"I want you, all of you. Your flaws, your mistakes, your imperfections. I want you, all of you."
-Anonymous
Flora's fingers grazed the piece of parchment, flicking through each page, skimming each sentence and indent, the words seeming to swim in her hazy thoughts. She was currently in Professor Dumbledore's workplace, the room seeming empty due to Squawks company being non-existent at this moment in time.
"Ah," Dumbledore breathed in, a smile forming on his face at the girl in front of him. He moved from the entry to his desk in a sway before sitting down. "I see you've arrived," he chuckled, his eyes wandering down to her ancient textbook located in her hands.
"Of course," Flora nodded, shutting the book with a swift hand movement. "So... if you mind me asking; why do you need me here? Did I do something wrong?" Flora questioned, her mind going back to Against The Dark Arts class where she once again had made sexual innuendos.
"Maybe..." Dumbledore smiled, before casting his eyes down to his desk. "I've asked you to come here as I am giving back your time-turner. I couldn't find information actually on the device, but I did find correlating evidence to compare. Such as the Latin engravings on the side." Dumbledore started.
"Engravings?" she asked.
"When fire is near words appear and it glows. It's Latin," Dumbledore told her before whispering a silent spell. His drawer slid open at his will and he scavenged for the necklace. A triumphant smile formed on his face as he pulled it out and set it on the table. "The date is set on the 1st of May and it cannot be changed or altered. So in matter of fact, you have more than a year than what a future me had lead on," Dumbledore spoke, his face now barren.
"So more time... but why May? Where am I suppose to go during that time?" Flora asked, panic now forming in her stomach.
"We'll discuss it when the time comes. It appears as though I had tinkered with the settings, creating a set date. I wonder what spells I created hmm..." Dumbledore mumbled, moving the jewellery closer to her. Flora gave out a huff, her eyes falling to her book. "Take the necklace will you?" Dumbledore told her, his eyes giving her a warning stare at her attitude through his half-moon glasses.
Flora grabbed the time-turner and tucked it in her sleeve before getting up. She held onto her study book and was about to leave, but the voice of Dumbledore stopped her.
"I must remind you Flora that you are Head Girl. A Head Girl is supposed to make responsible actions and not make sexual innuendos in class. A Head Girl leads..." Dumbledore trailed off. Flora whipped around and she sighed.
"Two times! It was two times," Flora grumbled.
"... and those two times might cost you going on the annual trip," Dumbledore warned.
"What!?" Flora asked, her voice raising an octave. He can't be serious, can he?
"10 points from Slytherin," he ordered.
"You have got to be kid-"
"15 points from Slytherin," he called out.
"You know I could just leave right now if I wanted, I'd wait until May 1st and won't finish the task-" she was muttering while leaving, although she knew what she was saying was a complete and utter lie.
"Another 20 points from Slytherin. I do not take threats from students lightly. " Dumbledore said, his eyes set on the retreating Flora Nightingale. Bad move Flora.
"Future Student..." she trailed off turning a corner.
"Add 25 points to that," he called out.
"Dammit!" she cursed.
"30 points! A grand total of a 100 deducted points from Slytherin!"
Professor Dumbledore irritatedly smiled, his hand holding the feather in his hand a little to tight. Flora retreated quietly as Dumbledore finally released the slightly crumpled feather. He slumped into his chair with a sigh, thinking, 'what am I going to do?'
Flora sat glumly outside in the courtyard, her mind a whirlwind at what had just happened the night before. A hundred points was a lot, but so was something else. It had happened 3 days ago, but it held significance last night where she was stripped from her title as Head Girl. She still couldn't believe it, but she understood she was out of line. She knew Slitherin and a certain dark haired boy was doing something to her and she knew it wasn't good. She wasn't the same Ravenclaw that she used to be...
"They kicked you off?" Maggie Trudgeball questioned, her irises a gloomy colour as she eyed Flora Nightingale eating some afternoon tea.
"Yes..." Flora sighed, her brown eyes raising to meet her friend. Flora gave her a small smile before getting up and gesturing for her to follow. They both made their way down the dirt paths with ease, kicking the few pebbles that were sprawled on the ground. Flora held her book close to her as Maggie mumbled words, resulting in Flora to often nod from time to time as the distraction from reality seemed appealing.
"Are the rumors true... concerning the hundred point deduction?" Maggie asked, her eyes wincing as Flora nodded. "James Farrows was telling the school this morning, the ferret was saying he heard it from Dumbledore himself when he sneaked up on Dippet and the Professor. He'll get it one day Flora, I'm sure of it... that little weasel," Maggie sighed, her eyes sad as they drifted towards an approaching figure.
"Trudgeball," a familiar voice spoke from in front of them awhile later. Flora 's head whipped up from the ground towards Tom Riddle who was smiling an ever endearing smile. She saw through it though. Fake.
"Riddle. Well I better be going, take care," Maggie bided, a soft smile lingering on her face as she walked away, Flora noticing the extra jump in her steps.
"Bye," Flora called out, her brown eyes glancing towards Tom's hand where a styrophome cup sat with what presumably looked like coffee.
"How's the new Head Girl?" Flora asked, breathing in a deep breath of fresh hair. She shuddered against the crisp breeze and hugged her body with her robe, trying to ignore the chills that danced across her skin as she tried to listen to his answer.
"Gryffindor," he stated, walking ahead of her, prompting her to follow. Flora rolled her eyes and ignored the chilly tugs of the air that playfully played with the strands of her hair.
"Chipper," she teased, although she felt slightly envious of the girl who was now playing her part. Silence consumed the two as they turned down different hallways with no intent of going anywhere. "I can't believe he pushed me off the job though," Flora whined, her eyes casting down.
"Maybe you shouldn't have tested the old buffoon," Tom pointed out, his eyes glancing sideways to meet her pooling brown ones.
"I know, I know," she muttered. "I know that he has my best interests and that it was entirely my fault, but he threatened on me not going to the Tumbling Tracks," she sighed.
"Well, in my opinion, don't make sexual innuendoes in class," he teased. Flora giggled at him before sending him a raised eyebrow.
"I don't know about that Tom," Flora toothily smiled, their feet now planted in front of the hall.
"It's in your best interests Flora," he tutted, raising his eyebrow as well; their faces identical. Flora broke the façade with a soft smile at the way he spoke her name, but she was interrupted as a voice from in front of her ruined the moment.
"There you are Tom! We need to make pre-" the voice stopped short as Tom's head moved to the side. Flora cautiously moved her eyesight to the voice. A Gryffindor robed girl was in front of them. Her hair a nice shade of blonde and her blue eyes sparkling.
"Why blue eyes?" Flora muttered to herself quietly, her eyes seeming to be caught in her soft swarming blue eyes. "Well I presume this is the new Head Girl," Flora forced a smile, facing her body away from Tom and towards her.
"Yes, you must be Flora. My name is Glenda Wildwood," she introduced, her hand moving in front of her. Tom moved her hand away from Flora in a swift movement and gave her a questioning look. Flora questioned his harsh antics as he was more formidable, but maybe it was due to no teachers being around. Glenda's wide smile faltered, but she quickly shook it off and remained calm.
"Why are you here Wildwood?" Tom asked unfazed.
"Dippet wanted us both, with my old duty now back," she informed him. Flora winced at the way she said 'old duty now back'. She felt slightly guilty, but nevertheless she waved Tom off.
"Bye then..." Flora trailed off, walking away to the Slytherin table. Flora didn't hear Tom say anything due to him being whisked away by a certain blonde haired girl out of the Hall.
"Well, well, well..." a wistful voice spoke. Flora gave Bellatrix a pointed look at her sultry expression. "What? You should be worried about that Gryffindor if I must say myself. A wild one that one is," she joked, shaking her head at her own pun.
"Great Bellatrix... just great," Flora grumbled, her body falling next to the curly haired Lestrange.