That's What Muggles Do

"So, let me see if I understand. If get on this stick, it will jump with me?"

"You have to push a bit on it in order to work but pretty much, yes. It jumps with you."

Arthur Weasley's eyes haven't sparkled so brightly ever since he saw muggle children fight over a comic book that seemed to have a little car as a present. Those two boys were savage now that he was thinking about it but this new toy that Cissney brought to Hogwarts was funnier.

Once he pushed a bit, the ginger boy started to jump around the common room as if someone cursed him.

"This is amazing!" He said, almost falling over Charlie Wood, who was writing a list of schemes for the new Quidditch team. It seemed they had to refine their game or else Slytherins will win the Quidditch House Cup.

"It's not going too well, Charlie?" James asked with a tinge of smugness. He wasn't allowed to play just yet and just because Charlie didn't see James' full potential did not mean he didn't have it. "Maybe you should let old Gideon Prewett prepare for his future and let me take his place."

"That is not going to happen, Potter!" Fabian Prewett screamed from the top of the stairs towards the boys' dormitory. "Gideon's dream is to play Quidditch at a professional level!" Fabian added, knowing his brother the best.

Potter scoffed loudly, rolling his eyes for everyone to see his skepticism. Sirius was reading a book and stealing glances at the way Ophelia seemed to be playing with a ball. He squinted a bit but was sure she was fumbling with a Rememberall.

"Wood's being a prick and nobody, nobody seems to take it to the heart!"

"That's because we are not directly involved." Remus muttered, not raising his head from his own book, which was far thicker than Sirius'. "But if you make it to the team, then everyone we'll cheer for you." The smart boy added knowing it will flatter the glasses boy.

"I want to watch you fly, Potter."

There was a small, very quiet break in which if you were listening closely, you could hear Potter's mind registering Ophelia's randomness.

"Do-Do you?" He stuttered out once he realized what she said.

"Yes. I believe I enjoy watching you fly. It looks elegant."

One book fell on the floor and it wasn't clear whose it was because the others just put everything aside and turned their attention on the two second years.

"Have you eaten some of those clay-like cupcakes at dinner? Or maybe-"

"These two weeks have been enlightening, to say the least." She answered, fumbling with the ring that she hasn't taken off once. "I want to enjoy every day here, at Hogwarts and watching you play Quidditch is enjoyable."

"Well, that's a surprise. Last time I told you anything about Quidditch, you ignored me all together." Charlie pitched in, walking next to Potter who was still dumbstruck.

"I said I enjoy watching you fly and play not talking about it. It's boring from the moment you start talking about brooms."

"But brooms are important in Quidditch, badge. You fly on them, remember? They have to be fast and steady or else you're just hanging in the air."

"True that, Potter. Besides, I don't always talk about brooms. I also talk about-" That was it before Ophelia turned her attention on the Rememberall she was fumbling with. She could still hear Charlie's voice speaking but the words were not reaching her at all.

"You're lucky Potter's here or else Charlie would notice you're ignoring him again." Remus mumbled, being the closest person to her spot near the window. "By the way, I heard you spent Christmas with a family friend. Is that a wizard? Because you seem to have missed something here."

Always perceptive that Remus Lupin, even as a 12 years old boy. Ophelia chuckled and shook her head, her dark locks swaying with the movement.

"Nothing happened during the break. Nothing at all." She lied with a content smile

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But that couldn't be said afterwards, because it was more than obvious that Ophelia's DADA skills have improved. Detention with Spinnard ended and so classes where the only times one could really see the change. But even so, there was one class that was still burdensome for both the professor and his student.

"You've been practicing a lot this summer, haven't you?" Severus asked, partnering up with Ophelia like all the times when Lily was snatched away.

"Does it show? Rabastan helped me even during the holidays." She commented, for the first time in two years having done everything on the board correctly. "Aren't you going to ask how could Rabastan Lestrange tutor me when he didn't have to?"

"No." He answered, being careful to add the bat spleen to their Swelling Solution. "My holidays have been dreadful, to put it in a simple description."

"Thank you for the potion, Sev. I'll use it wisely." Ophelia muttered with a smile on her lips but the Slytherin scoffed, knowing well that 'wisely' meant 'cheating' more than anything. "Also, has Malfoy decided when he'll teach dark arts? The new term has begun and I have to-"

"No. If the others see you in that class, you can say goodbye to your peaceful days in Hogwarts." The boy mumbled, leaning towards her with his owlish eyes narrowed at her. "Don't be foolish and stay away from Slytherins."

"But that's exactly what muggles do; when they gain interest, they pester to the point they endanger themselves."

"But you're not a muggle, Ophelia." Severus hissed, irritated that someone could be so blinded by their selfishness. "What happens in that room will most likely mirror in your behavior around your friends. You're not a secretive person, as you can see. You have been telling me everything that's happened for the past two years. You're naive to believe that-"

"We're friends." She interrupted, taking him by surprise, "We're friends, aren't we, Severus? That's why I tell you almost everything. Or am I just your Lily informer?"

For a moment, the class seemed to have shifted into an empty room and the greasy haired boy couldn't form his thoughts into words. He tried to deny it but one glimpse at the Gryffindor table in the corner and all his happy memories with the redhead surfaced into his mind, surpassing the mystery and trouble he's got into ever since he met the brunette witch.

Ophelia looked down at her cauldron, the potion boiling inside calmly. She could enter her friend's mind and see the answer even if it wasn't the one she wanted to hear. The 12 years old girl was disappointed but that emotion seemed to soften up as she looked down at her ring. As long as she had her father, everything was going to be alright.

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Lucius Malfoy was on his way to his last class of the day, double Potions, when he stopped mid-step on the stairs down towards the dungeons. He knew who was the short person hiding in the shadows, keeping so close to the walls now that she had nothing to hide behind.

"I would have been flattered if someone of higher skill would have followed me but not you, Molley. You're incredibly bad at it." He said, continuing his way to the classroom.

"I want to know when will the dark arts lessons begin." She stated firmly.

The blond sighed, irritated that someone so naive wanted to enter a world that she couldn't even imagine, not to say she had the traits of a Gryffindor and those were not exactly what the dark arts were about. Even worse was that professor Spinnard told him to practically let her fall into any danger there might be and not use a finger to help her out of it.

"Ask Snape. He's your friend, isn't he?" The blond started, not expecting the answer that followed.

"Not now, he's not."

Malfoy raised an eyebrow and glanced at her over his shoulder, his blue eyes looking down on her short form -at least compared to him. As his eyes inspected her with a glazed look, apathetic to her emotions and needs, he caught sight of her right hand. She was gripping the side of her robe and something on her finger was sparkling. He couldn't see exactly what it was but he swore it glistened in a green light, which was not exactly the favorite color of a Gryffindor.

"Maybe it's time you turn for help to one of your house mates. You'll never be a Slytherin so you better stop meddling into our business. Whatever my house does, it shouldn't concern you."

"But Spinnard said-"

"I don't care what professor Spinnard said. Forced by circumstances, I did give you a glimpse of the dark arts but that's all. Rabastan won't help you either. From now on, if you want so badly to do what your house detests, you should do it by yourself." Malfoy hissed before he turned around and hurried to class, leaving a little girl all by herself in the corridor.

Watching Ophelia from the side, the black fur ball sighed, though it looked like it had sneezed. He was a bit disappointed that she wasn't asking Cerberus or Dumbledore what she should do with this new interest into dark arts but he also knew it was deeply rooted in her as a person and her father's influence was growing every passing day. Even so, instead of going into the common room where her friends were happily chatting and doing homework, she chose to return to the DADA classroom and spend some time in there, staring at her serpent ring. The kitten took a few steps towards her, guessing that she might raise her head and smile at the innocent looking animal. She didn't; she kept her full attention on her father's gift.