Author's Note: I would like to apologize that it has taken me such a long time to update. However, in my defense I would like to point out that I ran out of chapters in my notebook, and therefore I could not type anything. So, I was working to write it as fast as I could, but the muses were not smiling (what I like to call my writer's block). I wrote this next chapter over the course of about three weeks, so if in the process of the chapter there are any inconsistencies, I apologize for them right now.

This chapter is not very great in my opinion. I had to write it because I needed to introduce an important character. Also, I needed to change something in the story line because something happened in real life that changed the process of my thinking. (Yes, I am an author that takes people from real life, however I will not create any characters that are you, my devoted reader, seeing as I do not know you in real life. Jenny and Shannon, you guys are the exception!)

Now on to the chapter…

Charmed Love Chapter 15

October 15

Defense Against the Dark Arts

First, I want to say that when I was talking about all of my homework and classed that I did not forget to mention this class. I have indeed been in this class all year. It is just that nothing has really happened that is worth mentioning. And most of the time you would not even dare to think about doing something that is not expressly devoted to this class. Professor Susan Czupik (pronounced ZU-pick) is a no-nonsense listen-to-me-and-heed-what-I-say-OR-ELSE-good-luck-on-my-tests teacher. So if you even contemplate about thinking of doing something that might on any way shape or form hinder your note taking abilities, she will eat you for breakfast. (I am sure that those are just rumors, but we never did find out what happened to Wendell Eddison…)

Professor Czupik is a really good professor, though. She really knows what she is talking about, and you can tell that she enjoys doing it. Although, I swear, if you asked her she would say that it is just something that she does to fill her days.

So, I have not decided to take the risk of writing in my journal in her class. I really don't even know why I am trying to write in it now because I am really not that sneaky. Even when I was little, I could never manage to stay up late past my bed time. My mom always told me that I should never try to get a job as a spy because I would be horrible at it.

Anyways, I just really wanted to write now because it turns out that6 Beth and Eric are having some relationship issues. Apparently he was acting like a huge jerk and they got into a fight about something really stupid. I don't know all the details, but I think a big part of it is that Beth does not realize how much she really cares about him and vice versa. I think that they just need to sit down and talk so that they can realize how much they love each other. Because it is just so obvious that she does love him, and is just being difficult…

Crap, I have been forgetting to periodically look up from my journal to pretend like I have just been taking notes. I thought that if I looked like I was actually taking the notes that she might not see me. I guess this is just one of those times when I thank my lucky stars that I am usually so engrossed in my notes that she will not notice a difference. So as you can see, being an over obsessive compulsive note taker does have its advantages.

"Today we are going to be working on nonverbal spells. I am going to assign you partners and you are going to practice disarming and blocking the spells nonverbally." Professor Czupik lectured as she walked back to her desk so that she could pick up her already prepared list of partners. "I paired you up with people of your same skill level so that there would be no unfair advantages or disadvantages."

It seems like after you do this for a while you start to learn how your teacher's minds work. There is only one student in this class better than me, and only by a small margin. So that means that there is only one student that I could be paired up with. I guess in this situation I can be glad that Professor Czupik didn't have this class last month because this would have been bad, very bad.

"Beth Foster and Sirius Black." That should be an interesting pair considering the fact that the only thing that those two have in common is the fact that they love to annoy each other. I think that this night be the rare case where I think that I might actually pity Sirius because Beth is in one of her moods. She is going to make this class as horrible as possible for Sirius as she possibly can. I think that right now, because she is so irritable, she is just looking for someone whom she can take her frustration out on and she knows that Sirius will not take any of it personally.

"Eric Wiles and Frank Longbottom." I guess that Eric should thank his lucky stars that Alice did not end up as his partner because Eric is number one on Alice's hit list. And being on that list is not joking matter, trust me. She once hexed someone into next week because they made a rude comment about me liking James in third year. (A speculation that I have since firmly erased from anyone's mind, I would like to add) We became fast friends after that incident, and she has remained as loyal as ever.

"Peter Pettigrew and Arielle Johnson." Not that I really had to worry about it, but I should really hat e to be partnered with Peter.

I really don't know why Professor Czupik has not called out James and me, yet. I mean, we both know that we are going to be partners. Why doesn't she just get it out of the way? Besides I have not talked to James in a while and I really want to have a good conversation with him.

"Vanessa Edwards and Alice St. John." That should be a very interesting pairing seeing as the two of them really hit it off together a few weeks ago. I will be truly surprised if they get any work done at all.

"Samantha Clemmons and Thomas Quick."

"Arnold Reed and Brenna Fairington." Really Professor, I know who my partner is, why can't we just start clear a spot and start working already so that we can finish and them I can talk to him. Just say it...James Potter and Lily Evans. I know that you can do it, it's not even that difficult.

"James Potter and…" Okay, I know that this sounds like such a cheesy cliché, but my heart felt like it had stopped momentarily. Just take a deep breath, Lily. In, out, in out. "and Remus Lupin."

It felt like I had just been hit in the stomach. I felt breathless and dizzy. I could not possibly have heard her right. James and Remus? That just has to be a mistake. James and Lily are supposed to be partners. I felt my heart start beating again and my ears started to ring. I looks over at James to see if he was effected by this news as well. His expression was blank and his eyes were inscrutable. For all I knew, he was completely unaffected by this selection of partners. He might have even been happy that he did not have to work with me. The one thing that I want to know is who the hell I am going to be partnered with. I really don't like not knowing who I am going to have to work with.

"Lily Evans and Eli Chatfield." Professor Czupik finished as she folded up her list and put is back on her desk. However, I just sat there asking myself the same two questions over and over. Why is James Potter not my partner, and who in the world is Eli Chatfield?

I looked around the room in puzzlement as I tried to internally answer these questions. I decided that maybe James and I are not exactly at the same level anymore, seeing as I have not really had my heart in my studies these past few months.

The second question is more confusing in its solution. I know that I have heard the name before, I just can't put a face with the name. I don't think that I have had class with him before so that must mean that he is in Ravenclaw. That would probably explain why I never have really talked to him before. I really don't socialize with the people who are not in my house. It is really starting to annoy me at how many people I still do not know very well after seven years at this school.

Professor Czupik started diving the instructions again before I was really paying attention. "When you get with your partner I want you to try to disarm each other while your partner blocks it using the nonverbal shield charm. I will be walking around to make sure that you are doing it correctly and that you are actually on task. After you manage to do is correctly you may stop working and write your observations about using nonverbal spells in a 21 cm essay that is due tomorrow. You may find you partner and begin."

Great now I am supposed to find this Eli Chatfield. Maybe, because it seems that everyone knows me, I should just wait for him to find me. Admittedly it makes me seem difficult, but I really don't know what else to do.

"Umm, Lily Evans?" A voice said from behind me. It must be Eli Chatfield; I guess my idea did work after all.

"Yeah, I'm Lily. You must be Eli, correct?" I said as I looked towards the direction that I had heard his voice. When I saw him I instantly knew that I had never seen him before because there is no way that I would have forgotten his height. He must have at least been 6'4".

"So we should get started, right?" He said in a friendly voice moving over to an empty space where we could practice. Most of the other groups had already started because I had to dodge someone's wand that was flying across the room.

"Do you want to try blocking the spell first, or do you want to do the disarming first?" I asked not at all sure how to work with another partner whom I have never spoken to before.

"I would like to try the blocking first if you don't mind, and then after I give it a few tries you can give it a go." He said walking backwards a few steps before turning around to face me. He raised his wand into the ready position so that he could block me. "I am ready; you can try to disarm me now."

I smiled to myself. This was a lot like it was when I worked with James. The only thing that was different is that James would have tried to make me laugh by now with an ill attempt at humor. "Expelliarmous." I said with a flick of my wand in him direction.

It did not even look like he used any effort at all when he moved his wand. It didn't even look like his face had changed from his concentrated expression, but he had done it. He had successfully blocked my spell on the first try. I stood there for a second stunned at how fast he had mastered the new skill. "How did you do that?" I asked in disbelief not able to keep my curiosity in.

He simply looked at me and with am embarrassed smile explained. " I have never actually had to practice these spells, they have always just come naturally for me. So don't be amazed, it would be amazing if I had to actually work at it. This is so easy for me; it sometimes feels like I am cheating.

I could tell that this must embarrass him greatly, so I decided to just drop it. "I guess that I should give it a try then." I said with a sunny smile raising my wand in a defensive position. "I'm ready." I said answering the questioning look on his face.

Before I could even think I felt my wand slide from between my fingers. But that really didn't surprise me at all because it usually takes me a few tries to get it right.

We continued on like that for a little while longer, and exactly as I predicted it only took me three more tries to get it right. Professor Czupik came around to see whether we had finished, and when she saw that we had, she told us that we could begin on the written assignment.

Still feeling guilty that I knew nothing about him, when we sat down again I decided that I was going to talk with him. "So what should we write about?" I asked starting out with the logistics that were before us hoping that the conversation would naturally progress to other topics.

"We should start with writing how nonverbal spells give you an advantage in a duel." Eli said in a straight-forward tone that said that he was not a big conversationalist.

"Okay, that is a good place to start. Don't you find that that is probably the most important think when beginning something? You just have to be able to start it right, and then everything else just falls into place." I said casually after writing a few sentences down on the parchment, hoping to bring him into the conversation.

"I have discovered the same thing out myself." He said looking up with an expression that clearly expressed that while he might not mind me personally, he would much rather be working on the essay. And oddly enough, I found that I felt exactly the same way.

After that we passed the rest of the class in relative and companionable silence, only bothering to speak when we wanted to comment on something in the book. To put it simply I found that I really didn't mind working with Eli because it seems that our work method is so alike.

Author's Note: So this is the chapter where I introduced Eli. He might be important in later chapters, so this was pretty important to read. And in case you were wondering Susan Czupik is not the name of one of my teachers. My old Social Studies teacher's name is Susan, and she was more or less the model for this teacher. And the last name is the name of my brother's Latin teacher.

I don't know when I will be able to update again because school in back in full swing and my Honors English course is taking up a lot of the creative juices. However, I can almost promise that I will not be so long again. A month is almost inexcusable.

However, if it does take a long time you can check out Charming Lily which is James' POV. There is only one chapter up, but hey one is better than none.

Please feel free to leave a review. I will Love you forever, if you do!

Love Allison