I awoke early that day and went for my usual morning run. I instantly regretted doing so when people started looking at me weirdly. At the Durmstrang institute working out was a number one priority. I had grown to enjoy it as much as the guys used to do. Especially morning runs were my favorite, to feel the warmth of the sun on your skin and breathing in the fresh air was the best way to start the day.
I made my way back to the Gryffindor common room, covered in sweat I earned even more strange looks than before. I decided to ignore it and not let them get the best of me. I headed in the direction of the bathrooms when I bumped against a certain tall redhead on the stairs.
"Kaia!"
George jumped and almost fell backwards when he realized whom he had bumped into. I suddenly became very aware of my sweaty body and wrapped my arms around my chest. George scratched the back of his neck nervously.
"George." I said smilingly, looking up into his brown eyes.
"You look—" he couldn't find the right words and looked around as if that was going to magically give him the words to say.
"Sweaty?" I asked quickly, fumbling with the hem of my shirt that was almost completely soaked in sweat.
"Yes, but not in a bad way. I mean, you look hot, as in I suppose you're feeling hot. I mean—"
His nervousness was absolutely adorable. I gave him a wide smile and began walking after saying "See you at breakfast, Weasley."
I could hear him mumbling something to himself which made me smile from ear to ear. Replaying in my mind what had just happened I made my way to the bathroom, I was in desperate need of a shower.
The shower had made me feel like an entirely different person, I was ready for the day. I sat down in the great hall, ready to attack the delicious looking breakfast.
I decided not to say anything and simply eat because Angelina was talking about the strange and vivid nightmare she had experienced. Apparently Lee had paid her a visit in her dream, dressed up like a five year old, calling Angelina his mommy. The twins were teasing them about it and I knew it would continue for the next few days.
"Imagine being his parent, I'd rather be in Slytherin." Fred joked, to which Lee threw a piece of bread in his face, obviously annoyed. I couldn't help but laugh.
I regretted eating as much food as I did when we walked to our first class of the day. The nerves weren't helping my full stomach either. I was excited to attend the classes but nervous too, it had been so long since I went to school, I feared I wouldn't be able to keep up.
Stepping into the defense against the dark arts classroom I mournfully found out it was none other than the pink toad herself that was going to teach us. If only my focus and eagerness to learn wouldn't be ruined by this.
After mentally preparing myself I found myself a seat. Just like the rest of the castle I was amazed by the character of the interior inside the classroom. I felt at ease in these walls and I truly felt like it would be a place I would eventually be able to call home.
George had already found himself a seat and waved
me over smilingly, signing me to sit besides him. I was about to sit down when Fred got there first, oblivious to me he began rambling to his twin brother George. George had his eyebrows furrowed and scowled at his brother. I grinned and shrugged before quickly finding myself another seat. Lee was smiling excitedly when I sat down next to him and began talking about how much he looked forward to the quidditch games when suddenly Umbridge walked inside.
Her heels clicked on the floor as she headed for her desk. Dressed in a full pink outfit she positioned herself behind her desk.
"Good morning, children."
The twins leaned forwards and whispered into Lee's and my ear "Welcome to hell, kids."
A giggle escaped my mouth which I instantly regretted when I saw the annoyed pink frog turn towards me. Her eyebrows raised ever so slightly.
"What was that, dear?"
I tugged a strand of my thick hair behind my ear and straightened my posture. Umbridge folded her arms, awaiting my answer.
"It's nothing, Professor." I replied before pressing my lips back in a tight line.
"And you are, dear?"
I didn't hesitate for a moment. Fear of my name was useless and I wasn't ashamed of who my father was even if people judged me for it.
"Kaia Black."
A nervous murmur was heard among my fellow students and Umbridge's lips curled into a sly smirk.
"I see, daughter of Sirius Black."
I nodded and the whispers became louder. Students gasped and their faces turned slightly pale. But I tried my hardest to ignore them. Umbridge let out a giggle and turned around but as she walked to her desk I could hear the quiet insult escaping her mouth.
"A wanted criminal."
"Excuse me?" I snapped before I could stop myself. Umbridge turned around looking fumed with anger and annoyance.
"It's only the truth, one mustn't tell lies." she explained as her heels clicked on the floor. She walked closer and placed herself in front of my desk. I looked up into her eyes and felt a shiver run down my spine. The pink clothes were just a facade to hide her empty eyes.
"My father isn't a criminal, you have no idea what you're talking about."
"Are you calling me a liar, miss Black?" snapped Umbridge and she aimed her wand towards me. I was slightly taken aback but kept my eyes on hers. When I didn't answer she clenched her teeth in annoyance.
"Well, well. I'll be seeing you at detention today."
I balled my fists and was close to grabbing my wand or punching her bright pink self when George's voice distracted me.
"But she hasn't done anything wrong!" George defended me and Lee complied by nodding.
"Ridiculous!" Fred added.
"I don't remember seeing you two raise your fingers before speaking. Now if I can please continue with class without any interruptions, that'll be great."
I was terrible at hiding my emotions and everyone could see I was near exploding. I kept my head low and pressed my nails into the palms of my hands. It wasn't until Lee laid his hand on my shoulder that I started to come back to reality. I shared a look with him and the twins and let out a sigh.
This was exactly what Umbridge wanted, she wanted the reaction out of me but I wasn't going to give it to her that easily. I was going to prove her wrong.
The classes were long and some were painfully long. The only class I actually enjoyed was care for magical creatures and still I couldn't completely forget about that awful woman, Umbitch.
When dinner arrived I reluctantly found myself calming down and shoving some chicken down. George on the other hand seemed to be as angry about the woman's actions as me, maybe even more. He continuously threatened to put some puking pastilles in her tea, which honestly sounded like a reasonable plan but as much as I would've loved to see it I knew I had to be better than that.
"If I ever get the chance I'll kick her straight into Azkaban." George groaned.
"Please, let me watch when you do." Lee clapped his hands excitedly. I grinned and shook my head.
"It was unfair of her to do that." Angelina added. I looked up being slightly surprised by Angelina defending me. She definitely wasn't the biggest fan of me so hearing her say so made my day a bit better. I smiled at the girl which she faintly returned.
"I heard she's given detention to a few others as well, including Harry." Fred said.
Again, my eyebrows knitted together like the rest of the day. The fact that she gave Harry detention made me furious because I knew she merely did it because she disliked the boy and his statements about the dark lord being back.
I finished the remaining chicken and excused myself from the table. Wanting to give myself a break from my angry thoughts I decided to get to the library. Boy did it work, the library was bigger than any library I had ever seen. I couldn't wait to get some reading done which was about the only thing that could really distract me.