Heart of Yours | Harry Potter

XVI.

December seemed to arrive quickly for Lalia who had become very quiet and focused throughout the month of November. Her silence, while not unnoticed, wasn't questioned as she always appeared busy with school work. Lalia had even had a wonderful Care of Magical Creatures class with Hagrid showing them Thestrals. Lalia and a boy from Hufflepuff had been the only people who were able to see the Thestrals in their class.

She was extremely excited for the holidays that were approaching. Her and Mahealani would be spending it with their parents. The only downside was that Harry, being watched, was going to the Burrow with Ron. It was too dangerous for them to go to Grimmauld Place from the train.

Lalia was walking to the Room of Requirement with Ron, Hermione, Mahealani, and Neville. They walked in to find the room decorated for Christmas with a few mistletoes throughout the room.

Lalia and Mahealani stood on their own, waiting for the rest of the group to show. Mahealani sharing with Lalia how stressed she had been recently over classes until Harry began speaking.

"Okay," he said, calling them all to order. "I thought this evening we should just go over the things we've done so far, because it's the last meeting before the holidays and there's no point starting anything new right before a three-week break -"

"We're not doing anything new?" said Zacharias Smith, in a disgruntled whisper loud enough to carry through the room. "If I'd known that, I wouldn't have come... ."

Lalia was thankful for the Weasley twin's snappy attitudes, while she was attempting to be so careful with the leaf under her tongue.

"We're all really sorry Harry didn't tell you, then," said Fred loudly.

Lalia laughed through her nose with a clear smirk on her face.

"We can practice in pairs," said Harry. "We'll start with the Impediment Jinx, just for ten minutes, then we can get out the cushions and try Stunning again."

Lalia had improved greatly on her Impediment Jinx, which originally had only had a second of effect. But through Harry's instruction and practice, she know was able to jinx her cousin more successfully and had to wait for the girl to unfreeze.

"Much better, Lia," Harry said, becoming red in the cheeks at the dazzling smile Lalia flashed him from the praise.

After ten minutes on the Impediment Jinx, they laid out cushions all over the floor and started practicing Stunning again. Space was really too confined to allow them all to work this spell at once; half the group observed the others for a while, then swapped over.

Lalia found being on one side of a Stunning spell was vastly different than the other. She felt prideful and excited to cast it, but hated the soreness she felt after it was casted on her.

At the end of an hour, Harry called a halt.

"You're getting really good," he said, beaming around at them. "When we get back from the holidays we can start doing some of the big stuff - maybe even Patronuses."

There was a murmur of excitement. The room began to clear in the usual groups; most people wishing one another Happy Christmas as they went.

Lalia left with Morag and Sue once more; the two excitedly talking about their plans for the holidays. Lalia was fidgetting with her pocket when she realized that it wasn't holding her wand. She stopped catching the other two's attention.

"What's up, Li?" Morag asked, glancing at the girl.

"My wand, forgot it." She had started walking backwards towards the room they had come from.