Always • Charlie Weasley

24: ٢٤ | idiotic

"I'm pretty sure you meant 'dry stick'" Malak rolled her eyes yet again. "This absolutely stupid."

"Idiotic, one may say" Lee laughed loudly, causing Malak to smack the back of his neck.

"It cannot be mandatory." Malak shook her head hurriedly.

"She literally just said it is for the School Champions." Lee confirmed her suspicions.

Fuck.

Just then, the bell that signalled the end of the  school week ran. Usually this would have brought a certain degree of relief to the Egyptian witch, but as she had told Lee, nothing could cheer her up.

Not after knowing that she was going to be missing Christmas with Charlie too.

Completely defeated, Malak picked up her school supplies and headed out of the class, using George Weasley as her main support, while Lee carried her bag.

"Malak!" The voice of Cedric Diggory calling her name was heard over the crowd.

He ran to catch up with the group of Gryffindor students. If looks could kill, the twins would have killed the Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain from a mile away. They looked infuriated, definitely not over the fact that he beat them at Quidditch the previous year.

"Hey Cedric, what's up?" The Hogwarts champion forced herself to give him a fake half smile.

"I was wondering if you'd like to go to the ball with me?" He asked with a firm tone, full of resolve, much to Malak's astonishment. "You know, the Yule Ball McGonagall just mentioned?"

She was slightly irked by the sudden proposition, but she decided to take a moment to reject him nicely.

But before she could muster the words, someone replied on her behalf.

"She has a boyfriend, Diggory, thank you." Fred intervened, giving him the fakest of grins and grabbing Malak's arm to drag her away rather forcefully.

"And I suppose that's you, Weasley." Cedric retorted, making Malak sigh — she was just too exhausted for this.

As expected, Fred did not let it go. "My brother if you must know."

"This is enough, you two," Malak intervened finally.

"She can answer herself, you don't need to do it on her behalf." Cedric retorted, getting dangerously close to Fred. "Stay out of it. It's none of your business."

"Guys, enough!" Malak pleaded, raising her voice and trying to get in the middle of them, despite George holding her back.

"In case you are deaf, it is my business. She's my brother's girlfriend." Fred ignored Malak's efforts, bumping into Cedric's chest, which only ignited his temper.

Cedric was visibly enraged, and he suddenly grabbed Fred's shirt to push the twin against the wall. "Maybe she is already bored of him."

All of a sudden, Malak felt as if some sort of needle of absolute and pure rage pierced her brain and exploded in there, making her dizzy, and possessed by a new unfamiliar wrath.

But above all, at that particular instant Malak felt power. Raw. Fierce.

The power that had just been born within her was absolutely brutal.

For a split second, she knew she was simply invincible.

"CEDRIC DIGGORY STOP RIGHT NOW!"

Her cold, soulless voice echoed through the halls of the school, reverberating against the ancient stone walls.

Never before had she uttered a command with such power. So cruelly. So brutally.