✓ | RECKLESS AND BRAVE | Draco Malfoy

20 | TRANSCENDENCE

TRANSCENDENCE
(n.) existence or experience beyond the normal or physical level

TESSA STAYED BY HERMIONE'S SIDE FOR THE REST OF THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY. She stood by her throughout the spread of rumors on her disappearance. She stood by her and acted as a bodyguard when Pansy Parkinson was still in the hospital wing until her leg was healed and it was time for her to go. She stood by her side when several people tried to sneak in and catch sight of her whiskers and cat ears.

     Harry and Ron visited Hermione every evening. And when the new term started, they'd bring her each day's homework. Tessa had not much to do except for read and read throughout Christmas break, and that's exactly what she did. She finished all her Muggle novels, and was back again to A Tale of Two Cities.

Tessa would spend her days with the boys, and her nights with Hermione. She was honestly just glad that she's been too preoccupied to bother with Malfoy, and he hadn't had the chance to taunt her because she'd always run off to the hospital wing whenever he'd tried to say something.

"If I'd sprouted whiskers, I'd take a break from work," Ron said, stacking a couple of books onto Hermione's bedside table one evening. Tessa was lounging on a chair next to the bed, her feet propped on an empty bed with her ankles crossed.

"Don't be silly, Ron, I've got to keep up," Hermione said, the fur was gone from her face and her yellow eyes were going back to brown. "I don't suppose you've got any new leads?"

"Nothing," Harry said gloomily, glancing at the book Tessa was reading. "That book again? It must be your — "

"Third time reading it," Tessa said with a small laugh, checking the page she was at before closing her book and turning her undivided attention to them.

"I was so sure it was Malfoy," Ron said with a click of his tongue.

Tessa hummed with a teasing smile to Ron. "I hate to say I told you so."

Ron stuck his tongue out at her when Harry suddenly pointed at something gold sticking out from under Hermione's pillow. "What's that?"

Tessa coughed to cover her laugh as Hermione hastily stuffed it back in and said, "Just a get well card."

Ron was quicker than her and yanked the letter out. Flipping it open, he read it aloud, "To Miss Granger, wishing you a speedy recovery, from your concerned teacher, Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League, and five- time winner of Witch Weekly's Most-Charming-Smile Award." He looked up at Hermione with a slightly disgusted face. "You sleep with this under your pillow?" He turned to Tessa. "Please tell me that you at least tried talking her out of it?"

Tessa raised a hand. "I did try sneaking it out, but she slapped my hand and threatened to burn my book. So I let her be."

Madam Pomfrey came over to give Hermione her next dose of medicine, and Tessa decided that she's going to sleep in her dorm tonight instead of the hospital wing. With a goodnight hug to the girl, Tessa stuffed her book at the pocket of her robes before strutting over to walk alongside Harry and Ron as they left the infirmary.

"Is Lockhart the smarmiest bloke you've ever met, or what?" Ron said out loud to them as they climbed up the stairs toward the Gryffindor Tower.

Tessa snorted and gave her own fair share of comments about the wannabe professor, when they heard an angry outburst from somewhere upstairs.

"That's Filch," Harry muttered as they hurried up the stairs. Tessa bumped into the wall, cursing under her breath before rushing over next to Harry. The three of them paused and stayed out of sight, trying to listen.