= Wands High =

Chapter 6 - 9 May 1998, Saturday

- Band troubles, Tiberius?

Professor Phaedros was standing next to him, leaning on his cane and studying him carefully. Daynen could swear, the teacher for Defense Against the Dark Arts could actually read minds. The class had been over for a while now, but he had stayed on his desk as other students around him were slowly exiting the classroom, thinking.

Pondering.

Supposedly.

- Sir?

- Well, why else would you still be here? Must be some problem in that chaotic existence you call utopia.

- I quit, sir.

The man seemed to be taken aback, for a brief moment, though afterwards went back to his regular face expression – seemingly not showing even the slightest bit of surprise.

- Oh? You don't seem too heartbroken over it.

- I... I guess I am not, sir.

- Well – Phaedros said as slowly limping away towards his own small desk located at the opposite side of the room. – Stupid decisions often tend to do that to a person.

"There we go again", he quickly stood up and headed to the exit as he couldn't listen to another one of this man's condescending lectures.

- It was the right thing to do – Daynen muttered simply, though he wasn't sure why he was giving any excuses to the older wizard.

- I said it was stupid, Tiberius – Phaedros called after him, and as he turned to regard the teacher, who was now sitting and spinning around in a small chair, playing with a squeaky ball-like creature – a puffskein - as he usually did during the classes, adding: – "Stupid" doesn't mean it wasn't right.

Daynen stood before the exit door for a little while, not knowing how exactly to digest the... advice, if one could even call it that.

- I think you should go, Tiberius – he heard the teacher say, breaking his thought process. Was he ever capable of saying anything nice at all? Then he noticed that Phaedros, before walking away into his cabinet, had initially nodded towards something behind Daynen, – Doubt she is here for me.

Finally putting two and two together, Daynen turned around, before quickly closing the door after himself.

- What a peculiar man – Hermione said.

- He is... quite the character.

- Judging by the look on your face, you must have done it already then?

Daynen looked at her and simply nodded.

They had talked about many things the night before. About magic, the recently concluded wizarding war, about their respective schools, hobbies, music, even their favorite meals. She had told him a lot about herself, just as he had asked. And though all that seemed like a pleasant surprise, the fact that he himself had opened up so quickly had astounded him even more. He had shared his burdens, regarding the band and Hermione had listened to him, barely saying anything at all, until Daynen himself had stopped talking and asked her of what she thought.

She hadn't told him to quit, but simply to do what seemed right.

And so he had.

His eyes met hers, as he noticed that again the Hogwarts uniform had been replaced, this time with a simple violet sweater with a small school emblem on the chest.

- Why do you keep staring all the time? – he heard her say, pretending to be annoyed by placing one of the notebooks she was carrying in front of his face.