Professor Flitwick reminded Gemini of the dwarves in Snow White. His diminutive stature, as he perched atop a stack of books, made it difficult for her to maintain her focus in class. The little charms professor had a cherubic quality, and while she would never mock someone's appearance, her mind was racing with distractions. Last night's detention with the Weasley twins, sorting through old slips that bore her parents' names too many times to count, flooded her with thoughts both painful and nostalgic. George had insisted it spoke volumes about her remarkable lineage, and maybe that was supposed to comfort her— but all it did was deepen her thoughts.
"Now, class," Flitwick began in his squeaky tone, "one of the most fundamental skills a wizard can master is levitation—the ability to make objects fly! Do you all have your feathers? Good! Now, remember the swish and flick technique we've practiced. Repeat after me: Wingardium Leviosa!"
The warmth of the sunlight streaming in through the windows was a poor counterbalance to her racing thoughts. Sitting between Harry, who had complimented her hair with an endearing sincerity, and Seamus Finnigan, she felt an unfamiliar weight in her chest. Perhaps sitting behind Ron and Hermione wasn't the best idea today; at least some entertainment might have provided a distraction.
"Wingardrium Leviosar!" Ron bellowed, wildly waving his wand. Gemini snorted, unable to help herself.
"Stop, stop! You're going to take someone's eye out!" Hermione snapped, exasperated. "It's Leviosa, not Leviosar."
The way Ron's head hit the desk in defeat made her chuckle softly. It was hard not to admire Hermione's brilliance. When the brown-haired witch swished her wand and expertly pronounced the spell, her feather floated gracefully into the air.
"Excellent, Miss Granger!" Flitwick exclaimed gleefully. "Splendid work!" The small crowd of students shifted their focus to Hermione's victory.
Meanwhile, Seamus was still flailing about with his wand, completely oblivious to the commotion. Suddenly, with a loud bang, his feather exploded into a cloud of smoke and soot, some of which hit Gemini's silver scrunchie.
"Whoa!" Professor Flitwick squeaked, clearly startled.
Before she could brush the soot away, Harry took up the task, his attention back on her with an affectionate grin. "You okay, beautiful?" he teased.
"Just peachy, Potter," she replied, rolling her eyes but smiling internally at his praise.
---
As the class wrapped up and the students filtered out into the courtyard, Gemini found herself walking beside Hermione, while Harry, Ron, Neville, and Seamus formed a mini entourage ahead. She cast glances toward Harry, who was stealing quick looks back at her. It warmed her heart.
A moment later, Hermione dashed past them, her face glistening with tears.
"I think she heard you, mate," Seamus said, looking uncomfortable.
Gemini, noticing the look of concern on Neville's face, stepped in front of Ron, her expression fierce. "Ronald Billius Weasley," she began, her eyes flashing a threatening gold. "I like you, mate. I really do. But just because someone's smarter than you doesn't give you the right to be an absolute git toward them. If you could pull your head out of your arse for a second, you'd see that Hermione was trying to help!"
Everyone in the vicinity went silent, the tension hanging in the air thickly. Ron sputtered, completely caught off-guard.
"Consider this a warning, Weasley," she continued, crossing her arms defiantly. "You say another negative word about Hermione, and I swear I'll slap you!"
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SABAISM | H. POTTER
FanficSABAISM (noun) : The worship of stars. For centuries, people have looked up to the stars and became instantaneously bewitched due to the pinpricks of light. Such an enigma they are, burning bright in the darkest of atmospheres. Never snuffed by the...
