apples and scented candles • h.potter ✓

• twenty five •

"Well that was a good day of work," said Audra brightly, looking over at her students, all three of whom sported dark circles around their eyes, which they had to keep open with much effort. "Keep it up and you will proceed to stage two in no time!"

Corben suppressed a sigh. They have been training for months and haven't even completed stage one yet. It was no exaggeration when people said that Auror training literally drained the life out of you.

He rose from his seat and gathered up his books. He was about to leave when Patrick stepped forward and blocked his path.

"Hey Patrick," he said wearily, running his eyes briefly over him before turning back to the books balanced precariously on his arms.

"Skip the formality," snapped Patrick. "What are you up to? Why are you hanging out with Harry Potter so much?"

Corben froze. He heard Alex coming to join them, and he hoped she would take Patrick away, who seemed adamant to extract answers from him right at this moment. Ignoring them, Corben passed to the other side of the room where he had kept his bag and began to stuff his books inside. The other two followed him, Patrick breathing down his neck.

"We're friends," he answered shortly.

An ugly snort left Patrick's mouth. Corben found his face stiffen and he whipped around to glare at him. He saw Alex had gripped his arm warningly. "Friends?" Patrick jeered. "Harry Potter? With you? Don't make me laugh, Zabini." He shoved Alex away as she tried to restrain him. "You're the son of a murderer. There's no way in hell Harry Potter would be friends with you. So tell me. What are you up to? Trying to get some free pass into becoming an Auror?"

"Patrick, that's enough!" Alex shouted, pushing him sideways and pointing her wand into his face. "Leave him alone."

He sneered at her, before he sent a look of pure disgust at Corben, who returned it happily. Then he turned and stalked away.

Corben snapped his bag shut and threw it over his shoulders. He didn't look at Alex, who stood awkwardly beside him. "Corben, I'm sorry."

"Never you mind," he said shortly and hurried out of the training hall.

He didn't feel any sort of gratefulness towards Alex for defending him. He knew she only came to his rescue because she was nice and didn't want him to feel bad. He also knew that the two of them always whispered about him behind his back, evident from the fact that they stopped talking whenever he entered a room they were in.

Blood boiling with anger, he left the building of the Ministry of Magic as quickly as possible, remembering only after he had apparated home that he hadn't gone to say hi to Harry today. I'll just call him, he thought to himself, feeling thankful for the telephone that now resided in his bedroom and that allowed him to talk to Harry or Theo whenever he wished. Blaise still disapproved of the innocent device and refused to have anything to do with it.

He jumped a foot into the air when he saw someone sitting on his bed.

"Merlin, Theo!" he exclaimed. He felt his heart beating fast inside his chest; he had been sure that it was some burglar who had been stupid enough to break into his tiny apartment and steal what little valuable possession he had. It was only a significant amount of time later that he realised that a burglar wouldn't sit serenely on his bed munching on chips and saying hi to him casually. "You need to stop barging into my house like this. I deserve some privacy."

"Sorry, little Zabini," said Theo and leaned back on the pillow. "You weren't home. What do you suggest I do? Sit on the stairs?"

"You knew I won't be home now. You could've come later."