To Love a Serpent - Ominis Gaunt

Injured Animal

I decided to go to Hogsmeade for one last summer day as I had felt the seasons were beginning to abruptly change. After grabbing strawberry cream cake as well as a couple of licorice wands, I walked over to the grassy flower meadow that met the river.

I took off my shoes and then tipped my feet into the cooling waters, exhaling and inhaling. My eyes were shifting over, observing the skies until I suddenly heard footsteps coming near me.

I glance over and sure enough, it was Garreth. "Good day, what brings you over here?" I ask him while indulging in a piece of my cake. He smirks before sitting down next to me.

"Oh, nothing really. Just wanted to come out and enjoy the weather. My aunt kept insisting on me not being stuck in the castle all day." He responds while picking at the grass.

I look over at him. "Garreth, is there something on your mind?" I wipe my hands in the cool waters before moving my feet.

He looks down with a sly smile and nods. "Aurora...we've known each other and have become good friends, right?" He begins, slightly gulping. Oh no, he better not be confessing his feelings to me. I'm not even sure of my own feelings at the moment. Do I even like anyone? I haven't thought about romance since 5th year.

"Yes, we have. Honestly, you're like the brother I never had with me being an orphan and all." I shyly smiled, splashing the water.

His face turns beet pink, causing him to clear his throat, exhaling a little. While combing his curling red hair with his fingers, he nods. "Oh? Is that so? I mean right, you're kinda a sister I've never had although I do have older sisters." He awkwardly says.

Nice save Aurora. I feel bad though. It's not as if I do not like him, it's just romance isn't a priority. I can't share my heart with anyone anymore. I have responsibilities.

"Garreth...do you perhaps want to practice dueling with each other? I don't have much going on and well, it is a nice day outside."

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"Okay, give me your best shot. Don't worry I have plenty of wiggenweld for the both of us." I smirked at him before going across from him in the grassy area near the quittich field.

He removes his robe, revealing his Gryffindor attire underneath and then he swings his wand toward me. "Levioso! Expelleriamis!" Immediately, I fly across and roll over on my side. I slowly get up.

"Wow Weasley, you've improved. Let's see what you make of this!" I swing my hand in an elegant fashion toward him.

"Accio! Expulso! Descendo!" I say, casting each of the spells causing Garreth to flip on his bottom. He laughed at me, combing the side of his hair.

"Oh is Aurora wanting to play rough?" He teases me while I stick out my tongue.
Before he and I continue, a small crowd of other students from 5th to 7th years gather around us.

"Garreth, you don't want to challenge me," I warned him, giggling before we circled each other. He attempted to cast Expulso but I deflected with a powerful Protego, stunning him.

Garreth then blasted my leg with a basic wand cast to which I faked an overreaction. He first got worried but then burst out in laughter. "You dare jest? You'll be sorry for that one!"

I then got up, readying myself. I notice the tip of my own wand began leaking a red hue of magic. I try to swish my own wand by casting another spell such as Depulso but it rebounded on me, launching me into the ground.