Fey's Pov
November came and went quickly, leaving room for December's icy chill to take hold around the castle, sinking its claws into all the nooks and crevices.
As the cold took over, my men also seemed colder and more distant. After Draco stormed out that day, I spent most of my days and nights with Pansy or alone. I walked to class alone, studied alone, and slept alone.
It had been a hard three weeks.
Classes were lonely. They hardly ever showed up anymore, and when they did, they sat away from me and actually looked like they were focusing on the lecture. It was shocking.
The few times I tried to get their attention, I tried to get an explanation out of them, but they told me they were working on something vital and that they would let me know when they were done.
I nearly laughed in their faces. What in the world could be so damn important that they needed to ignore and avoid me to do it.
Bloody dunderheads.
The only thing I had to look forward to now was my weekly meetings with . At least I knew she would be there every week, and she listened without judgment and helped me through my thoughts.
I sighed as I tried to shake away the negative thoughts. Taking a deep breath, I counted to ten and focused on the more positive. That's what told me to do so I could start to see the good in my life and not just the bad.
Dumbledor and Harry had begun to take me out with them. We visited a few stores in Diagon Alley and had lunch at the Leaky Cauldron. It was a wonderful time and kept me out of my head long enough to think about things besides them…
I went to plop down in my usual seat for breakfast, noticing that Pancy wasn't there, when a hand grabbed my arm and spun me around to face them.
I was at eye level with their chest, a Gryffindor patch catching my eye.
"Fey, come have breakfast with us," Harry said warmly.
Looking up into his smiling face, I nodded. It was better than eating alone, at least I hoped it would be.
Harry walked me to the Gryffindor table and waved some students down to make room for us. We squeezed in, and he began introducing me to a few smiling faces, "Fey, this is Ron," he told me, pointing at a broad-shoulders red-haired boy who was stuffing his face with egg and sausage.
I smiled and waved as I set my bag by my feet. He was eating like an animal, food flying out of the corner of his mouth and sticking to his fingers.
Disgusting.
"This is Hermione. If you ever need help with classwork, she is a genius."
The caramel-skinned girl shyly waved at me as I muttered a hello. I knew who she was. 'Brightest witch of her age,' which had been tossed around quite a bit. She was different than I had imagined her to be. Her dark brown hair was much more curly, and her freckles were like mine. She seemed alright to me.
"Harry, don't forget about us," a pair of voices chimed in as they pushed aside three first-year students so they would have room to sit near us.
Harry rolled his eyes, "How could I ever forget you two."
Hermione laughed, "You make it quite hard ever to forget you're around," she winked teasingly, "With how loud you can be."
"George?"
"Yes, Fred?"
"Did you hear them? They've insulted us!"
One of the twins, god help me if I could ever tell which was which, said, "In front of the gorgeous girl!"
"That is an atrocity!"
"I demand an apology!."
They stared at Hermione and Harry in turn, waiting. When nothing came, they crossed their arms and huffed.
"There's no respect, Freddy."
"None at all, George."
Unable to help myself, I laughed at their idiotic act. They were pretty funny, no matter how rudimentary the comedy.
Hermione groaned, gazing at me now, "Don't laugh. You'll only encourage them," she warned me.
Before I knew it, the twins stared at me like I was fresh meat. They began chatting away at me like it was their mission to make me laugh again. I nibbled a muffin and listened, trying hard not to laugh at them.
One, because Hermione told me to.
Two, because I knew it would get under their skin.
By the end of breakfast, I had succeeded. They were trying their best to make me crack a smile. Even as I rose and said my goodbyes, Hermione and Ron, Fred and George, followed Harry and me out of the Great Hall to Charms, cracking joke after joke to try and get me to laugh.
"Hey Fred, How does Albus get into Hogwarts?"
"I don't know George, how does he?"
"Through the Dumble-door."
I bit my lip and kept walking, Harry at my side dying of laughter.
By the time we reached Flitwick's classroom, the twins had exhausted their arsenal of jokes and looked downright disappointed.
"We're not done here," George said, his tone nearly a threat.
"Yeah, just wait until later. We'll make you laugh then."
They stormed off down the corridor together, leaving Harry and I confused.
"I feel as if I was just threatened with comedy."
"I believe you were."
We entered the Charms classroom together and went our separate ways. The room was always divided by Slytherins and Gryfindors, and neither of us wanted to draw attention to ourselves by breaking that barrier.
Pansy sat at the back, and I joined her as always. I set up my parchment and got my quill ready for notes.
"Have they said anything yet?" she whispered, leaning close to me.
I shook my head, feeling my good mood sink into my shoes.
"Those arseholes. Who do they think they are?"
I shrugged, not wanting to think about it. I wondered about it a lot. What reason could they possibly have for suddenly being so busy and leaving me without an explanation? It was probably a good one, but I didn't have one right then, so I was bitter and disappointed with their lack of communication.
Flitwick's lecture shut Pansy's grumbling up, allowing me to focus on the history of the charm he was planning to teach us.
"This charm disguises a target as its surroundings by making it take on its environment's exact color and texture, turning it into a chameleon. Wizards of rare skill, such as Albus Dumbledore and Gellert Grindelwald, could cast it to such an effect as to render themselves completely invisible!"
I moved my quill across my parchment quickly and smoothly, writing down every word.
The door to the classroom opened and closed, rattling as whoever came in late took their seat.
Flitwick frowned at the interruption but continued, "There are two methods to casting. If you are using the charm on yourself, you must twirl your wand around yourself as if wrapping yourself in rope," he demonstrated without casting.
I drew a small diagram around a stick figure and wrote my notes for self-casting to the side as a small hopping frog landed on my parchment. I pushed it to the side and listened intently for the second method.
"If you are casting on a target, be it a person or object, you must tap on it with your wand."
The frog note folded neatly hopped across my writing, smudging it and leaving tracks as it went.
Frustrated, I squished it with my palm and pushed it under my ink well for safekeeping.
"The sensation produced it like that of a raw egg being cracked over the person's head as the charm slowly travels down the body, granting them a level of invisibility dependent on the caster."
I scribbled the last of my notes as my ink began to shake before finally spilling over my parchment and drowning my notes.
Pansy jumped back, giggling as the ink dripped over the edge of my desk onto my robes and skirt, and the frog seemed to jump around happily in the puddle of ink.
Using my wand, I quickly worked on the cleanup and saved my notes, but it did little to dampen my frustration toward the annoying little frog and its sender.
As the class began to practice the charm, I snatched the frog, quickly unfolding it to read a note from Theo.
Baby girl, meet me after class.
My mouth dropped open—the gall he had to make demands of me after three weeks of nothing. I knew just what to write to get under his skin.
Sorry? Who's this?
Composing my features, I let my quill move quickly across the page before sending the frog back to its annoying creator. I turned to Pansy, and she cast the charm, causing me to shiver.
"Fuck me," she muttered, "I can still sort of see you."
I used the countercharm and tapped her on the shoulder. I watched as her body slowly took on the room's colors behind her, only they were blurry, as if looking at them without glasses on.
"I see what you mean. You're kind of invisible if I squint."
She laughed and tapped me hard on the forehead. The cold sensation ran down my spine again as she used the countercurse to right herself.
"Stay that way for a moment, will you? I want to jot a few notes."
I nodded, only to realize she couldn't see me.
The little frog returned to my desktop as she scrawled away on her parchment. I snatched him up, unfolding him, and read,
Really now? Forget who you belong to? I suppose I'll have to remind you.
Still not wanting to admit I knew who it was, I scribbled back a reply.
This is a bit creepy. You should double-check to whom you're sending these.
The frog hopped back, and Pansy and I continued practicing. The feeling of cold eggs on our heads got old as time passed. Thankfully, it didn't leave a sticky residue, or we would both need to head to the showers to wash up before Herbology.
"Great work today! Clean up your areas, and I will see you all on Monday bright and early!"
Pansy and I gathered our things and linked our arms, walking together to the greenhouses. The walk was silent, and the students stayed out of our path, knowing that Pansy would hex them if they slowed her down or made her late.
I smiled. She had made a name for herself with the first years. She was a wicked inspiration to them, even if she scared the devil out of them.
Arriving at the greenhouse, I was surprised to find Draco, Theo, and Lorenzo waiting near the door. A cigarette lit in Theo's mouth and the other two muttering between themselves as Pansy and I approached.
Still not feeling much like talking to any of them, I kept my face turned away even as they motioned me over and continued chatting with Pansy.
"You know they're waving you over, right?"
I nodded.
"You're ignoring them?" She asked, leaning around me to get a better look at them.
I nodded again.
"Ohh, now they're trying to get me to tell you to go over," she laughed and squeezed my arm.
"I will not."
"I wasn't going to make you."
"Thank you," I told her softly as we entered the greenhouse.
Professor Sprout began the lesson immediately, but it didn't save me from them. They pushed their way between the other students who stood around me and even had the audacity to shove away Pansy.
I gave her a look that said I was sorry and ignored them.
"You're ignoring us?" Draco asked, sounding confused.
I shoved on my dragon hide gloves and wrapped myself in my gardening jacket.
"Why are you ignoring us?" Enzo asked, his voice sounding pitiful as he tried to take my hand in his.
I shook myself free and crossed my arms.
Enzo was hurt.
I could see that from the corner of my eye. He looked like I just stabbed him.
Good.
A body pressed against my back, their lips against my ear, "Baby girl, don't think you can get away with this unpunished."
A shiver raced down my spine, but still, I took a step forward away from Theo and closer to the pants we were working with.
"Really? These plants are more interesting than us?" Draco asked, pouting.
Deep breath.
My fingers dug through the dirt.
Deep breath. In out. In out.
"Can't believe we show up, and you'd rather play in the dirt."
In out. In out.
"Really, this is what you'd rather do?"
In out. My fingers snapped a root in half. In out.
Frustration was building in my blood, and my deep breaths weren't helping.
"After everything…"
I cut off his words, taking the fist full of dirt I had clutched between my fingers and flung it in his face.
Gasps ran out from the students around us, and Draco stood with his eye twitching in shock as the silence broke way into laughter.
Not wanting to wait around for detention, I threw my jacket and gloves to the ground as I stormed from the greenhouse.
My chest felt like it was going to explode. I was so angry at them for everything. For ignoring me. For just showing up and expecting me to act like everything was alright.
They had left me for three fucking weeks, and they wanted me just to be alright. Just like that.
No way in hell.
They could fuck themselves.
I stormed up the hills toward the Black Lake and scanned the area for somewhere to hide. Somewhere I could sit and think and be alone.
I scoffed to myself like I hadn't been alone enough already.
A cluster of trees off the edge of the lake drew my gaze, and I followed the path toward them.
I settled between the two larger trees and let myself relax. Stretching out against the hard ground and closing my eyes.
It was then that the guilt settled in. Draco didn't deserve to have dirt thrown at his face, a good shouting at yes, but the dirt, no.
Sighing, I looked toward the grey sky and counted the darker clouds rolling across. There would be a storm rolling through. A particularly nasty one, and with how cold it had gotten, there would likely be snow along with it.
The wind blew a chill at me, straight to my bones that settled in my core. I knew I should head in. Potions would be starting, but I didn't want to see them again so soon.
Not while I was still feeling a tinge pissed.
Sounds of nature filled my mind.
The waves of the lake as they crashed violently against the shore.
The wind as it howled through the trees like a pack of deranged wolves.
Animals scurrying around behind me as they readied themselves for winter.
I let my eyes close, and my body relaxed further against the trees. It really was really peaceful without the sounds of students to take away from it all.
As I felt my mind let the events of today go, I felt something hit me with a force that knocked me to my side as ropes twisted around my body as I struggled. Trying as I might to sit up again, I could not. My arms and legs were locked to my sides, tied together with a thick rope.
I screamed, not knowing what was happening as footsteps approached. Their voices were clear as day, and it made me furious.
"You got her!" Lorenzo shouted happily.
Draco sounded proud of himself as he crouched down beside me, "I sure did get you."
"You are out of your fucking mind Draco Malfoy."
He raised a brow, looking shocked to hear me sound so upset.
"What did you expect us to do?"
"Wait until I was ready to talk to you!" I shouted at them, struggling against the ropes, "Now untie me."
"I don't know if that's a good idea."
"I swear to…"
"Why are you ignoring us?" Theo asked as he stomped out his cigarette.
My eyes snapped to him, "Are you daft? I said untie me."
"Answer the question."
I glared at him, "Why wouldn't I?"
"You're mad at us?"
"No shit. You've ignored me for three weeks. No notes, no visits, nothing, and you expect me to be okay?"
They look at each other, communicating silently.
"We told you that we had things to take care of…" Lorenzo told me sheepishly.
"More important than your girlfriend?"
They don't answer.
"Things more important than checking in with me to let me know you're alive? Or maybe… I don't know to just spend time with me. Or even just tell me you love me and haven't forgotten that I fucking exist."
Draco grimaces and Lorenzo shoves his hands in his pocket. Theo, on the other hand, stares at me, concerned and worried.
"You were doing whatever the fuck you were doing, and I was just alone. Alone all the fucking time."
Draco opens his mouth to say something, but I cut him off quickly.
"Don't you dare say that I had Pansy because we both know it isn't the same. She won't crawl into bed at night and hold me. She doesn't wake up in the morning and walk me to class. She doesn't fuck me or tell me she loves me…"
The ropes around my body loosen until they disappear, and I sit up, moving away from them as I rub the sore spots and friction burns on my wrists.
"Fey, we messed up…"
"...we should have-"
"Yeah, you should have done a lot of things," I said, struggling to my feet, "It's a bit late for that now, isn't it?"
I push past them and march toward the castle, heading straight for Potions with Professor Snape.
Fucking arseholes.