Dark Cumulus pt 1

You checked in with the girls regarding their Skirt Obscurus Charm lesson with Yaxley and Rowle on the way to breakfast the next day.

Unfortunately, the first response you got was Millicent’s face going BEET RED before mumbling “We all learned the spell…” Then she hurried off ahead of you.

THAT definitely seemed like a cause for concern.

Your second choice for a recap was walking like her head was in the clouds and practically skipped up the steps from the dungeons. Your third choice was eying your second choice with open concern so you decided to leave them to it and grabbed Pansy instead. She was your last choice but you knew that, at the very least, Parkinson was never shy about sharing her opinion.

“What happened with Yaxley and Rowle’s charms lesson last night?” you inquired. “And why does Millicent look so uncomfortable?” You’d tackle the mystery of ‘Dancing Daphne’ next.

“Well, we all eventually learned the spell,” Pansy informed you. “In fact, I was the first to get it. But Miilicent’s embarrassed because she was the last to cast it.”

Your stomach twisted as you recalled Tracey and Daphne recounting how Yaxley took them outside in their short skirts to use the cold as extra motivation to be warm. You could only imagine what kind of embarrassing motivation they used for the Skirt Obscurus Charm.

“What did they do?” you felt obligated to ask since you arranged the lesson.

“Apparently, it’s an unwritten Hogwarts tradition for the older girls to teach that spell to the younger ones,” Pansy stated while giving you an annoyed glare for (intentionally) leaving that part out when you offered to arrange the lesson. “A few decades back some N.E.W.T.-level Slytherin girls created a device using a combination of Ancient Runes and Arithmancy that was designed to train and motivate future generations of Slytherin witches to cast the Skirt Obscurus Charm. I plan to write my mother and ask if she used the same device when she was in Slytherin.”

“What kind of device?” you questioned.

“It was a flat metal bar with rune symbols carved into the top.” Parkinson recounted, “They had it waiting in their room when we got there. The four of us each stood over one of the rune symbols and they stuck our shoes to the bar with the Stickfast Hex. There were six symbols total which meant we could have fit two other girls on the bar with us. The rune symbols looked like three rounded triangles in a circle. Tracey leaned in really close for a better look with those weird glasses of hers and said it looked like a pro…peller… whatever that is. The symbols blew gusts of wind up our skirts and made us flash our knickers every time we failed to cast the spell.”

You smiled faintly as you imagined the four Slytherin first years standing on the bar with their skirts being blown up. The image was enhanced by the fact that you knew what kind of knickers each of the girls favored.

Pansy flicked you on the temple. “Stop picturing me in my knickers, you pervert!”

“Sorry,” you apologised. “Couldn’t help it.”

“They each demonstrated the spell once…” Pansy said as she drew her wand to do her own demonstration. “You’re supposed to trace your wand around the bottom of your skirt. Where you hold the tip of your wand is how far down the shroud goes.” You idly noted that Pansy was left-handed as she pointed her wand down and traced it around her skirt, “Ooobscuuruus…” She drew out the incantation as she passed her wand behind her back to complete the full circle. “The tricky part is keeping the flow going when you pass your wand off from one hand to the other behind your back. That’s why you’re supposed to start the spell with your wand hand and then pass it off to your weaker one with the spell already in the middle of being cast.”

She smirked at you and pulled her skirt up - just like with Yaxley yesterday - you saw nothing but a veil of dark shadow beneath her skirt.

“What color?” you inquired. How many colors were there that started with the letter P?

“None of your business!” Parkinson retorted. Her grin told you she was relishing in the refusal. That was likely **** for you not giving her the dirt on Yaxley and Rowle yesterday. “You won’t find out unless you do me another favor! And that’s why this is my new favorite spell! Rowle said the desire to hide your bits was the most important part to casting it… which is where the device came in. We went down the line each trying to cast the spell one at a time. Me, Daphne, Tracey, and Millicent. At the end of the round, they’d activate the rune symbols and blow our skirts up. They had a field day making snarky comments about our knickers. Our embarrassment was meant to serve as extra motivation for us to get it right the next time.”

You nodded. It seemed pretty simple and straightforward so far. And at least they were only having their knickers flashed to other girls. The mental picture of the four girls with their skirts being blown up was enhanced thanks to Pansy revealing the order they were standing in.

“The gusts started at six seconds… and increased by another six each round,” Pansy continued.

Six? “Why six?” you questioned. Didn’t most people round to zero and five?

“Tracey asked that too,” Pansy said, “It’s some Arithmancy thing… six is a number that’s associated with time… since six is half of twelve and one-tenth of sixty. Sixty seconds in a minute… sixty minutes in an hour… twelve hours on a clock… and twenty-four hours in a day. Failing five times meant your skirt was blown up for thirty seconds… and ten was a full minute.” She paused for a beat as her proud smile grew, “Not that that affected me. I got it on my third try and they released me from the bar.”

“Third time’s the charm?” you mused, repeating the phrase Professor Flitwick liked to use to encourage students in Charms class. That meant Pansy’s panties had only been on display for a combined total of eighteen seconds.

“For me anyway,” Pansy agreed. That made sense. Out of the ten first year Slytherins she and Tracey were the top two at Charms. You liked to think you were third. And Pansy had been one of the most motivated to learn the spell. “For Tracey sixth time’s the charm… although she seemed more caught up in watching the wind blow her skirt up than actually casting the spell. She told Daphne in no uncertain terms that they were definitely taking Ancient Runes in third year.”

You were starting to understand the reasoning behind the six second intervals as you did some quick and relatively easy mental math. Six and twenty-four was thirty. And twelve and eighteen was also thirty. Add in another thirty for round five and that meant Tracey’s knickers had been on display for a full minute and a half - ninety seconds - as opposed to Pansy’s mere eighteen. The time added up quickly. And if Tracey was only the second to get it… Millicent’s embarrassment from being last made a lot more sense.

“How bad was it for Daphne and Millicent?” you eventually asked.

“They still hadn’t gotten it by round ten,” Pansy informed you.

Harsh. And again, the six second intervals made calculating the total time really easy. Thirty-six and twenty-four was a minute. Forty-two and eighteen was another minute. Forty-eight and twelve was a third minute. Fifty-four and six was a fourth minute. And then an additional ninety seconds from rounds five and ten brought the total to exactly five and a half combined minutes of embarrassing exposure.

“By that point, Yaxley and Rowle were actually starting to run out of snarky comments to make,” Pansy continued, “So Yaxley went for the throat like the vicious monster she is and suggested that maybe they weren’t properly motivated because there’s a certain boy that they both want to see their knickers.”

It didn’t take you very long to realise who that certain boy was.

“Yaxley and Rowle shared a look and then… with ten seconds left in the gust blowing Daphne and Millcent’s skirts up… they cast Descendo…” Descend meant down. “...on their knickers…” Your eyes flew WIDE OPEN. “They both screamed and managed to pin their skirts down to keep from showing anything. But then Yaxley did that annoying cackle-laugh and announced it was now sudden **** and if they failed again then they’d be showing a lot more than their knickers. And to increase their embarrassment she threatened to bind their wrists together so they couldn’t cover themselves or try to push their skirts down.”

You frowned as you suppressed the urge to hunt down Lysandra Yaxley and Evanora Rowle and give them both a piece of your mind.

“To their credit,” Pansy added, “That was the extra motivation Daphne needed. She cast the spell on the eleventh attempt, they removed the Stickfast Hex from her shoes, and she pulled up her knickers and stepped off the bar.” She paused for a beat and gave her best sympathetic expression and for Pansy Parkinson to take pity on someone it must’ve been horrible. “Millicent couldn’t handle the extra pressure… and the eleventh time was NOT that charm for her. And… just like she threatened to… Yaxley cast a spell that bound Millicent’s wrists together with glowing magical chords… I think the incantation was Fulgari? Millicent couldn’t even pin her skirt down when Rowle activated the runes…”

Oh, Merlin! Poor Millie! Having her bits flashed to a room full of catty Slytherin girls? That would be embarrassing for anyone. But for your shy best friend? It had to be mortifying. You turned to run and catch up with her so you could offer whatever meager reassurance you could muster…

“And that’s when I dove in front of her.”

You stopped in your tracks and turned back to Parkinson, “What?”

“I knelt in front of Millicent and blocked everyone from seeing her bits while the gust was blowing her skirt up.”

Pansy Parkinson was the last person you expected to dive in front of someone to preserve their modesty. That seemed horribly out of character even if Millicent was her roommate. In fact, you could much more easily picture her standing aside and laughing at Millicent’s expense.

You blinked as your mind flashed back to the mysterious bunker where Daphne had knelt in front of Tracey to prevent you from seeing her best friend’s bits when she’d given you her knickers and had then been compelled - by Daphne - to pull her skirt up.

Your eyes narrowed at Pansy and then dipped down to her green and silver tie - Slytherin - the Hogwarts house built on deception. Where the ambitious students often lied to get ahead.

“Did you do that… or did Daphne?” you pressed.

Pansy flinched at you calling her out. “I did…”

“Oh really?” you challenged her. “Because planting yourself in front of another girl to preserve her modesty sounds more like a Greengrass move. In fact, I’ve seen her pull that maneuver before to block for Tracey.“ Pansy flinched again. Yup. You caught her in a lie. “Are you going to keep lying to me? Or should I go ask Tracey for an accurate recount? Maybe she’s the one who got it on her third try.”

“No! I got it first!” Pansy insisted. Which proved that she was lying about covering for Millicent since that was how she responded when you questioned something she actually did. While you hadn’t come in expecting her to lie or embellish the story… you knew you would’ve gotten a more honest recount from Millicent, Daphne, or Tracey which was why Pansy was your last choice. Parkinson grumbled to herself then reluctantly confessed, “I was hoping you’d snog me again if you thought I covered for Millicent. Your valentine is going to have you on lockdown soon and I want to get more Parseltongue kisses while I still can.”

You responded by flicking her temple like she’d done to you earlier. She scowled at you but you weren’t intimidated by the girl’s glare. “What really happened? Or am I wasting my time here?”

“Fine,” Pansy whined, “You were right. Greengrass planted herself in front of Millicent and pointed her wand at them to keep them back. And, of course, Tracey does whatever Daphne does so she pulled her wand too. And since the two of them were defending Millicent… I figured I might as well join in so I pointed my wand at the fifth years too.” Now that sounded like a more accurate summary. “Of course, I don’t believe that they were actually intimidated by us. If they really wanted to, they could’ve trussed us all up like holiday turkeys, dropped our knickers, and flipped us upside-down so we were all flashing our bits.”

Now there was a vivid mental image. But you shook your head to dismiss it. “Yaxley and Rowle wouldn’t have done that. Everything else they did was at least harsh motivation to get you to learn the spell. Attacking you would’ve been uncalled for. And they knew full well that I never would’ve paid them for their services if they did something like that to my yearmates.”

Pansy shrugged, “We were able to keep them back until the gust stopped. And since the three of us were all facing the other way… no one saw Millicent’s bits.”

You shook your head and sighed. At least they covered for her. “I know she tends to get frustrated in class when she repeatedly fails at casting a spell…”

“I don’t think she was frustrated at failing,” Pansy replied, “You see… Daphne was having trouble because she was off in her own little world with a big, stupid smile plastered across her face as she no doubt imagined your big Valentine’s Day date. She didn’t care that her emerald green knickers were on display. She just kept smiling like an idiot because - in her mind - she already won the real prize. She didn’t snap out of it until they yanked her knickers down. Then she finally focused and cast the spell on her first real attempt to avoid flashing her flower.“

You solved the mystery of ‘Dancing Daphne’ without even trying to. But as amusing as the mental image of Daphne standing in a giddy daze with her skirt blown up and her emerald green knickers showing was… it was also quite alarming. You had Potions Friday mornings. She needed to snap out of it or she’d hurt herself. You resolved to have a word with Tracey to ensure that she kept a close eye on her today.

“She still seems giddy this morning,” you noted.

“The girl was singing in the shower this morning!” Pansy complained. “Off key, I might add! And then back to Millicent because she was upset because she knew why Daphne was so damn happy. She realised, like I do, that once you and Daphne start dating then that means no more ParselSnogging. Girls aren’t supposed to snog their friend’s boyfriend and you made it clear that you weren’t going to cheat and snog other girls when you had a girlfriend. I don’t like you but you’re the only Parselmouth in the school and I really enjoyed how tingly that ParselSnog felt. I want another before my window closes and Millicent wants to snog you too and that’s why she was having so much trouble.”

“She eventually got it, right?” you inquired. Millicent said she had. And you were naturally more inclined to believe her than Pansy. But you weren’t sure how long the lesson went on after the tense first year versus fifth year standoff.

“The very next cast,” Pansy confirmed, “Daphne got up and whispered something to her. Don’t ask me what. She was on Tracey’s side and I couldn’t hear what she was saying even though I was actively trying to eavesdrop. Millicent blurted out ‘Seriously!?’ at one point before Daphne went back to whispering. Whatever Daphne said - it worked. Yaxley undid Millicent’s wrists and she finally cast the Skirt Obscurus Charm on her twelfth attempt. Rowle released Millicent from the bar and asked us if we wanted to try again. We said ‘Hell no!’ and ran for it. Millicent and I practiced casting it a couple times in the safety of our own bedroom afterwards.” She flashed you her best winning smile. “So does helping Millicent get the spell down earn me a snog? Because that last bit was the honest truth! She cast it once with Yaxley and Rowle but got it twice with me!”

“Nope,” you refused. You really didn’t want to kiss her. “Better luck next time, Parkinson. Maybe if you told me the truth from the start… I would’ve considered it.”

“But there might not BE a next time!” Pansy exclaimed. “The countdown’s officially started! Daphne probably has the fourteenth on her calendar circled, hearted, and starred with pretty flowers all around the edges! But for those of us who still want a ParselSnog it’s DOOMSDAY!”

“Oh, stop being so dramatic,” you scolded her.

Parkinson gave a mock gasp, “AAH! Are YOU telling ME not to be dramatic!?”

Eh… she had you there. You were pretty well known for being showy and dramatic.

“Fair point,” you conceded, “Alright, go ahead, be dramatic if it’ll make you feel better. But it won’t change my mind.”

Pansy huffed and practically stomped the rest of the way to the Great Hall.

“Marvolo, catch!” Draco called out as soon as you walked in.

Your Keeper reflexes kicked in and you whipped your hand up to catch the small pouch he threw at you. You quickly recognised the size and shape of the bezoar inside.

Draco and the other Slytherin first years were seated midway down the table. The ‘bulk order’ crate of bezoars he ordered after lunch yesterday had arrived and he appeared to be in the middle of passing them out. Which also meant your conversation with Parkinson caused you to miss the Owl Post.

“My father included a letter,” Draco informed you, “He said that your monthly bezoar is now free of charge since you’ve publicly proven to be quick to use one in a crisis. And that as a father with a son in Slytherin house… he’ll sleep better knowing they’re in such capable hands in the unfortunate event that another emergency arises.”

Lucius Malfoy was every bit as cunning as you expected. Bezoars weren’t overly expensive but having Draco announce to all the students gathered in the Great Hall that he was giving you a free bezoar every month was a very public show of generosity. And, of course, the added benefit was that you happened to be the roommate of his aforementioned son in Slytherin house so in the event that Draco - who wasn’t exactly popular in the other houses with how often he spouted off - was poisoned… you would almost always be nearby with a bezoar.

“I am, once again, extremely grateful for your father’s generosity,” you responded, “At this point, I should probably write him myself so I can thank him personally.”

You heard a familiar squawk and looked up to see Iago flying down towards you from the rafters. Iago was back from London… so that meant… you cast a quick glance along the Slytherin table and eventually spotted Gemma Farley sitting at the far end closest to the Staff Table. She was sitting with Lysandra Yaxley and Evanora Rowle, as per usual, but you also saw Marcus Flint seated nearby staring unsubtly at the long box that was on the table in front of Gemma.

Iago landed on your right shoulder on top of the strap to your school bag which was weighed down with your stocked Potions kit, your freshly brewed supply of Topical Bruise Remover and Headache Cure, and your Potions textbook Magical Drafts and Potions. A History of Magic and One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi as well as your dragon hide gloves which you’d need for your afternoon classes History of Magic and Herbology were stowed at the bottom of the bag. Your school bag was also stocked with your quills, the parchment you used for notes, and the completed Potions and Herbology essays that were due to be turned in today.

“It seems he’s in agreement,” you remarked as you reached up with your empty left hand and stroked your eager owl. You would think that after flying to London and back that he’d want a rest but he seemed ready to set off for Wiltshire. You didn’t have many people to write to so he was likely grateful for the exercise.

“Here’s the one for Parkinson,” Draco said as he lobbed a second bezoar toward you. Or rather, toward Pansy who was standing on your right side. Your Keeper mind instinctively calculated the pouch’s trajectory and concluded that if you didn’t intercept the flying parcel… it would hit Pansy right in the face… and you’d never hear the end of it. The problem was: the first bezoar pouch was still in your right hand and you owl was perched on your right shoulder. You were **** to stretch your left arm across your body in order to snag the pouch in midair before it pegged Parkinson in the face.

“There you are,” you resolved as you passed the pouch projectile to Pansy.

Two quick catches in somewhat short succession. That was likely Draco doing his part to ensure that you were prepared for the Quidditch match on Saturday.

You also noted that your late entrance and the ensuing commotion you’d caused had drawn the attention of the student body. You glanced over at the Ravenclaw table and spotted Jessica Mateo sitting with Artemis Fawley. You locked eyes with the sixth year Chaser who you would be facing off against on Saturday and gave her a pointed wink.

“Let the mind games begin,” you mentally mused. Since you’d accepted Gemma’s suggested challenge of shutting out Mateo to resoundingly prove your worth as a Keeper to the entire school… it was time to begin laying the groundwork for a mental victory as well.

You slipped your new bezoar into your robe pocket next to the one you got from Gemma as you made your way along the Slytherin table to your fellow first years.

Daphne looked up from across the table and gave you a brilliant smile. She was still on Cloud 9. You smiled back then looked over to see Millicent scowling. You reached out and placed your hand on her shoulder.

“That reminds me…” you announced, “Iago, stay with Auntie Millie. I’ve got some choice words for a pair of fifth years that aren’t fit for sensitive owl ears.”

Your owl hopped over to Millicent and you placed your school bag on the bench beside her then turned and stalked the rest of the way down the Slytherin table. You could tell off Yaxley and Rowle and check in with Farley and the Nimbus Two Thousand in one trip. Two birds, one stone.

Make that three birds… you were on the far side of the Slytherin table which was the side you usually opted to sit on since it gave you a view of the other three tables. That meant you had a view of the Ravenclaw table and the Ravenclaw table had a view of you so you could play some more pre-match mind games with Mateo.

“Rowle, Yaxley, I’ve got a bone to pick with you,” you called out. Gemma was on your side of the table while Lysandra and Evanora were both across from her. “I don’t appreciate how you treated my friends last night.”

“I offered to teach them…” Gemma imparted, “But you insisted on going with them.”

“They learned the spell, didn’t they?” Lysandra replied. “That’s the Slytherin method. Sink or swim. If you wanted hugs and handholding… the Hufflepuff table’s over there.” She jabbed her thumb back over her shoulder.

“The three of us all got stuck to the bar back when we learned the spell at the beginning of second year,” Evanora supplied. Second year? So your involvement meant the girls in your year learned it early. “The older girls gave us all Arithmancy creature nicknames based on how many times it took us to get the spell right. I was ‘Runespoor’.”

You knew from researching your Fluffy essay that a runespoor was a three-headed snake.

“‘Quintaped’,” Gemma stated. ‘Quint’ meant five.

“I probably would’ve gotten it at seven,” Lysandra admitted, “But after they got their nicknames, I decided to stick it out for one more so I could be an ‘Acromantula’.“

“Isn’t that a giant monster spider?” you questioned. Acromantula was literally the first entry in Newt Scamander’s creature book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.

“Yes,” Sandra said simply and let one of her signature toothy grins do the rest talking for her. Of course, you remembered how Yaxley reacted to the infamous ‘Black Widow’ Circe Zabini so you knew this spider wasn’t the massive flesh-eating monster she made herself out to be. “Greengrass and Bulstrode broke the creature scale by needing over ten times to get it. I thought maybe they were sabotaging us.”

“Parkinson was the only one who was actually trying,” Evanora explained, “She seemed extra motivated and tied my record with three. Davis was more interested in studying the magic of the bar than learning the spell we were trying to teach her. She eventually snapped out of it and got it in six which would’ve made her a Salamander.” So Pansy was telling the truth about that at least. However, that also meant she was telling the truth about what happened to Daphne and Millicent. “But your ditzy girlfriend was barely paying any attention!”

“She’s not ditzy,” you defended dancing Daphne. “She was just in a very good mood.”

“Oh, yes, we all heard about your Valentine’s Day date,” Gemma chimed in, “She announced it as soon as she walked in. Made sure I heard her from across the hall.”

“And that threw off the other one,” Nora noted, “The two of them were hopeless and we didn’t want to be there all night.”

“You were paying us for results,” Lysandra pointed out, “So we gave ‘em a kick in the pants!”

“And that’s the part I didn’t appreciate,” you insisted. You stepped around Farley and placed your hands on the broomstick box ahead of her so you could lean across the table and quietly growl at the other two. “How would you like it if someone yanked your knickers down in a room full of Slytherin girls!?” You gave each of them a hard glare. You would’ve thought that Lysandra Yaxley with her overgrown garden and Evanora Rowle with her mole shaped like a little brown cumulus cloud would be more empathetic when it came to exposing another girls’ bits.

“Look here, you,” Yaxley growled back as she grabbed you by your tie and yanked you the rest of the way across the table so you were face-to-face.

You realised then that it had been a mistake to publicly confront them. Yaxley had her notorious reputation to uphold so she wasn’t going to back down to first year or act contrite in public.

“Like it or not, sudden **** was exactly what they needed,” she insisted. “No one saw anything and they both cast the spell less than two minutes later. The flighty one was brought back down and since she was the cause of the other one’s bad mood she was able to get her sorted. WE upheld our end of the agreement… and that means YOU owe us both payment! And I’ll be coming to collect so watch. your. back.”

She released your tie and pushed you back. You stumbled but managed to remain upright. Sandra stood up and grabbed her stuff and then - for the second time in less than twenty-four hours - stormed out of the Great Hall. That girl loved to cause a scene.

Maybe being bold enough to publicly confront her earned you some points?

“She’s as pleasant as always,” you mused as you gingerly felt your neck. Your eyes drifted down to the long box on the table as you pulled yourself off of it, “What’ve you got there, Gemma?”

“It seems an admirer sent me a broomstick,” Gemma answered, “Here, have a look.”

The box was already previously opened so she merely lifted the lid to reveal a sleek and shiny broomstick made from the finest mahogany with the words ‘Nimbus Two Thousand’ inscribed on the handle in gold.

“CRIKEY! IS THAT A NIMBUS TWO THOUSAND!” you exclaimed. “I saw one that looked exactly like this one when I was shopping in Diagon Alley! It’s beautiful!”

“I know, isn’t it?” Gemma replied with a light laugh, “You can tell it's a high-quality racing broom when you see it. I’ve heard it can reach speeds of over one hundred miles an hour.”

“WOW!” you gasped, “Hey Gemma… I’ve been meaning to ask… as a first year I’m not allowed my own broom… but as it so happens… I’m going to be playing in the match on Saturday…” you paused for a beat and looked across the Great Hall to lock eyes with Mateo. “Would you mind if I borrowed yours?”

“Of course not,” Farley replied, “I’m glad to let you borrow my new broomstick if it’ll help towards a Slytherin Quidditch victory.” You smirked at Mateo then looked back at Gemma to see her shooting a smirk of her own at Marcus Flint.

“Gaunt.” Professor Snape’s voice came from the Staff Table just to your left. “Four points to Slytherin for creative problem solving and adhering to the school rules.” Your Head of House then proceeded to send his own snarky smirk to Professor McGonagall who did NOT look pleased at the sight of Gemma’s new acquisition.

Midway across the hall, you saw that Skye Parkin had rushed over to Mateo and Fawley and was having a hushed and urgent discussion with her veteran Chaser and rookie Keeper. It seemed your Nimbus Two Thousand ruffled some feathers on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. And, unfortunately for them, the final practice slot on the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch before the match was already booked by Slytherin Quidditch Captain Marcus Flint.

You also took a moment to realise something else… ninety-six plus four equals…

“Why, thank you, Professor Snape,” you responded to your Head of House, “I do believe those final four points bring me to a grand total of one hundred.”

“Congratulations, Marvolo,” you blinked in shock as the Headmaster Dumbledore directly addressed you from his high-backed throne-like chair in the middle of the Staff table. “One hundred house points is no small feat. You are a credit to your house. I look forward to seeing your talent on the Quidditch pitch first hand.”

The Headmaster was going to attend the match on Saturday? He normally didn’t attend Quidditch matches but you supposed it was an extra safety measure meant to deter further attacks on Quidditch players. You saw Professor Quirrell flinch on the far end of the Staff table. He’d taken to having his meals as far from Professor Snape as possible. But you also remembered his boggart taking the form of Headmaster Dumbledore.

“Of course, headmaster,” you replied with a gracious nod of your head, “I shall endeavor to put on the best showing possible on Saturday. Unfortunately for our fine feathered friends on the Ravenclaw team…” You smiled over at Parkin, Mateo, and Fawley held up your hand with your thumb and index finger in the shape of an oblong ring. “...if I pull that off… that would mean a big, fat, goose egg for them.”

Skye Parkin, the Ravenclaw team Seeker, called across the Great Hall, “Not if I have anything to say about it, you cheeky little bugger! You’ll learn on Saturday that there’s a difference between having a fast broomstick and using it properly! Should be a good learning experience for you!”

“Looking forward to it,” you retorted.

“Smashing,” Skye Parkin replied then eyed Flint, “Better watch out, Flint. Your mouthy little Keeper’s gonna get you in trouble.”

Oh bugger! Flint was facing away from Parkin which meant he was glaring DIRECTLY at you. “He’d better back it up after running his mouth.” The implied ‘OR ELSE’ wasn’t lost on anyone.

“Sounds like you could use a tutoring session then,” Gemma remarked as she stood up beside you and patted you on the back, “Meet me on the training field at lunch. I’ll grab sandwiches from the kitchen so we can break in the Nimbus Two Thousand before your practice tonight. In fact, I’ll bring along my old Cleansweek Seven so you can feel the difference between the two.” She smiled over at Flint, “Hear that Flint, I’ve got two brooms now.”

“Thanks, Gemma,” you said, “I’ll be there with bells on.”

“In the meantime,” Gemma stated, “I’ll run this Nimbus down to my room where it’ll be safe. You’d best eat something fast. Breakfast is nearly over.”

Gemma stood up and plucked her new broomstick off the table. Evanora rose as well and paused to shoot you a pointed wink which was her silent and subtle way of telling you that, like Lysandra, she’d be coming to collect on her promised ParselSnog. The two fifth years then strode for the exit.

You made your way back to the first years and finally claimed your seat next to Millicent. You saw that in your absence she not only fed your owl but also fixed you a plate of what you usually grabbed for breakfast.

“And you had the nerve to call me dramatic,” Pansy scoffed.

“You really can’t help yourself, can you?” Daphne remarked she was still wearing a wide beaming smile and seemed generally amused by the commotion you’d just caused.

“I already set a personal challenge to make a strong debut by shutting out Mateo,” you admitted, “It might not be Flint’s style to pay attention to the mental aspect of a Quidditch match... but I’m happy to play some pre-match mind games.”

“Oh yes…” Tracey sniped, “You’ve proven to have a special talent for getting in people’s heads.”

You glanced back over at Daphne as you were reminded of the revelation she provided you with last evening about how your Serpent’s Gaze might be a form of Legilimency.

“Isn’t that… too much pressure to put on yourself?” Millicent quietly inquired from beside you.

You remembered how she’d crumbled under pressure last night. “Not for me. I constantly put an immense amount of pressure on myself to prove that I belong here. I already have a lot riding on the outcome of Saturday’s match so I figured I might as well make it a proper public spectacle by announcing my intentions to everyone.”

Millicent shuddered at the thought of declaring anything to the gathered student body and faculty in the Great Hall.

“By the way,” you added, “I learned something interesting while I was visiting with the fifth years. You know that spell you learned last night? They didn’t learn it themselves until the start of their second year. Which means you learned it a full seven months ahead of schedule.” You gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, “As embarrassing as it might’ve been… you’ll know that spell for the rest of your life.”

“What spell?” Draco interjected.

You weren’t going to openly advertise what spell they learned. You felt that information was up to the girls to share. “A spell that’s been passed down by the witches of Hogwarts for generations. Ask Parkinson to show you if you’re interested. She was the first to get it.”

Pansy preened at the attention but you also noted the calculating gleam in her eyes as she mentally debated the merits of actually showing Draco the spell. On one hand, it went against the modest behavior that her pureblood parents likely required her to exhibit… but on the other hand… flashing her veiled knickers at a teenage boy would be a way to capture his interest.

“If it’s a spell for witches then why do you know about it?” Blaise inquired.

“Because I’m the one who put my neck on the line to have Yaxley and Rowle teach them early,” you answered. “And now Yaxley’s told me in no uncertain terms that she’d be coming to collect that I need to watch my back.”

“Lucky,” Zabini griped.

You sought to change the subject before anyone of the boys asked what the payment was and spotted your owl still perched on Millicent’s shoulder awaiting your letter to Lucius Malfoy.

“Draco, do you think your father would appreciate an invitation to tomorrow’s match?” you asked. “I know it’s short notice… and I don’t know if we’re actually allowed to have guests but I figure his place on the Hogwarts Board of Governors combined with the fact that it was one of his bezoars that saved Bletchley’s life… should ensure that he’s allowed in.”

“Father is often very busy so don’t be disappointed if he declines,” Draco warned you. There was something in his tone which told you that the advice was coming from a place of experience as the boy who most often strove to gain the important and influential Lucius Malfoy’s attention. “But I’m sure he’ll appreciate the invitation either way.”

You took a moment to carefully write out your thank you/invitation to Lucius Malfoy. You wished you had more time to work on the wording but were overall satisfied with your hasty composition.

‘Lucius Malfoy,

I hope this letter finds you well. Draco always speaks highly of you and after your latest bout of generosity I felt it was time that I wrote to you myself. I feel like I have a lot to thank you for but, for now, I’ll start with the most recent which was your generous gift of a complimentary monthly bezoar from your apothecary. When I began ordering those stones back in September… it was so I would have one in case of an emergency. But now that an emergency has happened… I can’t even begin to express how relieved I was to feel that stone in my pocket after hearing the disturbing news that one of my housemates had been poisoned. Rest assured, that while I truly hope that I will never have to use one of your bezoars again… that I will not hesitate to use one should another tragic and dangerous emergency situation arise.

As you have likely heard by now, the student who was poisoned was the Slytherin Quidditch team’s Starting Keeper Miles Bletchley. And while the bezoar did save his life… he will not be able to compete in the match against Ravenclaw tomorrow… which means that, as Reserve Keeper, I will be stepping in to play in his place. I intend to make the most of this opportunity much like I resolved to do when your generous War Orphan Fund saw me removed from the orphanage, anointed with a proper family name, and sent to Hogwarts on what is essentially a scholarship. It is with that in mind that I would like to extend an invitation to you to attend tomorrow’s match. Since it was one of your bezoars that saved Bletchley’s life… I'm sure you would be most welcome. Draco will, no doubt, be pleased to see you and I would, of course, like the opportunity to thank you and finally meet you in person.

Gracious regards,

Marvolo Gaunt’

“Not my best work… but I don’t have time to rewrite it so it will have to do,” you resolved.

Before long, Iago was flying out of the Great Hall with your letter to Lucius Malfoy tied to his leg.

You then rushed to at least eat SOME of the food off the plate Millicent had kindly prepared for you before breakfast ended. You didn’t even get to fully enjoy your morning tea and still had half an egg and sausage sandwich clasped in your hand as you followed the rest of the Slytherin first years out of the Great Hall to Potions.

A hand suddenly grabbed you by the back of your robes and you were unceremoniously yanked into a broom closet with the door shutting behind you. A pair of long, limber arms snaked around you and you found a tall, slim, and very warm body pressed against yours as a familiar voice flitted through the dark and cramped confines of the broom closet.

“Hello, Snuggles. I told you to watch your back.”

Lysandra Yaxley had come to collect.

“Wait… have you been hiding in here since you stormed out of the Great Hall?” you inquired.

“Your favorite prefect told me you have Potions first thing on Fridays,” Lysandra recounted, “I decided to lie in wait so I could grab you. But I didn’t duck into the closet until I spotted your group of firsties coming. Now… you’re clearly still midway through breakfast… open your mouth so I can freshen your breath…”

You stubbornly refused, “I’m still annoyed about how you treated my best friend.”

“This again?” she complained. “She needed the extra motivation. She was never going to get it at the rate she was going. Our only other idea was to go and get you and have you serve as an embarrassing and disappointed witness. But it’s traditionally supposed to be a private lesson which is why we didn’t do it out in the common room.”

Your eyes were beginning to adjust to the darkness and you were able to make out the features of the tall fifth year that was pressed against you. You hoped that meant she could also make out yours as you sent her your best glare and hoped it wasn’t lost in the darkness.

The door she pulled you through looked to be roughly three feet wide while the closet behind it was a foot wider at four feet and seemed to be four feet deep as well. There was a faint bit of light coming into the small room from the crack under the door. You spotted a mop and a bucket in the corner but there was an odd lack of brooms in this broom closet.

“I didn’t want to say this in the Great Hall because I actually respected your privacy when you asked me not to tell anyone about your… personal grooming choices. But I’d think you and Rowle of all people would be more empathetic about exposing another girl’s bits.”

“I’ll have you know, I gave myself a proper pruning in the shower,” she informed you, “So your information is out of date.”

“That hardly matters,” you replied, “All I would’ve had to do was tell Parkinson about the werewolf I spotted in your skirt. You’ve been a student here longer than I have so you know how fast the Hogwarts rumor mill travels. I wager that the vast majority of Slytherin would’ve known about your furry pet by breakfast this morning. And believe me, Parkinson asked! Both about your knickers and about what I saw when I looked down your skirt! But I didn’t tell her. I didn’t tell her about Mr. Bickles either. I kept your secrets. And then you went and yanked two of my yearmates’ knickers down in front of their friends.”

“Alright, fine,” Lysandra huffed. She released her hold on you and took a step back so there was a foot between you then grabbed the sides of her skirt and tugged it down. The skirt dropped around her feet and left her in her knickers. You blinked owlishly as you stared at the knickers in the faint light of the broom closet. They were black with a high cut design. The high cut waistband was at the very top of the hips which exposed the entirety of her long, pale legs all the way down to her shin-high black socks. There was a pattern of shimmering black beads around the edges of the front black triangle which drew your slowly adjusting eyes toward them and allowed you to note that there were no loose hairs sticking out around the edges like there would’ve been if she was wearing the same knickers yesterday. She really did give herself a trim in the shower. “How’s this? Happy?”

“What? NO!” you insisted. “In fact, this proves my point. You’re exposing your knickers to a lone first year in the seclusion of a broom closet. The fact that your knickers are so flashy means you wanted to show them off in order to prove that you gave yourself that haircut. This is voluntary! Millicent didn’t have a choice! You bound her hands together and nearly **** her to flash her bits to you and four other girls! I’m not going to give you any points just because no one saw anything. That was only because Daphne took it upon herself to cover for her.”

“How’s this then…” she prompted as she grabbed the high cut waistband of her black knickers… and pushed them down to her thighs. Your jaw dropped and your indignation faded as you found yourself in the close confines of a broom closet with a nearly bottomless witch. The fact that you were both standing and had roughly a foot of empty space between you meant you couldn’t see everything but you were definitely able to make out the freshly trimmed thatch of dark hair that crested the eighteen year old witch’s nethers.

“...” you’d been rendered completely speechless and continued to gawk in open-mouthed shock at Lysandra’s bared bits as well as her brazenness at showing them. You tried to duck down for a better look but she snagged you by the shoulder to keep you standing which meant she was fully aware of the limited view your close proximity granted you.

“I wanted to see if it actually had teeth…” you confessed.

“Hah! You and every other boy!” she retorted with a low and relatively quiet cackle as she pulled her knickers back up. “Best replace that mental picture you have of my bits. That’s what they normally look like when I’m seeing someone and keeping them maintained.”

It must’ve been a control thing. When she goaded you into taking a peek down her skirt at her secret garden yesterday… she never expected you to actually take her up on it and as a result, you caught her off guard and at a time when she wasn’t looking her best. Now, she not only gave herself a proper trim but she’d specifically picked out the knickers to accentuate the change and had also selected the broom closet where she could display herself the way she wanted. This was Lysandra’s wild way righting a previous wrong on her own terms.

She drew her wand and pointed it at your mouth, “Now… you can either open your mouth so I can freshen your breath and collect my snog… OR you can keep being a prat and I’ll give you some rabbit teeth to show off to the Gryffindors in Potions!”

Well, when presented with such an ultimatum what choice was there?

A second later the seering taste of sharp peppermint washed through your open mouth. You smacked your lips and gagged a bit. She might’ve overdone it.

Lysandra stepped back… out of her skirt… until her back was pressed against the far wall then she braced herself with her long bare legs and slid down five inches so she was at your height.

“C’mere, Snuggles…” she beckoned you with a curled finger. “‘Sandra wants her snog!”

You shucked your school bag off of your shoulder and set it down on top of Sandra’s skirt then took another couple seconds to admire her long, pale legs in the very dim light of the closet before you stepped closer and eventually stepped in between those long splayed legs and brought your lips to hers.

She grabbed you and pulled you flush against her then kissed you fiercely and hungrily like she’d initially done in the Owlery.

You knew you needed to fight back. But you also knew you couldn’t afford to overwhelm her like you did yesterday. Getting caught in a broom closet with a knicker-clad, barely conscious, pureblood girl would be devastating to your reputation.

You took a couple seconds to ponder what kind of emotion to channel into your snog. You were genuinely impressed by Lysandra’s bold display. Then again, what teenaged boy wouldn’t be amazed by an attractive older girl flashing her bits at him? You focused that appreciation for Yaxley’s brazenness and dramatic flair when you finally got your tongue involved in the snog and gave her the first taste of Parseltongue. §KissSSss§

“Mmmmmm!” Yaxley gave a surprised moan but seemed to enjoy the sensation that was very different from the ones you gave her yesterday so you followed up with another appreciative hiss of Parseltongue as you stroked her tongue with yours. You decided to draw this one out a bit more to ensure that Lysandra was properly satisfied. §KissSSssSSssSS§

“Mmmmm…” Yaxley gasped when you finally pulled away and took a couple steps back to catch your breath. “That felt… way different than yesterday…”

“Different emotions,” you explained, “Different intent. Last time you were attacking me and I was attempting to calm you down. This time you gave me quite the incredible show which I’m trying to show my appreciation for through my snogging.”

“But what if I want one of those SuperSnogs?” she questioned.

“Seriously?” you questioned. She nodded with a wide eager smile. “I nearly knocked you ****! And that’s what I’m trying to avoid. The last thing I need is to be caught in a broom closet with an **** pureblood girl who’s missing some key articles of clothing!”

“Hey! You didn’t knock me out!” Lysandra argued. “That was ‘Nora.” And Millicent. “You just… caught me off guard. This time I’m prepared for it and I’ve got some proper support.” She patted the solid stone wall of the broom closet beside her. “I have an image to restore! All your nosy little friends saw me get knocked on my arse by an uppity little first year! I can’t let that stand! I want another go of it!”

So this wasn’t just about fixing your mental image of her furry bits… Lysandra ‘the infamous man-eater’ was also trying to restore her reputation after being seen getting out-snogged by a first year. Which meant she fully intended to tell people about withstanding one of your so-called ‘SuperSnogs’.

You didn’t want to knock girls loopy when you kissed them. As amusing as it was to imagine yourself snogging a girl silly… you wanted your snogging partners to be properly coherent before, fully able to enjoy themselves during, and capable of reflecting on the fun they had after. You wanted to learn to control your ParselSnogging ability. But Sandra seemed to want you to do the opposite and release all your restraint.

“I really don’t want to do this… I’m trying to control this new ability…” you protested.

“What happened last time was a fluke!” she insisted. “I’m ready this time! I can take it!”

You took a moment to realise that you had leverage and could probably coax Yaxley into a deal. “I already snogged you. So the matter of payment for the lesson has been resolved. If you want one of my… ‘SuperSnogs’ as you called it… then you’ll have to do something else.”

“Getting greedy, are we, Gaunt?” she retorted. But… she didn’t outright refuse.

“Maybe a little,” you agreed, “But you knew I was an ambitious Slytherin when you pulled me into this closet. If you want me to do something that I’m very **** to do… then in exchange… I want you to do something that you’re **** to do.”

“Oh, and what’s that?” she challenged you with a raised eyebrow. She didn’t tell you to ‘get stuffed’ when you proposed the exchange so that confirmed to you she was up for a deal.

“Apologise to Millicent.”

Lysandra blinked in shock. “That’s it?” You nodded. “Seriously?” You nodded again. She let out a light cackle-laugh. “Wow! Talk about a blown opportunity! I was ready to introduce you to Claudia! But all you want is an apology? Sure! Done! No take backs!”

“Who’s Claudia?” you wondered.

Lysandra patted the front of her knickers. “My werewolf. That’s CLAW-dia with a ‘W’, by the way.” Blood rushed to your cheeks. “Haha! You’re blushing so brightly I can see it in the dark! Too late, Gaunt! I thought you were clever. But you really undersold yourself there.”

As much as you wanted to sate your curiosity and see if ‘Clawdia’ actually had fangs… and as much as you wanted to see a girl’s vag for the first time… at the moment… avenging Millicent was more important. When you applied Gemma’s ‘long game’ approach to the situation you realised that you were only fourteen. There was still plenty of time. There would be other girls and other opportunities to see a real life girl’s bits. But only Lysandra Yaxley could give Millicent Bulstrode a proper first hand apology for what she did to her last night.

You shrugged. “To you it might seem like I undersold myself. But I got exactly what I wanted. My best friend means more to me than your hairy minge. And you said it yourself, ‘no take backs’.”

Sandra smirked at you, “Best get your adorable arse over here so you can earn that apology.”

You stepped back into her embrace and pressed yourself fully against her as you sealed your lips together once more. Her tongue was almost immediately prodding at your mouth for entry and you let her in.

Lysandra wasn’t attacking you this time. So that defensive ‘venom’ you used the first time you gave her a ‘SuperSnog’ wasn’t going to work here. The last person you gave a ‘SuperSnog’ was Millicent and she definitely hadn’t been able to handle it. But you decided to channel that emotion into your ParselSnog this time. Of course, the emotion you used to snog Millicent was your appreciation for Millicent. That didn’t apply to Lysandra… but you decided to let her have a taste of it anyway and have a loud intense hiss as you snogged Sandra while thinking of another girl you felt much stronger feelings for. §KIIISSSSSSSSS§

“MMMMMM!” the fifth year gave a loud moan in response and bucked and thrashed against you. Eventually she went still which you interpreted to mean that she had enough.

“How’s that?” you prompted, “Still conscious?”

“Uuuggghh…” Lysandra groaned in response.

“Looks like you hung in there,” you noted, “Good for you.” You made to step back but she stopped you.

“Don’t!” Sandra shrieked. “Don’t move!”

“Oh… why not?” you asked.

“Because… I can’t feel my legs…” the fifth year confessed. “You pinning me to the wall is the only thing keeping me standing. If you step back… I’ll fall over…”

“So… I win again?” you teased her.

“Shut up,” she groused, no doubt sour at not getting her win back, “What the hell kind of emotion did you put into that one? You obviously don’t appreciate me showing off that much… or you would’ve asked to see Clawdia.”

“No,” you agreed, “Millicent was the last person I gave a SuperSnog. I was thinking of her and how much I appreciate her.”

Lysandra gave you a light smack on the face. “For the record… it is very poor form to tell a girl you were thinking of someone else while you were snogging her.”

“I know,” you admitted, “But I decided to show you how much my best friend means to me and why that apology is so important.”

“Yeah… well… if you snog her like you just snogged me… and then tell her what you just told me… I guarantee you that she’d show you her minge if you asked.”

You shook your head, “Millicent’s not bold like you. She’s too shy to do something like that.”

“She’s a Slytherin,” Lysandra pointed out. “If you present her with an opportunity… she’ll take it. Consequences be damned.”

You shook your head again, “Okay… we’re going to change the subject… or I’m going to step back and let you fall.”

“Fine,” Lysandra relented, “It just so happens that I have the perfect new topic… Welcome to the Hogwarts Broom Closet Club.”

“The what?”

“It’s an unsanctioned club that spans all houses and all years. The club is meant for the most adventurous and most amorous students… with the goal being to find and snog in as many of the Hogwarts broom closets as possible.”

You eyed her warily, “Is this real or are you pulling my leg?”

“It’s real,” she insisted, “We even have membership badges…” She fished her hand into the front of her Hogwarts jumper and pulled out a round patch. The letters H.B.C.C. were stitched into it with the H being red, the B being blue, the first C being yellow, and the second C being green. “But I’ll leave Nora to explain the lore. She loves that sort of thing. Plus, she’s found more of the rare ones than me. I’m just glad that I got to initiate you. Because I figure if anyone has a chance at running the Gaunt-let and finding them all… it’ll be you and that magic tongue of yours.”

“You mean no one’s ever managed to find all of them?” you inquired.

“That’s right,” she confirmed. “I pride myself in having found and used all twenty-four of the common ones. This closet is one of them. Out in the open in plain sight. But some are a lot harder to find than others and no one’s ever found all of them. Nora suspects there’s forty total although she doesn’t have half as many as I do. But… I’ve got a good feeling about you. I thought I’d set you on your noble quest as soon as possible and take your broom closet virginity at the first available opportunity.”

While the prospect of completing an inter-house Hogwarts challenge that no one had beaten before excited you… Lysandra’s phrase of ‘taking your broom closet virginity’ caused your face to go BRIGHT red which coaxed a raucous fit of cackling from the girl you were keeping pressed against the closet wall.

And, of course, THAT was when the closet door was pulled open and Millicent stuck her head in.

“Marvolo are you in here?”

That was why she was your best friend. Not only was she risking the wrath of Professor Snape by potentially being late for Potions in favor of searching for you. But she no doubt heard Lysandra Yaxley’s infamous and highly recognisable cackle coming from within the broom closet and, in spite of what the often vicious fifth year had done to her last night, she still barged into the occupied closet in the off chance that you were in it.

“Er… hey, Millie,” you greeted her as you looked over your shoulder, “Lysandra yanked me in here to claim the snog I owe her.”

“And why’s your face so red?” Millicent prodded. “Are you okay? I heard her laughing from halfway down the hall.”

“Yaxley just made a joke about taking my broom closet virginity,” you stated which caused Millicent’s face to flush to a bright red hue that matched yours. “See? Natural reaction.”

This was an awkward situation. Lysandra was likely to fall over if you stepped away from her and you knew how important restoring her reputation was to her. So you leaned in and pressed the side of your face against hers and quietly whispered an escape plan.

“Wrap your arms around my neck and make a show of biting me,” you instructed, “I’ll whinge a bunch and lower you down so you can sit against the wall and preserve some of your dignity. But as soon as I step away… you’re going to apologise to Millicent like we agreed…”

Sandra didn’t respond. At least not verbally. The fact that she reached up and wrapped her arms around your neck and then latched her lips onto the top of it showed that she’d agreed to go along with your plan. Except she wasn’t biting… she was sucking.

“Gah! Get off!” you yelped and carried on as planned. You pulled partially away from the wall then pressed her back against it then pushed down and slid her lower. You kept her pinned back against it until she was sitting on the floor with her long legs splayed on each side of you. “GET OFF OF MY NECK! YOU VICIOUS BLOOD SUCKER!”

You lurched back and finally escaped her grasp but in doing so you nearly tripped over your school bag. Nearly. You managed to ungracefully stumble over it and stayed upright as you gingerly rubbed your neck on the opposite side of the four foot wide broom closet.

“Oh, that reminds me,” Yaxley said as she sat there with her long bare legs splayed and her beaded black knickers showing. “Bulstrode, your cute little friend stuck his neck out for you and brought it to my attention that I may have taken things too far last night… so… I’m sorry I yanked your knickers down… and I’m sorry I embarrassed you in front of your friends. We both know you weren’t trying very hard… until I invoked sudden ****. But I know that not everyone’s as much of a showoff as me. Or him.”

Millicent slowly blinked in surprise at the unexpected apology then eyed Yaxley’s knickers which were extra visible thanks to the light streaming in through the door she was holding open.

“Is that why you’re not wearing a skirt?” Millie asked.

Sandra shrugged, “I’ve got a quality collection of knickers and lingerie and I enjoy having an appreciative audience. Also, if that little pervert’s gonna have a collection of girls’ knickers… then I thought it’d be worthwhile for him to be able to recognise quality knickers when he sees them.”

Lysandra wiggled her feet and spread her legs even further… putting her knickers on full display. Millicent huffed and averted her eyes from what she saw as a brazen and shameless display. But you were more informed and understood that Sandra was actually testing the feeling in her legs for when she tried to stand up again. Also, you’d made a point to express how much you appreciated her bold, brazenness after you first snogged her so it was also likely for your benefit as a silent ‘thank you’ for helping her retain some control over the awkward encounter.

“I believe our business here is concluded then,” you resolved, “Later, Lysandra.”

You picked up your bag and followed your ‘rescuer’ out of the broom closet.

“Thanks for coming to find me, Millie,” you addressed your friend. “Although, in the future, you’ll want to be a lot more careful about poking your head into occupied broom closets. It seems the broom closets at Hogwarts are more for snogging than actually containing cleaning supplies and I’m sure you already know that interrupting a young couple mid-snog won’t do you any favors.”

“I checked that closet specifically because I heard Yaxley laughing from halfway down the hall,” Millicent explained. “I can’t believe you actually got her to apologise to me…”

“We made a new deal after I paid her for her services,” you informed her. “She wanted another one of those… ‘SuperSnogs’. I think she was looking to redeem herself after I caught her off guard and knocked her on her arse in the Owlery. Especially after she learned that there was an audience that witnessed her pratfall. But I was **** since I nearly knocked you **** the last time I did one. I negotiated that apology in exchange for the snog she wanted.”

“I… appreciate it… but I didn’t really need that apology,” she assured you, “You didn’t have to stick your neck out like that.” Her eyes dipped to the spot Sandra sucked on your neck.

However, her downplaying the need for an apology set off some red sparks.

You paused for a beat and decided to broach the sensitive subject, “Can I ask you something about last night?” Millicent shrugged. “I got Pansy’s interpretation of what happened… and she seemed to think you were having trouble because you were frustrated…”

“I don’t think she was frustrated at failing…”

“She realised, like I do, that once you and Daphne start dating then that means no more ParselSnogging.”

“Millicent wants to snog you too and that’s why she was having so much trouble.”

“...and I got Yaxley and Rowle’s side… Yaxley hinted that you weren’t really trying which was why she resorted to sudden ****…”

“I thought maybe they were sabotaging us.”

“We both know you weren’t really trying very hard… until I invoked sudden ****.”

“But your version is the one I’m the most interested in… what actually happened?”

Millicent flinched as you eyed her expectantly, “A bit of both…” she confessed. “Daphne’s good mood annoyed me and threw me off at the start… and then I remembered that your deal was that all of us had to learn the spell… I didn’t really care about flashing my jockey shorts all that much… of the four of us… I had the most coverage. I thought I could spare you whatever Yaxley did to you in that closet. But then they raised the stakes… and the first time I actually genuinely tried to cast the spell… I couldn’t do it… I don’t exactly thrive under pressure like you do.”

You sighed and gave a soft shake of your head, then placed your hand on her shoulder, “Thanks for looking out for me.” You were about to ask her what Daphne whispered to her that helped her finally cast the spell since neither Pansy nor Yaxley were privy to that quiet conversation but you were interrupted by the arrival of Zabini and Nott.

“Ah, looks like Bulstrode found him,” Blaise noted. “You were at the back of the group and we were already down in the dungeons by the time we noticed you were gone. And after what happened to Bletchley yesterday… combined with you publicly taunting the Ravenclaw team… we feared that you’d been ****… or incapacitated… or worse.”

“It wasn’t the Ravenclaws…” Millicent said, “Yaxley yanked him into a broom closet…”.

“Yaxley…” Blaise repeated as his amused morbid smile vanished from his face.

Damn it, he had something of a crush on the scary fifth year. Maybe his infamous mother gave him an extra appreciation for dangerous women?

“...” Theodore tapped his neck in a spot that mirrored where Sandra sucked on yours.

You reached up to feel the spot in question which caused Blaise’s expression to morph into a full scowl as now everyone knew that Lysandra left a love bite on your neck. Unfortunately, it was on your own neck so you couldn’t exactly see the dark mark.

How to salvage this… you pondered it for a second then had an idea.

“You feeling brave, Zabini?” you asked. He gave a shrug. “Because she’s still in that closet.”

You hadn’t heard her leave and you figured your conversation with Millicent bought her enough time to pull her skirt back on.

“Here’s what you do,” you advised, “Knock on the door… because I’m sure your mother’s told you that a proper gentleman should always knock before entering a room occupied by a lady. When she answers - tell her that you want to join the Hogwarts Broom Closet Club.”

“The what?” he questioned.

“The Hogwarts Broom Closet Club,” you reiterated, “I can see her answering one of four ways: One, she laughs in your face and shoves you aside on her way out. Two, she says ‘bugger off’ and slams the door in your face. Three, she pulls you in and bites you as punishment for overstepping your bounds. Or four, she’ll be impressed by your gumption and pull you in and initiate you to the club with a snog. Are you brave enough to roll that die?”

His eyes went wide and then his scowl morphed into a wide smile, “I like those odds!”

Zabini stepped past you and boldly knocked on the closet door.

That boldness faded a bit when a fully clothed, properly standing, and therefore appropriately menacing Lysandra Yaxley opened the door and glowered down at him. “What do you want?”

“Erm… I want to join the Hogwarts Broom Closet Club?” he asked nervously.

“Oh, do you?” she responded as she eyed with him a raised eyebrow.

Due to the notorious reputation of Circe Zabini… you honestly weren’t completely sure how the walking wildcard known as Lysandra Yaxley would respond to her son offering himself up to her as a virgin sacrifice.

“FRESH MEAT!” Blaise gave a yelp as Yaxley grabbed him by the tie and yanked him inside. The closet door shut ominously behind him.

“Did you just feed Blaise to that monster?” Millicent asked.

“I reckon it’s how he would’ve wanted to go,” you replied while you eyed Theodore warily… you were worried about making a morbid comment in front of him after what you learned about his mother… but he actually nodded in agreement with you and you realised belatedly that Zabini had more than likely taken advantage of his roommates penchant for silence by gushing to him about his crush on the fifth year knowing full well that quiet boy wouldn’t blab to everyone. “I don’t hear any cries of pain… maybe she’s taking his broom closet virginity?”

That got a reaction. Theodore’s face went bright red - much like yours and Millicent’s had at that same comment before he let out a quiet, startled cough, “Koff!”

“By that, I mean snogging him,” you clarified and received an annoyed glare. You let out a light laugh as you fished into your school bag and pulled out one of the vials of Topical Bruise Remover that you brewed last night in preparation for tonight’s final Quidditch practice before tomorrow’s match. “Apparently, there’s a semi-secret unsanctioned club where enterprising students attempt to locate and snog in as many of the Hogwarts broom closets as possible. Supposedly, no one’s ever found them all. Yaxley tipped me off about it while we were in there and seems to think that I might be the one to finally run the Gaunt-let.”

In the back of your mind, you acknowledged that this unsanctioned club that centered around discovering and snogging in mysterious hard to find broom closets would be right up Daphne’s alley. You resolved to probe Rowle for more information on the subject when she came to claim her own snog.

Your thoughts remained on Evanora Rowle and her mole as you removed the stopper from your bruise potion and applied the purple paste to your own embarrassing blemish so you didn’t have to go to Potions with a hickey on your neck.

“Is it gone?” you asked after you wiped away the residue and were pleased to receive two affirming nods in response. You’d tweaked the recipe for Topical Bruise Remover back in October in order to make your version more potent and faster acting. A necessary response to having Marcus Flint regularly charging you during Quidditch practice.

(A/N: Gaunt altering the bruise potion was mentioned all the way back in the Hermione Granger’s Meltdown chapter.)

Too bad the solution to Evanora’s mole problem wasn’t so simple.

Blaise came stumbling out of the broom closet a moment later. The deliriously wide smile on his face rivaled the one Dancing Daphne had been wearing earlier. He had TWO of Lysandra’s love bites on his neck. One on each side. They didn’t stand out quite as much as yours due to his naturally darker skin tone but they were still noticeable if you knew to look.

“Want some bruise remover?” you offered up the vial of potent purple potion paste.

Blaise fervently shook his head. He likely saw the dark bruises as badges of pride. The thumbs up he gave you also showed that he no longer held any ill will toward you.

The flesh-eating monster herself stepped out of the closet and gave you all one of her usual menacing toothy grins. But you knew better. Sandra actually going through with snogging Blaise meant the secret softie couldn’t turn away the boy with an obvious crush on her and decided to make his week.

“Sorry, Nott, but I’m only doing two,” she announced, “Thanks for the snack, Gaunt!” She pulled a partially eaten egg and sausage sandwich out from a hidden pocket in her robes and gave it a very violent bite.

You wondered for a moment what the ‘snack’ was…. your snog? Blaise? Or the sandwich?

And then you stared at your hands. One held a potion vial… the other one was empty.

“That crazy witch stole my sandwich!” you realised. You couldn’t even be sure when Sandra stole your sandwich. You’d been suitably distracted from the minute she yanked you into the closet and wrapped herself around you.

“Why’re you four still standing here?” she inquired. “You’ll be late for Potions If you don’t book it.”

SHE WAS RIGHT!

You grabbed Dazed Blaise by the wrist and pulled him along as you all outright RAN the rest of the way to Potions. And even then you BARELY made it on time. A surly Severus Snape and a gaggle of glaring Gryffindors greeted you as the four you slipped into the Potions classroom and took your usual places.

A grouchy Professor Snape was enough to put a damper on anyone’s good mood so you were pleased to see that both Dancing Daphne and Dazed Blaise quickly found themselves paying proper attention when he introduced the potions you would be brewing… Burn-Healing Paste.

Maybe it was because you just spent a chunk of time in a broom closet with Sandra… maybe it was because you just thought of Nora and the cumulus cloud-shaped mole on her bum while you were removing the resulting blemish… but Lysandra’s recounting of their fruitless search for a Potion to substitute as a ‘mole cure’ rang through your mind as you sent Goyle to fetch the ingredients and busied yourself with copying the recipe on the board into your notes.

“We tried the Cure for Boils, Topical Bruise Remover, and Burn Paste but none of them worked because they’re all meant for other kinds of blemishes. Common healing potions didn’t work either because it’s not an injury.”

Not including Mrs Skower's Magical Mess Remover… the Burn-Healing Paste was the only one of the potions she listed that you didn’t already know how to brew yourself.

You were so immersed in studying the new recipe that you barely noticed Goyle returning. Ashwinder skin… that was a new ingredient and seemed to be the key of the first stage of the potion. Lucky for you, ashwinder was the second entry in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them after acromantula and since it was a breed of magical fire-born snake you naturally studied that entry a lot closer than the one for the giant, man-eating spider.

“GAUNT!” Professor Snape’s shout was what finally got your attention. You looked up to meet an angry piercing glare. “First you’re nearly late to class… and now you’re not paying attention… If I find your lack of focus on your studies is due to your position on the Quidditch team… I will see you removed from it!”

You heard a quiet chuckle come from Weasley who was sitting across the aisle with Granger.

“I was focusing, professor,” you defended yourself. “I was studying the recipe and ingredients.”

“Let’s test that then, shall we?” the Potions professor suggested with a nasty sneer, “What is the active ingredient in Burn-Healing Paste?”

“That’s exactly what I just deduced, sir,” you replied. Did he read your mind before asking that? “And there are, in fact, TWO active ingredients because this potion both brews and acts in two stages. The active ingredient in the first stage is the ashwinder skin. An ashwinder is a snake born from unchecked magical fire. They usually only live for an hour but their skin can be harvested if they’re caught and skinned as soon as possible. The ashwinder skin in the first stage of the Potion works to sear off the charred skin with the burn. Since there are first, second, and third degree burns, I suspect that adding more ashwinder skin in the first brewing stage will result in a more potent paste that’s better able to shear off more serious burns.”

“Correct,” Professor Snape stated then turned his glare to Weasley, “Weasley! Gaunt named one of the active ingredients and what it does… what’s the other?”

“Erm… Dittany?” He clearly didn’t know and guessed the first healing plant he could think of.

“Wrong!” Professor Snape berated him. “Which shows you were more occupied sending Gaunt insipid glares rather than reading the recipe.”

Weasley was glaring at you? You hadn’t even noticed. You knew he was the biggest Quidditch fan of all eight first year Gryffindor so you suspected his glaring had to do with the commotion you caused at breakfast.

“Dittany isn’t used at all in Burn-Healing Paste,” Your Head of House sneered at Weasley before he turned his attention back to you, “Gaunt, correct the fool Weasley’s blunder and tell us the correct answer.”

“The second active ingredient is the aloe vera,” you answered. “Even on its own it is known for soothing burns. And that’s what it does here. The second stage of the potion serves to bolster the effect of the aloe vera as it soothes and strengthens the new, very raw, layer of skin after the burn has been seared off in the first stage. It’s important to add more aloe to the second stage in order to counteract any extra Ashwinder skin you add to the first stage.”

“Correct again,” Professor Snape responded. “Ten points to Slytherin for two full, concise answers and showing everyone that you know the subject. Weasley, ten points from Gryffindor for showing everyone that you know nothing.” He then turned his gaze beyond the first row, “I hope the rest of you dunderheads saw fit to write this down because Gaunt’s answer will go a long way toward completing the four foot essay you’ll be writing about the two stage process of Burn-Healing Paste as homework.”

Professor Snape’s homework assignment evoked a chorus of groans from the class. The Potions professor turned and began his usual practice of stalking around the room to harass students individually while they were trying to brew.

You eyed Granger on Weasley’s other side and turned to grin at Goyle, “Hey Gregory, what’s one hundred plus ten?”

“One hundred… and ten…” he answered slowly.

“Thank you,” you replied, “I’ll have to write that down.” The gloating got Granger’s goat and now both she and Weasley were glaring at you. You sent them both one last quick smirk but then completely tuned them out as you turned your attention back to your brewing for the remainder of the double lesson.

The end result was a perfectly brewed, perfectly orange vial of Burn-Healing Paste.

---

Marvolo Gaunt House Point Ledger

Severus Snape: +4

Severus Snape: +10

New Total: +110

Points awarded by: SS, RH, QQ