Lifting a Hero's Spirit - 2

Time healed nothing, it seemed.

As the last days of the school year rolled into the first days of summer, the sting of rejection remained, aching in the back of Miguel’s mind… and in the very pit of his gut.

Poppy had taken to avoiding him. That hurt even more than being turned down, the feeling that he was the bad guy for making things weird between them. Bitterness followed the guilt and that only soured Miguel’s mood further. And he didn’t want to take it out on his friends. 

Thus Miguel started his summer holed up in the Slytherin dormitory, pouring over scrolls and tomes and schoolwork. Anything to take his mind off of his bungled courtship and broken heart.

Three days in a row now, never leaving the confines of Slytherin commons unless it was for meals or to gather supplies - and the odd trip to the Room of Requirement. Those trips were the worst part of it all, going out and feeling everyone’s eyes on him, hearing them whisper to each other under their breath.

Miguel crunched his face, cringing involuntarily. He sneered at the fresh memories… and at himself, for inviting the rumors in the first place. Why, why had he tried to kiss her?

The sound of shuffling feet rocked him from his dour thoughts. Miguel’s eyes shot up from his parchment, scanning the room. Through the doorway came a familiar face: Ominis Gaunt. Though the young man’s glassy eyes never fell directly upon him, Miguel knew he was the center of his friend’s focus.

“Is this how you deal with rejection over in America?” Ominis asked with dry humor.

“Not now, Ominis.” Miguel groaned. Already he could feel a dull ache at his temples. Not to mention the unwanted tension was crawling up his back.

“I just figured a yank would tackle the pain of heartbreak with more spectacle.” Ominis continued on as if he hadn’t heard him. He shuffled further into the room, leading himself with his wand. “No shattered windows, no eviscerated books. You haven’t even burned anything.”

“That’s because I’m fine.” Miguel replied hotly. 

Ominis gave a snort. He drew closer - the point of his wand hovering over the books and scrolls strewn out over the sheets of Miguel’s bed. His expression changed, going from sympathetic to outright aghast.

“Torturing yourself with schoolwork. That’s far from fine.” Ominis shook his head. He sounded potently sickened. “Summer break is here and you’re wasting your days doing… this?”

Miguel threw his hands up, letting himself fall back onto the mattress.

“I’m not torturing myself. All this rubbish is thanks to Headmistress Weasley anyway. She tells me I need to catch up with the rest of the fifth years - as if I haven’t already.”

“Right.” Ominis didn’t sound convinced. “You win us the House Cup, get named Hero of Hogwarts, and you decide to celebrate with textbooks and essays. It’s sad. Very sad.”

Miguel sat up again, cheeks and ears burning now. He leveled a withering glare at his fellow Slytherin.

“Why do you care? Better question, how? Does everyone know?”

Ominis gave a glib smirk and shrugged.

“The walls of Hogwarts have eyes and ears, friend. And wagging tongues.”

Miguel dropped his head into his hands, groaning.

“Great. Fine.” He rolled out of bed and onto his feet - and made a beeline for the door. “I’m heading out. Could use some fresh air anyway.”

-  -  -

If Miguel couldn’t find peace in the dorms, perhaps he’d find it in the Room of Requirement. 

A jump through a Floo Flame and brisk walk after made it a short trip. But try as he might, Miguel wasn’t fast enough to avoid running across other students. He kept his distance at least, though he still caught their fleeting glances his way. 

Was it because he was popular now… or was it because word of his romantic blunder had spread? Miguel didn’t care to find out - even with their sneaking looks, the other students were no better than Ominis.

He reached the seventh floor of the castle and did the routine at the spot of the wall where the door would usually be. Three passes while thinking of what he needed: privacy. A moment later, the entrance appeared, materializing right into the stone. 

Miguel sighed and stepped on through, passing into the silence and isolation of the newly provided sanctuary. It was just as he had left it, decorated in his house colors, small tables arranged neatly and stacked with scrolls, books, plants, even clothes. Just as cozy as the Slytherin Commons. A home away from home.

Now free of distractions, the young hero threw himself back into his assigned work. Since he’d left most of his materials back in his dorm room, Miguel was left with no choice but to start on a different project. He settled on the project assignment for Herbology. He’d always been fascinated with plants, especially those of the wizarding world. It wouldn’t ease the sting he still felt but it might help him ignore it for a while.

At least, that was what Miguel thought until he realized he had none of the necessary supplies. He checked every table, every box, every cupboard, every shelf. No spare seeds. No free fertilizer. Nothing.

“Fucking hell.” Miguel rubbed at his temples again. The ache had grown further.

-  -  -

His next stop had to be the Greenhouses. That meant walking the halls again, even with a Floo Flame.

More looks from passersby. More hushed whispers and snickering behind his back. He did his best to ignore it, hurrying along as quickly as he could - hoping that no one saw how red his cheeks had become.

The warm air of the outdoors did little to cool him off, but the sight of the foggy glass gilded in green came as a major relief. Miguel made a beeline for it, pushing through the doors into the musty, humid domain of leaf and earth.

Miguel took in a deep breath, calming a little as the scent of soil and mulch filled his nostrils. He looked ahead to the long row of plants, wild and exotic and magical. And past them, at the far back, was the supply shed.

Now he only needed to find-

“Well, if it isn’t the Hero of Hogwarts!” The high, soft voice of Professor Mirabel Garlick sounded off. Somehow, Miguel hadn’t noticed her - astonishing, considering the young professor’s effortless beauty. She approached him with bright eyes and a warm smile, her lovely face framed by two long braids of her red-brown hair. “I thought you’d have gone off for the summer!”

Fortune was on Miguel’s side. He managed to find his voice quick enough.

“My father’s out of the country. A business trip.” He explained, doing his very best not to get lost in the Professor’s deep green eyes. In the end, he forced himself to find the floor, the walls, the empty space in front of him more worthy of his attention.

Garlick gave a soft “tsk”.

“I’m sorry to hear that, Mr. Luna.”

“Don’t be.” He waved off her concern - praying that the reddening of his cheeks had gone down. “I’m used to it. Besides, there are worse places to be stuck over the summer.”

That earned him a light chuckle. Merlin, she had a pretty voice. And a pretty face. Eyes. Nose. Lips…

“Indeed. At the very least you’ll be in good company.” Garlick’s smile became a dry smirk. “Generally.”

Miguel swallowed. He couldn’t imagine there were any boys on the face of the Earth who wouldn’t agree that Professor Garlick was good company. She was likely the sole teacher in the entire school who could command their undivided attention, every class, every day.

“Right.” Miguel nodded lamely. “So…”

Garlick stepped a little closer, her eyes flickering with concern.

“Are you looking for something, dear?” She asked, touching Miguel lightly on the shoulder. That did not help his concentration one bit.

Miguel cleared his throat and kept a straight face. A valiant effort on his part.

“Fanged Geranium seeds and some fertilizer, in fact.” He answered calmly… though it felt as if his feet had turned to solid stone, rooting him to the spot. “It’s for a project.”

If Professor Garlick noticed the effect she had on him, she didn’t show it. In fact, much like Ominis, she seemed more concerned with the fact he was doing schoolwork in the summer.

“A project?” She flinched back, brow furrowed in disbelief. But still so very pretty. “What sort of professor assigns course work over the break?”

“Headmistress Weasley assigned them. Essays and projects for each class, all due in August. Nothing too difficult, she said. Just to get me caught up with the rest of the fifth years. I wanted to get started early.”

Garlick brightened a bit, looking pleased by his initiative. She offered a kind smile and patted his arm.

“Ah. It’s good to be on top of things. I just wish your fellow fifth years shared your drive. From what you’ve shown us this last year, I’m certain you’ll make a fine wizard, Mr. Luna.”

Her praise was a pleasant surprise… and more kindling for the fire in his gut. It meant she’d noticed him. Even before the whole “Hero of the School” business, Professor Garlick had noticed him.

Miguel was blushing again, but this time not from embarrassment.

“Thank you. That’s… very kind of you to say.”

Professor Garlick didn’t say anything at first, simply regarding Miguel for a moment. The tension in his back had returned. It was like the woman could see right through him. But the moment passed and she waved him along, leading him towards the storage closets at the back.

Miguel followed along, suddenly aware of how his heart was beating. The unease was familiar - it was the same sort of feeling he had gotten around Poppy. But where Poppy had been pretty, Professor Garlick was beautiful. She was quite young to be a teacher at Hogwarts - Miguel couldn’t imagine she was any older than twenty-five. And that youthful spirit was clear in her eyes, burning warm and bright. Not to mention how well her dress clung to her figure. She wasn’t slender but not slight, her womanly traits clear and proud even under the layers of her coat and her long skirts. Miguel couldn’t help but admire as he walked close behind her, watching those full hips sway and sway and sway…

His gaze was only drawn away by the shock of bright reds and yellows and blues at the corner of his vision. Miguel’s eyes flicked towards the new oddities and he let out a noise of shock.

“Woah! What kinds of plants are those?”

He hadn’t seen them when he first came in, each of them impressive in their own right. A tall spindly stalk covered with thorns, thin branches sprouting petals of pinkish purple. Then over there was a fat, melon-like growth but covered from top to bottom with scale-like plates. Then even further down was something that resembled bamboo, it’s rigid trunk rising high until it split into dozens more, like a hydra.

Professor Garlick came up beside him, chuckling at how he marveled.

“Oh, these? Just a few surprises for my students when they come back after summer. Do you like them?”

“Pretty damn impressive, this lot!” Miguel looked her way, noting her quirked brow. He blinked, kicking himself mentally. “Pardon my language.”

The Professor rolled her eyes, her smile growing.

“No need to worry, dear. That’s the exact sort of reaction I want from the others. Perhaps the Mimbulus Mimbletonia can catch the class’s attention? Or the Sopophorous?”

Miguel took a tentative step closer to the plants, his focus drawn to the twisting, thorny stalk in particular.

“These are rare, aren’t they?” He gave Garlick a curious glance.

“Indeed. Very, very rare. You won’t believe the strings I had to pull. Or the favors I had to promise…” The Professor sighed, crossing her arms.

“But it was worth it, right?”

Garlick nodded, joining Miguel in his admiration. She reached out, lightly touching one of the stalk’s thorns.

“Very, very worth it.” She answered with conviction. But then her eyes were on Miguel again, once more regarding him with a thoughtful gaze. Before Miguel began to squirm, she spoke up again. “Were you planning on growing your Geraniums in your room?”

“Actually-” Miguel stopped himself, thinking better of mentioning his set up in the Room of Requirement. “Yes. I was.”

The Professor pursed her lips. She had very nice lips. They looked so full and soft-

“Perhaps you should grow them here instead?” She offered, gesturing to some of the open pots and stands already set up on the rows of tables. “It would all but ensure they grow proper and healthy.”

Miguel didn’t know what to say at first - mostly because he was distracted by Professor Garlick, the shimmer of her hair, the gleam in her green eyes, how impossibly soft and smooth her skin looked…

It took him a moment to realize just what her offer meant: the perfect excuse for him to come by as often as he liked.

“You really wouldn’t mind?” He asked. His lips wanted to spread into a wide smile - he forced himself to settle for a small grin.

“Of course not!” The Professor beamed. “I find myself in need of an assistant in any case.”

Miguel blinked.

“An assistant?”

“Oh, absolutely!” Garlick kept her arms crossed, touching her chin thoughtfully. Her eyes, however, had turned cunning. “Surely that sounds like a fair trade? I help you with your assignment and you help me keep the greenhouses tidy.”

Of course, Miguel realized. As a Slytherin, he really should have seen where the offer was going. Nothing in this world was free after all.

In the end, he was more amused than insulted. The deal was indeed fair - and the outcome was something he was looking forward to anyway. The idea of spending more time around Professor Garlick was appealing. Very, very appealing.

“That… sounds perfect.”

The Professor somehow beamed even brighter. She clapped her hands together, sounding quite pleased.

“Splendid! I have other duties to attend to at the moment, so we’ll have to run through your assistant duties another time. How does tomorrow evening sound?”

Miguel’s throat went dry, but he smiled all the same. He wouldn’t just be spending time with the Professor… he’d be spending time with her alone.

He didn’t mind that. Not at all.

“I’ll be there. Definitely.”

Garlick regarded him with that cunning gaze again, looking more than satisfied with his answer.

“There’s that drive again.” Her lips played, pushing together. The way they moved, the way they glistened ever so slightly… Miguel couldn’t help but be enamored. “I meant what I said, Mr. Luna. You will make a fine wizard.”

Miguel backed away, hoping to put some distance between them before she noticed his blushing cheeks.

“Thank you, Professor. See you tomorrow!” He called back as he departed. It was a miracle his voice didn’t crack. His heart was pounding by the time he reached the door and he could feel Garlick’s eyes on his back.

All the confidence he’d shown against Ranrok and all the other dangers he’d faced this last year, it was as if it had gone up in smoke. But that was the special magic that women had, wasn’t it? They could put a spell on a man with something as simple as a smile.

Miguel didn’t mind. The warmth rising in his chest was pleasant once he got past the goose pimples that came with it… and the tightness he felt in his trousers.