-.-.- highlyflammable;; -.- ][dos'two] ailuro/algophobia
' fear of cats '
' fear of pain '
' she's drawn to it like a moth to a flame "
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It was twenty-eight degrees Celsius outside, the weather was bright and cheery on the first day of the school year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The wildly uncut blades of grass covering the school grounds swayed softly in the breeze, birds chirped and all that was living breathed in and exhaled joy and serenity. Unfortunately, all that was living didn't include the nine Slytherins, eight Gryffindors, four Ravenclaws and five Hufflepuffs reciting N.E.W.T. Defence Against the Dark Arts class safety rules and procedures until, as Snape put it, they were clear and transfixed into their brains. All twenty-six students had their eyes glued to the chalkboard where everything was spelled out for them via Snape's enchanted chalk that although white as snow, had the sinister gloom and grey shadow trailing it just like Snape himself. They droned like zombies, quiet befittingly as each and every one of them had eyes sunken into their sockets, hair messy, face's amuck with or without Muggle concealer and unfocused pupils that strained to read the writing in front of them.
The first class on these lucky teens' first day was Defence Against the Dark Arts with their beloved prof. Severus Snape. Of course they would be better prepared if not for the late night parties in each dorm; some were raunchy and scandalous and others were simply friends catching up after a long and eventful summer. The one tidbit securing all varieties into the single category of party was the type of beverages served. Beverages such as firewhiskey, mead and well-known kiddie drink butterbeer. If memory served them correctly, each student in that dungeon can safely say they are currently suffering a gruesome hangover they rightly deserve. In the case of seven out of nine Slytherins, their hangovers were thankfully not proportionate to the amount of drinking they had done the previous night.
Angie was the only one slouched over in her seat, arms out in front, hands dangling off the edge of her table and quite blatantly not reciting a word. Her wide, white irises lofted lazily from Hermione's Muggle wristwatch to her own open text, turned to the last chapter, book mark moved aside to reveal a ghastly picture of the Cruciatus Curse being used on a defenceless wizard. Her robe was discarded on top of her book bag; the skirt and dress shirt was stifling on their own. She looked at Hermione's bare legs next to hers; she contrasted greatly with her chocolate skin. She envied the pale skinned girl beside her secretly and silently.
" Mmnugh, Her-H-H…'Mione?"
Hermione didn't dare stop her chanting but motioned for Angie to continue.
" It's been fifteen minutes, haven't you got it memorized by now? And why is everyone sitting like they got a pole stuck up their arse, Snape already figures they're hung over, no use hiding it for propriety or anything."
" If you haven't noticed, Snape's been much stricter since he started teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts. He's gotten even more so now that he's teaching it for the second year in a row, maybe he's happy he made it father than the others we've had before and he wants to reward himself by seeing us suffer."
" That's likely." Angie snorted.
" Miss Nott, is it difficult for you to read in the morning?" Snape interjected.
" No no, the morning is when I prefer to read actually. Out loud."
Snape sent her a foul sneer and swiftly strode over to the desk her and Hermione Granger was sharing, " You refuse do the task I set you? Perhaps detention on Saturday, 7 p.m. will straighten up that sarcasm of yours. If not, Sunday and Monday nights can always be freed."
" Easily, I'm sure. Pity you won't be doing anything else more productive than disciplining a sarcastic student, productive or social."
" Don't bring your wand with you on Saturday, just your toothbrush and a pale of manure. I've wanted to polish this floor for a long time."
" Fine by me, but why not use your own toothbrush." She let her eyes visibly flitter down to his snarling mouth and stared for a second at his yellowing teeth. " On second thought, I'll give you mine. Seems like you desperately need your own."
" The entire dungeon floor then, you can take all night and all of Sunday too if you wish. I will still expect you in class on Monday with your twenty-four inch long essay on medieval torture techniques and be glad professors at Hogwarts are no longer allowed to put them to use." His hand was twitching for his wand, but Angie remained in her hunched position. She flipped a page back and began to read up on the Imperius curse.
" Professor Snape, sir. Is it possible we can stop reciting the rules and safety precautions for defence and rather get on with the lesson?"
" Yes mister Malfoy, we can. However I will not tolerate any more distractions…" Most of the class could finish his sentence for him, ' I will not tolerate any more distractions or else'. They kept quiet and despite her hatred for the pure-blooded bigot, Hermione was glad someone finally asked him to continue with the lesson. Angie stirred and sat back in her chair, stretching her legs forward and slumped. She drew her wand and others followed.
Snape asked them to review their previous year's lessons on non-verbal spell casting and then practise for the remainder of the class while he filed some paperwork at his desk. Harry and Ron, who sat directly in front of Hermione and Angie, turned their chairs sideways to practise immediately; their notes on non-verbal spell casting sat idly on their desks, ignored. They often stopped and chatted with the girls, confident in their non-verbal skills.
" Why d'you always have to aggravate him Angie? He's completely serious about the toothbrush and manure you know, Harry had to polish some cauldrons for him way back in second year. Took him hours didn't it Harry?"
" Yeah, but I did manage to finish the last few with my wand. Would've been a bloody fool if I hadn't brought it." Harry shuddered remember the stench of manure on his robes and hands and face. He scrubbed for exactly thirty minutes in the shower until his skin was raw and arms exhausted.
" Mhmm…Snape's a fucking twit."
" How can you just sit there and act like he didn't just tell you to clean entire dungeon floor with horse dung and the instrument you use to brush your teeth with?" Hermione was revolted by the sheer thought of it. She faintly recalled the smell of horses and cows grazing in the field next to her great uncle's farm. She as well shuddered.
The class dragged on and the four of them whispered to each other for a good chunk of it despite Hermione's weak attempts to steer them back to their work. Angie put several jinxes on Ron, without speaking, soon after he called them slow at spell casting and told them they should start practising if they ever wanted to reach Harry and his level of wizarding genius. Ronald wasn't able to speak until fifteen minutes later when Harry begged Angie to reverse them so that he could arrange the Quidditch team try-outs while they had a bit of free time. Hermione discouraged the two of them and scolded Harry for thinking Defence Against the Dark Arts was 'free time'.
Draco leaned forward from the seats behind her. " Angie, practise with me. Blaise is so hung over he can barely cast his spells with words." He had this annoying habit of drawling things lazily into her ear. It tickled too much for her and he enjoyed watching her squirm. Hermione gave her a look that could've been 'don't you dare' or 'just do it already'. Fortunately, Neville Longbottom, who sat with a Ravenclaw slightly snoring in the seats next to Hermione, offered to be her partner. Angie muttered a thanks and dragged her chair, much to Snape's annoyance, closer to Draco's desk. Zambini had passed out next to him.
Her chair was now perpendicular to his desk so that she faced Draco but could twist her body around to whisper to Hermione or chat with Harry. She dangled her wand arm over the backrest and stretched her legs in front of her. They bumped awkwardly with his. She giggled as his eye twitched, she knew he didn't like playing footsies so she stomped lightly on his feet until he kicked her in the shin. She pretended he hadn't just done that and instead turned his eyebrows wild and fuzzy and wiggling without saying a word. He remedied it silently as well, daring her to continue.
Angie smirked and turned his hair pink; he immediately crossed her eyes and simultaneously returned his hair to its pale platinum shade. She took a second to try and focus her pupils but the hex was too strong, she reversed it and blinked madly. She hated being cross-eyed outside of her own accord. She made him hiccup bubbles. He turned her tongue to jelly. She made him grow whiskers. He made her green. She made him bite his lip. He made her hair strangle her. She lit his eyelashes on fire. He made a cut on her neck.
She paused.
Draco healed it and stared at her. The same blank look he always had on his face, she couldn't tell what he was thinking but she had an inkling. He said nothing; another cut appeared on her cheek. Her mocha coloured skin quivered, another cut and another appeared on her neck and collarbone. He blinked, her wrists cut open, cuts up her arms. She didn't move. Her eyes darted from his wand to his lips.
There was panic in her eggshell white eyes. Two more cuts ripped open on her ribs, her dress shirt soaked up the minimal amount of blood. Another appeared under one of her anxious eyes. " Stop." He didn't.
Snape glanced up to quickly survey his class spotting Angie with her back turned, arm lax against her side and her wand hanging loosely in her grip. Two long, deep gashes bled thickly on her back. Snape blinked and it was gone. He blinked again.
Her back was fine. Not a scratch. Snape returned to his filing.
" You mother fucker." She was more than angry at him, but her lip tugged up into a half hearted smirk. She took a second to look down at her hands, no blood, no scars. She sighed.
Draco reached his hand to her neck and traced where the place he had left a cut only a second ago. She jerked away, his skin on hers was like the first spiral of cream that would appear in a cup of coffee before stirred. He leaned forward and reached again, like lightning. Long fingers grasped the wrist that loosely held her wand; she jerked away. He's so pale. She couldn't stand having that ivory skin near her own; she couldn't stamp out the voice telling her that she was too dark. That stupid, infuriating voice telling her that his skin didn't match with hers.
His lip tugged upward into a malicious grin; he knew exactly what she was thinking. For a third time his hands reached over, he placed it next to hers. It was twitching on his desk, fighting the urge to rake her nails down his pale features and draw his pure blood. White. Bleached. Her eyes were transfixed on his skin.
" What's wrong?" A sickeningly sweet smile graced his face. " You look pale."
She stood and left.
Grabbing her book bag and robe and stowing her wand underneath her belt, she left the dungeon. Snape stood exactly thirty seconds later dismissing the rest of the class. Everyone sleepily packed and began to file out. Draco was stopped seconds after he strolled out the large mahogany doors, he had a firm grasp on Blaise' collar and was steering him towards the stairs.
" What did you bloody say to her, Malfoy?!" Ron was furious, Angie was to walk with him to Transfiguration next and now he had to find the class all by himself. Draco muttered something incomprehensible before dragging Zambini's half asleep arse with him on their way to Charms.
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Angie was already in her seat when Ron appeared at the doors; breathing heavily like he had just ran a marathon and sweating profusely. She giggled and snapped a shot. It was her four-year-old Muggle camera with manual lenses and manual light adjustment, nothing automatic about it. The film inside was bought for Hogwarts exclusively, to capture the moments that would otherwise slip her memory. Hermione would later help her bewitch them to move, a select few were to remain frozen as any movement would destroy the simply hilarious pose or expression on a face.
" Found the room just fine, without any help!" Ron announced to no one in particular.
" Yes, thank you Mr Weasley." Thirty-one faces stared at him, he shifted uncomfortably. Angie shot another classic photo of Ronald's shame. She had about two hundred and eighty-nine. " Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get on with the lesson." McGonagall began to write a few basic notes on her large chalkboard; the students copied it hurriedly as she was known to erase notes almost as soon as she finished writing them.
" Nice Ron, very nice." Angie poked him in the ribs after he settled down next to her.
" It's not my fault, Harry told me the fourth floor, Hermione said fifth."
" So you listened to Pothead then realized Hermione was right?" Pothead Potter, Slytherin jokes stuck too easily to her for her liking.
" Right well, 'Mione's not always looking out for my best interest. I supposed it's because of that chocolate frog I slipped down her robe yesterday. She made a bloody fool out of herself jumpin' around trying to get it out. Did you see the look on George's face?"
" How is George? In love with our Granger yet?"
" Hah, like anyone could love that work-horse. But he understands that she likes him, I duno if he likes her back." Although he didn't notice, a faint tint of blush spread on his face. His eyebrows furrowed and he gripped his quill tighter. " It's odd though, my brother and my one of my best friends."
" Best friend, sure. You've got the hots for her don't even deny it."
" I DO NOT!"
" Mr Weasley?"
" Uh, yes professor?"
" What exactly do you not understand about 12th century alchemy?"
" Well actually, just uh the concept is slightly…um just somewhat err…confusing?"
" Whatever they conjured was not created out of thin air like we have in the present, without wands these nomad tribes survived on alchemy alone."
" Right."
" Particle balance, basic physics and chemistry."
" Right, basic. I'm sure." Ron struggled to actually pay attention from that point onward. McGonagall continued her lesson for the next two hours or so without any more interruptions. Eventually she turned to face the class and dismissed them after congratulating them on not talking through most of it. She promised the next few lessons would involve less note taking and history but instead practising actual transfiguring spells and incantations. Ron was grateful, Angie remained passive.
Angie and Ron both had Charms next with prof. Flitwick who was one of their favourite teachers at Hogwarts. His tiny stature and mediocre jokes were good for cheap shits and giggles but each student made sure not to make a sound, it was only too easy to get on his bad side. Underneath the warm, kind exterior Flitwick was an evil mastermind. Draco once had detention with him, only once. He never told anyone what happened but he made sure never to cross the miniature professor again.
The two lazily took notes and practised spells, both were counting down the seconds until class ended and they could go for lunch. The upside to being in N.E.W.T level Charms was that they almost always learned a new spell every week. This week's spell was the Incarcerous spell, which called forth ropes out of thin air to wrap around the chosen victim and bind them tightly enough to lightly suffocate them.
Angie had enjoyed this spell too much at Ron's expense. It took him until the end of class to forgive her for binding him to an unsuspecting Hufflepuff close by. She was frightened and let out a shrill scream in his ear, he promised to sue Angie if his hearing did not return.
Eventually, Charms ended and the students filed out into the hallway while Flitwick erased his illiterate scribbles from the chalkboard and began a new set for his next class. Only a few Gryffindors scuttled away to more classes including Neville Longbottom and Dean Thomas, they were unfortunately taking extra Herbology classes and had a later lunch.
Harry and Hermione were already seated in their usual spots at the Gryffindor table. Each had a plate of grilled-cheese sandwiches with a dollop of ketchup on the side and pumpkin juice in a golden goblet. Harry was hurriedly stuffing his face in hopes of getting seconds, maybe thirds, while Hermione was taking neat bites in between her excessive studying.
" It's bad enough you ignore my sweet love but to put Potions before her, you are an evil human being." Angie gave her a light shove and took her uneaten sandwich half. Soon after she spat it back out in her napkin and place it gingerly back on Hermione's plate. " You sicken me, low fat." Ron offered her a rack of ribs from his plate and she gladly accepted.
" How was Charms?"
" Fantastic, but I prefer Transfiguration. McGonagall is so much better at hurting Ron's feelings and making him feel stupid than Flitwick."
" Nneh-ha ha ha, at least I won't be swimming in manure come Saturday while everyone else in my year spends a day out in Hogsmeade." Ron choked on his water.
" Incar-"
" No NO, I'm sorry! Dear Goddrick, I'm sorry!" He ducked and looked to Harry and Hermione for protection. Harry stifled a yawn and continued to gorge on more grilled-cheese. Hermione couldn't be bothered but proceeded to pat Angie on the back who let out a belch from behind her hand. " Thanks."
Their lunch was extra long as professor Slughorn declared himself to be ill with Dragon Pox and cancelled all Potions lessons for the entire week. A fact Ron, Harry and Angie couldn't be happier about made Hermione pull out her hair in clumps. " We really can't allow ourselves to fall behind in Potions just because Slughorn doesn't want to start the school year yet. Potions is so important now that we're 7th years."
Harry looked slightly green from all the cheese. " He should be in St Mungos if he actually had Dragon Pox. But I really am relieved we won't have to deal with Potion's until next week. Defence Against the Dark Arts is already so bloody annoying with Snape. Imagine Slughorn with his ' Every one of my students is famous now', ' Every one loves me', ' Join my fucking fantastic amazingly spectacular Slug Club'. The stupid wanker." All three of them turned to look at Harry, " I didn't know you hated him so much Harry."
" I don't, I just hate having to be forced to be a suck up."
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She sat herself down silently next to Draco and dunked a pinkie in his strawberry ice cream. Slowly she sucked on it until he audibly swallowed, she then extracted her pinkie with a slight pop.
" How was Transfiguration?"
" Uneventful."
" Charms?"
" I think Flitwick is a closet hardcore S&M fan. He taught us some a new binding spell. Incarcerous." Thin, black ropes materialized at his hands and bound them to the bench they were sitting on. He kept his back straight and gave her a questioning look, eyebrow quirked slightly.
She leaned across him to stretch for the fruit basket on his far left. She grabbed a banana, his posture visibly stiffened. She smirked.
" Banana's are healthier." As she spoke those words she tapped the fruit with her wand transfiguring it into a banana shaped chocolate bar. She proceeded to suck on the tip until it melted on her lips.
" Angie."
" Mmm?" Her tongue darted onto her lips and swept the chocolate into her mouth then her attention returned to the banana.
Draco's mouth was slightly agape, his eyes glazed over and his hands fought against the ropes that bound him. He was staring straight at her, watching her sinful lips in action. " There are about a hundred people in here." " Your point?" " Let's go to the common room, a much better place to practise your S&M Charms homework."
She stuck out her tongue, unbound him and left. He didn't trust himself to follow her immediately but decided it was worth whatever trick she had in mind to try. Evidently she was heading for the Slytherin dungeons.
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A/N:
I just re-read the whole Half-Blood Prince book and I almost died. Fantastic stuff. Really amazing. I do know that Snape isn't the DADA teacher anymore and some other things. In this fic, which should've been branded an AU fic, Snape is what he is [double agent for Dumbledore etc] but he is still at Hogwarts and still a complete douche nozzle. Also, Slughorn is teaching Potions like in the 6th book and everything else is pretty much left the same. Plot and character twists aside, this fic is really going to focus on more of the students and Hogwarts rather than Voldemort, Death Eaters and prophecies etc.
Also, I realized that the Blaise I'm writing is completely out of character, he's dorky and spastic and that's not what the real Blaise is like at all. I still need him to be the supporting screw up though, for shits and giggles but oh well I'll try to steer him right in due time. Zambini, sorry for destroying your superiority complex. Sorry J.K. Rowling for bastardizing him to no end.
OH and because I haven't said this in my previous chapters, listen to me I sound like I wrote a whole damn book but its only been TWO chapters, but I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING HARRY POTTER RELATED INCLUDING CHARACTERS, USE OF TERMINOLOGY AND OF COURSE THE MAGIC ITSELF. I APPOLOGISE FOR NOT PUTTING IT IN WRITING EARLIER.
Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling, but Angie of course. Then again, she's not really my character at all so err; I'm just a pathetic plagiarizer aren't I, hah well…
Review please? This is quite sad, not one review I've gotten. I feel somewhat depressed, oh well at least I'm keeping myself busy with this fic. Thank you to the few readers who actually took time to read my little ficlet. [REVIEW PLEASE]