A/N : A very short chapter, sorry, but necessary to prepare for the Christmas episode next week:) Enjoy !
Titillando !
On the day of the ball, this cold—deadly cold—Friday morning, Caitlyn woke up with an impending sense of doom. A dread deep in her stomach that rivaled the day she was pinned down behind a crate while curses and hexes flew over her head during a gang bust.
It wasn't because any alarm had rung—those had been quiet since they were set up.
It wasn't because of a gut feeling that something would go wrong, that they would be attacked, or receive more bad news, either.
It wasn't even due to the stress, fear, or excitement she felt about going to the party with Vi, debating how she would dress up, what hairstyle she should go for, or which jewels to wear at her neckline.
This was about the children.
And the six hours of class she'd have to keep them seated and quiet while they would be utterly unhinged, excited for the evening like werewolves in a sheepfold. She soon realized her fears were entirely justified. Unrest had been brewing for the better part of the week, but by breakfast, she knew this day would be completely devastating.
She looked at McGonagall in disbelief. With the thin, tight smirk that characterized her so well, the older woman merely shrugged.
Her foreboding proved true once more when she entered the classroom. The chaos and noise seemed far more uncontrollable than usual.
"Children!" she yelled. "Please! Sit down quietly!"
She was this close to begging—and it was only the first class of the day. Of course, it had to be with the Marauders.
"How many of you want to continue our lesson about werewolves?" she asked once she finally managed to get a semblance of silence.
Only a couple of shy hands rose in the air.
"And how many of you can't wait to go on vacation, starting with tonight's ball, and would rather do something fun instead?"
Almost every single hand shot up, including some that had been raised for the previous question.
"Very well. But if we do this, I'll give you extra homework over the holidays. If you agree, keep your hand up."
Only three hands lowered, one of them belonging to Lily Evans. Caitlyn wondered, for a second, why this top-of-the-class student was one of the few to oppose more homework.
"The people have spoken!" declared the teacher. "Everybody, up!"
With a wave of her wand, she moved all the tables and chairs to the edges of the room, clearing as much space as possible in the center of her kingdom.
"We'll play a little game. As a warm-up for tonight's event, we will dance. Or, more exactly, some of you will dance. To avoid any potential conflict, I'll pair boys with boys and girls with girls. No complaints! This is still a lesson! You'll have plenty of time to spend with your respective sweethearts tonight!"
The kids shouted and teased one another, but overall, they seemed intrigued by Caitlyn's little game.
"While the music plays and we watch you dance—however you choose to dance, by the way, is fully up to you—I'll select one student in the crowd to attack the two dancers with a single spell."
Eyes went wide, and silence finally settled over the room. Evans raised her hand.
"Professor, are you saying we should attack each other?"
"Indeed I am! I assume you're all familiar with Dueling Clubs, correct? While Hogwarts doesn't have any official clubs, I know from experience students tend to make their own. Since the Shield Charm is only learned in sixth year, you will only use spells you've studied in this class over the past three years. No homemade tricks, understood?"
Chatter resumed among the students, though Caitlyn couldn't tell whether it was complaints, excitement, or banter.
"Remember: only one spell! Dancers, your goal will be to either protect yourselves, dodge, or deflect. No counterattacks. The purpose of this exercise is to put you in a simulated situation, testing your reflexes and your ability to think under pressure. But also, remember—for today at least—it's just a game. I'll award House Points for good performances and take many more if rules aren't followed. Understood, children?"
A wave of nods and voiced agreements followed.
"Perfect! Let's get started! Beckett, Reynold, you're first!"
She left the center of the room, gesturing for the two young men to take her spot, and waved her wand in the air. In the corner, the disc started turning, and music filled the space.
"I'm not holding his hand!" complained Reynold.
"It's not like I want to either!" grunted his partner.
"And I'm not asking you to!" reminded the professor. "Just dance however you want! I will deduct an ungodly amount of points to anyone who makes fun of our dancers today. Is that understood? "
They began to move their arms hesitantly, very much aware of the dozens of eyes locked onto them. Caitlyn gestured for her students to encourage the pair. While a few teasing remarks flew shily among the crowd despite the points threat, the encouragement—especially from the girls—seemed to help them relax and enjoy the music. After a minute, when she thought the kids weren't looking at her, Caitlyn chose a Slytherin girl, a shy young woman with blonde hair, and silently mouthed:
"You. Go."
Panicked, the girl froze for a second, but Caitlyn smiled reassuringly. The girl finally reacted, discreetly pulled out her wand, and cast:
"Locomotor Mortis!"
Reynold dropped to the floor immediately upon hearing the girl speak, dodging the spell. Beckett, however, wasn't nearly as quick and took the spell straight on. His legs snapped together as though tied by a magical rope, and he fell forward with a grunt, only managing to soften his fall with his hands.
The children burst out laughing, and so did Caitlyn. Thankfully, the trapped young man wasn't a sore loser; he laughed along, scratching his head in embarrassment.
"Well played, everyone!" congratulated the teacher. "Excellent reflexes, Reynold, though you did leave your partner out to dry. Lovely choice of jinx, Miss River. Next: Potter and Black! Are you ready to show us what you can do?"
Caitlyn Kiramman knew the young Potter could not resist the challenge. He was far too excited and eager since the moment she had announced the game. Black, on the other hand, didn't seem quite as enthusiastic, though his smug smile never wavered.
The two boys took their places on the improvised dance floor and waited for the music to begin.
Caitlyn was impressed. With slick grins and a perfect understanding of each other, they clasped hands and began waltzing like a couple straight out of a royal court. The class erupted in a mix of loud whispers of awe, sneers of disdain, and giggles of disbelief.
There was no denying it—these two loved putting on a show.
With a grin of her own, Caitlyn turned her gaze to Lily Evans, whose eyes were locked on hers, practically gleaming with anticipation. This was the moment the girl had been waiting for, practically begging for the opportunity.
Caitlyn gave her a subtle nod.
Lily's wand was out in a flash, quicker than most Aurors Caitlyn had ever seen, as she shouted:
"Levicorpus!"
Although both boys were prepared and reacted swiftly, neither had any idea how to counter the jinx. Wide-eyed, they were hoisted into the air, dangling helplessly by their ankles.
"Hey!" shouted Potter indignantly. "That's not fair! I taught you this!"
"You taught me nothing," Lily snorted, "except that you're decent for target practice."
The class burst into laughter, even Black, who chuckled along while adjusting his upside-down robes. Perhaps even Potter joined in—though any amusement he felt was hidden behind his exaggerated pouting.
"All right, all right," Caitlyn said, giggling elegantly. "I think your point has been made, Miss Evans. Please lower them down gently. I'd rather not send them to the infirmary with broken skulls. Well done. Ten points to Gryffindor."
"Professor Kiramman," Sirius Black piped up as he dusted himself off, his trademark grin back in place. "Maybe you could show us how it's done? Give us an example."
The little prick, she thought, though she blamed herself for not seeing this coming.
"Very well," she admitted. "I suppose it's only fair I give you some kind of example. Mister Snape, would you do me the honor of being my partner for this exercise?"
Hesitant, the black-haired boy glanced around as though searching for an escape route. But with no alternative, he finally resigned himself and shuffled to the center of the room.
"Would you prefer to dance alone?" Caitlyn asked, extending a hand. "Or to waltz with me? Your choice."
Snape stared at her hand, hesitated, then took a small step back.
"I'm more comfortable on my own, if you don't mind, Professor."
"Not at all. Boundaries are important, children. Now, Mister Lupin, I trust you'll select one of your fellow students to be the attacker?"
"As you wish, Professor."
"Then let's dance!"
With a flick of her wand, Caitlyn started the music. Pocketing her wand, she let herself sway to the rhythm, while Severus Snape awkwardly oscillated, clearly unsure of what to do with his limbs. Caitlyn allowed herself a moment to daydream—imagining what it would be like to dance with Vi later that evening.
Meanwhile, it seemed Lupin was taking his sweet time selecting an attacker—perhaps stalling at Potter's suggestion.
Suddenly, someone moved. Caitlyn wasn't sure who, but every instinct in her body lit up like firecrackers. Her wand was out in an instant, her body already mid-spin as she moved to shield Snape.
"Titillando!"
But Caitlyn's shield was already up. The Tickling Spell fizzled against her protective charm.
Gasps of amazement rippled through the class, followed by a smattering of applause from the girls. The only exception was the Slytherin girl Lupin had chosen, who scowled in mild frustration.
"Are you satisfied, Mr. Black?" Caitlyn asked with a raised brow. "Or would you like another round to demonstrate your skills?"
The young man merely grunted, retreating behind his friend.
"As you can see, protecting yourself is always priority number one—but it's also important to have your partner's back. I'll admit, it is a lot easier when you know the Shield Charm, but i trust you all understand the intent. Now, who's up next?"
Several hands shot up eagerly.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of similar games, with Caitlyn adapting the exercise to suit the skill levels of her various classes. By the time the last bell rang, she was exhausted but thoroughly satisfied. As far as she could recall, this would remain one of the best days of her career.