Protégée (George Weasley)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Umbridge had been bestowed unusual power around Hogwarts by the Ministry, which she had used in the most bizarre ways over the course of the school year. Everyone thought that she would eventually wind down with her almost crazy power wielding, but it seemed as though she had been putting up new sets of rules every week, each month getting crazier and crazier.

People thought she had reached her limit, but they were proven wrong.

One morning during breakfast, Filch had beeb going back and fourth between Umbridge's office and the great Hall. He had been escorting students to meet with her, one by one. Within each day that she did this, the people she cared about seemed to grow worried. Even Fred and George had been acting shifty, as well as Angelina and Noel. She didn't really know what it was that made them so nervous about these one on one meetings, until she had curiously asked Katie about it, who stared off in to the fireplace momentarily before answering.

"I think she suspects that there's been...illegal activity going on... I don't know..." Katie's voice trailed off, making Lisa think that she knew more than what she was making it seem like.

Of course, Lisa had been clueless about the existence of certain illegal activities, at least illegal in a sense that Umbridge disapproved of it. But the woman didn't seem to think so, as Lisa was called to her office that one afternoon to have a 'little chat', as Umbridge had put it.

Her office was obnoxiously pink, and had a portrait of cats on every square inch. At the far end of the room, Umbridge was sitting behind her desk, a pot of tea and a pair of teacups on the table as she beckoned Lisa over.

She went, rather hesitantly, before sitting down. She had heard of these meetings she had with students, as she was not the first one to ever have to go through it. Katie had been called a few days back, and she had told Lisa not to drink the tea under any circumstances.

When she was handed a cup, she smiled rather shyly, her eyes looking around for the nearby potted plant that Katie had instructed her to pour her tea in. But it was nowhere in sight, which made her panic. She locked eyes with Umbridge, who smiled rather sweetly at her, "Drink up, Miss Branson. I've made sure to prepare the finest tea for our friendly chat."

Lisa smiled again, bringing the tea cup to her lips to try and feign a sip, making Umbridge clear her throat, "You're not the first one to try that trick on me, Elisabeth." she said, in a tone so sinister that the sweetness of her tone failed to hide it, "If you know what's best for you I suggest you drink up and stop wasting my tea."

Katie's words echoed repeatedly in her head, but she was backed in to a corner and had no other choice to comply. Besides, she had nothing to hide, maybe it wouldn't be so bad for her?

Tipping back the cup once more, she let the warm beverage slip in to her mouth, little by little so as not to burn her tongue. Umbridge smiled at this, before clasping both her hands together and putting them on top of her desk, "Right, thank you. Now indulge me, how are your parents, Miss Branson?"

"I wouldn't know, they're always on the move that even their children can't keep track of them," Lisa blurted out, her answer surprising both Umbridge and herself. She felt a very odd sensation, as though she could not stop herself from saying whatever she was thinking. Was that why Katie told her not to drink the tea?

"Interesting... so you would you say you don't have a close relationship with them?"

"Not at all. My best friend's family probably know me more than my own parents do." Lisa responded, without skipping a beat. Umbridge's eyebrows quirked up, interested in the direction that the conversation was turning to. She beckoned her to take another sip, and she did, before asking another question, "Best friend, Noel Johnson, you mean?"