Q. Quirrell

PM: Where would we be hanging out and what would we be doing? - Q. Quirrell. 

Lily smiled, seeing how Quirinus got excited talking about spells. She didn’t know him a lot - honestly, she didn’t know him at all! - but it was nice talking to him and seeing him happy, somehow, made her happy too.

Lily regretted immediately the question: his smile disappeared and his shoulders sagged like his head did. She didn’t have to analyze too much what he said to understand that he wasn’t telling her all the truth: it was pretty obvious from the way he started stuttering. “You don’t have to tell me anything, if you don’t feel okay with it” Lily said with a small smile. “We don’t know each other so well, and I didn’t really want to upset you so, if you don’t wanna talk about it, that’s totally fine…”

Quirinus felt bad about keeping it from her, of course he didn’t know her well but he knew he had nothing to fear from her. She was kind, sweet and above all, spoke to him like he existed. He inhaled deeply and shrugged his shoulders keeping his head on the stone floor of the castle. “Comments… The occasional hex… I-I’m used to it…. I’ve had it all my life.” Quirrell said with a very weak smile. The amount of abuse had become as natural as sunlight to him. It was a natural occurrence in his life and no amount of time could ever heal that. Bullying was a wound that would never be closed. The second you stitch up your old wounds, someone rips open the seam with that trigger. That one word or phrase that just sends you right back into your old body, your old life. Suddenly, you’ve regressed ten years and you feel small and empty. One word was all it took to make the old wound bleed fresh, familiar blood once more.

Will: No, mad as like crazy? Like.. uh. He's insane because he talks to his owl even though he can't understand him.

Will: I never was mad with you.

Quirinus: Oh... Silly me...I was worried I had upset you...

“I don’t know,” Emmeline replied honestly. “I’ve never been confronted with that option before. I’d like to think that I could if I needed to. I’ve … prepared myself for that outcome, were it to happen.” At least, if it came down to saving someone by killing another, she hoped she’d be able to make the right choice.

Quirinus swallowed hard, he had never considered the possibility of taking another life. The idea haunted him. Taking lives split the soul and he was fairly certain that he wanted his soul to stay intact. “I-I think that if I ever did that… I’d try to forget about the whole thing. A memory potion perhaps o-o-or Oblivate myself but that is definitely a risky one.” He laughed awkwardly as he intertwined his fingers back and forth nervously.

“Exactly!” Lily said smiling. “Yeah, Duro is nice, but I never used it outside classes… my favourite is Lumos. So handy when it gets dark and you forget the cellphone, and I do that quite often” she sighed smiling, noticing though how Quirinus stance changed while they passed a Slytherin student. Lily furrowed her eyebrows. “I like Divination, it’s nice…”. She tried to answer but a question on the tip of her toungue was begging to be asked. “I’m sorry if I change the subject but… that Slytherin back in the corridor… he gives you… problems?”

Quirinus couldn’t contain his excitement over such a simple joy, He let out a small giggle and bounced on the balls of his feet. “Exactly! Lumos is so simple but so elegant. The best thing I find is that it’s a great spell to adapt. Lumos Maxima, sending the ball of light into certain objects like jars… The possibilities are endless!” He grinned happily. 

Fear sank down his body as she asked about the Slytherin who had passed them. He looked down at his shoes and walked slowly not wanting to meet her eyes. “N-n-not really…” He stuttered, his stutter was always his biggest tell that he was hiding something. “J-j-just don’t get along with um… Well, with h-him…” He confessed trying an awkward laugh but it came out as more of a squeak.

Will: Definitely sarcasm.

Will: Yes. No you twit, doesn't mean I don't talk to him. He's my owl. Stop it, now you're making me feel mad.

[Several Hours Later]

Will: Can we hang out? I need to get out of this place.

Quirinus: I guessed as much...

Quirinus: I'm sorry...

“It would depend on the situation,” Emmeline said. “You asked for a spell that would save your life. If it’s a life or death situation, sometimes that requires extreme measures. You’d have to use your best judgement.”

She knew Confringo was perhaps an overreaction to the type of bullying Quirrell probably experienced here in Hogwarts, but she felt it was her duty to make sure the students knew what could save their lives out in the real world.

“And sometimes … you have to be ready to seriously hurt or perhaps even kill someone, if your life is in danger,” she said after a moment.

Quirrell’s frown was full of worry and concern. He wasn’t sure he wanted to harm someone like that, even if it was life or death. All he could imagine was someone delivering the remains of a person victim to that curse to their family. It made him queasy. “Perhaps…” He worried. “Could you k-k-kill someone?” He stuttered challengingly.

Lily smiled when she noticed Quirinus was walking with her to her next lesson. It was very kind of him doing that. “Oh, I really like Charms!” she said with a dreamy sight. “It helps in every day life… like when you’re on your bed and you’re too lazy to get up and grab the books” she says chuckling. “Also, I like pronouncing the spells… it’s nice hearing the words rolling on your toungue as the magic flows…”

Quirinus chuckled and agreed politely. “Or when you have to do the washing up at home.” He grinned. Charms was definitely one of his favourite subjects. There were so many simple spells that just made life so much easier. “Duro is one of my personal favourites to say. It’s simple but effective.” He said softly, keeping his head down as he saw a Slytherin student in his year that he was all too familiar with. He ruffled his hair awkwardly as they passed the bully and cleared his throat. “What do you think about Divination?”

Will: Like a push bike or a motorbike? I like both.

Will: I hate flying, I hate being on a broomstick, it's just the absolute worst.... just horrible.

Will: I'll ask Harold next time I see him.

Will: I'm back at Hogwarts tomorrow (Wednesday) I'm coming back a little earlier to make the most of the break.

Will: Hope you had a good Easter.

Quirinus: Definitely push.

Quirinus: ...I'm sensing sarcasm...

Quirinus: You speak owl?

Lily sighed, remembering what she had next. “I have Astronomy now…” she muttered, wincing slightly. She really didn’t like the subject, even though she enjoyed stargazing. She found it terribly boring. “Not my favourite, to be honest” she added, moving a lock of hair behind her ear. “I mean, really, why do we have to know which star is which and so on?” she shook her head, then she looked at Quirinus. “If you like it, I have nothing against you. I just can’t stand it” she clarified with a smile.

Quirrell smiled warmly at Lily, it was nice that she had considered his feelings towards Astronomy and that he might disagree with her. He didn’t. He simply knew that it served no purpose in his quest to become a teacher and very rarely impacted anything in the Wizarding World. “It isn’t my favourite either, it’s no Charms or Defence Against the Dark Arts.” He said simply as he started to walk alongside Lily.

Will: Trains are okay, cars are not too bad.

Will: Maybe they know each other in the owlery. Harold likes to keep busy and fly, hence the letters.

Quirinus: You can't beat a bike. I used to ride mine all across the lane and back. I'm not a broomstick fan myself... Being that high off the ground... Merlin!

Will [unsent]: Trust me, it's the last place I want to be

Will: That's fine, I'd rather be at the castle too. I don't like travelling at the best of times.

Will: Cool! Harold is a barn owl, he's quite faithful.

Quirinus: Maybe you just haven't found the best method of transportation yet. I love trains. Specifically the Hogwarts Express but muggle trains are great too. As long as you're not on an old Northern train...

Unknown: Hi, it's Will.

Will: I'm going home tonight for the week. My Mum always likes me home on the holidays and I managed to bargain it down to just one week this time. I won't be back until next Friday. We can do something then if you want?

Will: As for the owls 1) I didn't have your number and 2) it gives Harold something to do with himself.

Quirinus: That's okay. I'll still be in the castle, I don't really want to be at home right now...

Quirrell opened the note and chuckled to himself shaking his head. He picked up his quill and scribbled a note back. 

     How would they fit inside of a pub? Nonetheless, it gave me a smile this          morning. Isn’t it odd to think it’s Easter tomorrow? We could do something... If         you wanted... I know Easter is very much a muggle tradition but we could do      our own egg hunt... If you wanted?