Between angels and insects

The Great Hall was very crowded. For the third time, a disciplinary council was taking place at Hogwarts. Seena Tariyo was standing in front of the teachers’ table and Severus Snape was a few meters beside her.

“Miss Tariyo, are you really aware that you’re risking more than an expulsion? If Professor Snape chose to bring an action against you, you could be in a mass of troubles!” Professor McGonagall was saying.

“I admit that I’m the one who started the fight, verbally. But Professor Snape intended a Cruciating spell against me, which I broke with my own defensive magic. I only protected myself that’s all.” Seena replied with a very calm tone. Amongst the students, whispers started to be heard. The teachers were taken aback as well.

‘Snape? Using an Unforgivable curse?’ Dumbledore was frowning. The Headmaster looked deeply at Snape who was sweating heavily.

“And I’d like to add that my snake spell wasn’t harmful, I only said it was to frighten Snape. I can cast it again and force a snake to bite me if you want a proof?”

“No, Miss Tariyo, thank you. I think now I’d like to hear Professor Snape’s point of view.” Albus Dumbledore said, still frowning. The greasy-haired man was still sweating and now her face was turning paler than usual.

“This...’student’ is a danger for everyone in Hogwarts, Headmaster, you know it pretty well!” Snape’s voice was shaking. “I couldn’t take any longer the humiliations she made me feel in front of my own house! She deserved, and still deserves, a punishment and-”

“Such a Crucio spell, of course...” Seena muttered.

“Please, Miss Tariyo.” McGonagall interrupted, the old woman turned her gaze to Snape. “You perfectly know that physical punishment isn’t and will never be used at Hogwarts, and what’s more, Unforgivable curses are ‘totally’ forbidden by the Ministry.” She emphasized the word so much Snape seemed to withdraw into himself.

“Anyway, I guess you are both responsible for your actions. My opinion is that Miss Tariyo is going to be put in another house, and she won’t take anymore Potions lesson with you Professor Snape. That way, none of you will have to worry about the other. Is that alright for you?” Dumbledore’s wise tone seemed to calm down the tension filling the air. At the Slytherin table, Draco looked lost, like having an argument with himself. He liked Snape very much, but Seena was the most amazing girl he had ever met.

“In fact; I had a talk with the Sorting hat lately about your case, Miss Tariyo. He, like me, thinks that you’d better be a Gryffindor.” The Gryffindor students suddenly became very silent. “Although you’ll have to prove to us that you can be a quiet student and work on your studies.” Seena sighed and nodded slowly. “Well, the council is over. Students, go back to your class. Professor Snape, I’d like you to wait for me in my office. Miss Tariyo, please stay here, as well as uh” Dumbledore paused to think. “Miss Granger!” When she heard her name, Hermione looked horrified.

‘What does he want from me? Is it about what I know?’

Both Harry and Ron stared at her friend with surprise. The young girl stood up slowly, under dozens of curious look.

“Students! To your class please!” McGonagall said severely. Hermione came close to Seena and Dumbledore, her hands shaking.

“Miss Granger, I hope you’ll understand why I’m asking you such a favor. I’d like you to help Miss Tariyo to make up for her lost time with the classes she missed. And of course, teaching her some Potions lessons would be very kind of you.” Dumbledore smiled broadly. Hermione glanced at Seena. Her eyes were opened wide and her eyebrows raised so high she couldn’t see them through the girl’s black hair.

“I’ve been told that you went through the sixth years’ book already. Very remarkable!” Dumbledore added and it made Hermione blush slightly. “Now excuse me, I have someone to talk to in my office. Have a nice day, both of you!” And the tall wizard went away, leaving two confused girls who didn’t even look at each other while going to their classroom.

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It was really disturbing for Hermione to have Seena in her class and in the Gryffindor common room. And even more disturbing to have her in her bedroom. They could see each other nearly twenty-four hours a day, though Seena tried her best to avoid the young girl.

On that day, Hermione was trying to find Seena who had missed every morning classes. She found her deep in a conversation with Harry.

“I don’t really know, you’re a better Seeker than me, after all, you’d seen the Snitch before me, and I was just lucky to catch it.”

“You’re kidding? You’re flying on a home-made stick, twice faster than me and you can do things I’ve only seen the best players do at the World Cup!”

“Yes, but-”

“Seena!” Hermione cut the two Quidditch geeks. “ Why weren’t you in class this morning?” she scolded.

“Had better things to do, Mum!” The dark girl sniggered.

“Well, now, we’ll have to go through it all the afternoon!” Hermione said calmly.

“What? No! Harry wants me to go on the team’s practice!” Seena objected.

“Sorry, but you don’t have the choice if you want to be update for our classes, and anyway, there’s no point arguing! Dumbledore asked me to help you, and I’ll do it.”

‘The best I can...’ Hermione thought silently. She shot a you’d-better-not-mess-up-with-me look at Seena who seemed to be distressed. She finally gave up.

“Okay, I’ll come.” The Nemesis turned to Harry. “Sorry dude, next time...” Harry replied with a knowing smile and the two girls left.

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“So, this is how you make a Wolfsbane potion, see?” Hermione was reading her Potion book to Seena. Both were sitting under the tree in front of the lake, well, Seena rather lying than sitting. She was staring at Hermione deeply, not really listening to the girl.

“And then you add that thing, it’s called-”Hermione stopped when she felt a lock of her hair move behind her ear. She looked at Seena, but the girl hadn’t moved. “it’s called powdered root, and you put it in the infusion and...” The messy-haired stopped again. For a sec she wondered if it was her imagination, but she had just felt like a stroke on her cheek. But, there was no wind that day! Seena was smiling, but not in a mocking way. It looked more like a teasing smile.

“You’re doing that aren’t you?” Hermione frowned.

“Doing what?” Seena replied with an innocent tone.

“This thing!”

“What thing?” Hermione stared at her deeply and finally looked down to her book again.
“Nevermind...” she muttered.

Seena was enjoying teasing Hermione. Her head laid on one hand she was making an imperceptible move with the fingers of her other hand each time the younger girl wasn’t looking. This time, she chose to brush Hermione’s lips with her ‘touch’ spell.

“Okay, you’re definitely doing this!” Hermione scolded, but it was a playful tone.

“Yeah, maybe I am...” Seena smiled again.

“You’re not paying any attention to what I’m saying, right?”

“Let’s just say...I have other things in my mind...” The Nemesis answered and began to move closer to Hermione.

‘Oh man, I don’t like that, not at all! Don’t move, don’t move!’ the messy-haired girl thought, fighting the warmth that was building in her panties. Their lips were about to met when Seena suddenly moved back, a completely different smile on her face.

“Guess it’s not the right thing to do for now...” she whispered so low Hermione could barely hear her. The younger girl was quite confused about this whole kiss thing and didn’t really know what to say. “Anyway...um I wanted to show you something.” Seena’s voice was softer than usual. She crossed her legs Indian style and put her hand on the fresh grass and then put it away. Hermione watched with amazement an exotic purple flower growing out of the grass, just where Seena’s hand was two seconds ago.

“See? My magic isn’t just destruction, it can also create beautiful things.”

“How does it work?” Hermione asked with curiosity.

“Everything on Earth is connected, from the mountains and the sky to human beings and plants. We’re all linked through the fact that we are...” The brunette watched Hermione who looked puzzled.

“Lay your hand just like I did and think about your favorite flower.” The Gryffindor girl did what she was told. Seena gently put her own hand on Hermione’s one and added “Just focus on it, where it grows, how it looks, and keep it in your mind.”

‘All I can think about is you...’ Hermione thought silently, overwhelmed by Seena’s suddenly change of behavior, as the girl’s hand was brushing softly against hers.

“Let me guess, wild rose isn’t it?” Seena smiled when she saw Hermione’s frown. “ I can smell it, its scent, through you. Now close your eyes and try, you’re doing great!” The messy-haired Gryffindor closed her eyes and felt Seena’s hand leaving hers. She tried to ignore the feeling of withdrawal and focused on the flower.

“Open them!” Seena’s voice broke the silence. When Hermione looked down in front of her, a beautiful wild rose was appearing. The young girl could smell its hypnotizing scent.

“You did it, very good! You’re a quick learner!” Seena grinned broadly. And soon Hermione smiled back, and threw the Potions book on Seena’s lap.

“I wish you were too!” She laughed, and the Nemesis’s grin immediately disappeared, replaced by a long sigh.

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“Now students, move your wand that way and say very clearly the word written in your book!” Professor Flittwick, the Charms teacher, was gesticulating from the top of his pile of old books. Hermione was quite upset because of Seena, who was sitting between Harry and her. Not only she was ignoring Professor Flittwick’s lesson, but what’s more she was talking once again about Quidditch with Harry.

“Yeah, I guess I could be Chaser...not that bad after all.”

“Told you! Angelina’s very sick those days, and she won’t make it for tomorrow’s match against Ravenclaw! I don’t even know if she’ll have recovered for the Hufflepuff one!” Harry was whispering not that low.

“Well...”Seena paused. “Okay, I’ll make the replacement, but I don’t know if I’m worth it.”

“Damn! I already told you th-”

“Guys! Could you just shut up and listen!” Hermione muttered furiously. The two Quidditch geeks looked at each other and shrugged before focusing on Charms. As usual, Seena was really bored and couldn’t keep still. She turned her attention to Hermione who was concentrating hard. The brunette still couldn’t figure out the feelings she had for the young girl.

‘Not ready for the big L word I guess, but I’m definitely attracted...Let’s see where it leads...’ She smiled at her thought and once again chanted in an inaudible whisper “To the Goddess living above, let me touch the one I’m thinking of...”

The Nemesis felt pins and needles running from her fingers to her feet, all over her body. She pictured the beauty sitting next to her in her mind and moved slowly her lips.

Though she felt it, Hermione didn’t pay much attention to this feeling of kisses along her neck.

‘Seena, Seena, Seena, do you really think I don’t know what you’re doing?’

Until then, the brunette had been playing around with what she called the ‘touch spell’, and the more she was teasing, the more Hermione was turning mad. But in a pleasant way. Hermione had learnt to control herself in class, where Seena was usually having much fun teasing her.

‘Just like now...’ A small smile appeared on the corner of her lips. She liked the feeling of Seena’s kiss on her neck and jawline and...

‘Wait! She’s kissing me!’ The young Gryffindor’s eyes opened wide with surprise. She turned to look at the Nemesis who was staring deeply at her, but there was no more tease in her eyes, just a glimpse of...

‘fear...?’ Hermione thought. ‘What does that mean?’

Their moment was totally ruined by Flittwick who announced the end of the class.

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To Hermione’s surprise, Seena rushed out of the class just after that. She was such in a hurry she bumped into one of the Patil twins whose books ended on the floor.

“Can’t you look where you go, fuckin’ b-” The brunette shouted angrily at the Indian girl, but stopped immediately when Hermione walked on them.

“I’m sorry I didn’t see you, please don’t hurt me!” Padma began to cry. Hermione shot a deadly glance at Seena who stared back with the same look.

“Here let me help you...” The messy-haired girl knelt next to Padma and picked up the books. Seena frowned and turned her back on them to leave.

‘What’s wrong with her?’ Hermione thought while looking at the Nemesis.

“She’s a monster!” Padma burst into tears, but her fellow Gryffindor didn’t want to reply.

All day long, Hermione didn’t see Seena in class, but she heard a lot of gossips about her. Though she didn’t want to admit it she knew at least half of them were true. She heard from Neville that she had kicked Filch’s cat and broken some of her ribs. Some Ravenclaws were also saying she had tied up a first-year to a Scrout. And even Harry who seemed to get along well with Seena told her that she had broken a Bludger in pieces with a punch lately. One of the pieces had hit Mrs Hooch who was passing by straight in the face. It was pretty clear to Hermione that Seena was angry. But she couldn’t figure out the reason of this anger.

‘Is this about me? What’s going on in her head? Maybe she did this to show me she’s still dangerous, or maybe she really want to be expelled...to get rid of me’ Hermione’s mind was racing as usual when she went up to bed.