Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any Harry Potter related stuff, but apart from the Veela enthrallment and werewolf attributes, Fiona is my own creation. Ann belongs to Ann-Marie herself.
– Chapter Three – Work and Fun –
Fiona looked up into her mentors serious grey eyes. Remus had started teaching her the basics all first years needed, although Fiona was having trouble with the pronunciations.
"So, it's 'Wingardium Leviosa' and 'swish and flick?' She asked for confirmation.
"Yes, watch." Lupin replied patiently, lifting his wand. With a swish and flick he exclaimed, "Wingardium Leviosa!" The feather in question rose a few inches off the hoop-pine desk in his office as he motioned upwards gently with his wand. "See? When you've got it floating, nudge your wand gently and it will move." He explained to the eleven year old. "Now, I don't expect you to get this right straight away, so don't worry. The fact that you have an accent will make it harder, but not impossible." He added. The feather floated lightly down to rest on the desk once more. Fiona stared hard at the feather, pointing her wand at it.
"Wingardium ," She began, swishing her wand, "Leviosa!" With a flick the feather rose to float softly in the air. Fiona gasped in surprise. "I did it!" She exclaimed happily, turning to face her teacher. As she moved the focus of her concentration, the feather drifted back on to the desk. "Oh, it fell." She said sadly, looking at the feather. Remus smiled at her.
"For a first try that was marvelous." He encouraged, a smile flitting across his care-worn features. "Try it again. If you lose you concentration the spell will break. Concentrate." He said emphatically.
"Wingardium Leviosa!" Once again the feather floated in midair. A smile played at the corners of Fiona's mouth, but she suppressed it and concentrated on the big, fluffy, white feather. She nudged her wand up, and the feather rose. She nudged her wand slowly in a circle, and the feather did a loop. Remus was amazed. Fiona hadn't really begun her magical education at Beauxbatons, even though it was partway through the year when she'd left, because Beauxbatons curriculum timing was different that the Hogwarts timetable. Now here she was, a few scant weeks after becoming a werewolf and moving countries, and she was showing unexpected talent for a first year.
"Very good!" He encouraged, smiling. "That's excellent!" Fiona faced him and smiled, but the feather didn't lower at all.
"Thanks Remy!" She responded cheerfully. Remus tried not to wince at the name she'd bestowed on his, and refused to not continue using. It didn't bug him… exactly… if anything, it was just slightly embarrassing, a sign of friendship. Remus had very few friends, and it seemed ironic to him that the eleven year old part-Veela that he'd accidentally strayed across during a blue full moon was to become his friend and charge. He smiled wryly.
Unbeknown to Remus, Fiona had noticed the strange smile splaying across her friend's tired expression. "Are you okay?" She asked quizzically. When he didn't reply, she nudged her wand until the feather was hovering just millimeters from the tip of his nose. Flicking her wrist very slightly, the feather twitched to tickle the end of Remus's nose. He sneezed suddenly, then looked at her, laughing.
"Nice, Fiona." He said, rubbing his nose. "I drift off for a few seconds and you attack me with a feather!" He laughed, the first actual glee he'd expressed in a long time bubbling to the surface, then conjured a feather and started making it tickle Fiona.
"I know zat I'm nice!" Fiona said happily, laughing as the feather tickled her neck thanks to Remus's wand. "I is just to, too nice." She giggled merrily, raising her wand to send her one feather pelting at Remus to tickle the end of his nose.
"Hey!" He exclaimed, trying to bat the feather away. "Well, I think you've got the hang of that spell." He said wryly, regaining his usual quiet, reserved composure. "Tomorrow we'll work on Transfiguration some more, and work on levitating heavier objects, okay?" He asked his student. Fiona nodded, removing the offending piece of bird-fluff from Remus's nose.
"Sure Remus." She said in her French accent. "Zat will be fine. I can go now?" She asked politely. "I 'ave to meet Arnya soon."
"Yeah, you can go now." Remus replied, nodding. "I'll see you tomorrow, or later today perhaps." Fiona got up and walked towards the door to Remus's office.
"Bye Remy!" She called. "I will see you later, I 'ope."
"Yeah. Remember your Transfiguration books tomorrow please." He requested. "And here!" Fiona turned around at his call, just in time to catch the Chocolate Frog he threw to her.
"Thanks!" She said, as always making the special effort she required to pronounce the 'th.'
"That's fine. Bye!" Remus responded, waving. Fiona waved then pranced out of the door. Remus Lupin looked at her retreating back, thinking she was the strangest friend he'd ever had, in terms of circumstances. He had bitten her, made her a werewolf too, yet she called him 'Remy.' A wry smile brushed his lips as he sunk into a cozy armchair to finish his book.
"Fiona, Fiona!" A voice called down the hallway. Fiona turned to see her friend, Arnya Vale, running along the corridor to catch up with her. "Where have you been, I've been looking everywhere for you!" Arnya puffed once she'd caught up to her. "Everest arrived in our dormitory, looking around for you. All the owls in the school have been gone today, did you know? Everyone's getting mail right now, there's owls all over the place!" Fiona just stared at her friend.
"So what is 'appening?" She asked. "Why 'ave all zee owls gone just to reappear now wiz some mail?"
"Dunno. Everest was carrying two letters for some reason. She ditched one on your bed and then flew off with the other." Arnya shrugged, flicking her long black hair. "Where have you been all day?" She asked again.
"I've, I've been wiz Professor Lupin." She replied, remembering not to call him 'Remus,' or even worse, 'Remy.' "'E is tutoring me on zee stuff zat I missed earlier in zee year 'ere, so I wont be so far be'ind everyone." She explained, seeing her friends inquiring look.
"Ah, okay." Arnya replied. There was a slight pause.
"Well, let's go read zat letter!" Fiona replied mischievously, running off down the hall.
When the two breathless Ravenclaws arrived in their dormitory, Fiona bounced up onto her bed, grabbing hold of the letter. The envelope was thick, black parchment, and on the front it read 'Lady Fiona D'Neige, Ravenclaw Dormitory' in silver lettering. Both girls gasped.
"Oh, open it, open it!" Arnya cried, unable to control her anticipation. Fiona flipped the envelope over and slid out its contents.
Inside was a thin piece of black parchment, more like muggle paper, folded horizontally into thirds. With trembling fingers Fiona unfolded the message. In beautiful, ornate, flowing silver script. The letter simply read:
Dear Lady Fiona..
You are invited to attend the Masked Ball.
It will be held in the Great Hall,
Commencing at 8pm,
Tomorrow Night.
We hope you will come.
That was all. Both the first years stared at each other in delight.
"A Masked Ball!" Fiona breathed. "'Ow sweet!" She exclaimed.
"Oh, I hope I'm invited!" Arnya exclaimed. "I haven't got an invite!" She moaned in despair. At that very moment an owl flew in the window, delivering a letter to Arnya that was exactly the same as Fiona's only with Arnya's name instead. "Oh, this is going to be SO fun! What will you wear?" She asked Fiona, eyes wide.
"Zis is going to be so cool!" Fiona lilted back. "Never mind what we wear, it will 'ave to be dress robes of some sort anyway, 'ow are you going to do your 'air?"
"No idea!" Arnya replied gleefully. "But this is going to be SO fun! I wonder if everyone else is going?" She bounced.
"Dunno." Fiona replied. "I 'ave to go see someone, okay? I will be back soon." She lilted.
"'K. Bye."
"I'll see you later zen." Fiona said waving as she ran out of the dormitory. "I wonder if Remy is coming?" She thought to herself, wandering down hallway. She'd just reached the Defense Against the Dark Arts classrooms when saw Ann and her tall red head.
"Hi Ann, hi Professor Weezley!" Fiona chorused happily. "'Ow are you?" She risked a quick glance into Remus's classroom. "He must be in his office." She thought, seeing it empty of people.
"Hi Fiona." Ron replied. "We're good. Are you enjoying it here?"
"Yes Professor Weezly. Very much!" Fiona replied, nodding. She still wasn't sure how to act around this tall man, even if he did seem nice.
"Hi Fiona." Ann turned and looked at her niece. "It is good that you are enjoying yourself, is it not?"
"Yeah, it is fun 'ere! Remus -" Ann twitched, "- is 'elping me to catch up wiz zee uzzer students, so I won't be too far be'ind zem when zee classes start again soon." She smiled. "I is 'aving so much fun 'ere!" She replied earnestly. Ron laughed.
"Aren't we all?" He commented. Fiona noticed him glance mischeviously at Ann and tried not to giggle. "Hey, Fiona, while we aren't in class, or I am not teaching or looking after you as a teacher, you can call me 'Ron' instead of 'Professor Weezly.' After all, Ann here is my fiancé, and Hermione is one of my best friends, k."
"Okay… Ron." The Veela replied cautiously, linking her hands behind her back. She hugged her aunt/'mother,' saying to the pair, "I 'ave to go, or I will be vairy late…" She trailed off, not wanting to mention Remus when it seemed to cause her mother so much pain.
"'k. Bye!" See you later!" Ann and Ron said. Fiona started to walk off down the hall. Halfway along, she turned, remembered the Ball, but not wanting to ruin the surprise or make them feel bad if they didn't have or get an invite.
"By zee way, is you two coming tomorrow night?" She said cryptically. Without waiting for an answer she took off along the passage.
She'd only just rounded a corner when something landed hurriedly on her shoulder, nuzzling it's head into her cheek affectionately. "Oh, 'ello Everest!" Fiona chirped, stroking her tiny Scops owl, and allowing it to hop onto her palm. She held the little black owl up to her eye level. "What are you carrying?" She asked, if not more to herself than to the little owl. Shifting it's tiny, silver tipped wing and a few silver tipped tail feathers she read the address on the envelope. It was addressed to 'Lord Ron and Lady Ann, 7th Floor Corridor, Outside the Dark Arts Classrooms, Hogwarts.' Fiona smiled to herself. Everest cheeped at her, amber eyes inquisitive. "Zey're just around the corner." She muttered to the owl, then shook her head at the fact she was talking to her pet. Everest sent a volley of chirps at her, and the sound echoed loudly along the corridor. "Off you go." Fiona instructed, tossing the little owl up into the air to help it get airborne. The letter it was carrying was bigger than it was! Everest hooted at her owner once, then took off at full pace, pelting around the corner. Fiona winced, while walking bouncily along the corridor. Her owl didn't really have all that much co-ordination. Even though it was about the size of a tennis-ball, Everest was extremely strong and fast, and tended to falcon people by accident, especially when delivering mail.
She walked for a bit longer, and then finally reached Remus's office. Knocking on the door, a tired voice called out,
"Come in, door's open." Fiona pushed open the door and stepped inside, smiling at the memory of the feather fight earlier that morning. Professor Lupin was lounging in a chair reading a black piece of parchement. He looked up, smiling at the scene of his pupil standing in the doorway. "Yes Fiona?" He continued.
"I was, ah, wondering if you 'ad gotten any mail today?" She asked haltingly, not wanting to ruin the surprise for him. "It's just zat-" She began. Remus raised his hand to stop her speaking.
"You mean the invitation to the Masked Ball?" He asked mildly, startling her. Fiona nodded mutely. "Yes, I got one, just received it, actually." He tilted his head in the direction of an owl which was perched on his desk, sleeping. "Romulus," he smiled his trademark wry smile, "just got back."
"So is you going?" Fiona asked hopefully. "Zis Ball sounds like vairy much fun, you 'ave to go!"
"Yes, I'm going." He said smiling at his friend while silently thinking, "I'll have to go, even if I didn't want to, since Fiona'll be going, so it's just lucky that I want to go." Fiona smiled ecstatically at his positive reply.
"Zat is good!" She replied. "T'will be fun!" Smiling merrily she waved and headed towards the door. "Bye Remy!" She said. "And I know zat I 'ave to bring my Transfiguration book tomorrow!" She finished cheekily.
"Bye Fiona." Remus said with a ghost of a true smile. Fiona floated out the door, and then went back to the Ravenclaw Common Room to find Arnya.
(A/N: I feel special today! I wrote 2 chapters, this one and one for Hermione's Troubles, in one day! I feel gifted…. laughs> Please Review!)