, they should have brought them with them.
In Gryffindor Tower, the fifth years found themselves banding together once again, much as they used to in their first and second years, to study and revise. Now that they were older, they all had subjects that they were really good at and some that they were really bad at, so they appointed someone who was the best in the group at a particular subject to be in charge of teaching the revision to the rest of them. Dominique was in charge of charms.
As the most organized member of the group, Grant set up a schedule so that each day they would be working on a different class and they would know in advance which it was, so everyone, including the person in charge of leading the study session, could prepare ahead of time.
As Dominique sat in the library one afternoon, she found herself starting to panic as she attempted to plan out a study session for her housemates on charms that would adequately prepare them for their charms O.W.L. She was meant to lead it that night, and after Grant's amazing astronomy revision the previous evening, she was feeling the pressure.
There was just so much to cover. She supposed she could skip over the basics, like how to grip a wand and how to hold a wand and all that. And there were spells that they'd all done so many times that they didn't really require much practice, like incendio, the fire-making charm. They used that one every time they brewed a potion in potions class. If her fellow fifth years couldn't do that spell properly, they really didn't stand a chance on the upcoming exams.
"Why are you studying charms?" William asked, looking over at the notes Dominique had spread out in front of her. "Shouldn't you be focusing on something you're not as good at, like herbology or history of magic?"
"I'm running the study session tonight," Dominique replied in a harried tone. "I need to be prepared."
"But it's such a waste of time," William insisted. "Why worry about everyone else's grades when you could be worrying about yourself?"
Dominique frowned. "Well it's only fair," she said. "I benefitted from the other study sessions that have happened, so I should give something in return. Besides, I still have to revise charms a bit anyway."
"It just seems like you could be spending your time more wisely," William sniffed. "Like perhaps writing this essay for Professor Abbott-Longbottom on the properties of syrup of hellebore."
"I'll write that tomorrow," Dominique insisted. "Right now, I need to focus."
"Why don't you study with me and the Ravenclaws tonight instead?" William suggested. "I guarantee it'll be more efficient. You'll get so much done."
"I already told you, I have to run a study session," Dominique grumbled.
"I'm saying you should blow it off and study with us," William clarified. "Stop wasting your time studying with a bunch of Gryffindors. We Ravenclaws are known for our exceptional study skills. I'm sure we could get some of it to rub off on you."
Dominique tried really hard not to hear the condescension in her boyfriend's voice.
"I can't just abandon my friends," she replied.
"They're not your friends, they're your housemates. Bring along Miles, Brooke, and Tom if you must, but why do you care about the rest of them?" William demanded.
"I may not be as close to my other housemates, but we're all still friends," Dominique insisted.
Though she didn't hang out with Brittany, Holly and Joy regularly, she and Brooke had always felt welcome joining in with them when they would cluster together in the dorm and gossip. And while she didn't spend much time with Grant, Zeke, or Tim, she knew that they would always welcome her presence if she chose to join them in the common room or in the library. And if she were ever in trouble, she knew she could go to any of her housemates for help, not just the ones she called close friends.
"I just think it's time for you to start taking things a bit more seriously," William insisted. "These are the O.W.L.s. The results will affect whether you can continue in the course next year. And a simple passing grade isn't a guarantee either."
"I'm aware of that," Dominique said. "Which is why I want to make sure that all my housemates pass, not just myself."
"It's not like you can take the exams for them," William said. "Each of them is sitting their exam alone. So, isn't it best to study alone? Or at least, independently?"
"I may not be able to take the exams for them," Dominique agreed. "But I can make sure that when we sit down for that charms exam, they all feel as confident as possible."
"At the expense of your other exams?" William asked.
"No," Dominique disagreed. "That's the trade off. They'll do the same for me. I'll be much better prepared with their help than I would be on my own."
"How do you know what they're teaching you is even right?" William demanded. "What if they misunderstand the lesson and explain it wrong and then you all fail?"
Dominique shook her head, thinking how sad it must be to have the outlook that William did.
"I have faith in my friends," Dominique declared. "I know they won't lead me astray."
William was quiet a moment before he spoke again. "I just think it's a smarter move for you to skip the rest of these study sessions and study alongside me and the Ravenclaws. We have a much better method and ultimately, you'll do better on your exams and waste less time when you could have been productive."
Dominique slammed her textbook closed. "You know what's a waste of time?" she demanded. "This conversation. Just because you're in Ravenclaw doesn't immediately make you smarter than all the rest of us. Try thinking about that."
In a huff, Dominique shoved all her notes into her bag, not caring if they got crumpled and stormed out of the library in frustration. William had some nerve pretending he was better than her and that his study methods were superior. Dominique knew for a fact that she'd received better grades than him on a number of assignments from multiple classes, so really, he didn't have a leg to stand on. If she wanted to study with the Gryffindors, she damn well would. And if she wanted to help her friends out by leading them through a study session covering five years worth of charms lessons, she'd damn well do that as well.
She returned to the common room to finish going over her charms notes, fed up of being around William. She couldn't understand when everything had suddenly become difficult between them. Their relationship had been so good in the beginning, and now it was like they couldn't go a week without having an argument. Admittedly, Dominique still loved being with him when things were good, but she was starting to wonder if maybe this wasn't what she wanted.
She didn't have time to think about this though, because O.W.L.s were coming and there was too much to do. Taking a seat in the common room, she spread her notes out, realizing that they were all out of order now. In frustration, she attempted to divide them into piles based on what she'd already read through and what she had yet to re-read.
There were notes on light spells, on levitation, on locking and unlocking, opening and closing, softening and hardening, gripping and releasing, enlarging and reducing, ascending and descending, lifting and dropping, summoning and banishing, quieting and amplifying, strengthening and weakening, increasing and decreasing weight, there was the sneezing spell, the immobilizing spell, orientation spells, location charms, cheering charms, the exploding spell, spells that affected movement, cushioning charms, the freezing charm, and so many more that it made Dominique's head swim.
At some point, and Dominique didn't notice when, Miles sat down next to her and began reading from a stack of notes from their second year on the ear shrivelling charm. Eventually, Dominique looked up to grab another pile of pages and noticed him sitting there.
"Miles!" she exclaimed in shock. "You scared me."
"Sorry," Miles apologized. "I thought you heard me sit down."
"I didn't," Dominique shook her head. "Sorry, I've just been putting a lot of work into preparing this study session."
"Good, because I've been studying," Miles said with a wink.
Dominique rolled her eyes. "Good," she replied. "How was your ancient runes study session the other night?"
Dominique had elected not to attend Miles' designated study session as she wasn't taking ancient runes and didn't feel that the knowledge she'd acquired up until now was enough for her to be able to follow along. Besides, with O.W.L.s fast approaching, she'd put studying ancient runes on hold, at least until the end of their last exam, at which point she intended to resume her studies of the subject she needed to become a curse-breaker with haste.
"It went well," Miles said. "At least I think it did. Not that I had many people to teach."
Dominique nodded. Of all the elective classes in the course catalog, ancient runes had the least number of Gryffindors taking it. Only Miles, Timothy, and Holly had elected to take the course, and so Miles' study session had been small.
"I have to deal with all ten of you," Dominique said, her voice indicating that she didn't really mind and was just kidding around. "Wish me luck."
"You'll be great," Miles assured her. "Anyway, I thought you were supposed to be in the library with William until dinner?"
Dominique shifted. "I don't want to talk about it," she said quietly.
Miles backed off, going back to his reading while Dominique continued to prepare.
DdDdDdDdDdD
The study session that night went well. They focused on the practical aspect of charms for the time being. Theory each of them could study individually, but if there were spells someone had trouble casting, Dominique might be able to help them out. And knowing that the O.W.L.s always had both a theoretical and a practical component meant that they couldn't neglect anything.
By the next day, Dominique was on to studying transfiguration in preparation for Joy's session that evening.
"So how was your charms tutoring or whatever it was last night?" William asked as the fifth years filed into the defence against the dark arts classroom.
"It was fine," Dominique responded stiffly. If William was going to continue to judge her – well – she was not in the mood for that conversation.
"Good," William said simply, dropping the subject. Dominique was grateful. There was much too much going on right now for them to be fighting.
Professor Derlid began the class with his usual greeting. "Pair up and get duelling," he directed.
Ever since they'd finished the last of the curriculum, their defence professor had spent every lesson giving them as much practice duelling as possible. He would write different spells on the board as recommendations of what he thought they should be practicing each day, but ultimately it was up to the students to duel with any tools they had in their arsenal. It honestly felt less like practicing for an exam and more like practicing for being out in the field as an auror or something.
Checking the board, Dominique noted that today's recommended practice spells were impedimenta, rictusempra, and protego. The last two Dominique felt pretty comfortable with, but she thought she could use some work on impedimenta, so she decided that would be how she used the hour.
She paired up with William as usual and sent her first spell at him. He blocked it easily with a shield charm and she watched it dissolve as it hit the magical bubble of protection that sprang up around him. Concentrating hard, Dominique tried to cast the spell with more power, so that she could break through the shield, but again her spell fizzled out of existence when it approached William's form.
"Go on, try again," William encouraged her, holding his shield by refraining from casting any offensive spells of his own.
Dominique tried for a third time and did break through the shield, but William dodged, and her spell hit the wall behind him.
"Good," William smiled. "Next time try to get my shield down in less than three spells."
Without warning, he cast a spell of his own at Dominique, a stunning spell, and knowing she didn't have enough time to cast a shield around herself as a reaction, she dropped to the floor and rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding getting hit. She erected a shield moment later as a second stunning spell came at her, and she could feel as it hit the magical bubble around her and the dissipated, the shield holding.
As she and William continued to duel, Dominique could feel any anger or pent-up aggression she'd had within her dissipate just like the spells against the shields. By the end of the lesson, she didn't have any lingering resentment towards William for what he'd said to her the previous day. He'd just been looking out for her. It wasn't his fault that he was a Ravenclaw and she was a Gryffindor. They were different, and most of the time Dominique liked that about them.
While the rest of the class made their way to history of magic, Dominique pulled William aside and into a small alcove behind a tapestry just beyond the defence tower.
"Dominique, what are you doing?" William asked in surprise.
Dominique silenced William with a kiss, gentle at first, but quickly turning into more. William responded eagerly, but after a moment or two, he pulled back.
"What was that for?" he asked.
"I hate fighting," Dominique said in response.
"So do I," William said. "But I don't think we have time right now for – "
"Not now," Dominique agreed. It wouldn't do to walk into history of magic late and dishevelled, even if it was highly unlikely that Professor Binns would notice anything amiss. "But tonight?"
"I have to study," William reminded her. "And so do you. Remember you still haven't written that potions essay?"
"Come on, it won't take long," Dominique insisted. She needed this. All the studying and stress of the upcoming O.W.L.s had Dominique reaching her breaking point. All she wanted was just a few minutes where she didn't have to think about anything other than herself and her boyfriend and how much she enjoyed being with him.
William stepped out of the alcove and into the hallway.
"I'm sorry, but no," he frowned. "I already told you, I have to study. We'll have time when the O.W.L.s are done."
"You mean we can't be together again until after exams?" Dominique demanded. "But that's still a month away!"
"These exams are important," William insisted. "I need to be focused. I need to stay on target. I can't be distracted."
"Twenty minutes," Dominique pleaded. "That's all I ask."
"If I give you twenty minutes, then it'll turn into thirty, and then forty-five, and then an hour. Before we realize it, we'll have wasted the entire evening," he said.
"I won't let that happen," Dominique promised.
"No I won't let that happen," William corrected her. "By not letting anything happen. It's not that I don't want to, it's just that I can't right now."
"And what about what I need?" Dominique demanded. "What if this is what I need to be able to focus?"
"I hardly think this would help you on your exams," William contradicted her.
"You know I don't need to get it from you," Dominique threatened.
"What was that?" William asked in surprise.
"I can get it anywhere I want. I just came to you first because you're my boyfriend," Dominique said.
For a moment, William was speechless. Then his face clouded over, and he became like a wall of stone.
"Fine," he said, his voice emotionless. "Do whatever you want Dominique. I'll talk to you once exams are through."
And with that, William turned and headed down the hallway in the direction of history of magic.
Dominique sunk down against the side of the wall, emotions flooding through her. She hadn't meant what she said. She'd only said it because she wanted William to sleep with her. She wouldn't really sleep with someone else. But William had been so cold about it. Did he even care if she slept with someone else? And what had he meant when he said he'd talk to her after exams were over? Did he not want to see her anymore?
Without even realizing it, Dominique missed all of history of magic while sitting on the floor and contemplating her last interaction with William. Miles, Tom, and Brooke eventually found her and brought her to lunch, though she wouldn't tell them what was bothering her, no matter how much they hounded her about it.
The truth was, she didn't even have the time to think about it. She had homework and revising and exams coming. So, she pushed William to the back of her mind and pushed forward, determined that she would figure everything out later.
