Squib Who Scrubbed | ON HOLD

Chapter Four

By Christmas, most of Titania's physical injuries felt better. However, the first time being hit opened a gateway to harsher punishment.

Before, the worst she had received was a few harsh words when she messed up, but now they took away her meals and hit her, depending on who gave the punishment. Mister Malfoy was more physical, but Mistress Malfoy took away her strength.

Draco arrived from Hogwarts with a cheery mood at being back at home. He constantly talked about Hogwarts, and his teachers, his friends, and most of all, the boy they had met in Diagon Alley. His name was Harry Potter.

Draco loved to talk about Harry Potter, whining about what he and his friends were doing, and how he had gotten on the Quidditch team as a First Year. He threw slurs left and right about his friends, and seemed to hate them all.

And yet, Draco wouldn't stop talking about him and his other friends. It got to the point where Master and Mistress Malfoy would stop him if he even mentioned their names and demand he talk about anything else.

Therefore, Draco talked to Titania about Harry Potter, whom she soon learned to despise. While it was Draco talking to her in the laundry room, she knew it was only because nobody else would listen to him.

"I really couldn't believe it," Draco rattled on, "He breaks Madam Hooch's rule, after she told us not to or we would get expelled, gets caught, and is rewarded with being put on the Gryffindor team!"

Titania nods and continues to scrub the towels in her washbasin.

"The worst part is how smug he was about it! 'Oh look at me, I'm Harry Potter, and I made the Quidditch team!'" Draco imitated in a high pitched, obnoxious voice, flailing his arms around.

Titania tried not to laugh at his antics. Draco continued on with his story, which Titania believed to be highly over exaggerated.

She was glad for the company though. As much as she was jealous of his opportunities, he still was the only human in the Manor that didn't entirely think of her as inferior.

Titania worked late into the night, washing and folding clothes for the upcoming week. With Draco back as well, she had more work than she had had in the past couple of months.

The door to the laundry room opened and Titania looked up, eyes wide, heart pounding, already thinking of excuses and reasons as to why she hadn't finished the laundry yet. However, it just turned out to be Dobby, bringing her dinner.

With a startled realization, Titania realized she was hungry and hadn't had dinner yet. She hadn't eaten lunch either, she recalled, as her stomach gave a grumble.

Dobby pattered in, holding the plate of food for her, and set it onto one of the clear tables in the room.

"Dobby has brought Titania some food!" He squeaked, "Titania did not come down to the kitchen to eat for lunch or breakfast, and Dobby knew Titania had to eat!"

Titania gave a kind smile to Dobby. "Thank you, Dobby," She said, and put down the shirt she was working on. Dobby gave a grin back up to her.

They sat together as Titania ate her food, methodically finding her way through the meal. Silence reigned between the two of them as Titania hesitated to ask something.

"Dobby," She began slowly, "Have you ever wanted something so bad, but haven't been able to get it? It's something you want with all your soul, but it's nearly impossible to get?" Titania's voice was nearly a whisper.

Dobby looked around him, as if he feared the Malfoy's to be hiding beneath their laundry, and Titania gave a shiver. She knew the feeling too well, and she gave her own glance around the room.

"Titania," Dobby squeaked, "Dobby has very much felt this feeling. Dobby always feels this feeling." Dobby shivered, as if he wanted to go to and punish himself from saying those few words.

"Dobby, you don't have to say anything else. I know your restrictions," Titania reassured him, and Dobby gave a sigh of relief. Titania finished her meal in silence, and Dobby took up the plate and went to the kitchen.

Titania finished the laundry with exhaustion weighing on her shoulders. She was tired, so tired. Tired of what she had to do, tired of wanting something she could never have, she was just so tired.

Titania sat in her room. She sat. And sat. And sat.

She was angry, and jealous, and didn't know what she was going to do. By not going to Hogwarts, all her careers in the Wizarding World were gone. They vanished.

So what was she going to do? Would she live with the Malfoys forever? She couldn't imagine it, forever being their servant. Watching Draco be successful and happy with his magic, while she sat on the sidelines, doing laundry.

She wasn't going to do that. She had to get out, somehow. She couldn't leave until she was seventeen, so she still had to wait for a couple of years.

But she could plan, she could start saving up and making plans for what she could when she did leave. She didn't know anything about the Muggle World, and only had a basic knowledge of what the Muggles considered an education.

She could barely read and write, could only do basic math, and didn't know anything about what else Muggles might teach about in their schools. And whatever else they might use, their teknogy?

A deep sense of dread settled in the pit of her stomach. It was so much work, she realized, trying to be a muggle. And she had so little to work with, living with the Malfoys. They were purebloods, and hated Muggles, and although she didn't like Muggles, if she was going to live with them, she had to know more about them.

Titania got up and rummaged through her belongings, looking for her old supplies she used when she did tutoring. Pulling them out, she sat at her small table with her old quill and ink bottle, ready to start listing some sort of plan for the future.

Moving out at 17

Learn to read and write better

Math

Cooking

Titania sat at her table, and stared at her paper. That was all she had, all she could think of to prepare herself to try and move out. What else could she do?

Get money

She stared at her paper again, her eyes blurring over. With a sigh, she extinguished the candle and picked up the supplies. She could try again tomorrow. Or the next day. Or the next day. Maybe one day she could formulate a plan at one point.

A/N Sorry for a bit of a late update. I was trying to get it out yesterday, but I had to do something else unexpectedly (oops). However, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thank you for reading it! Please give a vote if you liked this chapter and comment your favorite part!

This book has over 100 reads! As I update this, it has 124! Ah! Most of my stories don't even reach 50, so a really big surprise to me! Thank you guys so much for reading this story, and I really hope you have enjoyed it so far.

This chapter kind of got things rolling in motion, especially with the last bit. However, things might not go as planned. We certainly shall see, hmm? 

-palladiums' podge