Lea was the first one to wake up the next morning. She got up, did a few stretches, took a shower, and got ready to head over to breakfast. Lea was a morning person, she loved to see the sun shining and the birds chirping. She made her way into the great hall, only seeing a couple of people there as it was still quite early in the morning. Lea opened her potions textbook as she ate some food, just trying to get prepared for one of the hardest classes here.
The same could not be said for Mya. She had been tossing and turning all night long, because of one certain girl. Lavender Brown, who had decided to snore the night away, had made sure Mya was dead tired the next morning. Mya wasn't a morning person either, but she just could not get any sleep. So, she walked into the great hall, looking like a mess. Her hair was pulled into a lazy bun, as she tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes. She spotted Lea at the Slytherin table as she made her way over.
"Morning," Mya yawned, sitting down next to Lea.
"Oh, morning," Lea smiled over at her friend as her tea mug rested by her lips. "Have a good night's rest then?"
"Lavender would not stop snoring," Mya groaned as she reached forward and grabbed a piece of buttered put toast. "She stopped at one point, around three in the morning, and I thought she died. But, she continued shortly after that, and I could not get back to sleep."
"I'm sorry," Lea took a sip of her tea.
Mya waved her off as she shoved the toast in her mouth. "It's all right. Wasn't as bad as breaking Harry and Seamus up from a fight."
"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you," Lea pouted reaching to place her tea mug back on the table.
"Honestly," Mya took a sip of her pumpkin juice. "It's nothing I couldn't handle. But tell me, how was your night?"
"Alight," Lea shrugged. "Not much happened. I mean, the common room is pretty cool, you can see right into the black lake,"
"Now that is awesome," Mya chuckled as she pushed some of her fly away's back. "I saw you talking to Draco last night, what did he say?"
"Nothing, just said I studdered," Lea told her.
"You don't stutter," Mya said confused.
"I do when that boy is around," Lea sighed as she pushed her textbook away, realizing, as normal, not much studying would happen with Mya around. "I just can't help it. I get all flustered, and my words start to mix together."
"Well then don't," Mya acted as if it was as simple as that.
"Don't?" Mya raised a brow. "Don't what? Get flustered? Talk to Draco?"
"All of the above," Mya told her causing Lea to roll her eyes. "Look, let's push aside all the hotness that is Draco, and remember one thing. This is Draco Malfoy. You know what is going to happen to him next year. You know the struggles he's going to be going through. You know Pansy is crazy about him. Do you really want to do that to yourself? Do you want to get involved with a guy who is going to be pushed to his limits?"
Lea let out a heavy sigh as she thought about what Mya said. "I mean your right. He is going to be pushed to his limits. And I'm not even saying I want to get involved with him, I can't even speak a proper sentence around him. I... maybe I can help though, you know, before things get crazy."
"Maybe," Mya said agreeing with her. "But just being friends with him, could lead you down a bad path. And I don't want anything bad happening to you."
"I won't," Lea promised her. "I won't do anything bad, you know me."
"Yes, my little vegetarian who can't even kill a bug," Mya smirked through another bite of toast.
"Bugs do nothing wrong!" Lea said defending her actions. "Plus they only live a short life, and I'm not about to take that away from them."
Mya let out a laugh as she saw two girls sit in front of them.
"What are you doing here?" Pansy gave a rude look to Mya.
"Breathing, eating, my cells are also regenerating as new blood pumps into my body," Mya listed off on her fingers.
Daphne and Lea let out a laugh as Pansy rolled her eyes and grabbed the pitcher of coffee.
"I like you," Daphne told Mya. "Are you the girl who chased Draco down the train?"
"That I am," Mya told her.
"Stay away from Draco," Pansy sneered out as she stared daggers into Mya's head.
"Glady," Mya rolled her eyes, not seeing a problem there.
"Mya!" The girl in question turned around to see Ron calling her over. "Come get your timetable!"
"Coming!" Mya stood up before looking at her friend. "I'll see you in class Lea."
"Okay," Lea said before Mya ran over to the Gryffindor table.
"Well she's cheerful," Pansy said as she grabbed some food. "Why are you friends with someone like that?"
"Because we balance each other out," Lea shrugged.
***
Mya and Lea sat together in Defence class as they watched a paper bird fly through the class. They both let out a laugh as students kept trying to knock it down. Everyone fell silent as the bird lit on fire.
"Good morning children," Umbridge told them as they all looked over to see her walking into class. No one responded. "Now now, that won't do. When I say 'Good Morning' I expect a 'Good morning Professor Umbridge'. Now let's try this again, Good Morning children."
"Good Morning Professor Umbridge," The students all mumbled out. Mya, however, did not, she chose to roll her eyes instead, hopping Umbridge got her message loud and clear.
"That's better. Now, Ordinary Wizarding Level examinations, O.W.L.'s, more commonly known as OWL's." Umbridge explained as she pointed her wand at the board, like she was talking to 5 year olds. "Study hard and you will be rewarded. Fail to do so, and the consequences may be severe." She finished with her signature giggle. She passed out books, as Mya and Lea got there's they shared a look. Both ready to be done with this class. "Your previous instructions in this subject has been disturbingly uneven. But you will be pleased to know, from now on, you will be following a carefully structured, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic. Yes, Miss...?" She called on Mya who had put her hand in the air.
"Mya Halliwell, but please call me Miss Halliwell, I prefer it," Mya told her.
"Oh god," Lea sighed, sinking into her seat. Knowing her friend could not, and would never, hold anything back.
"I was just wondering where my color pencils were. Seeing as in fact, this is a children's coloring book and not a textbook," Mya smiled as students tried to hold in a laugh.
Umbridge's eye twitched slightly. "I believe you will find this textbook, is well suited for this class. Yes?"
Hermione had also put her hand up in the air as Umbridge called on her. "There is nothing in here about using defensive spells."
"Using spells?" Umbridge let out her high pitched giggle. "Why, I can't imagine why you would need to use spells in my classroom."
"We're not going to be learning magic?" Ron asked.
"You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk free way," Umbridge explained.
"Well, what use is that, If we're going to be attacked, it won't be risk-free," Harry told her.
"Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class," Umbridge said harshly. "It is the view of the ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through your examinations which, after all, is what school is all about."
"And how is theory supposed to prepare us for what's out there?" Harry continued to ask questions without raising his hand.
"There is nothing out there, dear," Umbridge said putting on a fake smile. "Who do you imagine would want to attack children, like yourself?"
"Oh, I don't know, maybe Lord Voldemort," Harry said in a sarcastic way as the class all gasped. Umbridge looked ready to rip her hair from her scalp.
"Now let me make this... quite plain," Umbridge started as one of her eyes twitched. "You have been told that a certain dark wizard is at large once again. This...is...a..lie."
"It's not a lie!" Harry defended himself. "I saw him! I fought him!"
"Detention, Mister Potter!" Umbridge raised her voice.
"So according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord?" Harry asked, not ready to give up yet.
"Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident," Umbridge tried to keep her composure.
"It was murder! Voldemort killed him! You must know that!" Harry yelled frustrated.
"Enough!" Umbridge shrieked out before taking a deep breath. "Enough. See me later, Mr. Potter, my office."
Mya raised her hand up in the air.
"Yes, Miss Halliwell?" Umbridge called on the girl with much regret.
"I was just wondering how shuffling papers at the Ministry, makes you eligible to be a Defense teacher. Surely the most horrifying thing you have faced is your reflection in the mirror," Mya told her with a smirk, as Lea tried her best to not laugh.
"Detention Miss Halliwell," Umbridge said simply as her knuckles turned white as she gripped her hands. "Now read chapters one and two. Now!"
***
"You should not have done that!" Lea yelled later that night as the two girls meet up. She whacked Mya with her textbook. Lea told her she would walk her to detention.
"I had to!" Mya said as she rubbed her arm. "And don't hit me, woman, you know what I'm about to go through."
"Yes, and you know as well. Why would you even think this was a good idea?" Lea asked her.
"Because, I'm not letting Harry go through this alone," Mya said shaking her head as they reached the classroom. Harry stood waiting for her.
"I thought you weren't going to show," Harry said with a sheepish smile.
Mya shrugged. "I thought about it. Then I realized I wouldn't be a good friend if I ditched you with that woman."
Lea rolled her eyes before giving Mya a hug. "Be safe, don't do anything stupid."
"Will do," Mya said with a small smile as they pulled away. "Come on Harry, we have detention to get to."
Harry let out a sigh as the two made their way through the empty classroom and up to Umbridge's office. Harry knocked on the door.
"Come in," They heard.
Harry opened the door, allowing Mya to go in first. Umbridge's office was decked out in all pink, as her signature cat panting sat on her wall. Pink may have been Mya's favorite color, but she was starting to rethink that.
"I'm guessing your favorite color is green," Mya just had to make a sarcastic comment.
"Please, sit," Umbridge said with a smile plastered on her face. Mya and Harry sat at the two desks that she had provided for them. "Now, you two are going to be doing some lines for me this evening. No, not with your quill." Umbridge said as Harry went to take out one of his own. "You're going to be using a rather special one of mine."
Mya gulped as Umbridge sat the quills down on their desks. Harry looked confused about why the courageous girl, all the sudden looked terrified.
"Now, Mister Potter I want you to write 'I must not tell lies,'" Umbridge told him. "And Miss Halliwell, I want you to write 'I will think before speaking.'"
"How many times?" Harry asked her.
"Well, let's say... for as long as it takes for the message to sink in," Umbridge said with a wicked smile as she sat back down at her desk.
"You haven't given us any ink," Harry noticed.
"Oh, you won't need any ink," Umbridge told him.
Harry looked over to Mya, she just shook her head as she grabbed her quill with a shaking hand. As she started to write it started out that her hand felt like it was being lightly scratched. But as she got down to the bottom of the first page, her hand was burning. She looked down as blood dripped from the top of her hand, the words 'I will think before speaking' Permanently etched across it.
"Problem?" Umbridge asked her
"Yes, actually, I don't think my parents consented for me to get a tattoo," Mya hissed out in pain. She hadn't realized it yet, but those words. These dark words embedded into her skin, would lead to problems in the future. It's funny how something so little, can affect a person in life.