Mischief not so Managed

8: The DA

Lia:

"stupefy" Cho went flying across the room and landed on the crash mat Hermione had summoned at the beginning of the lesson. "you okay?" I asked lowering my wand.

"all good" she said sitting up. Brushing her skirt off.

We had been almost two months in the Room of Requirement. You see Umbridge wasn't exactly wetting our appetite for Dark Arts lessons with her theory teaching about the things in life that wouldn't bite us even we asked them too. Harry had been coerced into teaching us. It had taken a while, but Hermione got around him. The weeks and months had flown by as we met and learnt every spell under the sun. suffice to say, our parents and guardians didn't know, it was safer that way. They thought we were kids anyway. The Order would flip if they thought us kids were learning this on our own. Umbridge knew something was wrong but she hadn't quite figured out what, she'd be even more disgusted to know what we had named it. The DA, Dumbledore's Army. She was terrorising teachers, interviewing them, requesting spells and potions in the moment. The woman was losing her mind.

"that's great Lia" Harry said, giving Cho a half smile. Would he ever get over himself and ask her out? I didn't know. "That's all for today guys, see you on Friday". We filtered out a couple at a time. I walked over to collect my bags and books.

"hey Hermione, how's study going?" I asked.

"spectacularly" she smiled.

"how many subjects exactly are you taking?"

"about 19" Ron pitched in.

"I am not" Hermione exclaimed, hitting Ron playfully on the shoulder.

"how you holding up?" I asked Harry, it had only been two weeks since the Quidditch ban and I knew he wasn't finding it easy.

"getting there" he grimaced. He hadn't really said much over the last few weeks, he went quiet sometimes and had been dodging DATDA classes. He walked away.

"he'll get there" I said to Hermione whose face was lined with worry. I turned to head towards the door. George was leaning against the wall talking to Ginny. I went to say some thing but I didn't, or I couldn't. I just smiled and kept walking. Nigel gave me the nod to say it was safe to go.

I sat on the steps overlooking the rolling hills of grass. I had my scarf tucked up around my neck. It was only a couple of weeks till Christmas, my eighteenth and my least favourite time of year. It was only Tuesday and I was already exhausted. I was trying to study but it just wasn't working. George hadn't spoken to me since the Quidditch match, that made my heart a little heavy. Oh get over yourself Jones, he's just a boy. "Mind if I join you?" Cormac's stupid voice floated over to me.

"It's a free country" I muttered. He sat, his blonde hair flowing in the wind.

"how are you?"

"is that a joke?" I cocked an eyebrow.

"no" he said taken aback "Why would you say that?"

"Cormac, we dated for a year and a half and you never once asked me that" I replied looking back over the school, the sun falling over the hills beyond.

"I'm sorry"

"you'll have to narrow down exactly what you're talking about"

"I know what this time of year means for you". I was taken aback, he actually cared.

"well, thanks, I guess" I replied.

"come on, it's getting cold" he said "I'll walk you to dinner"

"I'll be in in a while" I said, watching the last of the colour drain from the sky.

"Lia, come on" he grabbed my hand, I pulled away from him.

"just go Cormac, please"

"Lia" he grabbed my hand again

"Cormac!"

"she said go McLaggan" I turned to see George standing with his hands in his pockets. His face set like thunder.

"oh, I see how it is" Cormac chuckled looking at George, "so, are you going to sleep your way through all of Gryffindor tower then?". My cheeks blazed red, I was mortified.

"open your mouth again and you'll be hexed into the next century" I looked down embarrassed that George had had to stand up for me "and when Lia's done with you, I'll pitch you off the Astronomy Tower, then we'll see how brave you are". I smiled slightly, I didn't need anyone to stand up for me and George knew that. Cormac slinked off somewhere, I looked back out over the grounds, twilight starting to fall. "I just wanted to say, I mean I came to find you because", his face was bright red, he was fidgeting nervously, "well, em, Mum wanted me to let you know, that, em, well, you're invited for Christmas, to headquarters, if you want that is, and your Mum too"

"thank you" I smiled, "that means a lot".

"cool, just you know, let me know, cool" if possible, his cheeks got redder. He smiled and walked away muttering to himself. My heart warmed slightly. I looked down at my satchel and traced my finger over my dad's initials. My tenth Christmas and birthday without him. How time flies.