Chapter 3: The Plan

Y/N/N: Your nickname

Hey kids! I'm uploading this chapter a bit early because I don't have wifi and my service is sketchy atm. If I don't respond to comments, that's why. Happy Reading! Also, sorry It's so short :(

"They're just giving this to you?" Percy asked, his eyes open wide in astonishment as his eyes raked over the 'contract' that Dumbledore had given me.

"No, they're not just giving it to me," I said and yanked the parchment from his hands. "It's gonna suck. But I have to do it. I pretty much have no choice if I want to make it through this year."

"Well, come on then. Let's go to the Owlery and get this sent to your mother. She'll let you do it, right?"

"Yeah," I responded and followed Percy as he led the way to the Owlery. "She sucks sometimes but she would never take this from me. She doesn't try to hurt me; it's just what happens sometimes. We're just so different..."

"Well, if she won't, you'll just have to emancipate or something and my mum will sign it for you once she adopts you," Percy said. I laughed.

"I can't emancipate," I said. "It would take way too much time and effort and then the whole thing would be pointless. Professor McGonagall said that I have to start immediately."

"Speaking of, can we meet in the library later tonight? Around 4?"

"Damn it, Percy," I groaned. "When she said immediately, I don't think she meant immediately."

"Not to study. Well, not really," he corrected. "We have to figure out how to go about this."

"Can't we wait until my mother writes back?" I whined as Percy held the door to the Owlery open for me. "I don't want to do work for nothing."

"Y/N," he said, "we just have to figure out where you are in the curriculum. Even if she doesn't let you, you still have to do something about your grades."

"I know, I know," I muttered and rolled up the parchment. I tied a piece of twine around the center. "I am not feeling motivated in the slightest."

"I know you aren't," Percy said sympathetically, "but you should get started now so that you don't have to do as much over break. That way, you can spend more time with Charlie."

"Is he going to be home over break?" I asked, feigning disinterest as I watched my owl fly off with the parchment.

"Yes, he is. And he's excited to see his little Y/N/N," Percy teased.

"Fuck off," I snapped. "I'll meet you tonight."

"A little bit of Charles was all it took?"

"Completely unrelated," I said and pointed a threatening finger at him. He just smiled to himself.

***

The library was nearly empty, having been vacated by all of the sane students, the ones who valued leisure time and sleep over studying. I now, unfortunately, was one of the students who were spending their free time from schoolwork doing schoolwork. Just the thought repulsed me.

Percy greeted me cheerfully when I arrived at the table he occupied.

"You're going to act like that at a time like this?" I questioned dramatically. "This is a damned funeral and you treat it like a matter of celebration."

"A funeral?"

"The mourning of my once vivacious life, complete with a toddler's sleep schedule. You called it laziness; I called it euphoria," I said and sat down across from him.

"Well, the sooner we get this done, the sooner you can go to sleep," he said and opened his textbook.

"Have some sympathy, Percival," I said and leaned over to see what he was pointing to in the table of contents of the Herbology book.

"Don't call me that," he said. "This is where you last participated in class. This is where you should be. By the time we get through this material, you'll need to be," he dragged his finger all the way down the page, "here. And that's just for Herbology."

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"No, unfortunately," he responded grimly. "But we'll move at a comfortable pace, okay? We're just going to take it one day at a time. You've got five subjects to make up, alright? Since I've got classes, we won't be able to have 45 minute sessions of each class every day like you typically would, so I think that we can split it up by the days of the week. Monday: Herbology; Tuesday: Potions; Wednesday: Charms; Thursday: Transfiguration; Friday: Defense Against the Dark Arts. Then, on Saturdays, we can review or you get get help in any of the other subjects."

"Okay, so when are you going to be getting any free time?" I asked and furrowed my eyebrows.

"Sundays," he responded as if it was obvious.

"I get that, but that's not enough. You shouldn't be giving up all of your free time because I can't get my shit together," I said.

"I already spoke with professor McGonagall. I'll be getting extra credit from it, as well as review for all of my N.E.W.T. classes, so I'm not particularly concerned. Plus, I'm your friend. I want to help you, just as I've been telling you all this time."

"Well, I appreciate that," I said, "but I'm still not sold. This doesn't really seem fair for you."

"If it comes to be too much, I'll tell you, but as of right now, I'm just glad that you're letting me help you. Besides, once you get into the swing of things, you'll be able to do more independent work, so I'll have time then too."

"Thank you, Percy. This means a lot," I said earnestly.

"There's just one thing you've got to do for me on return," he said.

"Yeah, anything."

"You've got to try. Don't give up if it gets hard. Just keep trying, okay?"

"Okay," I said. He held eye contact with me. "Okay."

"Okay."