Chapter 3-3 POV Cas
I'm not normally a talkative person- I usually prefer silence, or at least just listening or half listening to someone else doing the talking. But this is different- it's not fair. This is turning into a one sided argument and I'm not allowed to fight back. Jo and George and Ruby and everyone who isn't Slytherin are all stupid and normally that's enough for me to say. But this is different.
Jo just won't shut up. She's going on and on and on about a party that happened nearly a month ago. And at first I was appalled, and I could tell Fred was too. The party Jo is going on about is apparently a tradition- how the Gryffindor House celebrates the sorting. Sorting was weeks ago, and no one- least of all me- cares anymore. More than that though is that they seem so open about it. Me and Fred wouldn't dare bring that night up, even just between ourselves. Especially not with people from other houses. And I'm having trouble dealing with this now.
We're all out in the courtyard, on our way out towards Hagrid's Hut. Not that we're looking for Hagrid, but it's just that we kinda need some space. It's weird, since classes we haven't hung out much. There's this...tension, in the school. Something new, never really felt it before. The Houses seem more sperate, in a way. More Gryffindors only hang with Gryffindors, and Slytherin with our own, and Ravenclaws keeping to themselves, and even Hufflepuffs aren't as outgoing. Our little group of five is noticeably the most diverse in the school, at least that we can tell. I don't know why it's happening, but even I'm starting to feel the effects. Or maybe that's just frustration over Jo.
"We're obviously the best House. Waaaay more fun than Slytherin, ugh. We had a party and food and like half the House was drunk. It was wild," she explains far too loudly for my taste. We're outside so I can hear her voice echoing across the grounds.
"Shut up, Jo! Your House is hardly the best, and parties are stupid anyway. No one cares!" I finally shout. The smile that spreads across her face clues me in that she's been bating me. She's looking for a fight. I kick myself for not realizing, but it's too late now. Now there's no going back, and everyone knows it.
"Oooo, someone's touchy, aren't they? It's because you're jealous, right? I'd be jealous too, don't worry. Everyone's jealous of us," she taunts. I know I shouldn't, but I let her suck me in, and Fred hops to my defense- our defense, really.
"Why would we be jealous? We're clearly the superior House- in everything really: quidditch, academics, class," Fred says. Jo sneers and George steps up to be toe to his with is brother.
"Class? Who wants to be a pompous stick in the mud anyway? We don't need class, we've got Harry Potter," he smirks. Fred leers at him.
"I'm pretty sure I could kick that kid's ass, even without a wand," I say. Jo raises her eyebrows. My hand tightens around my wand beneath my robe, and Jo sees. She puffs herself up, making herself taller than me.
"Throw the wand down, Cas, let's see you try," she challenges. At this point, Ruby breaks her silence.
"No! No no no. Let's not. I mean- you don't need a wand, Cas. And no fighting, Jo," she races, while pushing herself in between the twins. Jo relaxes herself, but I don't let go of my wand; instead I keep it by my side. But I don't raise it.
"Well, we still had a awesome party. Slytherin can't say that," Jo points out, in the most annoying, fight provoking way she could. And that does it for me.
"Incendio!" I shout, whipping my wand. Jo's sleeve catches fire, and she throws it off and laughs. She holds up her wand and we circle each other.
"Stupefy!" she shouts, and her stunning charms hits me on my arm. It feels like a massive punch and I take a step back. Two can play at that game.
I cast the stunning spell right back at her, putting all of my anger into it. She goes to dive at my waist, but it actually works out for me better because I catch her right in the legs. She drops like a stone at my feet, and next thing she knows I'm looking down at her with a satisfied smirk. I become aware that Fred and George are cheering us on at this point, each holding Ruby by one of her arms, keeping her from interfering. She kicking her legs and shouting at us to stop, but I'm not done until Jo surrenders. I turn my focus back to her.
"You're on you ass, Jo. Ready to admit you're not the superior House? That Slytherin is better in every way?"
"We're all equal!" Ruby shouts from the sidelines, prompting George to cover her mouth. While I'm still watching them, I hear a roar and Jo pounces up, tackling me. I try to roll her off, but she has me pinned by the shoulders. I dropped my wand, so I can't do anything no matter how hard I fight. She's laughing down at me.
"On your ass, Cas?" I throw my knee up and it miraculously makes contact with her stomach, prompting a moan of pain, but she doesn't get off or let up.
"Nice one," she winces, "but it'll take more than that to get me off." I keep struggling but it's not working.
Then suddenly she falls to the side- Fred pushed her off. George and Ruby are quickly by my side getting me up and returning me my wand. I brush myself off and see Fred got Jo up too, finding her scorched robes and returning them to her. It's all silent for a second, until me and Jo start cracking up. I fall back and just sit in the grass laughing until I cry. Ruby's not laughing, but she's smiling a little at least. I think she found it more entertaining then she's letting on. Fred sits down next to me, but Jo and George say they have to run and get ready for a quidditch meeting. I ask Ruby to sit but she has a club or class or something to get to. Me and Fred end up alone, and after a second decide there are probably better places to hang out than on a hill near Hagrid's Hut. We get up and turn towards a tunnel that leads back to the castle, and in the shadows I see someone moving. They're running away from us.
"Shit! Fred, get that kid, I think they saw!" I gasp, pushing him towards the tunnel. He breaks away and runs, quickly catching up and grabbing the kid. It takes me a second before I reach them, but I recognize who it is.
"You're the girl from the train!" I accuse, and she doesn't deny it. The crazy haired one, Hermione. She's a Gryffindor. Fred and I essentially corner her, and she sits on a bench looking into her lap where she has a pile of books.
"Hermione?" I ask. I try to keep my voice even but it's not really working, between the adrenaline rush from the fight, running over here, and honestly being ticked off she may have been spying. Fred gives me look, so I step back and let him take the lead.
"Hey, Hermione, remember me? I'm Ron's brother. You're his friend, right?" She looks up, her eyes wide and eyebrows raised. She's surprised.
"No, actually, I'm not his friend," she says defiantly. Fred and I share another look, concerned this time because she's making out like Ron is a little bit of a shit, in the bullying way.
"Oh," Fred says, otherwise at a loss for words, "well then, I gotta ask- you see what just happened between me and my friends over there?" She looks down into her lap again and nods slightly. I make a noise of annoyance, and her head shoots back up and she looks me in the eyes.
"I'm going to report you to Proffessor McGonigal for improper and violent use of magic against a fellow student," she spits out. I'm impressed she's talking to me like that, and angry that she thinks she can.
"No, you're not," I threaten. Fred shoves me back another step and gets between me and Hermione.
"Hey, now- no need for that. We were just having some fun, no one got hurt," he tries, assuming that kindness will persuade her to back down. I roll my eyes, not that he can see.
"She lit that girl on fire," Hermione says, looking over Fred's shoulder at me, "How old are you, even? Elemental magic isn't taught until fourth year," she says. There's something in her voice other than an accusation...admiration? All those books, sitting out here alone- she's a nerd. A know it all. An over achiever.
"Hey, then," I pipe up. Fred gives me warning side glance over his shoulder, but I push him out of the way. "Hey then, how about you don't go to McGonigal, and I teach you the fire spell. I learned it by accident, but last year got the real incantation and everything. I'd be happy to teach you." I get a little sappy on the last part, trying too hard to win her over. Fred makes a face like he's trying not to laugh while also scrutinizing me, and Hermione can tell I'm not quite genuine. But she also knows I'm the real deal.
"Fine," she responds in a haughty way. I smirk. She's got a little rule breaker in her after all. It takes me a few minutes to just demonstrate in a controlled way how to cast it. I try to use Fred as a target, but Hermione won't go for it. So I just mark out a patch of grass in the shadowy corner outside the tunnel.
After showing her, I teach her the incantation and pronunciation and how to hold and move her wand. She's a fast learner, and gets it on her first try. I'm impressed with her, and Fred's impressed with me, that I can keep myself in control so well and also teach her without offended her or harming him. Once she has it down, I'm ready to let her go.
"Alright, we had a promise. You've got the spell, so you keep what you saw to yourself. Keep the spell to yourself too, while you're at it. You're a good witch," I tell her, picking up her books and handing them to her, giving her a little shove on the back, and she starts walking towards the castle. She doesn't say anything, but I trust her. She owes me, and if she tries anything I have the Map. I'll know where to find her.
"And give Ronald hell if he tries anything!" Fred shouts after her. She doesn't react, even though she obviously heard him. There must be something pretty off between them. I don't know Ron, but if he's anything like his brothers I don't know how he could be so bad as she seems to think he is. It's not my worry though.
"Come on, we better get back," Fred says, pulling me by my arm towards the castle. We walk real slow and quiet, just enjoying ourselves. When we get into the castle wee decide to go straight to the dorms. I'm tired, I don't know about Fred. I'm just not in the mood for George or Jo, anyways- giving them time alone might be just what they need. Fred and I end up doing homework in the common room through the rest of the afternoon.
"You got beat pretty bad," he says out of nowhere, looking up from his book. I look at him, confused. "With Jo, I mean, she beat you today. I had to physically rescue you. You never thanked me, by the way."
"I was fine!" I snap defensively, prompting him to laugh. "If I had had my wand..." I trail off, and there's silence for another minute. "How exactly would you have me thank you, anyway? You made me look like I couldn't help myself."
"You couldn't though, could you?" He laughs, "And let me think...would a kiss be out of the question?" He asks, clearly teasing. I kick his leg under the table and he starts cracking up. "Are you blushing, Cas? I thought that was Jo's thing, not yours." I don't know if I was really blushing before, but there's no doubt I am now.
"Piss off," I tell him, but I start laughing too. People are starting to leave for dinner in the Hall, so we get up and follow. At dinner Fred tells me about how Slytherin's quidditch is starting up, and how he thinks the team is doing. I try to look over to Gryffindor to see if I can see Jo or George, and I don't- but I catch Lee's eye and we wave to each other. I haven't seen him as much this year, but we made a promise last year that I'd sit with him in the commentator's booth during all the quidditch matches. He makes them a lot more fun for me, since all my other friends but Ruby play. This year I'm actually excited for the Quidditch season, which surprises me. Before it starts though, we gotta get through October. I'm excited for Halloween, it's always a fun time- only like a week or two away now.
AN: Hope you liked it! Please review, or comment, or anything. Just keep following. Humbly (and not at all desperate for feedback or anything) -cowriter