Chapter 5: Consequences and Lessons Learned
The first two weeks of classes had passed, and Hallie tolerated her all classes except she skipped out on Defense Against the Dark Arts. She learned before her first class with Professor Moody what he was teaching…the unforgivable curse. Not just teaching them, but physically showing them in front of each class to spiders. She did not care for insects or anything of that nature, but she did not want harm done to them. She also had trauma from these curses because this is how she and her sister lost their parents thirteen years ago. She also watched for a week the numbness her classmates from every house showed on their faces, including some Slytherins. When she should have been in Defense Against the Dark Arts, she skipped it. Every Thursday afternoon, she would spend with Fred by the Black Lake, he had those afternoons off.
She sat in The Great Hall with Fred, George, and Lee. The beginning of fourth class period occurred, and the hall emptied of those who had class, "Not going to class again?" Lee questioned her as the other Fourth Years, who took Defense Against the Dark Arts class on Thursday late afternoons.
She had been looking at the snacks in front of her, she had not been eating since they reached Hogwarts and she learned what Mad-Eye taught during his first week of classes. She was numb mentally, no one noticed her refusal to eat except Fred. He was worried about her but did not push. He did not want to upset her further. Every free moment they shared together, he provided her a plate of snacks he got from the kitchen. Her plate usually remained untouched. She raised her head to look at the trio, "No…I cannot."
Lee looked at Fred who sat next to her, he leaned into her, "Let's go for our Thursday afternoon walk around the lake."
She gave a small nod, "Yes…that sounds lovely," he stood up offering her his hand. She accepted it and they made their way to the edge of the Black Lake. He made a blanket appear on the ground before them. They took a seat on the blanket, the couple simply staring out into the water as she leaned into him. They remained in silence for quite some time till Fred looked down at her, the chocolate brown hair waterfalling partially over his chest, the rest down her back. He broke the silence, "Hal…you know I love our dates, but you…"
She looked up at him, her emerald eyes locking with his brown ones, "Please do not make me attend."
"You are failing. Defense Against the Dark Arts is a required course to pass before you can move on to the next Year. You live in the shadows of your sister's brain. You live in a house known for knowledge, but you are failing. You have to attend."
She sat up tears filling his eyes, "I can't…Professor Moody…the things he teaches."
He sighed pulling her into a hug to comfort her, "My love…I promise you he has stopped teaching that way. He follows the lesson plans produced for each Year. We follow the book now."
She observed his face, "You sure?"
"I am sure," he placed a soft kiss on her forehead, pausing before moving his lips to hers. A hand moved from around her to up into her hair, his hands tangling in it. Her own hands tangled in his hair. He laid her on the blanket as he deepened the kiss, a hand traveling to the edge of her skirt. They were fully distracted by their current activities that they did not hear anyone approach them. His hand had begun to travel under her skirt, his lips moving to the crook of her neck. The figure approached them clearing their throat. They froze with Fred looking past her head with her looking upside down at the person before them. There before them was Mad-Eye Moody.
"Ms. Porter. Mr. Weasley," his voice cold with Fred scrambling to sit up offering a hand to Hallie to help her sit up.
"Professor…" Fred spoke standing up with Hallie, she stood behind him. She was terrified to be around Mad-Eye, but also because they had been caught by a professor. "This is my fault. I wanted to spend time with my girlfriend."
Mad-Eye looked passed him at Hallie, her hand gripping onto Fred's, "Ms. Porter, come with me."
Fred looked over his shoulder at her as she slowly let go of his hand, "I will see you later," he said softly
She nodded stepping around him and began to follow Mad-Eye, who paused then turned to look at Fred, "Mr. Weasley."
"Yes, professor."
He eyed him, "Fifty points will be taken from Gryffindor for inappropriate public displays of affection and detention for a month. The school does not encourage intimate acts, but if they are in private we cannot stop you. If you choose to move forward out in the open there will be consequences," he turned to look at Hallie, "You will receive the same consequences for the inappropriate public displays of affection, but skipping classes for the past three weeks will require further consequences. This is what we will discuss in my office."
She looked at her feet giving a slight nod, "Yes, professor."
He moved forward past her, reaching the classroom. The room should have still been full, they were supposed to have a double Defense Against the Dark Arts class. "Ms. Porter, sit," he commanded as he reached his own desk. She took a seat in one of the first rowed seats, "You've been missing classes for nearly a month. You are aware you are currently failing. I am having to inform your…"
Just as he started his conversation in walked Cassie and Richard, "Hallie."
"Mr. and Mrs. Banks, thank you for coming to this emergency meeting."
Her guardians glanced at her, "You mentioned in your letter that Hallie is failing her classes."
Mad-Eye glanced at Hallie and then her guardians, "Yes. She has not attended a single one of my classes since the beginning of term."
Cassie's eyes widened, "Hallie Ann! I would expect this from Peri, but not you."
"I believe it is her boyfriend, he has a free period during our class time and I caught them just before I went to find her beginning to engage in…"
Cassie sucked in a deep breath, "Hallie! You are fourteen…"
Hallie had tears burning in her eyes, "We were not doing anything like that. And that is not why I have not been coming to classes," she was quiet not looking up from the desk as tears dripped onto the dark wood. She slowly raised her head to look at the three adults before her, "He was teaching about the curses. Mom and dad were killed by the curses…I could not learn about the actual curses that made me and Holly an orphan."
Richard glared at Mad-Eye, "Are you still teaching these curses?!" he growled. With him being head of the Department of Magical Education at the Ministry, he became furious learning that this is what was being taught to the children. He wanted Mad-Eye fired, but the Ministry wanted to give a warning.
"No. I am not teaching those still. I have followed your heavily detailed lesson plans provided to me."
He looked at his daughter then Mad-Eye, "You are the reason she has missed her classes. You will give her a passing grade, she might have missed classes but she was in fear of learning something that killed her parents. You have traumatized plenty of students with those lessons."
Mad-Eye simply nodded, "Yes, sir."
"Is that all?" Richard asked pulling Hallie to a standing position, holding her in a comforting-fatherly hold.
"She will still receive a consequence for her actions with Mr. Weasley."
The two nodded, "That is fine."
That evening Fred found Hallie sitting alone in the choir room, with the door slightly ajar, "Hal?" She was playing a delicate tune against the keys on the piano, she did not hear him as she was lost in her own world. He smiled softly at her, "Hallie." He placed a hand on her shoulder startling her, she looked at the person standing above her, "Hey." He took a seat on the piano bench next to her, his back to the keys to get a better view of her face.
"I did not get in trouble for missing classes. Richard is still furious with Mad-Eye for even teaching that."
"That is great! I am still in trouble for us getting caught."
She gave a small nod, "Me too."
"It will be alright. I have had worse."
She sat in silence her eyes not looking into his, "I am fourteen."
He was confused, "I am aware of your age…what has that got to be with being in trouble?"
She looked at him, "It is why I am in trouble. You are sixteen…it makes more sense for you to want it. Me? No. I do not want…" she looked down again, "I do not want to lose you."
He sighed understanding her now, "You think I am that shallow? You think if I do not sleep with you I am going to leave you?" She gave a small nod, "No. Darling, I will not leave you because you are not ready. I am sixteen and yes I have the want to, but I respect you enough to listen to you. You are saying no. I hear you. No means no. When you are ready, I will gladly be with you. I may not be a virgin myself, but I will wait for you to be ready."
She hugged him, his gripping tightening on her, "I just do not want to be a mother."
"Talk to Madame Pomfrey. A lot of girls go see her for a potion to take once a month with her, to prevent anything for consequences for being unsafe."
She was silent then locked eyes with him, "Really?"
"Yes. Very common, most do not look into it till they are in my year. You are dating someone older, it would make sense for you too. If you wanted, not pressuring you."
She nodded once more, "I will take that into consideration."
He placed a soft kiss upon her lips, "You mean everything to me, Hallie."
