Numinous [A Wizarding World Story]

v.

It was Sunday afternoon, around two o'clock, and someone had already sat on Adelaide as she worked away in the library - twice. The first had been Hannah Abbott, who'd apologised profusely once she had realised, hurrying off when someone called out her name. The second had been Ernie Macmillan. Ernie, oddly enough, simply stood straight back up and walked away, neither acknowledging nor apologising to her.

She couldn't say it didn't bother her. It did, without a doubt, but she found that there were more pressing things to worry about, such as the five-foot-long roll of parchment before her. A contention and about three sentences had been scribbled at the top, whilst the rest of the paper sat, staring up at her, mockingly blank. She knew there were several triggers of the Goblin Rebellions, one of the most obvious being wand legislation - the categorical prohibition of wand usage by goblins for centuries. But she couldn't get the words to form themselves today, and certainly not in a way that would constitute enough paragraphs for a five-foot scroll.

Adelaide groaned, letting her head thud softly onto the table. This was her last piece of homework for the week, and she wanted to go to dinner without having it lurking in the back of her mind.

"Need a break?" Wil's head appeared from around the end of the row she was in, gold curls ruffled and shining. Adelaide nodded, turning her head towards him. He slid into the seat beside her, dumping his book bag on the floor and rolling up the sleeves of his jumper. "How long have you been up here?"

She checked her watch.

"Two hours, maybe?" Wrinkling her nose, she gestured to her parchment. "I can't get the right words out today." Wil shuffled a bit closer, peering over her shoulder. As he did so, hair fell away from his neck, revealing a bright, purple-green mark on his collarbone. Adelaide stiffened, a small laugh threatening to escape as she gently prodded his arm. "Where have you been?"

At his quizzical look, she gestured to the enormous hickey on his neck. Realisation hit him like a brick wall, hands flying up to cover the mark while his face flushed a deep crimson.

"Nowhere!" He squeaked, shuffling backwards again. She raised an eyebrow, but didn't press him, just laughed quietly. Wil scowled, sticking his tongue out. "Do you want help with your essay or not?"

Her arms raised in acquiescence, and she shifted the paper to the middle of the table.

"Yes please."

They spent the next hour hashing out a rough draft, and another after that editing and adding until the whole roll of parchment was full. Adelaide was astonished discover Wil's knowledge of the rebellions, including his particular interest in the 1762 rebellion, from which he even had a Chocolate Frog Card featuring famous goblin Urg the Unclean.