PALE WITH COLD, Mallie's thin fingers closed over the brown envelope and flipped it over to find a freshly stamped Hogwarts Crest on the seal.
"Who's it from?" George asked quietly.
She carefully opened it, pulled out the piece of parchment buried within and unfolded it.
Good afternoon Ms Johanson,
I was hoping I could see you in Greenhouse Three sometime this afternoon regarding your absence from class yesterday.
Yours sincerely,
Professor Sprout.
Mallies stomach twisted unpleasantly, she knew she shouldn't have listened to Charlie.
"Oh," George had been reading over her shoulder and had obviously caught on.
Mallie wasn't very used to being in trouble and nervously went to stand.
"Where you off to in such a rush?" Lee asked from the grass.
She held up the letter, "G-Gotta go see Sprout, I'll see you guys later..."
There were a chorus of goodbye's from the group and she turned to walk towards the greenhouses.
However, a hand caught her before she could walk more than a few feet.
George pulled her closer to him,
"I could come with you if you want?" He asked.
Mallie shook, "Thanks George, but no.
I have to.. deal.. with this.."
Before she could turn to leave again, a thought struck her and Mallie went to unwrap the cloak from her shoulders,
"George! Your cloak..." Mallie began undoing the knot beneath her neck.
Georges hands closed over her own, stilling her movements and causing her heart to leap slightly into her throat.
"I'll get it from you later, okay?" His voice was so quiet and so sincere in a way Mallie hadn't heard it before.
All she could do was nod pathetically.
George smiled lightly before pulling back his hands and before returning to his seat in the circle, he watched Mallie's figure fade off into the distance.
The grounds were fairly empty as Mallie made her way to Greenhouse Three, everyone noticeably avoiding the chilly british weather.
Her heart beat loudly in her chest and nerves bubbled in her stomach, was she going to get detention?
The thought of Professor Sprout, one of the kindest women she knew, giving her detention crossed her mind.
It was unlikely, but possible.
The glass entrance came into view sooner than Mallie would have liked and she could make out the squat figure of Professor Sprout leaning over what look like a Tantacular plant.
As she reached it, Mallie's knuckles rapped lightly on the door attracting her Professor's attention.
A wide and friendly grin broke out across Pomona's face, a face that was nearly completely covered in soil.
"Mallie, sweetheart!" The stumpy woman waved her over as she wobbled to a desk near the back of the greenhouse.
"Good afternoon, Professor." Mallie said unsurely, but allowed herself to be slightly reassured by her Professor's warm tone in voice.
Professor Sprout banged around in one of her drawers and returned to Mallie with a scroll of parchment in her closed fist, handing it to her.
"Seeing as you weren't present in class yesterday,"
She started and Mallie tried to interject with an apology but was shushed hurriedly.
"Which I am going to ignore seeing as it wasn't really a proper school day.
However, I did need to give you this."
Mallie started to unroll the parchment, it was the Herbology research task that they'd handed in the week prior: 100%
"Well done." Pomona smiled, "Now, I suggest you get to the feast. They'll be unveiling the champions tonight."
Mallie swelled proudly at the mark and then looked up to her head of house, "Thank you Professor, I'm on my way now."
Sprout offered Mallie one of the smiles that she saved for students she particularly liked and began to usher her out, "Well, off you go!"
Mallie jogged her way back up to the castle watching the red and orange sun slip behind the rain clouds, suddenly beginning to feel much happier.
She managed to find her way into a corridor, shaking off as much rain as she could from her hair and the coat George had borrowed her and began picking up on voices from within the Hall just down the corridor.
Mallie grinned as a smiling figure came into view from down the corridor.
"Mal, I've been looking for you everywhere." Charlie said.
He then fell into step beside her towards the Hall,
"Char, if you knew the day I've had ..."
Charlie chuckled, "Sounds interesting."
Mallie grinned again, "But guess what!"
Charlie looked at her skeptically, "What?"
Mallie's hand slipped under George's large coat and into her robe pocket where she'd buried away the parchment Sprout had given her.
"100 percent!" She squeaked as Charlie examined the piece of parchment.
Charlie smiled as his eyes followed the scratchy black ink,
"I knew you could do it, well done Mal." Charlie ruffled her hair in a teasing manner and handed it back.
Mallie lifted the cloak again to place the parchment back into her robes, it's ends grazing the floor.
Let's face it, George was tall.
Clumsily, the end of the coat slipped under her foot and Mallie stepped right onto it.
She let out a small yelp of surprise and grabbed Charlie to avoid hitting the stone floor.
Charlie steadied her and he frowned, "Merlins beard, Mal! Isn't this a bit big on you?"
"Yeah, it's not mine." Mallie was still holding her chest taking deep breaths before she replied,
"Yeah, it's not mine. It's George's." She said, fingering the black cloth.
A deeper frown etched onto Charlie's previously warm face and Mallie noticed it almost immediately.
"What do you have against those two, Charlie?" She had been holding back from mentioning it for a while, but was quite frankly, tired of his rudeness.
At any mention of the red headed twins, a furious look would cross Charlie's usually soft face and Mallie was done with it.
He shook his head and began walking faster,
"Nothing." He replied equally as irritable.
"Well obviously it's something," Mallie stopped walking and placed her hands on her hips.
"What do you have against them?" She asked again.
Charlie avoided her eyes, "Let's go, Mal. We're gonna be late."
"I mean you were so.. so.. rude! Rude since the moment you met them!" She ignored him, nostrils flaring in anger.
"I'm not having this conversation, Mallie," He scolded. "You're seeing things that aren't there. Let's go."
Mallie was silent.
Charlie was convinced he had won.
"Well then, this conversation is over." she huffed and walked a way ahead of him.
"Mallie!" He called for for her, but Mallie didn't respond or even slow her pace, his shouts fading out behind her.
×××
fraaands,
How are you stunners? I had such an extreme case of writers block for this chapter and have been stuck on it foreveeerrr so if it sucks I'm sorry:(
Nearly at 1k!!!
Anyhow, so much love for y'all,
-mel