adiaphoron | d.m

EIGHT

➸  START OF SOMETHING NEW

CECILIA'S HAND FUMBLED WITH the letter she currently held in her hand. It was from her parents who had finally written her back. She was currently in the Hall, eating breakfast. The owls had just delivered letters to the students. Her eyes were locked onto her plate, not having an appetite. She threw the letter in the bottom of her bag. 

"Potter really can't help himself," Zabini muttered, indignation written all over his face, "How did he do it?"

Crabbe and Goyle made a small noise in agreement. Cecilia refrained from saying anything, but she observed everyone's face, seeing the agreement that shone on their faces. All except Malfoy, who was usually the first person to speak up to insult Potter - he remained quiet. 

Crabbe and Goyle made a small noise in agreement. Cecilia remained quiet. But she saw everyone's faces and knew they agreed. Except Malfoy, who usually was the first one to speak up to insult Potter, remained quiet, holding an impassive face.

"Typical Potter," Peyton spoke up. "It was probably that filthy mudblood who did it for him."

It was Malfoy's words coming out of Peyton mouth. Peyton's eyes drifted to Malfoy, trying to observe his reaction. 

Cecilia finally broke her silence with a soft laugh. Peyton wasn't happy with the change of attention, "What's funny?"

"It's just a little ironic that you're shaming someone for their blood status when you're a half-blood yourself," Cecilia said, glancing up at her before bringing her attention to her food.  

"You, yourself, come from an impure background and yet you try to talk from a pure blood's view," Cecilia shrugged, taking another bite of her food. 

"It's just weird, that's all."

It was one thing to actually believe those beliefs - it was another to just degrade someone for the simple task of gaining someone's attention - it was weird. 

Soft snickers could be heard throughout the group. 

"And to get your facts straight, Potter didn't cheat his way into the tournament," She said to the group before her gaze and tone dropped, "He actually didn't want anything to do with it."

Like me. 

"Now you're defending Potter?" Peyton furrowed her eyebrows in disgust, "Really, that's lowly of you."

Tracey spoke up, making small noises of disagreement. But that didn't stop Peyton. Instead she looked at the whole group, "What, we were all thinking it!"

A series of no's were heard, but Cecilia quieted them as soon as she opened her mouth, "Potter and I - we're in the same predicament. So when someone says something about Potter, I take it as they're talking about me too. So no, I wasn't defending Potter - I was defending myself."

A series of we ran its coursed through the group. Confusion and disgust flared throughout the whole group. Cecilia exhaled once again, trying to push away the gnawing anger - to put them in their place. But she just rolled her eyes. 

"We both had our names entered against our will," Cecilia mumbled. But that sentence wasn't enough for the group because she saw the disgust brewing, swirling with other emotions in their eyes. And when she saw their mouth opened once more, she knew it was still continuing.