The cooking classes had gained some popularity, but not as much as Aoife would have like. It might have had to do with the fact that most of the students were older than her. How was Aoife supposed to talk with them? It was easy to talk to her fellow first years, but second years and even sixth years? Aoife felt a little lost.

'Oh well' She thought to herself as she set up for the third cooking class, also known as the first of March. She had meant to start earlier...but homework was getting harder and she was getting more of it. Once she had finished setting up the equipment and had warmed all the cauldrons, she waited...and waited...and waited.

"Agh! I know it's the weekend, but where is everyone?" She groaned before stomping over to the classroom door. She opened it before she came face to...well, body with a sixth year boy. She looked up.

Zel[1] had seen Aoife Moffett around the common room, though he hadn’t ever really spoken to her.  However, he had heard rumors that she was teaching cooking classes. Zel couldn’t even cook a bowl of cereal—but that wasn’t why he was showing up. No, he had heard rumors that she was on a very important quest. The sort of quest that Zel was very interested in helping her complete. When it came to matters of felinekind, Zel was sympathetic. Aoife wanted a kitten.

Zel was going to do anything in his power to help.

He didn’t have much money—but the fee for the cooking class wasn’t much.

When he was about to open the door, he was faced with Aoife herself! He looked down at her--  compared to him, she was tiny! He was at least two feet taller than her.

“Er…. Is this where your class is?”

1.	Edited to add outfit

Zel Trumble. She had heard of the Trumble name before, but mostly from her mother talking about the news. What had happened with them again?

'There's no time for that!' Aoife thought. 'I have a student here!

"Y-yeah!" Aoife replied. "Today we're making Steak and Potatoes. You like meat right?" At least, Aoife thought werewolves liked meat. She has heard of a man who was attacked by that Fenrir Greyback and developed a taste for barely cooked steak.

"Just get an apron on and I'll show you what to do." She said, trying not to look nervous.

He laughed nervously. “Uh, yes. I like meat. I’m trying not to eat it anymore though.” Zel spoke softly, “It…. I think I’m trying to be a vegetarian? But I can still cook for my brothers.” His brothers, Emeric and Lucas, were in Aoife’s year. Lucas was in Ravenclaw, and Emeric in Gryffindor. He didn’t imagine he’d be cooking at Hogwarts anytime soon, especially since the school provided all the meals for them. Still, when Spring Break came around, he may end up heading home. Though, he may choose to stay at the school.

Zel picked up an apron and tried to put it on. It was comically short on him, and fit like a long shirt. He was lucky that he was so skinny—otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to tie the apron behind his back.

“How much is the fee?” He asked, rummaging through his pockets.

He did eat a lot of meat anymore? Was he trying to repel the werewolf tendencies? Aoife didn't know, but money was money, and so far Zel seemed like a nice guy...even if the apron didn't fit on him. Aoife remembered seeing other boys with the Trumble surname, brother maybe?

"It's different for everyone. So people who don't have a whole lot of money can give me what they have. Plus, anything helps. Let me see what you have." Aoife started to approach Zel before she stopped just short of him, realizing that she was getting closer.

“I have…17 Sickles and 30 Knuts.” Barely enough to cover the cost of the food, but with a small profit for Aoife. He put the money on one of the tables so that she wouldn’t have to get close. He knew that he looked intimidating to some—especially when he was so much taller than her. His looks were so unusual too, with his ghastly pale skin and practically white hair. He looked down at his feet sheepishly.

“Sorry, it’s not much…” Zel frowned. He wondered why it was so expensive to adopt cats sometimes! Surely, someone he knew must have had a pregnant cat?

He looked at Aoife carefully—he didn’t want to push, but didn’t people feel more comfortable when you made jokes? “D-don’t worry. I won’t…..” Bite. No, he wasn’t going to finish that sentence. It wasn’t the right thing to say.

"It's alright." Aoife reassured Zel. "Actually mum says adopting a cat doesn't really cost that much. It's just that the only place in Feeny doesn't pay for...I think the doctor stuff, like check-ups and they don't help pay for food either. Mum says we need to have enough money to take care of a cat too." She explained further.

'Bite?' Aoife also finished in her head. She has heard the stories of Fenrir Greyback and other dangerous werewolves. Stories were one thing, and although it wasn't even night time, let alone a full moon Aoife was still afraid.

"I..." She looked down before closing her eyes. "Nevermind, let's get started." She forced a smile. "Alright! Let's start off easy with the potatoes." She walked over to a cauldron and picked up a basket of potatoes.

"First you put these in the pan and pour water, and a pinch of salt over them." She explained, feeling more comfortable now that she was teaching him.

Adopting a cat didn’t cost much?

Maybe then, Zel would look into getting himself a kitten this summer! But only if he could afford the cost of taking care of it—food, kitty litter if it was an inside cat… Grooming supplies... Cute sweaters for the cat and whatnot. Keeping a pet was spendy, and with his mother’s allergy to cats, he never had owned one. Now that she wasn’t going to be around for awhile, maybe his family could finally get a pet.

Zel then followed her directions. He put the potatoes in the pan, and poured water over them with a pinch of salt. It felt much like potions to him.

“S-So…” He cleared his throat, “Where are you going to get a cat?”

"We'll probably get a cat in Diagon Alley. Mum says Muggle stores are cheaper, but we don't have a car and I can't Apparate yet." Aoife explained to Zel.

"Alright." She said, turning her attention to the potatoes. "They look done now, the water's boiling so..." She pointed her wand at the potatoes.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" One of the potatoes started to rise. Aoife managed to levitate it up out of the cauldron and down to a cloth on the desk. She did this again and again for four more potatoes. Suddenly, while levitating the sixth one, she felt an itch on her arm. She went to scratch it, and lost control. The potato fell to the floor.

"Oh no!" Aoife went down to the floor to get it.

She couldn’t apparate yet? Zel smiled a bit at that. He couldn’t apparate yet! He didn’t have the license, and lessons hadn’t started. Zel watched as the water boiled. He had never boiled a potato before—he had never been much of a cook. His parents did the cooking in the home, and he never had learned. He could bake a potato, make toast, and open a can of soup and heat it up—but that was about as far as his skills went.

Then, a potato fell as Aoife was getting it out of the pot!

She must have been so embarrassed.

“I-it’s okay!” Zel insisted, “We still have 5 potatoes.. And maybe we could clean it? Or throw it away?” He suggested, “Or is that not right..?”

"It's alright." She said, regaining some composure. "I can use a cleaning charm and it'll be good to eat again." She then looked up and Zel while she was getting the potato and her eyes widened.

She knew Zel was tall, but he looked even taller while she was down at the floor. Those eyes were creepy from this distance too. Aoife shuddered.

'I'm being stupid. It's not even night time, or a full moon tonight. It's not like he'll transform right now...' Aoife thought to herself

"L-let me clean this up..." She pointed her wand at the potato, which had cooled a bit. "Scourgify!"

While no change had occured to the potato, Aoife put it back on the cloth before sighing.

'Relax...Nothing bad is going to happen! Besides, he's the only one who came and he already paid.' She continued to think.

Aoife was very obviously nervous.

And Zel believed wholeheartedly that she was nervous because of him. He looked weird, he was tall, and he was a werewolf. That was enough to make anyone who didn’t know him uncomfortable. It hurt, but he didn’t think it was her fault. It was his, and he had to get used to this. If people knew he was a werewolf—which they had every right to know for their own safety—then they would probably be scared.

“Do you want me to leave? It-it’s okay. You taught me how to boil potatoes. That’s enough.” Zel looked down at his feet and shifted uncomfortably. 

"I..." Aoife hesitated, Zel seemed really nice and he was good enough to become a prefect, right? He already paid too...But Aoife honestly didn't feel comfortable around him.

"I don't know...Do you want to leave?" She asked, feeling even more uncomfortable.

'Great, now I made him sad too, why is this happening?' She thought to herself as she stared down at the potatoes, as if unsure of what to say.

Zel shrugged. “I don’t want to be here, if you know, it makes you uncomfortable. I get it. Really.” He looked down at Aoife and put on a smile, “There are no hurt feelings. Alright? I don’t want you to feel scared or unsafe or anything.” She already had to live in the same house as him. There was no reason she should’ve been around a person that made her feel scared or unsafe. Even though Zel himself knew that he wasn’t dangerous when it wasn’t the full moon, he understood the fear.

After all, he had been scared of his sister for a long time. And when he stopped being scared? He got reckless. He got bitten.
Fear was there for a reason, Zel thought, and sometimes it was a good thing.

Zel was smiling, that was good right? That smile meant that asking him to leave was okay, right?

'No, it's not alright...But...' Aoife thought before she made a decision.

"I promise I'll make it up to you. I'll cook your favorite food or we can make it next week or something...Just don't be mad at me." Aoife looked down. It was happening again, the potential friendship ruined all because of her. It was her fear-However silly it was- that was causing this. For God's sakes, Zel probably didn't ask to be bitten!

'He definitely wouldn't ask to be bitten, no one would...' She thought further.