𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐃𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓| 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲✔️

𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐘𝐒𝐈𝐗|𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐔𝐌

MARA WILLIAMS

Kittens of every colour mewled and bayed within the confines of their porcelain plate portraits. Umbridge had forced Ron into the seat before her desk and she now loomed ominously over him like a pouchy pink rain cloud, whilst Harry, Hermione, the twins and I stood side by side behind him

Umbridge clutched a small green vile in her fat fist, "Now Mr. Weasley, you know how the ministry views liars."

"I'm not lying!" Ron lied, staring up at her with more fervour than I could ever find in myself. "With all do respect Professor, you're talking bollocks!"

The twins sniggered and she looked as if she would explode at any moment, her flush face glowing just as red as the Ron's hair. "Language! I will not tolerate anymore insolence from you Mr. Weasley!" Her piggy eyes scanned over us, before honing in on Hermione like a predator would prey. "-Miss Granger, come here. Swap with Weasley."

Never one to disobey a teacher, Hermione instantly did as she said, and now she was the one to bear the brunt of the vile woman's wrath.

"Now." Said Umbridge, suddenly dangerously calm, leering over her. "...I trust Miss Granger that you're smart enough to realise that there is only one way this will end, and that either way I will end up getting what I want."

"The use of Veritaserum on a student is strictly prohibited under education act one hundred and thirty seven, lawful pu-." Hermione began but Umbridge quickly cut her off with a sickly sweet smile, "-What the Minister does not know will not hurt him."

"-But you can't!" Parvati hissed as Umbridge poured the contents of the vile into a fine bone-china tea cup. "Dumbledore would never let you get away with this! Just you wait until he hears about this!"

"...Well my child, Dumbledore is not here now is he? He's far too busy running from Cornelius!" She stirred the contents of her cup with a perfectly manicured finger, "Now, drink up Miss Granger, or I'll be forced to well... Force you."
-And then she gave that stupid little laugh she so often did.

Hermione's saving grace came when the door burst open, and in came Crabbe and Goyle dragging a disgruntled looking Seamus Finnegan between them, who cursed under his breath as Crabbe exclaimed gleefully. "Look what we brought Professor!"

"-And we caught this one trying to hide in the library." Drawled a third voice that made my heart drop, as yet two more bodies pressed into the small office and Draco appeared, holding Neville Longbottom by the scruff of his robes.

"Well done boys." Umbridge smiled sweetly, "I'll be sure to write letters home to each of your parents telling them just how... Helpful, you've been."

There was a brief moment where Draco and I made eye contact, and I couldn't help but think how different he looked in this light from the sweet boy who had held me as I'd cried and nursed me from nightmares. He looked harsher, borderline cruel even, painted souless by insomnia and torn apart by grief.

The hollows under Malfoy's pale eyes told a tale of far too many sleepless nights, and the newfound gaunt in his cheeks hinted at meals missed. He was slowly, but surely, falling apart, the last shreds of his resolve coming undone at the seams.
But then, as if he could no longer stand to look at me, Draco looked away. That's when I knew that whatever he had once felt for me, however insignificant, was no more, he was never the first to break eye contact.

Parvati had used the moment of the boys entering as a distraction, so that she could discreetly knock the teacup from Hermione's hands, sending it shattering to the floor, causing shards of ornate china to fly in every direction. Parvati smirked as Umbridge span round at the sound, "Whoopsies."

The disgruntled Professor looked for a moment as if she may strike the girl, her fingers itched and her fists twitched with violent intent, but she quickly managed to compose herself, putting on her facade of serenity as she spoke. "No matter, -Crabbe, would you mind sending for Professor Snape."

At once the boy released Seamus Finnegan, who rolled his aching shoulders with a frown, "What's this all about?"

"-She thinks we're conspiring against her." Fred grinned as he stood towering behind Hermione, resting his arms on her shoulders. "-Because apparently we have nothing better to do, than to daydream about some past peak Professor."

"Yeah obviously we're all just obsessed with her." Parvati sneered, "Clearly can't get enough."

Professor Umbridge's face turned the same shade of revolting Salmon as her fluffy pink cardigan, and for a second her mouth only opened and closed like a fish, no sound coming out. I stifled a snigger, but Ron was not so successful as his laughter erupted with a snort, setting Harry and Seamus off in turn.
Right as she found it within herself to shriek, Snape's baritone drawl silenced her, "You sent for me, Headmistress?"
It was very clear that the Professor wanted anything but to be in the woman's office at this moment in time, made evident by his fierce scowl.

"-Snape yes, the time has come for answers, whether they want to give them to me or not, have you bought the Veritaserum?"

"Unfortunately I currently am lacking in stock..." He droned with an edge of malice, the only emotion I'd ever noted from him, however slight. "...However if you had granted my request for Dunglefire and Essence of Goan two weeks ago then I would have surplus by now... Good day."
-And just like that the introvert Professor stormed back to the confines of his dungeon.

"Well then," Umbridge bristled, a sense of evil settling in her cold, dead eyes, but once again she was interrupted by a bang from just behind the door, shortly followed by a shout. "What on earth..."

A moment later a Gryffindor boy no older than eleven burst through the door, "Professor Umbridge! Come quick! -Peeves is dangling Thomas Redwood from The Astronomy Tower again!"

"Again?" She shrieked, "Okay, I'll be there at once! -Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, you all come with me, in the meantime you lot," She shot a fierce glare towards the twins in particular before vanishing after the boy, "-Don't you dare so much as breath until I come back!"

No sooner had they left, then Fred and George were at the door, hurriedly waving the rest of us after them. "Come on! That's our cue to scram!"

"What? You can't just leave!" Hermione looked horrified. "Did you not listen to a word she said? What about when she comes back?"

"Come on Hermione, live a little." Ron was already out the door, Harry following close behind, and Fred grinned, "Come on Granger, don't make me carry you again!"

George smirked rather proudly, "Besides, we thought this might happen, so we paid off the First years to flood the prefects bathroom again, trust me, even if she catches Peeves, she won't be back for a while..."

"Let's just go," I whispered to her but she frowned, worried lines settling on her forehead as she followed after me, "Mara, are you sure this is a good idea? I have a really bad feeling about this..."

"Are you forgetting we have a D.A. meeting to attend?-Places to be, people to see!" I laughed as we ran down the hall, "Anyways, what's the worst that could happen?"

***
QOTD-have you read the Mara X Hermione bonus chapter yet? (Out in celebration of HDLS reaching 1mil)
- if you haven't you can find it in my book titled Bonus Chapters & Extras
-TFOA