Ophelia wanted to break something.
Of all people, she would have thought that Dumbledore would understand! And who was he to talk about moving on anyway? Ophelia had moved on! Well, at least she had moved on enough. If she hadn't, she reasoned, she would never have been able to run away from her uncle in the first place. What did it matter if she'd completely moved on anyway? It wasn't like she ever considered going back to him. Not seriously, at least...
Back in her common room, the letter appeared to stare daggers at her from the end of her four poster, daring her to open it. The parchment was thick expensive; it always was with her uncle. He had what he liked to call "discriminating taste," but it only made for a more expensive fire when she burned the letters in the end.
Still, she glared back at the letter, unsigned, as per usual. Thank Merlin for that, too, or Fawley would have seen and Ophelia would have to leave before she told anyone just who exactly Dumbledore was harboring within Hogwarts walls.
On impulse, she stuffed the envelope into her thrice used, thrice beaten up Ancient Runes textbook- no one would be snooping through that any time soon- and tossed both into the scattered confines of her trunk, locking it tight. Out of sight, out of mind.
III
One thing the teachers always leave out when detailing the consequences of ditching class was how genuinely therapeutic it was to be free as a bird while everyone else was suffering through lessons. There's really no other feeling quite like it. Sure, Ophelia had doubtlessly earned a one way ticket straight to detention, but it seemed worth it at the time. She skipped supper, as well, not wanting to feel the pressure of everyone's eyes on her due to that spectacle she'd put on at breakfast, and, just to be thorough, breakfast again the next morning.
She'd really blown it. It would be amazing if a single person in the school didn't know her name and face now. Years of trying to remain in obscurity, all ruined because of one girl and, Ophelia was forced to admit, her own temper. The problem could have been avoided if she'd been paying attention, but she hadn't been expecting another letter so soon. Usually, her uncle only sent one letter every few months. Had something happened? Was he injured?
Just the thought made her chest tighten with worry. Dumbledore had been more right than he realized. She still cared about her Uncle, despite all he'd done. How much easier it would be if she could flip off those emotions, like a switch. She didn't want him hurt, or especially dead, even if it enabled him to hurt others. The thought that something happened was almost enough to convince her to dig up the letter and rip it open. She didn't, though. If she opened it and found out he was in trouble, no force in heaven or Earth could have kept her at Hogwarts, and that was a chance she couldn't afford to take.
A sound not unlike the crunch of gravel alerted her to someone behind her, but she didn't make any moves to acknowledge them until they spoke.
"I agree, that was quite a show you put on yesterday, missy, but you're being a bit dramatic, don't you think?"
"How'd you know I was here?"
Ephiriam, her fellow Prefect, clucked his tongue in disapproval. "The professors are having a field day looking for you, you know."
"I'm going to go to class, so tell them they can punish me at their leisure in a half a hour."
"Tell them yourself." He nudged her side to indicate she should make room and plopped down beside her. "I had brought you food, but it looks like you don't need it."
He nodded to the spread before her of buttered toast, glistening berries, soft cheese, and various flaky pastries.
"Someone told me how to raid the kitchens over holiday," she explained at his non-question."The house elves were a little... overenthusiastic."
She offered him a grape, but he waved it off.
"It's really no wonder why no one can find you," he mused. "I nearly fell to my death three times just trying to climb up here."
"That's sort of the point."
"Wow, just as delightful as always, I see," he laughed. "I suppose I have to admit, it is quite a view."
They took in the grounds, blanketed by a fresh layer of snow, to the students slipping and sliding over the half frozen lake and then the powder capped trees of the Forbidden Forest. It seemed the only place that wasn't covered was the small square upon the shingles of Gryffindor Tower where they sat.
"You didn't answer my question," Ophelia pressed after a moment. "How did you know I was here?"
"Easy. I saw you slipping through the window when I was coming through the portrait hole past curfew one night about a year or so ago. I'd nearly forgotten about it, to be honest. I figured maybe it wasn't a one time thing." He shrugged. "Although, I don't know how your neck is still perfectly unbroken, coming up here as often as I imagine you probably do. Plus, it's freezing."
"No one told you to come up here, you know. Your delicate constitution would be perfectly safe and warm in the common room," Ophelia countered, wrinkling her nose in annoyance.
"I know, but what are friends for if not to risk their necks, literally in this case, to smuggle food to each other?"
"I didn't know we were friends."
He brought a hand to his chest in mock offense. "Of course we're friends, my dear, frozen companion. Why wouldn't we be?"
"I hardly talk to you," she said shortly.
He waved that off. "You hardly talk to anybody. I figured you're just quiet and who was I to disturb you? By my count, I talk to you most, because of Prefect meetings, and therefor I should be considered your best friend. I'm hurt that you disagree."
"My condolences."
"I don't think you mean that."
"How astute."
"I'm hurt."
"Sounds like a you problem."
His brows furrowed as a thought struck him. "Wait, I haven't been overthrown by that Slytherin bunch have I?"
Despite everything, Ophelia found herself laughing, the dark mood lifting slightly. "You can't be overthrown if you were never on top to begin with."
"You're breaking my heart. Truly."
"Anyway, I don't think they'll want me hanging around anymore."
"You think?" he asked, handing her a slice of toast and cheese.
"I attacked Tom's... er... 'friend'. Would you want me back for another round?"
"No way, but Tom's strange."
"I don't think he would appreciate your honesty nearly as much as I do."
"Tom's a reasonable bloke. I'm sure he loves me," he said, imbued with an impossible amount of confidence. "For what it's worth, though, he looked frustrated that you didn't show at breakfast, or at least as frustrated as I've ever seen him, which is still hardly at all."
"Yeah; whatever you say." Ophelia stood up, brushing off his words. The food conveniently folded itself away in a descriptively small basket gifted upon her by the kitchen elves. "Unless you'd like to join me in detention later, we should probably get going."
He groaned in exaggerated agony, rising to his feet. "Can't have that, can we? What sort of example would we be setting for the kiddies, two prefects in detention?"
Ephiriam slid through the open window first, but only after first extracting promises from Ophelia stating she'd catch him if his hands slipped. The fact that she'd managed it dozens of times without incident didn't seem to reassure him much.
"Longbottom, I swear, if you don't get a move on, you won't need to worry about slipping. I'll push you clean off this Tower here and now," she threatened, her patience evaporating faster the closer it got to the start of Defense.
"I'm going, I'm going. No need to get violent." he reproached.
Inside, they parted ways, him to fetch a book he'd promised Augusta, a fellow Gryffindor of their year, and Ophelia heading straight to class.
It was truly one of those chance situations that seemed so meaningless at the time, but snowballed into something much bigger. Had he not gone back for that book, she would not have been walking down that second floor corridor alone, too rushed to notice she was being followed until two more stepped into her path, trapping her between them.
Slowly, she trailed to a stop, her eyes darting back and forth between the two girls before her. "Fawley, Black. Hello."
"Blood traitor," Walburga greeted with a surprising amount of civility in her tone, words notwithstanding.
"Mudblood," Fenella spat, less politely.
So this is how this encounter is going to go, Ophelia thought, sighing internally. Just great.
"I'd meant to apologize for yesterday," Ophelia began tentatively, deciding it was best to bite the bullet and get it over with before things escalated. "I really shouldn't have drawn my wand on you."
"Oh, is that all?" Fenella seethed. "You made a fool out of me in front of the entire school!"
Ophelia bit down her retort, something along the lines of "You really didn't need my help. That was all you," and said in a calm, pacifying tone, "That was never my intention, but I'm sorry if that was the result. I only wished to protect my privacy."
"I don't care why you did it!" she shouted, furious. "Diffindo!"
The blow bounced back before Ophelia even consciously realised she raised her wand to cast a shield charm.
"You're disgraceful, Fenella, to allow this half-breed to get the better of you twice," Walburga sniffed, wrinkling her nose in disgust at her friend. Beside her, Fenella went cherry red. "Allow me."
"Let's just talk ab-" Ophelia began hastily, only to be cut off by the force a blow cracking into her shield. She managed to maintain a hold on her wand, but only barely. She narrowed her eyes at the dark haired girl. Walburga had managed to cast such a powerful spell without so much as a whisper. "I refuse fight you."
"We're not asking you to fight!" Fenella shot out a quick succession of curse after curse, slashing her wand wildly through the air without much technique. "Only to learn your place and take what's coming to you!"
Even though Ophelia took several harried backsteps to mitigate the brunt of the force, her shield held. The narrow corridor caused the spells to bounce off in unpredictable directions, often leaving scorch marks engraved in the walls.
Two people. Ophelia could take on two people without anyone getting hurt, right? If she didn't mind sending them for an extended stay in the hospital wing, this would be over in a matter of seconds, but she did mind. She'd already hurt Fenella once and that alone made her sick to her stomach. She was past hurting others for her own benefit. That wasn't who she was anymore. She was better than that.
Running was one option, although not necessarily a good one. They'd simply follow and hex her when her back turned. Performing a full body bind was a compelling choice, except for the fact that by the time she bound one girl, the other would have ample time to attack with her shield down. That only left-
Her train of thought sputtered to a stop when her back collided with something solid, something that definitely wasn't a wall.
"Miss us?" one of the boys stage whispered in her ear, sending chills ricocheting down her spine, before wrapping an arm around hers in a tight hold. The other boy followed suit.
She recognized them, of course. They were the same two who'd taunted her months ago, refusing to return her bag until Tom ordered them to. They'd been a thorn in her side for years.
"That's the difference between you and us, freak!" Walburga spat, now close enough to touch, had Ophelia not been restrained. "We think things through. We understand the use of alliances to achieve a common goal."
"I've never done anything to you three," Ophelia said, straining herself to look at everyone except Fenella. "Why are you doing this? Aren't you worried a teacher will see?"
"Only speak when you're spoken to," Fenella commanded, sounding more confident now that Ophelia was incapacitated. "Actually, on second thought, we can't have you calling for help until you've learned your lesson..."
"I'll do it," Walburga volunteered.
Ophelia opened her mouth to shout, only for nothing except a slight whistle of air to escape her lips as Walburga cast another silent spell.
"What should we do with you? Wouldn't it be fair to knock you against a wall until you fall unconscious, like you did me?" Fenella pondered, tapping her wand contemplatively. "Maybe you need a more permanent reminder of what happens when you step out of place. A scar that not even the nurse can remove seems like a good place to start..."
Ophelia stopped struggling, since each grab for freedom ended only in a more constructing hold by her captors. Pinpricks dances along the tips of her fingers from where their grip already constructed blood flow.
Too the best of her limited ability, she stood up straight. She'd take whatever was coming and then move on with her life. Really, didn't she have it coming, just a bit? She'd started this ridiculous feud and it was high time she accepted the consequences , whatever they may be. It wasn't like they could do too much damage in the middle of Hogwarts, either. It was slight consolation that there was no real, mortal danger, and that she was no stranger to pain.
Ophelia let her eyelids flutter closed, allowing herself to grow distant from the situation. Their words grew muted and far off as they discussed what to do with her.
You could easily break into their minds via legilimency, a seductive voice whispered in the dark recess of her mind she'd retreated into. Project images, horrible, awful images, into their mind until they claw at their eyes and rip each other apart in their confusion. It would hardly be a trial to drive the whole lot of them mad.
Ophelia shook off the dark thought as quickly as it came.
That's not who I am, she reminded herself firmly.
Ophelia knew they must have come to some sort of agreement the moment she slammed into the hard, stone wall. Black spots danced across her vision, but she wasn't lucky enough to fall unconscious, as Fenella had the day before. The taste of blood coating her mouth told her enough about the state of her tongue, and the back of her head felt like it surely must have been flattened from the collision, but otherwise she was well. Well enough. No permanent damage.
Fenella said something, not that Ophelia could hear it beneath her own thoughts.
I'm not here. It'll be over soon. I'm not here. I'm not here.
Fenella's nails dig into Ophelia's jaw as she hurled more insults her way, growing increasingly incensed when Ophelia didn't open her eyes or otherwise react.
I'm not here.
"Stop this foolishness!" a new voice thundered, cutting through Ophelia's mental isolation and making her eyes fly wide.
A/N
Sorry for the hold up. I'm kind of in the middle of final exams so I've been busy haha. I love comments tho, they really keep me motivated to keep writing, so keep them coming. Who do y'all think the voice is?