His face slightly pink from racing up the driveway to The Manor's front
gate, and his blonde hair falling helplessly into his face, Draco
breathlessly acknowledged his Apparating Instructor, seeming oblivious to
the fact that he had already kept him waiting.
"You're late." Noah Baron-Williams enjoyed pointing out the obvious.
"I have an incompetent house-elf," Draco commented in his usual drawl.
Noah looked pointedly at Draco. Then he remembered:
Malfoys don't apologise
There was an awkward silence before Noah half-heartedly smiles and cleared his throat.
"Well, I suppose we should get this show on the road".
Not returning his smile, Draco nodded.
Without much further ado, Noah launched into the full details of the Apparating Test. He had this rather irritating habit, Draco had noticed, of explaining things in such immense detail that not even an English-speaking walrus could botch the task in question. Feeling above this, Draco made a conscious effort to tune out, catching only the odd word of the explanation,
"... imperative that you visualise the exact destination... blah blah blah... requires the utmost concentration... if it goes wrong, remember to..."
Draco scoffed at that part - like anything would go wrong.
Noah continued, "The last thing we need is another 17 year old mis- apparated wizard causing cat reproduction..."
"WHAT?!" Draco's head snapped up.
Noah repeated, "I said the last thing we need is another 17 year old mis- apparated wizard causing mass ructions!"
"Oh..." Draco phased out again. His stomach rumbled; toast was not exactly the most filling of foods.
"So Draco," Noah suddenly stopped short after what seemed like an eternity later, "any questions?"
Draco swallowed hard and grinned, blinking himself back to full consciousness.
"When can we start?"
Noah's face broke into a wide grin. "Excellent." He whipped out his wand and waved it at his spare hand, "empiraralicus" - a palm-sized scroll materialised there. Noah put his wand away, cleared his throat once again and unrolled the pint-sized piece of parchment.
"This is to certify that the Apparating Test of Mr. Draco Malfoy is now in session." His raised his eyebrows at Draco, who effortlessly raised one back.
"You will be required to perform a simple series of apparition exercises prior to your main apparation,"
Noah paused. Draco tensed. At least there would be no more hyperbolic babbling; under test conditions, Noah Baron-Williams abided religiously to Ministry Regulations.
After ten minutes of mind-numbingly easy exercises around the area close to The Manor, Noah finally announced that it was time for the main show.
"Mr. Malfoy, I am impressed. Not a mistake so far. Its seems you are nothing short of ready for the big one."
Draco smiled smugly.
"Righty-ho..." Noah consulted the parchment. "Ah, a tricky one... Not to worry," he quickly added, "shouldn't be a problem for someone like you."
"Well...?" Draco's usually laid-back tone was gone, in its place an air of impatience.
"Apparition from here..." The pause was obviously put in for effect - it hadn't worked. Draco Malfoy was not one for pathetic fallacy. "... To Next Street, in Oxford. It's a quiet little cul-de-sac, barely any muggles about."
The smug smile was back.
"I'll met you in Oxford then, in about... hmm, lets not be too generous, giving you an allowance for examination nerves... 10 seconds? Does that sound fair to you?"
"Perfectly..."
"Looking forward to passing you Mr. Malfoy."
Noah disapparated.
Draco sighed, and ran his hands through his blonde hair. He was suddenly more nervous than previously.
Concentrating on his instructions, Draco took a deep breath, repeating his thoughts aloud:
"Piece... of... POP! - Draco disappeared.
... cake!"
***
As everything came back into focus around him, coloured blurs melting into distinct shapes, and the sounds of the environment came flooding into his ears, it became horribly apparent to Draco. Something had gone disastrously wrong!
"You're late." Noah Baron-Williams enjoyed pointing out the obvious.
"I have an incompetent house-elf," Draco commented in his usual drawl.
Noah looked pointedly at Draco. Then he remembered:
Malfoys don't apologise
There was an awkward silence before Noah half-heartedly smiles and cleared his throat.
"Well, I suppose we should get this show on the road".
Not returning his smile, Draco nodded.
Without much further ado, Noah launched into the full details of the Apparating Test. He had this rather irritating habit, Draco had noticed, of explaining things in such immense detail that not even an English-speaking walrus could botch the task in question. Feeling above this, Draco made a conscious effort to tune out, catching only the odd word of the explanation,
"... imperative that you visualise the exact destination... blah blah blah... requires the utmost concentration... if it goes wrong, remember to..."
Draco scoffed at that part - like anything would go wrong.
Noah continued, "The last thing we need is another 17 year old mis- apparated wizard causing cat reproduction..."
"WHAT?!" Draco's head snapped up.
Noah repeated, "I said the last thing we need is another 17 year old mis- apparated wizard causing mass ructions!"
"Oh..." Draco phased out again. His stomach rumbled; toast was not exactly the most filling of foods.
"So Draco," Noah suddenly stopped short after what seemed like an eternity later, "any questions?"
Draco swallowed hard and grinned, blinking himself back to full consciousness.
"When can we start?"
Noah's face broke into a wide grin. "Excellent." He whipped out his wand and waved it at his spare hand, "empiraralicus" - a palm-sized scroll materialised there. Noah put his wand away, cleared his throat once again and unrolled the pint-sized piece of parchment.
"This is to certify that the Apparating Test of Mr. Draco Malfoy is now in session." His raised his eyebrows at Draco, who effortlessly raised one back.
"You will be required to perform a simple series of apparition exercises prior to your main apparation,"
Noah paused. Draco tensed. At least there would be no more hyperbolic babbling; under test conditions, Noah Baron-Williams abided religiously to Ministry Regulations.
After ten minutes of mind-numbingly easy exercises around the area close to The Manor, Noah finally announced that it was time for the main show.
"Mr. Malfoy, I am impressed. Not a mistake so far. Its seems you are nothing short of ready for the big one."
Draco smiled smugly.
"Righty-ho..." Noah consulted the parchment. "Ah, a tricky one... Not to worry," he quickly added, "shouldn't be a problem for someone like you."
"Well...?" Draco's usually laid-back tone was gone, in its place an air of impatience.
"Apparition from here..." The pause was obviously put in for effect - it hadn't worked. Draco Malfoy was not one for pathetic fallacy. "... To Next Street, in Oxford. It's a quiet little cul-de-sac, barely any muggles about."
The smug smile was back.
"I'll met you in Oxford then, in about... hmm, lets not be too generous, giving you an allowance for examination nerves... 10 seconds? Does that sound fair to you?"
"Perfectly..."
"Looking forward to passing you Mr. Malfoy."
Noah disapparated.
Draco sighed, and ran his hands through his blonde hair. He was suddenly more nervous than previously.
Concentrating on his instructions, Draco took a deep breath, repeating his thoughts aloud:
"Piece... of... POP! - Draco disappeared.
... cake!"
***
As everything came back into focus around him, coloured blurs melting into distinct shapes, and the sounds of the environment came flooding into his ears, it became horribly apparent to Draco. Something had gone disastrously wrong!