We met at the library (a Yousana HP AU)- Part 2
Hello everyone! Here’s the part 2 of my little yousana fic. Hope you like it! Thank you to everyone who liked the first part.It’s a bit longer and they truly interact this time :) Part 1 can be found here . More to come
II
« The theory behind this counter spell was elaborated by Alice Bode in the year 1874 after receiving a spectacular…might require something specifically tailored to work around their specific protections…can not be cast directly at an object as it goes against the third law of charm making according to…. ».
Yousef might as well have been reading a book in ancient runes for all he understood of what was written in front of him. He tried to read the paragraph again but it just seemed like he couldn’t get it into his head. He usually grasps the concept behind charms quite easily as it’s one of his favorite subject but he’s really struggling with this one . And of course the one he struggles with has to be the one that helped to create at least a dozens of the most important modern counter spells. It just has to. He feels as though he’ll never be able to understand it. He looks over to Sana to see how she’s doing with her own work. Fine, as always.
It’s been a few days now since they’ve worked next to each other for the first time. Everyday, they come to the library, look for the other or chose a table. They don’t talk, simply say « Hi ! » when they sit down. They haven’t even agreed on keeping a seat for the other or on putting all their books on the table to make it look like it’s occupied when in reality, they’re just waiting for the other to show up. It just happened. He likes working next to her and seeing her coming in the library or seating at a table knowing that it’s okay to sit with her. If he could actually understand what he’s reading, then it would truly be a good study session.
As Sana is completing her ancient runes translation, she hears Yousef sighing several times. He is usually so calm and silent when he is working that she can’t help but notice the little things that betray a certain distress. The way he’s running his hand through his hair, the way he’s fidgeting with his quill…
“-Yousef!
- Uh? What? he raises his head and looks at Sana who is now pointing at his book splattered with ink. Oh no!”
He quickly cleans the mess with a quick spell and thanks her for telling him. He then goes back to staring at his book.
“-This is not going to help you, you know, says Sana, You have to read it not just stare at it.”
He sighs again.
“-What’s wrong Yousef?”
He is surprised that she’s asking as they’ve never talked before and he doesn’t know if she really wants an answer to her question or if she’s just being polite. The concerned look on her face tells him all he needs to know. When Sana Bakkoush pays attention to you, it’s never “just to be polite”. She truly cares. Maybe telling her will help? She’s only a fifth year so he doubts she can actually give him an answer but he just need to let out some of the stress right now.
Sana can see him hesitating to answer her question. Has she crossed the line? Maybe he doesn’t want to be bothered when he’s working? Well he’s not really working at the moment, is he? He’s just sighing and what’s the point of all this sighing if he doesn’t share what has been bothering him?
“-It’s just Charms. I really can’t understand the theory behind one of the counter spell, says Yousef. It just refuses to enter my brain and it’s crucial for the rest of the chapter so I’m screwed.
-Ah yeah, they’re tricky. Which one is it?
- Oh it’s the one about the protection of …Merlin I can’t remember. It’s something about transportation. I don’t know actually. I just know that it’s linked to the third law of Galmerton in a way. And I’ve been reading about it for thirty minutes. I’m doing just great as you can see.
-Oh yes, the one elaborated by Alice Bode! Wait a minute, I know how to help.”
She then stands up and leaves for the Charms section of the library. Yousef is left alone wondering how on a earth a fifth year can know about something he just learned (or tried to, really). He didn’t even tell her the name of the counter spell! How did she guess which one it was?
She’s now coming back with a book and a smile (a charms book and a smile? Truly charming, Yousef thinks before wishing really hard that no one in this library has any Occlumens abilities). She seats down and says:
“-I’ve read about what you’re working on during the winter holidays. We started talking about spells and counter spells in class but as I’m only a fifth year, we didn’t really go into details. Which is a shame because it’s honestly one of my favorite subject. Here, read this part, then I’ll explain to you how this is applied to the counter spell.”
After he has finished the paragraph, she starts explaining to him the different parts of the theory and how the elements combine. She can feel herself getting really exited talking about this. Charms has some of the most interesting theories of magic and she’s glad that all this extra reading can be used to help Yousef. She even adds some great details about Alice Bode as well as an explanation of the Laws of Charms Making by Galmerton. By the look on Yousef’s face, he clearly understands everything she is saying and that makes her really proud. She finishes her explanation and waits to see if he has any question. All she gets, is Yousef staring at her. With a stunned look on his face.
“- What is it?
- Sana how…how do you even know all that?
-Well, I read.
-Yeah obviously. Sana, this was amazing! Oh my, you’re so smart. My teacher was never able to explain this properly and you just made it perfectly understandable in a minute. You even added details. And you’re just a fifth year! Wow.”
He feels a new rush of hope about his future in Charms and feels forever grateful to that first year who made his paper plane land on his notes fifty times in the common room which lead him to the library. Yousef’s thoughts at this moment can be summed up in one sentence: “Wow, wow, wow, she’s just a fifth year, wow wow, wow, she is amazing”.
“- Thank you so much Sana, you’ve just saved my year.
- Don’t forget to give me a shout out when you get your diploma then, says Sana
- Won’t do, Ma’am !”
At this moment, the bell rings and Sana stands up go to her next class. She waves goodbye at Yousef who’s staying in the library as he has a free period. She immediately regrets waving as it is, in her mind, something that only little girls do and if there’s one thing that she doesn’t want to be associated with, especially by Yousef, it’s a little girl. But he waves right back at her and suddenly, waving isn’t such a ridiculous thing to do.
He watches her leave with her books under her arm, thinking about how she didn’t make him feel stupid at all for not understanding something that she reads about in her free time and that she obviously has a good grasp of. She probably knows more about it than his teacher and she was actually excited to share her knowledge. He knew Ravenclaws were nerds but he had no idea, prior to talking with Sana, that it could be such an endearing and even attractive trait. Just as he is thinking that, he sees Elias (who happens to be Sana’s brother) entering the library. He ducks his head right away and concentrate on the book Sana gave him to avoid being noticed.
……………
After this day, they continue their study sessions togetehr but instead of working next to each other, they actually work together. They’re quizzing each other, reading each other’s essays, looking for books together.
Everytime there’s a book that Sana can’t reach on an upper shelf, Yousef tries to grab it for her. She hates feeling small (even if, she has to admit it to herself, she like the idea of him helping her), so, instead of letting him grab the book, she uses a spell to levitate the book right into her hand. When he asks with a pout why she won’t let him be a gentleman for her, she replies that he has to let her be a lady. And a true lady would never force anyone to make a great physical effort for her.
“-A great physical effort? I just have to reach for the shelf, it’s not that hard.
-Well, best not to take any risk at your age. You might hurt yourself.
- I’m only two years older than you Sana, stop making me feel like an old man.
- You know that grumpiness is a characteristic of old age?”
And she says it with such a cute smirk that Yousef can’t answer anything. He loves the banter between them, he loves how it’s just easy with her. Even when she hasn’t read about what he’s studying, she can always help him understand, In return, he makes her feel at ease and she opens up about what she wants to do after her owls if she gets the results she needs to follow the courses necessary to train at St Mango’s
“-Sana don’t worry, you will get good grades, you’re a top student, says Yousef everytime she seems to doubt her results
- I know I’ll get good grades, Yousef but they need to be excellent! So that I can follow all the newts courses that I want! I need excellence.
- And you’ll get it, I’m sure of that.”
