Fire & Ice - A Draco Malfoy fanfiction

Chapter 9 - Clouds rain too when they're too heavy

"Of course", I said with a frown.

"I'm so sorry, Lea. You were right. He has no right to be that nasty to you and if he treats my best friend like that, I don't want him around", she said, grabbing my hand. I smiled at her and squeezed her hand slightly. It meant a lot to me that she still supported me.

"And what he said was actual bullshit anyway", she continued. "Many people like you. Ask anyone!" She crossed her arms and turned around to the Ravenclaw table.

"Oi, Goldstein!" she whisper-yelled, causing Anthony Goldstein to look around confused.

"Do you think my girl Eleanor Selwyn here is a nice girl?" she asked and I had to put in quite the effort to keep myself from laughing.

"Stop it, you're embarrassing me, Greengrass", I said, pulling her back around.

"Sure", Anthony shrugged, slightly terrified, before turning around again.

"See, everyone likes you", she said as if Anthony's "sure" had just proven her point.

"Thanks, Daphne", I smiled and finished my supper.

The argument with Malfoy had given me two hours of detention with Umbridge, though. I was not looking forward to it at all. I was so very tired and not in the mood for that annoying toad. Not that I ever was, but right now I just wanted to crawl into bed and sleep for twelve hours straight. But I couldn't. First I had detention and then patrol, fabulous.

"I'm heading off. Can't be late for detention", I rolled my eyes and stood up. Daphne and Tracey gave me emphatic looks.

"Good luck", they mumbled.

I took a deep breath and made my way over to the disgustingly pink office. I knocked on the door and a shrill yes sounded from the other side. I opened the door, put on a fake smile and walked in.

"Miss Selwyn, I've been expecting you", she said. Obviously. "I expect you're aware that I have to punish you for your actions."

"Well, most teachers start by asking what happened before throwing accusations", I said, eyebrows raised. She pressed her lips on each other in a straight line.

"I don't need to ask what happened because I saw it with my own eyes. You attacked Mr Malfoy and I do not tolerate violence", she hissed. I straightened my back and tried my best to keep myself from laughing in her face.

"Close the door and sit down", she said and put a piece of parchment and a quill on the desk.

"Although we're related, I cannot make exceptions", she chimed. Related? What an absolute joke. Our families had one connection about twelve generations ago. She and I were absolutely not related. She often claimed so to climb in the ranks of the pure-blood society, but no one believed her anyway. She was a laughing stock.

"Related? Don't make me laugh", I huffed.

"Of course. I get along perfectly with the Selwyn family. It would be a problem to not get along with their youngest member", she threatened.

"Sure", I mumbled, not wanting to get into an argument. These two hours were going to be excruciating as it is.

But I only realised how excruciating after five minutes of writing down I must not harm other students. At first I thought it was just an annoying itch on my hand, but I knew exactly what she was playing at the moment the first letter was carved into the back of my hand. I was familiar with this feeling.

I had completely forgotten about my conversation with Daphne and Tracey about Umbridge's detentions. She used bloodquills, even on Slytherins.

"Excuse me?!" I said as I dropped the quill, pushing the chair back.

"Keep on writing", she said, pushing the chair against my calves.

"I will absolutely not continue writing. A blood quill? That's abuse and is most definitely not allowed as a punishment", I stated, pushing the chair back again.

"You have no idea what is allowed and what's not. The Ministry decides that, not some little girl who-"

"Oh you bet I will find out what the Ministry thinks of this. Since you get along with my family so well, you should know their role within the Ministry."

"Oh, foolish girl. Do you really think your parents are opposed to using blood quills? I heard it is a very common way of punishment in your family."

I couldn't exactly deny that, which was infuriating. It was indeed something my parents used as a punishment when I was younger, but she had no right to abuse that information. My parents used it to teach me, not out of spite.

"Now sit down and write your lines before I add another sentence. You will obey my commands. I act under the Ministry's orders and will not allow you to question my way of teaching", Umbridge said, pushing me back into the chair roughly. I wanted to spoon her eyes out of their sockets, but it was no use. There was nothing I could do except for writing to my parents. So I bit my lip and continued writing whilst the line I must not harm other students burned on the back of my hand.

"We'll see about that", I mumbled.