CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
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-: sixth year :-
── IN WHICH HE ARRIVES
. . .
"What I can't believe is that we were ever friends." Erin scoffed, shaking her head as she reached for another ham sandwich. The two weeks since her conversation with Oliver Wood about the revelation that she was to be tutoring him had gone by quickly, and the day before the Hogsmeade trip saw Erin sat with her friends at lunch, complaining about the very thing she had agreed to.
"I can. You're both Quidditch crazy and-" Cleo began, but saw the eyes landing upon her almost instantly. "Forget I saud anything."
"Don't worry, I will." Erin wrinkled her nose at the thought and took a bite of her sandwich. "If we were really that similar and close and whatever, then I get sorted into Slytherin and suddenly everything we ever knew about it each is thrown out the window."
"It's stupid house rivalry." Cynthiashifted in her seat as she crossed her legs beneath the table, taking a couple of crisps from the bowl in front of her. "That's all it was, and Wood didn't give a shit that he had known her before. Such a dickhead."
"You've got that right." Theo tapped the end of his quill on the desk, watching as the feathers surrounding the hardened core smushed into the wood. "Hey Erin - what was the purpose of the Dementors being chosen as the creatures to guard Azkaban.. why couldn't it be like.. actual wizards. Lupin set us homework on it."
"Because Dementors aren't the same as any other 'living' creatures." Erin took another bite of her sandwich. "Whilst a human or say.. any predator really have an actual brain and even the tiniest bit of a moral compass, there is absolutely no chance for a Dementor to have that."
She paused as he was writing it all down, before continuing. "They don't have the ability to disguise themselves as anything else, or feel any true kind of emotion. A Dementor is a truly dead creature. But of course it's alive. Not only does it not feel remorse, but it's presence is enough to drive anyone mad. You all felt it on the train."
"So the presence is also the punishment." Theo spoke slowly as he continued to write, dotting the 'i' and crossing over the very last 't' as he looked up. "I might as well get you to-" But his gaze drifted over the head of Cynthia sat in front of him and a frown covered his features.
"What?" Cynthia asked, twisting around in her seat, prompting the others to do the same.
Erin's eyes landed on the Gryffindor tie first, continuing upwards to match the house to the face of Oliver Wood. She let out a sigh, climbing out of her seat. "Well, they do say talk of the devil and he will come." The girl smoothed out the bottom of her skirt, slightly heeled shoes sounding against the flagstones as she positioned herself in front of him, arms crossed and practically glaring up at him. "How may I help? I was under the impression I didn't even need to be in the same vicinity as you until tomorrow."
"Glad to hear that I am on your mind, no matter whether we need to be in the same vicinity or not." Oliver retorted, even though he had drilled it into himself that he at least needed to try and be civil. She was going to tutor him after all, and considering it was well-known just how good she was at DADA, then couldn't just give up the opportunity.
"Well if you consider the constant complaining to be a compliment then I guess I won't take that away from you, as strange as it is." Erin didn't miss a beat as she replied, which should be expected at this point. She had certainly grown into her house when it came to interacting with him, although she was the best of them by far, as much as he could tell anyway. "Well, what do you want then? Here to try and get out of tutoring tomorrow? Because I'm sorry, that certainly isn't going to happen."
"What? No, I'm not trying to get out of it, believe it or not." Oliver let out a sigh, allowing his gaze to drift away from the girl in front of him, over the Great Hall. "Lupin asked me to get you and meet him in his office. Said something about a list?"
"Ah yes, the list." Erin rolled her eyes as she turned away from him, gathering up her bags and the last of her sandwich. "Here, Theo, just take my essay and try not to burn it this time." She held out the sheets of parchment to him, before pulling the strap over her shoulder and looking at Oliver. "Lead the way then, I suppose we should better get there quickly so I can find out what you're so shit at."
Oliver's jaw set as he stepped forward, willing himself not to reply with anything as they made their way out of the Great Hall.
If this was how the tutoring sessions were going to be, someone was going to end up dead.
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