"Well my dear," Umbridge said as she lowered her tea kettle back on it's pad. "It seems you have been having a very busy year. Or so your friends have been telling me," She added as she took the two tea cups in her hands and gave one gingerly to me. I accepted it bitterly but didn't drink. The wafting vaper that hit my nose reeked of pink sugar; the kind that was pretty in jars but you wouldn't cook with.
"It's true," I said simply. "While I am grateful to Professor Snape, I worry about my grades and the incoming O.W.L." Umbridge settled herself back into her chair and took a long drink from her cup before placing it back on its saucer with one of her chubby fingers. Those toad-like eyes of her seemed particular putrid this afternoon as they looked back to me.
"I wouldn't want you to miss out on your education my dear," she said in her overtly sweet tone, "but I fear for your social health. In particular, for those you keep around you."
"My friends?" I replied innocently. "I thought you would approve of Draco and Theodard. Their families are important in the ministry and are close friends to my father."
"Yes, of course," she replied happily," But I was thinking more so of the other friends you keep around you. Some of the other houses, for example."
I let a beat pass before opening my mouth to respond.
"You mean the Weasley girl and Granger, I assume." My voice was flat from any meaning, leading to Umbridge to nod without a change in expression.
"I am always one to encourage house intermixing but in such a case, where I have seen rule breaking, I would not want you to be swayed by their antics," she said carefully. "Nor, I bet, would your father."
I lowered my tea, a new feigning of drinking the tea that I had been practicing over the course of my meetings with Umbridge, and made sure to sigh dramatically.
"I know just what you mean," I said openly. Umbridge raised her brow, "Oh?"
"Well, you see," I said turning away from her for a moment. "They used to be true friends but our arguments have gotten out of hand," I explained simply. I turned back to see her watching me unmoved, as if stirring would make me say no more.
"Go on, dear."
"It's not like I am not aware of their relationship with that Potter," I continued, mimicking my boyfriend's diction of the word with relish. "He continues to lie about topics that I as an American have always found terrifying and frankly I've always been a bit scared of the idea of well, you know, the dark lord's return," I said quickly. "And I don't ever want to admit that to any classmate for obvious reasons."
Umbridge stayed silent but the pause gave me reason to believe she was listening intently wanted me to go on. So I did.
"They've become rather helpful to me," I admitted at last. "I've heard rumors you see, and while I no longer value what they have to say politics wise, I do wish the best for them. But those rumors worry me that they will do something stupid and harmful to other students."
"And so you wish to protect them," Umbridge concluded. "While that is kind of you my dear, you needn't put the weight on yourself. As I mentioned in our earlier meetings, I had made the inquisitor Squad with the purpose you bring up now. You need only join-"
"But," I said with a pause, "wouldn't it be more beneficial for them to not know of what I am to them?" I asked, hesitating a glance at Umbridge. "After all, they already worry about what the Inquisitor Squad will mean to them. If I join publicly, they'll break ties with me."
"I can't help but wonder where this sudden wish to spy on what I have always noted as close friends of yours has come from," Umbridge said, cutting the conversation short. She was eying me closely as I feigned another sip of sugar water.
I'm glad you asked, you bespeckled toad.
"Well," I said with another sigh. "You may have already seen it as we don't hide it at school, but Draco and I have been seeing each other for a few months now," I explained, turning docile, as I withheld my gaze from my teacher. "I don't know if it is inappropriate to tell you this but I figured it would be the best way to explain what has happened. Draco, you see, has helped me see what I have been so naïve to for some time."
"Draco Malfoy?" Umbridge questioned with little surprise. I saw her facility of concern masking obvious pleasure at the gossip. What witch doesn't like a bit of gossip with their tea?
"Yes," I said with no less dramatics. "But it's been hard because my friends at the time have never liked him but my family does and I- well," and I did what arguably was my best trick of acting. I took a big gulp of sugar water and swallowed fast, making my gag reflex go into full swing. I choked and felt my face go red. I apologized quickly and dropped the cup on its saucer on the table beside me.
Umbridge was watching all this with intrigue. She was even leaning forward a tad more than her usual bit.
"Dear, I fear I must tell you that there are some subjects one mustn't speak about in front of their teachers."
"You're right," I said stubbornly, turning away. "I'm sorry Professor. Sometimes I can't help my outbursts of conversation. My father says it's one of my bad habits I've inherited from my mother. It's something I'm trying to work on- Oh here I go again!"
That did it. At the mention of my mother, I watched as Umbridge placed her tea on her desk and swatted my worries away.
"Ava, dear, there is no reason to fret. What I meant to say was you have no reason to speak of such matters of to the teaching staff who do not understand as you and I do. I feel like there are not many Slytherin girls out there that can openly express when they have made a mistake and we must explore that with you. Like I said in the beginning of the year, I am here to guide you. There is not anything you must hide from me-"
"You must promise me not speak of my relationship with Draco to any of our parents," I said with a rashness that really didn't fit with me but given the situation I figured it was worth adding to the dumpster fire that was this conversation. I looked down at my hands and played with them sillily, something my mother would have severely frowned upon (What are you? A sheepish lamb? Quit playing with your hands and sit up straight, mon ange).
"I don't know if you'd know, but our families are very serious on such matters and if they were to hear that he and I were seeing each other, I'd hate to imagine the conversations that would be brought up. I mean," and I looked up with pitying eyes at the snake. "I'm only 15, and yet I just know they're going to be obsessive over promise rings and keeping with pureblood lines which I know is an important thing but right now I don't want to think about such matters-"
My rambling did the trick to make me seem exactly like how Umbridge assumed me to be: a helpless, spoiled teenage girl with raging hormones and was just now starting to see the light. And she got to play the mediator of this mess. What joy is must have brought her to calm me down and promise that she wouldn't breath a word of the relationship to a soul.
"Not to worry dear, the only one from the ministry that I speak to is our prime minister himself, and he would not want to know of such simple matters like the dating life of a 15 year old."
I released the biggest sigh of my life and agreed with her readily.
"What say we talk about this again next week, at the same time."
"Yes," I said quickly. "I would greatly appreciate that."
Nott was waiting be the door for me with Draco hanging back as usual as I descended the stairs with an air of confidence I haven't felt in some time. Both starred questionably as I made my way to them and waited for the questions to start.
"You seem oddly happy after a meeting with Umbridge," Draco described, looking at me curiously.
"What can I say, I managed alright this time. And with little anger on her end about my not joining the Squad."
"I don't believe you," Nott said in disbelief. "She'd want all of us on the squad."
"Not if she had other interests at play," I countered with a sly smile. "Not that it's any of your business, really."
Nott gave Draco a look I couldn't register before noting that he hoped for my luck and heading off to the stairs. He was halfway up when he turned again with a frown.
"She didn't spike your tea this time, did she?"
"I'd have known if there were booze in my tea, Nott."
"I never said it had to be booze, Fountaine."
A stillness filled my gut at his implication and he took that as answer enough before turning back to the stairs. Draco waited until Nott had closed the office door before glancing back at me suspiciously.
"So what happened exactly?"
"I did as you recommended," I said back simply. "I played the part."
"Played the part how?" he questioned further. I gave him a simple shrug before walking with him to the classroom door.
"Oh you know, I just played docile. Worked like a charm."
"You didn't involve your mother and father in this did you?"
"Maybe a little. I added you into it too, by the way." Draco shot me a look but I ignored it and raced to the stairs without another word with only Draco to call back to me.
Back at the common room that evening, Sam was regarding what happened with suspicion, similar to that Draco showed me earlier.
"What? You look like I told you something sinister," I complained as I leaned further into the couch.
"You don't think Umbridge is that dull, do you? I mean she's evil for sure and definitely wants you to be part of the whole end game plan but you make it seem like you gave it to her on a silver platter. She'll want to see proof of these promises."
"I promised her nothing," I said back stubbornly. Sam gave me a warly look but went on.
"You implied them without directly saying it. Maybe not a full promise but I bet she'll still expect you to deliever somehow."
"Can't she just go off of what's already there? I'm dating Draco Malfoy for merlin's sake. He's the bane of most Gryffindor's existance."
"Obviously," Sam said with another meaning that I didn't like much. "I'm sure she thinks something of that. But it's not enough. You're being stupid thinking you can play this game and win."
"Well be thankful you're not involved then," I finished simply.
"But that's the bloody problem!" Sam hissed in an undertone. "I am involved! You don't think it'll just be Potter and the rest of the gold trio that get's in trouble, do you? We all signed a contract. All she needs is to find it and as of now it's wizo-taped to that damn mirror on the fifth floor!"
A silence fell on us as we stared at each other. Around us, students were walking in from the portal after dinner, all content with their full bodies and warmth after walking into a cozy common room.
One of such students walked in by herself with an air that always sat with me the wrong way. Like she knew more than she should in any topic of conversation.
Astoria Greengrass walked past us silently without a word but it was obvious she sensed something amiss between the two upperclassmen in the coaches by the fireplace. She just couldn't tell what.
"I'll be careful," I said at last, breaking the silence. Sam didn't look like she believed me but there wasn't much that could be done.
"Just don't overdo it," she said at least. "I know you. You like to cause trouble, even if you mean well. It's just who you are."
I didn't know whether to be offended by her statement or proud. In the end I settled in contentment and switched conversations only too soon. Not five minutes later, Tati came racing in with her friends in tow.
Hello everyone!
I hope you all are doing well and staying safe during this chaotic Covid season. A lot of my friends recently have been hit with it and so have been in lockdown :(
The only good thing about it is it's forced me to be less social and sit in doors with my laptop. Aka writing.
It's a good thing considering how many times I've screwed you all over on chapter updates. I need to rack up chapters so I have a normal posting schedule again.
I'll post on Monday :)
-WG-