Hello everyone! It's so good to see you all again! I know it's been a while, over a month, but I finally have the next chapter posted, and I really hope you guys think it was worth the wait. It took a lot of planning out, because I'm trying to do my usual personal flare to go along with events in the book, but after so much time, I was able to get it done.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Okay guys, this is just a quick note I need to address to you all. Now, you guys know that when it comes to Harry and Mia's relationship I'm trying to make it as realistic as possible, considering they are now teenagers and have been dating for some time. I'm planning it and writing it out as I feel any normal relationship would develop, so from this chapter onwards there will be scenes were Harry and Mia are more physically intimate with each other. Now, just know when it comes to that stuff I'm not going to be horribly graphic/detailed or anything like that, but I am putting up this notice in case there are any readers who really don't like reading stuff like that. There is one scene that will occur more towards the end of the chapter, and all I ask is that you guys go a little easy on me, since this is the very first time I've written anything like this and published it for other people to see.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter ad please tell me what you think. If there are any questions/comments, just message me and please, please review! Thank you all so much for following my stories for this long, it means more than you know. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: All things Harry Potter are not mine!
Chapter Nine: Quidditch Trials and Moonlit Passions
MiaPOV
It was finally the day of the Quidditch Trials, and Mia couldn't have been more excited. No matter how much she couldn't stand the thought of being up in the air on a broom herself, she couldn't help but love watching the game, cheering Harry and Ron on with everyone else in their house. This particular Saturday morning was a bit cloudy and had a short-lived misty rainfall in the early hours, but otherwise the conditions were still fair. She could tell that Harry was a little bit nervous, seeing as this was his first official day as Captain, but she knew that he would feel comfortable in no time. He had expressed his surprise at the fact that nearly half of Gryffindor House seemed to sign up for the tryouts, but Hermione had told them it was because of Harry himself.
"Oh come on, Harry," she had said as they ate their breakfast. "It's not Quidditch that suddenly more popular, it's you."
"Me?" Harry said.
"Yes, you. What with everything that has happened within the past couple of years, with you facing Voldemort and escaping twice, as well as finally being seen as telling the truth of his return after so many had tried to slander your name, you've never been more interesting and frankly, you've never been more fanciable. And the fact that you've grown about a foot over the summer has helped, too."
"Looks like you'll have to be chasing away all the girls, Mia," Ron chuckled, to which Mia simply flicked some of her eggs at him.
As much as Mia didn't want to admit it, she knew that Hermione had a point. Since Harry had been cleared as stable and was not lying about Voldemort's return, as well as being labeled as "The Chosen One," she was sure there were many people who would suddenly want to give Harry their full attention, the majority of the being other girls. The idea made her frown a little, some of her former self-doubt rearing its ugly head. There were plenty of beautiful girls at Hogwarts, some of them coming from good families along with a considerable amount of wealth. Harry could easily have any girl on his arm if he had taken the time to notice them. But he would always make her worries go away whenever he would hold her and give her that special smile of his, the one that made her feel warm from her head to her toes and that all he could see in that moment was her. So, even if she could be jealous of anyone else who was striving for Harry's attention, she always reminded herself that she was with him, and she honestly considered herself to be the luckiest girl in the world.
When the four of them made their way down the wet slopes towards the Quidditch Pitch, Mia couldn't help but feel excited to see who would be joining the team this year. Once they arrived, she gave Harry a kiss on the cheek and gave Ron a high five as well as Ginny, who was trying out for the Chaser position. She and Hermione took their seats in the stadium together, the both of them pulling their jackets just a little closer to keep out the slight chill that was leftover from the rain.
"This is great, I'm so happy the Quidditch season is picking up again," Mia said as she moved her eyes to the huge crowd that was currently gathered on the field. "I still can't believe so many people showed up, Harry certainly has his hands full."
"I can see Romilda Vane and her friends down there," Hermione said with a huff of annoyance. "They're going to make themselves looks like fools just so they can see Harry."
"Do you think it would be too mean of me to hope she falls off her broom?" Mia asked with a smirk.
"You're terrible, Mia," Hermione sighed, but with a smile on her face. "I'm a little worried about Ron, though. You saw how he looked on the way down here?"
"Yeah, he was almost as green as a frog," Mia replied. "I thought that helping to win the cup last year would boost his confidence, but he still seems so anxious. It must be because of how many people turned up for tryouts."
"And he also has some good competition he's going up against," Hermione added as she gestured over towards one boy who was flying his broom over towards them to wait for further instruction. Mia recognized him as Cormac McLaggen, the seventh year who was at the meeting Professor Slughorn had set up on the Hogwarts Express. Judging my his overconfident grin, Mia had a feeling that he must be a decent player, and if he's trying out for Keeper, he may take Ron's position without breaking a sweat. Still, she tried to stay positive as the tryout begun, wit Harry having everyone split up into groups to run basic tests to start with. He had everyone do a couple laps around the stadium and practice their dives as well. There were quite a few people who were not able to get past the basics, making it easier to narrow it down, and soon Harry had each potential player do some practice moves based on what they were trying out for. A bright smile came upon her face as she watched Ginny fly around the pitch with Katie Bell and a few others who were going out for Chaser. Ginny weaved flawlessly through the air, scoring about seventeen goals altogether and receiving cheers from both Mia and Hermione. The candidates for Beaters were not bad either, although nowhere near as good and Fred and George, but Mia's patience was tested when she heard McLaggen start to talk rudely about the other players, particularly Ron and Ginny.
"…heard they don't have the means to afford a proper Quidditch Pitch, it's a wonder they're able to fly so well, but as far as talent goes…"
"Mia, don't," Hermione said, throwing her a look. Mia just continued to glower at McLaggen as the tryouts kept going, hoping that he wouldn't make the team. In the end, it was decided by Harry that Ginny, Katie, and a girl named Demelza Robins would be the new Chasers while Jimmy Peakes and Ritchie Coote would be the new Beaters. Once they were selected, they went to sit together in the stands to watch as Harry finally turned to watch those who were trying out for the Keeper position. Mia started to feel a little nervous only because Ron looked extremely nervous, and she knew that if he didn't calm himself he wouldn't do well. Cormac McLaggen went first, flying over to the goal posts which were directly in front of where Mia and Hermione sat. To her disappointment, McLaggen managed to block four out of the five goals and her hope that Ron would be able to keep his spot as Keeper started to dwindle. At that moment, from the corner of her eyes, she saw Hermione cover her mouth as though she were trying to stifle a cough, but Mia heard her mutter quietly, "Confundo." Mia's mouth dropped open as she saw that McLaggen fly completely in the opposite direction and wasn't able to block the last goal.
"Hermione!" Mia hissed in a shocked whisper. "How come you get to do something to him but I can't? That's not fair."
"Shh!" Hermione whispered back harshly. "I'm just helping Ron a bit, and you heard how he was bad mouthing everyone else, thinking he's so much better. He doesn't deserve to be on the team."
"Yeah I know, but you better make sure Ron doesn't find out," Mia murmured as said redhead flew over towards the goal posts for his turn. "By the way, that was an excellent Confundus Charm, not that I expected anything less."
Mia could feel her best friend smiling at her as they watched Ron begin his trial. Even though his face had changed from green to pale, his expression was still determined. Somewhere from above them, Mia could hear someone call out "Good luck!" to Ron, and when she turned her head, she was surprised to see that it was Lavender Brown, who was waving up at Ron and giving him a beaming smile. It didn't escape Mia's notice that Hermione's lips turned down into a scowl at this and she was very pleased to see that there was a spark of jealousy in the bushy-haired witch's eye as Ron seemed to take Lavender's verbal encouragement in stride, seeming a bit more confident than he was before. She briefly wondered if Hermione would be the first one to realize her feelings before she snapped her full attention to Ron, who just saved his first goal. He then saved another, then another, and another! With the last goal, it was a near miss, but Ron threw out his leg just in time, the tip of his shoe managing to direct the Quaffle's course. There was nothing to stop Mia from cheering with Hermione and everyone else in the stands, and she was so happy that Harry, Ro and Ginny were all on the team together. She could tell this was going to be a great year for Quidditch and she couldn't wait until the first game. While the new Gryffindor team flew back onto the ground, Mia and Hermione quickly left the stands to join them, with Mia nearly tackling Ron in a tight hug, her smile big.
"Congrats you guys!" she beamed.
"You did brilliantly, Ron!" Hermione praised. There were just a few more minutes of patting each other on the back before Harry set a time for their first practice and the group dispersed, with Mia, Harry, Ron and Hermione trudging further down the grassy slopes towards Hagrid's house. They had decided that morning that they would go down to see him after the trials before heading up to the castle. Hagrid had been absent from meals in the Great Hall, and whenever they would run into him in the corridors, he would greet Mia warmly, but appeared not to notice the others. Mia had been trying to explain to Hagrid that Harry and the others couldn't fit his class into their schedules, but Hagrid didn't seem to fully believe her and he seemed so very sad at times when he thought no one was watching. Therefore—hating not being able to talk to him—they all decided to go visit him that afternoon so they would have a chance to explain. When they reached the cabin, they found that Buckbeak the Hippogriff was tethered in front of it, causing Mia to smile. She sank into a low bow, along with Harry, never breaking eye contact or blinking. After a few seconds, the great beast bowed as well, allowing Mia to come forward and give him a hug around the neck while Harry stroked his head.
"Hello, Beaky," she greeted as Buckbeak started nudging her sides. "Sorry boy, I don't have any treats for you today."
"You get to see him a lot, then?" Harry asked her.
"Every class," Mia confirmed. "I usually head down a little early so I can see him, or talk to Hagrid for a little while before class starts."
"Oi!"
They all turned to see Hagrid coming around the corner of his house, wearing a flowery apron around his waist, a sack of potatoes over his shoulder, and with Fang at his heels. The moment Fang saw them, he let out a booming bark and ran towards them. He eagerly jumped up on Ron and Hermione, slobbering their faces with kisses while Mia giggled. Hagrid started telling them to step away from Buckbeak but when he saw who it was, he stopped short. He stared at them all for a split second before he strode into his house, making sure to slam the door behind him.
"Oh dear!" Hermione said, looking upset. Mia frowned and then left Buckbeak's side so she could walk up to Hagrid's door, and knocked loudly.
"Hagrid, please open up! We really need to talk to you!" she called through the door. There was a couple seconds of silence before the door opened and Mia felt one of Hagrid's massive hands carefully take hold of her arm. The next thing she knew, she was being pulled inside the house and Hagrid made sure to slam the door again behind her.
"Honestly, Hagrid!" she said. "That was childish!"
"Hagrid, if you don't open the door, we'll blast it open!" Harry shouted from the other side.
"Harry!" Hermione's voice exclaimed. "You can't possibly—"
"Yes I can!" Harry countered. "Stand back—"
The furious look on Hagrid's face was very alarming, his beetle-like eyes glinting underneath his bushy eyebrows as he used one hand to thrust the door open, nearly hitting Harry as he stood on the threshold with his wand in his hand.
"I'm a teacher!" he bellowed at Harry, glaring. "A teacher, Potter! Who are yeh ter threaten ter break down my door?"
"I'm sorry, sir," Harry said, pocketing his wand and leaving Hagrid stunned.
"Since when do yeh call me 'sir?'"
"Since when do you call me 'Potter?'"
Hagrid grumbled low in his throat at this before standing back, gesturing for them to follow him inside, muttering darkly under his breath. The atmosphere had become awfully tense as Mia took a seat at the table with the other, with Fang coming over and placing his head on her lap. None of them were quite sure what to say as Hagrid stomped around the cabin, brewing tea from the kettle he had over the fire and when it was ready, he roughly set three mugs on the table before them, although he was a bit gentler with Mia's. When he joined them at the table to start peeling his potatoes, Hermione tentatively started speaking to him, saying they really wanted to continue on with Care of Magical Creatures, but they just couldn't fit it into their schedules. Hagrid merely grunted, stating that Mia was able to fit it into hers.
"That's only because she's mental and doesn't know when enough is enough," Ron said, receiving a glare and a sharp kick to the knee under the table.
"He's right, Hagrid," Mia said as Ron winced in pain. "I barely have time to eat and sleep anymore, much less get all of my work done for all my classes. Why do you think I try to come to class early all the time? It's really the only free time I have to talk to you."
Hagrid made another noise in his throat, but this time it sounded more like a hum rather than a grunt. Before anyone could say anything else, there was a strange sort of squelching noise coming from the corner of the cabin and when Mia turned to see what it was, she let out a short yelp of disgust. There was a large barrel filled with white, slimy, foot-long maggots that were writhing over one another and Mia had to keep her hand over her mouth to make sure she didn't vomit as she inched back against Harry while Ron leapt up from his seat altogether. In a small voice, Hermione asked what they were and Hagrid said that they were giant grubs that he had gathered for Aragog.
"Aragog?" Mia repeated. "You mean, you're giant spider friend in the forest?"
All of a sudden, Hagrid burst into tears, taking them all by surprise. He dropped his knife to the table and buried his face in his hands, his cries loud and his shoulders shaking, looking so utterly helpless. Mia got to her feet at once and went over to gently pat his shoulder and rub his arm, trying to comfort him as she asked him what was wrong. Through his sobs, Hagrid explained that Aragog, his dear companion for many years, had become ill over the summer and it didn't seem as though he was getting any better. Seeing as how much this monstrous pet meant to Hagrid, Mia was sad to hear that he was ill, but wasn't very surprised. She wasn't sure exactly how long giant Arachnids lived for, but if he was at least as old as Hagrid, she figured it would make sense that his time was soon arriving. When they were able to calm him down some, Mia made sure to make Hagrid a steaming cup of tea as well from his kettle and he apologized for the way he'd been acting, saying he'd been so worried about Aragog and feeling they might have wanted to continue with his class if Professor Grubbly-Plank was teaching it. Mia truthfully told him she wouldn't have bothered if Grubbly-Plank did teach it, while the others chimed in to say what a bad teacher she was. This seemed to cheer Hagrid up a great deal and by the time they left to head back up to the castle, he had waved them off cheerily, with Harry, Ron and Hermione promising to come and visit again as soon as they could. As they walked up to the castle for dinner, the topic once again changed to the tryout that took place that morning, and Ron laughed at McLaggen's performance.
"I still can't believe he missed that last penalty, you'd think the poor bloke was Confunded!" Ron gloated, shaking his head. Mia saw that Hermione's face turned the brightest shade of pink at his words and she had to keep herself from laughing, since it had gone unnoticed by Ron. When they made it to the Great Hall, Hermione and Ron entered the room first, with the latter exclaiming excitedly at the prospect of food, and Mia was about to follow when she felt Harry take hold of her hand and led her off to the side, out of sight.
"Okay, spill it," Harry said.
"Spill what?" Mia asked.
"If you ask me, it did look like McLaggen had been Confunded out on the pitch today," Harry answered with a raised eyebrow. "And he was flying right in front of where you and Hermione were sitting."
"Maybe he just lost his nerve and choked on the last goal," Mia suggested in a would-be innocent voice.
"Nice try love, but I saw the expression on both of your faces when Ron mentioned it," Harry countered.
"Okay, okay, Hermione used the Confundus Charm on him," Mia admitted quietly. "But you should have heard him, the way he was talking about Ron and Ginny, and you saw how angry he got when he didn't make the team. He just wouldn't have been a good addition to the team in my opinion, h thinks too much of himself. I'm just sorry Hermione got to him before I could."
"Honestly, what am I going to do with you?" Harry sighed.
"Love me?" Mia piped up cheerfully.
"Well, that goes without saying," Harry chuckled. "But please, no more jinxing my teammates?"
"Promise," Mia said, sealing it with a peck to his lips. "Come on, let's go grab some dinner."
…
Throughout the following week, Mia was finally getting used to the routine she set up for herself as she got used to being back at Hogwarts. The work load was still overwhelming at times, but as they neared the end of September, she went through each day like clockwork. She would go to class, spend almost every free period to do work so that her evenings were free to spend with her friends and boyfriend. Usually she and Harry would take a walk together along the lake for some time alone if they could manage it, but as the days were starting to get colder with more rain than they would have liked, they started to just stroll through the corridors of the castle. On night, after practicing down at the Quidditch pitch for a while, Mia waited for Harry outside of the locker room until he emerged, with his Firebolt over his shoulder and a grin on his face when he caught sight of her. The two of them took their time walking back up to the school, letting everyone else go on ahead. They spoke of little things at first, simply enjoying each other's company, until the topic switched to Professor Dumbledore.
"He wasn't at breakfast again, today," Harry stated a troubled look on his face. "We've only seen him a few times this month. I wondering what he's been doing."
"It's probably something really important for the Order," Mia said. "It's the only reason I can think of as to why he's been gone for days at a time. Don't worry Harry, I'm sure he'll be back soon and you will have another lesson with him."
"I'm still not sure what these lessons have to do with the prophecy," Harry admitted quietly, despite the fact that they were currently alone in the corridor. "He says understanding Voldemort's past is important, but I still don't fully understand."
"Maybe your next lesson will be a bit clearer," Mia said. "I just can't believe his mother had gone through so much in her life. I can't help but feel sad for her."
It was true, when Harry had confided to them what had happened with his first lesson with Voldemort, Mia was shocked and saddened. Apparently, Voldemort's mother, Merope Gaunt, was a pure-blood witch—a direct descendant from Salazar Slytherin—who was abused and mistreated by her brother and her father, Marvolo. She had fallen in love with a Muggle, Tom Riddle, and after slipping him a love potion or some other enchantment to make him love her in return, they ran away together. However, after a while she must have lifted the enchantment because he abandoned her while she was still pregnant with their son, who would one day grow up to be the most feared dark wizard of all time. Hearing that the poor woman was treated so cruelly and left alone with her child made Mia sympathetic towards her, and she figured that Dumbledore was teaching Harry this for a reason. But for now, it was just a matter of waiting for Dumbledore to return from wherever he is and waiting for him to reach out to Harry again.
Harry and Mia continued walking together along the fifth floor corridor and was just about to round a corner when there was a sharp mewling sound. In the next moment, Mrs. Norris, Filch's beloved pet, came slinking around the corner, her bright eyes trained on them and her tail swinging back and forth. Sure enough, within the next few seconds there was the distant sound of echoing footsteps that were steadily getting closer.
"Filch," Harry muttered.
"Come on, let's get out of here," Mia said as she took Harry's hand and pulled him back down the corridor. "Your shoes are still dirty from the mud, he'll lose it if he sees you making a mess on the floor."
The two of them hastily made their way down the corridor and Mia looked over her shoulder to see that there was a shadow moving along the corridor where Mrs. Norris had emerged from, growing even closer towards them as well as Filch's ragged breathing. Cursing softly under her breath, Mia looked around for a place to hide and the only thing she could see was a broom cupboard off to the right. Thinking fast, she gestured over towards the cupboard and Harry wordlessly followed her inside before Filch could catch them. The two of them hurriedly squeezed inside the small space and Harry closed the door behind them, encasing them in near darkness. For a moment they were silent, listening for any sound of movement from outside. After about a minute they did hear Filch's grumbling as he asked Mrs. Norris which way they went, and soon enough he was shuffling away, his footsteps growing softer until they were gone altogether. It was only then that Mia let out a sigh of relief before she looked up at Harry with a smile.
"That was close," she breathed with a light laugh.
"I'll say," Harry agreed, appearing just as relieved as she was that they managed to sneak away from Filch. There was a very brief moment of silence between them as the worry of being discovered slowly drained from their bodies, and Mia suddenly realized just how close they were to each other. The cupboard they were currently hiding in wasn't horribly small, but there also wasn't too much room to maneuver, so it wasn't surprising that she and Harry had to be pressed against each other in order for them to properly fit, considering they were already sharing the confined space with a couple of buckets and wooden boxes. There was a small window off to the left that allowed a good amount of moonlight to shine through, lighting up Harry's face. It fully dawned on her that they were currently completely alone, in a broom cupboard and pressed up against each other I a way that made her heart beat just a bit faster inside her chest. Her cheeks flushed when she noticed that Harry was gazing at her in a way he never had before. In his eyes she could still see the undeniable love he had for her and the tender adoration that came with it, but she also saw something that practically made her breath catch in her throat…something terribly akin to hunger. Without taking his eyes off of her, Harry carefully took his Firebolt and leaned it against the wall beside them and then moved his hand to cup her cheek, his fingers tracing tantalizing lines across her skin.
"You're doing it again," Mia let out in a breathless whisper.
"Doing what?"
"Staring."
Harry simply smirked at her before he leaned his face in closer, his breath warm against her lips and his free hand making its way to her hip.
"Give me a reason not to," he murmured just before he stole her lips in a kiss. Sparks seemed to burst from Mia's ears and she easily surrendered herself to the sensation of having Harry's mouth on hers. A low hum of content escaped her as she slowly slid her hands up Harry's chest before she locked them around his neck, softly running her fingertips through the hair at the back of his head. She heard him groan into the kiss before he deepened it, and Mia felt her knees go a bit weak at the eager passion in the way their lips moved against each other. Somehow Mia found herself moving backwards until she was pressed against the wall, but the two of them never broke away from their kiss. With his one hand still on her hip, Harry moved in closer until his body was flush against hers, and she gasped in surprise when she suddenly felt just how into the moment he was through his Quidditch uniform. The thought somehow made her feel even more excited and that all too familiar craving struck her as fierce as lightning, causing her to moan. Eventually they had to break apart for air, but Harry's lips refused to leave her skin, tracing themselves across her cheek and down her neck, where he gently sucked at the area where her neck met her shoulder, causing her to bite her lip and a shiver to go through her.
"Harry," she moaned softly, and she felt him smirk against her neck. His free hand trailed over her chest until it came to the clasp of her robes and within the next moment he had it undone, causing her to gasp in surprise. Ever since the end of the summer, she and Harry and become increasingly more intimate with each other, exploring more of each other's bodies when they had a rare moment to themselves, but this was the first time Harry had insinuated he wanted to go a step further. At the sound of her gasp, Harry pulled away from her neck so he could stare directly at her, his face flushed, his glasses fogging up, and a sheepish look on his face.
"I'm sorry, Mia," he said. "If you don't want to go too far, I understand. I just…I can't help but want to touch you, but I won't do anything you're not comfortable with."
Harry's sincere words touched her, and she knew he was being completely truthful with her. He would never do anything that made her uncomfortable. She gave him a tender smile before drawing him in for another kiss, taking his hand in hers and bringing it up to her chest. Within the next few seconds Harry started to massage her breasts while his other hand slipped underneath her shirt and began to draw tantalizing lines on her stomach. Mia sighed at the feeling of his hands on her bare skin, positive that nothing could feel as wonderful as this. After about a minute, Mia felt Harry hand slip back from underneath her shirt and then he started to shift it down even lower, making her gasp again. She and Harry broke their kiss and through the moonlight she could see the desire and need burn in his green eyes.
"Mia," he said huskily. "Can I touch you?"
Mia's heart was beating uncontrollably inside her chest, her excitement reaching new heights as well as her nerves. With her throat suddenly feeling a bit dry, she licked her lips and nodded her head, giving him her permission. Harry gave her another sweet kiss on the lips before he moved back to her neck, his hand moving lower over her skirt and placing itself on her thigh, rubbing a few soothing circles with his thumb before finally reaching where she was aching for him to touch. Once his hand reached its destination, Mia moaned again, closing her eyes and leaning her head back against the wall, nearly overcome by the feelings coursing through her. She could feel Harry's warm breath become a bit more ragged as he pressed himself closer to her. Soon he started to move his fingers, lovingly caressing her most sensitive area while Mia, out of reaction, tried pressing her thighs closer to create more friction. Harry responded to this by slowly moving his body sensually against hers, leaving no gap between them and making Mia whimper in delight, feeling the friction she desperately needed.
"Harry," she breathed. "I…oh…"
Harry continued kissing and sucking on her neck, carefully rocking his hips against hers, and the both of them moaning. Soon enough, Mia could feel something building up in the pit of her stomach, coming faster than she could imagine possible. The combination of Harry's body moving with hers, as well as his fingers against her heat, and his lips on the sensitive spots on her neck was too much. After just a few more rocks of Harry's hips, it happened. A soft cry tore from her lips as something amazingly wonderful snapped and exploded within her, making her clench her thighs tighter and her entire body shudder as she arched into him. It seemed like seconds before Harry gave a small jerk forward and Mia heard him groan quietly into her neck, his stiff muscles relaxing. The two of them stood there for a moment, both catching their breaths and coming down from the swift, pleasurable high that had taken them over. After a couple minutes, Harry removed his hands away from her skirt and breasts, tenderly cupping her cheek again as he placed his forehead against hers.
"Wow," he whispered.
"I think that may be a bit of an understatement, sweetheart," Mia said with a light giggle and a deep blush in her cheeks.
"I'd say," Harry agreed, smiling at her. "Are you okay?"
"Never better. You?"
"Fantastic, actually."
Mia just giggled once more before giving him a kiss, with Harry latching his arms around her. They stood wrapped up in each other for a minute before Mia reluctantly suggested that they should head back to the common room. Once Harry retrieved his Firebolt, he opened the door to the cupboard and poked his head out, looking up and down the corridor. When he deemed that the coast was clear, Mia followed him out of the cupboard into the torch-lit corridor where they had left Filch and Mrs. Norris. Moving quietly, they made their way back up to Gryffindor Tower hand-in-hand, a comfortable silence falling between them and sharing shy, yet happy grins with each other on the way up.
…
Dear Mia,
How are thing going at Hogwarts? I'm sorry I haven't had much time to write much since your classes started, been kept busy lately. I'm glad to hear you are all doing well so far, I can remember when I had to take my N.E.W.T classes in sixth year, I honestly don't know how I would have made it without Remus (don't tell him I said that). Your Art class sounds interesting, I have no doubt you're the best student, given all the drawings you've made in the past.
So, Slughorn's already trying to get you to join his club? I figured that would happen sooner or later, he's persistent when it comes to getting to know the most talented students with good connections. Yes, I've heard about Snape becoming the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, and you know I'm just about as thrilled at that as you and the others are. Just don't let him get under your skin, and if he gives you or Harry a hard time, let me know.
Listen Mia, I already asked Harry this in the letter I'd written to him, but I was wondering if you both could meet with me this weekend? Dumbledore granted permission for me to see you guys so we can talk more about what we discussed over the summer. Let me know what day works best for the two of you, and we'll set something up.
Can't say too much more now, but I can't wait to hear from you guys. The house is kind of quiet without you lot here, and I'm sure Remus must be sick of me popping up at his house and dragging him over for tea and lunch. If you don't mind, I was hoping we could all get together for Christmas this year, break in the new house officially. What do you say?
-Sirius
Mia smiled down at the letter Sirius had sent her earlier that morning when the post had come in during breakfast. She remembered Sirius mentioning he wanted to try to teach her and the others some extra defense lessons if possible, and she was glad that Dumbledore gave him the okay to do so. She knew Harry would be glad to see him, and she hoped that these lessons with Sirius will help her be more comfortable with defending against magical attacks again. Ever since that first class with Snape, she's been getting better, but not completely confident yet, and with the war in its beginning stages outside of Hogwarts, she knew there could be no room for doubt. Checking her watch, Mia stuffed the letter inside her bag and hurried so she could reach her Art class on time. When she arrived at the room, she cheerfully greeted Rachel Collins, the only other Gryffindor who had taken the elective and slid into the seat next to her just as Professor Frendell entered.
"Good morning everyone," he said to them all with a bright smile. "Now, I have a little surprise for you all, as we will be doing something a bit different today. With autumn right around the corner, I figured we should all take advantage of the glorious changes that are taking place outside on the school grounds—"
Professor Frendell was suddenly interrupted by the door to the classroom opening and Mia looked up to see the Claudia Nessen had stepped through. Nessen was actually the only Slytherin who had taken the class, and she usually sat by herself in the back, keeping to her usual, frowning self. However, when she entered the classroom, Mia was shocked to see that her eyes were very red, as though she had been crying, her shoulders slumped and appearing thoroughly distraught, her cool mask not visible at all on her face.
"I'm sorry I'm late, Professor," Nessen murmured in embarrassment, hanging her head a little. "I had lost track of the time."
"That's quite all right Miss Nessen, just be more careful in the future," he replied, giving her a concerned glance as she made her way back to her usual seat. Professor Frendell then proceeded to tell them all that for today's class they would be taking their easels and painting equipment out onto the grounds by the lake not only to practice their scenery, but to also try out the special paint that will allow their subjects to move. Everyone was very excited about this, but Mia's mind kept drifting over to the look on Nessen's face, and how utterly helpless she looked. Professor Frendell gave them all a few minutes to gather everything they would need to take outside before having them all line up at the door. Mia looked over her shoulder at Nessen, who was moving rather slowly, gathering her things in a numb-like state, her expression blank. She was suddenly reminded of the first time she had ever met Harry, all those years ago, and he had the same look of sadness on his face as well. After a very brief moment of hesitation, she walked over to the Slytherin girl.
"Nessen?" she said gently. "Are you okay?"
Nessen didn't answer her at first, but when she turned to face Mia, the brunette was surprised to see that her usual glaring and arrogant eyes were shining with unshed tears.
"No, I'm not," she replied.
"Would you like to talk about it?"
"Yes…yes, I think I would."
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