As Christmas went by, so did the year and the new year. Aine spent hours preparing for her new term classes, making sure all the homework was done and of course, the Patronus lesson that was coming up. The last time she tried to cast one was just before the new year, after Christmas and was it perhaps she hadn't done it in a while or the memory she chose wasn't strong enough. She couldn't quite cast a full corporeal one which was a bummer since she managed to cast one during her first lesson with Professor Lupin along with Harry.
Now, here she is, the new term was just as hectic as the previous, perhaps even more so than before since she will have her final exams coming up in a few months time. Although she faired well in her studies, Aine did not want to slack off but be extremely well prepared for it. It'll be her third year at Hogwarts next year after all. Not to mention that they'll have to pick their electives then.
"Alright, thank you for being such wonderful students today, you may go now!" Professor Flitwick announced to the class and one by one, students started to disperse from the Charms classroom, and they were free to do what they wanted since they were done for the day. However, Aine was not. She was to have her dinner before her next private 'class' with Harry and Professor Lupin. She had a full day of classes today and was extremely exhausted but her tiredness couldn't be overpowered by the excitement of her Patronus class. And so she quickly went back to her common room with Ginny and put their books before heading to the Great Hall for a meal, it was already fifteen minutes before six o'clock and by the time they were there. It was dinner time.
Aine helped herself with some roasted turkey with mashed potatoes and peas and tomatoes, and food started to crowd in her plate neatly. She turned to Ginny, and mouthed, "I'm starving, honestly!" in which her friend returned, "Me too!" before they dug in. Harry, Ron and Hermione were nowhere to be found, probably off to some mischief or they were still in classes. Aine never really know what their schedule was nor did she ask. But since she'll be seeing Harry later, she was sure he would grab something before class!
"I can't believe you're wearing that, Ai," Ginny told her, jerking her chin to the side of her braid, and pinning her fringe was the hairpin Draco had given her for Christmas. Aine's fingers travelled to the hairpin and touched it, a smile creeping onto her lips before Ginny's eyes went wide, "Wait. What was that!" she asks, in disbelief and also astonishment, "What?" Aine questions her and her friend replied, "Why are you smiling!"
"I didn't," Aine told her, and Ginny smirk, rolling her eyes, "I just saw you! You were smiling after I asked you about it!"
"Did not!" Aine answered, "Yeah, yeah, whatever. You like it, huh?" the ginger asked.
"Yeah, I do..." she replies, smiling and her friend gasps, "You do?!"
"Of course, I do. I love it."
"You love Draco?"
"LOVE?! What--- What? What are you talking about! I love the pin!"
Ginny sneers, "Oh, the pin." she says flatly.
"Yeah, what were you talking about!" Aine exclaimed, and her friend took another bite of her kidney pie, "Nothing, I just thought you said you love Draco when you said 'you love it'." she said.
Aine scoffs, "Of course not. Jeez. I don't love him! I'm too young for that."
Then it was Ginny's turn to scoff, "Yeah, alright sis!", not satisfied with the answer she got.
"I'm serious! I don't---"
Ginny turned to her friend, who pauses, and gazes blankly at her fork, her cheeks tinting red and Ginny smirks, raising a brow and nodding, she continued eating, it was cute seeing Aine all flustered, especially since she wasn't always like that. The girl moves her knife and cuts the pie into smaller pieces, and then she mutters, "What's so wrong with liking someone?"
"What?" Aine peers at her, "I mean, you're free to like whoever you want. What's so embarrassing about like someone?" Ginny tells her, "I like someone, and it's totally fine."
Aine smiles, she knew her friend had a crush on her other friend, Harry, who was also her brother's best buddy. "Right," Aine mumbles, "It's not wrong at all," she added.
"Well, I'll keep it a secret." Ginny winks and Aine blinks back her surprise, "What secret?" she asks and her friend moves towards her and whispers in her ears, very much louder than Aine had thought, "That you fancy Draco Malfoy."
"What are you talking about, I don't--!"
"Sure you don't!"
"I'm serious!"
"Jeez, Ginny!"
"What? I mean I told you I like Harry Potter!"
"Yeah?" a voice came from behind and Ginny froze, and the two girls turned to three familiar faces.
"Harry!" Aine interrupts, casting one look at Ginny who's eyes widened down onto her pie, mentally cursing.
"Hello, Aine." Harry smiles, and turns to Ginny, "Hello, Ginny."
"Oh-- Hi!" Ginny blurts, pretending everything was fine, "What were you girls talking about? I thought I heard my name." Harry asks, and Ginny gave an awkward smile, her brain wasn't functioning properly after what happened, and Aine quickly answered back, "We-- We were wondering where were you."
Harry chuckles, and Ron gave a look to his sister who was acting abnormally awkward before taking a seat beside Aine and Hermione opposite her, "Oh..." he says softly, "So, where were you?" Aine changes the topic and Harry sighs, "Snape held us back."
Aine gives him a frown and watches him sat next to Ron, "As he always did. He's probably in a bad mood." she tells him.
"Yeah, always." Ron groans, shaking his head, "ALWAYS BAD MOOD!" he tosses his arms in the air in frustration.
"I hate to admit it, but I agree too. Professor Snape is always so gloomy! He never smiles at all and is always so bitter and strict about almost everything!" Hermione rants and Aine nodded her head, she wasn't used to seeing Hermione like that, although she does vents to Ginny and herself in the common room occasionally. Guess that makes her human, I mean one can never go on with so much pent up stress and anger. It's good to let it out sometimes. Aine says in her head.
"Well, let's just eat then." Ron said, already munching into the roasted turkey, "Let's eat the stress away!" he added gleefully and Hermione cast a smile before she and Harry had their dinner and like Ron had told them, a little of their stress was no more after eating.
Soon after they were done, Aine and Harry bid their friends goodbye, telling them they had Lupin had something for them, the professor did instruct the two not to tell anyone about their class, with the exception of Ginny, Hermione and Ron which the two had trusted.
The Gryffindor duo proceeded to the classroom where Professor was meeting them at eight, and lucky enough, they were on time, or rather, early. Professor Lupin grinned as soon as he saw the two of them, "Dinner taken?" he asks and the two nodded, "Fantastic. Shall we begin in five minutes?"
"Yes, professor", "Alright, professor", Aine and Harry replied, and they started to remove their robes, and leaving their uniforms. Harry sighs as he places his robes down while Aine folded hers, "What is it?" she asks and he looks to her, "Do you think I'll be able to cast it today? You know... a full Patronus?"
Aine looks down to her wand, then back at him, "I'm sure you'll be able to eventually. Practice makes perfect, as they all say." She says, mimicking with a poised voice and he lets out a chuckle, Harry seemed very tense since they left after dinner, he was probably worried about this class. Aine placed a firm hand on his shoulder, "You can do it, Harry!" she cheers and he blinks back, before his lips curled, "I can do this." he repeated and Aine smiles.
Then, the long-awaited practice lesson had started. However, instead of having one person go first, Professor Lupin had told them to do it both at the same time, to train their focus since the other would be doing it too.
"Remember, say it very clearly." he reminded them. "In three... two... one." and then he opened the chest, and two ghastly cloaked figures appeared before them both. Dementors.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry shouts, pointing his wand at one, "Expecto Patronum." Aine mutters, eyes fixated at the other who floats dangerously towards her.
A silver wisp of light emerged from the wands, creating a whirlpool shaped shield. However, it wasn't the one they had to create, but in fact, the corporeal form instead. Aine squinted her eyes, a happy memory... a happy memory, remember that happy memory, she said to herself in her mind. She had chosen the memory of just pure happiness when she received her letter to Hogwarts, and the friends she met-- the shield began to warp, threatening to manifest into something else-- and the Dementor's mouth opens, a ghostly howl that causes goosebumps, and chills down her spine. Focus, Aine...
But as soon as she said that, her eyes travel to her friend beside, doing his best to fend the Dementor without fainting before. "Focus, Aine!" she heard Professor Lupin stressed, she flinched and quickly went back to repelling hers, the shield had shrunk and wasn't as wide as before, the results of being distracted.
She could feel the coldness, as her eyes bore into the monster's hollowed mouth. The memories of Hogwarts soon diminished, replaced by the familiar sound of a dog growling, the bared fangs, and she remembers she couldn't escape. She flinched and took a step back, her hand slowly falling and horror covered her face. Aine stumbled on her steps, and fell to the wooden floorings, her eyes filled with terror as the distance between the dementor and her narrowed.
Before it could cause any more shock, the defence against the dark arts professor shove them away and Harry gasps, bending forward with his hands on his knees as he catches his breath, he looks to Aine.
It took a good minute to recover from what had happened to her, and before she could recall what happened, she was snapped back awake by a gentle shake of her shoulders by the professor. "Profe--sser...?" she mutters, and the two males sighed out in relief.
"You alright, Aine?" Harry asks, worry in his tone.
Aine grabs her head, and she closes her eyes, "Yeah, I'm fine..." she breathes, cold sweat beading in her forehead and she looked paler than before. "Here, have some chocolate, both of you." Professor Lupin said, handing out a large piece of dark chocolate. "Are you sure you're okay, Aine?" the man asked, and the girl nodded, "Yes, professor."
"What happened?" Harry questions and Aine shook her head, "I-- I-- I don't know, a dream of mine suddenly resurfaced and interrupted my happy thoughts." she tells them.
"What kind of dream?" her friend asks again, and the girl gulps, unsure of what to tell them, "It's more of a nightmare I had quite some time ago... It was about this massive black dog..."
Professor Lupin raised a brow, and Harry purses his lips, "He was trying to attack me, and I couldn't escape." she added and she closes her eyes, then she muttered, "Padfoot", and her eyes reopened once more.
Aine looked to her professor whose mouth hung open slightly, he looked rather perplexed, and he mumbles to himself, "That... can't be.."
"What?" Harry said and the man quickly brushed it away, "Oh, nothing." He went to Aine and places a hand on her shoulder, "I'm sure... it's just a dream."
"Maybe..." Aine replies, doubtful but still wearing a smile. she stands up, and Harry helped her, "I want to continue." she tells them, "Are you sure?" The professor asked, "Why don't you take a bit of rest?" he added.
"No", she firmly says, "I want to get over this. I can do it." Aine said, determined.
Professor Lupin held a faint grin, "Alright! But if you ever start feeling sick, I'll send the Dementors away quickly." he reassures her.
"Thank you, Professor Lupin. But that wouldn't be necessary", Aine said, and the other two nodded their head.
"Now, let's start again", Professor Lupin announced and Harry and Aine looked at each other, "I'll beat you this time!" Harry declares with a smirk and the competitiveness started to rise among the two, "I like to see you try," Aine replies, not backing away too.
And then, the practice started once more, drawing into the deep night at Hogwarts.
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