The Ophidian [James Potter] ON HOLD

Chapter 12 - Repercussions, Punishments, and Apologies

Ok, so I may have taken it a little far, if the Professors' looks were anything to go by. I wouldn't admit it out loud, but I knew that I may have lost control of my anger a little bit. Again. Because of Potter. Again. There seemed to be a recurring pattern for me losing my temper. I had, of course, lost my temper before but with Potter, it suddenly becomes so much easier, and my desire to punch someone had never been so high.

"Miss Fawley, would you care to explain yourself?" Professor Slughorn asked after a few minutes of hushed discussion with the other Heads of House and Madam Hooch.

"Not particularly, sir." I answered, slightly regretting getting myself into this, but the thought of Potter's prank caused anger to instantly bubble up in me.

"It wasn't a request, Miss Fawley." Professor McGonagall swiftly replied with a hard-set glare aimed my way before she continued, "What in Merlin's name thought you could get away with saying those things? I understand that commentators usually get a little biased for their team but Slytherin house weren't even playing!"

"Well, Minnie," the voice of the devil drawled from behind me, "What does it matter why she did it? All that matters is that she did. And I believe she ought to be seriously punished for this. You know, maybe revoking her Prefect status or something—Oh! Oh! Maybe take her off the 'Possible Head Girl List'. As a team, we unanimously agreed it was the best option. The badgers also think it's best."

"Watch it, Potter. And it doesn't matter if you and everyone else 'agreed unanimously' on her punishment as it is not your decision. Understood?" McGonagall sternly asked, her attention flicking from me to the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs behind me. "Miss Fawley, you will receive a weeks' worth of detention, and you will apologize to each player and shake their hand."

I felt my features contort into disgust and I felt as if this would actually be painful. Slughorn began speaking upon seeing me go to protest,

"Just be glad we're not contacting your parents about this. Your record is good so far and I'm sure you had a, uh, valid reason for acting the way you did and because of that, we're giving you the benefit of the doubt. So just accept this incredibly lenient punishment and be thankful." I let a small relieved breath out at the fact that they wouldn't be contacting my parents and decided I ought to just suck it up; the sooner I did it, the sooner it was over.

"What? You're not contacting her parents?!" Black's voice exclaimed incredulously, anger evident in his voice.

"Yes, I wanted to ask about that, Horace. She swore like a sailor in front of the entire school and insulted a lot of people and you're not informing her parents?" Professor Sprout voiced up from her position by McGonagall.

"As her head of house, I decide what Miss Fawley's punishment will be and if her parents will be contacted. I believe that Miss Fawley may have simply been stressed and it just bubbled over, commentating can be stressful, you know?" Slughorn defended, and whilst I appreciated it, I could barely hold back the eye roll over his reasoning. Even he knew it was a weak excuse and everyone knew I hated Potter – especially after that prank.

"I'm sorry, what? To quote the culprit: are you shitting me? Where's Professor Dumbledore? He wouldn't let her get away with this!" Xander Buttermere squawked out from behind me.

"The decision is final, Mr Buttermere. If Professor Slughorn wishes for this to be Miss Fawley's punishment, it will be. Now, Fawley, apologise and shake hands." McGonagall piped up after being quiet for several moments, shaking her head. I was mildly surprised that she had not pressed for my parents to be contacted, although she most likely knew of their reputations.

I bit my tongue and put a simple smile on my face, turning to face the wanker and the rest of the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff teams who were glaring at me, but upon seeing my clenched jaw and cold eyes, most of their glares dropped and they avoided eye contact.

Starting with Hufflepuffs, I stuck my hand out to Diggory, "I'm sorry if my comments offended you." He took my hand and we shared a firm yet swift handshake. I then moved on to the next Hufflepuff and continued, repeating the same thing each time. The polite and barely-there smile I had on my face became more strained as I reached the first Gryffindor: Frank Longbottom. I managed to get through most of the Gryffindors without trying to break their hand, the only exceptions being the Terror Twins.

I stared Sirius Black right in the eye as he roughly grabbed my hand and gripped it tightly, through gritted teeth I managed to apologise, "I'm sorry if my comments offended you." His hand tightened and I could practically see my comments replaying in his head, in response, my hand tightened too. We carried on glaring at each other, are hands harshly connected, both our knuckles had long turned white from the strain, but I refused to be the first to loosen their grip.

"Stop trying to break each other's hands and hurry up and shake Mr Potter's hand, Miss Fawley." McGonagall said in a clipped tone, her patience thinning quickly at our undeniably childish game and we finally broke our glaring contest.

"Ew, I don't want to shake her hand thanks, Minnie. I'll pass. I'd rather die than shake her hand." Potter's whiny voice rang out from my right, I rotated my jaw in order to stop myself from castrating him then and there, turning my head slightly, I caught his glare and promptly returned it with one of my own.

"Well, I certainly don't want to shake your hand either, Merlin knows what kind of disease you have." I spat out with my nose wrinkled in disgust and my mouth curled up in a sneer.

"Fine then, you don't have to shake hands, but since you both insist on being so petulant, you are going to hug instead." McGonagall finally snapped, her hands flying out to land at her hips, a look of annoyance and exasperation as clear as day on her face, the other teachers nodded in agreement.

"Actually, Professors, a handshake isn't that bad." I reacted, horror coursing through my veins at the very thought of hugging James Potter.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but I second that—" Potter began.

"No, it is too late now, Mr Potter, Miss Fawley. Now the rest of us would like to leave so please, hurry up." Slughorn piped up as he glanced at the clock on the wall.

I let out a silent plea to Merlin and every higher power out there that I knew of so that I would not have to hug James Potter.

It didn't work. 'Last time I ask those shits for help.' I thought bitterly as I began to awkwardly wrap my arms around Potter. One of my arms was around his neck and one around his torso and his arms mirrored mine. It was a weird and uncomfortable sort of 'bro hug' thing.

My head was dangerously close to his neck, so close that I could smell the woodsy fragrance of his cologne and the musty aroma of broom cleaner. I tried to stop breathing too deeply or too much in an attempt to get rid of the scent.

His messy hair tickled my nose slightly as he tensely moved his head to the side. "I'm sorry..." I began, loud enough for everyone to hear, whilst my whole body tense in the awkward embrace, before continuing in a volume only he could hear, "that you're depriving a castle of their jester." I saw goosebumps rise on the skin of his neck as my breath fanned over the exposed area.

I felt his body tense up even more than it was before, I didn't think that was even possible. It was another moment before he responded, "At least," he started as his breath skimmed over my ear, "At least, I'm good enough to be in the castle.