บท 73: Bonus: Lessons With a Stiff Cat
IMPORTANT: This is a Bonus Chapter brought to you by the madmen in the shivering Isles, a new chapter is available there too obviously. Just check out sheo.bio to read ahead and support the author for free, because Patr-eon is overrated.
(A/N: This chapter is dedicated to those who did the walk and came over to my website, Sheo.bio . I know, that's the fluffth time I gave them a shout out. What can I say? I bloody love those guys!)
"Good job, I expected you to step on my toes a couple times." Professor McGonagall smiled contentedly, letting her hands fall off her favorite student and surrogate nephew's shoulders. "One more dance?"
"That's the fifth one, I'm impressed you can still go on." Magnus smiled cheekily, an unspoken joke about her age had been delivered in a way that wouldn't lead to his untimely death.
She practically squeaked in happiness when he asked her to help him practice his ballroom dancing skills, all but dragging him to an unused classroom where she planned on hosting the official dancing lessons a couple days later.
There had been some transfigured instruments which started playing as soon as they entered, he could see Flitwick's style of animations right away.
It was rather obvious to the practiced eye, wizarding or not.
Flitwick was rather liberal and free spirited, this wilder and more intuitive could be perceived in both the way he weaved his spells and enchantment and his choice of musical instruments; The guitar and harp, giving away an original and taking rhythm very well suited for a dance.
McGonagall was equally skilled, if not more in animations of course, but her style couldn't be anymore different. Her way of casting was controlled, technical and almost surgical in its precision, there was a clear plan of action and an order in each sliver of magic she cast.
'Just like mine.' He allowed a smile at that, it was no wonder they got along if they cast their spells the same way.
Obviously, they were better suited to enchanting more precise and controlled instruments like the piano. Fleur's magic was still new to him, but it had a softness he'd recognise anywhere, he would eat the talking hat if she wasn't great at animating violins.
Maybe she'll enchant some for them to dance to one day.
The boy's dancing skills were rusty, but nothing a couple sessions with the surprisingly enthusiastic transfiguration professor couldn't change.
"I'm not that old yet, and you just spaced out again." She sighed in exasperation, but there was no hiding the amused smile on her face. "Are you going with Padma?"
Minerva knew very well he didn't, the young wizard liked the bookish Ravenclaw but certainly not in that way, and going as friends was bound to make things weird.
"No, I have another partner." He said.
"You've asked someone else to go with you." Her brows were raised high. "She must be quite an interesting person to get your attention."
"Yes she is." He couldn't stop the fond smile from appearing on his face if he tried to, and he wasn't planning on doing that, there was no use lying to his aunt in all but blood. "And she is the one who asked me."
He chuckled seeing her baffled expression, but she quickly took it in stride.
The middle aged woman was about to say something, doubtlessly some witty and overly convoluted way to make him spill the beans, but she paused for a moment with a disturbed expression on her face.
"It's not Miss Granger, is it?"
"Hell no." He almost vomited at the mere thought of going there with a living bush with a praise kink. Okay, she wasn't that disgusting, but he would sooner let himself be put in a cupboard than go out with a witch like Hermione Granger.
"Good, she's a bright student but not someone you could get along with for any length of time." She said, quickly defending her initial comment.
"Understatement of the century." Magnus nodded.
"Then is it…" Minerva had a conflicted expression on her face, and he knew she found the one.
"Yup, Fleur asked me to be her date." He blushed, that particular string of words doing very strange things to the butterflies in his stomach.
Professor McGonagall took a while to gather her thoughts, and he let her have all the time needed to process it.
"She's quite a few years older than you." She said matter of factly.
"Yes, but I like to think I'm quite mature for my age." Magnus smiled, if anyone on earth could say that then it had to be him.
"That you are." She smiled, but didn't look so convinced. "Are you going because Miss Delacour needed a partner, or are you…interested in each other? I understand that her situation makes it quite hard to enjoy a ball without the right companion."
Oh, so that was the embarrassing part of the discussion.
"Honestly, I don't know." He admitted easily, "We are close, and I'd surely love to get even closer…"
"Magnus!"
"It's not a euphemism!" His face flushed, but he hid it behind a cough. "Still, she might just want someone she trusts to be her partner. But the way she acts around me is nothing like what Luna or Padma do, hell not even Nymphadora gets this touchy feely when she tries to embarrass me, and Fleur does that casually."
And he enjoyed every moment of it.
"I see, I might need to speak with this girl." Her eyes glinted dangerously, "Make sure her intentions are pure."
That was entirely expected.
"Sure thing." He shrugged, making her cast a surprised look. "What?"
"I expected you to be more combative." She said,
"Nah, she did ask me out." Magnus smiled cheekily "It's only fair that she's the one getting the shovel talk."
McGonagall must've thought she did a great job of hiding her amusement behind that stony facade, but he knew her well enough to notice the minute twitch of her lips.
"Plus, I know better than to get between my overprotective aunt and the pretty older girl who tried to steal me away." He added, and she gave up on the facade.
"Good." She smiled. "But if you think I'm being overprotective, just wait to see Andromeda's reaction."
Magnus was going to deny it and say his aunt Andy was a sweet woman, but then he remembered he thought she was a sweet woman.
'Shit, good luck with that Fleur.'
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