History of Magic Essay
The days seemed to roll on for Anne-Leigh Conway. A week into the term, and she was truly starting to be buried underneath her classwork. Not that she minded. She enjoyed writing essays and completing assignments, perhaps more than deemed natural. Besides, having your nose down in a textbook served as a great distraction.
She had made it into a bit of a routine to go down to visit the wall outside the great hall after curfew. It was a stupid one, as she lost quite a bit of sleep creeping out of the dorms after her friends had fallen asleep. She could spend hours in front of Evan's picture, watching his smile, reliving the moment the picture was taken over and over again. Each time she pushed Nova's words from her mind, her telling Leigh to move on. How could she move on when he was right there?
Despite losing out on sleep and creeping around the castle alone at night, Leigh did have her classwork in order.
Her love for studying was shared with Hermione, who started to accompany Leigh during her hours long stays in the library. They shared the silence, and occasionally piped up to ask a question or discuss something interesting in their reading.
Occasionally Neville would show up, excited about Herbology or dreadfully preparing for potions. This particular day they all had a free period before dinner, and Neville soon stumbled into the library, red-faced and alone, and immediately received a shush from Madam Pince, the librarian.
His eyes caught sight of Leigh and Hermione, and he scurried over to his friends. "I didn't even do anything loud," he huffed in offence, dropping his bag down beside his chair and taking a seat.
Leigh smiled kindly, "A proactive shush, that's a new one."
Neville mumbled under his breath as he pulled some books out of his bag, one of them being the designated potions textbook for the year.
"How's potions going, Neville?" Hermione asked, eyes still trained on the parchment in front of her, hand still writing at godspeed. They both had a history of magic essay for the end of the day, and to say Hermione didn't play when it came to assignments was an understatement.
"It's going well, thanks," Neville responded, the corner of his lip tipping upward slightly. He leaned in closer to his two classmates across the table, voice low. "I know it's rude to speak ill of the dead but I'm really glad Snape isn't potions-master anymore. Now with Slughorn it turns out I'm not too horrible at potions after all!"
Leigh chuckled, and Hermione shook her head with a smile before returning her gaze to the essay.
"I've kind of experienced the same thing," Leigh admitted. It wasn't a secret that Snape had been thoroughly unimpressed with anyone spending any amount of time with Harry throughout the years. Or any Gryffindor for that matter.
Neville's eyebrows furrowed together and he looked at her with an amusing look. "You've never been bad at potions."
"I've never been good though," Leigh retorted, although a faint blush crept up her cheeks at the indirect compliment. "Out of all classes that one has undoubtedly been my worst one."
"Mine too," Hermione mumbled, writing a final period on her paper before looking up at her friends. "If you don't count divination."
Leigh and Neville stifled their laughter, yet still received a menacing glare from Madam Pince.
"I think none of us have forgotten your little run-in with divination, 'Mione," Neville spoke with a grin, and Hermione couldn't help but let out a giggle herself.
Before either of them had the opportunity to say anything else, a loud 'shush' was delivered over their heads, and Madam Pince stomped away from their table with a scowl on her face.
Hermione grimaced. "Well, they're not going easy on us," she stated matter-of-factly. "I can't decide if I think that's a good or a bad thing."
"Saving the world but can't giggle in the library," Neville chimed in jokingly, again earning quiet chuckles.
"In all honesty, you two did most of the world-saving," Leigh admitted, grabbing her quill to continue working on the essay Hermione had just finished. Neville gave her a sideway glance, seemingly not agreeing with her, but she ignored it and instead continued on her essay.
She had hoped to finish it before dinner, and thankfully succeeded in doing so with minutes to spare. With a breath of relief she put her quill down, looking up at her friends who seemed to have waited for her to be ready to leave.
"You ready to go?" Hermione's voice tore through the silence of the library, and Leigh nodded in response.
The three of them stood up and soon entered the great hall, where the bustling of the students greeted them. Taking a seat at the Gryffindor table, Leigh said hi to Nova, who seemed to be deeply engaged in a conversation with a friend a year younger. Once Leigh took a seat beside her she quickly turned around and engulfed her in a hug.
"I haven't seen you all day!" She exclaimed as she pressed her friend to her chest. "How have classes been?"
"Good! How about yours?" Leigh responded, hugging her back just as tightly before facing the empty table. "Why is there no food?" She asked, and heard the other recent additions to the table express the same concern.
Nova shrugged, "I guess McGonagall is gonna speak first...or something."
A hmpf was heard from across the table, and Ron was seen grimacing at the news. "She should know better than to talk to us when we're running low on fuel."
"Here," Hermione, sitting to the left of him, started rummaging through her bag. Her hand soon returned, grasping an apple which she held out to Ron. "Have this."
"I'm sure Ron can survive for two minutes without shoving something down his throat, Hermione," Harry chuckled at his right side.
Ron looked disgruntled at the statement, reaching out to take the apple from her palm. "Speak for yourself!" he grunted. In defiance, he took a massive bite of the fruit, chewing as his eyes remained on Harry, as if staring into his soul.
"Alright, alright! I get the point, you pig," Harry laughed, disgusted at his friend's lack of manners.
Ron turned to Hermione, leaning closer to give her a soft, yet wet, kiss on her cheek. "I love dating you," he said in a hum, looking innocently up at her before taking yet another massive bite of the apple.
She laughed, "Ron, ew, you got apple juice all over my cheek!" Her hand rubbed her skin, attempting to get it dry.
"Told you he's a pig!" Harry erupted.
Leigh chuckled at the exchange, and soon, as if incentivised by Ron's inability to eat an apple without the juice running everywhere, McGonagall stood up and moved towards the podium.
"Evening students!" Her voice echoed through the large hall, and the bustling died down as attention was turned to her. "I hope you have been enjoying the first week of term. I know our professors and myself have been thoroughly enjoying having you all back here in the castle." Her eyes skimmed over the faces in front of her. "I want to take this opportunity to express that we are incredibly proud of you all for returning to within these walls, and to reiterate that there is always support to get if you feel you, or someone close to you, need it.
"Now," she continued, "We have all been tremendously impressed with your performance so far, and have agreed to schedule something you can all look forward to. In two weeks time we will have our first excursion to Hogsmeade."
Happy murmurs already started to spread across the hall.
"As always, only third years and above are allowed, given they have written permission from a legal guardian. Enjoy the meal!"
Food appeared on the plates in front of them, and students immediately tore into their meals whilst discussing their already evolving Hogsmeade plans. Friends joyful to visit the village with their friends, and people already planning how to ask their crushes on a date.
"Oh my god!" Nova gushed beside Leigh, as excited as can be. "It's gonna be ah-may-zing! We should go! Or maybe– oh my god! Maybe this is the time Terry's been waiting for to ask me on our first date!"
Leigh laughed, stabbing a piece of broccoli on her plate.
"Are you and Terry seeing each other?" Neville asked politely, and Nova replied with a shake of the head.
"Not yet, but now's the perfect opportunity to start, isn't it?" She smiled with excitement, peeking over at the boy at the Ravenclaw table. Leigh followed her gaze and laid eyes on Terry, too busy drinking pumpkin juice and gazing into a book to notice being watched.
Nova sighed dreamily. "We could have a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks. Or even better–" she lowered her voice to nothing but a whisper. "Madam Puddifoots." Nova's eyes widened at the mere thought, and Leigh grimaced.
"Have you even talked to him yet?" This time Leigh stabbed a piece of carrot with her fork.
"No," Nova answered, although there was no sign of her being impacted by this harsh reality. "But we keep looking at each other in class. Yesterday Professor Flitwick even told him to pay attention. I think I distracted him!"
Leigh smiled at her friend. It was nice seeing her excited, and she truly wished it would work out with Terry, for Nova's sake. Although personally, Leigh thought it more likely that Terry accidentally drifted off.