"It won't be that bad," Renata says with a sympathetic glance in my direction. "What can they do?"
I say nothing, staring at the plate of food I have hardly touched at dinner. Hera has not said a word to me, but she doesn't need to. When I passed her at the table in the Great Hall, her eyes said it all.
You failed.
I glance towards her now. She's smiling calmly at Marcus, most likely discussing the way they'll punish me for embarrassing them later. Across from her, Draco laughs and I feel my blood run cold. I can hear her voice in my head, retelling the letter she most likely wrote to mother, discussing the tactics they'll use to keep me in line. The idea sends a chill down my spine and I have to look away.
"Maybe you should go to Professor Snape," Renata continues. I make a face towards her and drop my eyes. I know she's trying to be helpful, but she doesn't understand. Renata is the only child in her family. A different pressure fell on her from her pureblood family.
"It won't matter," I finally say with a sigh. "I know what I did."
"But you didn't do anything," Sebastian chimes in next to me. He's looking almost as glum as I am. "And I know that it doesn't matter," he adds as an afterthought.
This makes me smile somewhat, knowing that regardless, I would still have Sebastian and Renata.
"I'm going to be a social pariah," I say but Sebastian shrugs.
"Don't flatter yourself Lenora," Renata laughs, "you were never popular to begin with."
I can't help but join in their laughter, feeling for a moment that maybe everything will be okay. I eat slowly, listening to Renata and Sebastian discuss their homework. The Great Hall is noisy with almost all the tables filled with their students for dinner. Even with the impending doom hanging over my head, my eyes can't help but wander down the Gryffindor table.
George is facing away from me tonight, but I watch for a moment as he laughs with his brother and friends. How carefree it must be, to have a normal family. Fred, who is facing me, catches my eyes. He says something that I can't hear, but suddenly George turns around. My heart feels like it might beat out of my chest as he lifts his fingers in a small wave.
I swallow and push the plate away from me. Dropping my eyes from his to stare at my barely touched meal. I sit in silence, tuning out my friends, ignoring the presence of George. I wait for them to summon me. I won't go out of my way for them.
Finally, Hera approaches me. She has her perfect smile plastered on her porcelain face. This gesture does not seem to fool Sebastian or Renata because they stare at her with sneers on their face.
"Come sister," Hera says. Her long fingers grip my shoulders, as if I will try to escape.
"Lenora," Sebastian says quietly next to me. "We can come with you."
"No," I state and despite my shaking hands my voice sounds strong. "I'll see you in the common room later."
I stand and face Hera, but suddenly I am aware of how much taller I am than her. Hera comes up just to my shoulders and I wonder why she always seemed so tall before. I follow my sister loyally out the door, holding my head high, refusing to look like a kicked puppy. As we exit the Great Hall, I find that Marcus, Peregrine, and the rest of their goons are waiting in the corridor.
"I'm honored all of you care so much," I sneer with a quick glare towards Peregrine.
"Lenora," Hera warns and I bite the insides of my cheek to keep the comments to myself.
I follow the group back to the common room feeling as if I am part of my own funeral procession. Ironically, the Bloody Baron floats by and I bite my cheek harder to stifle my uncomfortable laugh. How ridiculous all of this must seem to someone on the outside.
When we are settled in the common room, I find myself sitting in the large leather chair next to the fireplace. Marcus and Peregrine standing across from me with their friends sprinkled carefully around the room. Hera takes the chair next to me and places a gentle hand over mine. Immediately, I pull away from the gesture, tucking my hands into my armpits and crossing my arms close to my chest.
"Let's just get this over with." I say staring directly into Marcus' eyes.
"Lenora," Hera begins, "we're worried about you."
"In what way?" I ask, careful of my words.
Marcus shifts and I know he is holding in his anger. I have never liked him, even before he began courting my sister. He has always been angry, quick to assume the worst of a situation, which is why I know my sister is talking now.
"You're spending time with blood traitors and Muggle borns," Hera sighs "and it looks like you enjoy it."
I lick my lips careful of my approach here. "I don't have a choice," I respond but offer nothing else up.
"You always have a choice," Marcus responds.
"McGonagall partnered us! I asked for someone else but she wouldn't budge!" I spit through my clenched teeth. What more did they want from me?
"Please," Peregrine snorts. "You were practically in Weasley's lap in the library."
I flush and look away from him, trying to contain myself, "George is my classmate, nothing more."
"We see the way you look at him," Hera adds. "The glances, the waves, the laughs," her lip curls in disgust.
"And the way he looks at you." Peregrine's face is flushed with anger. I know why he's upset. My parents want him to court me and he thought it would be simple. That I would fall for him without a second thought.
Peregrine Derrick is handsome in a conventional way, but it is easy to see past the good looks. He is cocky and cruel. I know why he wants me. I am the daughter of a Black, one of the last standing heirs. Marrying me would secure him with honor, wealth, and connections throughout our world. I was just a prize for him.
If l follow what my parents expect of me I will continue to spiral in unhappiness. I will continue to spiral in failing to meet the high expectations of others. But, I couldn't imagine to continue living without love.
"So what?" My voice is icy, sharper than I have ever heard it.
"It's embarrassing," Hera is losing her patience and her feigned kindness is waning. "Weasley's are the laughingstock of our world! They'repoor, dirty, and their father is a disgrace."
"That's just one opinion of them." I respond and Hera stares at me in silence. "I don't mind the Weasley's."
"Than you're a bigger disappointment than I thought." Hera snaps and I look away from her.
"So what are you going to do then?" I ask but this time I am only looking at Marcus. He has the final say.
"Nothing." He says after a few passing moments of silence. "We do nothing, but let you ruin yourself."
Hera opens her mouth to speak but Marcus cuts her off. "You're getting older Lenora and your mistakes will catch up with you. Continue down this path and you'll lose everything. Your name, your wealth, and your family. Do you think any of us will want anything to do with you then?"
"I hope not." The words slip out of my mouth before I can stop them and Marcus smirks.
"You will regret this," he crosses the room to stand in front of me. Bending over the chair so that we are face to face, "You will regret this sooner than your know. Blood traitors are lower than dirt in my book and deserve everything that's coming to them."
I swallow and look at the wand that sits in his grasped hand. How easy it would be for him to do something about it now, but he stands as people are beginning to come back from dinner now. Too many witnesses, I think. Marcus nods for his friends to follow, but Peregrine doesn't move. His eyes are studying me closely and he shakes his head before walking away.
"What about you?" I ask turning to look over at Hera.
"What about me?" She hisses, standing up to get away from me.
"Are you telling mother?" I ask. I could stand up to Hera and Marcus and whoever else followed them around the school, but my mother? My mother would bring me home, keep me locked away, and reteach me to act accordingly.
"No, Lenora." Hera finally says, "Marcus said to do nothing. So as of right now, you are nothing until otherwise."
She walks away before I can respond and I curl myself into the large leather chair. I want to cry. I want to scream at them. I want to throw things and ask them how they can be so cruel. Instead, I stand on shaky legs and walkout the common room door.
The corridors of Hogwarts are quiet as curfew will be in effect soon. Knowing this, I quickly walk up the stairs towards the prefects bathroom. The only place I can think to hide.
My footsteps echo across the empty halls and I am so engrossed in my own thoughts that I am not paying close attention to what's around me. Unfortunately, this causes me to forget about the fake step in the staircase and my foot breaks through with a loud crash. I stumble forward, catching myself on the staircase.
This causes me to swear. I lay on the steps for a moment and decide if I should just finish rolling myself the rest of the way down the next staircase. It would be easy. It would also cause me to hide away in the hospital wing for the next few nights.
"Nora?" A voice calls from above me and I glance up to find George and Fred making their way down the staircase. "You alright?"
"I'm wonderful, thank you." I respond, trying to pick myself up, but stumbling forward again. "If you could just leave me here though, that'd be great."
The twins chuckle and hurry down the steps towards me. "As much as I would love too," George says as he tucks his hands under my armpits to lift me up, "I couldn't bare to let Mrs. Norris catch a prefect out past curfew. What would Percy say?"
"I know what my sister would say," I grumble.
George and Fred glance at each other. After a few assorted shrugs and eyebrow lifts, Fred nods in what looks like agreement to something. I watch them carefully, amazed by their secret way of communication.
"Want to come to the greenhouses with us?" George finally asks. I pull my pendant watch out and lift a brow. It was almost curfew.
"Greenhouses?" I question, but don't say no. "For what?"
"Mandrake leaves" George answers with a quick smirk.
"Mandrake leaves?" I question but the reasoning hits me quickly. "You're going to try to become an animagus?" I gasp.
George lifts his brows in an excited way. His smile brightening up his entire face.
"We didn't ask for a lecture," Fred says.
"I know, it's just dangerous," I say, but something stops me from continuing. I picture my sister's face, Marcus' words flood my brain, and suddenly I'm smiling, "I want in."
George kicks up an eyebrow in surprise, but he smiles back at me, "Let's go then."
"There's only one problem," I tell them as we sneak down the corridor. "There's no way out of the castle -not with the dementors."
"Ah, Nora," Fred says with a glance over his shoulder. "You underestimate us."
"There was always a way out of the castle." George grins.