The Buddy System. *Complete*

Dancing

The following weeks ended up being so busy with homework that our evenings seemed to be jam packed and by the time our 'buddy sessions' were over, we were racing to our dorms to finish essays and questionnaires.

By December the castle had a beautiful blanket of snow upon the ground. It was very picturesque.

I was heading back from Charms class to my dorm, one Friday afternoon, on my own as Draco had Divination.

Entering my bedroom I changed out of my school robes and into a pair of jeans and a cropped baby blue cardigan. Grabbing my canvas I opened my trunk and stepped inside.

I had promised McGonagall I would paint a large portrait of the school and while I worked on it here and there it was far off being finished. Today I had plenty of time as Draco had Quidditch after class.

"Rae you here?" Pansy called out.

"In here," I replied as she climbed down the steps. "Just in time to watch me work."

I started my record player and danced around as I painted. This was the perfect way to spend the afternoon. It soothed me. Pansy even joined in.

I painted the same as the last time with the castle and the grounds in the spring with flowers in the grass, Hagrid's hut at the bottom, the Whomping Willow and the Quidditch pitch in the distance.

I added a few students and some teachers, primarily McGonagall herself, Flitwick, Hagrid, Snape Slughorn and of course Dumbledore.

I set the painting propped up against the wall to dry and opened another blank canvas. I opened another easel and propped up another canvas and handed Pansy a brush.

"Oh I can't draw," she frowned.

"How do you know? Just let the brush move and see what you come up with. It doesn't have to be a masterpiece, so long as you have fun."

She looked at me and smiling took the brush.

This time I painted for Azaleah. I had planned to paint the castle but I worried it would bring back bad memories for her and as my intention wasn't to upset her I thought it best to choose another subject.

Instead I painted Theo, myself and her under the tree by the lake with me painting and Theo reading. This was something we loved to do together and I knew it would mean something special to her. Countless weekends had been spent under that tree instead of at Hogsmeade with everyone else. This had become our little spot over the years. 

This is where Teeny taught us all about muggle life, where Azaleah introduced us to Theo for the first time. This is where we sat for hours as I worried over Cedric's Triwizard tasks and where I cried after his death. 

This is where I would sit every weekend during 5th and 6th year in the hopes that Azaleah would come back to us. I was terrified to not be here as I had convinced myself the one day I didn't show up, she would. 

This tree is also where I would secretly meet Theo on Friday evenings when Azaleah had "private lessons" with Umbridge (her father's sister-in-law) and he would keep me updated on how she was doing and how he was coping. 

Theo became just as important to me as Azaleah over the years.

Funny I never told Teeny about these meetings. She used to get angry at me for waiting for Azaleah as she deemed her a traitor. I used to think she was just heart broken over losing her friend. Now I am not so sure.

Finishing quicker than I thought I decided to paint another. This time her and Theo. It was a simple painting. Just them standing staring into each others eyes. It would give her something to focus her mind on while she was locked up in that dreadful place. It broke my heart to think of her there.