Chocolate Covered Strawberries [Remus Lupin]

𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚢-𝚏𝚒𝚟𝚎

Chapter eighty-five; Time is ticking

▴ ◃ ▾ ▹

''Expelliarmus!''

The wand flew out of professor Smirnitsky's hand, hit the stone wall behind him and toppled on the floor halfway across the classroom. Jasmine smiled and lowered her wand, taking a breath with it. She and Smirnitsky have been at it for over an hour, standing on opposite sides of the classroom, duelling and practising spells. The easy ones for now but by the proud look on the professor's face, Jasmine knew she was getting good.

''Great job!'' Smirnitsky snapped his fingers and the tree branch of a wand appeared back in his hand. ''Now try it without yelling the initiation. This should be one of the easiest non-verbal spells. Focus on my wand and think what you want it to do. If it doesn't happen, try whispering it first.''

Jasmine took the duelling stance again and raised her wand slowly. Her eyes focused on Smirnitsky's branch and she repeatedly thought expelliarmus, expelliarmus, expelliarmus... A low groan escaped her and she closed her eyes before a look of determination settled on her face. Why won't that damn wand just fly out of his hand!

''Expelliarmus,'' Jasmine whispered.

The spell wasn't as powerful as it was the one when she yelled but the wand still fell out of the professor's hand. Smirnitsky smiled at her and bent down to pick his wand up. Jasmine looked down at her wrist to check her watch. She checked it not long ago and it seemed that only a minute has passed since then. Her concentration was lost and she wondered why the time had to go so slow on this particular day.

''Ah, it seems that's all the time we have for today,'' Smirnitsky spoke those sweet words of heaven to Jasmine. She didn't hesitate to pocket her wand and grab all her stuff off the nearby table.

''Practice the non-verbal spells any time you can, the best one would be the levitating spell which you can do in ... your dorm,'' Smirnitsky cleared his throat as he was watching Jasmine walk away from him in a hurry.

She stopped and turned around, covering her agitated expression with a smile.

''Do you have somewhere to be?'' Smirnitsky asked, obvious teasing in his voice.

Jasmine nodded. ''Yes, I –'' Then she just stood there, kind of awkwardly, her mind stopped working properly so she couldn't even come up with an excuse for what to say.

''A simple yes would suffice. I don't need to know what you students are up to while not in class. I'll see you tomorrow for another lesson.'' Smirnitsky bowed his head a little and then turned around back to his desk.

Jasmine scrunched up her eyebrows, wondering if the bow was something Russians did all the time or is that one of his special quirks. There was no time to dwell on it as she hurried out of the classroom and bolted down the hallway. Most students were done with their classes as it was well into the afternoon already, but it was not quite time for dinner yet. She walked in the direction away from Hufflepuff's common room, trudging the heavy book bag with her. She simply didn't have the time to make the travel to her dorm to leave it off and go back again.

While ascending the constant moving marble stairs two small figures appeared in front of her, not letting her pass.

''Hi, Jasmine!'' Viv and Leo chorused together.

Jasmine put on one of her fakest smiles, she really didn't want to hurt the twins but she didn't have time for them either. ''Viv, Leo.'' She greeted them.

''When's the next Hogsmeade trip?'' Leo cut straight to the business.

''Why? You know you guys are not allowed to go.'' Jasmine asked suspiciously.