Exams
Saturday night. During dinner, the thirteen older occlumants, the eleven who had gone to the Forest, Lily and Sev, stayed connected and discussed the results of the excursion. It was a hassle chatting among thirteen without looking at each other, many talking at the same time. In the end they clarified thanks to Deborah's leadership skills, who gave them a turn to speak.
Everything had turned out well, the curses had only taken them a short time, because although those who had yet to learn, Genevre, Alice and Frank, were not Slys, they had the spirit of being warriors determined to risk their lives in war for a long time, and they had learned quickly.
Therefore, they had a lot of free time to chat at length while they went to the fir tree, to plan well all the rituals they wanted to perform and do them without rushing. In fact, they had also completed all the rituals that the Sly occlumants had left pending the previous Wednesday.
Lauren was listening bonded to Lily and Sev, although she only heard what they said, and she did not intervene. They both suffered for her and reserved their dessert for her, unbonding themselves from the others.
"Ugh… Lauren.I'm very silly, you should have come this afternoon to Bond with everyone," said Sev, overwhelmed.
"No, Severus, don't worry, I wouldn't have.I'm still not determined to let them meet me in person," she replied patiently.
"You're going to be left out, Lauren."
"But this is how I have to do it, Severus. I can't allow myself to be one more, remember what the old man would try to do to me."
"He is going to try to do it anyway as soon as he finds out at the beginning of next year that you are going to study Defense. He will deduce that you did Patronus on the exam."
"Let him think what he wants, he is going to have many other worries on his mind. He won't think about it, he's very silly and he already has you as his best option. Worry about that and not about me, I am delighted, feeling the feeling of the Bond with Lily all the time, I have never felt so good in my life."
"I'll do it with you as soon as possible too, Lauren, probably tonight I'll know when, after dinner, I have a calendar meeting with Deborah."
"I'm not in any hurry, sweetie. How did it feel for you both to do it?"
"We are amazed, delighted," Lily responded. "We wouldn't have done anything else, just stay feeling the feeling we have for each other."
"And you, Severus?" Lauren asked.
"The same thing, indescribable," he replied. "Knowing that we have been a unity since we met and that only death will separate us."
"Wonderful. You don't know how envious I am, you are very lucky."
"Of course we are," Lily told her. "But the Clanship one we have done with you has not been far behind, it has been as intense or more than the one we have done with fourteen people."
"Oh really?" the Sly girl was surprised.
"Of course," Sev told her, "The Bond between the three of us is as powerful as that of a complete Clanship.Ours with you is also for life, Lauren."
"You're going to make me cry."
(How humble she is,) Sev thought. "How did you spend the rest of the afternoon?"
"Swotting the theory of Charms."
"Do you have much left?"
"A couple of hours, I'll finish tomorrow morning," she replied. "In the afternoon I'll start with Runes."
"Do you also have Runes?" alarmed.
"Of course, Severus. An Exceed Expectations, for Herbology."
"Lauren, you hadn't told me and I've spent all the last Runes classes chatting with you, and you're pretty weak," very overwhelmed.
"Don't worry, Severus, I asked for it and I have dedicated a lot of time to it since we read the book on Red Magic and I realized," patiently. "I have already practically caught up, I will reach the EE."
"Lauren, don't meet Jack tomorrow," impatient and authoritarian. "Study Runes, it's Tuesday morning.For Runes, reading is not enough, you have to know how to translate."
"Severus, I've already told you that I've spent a lot of time on it. I'm going to get the EE. Tomorrow afternoon I'm just going to review and I'll still have time on Monday too."
"Lauren, don't meet Jack tomorrow, on Wednesday you have Herbology, morning and afternoon, for Outstanding."
"Well, well..." a little impatient. "I'm over the top at Herbology, remember that it was what I wanted to get from the beginning of the school year, it was the only Outstanding I needed.I've been studying the theory all year and you know that I'm great at practicing since we went to the fir tree.Stop worrying about me, Severus, you get overwhelmed by everything and I know how to take care of myself," getting hard.
"Okay, Lauren," making peace. "I'm sorry, I won't get into your studies again."
"That's it, worry about your things, you already have enough."
"Just a question. You haven't lied to me and you also need Outstanding in Potions for Herbology, like I do for Medimagic?"
"No, Severus," returning to patience. "In Potions they ask me an EE, the same grade as for Defense."
"And how are you doing it?"
"I'm also doing well with that one, I also needed it from the beginning of the year, there's a reason I sat down with you and asked you for help."
"Ugh, Lauren… You're making me feel terrible."
"Why? In the end you gave it to me. I'm going to get Outstanding in practice with complete certainty thanks to you, and if on Thursday I give the theory a good shake maybe in theory too. I'm also over the top."
"We are going to do the exams bonded, at least Runes and Potions theory," authoritative.
"I don't want to, Severus," bluntly. "I want to do it for myself, you've already done enough for me.I want to work for my own future, it is very important for me to know that I have achieved it by my own means."
"What does that matter, Lauren?" fed up. "At first you always told me that I would tell on you in the exams.And I would never have achieved everything I have achieved on my own."
"If you are referring to the help that I have given you, you should know that, in my opinion, it has not been help at all," very sure. "I have indeed complicated your life.Because of me, you are both going to spend years at risk of death."
(She is absolutely right.) "Well, at least let me help you study Runes tomorrow, bonded, in the Library," returning to softness.
"But weren't you going to meet Valerie and Deborah tomorrow?" she too.
"I'll appoint them for another day."
"Don't Sev.Don't leave them stranded," said Lily, patient. "They've been preparing a surprise for you since Thursday and they're waiting for you to Bond and do it to each other.I'll help her now, and also on Monday afternoon, when we finish the Charms theory exam."
"Don't you need to review Charms tomorrow, Lily?" he asked.
"Sev, you know that I am the best in school in Charms, it is my favorite subject, I was born with the gift of Charms."
"True."
"Let's appoint like this, Lauren, okay?" Lily asked. "If you want we can start tonight.I'll give you Runes homework, you do it and I'll correct it in the afternoon."
"And you don't need to study another subject, Lily?" Lauren asked. "You also need Outstanding in Herbology for Potions, right?"
"I'm over the top, Lauren, I've gotten Outstanding in Herbology all these years, and also in Friday's one, Potions."
"Then I accept your help. It's going to feel great to spend all that time bonded with you. Lots of gasoline."
"Girls, I leave you, my family is already waiting for me, now almost no one has dessert.We'll talk tomorrow at breakfast," said Sev.
"Good night, Severus," Lauren said goodbye.
"Good night, honey," Lily said goodbye.
Sev unbonded from them to leave the Hall with the Slys. (In the end it was good that she bonded with Lily and not me, she is going to spend a lot more time with her until the end of the year, in the Library.)
He bonded with his family.
"Oh… my boy is back," said Valerie, excited. She was walking ahead of him leaving the table and turned to kiss him just as they passed Lauren, who smiled at him.
"What chaos at dinner, my head is like a drum," said Sev. "Luckily you have made peace, Deborah."
"Indeed, it has been difficult for me," she replied.
Valerie linked him as they left the table as usual, and said, "Tomorrow the little surprise, Prince."
Everyone but Sev laughed.
"Booff… it scares me.Knowing Deborah, who knows what you've come up with, anything crazy," said Sev.
They laughed a lot again, they were already leaving the Great Hall.
"What's happening?" Sev asked, cocky. "Do you all know that except me?"
"We don't know anything," said Paul. "But we can imagine it, we are studying the book of Red Magic and we know Deborah."
They laughed again.
"You all know it.I'm tired of you intruding on my private life," Sev complained. "I'm not going to give you any more practical lessons."
This time everyone laughed.
"No, Prince, please..." Andrew said, pleadingly. "What would we do without your practical lessons?"
"All of you left without girlfriends."
They laughed a lot again.
"How about Lily, Prince?" Jack asked him.
"Wow... amazing.We have Bonded as a Couple and it has been the best," Sev replied. "Have you already read that part of the text?"
"Yes, we have already arrived and gone from there, we are at the sexual games," Paul answered.
"You're going to have to give me theoretical lessons, all I know is because I made it up."
They laughed again.
"That's why you can't even imagine what Deborah and Valerie are preparing for you," Paul told him.
Everyone but Sev laughed again.
"Ugh… I'm already getting angry, huh? It makes me very angry to be the joke and not understand it."
They laughed again.
"I'll give you your copy if you want when we get home," Paul told him.
"Great, Paul. Today I'm going to go to bed early, I was thinking of continuing with 'Homage to Catalonia' to get some sleep, but more than getting it I know it's going to take away from me, it's too interesting."
"Isn't that true, my life?" Valerie told him. "I already told you that you were going to love it.When you finish it we'll talk about it."
"But only give him as far as the Bond as a Couple, Paul," said Deborah. "Don't blow the surprise away."
Everyone except Sev laughed again.
"I'm getting in a very bad mood!" exclaimed Sev.
They were already going down the spiral stairs.
"Come on, sweetheart," Valerie told him, giving him lots of kisses. "If you're going to love it, tomorrow at this time you'll be laughing too."
"Be careful, Valerie, you're going to trip."
Now everyone laughed.
"Tell us more about Lily," Valerie continued. "Have you felt the same as with Deborah?"
"Not at all." Sev told them.
"Wow... fantastic," said Deborah. "What you have is very special, extraordinary, unique.Together since childhood."
(She understands well, what she could have had with Jack if he had reciprocated her,) Sev thought.
They were already in the Common Room. Some went to the dormitories to get their belongings to get to work.
The four sixth and seventh grade boys continued with the Red Magic book, Anthony went to the Library to continue helping his fifth grade classmates, and Valerie, who was free, accompanied him so that he could read her at times while she continued reading the book on the 'Way of the Stars'. Deborah and Sev stayed to plan the schedule.
They sat at the table, in the corner, facing the glass, with the three calendars. They bonded to each other. Sev was thinking occluding as he was speaking, listening, and writing down.
He began, "Let's first comment on the results of what we have done since Wednesday."
"Alright."
"On Wednesday we missed stopping by Erised when we went to the Room of Requirement, and it didn't occur to us to do so today."
"Today you would have been in a hurry," she said.
"Well yes, we made Lauren wait half an hour."
"Ugh…poor."
"I hate being unpunctual, wasting other people's time," Sev said.
"I understand you, I hate it too."
"Maybe we can stop by tomorrow, even if I doesn't look at with Andrew like I wanted, at least I look at myself alone and see if the premonition has changed."
"Yes, but it doesn't seem like a good time to me," Deborah objected. "If it hasn't changed, you're going to get overwhelmed and spend the afternoon worrying instead of having a good time.Let's leave it for another time when we're all here and we can wrap you up better than just Valerie and me."
"Okay, we'll leave it. But remember that I told the old man that I would look at me this week."
"Don't worry about the old man. If he asks you, tell him that you couldn't and in peace. You're not Potter and Black's dad."
"True," he agreed. "You already told me about the curses with the Slys.Did it cost Valerie a lot?She was very sorry about killing bugs."
"It didn't cost her anything, Prince. She got the intention instantly."
"Did she tell you how?"
"Yes, when we were alone at night. Imagining that somebody was attacking you."
"It was what I suggested," said Sev. "That she thought she was doing it to protect my life, like she will have to do in the summer."
"That is."
"I have to teach Sectumsempra to her too."
"Do it tomorrow while you are alone, have a good time," she suggested.
"Yes, and we will also make our Patronuses of little birds, I want to see if they make a little nest in the tree," excited.
"Oh... for that wait for me, I want to see it too," she too.
"Okay, I'll put both things on my calendar." He did it on Sunday afternoon-evening's date with Deborah and Valerie. Deborah wrote down the Patronus thing in hers.
"We will also make our Patronus, Deborah. We haven't tested if they have changed since we Bonded, mine sure has."
"Mine has changed, Prince, I tried it this afternoon in the Forest. It was the shower thing."
"Okay, so tomorrow we will do them together, we have the memory in common, finally. I'll sleep with you tonight, if you want."
"Do you want?" surprised. "After having been with Lily?"
"If you want yes," he replied. "At first just sleep.Tomorrow I won't be alone with you."
"Okay, then we'll sleep together."
"Kiss me."
They kissed.
"How did Occlumency go for you with Audrey?" Sev asked her. "We haven't talked about that."
"Because it was perfect. One hundred percent on Thursday, and on Friday I took her to the beech. She already has the power, she does magic with her hands, she is delighted. I stayed with her until curfew, chatting."
"Did she continue to be discreet with respect to me?"
"Yeah.I put her to the test, I tried to persuade her and she didn't give a word," Deborah replied.
"Wonderful. What did you talk about then?"
"Of the Army training and the Rave boy she likes. I gave her good advice."
"Very good."
"We also practiced Transfiguration for a while," she continued. "She already Summons natural objects, I warned her that she had to hide."
"Great. Transfiguration was going badly for her."
"That's why I tell you that she is delighted."
"Did you do a joint ritual with her?" he asked.
"Of course, to pass on all the talents to her. She's going to win the fourth year prizes."
"Wonderful. She'll catch up to the Rave, he'll be amazed."
"She was very grateful, you have fixed her life," said Deborah.
"Did you pass her the notes on Moon Magic?"
"I did, we agreed that she would return them to me tomorrow."
"I have to find some time to chat with her before the end of the term," said Sev.
"We'll look for it now."
"Let's keep going."
"How about Hippolyta?" she asked.
"Surrendered at her feet."
"I knew it."
"To wait two years for her," he said.
"Why so much?"
"Because I want to take it very calmly. Make it almost as special as with Lily."
"I think it's great," Deborah opined.
"Well, and we have already talked about today."
"How was it with Black this morning apart from Lily?"
"Unbeatable," Sev replied. "If he hadn't gotten into a fight with the Hat to go to Gryff instead of Sly, we would have been friends from first and not enemies, inseparable.Another rooster would have crowed to me."
"True."
"Look, we coincide in the same compartment on the Express. Too bad he met Potter ten minutes before me."
"Unfortunate coincidences," she said. "Maybe it would have been the opposite and you would both have been malefic."
"Well yes, maybe yes. We will never know."
"Fortunately."
"Let's go with what's ahead," he said. "Let's see if we can leave it ready until next weekend."
"Tomorrow morning, training for everyone."
"I have to talk to Sirius and James first thing in the morning and it's going to take me a while, I'm going to tell them my story."
"Are you going to tell Potter that you and Lily are neighbors?" Deborah asked, surprised.
"No, not that, not by a long shot."
"You are doing well."
"When we finish I also have to review the list that Sirius gave me, to see the topics that he wants to talk about with the two of us together and if there are any urgent ones," Sev continued.
"Sure, we'll look at it together if you want."
"And then I must talk to him for a moment alone, clarify a mistake I made this morning."
"About Lily, right?" she asked.
"Yes, about Lily."
"I already smelled it, Black is very discreet about those things."
"Yes, that's where the issue goes," he confirmed.
"Let's keep going. After lunch, to the Library with the fifth graders."
"Buff… I don't know if I feel like it, I'll really be bored."
"Prince... with what you liked to study…"
"But I already know everything... I prefer to do other things, with all the interesting things there are to do."
"Ugh, Prince... they are your yearmates. They made the sacrifice of learning to fight to defend you, they took a risk while the malefics were there, they did not acquire the power of Druid Magic or the talents and you will not see them all summer. Give them a hand, you'll feel good."
"Okay, you're absolutely right, I'm going to do it."
"Only a couple of hours. At three we'll go to the Room of Requirement. What's the weather going to be like tomorrow?"
"Clouds and clearings, but quite cloudy, and wind," Sev answered.
"Great for walking, I'm going to have a blast with the map and the dictionary."
"Are you in charge of bringing the food?"
"Yes, and the toilet paper," Deborah replied. "We have already collected it between Valerie and I these days."
"You can look for places to acquire new powers of Druid Magic. There is a bathing hole in a stream not far away, which cleanses all impurity. I did it with Lauren and it suited us great."
"Wow, then what a shame it's not warmer."
"Well yes, because the water is frozen," he said.
"Bathing or showering with cold water is very beneficial for the body, it reactivates blood circulation. I do it in summer."
"Wow… I don't know if I could stand it."
"Well, at least a last splash of cold water at the end of the shower, I do that all year round," she explained. "That's also why my breasts are so hard."
"Oh... Let's continue."
"I left you free on Monday. Charms exam the whole day, and the next day in the morning, Runes."
"I'll go to the Library before and after dinner with the fifth graders." He wrote it down. "What are the sixth graders testing on that day?"
"Don't worry about our calendar, Prince, just yours, you already have enough things in mind. Otherwise we won't finish until curfew."
"Thank you, Deborah."
"Tuesday, Runes in the morning. Free afternoon. I imagine you'll have flight class."
"Sure. It has to be Tuesday."
"I guess it will be after six, when everyone's exams are over, if we have to count on us, the Beaters, and Hippolyta," she said.
"Sure, tomorrow I'll ask the old man. Ugh…what a shame, short class."
"Propose that it be from dinner to curfew."
"True, but I don't know if Agatha can," said Sev.
"She can, she can, she will make the sacrifice."
"I think she has a family and small children. She almost never eats at school."
"Yeah."
"I'll check with Albus tomorrow," he suggested. "So I'll be free until six or until dinner.Library all afternoon." He wrote it down. "Let's continue."
"On Wednesday, also free, Herbology exam all day."
"I have free the next day.Library before and after dinner and until curfew chat with Audrey, if she can." They wrote it down on the calendars. "What do I do on Thursday?I'm going to get bored."
"Do whatever you want," Deborah replied.
"I know. Walk through the forest in the morning. Do you know if the third years have an exam in the morning?"
"They do not have."
"Brilliant.I'm taking Hippolyta to teach curses to the pond. I'll tell her on Tuesday." Sev wrote down the notice on Tuesday and the plan for Thursday morning. "In the afternoon I'll clean Lauren's Fidelius until I get tired and then Library, before and after dinner." He wrote it down too.
"Friday, Potions morning and afternoon."
"And second flight class of the week, maybe it can also be after dinner."
"Or leave it for Saturday, after Quidditch practice," Deborah suggested. "This Saturday the people at home have it, from four to six."
"Good idea. This way we don't have to bother Hippolyta or the Beaters for two days. I'll tell Dumbledore tomorrow too. So we don't write anything down for the moment, we leave it for today. We'll have a calendar meeting again on Friday when I finish my Potions exam, at six, if I don't have flight class. Can you?"
"Yes I can. We don't have an exam on Friday afternoon."
"Perfect," said Sev. "I'm probably meeting Lauren on Sunday night, the next day we have free, we can afford to use the Time Turner."
"Sure."
"I can't believe it. More than a week without Time Turner. What a rest."