Unafraid of Toil (Lara)

Niraeya sat on the sill of one of the archways swinging her feet as she waited for her housemate to meet her. It was Nira who had suggested the place. The library and the common room made it too easy for her to fall asleep and it was her sleeping habits that had her behind in the first place. Which was why she needed a tutor at all, lest of course she wanted to fail this year. Though if anyone had looked at her, it would seem as if she hardly cared at all. Her feet were still swinging and her eyes were closed as she swayed back and forth, humming a soft tune.

Lara made her way to the Clock Tower Courtyard to meet her housemate, Nira, for a little friendly tutoring session. Today's subject: Charms. She knew that she was falling behind due to issues staying awake in class, if she came, or waking in time for class at all. But, seeing as she was a tutor to other students, one more didn't matter. She was excited to help her housemate, and to have the opportunity to help her in a subject she enjoyed and in a location other than the library. As she reached the courtyard, Lara glanced around for Nira. Spotting her on one of the archways, she whistled up to her. "There you are! Ready?" she asked cheerfully.

Knocked out of the clouds, Niraeya opened her eyes and stared blankly for a moment. One blink, two blinks. Oh, it's Lara... No she wasn't ready really, but she did care about her grades, so she nodded instead; a small smile on her face. Dropping down from the archway, she straightened out her robes. "How can you be so cheerful about teaching," she sighed. "I'm not sure you're in the right house," she said not unkindly, a bit amused actually. But Hufflepuff's were supposed to be hardworking and the like right? Hmm, she didn't get the memo.

Lara chuckled at her housemate's comment about whether or not she was in the right house since she was happy about tutoring. "It's just something I enjoy. You know, helping other people. If I get it, why not try to help others get it, too?" she said motioning Nira to follow her to one of the stone tables and benches. She had tutored several students that her professors thought she'd be able to possibly help. Smiling to herself, she remembered that was how she and Romulus had officially became a couple. Taking a seat and setting out the books she brought, she asked her, "What was the last thing you remember covering in charms, Nira?"

She merely smiled and followed Lara, taking a seat beside her. She was a good person; it made sense if one thought that way. Thought not many people did... sometimes neither did she. As Lara spread out the books, Niraeya took a moment to think. She hoped that her face didn't show her uncertainty after several moments had passed and she still hadn't said a word. Heat began to fill her cheeks and she looked away, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. "Wingardium Leviosa... first year." She mumbled lower than her already low tone. Niraeya had slept away nearly half the new year. "It's not as bad as it sounds..." Really, she was convincing herself more than anything.

Hearing that Nira last remembered the hovering charm, Lara flipped to the front of the book to see what would be good to start with. She didn't realize she had missed so much, and, while it was a lot to cover now, Lara didn't pass judgement. "It's ok, Nira. We will get you caught up," she said happily. Looking over all the charms they had learned, Lara was a little stumped with where to start. "Ummmm.... Where would you like to start, Nira?" she asked her, flipping the charms book around so she could flip through the pages. "Anything from page 14 on is game," Lara said with a smile, trying to keep the mood light since there was so much to cover. The last thing she wanted was for Nira to become discouraged.

When Lara hesitated slightly, she knew it was bad. She sighed. Would she ever even catch up? Flipping through book haphazardly, Nira glanced up at the other Hufflepuff before turning her attention back to the book. "It's okay, I know I am pretty far off." She passed over the silencing charm, but with a frown and a quick touch to her throat she figured she didn't want to make any person or animal feel as she did. Scanning once again through the pages, she found one that interested her. "Gelidus..." she sounded out. Niraeya turned the book back to Lara and pointed at the spell. Her mouth was set in a small determined line. "This one. I want to learn this one."

Watching as Nira flipped through the charms book to find something that interested her, Lara wondered what she would pick to learn. When she put a hand to her throat, Lara's heart softened. She had hear about what might be ailing the young Hufflepuff, and then looked at the spell she had paused at: The Silencing Charm. It seemed the rumors were correct. Glancing out across the courtyard, Lara's thoughts went to Romulus for a few moments before she brought her attention back to the book to see which spell she had picked. "Gelidus... The freezing charm. That's a good one!" she said brightly, happy that her friend had found one to start with. "Well, this one is a charm that freezes things for a period of time. It's a pretty simple one, too," Lara said, taking out her wand and moving away from the table. Point it at one of the green leaves that hung on the tree near them. "You just flick your wand once and say the spell. Like this..." Lara told her before flicking her wand once and saying Gelidus as she pointed at the leaf. A frosty stream of magic shot from her wand and surrounded the leaf, freezing it solid. Reaching up, Lara plucked the icy leaf and held it out to Nira. "You try," she said with a smile.

Taking the frozen specimen from Lara, Niraeya gently ran her fingers over the slippery surface before taking out her own wand to duplicate her actions. She eyed the flute in her hand skeptically, willing it to work as sometimes it could be a bit temperamently. Although she thought, it could just be her own magical ability that was flucky. Waving the instrumental wand, she pointed it at a leaf and uttered the charm. A thin layer of frost covered the greenery, nothing like the encased leaf sitting in her other palm. Plucking off the leaf, she inspected her work. The frost melted away at her warm touch. A small release of air left her as Niraeya turned her attention from the leaf onto her tutor. "What did I do wrong?"