Antonella's shoulders remained straight, her face impassive and her thoughts clearer than an Australian summer sky. Her posture rigid and eyes lazily listening to Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore lecture the two, saying 'The height of embarrassment for the Ravenclaw house, and the leader representation'.
She was numb. Whereas Elizabeth's eyes were prickling, her lips twitching and her fingers constantly moving with her jumping knee. Antonella was oddly unmoved.
"Usually in these circumstances we revoke titles earnt-"
Gasping, Elizabeth's voice returned to her. Begging the professors not to take her title, that the frog choir was her ticket into the music industry; her future destroyed.
Professor McGonagall kept repeating, her eyes not leaving Antonella's frozen form, "Disrespect for the rules requires consequence."
A small laugh came from Antonella, gaining the attention of both professor and headmaster, and an upset Elizabeth.
A twinkle in the headmasters eyes, "What's so funny Miss Fortescue?", he asked.
Could she even begin? The memory of Elizabeth begging to keep her frog choir title? The absolute pleasure she got hurting Elizabeth? The disappointment Ravenclaw will become... changing its prefect three times in under a year? That she could still taste the blood on her lips, and it had an addicting flavour to it?
Shaking her head, refusing to speak. Elizabeth went back to weeping, begging, her hands clasping around Professor McGonagall.
"Either revoke your frog choir title or ticket into my Transfiguration apprenticeship."
Antonella's eyes snapped open, knowing the professor will be dealing her punishment shortly. Elizabeth's weeps grew even louder, saying 'But ma'am! Transfiguration is my back up plan! Do you want me to fail?".
Her eyes stayed fixed onto Professor Dumbledore who ate another candy, "Sir," Antonella asked, Elizabeth kept weeping loudly, "No disrespect towards Professor McGonagall... but why aren't you or Professor Flickwick distributing the punishments?"
She didn't need to look at Elizabeth to know her fists were rubbing her red eyes, her nose was sniffling, as Antonella continued.
"I'm more than happy to forfeit my prefect position, it wasn't even mine in the first place... but do you really want to replace the same role for the third time?"
Antonella's eyes than fell onto Professor McGonagall, "And should a small-"
"It was not small!", Elizabeth shrieked.
Her head snapped to look at Elizabeth, "You broke my nose, I beg to say i choose how to describe your stupidity-"
A loud cough from the Professor signalled for Antonella to continue, "A small fight shouldn't dictate if students can continue there academic success. I mean no disrespect when I ask, but Professor? Even though it's an opportunity you're providing, why would you use the removal of an education opportunity as a punishment. There are many better punishments out there."
The room grew silent. Given the exception of Elizabeth's sniffling. Antonella's eyes landed on Headmaster Dumbledore, eyes raging in the ways her mothers used to when she was in trouble.
Soundless, the headmaster glanced over to Professor McGonagall with a small, who was also surprisingly smiling at Antonella. But, she kept her rigid stance.
No one will ever get to pressure her, to anger her, to upset her and to humiliate her again.
Headmaster Dumbledore's lips twitched upwards as he asked, "what would you suggest?"
She could feel the flats Elizabeth was giving her, regardless she spoke firmly, "For myself, I would make the assumption as a prefect... I was in the running for headgirl. Remove me. And instead of punishing me by removing educated opportunities, make me do more. Expect higher expectations."
He nodded his head slowly, "that seems to be a fair punishment. Miss Fortescue, you will continue to be the prefect for Ravenclaw for your 6th and 7th year. You will also speak to Professor Flickwick after the Christmas holidays to discuss further consequences", his eyes seemed to see through her, and it was highly uncomfortable, "What consequence would you suggest for Miss Edwards? Should I offer the same leanacy?"
Turning to face Elizabeth, her eyes were begging for her to say something kind, something to save her ass. Something to keep her titles and opportunities.
Standing up, her eyes squinting from standing on her left leg. She bow to both Professor McGonagall and Headmaster Dumbledore, before she spoke lowly, almost darkly, "I
may have started the fight, but she was the one to harm me, and to bruise me, and to break my nose."
Walking towards the door, limping, she turned her head, "Expulsion in my opinion would be the correct consequence, but since we're being lenient. I'd say... revoking her rights to the transfiguration apprenticeship and make her re-audition for frog choir captain next year. Make her feel less of a witch, make her feel like everyone she steps on."
She opened, and slammed the door behind her. She could hear the wails from Elizabeth as she lipped down the corridor, heading straight to her dorm. She avoided the glances from students, the gasps from hufflepuff's from her blood soaked blue and bronze tie, to her nose and upper lip sporting a red glow and her eyes.
The slytherin students made may for her, as she glowered. Her limp not slowing down her speed as she continued on her march to the Ravenclaw tower, knowing very well Matilda Hoggs would be there.
Gripping the handrails, she pushed herself up each step. Her lips trembling and eyes wispering as each step made her left leg spasm, an unbearable pain.
But she refused to make a noise, to cry, to let Elizabeth win. She pushed herself up each step, refusing to make eye contact with anyone, looking straight ahead. Shoulders back. Chin up. Not a smile to be seen.
She didn't acknowledge Sirius Black and Remus Lupin who walked past her.
She didn't smile at Erika or Elsie who rushed to her side, instead she shook them off.
She kept marching towards Ravenclaw tower, until she saw him.
Her eyes trailed from his polished black shoes, to his black tailored pants, to his silver belt and his red loose jumper. His back leaning against the closed Ravenclaw door, and his hair an unusual mess.
He stayed leaning until Antonella was standing before him.
"Move."
Her voice was unmoving, strong, defensive, and her fists were balled by her side. She stepped to his left to get through, but he moved, blocking her.
"Let's talk," he said, staring down at her.
Antonella shook her head, "No."
He did have given the opportunity to fight, he took her wrist, bruised. And pulled her away from the Ravenclaw doors, towards a corridor that she hadn't explored. He kept dragging her, screaming and yelling for him to let go, until he tapped a starry painting four times, and a secret passage opened up.
Inside, was a medium sized alcove. James dragged her in, closing the stone door behind him.
"What the fuck was that?", James yelled.
"It has nothing to do with you!", Antonella screamed back, her tears threatening to fall, "It was never about you!"
The two stayed standing, staring at one another intently as memories flooded there minds. Dark nights in wells, cigarette buds plagued on there skin and hungry stomaches.
"I couldn't let him hurt you-"
"YES YOU COULD HAVE!", Antonella yelled for the first time, "You could have let him throw me in the well, you could have let me live with it, and regardless my brother would have came for me. It's your fault that you got hurt," her breathing became irregular, "You put yourself in that scenario, when you should have run, blood hell!"
Her fingers were in her hair as she walked around in circles. She felt fanatic, crazed, quite possibly manic.
Her brother closed down the family business.
Her mother a pure blood supremacist.
Her bloody broken noise
And him.
"It was the right thing to do-"
She stopped in her spot, laughing manically, as she gasped for air, "The right thing? You don't get to play hero-"
James hands were in the air, "I wasn't playing the hero!" He yelled, "I was brought up to help anyone, you're not anything special!l
Staring him down, it was amber and violets. Somehow, being shorter, she looked down to him, her lips twitching, and her cheeks reddening from the lack of oxygen.
"Brave, heroic James Potter-"
In the speed of light, James had her back against the stone alcove with both her wrists above her head... held by only one of James' hands.
His other hand was over her mouth, automatically she begun to kick, scream, even lick and bite his hand. This was unfair.
"Look at me Antonella," he whispered, had the situation was different she would describe it as near seductive, "You may live to hate me for trying to save you from that man. But it wasn't my fault you were taken, it's not my fault your brother closed your business and it's certainly not my fault your mother is supposably choosing that type of company.
"I wanted to talk to you... to talk about what happened in the well... that we never did... I wanted to offer to train you again, so you're stronger and more able to fight him off. I wanted to-"
He let out a loud groan as he unrestrained her. His hands flying into his already chaotically messy hair. Antonella rubbed her purple wrists, bruised green by Elizabeth and now purple by James.
"I wanted to see if you're okay!" He exclaimed, "I remember seeing you leave early from the hufflepuff common room, and Sirius said I was the last one to talk to you. That you left instantly after I spoke to you. I went to find you, but bumped into Matilda and Dalton... and she said she knew where you were- and than I see you bloody... bloody like when we were seven. And underneath Elizabeth screaming. Screams I hadnt heard for years."
Antonella was left speechless.
That was a lie, Antonella always had something to say, but she kept silence all because her brother said so.
To stay out of trouble meant to never ask questions.
She stopped towards his, and slapped him. Hard.
He looked down at her, humbly, and kept it down. Until Antonella offered her hand, and a small smile.
"A secret for a secret?", Antonella asked quietly.
She could see his hazel eyes under his eyelashes, as he stared at her curiously.
"I may have gotten rid of Elizabeth's chances at the transfiguration apprenticeship."
He let a small laugh before he whispered back, "Of course you would find a way to hurt her more," he extended his arm and shook her hand gently, "A secret for a secret?", he waggled his eyes before he spoke, "Don't tell Evans but that fight was incredibly hot."
Letting go of his hand automatically, she glared at him.
"A truce."
"A truce", he repeated after Antonella.
Watching James Potter tap the wall seven times, the stones moved and suddenly she was back at Hogwarts. And her initial reason for storming up to the Ravenclaw tower became clear in her mind.
The two walked side by side, until Antonella reached the Ravenclaw entrance where Matilda and Asterin was waiting. Both girls eyes went wide. Antonella was unsure if it was because of the blood stained skin, or James Potter walking civility beside her.
Asterins mouth twitched into a smile, she had realised the maniac look in Antonella's eyes. It was filled with hatred and regret.
"I'd start running Hoggs," she heard Asterin whisper, "Ella is about to eat you up."
With that, Antonella chased (whilst limping) the Slytherin student into the Ravenclaw common room. Numerous students sending them annoyed glances, or curious side eyes. Regardless, Antonella ended up trapping Matilda in the year six common room. With no where to go, Matilda smiled sweetly, knowing she was about to face an irregular monster.
"Andyyyy," she moaned, "Are you okay??"
Her eyes remained fixed on Matilda, "Why did you get the professors involved-"
"Because it was a fight-"
"Don't give me that pathetic answer," Antonella threatened, "you've covered Asterin numerous times."
She let out a small sigh, "I'm sorry-"
Shaking her head, Antonella smiled.
"Elizabeth isnt head of frog choir-"
Matildas mouth gapped open, "And she lost her spot in the transfiguration apprenticeship."
A smirk appeared on Matildas face, "Wjat consequences did you receive?"
Matching Matildas signature smirk, she whispered, "lost my bid to Headgirl. Honestly, never wanted the position in the first place."
Asterin, followed by Erika, Elsie and Taylor, all stood behind the two.
"Let's get you fixed up," Asterin decorated, "And you can spend the walk down on how you convinced Dumbledore on such a shit punishment."
Matilda pulled one of her arms around her neck, Asterin doing the same. The descent down the stairs hurt more, to the extent where Matilda just told Taylor to pick her up and throw her on her own back.
Clinging onto Matilda, she laughed. All of her friends knowing well enough not to question what was said, but how she convinced the headmaster on such an unfair deal.
However, as the other Ravenclaws begun taking to one another, Antonella whispered into Matildas ear, causing the Slytherin to grow flustered.
"What where you doing with Dalton?"