"Mademoiselles, if you please. You all should find in your textbook a mapping of all the various constellations we will study in depth this term. By the end of your lessons here, you will all be expected to draw out these constellations, mapping them as you see them through these instruments in front of you," a tall and very thin looking witch in silver robes reported to a room filled with 2nd year students.
This was Professeur Delphine, one of the strictest teachers at the school, and with nothing to show for it. Students of Beauxbatons are not required to take the course as a core subject until their 2nd term of their 2nd year. Unlike Hogwarts, who expects their students to take the course from 1st year through 5th, Beauxbatons lets us get away scot free after 1st term of our 5th year.
This might have been one of the many reasons why there were no infamous astronomies from Beauxbatons. Not that I was complaining or anything. I was never a fan of the subject even at Hogwarts.
"The first of the constellations we will examine closely will be a rather popular one, Orion. Please turn to your telescopes and set your markings as follows."
Rosalie was yawning beside me as we turned to our shared textbook. Rosalie was still waiting on some of her books through Owl mail. Her mother, being so generic it's not even funny, forgot to pack half of said textbooks and so, Rosalie was stuck leeching off people for the last week and a half.
I was starting to think her mother had lost the textbooks altogether looking at how long the mail was taking to get here, but then again, mail hadn't been so fast on my end either.
"Why does this class have to be so late?" Rosalie yawned through her words while I started on the telescope.
"Take a wild guess, Rosalie," I clipped back before pushing the telescope to its right marks. Rosalie was giving me a look when I turned back her way.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Professeur Delphine walked passed us and turned to Marie and Ana's telescope, that was situated in the wrong position.
"Mademoiselles did you not hear me specifically say your marks were 56 to 378?" I watched my friends give the Professeur daft looks of confusion before being hustled to fix it.
"Think we'll get out early tonight?" Rosalie went on, causing me to roll my eyes at the stupidity of such a question.
"It's the first official class for this subject. What do you think?" I responded back. I didn't have to be looking at Rosalie to get the sense that she was glaring my way.
"What's up with you?" Her accusing tone snapped me out of my mood as I turned and apologized to her.
"I don't know what's the matter, I'm sorry. Just annoyed but I don't know what for."
That was a lie. I knew all too well why I was annoyed. Malfoy hadn't written back to me. I expected my brother not to respond but Malfoy? I honestly thought he would love to be the one in charge of information around me.
The next morning, I woke up feeling worse. Was it possible to have a physical reaction to being royally angry for a period of time?
"Maybe you're just getting sick. Go see the nurse," Marie offered, but I turned that down fast. I didn't like the nurse's office the moment I was laughed at when I offered my services as a helping hand.
Rude.
"Well then stop complaining. If you're not going to fix it, I don't want to hear it," She went on as we trailed our way to Transfiguration. Not my favorite class.
But it wasn't my worst class either. While Astronomy was Beauxbatons worst class provided, Transfiguration was a popular favorite at the school, housing three different teachers for the subject alone.
"Today we will be working on conjuring butterflies from one's wands," the transfiguration teacher, Professeur Lecour, began from the start of the class.
Ah yes, the butterflies. How stereotypical of Beauxbatons.
By the giggles heard around me, I gathered that I was not the only one thinking this.
"Mademoselles, if you please. That is enough." Lecour tapped her wand at attention, making the room go quiet.
"Now," She went on. "We will start with a brisk wand movement followed by the spell Papillio."
We watched as the Professeur showcased this easily, illuminating the room with golden butterflies. Rosalie giggled beside me as one gently landed on her hand while I only gruffeled at the stupidity of this class.
What was the use of conjuring butterflies?
"Now together, everyone. Stand up."
The girls and I got up in a set of rows and raised our wands obediently. I copied the teacher's steps very carefully, and watched as the girls around me dispersed butterflies in various colors out of their wands.
"Oh how pretty!" Ana gushed as one of her red dotted butterflies flew past her face.
One single black winged butterfly appeared from my wand and and diminished the moment my teacher caught sight of it.
"Tsk tsk mademoiselle. Don't you know in order to conjure up butterflies one must be in a lighter mood? Try again. And with a happier energy."
I gave her a fake look of happiness that made Marie scoff before I tried this spell repeatedly with little success.
The rest of the day and into Friday was no better, class wise and mood wise on my end. All my mind thought of was Draco Malfoy and his smug expression on his face currently at holding back from writing to me. He must know how angry I am about it.
"What a jerk!" I huffed as I kicked snow off the side of the fountain's edge. Marie, Rosalie, Ana and I were taking a walk in the gardens in between classes. We had only reflection left for the day, and it was already feeling like a very long day. I didn't know how I was going to get past reflection.
I noticed Rosalie cast Marie a warning look before I stopped in my tracks and turned to them face on.
"What was that?" I demanded, confronting them. Rosalie acted innocent but Marie cut the crap immediately.
"Don't act surprised, Ava. You've been acting up an attitude for close to a week now. Not exactly the most fun to be around."
"Oh I'm sorry," I exclaimed. "Didn't realize I had a job to be fun all the time. Should I go back and grab my clown mask?"
"Ava," Ana warned, but I was off and the three girls knew there was no stopping me.
"I'm sorry if I'm acting like crap right now, but I can't help it. And as my friends, I thought you all would be able to handle it since we all handle each other's bad days without complaint."
"Yeah, bad day. As in singular," Marie baited me on, gaining a glare from Ana.
"Marie. Don't make me argue with you. I don't want to but I will," I warned, my eyes close to tears which shocked both me and the girls.
"Woah, Ava calm down," Rosalie said calmly as she moved to my side, with her arm on my back.
"You're just stressed is all." I shook my head agitated at my tears. Marie was giving me no pity though as I wiped my tears frantically from my face.
"Why don't you just write him another letter. That Malfoy guy." She knew his name. I've talked nonstop about Draco Malfoy since Christmas break. She was just trying to act like she hadn't heard every little detail.
"Because he doesn't deserve another letter from me," I exclaimed. "He isn't worth any of my damn time!"
Ana's eyebrows rose at hearing me swear while Rosalie acted like she heard nothing. Marie was smirking now.
"Yeah okay, sure Ava. Sure."
Reflection was far worse than what I first thought. I got the worst set of stomach cramps imaginable during the lecture. Add on top of it that we were forced to listen to a representative from the French Ministry talk about the growth in witches positions in government settings, and I'd call it my third layer of hell.
I could care less about the raise in popularity of women in the working field. My mother had plowed that route for herself decades ago.
But rather than complain about my sorrows to my friends, who I knew would show little compassion to me, I decided to venture out on my own to the stables to talk to something that would listen to me.
"And so I can't just lower myself to his level and write him again, can't I?" I concluded to the listening ears around me. The unicorns rolled their manes sympathetically.
"Or maybe I should. After all, the whole topic is making me stressed out. I don't even care anymore about whether Black was in the castle or not. I just don't like being ignored."
The unicorns were silent to this.
I huffed as I jumped down from the stable doors and walked over to the like of hippogriffs in their stalls.
"Mademoiselle, If I may," a voice said from behind the stable door. I jumped back a foot as the head caretaker came up from one of the arches, two buckets of whisky in his hands.
"While the animals love hearing your stories, I'm afraid it's dinner time and the headmistress likes them to be fed in quiet."
Never had I felt so embarrassed in my life as I dashed out of there, my face red as embers. To think what Monsieur Ansel thought of my rambles was a whole other horrer I didn't want to think about.
Thankfully, my mind forgot the experience the moment I made it back to the gardens for, low and behold, Marie came running up to me with a letter grasped in her hand.
"An owl arrived in our dormitory with this for you."
I quickly slashed it open, my heart pumping hard.
Ava,
Who would have thought I'd receive such a letter from you of all people.
Honestly, I'm flattered though not surprised that you'd write to me at some point after break. Knew you'd miss me after Christmas. Though I haven't thought of you much until your letter came. Took me a solid moment to remember what you were even asking about too. Expected you to already know all about the Sirius Black drama with what friends you keep from the same house that was attacked.
Even that precious Potter and his friends got quite a scare from Black. Though he did little but frighten them I'm afraid. Black would have done a service to the school if he rid us of at least one Weasley, don't you think?
As for the rest, yes- a painting was scratched but it was nothing that I haven't heard before. My father tells me that Black would be daft to try and break into Hogwarts. It's the most fortified school out there. Not sure I can say the same about that French school of yours. Don't suppose Black has reason to frighten the French now does he?
I'm surprised that was all you had to ask me. Was expecting something about your father and whether or not I told my parents anything. If your next letter to me is as entertaining as this one was, I might give you an answer.
Till then,
Draco
That pighead.
I crumpled the letter into my pocket and took a deep breath. It was over. I got an answer and it was just as I expected it to be. Half answers and more questions.
Of course Malfoy was baiting me to write back. But I wasn't going to do that. At least, not any time soon.
"Did it solve all your problems?" Marie asked. I shrugged, unsure.
"I still feel awful, though I'm a relieved he finally wrote to me."
Marie walked with me back to the school while I discussed what the letter said.
"He sounds like a jerk to me," she mused. I nodded.
"Among other things, yes."
"Well, don't write back to him," she encouraged as we got to the school steps to our dorm. I scoffed.
"Well duh. Of course not. I'll give it another month before I write back. If I write back, that is."
Marie was giving me another look but I ignored her.
The next morning the rest of my questions were solved for as I rolled out of bed I almost screamed. Blood ran all the way down my pants and on my sheets.
Marie took one look at the situation and started to laugh.
"I should have known. Period cramps make any girl a mess."