“So, how do you plan on trying to get Keith?” I asked. It was a weird feeling to take the opposite role in that conversation.
“Well, I haven’t really thought about that yet. I mean, until a few weeks ago, I hoped… you know.” Well, I guess she really bet on me not getting together with Will.
“I’m sorry. I mean, I won’t leave him, but still…” I didn’t really know what to say. I never needed to cheer someone up after “stealing” their potential husband, so I was a bit lost.
“I don’t expect you to. It just would have been like a dream come true. But let’s talk about Keith. I mean he is kind, like I said, and he always helps others in need more or less out of principle. Maybe he makes a joke or two about it afterwards, but he means well. But in the end, playing the damsel in distress won’t work. The general problem with him is, he is basically blind when it comes to seeing the signs. I mean, while you had your date with Will, I tried to get a little closer to him. We studied together and I sat especially close to him. I even put on a better perfume and after some time I even used my secret weapon and took off my cardigan because ‘it was too hot’. He is dense like a tree.” Wow, I didn’t expect that. And was playing damsel in distress really a legitimate way of getting a guy's attention? Isn’t it like lying if it’s fake?
“Mmm. Maybe you need to be more direct? I mean, as a ‘dense like a tree’ person myself, I guess if Will wasn’t the way he was, I would have never even given a second thought about him. Or maybe I can ask Will for a tip or something like that. They are friends, aren’t they? And if he thinks it’s a good idea, which he will after I talk to him, he would surely be willing to help. I mean, at least he could help you get a chance.”
“But what if he isn’t interested?”
“Girl, look at you. You think I look good, but have you ever looked in the mirror? You look absolutely amazing. That blonde shining hair is to die for, your blue eyes look like they were made by an artist, and your figure is probably ten times more tempting than mine. I mean, not only do you have those…” I paused to grab her breast. Wow, they were so soft and bouncy. And the curves were so perfect. Wait a moment, did Lorain infect me with that perverted behavior? Well, it kind of feels good. They also had some real weight to them. And the smooth skin that became so slippery because of the soap.
“Are you finished?” Oops, maybe I groped her a little too long.
“Ahm, yes…” I grinned like an idiot. “Lorain, the point is, you look stunning, you are smart, and for years you trained to be the perfect housewife. Only an idiot would reject you. Is Keith an idiot?”
“Well, if you say it like that… but what if his family isn’t in favor of that? You know my situation.” She really didn’t make it easy for me. It’s my first time giving others advice for something like that. Cut me some slack. I don’t have answers for everything.
“Maybe, just assume they don’t. I mean, you won’t know until you try. And if Keith really loves you, maybe he can convince his parents.”
“You really are naive, aren’t you? But thank you. I needed that,” said Lorain and hugged me. Well, I guess thank you too.
“Hey, don’t touch my ass!”
“Sweet, sweet revenge, Charlotte. Haha.” Damn girl, she got me. But at least she is cheerful again.
A playful hour later, we walked towards the great hall again. On the way, we ran into someone I didn’t want to meet at all.
“Hello Charlotte. I see you are doing well. We didn’t have any time to talk yesterday, but it’s good to see that you don’t sneak around the corridors alone anymore,” said the most handsome stickler for rules.
“Hello Edward, long time no see.” I gnashed my teeth.
“It’s Professor Riddle now. But I guess for old times' sake, it’s fine unless it’s in class. Will you visit any of my courses? I know the practical part isn’t your forte, but I know that you studied the theory behind it extensively.” Well, he was right, but why should I put myself through more torture than necessary?
“I don’t think I will,” I answered shortly. But then I remembered that Will would take his classes, and I still needed to talk with Edward about keeping quiet. My dark past can’t be revealed now.
“A pity. Anyway, if you change your mind, you can come to me at any time. Oh, and before I forget, I bought a book about potions when I was in Constantinople. You can read it before I put it in the library if you want to. With the speed you are reading, you’ve probably almost finished the library, haven’t you?” He was as friendly as ever. Why can’t he just be an ass? It would make it easier to hate him. And a book about potions was a nice gesture, and I was a little tempted.
“I don’t think I will. But the book sounds interesting. And, ahm, I know it’s a bit sudden, but can I ask you for a favor?” I needed to get the part with Will out of the way as soon as possible.
“Sure, what can I help you with?” he asked, a bit curious but not overly so.
I could see that Lorain, who had kept quiet until now, was listening attentively. Well, she didn’t need to know, so I leaned over to Edward. Too damn close, but sacrifices need to be made for the greater good.
“The guy you saw me with last night. Don’t tell him about what happened in the past, okay?”
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
“No need to be embarrassed about something like that. You were just a little girl back then. But sure, I will keep quiet.” He answered in his always understanding manner. Not even showing a sign of wanting to ridicule me. And I decided not to throw a tantrum because he just mentioned that I was “just a little girl” back then in my face. Not that it wasn’t true, but I was still angry at being dismissed like that.
“Good. I will visit you for the book. See you.” Or maybe not. I don’t know if the book is worth it, even if it’s a bit exotic.
“See you later, Charlotte.”
“Whoa, you didn’t tell me you know Professor Riddle like that,” started Lorain the moment we were around the corner. And I was sure she wanted to ask what I wanted to hide, but I had no plans of answering that. A secret was only a secret if only two people knew about it.
“He was in his last year when I was in my first. And the first batch of students was quite small. We basically all sat on one table during lunch. So yeah, we know each other. And before you get any ideas, he is already married,” I said.
“Well, I didn’t think… I mean he is… We just talked about getting Keith,” she answered a little defensively.
“Sorry. I just know how… desirable he might seem,” I replied, and we remained silent for the rest of the walk.
Near the great hall, a great crowd had gathered around the blackboard. To my surprise, each course was scheduled three times a day, five times a week. The courses got numbers next to them, and the even numbers were like the first lesson of the week and the odd numbers were the second lesson of the week. So a student had to pick two of those lessons if they wanted to choose the module. It was a way not only to prevent classes from getting too crowded, but also to make it possible for students of different years to attend all courses. Survival, and surprisingly Healing, had excursions on the weekends once a month starting the second month of the lessons. That was a bit bothersome as it meant I couldn’t spend every weekend cuddling with Will, but I guess we would at least go on the survival excursion together.
I was probably the only student who didn’t need to worry about any schedule, so I was relatively free to pick the lessons I wanted. But I decided to pick the same healing lessons as Keith. Maybe I could help Lorain a little, and even if not, it would be nice to get to know Will’s friends a little better.
Survival was also an obvious choice, as it was the only lesson I could take together with Will. Magical beasts, aka Beast taming, was a more difficult choice because Red had chosen one of the few slots where I didn’t have time because I needed to teach my three little pupils. So, in the end, I had only one lesson with Red together.
It was a weird feeling, knowing I would attend classes again after not doing it for a year. Especially since the students there weren’t technically in my year. I hope it won’t be as bad as in the past. I mean, except for the one lesson without Red, I should be fine, hopefully.
“Charly, did you talk with your mother about today?” asked Will from behind me.
Damn, I forgot to inform Mother about it. Well, I can just ask her in a few minutes. No problem.
“I will ask her during lunch. Did you ask your brother about tomorrow?”
“Yes, he is quite excited about it and wants to meet up after dinner. I asked him not to bother us until then. If it weren’t for the announcement this morning, he would have surely come, so I thought it would be better to get to know each other in a more private setting.” Well, he was a bit overdramatic about it, but who am I to tell him that? His nagging girlfriend? Nope, not me. I don’t nag… too often.
“Sounds good,” I said as we walked into the great hall. The tables were still in a U-formation, and the front seats were reserved. I hope that won’t become the new normal. It was so impersonal.
As we took our seats, a quite angry-looking Kate stomped into the hall, followed by Mother, Uncle Gregor, and Aunt Seraphina, who was the only one with her usual stoic expression.
“Listen here, you little shits. I never thought I would need to say this, but here is a little survival lesson for all of you. NEVER! YOU HEAR ME! NEVER TRY TO TOUCH A SLEEPING STYGIAN HELLFIRE DRAGON!” yelled Kate, and all previous thoughts about her not being able to speak in front of crowds vanished.
“What Professor Winter is trying to say is that getting near her dragon without her permission is at all times prohibited. So unless you get explicit permission, you are to stay 100 meters away from the dragon, or we can’t guarantee your survival. The dragon will be housed at the outer perimeters of the castle, and we will build an appropriate nest for him in the coming days, which will be an off-limit zone. Don’t assume that, just because the dragon is tamed, that he is not dangerous. One student is currently being treated by Professor Castle because he carelessly approached the dragon, and while he will survive, I think I don’t need to mention that I don’t want an accident like that to repeat. And of course, these rules will also apply to all of Professor Winter’s tamed beasts,” interrupted my mother, and somehow her calm was even more frightening than Kate’s shouts.
But by the magic. Someone dared to go near that behemoth of black pure killing potential. That person must definitely be insane. But I guess I should wait until the end of lunch to talk to Mother now.
Of course, during lunch, the only topic was the dragon. Well, and the idiot who thought it was a good idea to approach it. I was 99% sure it was one of Uncle Gregor’s students. Only a Lionheart could be so stupid.
After lunch, I grabbed Will and pulled him with me towards my mother and the other professors.
“Mom, I know you are busy and all with that dragon story, but do you have time this evening?”
My mother stared at me and at Will, who looked a little apologetic towards her.
“I’m sorry, Professor Humblehill. I wish we met under different circumstances, and I’m sure you are quite busy. So if it’s not possible, we can also meet at a later time,” stammered my idiotic boyfriend.
“Dear, I will always have time for my daughter. Especially for important moments like this,” said my mother and stared at William. Was she trying to intimidate him? Please, Mom, don’t do that. He is my only boyfriend, and I don’t want to lose him. “But I think I could ask Majestro to bring us some food into our private dining hall. What do you think, Charlotte?”
Well, I guess talking over dinner was as good as talking after it. So why not?
“Sure, Mom. Oh, and I think Percival wanted to come too. I mean, unless you think it’s a better idea if he…”
“If you don’t have a problem with it, I will naturally invite him too. But I need to go now, Charlotte. I still need to write a letter to the injured student’s parents,” said my mother, leaving us behind.
“See, no problem,” I said to Will and grabbed his hands, which were quite sweaty. Well, I guess I would be nervous too when talking to his parents.
“Yeah, no problem,” he said almost weakly.
“Hey, no need to worry. My mother is really great once you get to know her. So, what do we do in the five hours till dinner?”
“Well, I want to train for at least one hour. I mean, if you have something different in mind, I can make an exception, but I want to keep up with my training. Especially with the war ahead.” Damn war. Such a mood killer.
“Are you worried?” I asked softly as we walked more or less aimlessly through the corridors.
“I would be a fool not to be. A war always requires sacrifices on both sides. And I just… want to be prepared.”