"Expelliarmus!"
A series of incantations echoed throughout the Room of Requirement, students taking their turns in casting the disarming charm against the metallic dummy, or as Aine had nicknamed 'D.D', also known as 'Dummy Deatheater'. She stood by Harry, Ron and Hermione's side, watching as the members of the D.A cast the Expelliarmus charm. Proud smiles mirrored on each other's faces as they clapped for those who had successfully disarmed the dummy.
"You guys are doing great!" Hermione cheers, boosting their confidence before it was Neville's turn. The boy shyly stepped forward, adverting a timid gaze to the intimidating D.D as he points his wand towards it. His attention drifted behind the dummy to the four instructors, Harry nodding to him while Aine pumps her fists in the air, giving him an encouraging smile.
Neville eyes back to the fake Death Eater dummy, "Expelliarmus!" he exclaims, his words slurring. However, instead of disarming the opponent's wand, Neville's wand jumped out of his own hands and flung itself backwards. The rest of his friends' heads ducked as the wand flew past. The last student who was Nigel had shrieked, dodging his head in the nick of time before the boy's wand stabbed into the mirror, creating a tiny blue spark. At the same time, it marks a crack on the glass as it drops to the ground with a thud.
There was a wave of awkward silence before Neville sighed. He looks down dejectedly, feeling dispirited quickly. "I'm hopeless..." he glumly stated. It has always been that way, how his spells don't go the way he wants and how fast his emotions change from excitement to being discouraged, like a snap of a finger. That was how easy it was to switch. Perhaps, he was meant to be weak.
Perhaps, it was meant to be like this...
Aine blinks away from Neville, casting a sad look at the boy's thoughts. She walks towards him and hands him back his wand. Standing next to him, she gives him a nod and a heartened gaze, "You're just flourishing your wand too much, Nev. Here, take it slow and steady," she tells him, correcting his hold on his wand. "There is no need to be afraid of your failure. When you fail, try again, and again. You'll get there!" she motivates.
Mimicking his stance, Aine saw Neville focusing ahead. "Be confident of your own magic. Try it like this," Aine added, holding her wand out as she concentrates on Harry in front of her. He bobbed his head, giving her the sign to disarm him. With a swift and smooth wave of her hand, she shot the spell directly, "Expelliarmus!" Harry's wand snatched out of his hand like there was an imaginary wind, swooping it off his grasp and into hers. He smirks at her and she hears the students behind her cooing in amazement.
"Wow..." Neville lets out a gasp, greatly astonished and inclined by the girl's confidence. There wasn't even a single waver in her pupils and her focus on her target was precise. "That's amazing, Aine!" he complimented and she giggles, turning to him.
"Now you try!" she said to Neville, sensing his determination. He was even pumped now after watching Aine's attack. He gulped and took a deep breath, readjusting his body. With one hand raised upwards with his wand, he relaxes his tense muscles before staring at the Death Eater ahead.
Relax... Relax... Relax... There's no need to be afraid... The boy said in his head, over and over until it had stuck in his mind.
When he was ready, he tries again. He could feel the lightness in his hand movement as his wand naturally glides in the air. "Expelliarmus..!" he said confidently but he couldn't help but shake a little, his wand trembling before a spark shot out of it. There was a delay from the spell and the wand in the dummy's metal hand lifted slightly before dropping it to the ground instead of flying out of its hold.
His smile fell and he exhales with a pout. "Still not as good as you, Aine..."
Harry stepped towards them and he places a reassuring hand on Neville. "But you did well, Neville! That's an improvement! You should be proud of yourself!"
"One step at a time, Nev!" Ron cheers.
"You're doing great, sweetie!" Fred shouts from behind, giving a whistle and Aine shot him a teasing glare, hinting him not to make fun of their friend. George snickered at his twin brother, it was like when their mother had reprimanded him for teasing their younger siblings.
"Let's try again next time, I'm sure you'll get there!" Hermione added.
"Well done, Nev~" Aine smiles.
After the first class with the D.A, many left the room feeling more motivated to do better in the next. The thrilling sense of being able to use defensive spells again had made most of the students excited once more. It took some time for most of the students to master the disarming spell, especially since most of them rarely had the chance to use it to render their opponent's defences. Not that they even had the opportunity to be duelling against someone with their lives at stake, some of them were even shocked to see that it was such a useful spell to learn and to Aine's surprise, some of the members of the Dumbledore's Army seemed to have a gift in casting that spell.
When the first class was over, students began scattering out of the Room of Requirement but not before making sure they weren't seen by other of their schoolmates. One could only imagine the catastrophe that Umbridge would create if they were to be caught. This, of course, had laid heavy in Aine's and Harry's minds, thinking about the what if's and trouble they would be in if the secret's out of the bag. Even so, they were willing to take full responsibility should their organization be revealed.
Aine sat in the empty room, taking a small break as she waited for Draco and his friends to arrive. It was nearly nightfall when the second session was starting, she had made plans with her friends about the inclusion of Draco and some fellow Slytherin students joining the D.A, much to their displeasure. They ended up agreeing to each other's terms and that the Slytherins would be training after the main group was done to avoid any additional conflicts.
Harry, Ron and Hermione had stayed back with their friend, keeping her company until the next group arrived. Yet, even though they had come to an agreement, there was still an unnerving amount of tension between Aine's companions. It felt like she was treading on thin ice when both parties were in the room, everyone was giving silent judgements and glares. And although Hermione was kind enough to diffuse the suspense, Ron was itching to get out of the room even though he was hesitant to let Aine be in a room full of his enemies. It took some time until she had managed to reassure him that she was going to be fine.
Once her friends had left the training area, Aine stood awkwardly in front of the three boys. Draco gave her a smirk, one that she had the urge to smile in return but had resisted. "Alright, um... Hi..!" she greeted, wincing at her tone. She wasn't sure why it was so difficult to act normally, especially since she seemed pretty confident back at the Astronomy Tower.
"Hey, beautiful," Draco greeted back with a flirty simper. Her lips tremble and she breathes through her nose.
"Evening, madam," Blaise salutes and Cyrus merely muttered a small 'Hi'.
She paces around them as they all take their own stance, stretching their limbs before starting the training. "We'll be practising the disarming spell. I'm sure you're familiar with Expelliarmus, right?" she asks and the boys all nodded. "Great!" she said in response.
"Draco got his arse kicked by Potter when duelling a few years back," Blaise brought up out of the blue, giving his friend a side grin as he crosses his arms.
Cyrus chuckles at the memory, "He was supposed to use the disarming spell but guess it slipped his mind," he added, stifling a smile as he recalls the time when his friend send the Gryffindor boy flying backwards when they were told to disarm their opponent.
Draco groans, remembering the embarrassing memory of him landing back when Harry had cast the Rictumsempra spell on him. He glowers at his friends who both shrugged, "Are you guys finished?" he questions, clearly not impressed.
"Not really, I could go on," Blaise added.
Aine giggles and they all snap their attention back to her. "Right. Yes. We'll be attempting to disarm one another today in this class," she told them and they nodded. Taking her wand out, she looks to the three boys, "Any of you tried this spell before?"
The trio glanced at each other, "Nope."
She pursed her lips and gave a dry smile, "Alright, no worries. We can practice first! We have Mr D.D here—" she cocks her head to the dummy Deatheater and they gave a quizzical look at the metal figure.
"D.D?" Draco repeated and the girl nodded.
"Dummy Deatheater. D.D," said Aine, proud of her naming skills. She blinks cheerfully, waiting for their reactions. Draco merely let out a hum while Cyrus's eyes twitched, and he forces a smile. As for Blaise, he cringed.
"That's a dumbass nickname— Ow!" He stated, seething as Draco 'accidentally' stepped on his foot. The blonde Slytherin gave him a harsh glare despite his unfaltering grin.
"I think it's a wonderful name!" Draco commented in defence and Aine beams, delighted.
She began to demonstrate the disarming charm, though it was obvious that the three boys knew of such a spell, they remained quiet as they witness Aine's magic. Their expression grew serious when they spot the smile on Aine's face wiping off. She took a deep breath and pointed her wand towards the dummy, with a quick twirl of her wrist, she cast the spell confidently, "Expelliarmus."
The wand flew out of D.D's grasp before the three could even blink, it happened so quickly that they couldn't hide their astonishment. The Slytherin boys went silent, stunned by the prompt attack that seemed so effortless for Aine. It took a couple of seconds before Blaise started clapping and the quietness broke.
"That's awesome," Blaise complimented and Aine awkwardly gave a polite nod, she catches Draco's gaze on her, his mouth still gaping in awe at her. Her cheeks started to glow.
Stepping aside, she gestured to them the dummy, "Alright, so... Yeah! Who would like to go first?" she asks them, walking over to the practice wand that flew a couple of feet away.
Cyrus and Blaise exchanged smirks, with one hand each, they pushed Draco forward all of a sudden and the boy nearly lost his balance and stumbled. He scoffed at them in disbelief. "Draco would like to go first, Ma'am!" his friend presented and Draco quickly straightens himself, quickly sending Blaise a frown before Aine turns to them.
"Excellent! It's actually great to go first, you'll get over the nervousness quicker, Draco," she encourages and he stepped towards her side. Feeling awfully self-conscious all of the sudden now that Aine was watching his movements, he ignored his friends' snickering behind his back. He raised his Hawthorn wand and adjusted his stance, placing a foot forward though his shoulders were stiffly positioned.
He heard Aine's muffled giggle and gave her a side eye, wondering what was so funny. She approaches him and placed a gentle grip on the upper joints of his arms, causing him to tense up at her touch. He gulps, "Wha— What are you doing?" he asks, flustered. Draco met her golden pupils staring up at him and his heart skipped a beat when he realize the closeness they had.
"Relax, Mister Dragon," she whispers to him, "Loosen your shoulder blades, you're too tensed right now," Aine told him and he held his breath, looking elsewhere for a second to compose himself.
Who do you think is making me all nervous? He thought to himself when he stole a gaze back at her.
As much as he tries to calm himself down, he still couldn't quite relax fully in front of Aine. His attention was drawn to her instead of the dummy in front of him, which he should be focusing on right now. He just can't help it; being distracted by the girl when he should be preparing for his disarming attempt, even her words seemed to be growing fainter.
When Aine finally caught Draco's concentration on her and she pursed her lips, giving him a warning smirk. "Don't look at me, look at D.D in front, love," she reminded, jerking her chin to the waiting metal figure ahead of them.
There came a whistle from behind and Draco cranked his head away, glaring in the direction of his friends for the hundredth time. He took a shallow but steady breath and glanced ahead to the metal dummy. He repositions his frame and loosens up his tensed nerves before gripping tightly onto his wand, "Expelliarmus," he mutters and immediately, the wooden stick from D.D's hand had tossed out in such a speed that Draco forgets to grab hold of it. His eyes widened, the fear of being stabbed in the face with a wand advancing to him. His face contorted as he clenched his eyes closed, waiting for the impact.
Regardless, it never came.
Someone behind him cursed under his breath and Draco peeks through one eye before he opens the other, sighing with relief as he realizes the dummy's wand on Aine's hand is just millimetres away from his face. He took a step back before meeting Aine's eyes, and she smiled.
"Rule number one when disarming your opponents: Always remember to catch their wands if they come flying at you," she addressed, walking away from him to the front. A cool breeze blew by Draco as she pasts him, leaving him with a chill down his spine.
There came three nods from the boys and another grin from Aine, she places back D.D's wand into its little metal hands before clasping her own. "Right! Now, who would like to go next?" she questions, looking at Blaise and Cyrus, both becoming nervous now that they had to go after their friend. Even so, they both took the leap and practised on the dummy.
The first lesson ended rather quickly as they were all busy learning the spells that Aine had demonstrated. With every turn finishing, Aine would show them another way of using the spells and even go as far as having a short duelling session with each of them. It was exhausting needless to say, but as tiring as it was, it was fulfilling and fun. Though she couldn't quite say the same for the boys as they seemed pretty tired and gaunt after the class. Perspiring from their faces that they had a sheen of glow to show the efforts they had made during the lesson.
However, she made sure they were completely cooled and dried before leaving the Room of Requirement, just in case anyone wondered what could make them sweat, especially since the weather was so chilly. By the time they were done drying themselves, the two boys left from the back of the room first, leaving behind Aine who tidies up the space with the help of Draco.
She gently wheels D.D back to its original spot at the corner of the room before restructuring its long metal arms to its side, giggling at how stiff it was looking. Draco looks over her shoulders, curious as to what was making her laugh. When she catches him looking, she flinches a little when she realizes how close his face was. It was something that always caught her off guard when the distance between them shortens. Just earlier she was completely alright with approaching him when he was preparing to disarm the dummy but now she was all bashful.
Taking a small intake of breath, she turns to him and he raises both brows, "What?" he asks innocently and she shook her head, taking a brisk walk to the bench nearby. Her heart pounding quickly again when she spots his reflection in the mirror smiling behind her as he shuffles next to her. They both sat in tranquillity, hearing the faint twinkling of the chandelier above that danced.
"How was it today?" she asks him, playing with her fingers, "I hope it isn't too tough," she tells him. Frankly, teaching was always out of the question but ever since her friends had appointed her as an instructor, she was always anxious about it. She wondered if her teaching was good, if her friends understood her and if she was a competent teacher like Harry.
Draco listened to her as she spoke, noting of her uneasiness, he slides his hand into hers and gave it a light squeeze. Aine turns to him and he gave her another smile, "You're doing great, Aine. Really," he reassures her. He could see how nervous she was at the beginning but as time slowly transitioned, he slowly noticed how natural she was in teaching, choosing her words very carefully as she spoke so as not to offend any of them. He appreciated it, knowing for a fact that it must have all seemed very awkward for someone who is younger than them to be teaching him and his friends.
"Really?" she mutters and he nods, reaffirming his statement.
"You're even better than Umbridge," he smirks, leaning backwards as she chuckles. His heart skipped a beat and he found himself staring at her again.
"Stop staring, Mister Dragon," she warns playfully, sending him a smirk and a side-eye look. "You've been staring quite a lot today, is there something on my face?"
Draco shook his head, rolling her eyes at her new nickname, "You're just really beautiful that I can't stop myself from looking," he replied, speaking truthfully.
Aine blushed at his comment and without hesitation, she shot back, "And you are a very charming person." She clenches his hand in return and he scoffs, clearly flattered. Aine shook her head at his reaction, chuckling once more.
They both found themselves stealing a peek at one another, seeing their reflections in the opposite's eyes. Silver and Gold; like the Moon and the Sun. Their lips curled up at the sight of each other before Draco's eyes cast downwards at Aine's rolled-up sleeves. His smile drops when he spots the scars on her hand, carved by Umbridge's Black Quill. He strokes the brutal markings with his thumb, hoping that they would be erased like ink. But yet, it remained etched in her skin. He frowns at it and Aine's eyes softened at him. She gave her hand a quick glance before looking away ashamed of it.
It was hideous.
If only there was something he could do to protect her. To make sure she was safe from this poisonous woman that calls herself 'High Inquisitor' who was dominating over Hogwarts. "If only I could do something..." he says out subconsciously and Aine gazed up at him, panic in her eyes as she watches his eyes cloud up into a storm, thinking of something reckless.
"Don't," she quickly stops him, placing another hand on his and he snaps out of it. "There's no need for you to do anything, Draco. I'm fine. I'll be alright," she eases him of his thoughts.
"But I can't stand to see you being hurt for something that you didn't do. Just what's so wrong about trying to do the right thing?" he fumes, unable to fathom what the school was becoming.
"There's wrong with wanting to do the right thing. Sometimes, things just don't go the way they're planned. But all we can do is our best, to try to make things right even though everything may reject to be right," she tells him and he sighs. Draco runs his fingers through his blonde locks, letting out some steam at the same time. He looks to Aine who nodded.
However, even though Aine's words had calmed him. It still didn't put out the fuelling rage within him. There has to be something he can do to help her. Anything. If there was anything at all that he could do to protect her, he would do it.
Even if it meant contradicting his own beliefs.
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Okay, that went down so quickly. How do ya'll find this chapter and the rest so far? Let me know in the comments!
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- Zeneria