We Both Reached For The Gun (5th, Dark Arts, Lesson Four)

Ashleen wrung her hands nervously as she walked into the classroom, looking into the shadows of the new space with a certian level of suspicion mingled with a fear she really wished not to show. She had promised to trust hadn't she?

She had promised to... to...

But she wasn't under Papa's roof anymore, so she couldn't trust in that could she? All she could trust in now was....

She reached out a hand to grab for the boy she knew should be trailing behind her.

Tre's fingers intertwined with hers as she began to freak, he could feel the signs and sighed. "You're alright." He whispered. "Promise."

Ashleen nodded her head and tightened her grip on his hand, using the connection as a drowning person would use a floatation device.

"Alright," she muttered with a slight nod, "We're alright; I'm alright... alright."

She continued this little refrain in her head, letting that take over her mind instead of worries, and slowly managed to get herself into a seat without fliching or freaking at every little shadow.

Tre slipped into the seat next to her, his eyes sweeping the classroom anxiously. "Course you're fine." he murmured. "I'm here, aren't I?" He raised her hand to his lips and pressed kisses to it, gently soothing her. "No one will touch you."

Ksenia glanced briefly at the pair of students who were already in the class as she entered the room. There was something different about the both of them. Nodding to the two briefly she took a seat at a desk behind them, remaining silent as she usually was.

The tired Slytherin made her way towards the first class of the day and rubbed her eyes to keep her from falling asleep. She didn't care if it ruined her make or if it smudged. All she wanted was to get this day over with so she could go back and sleep.

Once in the classroom, she took a seat near the back and refused to make any sort of eye contact or greet anyone. She wasn't in the mood anyways.

Ashleen took a deep breath and nodded her head. She managed a slight smile, her lip tugging upwards and eyes brightening just a bit.. even though the worry still stayed in them.

"W-well as long as y-your here," she tried to make her tone joking, but she was far too tense for that to actually come across. Besides how could she joke about the one truth things she knew for sure.

Everything would be fine if Tre was there - she could trust in that; she had promised to trust in that.

She flinched as foot steps approached and people entered the room. Her gaze, wide-eyed locked on each girl as the entered following them to their seat, trying to make sure that they wouldn't... that she'd be...

"K-ksenia," she nodded her head at the girl, trying to put a brave face back on and hide everything that she was feeling. Since the other girl didn't bother to speak, Ash didn't bother to put the effort she didn't have into interacting with her as well.

Sacha's gaze ticked neutrally to each student as he entered the classroom. His gaze may have rested a half-second longer upon the D'Angelo girl. The shadows at the corners of the room may have also become notably less dark. Whether it did, or they did, the man addressed neither, instead, moving straight into the lesson, as was frequently his habit.

"The Patronus Charm," Sacha began. "Who can name its primary purpose and practical uses?"

Ashleen looked up sharply as more people came into the room, neither relaxing, nor -however - getting any worse upon seeing it was the professor.

She watched the man closely as he moved about the room, trying to convince herself to stop, or at least calm down. She was focusing on keeping her breath even.

"P-patronus's sir," Ash spoke softly and evenly, putting more effort into a lesson than she'd probably ever had before, merely for the fact that she could not dwell on the negitive or her fears if she put all her effort into answering the questions. "Are mainly used for dementors..." she frowned slightly as a thought came to her, the words slipping out of her mouth before she really thought them through, "They keep the darkness away."

Tre's golden gaze had yet to leave the girl beside him, his arm wrapping protectively around her waist. His eyes flickered to the man who entered, showing no sign of the changes in the room, though he noted them.

"Patronuses also project an image, usually an animal, that portrays your personality." His fingers began to swirl soothing circles on Ash's side, trying to comfort her. "You need a happy memory to cast one."

Luc was running late again! At least his father was going to be happy that he was getting in some training but being late to the Highmaster's lesson wasn't the best of starts on the last day of term.

He entered the classroom and paused just long enough to appologise for being late before moving to take his seat. He didn't think wasting anymore time was going to help his case.

Sacha had been about to respond to the answers that had been given when the Sicarius heir entered the classroom. "Perhaps you ought to invest in a pocket watch, Mr. Sicarius," he suggested dryly, with what might have been a trace of humor. "Ten points from your house.

"We are discussing the Patronus Charm, today. As mentioned by your classmates, Patronuses are most often used against dementor, though they prove useful against other dark beings, as well. They frequently take the form of an animal somehow representing the personality of the caster, though, they may also appear as a simple shield. A happy memory - or thought - is required in order to successfully cast one.

"Five points, apiece," Sacha awarded. "Patronuses are also often utilized in sending verbal messages, the trouble with this being that anyone near the recipient of the message at the time will also hear the message, as well as the voice of the one sending it.

"As this is a highly useful spell to have in one's inventory as defensive measure against dark beings, we shall practice casting it, today. If you would all vacate your seats."

He waved a hand and the desks and chairs situated themselves in neat stacks against the walls of the room. "The Patronus Charm is a rather straight-forward spell to cast," Sacha said. "Arm straight out, then speak the incantation while focusing on a pleasant memory or thought. This spell is considerably less effective without conviction and confidence."

Taking his wand in hand, Sacha stretched out his arm, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he focused on his memory. "Expecto Patronum." His own Patronus burst from his wand, a great winged bird that some might have identified as an eagle (a deviation from his animagus form). It swooped across the room quickly before darting out the window, where it soon disappeared.

"That incantation, again, is ex-PEC-to pa-TRON-um," Sacha reiterated, the incantation appearing on the board as he spoke. "You may wish to practice it a few times before trying the spell itself.

"You may all begin."

Ashleen stood up slowly, reluctant to really do so, and found herself drifting right back to Tre's side once the tables were gone - an action which admitedly made her flinch as well. This was getting ridiculous. She was tired of being so-so-so....

But she wasn't sure she knew how to stop. Everytime she thought she fixed it, that she was like herself again, it was only a matter of time before it all slipped back again.

She fingered her new wand nervously - they had had to get her a replacement one after... - and focused on the words the professor was saying. She muttered the incantation to herself, putting more effort into the proper pronouncation than she had probably ever with any spell....

But this spell meant she had to... she had to go into her head, her memories, and-and she wasn't sure she wanted to do that.

Breathing deep through her nose, she frowned and forced herself to do it anyway, wading through her head, ignoring all the doors that lead down paths she did not wish to go to, and trying to find the ones that were still untainted, but every happy memory that she came across would only stay for a moment, long enough for her to start the spell, to cause some whispy silvers to come out of her wand - sometimes, more often nothing happened - and then were gone taken away to the darkness that danced around her mind all the time now.

"I-I can't," she muttered, her hand shaking while she held the wand. "I-I can't think of anything- it always goes... goes... I can't-can't-"

Tre pulled Ash protectively to his side, shushing her mumbles and fear away. "It's alright. Just watch mine. Can you guess what it is?"

He focused on a memory, a young blond girl yelling about being Queen of the Jungle Gym, a bright red ring pop glinting on her finger in the light. The laughter of the other children as they climbed up around her. Her bright blue eyes looked down through the bars at eleven year old him as he stood beneath her.

"What are you doing down there?" Young Ash called, looking down at him, the candy ring glinting on her small finger.

"Making sure you don't fall."

"Expecto Patronum!" a bright white light flashed from the end of Tre's wand, followed by a gigantic bird, the flames of the Patronus trailing behind it in white. The Pheonix did one lap around the room before flying back to Tre and landing before him.

"For the record, I totally thought you were going to be a dog." Tre said, speaking down to the Patronus.

Taking a stand from her seat, Charlotte took out her wand and extended it so it pointed at an empty space in front of her. Mustering up a good thought... or at least she tried. Charlotte let the spell roll off the tip her tongue effortlessly, closing her eyes as she tried to focus on the thought.

It didn't last too long though and that was represented in her performance.

Whatever small white wisp was in front of her, was gone in a matter of seconds. That didn't make Charlotte accomplished but even as she racked her brain for a better, recent memory, it didn't seem to work. Thinking back to when her late sister, Mavis was younger, the fuzzy warm feeling engulfed her and let a smile play on her lips.

Thinking of the picnic they had once in the white beaches Italy with some Gillyweed they had managed to sneak away from her father's, Charlotte was reminded of how they had taken that disgusting thing and spent time underwater with the fishes.

Chuckling at the memory, she held onto it and said the spell once more. This time, the light that emitted from her wand was a lot stronger but he animal that was supposed to be representing her, did not show up.

Ash frowned slightly, and let Tre pull her closer. She bit her lip as she watched him - smiling slightly at his question and mumbling a soft, "It better be something about me."

She jumped ever so slightly, more of a flinch than a jump, as a bird came flying out of his wand. Once the girl calmed down a bit, she smiled slightly at the Protonus.

The young girl bit her lip slightly but took a deep calming breath through her nose. She could do this.

"Okay," she muttered, more to herself than anyone else, not really answering a question anyone had posed at her.

She took another deep breath and closed her eyes, searching through her mind for a perfect memory, one where she was so entirely happy no one and nothing could ruin it for her.

As her mind drifted, it found a scene, a kitchen even that room unable to escape he festivite mood that had incorperated the rest of the house. She had been so nervous... soo... a clatter of a gun as she dropped in and ran towards the boy. He wrapped his arms around her.

"Merry Christmas, Ash." She was back - back with Tre.

"Expecto Patronum," she said the spell strongly if not loud. And was surprised when she cracked open an eye to see....

She smiled at the bird, small that flew from her wand for a moment before disappating in the air. It hadn't been strong enough to last but....

The dove have come none the less.

"It had wings," she mumumbled jokingly, probably the first joke she'd made since coming back to school, as she looked at the spot where it disappeared.