Oof, another chapter out there. I'm hoping for some reviews as always :) Thankful for the two reviewers from last chapter! Enjoy this one.
CHAPTER 11
'Felix!' I shouted, standing on my tiptoes so I could see over the crowd of students pushing past each other to reach their classes. I saw Felix's blond head look around and I waved and I saw him grin at me and make his way over to me, me walking forward to meet him in the middle.
'Hiya Cecil!' He said cheerily. His teeth were a bit crooked I now noticed, but it did nothing to hinder his smile. He was always his sunny self. 'Hello Felix, I was wondering if you could help me out.' I muttered, pulling my bag further over my shoulder nervously. I didn't like asking for help.
'Sure, what is it?' He asked. I opened up my bag, rummaging into it to find my essay. 'We have to write that essay on muggle governmental structures, right, for Muggle Studies?' I said, pulling out the roll of parchment, closing the bag behind it. 'I wouldn't ask but you did say that we could do homework together when we were talking after the Yule Ball. If you have anything I can proofread for you, I'd love to do so.' I said, rambling on a bit and stumbling over my words.
He took the scroll out of my hands. 'You want me to proofread your Muggle Studies essay? Because I'm muggleborn?' He asked and I blushed. 'Well, I just figured..' I tried to say but I didn't know how to proceed but he laughed. 'No, it's logical! I'd love to proofread it for you! Actually, as you offered, I'm working on an essay for Potions and if you could proofread that for me?' He wondered and I clapped my hands. 'I'd be glad to!' I replied.
With that settled we quickly exchanged essays and committed to going over it during dinner and I hurried to my Transfigurations class. I wasn't late, but most students were already there, waiting for professor McGonagall to arrive. I sat down next to Mathilda, unpacking my textbook, wand and some parchment, a quill and ink. Mathilda and Aurora were talking to each other and I was busy flipping through my textbook to the right chapter so I didn't really notice or focus on their shrill shrieks until a familiar freckled hand closed the book right under my nose, leaning down on the desk.
I looked up into the blue eyes of Fred. He had his arms on either side of me, his one hand leaning on the desk and the other on the back of my chair. 'How are you, love?' He asked cheekily. I opened my mouth but nothing came out and he let out a snort. 'It's a good thing you're a good snog because I really feel like I have to uphold the conversation all by myself.' He mock-scolded. My mind was stuck on the word "snog".
He leaned forward, not taking his hands from the desk and chair and pressed his lips to mine. My eyelids fluttered closed automatically, my hands still at the edges of my textbook, forgotten at the moment. He pulled back again after a couple of moments. 'I just walked by the open door and when I saw you sitting here all focussed, I couldn't resist breaking that concentration.' He said, his eyes twinkling.
'Mr Weasley, no matter how much I insisted, the headmaster wouldn't keep you back a year so that's how I'm sure you're not in my fifth year Ravenclaw-Gryffindor Transfiguration class.' The bellowing voice of professor McGonagall called and Fred shot upright. 'Yes ma'am!' He called, saluting his head of house.
He quickly winked at me but then sped out of the classroom. I saw him join up with his brother and Lee Jordan. I stared after him, my hands slipping from the textbook into my lap as the girls screamed around me. 'Settle down, settle down!' McGonagall called out. I was still staring at the door. With a quick whip of her wand the professor banged the door shut. I ripped my eyes away from the entrance.
'That's it, he's totally into you!' Mathilda hissed at me. 'He just enjoys seeing me flustered..' I murmured. For some reason a nervous feeling had come over me. I was very hesitant to be this presumptuous. Until I heard the words come out of his mouth I wouldn't dare hope. In hindsight that was perhaps wise of me.
That evening we walked down to dinner, discussing our plans for the upcoming Hogsmeade weekend. 'I thought we could perhaps go together, just the three of us, just like old times.' Aurora said. 'I've been with Robin so much lately and Mathilda, you with Adrian obviously and you've had a lot going on as well, Cecil.' She explained. Mathilda nodded, followed by a huff. 'Adrian hasn't even asked me to go with him. He's just assuming I'll go with him and I do not take kindly to being taken for granted!' Mathilda said, putting her fist in her other hand. 'Let's do it!' She called out. I agreed as well but I quickly excused myself when I saw a familiar blonde head in the distance.
'Felix!' I yelled as I saw him walk into the Great Hall. He turned and his inquisitive gaze changed into a cheerful smile when he saw me. He stopped walking and waited for me to catch up. 'You got my Potions essay?' He asked when we were close enough to talk. 'If you have my Muggle Studies essay.' I jokingly threatened. He chuckled and pulled out the roll of parchment. 'You want to sit in the library and go through it together or something?' I asked as I pulled out his essay as well. 'Sounds like a stellar plan.' He agreed and together we walked up to the library, where we sat down at one of the tables.
As dinner had started already it was relatively quiet in the library. There were a couple of fifth and seventh year Ravenclaw and Slytherin students but it was furthermore empty. Both O.W.L.'s and N.E.W.T.'s were coming up soon so there was no time for rest for these years.
Felix handed me my essay. 'Thank you so much Felix, it's really nice that you'd proofread it for me.' I said, taking it out of his hand. He shrugged with a smile. 'It's no problem really. I usually get great grades for Muggle Studies so I decided to share my gift.' He said and I laughed. 'You're such a cheater.' I said, slapping his shoulder softly. I was immediately embarrassed by that but he didn't seem to mind so I tried to shake it off.
'I must say I'm very impressed!' Felix told me as I unrolled the parchment, looking it over. 'It's not only mostly accurate, but also very detailed!' He said but I frowned. 'Mostly accurate?' I asked and he laughed. 'It's not much, but there are a couple of things you need to look at, nothing major. I underlined them for you.' He said, and I looked down to see the couple of blue lines scattered across the page.
I decided to read through my essay.
Government Structures Across the Muggle World
Although the magical world and the Muggle world share diversity in government systems depending on country and culture, the magical world has a more organised union between them so all governments can work together in an efficient manner. The Muggle world lacks this organisation for the most part and has been struggling to cooperate amongst each other for as long as their history books go back.
The main difference seems to be that within the Muggle world countries regard themselves as completely separate from other countries and thus is created a very clear "Us versus Them" mentality. In recent years, starting halfway this century, improvements started to have been made, most notably involving most of western Europe in a union (the European Union, also known simply as the EU) to discuss guidelines and laws that bind and benefit all countries included. These improvements are caused by a new sense of international unity.
There are countless systems of government in the Muggle world but currently the most popular one and widely accepted as being the most viable system to most Muggles is the Democracy that theoretically gives power to the citizens of a country by allowing them to elect the government officials, their own representation, through nationally organised elections.
There have been numerous counts of both criticism and praise regarding democracy. Democracy is regarded as a system by the people for the people but it allows for a risk of ignorance among voters and the imposing of mob influence and the minority communities grasping the short end.
I hadn't gotten further yet but according to Felix's blue scribbles underlining my work I had enough of a job redoing the stuff I had already written.
'What's wrong with "these improvements are caused by a new sense of international unity"?' I asked, noticing the double blue lines. He looked up from his Potions essay. 'It's not true.' He said with a chuckle. 'Oh really?' I asked, taking out my Muggle Studies book. I opened it up and found the page I was looking for. 'How about that then?' I asked, pointing out a sentence confirming my words and he shrugged. 'Books aren't always right. They're written by people.' He said and I wasn't sure what to say to that.
'Then what is right, Mr Muggle?' I asked and he let out a laugh. 'It's not so simple, lots of different things have to get together in order to make the EU work.' He said, putting his own essay down for the moment. 'I mean, this year Austria, Sweden and Finland joined but it's not because they wanted to share in the "international unity" or anything like that.' He said. 'It's all economical.' He added. I stared down at my essay. Maybe Felix was right.
Felix reached forward and patted my arm. 'It's really too large a subject for just an essay.' He said in an attempt at consoling me. I sighed. 'We've got so much homework already. Did you know I have seven homework projects due before Friday?' I asked him and he shrugged. 'O.W.L's will be here soon. It's almost over.' He said comfortingly. When I stayed silent, staring down at my essay, he sighed as well and got up so he could move to the seat next to me. 'Come on, I'll help you with your Muggle Studies essay. It really is a good essay. It's just a couple of small things.' He said in encouragement and I felt his positive attitude rub off on me and I sat up so he could help me iron out the mistakes.
After an hour of solid work the essay was finished and we took a small break before starting on his Potions essay. I felt it was only fair to properly help him as well. 'Muggles are proper complicated.' I said to Felix as I pushed the finished essay away from me. 'No more than wizards.' Felix said with a smile. 'You just don't see it because you're part of it and always have been part of it.' He told me and I laughed. 'You're probably right.' I agreed.
'Why do you follow Muggle Studies anyway?' I asked him and he grinned sheepishly. 'I figured I'd have an easy grade.' He admitted and I grinned along with him. 'Is it interesting to see the world you grew up in from a magical point of view?' I asked and he nodded. 'Very!' He agreed.
I looked over the table and saw a copy of the Daily Prophet laying that someone had forgotten and I reached out to snatch it away, looking over the front page. 'Minister Fudge issued a new set of legislative laws concerning underaged magic.' I said, just reading it in the paper. 'Whatever that means.' I muttered.
'It's weird though right, that in the magical world the regular magical community has almost no input into the system of government?' Asked Felix suddenly and I shrugged as I read the paper. 'It's not like that.' I said and Felix took a moment to answer. 'Isn't it though?' He asked eventually. 'I'm not saying the muggle systems are all flawless, I mean; they're not, but the magical system seems kind of totalitarian to me.' He said and I put down the paper. 'Totalitarian?' I asked. Now it was his turn to shrug. 'It's the word the muggles have for a government having complete control over its citizens without accepting input and changes from those citizens.' He said.
'I mean think about it,' he said, seeing my sceptical face 'there's absolutely no separation of powers. Muggles have this thing called Trias Politica which basically means that there has to be a separation between three independent powers in every nation: for legislation, administration, and jurisdiction.' He said. 'You're not in Ravenclaw?' I asked and he blushed a little. 'I only know things that interest me.' He said.
'To address your point, what makes you think that separation doesn't exist in the magical system? Why do you think we're living in a – a totalitarian you said?– a totalitarian state?' I asked and he leaned his elbow on the table, turning to me all the way.
'The Minister of Magic is also the chair of the primary court of law, the government has no accountability whatsoever and to top it off; the biggest newspaper and major source of information for most people is not only government owned but also government controlled.' He said, pointing at the Daily Prophet I was holding. I was about to protest but then stopped as I thought back to the number of times mum came home complaining that the ministry had put a stop on one of her articles. 'But still, it's not like we have it bad.' I concluded weakly. 'You're simply used to it.' Felix said. I felt a bit upset by him but I tried to hide it because he had helped me with my essay.
However, as I laid in bed that night, staring up at the ceiling of my four-poster, I thought back to Felix's words. It wasn't like he said anything that wasn't true. My dreams were restless and uncomfortable but in the morning I couldn't remember any of them.
Saturday morning Aurora, Mathilda and I were quickly finishing up breakfast so we could start our Saturday in Hogsmeade as early as possible. We were all looking forward to spending a day with just the three of us. We signed off with Filch and made our way towards Hogsmeade. 'We're going to have so much fun!' Aurora sighed happily, linking her arms through ours, putting her hand in her cloak pockets.
The three of us walked by Hogsmeade station. We could see the Hogwarts Express train conductor, still in his nightgown, take tea on the small terrace in front of his service home. His nightcap kept falling in his tea, the tip soaked through already. 'Do you think the sweets lady lives there too?' Asked Mathilda, nodding her head at the small house that signified the end of the railway station. 'You don't know? The conductor and her are married!' Aurora said. Mathilda whipped her head around. 'You're kidding me! Really?' She asked and Aurora nodded her head yes with much enthusiasm. 'Mr and Mrs Caravaen.' She said with a grin. 'That's one of the most wonderful things I've heard in a long time.' Mathilda said, looking back at the house. 'Oh look!' She squealed, pointing. We all looked. The sweets lady had just stuck her head out of the front door, appearing to be saying something to her husband. He grumbled a little but then picked up the entire make shift table, the porcelain clattering, carrying it inside.
'Simply wonderful.' Mathilda muttered as we walked off, the railway station disappearing from our sight and in the distance the village looming. 'They've been doing this work together for decades already then.' She said a little later. 'Who?' Aurora asked. We had dropped the subject a while ago already. 'The conductor and the sweets lady.' Mathilda clarified. 'Oh yeah. They have.' Aurora agreed.
Mathilda seemed to be in deep thought. We just walked out of Honeydukes, our bags filled with chocolate frogs and liquorish wands, when she spoke up again. 'Is there any kind of job that you guys would want to do for so long?' She asked and I shrugged. 'I don't know.' I admitted. 'You know I want to work at the ministry, but I can't say I know for sure that that's something I'd want to do forever. I mean, forever is a long time.' I told her truthfully. Aurora seemed to agree. 'Yeah, you shouldn't plan on forever. You should just plan on being happy and then everything else are changeable variables.' She said. Mathilda nodded, still very thoughtful. 'I have never even thought of what kind of job I'd like to do.' She said to us. We were aware of that. 'Then let's start now!' She said, suddenly coming to a halt. Aurora and I stopped walking too, a bit surprised.
Mathilda looked up at the building we were standing next to and we looked up too, to see the headquarters of the Wizarding Wireless Network. 'What do you want at the WWN?' Asked Aurora, the both of us looking at her incredulously. Mathilda however looked determined, that glint in her eyes that was so Mathilda and a small smile dancing around her lips. 'I'm going to ask for a job.' Said Mathilda. 'Are you crazy?' I asked as Mathilda started walked up to the front door, we darting after her. 'You're fifteen, why would they bother with you? This is the top station in the country!' Said Aurora. 'So what?' Asked Mathilda, pushing open the door. 'Cecil is fifteen and she's going to work at the ministry over the summer.' She said and I huffed. 'I worked incredibly hard to get that position and it's only a summer internship, Tilda!' I argued.
Mathilda wouldn't listen though. Before we knew it she had walked up to the front desk and leaned her elbows on the shiny surface. 'I'm here for a job.' She said to the girl behind the desk. The girl looked a bit shocked at the interruption; she seemed to be doing a crossword puzzle. It probably wasn't very busy on a Saturday morning.
'Uhm, I'm not really in charge of the hiring.' She said, her vowels long and stretched. 'Then get me someone who is.' Mathilda countered. The girl must've been new, she seemed confused and hesitant and clearly didn't know what to do with the situation. 'I don't think I should disturb Mr Mallone, but..-' she started but Mathilda latched onto the name. 'And I'm sure Mr Mallone would love to meet me.' She said resolutely. Aurora tried to pull at Mathilda's sleeve, silently signalling her to leave with us but she shrugged her off. 'How about you go fetch Mr Mallone right now and I won't make any trouble. Do you even know who my father is?' She asked and the girl's face whitened. 'Uhm, yes, of course.' She muttered. 'Please wait here.' She said, quickly running off through a door in the back. 'Who your father is?' I questioned and Mathilda laughed. 'Yeah, I doubt my dad has any pull at a media network but she doesn't know that!' She said with a bellowing laugh.
I looked around the foyer of the wireless station. I had walked by the building many times on Hogsmeade trips but I had never gone in. It was a fancy looking hall, shiny dark floors and modern art on the walls, the abstract shapes and vibrant colours moving about and bumping in to each other. 'Tilda, please, this is most probably a bad idea.' Aurora said. 'Shush Rory, we can't have any of that negativity.' Mathilda only said.
A couple of minutes later the girl came back out, followed by a thirty-something year old man with bleached out hair and a small moustache. He wore bright orange robes and a gold batch on the front that said Albert Mallone – Personnel Manager.
'I'm Albert Mallone, how can I help you?' He asked with a bit of surprise on his face. 'Good to meet you Albert, my name is Mathilda Goodfellow and I'm looking for a job.' Mathilda said with so much flair and confidence that it took Mr Mallone a full three seconds before he reacted. He started laughing so loudly that the girl, who had sat back behind her desk, almost jumped in shock and I felt Aurora (and myself too actually) twitch in astonishment. 'A job? How old are you girl?' He asked and to Mathilda's credit she didn't seem intimidated by the harsh reaction. 'I'll be sixteen in July.' She answered. Mr Mallone's laugh had shrunk to an amused grin. 'So fifteen then. Aren't you still in school? What do you need a job for?' He asked and Mathilda plastered a charming smile on her face. 'I have been wishing to work at the WWN ever since I was a little girl. The wireless was always on in our house and it was truly inspiring to me and I just want to somehow contribute to that.' She said and Aurora and I dropped our mouths open at the amount of bullshit that was just exhibited but Mr Mallone looked impressed.
'It's always great to hear that we can inspire young people like that, but we simply don't hire children here.' He said. He trailed off. It was silent. He looked at Mathilda hoping she'd say something and Mathilda looked at him in expectation, firmly keeping her mouth shut. I had seen her use the technique on others many times. It was a testament to how well we knew each other that she'd stopped trying to use it on me. I wasn't surprised to see that it once again worked. 'Well, I have to warn you that we normally only accept people who at the very least have their N.E.W.T.'s already but we have a summer internship program you could perhaps join. If you give me your details I'll have my assistant send you an owl with the application forms. It's very competitive, a couple of hundred young witches and wizard apply every year and only half a dozen get in, but I'll put in a good word with the determination board for you.' He said. That seemed to be satisfactory to Mathilda. 'That's all I could ever ask of you, Albert!' She said happily.
The desk girl pushed a quill and a piece of parchment her way and Mathilda wrote down her name and house table at Hogwarts with large loopy letters, blowing the ink dry and handing the paper to Mr Mallone. Mr Mallone briefly looked at the writing but then folded it neatly, stuffing it away in his breast pocket. 'You can expect an owl from my office somewhere this week Ms Goodfellow.' He said. 'Thank you Albert, we'll be on our way then!' Mathilda said. Mr Mallone nodded at all three of us with a charming grin. 'Ladies.' He said as a goodbye and Aurora and I awkwardly muttered goodbye as we followed Mathilda's long strides out of the building.
'You're absolutely mental!' Aurora screamed when we were safely outside, laughing loudly. 'Mental!' I agreed, laughter escaping my mouth as well. Mathilda took a quick bow.
We decided to celebrate the possibility of Mathilda perhaps interning at the country's primary wireless network by drinking a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks. 'Cecilia!' Mathilda hissed, elbowing me hard and nodding towards a table by the wall while we sat at the bar. 'Ow!' I muttered, following her eyes. I quickly looked ahead again. Fred Weasley and his group of Gryffindor friends were loudly entertaining themselves, drinking and eating, sitting at the table that Mathilda pointed out with her stares. 'You should say hi to him.' She told me and I furiously shook my head. That was way out of my comfort zone. But on the other hand, I had promised myself that I would try and not be like that anymore. I bit my lip. I had to clear my head.
'I'm just going to go to the bathroom.' I murmured and I slipped off my barstool before Mathilda could stop me. I heard Aurora scold her as I paced away. 'Tilda, she's nervous about these things, you shouldn't be so forceful!'
I walked through the hallway that led to both the storage room, the upstairs rooms of the inn and the bathrooms and went into the ladies'. I sat on the closed toilet lid for a couple of minutes to calm my heartbeat. The simple thought of saying hi already scared me to bits. We had snogged for Merlin's sake but I was still, well, still so afraid of everything it seemed.
After a couple more minutes I sighed, flushed the unused toilet and washed my hands at the sink and left the bathroom only to shriek an embarrassing shriek of shock when a hand pulled at my arm. 'Calm down Cecil, it's only me!' Fred said laughing.
I looked up at him. He was so tall. I wasn't short, I was probably slightly over average actually, but Fred was so tall. All the Weasley kids seemed to be. It was a bit dark in the little hallway and we stood close together. 'Blimey, you were in there for a long time.' He said, pointing at the bathroom door behind me. I flushed bright pink. 'No I wasn't.' I denied and he sniggered. 'I was just worried you had drowned in the toilet bowl, that's all.' He said and I hid my face in my hands in embarrassment.
He peeled my hands off my face, pulling my chin up with his index finger. 'Chin up. It's my birthday, you know?' He said with a wink. 'It is?' I asked. He smirked at me. I started anticipating his kisses more and more so it wasn't as much as a surprise this time as the past times but still did his lips take my breath away.
His kiss was as the ones before; forceful, determined and greedy, pushing me against the door. I snaked my arms around his neck as his hands went around my back and pulled me flush against him. He wasn't wearing his outer robes, he probably left them with his friends, and I could feel his chest through the fabric of his shirt. I felt myself getting red at the thought of being pressed against his bare chest. He was a quidditch player, so he must look nice. I wondered if I'd ever get to see it. My face reddened even at that. Before my thoughts could linger too long, an awkward cough interrupted us.
I jumped back but was already up against the bathroom door and I hit the back of my ankle against the frame. Fred snorted and simply looked at the disruptive source. It was a little third year who looked extremely uncomfortable to be where she was. 'I just wanted to use the bathroom.' She managed to whisper. 'Oh yes, sorry, go ahead!' I quickly said, moving aside, pulling Fred along. The small looking thirteen year old quickly disappeared through the door.
'So where were we?' Fred said but before he could take me by surprise again I stepped backwards. 'Could we just talk?' I asked and Fred frowned. 'Why, what's wrong?' He asked and I chuckled uncomfortably. 'Nothing is wrong.' I lied. He laughed. 'You're a crummy liar, Cecil.' He said. He leaned forward and pecked my lips but then he ruffled my hair. 'Come on, what is it?' He asked and I took a deep breath.
'Well, I don't know but I was just wondering if, well, I don't know..' I tried to say and Fred laughed once again. 'I think you better start over.' He suggested. I looked at my feet. 'Are we, you know, together now?' I asked. Fred stayed uncharacteristically silent. Shit shit shit I thought, still looking down, I totally scared him off now.
'Well, I enjoy spending time with you and all but-' he started hesitantly and I felt my insides freeze and just to not have to listen to the ending of that sentence I reached up and pulled his face down so I could kiss him. He stiffened in surprise at first but as I ran my fingers through his hair and pressed myself up against him, he started to respond, kissing me back and laying his hands on my hips. 'Oh sorry, so sorry.' We heard the voice of the third year say as the door to the bathroom opened again. We both ignored her and Fred deepened the kiss eagerly and my heart, already going a thousand miles an hour, quickened its pace even more as I felt his finger slip underneath the edge of my sweater, his warm, calloused fingertips caressing my bare sides.
'Cecilia? Are you alright, you're taking ages – oh! Sorry!' I heard Aurora's voice. I quickly pulled back and wiped my mouth, my face red. 'I'm sorry, I can leave you alone?' Aurora said hesitantly but I shook my head. 'No, I'll come with.' I muttered. 'I'll talk to you another time, okay?' I directed at Fred, quickly risking a glance up at his face. He looked bewildered, his hair sticking up a bit and his face flushed. He nodded. I sped after Aurora as fast as my feet could carry me, but not fast enough to stop myself from hearing Fred call after me; 'I'll see you around, Cecil!'
Oh boy! Now what?
Please review, this was a difficult one to write for me - It's literally a quarter to six in the morning right now because I decided all of a sudden that I wouldn't quit till I finished the chapter and uploaded it. I didn't even check or even read over the chapter; I'm freaking tired and want to go to bed. It's a good thing that my roommate is visiting her parents because I don't know if she knew already how weird I was. She must've but I still feel like I shouldn't shove it in her face too much.
Well, I hoped you ejoyed the chapter! I'l try and hurry up the next one.