The tassles on Remington's hat danced gently against the collar of her thick jacket, which she kept buttoned tightly and neatly. Her gloved hands tucked in the pockets in effort to repel the chilly weather. She already knew her nose was going to be frozen before the end of class. Care of Magical Creatures, to be exact. Fay strode at her side, talking about something Rem only caught half of, partially from the breeze carrying away her friend's voice, and partially from lack of interest. She was mildly distracted by the fact they were taking the trail only a couple yards behind Draco and his gang. When she wasn't hearing bit's of Fay's speaking, she was shamelessly hearing Draco's.
She'd not said a thing about what happened on Saturday after the game. Nor had she talked to him since. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but she couldn't help but harbor on it. How was she supposed to interpret something like that from someone like him? Half of her hoped in vain that it'd never be brought up and that that was the end of it, but the other half hoped she'd find herself alone in the corridors with him again. And that something not horribly different would happen.
She had to force herself not to smile or laugh at Draco's worries of the creatures they were to be observing. "He's an absolute coward, isn't he?" She murmured to Fay as the other girl finished a remark inquiring why it had to be cold and windy.
"Malfoy?" She asked, a slightly disgusted look on her face, "Of course that git's a coward. He always has been. Thinks he's all tough and powerful, then starts crying and whining when things get rough."
A thoughtful smile etched across Rem's lips. "This class might be a bit entertaining, then."
"You watch him all class, every class, anyway." Fay muttered. "How you even stand that worthless prat, I'll never know."
"I resent that. I don't watch him all class, every class. I glance at him now and then. Only as much as I would any other person. He just... stands out a bit more than others." She reasoned.
Fay rolled her eyes, then squinted at Hagrid with a slight amount of suspicion. "'Course they're trained," She mocked under her breath. "He would think a rabid dragon is trained." Remington shot her an accusatory glance. Fay gave her a look that communicated What? Don't tell me that's not true.
"So what happened to your face, then?" Draco demanded, drawing Rem's attention back to him.
"Mind yer own business!" Hagrid said, angrily. "Now if yeh've finished askin' stupid questions, follow me."
After seeing Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off, Remington started forward, Fay a half step behind.
"Stupid is the only kind of questions he's capable of." Fay mumbled, though by the way Draco's head turned towards them as they passed, Rem knew he'd heard.
She looked over her shoulder, back at him, giving him a slightly taunting smile. His eyebrows arched, the ghost of a sneer on his face before he took to walking behind the two, his cronies right on his heels.
When the class came to a halt, she wasn't afraid to stand towards the front, watching Hagrid and the carcass he'd tossed to the ground. She could feel Fay at her shoulder, and knew she was nervous by the way she rubbed her mitten-covered hands together, trying to make it look like it was her way of warding off the low temperature. Rem's breathing slowed as she caught sight of something, her gaze focusing on one of the creatures she'd seen pulling the carriages that had brought the students to the school. She knew that they were called thestrals, but that was nearly the extent of her knowledge.
"And you were frightened." She murmured to Fay.
"What?" Fay asked, confused, her eyes on the dead cow Hagrid had brought with him.
"Can't you see it?" Remington asked, giving Fay a slightly disconcerted look of her own.
"See wha-"
"Oh, an' here comes another one!" Hagrid remarked proudly. Remington glanced from Fay's bewildered face to the second thestral, which was now taking interest in the meat. "Now... put yer hands up, who can see 'em?"
It began to dawn on her the bits of information she wasn't recalling about thestrals. Only those who've seen a person die can see a thestral. Rem raised her hand half-heartedly. She didn't particularly want half of the fifth year to know even such a sliver of her past. It was still a touchy issue. She could feel eyes burning into her back and could've bet that it was Draco.
"Yeah... yeah, I knew you'd be able ter, Harry," Hagrid said seriously, "An' you too, Neville, eh? An' -" He continued, his eyes turning on Rem, but he never got the chance to address her.
"Excuse me," Remington had a feeling that Draco's interruption wasn't random. He cut across Hagrid at that exact moment for a reason. "But what exactly are we supposed to be seeing?"
At that point, Hagrid pointed at the partial dead cow that was resting on the ground a short ways away. Everyone stared for a few beats before gasps and squeals echoed through the group immediately following one of the thestrals ripping a strip of meat from the carcass.
Parvati was squeaking fearfully, demanding what was going on. "Thestrals," Hagrid said in response, "Hogwarts has got a whole herd of 'em in here. Now, who knows -?" Parvati continued to alarmedly prattle about how unlucky they were and all and Hagrid continued to attempt to console her. Only when Hagrid asked why they were only visible to some people did Rem fully tune back in.
She felt someone at her left shoulder as Hermione explained that the only people who could see the thestrals were people who had seen death.
"That's why, then?" She heard Draco's voice in her ear. She tipped her head back a fraction. "What do they look like?"
A wicked half-smile settled on her mouth. "Skeleton horses from Hell. Oh, and they have wings." She said, looking back at him for a moment.
"You're lying." He accused, not believing that such a description could be honest when she was smiling like that.
"Why would I do that?" She responded, "They really are quite demonic-looking. They're kind of cute in a way, though."
"I don't believe you." He insisted.
"Your loss-" She stated as Umbridge swept in, immediately making Remington's eyes narrow on the hag.
"Oh, this will be amusing." Draco whispered.
"Don't make me hit you." She hissed under her breath.
"Fine, I'll leave you be." He muttered and she felt his presence dissipate.
She pulled her hands out of her pockets to cross her arms indignantly, glaring at Umbridge as she went about her disgusting business. Speaking aloud the disturbing and despicable things she was writing down about Hagrid. Sure Hagrid may not be Remington's favorite teacher, but by no means did he deserve this. When Draco and Pansy started laughing when Umbridge condescendingly told Hagrid she'd be asking the students questions, using hand gestures and all, Rem shot Draco a venomous glance. He just winked at her. She nearly marched over and slapped him, but against her impulse, stayed put, her death stare intensifying as Umbridge stopped near Pansy.
"Do you find," Professor Umbridge said in a ringing voice, "That you are able to understand Professor Hagrid when he talks?"
Suppressing giggles nearly unsuccessfully, Pansy replied, "No... because... well... it sounds... like grunting a lot of the time..."
Remington's hands curled into fists. It was apparent that Pansy's words didn't get past Hagrid, though he made an effort to pretend not to have heard. "Er... yeah... good stuff abou' thestrals. Well, once they're tamed, like this lot, yeh'll never be lost again. 'Mazin' senses o' direction, jus' tell 'em where yeh want ter go-"
"Assuming they can understand you, of course." Draco remarked loudly. Rem whipped to look back at him. His eyes shifted from Hagrid to her, giving her a look somewhere along the lines of expecting any less, Alvers?
"I'll be back." Remington mumbled to Fay before heading towards the back of the class. Fay only watched after her for a couple steps before knowing where she was headed, and turned back around in disdain.
"Yes, Remington?" Draco inquired of her as she approached, Umbridge now occupied with interrogating Neville.
"Have you no civility?" Rem demanded.
"Why don't you ask the violence-loving oaf over there?" He replied. She lifted her chin loftily.
"At least the violence-loving oaf knows how to respect others." Rem snapped under her breath. They glared at each other for a moment, long enough for her to catch Umbridge's newest observation.
"Students... are... too... intimidated... to... admit... they... are... frightened..."
Neville started to protest, but Remington cut across him. "Would you object to another student's opinions, Professor?" She asked Umbridge with the most innocent, kindhearted voice she could manage. She knew that the woman's distaste for her might rule out the possibility of her responses to be written down, but she could at least try.
Umbridge turned to Rem, the look in her eyes showing that she at least had some disagreement with hearing Remington's opinions, but replied with a curt, "Of course not, Miss Alvers. You, as well can see them?"
Knowing this would open up her most personal secrets to the class, she answered truthfully. "Indeed." She knew Draco was watching her closely, gauging her expression and composure. He knew more than anyone else in the class how much the ordeal affected her. He'd had to deal with those effects more than once.
"Whom was it you saw die?" The frog lady continued.
"My grandparents." Rem said, "And my father."
"Oh yes," Professor Umbridge murmured, "The rouge werewolf attack. Timothy was your father, was he?"
"Yes." Remington said, knowing that she likely wouldn't have brought it up if it hadn't been Rem. "And I think that the thestrals are quite interesting. They're very similar to winged horses. I don't find them threatening at all."
"Unlike what you said earlier." Draco cut in, his eyes narrowing on her.
"I said they were skeletal, yes." Remington said, flashing him a sharp glance, "But I also said they were kind of cute."
"Right, Miss Alvers. Thank you." The woman said with as much civility Rem believed she could manage before announcing to Hagrid that she believed she had enough information and promptly leaving the class.
As Care of Magical Creatures drew to a close, Pansy seemed to take pleasure in harassing Rem.
"So your father was killed by werewolves, was he?" The pug-faced girl inquired, following Remington and Fay away from the forest. "You were there? I bet you're a werewolf, too, now-"
"Oh shut it, Barkinson." Fay snapped.
"Why don't you, Dunbar." Pansy shot back, apparently unable to come up with a suitable retort. "I'm sure Alvers can defend herself. Using claws and all."
"Leave it alone, Pansy." Came Draco's voice from behind them.
"What?" Pansy demanded, "Are you defending her?" She asked in falsified disbelief.
"Well, I'm not encouraging you." He replied. Pansy gave a huff, lengthening her stride. There was a hint of prideful knowing in the look on her face, if it wasn't all mocking. "I need to talk to you." He whispered in Rem's ear before following Pansy ahead. Remington watched him for a moment.
"Why didn't you tell me about your dad?" Fay asked gently.
"I just hadn't gotten far enough past it." She replied with a shrug.
"But you could announce it in front of the whole class?" The other girl prompted disbelievingly.
"I just really wanted to confront Umbridge, I guess." Rem said, "I don't really know, Fay." She finished, ending the conversation.