Call It What You Want || DISCONTINUED.

twenty-one

(Y/N).

I still proceeded to build my friendship with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. I've always been hanging out with them and ditching dinner sometimes with Harry just to sneak to the black lake and skip stones there. I was determined to beat his highest score.

As of today, throughout the corridors, as I made my way to Charms class, I kept expecting to run across Cedric, but I never did. At the very least, I know he's already in his next lesson by this. Maybe. I kept telling Nyx to visit his window sometimes, and blimey, I think she's very attached to him. Every time she gets back, she wubs all over me that my ears began to hurt.

I quickly made it into the Charms class. Although I was still early, I wasn't the first person to arrive. When I noticed August talking with professor Flitwick on topics that I don't really care about, my left eye twitched. Professor Flitwick called out my name just as I was going to take a seat after he had already seen me.

"Ms Sierra," he was still one of the teachers that respected my decision of wanting to be called by my father's surname, "come sit next to Silvius! I was just done teaching them how to do a spell."

I wanted to decline, but since he's already said it nicely, I had to surrender. As I head to the seat beside August, resisting very hard not to roll my eyes, they gave me a small smile but I didn't bother to return the gesture.

Clearly, whatever help they asked professor Flitwick had to be a hard spell. I looked at August's notebook which showed a... "Exploding charm?"

August immediately closed their book, looking at me with flushed cheeks. They were too stunned and embarrassed to say anything until I finally rolled my eyes at them. "We were taught this charm weeks ago," I say, grabbing a piece of paper, crumbling it and having to make sure August was looking carefully, "watch how a pro like me does it."

I prepared my wand with me and as soon as I threw the paper away in mid-air, making it slightly higher so that no one gets injured, I did the hand movement and incanted, "Bombarda!" As soon as I said that, the others entered the class and were surprised to see something small explode above their view. 

Professor Flitwick clapped his hands and said, "That was another demonstration of last few week's lessons regarding the exploding charm that Ms Sierra just accomplished. Although I'm sure you've all executed the charm correctly after many tries, I remind you to please be mindful of your surroundings." He speaks as he stands on top of his desk and numerous books, smiling as he looks at me.

The others looked at me; some were impressed but some did not like what they saw.

I just awkwardly chuckle at them before quickly sighing in relief that the charm didn't miss the paper. But later, I turned to look at August and noticed that their mouth was slightly open; I wasn't sure if this made him feel more astonished or embarrassed.

They continued to stare at me, and I noticed for a brief moment that I was beginning to feel shy. Eventually, I slapped their face, which caused them to let out a small cry. "I know I'm the greatest pro you've seen, but if you look at me like that again, I'll seriously cast the charm on you," I said, furrowing my brows in response.

"Ouch— that wasn't necessary!" They said while displaying the tiniest hint of terror in their eyes towards me. "I just thought you looked stunning being so determined," August murmured as they glanced down at the notebook.

Was I hearing this right? August Silvius, the person who I had fought with and ignored for a month or more, dares to compliment me?

Although I was in denial about how my heart leapt when they addressed me as 'stunning' and a 'determined person', I stared at August in disbelief. The best compliments I've ever received have always come from Cedric, but August always finds a way to waddle in and drop in unexpected compliments that can leave me feeling this way.