This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Prompt: [Object] School Desk
Category: Drabble
Word count: 538
Warnings: Angst
Beta: Verity Grahams & Lisa
The Monster Inside
Leta was in detention again, sitting at her regular school desk in the Defense Against The Dark Arts classroom. Professor Dumbledore had her doing the most mundane detention ever- writing lines, nothing magical about that. All she had was her quill, ink and parchment in front of her. All the items neatly piled on her school desk.
Dumbledore was speaking to Newt outside in a serious tone. Newt was probably her only friend.
"Mr Scamander," he said in exasperation "You know very well Miss Lestrange is in detention. We can discuss your werewolf essay at a later stage."
Leta knew Dumbledore favored him; he was a good student, curious and eager to learn. Her quill hung loosely in her hand, dropping blotches of ink on her parchment as her mind left the detention room, desk disappearing as her mind roamed to all the various adventures the two of them had. She thought of all the times that Newt had defended her, and stood up for her. As much as she knew she didn't deserve a friend like him, he always accepted her without question.
Like all magical creatures - he never knew a monster he couldn't love. While Dumbledore was still distracted, she bent down and pulled Newt's family knife out of her bag. It had a wooden handle, and a salamander outline engraved in the blade.
She slowly lifted the lid of her desk, trying to prevent creaking. Her hands held the blade as she carved letters into the old school desk.
LL × NS
She traced her fingers across the newly carved lettering, sliding the knife quickly back into her bag. She knew that Newt would always be her best friend. She closed the desk as Professor Dumbledore returned to the classroom.
"Miss Lestrange, focus please, I don't want to be here all day," Professor Dumbledore said in a dry voice. She went back to her lines, feeling confident a part of her and Newt's history would forever be captured at Hogwarts.
Newt was as good as she was evil. Her polar opposite. They say opposites attract, perhaps that's what drew her to him. She was bad, rotten to the core. Her nightmares of the night on the ship still plagued her, more somehow in this classroom than any other.
Soon her fingers were moving across the parchment, but her mind wasn't focusing on the scratches of the quill. Her mind was back in the storm, the bundle of blankets sinking from view, watching from the life raft.
"Miss Lestrange, your time is up," Professor Dumbledore said, calling her back from her nightmare. "Time for lunch," he added.
She shook her head to rid her of the lingering feeling that Dumbledore knew what she had done, and packed away her quill and ink. She walked over and placed the parchment on Professor Dumbledore's desk.
I must not curse students.
"Oh and Miss Lestrange," Dumbledore said, and she paused to turn in the doorway. "Don't make this a habit," he said, his tone was strict, but his eyes were glinting again. She somehow could tell from his expression she had been left off easy. She was provoked - but it doesn't mean she would have it this easy the next time.