Sorry for the wait guys, I wanted to finish this chapter earlier but I got stuck on some parts, I'll try to post the next one as soon as possible.
Have a lovely merry Christmas, I wish you the best, may nice gifts and good luck rain on you.
Take care of yourselves! Y por supuesto a comer turrones como locos :)
He had secured the werewolves servitude and loyalty very easily, but the small victory felt ashen in his mouth. Their bloodlust was a dead giveaway at what path they would choose, his was the only path that provided enough freedom to satiate their animalistic hunger. It sickened him, their depravity, the levels it could reach, its random bouts.
His stomach was hardened to violence and cruelty since he was but a boy, but his violence had meaning, a purpose, he killed to send a message, he tortured to punish, he took what wasn't his to prove his power.
Halfbreed creatures were different, nothing but slaves to the animal within, their power was a curse for a reason. There was no place for them in the wizarding community he envisioned, therefore their loyalty only mattered as long as they were useful.
He only had to send Greyback, one of his oldest, most vicious servants to secure his brethrens alliance, while he focused his attention on the Prophecy. And every day the third link was proving to be equal parts enticing and frustrating, he wanted to plunge into the elusive mind as much as cut it off entirely. His link to the boy's mind was sometimes overshadowed by the third link, like a brighter light taking over two previously illuminated paths, making him blind and only able to follow the closed path set to him.
His efforts to secure the Prophecy would have been ten steps ahead if he could assault the boy's tender mind with visions of the Department of Mysteries every night. Instead, he found himself watching, vigilant, waiting for the right moment.
It was frustrating. It would already take time for the boy to recognize what he was showing him, to set the urge and need to go there, with the third link's random interferences, it was taking too slow.
He could tell by now, the interferences and his ability to follow the third link unnoticed was only possible whenever the Little serpent's magic was stronger.
But no matter, the Ministry's floundering to stop Dumbledore at all costs was a true blessing, he couldn't have asked for better assistance.
He smirked. The old man did not lose anytime, he suspected the same night he gathered his servants, the Order had done the same, it only made him giddy to know the little serpent was hidden from them as well. A little game of catch to sweeten the playing board.
He had asked Lucius and Severus, what the boy's entourage was. Whom did he spend time with the most? The answer was rather disappointing, a Weasly and a mudblood. None of them could be the heir of Slytherin, none of them could be the sneaky little serpent.
But then, what self-respecting Gryffindor would ever be caught in close quarters with a Slytherin, perhaps a secret love interest, too ashamed to show his close friends he'd rather kiss a Slytherin Half-blood boy. How very ironic, indeed.
Ten hours. Only ten hours passed before he lost his patience and pulled the map from under the covers and under his sweatshirt.
His invisibility cloak hiding him, he left the dorm room with its sleepy students and walked as hurriedly as his feet could take him, towards the moving little squiggle on the map.
He threw cautiousness out the window and ran as the Morgenstern name reached the entrance, he was still on the second floor and the fear of losing her again made him desperate enough to risk another detention. He needed to know where she went to every time she disappeared, he had asked Sirius if there was any reason someone would not appear on the map and his answer made his eyes almost bulge.
The only way it could happen was if the place hadn't been explored by the Marauders, the thought alone made him want to go find out what it was, making Nina part of the mystery just made it a frenetic experience, he would never mention it to his friends, Ron would probably kill him for risking detention again and probably Quidditch.
He reached the entrance finally as Nina was following a trail in the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, he speeded up his pace and soon enough he was nearing the spot where she had stopped.
He realised she had stopped at the Black Lake's shore, whispering a muffliato around him, he moved rapidly, no sound coming from his hurried feet.
He stumbled and almost dropped the cloak as he came close enough to notice the girl was actually pulling her clothes off. He would never mention this...ever.
He would have liked to proud himself on being a gentlemen, looking away, but instead his eyes locked on her form, the back of her black swimsuit made a perfect view for the runes glowing on her spine, taunting him to watch, she looked unbothered by the crisp cold, running in and swiftly plunging in dark waters, head first.
He went closer to the spot where she stood not two seconds ago and found her leather backpack hidden under some branches, his frenetic heart beat took another lurch and he cursed as he realized he'd never really gotten to learn the bubble head charm last year.
He cast a heating charm on himself, stripped out of his clothes and went in.
The cold wasn't as biting, his limbs could move with no hindrance, he shook his head and he remembered not using it last year, and how freezing cold the water was as he reached Merepeople territory.
He swam a bit deeper, making sure he was near the surface, Nina was gliding through the waters like one of its long lost creatures, he could barely take his eyes off of her as her entire body made a slow wave like motion with entrancing ease, not even darkness was a problem, she was moving between the huge water plants of the deep playfully, twisting and turning her glowing arms creating beautiful golden lines.
He didn't dare move to the surface again until his lungs couldn't hold any longer.
He wanted to go back in and follow her, or stay and watch until she finished, he didn't want to leave but his limbs were freezing and soon he wouldn't be able to move a single muscle, the heating charm he had cast, long gone.
He got out and moved to hide back at Hogwarts before Nina came out. He watched the map from a broom closet on the first floor and waited for two and half hours until the little Morgenstern sign on the map moved back to the castle.
He got out again and followed as the girl made her way back to the basement and into Hufflepuff house.
He breathed deeply, a part of him wishing he could simply go to her, ask and she would show him, no secrets, no lies. He walked slowly back to Gryffindor's dorm room, playing what he saw, over and over again.
He didn't tell his friends, of course he didn't, his face turned red every time he saw her in passing, everytime he remembered her form, his body heating up at random hours of the day, shivers taking over his spine.
He was in cloud nine, he finally knew where Nina went; Hagrid came back a few days ago, safe and sound; and their plan had worked wonderfully. Every class with the Pink Monster his smile grew nastier, such a sweet secret, he almost wished she would find out just so he could watch her stupid angry face go red in anger and astonishement at their efficiency.
It was a few days later in another of his nightly spying routines, when he found the perfect place for their Secret Defense Club. Fate had it that she would take him a second time to that exact spot, unknowingly.
She did not enter, but he remembered the corridor as if it was yesterday, the corridor on the seventh floor where Professor Dumbledore, Snape and him followed the Impostor the night of the last trial. Followed Nina. He winced remembering her painful scream and the cutting curse she received.
He called it the room that comes and goes, and not even the Headmaster himself could open it. That's exactly what they needed.
That same night he called on Dobby to ask on how to enter the place and make sure it would fit their purpose.
If everything went as expected they'd be having their first Defence meeting at the end of the weekend.
She was finding this week to be more manageable than the last one, even though her notebook was still missing, even though Transfiguration was getting difficult to scary levels.
She could feel the benefits of her long swim last weekend, her mood had lifted, she wasn't tired, their classes with Hagrid had resumed, and the prospect of secret Defence classes was exhilarating.
Being a part of something felt good, she had her plans, her secrets and her little wins; but it did not beat the feeling of belonging, the looks members of The club shared between classes was enough to make her feel stronger, as if they had silently agreed to have each other's back, just a few hours after their meeting at the Three Broomsticks, she saw the little results.
She witnessed as a second year Ravenclaw stopped a first year Slytherin from hexing another first year Gryffindor, it was endearing, Ravenclaws were so aloof at times, rarely did they ever step up to defend others, it was smarter to not get in an argument that has nothing to do with you, after all.
She got to the little hut and beamed up at the huge man, as she quickly stole a hug, while he chuckled.
"Ey, Nina how ya doin... How's Mr Potato?"
A wave of snickers was heard from the students near them.
"Missing you lots..., I'm glad you're back, this class is boring without you." She could only see his nose blush a little at her compliment, as he ruffled her hair with his huge hand. He was probably the only one in the whole school who knew about her swimming escapades long before anyone.
He had promised never mentioning it as long as she was careful not to disrespect Merepeople.
The class started, and unfortunately the bitch was there making a fool of herself and questioning Hagrid as if he were a Troll. Lesson today was about thestrals, the strange bony and slender creatures that pulled Hogwarts carriages for centuries now.
She avoided brisk movements as a curious thestrals came closer sniffing her, she put her hand up and as it came closer she used her other hand to caress it's strangely soft black skin. She only realized there was a hush going around as her eyes came up to see the other tiny thestral coming closer to the blonde girl beside her, Luna Lovegood was smiling softly seemingly uninterested in everyone's gaze.
She even noticed Hagrid looking at her strangely, and only understood when Parvati Patil answered his previous question.
"Only those who've seen death can see thestrals", she whispered twisting her hands together as the Pink bitch of a Monster, scribbled down, loudly whispering, "No regards for safety, students terrified by the creatures."
She turned abruptly to hide the stunned, freaked out look on her face, she had witnessed death only once and it was at the Hunter's den. She could see Thestrals since first year, flying around and moving around in the Forbidden Forest. How could she see them? Did she see someone die when she was very young? Was it because of her visions? Did her visions of someone dying make the experience as real as being physically near?
She jumped as Hagrid's booming and clearly nervous voice boomed her name, "Ah yes, Nina's doin good ain't she, follow her example, don't be scared, they're very gentle creatures,... Well... when you don't piss them off that is," he cleared his throat and shifted nervously.
All eyes came on her, she hadn't realized she was feeding the adult Thestral inches away from her face, her mind too busy freaking out about what the fuck did it all mean.
She returned Luna's smile and wished she had left her hair down to hide under it, trying to tune out her mind's rumblings.
Try as she may, her mind kept going back to Thestrals and all she wanted to do since then was to go to the library and into the Magical creatures section.
Nothing. No mention of Death Magick, even though they have a popular link to death and bad omens, it only vaguely mentioned that those who witnessed death are able to see them, no explanation as to how or why. If she'd gotten a Galleon for every time she found a book like this she'd be rich by now.
She wanted to scream and light the stupid book on fire, how could anyone write a whole book on a specific creature and never..., Not even once mention what kind of magic was involved in enabling someone to see a Thestral.
She put the thing back in its place and went back slumping on her chair. She had made sure she was alone again, her trip to the Library was usually accompanied by Dalia and Laurel, getting rid of homework right after lunch so they could enjoy the rest of the evening, but O.W.L.s made those free late evenings rarer and rarer everyday.
For some time now, the girls had chosen to go back to their common room after lunch to relax for a few hours, before they started any homework, since they knew it would probably take them until long after dinner.
It was perfect in a way, she always made sure to make any extracurricular search before they joined her, there was a set back though, no relaxation time meant headaches. And that's exactly how she found herself going back to her house, head pounding and eyes begging to get some shut time.
"Nina.. wait," said Cedric, startling her, she turned inwardly groaning.
"Hey... Umm are you... You look...", he struggled to say.
"I look like I could just lay down on the floor right here and go to sleep" she continued rubbing at her face in hopes of waking up.
He chuckled as he gently pulled the backpack from her right shoulder, "Bad day?"
"Um... Yeah...a long one, thanks", she said awkwardly, "so...you wanted something?"
"Oh... Yeah, never mind that... We can talk later, let's just get you to your bed as soon as possible."
She chuckled.
He kept his word and actually accompanied her to the girl's dorm rooms where he bid her goodbye with a, 'make sure you don't fall before you actually get to bed... Cause I'm not allowed in, you know ...I can't play hero!"
"Yeah yeah so funny," she grumbled as he chuckled some more.
She was really grateful he left whatever he wanted to say to her for later, she had started the day with such a good mood and energy, only to crash down by mid-day. Double Transfiguration and Double Charms, really killed her days, Charms was manageable at the moment, difficult as all hell, but manageable.Transfiguration though, she had been thinking of giving up all together.
The control and focus over one's magic it required was impossible to achieve with her extra large core, she could barely cast a simple small lumos, the simplest of charms, without making a huge ball of brightness, momentarily blinding herself or someone else in the process. Her spell casting was chaotic at best, and it made academy goal oriented subjects harder than usual, she could always find another way to do what she needed in real life after all, school though...
She could put some more effort to get her charms in order, but Transfiguration was ever so difficult and it would continue to grow in difficulty, she truly didn't know what to do with it.
She fell asleep easily, only her shoes and robes were taken off and when a few hours later she woke up, sky already darkening, headache gone and a better mood; she left the empty dorm room to do some of the litany of essays they were supposed to do for the week.
She hadn't given much thought to Cedric and what he wanted to discuss, still a part of her secretly wished he would change his mind and join their secret Defence club.
It was later on after dinner when her questions were answered, she had been going back to the Library for those few hours until curfew, when Cedric caught up with her. "Nice nap?" He said looking her over.
"Yep, a very long one", she snorted.
"So ...umm" he pulled her arm guiding her to the empty corridor behind the Library, "are you still avoiding me then?" His tone light and amused.
"What?... What are you talking about?" Her voice sounded a bit too high for her liking.
He smiled and brushed his hair in nervousness, "I thought we were going to follow on Transfiguration and Charms you know, but... I guess our last conversation was a bit ... Umm... I want to say... I'm sorry, I'm not trying to get you to stop being friendly with Harry,... That's my own ... Thing..."
"You're entitled to form your own opinion on people, Cedric ... I'm not ... Avoiding you, It's just, well... This is your N.E.W.Ts year and you're Head boy and you have Quidditch, I'm not about to take the little free time you have, it's crazy..." she replied wincing internally, she was lying about her motives, she was avoiding him because of what Cho said, but then reflecting on it now. She should have been a better person and realized he wouldn't be able to do all that and help her, she should have realized this without Cho's stupid fucking rant.
"Oh wow, " he whispered as he groaned loudly, the hand nervously brushing his hair, pulling at it with a bit too much force. "Cho talked to you, didn't she?"
"No.. what,.. of course not, about what?" She stumbled as he visibly winced and rubbed in his forehead, whispering, "I can't believe she talked to you, ...please don't defend her", he hurried as she opened her mouth to deny it again.
She kept silent as he collected himself, "She'd been talking about how self serving it is for you to ask for help in Transfiguration and Charms, since we started dating last year. I reckon she didn't like me hanging out with another girl,..."
She went to speak up but he continued
"No... listen Nina, I help you because I want to ... okay... Because I enjoy spending time with you, I mean we're friends right?" He asked, looking uncertain.
"Yes... I... Yes... So she just doesn't like me?" She asked weirded out, frowning in confusion.
He chuckled, "no...she's been looking for an excuse to break up ever since the ball, you were just another of her reasons, and well... She made Harry another one"
"Wow..." She grimaced understanding where this was going. She couldn't believe the bitch had the audacity to call her out on her behavior when she herself made selfishness a justified righteous thing. It dawned on her suddenly, Harry had only shown Cho attention when he asked her to the ball and it looked like Cedric didn't know any of it. Dalia and Laurel were right, her motives were far from a simple teenage love triangle.
"So we're good, then?", his tentative voice brought her out of her musings.
"We were never not ...good, I mean... I honestly thought I was doing the right thing", she huffed uncomfortably.
"Alright...tomorrow evening...our usual spot?", He asked, smiling.
"Yeah, sure... Tomorrow evening"
Days passed, as she resumed her extra Transfiguration classes with Cedric, it embarrassed her to no end showing him how bad she was doing this year, it felt like all the progress they made in fourth year had simply evaporated.
He had awkwardly asked if she was happy in her new secret club, and at her simple 'we haven't started yet' promptly dropped the subject.
She gave him a few seconds of silence to see if he would just come out and ask to join them but he never did.
Maybe he'd come around, eventually.
She pulled her Hufflepuff scarf into her tan coat so it wouldn't fly away and cast a heating charm on it.
"Hurry up Nina, or we'll lose the best seats", whined Laurel loudly.
"The best seats... what best seats? Do you mean those that get you a face full of Quaffles?" She replied as she trotted behind them to catch up.
The two girls had a bad habit of looking for the seats as near as possible to the goalposts, so they could watch the Keeper's hot maneuvers, as they called them, and more than once some of them had to pull up a Shield to stop a Quaffle to the face. She had to give it to them though their reaction time had improved exponentially since they started to attend Quidditch matches, especially when they got their hands on the hot maneuver seats.
It was a Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match, the kind of match awaited throughout the whole year, the kind of match that brought every House out to the stands to cheer. The hype was similar to a Barcelona vs. Real Madrid football match back at home, it always brought a smile to her face.
Some of the rules went right over her head, but the thrill of the game and passion practically brimming around her, those she enjoyed immensely.
They sat in their preferred spot, chuckling and shaking her head as Laurel put her wand into her forearm wand holster wiggling her eyebrows suggestively at her, Dalia and her did the same and soon enough the stands were full and loud as ever.
They were right on the first line of spectators, the stands near enough to have a really good view of the players as they took flight and moved to their positions.
She thanked God for the cold weather, half her face was hidden under her scarf and the blush taking over her face wouldn't have been noticed by the beaming Harry, waving at her. His Jacket was criminal, it showed every movement of the muscles beneath, usually hidden under his baggy clothes and School uniform. She often caught herself directing her goggles to his flying form instead of following the game like a normal sane person. Someone should burn his wardrobe, because it made him no justice.
The game started and just when the Quaffle started to be passed from player to player at immense speed, the chant began.
The Slytherin's on the stand at their left were chanting about one of the Weasleys and the roar of Gryffindors indignation didn't hide the sound of the lyrics from reaching their intended target.
"Oh Merlin... They're singing about Ronald Weasley", Exclaim Dalia astonished, looking at her shocked face.
"Ron plays Quidditch?" She hastily directed her goggles to Gryffindor's goalpost, only for Laurel to snatch her goggles away from her.
"No way", half whispered the goggle thief, "I barely recognized him... Since when did Potter's friend become such eye candy."
"Give that back, you already called dibs on the last one, this one is mine". Said Dalia snatching the thing out of the other girl's hands and handing it back to her as she looked on what was going to be a rather interesting squabble on who gets who.
She went back to her own find Harry game as she followed their conversation, trying and failing to tune out Slytherin's chant.
Quidditch season was always a time for squabbles between the two girls, but of course everything remained strictly platonic. It was hilarious to watch because as much as they tried to level up the other one by being nastier, everything remained perfectly innocent, it was a good way to never lose a friend to a boy and she suspected they knew where the invisible boundary was, and simply chose to dance around it, for shits and giggles.
Gryffindor was winning, as always the Weasley twins going at it like a hurricane, they were fun to watch, unpredictable, and absolutely nuts at times.
The chant became annoyingly loud as the game went on and Slytherin remained the painfully obvious future loser; even the girls seized their rant to frown at the stand beside them.
She looked around to see if there were any professors in sight, and smiled broadly as she pulled three tiny toy looking grenades and showed them to the girls.
"What's that?" Asked Dalia loudly.
"Shhhhhh"
She made sure to show her wand to them as her hands glowed beneath her gloves, the three tiny things floated to the stand beside them as she directed them right on top of where the Chant was louder. Following the trajectory of the tiny grenades with her goggles she flicked her two fingers and off came the latch just as she let go.
Three poofs of green smoke exploded between dozens of feet, the screaming chant became a horrified scream as the stink took hold of them.
Her friends looked at her astonished, until she snorted at their horrified faces and then exploded with laughter and giggles following the roar of the other stands who by now realized, the Slytherin Chorus had just been attacked by three very stinking bombs.
It was cold and windy, and soon enough the stink reached their stand, they hid their faces in their scarfs and held on for the few minutes it took for Harry to catch the snitch. The match was over.
They hightailed it out of there, and into the field, trying really hard to avoid colliding with any stinky Slytherin's. They were pissed as all hell and it only made it funnier, it hadn't seemed to occur to any of them to just vanish the stinky smoke.
She giggled with the girls until they heard the screaming some meters away.
Harry was launching himself onto Malfoy connecting his fist with the blonde boy, as other members of the team tried to stop the other Weasleys from joining the fight.
She ran without thinking twice and reached him before the others realized Harry had gotten to Malfoy and had him on the floor already.
She pulled on his jacket trying to get him off, he didn't budge. She barely avoided an elbow to the face as she locked her left arm on his neck placing her hand right on his throat, and zapped him with her other hand on the arm he was about to unleash on the crying idiot splayed on the sand.
She felt his head twitch and turn at the cold touch on his throat and muscled arm clench by the intruding magic. She quickly got off of him, pulling on his Jacket again now that he was slightly sitting up, he came off easily, this time helped by gravity as he fell down sitting in front of her.
She kneeled down in front of him, to rant at him a bit more for his stupid behaviour but the words died in her mouth.His pupils were too wide, his breathing too hard, the grimace of anger on his face was nothing like his usual one, she had seen that expression before, and she never wanted to see it on Harry.
It was a cross between anger, disgust and pride, she only saw that face on Voldemort.
There was something wrong, she touched his face as he grimaced and flinched, muttering curses at the boy making a scene behind them, her rune fingers right on his temples he groaned and tried to move away from her touch again.
"Look at me... Hey... What's going on?" She asked frenetically.
He didn't answer, but this time didn't move either, he held her hands as she pushed the smallest amount of magic to his head, his pained grimace mellowed out and he breathed out, as his pupils came back to their normal shape.
She pulled away from him rapidly, as he reached to stop her, grimacing in pain again and rubbing at his scar never taking his eyes off of her. The other members of both teams came to check on them accompanied by the booming scary voice of Mcgonagall.
Her heart was beating loudly, the only sound she could hear, Mcgonagall was laying it thick on the Gryffindor team, even Umbridge was there, trying to win another of her pissing contests.
She didn't hear any of it. She couldn't care less, because Harry's eyes never left hers, he didn't respond to any questions, he didn't move from his spot, he was just looking at her.
She watched as Neville came behind him and pulled him to his feet trying to get the skewd Jacket she had pulled on back to its place, finally turning Harry away from her.
"What the hell happened... Nina?" Dalia pulled her away from the near vicinity of crazy Umbridge.
She didn't find her voice just yet, she turned her head again looking back and gulped as he turned his at the same time.
"That was crazy... You don't just jump on two people fighting ... What is wrong with you?"
"Yeah...You could have gotten a black eye or a broken jaw, you don't get between two guys brawling it out like two muggles... Nina, are you listening?" Dalia screeched the last part making her jump.
"Yes,... it's just... He's not supposed to get in more trouble." She muttered the first thing that could make sense to them.
"You're not his keeper,...Come on." Dalia huffed pulling on her arm and leading her back to their common room as Laurel muttered, "this is ridiculous".
She could barely sleep that night, her whole body was pulled tight like a string, just ready to snap, she had too much energy, her mind going too fast.
It was a state of panic she knew well and trying to go to sleep like that only made it worse.
She pulled on her school robes on top of her pajamas and went out.
She stopped as she heard a meow, and turned abruptly to the steps leading to the clock tower instead. Once she made sure no steps were heard she sat down on her spot curling her cloak around her, trying and failing to get her breathing in order.
She knew there was a connection between them, but she hoped against all odds that its intensity would diminish, that his hold of him would simply die down now that the body he used was fueled by her blood.
She didn't know anything about that night, the consequences of the curse, like the entirety of the Wizarding community... She knew nothing.
The only thing she had were glimpses in her visions and the general knowledge everyone knew of Harry, far from gaining any answers along the years, she only found more questions.
It didn't stop her from going to the Cemetery though, and maybe that in itself was a problem.
She couldn't know if her vision of Harry being used in the ritual and Cedric dying that night was the preferable outcome. The possibility of taking the wrong path would haunt her for as long as she lived, and only time would tell, if what she chose was a road to perdition.
They were in a three-way connection, that much she could tell, it wasn't Harry's anger yesterday, she had seen him furious before, this wasn't it. It was Voldemort's influence, just like she could feel Harry's Dementor attack.
What worried her most was the strength of his hold on him, his mind couldn't be exactly called His if it was compromised by Voldemort's emotions. And she feared at some point he'd be able to reach more than emotions.
She stayed there for a while until she calmed down enough to close her eyes for a bit. She only woke up when the sun hit her face full on and made the trip back to her dorm room on slippers trying to avoid students on a Sunday morning.
Quidditch was over, his firebolt taken away.
That was the price of loosing his shit with fucking Malfoy, Gryffindor's team had been banned indefinitely, and a new decree was released the next morning.
Decree number twenty four
All Student Organizations, Societies, Teams, Groups, and Clubs are henceforth disbanded.
No Student Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor.
The bitch had simply dismantled all Quidditch teams and as expected banned Gryffindor's for their very eager use of violence... Apparently.
His anger this time did not make him explode, another thing he loved was unfairly taken away from him and he had no one to blame but himself, no one had blamed him for it though, perhaps they did so quietly, perhaps George losing his shit as well helped take some of the blame off his shoulders, he wouldn't know.
There wasn't much he could do now, Katie would try again and again until she found a loophole she could pull in her favor, but even then he suspected he wouldn't be part of it.
Alas, he was the one who landed several punches, on Malfoy's face, the blame was his, he reckoned he would have done more damage if he wasn't stopped.
He rubbed at his throat absentmindedly, the feeling of the small cold hand seared on his skin, he didn't remember how she got there, the only thing he remembered feeling was an annoying tug at his Jacket he simply ignored. Then the soft hand on his throat and the seizing of his arm came, he felt no violence in her touch, but it woke him up. He suspected she had placed her cold hand on his very warm throat for a reason, the shock to his skin made him inhale a gulp of cold air that seemed to brighten the blurred edges of his sight, and then came the pinch on his arm. He didn't know what she did, but he could only guess.
The warmth spread from his seized up arm to the rest of his body and he could do nothing but sit and follow its course, his head had swam in sheer confusion until her face appeared in front of him.
Eyes huge and sparkling with worry, she was close, too close. He could feel her warm breath, her hands on his temples when the warmth spread from her touch, he understood.
His head had swam in warmth, familiarity and comfort, it felt like being cocooned in a blanket, the unique smell of home imprinted on the fabric. His mind had been such a strange and confusing place lately that the sensation hit him full force, he could only describe it as the peace he felt in his weird dreams since last summer, and he understood he had been dreaming about her all along. She had been inside him burrowing, taking place, just like Voldemort had fifteen years ago, the difference was its effect.
He had felt his anger dissipate cut off slowly as warmth spread in his mind, and he wanted to pull her close and never let go.
He felt hollow when she removed herself from him so abruptly, he was awake and very aware of the others, but he couldn't give two shits, his eyes did not leave her form, fidgeting and looking ready to bolt.
He had no idea what it all meant, how he could feel her, if she could feel him, if it was Voldemort's doing, if it was hers, but she didn't look like she'd answer any of his questions readily, and he wouldn't dare expose her to the Order just yet.
She knew them after all, and still did not trust them, it only meant she had more secrets to protect than those he uncovered, and the feeling of possessiveness only grew every time he knew more about her, like something scratching inside him to keep her secrets as his own, only for his eyes to discover, no one else.
It worried him to no end, keeping these things from his friends he had promised not to keep secrets anymore and here he was.
His mind went back to the morning after he had saved the Philosopher's stone, Dumbledore had explained what happened the night his parents died, but he had left things out, just like the day of Voldemort's return.
It felt like a knot at the top of his stomach, all the unknown things involving him, kept away from him. He breathed deeply, holding the girl's forgotten glove, trying to emulate one more time the feeling Nina's hands left behind, that little piece of warmth he could hide in whenever his mind felt too dark and gloomy.
He woke up at dawn and spent hours collecting himself for the one positive thing awaiting him that very evening.Their first Defence class would take place, and Nina would be there.
He kept quiet for as long as possible, trying hard to keep control over his emotions, no one wanted a teacher who got in fights over stupid shit, he'd loose face before getting a chance to gain it.
He reviewed his plan for their first class and did it again and again until he had nothing else to do but wait for the minutes to tick away.
The place was found easily, the last member to come through, Neville Longbottom. Hermione had Insisted on them coming in groups of two or three, and the fake golden Galleons had been the perfect way to rely their messages.
Of course the first group to find their way in was Nina's.
He couldn't help it, he had overheard the girls amazed at the door appearing to her so fast.
"No corner of Hogwarts is secret to you, huh?" His voice deep and so very calm, his eyes on her, and the flutter his stomach made as she gulped and blushed, twisting her hands in her robes, was entirely welcome. He supposed he liked unsettling her for once, it drove him nuts when she was all calculating and collected, it created a barrier, a sort of mask she hid behind.
He fucking hated it.
He longed for those moments, emotions displayed on her face like an open book, ready for him to read.
He kept his eyes on her throughout the class, he was nervous but felt confident, soon enough they were practicing their first lesson as he went around watching their progress and helping where he could.
He saw Nina without a partner and it took him half a second to get there and practice with her.
She looked nervous, the wave of her wand perfect to cast, but never casting, her stance utterly uncomfortable.
"You can practice with me, if you like", he said quietly, minding her nervousness.
She turned to him and cleared her throat, "I... Sure".
She seemed to take a second to gauge his reaction, perhaps she thought he'd be pissed at her, or that he would lunge at her and shake her until she got him all the answers.
He smiled knowingly and asked her to get ready.
It looked like the small gesture was making her more nervous because she kept looking behind him at the others.
He decided he might as well be petty for the sake of his sanity and disarmed her before she placed her attention fully on him. Her shocked face made his smile widen and as he taunted her with her wand, now in his left hand, he felt both wands fly away from his grip with a wave of her hand.
He gaped like an idiot, now she was the one taunting him with both wands, her nervousness was far gone, and the playfulness he got to see very few times was shining through, he chuckled and went to retrieve his wand from her.
"Of course, no need for wands, I should have figured" He replied impressively.
"Mm,... I don't know what you're talking about, everyone needs a wand", she whispered the perfect picture of innocence. His lips twitched hard as he tried to avoid smiling like an idiot.
A loud thud and a cry was heard and he ran to find Colin Creevy groaning in pain, he had been flung across the room landing on the edge of a mattress just to bounce and land on the floor.
Their first class had no other injuries and soon everyone was getting back to their dorm rooms in turns, he felt disappointment surge in him as he noticed that Nina's had been one of the first groups to leave.
The blush on her face had taken too much to dissipate this time around.
She had been so nervous about his reaction, she was ready to miss the first meeting but then she figured he would simply find her and demand what the hell was happening, she had to act like nothing ever happened. Of course, there was still the slight problem of her runes, she wouldn't use them in front of everyone and it wasn't going to take long until it'd be clear that some spells were just imposible for her.
She was nervous, news had spread that morning about the new fucking decree and the ban on Gryffindor. She was expecting a pissed off, over the top angry Harry, instead she found a cocky one.
She wasn't used to the looks he was giving her, she was used to the fidgeting emotional, energetic Harry Potter, not the confident, knowing, calm vibe he was exuding; it made her want to hide or just combust in flames, whatever came first. She had tried watching him from a distance as he went about helping the others. Cho of course calling him more than once all giggly as Ginny glared from the other corner of the room, sending her partners to the floor every time it was her turn to disarm them.
Until he found her alone and came to help her practice. She wanted to tell him she already knew how to disarm people, that he should go back to the others but in the end her curiosity won and she followed, making sure no one was in direct sight of her hands.
His face was priceless when she disarmed him wandlessly, and his smile had been the exact opposite of what she expected from everyone else. He made her feel as if nothing she showed him would make him see her as a freak of nature.
Even though, she really fucking was.
She sighed and went back to her potions cutting and crushing ingredients.
Her friends did not stop their gushing on everything Harry for the rest of the week, and now that freaking Quidditch was dismantled until further notice, the girls had focused their attention on the male students of their Club. All harmless fun of course but annoying all the same when they Insisted on saying hi to him every time they saw him going out and about.
She had taken to walking the corridors alone because everytime they did his eyes would land on her and the intensity of whatever he was thinking would just focus on her like a deadly laser.
The end of the week came rather fast and their Defence meeting was as eagerly awaited as the last one.
She got there alone and early this time, Harry knew about her runes and she wanted to make sure no one else did.
She couldn't help her laughter when her sight was assaulted by dozens of tiny Christmas balls with Harry's face on them, and a giant banner, wishing them a very Harry Christmas.
He turned red faced as he fumbled with the balls he was holding as she fought another peel of laughter coming out of her, he looked horrified.
"I like what you've done with the place, do you need any help?" She asked, barely holding it together.
"No... this isn't... Dobby decorated the place... I'm trying to get them off" he huffed brushing his hair out of his face.
She moved closer and started to pluck decoration after another, making motions with her hands, as the things floated to her.
"Handy", he said, making her turn her attention to him. He had stopped his task and was watching her glowing hands.
She huffed a chuckle, "only for some things... I can't complain though".
"You've never shown anyone what you can really do, have you?" He locked his knowing gaze with hers as her mind fought to decipher what he meant. Was he talking about removing decorations, about what she did last week, about the Massacre?
She sighed and kept it honest, one of the little things she could be open about with him, he'd understand. "I don't enjoy being treated like a freak, or being pitied for that matter."
"How do you know they won't be impressed, curious even?" He looked genuinely confused and she couldn't tell if it was his innocence shining through or just a little bit of projection on his part.
He wouldn't believe her to be a freak when he had been treated as such for a whole year because he happened to be able to speak to snakes.
"They won't", the finality in her voice must have taken him by surprise because he went back to his Intense laser focus staring.
"I can hardly be of any help, if I don't know which spells you need help with, you know... Kind of defeats the purpose of attending secret Defence meetings"
"I'll just ask if there's ... Anything... Well ... I kind of came early to speak to you about this before we start." She put the remaining decorations on the basket and turned to him.
"I'd prefer it if you simply ignored me when I'm not casting a spell or umm... Just can't..." She got the words she practiced in one go without stuttering much.
"Ignore you... But you want to learn ... doesn't it ..."
"Harry,.. sometimes I just can't make a spell work without making something explode..., I just mean... " She huffed a humorless chuckle, "You know it's been a crazy ride, to get to this..." She waved aimlessly at herself, "I don't want to get stuck with everyone calling me a squib, especially in our O.W.L.s year", she finished with a grimace.
"I want to help you, Nina", it looked like he had been fighting for words to express what he wanted to say, because his words came out strong and forceful.
It made her stomach and a blush start at the apple of her cheeks.
She had no wish to stop the intensity of the moment, and could whisper, "You already are, trust me."
His lips twitched as he answered "I do"
The magic stopped though, as the rowdiest of them came in loudly greeting everyone and bouncing in excitement.
She couldn't help the smile on her face for the rest of the class.
He was good at it, there was a kind of intuition to his movements, his spell work, at least when it came to Defence. The memory of her vision as he dueled a monstrous looking Voldemort came back to her, and she had no doubt he would have survived that night, he was calm when it came to it.
Thrill, danger, death. It didn't make him freeze, or cry or beg, it made him think clearer, move faster, cast stronger, she never wanted to see him fighting for his life and yet she couldn't help the fascination she'd feel watching him.
Her mind went to the other side of fighting Voldemort, His horrocruxes, and wondered if his mind would be as strong, if his calm and clear mind would remain, or fail him spectacularly.
She sighed as she kept blocking Dalia from stunning her, the girl looked utterly bored at her lack of progress.
She turned to Laurel, "your turn", and moved aside too busy in her own head to put much focus on anything. She moved a little away as the strong sense of helplessness took over her thoughts, there wasn't much she could do to find the other horrocruxes at the moment and it drove her crazy. The Order would most probably ask her to stay at headquarters for her safety, if not because they suspected her it was because Sirius would suggest it, she had been thinking about wiggling at least a few weeks on a deal, to sneak back in England and find the other Horrocruxes, but then she still didn't have any clew to what could be the next Horrocrux.
She wished she had better control of her visions, or that she'd be blessed by the luck she was granted at Grimmauld Place.
It took her approximately ten seconds to realize what the problem was.
A knot had started at the top of her stomach, akin to dread but not as strong, and then a feeling of discomfort took over her senses, her mind slowly was overwhelmed by it and she only wanted to make it stop, her head turned on instinct trying to find the origin and stopped at the old black box near her things, it wasn't something she wanted to touch, she doubted anyone would want to, let alone go near it.
But her feet took her nearer and soon pain bloomed inside her mind, making everything else mute. She leaned down as slowly as possible, minding the black box as if worried it would awaken.
She opened it and her confusion seized immediately, she closed the thing forcefully making herself jump as the invasion upon her senses stopped abruptly. She hid it inside her backpack as discreetly as possible and turned back hurriedly to her friends, heart beating a mile a minute.
Class from there on passed as slow as a snail, meanwhile she fidgeted and twisted her hands completely on edge barely holding it together.
Her friends did not comment on her strange behavior and followed as soon as class was over, hurriedly wishing everyone a good Christmas and ushering them to the door as discreetly as possible.
She didn't need to draw attention to herself tonight... not tonight.
It was only after midnight, when she expected everyone would be asleep that she sneaked out of her bed. Fully clothed, back pack in hand.
She went from corridor to corridor, as quiet as possible, ready to run or hide if she was caught, her face was hidden under a large black hood, she only needed to be fast.
Soon enough she was entering the requirements room again, this time though it accommodated only her.
The place was large and comfy, there was a bed, a rack with clothes of all sorts, a large desk in front of the library section, a large bathroom, and a large corner section padded from floor to ceiling.
She moved to it and got the box out of her back pack, hands trembling in anticipation, placing it on the padded floor she opened it with her wand and floated the thing out of the box with her hand.
The diadem was beautiful, a shiny silver color that would make regular silver weep in despair. Dark blue stones decorated it's center section, she'd believe it if she was told this was a true royal crown of some sort.
She stood up, getting away from the thing, terrified of touching it and pulled the white fang from her backpack next. Hiding behind her back as if the inanimate object was in fact alive, she moved over and taking a deep breath she hissed "open".
Just as a terrifying screaming black smoke face erupted from it, her hand came down right on the Dark blue stone. Piercing it like flesh, as a painful screech took over the room, sending her backwards in a hurry to get out of the blast zone.
She fell on her back some meters away heaving breath after another, a painful throb taking place in her entire head.
She didn't want to stay but her exhaustion was second to the unsettling feeling of sleeping in a room where a Horrocrux had just died.
So she sneaked out of the room as quietly as she got in, trying to keep it together till she got to her bed.
Four down, three to go, she smiled.
I get so excited when you review, so thank you lots. Now...
To anonymous guest: that's a good question, Remus asked about it in the meeting (chapter 5), I think, when Dumbledore tells them about Harry never going into the maze⦠but Dumbledore never explains it, he simply says that he doesn't have any answers just yet, there is a reason though, but don't worry everything will be explained in time.
To Juneur5: Thank you so much, have a happy holiday as well, it's really lovely to hear you enjoy the story, I'd been hesitating to start for such a long time, this is really encouraging. I wish you the best!
