Jade stuck the unlit cigarette behind her ear and looked into the mirror, making a face at what she saw. If her father were to see her, he'd naturally have a heart attack. Jade winced at her appearance. She looked nowhere near a decent lady. Her hair was cut short and her face so pale and dirty. Her eyebrows weren't tweezed and perfected like almost all the girls in her school.
Her late father had tried so hard to turn her into a lady, ever since the beginning of time. He tried too hard, trying to make up for her mother's death. Jade hated that he woke up every day, trying to pull ribbons through her hair and making her wear skirts and Mary-Jane's that Jade absolutely despised. She'd come back home, extremely dirty, her skirt gone, replaced by pants that she took from a boy after beating him up and pulling it off of him to wear herself. Her ribbons would be the main weapon for her attacks and her braids would be put off by the end of the day.
If he were to see her now, he'd surely wish to change her again; maybe that's why he asked McGonagall to look after her when he knew he was dying from bone cancer in her fourth year. She missed him very much and wished he didn't have to leave but was deeply depressed during that year. She appreciated Hermione's support and her ability to cradle her through that year, along with Draco. They were two people she could trust entirely. She cried like a baby in front of them as they comforted her through that first and last time of her tears.
Shaking these thoughts from her mind, Jade plucked the cigarette from the edge of her ear and began lighting it. A hand reached out, took the cigarette and stubbed it against the wall.
"What the bloody f-"
"Jade you know better." Hermione said seeing Jade click her teeth.
"But I do a lot better!" Jade said taking the stubbed cigarette from Hermione.
"I can't see why you insist leaving your hair like a Hippogriff's nest." Hermione said taking out a brush. She wet her hands with water and smoothed Jade's unruly hair back and brushed it to make herself look at least presentable. "You've got your tie all wrong, your shirt is un-tucked. If you urge to look like a man, do so properly." Hermione said tucking Jade's shirt in.
"I'm not trying to look like a man." Jade defended herself. Hermione gave her a doubtful look and started on Jade's tie.
"Your uniform is for the male students in Gryffindor. Stand up straight." Hermione said making finishing touches on Jade's appearance.
"Thank you Hermione. I do appreciate whatever you try to do every morning, but you really shouldn't. I would only look more of an arse in the end of the day." Jade told her.
"You're very welcome and I don't mind. It's a fun challenge." Hermione said picking up her book bag.
"Why do you even bother?" Jade asked as they walked out of the bathroom.
"Because I do believe you'll have some pity on me and manage yourself one day." Hermione said as Jade rolled her eyes.
They walked to their potions class and Jade sat next to Hermione, as Draco took his seat on the table next to them, near Jade.
"Nice try." Draco said grinning.
Jade turned to him and flipped her hand to make a rude gesture. "Sit on this and rotate." She said, still holding her hand out.
"50 points from you Miss Harper. I'm starting to feel some empathy for Gryffindor now. You should have a house of your own." Snape said walking in.
"I asked you a thousand times for a house of my own. What does a girl have to do to get a house of their own?" Jade asked sitting back in her chair.
"Something you obviously can't give, because you were never one in the first place." A small voice said from the back. The class broke into snickers and Jade turned around to see Dean sitting there, looking smug as Seamus sat near him, terrified.
"What was that Thomas? Speak up will you? Your boyfriend nearly damaged my right ear last month before I broke his fucking nose for a similar comment." Jade said.
A flash of fear crossed Dean's face but he held his composure, unable to repeat his comment because Snape stood there, waiting to kill.
"Harper stay in your limits." Snape warned.
"I am in my limits. If I wasn't, I would have climbed out of this chair, bashed his fucking face in and pissed all over him." Jade sneered.
"I meant school limits, not your personal limits." Snape hissed.
"You think you're tough eh? You're nothing but a bloody poser, with gender confusion. If it was me and you alone, I'd have you on the floor in 2 seconds flat, without your little group behind you." Dean threatened.
"How smart of you to challenge Jay in a fistfight between the two of you. If you lay a hand on her I swear on my parent's grave Thomas, I'll-" Draco was cut off by an irate Snape.
"Remember that you are Head Boy Draco. Know your place. Thomas, Harper you both will lose points-"
"Sticking up for your mate? You spend so much time with her; you should know what she's supposed to be. Put her out of her confusion and ours and tell us what she really is…a man or a little pussy?" Dean asked as Draco went to get up.
Jade placed a hand on his chest and pushed him back to his seat. She smirked and darkened her eyes.
"Were you challenging me Thomas? Me and you alone, one on one? What gave you the doubt that I fight with the people I'm associated with? Of course you're just pushing your luck by telling me and this class that you'll have me flat on my back in 2 seconds…don't give yourself that much credit Thomas. I'll be finished with you faster than your father fucked and left your mother for-"
"ENOUGH!" Snape roared.
"Detention for both of you! 50 points from each of you! If you two act on this fight, your expulsion from Hogwarts will not be far away! Harper…LEAVE MY CLASSROOM!" Snape yelled, shaking in anger.
"With pleasure. I wasn't looking forward to the Felix Felicis potion anyways. I don't need the luck …pay careful attention though Thomas, and say hi to your mother for me." Jade said walking out of the door.
She heard a desk flip over and someone running towards her. Jade turned around and saw a fist flying right into her face.