Disclaimer: I own nothing except my own characters.
Note: Alright, this is little explanation type of chapter. And also a chance to stop crying over the last chapter. Yes it really did happen. (sorry SiobhanPhelps). Happy reading! And a big hello/thank you to my new follower: Wicked 93 =)
About A Bitch
"Our third year, this Professor, Margret Burnner, she was a bit, mad if you will; something involving her family. Quite honestly, I don't remember, I spent most of that time thinking I was going to die. But, she, needed help doing whatever she wanted to—raise her sister from the dead I think—and she eventually got the trust of our Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor Barrass. He was from America too, but, he was only there to watch over us until the time was right." I paused to shrug at Matt's expression. "No one is telling us what that means and quite honestly, I don't care, it's supposed to be in the past" I explained.
"Anyway" he said for me.
"Anyway, for a while I thought he actually was on her side, that he did like her, but, he was trying to get as much information as possible so he could handle it the proper way. However me being the nosy person I am couldn't let it go. And her being the bitch she was constantly needed to meddle in little things. Had she stayed clear, had she been quiet and shy she just would've been the hot professor" I explained.
"So, what changed things? What made you guys confront her?" he asked.
"She and Barrass got engaged and I kept getting my mind altered. Not wiped, just altered so I would forget every conversation I had with her after having it. It got so bad I ended up in the hospital wing but I guess that was good since I came to my senses and dumped Oliver" I told him.
"Oliver?" he asked knitting his eyebrows together.
"My ex, he was captain of the Quidditch Team, he was very persistent. Partly why Fred and I broke up the first time" I said looking down at my hands which were now shaking. I had been doing so well pretending I wasn't bothered and now this. "But we broke up and he backed off, Fred and I made up, but we instantly launched into finding out what Burnner was up to" I said as he nodded, listening patiently. "Eventually she transported us—Melinda, Barrass and myself—to some creepy place and tried to kill us. Barrass stabbed her but she still found a way to corner us, on a cliff. At the last second, when I thought I was going to die Barrass pushed her, we pulled him to safety, he let her fall" I said as I tried to control my breathing, I would not have a panic attack right now.
"Do you regret it?" Matt asked quietly. "Because you shouldn't, what she did was wrong. She deserves to be punished, and it's good that she's back."
"How is it good?" I asked with a laugh, wiping my eyes with my free hand.
"You can punish her instead of letting her punish you" he said but I had to look at him with surprise. "Like I told you and Fred, my Seal broke when Draco fell. And though I don't believe Courtney did anything I really think Madison—Burnner, did" he said but I could only blink.
"What do you mean? She wasn't able to control us the first time around" I told him as he shrugged.
"Maybe she turned to the dark arts" he said as I gave him a look. "Darker" he corrected. "I mean, she wants her revenge" he said.
"It has to be Polyjuice Potion, she can't change her appearance unless she drinks that stuff" I told him but noticed he was giving me a knowing look. I looked back him, reading his thoughts but they were slow to process in my own head.
"She's an Alternate Seer too" he said. I continued to stare at him, hoping somehow I misheard him.
"No…" I stammered. "No, Matt, that's not—that can't be—no…" I said.
"Tammie…" he said gently.
"No, if she was a Seer I could feel her, like you—"
"Why do you think you were the first to see her through appearance the first night, why do you feel such hatred toward her? Tammie, these Seer connections, bonds, whatever you want to call them are different between everyone. They're strong and powerful, ours happens to be in the good sense because we don't hate each other. But you and Burnner" he said as I shook my head.
"But third year, I would've known third year and everyone saw her the same way third year" I said, which I know made me sound more whiny.
"I'm guessing it's because she's more powerful than me. She has the ability to appeal to masses with once appearance. She had no need to be different when you first met her" he explained.
"Then why now? And why show herself to Melinda? She could've stayed under the radar, I could've stayed to look like the insane one, what was the benefit of revealing who she was?" I asked not realizing I hadn't exactly paused to catch a breath. I felt my eyes grow bigger as another thought came to mind, a more terrifying thought. "If she's an Alternate Seer…" I started slowly as Matt seemed to catch my drift even before I caught it.
"She gets visions" said a new voice. We both looked up, Melinda and Fred standing by the nearest bookshelf.
"Yeah" Matt said, pulling his hands to his lap as Melinda and Fred walked closer. "When did you find out?" he asked her as she took a seat, her blue eyes unforgiving.
"About two weeks ago or so" she answered, turning to me. "I found it pretty weird that Draco was looking for me today after his Potions class. Even weirder because he said you weren't in there." she paused to look at Fred who was still standing away from us. "I thought something bad happened to you and I happened to run into Fred, he told me what exactly happened to you."
"I'm sorry, I just, I wanted to find out what going on" I said, my voice completely guilty as I looked at Matt. "He was just helping" I added.
"It was my idea. I asked her to skip class" Matt lied. I wanted to punch him, I didn't like him lying for me. He said all too willingly and all too guilty. Though between Fred and Melinda, Fred was the only one to who looked convinced. "I told her I knew who Madison really was—"
"How?" Melinda interrupted.
"I finally got through, I knew you guys weren't telling me something and I knew it was about her. I figured as a Seer I would be able to see her—"
"Can't you?" Melinda asked again as Matt gave her a little glare.
"No, and so I tried penetrating her visions—"
"How did you know she was getting visions—"
"Stop interrupting me" Matt said trying to sound calm. Melinda shot him a dirty look but didn't open her mouth to say anything so Matt continued. "I had a vision right before the Quidditch game, where Draco took that hit for you" he said nodding at Melinda. "And I told Tammie to let it play out—not exactly my best idea—and then I realized it seemed too…planned" he said as we all looked at him.
"What do you mean?" I asked when he didn't say anything.
"If Courtney wanted to knock a ball into your head she wouldn't have missed—no offense" he said nodding at Melinda. "She
missed on purpose, she knew Draco was going to take that hit because Burnner told her. Burnner suggested plays for the Slytherin team and Courtney suggested them back to her Captain" he explained as I slowly nodded.
"But then…what was the point?" I asked knowing it was what Melinda was thinking. "I see no benefit" I told him.
"She knew I was pushing you because she knew what Melinda planned to do and she knew Courtney would react," he said.
"If you knew all that why didn't you tell us" Fred snapped at him.
"I didn't know, and she didn't exactly have a vision" he paused to look at our puzzled faces. "Do you think she messed with your minds third year and gained no insight into any of you?" he asked. Of course, of course she predicted all of us, predicted and played. I thought.
"Okay, okay, but, back up, what about emotions?" I asked.
"I'm guess Burnner Sealed you off—I don't know how—but, when you broke your Seal with me she connected you. She was waiting, all she needed after that was for you to go after Draco, the rest would play out" he explained as I nodded, riveted by how quickly he was able to figure all this out but also, a bit, scared that he was able to figure all this out so quickly.
"I thought you said it was Courtney" Fred spoke up, his voice careful like he had to plan each word so he wouldn't hurt either of us again.
"I lied, I didn't want you two to break up and I wasn't completely positive about Burnner, I knew if I mentioned her Tammie would go after her" he explained.
"But it was still someone's fault" Fred said accusingly.
"Yeah, mine," I told him though I couldn't look at him so I wasn't sure he was looking at me or even heard me.
"And Courtney is working with her" Melinda said matter-of-factly.
"I don't know" Matt replied as she glanced over at Melinda. "I know you'd like to think she was, but, Barrass wasn't working for her—"
"Barrass also didn't try and kill me" she reminded him coldly.
"He did wipe Tammie's memory a few times" Matt countered. Most people, even myself would've backed down, Melinda had a point, but Matt didn't look like he was backing down. I didn't blame him either, he was helping us.
"It might take me a while, but, I think I can figure out what side Courtney is on, once that is figured out we can move forward, we have to handle this with care if Burnner is everything I think" he explained.
"I read there was some way you could…see another person's visions" Melinda said, as I looked at her with curiously as Matt looked her with slight dislike but also some kind of admiration.
"You can" he said as he sighed before looking at me. "When you had that vision of Courtney, you saw blue eyes, just eyes" he said as I nodded. "We had the same vision, which is rare, practically impossible, but it happened" he said as my mind seemed close to collapsing in on itself.
"So what does that mean? Is that some sort of sign?" Fred asked, his voice still slow but obviously a strong tone of hatred.
"It means nothing" he said firmly looking directly at Fred. It means I'm not going to be with him. I told Fred as I glanced over at him but he was glaring at Matt. "Anyway, some Seers who stretch their abilities can control—" a shadow on our table made us all stop. I was more than surprised to see Andrew standing there.
"Melinda, there's a problem in the Ravenclaw common room" he said quietly, as if it were some big important deal that was top secret. I rolled my eyes, what I wouldn't give to punch him.
"I'll be there in a minute, I need to finish my conversation" she told trying her best to sound kind but failing miserably. It took a long minute for Andrew to get the hint and walk off.
"I'll find out more and we can discuss it further, plus this will be a good chance to update the others" he said nodding at Melinda and Fred and then me meaning Harry, Ron, Hermione, George and Draco should be filled in.
"Fine," Melinda said though I think she said it more to get him to stop talking. "It's lunch time anyway" she said as the bell sounded. Matt nodded, pushed his chair back, hesitated for a moment but left. I cursed him under my breath, he was leaving me alone with Fred and Melinda.
"What the hell—"
"Did you find Charity Fred? Did she explain how easy she was? Sorry Felton, this Malfoy doesn't feel like sticking around" I snapped as Melinda stared at me, no doubt stunned. But thankfully, as I predicted, she turned to Fred, no doubt angry at him for throwing Charity in my face. I took the opportunity to walk off, nearly run. I wanted to find Draco.
