Runespoor: Stronger Together

Once Emelia and Sebastian stealthily dropped off Alistair back at the Room of Requirement, they headed to Hogsmeade, hand in hand.

Sebastian was explaining almost everything he'd done in London, visiting the Ministry, talking with Isaac and having him help with the Patronus Charm that Professor Hecat suggested he practice.

"The Patronus Charm?" Emelia questioned, her eyes narrowed at him, "we won't start that until...next week or two," she thought out loud.

"Yeah, Hecat thought it would be helpful for me if I started ahead of everyone."

"Why?" she wondered, her eyes on him.

Sebastian didn't answer right away, but his silence answered Emelia's question.

"Was it because of what happened with the boggart?" she asked, almost knowingly.

He glanced at her and smirked a little, her perception was something to behold; it attracted him to her even more.

Sebastian nodded. "It's to help train my mind," he said, "guess it's a bit weak."

"Pshh, it's not weak, it's just been through a lot," she assured him, squeezing his hand between hers.

Sebastian appreciated her reassurance and tightened his grip on hers. "Well, I need to strengthen it, so Hecat says in order to do that, I have to train my mind in other ways."

"Which is practicing the Patronus Charm," Emelia realized.

"Yeah. I've been practicing with Hecat a few times a week and now I'll have Isaac helping me," he replied with a shrug.

"I can try to help you too, you know," she offered, "I know I don't know it well now, but I'm a quick learner."

Sebastian sighed and grinned at her. "I know, but I feel like this is something I have to do on my own. No offense, vixen, but I don't think there'd be a lot of practicing if it were just us."

"We've practiced together many times before," she pointed out, chuckling at him.

He licked his lips. "Yeah, but that's when we were just friends."

"Just friends, huh?" she repeated coyly, "what are we now?"

"I'm hoping to answer that by the end of the night," he stated, his mouth stretching out to a thin line.

Emelia blushed; so did Sebastian.

They made it to Hogsmeade, and all eyes seemed to be on them; they got complimented by various vendors and shopkeepers, telling them how adorable and cute they looked.

"Ahh, young love." Some would say.

There were a few students from Hogwarts, mainly female ones who admired Sebastian, who caught the couple walking and shopping around the small town. They glared at Emelia, wondering what she had that they didn't, what she gave Sebastian that they couldn't give him themselves. They rolled their eyes and despised Emelia for stealing Sebastian away.

Emelia wasn't blind or oblivious; she knew Sebastian was one of the most handsome guys in school, popular, even after being released from Azkaban, and was the entire package: smart, funny, witty and charming, having good looks was just an added bonus.

Emelia gazed at them with venom in her eyes, blushing embarrassed; she wanted to give them a bulbous nose, zits, cut their hair – anything to show her dominance, but she didn't want to ruin her date with Sebastian.

She was better than that.

Better than them.

Emelia did her best to shun them from her mind, but then she began to question her own self-worth, wondering how she stood beside Sebastian, how he chose her over everyone else, why he chose her. She glanced down at herself and saw her body bigger than the others; it was thicker – curvier – and she suddenly felt out of place.