TWENTYSEVEN
Eve decided that her favorite cat was the grey English shorthair directly two dishes to the left of Umbridge's head. Eve had spent the last two minutes watching it play with a pink roll of yarn from the corner of her eye, the kitten showing little interest in anything else occurring around it. Eve felt similarly to her own current situation taking place.
Umbridge had called Eve to her office only a few minutes ago but had spent the entire time thus far scribbling lines in a pink feathered notepad. Her quill moved fast in her hands, and ever so often, the professor would look up to carefully study Eve's appearance. Eve was sure the words the woman was writing were little use to her, as she was certain the entire charade was just another one of Umbridge's games to waste precious time belonging to herself and those under her command. The woman did work for the government, after all.
"Miss de Santos."
Umbridge broke the silence of the office just as Eve's kitten overreached for the yarn, the tiny grey furball stumbling onto its stomach and the yarn ball rolling in the opposite direction and out of the plate frame. The kitten glanced at Eve in embarrassment.
"It's unfortunate that we have to meet in my office again," Umbridge remarked, taking the pink feather of her quill and placing it neatly down on the desk in front of her, her notepad beside it shutting itself closed in one sweeping motion of magical secrecy. Eve was sure there had to be mention of the exceedingly dull look that she knew had adored her face for the last few minutes.
"Yes, professor. Very unfortunate," Eve replied, not knowing entirely what else to say on the matter.
"As you should be very aware, the incident between yourself and Mr. Wells was tremendously inappropriate and a violation of school policy, as of Educational Degree No. 26," Umbridge continued.
Eve nodded and glanced past Umbridge's shoulder. The kitten had gotten hold of the yarn again and was looking as smug as ever. Eve was smart enough not to smile, though.
"I have every reason to write to your parents, although I do not expect much discipline to be done, judging by your natural behavior as a student here. Muggles do have such different ways..."
At this, Eve did grin a bit, watching as Umbridge returned the favor with a tight-lipped smile. If only the woman knew a fraction of the illicit behavior that Hogwarts students got up to right under her watchful eye. Eve supposed the professor must have made the executive decision to uncover the muggleborn slags first, though.
"I've contacted your head of house, Pomona Sprout, to inform her of your behavior, and she has told she would like to handle it herself," Umbridge said, although she did not seem at all pleased with this information.
Eve did her best to nod and look sincerely contemplative at the woman's words, although it had little effect on Umbridge's stare. They both must have known Professor Sprout had no intention of disciplining Eve. And with this recognition from Eve, Umbridge continued.
"I am aware also that you and Mr. Wells are on the Hufflepuff quidditch team together."
Eve couldn't stop her eyes from widening at these words, and Umbridge's smile grew, obviously pleased at the girl's reaction finally.
"I cannot, in my best interest as the head of this school, allow such a vulnerable environment for you two to be in together."
Eve stared dumbfounded at the woman's words before immediately feeling just as surprised by her own stupidity. Why on earth did she think for a moment that Umbridge would let her off with just a new scar and a detention from Sprout? Of course, this would happen. She felt her heart retch at the imagined look on Fernando's face as he got the news.
"Take me off," Eve said, so quickly and with far less ease than she had intended, but there was desperation now in her panic. Umbridge raised a brow, her smile twisting to the side in some sick resemblance of a cartoon villain Eve would watch as a child.
"You're not separating us if we are both off the team. So just take me off, leave Fernando. He's captain, anyways. I can be replaced," Eve finished, nodding her head in some pathetic attempt to win her own words over.
Umbridge took a moment to stare at the girl and mull over her plea carefully. And if anything was going to win the professor over, Eve realized now, it was pitifulness.
"Well, you are right, Miss de Santos. You can be replaced."
Eve let herself release a sigh and drop her gaze down to her lap, her eyes grazing over the folds in her skirt, and mindlessly she rubbed her palms down to smooth out the creases. Her eyes settled on her hand, and she was reminded again that her punishment wasn't over just yet.
As if reaping an instinct for fear, Umbridge placed a solid black quill in front of Eve, and a blank piece of parchment appeared beside it. Or had it always been there? Eve couldn't think now.
"You are familiar with my detentions already, Miss de Santos," Umbridge said, a small giggle erupting from her lips as she watched Eve mindlessly grab the quill from her desk.
"I must not be found alone with boys."
Eve would have laughed if she hadn't already had the anticipation of pain plaguing her skin. But she didn't allow it to show on her face. Not even when she finished 'must' and felt the familiar scrapping in her left hand. And even when she finished the line for a second time, and then a third and fourth, sure that she broke skin by then, the discomfort did not expose on her face.
Eve was determined to show Umbridge that she hadn't fully succumbed to the ordeal of her visit, that even if she had pleaded with the professor only moments ago, it was only in the girl's best interest. As the lines on the parchment grew longer, it served as a reminder that Eve wasn't affected at all. That it was easy for her, actually. In fact, Umbridge had been wasting Eve's time all along.
Eve only looked up finally to glance at the plate of the grey English shorthair. The kitten had decided at some point during the unfolding drama to abandon the string altogether and take a nap, the pink ball of yarn serving as the kitten's own pronouncement of wasted boredom as well. If anything, Eve thought, at least she wasn't locked in this pink hellscape of an office all day long.
"Your time is up, Miss de Santos. Please take your things and leave my office. I hope your time spent here will be receptive to your future behavior at this school."
Oh, you have no idea.
"Thank you, professor," Eve replied, nodding and swiftly grabbing her bookbag from beside her seat.
"Oh, and of course-"
Eve had only made it a few steps towards the office door. She turned and was greeted by the cartoon smile once again.
"Do hand over your broomstick to my office by tomorrow morning. You won't be needing it anymore, after all."
Eve only replied with a nod before turning on her heels and flying out the door. She started down the stairs, her eyes dropping to her hand to study the new cut that had replaced her first scar from the woman. She wiped the blood with her sleeve and looked away.
Walking into the empty DADA classroom, Eve was a bit surprised at her lack of emotions over the ordeal that had just transpired. She thought of the tears that had streamed her face the moment she walked out of Umbridge's office the first time she had shared detention with the deranged professor. Had Eve really changed that much? She felt almost glad of it.
Eve slipped out of the classroom quickly, not even bothering to close the door behind her, as she was sure Umbridge's activities were hardly over for the day. It was only lunchtime, after all. There was still plenty of torment to fill for the day.
And Eve's assumptions were proven correct when she was greeted with the familiar color of fiery auburn heads. Fred and George were sat directly across from Umbridge's classroom, talking amongst themselves in casual carelessness, although it was easy to guess the purpose for their present placement. Fred was the first to notice her as she approached the pair.
"Eve, what a surprise to see you here," Fred grinned.
"Can't exactly say the same about you two," Eve replied, taking a seat on the open side of the bench next to Fred, a loud huff escaping her lips as she dropped her bag to her side.
"What was it then?" Eve asked.
"We've been accused of setting the dungbombs off last night," George chimed, tilting his head a bit to glance under Fred's shoulder at her. Eve could see his gaze travel down to her hand on her lap.
"You were the ones that set off the dungbombs," Eve replied.
"An accusation is not an admission of guilt, Eve," Fred stated confidently, lifting to wave his finger as if he had just shared some sort of momentous information with her, "We deserve a fair trial and hearing."
"When the fuck has Umbridge ever cared about what's fair?"
There was a moment of silence after Eve's words, for even a reckless and foul-mouthed pair like the Weasley twins couldn't help but find shock in her language. Eve didn't even use 'bloody' in her vocabulary, for bloody sake.
"Mr. Weasley!"
Umbridge's voice rang through the classroom and out into the corridor. Fred fidgeted in his seat, glancing between George and Eve, before getting up.
"Suppose she didn't preference which one."
Eve watched Fred slip inside the classroom and shut the door behind him without another word. She listened to his loud footsteps fade with each second before she was sure he was up the stairs. Feeling George's eyes burning into her side profile, Eve finally turned to him.
"Filch caught Fernando and I last night on our way back," Eve said, meeting George's eyes only to watch them raise in surprise. He ran his hands through his hair and let out a loud sigh.
"What did she do?" George began before shaking his head to ask a better question, "What did you tell her?"
"I didn't have to tell her anything," Eve shrugged, "Fernando kissed me right as Filch found us. I'm only guilty of teenage fornication."
George let out a loud whistle, a massive grin breaking onto his face as he turned to glance at the closed door of the classroom ahead of them. Eve felt herself laugh, perhaps finally letting out the one she had held in back in the office. It was a ridiculous execution of events and yet perfectly done indeed.
"Seems you've made a habit out of sneaking off with boys in the late of night," George remarked, turning to Eve again with a shake of his head. Eve rolled her eyes.
"Yes, well, you of all people should know that's also a habit shared by Fernando," Eve muttered, taking a quick look at George to read his reaction to her words. He grinned and let out a light laugh.
"You've got me there, Miss de Santos."
George's address of her name made Eve remember again what she had just dealt with and then what was to become of the dealing. She frowned and stared across at the classroom door.
"I'm off the quidditch team."
"What?!"
George's outburst caused a few passing students to turn from their strolls in alarm. Eve went to shush him, but when the students saw who the yelling had come from, they immediately turned away with knowing unsurprise.
"She wanted to kick us both off, but I offered myself alone. It's Fernando's last year, and the team means so much to him," Eve shrugged.
"That's hardly bloody called for, though," George replied, his voice coming down to match with Eve's again, although he held the aggravation in his tone.
"You of all people shouldn't be surprised, George," Eve sighed, turning to him now to meet his furrowed stare.
"I got kicked off the team for punching a boy—multiple times. You got kicked off for kissing one. That's hardly the same thing."
"There's nothing to do now, anyway. I turn in my broom to her tomorrow, and then my quidditch career will be officially over," Eve said, shrugging in whatever careless nature she could muster. She gave a small smile to the still frowning George.
"Shame it happened right when I was getting good."
George scoffed at her words, but Eve could see a slight grin emerging from the frown.
"You've always been good, Eve," George replied, rolling his eyes in a manner of fact nature, "You're speaking to someone that has been playing against you for years."
"I hardly remember playing with you at all," Eve remarked, and although her tone was playful, her words weren't exactly untrue. A year ago, she couldn't even tell George and his brother apart. Two twin beaters, although memorable, were hardly distinguishable for any player in the sky.
"Well, I remember," George remarked, shrugging lightly and glancing at the closed classroom once more. After a moment, he turned back to her with a grin, and with one quick motion of a scoot, closed the space in the bench between them that had been left by his brother only a few minutes before.
"Careful George," Eve grinned, glancing down at their now touching thighs, "I'm quite the dangerous temptress to be around in these halls."
"Says who? The old cat lady that hasn't been shagged since the First Wizarding War?" George asked, his grin growing ever the cheekier as his face wandered closer to hers.
"Yes, indeed. And I have the branding to prove it," Eve replied, raising her arm and filling the space between their faces with her hand. George's eyes immediately went to the fresh cut beside her knuckles, reading over Umbridge's words delicately. "I must not be found alone with boys."
"I'll have you know," George said after a moment, taking Eve's raised hand in his own and tracing the lines with his thumb, "I have no intention of following this order."
"Nor do I," Eve replied, a smile spreading wide on her face as her eyes flicked between their held hands and George's closely awaiting lips. He must have known what she was thinking because George took a mindful glance around the corridor before reaching with his free hand to cup Eve's cheek and press her lips onto his.
The kiss was short but momentarily exhilarating and entirely dangerous, which made it all the more fun. It was the kiss that should have earned the detention, Eve thought.
"Oh, you two are bloody ballsy for that."
Eve was swift to detach her lips from George's, turning her head to find a wide-eyed Fred stood at the now open doorway of Umbridge's classroom.
"We were found guilty, by the way," Fred continued, lifting his hand to show freshly cut words.
"Yeah, well, sorry about that," Eve muttered, standing from her spot on the bench and throwing her bookbag over her shoulder. She glanced at George, feeling at once her cheeks burn red, but the boy only replied with a laugh.
"Off to cause more mayhem, then?" Fred asked although Eve was already making a beeline for the closest exit of the corridor. She didn't make any attempt to reply, and she certainly didn't turn to see what the twins' expressions might have looked like.
Even with a term spent growing secret plants and joining an illegal student army, Eve was sure she had never done something so bold in her life. Breaking Umbridge's rules was one thing; Eve already had experience doing that. But to kiss a boy, in the middle of a corridor, with anyone to see, including his brother, was a whole other matter to play with. George hadn't even brought up the nature of their romantic exploits yet. She didn't even know if George had told Fred anything about them, although she supposed he knew something was going on with them judging by his reaction.
Eve felt a whirl of butterflies in her stomach and a warm flush rise again on her face. She couldn't quite understand the emotion that overcame her at that very moment. Was it plain hormonal passion, teenage loving desire, pure blissful embarrassment even? Perhaps it was all those things and yet not quite any of them at all. But it was a feeling of unequivocal measure, and with great haste, it made her forget the dull ache coming from her hand altogether.
