Artemis Black - Fred Weasley

The Swish and Flick

On Halloween morning Artemis had woken up, with a cracking headache from crying so much the night before, she knew that it was an incredibly stupid thing to cry over but she had already been having a tough day and she was beginning to seriously miss Remus. Artemis had to blink a few times to try and wake herself up properly, Rubble was snuggled up against her neck, under her chin. She carefully moved the niffler to the side as she sat up and then leaned him up against the pillow. Artemis rubbed her eyes a few times and then quickly grabbed her robes and ran to the shower when she had realised how late in the morning it was, she quickly washed herself and then got out of the shower, got changed, brushed her teeth and hair and then sprayed deodorant, her honey flavoured perfume on and threw a peppermint into her mouth and then grabbed her scarf and ran out of her dorm and out of the common room.

When she got out of the Hufflepuff basement, she was greeted with the delicious smell of baking pumpkin wafting through the corridors, she assumed that it was coming from the kitchen, and she thanked Jesus when the sweet smell had started to make her headache disappear, she was sure her robes were messy like usual, she wasn't exactly what you call 'organised' though she was also sure that her eyes were probably still a little red from crying last night.

After delivering her letter, she had decided to stay up in her room, not knowing how much she had worried the twins and Octavia. The three of them had hardly eaten the previous night and had just continued looking at the Great hall doors, waiting for them to get pushed open and for her to walk in, and then looking at where she usually sat which was now a blank spot between Adira and Lily, who looked equally worried.

Fred had continuously asked her friends whether or not they had seen her but all of them said the same thing, they hadn't seen her since her last class finished. Fred was the most worried and after dinner, he and George had wandered around the school for 2 hours looking for her, their usual happy aura was now replaced with a sad and concerned one, though after getting caught by Penelope Clearwater, the Ravenclaw prefect, they went back to bed and decided that they would look for her again tomorrow.

Artemis had even slept in that day, skipping breakfast and only just making it to charms in time, not being able to see the Weasley twins but as she entered the class, the eyes of her friends lit up. Artemis sat between Hermione and Octavia.

Professor Flitwick had announced in Charms that he thought they were ready to start making objects fly, something they had all been dying to try since they'd seen him make Neville's toad zoom around the classroom. Professor Flitwick put the class into pairs to practice. Artemis's partner was Octavia (which was a relief, because she wanted to talk to Octavia about last night and apologise for walking away, she also knew that Charms was one of the subjects Octavia had excelled in). Artemis turned to see Seamus and Harry working together and Ron and Hermione working together and she couldn't tell whether or not Ron or Hermione was angrier about this, and she had to try hard to contain their laughter.

"im really sorry for walking off on you last night, I should have stuck up for you more," Artemis said, her eyes and voice full of guilt

"it's okay, I know we put you in a hard position, all of us are your best friends and we were stupid and had no right to try and make you choose between us," Octavia said with a soft smile but Artemis still felt guilty and Octavia noticed "seriously, Artie, it's okay, I was worried about you last night and this morning when I didn't see you in the great hall... you know they were wrong right?"

Artemis looked at her confused, not knowing what she was talking about "who was wrong about what"

"those Weasley twins, they were wrong about what they said about me only being your friend because the other Slytherins don't like me because im a half blood" Octavia says with a sigh "Ophelia and I come from pureblood families, up until our parents who married half-bloods and they have been shamed and disowned by their family, we have seen what having 'pure blood' does to people and we don't want anything to do with it, Artemis, when I first saw you on the train, I knew who you were, I had heard all about Artemis Black, and I had been told that if I ever saw you, I had to stay away, but when I saw you, I knew I had to be your friend, you are one of the most kindest, sarcastic and funniest people I have met and I am proud to call you my best friend, and I know that I can always rely on you"

Artemis was shocked and didn't know how to reply so all she could say was, "thanks, and I did believe them at first but I knew it was stupid too, you had never done anything wrong to me and I know you have put a protective shell up around you, and im happy that I was one of the few that you let see past that shell" Octavia grinned and then they turned up to look at Flitwick

"Now, don't forget that nice wrist movement we've been practicing!" squeaked Professor Flitwick, perched on top of his pile of books as usual. "Swish and flick, remember swish and flick. And saying the magic words properly is very important, too — never forget Wizard Baruffio, who said 's' instead of 'f' and found himself on the floor with a buffalo on his chest."

Artemis and Octavia weren't having too many difficulties with it. They were just about to cast their spell on their feathers when a loud bang came from a few seats away from them, causing them to jump slightly in shock and look over to see what had happened. Seamus sat still, his mouth hangs open with a blank expression on his face, he had got so impatient that he prodded his with his wand and set fire to it — Harry had to put it out with his hat and Artemis and Octavia giggle quietly and Artemis pulled a spare feather out of her pocket and handed it over to Seamus who thanked her quietly and took the feather.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Octavia and Artemis both say simultaneously and then both of their feathers began to float into the air about 6 feet above their heads, Hermione looked over at them with wide eyes and then quickly repeated their actions and her feather rose off the desk and hovered about four feet above her heads.

"Oh, well done!" cried Professor Flitwick, clapping. "Everyone see here, Miss Black, Atkins, and Granger have all done it!"

Artemis, Octavia, Harry, and Ron stood in a line and walked out of the classroom and it was clear to each of them that Ron was in a very bad mood by the end of the class, and surprisingly it didn't have anything to do with the fact that Artemis had demanded that they allow Octavia to walk with them.

"It's no wonder no one can stand her," Ron said to Harry and the girls as they pushed their way into the crowded corridor, "she's a nightmare, honestly."

"Ron, how many times do I have to tell you, don't be so ru-" Artemis started but stopped talking when someone knocked into Harry and her as they hurried past him. It was Hermione. Harry, Octavia, and Artemis caught a glimpse of her face — and was startled to see that she was in tears.

"I think she heard you," Harry said quietly to Ron and Artemis looked angry

"So?" said Ron, but he looked a bit uncomfortable. "She must've noticed she's got no friends."

"You can't be serious right now Ronald, how self-absorbed and careless can you be? You are acting like Malfoy right now" Artemis said angrily, mad at the Weasley boy who had been rude to Hermione ever since he met her

"Worse than Malfoy? That's impossible" Ron spat "and it isn't my fault, she is bloody mental, she's been driving Harry and I mad ever since she started to talk to us on the train

"she obviously just wants to be friends with you and is worried that the two of you will get hurt or in trouble" Octavia states and Artemis nods her head in agreeance

"We are going to check on Hermione," Artemis says with a sigh and Octavia hesitates but then agrees, feeling bad for the girl "bye Harry," Artemis says and then turns to Ron "good bye Ronald,"

The girls then make their way into the castle and begin their hunt to find Hermione granger