AN: I don't own Harry Potter I mearly borrwing JK's fantastic characters.
Chapter 6 Detention and a scolding
The great hall was buzzing with chatter as lunch was under way. Maira was sitting opposite Hermione listening to her go over all they had learned during their lessons in the morning. She was in her own world not really listening to Hermione when two red heads sat down on either side of her.
"Hello, I little bird told us you've gotten detention your fist day," Fred said.
"We could not be prouder," George continued proudly.
"Detention is not something to be proud of," Hermione said eyeing the twins.
"Do you hear that Fred."
"I do George, our dear friend here need to learn something."
"Right you are Fred," George laughed.
"Anyway we might have a proposition for you, see us in the common room tonight," Fred said.
"We really must be off now, place to be" George said.
"People to see," Fred finished and the twins were gone. Maira just laughed as Hermione starred after them completely dumbfounded.
"Don't mind them, are you finished," Maira asked, when Hermione nodded the two girls left the great hall and made their way to the afternoon classes.
#
Just before six Maira made her way towards her father's office, hesitating slightly outside the door she eventually knocked and opened the door when she was told to enter.
"Ah you're here," Matthew said as he spied his daughter. "Why don't you go through, I'll be there in a minute." He gestured towards the door to the living quarters. Maira sighed and opened the door and went inside. Closing the door behind her, she threw herself on the sofa to await her fate. She was sure that whatever her dad has planned for her this evening wouldn't be fun. In hindsight the prank hadn't been the greatest idea perhaps, but it had been too good to resist. She had honestly brought Hermione there to show the other girl her home. Matthew entered the living room a few minutes later pulling off his robe as he entered.
"Maira sit!" he said when he noticed her daughter sprawled on the sofa. Maira sighed and pulled herself up glaring at her father.
"What you did this morning was really unfair to Hermione," Matthew began lecturing.
"I was having a bit of fun, you're making a mountain out of a mole hill," Maira complained.
"Maira! You scared that poor girl," Matthew said sternly.
"We're friends it's no big deal. This is completely unfair," Maira exclaimed rising, hands rolled into fists stamping her foot. Matthew looked sternly at Maira sensing a tantrum coming.
"Maira calm down right now!" he said his voice even but with an icy tone. Maira, as she often did, chose to ignore her dad and his warnings.
"No, because you're not listening, you never do. It was a harmless joke and I apologized and explained. Hermione forgave me. Why do you have to make such a big deal out of it," Maira shouted with tears streaming down her face.
"Don't shout at me," Matthew said sternly looking at her. "If you can't talk calmly to me you may go to your room until you can behave like your age." Maira glared at her dad not moving an inch.
"See you're not listening, everything has to be like you want it," she accused standing her ground. Matthew sighed fighting back the urge to shake her, instead he went over to her and grabbed her upper arm and led her towards her room.
"I'll listen when you stop your tantrum," he said sternly. Releasing her arm he pointed towards the open door. With one last glaring look Maira went in to her room and slammed the door shout behind her. Rubbing his face Matthew sighed and made his way to the small kitchenette. This was not going well, he was only going to talk with her for a while about the morning and then he thought that they could've had tea. But Maira apparently had other ideas. He could hear her screaming and crying in her room and he knew that he was in for a long night. Pouring himself a cup of tea he brought it over to the sofa and sat down waiting.
#
Maira punched her pillow as she threw herself on her bed. Dad was being completely unfair and she wouldn't take it. Not even Snowball, who noticed his mistress distress, could make her feel better. After 10 minutes of screaming and crying Maira decided to leave, she wouldn't lie there and wait for him she would return to Gryffindor tower and never speak to her father again. With determination Maira opened her bedroom door and walked out in the living room towards the portrait that would let her exit the quarters. Her dad was sitting in the sofa drinking tea but she paid no attention to him.
"Where do you think you are going?" his voice was stern and Maira stopped in her tracks.
"I'm going back to the tower and I'm never speaking to you again." Matthew stood up and went over to her once again grabbing her arm.
"You are not going anywhere except back to your room," he said glaring at her Maira stomped her foot but didn't move.
"Now," Matthew yelled propelling her along with a swat to her backside. Once again Maira stomped to her room and slammed the door behind her.
It took two hours before she left the room again, this time however she come over to the sofa waiting for him to say something.
"Are you ready to talk?" he asked looking sternly at her. Maira only nodded not meeting his eye.
"So are you going to listen now?" another nod was the only answer he received. "I would like a verbal answer please."
"Yes sir" she whispered staring at her feet. Gently lifting her chin so he could see her eyes Matthew looked at her sternly.
"I understand that you didn't mean to hurt Hermione, but it was wrong," he said evenly.
"I didn't plan to do it, I was only going to show her were I went last night," Maira mumbled.
"Maybe you should have told her that before you went here," Matthew suggested. "However your behaviour this evening has been absolutely appalling," he added sternly and Maira shrank back.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly.
"I hope you are, because you were raised better than this. Tantrums are not going to get you anything," Matthew said. "Get ready for bed and I'll come and tuck you in."
"It's not even nine," Maira whined but one look from her dad silenced her protests. Instead she walked towards the portrait so she could get back to the dormitory to get to bed.
"Where are you going?" Matthew asked looking at her.
"Getting ready for bed like you told me," Maira said looking at him confused.
"You're staying here tonight, Maira," he said kindly.
"Oh, that sort of makes sense," Maira noted as she change direction and went to the bathroom.
Twenty minutes later she was lying in bed, Snowball curled up beside her, when her father entered her room. He sat down on her bedside and stroke Snowball gently.
"I wonder if I have can have happy and nice Maira back tomorrow," he asked. Maira smiled, when she was little he always asked the same question and she knew that he wasn't angry anymore.
"Yes," she said trying to stifle a yawn. Matthew chuckled and stroked her hair.
"So how was your first day of school?" he asked.
"It was good, granny is really strict in class, she said.
"Yeah I'll behave in that class if I were you," he said smiling. "Good night, sleep tight." He kissed her on the forehead and pulled up the comforter. He turned the light off as he left the room and Maira feel asleep almost instantly, the long day finally taking its toll. Matthew left his daughters room only to find his mother waiting for him in the living room.
"Mum," Matthew said questioningly.
"Good evening," Minerva said rising. "I gather Maira is here then. Miss Granger told me she had yet to return."
"She's sleeping. Do you want a cup of tea," Matthew asked moving towards the kitchenette.
"That would be lovely," Minerva answered sitting down on the sofa. Matthew returned a few minutes later with two steaming cups of tea, he handed a cup to Minerva before he sat down next to her in the sofa.
"So she's staying the night," Minerva commented taking a sip of the tea. Matthew didn't answer at first instead he took a long sip of the tea thinking about his answer.
"We had a row," Matthew said sighing, sometimes it felt like everything was a row with his daughter.
"I thought she had detention," Minerva said raising an eyebrow looking at him.
"Yeah, I told you about this morning and Hermione. And I agree that I might have overreacted a bit with the detention like you told me. So I plan for us to talk a bit about and then have tea so I could hear about her first day." Matthew paused gathering his thoughts for where to continue. "We never got that far, Maira threw a tantrum."
"About what?" his mother asked eyeing him.
"I don't know the unfairness of the situation, me life in general," Matthew shrugged. "She didn't sleep well last night so I think she is tired too."
"So she fell asleep then," Minerva asked putting down her empty cup on the table.
"She calmed down after two hours and I talked to her. She was told to go to bed and it was needed she fell asleep instantly," Matthew said looking at her.
"Well then everything will work out fine. I'll inform Miss Granger of her absent and I'll see you in the morning. Good night," Minerva said briskly before leaving the quarters. Matthew gathered the tea cups and carried them over to the sink. He cleaned them with a flick of his wand and turned off the light as he left the kitchenette. Matthew took a shower and changed into his pyjamas before looking in on Maira one last time before retiring to bed.
#
Maira woke slightly confused of to where she was the next morning, before she remembered the night before. She groaned as the memories of her behaviour hit her that had not been her best idea. She found that a fresh set of school robes had been left out for her on the desk chair. When she emerged from her room freshly clean and dressed her father was already up. He was sitting at the kitchen table reading the daily prophet with a steaming cup of tea. She slowed down as much as she could without stopping trying to gauge his mood before reaching him.
"Good morning," he said folding his paper smiling at her. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah," Maira mumbled trying not to meet his eye. She thought that everything had been solved last night, but you could never be sure.
"Maira, I'm not angry," Matthew said guessing correctly what was going on in his daughters head.
"Are you sure?" The question was timid and Maira was looking at the floor refusing to meet his eye.
"I'm sure, it's all forgotten now." He reached over and pulled her into a hug. Maira relaxed as she felt his strong arms around her and everything felt better at once.
"Why don't you bring Hermione over for tea this afternoon? I want to hear everything about your first days." Matthew asked and received a big smile from his daughter.
"Oh it's been amazing and I haven't started a single fire." Matthew chuckled as Maira went on about her lessons the day before on their way to breakfast. He left her at the Gryffindor table were Hermione was waiting for her and took his own place at the staff table.
"She seems happy this morning," his mother observed. Matthew only smiled in response as he started to plate his breakfast.
"Maira!" Hermione exclaimed as she spotted her friend. "You never return last night, but professor McGonagall told me that you were spending the night at home."
"Yeah, we had a row and I was tired," Maira shrugged sitting down next to her.
"So have you prepared for potions?" Hermione asked changing the subject.
"Do you only care about school," Maira muttered pouring herself a glass of pumpkin juice.
"How can you say that? Don't you want to do well in school," Hermione exclaimed looking at her disbelieving.
"It's the second day I doubt anyone cares, besides there is more important things to be concerned about. Just relax people will like you better if you do." Maira said bitterly finding herself getting annoyed at the other girl.
"Well, fine have it your way good bye," Hermione left the table in a huff and Maira felt a small sting of guilt, but decided that she had done the right thing telling the other girl.
Hermione didn't talk to her for the rest of the morning and Maira feeling slightly guilty spent her time with Neville instead. The poor boy had melted his cauldron in the first potions lesson that morning and Snape had taken 10 points for it. Maira had therefore with the help of Harry and Ron spent the lunch trying to cheer the boy up.
#
Since Hermione still didn't talk to her that afternoon, Maira went by herself to have tea with her father. Opening the portrait hole she threw her bag on the floor before sinking down in the sofa. She was alone in the quarters her dad had yet to return from his lessons but Maira didn't mind waiting. She was used to the silence of their quarters and she found that the Gryffindor common room could be a bit overwhelming. Her dad found her a few minutes later sprawled out on the sofa Snowball on her chest purring.
"Maira please sit up," he said sighing. Huffing Maira carefully picked up Snowball putting him on the floor before sitting up.
"Hi dad," she said getting up to give him a hug.
"Hi sweetie, didn't Hermione want to come," he asked returning her hug. Maira shrugged she wasn't sure that she wanted to tell her dad about what she had said to Hermione. Matthew dropped the subject until there were seated at the table with tea and biscuits.
"So how was your day?" he asked eyeing her trying to gauge her mood.
"Turns out I'm quite good at potions, but Neville melted his cauldron and Snape isn't very nice," Maira said dipping a biscuit in the tea.
"Professor Snape," Matthew reprimanded gently.
"Whatever," Maira said absentmindedly.
"So why didn't you bring Hermione?" he asked.
"She isn't talking to me," Maira huffed. Matthew sighed the last thing he needed was more drama.
"Why not?" he asked patiently.
"Don't know" Maira shrugged avoiding his eye.
"Maira," Matthew warned sensing that it was something more to the story.
"I've might have told her that people would like her better if she stopped talking about school all the time," Maira said.
"Maira, that wasn't very nice!"
"I know but she is obsessed with school it isn't normal." Maira sulked.
"I think you hurt her feelings and you need to apologize." Maira nodded and Matthew dropped the subject. Maira spent a pleasant hour in the company of her father before she returned to the common room before dinner. She found Hermione in the dormitory leaving her bag to go to the great hall for dinner.
"Hermione I'm sorry I didn't mean it," she said.
"Sure you did, but I don't mind. I thought you were different but I guess I was wrong," Hermione said before stalking out of the room. Maira looked after her confused it was not the reaction she expected. But it was fine by her; she had other friends she didn't care about Hermione Granger.