Charms

Monday, ten in the morning, start of the Charms OWL practical exam. Perhaps the most relevant subject taught at Hogwarts, required for almost all NEWTs, which is why almost all of the fifth-year students were waiting their turn, in alphabetical order, in a room adjacent to the Great Hall.

There are more than thirty of us, Sev was thinking. If we have ten to one, three hours, it's turn for more than ten people every hour, less than six minutes for each one.Despite the time change they are going to go in a hurry.I don't even want to imagine what it would have been like if it was less than two hours.

It's Lily's turn during the first hour. Lauren's, Anthony's and mine around twelve. Two hours of waiting, and standing because there are not seats for everyone. They could very well have appointed us in turns of ten people and we would have had a little more time to study.

Lily is chatting with the Gryffs. We talked at breakfast, just for a little while, because she had to read because she screwed up repeatedly yesterday. At least all is still in order regarding me and the Army, but not anymore regarding her history with Sirius. I suspect that she is going to come to light sooner with him than with me, and all the Gryffs can smell it, yesterday they spent the entire afternoon and night giving away themselves. I can't leave her alone even during a meal, she does things her own way.

Well, it's a good way so that his companions and the rat don't suspect that we are together, but James is getting angry, now it seems to him that it is Sirius who is betraying me. Poor guy, he must be in a terrible mess. Maybe in a while I'll read him to get the information first-hand, although I already feel bad for doing so. Maybe what I'll do is chat with him for a moment, when the girls and the rat have passed and he hasn't yet.

Boof... but it's going to be right before he passes, I'm going to distract him. No, I better not chat with him, I'll read him and that's it, emergency situation. I have to tell Lily how to behave, the only thing left is for her to now try to help Sirius in all his exams so she can spend more time with him and James gets more and more annoyed, he withdraws the invitation to stay at his house in the summer and we run the risk of him meeting his cousin again. In that case we should find an alternative home, perhaps at Deborah's house. She already told me that her parents would be delighted to meet the Black's black sheep, even more so to welcome him into his house, the second child they could not have.

But it's better to avoid that solution, it's in our best interest for him to spend the summer with James so that he can continue to influence him, but if he doubts his loyalty to me it's going to be very contradictory. Definitely, Lily should also stay away from Sirius for the moment, at least until we return in September, or hide a little better. She had already appointed him again after the exam in the Library, because the two of them finish first, and I told her that it's okay, but that they should only chat while there is no one else with them.

I'm going to see how Lauren is doing. Perfectly, she has taken a seat, how could she not? She seems relaxed and calm, it's her vibe, it will be good for me to chat with her for a while, I'm going to bond.

He did it. "How are you, gorgeous?"

"Wonderful, my love."

"I already see it. Aren't you nervous?"

"Not at all.You already know that I'm very good at Charms," she answered.

"How I would like to see you take the exam."

"And also me to see you do it, and Lily, who is an ace."

"Of course she is," he agreed. "If I'm so good at Charms it's thanks to her.Do you know about her wand?"

"Of course, she told me."

"She should have dedicated herself to Charms instead of Potions."

"In that case, she would not have been a teacher at Hogwarts, Flitwick is not thinking about retiring," Lauren objected.

"Sure. So it has been good that it has been that way. How are you doing in Runes?"

"Lily has been correcting me after breakfast on the homework she gave me yesterday. She says I will get the Outstanding."

"Wow, Lauren…" admired. "You are also an ace."

"I had to work on it, huh?"

"Yes, I know. Runes is also difficult for me, I'm not very good at languages."

"Who'd say…" she commented.

"No, seriously. If I have gotten good grades all these years it has been because I have worked hard."

"Of course, Severus. It is the right thing to do."

"Wow, Lauren... If you get Outstanding in all the subjects they ask you for Herbology, you will be in a very good position to be a teacher in the future."

"Of course."

"Let me help you in the Potions theory exam."

"It won't be necessary, I have all Thursday to study," she rejected.

"And in practice?"

"Neither. Lily gave me her third and fourth year notes with your modifications. I just picked them up from the Herbology stash."

"Ugh... Are you going to have time for everything, Lauren?"

"Of course, I also have a full tomorrow afternoon."

"True. It's okay, but if you have any problem, bond with me without hesitation."

"Of course, Severus."

"I want you to get Outstanding in everything."

"I will do that. My parents are going to be amazed when the grades arrive home. I haven't gotten an Outstanding since second year."

"Won't they worry that you're not lowering your level as you originally planned?" he asked.

"I already spoke with them about the topic at Easter, they also know that I am going to study Defense. They thought your reasoning was great, if I get a good profession it will be more credible that I separate myself from the family. And not only that, Severus, proud parents, they will be delighted that his daughter succeeds in her studies, and all thanks to you. I can't wait to get back home and be able to talk face to face with them about everything I'm experiencing with you."

"By the way, I had completely forgotten. Did you meet Jack?"

"Yes, I did, Severus."

"And how about?"

"Forget about the topic."

"Bad, right?"

"Forget about it, Severus, you had already forgotten."

"Ugh, Lauren... but now I'm worried."

"Stop worrying about everything and everyone, you have enough with yours. The rest of us also know how to pull our own chestnuts out of the fire."

"Jack doesn't know."

"Well, let him learn, he is already older," she said.

"You're right.Lily doesn't know either." He told her how she had messed up the day before.

"Ugh... what a mess... this Lily…" Lauren said. "And Black didn't realize that they were screwing up either.They have a lot left to learn."

"Indeed."

"Read Potter whenever you like, or if you want I'll do it and we'll talk about strategy, you know I'm an expert in matters of the heart."

"Okay, we'll both do it," Sev agreed. "I prefer in a while, to have the most recent information from him, and at lunch we'll both talk to her."

"Yes, it will be the best. If only you tell her, she can think that you are clipping her wings."

"I don't think she will, Lauren. Lily knows me very well and she knows that I would never do something like that."

"Okay then, around eleven we read. Tell me about your little surprise."

"I'm a bit embarrassed." He laughed ashamed.

"Why?"

"If I tell you, you will understand."

"Then tell me," she encouraged him.

"Promise me you won't laugh."

"I promise you, Severus."

He told her about the conversation he had with Valerie and Deborah, when they convinced him.

"Oh... It's true that many boys love it, especially the malefics," Lauren commented. "I'm surprised it never crossed your mind."

"Well, you see, no, it made me very sick."

"It's just that you're overly apprehensive. You are too obsessed with order and cleanliness."

"Yes, maybe yes," Sev admitted.

"You weren't like that before, you almost always had disgusting hair."

They both laughed.

"Lauren, please don't tell me that, it makes me very ashamed."

"I know, I know, sorry, it wasn't your fault. School shampoo is crap, I've always brought it from home. Do you know what surprises me about you? That with your hair so oily you don't have acne."

"Yes I have, but I cure it, there is a spell."

"Oh... And on holidays?" she asked.

"My mother cures it for me if she has her wand, otherwise I have."

"Of course... You should know that your greasy hair has never disgusted me. That's nonsense."

"Thanks my love," he said.

"And I would like you the same even if you had acne, I love you for who you are on the inside, not for your outside appearance."

"I know, Lauren, as I love you."

"I know it too, Severus, otherwise you would have fallen in love with me much sooner."

"Of course."

"It occurs to me that maybe in the future you can invent a potion for your greasy hair."

"Well, maybe yes," Sev agreed. "I hadn't thought of that, thanks for the idea."

"Check with Belby, it would sell very well."

"True."

"Well, then you finally decided to try. How was it?" she asked.

He gave her a summary of the experience, including the dream.

"Wow… how awesome, you are incredible," Lauren commented. "So innocent and so malefic at the same time.There is no other like you, you don't know how that turns me on, I'm already horny."

"Have you ever done it with a boy?"

"Never, but Orson, the one I already told you about, always suggested it to me. I will do it with you too whenever you want."

"Wow… I'm already horny too, Lauren."

"The right mood for a Charms exam."

They laughed.

"Don't say funny things, Lauren, we have to hide. Otherwise I won't be able to tell Lily off at lunch."

"True, we must set an example. By the way, here she goes."

"Oh... I would have liked to say goodbye to her, wish her luck."

"It doesn't matter, Severus, she doesn't need it and we weren't paying attention to her last name. Chat with Anthony for a while, come on, maybe he is nervous."

"Yes, maybe he is. I'm going to do it."

"Don't unbond yourself, that way I find out and I'm entertained."

"Okay, Lauren."

Sev approached where Fiona and Anthony were, Heather had already passed. He spoke to them, "How are you?"

"A little overwhelmed, to be honest, we still have more than an hour left," Anthony replied.

"Are you nervous?"

"No, not nervous. But it makes me very angry to waste time like this."

"Of course, me too," Sev agreed. "I'm going to propose to the old man that for the rest of the practice ones they call us in shifts of ten people every hour."

"Better five at a time each half."

"Of course, even better. How was Heather?"

"Well, well, she handles it very well," Anthony answered. "She'll get the Outstanding."

"And how are you, Fiona? Nervous?"

"Not at all, you know that I am very good at practice," she replied.

"Brilliant. Besides, it's your turn soon, you'll have plenty of time until lunch to review the theory."

"Sure, I'll do it with Heather, we've already appointed at the Library."

"Great, because today we are going to fail you," Sev apologized.

"Well, Prince, don't worry about that. You've helped me enough already, you wouldn't have had to."

"Of course I had to, Fiona. You also did it for me when I needed it."

"But I did it for pleasure, Prince, make no mistake. I'm also Sly, I love fighting."

"But you took a risk when we still didn't know that the malefics were going to leave and when there were still the camouflaged ones."

"Well, well, you already got us out of the problem and you are even more at risk. We must collaborate among all."

Next year I'm going to teach her Occlumency myself, and we also have to find her a boyfriend, Sev thought. "The rest of the week I will continue helping you with whatever you need."

"You don't have to pay so much attention to me, Prince, you have a thousand other things to do."

"I have time for everything. Now the important thing is that we all do well on the exams."

"I appreciate it a lot."

"You don't have to do it, you said it yourself, we must collaborate together," he said.

"I'm going to be the envy of all the girls at school, Prince paying attention to me for hours in the Library."

The three of them laughed. Well, good for her prestige and for her to find a boyfriend. "I'm going to find you a boyfriend, Fiona. How about?"

"Wow... I'm scared... if he resembles to you…"

They laughed again.

"Come on, girl secrets. Do you like someone from the Army?" he asked.

"Yes… Black."

"Wooow… I knew it!"

They laughed again.

"Improving the present, huh? I like you much more," she added.

They laughed again.

"Give me a hug," Sev asked her.

"No, no, I have my hopes up and there is nothing to do, too many competitors."

They laughed again.

"With Black you will also have too many competitors."

"Yes, I know," Fiona agreed. "He fucks everything that comes his way. Except for Sly, he hunts in all the preserves."

"Now he has also started in Sly."

"Yes, I saw him with Valerie on Saturday. He's going to steal her from you."

"No. Not at all," he denied.

"Surely not, you are worth much more than him."

"Isn't there someone else you like from our year?"

"Yes, there is someone," she replied.

"Who?"

"John Lancaster, the Rave."

"Wow... I know why you like him even though he's not handsome at all," Sev said.

"That's the least of it, Prince, you're not handsome either. Let's see, why do I like him?"

"Because he could have been Sly. He has the spirit to fight, he is totally unsubmissive."

"Indeed, more than me."

"Does he have a girlfriend?" he asked.

"No, he doesn't have her. You know, focused on studying and ugly."

"Great, Fiona. Then I'm sure he's brand new, you'd be the first for him."

"That is, like him for me," she said.

"And you think he likes you?"

"Indeed he likes me. We have been forming squad together. He is amazed at how well I fight, he admires me."

"Great, Fiona."

"And that too, thanks to you."

"Come on, give me that hug."

They embraced. Sev looked around for the Rave and saw him looking at them. He whispered in Fiona's ear, "Your lover is looking at us…"

"Go away, go away, don't let him get jealous."

"No, no, let him see that I love you. That makes you even more valuable."

"Sure…"

"Cunning Sly, little one. Deborah's maneuvers," he said.

"How does he look at us?"

"He has already stopped doing it, but he has looked at us in a good way. He knows we're friends, he must have already noticed that we usually hang out at the Library together."

"Sure…"

"I have an idea," Sev continued. "He is preparing the Transfiguration OWL and he said that he was over the top. You can ask him for help with the subjects in which you coincide, that way you will make more friends between now and the end of the term."

"And you get away from helping me."

"Only when you want, you choose who you want to study with each day."

"Ugh... but now I'm not going to see him again until Saturday," Fiona lamented.

"Tell him now. He's not talking to anyone and there's still a while until it's his turn."

"Booff… it embarrasses me, Prince."

"Come on, Fiona, you're Sly, a girl who takes what she wants when she wants, a free woman. You didn't hesitate to tell me that you like me. Do you want me to call him?"

"Okay, call him, so I don't give away myself so much."

"Well thought out, there I go."

Sev went to where John was. "Hey, John, how are you? Are you nervous?"

"What are you saying? Nervous? What nonsense… Not at all," John responded.

"Would you like to chat with us for a while?"

"I was going over the theory in my head."

Lie, he was looking at Fiona, Sev thought. "Come on, don't tease me, you were looking at us."

"True, you caught me."

Very self-confident, he is not ashamed at all.He's great. "Besides, you'll still have some time left after the exam and after lunch, and you told me you were over the top. Chat with us for a while."

"Alright."

They went with Fiona and Anthony. Sev spoke, "Fiona was telling me that you have formed a squad."

"Of course, those of us who are not from Defense and still don't know if we will fight, so as not to bother others," John replied.

"It is not a good reason to form a squad. You should do it with those you get along with. We will see who fights and who doesn't later, we still have two years left."

"But it's a good reason, Prince," Fiona objected. "It's something we all have in common, something that unites us, and we're already getting along fighting."

"Right, then it's okay. And who else is part of it?"

"Heather, Margareth, Rave, and Janis, Huffle, Muggle-borns."

Wooow… if we consider John Sly, they would also be Silver-green.A fifth grade Silver-green, wonderful, Sev thought. "Wow, John. You alone between all girls. How lucky."

They laughed heartily. He is delighted, in his element.And I know not, because of my two Sly companions and because of John's disposition, but I'm going to say it so that he values her and she has more self-confidence. "And there being only five of you and three of you who had never trained, aren't you a little lazy compared to the others, John?"

"Not at all, Fiona and Heather are great, they are teaching us a lot," the Rave replied.

"Some good Sly warriors," with admiration.

"That is."

Now to awaken his empathy to help her, Sev thought. Difficult with a mix of Rave and Sly.Well, deep down he is like me, and I have it. "If they had been on time, they would have taken Defense."

"Yes, they have already told me. You need Exceed Expectations on this one, right, Fiona?" John asked.

"Yeah," she replied.

"And how are you doing?"

"In practice I am over the top. The theory is more difficult for me, Prince is helping me a lot."

"Yes, I have already seen you in the Library."

Great, he himself is interested in her, he likes her, he does, he wants more of a relationship. And he doesn't shy away from admitting that he does, that he has noticed us in the Library. Very self-confident, he knows what he wants and goes for it.

"But today you're not going to leave the exam until twelve or so, right, Prince?" John asked.

"That's it, today I'm barely going to have time to help her," Sev responded.

"Do you want to meet me when I get out, Fiona? My turn is shortly after yours.

"Do not care?" she asked.

"Not at all, I want to review, and so I give you back some of what you teach me. They also ask me an EE but I'm going for the Outstanding."

He has valued her again, but he also values himself, Sev thought. Bragging about what he can, since he is neither handsome nor fighting well yet, he has to emphasize what is good about him, that he is very intelligent. Great,a balanced exchange.

"Great, then," said Fiona. "Let's appoint like this, look for me when you come out."

"I'll take longer than necessary, I have to go up to the seventh floor to get home, to get my things," said John.

"We can study with my fifth grade book and the third and fourth grade books from the Library."

"No, better with my belongings, I have all the topics that come in collected in notebooks, organized, I don't need the books at all."

Wow… this guy is worth a lot.Let's value him, let Fiona like him even more. "Wow, John... how much work," Sev told him. "And do you do this with all the subjects?"

"Of course. That's what I spend my time on holidays, when I can't use my wand."

"How hardworking."

"Of course, being intelligent is not enough," said the Rave.

To emphasize something else they have in common. "Fiona is also very hardworking."

"Yes, I know, she doesn't leave the Library."

Indeed he has noticed her, and he is not afraid to say it, so that it is very clear to her, he is blunt.He's great, Sev thought. "When the exams are over you will have a few days of respite. Do you already know that we are going to organize a Rave and Sly party at your house?"

"Of course, at home we don't talk about anything else. We also want to celebrate having gotten rid of the three malefics."

"Do you like to party?"

"I do not know, that's the truth," John replied. "I've never gone to a party."

"Oh... I had never been to a party either, except at school until the first one we had at home on the day of the mess."

"How strange, being Sly."

"True. I have many Rave traits, I am very individualistic," said Sev.

"Yes, I know. In class you always do your thing and you are as bright or brighter than any Rave."

"And you have Sly traits, you are totally unsubmissive. I loved that you didn't submit to me when we seriously talked about continuing training with the Army."

"I already noticed, you told me immediately to keep coming," said the Rave.

"And you told me that you were going to do it anyway even if I forbade it."

John laughed. "Of course, and you told me that I had the right attitude. A magnificent exchange," very satisfied.

What a good memory he has.He's phenomenal. "Shock that one, John."

They high-fived.

"You will be an extraordinary warrior if you decide so in the future," said Sev.

"The first thing is to earn a good living, and I don't want to do it as an Auror. That's why I didn't choose Defense, the Aurors and Ministry thing doesn't suit me."

Wow… we have a lot in common. "Of course, I don't either, I won't become an Auror either."

"I chose Transfiguration because it is a very good profession and a NEWT that almost no one takes," John continued. "I'm going to make a very good living."

He says all this so that Fiona also finds out.He wants something serious with her, an ugly boy who instantly appreciates that a girl pays attention to him, for that he is not conceited at all. Magnificent. "Of course, Transfiguration is the most difficult subject, you will barely have any competence in your profession."

"That's what I intend."

They called Fiona.

"Guys, it's my turn," she said. "See you at the Library, John."

"Good luck, Fiona," he said.

"Good luck, Fiona," Anthony said.

"Good luck, pretty," Sev told her and winked at her.

Fiona left.

"Finally alone, John!" exclaimed Sev.

They laughed.

"How about? You will be delighted to have four girls for you in training," Sev said.

"Indeed. Janis, the Huffle, won't leave me alone," John replied.

Good… this way he feels more valued and confident. "But you don't like the Huffle."

"Of course not, the Huffle personality doesn't suit me."

I like it that way, because Janis is prettier than Fiona, Sev thought. He focuses more on personality than physical appearance, as he knows girls should do with him.How much in common, we are going to be good friends. "Come on, tell us who you like…"

"I'm not saying a word to you, you're gossiping."

They laughed.

"You don't need to tell us anything, John," said Sev. "Like you, we are not stupid."