Black // Marauders

65. Stress, Depressed and Persephone Obsessed

A week or so passed and with daily visits from Sirius, Persie started to like living in the castle. Monday rolled around and Sirius stumbled into the room, a pile of books taller than himself gripped in his hands, "Pers!"

"Yeah?" She called from her room as she popped her head out into the living space and brushed her wet hair out of her face with her fingers, "Oops sorry."

She raised a hand and moved the books on to the coffee table between the sofa and the fire as she exited her room and stood, arms folded, staring at the pile, "Why do you have so many books?"

"I've searched all of them," Sirius answered a little breathlessly, before he shook his head, "And I can't find any instructions on how to do a good Conjuring Charm anywhere."

"Charm?" She replied as she raised an eyebrow and he nodded, before she rolled her eyes, "Charms. There's more than one."

"What?!" He cried, as she raised a hand to her mouth to stop herself from laughing, before reaching out a hand and feeling her wand whizz towards her, "Have you not been listening for seven years?"

He looked at her with a straight face before shaking his head, "No. No, I haven't."

"And there was me thinking I would be surprised." Persie smiled, before her eyes scanned over the book on the top of the pile, "An Anthology on Eighteenth Century Charms? Jesus, Sirius, I can almost smell your desperation."

"Do you blame me? My practical exam is in three days!" He exclaimed as she put a hand on his shoulder and laughed a little to herself, "Chill. What do you need to learn to conjure?"

"Urm ... water, an animal of my choice, fire, rope ... I think I can pass on that." Sirius recalled, before Persie raised an eyebrow, "You can't conjure water?"

"Not very well. My talents lie in other areas." He answered as he pulled off his tie and threw it on to the sofa, "What? Like driving Professor McGonagall up the wall by flying paper pigeons around in her lessons?"

"Did you, by any chance, go and see her this morning?" Sirius questioned, as Persie unfolded her arms and waved her wand in front of them so a red bucket appeared, "I did. But only because I was bored. And I wanted to see what you were up to."

"It was you that kept setting them alight in mid air?!" He exclaimed as she nodded, "Yes, yes. It was me. I confess. However, I will do more than set those pigeons alight if you don't pass this practical exam. So, conjure some water into that bucket."

"Alright fine. But watch out. You might be in the firing line." Sirius mentioned grimly as Persie took a step back, "Take it away."

Sirius swallowed nervously, before raising his wand and pointing it towards the bucket, "Aguamenti."

A short sharp burst of water flew from his wand and bounced off the side of the bucket, giving them both a sharp spray as Persie began to laugh and Sirius frowned, "I warned you!"

"I just- It wasn't- bad." Persie said between laughs, as she shook her head and held on to the sofa to stop herself from falling to the floor, "Your aim was just a bit off and you need to be a bit gentler."

"So, two thirds was completely wrong then?" Sirius replied as she shook her head and grinned to herself, "No! Your pronunciation was ... fine..."

"Oh god. Pers, I need to pass Charms! I'm going to fail everything else?!" He exclaimed before she folded her arms and gave him a look, "At least you have NEWTs. Pass or fail, you have five. I have zero."

"Sorry. I'm just stressed and I haven't been here-"

"No. Don't apologise. Dumbledore will give you some leeway seeing as you were in a coma about ten days ago." Persie mentioned as she glanced over his face, before nodding her head to the sofa, "Sit down so you can stop stressing for five minutes."