Yeah, it's vvvvvvv late. And slightly shorter than usual. I know. I'm sorry. Thank you to my Beta Despense for everything. 3 u bby.
Chapter 4: Tendencies
Rainy practise had gone well for the most part. Aside from Flint being the biggest knob head alive by barging her so hard she fell from her broom with a hard smack in the grass below, she had passed through each of his drills without any hitches.
"Right, I'm off. See you in the common room, El." Amelia said cheerfully as she waved her way out of the changing room door.
"Hang on one sec, wait for me and we'll walk together," Elizabeth called before Amelia reached the archway.
Amelia groaned. "Fine, but you better hurry up."
"I won't be two minutes," She dressed quickly and clumsily, tripping over her jeans more than once and almost ending up with a concussion. Elizabeth stumbled as she took a step out of the warm changing stall in a her casual clothes, her hair dripping wet and hanging right at the bottom of her back. Thankfully, most of the gunk Flint had left in her aggressive curls had managed to wash away down the drain along with her dignity.
…
"Is your hair naturally like that?" Amelia questioned as they rounded a corner, passing a potions classroom as they went.
"If it wasn't, would it be drying like this?" Elizabeth grabbed a handful of wild, curling locks in her hand and shook them vigorously.
"You've got a point," Amelia smiled, then her face dropped. "What was that?"
Elizabeth's brow furrowed. "What was what?"
"That crying, I think it's coming from that classroom." Amelia turned around so swiftly that Elizabeth lost
sight of Amelia as she tried to follow.
"What crying?"
"That crying, you pillock," Amelia dragged Elizabeth to the entrance of the classroom, and she heard a soft, girlish whimper from the cupboard in the very corner of the classroom.
"Have you got supersonic hearing or something because how could any normal human being hear that from out in the corridor? I can barely even hear it in here!"
"Oh shut up!" Amelia shouted. The sobs suddenly stopped. "Uh, hello?" She called out. There was still no answer from the cupboard. Cautiously, Amelia quietly strode over to the semi-ajar cupboard door and pushed it open with Elizabeth shuffling behind her. She was half expecting to see a frankie first year with crushed dreams about their potion making skills.
What she didn't expect to see was a freckled hufflepuff with a face as red as slapped arse sat squashed into a corner with her knees pulled tightly to her chest. And what really shocked Elizabeth is that the girls' hair was a startling shade of green, and not by natural standards. As the girl's head rose from her knees, radioactive green powder shook from her hair, not unlike Elizabeth's first mishap with potions.
"Are you alright?" Amelia said while crouching down to the same level as the girl. She nodded sadly and wiped her entire face with the back of her sleeve. "Can you tell me your name?"
"C-Caitlin," the girl said in between sobs, dabbing a sopping wet sleeve under her eyes.
…
"Oh will you be quiet for one second! We are going to get caught if you carry on like this!" Elizabeth growled in a hushed whisper. Caitlin tried to stop her sobs but it just wasn't happening. She was going on and on about how terrible they were and how she didn't trust Elizabeth because she was, as she said "one of them". Amelia scowled at her.
By the time Amelia's long, long coaxing session with Caitlin trying to find out what happened to her (which turned out that she had been a victim of the infamous Pansy Parkinson gang) it was gone lights out- no; it was nearly time for first bloody lessons to start! Amelia had her arms protectively around Caitlin's shoulders as Elizabeth led them towards the Hufflepuff common room slowly and carefully as to not get caught. They were almost there. Almost. She was so focused on getting whiney little Caitlin back to her own dorms and so she could finally get into bed. Caitlin's crying resumed, followed by a reassuring rub on the shoulder by Amelia.
"I am deadly serious now. I really, really don't want to spend the next six weeks of my life in detention! Now. Will. You. Shut. Up!"
Elizabeth collided with a tall, broad figure as she turned, falling to the floor flat on her arse. She sucked in a large breath as she prepared for the onslaught from the Professor.
But when she really did look up through half-closed lids, she discovered that it was in fact Theodore Nott.
Theodore fucking Nott again!
"Fucking hell Penley! You need to watch where you're walking next time!" He almost bellowed. Caitlin shrank back behind Amelia.
"Shut up! Do you want to bring the entire school over?" Elizabeth whispered as she stood with a growl. "Why are you even out here?"
"I could ask you the same thing!" Nott clenched his teeth as he spoke.
"If you didn't notice because you were too busy shouting at us, we are escorting a traumatised Hufflepuff back to her common room. Now move it, Nott!" Amelia said with anger burning in her voice.
Elizabeth, while giving Theodore a glare that could kill a troll, said "Amelia, just go and take her back. I'll deal with Nott,"
…
"Twice," Elizabeth said through gritted teeth. "That's twice now we've seen you roaming around like a deranged insomniac."
Theodore tapped his foot on the floor impatiently, waiting for the torment to end. Merlin she was annoying. "It's none of your business, is it Penley? Stop sticking your nose in where it isn't wanted, you freak."
Elizabeth recoiled like she'd been slapped in the face. Heat rose in her cheeks, and Elizabeth swore this was the angriest anyone had ever made her. Who did he think he was? Strutting about doing whatever he wanted and thinking he was the king of it all. Snatching her wand from her back pocket, she pressed it sharply against Nott's chest, backing him against the wall. "What did you just call me?" she growled, her anger bubbling to new heights as he smirked.
"What, don't you like being put in your place?" Theodore leaned in till he was inches from her face. "Freak?"
"Affli-"
Suddenly, Elizabeth's wand shot out of her hand before she could finish the hex. Amelia stood at the end of the hallway, her own wand raised, staring daggers at both of the Slytherins. "Elizabeth, come on. Let's get back." she said calmly.
Elizabeth gritted her teeth and regretfully collected her wand from Amelia. Theodore Nott stood with his back against the wall, with the most triumphant smirk imaginable on his face. "Yeah, run away, freak!"
Elizabeth turned, quickly and sharply, raising her knee to land a swift and powerful crack directly in between Theodore's legs. His face turned red as he howled in pain and hunched over, cradling his prize jewels in his hands. Elizabeth laughed.
"Next time, I won't be so kind."
She turned, feeling proud of herself, and strode with her head high back to the common room
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