Twists of Fate: Entangled Threads || Sirius Black FF

Chapter 69: You are Beautiful

N/A: Trigger warning, and a bit (A LOT) of fluff later in the chapter. Read at your own risk.

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The days passed. Some felt like hell had decided to step onto the Earthly plane to make it's now home onto Hogwarts, while others were more of a breeze. Almost every written exam seemed the most easiest to her. However, the practical part was where, at certain times, she met her match. To ease her nerves, every exam, however, she had a routine. She'd breath slowly and deeply to the sound of the pocket-sized, magical music box Regulus had gifted her, while laying on her bed, looking up at the succulents that still prospered on her bed posts, courtesy of Sirius. It was the only way she though could work to get through her rather systematically chaotic two weeks of O.W.L.s. Considering she was taking the seven core classes, and three electives, as well as taking the Muggle Studies exam, this meant a total of eleven subjects she'd be tested on.

Beginning with Potions seemed like a good start. It went spectacular, or so she liked to reassure herself. For the 'extra-credit portion' (which nearly all subjects had), she brewed the Wolfsbane Potion. It had to serve for something. 

In the practical of Herbology, the Fanged Germanium had decided to nib one of her fingers, and Sandy was certain that despite her efforts, her dear old examiner had seen her bloodied pinkie. 

Transfigurations was yet another subject she had been fearful for. However, all she had been asked on the practical was to perform the Vanishing Spell. Yes, it was one of the most complicated on the year's curriculum, but she had been practically practising that one with Sirius since the beginning. It felt like it went well, however, Sandy, much like with Herbology, had not attempted extra-credit.

Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts were, by far, among her less stressful exams. After performing a 'Disillusionment Charm that rivalled Dumbledore's' and non-verbal at that, her extra-credit for charms included a spell created by Sandy herself, to 'disable magic within a small bubble', which allowed a Muggle TV to work inside it, despite how the castle's Ancient Magic heavily disrupted anything with electricity elsewhere. As for Defence's extra-credit, she was able to be the first student (but not the only one, thanks to her teachings) to cast her full corporeal Occamy Patronus, allowing it to grow to nearly fill the entire room. She was certain she had those two subjects in the bag. 

Oddly enough, despite her lack of confidence in Astronomy, she felt like she got lucky with the questions asked. Runes had gone well too, Muggle Studies and History of Magic had been rather boring, but stressful nonetheless with the dates. Arithmancy she oddly enjoyed, and Care of Magical Creatures was mostly easy, minus the handling of the Fire Crabs. 

"Bloody finally!"

Sandy let out a breath as she plopped against Sirius on the common room couch. "You can say that again." A few others were there as well. James, in particular, had managed to fall asleep on the floor with his mouth plopped open, while Peter stressed ate a bunch of fudge flies as he discussed his ill expectations over his own grades with Mary. Remus had found solace on a Sherlock Holmes book Sandy had gifted him for his birthday. Lily was placing a pillow under James' head, and a blanket over his body. Marlene was elsewhere, or everywhere. No body knew. Although it likely involved a bag of Muggle weed with a poor Hufflepuff she batted her eyelashes to.