Author's note: I wrote this a while ago and it's been collecting virtual dust on my computer. I'm not entirely sure why I wrote it; I was probably bored, and wanted to procrastinate on work. Anyway, this is officially the first fic that I'm posting online. I'm thinking of adding more similarly-random oneshots if I have time. Enjoy =)
Disclaimer: The characters in this work belong to J.K. Rowling, and are used in this piece of fiction solely for the purpose of the author's amusement. I do not intend to make any money off of this story.
After lunch Dumbledore called a faculty meeting, during which the school's budget was discussed and Umbridge managed to annoy the daylights out of her fellow colleagues. Sinistra found herself increasingly trying to restrain her fingers; it seemed as if they gravitated of their own accord towards her wand. Of course, hexing Umbridge would lose her her job, but nevertheless she found that many of her fellow professors felt the same way, as she caught Grubbly-Plank clenching her fist when Umbridge simpered something about "Ministry regulations".
Once the meeting was over she resisted the urge to drown herself in a cup of strong coffee, and instead headed up to the Tower. Septima had tagged along, stating that she had nothing better to do (apparently she didn't have classes the whole hour), and so she found herself knee-deep in books.
"What are you thinking about, Aurora darling?" called Septima from somewhere five feet above her, somehow sensing her friend's discomfort. Sinistra could only gape in wonder as her friend expertly cleared off the top three shelves of the imposing bookcases that lined the walls of the Astronomy theory classroom.
"Is there...is there something wrong with those books?" she asked half-heartedly, watching as a copy of "The Guide to Stars and Planets" came soaring down to land with a thump upon a thick, leather-bound textbook.
"You're so poor at organising," was Vector's reply, punctuated with a grunt as a large tome left its home and smacked onto the stone floor.
"…Well, I'm very sorry," she said, as Septima clambered down from the ladder and set to working on the reachable shelves.
"Really, dear, you must get around to moving around these old books. I can't imagine what you put those poor students through!"
A book came soaring too close to her head; she absentmindedly ducked it and nudged it closer to the pile.
"Septima, not all my students care that much about astronomy."
"No excuses!" sang the blonde, dusting off her hands. The last of the books had been evicted. They stood in momentary silence, staring at the formidable heap that lay sadly upon the floor.
"Let's clean up this mess, shall we?" said Septima presently, and without waiting for an answer, stooped down and heaved up an armful of books. Somehow she knew exactly where to place them, and ten minutes later all the books were alphabetically sorted in decreasing size.
"Whenever did I have an encyclopedia?" wondered Sinistra out loud, for a full set of impressive-looking books had appeared out of nowhere.
"They were there all along! You just never got along to grouping them together." Stated Vector, craning her neck to look at the top shelf. "Do you think- oh bother, I'll just- Wingardium Leviosa!"
"Astrophysics" exchanged places with "Astrophysics: A look into the universe".
"What was that for?"
"It looks better this way, don't you think?" replied Vector, smiling to herself.
Deciding that her bookshelves had enough rearranging for the day, Aurora casually suggested that they have a cup of tea. Her friend quickly agreed and five minutes later they were situated in her office, waiting for the kettle's familiar whistle.
"So," said Vector, after a comfortable silence during which she gazed at scale models of different telescopes perched happily on Sinistra's desk, "what do you think of Umbridge?"
Sinistra frowned. "Haven't we already discussed this?"
"Yes, but- I dunno; I think the toad's gotten worse, don't you think?" Her eager blue eyes shone with a mixture of indignation and what looked to be excitement.
The kettle let out a shrill whistle. Vector leapt up immediately and bustled over to the metal pot, proving the source of her excitement. She carefully poured out two cups of tea and set them down.
"Worse?" murmured Sinistra, blowing on her cup of green tea to cool it down. "Well, I suppose you're right. She seems awfully insolent for someone hired by Albus."
Vector snorted, taking a sip of tea and promptly spitting it out. "Hired by Albus? I think Umbridge's more along the lines of...appointed by Fudge."
Sinistra nodded. Yes, that made perfect sense; this was the ideal situation for Fudge to take advantage of. A spy within Hogwarts' walls would prove to be a valuable asset, as that spy ensured them loads of political power. She frowned, thinking of what Umbridge could possibly achieve. What were her goals? To disband the Order? She voiced that thought aloud.
"How could she possibly know of the Order?" was Septima's reply, setting down her cup of tea and getting up. She paced around the room, talking to herself. "All this summer we haven't let as much as a sneeze get past Grimmauld Place- Merlin, Mad-Eye isn't the only one being constantly vigilant. The only way that something could happen is if someone were to let themselves slip up."
"If someone were to slip up, we would have to kill them," remarked Sinistra wryly. "Or at least Obliviate Umbridge; we can't let this get known."
"If we are found out," added Vector, looking serious, "then the hideous bald abomination will discover our motives and hunt us down..." she closed her eyes dramatically. "...to eliminate us forever."
Sinistra thought for a moment. "Really now. Voldemort isn't that bald."
"Have you heard Harry's descriptions? Even he admits that Voldemort's bald!"
Aurora wrinkled her nose. "How lovely."
Septima stopped her pacing and sank back down into her seat, suddenly looking forlorn. "Well...Voldemort's not the only bald one."
"Y-You're going bald, Septima?"
"NO!" the Arithmancy professor exclaimed, waving her hands around. "Don't be silly, Aurora! No, I'm not the one going bald."
"Is it your cat?"
"Not Euclid," wailed the blonde, on the verge of tears. "...no, it's Gilderoy!"
"...Lockhart?" Oh no, not Septima's vain, self-centered, priggish object of fancy.
"The one and only," sniffed the woman. "I read it in the Quibbler this morning. Apparently he came into contact with a-" here she said some unpronounceable creature's name "-when he was a child, and its exposure manifested itself into hair loss..."
At this she broke down completely, her hysterical sobbing intermittently broken by hiccoughs of "and he used to be so good-looking!". Sinistra uttered generic words of comfort, patting her friend on the back. Inwardly, though, she felt it not necessary to remind Septima that a grown thirty-three-year-old shouldn't be bawling over a phony celebrity author whom she fancied; she also didn't mention that Lockhart had lost his memory three years ago, and wouldn't even attempt a relationship for years.
"Thanks for listening," said Septima at long last, sniffling into one of Sinistra's astronomical handkerchiefs. She blew her nose loudly on Saturn. "I just-oh, all this stress must be getting to me..." She gave a watery smile at Sinistra, who smiled in return and tried her hardest not to think of Saturn's new satellites.
"I think I shall be going now," said Vector morosely, standing up shakily. "Here- thanks a load for letting me use this-" The handkerchief was offered in Sinistra's direction; she politely declined.
"You can keep it, Septima."
"Thanks," said the blonde, and Sinistra steered her out of her office, through the classroom, and down the tower steps. Once they set foot on ground level Vector parted ways with her, stating that she was going to head back to her rooms and sleep it all off.
And so Aurora headed back upstairs, somewhat bewildered- but not quite, for now she was used to her friend's drastic mood swings.