Chapter 5 - January
It was a freezing cold day, and after a wonderful Christmas break, the students and teachers were all back and in the midst of a brand new term.
Lessons were in full swing again, and as much as Negan missed being out on the Quidditch pitch during this cold and snowy time of year, he had been throwing himself into Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons, trying to come up with new, fun and exciting ways for the kids to learn all there was to know about to defending themselves against curses, hexes and all manner of dark magic.
Negan tried to convince himself of course that concerentaring so hard on teaching was a good distraction from thoughts of Madam Blake, after things during the early hours of Christmas morning hadn't all gone as planned.
Negan had hoped that his gesture of love and his romantic, thoughtful gift would of course make the blonde nurse fall head over heels in love with him.
But his plan hadn't worked and since the pair had almost kissed, there had been nothing but a few stolen glances between the pair much to his dismay.
They had spent the best part of the holidays in each other's company, but in between Blake having patients to take of, and Negan running errands of his own, given to him by Dumbledore, any alone time seemed to be snatched away from them, just like Christmas Day had been.
And now, knowing that now term had begun again, Negan knew that it would likely get harder to find any free time to get the chance to spend with her.
But he had come up with a plan, that would see him through today at least.
And so this morning dark-haired Professor was five minutes into his Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson with third year students, just before lunch, when when there came a soft knock upon the classroom door.
He glanced up to see a gorgeous blonde head peek around the door tentatively, before the tall and elegant figure of Madam Blake smiled at him and cautiously entered the classroom, causing all the kids to look up and over towards her.
"Alright," said Negan who was stood behind the desk, clapping his hands together and grinning widely from ear to ear, as she moved over to him.
She looked like a vision today in her pale yellow robes, her caramel hair pinned back as it always was, with her cheeks flushing slightly as her green eyes landed on his.
And she wasn't the only one to redden slightly, as Negan gave a small cough, trying to right himself, before continuing.
"Today we've got a guest with us who's gonna help us demonstrate the power of using Healing Magic to defend and protect ourselves against dark curses," he continued. "I'm guessing' you all know Madam Blake?"
He looked up and watched as Blake offered a kindly smile back at all of the present students.
But whispers suddenly flooded the classroom, amongst a few quiet giggles here and there, as all the students began talking behind their hands, looking between the two teachers as they did so.
"Have you seen the way he looks at her..."
"Yeah, they are soooo into each other…"
"I heard some fifth year say he'd seen them snogging behind the pumpkin patch…"
Negan noticed Blake's smile almost instantly disappear and her cheeks flush even more, as she purposefully avoided his gaze, her eyes instead flickering down to the floor.
The dark-haired man at once gave a furious huff, letting out a sudden sharp whistle that seemed to echo across the small room.
"That's enough!" he growled, causing the entire room full of kids to silence almost immediately "Y'all want to gossip, then you can all do it in detention this tomorrow evening helping Filch clean out that nasty smellin' mold that keep poppin' up down in the dungeons."
There was a groan from all the students in unison as Negan spoke again.
"No? Then you can all zip-it an' listen to everythin' Madam Blake here has to say for the rest of the class," he warned. "An' if I even hear a damn whisper outta any of you that doesn't relate to what she's talkin' about, then I've got pair of dashin' marigold rubber gloves with your name on it."
From that point on, the entire year group didn't dare speak. All of them waiting for Madam Blake to instead.
The blonde woman gave a nod, and began, but despite her warmth and the smile that lit up the room, her eyes did not seem to quite meet with Negan's now.
They spent the rest of the lesson getting the kids to practice a couple of basic healing spells and a couple of defensive ones to protect against dangerous hexes.
And while the students practiced on one another, Madam Blake and Professor Negan moved around the room, making sure all of the children were using the correct techniques and pronouncing the incantation correctly.
"That's really good, Aled," Blake said sweetly. "Perfect."
"Nope, you'll be takin' their damn eye out if you keep wavin' your wand like that, Francis!" Negan barked to another student.
He backed up slightly, pointing his wand and demonstrating again, as the student copied using the correct wand flick this time.
But Negan's felt himself barrel into someone standing directly behind him, his spine colliding with theirs.
He turned instantly to see that it was Madam Blake, looking slightly ruffled.
"Sorry," she mumbled out apologetically, her big green eyes meeting with his, as she lifted a hand, brushing back a loose tendril of hair from her face.
And Negan felt his chest restrict slightly at their proximity. As close now as they were on Christmas morning…
"Yeah, sorry, Peache-" he said without thinking, but he quickly shook himself. "...I mean um, Madam Blake."
There was a sudden snicker from the kids sat nearest to them as Negan gave a hard gulp, before scowling and glaring at the giggling students.
"Did I say you can stop practicing?" he growled, causing them all to turn hurriedly back to their partners, as Blake blushed again, sliding past Negan without another word.
The students did really well, and by the time class was over, they had all mastered the techniques and healing spells Blake had showed them.
She stood at the front now, a little distance away from Negan, her hands clasped together in front of her chest, beaming widely.
"I'm really proud of you all," she said in a warm voice. "You'd all make great Healers. Mungo's would be proud to have you."
Negan glanced up at her, a smile dancing over his lips before he cleared his throat and dismissed the class, as they left for lunch hurriedly, in a flurry of robes and bags, filing out of the room, the last student, closing the door behind them with a snap, leaving the two Hogwarts teachers alone at last.
A silence fell between them almost at once, as Negan lowered his eyes to the ground momentarily, before glancing up and over to where Madam Blake was stood, rubbing her lips together.
"You….uhh...you think the kids have been talking about us?" she said in an almost laughing voice, but there was a hint of something else behind it, something slightly unsure-sounding.
But Negan tutted and gave a shrug of his shoulders easily.
"Pfft, ain't really anything TO talk about…" he said sucking his teeth.
But he regretted his words, and his arrogant veil, and uncaring attitude, the moment Blake looked his way, a sad sort of look passing quickly over her beautiful features. She instantly gave a visible gulp, dropping her eyes from his and smoothing down the front of her yellow robes.
"Oh...yeah...of course…" she murmured, looking all of a sudden very flustered.
Negan gave a blink, tilting his head and staring at her as she made a move towards the door.
"Peaches, I-" he began, making to stop her…
...but suddenly the door the small classroom was flung wide open, and in ran a rather rotund seventh-year boy with speckled brown hair and a ruddy face.
"Professor! You need to come quick!" he cried, paying no attention to the sad looks on both adults' faces. "...t-the Quidditch pitch...i-its on fire!"
Negan stared up in alarm at the boy's words.
And exchanging a quick look between him and Blake, both teachers snatched up their wands and fled the room at once.
They were shoulder to shoulder the entire way down there, both running as fast as they could, passing staff and students, all frantically wondering what was going on. They made their way through the hallways and out of the castle, taking the long and steep path down towards the Quidditch pitch at a run.
By the time they arrived there, Dumbledore, Hagrid and McGonagall were all already there, all helping to extinguish the flames that were now spread across the grassy pitch itself, the two wizards with their wands and Hagrid with a bucket of water.
Negan and Blake soon got to work helping, and soon enough, to Negan's relief, the fire was out.
Quite a crowd of students had gathered behind them now, all interested and worried in equal measure about who had started the fire.
"DAMN BLASTED HOOLIGANS," roared Hagrid, puffing out his chest angrily. "WHEN I FIND OUT WHICH ONE OF THOSE RUDDY KIDS DID THIS-"
But Dumbledore just shook his head, cutting over Hagrid with a mere look.
"I fear, Hagrid, that this was not the work of a careless pupil," he said in a knowing voice.
And to Negan's surprise he turned to face him for a short moment, before looking back towards Blake and McGonagall.
"Madam Blake, Minerva, would you please escort the students back up to the castle. Oh and Hagrid, can you go and see if Professor Sprout has anything that might repair Quidditch grass in a hurry. We want the pitch back in good working order for the Ravenclaw versus Gryffindor match at the end of the month."
"Aye, Headmaster," replied Hagrid with a nod.
Negan looked at Blake who was stood at his side, feeling her reach out and gently touch his arm affectionately, before moving off with McGonagall, heading back up toward the castle, shooing the students with them as they did so.
Dumbledore waited until it was just the two of them left on the pitch before, turning back to Negan.
"Walk with me Professor," he hummed, and of course Negan did as he was asked, falling into step with the headmaster.
"So…" said Negan conversationally scratching at his short beard with a single digit and nodding his head over towards the untidy, singed grass. "..if you don't think it was kids that did this-"
But Dumbledore cut across him simply, moving up and into one of the nearest stands and beginning to climb the step upwards as Negan followed.
"Then who else would come here, in broad daylight, on a January morning and set our Quidditch field on fire, just to leave a message?" finished Dumbledore.
But his words caused Negan to frown, looking Dumbledore's way.
"A message?" he asked with a deep, unnerved look.
"Yes, I'm afraid so," Dumbledore sighed. "I had indeed hoped that things like this were behind us and that times had changed. That we had grown as a wizarding community."
Negan stared at the Headmaster now, trying as hard as he could to figure out what he was getting at.
"For we've all dealt with prejudice for as long as I can remember, and longer even that that I'm sure," continued Dumbledore with another heavy sigh."...but now I fear that groups, like those popular decades ago, have unfortunately reared their heads again, crawling out of their dwellings to cause fear, and intolerance, and bigotry towards those who the rest of us would welcome with open arms. For they have more than enough of a right to be at Hogwarts as we do."
But Negan shook his head, his frown deepening. They were high now, having climbed almost to the top of the stand that overlooked the length of the Quidditch pitch.
"Albus, what the hell are you saying?" Negan asked, staring the headmaster's way.
But all Dumbledore did was point down back down behind them with his hand….
...and as Negan turned, he saw it, there, written in the scorched grass….
DEATH TO MUDBLOODS. WE ARE COMING.
Negan parted his lips in shock and utter horror.
And yet Dumbledore, with a single wave of his wand caused the letters to vanish.
"We must not tell the children, or the other staff for that matter, for I want them all to feel safe here" said Dumbledore firmly. "But I know you will help me do what we can to help protect Hogwarts….and its residents"
And Negan gave a nod of agreement now, clenching his fists at his sides. Knowing that he would never let anything happen to anyone here, not under his watch.
And lifting his chin, Negan spoke, understanding what was expected of him now, as his hazel gaze drifted back down to the pitch once more.
"Oh I will, Albus," he said in a steady voice. "I will."
Well...what did you think?
Not sure if I'll carry on updating this on here as I'm getting no reviews for it.
