If This Isn't Love (Fred Weasley Sequel)

Chapter 39 | Cheerios, a Muggle Brand

Friday, February 9

I may or may not be exhausted from all this practice.

When Snape isn't home to push me to my best, I do it myself. Using my mother's death as motivation wasn't my intention at first, but it works.

Snape finally told me what happened to D.A. I was shocked at first, but it had to come sometime.

Umbridge found out about it, and of course she told the Ministry. Snape told me she had also replaced Dumbledore as headmaster. How could she?

What is she doing to my friends?

"Can I send an owl?" I ask Snape.

"No."

"Please! I need to see how my friends are."

He puts down his book and glares at me. "It's too dangerous. If any of them find out you aren't with your mother-"

"What is Umbridge doing to them?" I ask, quieter than usual.

He pauses. "She is merely giving them long hours of work. That's it."

"No." I look down. "She's punishing them, isn't she? The D.A?"

He sighs and looks away. I take this as a yes.

All of my friends are getting hurt by this woman as we speak. She's most definitely using that damn quill.

I think of Fred. I miss him so much it makes me chest ache just thinking about him. And it doesn't help I can't communicate with him in any way either.

Suddenly, I long for his arms and that stupid grin. I just wish I could be with him still, even if I have to suffer through that pink abomination

But there's no time to think like that.

Would I ever get my revenge on the Greengrass's if I spend my time wallowing in the Snape Manor, pitying myself? Probably not.

Currently, Snape is trying to teach me a little bit about DADA.

"It's about control. Free your mind. Focus on the task at hand- defending yourself. For now."

"Why can't I do offensive magic?"

"Defense comes first. You, being a little 15 year old girl, will have a hard time fighting off a man twice your size."

"I'm 17."

"You don't look like it."

He flicks his wand, a jet of water splashes down onto the floor and at me.

I yelp and cast a shield charm, but it's only effective for 3 seconds. After that, the water comes freely at me. It pushes me straight to the drown and before I choke, It vanishes.

Snape casts a drying spell with a snarl. "You can't even protect yourself from a bottle of water."

"Bottle of water?" I gasp. "That was an entire creek!" Shivering, I bring my wand at the ready.

"You can make a better shield," he scoffs. "Once more."

My eyes close to help focus on my shield. I hear him cast the jet of water once more, and I swish my wand for a shield.

My eyes open and I realize I'm completely covered from the water. It starts to break like it's a glass dome under pressure and I concentrate on keeping it up.

For another 10 seconds, I'm trying to focus, but the shield breaks. The water disappears before I get hit again.

"Good," he says. I smile. "But not good enough."