Where The Sage Shrubs Grow,

Chapter 83

Sage's POV:
I sat in the back of DADA class, clocking my pen mindlessly. We never actually learned anything so what was the point in trying to focus.
"-There is no need to think too hard on this children." Umbridge smiled strolling past me
"More like no need to think at all." I mumbled
"What- was that." She smiled snapping her ruler across my desk

I sat back, nearly avoiding a slap across the hand with her ruler. I blatantly glared up at her, refusing to answer.
"You will see me after class." She smiled
What was she going to do? Kill me, good. After stepping into her office I wanted to die. The walls were pink. The floor was pink. Her desk had a pink hue to it. The chair was pink. Her tea was pink. She even had plates covering the walls that had cats in them. I couldn't help but feel bad while also feeling disgusted.

"Sit." She ordered
I sat down in the small desk next to hers.
"So I hear, you are the daughter of Albert and Rosemary Jackson. Correct?" She smiled
God I hated her voice.
"Yes."
"I heard you talking back in class, did I not?" She continued
"What does this have to do with my parents?" I asked rudely

"Mmmm, children like you are always disturbed. I've seen it enough times at the ministry, you always end up just like your parents. I tried starting a petition once. To have all death eater children killed, for the greater good of course."
This bitch is crazy. Killed? She really is about to kill me.
"It was quickly dismissed." She sighed
My eyes widened as she pulled a sheet of paper and a quill out from her desk drawer.

Death by quill? I only hope Fred and Hallie figure it out and jump her ass.
"Now, I want you to write Freak, on this paper. Because that is exactly what you are. Seven times." She smiled
This woman was sadistic. Only seven times?
"I need ink." I said blandly
"You don't. Just start writing." She said as she took a sip of her tea

"Oh and one more thing. I've seen your deplorable handwriting. It's so small none can read it, so use big letters this time." She smiled
I flared up at her before starting to write. Sure enough the black words appeared on the page, despite having no ink. I got through writing FREAK in large uppercase letters about three times before I felt a shooting pain up my arm.

I paused, pulling back my robe sleeve slightly. I gasped, dropping the quill. There on my arm the word FREAK was being carved into my arm in three different places. I watched as the crimson blood started seeping out of the words. The cut must have been deeper than I thought if I had blood running down my arm. It burned like hell.
"Something wrong?" Umbridge chirped
"N-no no-nothing." I stammered trying to push past the pain
"Then please finish your assignment."

I wrote the word four more times as quickly as possible, only causing the pain to increase exponentially. My whole arm was trembling, as well as both my hands. It was a very surreal experience, I couldn't believe what was happening. I didn't know if I should even tell anyone.
"That will be all. You may go." She smiled

I rushed out of her office as fast as possible, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. I gripped onto my arm tightly in hopes of stopping some of the bleeding. Seeing as I was bleeding in seven different places on my arm I knew it wouldn't be possible to stop it all at once. I rushed back to my dorm to find a bandage I could wrap around my arm. Once I had cleaned and wrapped my arm I changed robes and got my bloodied ones in the wash.

"There you are! I've been looking for you and George everywhere." Fred called coming up behind me
I turned to face him after deciding not to mention what had happened.
"Hey! I was in the library. Where's George?" I asked

"I dunno, I was about to go check our dorm." He shrugged
"I'll go with." I responded
When we reached their dorm room I opened the door only to find a solemn George sitting on his bed with his hands clasped in front of him. Fred and I exchanged a concerned glance.
"Georgie what's wrong?" I asked
He sighed and looked up at me "Am I a terrible person?" He asked

"What?" Fred Asked
"No of course not! Why would you think that?" I asked sitting down next to him
"I broke up with Angelina, who was obviously a horrible person." He started
"Well you were kind of blindsided by love, none can blame you for that one mate." Fred comforted
"But then, I immediately started dating Hallie." George continued
"And now we've broken up because we've both had the realization that we never actually liked each other in that way."

I looked at Fred with wide eyed. When did they break up?
"And now I'm pretty sure I've just been burying my own feelings for MC because I felt that she was too good for me and she was a Slytherin and now by doing that I've pushed her away and I've probably ruined that relationship forever." He sighed
I wrapped my arm around him as he buried his face in his bruised hands.
"I don't think you've ruined your relationship with her. On the contrary I think her feelings for you are as strong as ever." I consoled
"So she liked me? Like really liked me, not trying to get with my twin, not trying to recover from another breakup like, like she really liked me?"

"Really liked you, as in genuinely fell for you after being your friend like." I assured him
His face lit up with the smallest amount of hope
"And stop talking in past tense, she still likes you George." I playfully smacked his arm "Now go find her!"
George smiled and wrapped me in a tight embrace.
"Thank you boo!" With that, George got up and rushed out of his dorm
"I'd say you handled that pretty perfectly." Fred smirked
"Of course I did, I handle everything perfectly." I joked dramatically tossing one of my French braids over my shoulder

"What's on your arm?" Fred asked
He reminded me of the bandage covering my whole arm from the punishment from Umbridge.
"Oh, uhm nothing. I just... I just uhm, fell and hurt my arm." I laughed nervously trying to cover the bandage
"No, let me see." He said swatting my other hand away
"It's-it's nothing Fred." I said trying to get him to back off
It didn't work. I hissed from a slight sting as he removed the bandage. Horror etched deeper into his face the further he unrolled the bandage.

"This, is nothing?" He asked holding up my arm
As if I didn't already know what was written there. He looked at me furiously.
"Who did this to you?" He asked
"No one Fred, really it's-"
"Who. Did. This. To. You."
My mouth hung open as if to respond but no words could form. I knew I couldn't tell him, I knew he would go after Umbridge, practically guaranteeing his getting expelled.

"Answer me." He ordered
"I- I don't know." I stammered
He kind of scared me when he was angry, his firm but still gentle grip prevented me from recoiling.
"You don't know?" He seethed
Fred let go of my arm only to grab onto my shoulders and pull my face closer to his. God damn he was hot.
"Tell me this instant, who did this to you?" He asked
"I told you I-I don't know." I responded
"I dont believe you."
"That doesn't mean I'm lying."

He pulled back, as if realizing I was right and he was being harsh.
"Now re-wrap my arm." I said holding out my exposed arm
He looked at the word etched into my arm sadly.
"You aren't a freak." He mumbled
I went to argue but decided against it, I thought it would be better to not upset him more.

"When I find out who did-" He started
"You won't." I cut him off
"Why won't you just tell me?" He asked
"Because it would only make matters worse, for me, and most certainly for you. And that I really couldn't bear."
He pulled me into his arms once his had finished wrapping mine.
"You aren't a freak." He mumbled into the top of my head

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