I shrunk down under my covers, grasping at the sheets as tightly as I could. That did nothing to help me since before I knew it, the covers were ripped off and I was on the floor. I saw a laughing Fred above me, making me glare at him.
"I'll just sleep down here," I mumbled, turning and burying my head into my pillow that had fallen with me.
I closed my eyes to sleep again, only this time Fred started tickling me. I tried to contain my laughter but failed miserably. In between laughs, I was trying to get Fred off of me, pushing and punching wherever I could. Evidently I didn't hurt too much, since Fred showed no signs of letting up. He was still laughing at me, grinning.
After a few minutes of him tickling me relentlessly I finally begged for mercy. "Please... please," I breathed heavily. Fred obeyed with a triumphant smile on his face. He held out his hand for me to take, but I ignored it. I waved my wand to return my sheets to their normal state and glared at Fred. It's too bad I hate tickling, as it did serve as a nice distraction. I forgot about everything except for that gorgeous redhead for a bit. But that's over. It didn't change anything.
Fred's grin faded a bit when I started letting the numbness take over again. He turned to Sammy and Betty.
"Well, ladies, I believe I have been of service. I'll just be off now," he said, feigning politeness with a bow before he walked out the door. I watched him from the bathroom which had the perfect view to the staircase. I saw him step on one step quickly and sat down as the staircase became a slide. I smiled softly before closing the door and getting dressed.
After I had finished the girls had to drag me to the Great Hall for breakfast. Fred and George were already there, so we sat down beside them. Everyone piled food on their plates, but I just picked at a blueberry muffin. I looked around the Great Hall, wondering how the ceiling was casting down such glorious sunlight and how people were smiling and laughing as they sat with their friends while I was so broken.
McGonagall brushed past and handed us our timetables. She gave me a sympathetic smile before she walked off. Have I mentioned how much I hate sympathy? I dropped my muffin, having lost any appetite I had as my stomach dropped to the floor.
I looked the schedule over. Double Potions in the morning and Double Defense Against the Dark Arts in the afternoon. Great.
I glanced over Fred's shoulder to see that he had the same thing, naturally. Then my eyes wandered to the part of the parchment that told me what professor taught which class.
The pink toad was teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. Great. Two horrid professors all day.
Double Snape and double Umbitch. Perfect. What a great way to start my last year of Hogwarts.
After everyone was done eating, Fred and I started towards Potions. The other three had not gotten good enough O.W.L.s to take Potions as part of their N.E.W.T.S, so the lucky bastards had a free period. They don't have to put up with Snape anymore. Fred had just scraped by, and that was with my help, so I had convinced him to take it.
He grabbed my hand again as he was guiding me through the maze of people. For one fleeting moment I was happy once again. For one fleeting moment it was just Fred and I. It was as if Fred's joy and optimism was seeping through his hand into mine, chasing away the darkness for a bit. But soon we arrived in the dungeons, meaning that Fred and I's little moment was gone when he dropped my hand.
No, sadly, we are not dating. He keeps giving me the impression that he does like me, but then I always lose courage when I try to say something about it. I mean, why would he like me? He could have his pick of girls, since most of the female population here is in the Fred and George Weasley fan club. I hardly ever have the chance to talk to them, since they're busy doing things for the shop and putting up posters that often said, "Gallons of Galleons! Pocket money failing to keep pace with your outgoings? Like to earn a little extra gold? Contact Fred and George Weasley, Gryffindor common room, for simple, part-time, virtually painless jobs. (We regret that all work is undertaken at applicant's own risk)" They go on and on about making the most of this last year, with field testings and things like that.
Potions was incredibly boring and Snape was still incredibly terrible. He took at least fifty points from Gryffindor and handed out ten detentions for stupid things. Lee got detention for answering a question wrong. Fred got a detention for asking a question about the potion. Hell, even I got detention! For what, you ask? For giving a smart Alec response apparently. All I did was answer the damn question! I know I would like Potions if it wasn't for Snape.
Lunch went by far too quickly for my liking, considering I had to go to Umbitch next. Well, let's hope this goes by fast.
---
The pink toad is horrible. We aren't going to be learning how to perform spells this year! How are we going to learn how to defend ourselves if all she wants us to do is read? I mean, seriously, the name of the class is 'Defense Against the Dark Arts.' She insists on filling our brains with the whole 'Voldemort is not back' nonsense.
Then who killed Cedric?
"What?! What did you just say, Miss Black?"
Damn. I said that out loud. I'll just go with it. I really need to start controlling my mouth....
"I said, 'Then who killed Cedric?' Who nearly killed Harry? How can you just sit there and think that Harry is lying? You can't keep living in that world of denial! Why would Harry lie about Voldemort being back? Why would he lie about who killed Cedric? What motive does he have for it? He's a teenager for Christ's sake, he has no motive to lie about something like this!"
She was fuming, "ENOUGH! Detention, Miss Black!"
I simply looked back down to my book. I wasn't going to give her the reaction she so desperately wanted.
She made a noise similar to 'hmph!' before turning around and stalking back to her desk.
I saw Fred grinning at me out of the corner of my eye. I didn't talk for the rest of the class and glared at Umbitch when she wasn't looking. Oops.
Umbitch continued to dole out detentions and yelled at students every chance she got. What a wonderful professor. Note my sarcasm.
Later at supper Fred retold my 'heroic actions' as he put it. Everyone was smiling and congratulating me. Finally, a look of something other than sympathy!
Harry, who was sitting beside me, turned to me and hugged me. "Thank you... Cousin," He whispered in my ear. Dad must have told him.
I smiled weakly. "No problem, little cuz," I whispered back.
He grinned at me, "I still can't believe it. I actually have family, other than those awful Dursleys."
I smiled weakly once again. "I know Harry. But just know that I'm always going to be there for you. Even if at times, I get like I am right now, you know, the whole emotionless and depressed thing, I will always be there for you."
He smiled and crushed me in a hug once again. I hugged him back tightly. He is family.
I saw Fred smile at us out of the corner of my eye. I think I might be slowly returning back to normal.
I also know that I will never get over my mother's death. I know that I will have to face more deaths in the future. I know nothing is safe anymore. But I also know that we have something worth fighting over. We have something Voldy doesn't have. We have love. We have family.
The rest of supper was uneventful. I had just finished eating a roll when Umbitch came up to me.
"Detention with me in an hour, Miss Black. Don't be late," she said sharply.
I nodded. This is going to be great.
An hour later I was going to her office. I knocked and I heard her horrid voice telling me to come in. I entered and sat down at the desk I noticed that she had set up for me. She had pictures of kittens adorning the walls and everything was pink. Pink walls, pink chairs, pink cushions, literally everything.
"You will be writing lines for me tonight."
I nodded and went to get some parchment, a quill, and some ink from my bag. This won't be that bad. I've had worse detentions with the twins. I can handle lines.
"Oh no, you won't be needing your own quill. You'll be using a rather special one of mine."
I sighed and put my quill and ink away.
She handed me a black quill with some red stripes. "You will be writing 'I must not tell lies.'"
"How many times?"
"Until the message... Sinks in."
I rolled my eyes and commenced to writing. My hand itched and stung, but I brushed it off and kept writing. Two lines later my hand felt as if it was on fire. I tried not to look down, but I finally did. What I saw horrified me. There, etched into my skin, were the words 'I must not tell lies.' The ink was my blood.
I glared at the woman. She wanted me to write with a blood quill. She looked up at me and smirked. I shook my head and continued writing. There's no way in hell I'm giving her any sort of reaction. That's what she wants. She wants us to cower before her, thinking that's respect. She's not getting anything from me.
Thirty lines later blood was running down my hand.
Umbitch noticed this. She got up and walked over to me. She grabbed my wrist roughly, "Yes, that will due. Thank you, you may go." She slammed my wrist back down on the desk, sending explosions of pain up my arm. I gritted my teeth to stop the whimper or scream that wanted to come out. I am not giving her that satisfaction. I refuse.
I wasted no time in gathering my things and walking out of the room. I held the sleeve of my robes on the words, trying to stop the bleeding. I felt rather light headed by the time I reached the common room. I walked in, probably looking like a drunk person in the process.
Fred and George looked up and rushed over to me.
"Hey," I whispered. I realized I was still clutching my sleeve to my hand.
Their eyes flickered to my hand.
"What did the toad have you do?"
"Lines..." I said even lower than a whisper.
"That's not too bad."
I nodded, "Yeah... Not too bad..." My arm dropped, revealing the blood soaked sleeve.
They gasped, "Elle! Is that your blood?"
My eyes unfocused. I started getting tunnel vision.
Fred gently grabbed my arm and pushed up my sleeve to reveal my hand with blood gushing out of the words.
Fred gasped and rage took over his eyes. He looked into my eyes and when he saw my dazed expression he softened.
"Elle..." But I didn't hear the rest because darkness overtook me.
I woke up in Fred's arms. He was carrying me somewhere.
"Fred... Don't... Take... Me... To... The... Hospital... Wing."
He looked down at me, "You need to go! You're as pale as a ghost and your arm was covered in blood before we stopped it."
"I... Won't... Let... Umbitch... Win."
He smiled at the nickname I gave the pink toad.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes... Fred... Now... Go... Back... To... The... Common... Room."
He shook his head, "I don't know, Elizabeth. You're pretty pale. It looks like you lost quite a bit of blood."
I laughed weakly at the nickname Elizabeth. "Fred, I mean it. Do. Not. Take. Me to the Hospital Wing."
He slowed down, but was still walking to the Hospital Wing.
"Fred, please. I don't want that bitch to win."
He sighed, "All I want is for you to happy and okay."
"I will be happy if you don't take me to the Hospital Wing."
"But, will you be okay?"
"Yes, I'll get Hermione to tend to me."
He looked down at me, "You're sure?"
I nodded weakly.
He huffed, "Fine."
He turned around and we were heading back to the Common Room. I wrapped my arms around his neck as tight as I could as I fought off the blackness that threatened to overtake me.
We finally got there and Hermione nearly tore Fred's head off for not taking me to the Hospital Wing.
"She made me turn around! She doesn't want the toad to win! Mione help her!"
Hermione sighed and started working her magic on me. No pun intended.
After she had fixed my cuts into scars she started working on getting me some blood back. She actually did the spell correctly and had me feeling better in no time. She is one smart fifth year.
I thanked Hermione before I went to my dorm and collapsed on the bed.
This year is going to be absolutely horrible.