Patronus
Nami was the best in many of her classes and she was very proud of it. Her favorites were Charms and Astronomy. No one could beat her when it came to casting spells related to the weather or drawing a chart. There was an occasion when one of her teachers cried of emotion after watching one of her works, praising such a talent at such a young age.
So, when after several exhausting sessions she couldn’t manage to fully cast the last spell they were learning at Defense Against the Dark Arts, she wasn’t very happy.
One afternoon after one of those sessions in an empty room she encountered who could solve her little problem. After all, if you have to ask for help, ask it to the best, and the fifth-year-guy standing in front of her was known in the school not only for his strength playing Quidditch, but also for being one of the best duellers and students in DADA.
“You want me to help you cast a Patronus?”, asked Zoro, surprised. He was carefully polishing his broom and didn’t expect such a question when the orange-haired approached him.
“That’s what I said, yes”, said Nami, sounding impatient, it was hard enough to ask for help to have to repeat it several times.
Zoro stared at her for a couple of seconds. His face, as usual, showed no emotion. If Nami didn’t know him better she would think his head was completely empty, but she had learnt a long time ago that he was more complex than what he wanted to allow the others to see. Finally, he opened his mouth to talk.
“Are you going to pay me for that?”, asked Zoro with a smile. Nami’s eye twitched.
“Slow down, Zoro, with the debt you have you should be happy I give you an opportunity like this”, replied Nami.
“Opportunity? I remember last time you gave me an “opportunity” like this… My head is still regretting it. Why don’t you ask Luffy? He is quite good at it too”, said Zoro losing all his interest and returning his attention to the broom he was polishing.
“Sure, because Luffy is the best teacher ever”, said Nami. “C’mon! It’s not only for my classes, you know, imagine some Dementor attacks me…”
“No worries, you have no soul…”, Zoro started to say, but Nami hit him. She knew he was going to put it hard at first, but she expected him to agree in the end. He loved training and improving his skills. Why wouldn’t he want to share it with her? Then, she decided to take a different approach.
“Fine! Then I’ll ask Sanji. He is always so attentive with me…”, she said slyly. Zoro kept cleaning his broom, but a vein started to grow in his head and muttered a “good luck with it” through gritted teeth. Nevertheless, Nami hadn’t finished her attack.” … or that tall and quiet guy from Hogsmeade, he seems very strong too…”
“They know nothing”, said Zoro, a little too quickly when he heard that. Noticing it, he tried to sound cool again when he said: “Fine, I’ll do it, but you have to follow my instructions without complaints”.
“Of course, professor Roronoa”, said Nami with a mischievous smile. She should feel guilty for pressing him, but sometimes she couldn’t control the Slytherin inside her… Besides, she would thank him generously. No money involved, though, she wasn’t crazy.
“Thursday evening is good?”, said Zoro. “In the Room of Requirement”.
“Sure. Will you be able to find it?”
“I can not go, if you want”, said Zoro.
“Just kidding, Zoro…”, said Nami, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. Zoro tried to stay impassive, but Nami noticed a little blush on his cheeks. He was such a child sometimes… Adorable.
ゾロ と ナミ
Zoro was good at casting full Patronuses. He did his first one when he was in third year. A huge bull had run all over the class for the delight of Luffy and the others, who insisted on learning how to cast it as well. Two years later, Luffy was able to conjure his own monkey.
Zoro had his own reasons to refuse teaching the orange haired girl at first. He had noticed some changes in his Patronus the last times he had casted them, and he wasn’t ready to accept the meaning and reason of it yet. Nevertheless, he thought that he didn’t need to show Nami his Patronus to teach her how to cast hers, so there shouldn’t be any problem.
On Thursday evening Nami entered the Room of Requirement and found Zoro already there.
“I won’t lie”, said the girl, “I’m impressed to see you here”.
“You underestimate my abilities”, answered Zoro. “Are you ready? Show me what you know”.
“I was born ready”, said Nami with the wand in her hand. She closed her eyes and said “Expecto Patronum”, but only a thin fog came out from her wand. She looked at Zoro with frustration. “This happens every time! I don’t know what else to do!”
“Okay, I’m sure they have told you that you need a happy thought to cast a Patronus… but this is no Peter Pan, you are not trying to fly”, said Zoro remembering that book he liked as a child,
“Peter… who?”, asked Nami. She wasn’t very familiar with the muggle world.
“Never mind”, said Zoro. “Happy thoughts are too general. They come and go… The trick is to think of something that gives you strength, that makes you keep going, even if it’s not ‘that happy’”.
Nami considered his words. Something that made her continue… Her sister was one, for sure, also her dreams, and her friends…The wish of freedom… and then…
She looked at the boy in front of her. Raising her wand she said once more “Expecto Patronum”. This time a little form emerged from her wand. It looked like…
“A tiger cat!” she exclaimed happily. The animal walked proudly and approached Zoro’s leg as if it wanted him to touch it. “A cheeky tiger cat”.
Zoro moved the leg and the cat banished. “It suits you perfectly, then”, he said.
Nami was too happy to feel annoyed by that comment. She approached Zoro and said “Well, now my cheeky cat and your boring bull can go for a stroll from time to time… I heard they can be used as messengers also”.
“Sure”, said Zoro feeling uncomfortable. “So… how are you going to pay me?”, he said, trying to change the subject.
“I’ll think of a way”, said Nami as she closed the space between them even more. Zoro looked at her beautiful face for a moment, her determined eyes and round lips… His heart started to beat faster and he stepped back.
“We should go. If they find us out at this time we’ll be in trouble”, he said. He saw something in Nami’s eyes… disappointment? Whatever it was, it lasted only a moment, because immediately after she put on her characteristic mischievous face.
“Where’s your bravery?”, she said.
“Shut up, witch. We are very close to win this year’s House Cup, I don’t want to give the Slyterin the satisfaction of take it away for us”.
“Ouch. That hurt”, said Nami, feigning a hurt look. She turned away and reached the door. However, she turned before leaving. “See you tomorrow, Professor Roronoa… if you find your way”.
Zoro didn’t answer. When Nami left, he took out his wand.
“Expecto Patronum”, he whispered.
Zoro looked at the large animal in front of him. When did this happen? He closed his eyes and the image of the mikan haired girl came to his mind.
“Dammit”, he said.
The big tiger in front of him walked to the door and looked back at him before banishing in the air.