Amelia and Gilderoy had basically become inseparable—classes, meals, even walking together between corridors. She was warming up to him, laughing more freely at his jokes, sharing little insights about spells, and gradually letting him see the sharper, more playful side of her personality.
Finally, someone who doesn't treat me like I'm an idiot… for now. Even I don't have to keep my Lockhart persona of pretending all the time when I am with her.
Days flew by, and finally… the full moon arrived.
Amelia grabbed Gilderoy by the arm before he could even realize it. "Hurry up. We don't have all night," she said, dragging him toward the second-floor bathroom.
He stumbled after her. "And here I thought you'd let me have a leisurely stroll through the castle first."
Her eyes rolled. "You're impossible."
Inside, she pulled out two mandrake leaves and handed him one. "Here. Help me stick it to the bottom of my mouth."
Gilderoy raised an eyebrow, smirking wickedly at her.
Oh? So this is my first real look at her mouth, even before our… date?
She pinched his arm. " Scoundrel!"
She opened her mouth, and he muttered a quick sticking charm, the leaf magically adhering under her tongue. Amelia smirked through the edges of her lips. "Your turn."
He leaned forward, and she did the same for him. Well, that's fun. Not weird at all.
"Now that's done, we have some free time. How about you start teaching me silent casting and some hexes, jinxes, and duelling spells? Just the two of us," Gilderoy suggested with a roguish grin.
Amelia's eyes narrowed playfully. "Sure… but where?"
Gilderoy's grin widened. The Come-and-Go Room.
Before she could protest, he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the seventh floor. The tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy twirling trolls fluttered slightly as they passed. Amelia's cheeks flushed pink, hand in his.
Is this considered lewd-handholding?
She stopped abruptly when he released her hand. "Wait, what—"
He held up a finger. Concentrate. Gilderoy walked past the blank wall three times, imagining the space he wanted.
Her jaw dropped as bronze doors slowly materialized in front of her. "No way…"
They stepped inside. Bookshelves hugged the left side of the room while the right was wide open—perfect for duelling practice.
Amelia raised an eyebrow. "Gilderoy… how in Merlin's name did you find this room?"
Gilderoy grinned, leaning casually against the doorframe. "Oh, I heard about it from some older students," he lied smoothly, hiding the fact that he actually knew it from his previous life—when he had read the Harry Potter books.
Amelia shook her head, clearly impressed, "We'll start with the basics of silent casting. Most people are lazy and don't bother learning properly."
She's not wrong. Finally, someone who actually cares about doing it the right way, Gilderoy thought. She pointed toward a dummy standing in the empty space on the other side of the room. "Let's cover the simpler spells for this week—from our first to fifth year."
Amelia picked up a book on advanced transfiguration, sitting on a sofa to read while observing him. Gilderoy tried Lumos silently. And again. And again.
Amelia shook her head, slightly exasperated. "It all lies in visualization, Gilderoy. Words help focus and differentiate spells, but thinking the incantation in your mind is just a tool to anchor your visualization, not a formal requirement. Once you truly visualize the process and the end result, the magic responds on its own."
He tried again—and succeeded. Ah… so this is the true key to magic. Complete concentration on the process, rather than merely reciting words.
Next came Wingardium Leviosa and Petrificus Totalus. Gilderoy focused, and both worked silently. Shocked, he asked, "Then… what's the point of all the hand motions?"
Amelia smirked. "Most wizards only memorize wand movements and the result. They don't understand the spell itself. Plus… dramatic effect."
Gilderoy grinned. "Well, if it impresses you, I guess I'll keep the theatrics," he said, flicking his wand with a flourish that was just dramatic enough to make her roll her eyes.
Since it was closer to midnight, they decided to retire to their house dorms.
As he turned in for the night, Gilderoy was already wondering what Amelia would decide to teach him next.
Throughout the coming weeks, whenever their schedules allowed, they retreated to the Room of Requirement.
Gilderoy devoted himself to mastering new spells and refining old ones.
Soon, he breezed through all known basic spells, a quiet satisfaction in his progress, Amelia's glances only a faint distraction.
Amelia not only taught him new advanced charms, hexes, and defensive spells but also corrected his form with patient precision, steering his raw talent away from needless theatrics and toward real control.
Ever meticulous, she also scoured the magically shifting shelves for rare tomes and hidden notes, marking everything she found useful for her N.E.W.T. preparation and her dream of joining the Auror Office.
He caught her glancing at him once, and for a second, he let himself exaggerate a spell's flourish, earning a small, amused shake of her head.
It was effortless, this push and pull between them—learning, teasing, challenging. The Room of Requirement buzzed with laughter, and the occasional spark of misfired magic, alive with their energy.
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P.S. I now realize just how much effort goes into writing a fanfic. From researching and mapping points, to drafting initial ideas and expanding them into full chapters, it's quite the process. Even after a chapter is written, I usually refine and restructure it 3–4 times before I feel it's ready.
I feel incredibly privileged to receive Power Stones and have readers save my book to their libraries. Sometimes it feels like I'm posting chapters to a ghost, so please do leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!