Fairytales Class (Assignment 1: This weeks lesson will be to write a minor character, a character that everyone seems to overlook and nor give enough love too. Your minor character should have no more than 3000 stories written for them on the site, including mature stories. -Prompts: [animal] cat / [name] Zezolla / [Phrase] Bippity, Bobbity, Boo! / [dialogue] It's… you." / [emotion] worthlessness / [word] care / [color] blue / [word] rainbow / [word] unknown / [item] wand), Mega Song Lyrics ('I didn't bring you up so they could wear you down." – Taylor Swift, Brought Up That Way)
-oOo-
She was fifteen and knew she wasn't anyone's ideal beauty. She was plain, a little overweight, and had cheeks which people often joked could fit all her text books in. Millie didn't let their words stop her though. She was better than some stupid kid who felt the need to tear her down for her appearance.
At least, she liked to tell herself that. She liked to believe in the lie that she could walk with a straight back through all the heckling, but that wasn't true. It stung. It hurt. What fifteen year old didn't feel belittled after hearing such things spoken about them?
Millicent was used to hearing negative things thrown her direction. It was just before stepping into the library that she had heard a boy mutter about her looking like a pig. Setting her books onto the table, she began to flip through her textbook, trying to push those words from her mind.
Millicent looked up at the sound of her name. Glancing around, she noticed the group of boys at a table around the corner. She recognized them as being a year above her but she didn't know their names. They didn't notice her staring.
"Repeat that," one of them, a sandy haired Gryffindor, asked.
"Alright, here are your girls. Millicent Bulstrode, Hermione Granger, and Susan Bones."
The Gryffindor boy rolled his eyes. "Easy. I'd fuck Granger, marry Bones, and kill Bulstrode."
"You wouldn't want to tap that?" A Hufflepuff boy spoke. "You could be one of the few people to say you've had sex with a troll."
Laughter rang through them as the Gryffindor answered, "I'd probably catch some disease from her. But if we're on this subject, McLaggen, your turn. Options are, Pansy Parkinson, Daphne Greengrass, or Bulstrode."
"I'd fuck Parkinson," McLaggen answered with a smirk, "might be the only time that girl shuts her face. Marry Greengrass. Obviously kill the troll."
They all laughed and Millie bit her lip to keep from shouting at them. A single tear formed in the corner of her eye as she watched them laugh at her expense. One of them noticed her watching and motioned to them all. They grew silent as they looked at the young Slytherin.
"Got a problem Bulstrode," McLaggen shouted at her. "Don't you have a bridge to guard or something?"
"I think you hurt her feelings," one of them mocked.
"You think I care?" McLaggen snickered. "Why they let a creature like that into this school amazes me. I mean serious, I've seen some ugly girls, but."
"Shut up," Millie snarled in response. The tears were growing colder in her eyes. "You have no room to talk."
"Actually I do," McLaggen spat. "You want to know who the ugliest girl in this school is. It's… you. Just thought you should know."
Their laughter was enough for Millie. She stood, gathering her things and refusing to look at them. Her wand was the last thing she grabbed. Holding it tightly in her hands, she resisted the urge to send a hex their way. The group was still heckling her as Millicent fled the library.
She tore through the halls, not bothering to look up at anyone. It was miracle she made it to the Slytherin dorms before breaking down into tears. The moment the door shut, she started crying. The eyes of everyone in the commons turned to the girl and they understood why she was crying. Pansy was the first one up, rushing towards her.
Millicent pushed past, not speaking as she locked herself in her dorm. Once the door clicked shut, she threw her bag on her bed and cried in earnest. It wasn't fair, that she was in here feeling worthless and crying her eyes out while those boys were sitting out there laughing. It wasn't right that she had to hurt this way.
"Millie open this door!" Pansy screamed through the wood. Millicent didn't answer, only drew herself into a tighter ball on the bed, and set a ward to keep the door closed. Dropping her wand, she noticed the cat watching her. His grey face was wide, startling blue eyes looked at her in sadness. The cat stepped forward, running his head under her hand in comfort.
"Not now, Zezolla," she muttered, trying to push her cat away. He was persistent, purring for attention. She gaze in and pet him.
The door to the room burst open. She looked up, surprised to see Malfoy standing in the doorway, wand in hand. If anyone was to break her ward…
"Millie, what happened?" Pansy was in the room in an instant. She was on the bed, grabbing her friend's hand. Daphne and Tracey were right behind.
"It's nothing," she reassured them. Zezolla was rubbing against her again.
"Nothing wouldn't have you crying?" Blaise spoke from the doorway. "Give us names."
"McLaggen," she answered, knowing that they would wear her down eventually and she just wasn't in the mood for that right now.
Draco didn't say a word before turning. Blaise and Theo moved right behind him, giving her a nod before disappearing.
"I hope you feel better," Goyle muttered before going with.
"I don't want them getting in trouble," Millicent pleaded, knowing where they were heading.
Tracy joined them on the bed. "They're big boys, they know what they're doing."
"Don't let what McLaggen said bother you," Daphne said. "He's a jerk. Everyone just ignores him."
"Ignoring him won't help," Millicent absentmindedly pet the cat who had curled on her lap. "Ignoring him isn't going to fix the problem."
"Than what is?" Pansy spoke softly. "Tell us, Millie, what can we do to help?"
Millicent brushed the tears away, "you can't do anything. There isn't some Bippity Bobbity Boo fix."
Daphne and Pansy exchanged glances, mouthing the unknown phrase before shaking their heads and turning back to their upset friend.
"You know what I think," Tracy reached forward, petting Zezolla who purred louder at her touch, "I think McLaggen doesn't know what he's talking about. He can say all the mean things he wants, but it's not going to change anything."
"That's he's right?" Millicent turned to her friend. "I mean look at me. And look at you guys. You can't keep lying and telling me that I'm not some ugly troll when you three look the way you do. You guys are gorgeous and I'm-"
"The most stubborn person I have ever met," Daphne cut in. "And that's saying something, I grew up with Draco and Pansy."
"The most passionate," Tracy added. "You've got a fire in you I only wish I had."
"And the most loyal," Pansy said. "You're an amazing friend. You've had my back no matter what I've done. I'm not the easiest person to get along with, but you do it, and that is an accomplishment."
Tracy nudged her. "And nothing will change those things. You may not be the conventional ideal of beauty, but you Millicent Bulstrode are a freaking rainbow."
Millicent had to chuckle at that.
"And you are our friend," Pansy picked up. "What some dumb Gryffindor says doesn't matter. The next time he says something like that, just remind him he has a small penis. I heard some Ravenclaw girl complaining about just how bad he was."
Millicent was crying softer now, and trying not to smile at the comment. Pansy wrapped an arm around her, and the other two joined in. They four of them sat there on the bed, holding each other. The only sound was the cat meowing for attention.
After a moment there was a knock on the door. The girls looked up to see one of the upper-class girls standing in the doorway. She tried to smile, but it was clear by the anger in her eyes and the tightness in her lips that the situation had angered her. It had angered most of Slytherin to know that one of their own was being treated in such a way.
"You doing okay, Mills?"
"I'm fine, Melanie" Millicent answered. "I'm sorry for crying out there and everything."
Melanie held a hand out, shaking her head. "Don't apologize, the only one who should be doing that is McLaggen and his friends. And don't worry, karma is already heading his way. Whatever Malfoy and his band of deviants do is only the beginning. He's got the wrath of Slytherin coming his way. He'll think twice next time he wants to make someone cry."
Millicent shook her head, "you guys don't have to do anything. Really, I'll be fine. It's not worth it."
"Slytherin sticks together," Pansy spoke sharply. "You mess with one, you mess with all. And they have been messing with you for far too long. You've protected and gotten revenge for us, now let us do that for you."
Millicent still wanted to stop them. She didn't want anyone getting in trouble over her. She also knew nothing short of McLaggen's death would stop their retaliation at him. Part of her had to admit that the idea of his torment did make her feel slightly better.
Whipping the last bit of tears from her eyes, Millicent smiled at the group around her. It was nice to know that there was at least one place, one group of people, in this castle she could turn to when she was feeling at her worst.