An: This year has gone so fast already, the end of February. Just came back from a nice break in Canterbury, see my sister and niece and coming soon, my nephew. Good times, and more coming with the continuation of this story.
Chapter title: I'm Eighteen by Alice Cooper
Ilena's POV
"You look miserable as sin, can I join you and then maybe we can depress the whole world together?" Alex already takes the empty seat she requested from me. Hermione's spot. I'd normally be irate that Alex decided to take away that visual reminder of her absence. I can hear you saying that's a good thing, it's not necessarily a good thing. Bittersweet, in that I can still see her there even with only my imagination eyes. If someone else sits there in reality, it's harder to picture Hermione. And that is when I get angry.
But this time, I do welcome it. Alex took the risk in thinking she may as well be offering herself up to a murderous lunatic by asking for Hermione's chair, but that's a blessing compared to how she's felt the last few days. A lot of us excluding me and Dom have given her a wide berth as of late, including her apparent Slytherin girlfriend. The latter being the reason the formers were drawing away. The latter had her own private reasons, and I think myself, Dom and Alex are the only three who can provide close educated guesses.
Alex pulls a face that screams 'this is awkward as hell and I hate it, but I'm doing it'. Eventually her face calms down and she comes out with "so apparently the ferret and his fabulous cronies will not be expelled."
I slam down my quill in utter disgust. "That's unbelievable! They captured, tortured and then made you choose between life and death! The life option didn't have much of a sunny appearance to it either!"
"Oh I know. Do you think just because my voice is quiet now, that I'm not seething underneath?" Alex responds, and I believe she is deadly serious. "They've got detentions for the rest of the year, banned from Hogsmeade, and Malfoy is no longer a prefect. That's on the charge of the "bullying nature" and "threatening behaviour"".
"Not the charge of putting lives in danger, and forcing an Unbreakable Vow on you?!"
"No. They don't know that lives were put in danger" Alex answers.
"How do-" Oh, I see what she means. "Nobody told them about the Fire thing. I don't see why it's so important that losing your life is more preferable"
"I won't be governed. I'm no better off in this world than a werewolf, and I'm not a true elemental either" Alex defends her silence.
"What if Malfoy tells them?"
"He won't. He hasn't got proof, and it's hard to prove without an element of force. The professors would never do that."
"You do realise not telling them was the difference between having those arseholes around, and expulsion" I remind her.
"Yes, I did consider that before they asked for my report of the incident. I did consider telling them. But that was before I knew that Pansy would have the very same punishment as them. By then, my resolve was final."
I am really confused by that, surely they know Pansy saved Alex from a very bad fate. "What did she say to them?"
"Pansy admitted to taking them down, but didn't mention anything about the Unbreakable Vow. That way it just looks to those who know about it like Pansy was being sensible and saving them from expulsion, rather than helping me."
"She attacked them, how does she explain that away?"
"She was forcefully protecting their own interests. She also told them she got stunned too when I got free."
"Why?"
"Because Pansy still has her place in Slytherin. If they get expelled and they know she did it to save little ol' me, she won't be able to survive in Slytherin anymore" Alex explained.
I take it back, this is unbelievable. "After everything she's still loyal to the house, in which other members are likely to make anybody's life miserable, maybe even kill them in the name of Slytherin."
"It's nothing to do with loyalty. It's nothing to do with Slytherin. Draco bloody Malfoy isn't the spirit of Slytherin, Slytherin is for people like me, Pansy and Dom. People with grand aspirations, people with a cunning intelligence, pushing the boundaries. Draco Malfoy isn't a true Slytherin and never will be. But he is one of the most powerful forces because of his family name, and influence."
Okay, I kind of get that. "But even he can't comeback from an expulsion. With a broken wand, no full education and all the shame on top, you can live freely in Slytherin."
"Is that what you think?" Alex snorts humourlessly. "If it's not from Draco himself, or his cronies, vengeance would eventually come. I'm not exaggerating here, you must know the riches that the Malfoys are rolling in. So you know they have the money to hire very dangerous people, who do not discriminate between fully grown men, women or children."
As a Muggleborn, I know very well the capabilities of the rich purebloods. Luckily I'm so miniscule in importance that they don't even tend to see me. And in the Muggle world evil rich people do have tendencies for murder and conspiracy. Our worlds really are not much different. "Pansy has to suffer Slytherin in order to survive in it" Alex says whilst I reflect.
"And you don't?" I reply.
"I have always suffered it, I will continue to suffer it. Draco won't be as bold as to try this again, not anytime soon anyway" Alex counters.
I'm beginning to understand, but I still wholeheartedly disagree with their decisions. Malfoy is scum, and he's getting away with almost literal murder. They owe it to everybody else to expell his arse when they are given the chance on a plate. Who are his next victims going to be if not Parkinson or Alex? Perhaps me, or Hermione?
"Joe hates me for it too" Alex reads my mind, I hope only figuratively. "Blames it on Pansy, because I must be mad to not go to town on Malfoy, and if I'm messed up then that's Pansy's fault. Rosie is ignoring me for some unknown reason as well. Lucy I think has had bad experiences with Pansy before. So it's only you and Dom left speaking to me."
Knowing Alex needs the boost, I must remind her of the one she's missed out. "She might not actually be here to talk to you, but I'm positive Hermione would be if she was."
"Really?" Alex speaks with dubious belief "isn't Pansy her nemesis or something?"
She is not on her Christmas card list, that's true. "Admittedly she'd be wary of Pansy, but she likes you. And if someone makes you happy, and treats you right, why would she make it about her?" I leave a pause for Alex to answer but she declines. "You were meant to say she wouldn't, because Hermione is not like that."
"She was a bit mean to Lucy for no real reason, and Lucy is a good person through and through. Can you really say she's not like that?" Alex questions me, and how dare she.
"That was different" I chime. "There was jealousy in play there, and that makes everybody mean. And there could be something deeper to blame, hence why she's there and not here."
Alex offers up a surrendering hand. "Just saying, you couldn't bet on Hermione being as cool with it as you and Dom. That's not saying one or the other is true."
Agree to disagree I suppose. "Right, well at least you know you've got me and Dom. I'm not particularly a fan of Pansy, but I've seen that mythical Alex smile too much to not know how much she means to you. And she did save your behind, so that suggests it's mutual."
Alex smiles, only a fraction though. "I hope that truly is present tense, because she's not spoken to me since...since we did our written reports."
"From what you just told me, she's probably keeping her head down" I return.
"Yeah, probably right. But...she used to sneak me notes and that. Or our eyes connect for a few seconds in class. I haven't caught her eye, and no notes" Alex adds, looking absolutely devastated I might add. Not crying or any sign that she will, she looks more sick than sad. But she's never looked like this before...not even with Rosie.
I can't bear to imagine if Hermione ever stopped talking to me. I'm dying a little inside as it is, and I hear from her every one to two days. If I didn't have that, I would be OcclVision's next guest.
Alex has started drumming her fingers on the table, she's dying to ask something else so it'll be years before I should expect the question. Unless I ask for her to ask. "Is there something else you wanna say Alex?"
Like she's been shocked by a tazer, she bolts into an upright seated position. "Don't pressure me!"
"I'm sorry, but I can't sit here and listen to your nails for the next few hours" I reply.
"Well tell me to stop then, whilst I think of how to say it" Alex is cute when she's frustrated.
"I'm not grading you on your English. I'm Swedish, so I'm less qualified than you. Use the words that come to you and I'm bound to understand."
Alex takes a few extra moments of courage-hunting, before finally getting words out. "How do you know you love Hermione?"
I get tazered this time. "I...I don't..." Now I'm trying to find the right words. "How I know I love her?"
"Yes."
"I...it's hard to explain. Without seeming a poetic little wimp" I explain, hoping to be spared.
"Who cares" Alex shots back before her eyes shimmer with urgency. "Please Lena, I need to hear it."
I'll give it my best. "Well...I know every time she smiles. I know every time she speaks. I know every time I look into her eyes. I dream of her, constantly. I haven't felt them but I still am certain her kisses are magic in of themself. She's the centre of my life, and everything I do is for her."
"Merlin, you weren't kidding. Is your middle name Juliet?" Alex jokes briefly before slipping back into her vulnerable state. "But actually, I do need more. I know that love is what you feel for Hermione, that description proves that. But how to tell one love from another, that's my problem."
"You think you love Pansy, already?" They've barely known each other.
"Don't tell me you didn't love Hermione almost off the bat, I know that's a lie Miss Hypocrite" Alex accuses rightly.
"Fair point" I admit.
"And I don't know" Alex urges me to understand. "I know I loved Rosie, and I maybe love Pansy now instead. But they're different. Surely if I loved Pansy as much as I did Rosie I'd feel similarly, right?"
What baffles me is the fact she thinks I'd know the answer to that. "Alex, I've only ever loved Hermione. Nobody has ever come near to her. So I don't know the difference between two loves, or if there is one."
"You are the only one I can ask currently. And the only other gay friend who is in love with somebody" I see, takes one to know one. I beg to differ.
"Look, I'm not an expert on love, or girls. But if you really want my attempt at advice, then I'd forget about the answer to that question. Stop comparing because that seems like a guaranteed nightmare. If you care about Pansy just focus on that, if it's not love you'll eventually know. Likewise if it is. And that starts by sitting down with her and talking, and it seems like you've got to instigate that, without compromising yourself and Pansy of course."
Alex really enjoyed my advice, her little vulnerable face filling up with hope and determination. "Yeah, that's perfect. Thank you Lena, I'll be seeing you."
Off she pops, I'm turning more and more into Rosie with every day, giving sound advice that I'm immensely proud of. But there's that one thing though. "Hey one more thing, it's important."
Alex puts the brakes on (because she'd started running) and swivels around. "What is it?"
"If it is love, that's if, be careful. She's just found out that you're part-elemental, and doesn't know how truly dangerous you can be, especially in her position. If this is love again, and you said it feels different, then you may unintentionally put her in harms way. I know you are the last person to want that, so just be careful."
Alex sincerely nods, before turning away and leaving. She didn't run this time, so I'm assuming that means my warning was well received.
Now, back to looking at Hermione's empty chair.
Alex's POV
This girl of mine knows how to make things hard. I guess the saying is true...if I can remember it properly. 'You're attracted to'...not to yourself, that's pure vanity. 'You're attracted to things that remind you of you' I don't think that's right either. Whatever, basically that. There's a lot of me in Pansy, compatibility I think it is called. But enough difference for me to not be basically dating myself.
Shut up.
Whereas I dodge the subject and run away from things, she ignores them period. I know that when I do this type of thing, I'm doing it because I don't want people to see I care, even if they know I do. I've not known Pansy long enough to be certain that she cares, and she definitely doesn't show it. It could just be sheer focus on not breaking character, but it's not like Malfoy had a clue anyway. He drew me up on my fire, not my affiliation with Pansy. Even then he had to be informed.
He's back in lessons now, and Pansy is hanging around him still. She was clearly an established member of their circle, though I can detect there's tension within the ranks. Malfoy doesn't think Pansy has turned on them, that's somewhat of a relief. He has bought into the idea that she was stopping him from doing a very stupid thing, that it was for his own damn good. They are no longer dating, woo bloody hoo, and he still holds resentment from what I've seen.
I have to be careful myself from looking her way, because he's almost constantly glaring me to death. If our eyes meet who knows what the fool will try to do. I'm definitely high priority on his kill list, definitely above Harry. But he'll want to wait for the next golden opportunity rather than look for a fight, if he is a tiny bit smart.
Because of this I'm pretty sure she's being extra friendly with him. The 'in love' act is stronger than ever, and I know for a fact it's an act. You can't fake the emotive outpour later that night when we were writing our reports. She was sickened by his stupidity and cruelty. And she'd already admitted often that his lack of brains and spine was too much for a Slytherin.
She's a fantastic actress. But that's why I'm finding her ignorance of me so hard to deal with, it could be real. I'm not good at the secret note thing, but I managed to get one lucky note to her. I later found it ripped up where I knew she'd been sitting earlier. What did that mean? Whatever it meant, it hurt. Like it was my heart she had ripped.
The one final doubt in my mind was her coldness when doing our reports. Nobody was around but yet she felt off with me. Her reaction to Malfoy was genuine, but when talking about us it felt like an act. One that she was barely trying to make believable. I thought it was tiredness and mental overload at the time, but now I'm not so sure.
I'm not going to mention the worst case scenario. Let me talk about what else it could mean.
My biggest inkling is she might not have taken kindly to the revelation that I'm part elemental. She seemed to have read up on it, whether that was before or after Nott discovered me is unclear. She definitely had no clue I had this condition until he revealed what he saw. Was she afraid of me now? Was she angry that I never told her? They were understandable, and if she let me speak to her I could explain myself.
The other possibility is that she's angry, but in somewhat of a good way. Well, in as good a way as something negative can be. She found Draco completely and utterly stupid for trying to coerce me into making an Unbreakable Vow, what does that make me if I initally agreed to do it? It means that she's very unhappy with me about it, and the good part comes in that it means she must care for me at least a little. It was a dumb thing to agree to. That water could've done anything, but it also could've done nothing other than steam up the room.
It's likelier that she's wary of me, and hurt that she had to find out like that. But I'm hoping it's because I'm the idiot who scared the...you-know-what out of her.
Too much reflection is bad for me though, I need to be getting on with getting us together. In secret. So we can talk, and see where we are. That's insanely difficult because of her, Draco and all his cronies. Thank god me and Dom are good at impressions.
We rehearsed the whole scene thoroughly. We studied the details, the correct distance, the plausibility. We knew where they'd be. There also had to be one coded message in there, so Pansy and nobody else would receive it and know the truth. I'm hoping she won't blow the charade.
They hang around in their cubbyhole. A little spot close to the common room entrance, behind a suit of armour and right next to a winding staircase. If you spoke at the top of the staircase at normal conversation volume, they were certain to hear every word due to the echo you get down in the dungeons.
With a shared signal and a breath of oxygen, we begin the show. "Good evening Miss Greengrass...I really...hate...to interrupt your busy schedule. I must however, require a little bit of your time...and consideration. As I believe it, Miss Parkinson instructed you to...personally hand her potion theory assignment to me this morning. Are you at all aware that hers is worded...suspiciously like your own?"
What a start by Dom there, nailing the voice of our head of house. My turn with Daphne. "I...oh merlin's streuth, I honestly could never professor. Oh that Pansy I'll kill her, it was her sir, she must have done it."
"Now now Miss Greengrass, you wouldn't...by any chance...be attempting to frame another student for plagiarism?"
"I swear it Professor, I never cheat. I'm the best witch in Slytherin, my grades are excellent, just because Pansy has a slight affiliation for potions that means I'm copying her? That's absurd...umm, sirr."
"I know you believe so, that's what concerns me. Have you also not stated often in the past...that you have to be the best Slytherin at everything? Envy is a particularly unsavoury trait, possibly leading to acts of desperation. You do not strike me as a desperate girl...so don't ever let me catch you copying another students work again."
"I can't believe this, you're not even going to interrogate her. She's just down those stairs, gloating that she's gotten away with cheating" I nail Greengrass there too, perfect amount of petulance and snottiness.
"This is your final warning Miss Greengrass...I suggest you heed it, or risk joining a few of your fellow housemates in detention. Slytherin is not a house for the wicked like the other houses believe of us...I hate to add more fuel to that misconception."
"Yes professor, I promise it won't happen again"
"See that it doesn't. And if you do feel tempted to delve into plagiarism again...just remember that second-hand knowledge is never correct where the initial knowledge is not. Miss Parkinson failed to identify the correct type of zest, ensuring that you too made the same mistake. Bear that in mind."
And the coded message was clear. It was I who remedied her mistake she made during one of our top secret study nights. Pansy will know it's really me up here, because the real Snape received the correct identification of tangomato zest in Pansy's revised essay.
That alone won't make her come up, and no amount of acting is going to make her. But she didn't need to do anything, it's Malfoy and the others who need to disappear. Daphne Greengrass on the warpath against you, and you can count out any friendly support.
"Look, she's ultra mad now but you're the closest to her, you can handle it." Jackpot, that's Draco's hushed voice I'm hearing.
"I don't see why you have to go, what is she going to say to you that's got you running and hiding?" Pansy replies.
"Nothing! It's just...Daphne Greengrass...with her wand...no chance"
"We have four wands, even she isn't that good. Just stay and let her come to us...YOU HEARING ME DAPH, WE'RE WAITING."
Did she miss the coded message? Does she really think I'm Daphne? No, of course not idiot, she's trying to take advantage of the flaw in my plan. The physical proof. Predictably to be verified by a security question in case I'm Polyjuiced or something. She's got me sussed.
She really doesn't want to talk to me. She would've let them run away otherwise. It wounds me more than I can say. But I'm not giving up. "I hear you bitch! I'm biding my time! But if you want us to settle this without waging a war, meet me in Greenhouse Two in five minutes!"
Greengrass has spent quite a few afternoons in there, that's why I used it. She wasn't there currently, I'm praying the real version doesn't make an appearance. I owled her earlier, but I shared no major details. Daphne will hopefully later corrobate this story, if Pansy agrees to show. Whenever she's been used as a cover, Greengrass has obliged. They are good friends, who happen to somehow not let their egos get in the way of their friendship. She doesn't like me much either, which makes the arrangement even more remarkable.
"You heard her, you've got an appointment" Draco says from down below. "We'll be waiting, get a move on."
I think I can finally say that worked, and both I and Dom sigh in relief. He signals for us to get moving and I don't hesitate to follow his lead. As much as I liked performing, I know it's a one-time trick. I have to make this count, and I need this uncertainty to go.
The nerves are jangling right as we draw nearer to the greenhouses. I feel as flimsy as one of the potted plants I see all around...in fact, I feel flimsier than all of these plants. Some of the stems on these things look bodybuilder sturdy.
Dom stays alongside the whole way, until I find the arranged spot. "It's down to you Lex. Good luck yeah? Check in with me when you're done, I'll be with the Club."
"Cheers Dom, or is it Snape, you did a stellar job back there"
Dom flaunts his famous smirk "I'm a born talent, what can I say?"
He exits out the back of the greenhouse and I have the space of about three seconds to control my nerves, before Pansy comes in the opposite door at the opposite end. I can't move, or speak. I can stare though, and I'm locked in on her approaching figure.
Her eyes are like lightning, dangerous but mesmerising. She's marching, which only makes her body sway and move, fixing my gaze even tighter to her. I might be about to die, but there are worse things to see just before that happens.
She stops no more than a foot from me. Her arms fold. Her chin lifts. The fire in her eyes shifts to ice. And she speaks. "I was about to ruin your little show back there."
It takes a while to shake myself awake. "Err...I know, I know that. I'm erm...glad you didn't."
"Does Daphne know about this?" She queries.
"Vaguely" I answer. "She knew to not hang around near or in the common room, or here."
"She doesn't know you impersonated her...without her knowledge, and permission...I think you'll be getting a real visit from her very soon" She's enjoying the same vision that makes me shudder.
"She don't need to...please...it's just that I need to talk to you"
"I'm not here to fulfil your needs" Pansy coldly replies.
"Pans...you're hurting me..."
"Good!" She returns scathingly. That extra oomph is enough to expose of bit of emotional pain. "Alright, look, I have been ignoring you. I don't have much choice given recent events...but, I'd be lying if I said it's all part of my cover-up. I've been thinking, and you're not going to like what I've thought"
I nod, probably like a crazy person. "Yeah, it's the elemental thing, I didn't tell you. I wanted to, but...even you should be able to see why I didn't. Malfoy is more than enough justification for that."
Pansy shakes her head, a tiny bit of guilt shown with a wince. "No, I'm not angry about that. I'm actually sorry I was involved in all that. We literally all found out about you in the space of a day tops, I couldn't get you alone to warn you."
"How did you already know about it?" I ask curiously.
"I didn't know much, I knew a little. I actually thought Theo was confused or made up the no-wand thing. But if you were using your wand, that would mean you practice things we're not meant to learn, and you didn't have time for that whilst meeting in secret with me. And I knew even though you have tried non-verbal and wandless magic, you're pretty crap at both."
I can't help but chuckle at her put down, and she even breaks into laughter. "Harsh but true...so the only plausible option left was the fire elemental thing. I had no idea what the actual plan was when Draco made the others corner you, I could only improvise."
I reach out on instinct, and it happens to find her hand. I don't know what feels better, the feel of her skin or the fact she's not pulling away. "You don't have to explain yourself to me Pans, I never wanted you to stick your neck out for me, not in an impossible situation like that."
"How could I not, when you deliberately agreed to something like the Unbreakable Vow? That's not a game Alex, it's your life. I can't even contemplate how crazy you must be, to disregard your life like that. What's some unimportant condition compared to that?" She chastises.
Unimportant. Tell me it's unimportant when the headline 'Secret Elemental At Hogwarts Kills Student' is all over the Daily Prophet. "They don't compare. I'd choose death over becoming a monster any day of the week. Besides, I wasn't intending on breaking that vow."
"You would quit Hogwarts that easily?" Pansy already knows what she said was not a question, but a truth.
"Easily" I insist. "This might sound a little conceited, but you haven't lived your entire life with this. I have put people I love in danger before, because I can't contain my emotions. What Draco must have known about the effects of water on an Elemental is true...for a full-fledged Elemental. It's harmless to all performed on them, but on me...it could've been deadly. I never want a death on my conscience, even if I think some deserve it."
Pansy crosses her arms again, though this time it's protective. "You will fail to convince me that you're not an absolute arsehole Alex."
"I'm not trying to change your mind on that" I shrug. "I am an arsehole. An arsehole who really cares about you, and wants to know where we stand."
That softened her up, but it's apparent there's still more on her mind. "I'm not sure."
"That doesn't sound good" I admit. "Tell me that we can try to work something out."
"I want to, but how can I afford to keep this up for much longer?" She comes back at me. "I can't escape Draco's circle of trust, I would never survive it. He'll do even worse things to you when he finds out what we've been doing."
This is a common topic we're revisiting yet again. "We'll protect you, the Club will protect you."
"They hate my guts" Pansy speaks as if I've forgotten.
"And I adore you" that comes out harder than I wanted it to. "They'll see around their personal issues if it's your livelihood we're talking about."
"This isn't a fairytale Alex" She points out harshly. "As long as I'm Draco's closest ally, I'm safe. When I'm not I can't be in the same castle as him, let alone house. If he ever finds out he'll expose me. He'll ruin my reputation. And after that, he'll find a way to get to me for the rest of my life. But the worst of all, there's no limit to what he'll arrange for you."
They are some pretty tough stakes, worthy to put anybody off. But she can't look me in the eye and not see how much we are worth it. I nearly destroyed my future in the magical world, not primarily because of her, but she was a huge part of it. "You can't go through life denying yourself joy Pansy. You will always be better off with me. I'm not asking you to be exposed, we'll work on getting some insurance against Draco bleeding Malfoy, but that's for later down the line."
"You should understand" she carries on. "You just told me you don't want another person's life on your conscience. But you're telling me to forget that on my side of things, so that we can go ride into the sunset. It's not happening like that."
"Did I say that?"
"It's how you make it seem. Like it's so simple."
"It is simple! I'm not making you do anything you haven't already been doing brilliantly! All I'm asking is that you don't see what happened as the final straw! We got through it!" I spoke so strongly my voice is now hoarse.
"You missed my point" Pansy returns angrily. "How do I even know you're what I want? I'm still young. I might not even be gay, this might just be some fantasy, which further down the line I will get bored of."
Wow. I get she's crumbling a little but there was never a need for that. "Hello, you saved my life remember?"
She is trying the soft and calm approach now, which doesn't make this any better. "I'm sorry for what I just said, it was a lie and out-of-order. But I'm sixteen years old, seventeen in July. What I want now, I might not want in a year or two. I want you but I need to be safe too. I really want and need to protect myself, and maybe ending this is the only way I can."
The speech of death. Might as well be my eulogy. She has no idea how much she's just crushed
me. I'm not fighting back anymore, not after that. "Whatever. Fine. I'll forget this ever happened, if that's what you want. See you around."
Get me the hell away from here.
"Alex..." I'm not turning back, she wants this she'll get it. I'm out. "ALEX!"
That is a cry of panic...but why...oh shi-
It's happened again! Ohnononono, please, why now!
I haven't a clue as to how I did it, don't ask me to explain. I somehow had an outburst again, that's obvious. The plants around us...very flammable. Their dry leaves catch alight quickly, and there's already a blaze around us. Pansy darts forwards and I negotiate her to a new position behind me, making me her willing fire shield. "Try Aguamenti!" Pansy cried in my ear.
"That won't work" I call back to her, the flames roar makes it hard to hear even from point blank range. "My fire magic is more resistant to spells than normal fire! You need real water!"
"Then do something! Before the whole place burns to the ground!" Yeah do you think? It's top off my to-do list.
It is continuing to ignite neighbouring plants, making the fire a raging one now. Why did Professor Sprout have to leave them in line like that? Why can't I be hurting emotionally without causing a disaster?
Okay, okay...think. "Oxygen! We need to starve it! Do you know anything that can do that?"
"Ermm...you can tryyyy..." Pansy is smacking her head into gear, and good, because we need to act fast before it goes beyond our capabilities. "Imperturbable charm."
"Really?" Double-check your answer Pans, this has to work.
"Impenetrable shield, nothing gets in and out including air, the fire will burn up all the oxygen inside! Have any better ideas?!"
None. And I'm not so sure Greengrass is the genius of Slytherin. Hermione may be given a run for her money from my girl. "You cast, but stay behind me! I'm impervious to fire, but still hurry it up okay!"
Pansy starts off shaky, aiming her wand from between my arm and waist. She better be careful as to not hit me with that charm. "Circum."
Well, it worked...for about a semi-second. "You're not doing it powerful enough!"
"Well I can hardly move, I've got to aim round you!" Great, we're bickering. How cute.
"Try it again!" If it don't work this time then I'm bailing, we can find Sprout and she can clean up this horrific mess. Blame it on careless wand casting. I don't suppose we'll escape that without losing a couple of additions in her good books.
"Circum!" Pansy tried again forcefully, and managing to move her arm in what I assume is the correct manner.
Joy to the world. She manages to get the shimmering dome to encompass the whole table, thank god it didn't spread across room. The table will be unsalvagable afterwards, we're definitely getting out of this with the minimum detention sentence.
Pansy has no more detention space to spare...she is close to an expulsion already. Oh, why did I have to get angry?!
At least the fire is starting to die down, the flames getting through the oxygen like someone emptying a bath. This was an ingenious save from Pansy. I should say that to her now.
"No..." She cuts me off prior, straining her muscles in concentration "...don't...distract me!"
Yeah, that was almost silly of me. She's doing a great job, and you would've broke her focus and then we're right back where we started.
It's dying, but not quick enough. Pansy will run out juice long before the bubble runs out of oxygen. Hey wait, I don't need to be standing here anymore, the fire's contained. There is a room full of large pots and a bathroom with running water just outside. What am I waiting for?
"Keep it up Pans, I'll be back in less than a minute" I say, sweeping the room for a pot big enough to take a large portion of the fire away, but light enough to carrying swiftly whilst full of water. Worse comes to the worse, I can just use a Levitation charm. That's baby magic.
I find one and grab it. I check on Pansy...oh damn she's fading, no time to waste. Running now. In bathroom, by sink, taps running. Leave it running, this is an emergency. Back in the Greenhouse, pot hovering. Careful not to trip and fall down. Pansy is still suffering, save the poor girl.
"You doing great, now let go when I say" I instruct her.
"Too...late..." No Pansy, not yet! Crumbs!
I am not ready and the shield was gone seconds ago. The major increase of airflow to the fire lit it back up to it's towering inferno size almost instantly. I release the pot but I know it's effectiveness is minimal. Now I might as well be two feet away from the sun, it's that hot.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't hold on" Pansy called out, and I still barely heard her.
I wave to her in a way that said forget about it. Now we just need to think what to say to Sprout.
What is that groaning sound?
"ALEX WATCH OUT!"
An: Okay so I don't stick to my promises all of the time. This isn't a happy-dappy sideline story after all.
I hope you still enjoyed it.
You know where we'll be next time, so if you're still hanging off this cliff, dig your fingers in hard until we get back. Don't do a Pansy.
