Hey, people, how you all doing?
Anyways, thanks to: Bug-Eyes-Blue, Sam, the Anon, Katie, Bellaroe, rowellylovesgryffindor and CinnamonMintiMoon for reviewing.
Disclaimer: Please explain to me how I would own anyone but Mia?
Ok… so… short chapter here… but I think you'll like it…
Chapter 12: The First Time
"Ok, ok, ok… so… what if the goblins didn't-"
"The war would have still started."
"But if they-"
"Mia, there have been many wars between goblins and wizards throughout the centuries. If one of them didn't happen, then another one would have probably taken its place," Hermione said. Mia huffed and spooned some carrots into her mouth. She had been trying to figure out a way that all the goblin vs wizard wars could have been prevented. Something that turned out to be very difficult seeing as she had never paid attention in her History of Magic classes- and received a 'T' in her OWL.
"Just face it, Mia, you're never gunna win," Fred said. Mia opened her mouth to reply, but was stopped by a sound that was somewhere between a shriek and sob, coming from the Entrance Hall. Everyone in the Great Hall stopped talking, and looked towards the double doors. The noise sounded again, and a tiny, high laugh flowed through the doors. Slowly, everyone in the Hall moved into the Entrance Hall, crowding around the centre. Mia shuffled up the stairs, with Fred, George, Hermione and Ron trailing behind her. She stopped next to Neville Longbottom, who had finished dinner early and was making his way up to the common room. They All stared at the scene below.
Trelawney and Umbridge were standing in the middle of the crowd. Trelawney was holding her wand, and what looked like an empty bottle of some kind. Her hair was a mess and her massive glasses were askew. The many shawls she wore were falling off of her shoulders and onto the floor. On the floor next to her were two large trunks- looking as if they had just been chucked down at her.
Umbridge was standing on the stairs above her, a tiny smile playing on her ugly face. Her hands were clasped together, and her feet were touching at the heels, toes pointing forward. The air around her was pulsing with authority she shouldn't even have.
Down bellow, Mia saw Harry skid to a stop at the front of the crowd. She saw McGonagall by the doors, looking repulsed by what she was seeing. She saw Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas whispering to each other directly below her. She saw Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick standing with sympathy etched on their faces.
"No!" Trelawney cried, "NO!" she started to sob, "This cannot be happening… it cannot… I refuse to accept it!"
"You didn't realise this was coming?" Umbridge mocked, smugness clear on her features, "Incapable though you are of predicting even tomorrow's weather, you must surely have realised that your pitiful performance during my inspections, and lack of any improvement, would make it inevitable that you would be sacked?"
"You c - can't!" tears started to pour form her eyes, falling into her messy hair and shawls, "you c - can't sack me! I've b - been here sixteen years! H - Hogwarts is in - my h - home!" Mia felt a pang of pity for her. She'd never really liked Trelawney- always thought she was a fraud, like many students- and she'd only gotten a 'D' in her OWL… but not only was Trelawney being fired, she was being humiliated as well.
"It was your home," Umbridge corrected, and Trelawney fell onto on of her trunks. Umbridge continued, "until an hour ago, when the Minister for Magic countersigned your Order of Dismissal. Now kindly remove yourself from this Hall. You are embarrassing us." she made a small shooing motion with her hands. Mia felt disgust slip through her, she clenched her fists- wishing she could jump down from the staircase and pummel Umbridge.
Then, much to everyone's surprise, McGonagall pushed past the crying Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil, and strode up to Trelawney, pulling a handkerchief from her robes and gave it to Trelawney, who accepted it greatly and blew her nose in it loudly. Umbridge's smile faltered.
"There, there, Sybill," McGonagall was saying, "calm down," she patted Trelawney's back, "blow your nose on this, it's not as bad as you think, now… you are not going to have to leave Hogwarts…" but Umbridge laughed,
"Oh really, Professor McGonagall? And your authority for that statement is...?'
"That would be mine." Everyone's head whipped around. Dumbledore standing there, back straight and head held high. The double doors leading outside were open, and it seemed as if a slight breezes came rushing through the Hall. The mist from outside curled around Dumbledore's feet, the stars shining behind him.
"Yours, Professor Dumbledore?" Umbridge's smile had left her face completely, but she still gave a horrible little laugh. "I'm afraid you do not understand the position," she walked forward, and several first years huddled together, cringing as she went past them. "I have here an Order of Dismissal signed by myself and the Minister for Magic. Under the terms of Educational Decree Number Twenty-three, the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts has the power to inspect, place upon probation and sack any teacher she- that is to say, I- feel is not performing to the standards required by the Ministry of Magic. I have decided that Professor Trelawney is not up to scratch. I have dismissed her." She was smiling again now, more evilly, and there was a horrible spark in her eye. She was enjoying this. This had probably been the best thing that had happened to her all year.
"You are quite right, of course, Professor Umbridge," Dumbledore said, inclining his head slightly. Mia wondered how he could show such respect to her. "As High Inquisitor you have every right to dismiss my teachers. You do not, however, have the authority to send them away from the castle. I am afraid that the power to do that still resides with the Headmaster, and it is my wish that Professor Trelawney continue to live at Hogwarts." Umbridge's eyes widened manically. Mia smirked. Beside her, Fred leaned back against the wall, and on the other side of her, Neville looked form Dumbledore, to Umbridge, to Trelawney, and back to Dumbledore. Trelawney laughed wildly.
"No- no, I'll g-go, Dumbledore!" she said, in a failed attempt at sounding dignified, "I sh-shall leave Hogwarts and s-seek my fortune elsewhere-"
"No," Dumbledore said, with a slightly harsh tone, "It is my wish that you remain, Sybill. Might I ask you to escort Sybill back upstairs, Professor McGonagall?"
"Of course… up you get, Sybill…" she helped Trelawney up and Sprout came running out of the crowd, and together, they help Trelawney up the stairs. The students gathered on the stairs leaned back to let the pass. Flitwick flicked his wand and the trunks flew after him as he followed.
Umbridge looked furious now. She had unclasped her hands, and they were clenched- just like Mia's. When Mia noticed this, she unclenched her own and crossed her arms instead. She did not wish to mimic Umbridge in any way, shape or form.
"And what," Umbridge hissed, "are you going to do with her once I appoint a new Divination teacher who needs her lodgings?"
"Oh, that won't be a problem… you see, I have already found us a new Divination teacher, and he will prefer lodgings on the ground floor," Dumbledore smiled.
"You've found… You've found? Might I remind you, Dumbledore, that under Educational Decree Number Twenty-two-"
"The Ministry has the right to appoint a suitable candidate if -and only if- the Headmaster is unable to find one," said Dumbledore. "And I am happy to say that on this occasion I have succeeded. May I introduce you?"
There was the faint sound of hooves clopping against stone. People who were close to the door backed away and muttered to each other. Then a man entered the hall, with white-blonde hair… and then a horse came in after him, the same colour as the man's hair. It took Mia a second to realise that they were joined… a Centaur… Mia gaped at him.
"This is Firenze," Dumbledore said to Umbridge, "I think you'll find him suitable!" Mia stifled a laugh at the look of utter shock and disgust on Umbridge's face.
The week rolled on and Mia was walking through the Entrance Hall after Herbology, and she saw George waiting for her.
"Hey," she said, as she put her Herbology book back into her bag after shaking off all the mud and dirt.
"Hi," he replied.
"Where's Fred?" she asked, slinging her bag over her shoulder.
"He's up in the common room…" George paused.
"What?" Mia asked.
"Um… I need to talk to you…"
"Yeah?" he nodded to the doors and she followed him.
"I've just been out here…" she muttered.
They walked a little way past the greenhouses- where they saw that Sprout was now teaching a class of first years- and then George stopped, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Well?" Mia asked, "What did you wanna talk about?"
"Um…" he swallowed, "ok… um…"
"George, you alright?" she asked.
"What? Yeah, I'm fine!"
"So… what do you wanna talk about?"
"Ok… um…" Mia looked up at him and started fiddling with her necklace. "Ok… I…" he stopped again. Why was he so nervous? She was looking at him expectantly. He opened his mouth again. "I… love you…" he finally said.
It took a second for what he had just said to register, but when it did, Mia dropped her necklace, but her hand stayed in place. She looked up at him and blinked slowly, then, just as slowly, brought her hand back down to her side. Finally, she opened her mouth to speak.
"Um…" she really hadn't expected that, "um…" she really hadn't expected that.
George looked down at her. She wasn't replying… why wasn't she replying? That was a bad sign… wasn't it? Something was twisting slowly in his stomach. Her hand dropped jerkily back down to her side as she continued to look up at him. She started to stutter, "wh-… si-… I-… b-… lo-… um…" she fell into silence. Some how, this made it worse for George. She was trying to answer… but couldn't… why? She licked her lips.
Mia thought back. She'd had fleeting feelings about something that had been confusing. They had always happened when she was with George. She hadn't really understood them. But in a few seconds of silence, she pieced them together- making sure that they fit together. She didn't want to say something, only to have them turn out to not be true later.
"I… um…" her wide eyes flicked away from his face, to the grass, then locked her eyes with his again. "I… I love… you, too," she replied.
George's stomach gave a small jerk as he heard the words. He half grinned and she licked her lips again, smiling back at him. Suddenly, he came down and pressed their lips together. Her arms wrapped themselves around his neck as she leaned into him. One of his hands rested on her waist and the other ran through her hair. The kiss was… different… different to any others they'd had… it seemed… stronger…
So… I hope that was ok… I tried to get an even balance of sweetness and awkwardness in there
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