Rose Weasley and The Beast of the Black Lake, year 2

Feigning Fine

Albus had not been joking when telling Stella that he would work harder than he ever had before on Sugamina. Weeks were spent with their noses in books, studying not school, but animagi. Little was available on the subject in the open library. Rose reckoned that the more helpful books would be in the restricted section only accessible to the older students.

Olivia worked as hard as anyone. Rose's hair was in a ball atop her head, having now given up on trying to tame it. Al removed his glasses to rub his eyes before replacing them upon his nose and hurrying through the novel as though he were on a time limit. Max had stopped trying to convince them that what they were doing was wrong and now didn't even seem to disapprove of the matter as he had become slightly more interested in at least trying with transfiguration. Scorpius hadn't changed in his manner or in the way he studied.

"Al, calm down," said Rose, closing 'Check Before You Wreck; Transfiguration' and replacing it upon its shelf.

"I can't calm down," Al replied looking as though he hadn't slept a wink since the gillyweed. "Every minute I waste up here is another minute she's sleeping in a mausoleum."

Albus' obsession was tottering on less than interest and fascination, but more on feelings he seemed to have. Rose thought this at least, though the idea was absurd. Worse for them all was that three had Quidditch practice every other morning. Breakfast in the stands looked more like a library. Food was still brought and set up by the time the Gryffindor Quidditch team streaked to a halt in the stands, but around Scor, Max, Al, and Olivia who had joined them, the area resembled more of a library.

"What's all this?" asked Ishmael Stewart the first practice after the Holidays.

"Exams," Scor replied. "Worried sick."

"Exams?" called Isaac Fisher incredulously. "But those are months away!"

"Procrastinate all you want, Fisher," said Scorpius, not glancing up past the pages of, 'Mundane to Magical.' "But we will be enjoying the summer sun when the season arrives while all else are in the castle with quills in their hair."

The five students did visit Stella every morning and every night. The Slytherins snuck away as they always did through the broom shed, but the Gryffindors had to creep from the window. Astronomy tutoring had utterly ceased to Max's disapproval. Instead, the Astronomy window was filled with studying for actual school. They were lagging a great deal. Professor Dalbert had called each member of 'Sugar' back after two separate lessons to have a sit down about their falling behind.

"I don't understand it," Dalbert had started to Rose and Max who were both covered in soot from a misfired burning jinx. "You two are some of my best students in your year, why you're falling behind is beside me. Weasley's essay was half its usual size and six inches shorter than the required length." Rose hung her head. Dalbert sat back in his chair to look at them. "I see only one explanation." The two looked up worriedly, doubting that he could have ever found out. "The only thing that links the two courageous Gryffindors in fear and distraction. But let me ease your conscience, Belladonna is far from hurting you."

Max and Rose blinked for a moment. "We have some of the strongest Aurors the Ministry has to offer on her tail. Harry Potter himself, even Ronald Weasley has stepped back into the Ministry to find her." Rose hadn't known this. "I have even been looking into it. No one threatens my students; I was an auror back in the day too believe it or not. I left during the turn of the Ministry back during the second wizarding war."

"I'm worried about my brother, sir," said Max, probably thinking this excuse of his mother to be an easy 'get out of trouble free card.'

Dalbert scooted his chair closer. "Let me tell you something. I once had a brother too. My twin, actually; I believe you and Will are twins also? Yes. His name was Ezra. That was us, he was Ez, and I was Ezzy. Brilliant man. Good brother. He was a metamorphmagus himself. Difficult to explain to our extended family. Jewish they were; they didn't much approve of witchcraft."