GOLDEN || T. NOTT ✓

eight | suspicions

"MISS PARKINSON, A word please?" McGonagall calls to Paz, just as she was about to leave from her Transfiguration lesson.

"What's up Professor?" She questions, pulling away from Luna and walking over to McGonagall's desk.  She takes a seat in the first row of desks.

McGonagall rubs her hands on her forehead, stress seeming to ooze from the woman.  Paz had noticed this stress since returning in September.

"You need to be more careful with your little club." McGonagall states firmly, folding her hands in front of her on her desk.

"I'm afraid I don't understand..."

McGonagall frowns.

"Don't think Professor Flitwick, Sprout and I haven't noticed the way a handful of our students have been very secretive lately," Paz avoids eye contact as McGonagall continues.  "All I'm saying is to be careful.  We know nothing, and we would like to keep it that way."

"Yes, well, very well then.  Thank you Professor."

The two smile at each other before Paz stands up and leaves the room.  McGonagall sat at her desk for a few moments, frowning as she watched Paz disappear from her doorway. 

"They're the only hope for this war." She mumbles, before returning to her office.

Now rushing to Charms class before receiving a late for the day, Paz pushes her way through the crowded halls before entering the room, taking a seat next to Ginny. 

"What kept you so long?" She asks.

"I'll tell you later," Paz waves her off, Flitwick beginning the lesson a few moments later.

Flitwick started the class with a short lecture on vinegar to win, explaining how to perform the spell and the movement of ones wand when doing so, before ending his lecture and allowing everyone in the room to practice. 

Paz and Ginny attempted the spell for a long period of time, though both were very unsuccessful in doing so.  Ginny's had turned on odd, dark blue color, while Paz's latest attempt left her vinegar frozen solid.

"Finite." Paz mumbled, the vinegar returning back to its liquid state.

"You ever gonna tell me why you were late?" Ginny pesters Paz.

"McGonagall kept me back for a couple minutes," Paz lowers her voice and moves in closer to Ginny, "I reckon we're being slightly careless with the D.A."

Ginny's eyes widen, clearly shocked.  "She knows?"

"Sounds like it.  So do Flitwick and Sprout.  I suppose the Carrows are too daft to notice, Slughorn is around Slytherin's most of the time so he has nothing to notice, and the other Professors only get handfuls of students, so I suppose they won't realize either."

"Well, we've got a meeting tonight, suppose we can talk to Neville and Luna about it.  We should probably think about moving in smaller groups."

Paz nods her head in agreement.

"Miss Parkinson, may I see you perform the charm?" Flitwick questions, Ginny and Paz noticing they had been talking for several minutes and not working.

"Oh, um, yes of course."

Paz put all her focus on the charm, waving her wand and watching as the vinegar sizzled, then exploded into the air.  Several gasps were heard around the room, Flitwick sighing and shaking his head. 

"Practice it for next class, you as well Miss Weasley, wine is not blue."

Once class was dismissed, the two girls decided to head to the library, as they had two hours to spare before their D.A. meetings.