Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter series. Unfortunately.
Author's Note:
HEEELLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOOOO!
On a less climatic note, this chapter got out way faster than the previous one. Two months faster, if we're gonna be specific. *Sheepish laugh*
Christmas is literally right around the corner, you guys, and I absolutely hate it. Christmas shopping never fails to frustrate me. And the crowds. God the crowds make me want to attempt homicide with all the Christmas crazies that haunt the malls and the nicer stores.
On another side note, I'M 20 NOW. Feels no different than 19, but I'm 20! One year closer to the big 21.
Now. On to the story! Please enjoy this chapter~!
No Promises.
Chapter F.O.U.R
_"Displeasure"_
"If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished?" -Rumi
Breakfast the next morning was...painful, to put it simply.
"Glaring at her isn't gonna change anything, you two," I reminded softly from my usual spot between the Twins as they glared daggers at one female Prefect, who was studiously ignoring them. Hermione's eyes never left the book she was reading through as she carefully ate the cereal that was in front of her without ruining her book. Beside her, Ron spoke quietly to Harry, who definitely looked like he had woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.
Trelawney's dream diary assignment was being put off to the side as I could bullshit a dream just as easily as the next person, so I was instead putting the final touches on Binns' essay, relieved that I had managed to get the length he had asked for. I was reluctant to start Snape's essay, but since it was Snape and I needed the grade, I vowed to start it during dinner after Herbology ended.
"It sure makes me feel better," Fred grumbled spitefully, stabbing at his oatmeal.
"Threatening to write to our Mum," George snorted, rolling his eyes heavenward, but I knew deep down, he was taking that threat seriously. "What are we, a bunch of first years tattling on one another for some stupid reason? She's being ridiculous."
"She's just doing what a Prefect is supposed to do," I soothed, phrasing my words carefully and neutrally as I gently packed away my essay. "You two should've known better anyway. What were you thinking, using some of your products on some first years in the middle of the common room like that?"
"It was us conducting business," George defended.
"And it's not like there was any lasting effects on them," Fred added his own two cents, looking affronted. "They willingly volunteered."
Probably because you two promised to pay them for the trouble of willingly eating a pastel that was meant to make them faint.
Walking into the common room last night after my trip to the kitchens, I was met with chaos in the form of the Twins, Lee Jordan, and Hermione Granger squaring off with a huddle of first years sitting around the three boys. Hermione had been horrifyingly livid when she had seen the Twins giving untested products to a bundle of first years, protesting that it could be dangerous for them and that the three should stop. The Twins, of course, had brushed off her shouts and threats easily until she threatened to write to one Molly Weasley about what they were doing.
That had definitely gotten them to shut up.
Hermione had left that fight looking very irritated—a part of that was probably because Ron hadn't backed her up against his brothers; instead, he had hidden himself at a table beside Harry trying his damned hardest to be invisible—and had gone to bed early without even finishing the Potions essay that Snape had assigned us that very morning.
The Twins had carried a grudge with them to the breakfast table and it didn't seem to be going away anytime soon. The rain hitting against the windows and the fact that Hagrid wasn't at the staff breakfast table certainly matched their current mood.
I took a bite from one of the apples Letty had given me last night. "Maybe you should find another business spot, then," I suggested. "Now that you've pretty much ratted yourselves out to Hermione, she's just gonna be on the hunt for you two and Jordan in the Common Room. Why not use one of the empty classrooms down in the dungeons?"
Both boys quickly shook their heads. "That's Snape's territory. We're not getting caught selling our stuff down there by him. We'll lose everything we've worked for in a millisecond."
"You're being silly. So long as you're careful, the dungeons are the last place anyone would expect a secret business to be run. I can practically give you a schedule for Snape's patrols if you really want me to."
"No way," They said firmly, turning their noses up at me.
"Okay, how about Myrtle's bathroom then?"
"Georgie, did she say what I think she just said?"
"I think she did, Freddie. Our Hayden has officially lost her marbles."
I scowled, pushing down the flush that wanted to stain my cheeks. "Then what do the two geniuses here suggest? Do you two have any better ideas than what I'm offering?"
There were only so many open spaces available for anything not supervised by teachers, but there was also very little that the teachers would let the students get away with without proper supervision. I highly doubted a business-in-the-making was something they would allow to just slide on by. And Fred and George couldn't very well just skip class to make a couple Galleons because this was their final year and they had to do good in their classes so that they could graduate. They wouldn't be getting out of here with a Troll in N.E.W.T Herbology.
I'd kill them with my bare hands if they even tried that.
I blinked. When had I started caring about what grades they got in their classes?
Fred shrugged his shoulders carelessly. "We'll do what we do best."
"Prank people for a good laugh?"
George smirked mischievously. "Almost, but not quite." He leaned closer to whisper in my ear, like he was about to tell me his darkest secret. My heart thumped painfully. "We're gonna wing it."
I reared back and gaped incredulously at them. "Wing it?!" They immediately shushed me, hands slapping over my mouth. Heads turned to us curiously, but most quickly went back to their previous conversations.
"Tell the whole school our plan, why don't you?" George snarked sarcastically, removing his hand first since it was on top, Fred following suit. The skin around my mouth stung from the slap and I rubbed the spot petulantly.
"That's by far your stupidest plan ever," I said flatly. "You two are practically certified pranking geniuses and you're going to go around telling everyone that your business first started out by you winging out your sales blindly."
"We are not," Fred protested in a mock offended tone.
"We have some type of plan," George insisted at my disbelieving look. "We're just gonna wing it entirely."
"Coming from you, that's hard for me to believe," I mumbled, finishing off my apple and placing it on George's empty plate. The two had practically caused a scene when I had only pulled out my apple to eat for breakfast. They had half a mind to Body-Bind me and shove food down my throat, but stopped that thought after I half-heartedly promised to eat more at lunch, which I had absolutely no intention of.
These two will never understand that I don't need to eat as much as a horse to be full.
"What was that, Hayden?"
"Nothing, Fred," I said sweetly. "I didn't say anything."
George shook his head. "Our Hayden is awful at lying, Freddie."
Fred nodded in agreement. "I have to agree with you there, Georgie."
I swatted both of their arms. "I am not an awful liar, you two!" Both merely laughed at me, reaching around to hug me simultaneously. I crossed my arms awkwardly in the hug and refused to acknowledge either of them. Looking through the strands of red that were invading my eyesight, I glanced up and down the Ravenclaw table for Terra and was upset to see she wasn't here. Seems she wasn't a huge breakfast fan.
Around us, I noticed several Ravenclaws and Gryffindors getting out of their seats and were leaving the Great Hall. I knew that was my cue to leave.
I shrugged my way out of the arms of the Twins and stood up. "I'll see you guys later. I've gotta get to Double Charms before I'm late." I waved goodbye and hurried after my classmates.
Walking into Charms and immediately being greeted with a small lecture about our upcoming O.W.L.'s and their importance was not what I had pictured the second day to go. The lax looks on my classmates told the world how much they thought the same as well.
"What you must remember," Professor Flitwick squeaked, perched high on a pile of books so that he could see over the top of his desk, "is that these examinations may influence your futures for many years to come! If you have not already given serious thought to your careers, now is the time to do so. And in the meantime, I'm afraid, we shall be working harder than ever to ensure that you all do yourselves justice!"
To add on to that horror, we spent almost the whole class period reviewing Summoning Charms, which, according to Professor Flitwick, were bound to come up in our O.W.L. I scowled at the pillow that was ten feet away from me and would not budge an inch. I wasn't the only one struggling with this spell. Apart from Hermione, everyone was struggling to use this spell, even Harry, who had used this spell last year during the first task of the Triwizard Tournament to summon his broomstick from his dorm room.
"I hate this charm," I grumbled, trying and failing to summon the pillow to me again. Jesus, what the hell was I even doing wrong with this spell? Professor Flitwick chose that awful moment to appear at my side and watch my attempt.
"Hmm," He hummed, disappointed. I winced, slightly ashamed and embarrassed. "A little more effort on your part might be required, Miss. Walters. I'm surprised," He admitted. "You normally do very well in my class." I wasn't top in the class since Hermione had claimed that spot back in first year, but I was still up there with the students who consistently got Outstanding's on assignments and exams.
"I'm not sure what about this spell I'm not getting, sir," I said, glaring at the pillow across from me. To my left, Ron successfully summoned his pillow to him, but ended up nailing himself in the face instead of catching it like he probably meant to. "I'm doing the correct arm motions and I'm not mispronouncing the spell, so I'm confused on why the spell isn't working."
Professor Flitwick never got to answer me for Neville's pillow sailed right into the tiny wizard's head and knocked the poor man down. His attention was diverted to Neville, whom apologized profusely and helped the Professor back to his feet. I almost cried when after brushing himself off, Professor Flitwick assigned us to work out a countercharm for the Summoning Charm, expecting it by our next class session.
You spiteful man.
Double Transfiguration was next and it was almost as bad in McGonagall's class than it was in Flitwick's. She started off her class with the sternest expression I'd ever seen on her face.
"You cannot pass an O.W.L.," She said grimly, "without serious application, practice, and study. I see no reason why everybody in this class should not achieve an O.W.L. in Transfiguration as long as they put in the work." Neville made a sad little disbelieving noise from behind me. "Yes, you too, Longbottom," Professor McGonagall said. "There's nothing wrong with your work except lack of confidence. So...today, we are starting Vanishing Spells. These are easier than Conjuring Spells, which you would not usually attempt until N.E.W.T. level, but they are still among the most difficult magic you will be tested on in your O.W.L."
McGonagall couldn't have emphasized anymore how difficult a Vanishing Spell was after that lecture. Upon setting us loose to practice the spell on some snails, everyone was enlightened to just how difficult the year was going to be when no one, except Hermione, of course, could vanish their snail properly for the whole hour we practiced. I considered it a relief that Transfiguration was like a science and I was good at science. I just couldn't explain the theory behind it to save anyone's life. It was a couple minutes before class ended that I made progress.
"Evanesco," I said firmly, pointing my wand at the invertebrate before me and watching in utter satisfaction as the snail vanished. Professor McGonagall, who had been watching me, gave a rare smile and awarded another ten points to Gryffindor for the successful use of the spell and telling everyone else to practice the spell overnight with the exceptions being Hermione and myself. Hermione left that class looking slightly put out. I noticed Harry and Ron making a beeline in the direction of the library without her and laughed under my breath.
I'm glad I beat the procrastinator out of me for the most past during my second year after experiencing the tiniest fraction of Snape's wrath from not finishing an essay for him. To prove that point, I spent the hour break that I had writing up an essay on moonstones for Snape that would hopefully at least get an Exceeds Expectations on it. The man was terrifying and intimidating, but he had high standards for us fifth years whether he liked us or not and I would like to get a good grade in his class if I wanted to move forward into N.E.W.T. level next year.
Arithmancy was the last class I had before lunch all the way up on the seventh floor with Professor Vector, a stern brunette woman who took great pleasure in dumping bucket loads of homework on her students. Anything Math related completely flew over my head when it was being taught, but for some reason, Arithmancy was tolerable and somewhat mediating for me despite the complicated number charts and the countless headaches I had afterwards.
Fred and George, who had claimed desks near the front, turned in their seats after hearing the door open and waved me over with wide grins. Both seemed to have finally gotten over their grudges with Hermione from this morning. I gladly claimed the seat beside Fred just as Professor Vector marched in, face set in a firm expression.
"Settle down," She called, settling herself against her desk. She crossed her arms across her chest as the class of thirteen quieted. "I'm not going to bore you with a speech about your O.W.L.'s like I'm sure your other Professors already have," She began, ignoring the audible sighs of relief from some Hufflepuffs, "because I know that all of you will take my exam seriously." She narrowed her eyes at all of us. "I will not tolerate failure from any of you, including my two N.E.W.T. students, who have been with me since their third year and should know their way around my lessons by now." Fred and George gave her exaggerated thumbs up. "We have until May to review everything from Heart Numbers to comparing and contrasting Character Numbers. So let's all get started."
"That was anti-climatic," Fred and George said, snickering.
"I'd expect nothing less from Professor Vector," I said, admiration for the woman leaking into my voice. I had no intentions of doing anything with Arithmancy once I graduated, but Professor Vector was by far one of my favorite Professors despite her no-nonsense personality and her class was definitely high on the favorites list.
"I think she's about to confess her feelings for the woman, Freddie," George teased.
"It sure does seem that way, doesn't it, Georgie?" Fred laughed.
I flushed. "Shut up, you twats," I huffed. Both boys took turns ruffling my hair affectionately and after hitting both of their hands hard enough to sting, I furiously tried straightening my hair back into place.
"Is there a problem over here, you three?" Professor Vector asked, eyebrow arched. The Twins gave her winning smiles and cheerfully shook their heads in the negative. Inquisitive eyes turned to me. I weakly shook my head. Behind me, some girls were giggling under their breaths and whispering to each other. Professor Vector stared us down for another couple seconds before moving on, reading from the open book in her hands as she walked down the aisles and lectured us.
"I hate you both," I said under my breath, loud enough for them to hear.
"No, you don't," They said confidently.
"I do."
"Lying is an awful habit to get into, Hayden dear!" Fred sang, pinching my cheek gently. My eye twitched as he let go.
"Stop calling me that," I demanded, though a part of me—one that I struggled to ignore since the Platform—desperately hoped they wouldn't take my words seriously and would keep calling me that. "That's not my name."
"It can be," George piped up, writing notes on a piece of parchment. "It's a nickname. Nicknames are part of your original name, so technically we are calling you by your name."
"There's hardly any nicknames you can get out of my name that aren't cringe worthy and that nickname is definitely cringe worthy," I said flatly.
Just my name in general and how it's spelled makes it difficult for a nickname to be possible. It didn't rhyme with anything that would make sense for someone to always call me by and you couldn't make a word out of the two syllables in my name. Mom was disappointed that she couldn't call us by some original girly nickname, but I had no sympathy for her since she was the one who had named me. My sister was in the same boat as me, but she wasn't missing out on anything.
"Well, too bad for you, we like it, so you might as well get used to it," Fred announced, blue eyes daring me to challenge him. "Friends give each other nicknames. We're your friends, aren't we?"
Floundering at the suddenly serious turn in conversation, I struggled for an excuse to give him. "Friends do give each other nicknames, but not something as personal as that, you dummy. I'm not going to walk around calling you Freddie and George Georgie anytime soon!"
"Why not?" I couldn't believe how confused they both were right now just because I didn't approve of a nickname.
"It's too personal!" I said, exasperated. "I hardly know anything about you two to go around calling you Freddie and Georgie."
I noticed immediately when Fred's eyes seemed to darken and an almost fluttery sensation settled in my stomach. My heart was in my throat when he suddenly leaned closer to me with the most roguish smile I had ever seen on his face, eyes dancing and mouth smiling. He was so close that I could count the freckles that were splattered almost artfully across his nose and could smell the peppermint that was heavy on his breath.
"Why not get closer to us then, Hayden?" He asked. My breath stopped completely at how deep his voice had suddenly gotten and my stomach flipped almost painfully. "That can easily be changed, you know. All you have to do is ask us the right questions and we'll give you answers."
My mouth went completely dry and I found that I couldn't answer him right away. My mind was wiped completely blank and I couldn't find the words to say to that. All I could focus on were glinting blue eyes and a mischievous grin that did funny things to me that I couldn't understand at all.
Is Fred...hitting on me right now?
"Are you two done?" I swore loudly and let out a screech as a slipped out of my chair, barely registering the hands that had frantically tried to grab my sleeve, but ended up losing their grip on me. Above me, Hermione was leaning over her desk with a cool expression that belied the irritation on her face. "It's quite hard to concentrate on Professor Vector when all I can hear is you two whispering as loud as you are," She said. To my horror, Professor Vector appeared at her side, mouth pinched.
"I also have to agree with Miss. Granger," She began slowly, eyebrows pulling down into an impressive half-scowl, "that it's quite difficult to teach my class when half of it is more focused on your conversations that my lecture." She snapped her book closed and lowered it to her side. "While I have always given my students free reign of where they sit, I am not above making a seating chart if they cannot focus." Quiet protests were heard from the back and Professor Vector silenced them with a look. "It's only the first day, Miss. Walters, but do I need to separate you and Misters Weasleys?"
"No, ma'am," I said quietly, staying still on the floor.
"No, Professor Vector," Both boys said, clearly ashamed.
Professor Vector scrutinized my face and nodded in satisfaction at what she saw. "Five points from Gryffindor for this disruption." She paused for a second before continuing. "And another five for that language. I do not tolerate such foul words in my class, warranted or not, Miss. Walters." Wincing, I nodded and sat up, accepting the hand Fred offered me and letting him pull me back into my seat.
George slapped his Twin on the back of his head the second Professor Vector had her back turned. "Nice going, you git." Fred winced and rubbed the spot, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye.
"Sorry for that, Hayden," He apologized, truly looking upset.
My words thankfully came back to me and I was able to answer him, "Don't be sorry," I said reassuringly. "I don't blame you at all." I hoped he heard the truthfulness in my voice for I honestly didn't blame him at all for us getting in trouble.
The rest of Arithmancy was spent under Professor Vector's watchful eyes and us taking notes on the review she was giving us on Heart Numbers. Fred was more subdued than normal, but he was as cheerful as always and George kept casting curious glances at his Twin that made no sense to me. Once the bell rang, we packed up our things and hurried down to lunch.
"I never thought this time would come," Fred said, stretching. "I'm starving."
George rubbed his stomach. It audibly growled and I rolled my eyes. "I am, too. I hope there's a good spread today."
"You're both always hungry, I swear." Looking towards the Ravenclaw table, the straw blond hair stuck out like a sore thumb among the crowd of black and brown. I excused myself from the Twins and hurried over to Terra, who was sitting by herself with a textbook wide open and absently eating what looked like vegetable soup. "You're a real pain to find, ya know," I commented, plopping down beside her. Terra startled and breathed a sigh, placing a hand to her heart.
"Don't sneak up on me like that," She reprimanded half-heartedly. "You scared me right out of my body."
I grinned good-naturedly at her. "I didn't mean to. I was hardly being quiet." I leaned closer to her. "Anyway, I'm not really here for a social visit since your House mates are kind of looking at me like I'm a unicorn or something, but I just wanted to ask if Harry has talked to you at all today."
Terra arched an eyebrow. "Potter? He stopped me on my way out from the library this morning, but that was it. Why do you ask?" She blinked in realization. "You're the one who told him to apologize to me, aren't you?"
"I hope you don't mind," I said, feeling unsure. This was a new feeling for me to be acting this close to the Ravenclaw when I knew hardly squat about her. "You were so angry in Defense yesterday that it only seemed like the right thing to do."
"You're not doing this just to keep me from being an enemy to Potter, are you?" Terra asked coolly, expression neutral. I debated giving her a false truth or even lying to her, but I was never a liar to begin with and for some reason, I felt like Terra would just see right through me anyway, so I settled on being honest.
"It's part of it," I admitted. "I don't know the kind of trouble Harry has been getting into lately, but I felt like he could use all the support he can get right now. He doesn't really need more people hating him, especially if they hate him because he was being insensitive. However, I mainly asked him to do it because he had no right to use Cedric like that. Cedric was a great guy and a great friend to everyone. It felt wrong to me if I just let Harry get away with using his name so callously like that."
Terra was quiet for a few moments and I feared that I had made the blond angry with me, but she finally heaved a sigh and said, "I already forgave Potter this morning when he apologized. You don't have to explain yourself anymore." She gave me a barely there grateful look. "I do appreciate you doing that. It means a lot."
The grin I gave her was wide and probably horribly cheesy. "No problem! I'm glad it helped." I got up to leave, but stopped when I remembered Umbridge's words. I was reluctant to pass the message on, but Terra would get in more trouble with Umbridge for not showing up to her detention if I didn't say anything. "You have detention with Umbridge tonight," I told her reluctantly. "It's in her office at six tonight, I think."
Terra gave an impressive scowl. "I know already. The old toad cornered me after Charms earlier to tell me the wonderful news. Ruined my good mood completely, she did. Flitwick had given me ten points for a good Summoning Charm while everyone else couldn't even make their pillows budge."
I perked up and looked a bit closer at the book she was reading. Sure enough, it was this year's assigned Charms book. "You can do the Summoning Charm well?"
She gave me an odd look. "Yes? It's not a hard Charm. It's one of the easiest ones we're going to be learning this year."
Ouch. My pride took a bit of a sting at that, but I welled the irritation with myself down. "Can you help me with it sometime? Charms is normally one of my better classes, but for some reason, I can't get this one Charm down."
Terra looked surprised, but she nodded. "I can help you, sure. I'm not in any extracurriculars, so I have a lot of free time after my afternoon classes are done."
"Can we do it before your detention?" I asked. I was eager to get the Charm down as soon as possible so that I could practice on my own and Terra could get back to whatever it is that she does outside of her classes.
She frowned and shook her head. "I probably should've been a bit more specific," She muttered. "I unfortunately have a Double Period with McGonagall for my last class today and it carries on until dinner starts, so it'd be pointless to try and teach you the Charm with only ten minutes of my time when the toad wants me in her office right at six. Tomorrow would probably be better."
"That's perfectly fine," I said. "After dinner in one of the old Charms classrooms on the third floor?" It was the most common place for students to go when they wanted to practice spells outside of class. Prefects routinely checked it after hours for wandering couples looking for some time alone, but we wouldn't be there until after hours, so we shouldn't experience any problems from any Professors or Prefects.
"That'll work."
"Sweet! Thanks, Terra!" I waved goodbye to her and skipped my way towards the Twins at the Gryffindor table.
To my not-so-complete surprise, Professor Sprout started our lesson with the by-now-normal O.W.L. and its importance lecture. I wondered if it was smart of the teachers to continuously be talking about our O.W.L.'s like they were. We all knew how important they were by now after our first four years of hearing about them, so any sane moron would take them as seriously as our final exams. Constantly restating what we already know would freak out the more anxious and nervous students and Madam Pomfrey would be overrun with crying students who were desperate for a Calming Draught before we could even get through half the year.
"Incendio." The Fanged Geranium that had been hissing at me gave a high-pitched cry as a small flame burned one of its tentacles. It recoiled away from me, sharp fangs still bared at me with hate.
"Excellent casting, Miss. Walters," Professor Sprout praised. "Five points to Gryffindor." I high-fived Parvati, who was next to me. A couple Slytherins on the other side of the room scoffed loudly and cast their own fire charms, only to rear back when their spell was accidentally too strong and ended up making the Fanged Geranium they were trying to contain angrier than they already were. "Oh, you boys!" Professor Sprout hurried down the line, pulling her wand out of her sleeve as she went.
"Shows them right for trying to be cool," Parvati sniggered. She murmured a low "Incendio!" at her plant and happily watched it back off with little more than a whimper.
Scooping out a handful of dragon dung, I creeped closer to my Geranium, who was still pretty stingy with me at the moment and gave a warning hiss. "Oh hush," I reprimanded it. "I'm only trying to give you more fertilizer so you can keep growing, you temperamental little thing." I held up my wand in warning when it gave a slightly lower hiss than before and it grudgingly allowed me to place the fertilizer at its base. It snapped sharp fangs at my gloved hands mockingly as I pulled back. I glared at it.
Damn thing reminded me a lot of my sister.
A lot of us were nursing bruised fingers from being bitten by the angry plants and everyone was dismayed about the essay Professor Sprout assigned us on Self-Fertilizing Shrubs at the end of class. Parvati was quick to beg me to help her with the essay and I ended up following her somewhat reluctantly to the Library after Herbology as we both had a long free period until dinner started.
"This year is ridiculous already," I groaned to the Twins at dinner an hour and half later. The hand that had been burned ached from the constant writing I had put it through today, but remembering Madam Pomfrey had said I could take it off after two days made it somewhat better. I could finally take the itchy bandages off tonight before bed and see how well that disgusting orange paste had actually healed the burn.
"We warned you," Fred sang, sounding very pleased with my misery. Our eyes connected and I hastily looked back down at my plate to grab a grape. Arithmancy was still heavy on my mind. I couldn't get the expression on Fred's face out of my head. His words still rung in my mind and my heart sped up just thinking of them. I gave myself a shake.
Focus. Don't think too much of it. You're probably overreacting anyway.
That annoying part of me that I had grown to hate seemed to cry at that thought.
"Don't get too behind," Lee said, once again across from me. "If you get behind now, there's no catching back up. Not without sacrificing sleep for a couple nights."
"You would know that, wouldn't you, Jordan?" I asked sarcastically, vindictively pleased at the embarrassed look on his face.
"And here I was trying to offer you my infinite wisdom," He bemoaned, touching his hand to his face dramatically.
"If I wanted your wisdom, I'd have asked for it." I speared a piece of salad and popped it into my mouth. The tips of Lee's mouth twitched, like he was struggling to repress a grin.
"You wound me, Hayden."
"You'll get over it."
"What if I don't?"
"Then that's your problem."
"Okay, you two," George interrupted. "Does Uncle George need to separate you two again?"
My eye twitched violently and I shuddered. "Please don't ever call yourself that ever again." Lee laughed at the disgusted look that I had no doubt was on my face.
George grinned wickedly. "Does it make you uncomfortable, Hayden dear?"
"As a matter of fact, it does."
"Oi," Fred nudged us both and nodded his head down the table. "Angelina's on the warpath." I leaned backwards to see around the Twins and grimaced at the spitting mad look the seventh year Chaser was sporting as she marched towards an unsuspecting Harry.
"She must've found out about Harry's detentions with Umbridge." I pitied Harry for the outburst he was going to get from Angelina. The woman was taking Quidditch very seriously this year now that Wood had graduated and she was made Captain.
"How many did she even give him?" Lee asked. "I thought it was just the one tonight?"
"No," I shook my head, "Umbridge gave him detention for the rest of the week. He has to go see her every day at five until Friday." Lee gave a wince, but didn't say anything as he shoved a piece of chicken into his mouth.
Fred and George whistled sympathetically. "That's gotta suck. No wonder Angelina's all mad. She had specially requested the pitch Friday night just for us and Keeper tryouts and really wanted the whole team there."
"Unfortunately for her, she's just going to have to deal with her Seeker not being there," I sighed, watching Angelina spit and rage at Harry, who was quickly getting himself worked up as well. "Umbridge isn't going to let him go just because of Quidditch. Not after the scene he had caused in her classroom." Angelina chose that moment to storm up to us, her expression thunderous and promising death.
"I don't suppose you two have detention Friday night, do you?" She asked somewhat testily. I glared at her. Seventh year Quidditch Captain or not, she was throwing her tantrum onto Fred and George for no reason and that didn't sit well with me at all.
They both took her anger in stride, smiling breezily at their fellow year mate. "We'll be there, don't worry, Angelina," They promised. Lips still pursed, Angelina took their word for it and stomped out of the Great Hall and up the staircases to no doubt go back to Gryffindor Tower for the night. A second later, Harry passed us in the same fashion, bag slung over his shoulder roughly and frowning like the world had done him a personal wrong, disappearing up the stairs a minute later to no doubt go to his detention.
"My sister would hate Angelina if that's how she normally is," I commented idly as long black hair swished out of sight.
Fred and George both turned to look at me curiously. "You have a sister, Hayden?"
"Just one. Hailey." Just saying her name brought a small smile to my face. We were polar opposites in every sense of the word, but we couldn't be closer. "She's three years younger than me, but she's probably the most headstrong twelve-year-old you'll ever meet."
"You'll have to introduce us sometime," Fred hinted. I looked at him in surprise. He grinned. "If she's your sister, then we must meet her. I wonder how well she'd take the new pranks George and I have been thinking up." George high-fived his brother over my head, grinning.
"I wouldn't waste your time and energy if I were you," I warned. My sister was no pushover when it came to revenge. She didn't tolerate pranks being pulled on her very well, not even from me, and she always got back at the person who pulled said prank on her. I had my doubts that even the Twins wouldn't escape her wrath completely unscathed. "My sister isn't a very tolerable person when it comes to pranksters. I have to contain that urge whenever I'm home or she very well might strangle me in my sleep."
"We'll change her mind," Fred said confidently. "Right, Georgie?"
"Right you are, Freddie," George readily agreed.
I rolled my eyes and popped the last bit of salad into my mouth, swallowing before saying, "It's your own funerals. I'm not responsible for any future scars."
It was strange how readily I was accepting of the Twins meeting my younger sister, whom I didn't let just anyone meet. She might call it me being overprotective, but I simply called it me doing my job as the oldest seriously. Since it was Fred and George, though, I didn't totally mind them meeting her one day. Hailey would undoubtedly put them in their place the second they tried to pull something on her and I anticipated that day with great relish.
"What's with you and all the leafy green bullshit?" Lee suddenly asked as I pushed my empty plates away from me. I blinked at him in confusion, frowning slightly.
"What do you mean?"
He pointed to my plate with his fork. "The past three days that we've been here, I've only ever seen you eat vegetables and fruits, but very few meats. Are you a vegetarian or something?" Fred and George both gave me curious looks, no doubt wondering the same thing, but having some sense of tact to not outright ask me unless I brought it up, which I never would've without a prompt.
That was certainly a question I got all the time from people who've watched me eat for more than a day, though I never understood why. Mom was the same exact way, though she at least had more variety than I did. Nobody ever questioned her about her weird eating habits.
"It's not that I'm a vegetarian, Jordan," I said patiently, mentally prepping myself for the inevitable outburst. "I'm just an incredibly picky eater. There's a lot of vegetables and fruits that I really like, but very few meats that I can actually tolerate eating."
His eyes narrowed at me suspiciously. "You're not allergic to them, are you?"
"No."
"So your only reasoning for not eating a lot is because you're picky?"
"I don't eat a lot because I don't need to eat a lot," I corrected him. The three boys looked at each other skeptically. I gave them all a very offended look. "I don't!" I defended myself firmly. "I've never been a heavy eater, but it's not like I'm starving myself. My ribs aren't visible and I'm not an unhealthy weight for my age. I weigh like a hundred-and-thirty-something pounds!"
All three boys gave my slightly skinny-but-not-so-skinny frame a once over. All cocked their eyebrows at me in disbelief. I scowled at them.
"You three, I swear," I cursed. "When did you all turn into my Dad?" Fred and George leaned their heads on my shoulders innocently.
"Didn't you know?"
"We've always been your Dad," Lee said cheekily. I lobbed a piece of chicken at him awkwardly, which he happily picked up and threw into his mouth. "So what do you like?"
"Not a lot," I said shortly, crossing my arms. The Twins rose at the same time and each grabbed one of my arms and uncrossed them from my chest.
"Come on, Hayden," George cooed, cradling my hand in his on his lap. "Don't be like that. It's an honest question."
"I'm not being anything but honest," I said. Fred mirrored his brother's move, holding my hand in his lap. The tips of my ears burned and I hoped to Merlin that my cheeks weren't as red as my ears.
"Then answer his question," Fred pressed.
I took a deep breath and rolled my eyes heavenward. "You'll have to be more specific," I said finally.
Lee straightened. "What kind of meats will you eat?"
"Steak and beef so long as it's cooked a certain way." Lee made a hand gesture, as if asking me to continue, but when I didn't and only arched a brow at him, he gaped in astonishment at me.
"You can't be serious? That's it? You won't eat chicken or ham or turkey or pork? None of that?"
"No. I don't like the tastes."
He gulped and asked shakily, "Bacon?" And here's where the ball drops.
"Bacon is probably my least favorite thing to eat. I haven't touched bacon since I was little and decided that I didn't like it."
Lee's head hit the table so hard that the plates around us rattled loudly and a cup filled with water spilled all over a first year girl. She yelped and jumped to her feet, holding her sopping wet robes out from her body. She gave Lee a mighty death glare for her age.
"Scourgify." I pointed my wand at the girl's robes, watching as her eyes widened in surprise when her robes suddenly became dry. She gave me a beaming smile in thanks, a final glare at the downed Lee, and left the table.
"How do you not like bacon?" Lee moaned into the table. His hands came up to tangle into his black curls. "There's something wrong with this girl." Fred and George had to actively hold me back from reaching across the table and strangling Lee with his own hair.
Later on that night, after watching Ron sneak out with what looked like a brand new Cleansweep Eleven in his hands and saying goodnight to the Twins and a still horrified Lee, I was fully prepared to retire to my dorm to take off the bandages on my hands since it was getting quite late when the portrait suddenly swung open and Harry walked in looking extremely pale.
I paused on the first step to watch him almost stagger his way across the Common Room. One of his robe sleeves was pulled down over his hand, but not even that could stop me from seeing some of the skin there looked extremely red and raw-looking, like he had rubbed his hand across sandpaper. He caught me looking and something on my face must have alarmed him because he practically sprinted up the stairs and the slamming of the boy's dorm echoed down to me.
I don't know how long I remained at the foot of the stairs staring up at the place where Harry had disappeared into before I slowly made my way upstairs to go to bed.
She didn't...she couldn't...
Author's Note:
Okay, so the plan is to update every Sunday at least. I hope. I'm gonna try. I still don't have Wi-Fi cause of some money problems and my bills suddenly decided to go up, but I'm gonna try and force my ass to the library a couple times a week to work on the next chapter. I'm gonna try here, but let's hope I can keep it up.
I SQUEALED SO HARD AS I WAS WRITING THE ARITHMANCY LESSON, OH MY GOODNESS. KJBDIGBIBA;KJBDFGK;JBAKJBDGF
Writing about those three gives me such great pleasure. *Fangirls*
Lots of hearts and appreciation to:
SalvatoreChick: Umbridge is the literal worst and I hate that woman so much, oh my God.
Savage Kill: First, your nickname is pretty bomb. I seriously like it. Two, you're definitely not wrong. xD You will not BELIEVE where I get my ideas for the inevitable Hayden and Umbridge confrontation. It's awful.
ElementalGirl1: I HOPE THIS CHAPTER LEAVES YOU AS SUSPENSEFUL AS THE LAST ONE.
End of Responses!
Last chapter's response: I don't know why I didn't catch this before I posted the last chapter, but I already posted this question in the first chapter and my answer hasn't changed from the first time. xD
Question for this chapter: What is your favorite Harry Potter subject?
See you all in the next chapter! Thank you so much for reading this chapter! *Hearts*
~OQ