Long days
There is a break of ten minutes between Nia's double lesson with fifth year Gryffinpuffs. One in which Nia was hoping to use to look over the twins' blueprints and send Sona to check in with Harry. Instead Hermione Granger arrives to tell her Harry's been in an accident. They haven't been at school for twenty-four hours and Harry has been to the hospital wing twice. They may as well name It after him. He's there so much.
"Goldielocks," Nia calls to the only student that stayed in between the brief break. Cedric Diggory. "My kid got in a fight with a Hippogriff. I'm going to be late back to class. Can you start the practice tests for your OWL'S? It's not an actual test yet I'm just seeing what needs to be touched on more before exams. I shouldn't be gone long." She says before following Hermione to the Harry Potter hospital wing.
He's in his usual bed, face down with bandages over his back. Ron is with him happy for the excuse to skip Herbology as they chat about quidditch and Ron's trying out for keeper when Oliver Graduates. In the corner of the wing pouting is Draco who doesn't even look at Nia when she enters.
"You know Hero when I asked you to make sure Malfoy doesn't get hurt I did not mean get hurt yourself." She sighs crouching down by his bed so he can see her face, well Petunia's face.
"Didn't have a lot of time, Hippogriffs are fast. But he's fine, he yelled at me but he's fine." Harry responds casually and Nia looks at the blonde in question. He may not have been attacked but he is not fine. He's paler than normal and skinnier too. His hair is falling into his eyes that seem to be glued to his shoes and his hands are ever so slightly shaking.
"Are you alright? Can I see?" Harry nods and carefully Nia lifts the magic bandaging to see three large diagonal gashes from the middle of his shoulder blades to just above his hip. "Oh Hero, I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked you to do this. Does Madam Pomfrey have you on the good pain meds at least?"
"No I'm glad you did, if I didn't know beforehand I wouldn't have got there in time and Buckbeak would have hurt Malfoy. And I can't feel anything. Magic is awesome."
"I reckon you should have let him. Maybe a bit of pain would make him more tolerable." Nia doesn't miss the flinch from Draco at Ron's words and worries exactly what went down at Malfoy Manor this summer.
"No one deserves to be in pain Ronald. That includes you Harry. Just because you can handle it doesn't mean you should. I shouldn't have asked you to get in the middle."
"I'm always in the middle and I'm cool with it. Madam Pomphrey says I'll be out of classes for a week which is alright with me." He says more than a little loopy and Nia laughs ruffling his hair.
"Nice try kid, Ron will bring you the homework and I will check to make sure of it. For now though I have to get back to class. I love you Hero." Kissing his hair Nia stands back up and checks with madam Pomphrey he'll be okay before turning to Draco. He won't look her in the eyes.
"Mr Malfoy, a word please?" She demands more than asks and he follows her out of the hospital wing with his head down. They go down three halls to find one that's empty before she turns to him.
"Are you alright?" She asks, trying to keep her voice level. It must have been terrifying and he'll be feeling guilty for hurting Harry.
"The oversized chicken didn't get me. Why would you tell him to save me? You know he's a self sacrificing moron. If you knew what was going to happen you should have called me out of class, or told the Oaf not to bring such an unstable animal to class. This is as much your fault as it is mine." Draco has no such qualms about his emotions displayed in his voice. It quivers and breaks and he still won't look at her. She doesn't let the words get to her though she knows he's not technically wrong.
"I was hoping the work you and I have done would have been enough that you would have shown Buckbeak his due respect and only told Harry as a backup. One that was apparently necessary because if I hadn't and you were hurt. Not nearly as badly as Harry's been by the way, Your Father would have forced Buckbeak to be executed. That would have been your fault." Draco flinches at the mention of his father and Nia wants to break more than his nose. "Why he cares so much must be purely pride and nothing to do with your safety. since he clearly has no problem with hurting you himself." Finally Draco meets her eyes, tears welling behind their cool grey.
"I don't know what you're talking about." He lies and he knows she knows he's lying but he's scared. Oh Draco.
"Draco, what happened over Summer?" She asks as softly as possible but the pain in his eyes turns to rage.
"You did! You made him hate me and for what? I wasn't supposed to be petrified and the fact that I was meant I was an enemy of the Heir. The man my father swore loyalty to." Draco is crying now and Nia reaches out to comfort him but he rejects her. "I know you think you're helping but you aren't. You're making everything worse so just stay away from me." Apparently done, he storms off leaving Nia alone as her heart breaks for him. Oh Draco.
Slowly Nia makes her way back to class distracted trying to think of how to help Draco if he doesn't want to talk to her. Cedric is sitting at her desk when she arrives back and the class is chatting amongst themselves while they work on the practice tests.
"Is Harry okay?" He asks despite never saying more than three words to Harry. Actually it's two words, 'good game.' At the end of every Quidditch match they play against each other. Fred and George are sitting in the front row and listening as well. Fred looks worried and Nia guesses she's not hiding how upset she is very well.
"Draco Malfoy insulted a Hippogriff in Care of Magical Creatures. Harry jumped in the way and got the swipe meant for him. He won't be able to lie on his back anytime soon but it's not like that kid sleeps anyway. He'll be fine." Nia answers and Cedric nods moving back to his own seat. Fred and George share a silent conversation and stand up, handing her their test papers.
"You're going easy on us Evans." George accuses and Fred fishes something out of his robe. It's a cassette tape.
"We're starting a band. This is our cover of Hallelujah we figured since you singing to Fluffy our third year was our inspiration it would be a fitting first song." Fred says quite proud of himself and Nia's brain kicks into gear. Oh this is a potentially stupid and convoluted plan but it also might just work.
"Are you holding Auditions?" She asks, trying not to give away her thought process.
"First Hogsmeade Weekend." George confirms.
"We need a bassist, a rhythm guitarist and preferably a singer. I can sing but I'd prefer not to be the lead." Fred humblebrags and Nia rolls her eyes.
"What about a keyboardist? It's a lot easier to write music with a piano. At least according to Hope." She slips in and the twins don't miss it.
"Don't hold off on us now Evans," Fred tries to pry thinking he's caught her. Poor kid, you have no clue.
"The bartender at the Hog's Head on Friday and Saturday nights. She's a friend of mine. Music nerd, she has a song jar that's almost half her pay again." She explains with a wave of her hand like it's not the point. It is, but the twins are probably smarter than she is and she can't be too careful. "You should ask Ginny's friend Blaize Zabini. He's classically trained in about four instruments that I know of including Piano and Bass guitar. Plus clarinet and violin though I'm guessing that's not the style you're going for." The twins share a look and hand her two identical flyer's.
"Can you give one to Zabini and post the other in the classroom?" The flyers are bright orange of course with instruments and music notes dancing across the page along with what will be the Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes logo.
"Absolutely. Good luck, I'll keep an ear out for gig opportunities. You're both free to go we'll go over the results next lesson and go from there." They nod and run out to their last class of the day. Maybe, depending on what it is.
Cedric is the next to finish. "Hey Goldilocks, how was summer?"
"Can't complain, I got Prefect which is cool. Dad thinks I'll be Head Boy." He says with an open smile and Nia falters. Fuck now is not the time to lose your cool Nia. Nia tries not to show the heartbreak and her face doesn't change but Cedric sees something in her eyes. Maybe something in him understood because he subconsciously backs away.
"You'd be my pick," she says finally, clearing her throat. Cedric walks away with a concerned look on his face. Fuck. There's one more class of the day, 6 and seventh year newt students. Nia sets out the GCSE practice tests and opens her journal writing up the new Draco plan in all it's convoluted glory. Oliver and Percy are the first to arrive looking a little dishevelled and Nia is distracted from her master plan.
"Told you we wouldn't be late Percy. No one else is even here yet." Oliver says linking his hand with Percy's. Oh.
"Congratulations boys, I hope you tell your family soon I don't think I can hold off on the Twins much longer." She teases and Percy goes as red as his hair while Oliver just looks smug.
"They got a firsthand view. I don't think I've ever seen Fred and George surprised before." Oliver brags taking his seat at the front with Percy. "Thanks for publishing our rewrite of the Yeti book by the way. I got a new broom. Nimbus 2001."
"You did the work and Lockhart deserves the ridicule. By the way Sirius bought Harry a Firebolt for his birthday, I'll tell him to let you fawn over it when he gets out of the hospital wing.
"It's the first day. What has he done this time." Percy asks with a sigh. Big brother mode on. He and Harry may not be close but Harry's an honorary Weasley and therefore one of Percy's little brothers.
"Played the Hero of course. Professor Hagrid was showing his class Hippogriffs and Malfoy insulted it. Harry pushed him out of the way but wasn't fast enough to save himself. He'll be out in a week." She promises.
"Bloody hell. If he wasn't the best Seeker we've ever had he would've been dropped from the team purely for safety reasons. Kid's a danger magnet." Oliver bemoans and Nia laughs as the rest of the class files in.
"I wish, unfortunately Quidditch is one of the bright spots in his danger-filled life or I would have pulled him off the team after Quirrel cursed his broom, or Sookie enchanted the Bludger." She agrees and turns to the rest of the class to start the lesson.
As the longest first day ever draws to a close Nia's never been more happy to see Severus and a bottle of scotch.
"You are my Hero." She says as he sits down and he rolls his eyes.
"I heard about the Hippogriff incident, is the boy alright?"
"The boy, it's been two years Sev. Don't pretend he hasn't grown on you." The bitch face he gives her is a Severus Snape special and she laughs downing her drink in one and tapping the glass so he pours another. "He's fine. His back is screwed up but Pomona promises the scars will be minor. He's not even upset about it which is more worrying than the injury itself. Like what thirteen year old gets mauled and shrugs it off?"
"One used to being hunted by a lunatic. Have you spoken to Malfoy." Nia's smile drops and she takes another swig. "I'll take that as a yes."
"He doesn't want to talk to me. Told me i'm making everything worse and to leave him alone. His father is clearly abusing him, I've spent five minutes with him and I can see it. We can't just leave him there."
"You also can't kidnap the Heir to one of the richest pureblood families in Britain. I don't know what you were trying to accomplish with him but maybe it isn't meant to be. Some things can't be changed " he's not just talking about Draco and Nia knows it but refuses to address it.
"It's not kidnapping if he gets himself disowned." She replies instead and he scoffs.
"The Sole Heir. Unlikely Black had a little brother to carry on the name and it still took him screwing a werewolf for them to burn him off the family tree." A werewolf, he's so petty. Wait a second how would the Blacks know about Remus? Unless.
"Severus Snape did you tell Sirius' parents about the prank?"
"The prank? He tried to kill me. Of course I did. Lycanthropy was illegal at the time and I was fifteen."
"So was Sirius. I don't know the context of what happened back then. Harry saw it when you didn't really try to teach him Occlumency fifth year original timeline and I remember Lily coming home that year and biting Dad's head off when he asked about you." Sev's face is an emotionless mask as he stares into his glass. "The only person who does is Sirius and it was almost twenty years ago. It might give you some closure if you knew why he did it and could hear him apologise." Severus doesn't look up from his drink as he downs it and Nia starts to feel hers. They probably shouldn't drink so much.
"I doubt it, but i'll take it under consideration. I suppose I'll be seeing plenty of him."
"Exactly. Now, I am beginning to be tipsy so you need to take this away before I develop a drinking problem." She shakes her head to clear it and gives him a pretend suspicious face. "Are you trying to get me drunk so I'll spill secrets?"
"You don't need to be drunk to spill secrets Tuney, you do it to get reactions out us. Though I'm not sure what three hundred and ninety four is supposed to mean." Nia snorts,"
"It's the page on Werewolves in Harry's Defence textbook. You take over his class when Remus is sick and not so subtly give an essay on identifying a werewolf. Harry still doesn't get it but Hermione does."
"The fate of our world depends on him, I'm so thrilled." Snape deadpans and Nia laughs.
"He's getting better. My Ex didn't exactly give him much support to grow. Plus I'm teaching him to notice things and ask the right questions. A nurtured Hero will do much better than a Neglected one. You might even live." She say nonchalantly as she takes out the twins blueprints and hand them to Severus.
"What is this?"
"Blueprints for a time portkey. The weasleys twins worked it out over Summer with one of the Chamber's books on magical inventions, you know the portkey spell was invented by a Gaunt? Zachariah, he kept an extensive diary. Add in some Egyptian inspiration and they think they figured it out. We need the dust from a time turner as the final ingredient but I should be able to get some by Halloween if I play my card right. And I usually do." She says as she watches his face go through disbelief, denial, fear and finally incredulousness.
"You figured out time travel over Summer." He breathes out.
"The Weasley Twins did. So, are you in?" Severus pours himself one more drink and Downs it in one.
"Merlin help me but yes, I'm in."