"It's swish and flick you moron! Not flick and flick! You'll burn your eyebrows off— Merlin! Are you trying to poke my eye out?" Finley scolded the first year Slytherin who irritated her with the wrong wand movements and spell chanting.
"Wingardium with long 'gar' you nitwit, and Leviosa, 'Osa' not 'osar' seriously how are you Slytherin?" She snapped again. The Slytherin first year dropped his head in shame as he was being scolded by her, of course it wasn't on purpose. Finley knew better than to embarrass a Slytherin boy with his fellow Slytherins in the common room or the whole school in the library. She had a special pass to use Snape's classroom during free period and of course her tutoring isn't for free.
"Can I take a break at least?" The young Snake asked tired from doing a simple levitation spell over and over again.
"No you leave and come back when you know how to pronounce a spell properly," she said taking it easy on her recently healed arm. Walking out the classroom to attend transfigurations, she wasn't anymore in a foul mood. As soon as she saw Theo and Blaise who were grinning at her from ear to ear she ran and gave them both a hug.
"How was tutoring Pansy's younger cousin?" Blaise laughed.
She groaned again remembering the boy in Snape's classroom. "He is just as bad as his cousin," she said laying her head on Blaise's shoulder.
"How did he manage to get you as his tutor?" Theo asked amused at the situation.
"Apparently Missus Parkinson had connections and forced him on me," she said as they finally entered the transfigurations classroom. Slumping on the second row to the front, Malfoy was already there and was poking fun at Harry for the match tomorrow to throw him off his game.
"Do you know what else is going to happen tomorrow?" Blaise wiggled his eyebrows at his best friends. Theo was grinning while Finley covered her face.
"What's happening tomorrow?" Malfoy asked who now caught their attention.
"It's Finley's birthday," Blaise said ruffling the girl's hair but was swatted away.
She didn't like everyone in Slytherin knowing her name and her birthday or they'll have an excuse to throw a party the next day which of course would be disguised as a victory party. She punched Blaise on the shoulder accompanied with a glare.
"Well why didn't you say so Evans, We could've organised a party for you," the blond winked.
"Or a funeral party for you if you open your damn mouth to the Prefects," she snapped at him. But of course, when did the Slytherin blond prince ever listen to her.
Because the very next day during the Slytherin versus Gryffindor game, was an announcement from Lee Jordan greeting her a Happy birthday.
"I have been paid to announce a happy birthday to our dear own friendly Slytherin sprite light Finley Evans! Happy Birthday Doll!"
"You both are unbelievable," she glared at her best friends as the whole Slytherins cheered and sang a Happy Birthday song that even the Slytherin teams were shouting in joy.
"I swear to Salazar Slytherin if we lose this game I will send bludgers your way in practice!" She yelled at Montague and Warrington who were had shit eating grins on their faces. But if course they knew well that she was not all bark, her bite was just as painful.
Malfoy dove to try and catch the snitch, Harry closing in and by sheer dumb luck the boy who lived stumbled and caught the bloody snitch ending the game. Finley was distraught, they lost the first game of the season and there was hell to pay. Flint sent curses towards Malfoy who was also had a leg injury but it didn't compare to what happened to Harry who had his arm limp from any bones. She had a difficult time deciding who to go see first, and decided, to hell with it she was going with her house.
"Out of my way Flint," she said pushing off the sixth year, holding out her wand she chanted a spell to mend wounds.
"Stop being a baby Malfoy," she sneered as Malfoy sniffed. As the wounds closed the worst was over for the blond boy, Madam Pomfrey didn't need to mend him anymore but he needed a check up for internal damage.
"You'll be fine, the wound is gone," Finley now said softly holding out her hand for the Slytherin blond to reach.
Odd that this girl was in all lengths of sarcasm and cruelty towards him due to his horrible behaviour. Draco called her best friend mudblood twice and he paid hell on both occasions, he now finds that she still has the heart to help him.
"Don't look too deep into this Malfoy, I'm only helping you because you're paying for my party."
And he chuckled as he saw the Slytherin in the girl back to its place.
"We lost today, make sure you stay on your broom when we practice."
The Slytherin party was in full swing, it was guised as a morale up lifting party but truly it was Finley's birthday party that consisted of cake and ice cream and occasional butter beer and fire whiskey that seventh years managed to sneak in.
Finley isolated herself to a corner with butter beer on her right hand. She was dressed to impress today as well, she was stripped of anything that was pants and was changed into a green dress and a leather jacket. Her normal trainers that she wore to the game was changed into black ankle boots, her hair was in a high ponytail. And she winces every time she hears Happy Birthday towards her.
"Aren't you having fun?" Theo asked who joined her on the couch, holding a mug of butter beer and a paper bag.
"I told you you shouldn't have," she chuckled. She gave up trying to stop her friends from spending on her.
"We insisted that we shower our Finney Winney with gifts and here they are," Theo laughed as she gave her the bag.
Blaise who joined them gave her a large box. "I'm being practical this year, forget the box of chocolate frogs never happened," Blaise winked.
Opening the box first she smiled, indeed it was practical, they were shoes. Mary janes in fact.
"I had the idea that you hated your old shoes so I threw them away," Blaise shrugged. Despite finding out that he threw away her old shoes she hugged Blaise tightly as she appreciated her new school shoes. Theo urged his gift next and she did, she was surprised with the inside of the bag was a petite box. Shorter than a wand's box it was light.
"You gave her a wand Theo? Really?" Blaise laughed.
"No you bumbling idiot!" Theo smacked his friend's head. Opening the box was another gasp, it was a book mark a metal book mark.
"You baboon! How did you know!" She smiled happily. It was a long metal rod that had crystals on its chain, white metal it was and she loved it. "Had mum buy it," he said like it was nothings.
Without a second to lose she crushed her best friends into a hug, she loved them so much at these thoughtful gifts.
"Dear old widow mother wants to see you this Christmas Finney bear," Blaise winked handing her a small card a long with a small square box. She met the widow Zabini before and it was one of those times that she met up with Blaise in the summer and the woman adored her especially her 'flawless skin' as the woman puts it. And it was a pleasure to shop with her even Mirelle Thorns thought she was back in her luxurious life in Paris with Blaise's mum who wanted nothing more but to spoil her rotten as if she was her own.
"We'll cross the bridge when we get there," she said still holding onto her gifts like they were her life line. Too precious to let go.
That evening came as the party ended, except the sixth and seventh years who were still drinking in the common room, saying good night to her friends she entered her room. Cassian on a chair in the corner and a who bunch of more gifts on the foot of her bed.
She opened them all, beater's bat from her beater teachers. New cleats from Flint, some other things like books and hair ties. But what she appreciated was the one from Malfoy who she didn't know gave her a gift. Upon opening his gift she laughed at the idea of the joke, there she saw a book hand written.
"How to be Curse without getting caught for Dummies"
"That idiot," she finds herself laugh but not after feeling the pain on her shoulder again and this time she wasn't able to scream and she just collapsed on the floor.
The week passed it was closer to Halloween and Finley still felt her shoulder was on fire, the difference was that she was able to hide it. She avoids getting hit on her right shoulder or else she was to scream, she couldn't go to Madam Pomfrey without notifying Snape. She thought that it might be sore from all her beater practicing, she was lying to herself that was sure.
"Finney bear! Halloween is coming!" Blaise teased pinching her cheeks. This was how the week went after her birthday, she was being pinched and coddled by her two friends and she couldn't scold them without feeling the pain on her shoulder.
"Yes, Halloween," she rolled her eyes.
"I heard Hufflepuffs are having a costume party after hours," Theo wiggles his eye brows.
"Oh joy, what are you both going to go as? Salazar Slytherin in his 20s?" She asked now reaching the great hall for linch before running to potions which she dreaded at the moment.
"I was thinking of a werewolf of sort but I do think I look sexy in a beard," Theo said using Finley's hair as his beard.
"Leave my hair alone Nott!" She said swatting her hair to his face like a lasso of sort. "You hair is equal to a thousand needles."
"I grew them for you."
Sitting down on lunch she prepared herself for what ever the boys give her, they insist that she eats so little with a sandwich and a turkey leg, but with the portions that she takes she should be full until dinner.
"Drop that ham Zabini you know I hate Ham," she said as she tossed a muffin on Blaise's plate.
"Thanks for the tart, love."
"Finney Winney could you pass me the chicken?"
"I don't know, can I Nott?" She smirked making the boy scowl as he swiped the chicken from beside her.
"I swear to the snake pit, Snape is going to give us more homework before Halloween."
Shrugging at the thought of more home work she ate her food, she gazed towards Harry and her Gryffindor friends as they waved towards her. Then she felt someone hold her right shoulder tightly, she screamed.
"Blimey! I'm sorry are you alright Evans?" Malfoy gasped. He didn't mean to cause her harm, in truth he didn't know what he did to cause her pain. Finley's eyes were already welling in tears as she clutched her paining shoulder.
"I'm fine," she managed to say.
"Let me see," Blaise said pulling her robes gently yet Finley resisted as it was still in unbearable pain.
"Please no," she cried.
"Finley—"
And the head of house arrived.