Petal in the Rain
Chapter 32 – A Budding Resistance
"Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements and impossibilities: it is this that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak."
-Thomas Carlyle
"You bloody rotter," Lily swore, wiping the sweat from her brow and replacing it with a smear of dirt. She'd been knocked flat on her back; stars danced across her vision and the thick forest canopy above, thanks to a particularly slippery Flipendo jinx. "I can't be…expected to…defend myself before my…morning coffee."
"Do you expect your enemies will consider if you've had a good night's rest and enough caffeine before launching an attack against you?" Snape drawled, moving to stand above where Lily was sprawled like a lame horse. His severe features loomed above her, shadowed in the forest gloom, yet still disclosing his amusement. "It seems polite society has addled your brains, Rockford."
"You must admit," Lily huffed, gritting her teeth as she attempted to ignore the stabbing pain in her back when she rose to her feet, covered in mud. "I'm getting pretty good."
Snape frowned, taking in her disheveled appearance. "Good at what? Resembling a forest creature recently surfaced from the deep woods?"
Lily slapped Snape's arm in annoyance, though her target remained unfazed. She bent over, holding onto her knees as she tried to catch her breath. "Today marks the first time I've been able to get a curse behind your shield. Admit it: you were impressed."
Snape's bark of laughter made Lily straighten, the sound destabilizing. "You may have finally broken through my shield—and for a split second, might I add—but your focus on offense made it easy for me to break through your non-existent defense a moment later."
"Small victories," Lily maintained, offering up a content grin. "No one in my class will be half as good as you. I should be able to hold my own just fine."
"Overconfidence is dangerous," Snape warned, his dark eyes narrowing. "You still show far too little discipline. You are ruled by your emotions, rather than your wit. Defense is about strategy, about outwitting your opponent, not just out-powering them."
"Are you implying I'm all power and no cunning?" Lily protested.
Snape paused, contemplating his next words with care. The timbre of his voice was as calm and oily as his guileful spells. "You show an easy balance of cleverness and power in your Charms lessons, using magic to problem solve. Yet, when it comes to Defense, you seem to shun practical intelligence, turning instead to emotion. It's written all over you…an intense desire for victory that clouds your judgment."
Lily pursed her lips, quirking them from side to side, bothered she wasn't getting the praise she thought she deserved. Was Snape's insight correct? Did she abandon instinct and wisdom because she wanted to win too badly?
The more she thought about it, the more she realized Snape had a point. What he didn't understand—and couldn't—was her motivation, her urgency, to become an accomplished dueler. Yet, it seemed her fear of one day facing Voldemort, an evil wizard she was fated to vanquish, only made her clumsy and desperate.
When Lily eventually met Snape's gaze—stormy and engrossed—she could tell he was trying to decipher her thoughts, his eyes searching for an explanation. "Well?"
"Well…what do I have to do to improve?" Lily deflected, massaging a crook in her neck.
"Concentrate," Snape said, sheathing his wand and unrolling the sleeves of his robes so they buttoned at the wrists again. "And you'd do well to begin training your body. Dueling takes physicality; your reaction time is lagging and you need to be more agile, bounce back faster when your opponent lands a blow. It doesn't just take the right spell at the right time."
Lily's mouth dropped open. She was too emotional and out of shape? How exactly was she supposed to improve her strength and swiftness when she was stuck in classes and the library all the time?
"You're piling on the insults today, aren't you?" Lily snapped.
"I'm stating facts to make you a better fighter. Isn't that what you want?" Snape replied, mildly perturbed by her offense.
Lily was mutinous. "Train my body? Are you hiding bulging muscles under your robes that I'm unaware of, Severus?"
Some of her bitterness dissipated when she saw Snape's face flush. Had he demonstrated even an ounce of embarrassment since she'd known him? Any flicker of emotion in the sullen wizard was startling, but colour in his pallid cheeks was downright shocking.
"If you're so delicate that you can't accept feedback, don't bother showing up to our next lesson," Snape bit back, gathering up a bag he'd left on the ground and turning toward the forest's edge. "And don't be surprised if you end up on your bottom again after your Defense lesson today."
Cutting words still echoing in her muddled head, Lily lingered in the Forbidden Forest a few minutes after Snape's departure, eager to give the fuming professor a wide berth. When she eventually left their wooded practice arena, the morning sun was still hidden behind the Scottish horizon, casting a murky, red-orange glow across the peaceful landscape. It further enhanced the brilliant colours of the autumn foliage, both vibrant and withering with the onslaught of October weather. Looking around for any sign of activity, Lily hurried across the chilly grounds towards Hogwarts castle, thankful most of its occupants were still fast asleep.
When she made it back to her private quarters undetected, she was relieved to find a steaming pot of coffee awaiting her, courtesy of the sugar-sweet house-elf who'd become accustomed to her routine protests for caffeine. After downing half a cup, Lily stripped off her muddy clothing and entered the lavatory to turn on the shower. When she caught her reflection in the large mirror above the bathroom sink she yelped, her face and hair smudged with forest grim.
Forest creature from the deep woods indeed…
Her own embarrassment welling, Lily climbed into the shower and let the near-scalding water cascade over her head and body. She groaned, the heat helping to alleviate some of her aches from dueling with her disgruntled tutor. Despite his anger and her passionate desire for his approval, Lily didn't linger on thoughts of Severus Snape for long, a vision of James Potter surfacing in her mind instead…
As steam clouded the shower, turning the glass opaque, Lily thought back to their rendezvous in the Quidditch locker rooms. It seemed like so long ago now. Memories of the shower they shared together—lips locked, bodies pressed against one another's, hands roving and exploring—were intoxicating, and seemed to bloom and distract at the most inopportune times.
Closing her eyes, Lily returned to that twinkling in time, sliding a hand through her wet, lathered hair. It was still scandalous to think how far they'd gone together, that she'd been indecent with a man for the first time in her almost 18 years, touched him in the most intimate of places, let him touch her…
A shiver ran along her spine. They'd come so close to true connection, and it was maddening to recall that it had been James who'd stopped it from going any further. If it had been up to her, the deed would have been done, even if society considered relations before marriage to be disreputable. She'd never had society's approval before, after all. But did that matter to James?
Sighing, Lily turned off the shower and wrapped a fluffy towel around her middle. After taking another life-saving mouthful of coffee, vapour from the shower slowly disintegrating, she fixed her hair and make-up and contemplated the new uniform laid out on her bed.
The garment was an austere black dress supplied to female students who participated in strenuous physical activity associated with their coursework. It had long sleeves, with gray strips of fortified fabric around the elbows and shoulders and a hemline that stopped above the knees. The attire would have been wholly impractical had the skirt not also been buttressed with a pair of shorts that ensured decency, should a witch get knocked to the ground by a fellow dueler.
Though the apparel was unlike anything Lily had worn before, something about the outfit made her feel proud, like she was part of an exclusive club of powerful witches who could fight and defend just as well as any wizard.
I'm going to be the one knocking people off their feet today, Lily told herself, fixing her hair in a ponytail and collecting her book bag and wand before heading down to meet her friends for breakfast.
"Well look at you," Rudolf whistled when Lily joined him and Alice at the crowded Gryffindor table, the pair already tucked into their Friday brunch. The Great Hall was madness, a chorus of excited chatter and laughter rising and falling as bright sunshine streamed in from the cathedral-like windows behind the professors' table. "You're like a model for witches' active wear."
"Please," Lily waved him off with a smile, taking a seat on the bench beside Alice. She reached for a tray of scrambled eggs. "How's everything going this morning?"
"Looking forward to our first dueling practicum of the year," Rudolf grinned, though his feline smile softened a little. He too was dressed in a black-gray dueling uniform, though male students enjoyed a full pair of pants. "Everyone tends to show off the first time around, trying to intimidate the others—must be an alpha male thing. Are you nervous?"
Lily poured her second cup of coffee that morning, already a little jittery from her previous dosage. "Eager perhaps, to get a chance to try out some spells I've been working on."
"That so?" Rudolf said with a hint of surprise.
"I hope you'll be careful, Aurora," Alice spoke up. The blonde's disapproval was palpable even as she sipped from a china cup brimming with hot tea. "I mean…I still can't believe you'll be dueling with the best Defense students at Hogwarts. What if one of those brutes hurts you? How awful would that be?"
"It comes with the territory, Ally," Rudolf said, mockingly flexing his arm muscles. "But I'm sure no one will intentionally hurt Aurora. In fact, most wizards in the class would much prefer to date her. And no one will soon forget who her dear uncle is."
Rudolf's wink made Lily frown. "I should be treated the same as everyone else, Rue. No one should be going easy on me and that includes you."
"But you aren't like everyone else," Alice emphasized. "I'm shocked that Headmaster Dumbledore would allow you to be in such a class. Isn't he worried about your well-being?"
"Nymphadora and Amelia are in that class," Lily retorted, more aggressively than was perhaps advisable. A few students at the table peered at her with piqued interest. She stabbed her fork into her eggs, her mood darkening. "I don't know why you two assume I don't know what I'm doing—that I'll get my arse handed to me."
Alice blinked, again and again, trying to erase having heard a curse word if Lily were to hazard a guess.
"C'mon, we don't, do we, Ally?" Rudolf mollified, offering Lily his most diplomatic smile. She rolled her eyes. "It'll be great…by the way, have you read the Prophet this morning?"
The change in topic did its job, Lily beginning to calm. "No. Anything interesting going on?"
"Some really odd stories, actually," Rudolf said, dropping his voice an octave. "Bizarre…and even a bit disturbing."
"What happened?"
Rudolf and Alice shared uncomfortable looks. She cleared her throat. "Ministry officials keep fishing the bodies of…um…well, goblins…out of the Thames. They're trying to understand what's going on."
"Goblins?" Lily swallowed. "How horrible…"
"And that's not all," Rudolf bridged, leaning in closer to the girls from his seat across the table. "This famous author, Mordicus Egg, he was found dead in his home. They think he was murdered."
"Why would anyone want to murder him?" Lily asked.
"He wrote this book, The Philosophy of the Mundane: Why Muggles Prefer Not to Know…it's what made him famous," Alice explained, plopping a sugar cube into her cooling tea. "There used to be a copy kept in the library, but it kept getting vandalized."
"By who? Why?"
Alice looked around, tempering her tone. "Well…there are some…families…who weren't pleased with the theories presented as to why muggles are still unaware of magic. They prefer to think of them as witless, ignorant creatures."
"Pure-blood families," Rudolf amended baldly. "Years ago, there was a muggleborn wizard who was in the running for Minister for Magic, and a lot of wealthy pureblood families went wild. To them, it was disgraceful to think a muggleborn could be elected to the highest office of the Ministry. Now that I think of it, it was your uncle who was advocating for Nobby Leach to be given a chance."
It didn't surprise Lily to hear that Lord Dumbledore, a wealthy pureblood wizard in his own right, held liberal views when it came to magical folk with different bloodlines. He had championed non-pureblood wizards attending Hogwarts, hadn't he? There was tolerance and kindness in his soul, yet it seemed prejudice in its many forms—wealth, class, blood—were still rampant in magical society.
"Does it say who is suspected of the murder of Mordicus and the goblins?" Lily asked, her appetite disappearing.
"You think the two incidences are connected?"
"Why not? You've said yourself there are families who consider muggles to be creatures, lesser beings, and are goblins not regarded with the same ire?" Lily questioned. "A History of Magic would certainly point to their continued discrimination, along with a list of other beings."
"My aunt has always had a particular disgust for centaurs," Alice corroborated, Lily and Rudolf raising their brows. "Don't look at me like that! I don't share those views."
"Can I see that?" Lily remarked, pointing at the open newspaper in front of Alice.
"Oh…no need…we've already covered off on everything—" she started, though her voice trailed off when Lily grabbed for her copy of The Daily Prophet and began scanning the page is was opened to. "Oh Aurora, I didn't want to bother you with that ridiculous hearsay."
Lily's heart dropped into her stomach when she read the headline at the top of the society pages. It had happened a few times now, but she still wasn't used to it.
Has Lady Rockford dropped Lord Longbottom for a secret beau?
By Jacqui Jezebel
It's been little over a month since the celebratory fête featuring society's youngest lords and ladies, and it hasn't been since that extravagant evening that niece of Lord Albus Dumbledore, Lady Aurora Rockford, has been spotted with suitor Lord Frank Longbottom.
"Rumour has it that Lady Rockford is being charmed by more eligible bachelors behind Lord Longbottom's back," a source and fellow Hogwarts student exclusively revealed to the Daily Prophet. "It's sad, because he's absolutely smitten, but you can tell since her return to England that she's set her sights higher."
While it's uncertain if the rumors are true, it's certainly suspect that the couple haven't been spotted together as of late. Many are wondering if the powerful twosome quietly split following the events of September's 1920's party, especially as Lady Rockford was photographed leaving The Three Broomsticks with notorious womanizer Lord Sirius Black, known for his provocative charm and long list of partners. Has Lord Black made the stunning beauty an offer of commitment she's willing to give up a good match with Lord Longbottom for?
Though Lady Rockford has not been spotted out and about with Lord Black either, our trusted source assures us that it's because she's focused on her studies as of late. "It's apparent to all of us that Lady Rockford is very committed to her education," the source noted. "She's in some of the most difficult classes offered at Hogwarts, classes that witches aren't normally admitted in to. From what I've seen, she doesn't flirt with any other students, and is quick to turn down any advances…although she does spend a lot of time with her friend, Lord Rudolf Brand."
So has Lady Rockford traded Lord Longbottom for Lord Brand, a relative newcomer on the social scene? Or is she turning down advances because she has a secret lover waiting on the sidelines? From Lord Black to Lord Brand, to other close acquaintances, there's still no clear answer as to who has won Lady Rockford's heart.
"Is my love life always going to be a topic of conversation?" Lily growled, balling up the page and tossing it over her shoulder. "And who is this source who thinks they know everything about me?"
"Jacqui Jezebel is positively horrible," Alice agreed, though her frown slipped. "I mean…everything is fine with Frank, isn't it Aurora?"
Lily masked her hesitation with a long sip of coffee. Since her last conversation with Frank, it still wasn't clear if she was supposed to be masquerading as his girlfriend. How would they handle the un-coupling? And was she permitted to openly court James soon after? Though she supposed it was best to play it safe, a part of Lily wanted to be honest with her new friends. Could she at least begin to lay the groundwork for their break-up?
After a pause, Lily placed her cup back on the table. When she leaned in conspiratorially, Alice and Rudolf leaned in even closer. They looked to be holding their breath. "You must promise to keep this to yourselves, but I'm not confident that Frank and I are well matched."
"What?" Alice rasped, her ears turning bright pink. "Has he done something?"
"Absolutely not," Lily whispered. "Frank is a gentleman through and through, and a good friend. We thought we owed it to ourselves to try at a romantic relationship, but I'm not sure there's a spark between us—that we truly suit one another."
"That is quite the revelation," Rudolf wiggled his eyebrows. "So is their truth to the rumours about you and Sirius then?"
"As much truth as there is to the rumours about you and I, Rudolf," Lily replied, making him snort. "Will you both promise to keep this a secret until Frank and I decide what to do? I've only told you, so if word gets out, I know who to point fingers at."
"Of course," Alice agreed earnestly. Lily wondered if she was inwardly pleased at the thought of Frank as single and available. "We won't even tell Emmeline."
"Cross my heart and hope to die," Rudolf grinned, stretching his arms. "Speaking of dying, we best get off to our Defense class."
"What an awful thing to say!" Alice shrieked, swatting him.
The trio's comical laughter quieted when James appeared behind Lily, garbed in his sharp professor's robes.
"Morning. Best stop beating on Mr. Brand, Ms. Prewett, just in case a certain Slytherin professor catches you and docks points. I hear we're leading the scoreboard; any old reason to bring us down a notch, right?"
Alice tittered, revealing her prettiest smile. "It's still odd to hear you calling me Ms. Prewett, considering we've known each other for years, Professor Potter."
"Don't get me in trouble—I have to keep up formalities or I'll hear it from the boss," James joked, inclining his head in the direction of the headmaster. "Aurora, can I have a word?"
"Oh…alright. Rudolf, I'll meet you in class?"
"Great. Doesn't start for another twenty minutes, so I'll probably drop off some things in my room first," Rudolf replied. "See you there."
As Lily left the Dining Hall with James, trying her best to look casual and collected— like she wasn't in a secret relationship with a teacher—she caught the tail end of Rudolf muttering to Alice, "He's still pretty informal with Aurora, don't you think?"
James dug his hands into his pockets and sauntered through the bustling atrium into an adjacent hallway, Lily following his lead without question. He greeted a few teachers and students as they walked together, his demeanor confident yet cheerful, nodding or offering a courteous "good morning" when appropriate. It wasn't until the crowd died down and they neared the Defense classroom on the quiet first floor of the North Tower that James came to a stop.
"Come in here," he whispered, grabbing Lily's hand and pulling her into an unoccupied seminar room across from Classroom 104. Her heart fluttered involuntarily.
"What are we doing in here?" Lily asked, watching James lock the door behind them.
Without reply, James pulled Lily close, snaking his hands along the back of her neck and into her hair. When he bowed his head so he could meet her lips with her own, she closed her eyes, letting him sink into her. Before long she was pressed against a wall, back straight, James drawing her hips against his so he could grind against them with impossible tenderness.
"I was watching you when you came into the Dining Hall for breakfast…you look irresistible in this little ensemble," James murmured, fingering the hem of Lily's defense uniform. "There weren't any women in Defense classes when I was in school…I'm beginning to regret that."
"Headmaster Dumbledore would not be pleased to learn a member of his teaching staff is gawking at one of his students, Professor Potter," Lily teased, reveling in his rapt attention.
"Listen hear, Miss Rockford: I won't have you telling truths about my secret desire for you to the headmaster," James mocked, though Lily could feel his grin forming as he began kissing her neck, his hand sliding up her leg. "I hold the authority in this situation, including the authority to remove your dress, should I please."
"Then what's stopping you?" Lily breathed, running her hands up James' chest and teasing at the buttons. The thought of doing racy things to one another in an empty classroom while students cued outside made her suddenly ravenous.
James pulled back from kissing Lily's neck, raising an amused brow. "Having to teach Arithmancy in fifteen minutes is stopping me, darling."
"Don't leave me now, not after you've teased me like that," Lily objected. She fiddled with the fastenings of her uniform as James began to pull away, unbuttoning it enough for her brassiere underneath to show. "Just a little longer…"
James swallowed, his eyes clouding over from behind his glasses. "I suppose I could be a few minutes late to class."
Lily yelped when he hooked an arm around her back and bottom and lifted her up onto a wobbly desk. She grabbed onto his lapels and pulled him down to her mouth. The taste of him was something to savour, as was the way her fingers stumbled along the scratchy stubble on his chin, the oaky scent that always clung to his skin…
Just as James cupped her breasts, a low, rumbling growl drifted in from one of the classroom's open windows, distinct enough to cause them both to pause.
Lily looked up at James; his jaw had gone rigid, his eyes wide and alert. "James?"
He removed his hands from her chest and began buttoning up his own top as he moved toward the window, his eyes turned skyward. After adjusting her clothing, a blush creeping onto her cheeks, Lily hopped off the desk to stand at his side. When her gaze slid to the cloudless sky, the world fell away for a moment.
There, in the glaring autumn sunlight, were row upon row of airplanes, their birdlike silhouettes moving across the sapphire canvass like a black tidal wave. The boom of propellers and engines grew louder and louder as they flew overhead, a deep, thunderous roar that masked birdsong and chattering students on the grounds below. But none of them were speaking anymore, all eyes following the mechanical monstrosity overheard—an armada of German bombers, their wings stamped with black crosses.
"Where are they going?" Lily asked, knowing they were in no immediate danger; the castle was shielded from muggle eyes, a mere whisper in the wind.
James heaved a troubled sigh. "London, likely. Or nearby airfields or towns. Merlin knows."
"Is there anything we can—?"
"No," he cut her off. Realizing his mistake, he softened, clasping Lily's hand. "The magical community has been prohibited from interfering. There's nothing we can do now."
"That's absurd," Lily snapped, turning back toward the fleet of planes disappearing beyond the horizon. The motorized thrumming grew quieter and quieter. "We can at least erect shields around London to protect all the innocent people there. That could be me right now, rushing to a bomb shelter while the Germans blitz us from the skies."
"Don't you think I know that?" James placed a hand on Lily's cheek. When she looked up at him, his eyes were deep pools of regret—of anger and sadness and surrender. "I spent months agonizing that you'd perished in a bombing, remember? I joined the muggle war against everyone's wishes to do something, to act, and it didn't make a lick of difference. We've been warned to stay out of it, and as much as that goes against my baser instincts, I have to do that. Now we have to focus on fighting the war on our own doorstep—the one creeping into our classrooms and ministries and lives."
"Voldemort," Lily said, meeting James' wary gaze. "Is he—are his people—responsible for these goblin deaths and the murder of Mordicus Egg?"
James looked startled. "What do you know about that?"
"Just what's in the Prophet."
"The Prophet is too cowardly to attribute some of the violent occurrences as of late to the Dark Lord, but you can bet he's behind it all. Trying to make a statement, drum up more fanatical support. Things grow worse by the day."
"What can I do to help?" Lily plead.
"Absolutely nothing," James replied, his stance firm. "I don't want you anywhere near this, Lils. I probably shouldn't have told you what I have already. Promise me you'll keep this information confidential."
"Of course I will," Lily frowned, anger bubbling. "But I'm not a small child, James, I can handle this. In fact, I think I have a right to know what's going on, considering all the ridiculous hoops I've been jumping through to appease Dumbledore and everyone else."
"Hoops that are keeping you safe and giving you a chance at a life," James reminded, deepening Lily's resentment.
"I don't want to be kept in the dark. I mean it."
James sighed, running his fingers through his hair and moving to straighten Lily's collar. "I've got to go now, but I'll stop by your room later tonight to hear how your first duel went. If any of those idiots land a curse on you I'm going to have to kill them, so do me a favour and use a strong shield charm. I don't want to lose my post."
"I know what I'm doing," Lily maintained, her gaze souring.
"Why didn't I choose an tame young lady with delicate sensibilities?" James groaned, planting a kiss on her cheek. "Knock 'em dead, Lils."
"Did you see them?" Rudolf exclaimed when Lily entered the buzzing Defense classroom across the hall. Her head was still filled with thoughts of war on all fronts and the innocent people caught in the crossfire. "Those flying muggle contraptions?"
Rudolf's question and the surrounding chatter momentarily muted as Lily became distracted by how the once bookish Defense space had been transformed from a seminar room to a daunting practice arena, all desks removed and chairs pushed against the stone walls for spectators. A long, narrow platform had been assembled in the middle of it, the structure covered in purple fabric depicting the phases of the moon, while on each end was a marker indicating where duelers were to stand.
"Airplanes—and yes, hard to miss them," Lily replied languorously as she sunk into the chair next to Rudolf, scanning the throng of eager students awaiting the arrival of Professor Merrythought.
Everyone was dressed in the same tailored Defense uniform, and—by the looks of it—wearing it proudly. Many of the male students were puffing out their chests with their heads held high, presumably trying to communicate their strength and bravado, while Nymphadora and Amelia were off in a corner stretching and trading whispered conversation. Lily yearned to be over there with them, part of a resilient female alliance. She hoped to be paired against one of them, as she couldn't imagine either compromising their integrity by taking it easy on her.
"I'm surprised you showed up for class today, little Dumbledore," Regulus Black crooned, swaggering toward Lily and Rudolf—his Slytherin minions, Rowle, Rosier and Dillonsby, all sniggering from a step behind him. "All this roughhousing and trading of dangerous spells—it's undignified for a lady of your pedigree. What if you get a mark on your face or rumple your dress? Will you cry?"
Lily grimaced at the dark-haired Slytherin, his eyes glittering with a combination of amusement and malice. That was the difference between Regulus and his brother, and why his good looks didn't resonate in the same way: Sirius' mischief wasn't rooted in cruelty, nor did his eyes sparkle with ruthlessness.
"I wonder if your barbs will sound quite as arrogant once I've blasted you onto your backside, Black," Lily lilted in return, causing Regulus' gang to continue their cackling: one sharp look from him quieted them.
Regulus clucked his tongue. "Now who sounds arrogant, Lady Rockford? If you don't leave here on a stretcher for the Hospital Wing it will be a small miracle."
"Watch what you say or I'll send you out on one right now," Rudolf threatened, a fist flexing over his wand.
"You won't have your dog protecting you on that platform, little Dumbledore," Regulus sighed, ignoring Rudolf's fury. "I'd tell you to watch your back, but I'd prefer to keep an eye on your behind for you."
Lily placed a reassuring hand on Rudolf's shoulder as he jumped from his chair, stopping a showdown before it could start. "Ignore him, Rue—he's just trying to rile us up before the duel. God forbid he's thwarted by a woman and his tough façade is revealed to be a ruse."
"God won't have anything to do with it," Regulus smirked at the Gryffindor duo, sauntering off with his posse when Professor Merrythought entered the room in a whoosh of silver curls and amethyst robes.
"Everyone rise to your feet and form a side-by-side line here," the elderly witch ordered without greeting, pacing as the students did as they were told. Lily straightened as the witch appraised them, a golden whistle around her neck. "Today marks our first dueling practicum of the year. I expect to see you demonstrate a mixture of defensive and offensive spells that I've taught you over the years, including some that we've covered since the beginning of the school year. You know the rules: no dangerous spells are to be used here; nothing that will cause an unreasonable amount of harm. You will not be graded based on whether you draw blood; rather, I will be looking at agility and reaction time, strategy and cunning, and a diversity of spells that demonstrate your practical knowledge of the coursework."
Lily drew a breath, nerves and excitement beginning to truly set in. She commanded herself to remain calm and cool—for her pulsing emotions to obey.
You can do this. It's not because you need to win, it's because you can win.
"I will remind you to take these opportunities to duel in a controlled environment very seriously. As you are aware, dueling is not permitted outside of class time and can result in expulsion if you're caught flouting this rule. Therefore, this is the only time you can prepare for the practical element of your N.E.W.T.s and for what lies out there," Professor Merrythought said, her wrinkled face grave as she pointed a withered finger toward the window.
"Merlin, does she think she's sending us out to battle once we graduate?" Rudolf murmured to Lily under his breath.
"For our first practicum I will be pairing you at random for duels," Merrythought announced, rolling up the sleeves of her robes. "It will be one duel at a time for the entire class to observe. Don't be surprised if you're instructed to participate in back-to-back duels—your enemies won't pause to give you a breath, so neither will I. Prepare yourselves."
Lily felt her stomach flip over as she waited for Merrythought's first pairing. She knew it was her chance to shine, to prove she was in the class for a reason.
"Rosier and Bones, take your positions."
Lily loosed a breath, whether in relief or anticipation, and took a seat with the rest of the students around the perimeter of the classroom. She watched as Amelia, with her lifeless brunette tresses pulled up into a bun, climbed the platform. The witch rolled back her shoulders before taking a confident, yet easy stance, legs slightly spread apart, with one hand behind her back and the other pointing her wand directly at her burly, spotted opponent.
"Get ready," Merrythought instructed. Lord Evan Rosier barred his teeth at Amelia, a wholly unattractive sight.
Lily recoiled when a golden sheet of light sprang up in front of her, slithering toward the ceiling before disappearing. It took a moment to realize it was an invisible shield erected around spectators to protect them from errant spells.
Merrythought blew on her whistle, signaling the start of the duel, and it took a split second for Rosier to send a bright orange spell streaking toward Amelia. With a quick wave of her wand, his Impediment Curse was deflected by Amelia's iron-clad Shield Charm and quickly replaced with a blood-red Disarming Spell that Rosier only just managed to shield against.
Lily was enraptured by the rainbow of spells traded between the two students. Feet were shuffling, teeth were gritted and even bits of hair were singed. She could feel herself leaning forward on her knees, every flourish of a wand making Lily want to jump to her feet and cheer.
And then, as quickly as it had started, it was concluded. Rosier was doubled over, his wand dropped from his hand, roaring with uncontrollable laughter—the product of a Tickling Charm that had invaded his defenses.
"Excellent," Professor Merrythought called out.
Amelia hopped off the platform, her sweaty face stern but an undeniable smile close to breaking through her calculated front. Nymphadora clapped her friend on the arm, grinning a characteristic Black-family smile even she couldn't shake.
"Next up, Horton and Rowle."
Lily gripped the bottom of her chair as the Gryffindor and Slytherin student took the stage, eyes locked and wands extended. How much longer would she have to wait for her turn? Being patient seemed more agonizing that being up there.
It was another rousing show, though seemed to last longer than Amelia's exchange with Rosier. Both Horton and Rowle were careful in their movements, not quick on the draw, instead trying to wait out their opponent or catch them off guard. Were they trying to get into each other's heads? Read each other's weaknesses?
It was a Stinging Hex that eventually incapacitated Lord Basil Horton, causing him to sink to his knees and clutch his arm where the nasty spell had grazed him enough to leave a mark. Lord Thorfinn Rowle barked with triumphant laughter as he rejoined the group of Slytherin students, all of whom gave him congratulatory nods.
"Tonks and Brand," Merrythought called out next, sparking Lily's growing annoyance.
"Wish me luck," Rudolf said to Lily. She smiled as he took his place on the dueling platform across from Nymphadora Tonks.
Today the metamorphmagus' hair was a shade of shamrock and cropped in a boy's cut, her tresses spiked at the front and back. Complementing the shocking hue were yellow eyes and pointy ears. There was no doubt she wanted to exude her out-of-the-box personality with fierce, feline features.
"Crickey, would you get a load of this freak show?" Lily heard Regulus chide from a few seats away, his friends hooting with laughter. Professor Merrythought didn't appear to hear him from her position on the other side of the room, but the way Nymphadora stiffened on the platform indicated to Lily that she certainly had. "Did her blood-traitor mother fuck a Leprechaun?"
"More like a three-headed dog," Lord Ivor Dillonsby rasped, sending the boys into hideous laughter.
"Makes sense. After all, no self-respecting wizard would have sex with a sullied—"
"Would you dim-wits shut up?" Lily hissed, cutting Regulus off from his obscenity.
"Oh…I keep forgetting there's now a lady present in Defense class. Our apologies," Regulus mocked, offering a wolfish grin that she matched with passionate loathing.
As Lily's eyes flickered back to Nymphadora, who—despite her best attempt—looked less confident than before, internalizing the insults hurled her way, she recognized herself on that platform. Lily Evans, most disparaged student at St. Madeline's, different than everyone else and an easy mark for the most popular students. She knew exactly how Nymphadora felt, understood the fierce façade hiding the wounded girl beneath. They were the same, no matter how popular Lily was supposed to be now.
"Get ready…" Merrythought instructed, waiting a beat before blowing her whistle and unleashing Rudolf and Nymphadora on one another.
As Lily watched their exchange unfold, she admired how their duel struck an instant balance between thoughtful composure and fiery onslaught. Amid torrents of colourful spell work were pauses steeped with intense staring and wicked, taunting grins. Lily found Rudolf sturdy and poised, effortlessly matching Nymphadora's intensity and appearing to anticipate what she was going to do next, while across the platform, Nymphadora was gritty and imaginative, sending spells that whizzed and popped and twirled with dizzying colours and sounds that Lily couldn't even identify. Where Rudolf was all patience, strength and endurance, Nymphora could only be likened to a lit match dropped into a box of New Year's Eve fireworks.
The minutes ticked by and neither Nymphadora nor Rudolf had managed to land a duel-ending blow. Lily grew more and more enthralled with their techniques and undeniable endurance, dancing around each other's spells as they exorcised their own, trying to worm them around each other's steadfast defenses.
Professor Merrythought eventually blew her golden whistle. "Well done, both. I'm calling a tie as no one else will get a turn if you too keep at it."
Rudolf hopped off the platform and dropped into the chair beside Lily, his neck and forehead glistening with sweat. "I've impressed you, haven't I?"
Lily chortled and poked him in the side, making him grin.
"Next up, Bones and Rowle."
The smile slid off Lily's face. She hissed to Rudolf, "Amelia has already dueled!"
Lily's fury was gradually stoked as more and more names were called out. After Amelia beat Rowle, Regulus bested Rosier, Broderick Bode went on to face Quentin Trimble, and Rudolf went up again to face Dillonsby. She couldn't believe it—she was deliberately being benched by Professor Merrythought.
When Lily arrived at the point of explosion, she arose from her seat, ready to demand why she hadn't been given a chance—and then the bell in the clock tower sounded, signaling the end of class.
"Excellent work today, all. I expect you to turn in your 20-inch essays on banshees when I see you next week. Off you go," Merrythought dismissed, students beginning to pour out of the classroom, all wearing exhilarated grins, save Lily.
"Bad luck, Aurora…should we…?"
"I need to have a word with the professor," Lily cut Rudolf off, leaving his side to head toward the wiry-haired woman stuffing evaluations into her bag.
When all the students filtered out of the classroom, Lily spoke up, her tone communicating her irritation. "May I have a word, Professor?"
The aged teacher looked up. "What is it, Miss Rockford."
It wasn't a question, but a statement of annoyance. What the hell did she have to be upset about?
"I think you know what I'm about to say," Lily replied, folding her arms. Professor or not, she wasn't backing down. She certainly never had at St. Madeline's, though she was sure Frank would disapprove of her acting authentically here—her attitude wasn't exactly harmonious with her well-bred disguise. "You've deprived me of a chance to practice, and I think I deserve an explanation as to why."
"I'd advise you to be careful how you speak to me, Miss Rockford," Professor Merrythought warned. Clearly, she and Lily were made of the same stuff—spice and more spice. "Just so we're clear, I do not care that you're the headmaster's niece."
"So it wasn't on my uncle's orders that you decided to bench me today?" Lily mused aloud, one of her theories debunked. "I'd like to hear your rationale, then."
"Not that I owe a student anything," Merrythought said coolly, slinging a bag over her shoulder, ready to depart. Her sharp eyes met Lily's. "But I will tell you exactly what I think, Miss Rockford, since you have so forcefully asked. I don't believe you belong in this class. I see no spark of skill in you, and can't fathom why that old hat placed you in my class."
Lily stiffened like the woman had raised her hand and slapped her clean across her face.
"Furthermore, I did not wish to see you injured during combat—thus earning me an uncomfortable conversation with Headmaster Dumbledore—nor did I wish to see your embarrass yourself and degrade the hard-won reputations your female peers have worked hard to earn. It's no secret that gaining the respect of male peers is a difficult battle that girls like Amelia and Nymphadora fight on a daily basis. I won't allow some aristocratic girl to waltz into my classroom and make a joke of the discipline because she's trying to earn herself more attention or have her male peers fawn over her."
Tear sprang in Lily's eyes—hot, furious, crushing tears. She couldn't believe how unfairly she was being judged, and by a teacher who didn't know her and was supposed to want students to succeed. But was that why she seemed to loathe her so much? Because Lily was perceived to be a barrier to the success of students like Amelia and Nymphadora?
"I am startled to find that a professor at such a fine magical institution would be so close-minded and quick to dismiss the potential of a student," Lily finally said, swallowing back un-spilled tears. She would not give Merrythought the satisfaction. "I think you judge women more harshly than even men do, Professor, by diminishing me as a talentless girl whose worth is derived from the attention of others. Perhaps it is you who is an enemy to our sex, not I."
Merrythought's eyes widened as Lily turned on her heel and stormed out of the classroom as gracefully as she could muster in such a moment. She was going to go straight to her room and scream profanity-laden prose into her pillow until her voice had grown hoarse.
"So much for blasting me onto my backside," a superior voice cooed as Lily rounded the corner into another corridor.
Lily stopped, took one look at Regulus' sultry, mischievous face, and continued her march. The creep had obviously been waiting for her.
"Oh, come on, not in the mood to play?" the Slytherin cooed, matching Lily's pace as she hurried down the network of empty passageways.
"You do not want to be on the wrong side of my murderous mood, Black," Lily threatened darkly, a part of her almost wanting him to step out of line. She began to think of the things she could do, the spells she could try…and would he ever admit to being attacked by a girl?
"Maybe I do," Regulus said in a low voice, grabbing Lily's hand to stop her frantic pace. She ripped her hand out of his grasp, turning on him.
"Just give me a reason, Black," Lily hissed, it only taking a second for her to unsheathe her wand and point it directly at his chest. Adrenaline surged, her anger manifesting itself in an almost gleeful way. Why did she suddenly feel so good?
Regulus looked mildly worried when light—or was it energy?—flickered at the tip of Lily's wand, but his worry seemed to morph into delight. "I see hunger in your eyes, my lady—that tells me it wasn't you who asked your uncle or Merrythought to bench you today. How very interesting."
"And how very lucky for you," Lily near growled, some sense returning and driving her to lower her wand. "It sounds like Merrythought has no intention of letting me participate in duels and humiliate prats like you and your lackeys."
"Sounds kind of kinky," Regulus smiled, making Lily want to throw up. "Trust me, nothing would give me more pleasure than seeing you shamed after such fighting words, lovely Aurora. But perhaps we can put them to the test after all…"
Lily crossed her arms, considering him. "What do you propose?"
"A secret duel," Regulus whispered, sidling up closer to her so she could hear his hushed words. "Just you and me at dusk by the graveyard. Winner takes bragging rights. It'll be our little secret."
What Regulus was proposing was against school rules and could very well get them both expelled. Lily knew all of her confidents would advise against it—and probably think she was laughable for believing she could win against him, too. Dumbledore's disappointment was certain, but worse, James would be furious to know she was meeting in secret to duel with a Slytherin. It was a lot to risk for mere bragging rights, though she was keen to shut Regulus up. Was it really worth it?
The image of Regulus hurling disgusting insults at Nymphadora suddenly re-emerged. There was no denying she'd relish in dispensing a little punishment for his cruelty, but perhaps there was more that could be accomplished with such a meeting…
"I'll make you a deal," Lily said, meeting Regulus' unflinching gaze. "If I win this duel, you have to swear that you'll never say or do another hurtful thing to Nymphadora Tonks again."
Regulus' haughty veneer dropped, replaced with a mixture of indignant confusion. "What do you care for the mudblood? She's of no consequence to you."
Lily flinched at the use of the derogatory word, but maintained her position. "Those are my terms, Black—take them or leave them."
Regulus frowned, considering her for a moment. Then a smirk spread across his face, more dangerous and serpentine than ever. "That means I get to come up with my own terms, too…how delicious."
Author's Notes
Please continue to read and review :)
pratty-prongs-princesse