Order of the Sphinx... Why should HP get to have all the fun?

Chapter 22: The Princess and the Apprentice

Disclaimer: I don't Own Harry Potter or his world.

I'm just a recent High School graduate, struggling to find a part time job.

Chapter 22: The Princess and the Apprentice

Meeting AV seemed to send my time at Hogwarts into a whirlwind. The motivation I seemed to suck like a vampire- who seemed to live on taking peoples pizzazz- from the stories and the time I spent with my new found almost uncle seemed to spur me on to achieve the most that I could in my school work.

I attacked my lessons with a fever reminisant of the days before the next instalment of the Twilight movies. My spell repertoire grew, my Quidditch skills evolved and I helped my team win against Gryffindor.  Snape almost had a stroke when he saw I was actually eager in my occulmency and duelling lessons and couldn’t even recover enough to give me extra homework.

My new found vigour seemed to please McGonagall who gave me pleased looks whenever she thought I didn’t notice. Flitwick commented too, saying my charms skills had increased dramatically over the past couple of weeks.

I was thrilled and even my friends noticed the change. At first Ivy and Jen had a theory I had some secret lover on the side that was responsible for this change in behaviour. Alice thought I had been inducted into some secret society of Gorilla saving duck ninjas who had placed me as their leader. Will and Colin just wanted to know the reason why I couldn’t sit still and grinned like a loon whenever I managed to stay still for longer than 5 minutes.

 In the end, the entire overseas mission decided I was either smoking some really weird shit or had just cracked and gone completely mental.

I eventually sat them down and told them about AV and the night where I had met him in the forest. They were astonished for numerous reasons; One, that I had managed to keep it a secret for so long. Two, that they hadn’t figured it out. Three, that AV was actually real and not some illusive all-powerful transcendent being or paedophile. And four, that I was actually seeing and talking to him every other afternoon.

I suppose I should have been offended, but I was so drunk on the situation that it was hard for my original temper to spike.

The change of seasons had signalled a change in me and my life, a change which would ultimately decide my fate. April brought with it new life; the delayed spring which should have come in the previous month but didn’t and a new life in me.

I had purpose now.

I had a goal.

I was a princess. Something which was getting easier to admit and get used to the more time I spent with Alexandru.

Things changed again one April afternoon when AV and I were sitting on the front porch of the property he was staying at over his visit. It was a warm afternoon, an odd occurrence for spring in the Scottish Highlands but I was loath to neglect it. AV and I were sitting on old rocking chairs which were absurdly comfortable drinking Iced-tea. It was nice, and it felt like I had been propelled back into the old days were such leisurely activities were encouraged.

I was, admittedly, completely neglecting an essay I had due for Potions, but I didn’t really care. AV had been silent awhile, lost in his thoughts and I was reluctant to tear them from him. Finally though, he placed his half empty glass to the side and gave me a significant look. I met his stare patiently, knowing that whatever he was thinking about, he was going to tell me.

“I have been thinking Draga.” Alexandru’s gravelly voice said, his accent just as strong as the first time I had met him. I nodded encouragingly, urging him to go on. He took the hint and continued. “Perhaps just training you is foolish; maybe I should train another at the same time.” He mused, the thoughts still whirring and clicking over in his head.