Brave

On Monday night, on the way to the Quidditch pitch, Sev had planned the next day's excursion with Hippolyta.

"What do you think about Shelley and Ariel coming with us to the pond tomorrow?" he asked the girl.

"Oh... I thought we were going alone," not disappointed.

"The decision is yours, Hippolyta, there is a reason I am asking you. Don't you want to have a good time with your friends, who are helping you so much in your studies, and also take a bath with them? We are going to have a great time, playing between four is more fun than between two, and so, if you want, we can spend the whole morning together, it is not as compromised as if the two of us go alone."

"Well, I'll give you my opinion. To begin with, get out of your head those nonsense about whether or not it's compromised, you're not that many years older than me and we're not doing anything wrong. Whoever wants to think badly, it is their problem, not ours, we can do whatever we want."

"You're right."

"To continue, I do agree that the four of us are going to have a better time and I really want to bathe with them, but if they come there are things that I really want to do and we won't be able to," she went on. "It's not because I want to be alone with you, it is because of those things that we are going to miss."

"What things?"

"Cast curses, fight and talk about our things."

"We can do them anyway," he said.

"Oh really? How?"

"We'll put Shelley and Ariel to fight each other for a while and we'll stay in the pond chatting and casting curses. And then, when they get tired, let they let us fight or we do two against two with them."

"Okay, I want to be your partner, so we can practice for when we have a snack on the Death Eaters," Hippolyta proposed.

They laughed.

"And another condition," she continued.

"Go ahead."

"If we return after the exams like you told me, we will return alone."

"Okay."

So, the next morning, after breakfast, the four of them went home to prepare for all go to the Forest. The boys took clothes to change into and the girls also took t-shirts because they didn't have swimsuits. We have to buy swimsuits for everyone this summer, so we can also swim in September, thought Sev.

They also went through the kitchens to get something to eat for everyone, Sev carried everything in his backpack. They went directly across the country, taking the shortest route so that Hippolyta would not be exhausted. Shelley and Ariel are excited because they have never been to the pond, and Hippolyta simulates the same excitement as them so that they don't know that she was with me last Thursday, without me having to ask her.

So he let them chat with each other all the way while he guided them. They were excited about the Defense exam they had that afternoon, very happy because everyone expected to get Outstanding. They arrived at the pond.

"Wow… How cool! Sev, why have you never brought me here before?" Ariel asked him.

"I don't know, honey. At Christmas, when we could, I was still very silly and barely paid any attention to you," Sev responded. "Shall we sit down and chat for a while?"

They sat.

"It was frozen at Christmas, right?" asked the boy.

"Of course, like the Lake," Sev responded.

"Then in winter we could skate," Shelley proposed.

"Wow… that would be fantastic," Hippolyta exclaimed.

"I have never skated," said Sev.

"Haven't you? Ugh… poor," said Ariel. "I always go with Shelley, Jack and Deborah at Christmas to skate in London, to a skating rink there."

How well they treat him, how lucky he was. "Have you skated too, Hippolyta?"

"Yes, of course, but with my little cousins, it's not as fun as with friends," the girl responded.

"And do you have skates?"

"I do," Hippolyta answered.

"Not us," Ariel responded. "We rent them at the skating rink."

"Then we will have to buy skates for everyone this summer, and also swimsuits to swim in September," Sev suggested.

"We already have swimsuits," said Ariel. "From when we go to the beach."

How fantastic, they take him everywhere. "Do you have one too, Hippolyta?"

"Of course, me too, they take me to the beach and I also bathe in the river in my town," she responded.

Very good, one less expense, because skates must be expensive. "Well, make a list of everything you need to put in your trunk when you return in September, so that you don't forget anything. You already know that if you ask for old books from this year's fourth-year students, you don't need to take them in your trunk, you just have to sign up on the list so they can keep them for next year."

"I'm going to ask my parents to buy them for me," said Shelley. "My parents have a lot of money, so they are left for other kids who have less."

"You're doing well, honey."

"I'm going to ask for them," said Ariel. "This way I'll have the scholarship money for materials and clothes, and Shelley's family doesn't have to buy them for me."

"Very well thought out, honey. And you, Hippolyta?"

"My parents also have money, not much, but enough," answered the girl.

But they are going to need to pay for the doctor. "Ask for them too, and if they don't grant them to you, I'll give you mine."

"But you don't have the fourth grade ones here, they won't all fit in your trunk."

"But I'll give them to you this summer and you'll take them home," Sev proposed. "I'll also give you the third year Arithmancy one."

"Brilliant."

"Also, I'm also going to take my trunk empty of books, I'm going to ask for the sixth grade ones. I don't even have to ask for them, Andrew is going to hand me his."

"And where are you going to keep them?" she asked.

"In a secret place that I have in the castle. What do your parents do, Hippolyta?"

"My Mum doesn't work, only my Dad."

"And what does he do?"

"He is the owner of Diagon's used bookstore," the girl answered.

"What are you saying?" amazed. "Bowman?"

"Sure. Didn't you know my last name?"

Then they are quite humble and the book recycling plan is going to hurt them, they are going to be left without that second-hand textbook market, Sev thought. Ugh… we have to help them pay for the doctor, this afternoon I'm Summoning a lot of jewelry, and I plan to pay him what I bargained for at Easter.And not only that, he barely sees his daughter on holidays, because he always has the business open, he only rests on Sunday, what a shame.And of course, he is a snake, as I suspected. "No, I had never asked you. I've known him since first year, I always buy my books there, second-hand. And he also knows me, I am one of his best clients, I spend almost all of my scholarship money there."

"That's great... then he will let you be my friend."

"For sure yes. Do your parents know that you want to be a warrior?"

"Of course they know, since first year," Hippolyta responded.

"And what do they think?"

"They don't find it very funny, honestly. My Dad wants me to inherit the bookstore, but I would be bored to death working there."

Of course, she likes action.But if she doesn't have a family, the business is enough to support herself, plus what she saves as a Quidditch player, because there she will earn a lot of money. "Well, but if after the war you dedicate a few years to Quidditch, when you are older and have to retire, because that is not a job for life, and your Dad also retires, you will have a good way of life, and working in a bookstore is very interesting, you'll have many books to read," Sev suggested.

"It's true, I had never thought about it."

"And you will meet many people. Your Dad knows all the books in the store, if you do too, you can recommend them to customers and chat with them."

"Wow yes."

"And you, Shelley? Are you already thinking about which NEWT you want to take?" Sev asked. "Next year you have to decide."

"I want Defense, but also Medimagic," answered the youngest Steed.

"Wow... like me. You can do both. Do you have Arithmancy too?"

"Yes of course."

"And are you good at it?" Sev asked.

"Before not much, but now better, because Ariel helps me a lot."

"Then this summer you can both help Hippolyta. I didn't ask you how your Astronomy exam went."

"Me for Outstanding," Ariel replied.

"Worse for me, I had several mistakes in the practical ones, I realized later when I spoke with Ariel," Shelley said.

"Oh, what a shame. Will you reach the EE?" Sev asked.

"I don't know, I think I have all the theory right."

"How many points were there for each?"

"Four theory and six practice," replied the girl.

Hippolyta almost doesn't speak if I don't ask her.Deep down she is very shy or doesn't feel integrated, because, as she says, Shelley and Ariel are almost boy and girlfriend. "Well, I think you at least have the Acceptable, don't worry. And you, Hippolyta?"

"I did all the theory well, I did it first as you told me, and then I did two complete practical exercises well but I didn't have time to finish the third one," Hippolyta responded.

"Well, then you have EE for sure. Great."

"Well yes, the truth is, I have learned more these days with you than in the entire school year."

"And did you have a good time?" Sev asked.

"Indeed I did, even taking the exam. They were difficult, huh? More than the ones you gave me, that's why I didn't have time to finish, but I still had them right."

"Fantastic. Would you like to chat about something else?"

"Weren't you going to ask us Defense theory?" Ariel asked.

"In a little while, we have all morning, and from what I heard while we were coming here, all three of you are going to get Outstanding."

"So, what are we going to do now?"

"I was thinking of proposing that Shelley and you train for a while in a fairly clear space of trees that is very close so that you can ensure your practice this afternoon, because you haven't trained for a long time, since before the mess," suggested the oldest.

"And you're not going to fight me, Sev?"

"Later, we have all morning, we have enough time to do everything. Come on, I'll show you where it is. Hippolyta, wait for me here."

The three of them got up and Sev took them to the space where they could fight.

"Don't make yourself fall, because here you can get hurt. Then, when the four of us fight together, we will already use all the spells you know," he told them. "Okay?"

"And what are you going to do with Hippolyta?" Ariel asked him.

"Chat for a little while, she can't fight for that long, she gets tired. You know, be careful, and if you still get hurt, scream and I'll come running to heal you, okay?"

"Okay, Sev."

"And don't start walking alone through the Forest, because you could get lost," advised the oldest. "When you get bored, come, and while you rest for a while I will ask you the Defense theory."

"Brilliant."

"See you later."

Sev returned to the pond, Hippolyta had already caught a bug with Imperius and was making it fly her way. She threw it in his face and laughed.

"I can't leave you alone, huh? You are a whirlwind," he said.

They played for a while again, chasing each other with two bugs.

Then she proposed, "Today I want to test Crucios with crawlers so I can free them from the curse without killing them."

"Well, go ahead. If you don't see any with the naked eye, look under the stones, but be careful when lifting them so they don't sting you."

That's how she did it, she looked for crawling bugs and threw Crucios at them, made them suffer for a while laughing, then released them, and while they fled she cast a killing curse on them.

When she had already tried several times everything she had learned the previous Thursday, she asked him, "Now teach me more curses."

Sev taught her six more.

She said, "I have fifteen, that's fine, your second lucky number. Next time another six, twenty-one, mine."

Sev laughed. She's meant to be eaten. "Brilliant."

"The last one, an Avada."

"Go ahead."

She launched an Avada at a flying bug without it being under Imperius, at its normal, fast flight rate. She killed it the first time.

"Wooow… Hippolyta!" deeply amazed and admired. "I had never done that before."

"The thing is that while you have gone to accompany them I have been practicing hunting them directly and not intercepting their trajectory like you do," downplaying its importance.

Wow… in five minutes. "Wow... you are the best. The best, by far. Can I ask you something? Don't do it if you don't want to."

"Of course, Prince."

"Would you give me a hug?"

Hippolyta's eyes glazed over. "Of course, Prince…"

They hugged each other very tightly. She told him, crying, "I was dying to, but since you always talk about it being compromised, I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable.

Ugh, poor girl… what a fool I am.Maybe she hasn't received a hug since Easter when she was with her parents. "Sorry, honey, understand that I am very afraid that people or you yourself will think badly of me. I was dying too."

"I love you very much…"

Oh… "And I love you," he replied. "You light up my life, you are the best thing that has happened to me in a long time."

"I've been thinking about something you told me."

"About what?"

"I'm a little embarrassed to tell you," said the girl.

"Then don't tell me if you don't want to, you'll tell me when you're not embarrassed."

"Yes, I want to tell you, because I can't stay calm."

"Then tell me, come on," Sev encouraged her.

"When you told me that one day we would be boy and girlfriend and I laughed at you."

Ugh… she's been thinking about it since Thursday, I'm a big mouth. "Oh... And what is it that worries you?"

"Were you serious?" asked Hippolyta.

"Of course, I don't say those things in vain, but it will only happen that way if you want it to."

"That's the problem, I don't know if I want to and I don't want you to be waiting for me because I don't know if I will want to one day."

"Honey, don't worry about that," he reassured her. "I'm not waiting for you, I'm just enjoying being with you, that's enough for me. Even if we were just friends all our lives I would still be happy. I shouldn't have told you, it came out without thinking."

"But if you meant it, it was good that you told me, so that I know what you feel."

"Yes, in that aspect yes, but you have been worried about it and it is not something you should think about now."

"Don't think I've thought about it that much either, huh?" she said. "I've been very busy."

"Okay, I'm calmer. Is there anything else that worries you?"

"Yes... If I'm not your girlfriend you won't love me as much."

"You're very wrong," Sev disagreed. "I'm going to continue loving you as much or more, whether we're dating or not doesn't matter. Even if I never did with you what boy and girlfriends do, I would have enough with what we have. As you often say, we won't have enough life for everything we want to do together. Are you calmer?"

"Yeah…"

"I don't want you to think about those things again. It seems to you that the two years we are apart is a short time, but that is not the case, at our age, two years is a lot of difference. You are still almost a little girl and I am almost a man. You have a lot of growing and maturing left to do and I will be by your side while you do it. You just have to let yourself be carried away by your heart, by what you feel at all times. I will be there, you can talk to me about anything that worries you. And if you prefer to talk to a girl, do it with Deborah or Valerie, who are older than you and will give you good advice. Will you do it?"

"Yes, Prince. Can I ask you another question?"

"Sure, honey, whatever you want."

"But if in the end I do want to be your girlfriend and you have found another girl in the meantime, I won't be able to be it anymore."

Indeed she has been thinking about it, ugh… "That's no problem either," Sev reassured her. "I can have several girlfriends if I want and they want. Don't you know the history of witches?"

"Yes, but that is no longer the case now."

"It can be like that if we want. Would you mind if I had other girlfriends?"

"I don't know," the girl responded.

I must continue to maintain discretion with my girls when she is present, so as not to hurt her and so that she does not lose hope. "Well, when you know, tell me too, we will talk about everything that worries you and we will find a way to be happy together, no matter what. Okay?"

"Okay…"

"Are you better?" he asked.

"Yeah…"

"Is there anything else that worries you?"

"Not…"

"Sure?"

"Sure," Hippolyta responded.

"Very good. Did you already think all this on Saturday when we were on the couch in the Common Room?"

"Yeah…"

"Ugh... And why didn't you tell me?" Sev asked.

"Because I was embarrassed."

"Ugh... Are you going to be embarrassed to talk to me about these things again?"

"Not…"

"That's how I like it," he approved. "That was why you wanted to chat alone with me today, right?"

"Yeah…"

"I admire you very much Hippolyta. You are very brave, the bravest."