Disclaimer: We don't own the Harry Potter characters or world. Just barrowing the world to screw up other characters lives because we're secretly evil. (Okay, maybe not secretly...)
"So, we stretch and jog 'round the courtyard twenty times each morning before showering, makeup, and then breakfast. After that, we jog again for twenty minutes-Ouch Millicent! You walk so slowly! How am I supposed to keep up my pace with you slugging in front of me?-Anyway, during classes we hydrate with bewitched refillable water bottles. The only problem we have with that is when we're told we aren't allowed to go to the loo during Professor Haggard's lesson's. How Would he like to have a raging bladder with nowhere to piss? He's such a pedo prick. He probably get's off on watching young girls squirm in their seats. (Come along, Simon! I swear you and Millie are both snails!) Before we eat lunch we drink Sleek n' Slim to curb our appetite, (Don't you dare tell my mum!) We then do Aerobics, yoga and jogging for the hour break and then-"
"Evangeline. No offense, but I really don't care." Simon huffed, stopping in his tracks, causing the flock of school girls to accidentally crash into him like a bunch of dominoes. The clique had insisted on showing Evangeline's 'shiny new firsty' around the school on their free Saturday and they were all so eager to tell him every detail of their weekly schedule. Simon had tried desperately to decline, but Evangeline and her friend's wails and pleas made it difficult for the eleven year old to back out. Besides, it wasn't like he had anything else to do and he could use a tour of his new home.
"Simon! You're being rude again and you know what your mummy says about being rude." Evangeline beamed, a threatening sparkle in her eyes.
Simon fired back at her snidely, "And you know what your mummy says about dieting potions."
A panic stricken look crossed her face momentarily, but she replaced it with a tight smile. "Fine. I suppose we'll leave you to it then, since you don't care." With that, she turned on her heal and walked away, the majority of the girls following her with snickers. Millicent (the slow poke) however hesitated, and gave Simon an apologetic smile before darting off after the others.
Simon sighed and stared around the court yard. Now what was he supposed to do? Find Percious? That would be nice. He hadn't gotten to talk to him much that week with it being a new school year and all. He just wondered where he would be...
But, then he spotted the girl from the train, Abby. She was perched on a bench, with a notepad in her hand and shading a drawing in with a pencil. Simon decided to find the courage to approach her and take a seat beside her. "What are you drawing?"
"Oh, it's nothing. I'm not very good." Abby smiled sheepishly, holding the picture out of his sight.
"Oh, I'm sure it's good. Let me have a look." Simon insisted, eager for some sort of entertainment, even if it involved seeing something as simplistic as a drawing. Besides, Abby seemed like she would have an artistic vibe to her based on her interest in theater.
"No. It's really not very good at all. I've never been the artist in the family. That title would go to my dad." Abby insisted with an insecure laugh.
"Please!" Simon took matter's into his own hands, abandoning his manners by snatching the notepad from the thirteen year old girl's hands. She feebly tried to wrestle it out of his grip, but it was too late.
Simon stared at the drawing, eyes soaking in the image in front of him. He blinked, speaking softly. "Wow, Abby. I don't say this to a lot of people, but this...this... is actually really horrible." He couldn't help it. He was overcome with distaste at the drawing of a disproportionate group of Hogwarts students. It was seriously fit for an eight year old.
Abby rolled her eyes, snatching the drawing back defensively. "Shut up. I told you I was bad at it. I only drew it so I could try to bewitch it to move."
Simon coughed awkwardly. He had honestly been expecting some fine detailed art that was usually found behind a modest girl's quill, but even he knew that his response to her work was on the harsh side. "Sorry."
"Yeah, yeah. Anyway, how are you liking Hogwarts?" Abby asked, desperate to change the subject matter.
"It'd certainly be better if the place was cleaner." Simon complained, snidely. "The dust has been messing with my allergies. I had to owl my parent's for a prescription potion for it. I like my dorm mates alright, though. 'Cept Henry. He's an emotional twat."
"And why, may I ask, is having emotions a bad thing? Seriously, you boys are so caught up with trying to act heartless. I believe it's all an act." Abby analyzed, "I think I'd admire Henry if I were you. He's going to be the one you can lean on when your other mates are caught up in their tough act."
Cheeks flushed magenta, Simon gave a flustered and rather snappy response. "He's only emotional, because he doesn't want to be in Slytherin! He's a treacherous girl!"
Abby eyes darted dangerously at him. "Excuse me, but what is so bloody wrong with being a girl?"
"It's-It's-" Simon hated being put on the spot like this.
Abby sighed. "You'll be okay as long as you keep an open mind about the world, knowing that you don't know everything and allow yourself to be okay with not knowing. That's what my mum says."
Simon stared at her for a long time. "What?"
Abby sighed a second time, but a bit more exasperated. "Nevermind."
"So, do you want to tell me your issue with my cousin?" Simon figured now was the best time to bring it up. He had been wondering about it on and off during the week.
Abby shook her head. "Absolutely not."
"Yeah, well...please?"
Abby anxiously bit her bottom lip.
"Were you his girlfriend or something?" Simon inquired. He had heard Percious mention having girlfriends at Hogwarts.
"HA!" Abby scoffed. "Never in a million years."
Simon's brows creased. "What have you got against Percious?" he asked hotly. He was an impatient boy and he hated the mind games and puzzles. He wanted to tell her that this was the reason he didn't like girls. They were never upfront about anything.
Abby closed her eyes, burying her face in her hands for a moment before recomposing herself. "The question would be what has he got against me?"
"What?" Simon hated this. Why the riddles? Why wouldn't she just get to the point for heavens sake?
"Percious is a Seraph." Abby finally answered, though it did Simon no good considering he had no idea what a Seraph was.
"What?" Simon huffed.
"It's basically a club of so called 'pranksters' here." Abby said, looking dismayed. "Percious was one of my few friends around here before he got caught up in that bloody group and turned on all the Hufflepuff's. We get it worse than the other houses, but nobody is really free from the torment except other Seraph's. I suppose you'll be invited in with them when you're older."
Abby stared ahead, trying to remain emotionless while Simon tried hard to decipher what the big issue was about a few pranks. He doubted he'd want to join considering he'd never been the prankster type. It still was gnawing at him that something like this was happening and Percious hadn't told him.
"So, that's it? Pranks?" Simon asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"You don't know the half of it." Abby replied, her round eyes twinkling with sarcasm. "These aren't all fun in games. They're the worst form of humiliation and even can result in injuries. The Seraph's have no boundaries."
Simon sat back, letting out a drawn out whistle. He couldn't believe that Percious would truly hurt someone unless they deserved it, which they probably did.
"What did he do to you?" Simon dared question.
"I'd rather not get into it. All I can say is that it resulted in therapy." Abby answered, shifting uncomfortably on the bench. "And don't call me overdramatic."
Simon squirmed on the bench. "But, therapy over a prank? That's stupid."
Abby gritted her teeth, "Yeah? Well, once you see the extent of it, which you likely will any day now, you'll eat those words. It's not a game to them. They really hurt people."
Something unpleasant whirled in Simon's mind. He wasn't sure what it was, but he didn't' like the feeling of anger that he was feeling toward his cousin at that moment.
Abby quickly got to her feet, gathering her parchment and swinging her bag over her arm. Simon looked up at her curiously. "Where are you going?"
"I'm in the Hogwarts marching band. Practice start's in a few minutes." she replied briskly, pointing toward the clock tower. "Gotta go or I'll be late. Don't tell anyone what I said about the Seraph's. I don't need that drama in my life. See you later, okay?"
"Abby?" Simon said, stopping her in her tracks.
She turned to him, shifting slightly where she stood. "Yeah?"
"Can we talk again sometime? I mean, can we schedule it as a regular thing?" Simon asked, gritting his teeth with embarrassment. He felt pathetic even asking, but she had been the most sane person he'd met at the school so far.
She shrugged, pulling her crimped hair into a messy bun. "I guess. See you around." Simon watched her walk away, swearing he'd seen the trace of a smile on her face as she was leaving.
Simon had searched high and low for Percious Monday morning, trying with little success to track him down. Percious had always been there for him before, so why had he hardly made contact with him since the year started? Simon resorted to carrying his search to the Great hall during breakfast where he approached him at the Ravenclaw table.
There he was; Percious was surrounded by a group of friends and they were all snickering about something, surrounded by a tiny bottle that had a foul odor coming from it. Simon's upper lip curled with distaste. He recognized the scent from when his uncle Ralph got drunk; Fire whisky.
"Perc!" Simon hissed, trying to get his cousin's attention.
"Oy, Pee brain! What're you doing over here? Go back to the Slytherin table, you Twat!" A girl at Percious' side spat nastily.
"It's alright, Mel. This is my cousin." Percious cut in, making the girl's cheeks flush with embarrassment. Percious' eyes focused on Simon. "What's going on?"
"I have to talk to you." Simon said, trying to be discrete.
Percious stood, resigned. "I'll be back. Stay witty, you guys."
Simon and Percious made their way out of the great hall, abandoning the aroma of fresh toast, bacon, eggs, and Pumpkin juice. Percious gave
Simon an awkwardly tight smile. "You alright, Mate?"
Simon stared at Percious for what seemed like an eternity before speaking. "What did you do to Abby?"
Percious' brow's creased. "Pardon?"
"Abby. She's a third year Hufflepuff. She says you hurt her." Simon said, coldly. "Did you?"
"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about-"
"What are the Seraph's?" Simon pressed, refusing to let him off so easy.
"Oh, they're just a silly club is all." Percious shifted where he stood, looking rather bored with the conversation.
"A silly club that sent my friend into therapy?" Simon replied, eyes staring Percious down like a rabid animal ready to attack an enemy. He had never felt such repulsion toward his cousin.
Percious sighed heavily, running a hand through his dark hair with exasperation and slight contempt. "You know what, you really shouldn't believe everything these silly girl's tell you, Simon. They're all attention whore's trying to gain their fifteen second's of sympathy from gullible little boy's like you."
Simon glared, rage snapping inside of him. "I am not gullible!"
"Then relax and stop letting these harlots fool you." Percious responded firmly. "Anyway, class will be starting in a few minutes. You've got potion's next, right?"
"Yeah." Simon said hotly, trying to figure out where he stood on the entire situation. Was Abby lying to him? Was he really just a gullible child who believed everything that he was told?
Percious sighed once more, giving him a look of sympathy. "Can I just explain myself for a second, Simon?"
"Have at it." Simon sighed, still furious and confused.
"Abby Harrison and I dated for a while. She got all clingy and psycho on me, you know? She's always been jealous of me being in the Seraph's. She said I wasn't paying enough attention to her. She couldn't get enough attention, you know? I had to live my life. I broke up with her and she just blew up on me. Ever since, she's been spreading nasty rumors about me. I know you may not believe me, but it's just how it is. You'll soon learn that girl's can go to extreme measures when they're heart broken."
Simon took a deep breath. It did sort of make sense. He looked to Percious apologetically. "I'm sorry, Perc."
"Yeah, yeah. Well, we all make mistakes. i don't blame you for believing her. She is really good at manipulation. She even fooled me a couple of times." Percious admitted, giving Simon a pat on the back. "But, we live and learn, don't we?"
"Yeah..." Simon nodded. "Anyway, gotta head to potions."