Tempus | Harry Potter |

32

The Pretending Moment

"Okay...why don't we try that again," Draco's voice was a bit dry as he had just finished ducking down from a flying chair.

Harry's chest was rising heavily as he was annoyed at this point. It was past curfew, and they were all back in the Room of Requirement, helping Harry practice for the first task which was only a week away now.

"God, this is useless," Harry let out with a groan as he kicked with whatever was closest to him, which in this case, was Ron's school bag.

Ron frowned, "Hey, be careful with that!"

Raya tried her best not to show her frustration as she was trying to be as patient as she could with Harry. "Come on, just one more time."

For the past hour, they've been helping him practice the Accio spell, and as for now all Harry could summon was furniture that was now broken on the other side of the room.

"I am trying!" Harry yelled out, his voice echoing across the room.

Hermione chuckled as she threw her head back, "Really, you call that trying?" Harry's wand raised to point at her, "Don't you start with me."

"All right, all right," Raya stepped into the middle of the room, walking over to Harry, speaking to him where only he could hear her. "Why don't we just call it a night?"

Firmly, he shook his head, "If I don't get it by tonight, then who is it to say I'll ever get it." His eyes met hers as he spoke, the frustration slowly fading away in his gaze was locked with hers, her arms crossed over herself.

"Close to past curfew," Draco's voice made both of their heads turn over to him, Hermione's mouth curled up into a small pout as she tilted her head up at him.

"Aw look at you being the responsible one out of all of us," her hand ruffling the blond locks of his hair.

Draco frowned as he swatted her hand away, "Just don't want us to get in trouble-oi stop that."

Ron sighed as he kicked a piece of a broken chair over to the opposite side of the room, landing near Harry's foot. "He's right, if we stick around any longer, Filch and his grimy cat will find us within seconds, and I doubt detention is the lowest he will go."

"But I have to keep trying!" Harry's voice yelled out, Raya raised her hand to get his attention, "There's always tomorrow-"

"No, okay you don't get it, just shut your damn mouth," Harry frustratedly said as he cut her off, now the entire room had gone silent after his outburst.

Raya's shoulders tense at his words, trying her best not to let them get to her as she knows he's just overworked himself. His eyes softened as he realized how harsh he had sounded, his mouth parting as he tried his best to backtrack.

"Raya, I'm," "You're done for today, Harry, end of the discussion," Hermione said before he could finish his sentence, grabbing hold of Raya's wrist as she began to lead them toward the door, grabbing both of their bags on the way.

Ron's brows furrowed at seeing this, "Wait, where are you two going?"

"We will be leaving first while the three of you clean the mess in here, don't take too long," she sternly said as she led her and Raya out the door.

Raya wished she could see the three confused faces as they stepped out into the corridor, but at last, she turned over to Hermione. "You didn't have to do that, Harry was just-"

Her hand was immediately raised to the front of her face, "Please don't stand there and defend that boy, he knows better than to throw an outburst toward anyone."