Now You See It

Mira and Elsa had traded several notes by the time they reached the halfway mark of the period. Everyone else seemed to still be on the first couple of messages or less.

“I think I’ll go trade with Jon,” Elsa said, eyeing the Ravenclaw.

“Have fun,” she replied with a smile.

Tapping her fingers on the desk, Mira looked around the room. After a few minutes had passed, she was officially bored out of her mind. Surely there’s someone free to trade with, she thought eagerly. Finally, she spotted a Gryffindor girl who looked like she could use a partner. Hopping up, she went over and joined her.

“Hello there,” she smiled broadly. “I’m Mira. Need someone to trade with?”

Christi smiled, nodding.
"Aye. I guess I'm always the last one with a partner huh. I'm Christiare, but you can call me whatever you want. Here."
Clumsily, but hopefully, Christi handed her note to the hufflepuff, offering her a piece of parchment to write one for Christi to read.

Elisabetta, who had partnered up with a first year Gryffindor girl for this assignment, scrutinized the other girl for a long moment before writing on her parchment. She smirked as she wrote:

I am a horrid lion cub.

A moment later, she exchanged letters with the Gryffindor girl.

"Aparecium!" she said enthusiastically, then felt her face turn red with heat as she read the message:

Snakes are dirty animals.

"Really?" she exclaimed loudly, glaring at the Gryffindor. "Oh, so now I'm a dirty animal. You're pathetic! Ugh..so typical!"

Arya was happily rereading her valentine when Marigold brought the excitement level down about fifteen notches.

“Bloody hell,” she whispered to the Ravenclaw. “Well I’m sure filled with dread now!”

What was it Marigold was dreading, anyway? That her valentine was a fake? Arry didn’t understand what it meant by “healing”, but it seemed pretty personal. If it wasn’t really from Asher (her “secret” admirer) then whoever it was must have really done their homework.

“I’m sure you’ve got nothing to worry about,” she assured Marigold. “Me on the other hand….who knows? I’m not the easiest to get on with, I’ve made a few enemies here.”

Mira smiled and took the note from Christiare. Before she tried the charm on it, she thought about what to write in return.


It wasn’t the biggest secret, but it was something that had been on her mind for quite a while. She was absolutely dreading the flying lesson in a few days. Especially since Peyton and Seamus had yet to help her practice. Scribbling the last word, she passed the parchment to Christiare.

“Aparecium,” she spoke clearly, tapping the Gryffindor’s paper.

One by one, the words appeared. Mira truthfully didn’t know whether to take her seriously, or assume Christiare was just trying to get attention from someone. The Hufflepuff in Mira took over, though, and she turned to her partner with a smile.

“Of course,” she exclaimed kindly. “Why would you even need to ask such a question?”

Mira wondered if Christiare had ever met Nadia Murray. Now that was a girl who could use a lesson or two in being humble.

Christiare blinked with mixed emotions. Nervously, she simply drew  a flying owl on the paper as she spoke.
"Long story short version, I'm not used to being liked."
Especially after all that has happened... She thought to herself, but before saying too much out loud, she reminded herself she promised not to say anything of her home life at school.

Taking Mira's paper she tapped it lightly with her wand repeating the spell. At first nothing appeared, but she tried a second time. Smiling, she read the note, then scribbled a response under her owl doodle.


She folded the note once, and handed it to Mira.

Just as he was about to cheerfully end the class, Barahir heard a bit of commotion at the back of the classroom. Kolby Parry’s part in it was no surprise to him, but Adelaine Beaumont? She was usually so well-behaved. Barahir stormed over to where they sat; he couldn’t be too angry for what they’d done, knowing the joke was on them.

“Now then, what’s this about?” he scolded them, snatching the papers from their hands and watching the ink dry on their cheeks. “I won’t send you to the headmistress, because you’ve brought a good enough punishment upon yourselves. Invisible ink takes almost a week before it can be washed off skin. I don’t know what you’ve written on each other, but I suggest you keep it invisible until you can get rid of it.”

Leaving them with that, he crumpled up the parchments and sauntered back to the front of the room.

“Class is dismissed,” he announced loudly. “I want this charm mastered by our next lesson after Valentine’s Day!”

Adelaine wasn’t sure what she thought would happen after she slapped the paper on Kolby’s cheek. Had she thought he would just laugh and sit down? Or cry and run away? Now, here she was, scolded by the professor, with God only knows what insult drying invisibly on her face. At least we didn’t lose points, she thought, trying to cheer herself up.

“I don’t know what you wrote, but you better steer clear of me this week,” she muttered angrily to Kolby through gritted teeth.

Not bothering to wait for his response, Adele gathered her things and stormed out of the classroom. Luckily this was the last class of the day, so she headed straight to Ravenclaw Tower.

Mira tapped the parchment and read Christi’s message. Muggles were such curious beings; they spent their whole lives wishing for something fantastical to make their lives better, yet pushed it away (horribly; she shivered at the thought of witch burnings) when they found it. Just as she was about to scribble her own note, Professor Barahir ended the lesson.

“I wonder what that was all about,” she muttered to Christiare, looking back at Adele and Kolby. “At least no one lost points, I suppose.”

Knowing those two, however, this wouldn’t be the end of their spat. Mira often wondered how they became such enemies in the first place. To be honest, she wasn’t sure that they even knew anymore. With a small sigh, she tossed her things in her sack and stood.

“I’m glad we were partners, Christi, it was lovely finally getting to know you,” she told the Gryffindor with a smile. “I’ll see you around!”

That said, she swung her sack over her shoulder and headed out.

Arya looked at where Marigold was gazing. Why did Kolby and Adele always have to get into it with each other? Really, they should just avoid each other at all costs. Leaning closer to the commotion, she listened in on what Barahir was saying. With a grimace, she turned back to Marigold.

“That doesn’t sound good,” she whispered. “If they can’t scrub it off for at least a week, you know Kolby will try and start something. I wonder what they’ve written?”

Tapping her fingers on the desk nervously, Arry read through her valentine yet again. She assessed every little detail. Gold clasps on his boots would only be affordable for someone with lots of money. ‘Future Seeker’ it said; obviously the writer was into Quidditch and knew about her asperations…

“Time to go already?” she snapped back to reality upon hearing the professor dismiss them. “I suppose I’ll see you at dinner then!”

Christi smiled at Mira's remark. Happy she had made a friend.
Quietly, she got up grabbed her satchel, and walked out, her mind thinking one thing.

Please don't let anyone find out.

Kolby was please that Barahir wasn't going to punish him. But, he was a bit concerned on what Adele wrote on his face. He glared and watched Adele as she left. But, then, he got a smug smile on his face. This dance is gonna be fun.he thought as he gathered his stuff. He left the classroom and knew that he had to master this spell.

(OOC: Sorry it's short.)