Rise of the Death Eaters [3]

Chapter 44: My Patronus

By the uptake of Tati's posture, this was news to her.

"Merlin, why doesn't she ever tell me things?" Tati exclaimed miserably, turning from the table. "Thanks Ava, I'll go check on her."

"Here take this with you," I offered, snagging a wrapped sandwich from the basket coming back around. She took it gratefully before shuffling back up the aisle to the great hall doors while the others kept on their banter, unaware to the conversation I just had.

"Should we study more tonight, then?" Draco asked after I turned back toward the table. "That is," he added with an elbow to my arm, "If you're going to listen to me this time."

"When do I ever listen to you, Draco?" I cooed back causing Nott to eye roll at the commentary.

"You can't, Draco," Pansy reported from across the table with an egotistic little stare. "Don't forget the meeting." I narrowed my eyes at her but turned back to Draco for clarification.

"Meeting?"

"For the Inquisitor Squad," he explained.

"We're not supposed to talk about it to outsiders," Pansy added seriously but the others around her simply snorted.

"Do us a favor Pansy, and quiet the bossy act. It doesn't do anything for you," Nott said with a nudge of his shoulder. "Besides, Ava over here tells us more than enough about her meetings." He winked at me which I choose to ignore over my bowl of tomato soup.

"Do us all a favor and be quiet and eat your sandwich," Draco chimed in before tossing his friend another sandwich onto the other boy's pile of unwrapped paper.

"Can I get a please at least?"

"What do you think?"

I didn't see Tati again until I was entering the D.A meeting with her little friends following after me in their cluster of giggles. Of all the girls in Tati's year, her friends were the most ridiculous bunch of the lot.

Tati was already practicing her patronus charm with a few other students who were too excited to wait until the start of the lesson. Harry was there giving out pointers when we arrived, as was Hermione.

"How goes it?" I asked, coming to her side.

"Not bad, how are you?" She countered, with a line of worry on her forehead. "I heard about your migraine." I waved it off before explaining I was all better.

"Well, I can help you catch up before the start of the lesson if you'd like. I haven't gotten the charm yet but it's almost there," she added hesitantly, as if the fact that she hadn't mastered the charm impacted my want for her to teach me.

"I'd love to have a 1-on-1 lesson with you," I replied causing Hermione to beam.

"You- uh, catch on fast," Harry commented as he stopped to watch my progress with Hermione ten minutes later. Tati walked over to Harry with a question of her own but stopped to watch as silver vapor appeared from my wand before dispersing into nothing.

"That's better than mine," Tati sighed before turning to Harry. "What could I be doing wrong?"

"It's all about the memory you pick," he explained. "It needs to be a powerful memory. Something that would make you truly happy."

"Oh Harry, I have a question!" another student called out from across the room, sending Harry in their direction.

I watched as Tati released another sigh that was less pleasant.

"What's the matter?" I asked coming to her side.

"It's nothing," she replied. "Actually," she added, looking up with a positively angry spark in her eye. "There is something. What's wrong with you? Sending me off on a fool's errand like that? I thought you liked me better than to do that-"