Chapter 18: Chapter 18 - Reunion & Astronomy II
"Ahaha…" Padma rushed forward and grabbed her sister's arm to drag her along. "I lost a shirt button, and he was just helping."
"Really? That's the best you can say?" Parvati pouted, looking annoyed.
"Shhh!" Padma jumped and really dragged her away. "Please, don't tell anyone. I'll do anything. I'll do your homework."
"Hmm… Not enough, but good enough for a start," Parvati mumbled and winked at Ron before letting Padma drag her away, leaving him alone.
Bloody hell! I really got caught this time. Is this bad luck or goo—ugh, I still need to piss.
He turned around and rushed back to the restroom to ease himself, unaware that the little 'mistake' was going to develop into something much grander—something satisfying.
####
"Good evening, children…"
At the Great Hall feast, Ron ignored Dumbledore's little announcement and gobbled up his food. After having done some cardio with Padma before, he felt famished.
"Shh… Ron, stop."
"Ugh, it's just a speech, Hermione." Ron ignored the nagging and shoved a spoonful of pudding in his mouth. "Besides, new teachers come e—Who's that pink toad… Woah, she interrupted the old man!"
"I saw her at the Ministry." Harry suddenly revealed.
Ron and Hermione's faces turned to him immediately, with Ron grabbing his shoulder. "You were at the Ministry? Why?"
"Oh, the Dementors attacked me and Dudley. Thankfully, an Auror was nearby and saved me. I was called as a witness to the events, and Umbridge was there. She serves the Minister."
Ron scratched his head, "That's a big thing, Harry. Why didn't they report that in the papers?"
"The attack on you happened at the same time. It was the bigger news, and the Ministry wanted to hide the Dementor incident. That's what Professor Dumbledore told me," Harry explained while staring at Umbridge speaking. "I don't know why she'd become a professor."
"Especially now that Voldemort has been dealt with," Hermione added but quickly noticed the uncertainty in Harry's eyes. "Harry, I feel you're hiding something more. The Dementor attack happened to you. That can only mean…"
"It's not over," Harry replied. "The dreams… I still saw them."
"That explains the attack on me," Ron grunted and tiredly slammed his forehead on the table. "I was wondering why the Death Eaters were after me even after their master was gone… He's not gone. That can be the only motivation."
Hermione breathed heavily and looked at both of them. "This means they'd come after the both of you… with more fervor than ever."
"...perfect what can be perfected and prune practices that ought to be prohibited." Umbridge finished her little speech and went back to her seat.
Certainly, the faces of all the professors didn't look very excited by her words. And those with half a brain knew what the obnoxious woman was up to.
"I expected the Ministry to grow half a brain after seeing the literal body of the Dark Lord and living Pettigrew." Ron annoyedly muttered, "Why did he send her here now?"
"Considering the attacks on you two, I'm sure they know this isn't the end of Voldemort. In that case, Umbridge is here to keep things under wraps so the Minister can save face." Hermione explained but remained a bit skeptical, "What I don't understand is why the new Minister chose this course of action. I thought Moody would be better than this."
"Aaaargh… I hate politics." Ron groaned.
Harry merely nodded in agreement.
####
The first day of the fifth year was boring and tiring. Every single professor handed out an abysmal amount of homework in the name of 'Preparation for O.W.Ls.'.
Professor McGonagall did it, Snape did it, and more than any, the Professor of Astronomy, Aurora Sinistra, gave the most homework. The worst part was that it was just for that week.
Although the first night in the common room was filled with celebrations of Harry's being the champion and Ron's victorious battle, the days following felt much more mundane.
Eventually, the time came to attend the first DADA class under the new Professor, Dolores Umbridge. It was held in the same room where Lockhart had taught their classes once, so clearly, not much fondness was shared with that place to begin with.
And with the addition of an annoying, jumpy, pink-clothed professor, they could feel the boredom seeping in.
Avoiding Lavender's fanatical gaze, Ron sat in the middle of the row with Harry, and Hermione not too far away from them. Umbridge had already begun to hand out books after her little speech.
"Your previous instruction in this subject has been disturbingly uneven. But you'll be pleased to know that from now on, you will be following a carefully structured, ministry-approved course of defensive magic. Yes?"
Hermione raised her hand, appearing a little uncomfortable speaking to the woman they had already come to loathe. "There's nothing in here about using defensive spells."
"Using spells?" Umbridge repeated like it was the most outrageous thing, followed by her high-pitched giggle akin to a mosquito near one's ear. "Well, I can't imagine why you would need to use spells in my classroom."
"Hah!" Ron suddenly laughed, albeit trying not to. Imagining Umbridge as a colorful, poisonous toad wasn't the right thing to do at that moment. "And I never imagined some maniacs would be throwing Killing Curses at me."
Umbridge turned red in anger since there was nothing to refute with. Ron's words shattered the whole argument that there was nothing to be worried about out there with Voldemort already 'caught'. "Such instances are rarer than an honest goblin. You are to learn in my class in a safe and secure w—"
"Guess what helped me in that forest—magic spells. Not books." Ron persisted, feeling no fear, at least not from the likes of Umbridge, after having faced far worse things.
She tried her best to control herself, but she couldn't. "Ronald Bilius Weasley, you are interrupting my class by speaking without permission."
"May I?" Ron raised his hand to ask for permission right away.
She turned red. "Alright, what would you have us do? Learn to use the unforgivable curses? Like you used them on those poor so—"
Her tongue caught in itself at the realization of what she just said. The Ministry was keeping Ron's side of the spells used a secret.
"I did because that's what I was taught in the fourth year. We all were there when 'Moody' taught us," Ron replied to her, feeling really enthusiastic like he usually did those days. "Nobody warned me I'd be battling twelve Dark Wizards at the same time. Nobody taught me how to battle against the Killing Curse and Cruciatus Curse hurling at me. I did what I could to live, and honestly—it was darn effective."
"Yeaaah!"
"That's right!"
"Weasley!"
Why are they clapping? To Ron's amusement, the students around him started raging like he was some politician.
"Enough!" Umbridge shrieked aloud, "Ten points from Gryffindor! Mr. Weasley, you are to report to my office after the class."
Ugh, I'll have to look at her face more. I should have stayed quiet. Ron sighed and nodded silently.
"But he said nothing wrong!" Harry couldn't just sit and let his best friend be bullied. "The Dementors attacked me outside near my home last month. I'd have died there if I hadn't learned a Patronus Charm."
The whole class instantly turned chaotic. The matter was suppressed by the Ministry, after all.
"Mr. Potter, no such thing has ever happened. For lying so candidly, you are to report to my office with Mr. Weasley." Umbridge barked and walked back to her table. "Now open page thirty-two and start reading. Any more interruptions will have you expelled from my class."
Ron and Harry sighed and decided to stay silent for now. Following that, the class resumed. They all simply recited what was written in the book and wrote it in their notebooks by copying it. Umbridge stayed seated the whole time, sipping tea and giving orders every now and then.
No doubt, everyone hated her already, be it Slytherin or Gryffindor.
####
Clink-clink…
Umbridge swirled the spoon of sugar in her teacup while staring at Harry and Ron standing before her office table. It had been a few minutes, and other than giggling, she had said nothing.
"Ugh…" Ron sneered at the utterly pink room with cat portraits on saucers. It already gave him a headache.
"Yes?"
"Ah, nothing, just admiring the decorations," Ron replied. "I like cats. We once had one at home. Poor chap died after eating a fat mouse and choking to death."
"Oh really?"
"I still miss him. He used to love drinking tea with me and meowing all the time. Although my ears used to almost burst from its cries, I still loved him."
"Pff…" Harry looked down to hide his face uncontrollably trying to hold in a laugh.
Umbridge placed her teacup down with a frown. "Take a seat, the two of you. I'm highly disappointed by the indiscipline you two have shown me. Perhaps you forgot I'm not just a professor, but also a Ministry employee."
"Wicked! So do you get paid double the salary?" Ron questioned, feeling no fear at all for no damn reason.
She silently smiled, an utterly ugly sight. "You see the two sheets of paper in front of you and the quill? Mr. Weasley, I need you to write 'I must not disrupt the class', and Mr. Potter you shall write 'I must not tell lies.' as many times as it takes for the message to sink in."
"That's it?" Ron blurted and picked the quill. He started writing right away, but also stopped as soon as he felt pain on the back of his other hand.
This fucking witch! Is she serious?
Crack!
"Ah!" Ron exclaimed. "Professor, I accidentally broke the quill's nub. Do you have one more?"
"..."
Crack!
"I broke mine too." Harry followed suit after realizing what the quill was.
"..."
Dumbfounded by their shamelessness, Umbridge found herself lacking words to speak. But then she opened her table's drawer and revealed a box filled with those quills. "Of course, I got plenty."
And I can do this all day. Ron scoffed silently and picked a new one.
Crack!
"Ah, I can't get used to the pressure. That's why I like my own quill." He remained shameless and proud. "Can I get another one?"
Crack!
"Er… One more?"
Crack!
"Oh no."
Crack!
"Blimey, I'm so bad at this."
Crack!
At last, the box was now empty. "There are no more quills, Professor. What do I do now?"
"..."
Her face turned red, contrasted with the pink all around. Her eyes looked as if they'd pop out of the sockets at any moment. Her hands were also clenched, one holding the edge of the table so hard that the entire table vibrated.
"Y-You two can leave… Don't ever interrupt my class in the future."
Ron stood up immediately and headed to the door, not even bothering to bid her a good night. Harry followed behind too, closing the door after they were out.
At last, the two heaved a sigh of relief and started howling in laughter.
"What was that, Ron?"
He shrugged, "I don't know. I just… I felt like I shouldn't let anyone bully me. After having given so many interviews in the summer, I've seen all sorts of people. And she's the type of person who only understands her own language."
"You'll be expelled from the school," Harry warned him.
"Like she has the power to do that. I bet Dumbledore and all the other teachers hate her as much as us." Ron shrugged and pulled Harry to the Great Hall. "Anyway, how's the progress with Cho? Cedric isn't dating her anymore, and she keeps staring at you."
"No, she doesn't."
"Mate, she wants you in her arms, clapping your lips on hers. I've seen the look she gives you; I know what it means." Ron said, exaggerating and acting funny. "I say, just go ahead and take a shot."
"As if you have boundless experience with girls, Ron."
"I do." He grinned.
Harry lost his confidence. "W-who?"
"Padma, Lavender, and Fleur," he named a few, but kept Madam Bones a secret as he liked his head staying firmly on his shoulders.
"You got Fleur?!" Harry almost shouted.
"And her mother," Ron proudly added. "But keep it a secret, Harry. I was just lucky, and it's better if nobody finds out."
"Ron, once or twice can be lucky, but this many times… how?"
If I knew, I'd have written a book, Harry. Ron sighed in defeat.
"Confidence is the key." He suggested, "That's why you should just go for Cho. Ask her out on a date to Hogsmeade or something."
Boys being boys, they arrived at dinner amidst their talk and changed topic once Hermione was beside them. Worried, she asked them what happened with Umbridge, and not just her but many others beside them listened about another adventure of Harry and Ron's.
Ugh, I can feel someone's gaze on me. Ron suddenly felt conscious of the attention from the teacher's table. It must be the pink toad.
####
The dinner wasn't the end of the day, however. It was another one of the late-night Astronomy classes at the top of the Astronomy Tower. It was a breezy night with little to no clouds in the sky, making it easy to stargaze.
"All of you, prepare your telescopes." Professor Aurora Sinistra soon came in her regular olive robes and a pointed hat adorned with astrological signs. Her smooth, umber tan glistened under the moonlight. "Those of you who don't have a telescope can pick one from the storage."
As usual, Ron walked over to the storage room. Although he could easily afford it now, he still chose to use the spare ones or those from his brothers. But today, Ginny had taken the spare one, and hence he had to get one from the storage.
"Professor, there isn't any left." Ron saw all the telescopes being taken away.
Surprisingly, Aurora Sinistra, a serious and strict woman, didn't get angry. "No problem, Mr. Weasley. Come and use my telescope here. Everyone else, open the book at page fifty and try to match the description with the stars in the sky."
The tower was knowingly kept under darkness, so looking at the stars became easy. With only the moonlight helping them a little, they used their wands to read the books and then calibrate their telescopes.
Ron tried to do it too, but this was a different, more advanced telescope of the Professor herself, and he didn't know how to use it. "Professor, is this the knob to set the angle?"
Sinistra completed an inspection of the class and came to stand behind Ron and observe him. "Yes, that's the one. Let me give you a brief introduction to the tool."
"That'll really help, Pr—"
What the… What's that on my back? It's so… soft and squishy. Ron lost words when he felt something on his back.
"Look here, Mr. Weasley," Aurora Sinistra spoke gently, her lips so close to his nape that he could feel her breath and that mesmerizing, mysterious scent.
Ron nodded and gulped, trying his best to ignore the Professor as her mounds pressed against the right side of his back and shoulders due to her leaning forward. Her face was just beside his ears, making her serious voice feel far clearer and more flavorful.
"This is to control the lens, and this is t…"
Ron forgot what he was doing as she grabbed his hand and moved them to the telescope, guiding him very intimately through the observation. Her cheeks even caressed his, exchanging the warmth. He felt the primal masculine urge coming up even more when she began to trace her fingers around his palm on the telescope.
Merlin's beard! What the hell is she doing? He asked himself, noticing all the other classmates were busy looking at the stars.
That seemingly made Sinistra more confident, and her free hand wrapped around his back on the other side, leaving her palm resting on his chest.
That made her mounds squeeze harder behind him. He could feel the warmth of her body even, and that made him aroused. She wasn't a bad-looking woman, after all, even a ripe beauty to him since there were just a handful of professors one could call—eye candy.
"Y-Yes, Professor," he responded to her instructions.
"Hmm…" Sinistra suddenly hugged him entirely from behind, wrapping both her arms around his back. Her fingers caressed his chest for a long time while her mounds also jumped all over.
Then, he felt a soft, wet touch on his nape that couldn't be anything but her lips.
That's it. This is certainly not a misunderstanding. She's doing it knowingly. Ron was now sure. But why?
___________________
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