Moonlit

vii

Tom gave her a mere A on the test. Avani was fuming.

She was not one to throw a fit over her grades, usually getting the grades she knew she deserved. In Tom's case, however, she knew he was being unfair.

Was it him taking some sort of anger out on her? So much for being professional.

Avani was accustomed to getting O's in DADA, and the fact that she got anything less than that did not sit right with her.

What upset her more was the fact that by now, the parents would also have received the grades of their children. Avani feared what her father's reaction would be.

Though her father was not overly critical, he surely would be disappointed. Avani hated disappointing him.

She heard Tom enter the classroom, and she stared down at her table, carving the wood lazily with her hairpin.

"Good morning. Taking in your faces, I suppose you found out your grades. I hope you're satisfied with them," Tom said. He laid his books on his desk, arranging stuff to start the class.

A faint hum of yes permeated the classroom.

"I am not satisfied," Avani said. Tom did not spare her a look as he turned to charm chalk to write on the board.

"When are you ever, Miss Chaudhry," Tom said, earning a few snickers from the class.

Avani shut them up with a sharp glare. Bastard.

Ever since the day Tom came in smelling all putrid, the two of them had been arguing. Usually over irrelevant stuff, but enough to leave a sour taste in Tom's mouth and an arrow in Avani's heart.

Avani dug her hairpin into the wood, scratching loudly, as she wrote mindless things on the furniture, eager to get a reaction out of him. Much to her surprise, Tom did not give her detention. He only so politely asked her to see him after class.

When the bell rang, students poured out of class, and Avani approached Tom.

He said nothing and threw a piece of parchment upon the table.

Avani picked it up slowly, wary eyes trained on Tom as she did.

When she looked down at the parchment, she felt her breath seize.

It was a letter from her father, and he had invited Tom and her over for a conversation.

.

Avani fidgeted with her dress under the table with one hand as she, Tom, and her father ate dinner in silence.

The dinner table was large and round, and the three of them sat at equal distances from each other.

When they finished their dinner, Mr Chaudhry offered Tom some whisky, which he politely accepted. Mr Chaudhry poured himself some, while Avani was forced to drink plain milk.

"So I heard you wanted to join the ministry, Tom," Mr Chaudhry said.

"Maybe someday, but for now, I want to stick to teaching," Tom answered. His ring clinked when he picked up the whisky glass.

"You are a man of patience for still waiting at the age of thirty. People I know try to enter the ministry as soon as they graduate from Hogwarts."

Tom smiled, sipping his drink. He had chosen to wear a three-piece suit this time, all in dark, complementing shades of green and black.

His hair was perfectly styled back, and a hint of the subtlest cologne could be felt. Avani had never seen him dress so expensively, not even in Paris. Was he trying to impress her father?

Even if he was, she doubted it was because of her. Her father was the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Many people tried to impress him.

"So Avani," Mr Chaudhry said. She lifted her eyes to look at him. She felt horridly shameful at the moment. She did not like lying to her father. She wondered how he would react if he found out she was sleeping with her professor, a man almost twelve years older than her.

For once, she contemplated she should let it slip. Let the world burn. Her father would most presumably say nothing to her but surely bury Tom alive. But then she shook her head. What was she thinking?

"Yes, father?" she asked.

"Is everything alright at school?"

"It's never been better," she said. Tom smiled into his glass, and Avani crumbled the urge to punch that grin off his face.

"Then why did your marks slip? They will be considered in your final grades, you know that, right?"

Avani chewed the inside of her cheek, nodding.

"So why did they fall?"

Avani said nothing, silently sipping on her milk which she found to be more disgusting than the last time she had drunk it. She placed two mouth-freshening mints on her tongue after finishing it. She avidly avoided her father's interrogation.

"Tom, why don't you tell? Is she not behaving in class? She has a penchant for mischief."

Oh, Merlin. Avani closed her eyes, feeling embarrassment run through her body.

"She's a good student," Tom said, and Avani wanted to kill herself. "She just has been getting in a few fights, trying to defend her friend."

Mr Chaudhry made a face. "Are you still getting in trouble over that mudblood, Avani? I thought we talked this over."

"Don't call her that, father. Her name is Circe," Avani said. The dining room was silent for a few heartbeats, but then Mr Chaudhry scoffed.

"Children nowadays have learnt to talk back to their parents. It wasn't so a few years back. Tell me, Tom, am I wrong for wanting to keep the wizarding world great?"

"No, sir," Tom said. Avani narrowed her eyes. She did not know he was blood prejudiced. 

"See, Avani, you should learn something from your teacher. Anyways, Tom, are you a pureblood, or do you have a bit of muggle blood mixed in you?"

Tom looked startled, but he quickly gained his composure back. He cleared his throat. "I'm a pureblood, sir."

Avani wanted to laugh. He was a half-blood, and it was funny seeing him try to impress someone so much. It was an odd side of his. 

Tom sent a small glare when he noticed her smiling. She raised an eyebrow.

The two men completed their drinks in silence as Avani waited awkwardly.

"Do you smoke, Tom?" Mr Chaudhry asked.

"Occasionally, sir."

"Good. Let's step out for a smoke."

Tom looked at his watch. "I think we should leave. It getting late. We have school tomorrow."

"Nonsense. It's too late for that. You two can leave early in the morning. Now let's step out on the balcony. Avani, dear, how about you go to bed? I had the elves clean it for you."

Tom nodded reluctantly, and Avani withered on the inside. The idea of spending time with Tom under her father's roof seemed too immoral.

"I take Avani takes after you in the smoking habits, Mr Chaudhry," Tom said. Avani's eyes widened in fright as she choked on thin air.

"Avani smokes?" her father asked.

Avani opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. She was going to murder Tom.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know she did it without your knowledge. I confiscated her cigarettes a few weeks ago considering it's not allowed to smoke on Hogwarts grounds. But I did not make a big deal of it because I thought you must have known."

Mr Chaudhry sighed, shaking his head at Avani. "We'll take about this later."

Avani glared at Tom. He had done it on purpose, hadn't he? A punishment for when she laughed at his blood status lie.

He was a cruel man.

"Good night, Father. I'll be in my room," Avani said.

She looked at Tom meaningfully. She knew he was going to find her later.