Author's note:
Check the previous chapter for the quick fix for my canon mistake - thanks to starfishingly for spotting that :S
Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, or Harry Potter, I am just a humble fan :)
Nick and Jeff were walking hand in hand along the almost empty hallways between Hufflepuff House and the Great Hall. Since Nick had fallen asleep so early the night before, he had woken early and took the opportunity to meet Jeff early for breakfast. He was busy filling Jeff in on his experience so far in Gryffindor.
"No way! You're kidding, they didn't!" Jeff could barely keep walking for laughing so much.
"They did. Kurt came running out of the bathroom this morning with green hair! They'd replaced his hair spray with a joke product they'd made. It turns out you were right about Fred and George being in my dorm - this should be an interesting year!"
"Oh my god! What did he do?" Jeff asked incredulously, because, seriously, he would kill anyone who messed with his hair or hair products like that!
"Well, I got out of there pretty quick to come and meet you, but Kurt was so angry - he'd made both of the twin's trunks burst open and scatter their stuff everywhere. It was quite cool actually, some of their books were flying round the room! I'm definitely going to try to stay on Kurt's good side from now on!"
The laughing boys stopped in one of the last partly-secluded corners before the Great Hall.
Jeff looped his arms around Nick and brought him close for a kiss. He breathed in through his nose and sighed into Nick's mouth as the shorter boy's tongue explored his mouth. "Nngh! I've missed you so much! And it's only been one night." Jeff pouted, perfect target practice for Nick who sucked the protruding lip and elicited a desperate moan from the blond.
"Wha...?" Nick slammed backwards against one wall.
"Ow!" Jeff hurtled back to the opposite walling, falling to the floor. Nick ran over to him, helping him up, both boys puzzled as to what had just happened.
"Good morning, boys!" A high-pitched female voice squeaked as high heels clicked quickly past them along the corridor. The newly appointed Defence of the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Dolores Umbridge, strutted past them with a smirk as she replaced her wand back under the jacket of her sickly-pink tweed suit. Her pearls bobbed up and down on her bosom as she held her head up high. Her perfectly-set perm reminded Nick of the Queen. Probably trying to look important although she is pint-sized! Nick thought, glaring after her. She must have hit us with a spell because we were kissing! Great! A homophobic teacher.
He turned to a disbelieving Jeff. "Did she just...?" He asked, staring at Nick with an open mouth.
Nick nodded solemnly as he hugged his boyfriend, relieved he was okay. "Yes, I think she did. Isn't she the new teacher? Or have you been taught by her before?" He asked, becoming increasingly more angry towards the intolerant woman.
Jeff replied. "She's new, I don't really know anything about her, but there's a rumour that Dumbledore didn't appoint her. The Minister for Magic did. That doesn't sound good to me, especially since there's been all that fuss about Harry telling people that Voldemort's back." He continued his explanation as Nick looked confused. "You see, Dumbledore supports Harry's story, but the Ministry doesn't. Any appointment by them must be an attempt to keep an eye on Dumbledore, or worse, have the school appear to be towing the line with the Ministry's statement that Voldemort hasn't returned to power."
Nick nodded, understanding. "I see. Yes, that doesn't sound good. I guess we'll find out later, since she's teaching us today. Come on, let's go and have some breakfast." He kissed Jeff firmly on the lips, because no-one could tell him that was wrong, before rejoining their hands and walking the remaining distance to the Great Hall.
Unfortunately for Nick, he found out all too soon what Professor Umbridge was like. It was clear from her very first lesson that she would only teach theoretical lessons, rather than practical lessons of defensive spells. He had clearly questioned her one too many times on this, as he had found himself summoned to detention in her garishly decorated office.
The pain seared in his right hand, coursing up his arm, blood-soaked scratches forming on the back of his hand, perfectly mirroring his scrawl.
I must not interrupt the teacher.
I must not interrupt the teacher.
I must not...
Professor Umbridge sat knitting in front of him, smiling smugly and humming as she waited for him to finish his detention lines. She had given him a special quill to write with, which cut into the flesh of the writer with every stroke. With every salty drop that traitorously seeped from his eyes and down his nose before spotting onto the parchment below, Nick vowed that he would never let Jeff incur such a punishment.
But how can I warn him about her without admitting what she did to me? I don't want him to worry about me. Who am I kidding? He'll know as soon as he sees me, he's so perceptive.
Plates on the wall of Umbridge's office held what seemed to Nick to be hundreds of cats and kittens. Fat cats, thin cats. Tabbies, ginger, black and white, Siamese. He had always liked cats, but these pets of this detestable teacher were getting on his last nerve, mewling and peering at him as he tried to withstand the pain. He finally finished, practically slung the parchment and quill onto the Professor's desk when he was excused and ran for Gryffindor House.
Kurt and Blaine were in the common room when he came rushing through, unspeaking, and they shared worried looks. They hurried after Gryffindor's newest seventh year and found him in their communal bathroom, running his hand under the tap. The water in the sink ran pink with blood diluted with tap water.
Kurt rushed forward to hug Nick by the shoulders as Blaine urgently asked, "Nick? What happened? Are you okay?"
Nick looked up, unable to conceal the pain from his roommates. "I, uh, had a... ow... uh, detention with Professor Umbridge. Her pen is enchanted to cut the skin of your hands with whatever you write."
"No!" Blaine and Kurt uttered simultaneously. Kurt ran out of the bathroom, returning with his wand.
"Here, let me help. I know a really good charm for pain relief."
Nick nodded gratefully and offered his hand for Kurt to see. The coiffed brunet did his best not to faint at the sight of the damage inflicted on his friend as he administered the charm.
"Thank you, Kurt. That feels much better already." He accepted the bandage Blaine had found from their first-aid kit, kept in the common room.
For this reason, a few weeks later, Nick, Jeff and their closest friends were some of the first few names to be added to the list of students wishing to learn how to actually defend themselves from evil spells.
Harry and a group of like-minded students had decided to form a secret organisation, meeting in the Room of Requirement, in order to train. Jeff and Nick had given the Marauder's Map to the twins who had passed it onto Harry, since he would have better use for it when planning secret meetings away from the prying eyes of certain teachers or Slytherin students.
Nick, who still kept up his defensive lessons with Draco, became one of the students who could demonstrate the art of blocking and countering black magic. The group became known as Dumbledore's Army, with DA meetings held regularly to improve their skills.
Every member of the DA believed Harry that Voldemort was back and that they should prepare for his next move, since no-one else seemed to be readying themselves for battle, except maybe the Death Eaters. There was also the Order of the Phoenix, a secret society formed by Dumbledore to combat Lord Voldemort, but they were mostly adult witches and wizards who met in London, so the students felt a presence at Hogwarts School was necessary.
Fred and George Weasley, themselves members of the DA, continued to test their joke products on unsuspecting students and staff alike, including their extendable ears which proved invaluable to thwarting Slytherin spies' plans to disrupt DA meetings.
Suspicions about students' activities at the school grew within the Ministry of Magic, resulting in the promotion of Professor Umbridge to the post of High Inquisitor at the school. Her methods of extracting information from students were cold, condescending and down-right cruel. The list of names of those in the DA only grew longer in response.
During one of the DA meetings, Nick couldn't help noticing that Jeff seemed a little down. He finished demonstrating a particular swish and flick manoeuvre to one of his fellow students, before taking Jeff aside to talk to him.
"Jeffy? Are you okay?" He waited for Jeff to look directly back at him, showing his sad eyes. He tried to convey the love he felt for his boyfriend in his returning gaze, urging him to speak.
"It's just that I can't help wondering sometimes. What if...?" He stopped mid sentence. Nick waited for him to finish. "What if Cedric had learnt some of these defensive spells? Would it have made a difference? Could it have saved him?" His eyes brimmed with unshed tears for his departed friend.
"Oh, babe. Come here." He engulfed Jeff in a tight hug. He held him there for a while, before leaning back and cupping Jeff's jaw with both of his hands. He collected the tracking tears with the pads of his thumbs as he spoke softly to his upset boyfriend.
"No. I really don't think it would have made any difference. From what Harry said, the instant they got there, dizzy from apparating to the graveyard via the port key, which they weren't expecting at all, Voldemort had him killed immediately. He wouldn't even have had a chance to draw his wand, never mind deflect spells from all of the Death Eaters that were apparently there. At least that way he wouldn't have seen it coming."
Jeff nodded, knowing that Nick was right, deep down. He sniffed, wiping his eyes, feeling a little foolish. "I'm sorry. I just get sad about it sometimes."
Nick shook his head. "There's no need to be sorry. Just promise me you'll tell me when you feel like that? Okay?" Jeff nodded. "Good. Because then we can talk about him, your good memories, to remember him. If you'd like to?"
Jeff smiled through his tears. "How did I ever get such a perfect boyfriend?"
Nick tried to lift his mood further, joking back. "I came by ship, don't you remember?" He winked.
Jeff's eyes darkened. "How could I forget?"
Reviews? :) Hopefully no mistakes this time, but I'm tired from 6 hours of travel and wrote this in two hours, so... :D