30 Saturday

Queenie drank her tea and occasionally gave Noelle pointers or complimented her work as Noelle studied the muggles and wizards outside. Finally, she turned back to her teacher with a sigh.

"It doesn't matter though. I still have to focus to make it work."

"Aww honey. You've made so much progress. Before, you couldn't even do it purposely without a wand or the spell. You've come so far and you'll get there. It just takes time."

Noelle was sick of things that took time though. Queenie had announced as she arrived that morning that this indeed was her last lesson and for that, Noelle was relieved.

"And tomorrow, I tell my friends." She thought determinately.

"Aww, good for you honey!" Queenie exclaimed.

Noelle looked at her in surprise. "I thought you told me I shouldn't really tell people though."

Queenie took another sip. "Well, it's one thing to tell complete strangers or people you don't really trust. It's another to tell your friends and family. So long as you feel you can trust them to keep your secret if that's what you want."

Noelle stopped and thought about it. Though Kade and Brooke tended to be pretty bad at keeping secrets, it was more that they couldn't keep them from their close circle rather than strangers. In this particular instance, Noelle felt she could trust them to keep their mouths shut.

Looking back at her teacher, she nodded. "I do think I can trust them. But, on a separate note, will this be the last I see you then?"

Smiling, Queenie put her cup down. "It'll be the last you see me for lessons. But I'm certain we'll meet again. And you're welcome to come visit me. I won't tell your professors you still have that portkey if you don't." She winked.

Noelle smiled back. Queenie was another gem in the rough. It was surprising to her how many interesting and unique people she'd already met just this year alone.

And now, her main focus had to be on how and when to tell her friends. She could do it at Hogsmeade, but she'd have to be careful it wasn't around half of the rest of the student population.

Standing up, Noelle wrapped her arms around the older woman. "Thank you for all your help and teaching."

Queenie hugged her back. "Good luck child."

It was time for their Sunday Hogsmeade trip. Noelle felt her stomach turning over and over again. She was so nervous about telling her friends. How would they react?

Brooke had apparently gotten over their spat from Friday and was cheerfully talking with the rest of the group as they walked towards their regular hangout. Noelle stopped in the street, letting the other students go ahead.

A moment later, her friends realized she had paused and turned back, Brooke at their head. "Hey, you okay?"

Noelle waited for the rest of the people in the street to file away, until they were the only ones left. "I have something I need to tell you all." She nodded to Brooke who smiled brightly.

"Sure, go ahead." Paul rubbed his hands together to get warm.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Time to jump feet first into that cold water. Opening them again she began. "I have a gift called legilimency. It means that I have the ability to mind-read." Her friends looked at one another in confusion, with the exception of Brooke who just waited for her to continue. "E-esentially," she stuttered, "I was born with this innate ability, whereas, others can learn it, but it takes more time and they still have to speak the spell and use their wand and and… Well?"

Paul thought for a moment. "Why didn't you tell us before?" He slowly let a smile grow on his face. "That's awesome!"

Noelle felt a weight drop off one shoulder and let herself smile briefly back, turning to see Kade's reaction. He too looked excited. "You can read minds? That's great!"

Again, Noelle felt a weight fall, this time from her other shoulder. "Yeah, well, I've been training with Queenie Goldstein, another legilimencer, every Saturday to hone my skill."

"That explains why you haven't been able to hang out lately." Paul nodded as though it all made sense.

Then, all at once, they all gathered around her and began asking questions. Noelle looked over Paul and Kade at Brooke who was smiling. "I told you it'd be fine."

Feeling exhilarated from how well coming clean with her friends had felt earlier in the day, Noelle pulled the letter to Robert out of her drawer and handed it to Thoth, before she could rethink anything. He took off flying and Noelle collapsed onto her bed, taking in a deep breath. What a day.