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YEAR OF PUBLICATION: 2013
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"I, measuring his affections by my own,
Which then most sought where most might not be found,
Being one too many by my weary self,
Pursued my humor not pursuing his,
And gladly shunned who gladly fled from me."
― William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
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CHAPTER 12 - Reveal and Forgive
~ R ~
Pointing her coral-cored, Gregorovitch-manufactured wand to her favourite little leather rucksack, Renee placed an undetectable extension charm to the small bag to make space for the legion of things she needed to bring with her for the World Warlock Grand Prize.
Looking at her pocket watch, Renee hastened her ablutions upon seeing that it was already twelve noon. The professors and competitors were all supposed to leave at two o'clock, so she still had a few hours to prepare and linger around the castle. She just emerged from the library along with Hermione, Cho and Roger after conducting some last-minute research, polishing their wits with as much knowledge as their brains could contain. She was most thankful that she had a peaceful sleep last night, and hoped that the amount of time she spent resting was enough for her to be able to think properly and clearly.
Renee mindlessly shoved all of the stuff she laid on her four-poster into her bewitched rucksack. She finished quickly, then went out of her dormitory to find Fred; she hadn't seen him since knowing that she had to compete against magical schools and communities around the world, and her explanation as to why she left him at the Yule Ball so soon was rather overdue.
Heading off the dungeons to the Great Hall, she spotted the redhead twins, delectably enjoying what was left of their meal.
"Good morning, guys," Renee greeted the young men, and sat in front of them. Fred's eyes widened slightly upon finally seeing her presence, but he eventually beamed in delight.
"Ah, how nice of you to finally show up, Renee. We were beginning to think that you enjoyed hibernating in the dungeons much more than hanging out with us," George snipped nonchalantly.
"Don't be silly, George. What's up?" she asked.
"Shouldn't we be asking you that?" Fred challenged.
"Right. Well, about the Yule Ball-- Fred, I'm so sorry, I just felt sick all of sudden and I... er," she felt incredibly guilty about lying to him. "I'm really sorry."
"Hey, don't worry about it. " Fred smiled and held her hand, and she felt so fortunate to have understanding friend. "So what the hell have you been up to these days?"
"There's this competition, the World Warlock Grand Prize--"
"Oh yeah, I saw that on the Daily Prophet! Blimey, Renee, so you're one of the representatives? How awesome," George exclaimed. "Who are the other three?"
"They got one from each House, so it's me, Hermione, Cho Chang, and Roger Davies. We've been preparing massively for the past two days."
"Ah, the unbeatable know-it-alls," George sighed. Renee laughed and slapped his arm. "No wonder Granger is nowhere to be found."
"Would anyone mind telling me what this bloody competition is about?" Fred asked, confused.
"If you hadn't been so busy tracking down Renee-- mmmphsks!" George struggled as Fred covered his brother's mouth with his hand.
"Don't believe a word he says," Fred smiled unnervingly, but George managed to remove the hand from his mouth.
"As I was saying before I was violently interrupted, you'd know all about the competition if you read the papers instead of conducting a search investigation." George said and shoved a Daily Prophet to Fred.
"I was just worried," Fred said in defense before reading the newspaper, scanning the article thoroughly. "Whoa, this must be a huge deal! How come this hasn't been announced in the school? And when exactly are you leaving?"
"We're supposed to leave before two o'clock, the competition is gonna be held in the US. We're just waiting for the Portkey. Dumbledore will make an announcement in a few minutes," she said.
"That's in two hours! When are you coming back? I didn't even get to spend half of the Christmas vacation with you," Fred whined, and Renee helplessly smiled at his plight.
"Do us all a favour, Renee, and bring him with you. The last thing we want is a sulking bloke on New Year's Day." George chimed in with the complaints.
"Tell you what, let's spend some quality time now." she grinned at Fred, half-teasing and half-cheering him up, and as expected, the redhead's eyes surged with hopeful joy. "Come on, let's walk a bit. George, you comin'?"
"Nope, I'm smart enough to stay out of you two lovebirds. Enjoy," George said dryly and rolled his eyes. Fred and Renee went out of the Great Hall and walked outside the snowy grounds of Hogwarts.
"I missed you." Fred said quietly as he timidly held her hand whilst prancing to random paths.
"I know." Renee replied with a comforting smile. "I'm sorry for not showing up. It's just that this competition's really tough, and a lot is expected of us."
"I just thought that I'd get to spend the New Year's Eve with you, at least," he sighed wearily.
"Why? Are you planning on something?"
"What? No!" Fred said, looking pretty much in denial, though he was oblivious to it. He composed himself and plastered the cheeky grin that Renee grew to love. "You're such a skeptical little minx, Renee. If didn't adore you so much, you would have long been hit by the Weasley Wizard Wheeze." he feigned as he pinched my cheeks.
"Weasley what? Now that's something I haven't heard of," she laughed. "Hey, that sounds like a good name for you and George's future joke shop. ''Weasley's Wizard Wheezes': promising entrepreneurs of the joke products industry,'" she said in Rita Skeeter's voice.
"Now that would be a dream come true. Putting Zonko's out of business though is a rather harsh way of compromising with our successes. They were the fundamental shit bricks, after all," Fred said casually.
"Fred!" she slapped his arm. The moment they were laughing like retarded seals, she knew he was back in the zone.
They reveled in the delight of a light-hearted, humourous conversation before finishing their little walk, stopping at a vacant corridor along the Entrance Hall. Facing each other, Renee smiled sadly at her best friend's gloomy expression.
"So this is it then," Fred said, the misery apparent in his voice.
"I guess so." she sighed. "Even though it's just for less than four days, I'll miss you, Freddie."
"I'll miss you more. If you forget to get me an autograph of Eddie Murphy, I shall jinx your owl." he threatened.
Renee giggled. "I won't even ask how you knew him. Anything else? Something that's actually attainable?"
"Oh, anything, really. Some muggle souvenirs, perhaps. Dad loves them. And we love experimenting with them." he shrugged.
"Then muggle souvenirs it is." she beamed. "I think you'd enjoy a bicycle. Do the charm your dad does to cars in the Ministry and you'll be flying like a boss in no time. Not to mention that they're much more comfortable than brooms-- what with seats and handles and stuff."
Fred nodded solemnly. "A bicycle seems innocuous enough, not that we like it like that. We're very adventurous, as you may have already worked out." he said with a funny look that made her chortle. "You know what, Renee? You were right."
"Huh? Right about what?"
"I was planning on something on New Year's Eve."
"What did you have in mind?"
"This." Fred suddenly held Renee's face with his two hands, then pressed his lips on hers. He kissed her slowly, gently moving his mouth on my lower lip, and having been caught by surprise, she returned his snog shyly, feeling somewhat elated and confused at the same time. He was a fairly talented kisser, although she could not conduct a verifiable comparison because of her lack of experience in the area. Remembering that she only felt brotherly love for Fred, their snog felt absolutely wrong, and she knew she messed their relationship up by leading him on.
All thoughts Renee currently had were interrupted by the sound of a deep, baritone, velvet-like, voice that seemed to echo through the hall like a melted dark chocolate. The distinct problem was that the voice sounded annoyed, angry, and pained at the same time, which made her heart jump.
"If you are finished dawdling, Capulet, I suggest you join the rest of us at once. We will not hesitate to leave you."
Instinctively, Renee quickly pushed Fred away from herself and faced the speaker. She was beyond mortified and crestfallen when her blurred vision that was probably caused by dizziness became painfully clear. Severus was standing a good distance from across the two students with his arms crossed, his face deathly.
No no, no, this cannot be happening, Renee thought, her feelings simultaneously shifting from confusion to pain to guilt.
"You might be labouring under the delusion that you are the only competent representative from my house, but I assure you, you can be easily replaced." Severus spat bitterly, his eyes forming into venomous slits.
In all suddenness, Fred grabbed Renee's arm protectively, as if that damnably pathetic act would help the situation. Renee pulled out of his grasp rather harshly, though she was unaware that he took offence to the act, but she had only done it out of retaliation. She glanced at Fred, and the lad looked positively hurt.
Great, now two of the most important people in my life are mad at me.
"I'm very sorry, professor. It won't happen again," Renee voiced, hoping that he would be able to read between the lines and decrypt her desperate cry for reconciliation.
Severus shot both of them a murderous glare before he turned away to walk off, his black cloak billowing madly. Renee knew that that was her final cue to follow him.
"I'm sorry, Fred," she apologised. "I have to go."
Renee left Fred looking shocked, hurt-- whatever mixture of painful feelings they both shared, and regretted making a right mess of things. He did not deserve such treatment all because she fucked her own love-life up in the arse.
But he was the one who kissed me, Renee mentally debated with herself, vowing to fix things with the redhead as soon as the competition was over.
But now Renee had a bigger problem; she did not know what in Merlin's name she was supposed to say to Severus, who looked the most indignant than ever before, not even when he scolded witless Gryffindors. She could not understand why he was so apoplectic; it was not like the affection she had for the man was mutual-- Or was it?, her brain argued. She was not about to entertain such assumptive thoughts that would only get her hopes up and break her heart in the end.
Catching sight of the billowing black cloak, Renee ran towards the man and tried to put her broken self back together. Much to her shame, Severus heard her noisy footsteps, making him come to a halt, looking back at her after a few moments. "Severus, I'm sorry, he was the one who--"
"Be quiet, Capulet, and proceed to the Great Hall." he stiffly said.
"Are you mad at me, Se--"
"Just shut up and do as you're told!" he impatiently raised his voice.
Severus turned his back on Renee again and entered the student-filled Great Hall. She had no choice but to follow the Potions Master with a heavy heart that was filled with regret and sorrow. She spotted the professors and the other competitors in front of the staff table; they all caught a glimpse of her, and gestured for her to hurry up and join them. Severus swiftly stood by the other professors, whilst she ran hastily to join Hermione, Cho and Roger.
"Where have you been, Renee? We've been looking all over for you! Here's your competition robe and jacket," Hermione said, handing Renee the clothing. The robe and the jacket were black, and had her house's crest and colour in the linings, but the Hogwarts emblem was most prominent, with her last name embroidered at the back, looking quite simply awesome. She saw that the professors too were wearing their specified robes, and despite everything, she felt a surge of pride as she saw Severus wearing a robe that matched hers.
"I was with Fred." she admitted, feeling heat rising in her cheeks.
"Oh, I see," Hermione smiled playfully.
"Good morning, students," Dumbledore greeted; he was also wearing a pristine black competition robe, but the linings were silver, and only had the Hogwarts emblem. "May I have your attention?"
As soon as the Great Hall grew quiet, Dumbledore continued. "With great pride and honour, I am pleased to inform you all of the newly-launched, prestigious event that the Department of International Magical Cooperation has inaugurated in commemoration of the Triwizard Tournament: the World Warlock Grand Prize," the headmaster introduced.
"As you may have already read in the Daily Prophet, it is an international academic competition that is to be participated by different magical schools and communities. Standing here in front are our very own representatives: Hermione Granger from Gryffindor, Renee Capulet from Slytherin, Cho Chang from Ravenclaw, and Roger Davies from Hufflepuff," Dumbledore announced, and the student body clapped for them.
Dumbledore explained every aspect and facet of the competition further with unnecessary details. As soon as he he finished, the students waved them goodbye and good luck as they all exited the Great Hall. Renee caught sight of Harry and Ron, adorably cheering for them, and Luna even made a banner for her and Hermione, making her feel special. The headmaster, followed by the four professors, led the competitors to an open field just outside the castle near Hogsmeade.
"This, I believe, is the perfect spot," Dumbledore settled as he glanced up the sky before turning to us. "Now remember, aim to balance yourselves. Traveling by Portkey may cause nausea," he said in his usual casual tone. They all looked at each other uncomfortably as Dumbledore got a dingy-looking sock with numerous holes from his pocket. "Compliments from the WWGP officials."
"Is that supposed to be our Portkey, Albus?" Professor McGonagall asked in disbelief.
"I'm afraid so, Minerva," Dumbledore replied.
"Utterly disgusting." Renee heard Severus mumble.
"How cheap! I expected more from a huge consortium," Professor Sprout complained.
"Well, Pomona, it can't get any worse than this, can it? Besides, when they sent it to me, they were thoughtful enough to place walnuts inside," Dumbledore said. The professors grimaced whilst students' mouths hung open, each reaction exceedingly priceless, worthy of snapshots by Colin Creevey.
"That's repulsive, Albus!" Professor Flitwick exclaimed.
"I do not think he fully understands the meaning of that word, Filius," Severus interjected so dryly that Renee would've laughed in a circumstance wherein the little incident with Fred had not occurred.
"I'm well aware of what repulsive means, Severus, and if you must know, I gave them to Fawkes." Dumbledore defended. "Shall we go?"
Everyone reluctantly held onto the nasty sock as if it contained some sort of virus, and before they knew it, the Hogwarts team was transported to a clear, grassy field. On the way, Hermione and Cho managed to get ahead of Renee, Roger, and the professors-- they were 'sucked in' rather quickly (Renee herself wavered a bit), and they saw the two young girls fumble down the grass as the rest of them swiftly reached the destination. The younger ones clearly were not used to traveling via Portkey, and Renee snorted as she caught a glimpse of Severus rolling his eyes at them.
"Ah, welcome to Riverside County, California," Dumbledore breathed. Renee was able to see the venue from where she and the rest of the team were standing, which was about a few meters away. The air was cool but it was a lot warmer than in Scotland, as there was no snow in plain sight.
Sighing in nostalgia, Renee had mixed feelings about returning to the US. She had never been to California before as she had been perpetually stuck in Illinois with her despicable grandmother, and the only time she remembered going out-of-state was when Remus brought her to Florida to enjoy a three-day reprieve from her pre-Beauxbatons studies. Everything was different now, and had Severus not been upset with her, she would probably be enjoying the trip so much more.
"From this point onward, the four of you must stick to your coaches at all times. From what happened at the Quidditch World Cup, we'll never know what sort of trouble we might get into," Dumbledore instructed the students. Remembering the horrifying night, Renee shuddered; the Dark Mark that plagued the skies a few months ago was still vivid in her memory, and she and Remus hurried to side-along apparate away from it. "Coaches, take care of your representatives."
Dumbledore started to walk ahead; Hermione happily skipped towards Professor McGonagall, following the headmaster's trail. Cho and Professor Flitwick caught up with them, whilst Professor Sprout locked his arm with Roger's like he was about to escape anytime. Renee looked at Severus timidly; the man had an unreadable expression on his face as he cocked his head towards the walking pairs, gesturing for them to follow, and so they did, although they ignored each other throughout the entire excursion.
Finally reaching the entrance of the stadium, the group were welcome by an organised squad of who Renee assumed to be guards or Aurors, surrounding the gates. She peeked inside the venue and Merlin's beard, the place was entirely filled with magical folk from all walks of life. An African-American, middle-aged woman wearing a onesie and a hat full of flowers that seemed to constantly twirl clockwise stood in welcome, displaying with pride her name tag that read Monique.
"Good morning, fellow magical people. Which school or community are y'all representing?" she asked, welcoming them hospitably. Renee almost forgot about the time difference as she was still shaken up by her not-so-lovers' quarrel.
"Lovely morning to you too, Monique," Dumbledore greeted. "We're from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the UK."
"Oh, that's right. Hey, Destiny! Why didn't you warn me about these gorgeous British wizards and witches? Anyway," Monique called her friend who was busy putting up banners, then she ignored her reply and scanned a roll of parchment instead. "Professor Albus Dumblydore, right? Order of Merlin, First Class and all that jazz? Sign here. Also you two gorgeous grannies, you little cutie, and you, Mr. Tall, Dark and Handsome guy."
Hermione, Cho, Roger and Renee couldn't help but gape at Monique as they watched the reactions of their coaches. Dumbledore merely smiled at the dumbfounded mentors; Professors McGonagall, Sprout, and Flitwick looked like they did not know if they should be offended or not, whilst Renee's Professor Snape cringed like there was no tomorrow, but they all took turns to sign the paper anyway.
"Awesome," Monique said when they finished, then turned to the students. "You guys must be the competitors! Please state your full name and age here in this lil' box to verify your identity," she instructed and held a speaker-like device in front of their faces.
"Hermione Jean Granger, fifteen." **
"Cho Lien Chang, fifteen."
"Roger Andrew Davies, sixteen."
Renee sighed before speaking. "Renee Juliet Capulet, seventeen."
Looking at Severus with her peripheral vision, she saw that the wizard's left eyebrow was raised. She found it careless on her part that she never told him about the seemingly insignificant yet quite important detail about herself.
"Okay, that's about it. Here's the key to your suite, and you guys will find your schedules in there, as well as the individual single-use Portkeys for each of your specified competition venues. Your reserved seats in the stadium are at A-row 2. Today's activities will only be the Welcoming Ceremony and then after that, y'all are free to do whatever the hell you want. The competition proper will begin tomorrow. If any of you guys need anything, just approach the service center over there at the east wing," Monique instructed, handing the key to Dumbledore.
"Thank you, Monique." the headmaster said. "Have a nice day!"
"You too, Professor Dumblydore! Good luck to y'all!" Monique waved cheerfully. Renee looked at her in bewilderment, only to be more amused when she gave Severus a wink, which he completely ignored, filling her with evil delight.
Team Hogwarts entered the stadium, feeling and soaking in the the energy of the place. Magical people of all kinds, wearing different types of clothing and talking in different languages hyped up the entirety of the site. The average-sized stage was up and ready in front, and the seats were arranged oddly, making it a bit difficult for them to find A-row 2. Booths surrounded the venue; there were snack booths, picture booths, game booths, Merlin knew what else, and Renee smiled and breathed a sigh of relief when she found mini-booths of Honeydukes and other well-known Diagon Alley food chains.
After squeezing themselves through the crowd, Team Hogwarts were finally able to locate their seats, which were situated right behind the seats of headmasters and headmistresses of other schools. Not bad, I guess it pays to be a well-connected, Renee thought of Dumbledore.
"Minerva, Severus, I need to find Kingsley, Cornelius and the other Ministry officials. Arthur might be here too. Look after your charges, I shall be back shortly. Oh and, don't bother saving me a seat." Dumbledore said, then disappeared into the sea of magical people.
Incidentally, Renee was sitting right in between the four professors and the three youngsters. Waiting for the Welcoming Ceremony to begin, Professor Flitwick took the isle seat, whilst Professors McGonagall and Sprout sat between him and Severus. Just sitting beside her estranged Potions Master made Renee severely anxious, and the noisiness of the venue certainly did not help. Hermione, Cho, and Roger, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying themselves.
"Just look at the booths, there are so many! Look, there's Madam Puddifoot's!" Hermione exclaimed excitedly.
"Want to check them out?" Roger invited.
"Yes, please! I promised Cedric I'd get him something. Let's start over there," Cho pointed.
"Guys, didn't Dumbledore say we aren't supposed to wander off?" Renee reminded.
"Just until before the ceremony starts. Let's ask the professors," Roger countered. The three stood up immediately to approach their respective mentors. Professor McGonagall reluctantly gave them permission.
"Make sure to be back in ten minutes." the elderly witch ordered. The three happily nodded and dispersed towards the little stores.
"Aren't you coming, Renee?" Hermione asked, turning back when she saw the eldest competitor still seated.
"Oh, go ahead," she smiled. The fourth year returned the expression, albeit concerned, before disappearing into the crowd with the other two.
Renee was not entirely sure why she did not want come with them, but it was probably because she was not particularly fond of the thought of leaving her seat mate, especially when she knew all too well that he was angry at her. At the very least, she finally found an opportunity to talk to him, since Professors Flitwick and Sprout were busy chattering and Professor McGonagall was thoroughly absorbed with the pamphlet she was reading.
"Professor Snape, I..." Renee struggled. She looked at the stoic man; his stiff posture was highly comparable to that of a statue. Severus eventually glanced at her with stony eyes, one eyebrow raised.
Thoughts struck Renee, concluding that giving him any form of verbal apology was equivalent to preaching to an empty stomach. She peered around the venue as she thought of ways on how to properly deal with her situation, then, like a red among the whites, she saw something that may or may not be the answer to her dilemma.
Standing to walk towards a booth near their seats, Renee ignored Severus' query. "Capulet, where are you..." she vaguely heard before the professor's voice completely trailed off.
"Customised cupcakes! Customised cupcakes, everyone! Hello, there," a blonde-haired lady with a cupcake-shaped apron said when she saw Renee looking at her products.
What the bloody hell am I thinking?
"Hi, I'll have the chocolate pistachio with white frosting, please," Renee said.
"Coming right up. Would you like it customised?"
"Yes, um, please write 'I'm sorry' on one side, and 'it was a mistake' on the other."
She smiled thoughtfully. "Okay. Would you like a sad face with that?"
Renee giggled. "Sure."
Mere seconds had passed when the nice lady handed the treat to Renee. She gave her four sickles, thanked her for accepting British currency, and nervously walked back to her seat.
With a shaky hand, Renee gave the cupcake in front of Severus, turning it slowly for him to see both sides. He glared at it like it was a poisonous mushroom, then grabbed it from her hand. He took out his wand and set the cupcake aflame, leaving nothing but ashes. Roughly brushing the remains off his lap, he paid no heed to the disbelief marring Renee's face.
Well, that didn't work.
After a few tense minutes of waiting in dreadful silence, the other three Hogwarts representatives finally made their way back to their seats. Renee saw Dumbledore sitting down with a bunch of elderly magical folks that are were equally interesting-looking as he was in the front row, along with the elites.
The crowd settled as the Master of Ceremonies began to speak. "Good morning, one and all and welcome to the first ever World Warlock Grand Prize!"
•••
"These bits and bobs are rather tasty. What are they called again, Miss Capulet?" Professor Flitwick asked Renee as he munched on his side dish.
"Those are Tater Tots, Sir."
After the Welcoming Ceremony, which took about four hours, all the members of Team Hogwarts were quite famished, so they went out for dinner. Dumbledore insisted that they try something new, so much to Professor McGonagall's disdain, who apparently preferred British food, the headmaster took them to a classic American bar and restaurant for magical folks. Renee and the three other students, who seemed to be enjoying their meals, sat in between their respective mentors. Sitting between Severus and Professor McGonagall did not help her with what she hoped a well-kept tension.
"How about this one, darling?" Professor Sprout asked Renee, raising her food-laden fork.
"That's a California Roll, ma'am."
"It's surprisingly delicious!"
"This tea is revolting," Severus scowled in disgust after sipping from his cup.
Dumbledore, who was sitting directly across Renee, satisfyingly ate his mashed potatoes. "What do you all think of your opponents? I must say that the students from Ilvermorny seem well-prepared, but do not let looks deceive you," he said to the competitors.
"The Mahoutokoro shinobis look scary, Sir," Roger rambled.
"I agree, Professor. I've read that shinobis can become very violent when they use ninjutsu," Hermione added.
"So do the Beauxbatons ladies when they aren't served bouillabaisse," Dumbledore joked, making them all laugh.
Except you-know-who. And I'm not referring to that sadistic, evil Dark Wizard.
"I'm sure you all have studied well, so I see no reason for you to have no chance at winning this competition." Professor McGonagall assured.
"Indeed, Minerva. You four are Hogwarts' top achievers after all." Dumbledore praised. "So how is the development of your Devil's Snare study working out, Mr. Davies?" the headmaster asked.
"Oh, it's doing quite well, Sir. Professor Sprout and I found out that bluebell flames can actually trigger a reverse reaction from the plant," Roger proudly stated.
"How wonderful. How about that Cartomancy Divination Theory you're working at, Miss Chang? Any new findings?" Dumbledore queried.
"I'm still trying to find out if there is a proposed physical mechanism by which cards could be used to predict one's future, sir, aside from the spell-based way." Cho shyly revealed.
"You're doing a wonderful job, dear." Dumbledore said. "How about you two, Miss Granger and Miss Capulet? I have not been made aware of most of the things you've been working at. What have you been up to?"
"Oh, believe me Albus, this young lady has been frantically reading every bit of tome available since they day you mentioned the competition," Professor McGonagall said, smiling at her lioness.
"Just making sure I'm prepared," Hermione timidly beamed.
"Ah, ever the industrious Miss Granger." Dumbledore sighed proudly. "And you, Miss Capulet? Did your training go as planned?"
"Yes, Professor. We've studied as much as we could," Renee said, then stole a glance at Severus, who was still stony-eyed.
"Just as I expected. Good job, Miss Capulet. I also commend your outstanding academic performance even while you're in the midst of assisting Severus and preparing for your apparition examinations. You are taking them this year, am I correct? Since you are, of course, of age," Dumbledore said.
"Yes, I am. Thank you, sir, but it's all thanks to Professor Snape."
"And while we're at it, let's not forget her stunning performance at the Yule Ball," Professor Flitwick added. The others grinned and cheered in agreement except, again, You-Know-Who-Version-Two.
"You must be very proud of your student, Severus," Dumbledore said to the expressionless man.
They all turned to the Potions Master, waiting for what might be a sarcastic remark or simply a bastardy response. He instead continued eating and made no acknowledgement whatsoever of what Dumbledore had said, triggering Renee's panic attack.
"Oh, I almost forgot, I have to send a Patronus to Kingsley and Arthur so they could meet us tomorrow for breakfast before the competition proper begins. Excuse me, everyone," Dumbledore said as he pulled out his wand and started to cast the spell.
"Wait, Albus. Why not let one of our students here try the Patronus Charm? This can serve as practice," Professor Sprout suggested. Renee immediately detested her Herbology professor for having the audacity to potentially humiliate her, as she had not been practicing the charm.
"Yes, that is a good idea, who among you besides the obvious Miss Capulet can do the Patronus Charm?" Professor Flitwick asked.
Oh no. I don't like the sound of that.
"I'm so sorry, professor, I still cannot do one." Roger admitted embarrasingly.
"Me too, professor, I'm truly very sorry. It's very hard to cast one," Hermione said disappointingly.
"That's understandable, the Patronus Charm is in the fifth year curriculum, after all." Professor McGonagall defended her star student, then turned to Cho instead.
"I'm still working on mine as well, professor. I have once produced one that has no form. I'm still trying to work my way through the spell," Cho reasoned.
"Very well, I'm sure Miss Capulet can show us her full-bodied Patronus. Anytime now, Renee," Dumbledore said.
Renee gulped and slowly took out her wand. She couldn't say that she was unable do it because that would be embarrassing beyond words, and besides, she had already done it before. Should she fail, she would hide in shame for the rest of her God-forsaken life.
With eyes closed, Renee thought of memories involving Severus; how she completely fell for him and how she still loved and adored him beyond reason even if they were in a current state of misunderstanding. She thought of how much she wanted to speak to him again and hear his heavenly voice that no longer held any resentful tones.
Her eyes began to water at her thoughts, so she cast the spell immediately. "Expecto Patronum!"
To her utmost relief, Renee exhaled gratefully as a silver doe came out of her wand, running back and forth the place until it went outside the restaurant.
Renee watched as the professors' and her co-representatives' eyes glinted in amazement. She couldn't help but peek at Severus' reaction; his eyes grew wider, his mouth was slightly open, and his whole body was tense. If she didn't know him any better, she would say he was shocked. She was glad that she finally caught his attention, but she was perplexed about his peculiar reaction.
After Dumbledore gazed at Renee's fading Patronus, he gave her a wide grin.
"That was lovely, darling!" Professor Sprout commended.
"Indeed, that was truly magical," Dumbledore agreed. Renee looked at Severus, and he still seemed unsettled by the charm. He composed himself by drinking the revolting tea he had described, only to cough it out subtly.
"Wonderful, Miss Capulet. Truly magnificent," Professor Flitwick praised.
"That's all thanks to Professor Snape, sir. He taught me... just last night. I wouldn't be able to do it without him." Renee said, and she meant that with all her heart.
"Why, that just makes it all the more magnificent, Renee." Dumbledore smiled.
"Sir, Harry's Patronus is a stag. Aren't they somewhat formed relatively?" Hermione asked.
Is she suggesting that my Patronus is based on Harry's? I seriously doubt that.
"Most of the time, yes. It depends entirely upon each individual's experiences, memories, thoughts, and sensibilities."
"I'm quite a hundred percent sure that my Patronus has nothing to do with Harry," Renee defended.
"I believe you, Miss Capulet. Yours is rather interesting. Tell me, are any of your close friends aside from Mr. Potter able to cast a Patronus Charm?" Dumbledore asked.
"No, Professor. Prior to me learning the charm, I recall that we were all complaining about how difficult it is, right Hermione?"
"Yes, that's true, sir." Hermione smiled.
"Ah, I see." Dumbledore beamed, his eyes twinkling, causing Renee to be seriously intrigued by those damnable orbs. "Well, you should know that Remus taught Harry the charm," the headmaster beamed.
"Really? That's great," Renee smiled, wishing nothing more than for him to resume his Defence Against the Dark Arts post, preferring him any day over that weird Moody. Taking a mental note to ask him why he was sacked, she popped a Tater Tot into her mouth, feeling exhausted after an overwhelming day.
After a few more minutes of interesting exchanges and uncomfortable dining, everyone finally finished eating. Dumbledore snatched up another Portkey from his pocket, and soon enough they were all tumbling towards their suite.
They were all open-mouthed as they saw the suite; it was an average-sized room, but there was no floor at all. The entire room was the bed itself, the large mattress allowing no space or isles. Pillows were at the sides, duvets lay folded, and there was a window leading to a nice bathroom, much like the prefect's bathroom in Hogwarts, only without the stained glass Siren and with a much brighter, yellow-orangey light. There was a sliding glass door right across the entrance which led to a balcony, where there were two chairs and a table.
Each of them took turns to use the bathroom, and then each found their own comfortable spot on the enormous bed. They all decided to sleep early, so after a bit of reading, one by one, they eventually went to sleep. It was relaxing to see all of them in pajamas. Severus was last to use the bathroom, and as he went out, he was wearing a navy blue muggle long-sleeves shirt and sweatpants.
Oh, man, he looks so good. I wish I didn't mess everything up.
By the time he was finished, Renee was the only person awake. Without a single word, Severus went out of the suite, making her wonder where in the bloody world was he going. She wanted to follow him so bad, but she couldn't risk getting into trouble anymore. To avoid falling asleep, she went to the only place where it wasn't soft: the balcony. She sat at the metal chair and settled with Hamlet, the last book Severus lent her. Her heart felt a pang of pain as she wondered if he still had his copy of Love's Labour's Lost.
After a few minutes of indulging herself in literature, Renee felt her eyelids becoming heavy. Severus still hadn't arrived, so she still didn't want to go inside. She closed her eyes and before she knew it, she drifted off to sleep.
Upon hearing a rustling noise which woke her up, Renee scratched her eyes sleepily. She glanced at the sliding door, and Severus had just opened it, stared at her, then walked towards the vacant chair and sat down, rousing her to full attention.
"Why are you sleeping outside?" Severus asked quietly.
"I was waiting for you." she admitted.
The professor placed something on the table; Renee was too dizzy to see it clearly at first, but after rubbing her eyes like a kid, she saw that it was a red velvet cupcake, which had 'I owe you a cupcake' written over the white frosting.
"Wow. Thank you. You didn't have to." Renee said, beginning to feel so much happier. Does this mean we're okay now?
Severus looked at her with his usual unreadable expression. "You should rest now."
"Wait. I want to apologise for earlier."
"You have nothing to apologise for." he replied.
Who was he kidding? "Yes I do, I was reckless and stupid. It was a huge mistake. Honestly, it was him who pulled me--"
"What are you even talking about?" Severus interrupted, but Renee knew he was just trying to make it sound like Fred was not the cause of his anger.
"You know precisely what I'm talking about! I'm really sorry, you can enter my mind if you want, so you'll know what I really think--"
"Why the hell would I do that?"
"Because..." So you'll know how much I love you, you jerk. And I want you to know that you're the most important thing in my life right now and I can't lose you.
"..because I need you to know the truth."
Severus didn't say anything after that, so Renee continued. "Fred is just a friend really. As soon as we go back to Hogwarts, I'll clarify that to him."
"What makes you think I care about your personal life, Renee? You may do whatever you please." he said in the calmest of tones.
Really?! Then why did you get mad at me? she thought, but instead said, "I know you don't care, I'm just saying. I'm sorry, okay? Please don't be mad at me anymore."
"I am not mad."
Renee looked at him like he had just grown an extra head and five tentacles, utterly confused by his mood swings, but decided to let it go. At least he was talking to her now.
"What memory did you use to conjure that Patronus, Renee?" Severus broke the ice.
"I'll be honest, it involved you. But please don't make me elaborate, I feel so exhausted right now." she said, looking at Severus nervously with her heart palpitating, not knowing how the man would take the revelation. He raised an eyebrow and frowned, but thankfully didn't push the matter further. But she remembered what Hermione said, and she wanted to confirm a theory that had just brewed inside her head.
"Severus, what's your Patronus?"
He exhaled. "A platypus."
"What? You can't be serious!"
"As a matter of fact, I am."
"Really?"
"No."
Renee didn't know if he was joking until she saw the corner of his lips go up, so apparently, he was, so she returned his jibe with a slap on the arm.
"Really, what is it?"
"I will not tell you if you do not tell me the specific memory." Severus challenged.
"Guess that'll have to wait." she pouted, too tired to argue.
He shrugged. "I see you're reading the book."
"Yes, it's wonderful. I hope you didn't throw away the one I gave you."
Severus stared at Renee like she was delirious. "Why would I throw away the best gift I've ever received?"
And that statement alone made her grin from ear to ear.
"Come, Renee, let us retire to our... bed," he said as he rolled his eyes. Renee stifled her laugh, trying to be as silent as possible so she wouldn't wake up the others.
"Yeah, our generous bed. Good night, Severus."
"Good night. You must rest well, you have a long day tomorrow."
The pair stood up from their seats, and Renee gave him a quick hug, to which he thankfully but slowly returned.
"And what, pray tell, is wrong with a platypus Patronus, Renee?" Severus whispered as they walked towards the sliding door. Renee had to cover her mouth to prevent herself from outright chuckling.
..................................................................
A/N (2013): *Grins* I finally finished this chapter! For some reason, I found this difficult to write. I'm very sorry for the wait! I hope you like this chapter because this got deleted like three times already, and I had to redo the whole thing :( but anyway, it's here!
** I looked it up, Hermione is one year older than Harry, Ron, etc.
A/N (2016): Sorry for the excessive fluff! There is an end to everything, lol.