Harry Potter One Shots (Vol. I)

Another Form of Communication (Hugo Weasley)

The last time I opened requests, someone - I can't remember who - requested something similar to the premise of this one. I know they wanted something similar with James Sirius but I'd already had this one planned and in the works for ages so I couldn't accept the request. Hopefully, this one is good enough. 

Also, this one shot centres around a character with selective mutism. I did some research before I wrote this - probably nowhere near enough. If any of you fawns have selective mutism or have some knowledge of it and feel like I haven't portrayed it properly, please let me know ~~ 

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Sometimes, the most laidback professors were the harshest markers, if I believed what my friends were saying at least. My friends, talking idly as we walked from Charms to Transfiguration, complained about the grade that Professor Boot had given them for their essay. Or rather, Reagan was complaining about the grade she'd received for the essay which was, from what I saw of it, at least half a foot shorter than was requested.

"You're just annoyed that you couldn't get away with batting your pretty eyes at Professor Boot," Noelle scoffed, nudging me with her elbow. I couldn't help but share her smile. "Face its Yearwood, you actually need to start putting in the work."

"Oh, be quiet Andri," Reagan sighed, linked her arm through mine as we turned onto the more crowded corridors. "Not everyone can be the perfect Ravenclaw swot that you are."

"Hey!" Noelle leaned around me to hit Reagan on the arm, "All 3 of us are Ravenclaw swots."

This time I nudged Reagan as if to say Noelle had a point. Conceding with a sigh, Reagan looked towards me with a smile as she pleaded, "Will you help me with the next essay? Miss swotty-pants over there won't help me."

To cut an argument short, I nodded quickly and lengthened my paces. They both had to speed up to keep up with me, and their argument was dismissed as we struggled to navigate our way through the crowds of people that were walking in the opposite direction to us.

"If I'm being honest," Noelle started slowly and making me look curiously towards her, "I'm actually dreading getting our Potions essays back from Zabini. He's probably the most horrible marker out of the lot of them."

I nodded in agreement, laughing slowly when Reagan let out a long-suffering groan. "Bloody Potions – I swear, I'm a failure of a Ravenclaw."

"You said it not me." Noelle ducked away, narrowly avoiding the swipe Reagan aimed at her.

"Do you think," Reagan started in a voice that spelt trouble – one that made Noelle laugh already. Knowing she'd get no reaction from Noelle, Reagan focused her attention solely on me, "Do you think if I seduced Professor Zabini he'd increase my grade?"

"As if he'd be so easily seduced," Noelle scoffed.

Silently I agreed; she had a point. If it was really so easy to seduce Professor Zabini, then he'd have fallen victim to countless love potions by now. As we still walked, I couldn't help but wonder just when Reagan would begin to actually complete her work rather than focusing on all these other methods of raising her grades. That was Raegan's issue – she was so curious about so many things, that her academics fell behind. Noelle was the opposite; her academic drive being unparalleled in anyone else I knew. Merlin, sometimes we joked that she needed to get some hobbies in her life.

I was brought, quite roughly, out of my contemplations when someone ran past us. In their haste to get around us, likely because they were running late to a lesson, someone collided with me, making my bag tumble to the floor. Whilst my friends shouted for the person to watch where they were going, I leaned down to pick my things. I reached out a hand towards my inkpot as it rolled down the corridor, coming to a stop by the feet of the person who'd knocked into me. The person – a boy, kneeled down pick up the inkwell and I caught a flash of red and gold – a Gryffindor then. Rowena, I wasn't surprised.