"You alright?" asked Blaise after some time, who's eyes were getting smaller the more he drank.
"Fine," Ramona whispered.
"Good.
"Yeah."
"Malfoy told me something," Blaise said quietly, making sure no one was paying attention to them.
"About?"
"About you," said Blaise. "I think you ought to be careful, Ramona."
"I'm afraid for him, Blaise," she said.
"Me too," said Blaise. "But you have to think of yourself."
Their conversation was short but heavy, leaving Ramona's heart feeling emptier than before. The whiskey only seemed to burn a hole thorough her chest.
"I'm going to go," she announced to Blaise, no longer entertained by Tracy's stories. She loathed the looks Millicent, Crabbe and Goyle gave her, she loathed Pansy and Theodore's smirks, she loathed Draco's detachment form everyone, and she loathed how everyone could just sit quietly during Theodore's crude remarks.
"So soon?" he piped up, noticing Ramona's attempt to leave. She only ignored him, putting her shot glass down on Tracy's nightstand.
The girl gave her a sad look but, so incredibly drunk, couldn't utter a word of goodbye or complaint.
"Stay," cried Daphne.
"I wouldn't," said Ramona, who had little patience for Daphne even.
"And here I thought we were becoming friends," said Theodore. Ramona was certain that there was nothing he could say to get her riled up as long as she walked away in time.
She turned to walk away when she felt a rough pinch on her butt, followed by loud laughter.
"You were right mate, she has a good ass," Theodore laughed, high-fiving Goyle who didn't dare look in Ramona's direction.
"What's wrong with you, you horrid prick," she said angrily, not wanting her anger to flare up even more.
"You could use that nasty mouth for greater things, Xanthos," Theodore teased, almost making Ramona gag from disgust.
"I think your mother should of thought of that first and swallowed you. Would have done us all a favor," said Ramona bitterly. Theodore's eyes turned into slits as he took a step towards her, all conversation seizing as he did. Everyone just silently stared at them, except Lily who shut her eyes and laid on her bed.
"You really need someone to put you in your place, little Ramona," said Theodore, standing face to face with Ramona, taller by barely an inch.
"And I suppose you'd do that?"
"Damn right I would," Theodore said, his body inches from hers now. "I'd fuck that filthy mouth so hard maybe you'd be silent for once. Maybe that's the only way you'd be tolerable enough to be around."
"You are so frustrated by the fact that you cannot touch me," said Ramona jokingly, bursting into laughter, not allowing him to play with her further.
"In fact, you want to fuck me so much that you are not even trying to hide it. It's pathetic really, that you're getting blue balls over a blood traitor that you can't stand."
"Getting cocky now?" Theodore teased, but Ramona could see the anger burning in his gaze.
She stepped closer to him and grabbed his crotch through his pants, feeling him hardening.
"You can't even hide it," she pressed. "You can't even hide how much I turn you on and you are disgusted with yourself. Or is that your kink? You like being disgusted with yourself?"
Theodore went on to say something but she squeezed his member even harder, digging her nails in.
"Perhaps if your parents were second cousins instead of first you'd actually have the ability to say something remotely intelligent," she spat, letting him go and stepping away from him.
She turned on her heel and headed from the door once more when she heard his footsteps approaching. Ramona whipped around and, with a wave of her hand, sent Theodore flying into Tracy's bedpost, almost knocking Blaise over.
"Is the world spinning, Teddy?" Ramona pressed further. He slowly stood up, stepping towards her with a small limp.
"You heinous bitch," Theodore grunted out. "Someone really needs to teach you a lesson on respect."
She took his hand and placed it on one of her breasts, squeezing it.
"Respect?" she taunted as his face paled. "Come on then darling, teach me."
Theodore was in over his head. Completely still and perhaps very aroused, words could not find their way from his brain to his mouth.
Ramona pushed him away once more, looking at the faces of everyone in the room. Blaise was staring at her in utter shock, almost starting to laugh at Theodore's face, while Tracy, Lily and Daphne's mouths were slightly agape. Draco looked like he didn't believe what he was seeing, much like the trio on Millicent's bed, but it was Pansy that held Ramona's gaze.
Blind rage consumed the dark-haired witch as she stood from the bed and walked towards Ramona.
"Who do you think you are?" Pansy asked.
"Angry that I turn your boyfriend on?" Ramona asked.
"You don't even know what you have just gotten yourself into," Pansy said in a low voice.
"Is he going to tell daddy on me?" Ramona taunted. "You can do it together. Bond over it."
"You really need to be put in your place," Pansy said. She took her wand from underneath her shirt, pointing it at Ramona.
"Pansy, don't," Theodore warned, but it was too late.
"Crucio," yelled Pansy before Ramona could even react. There was no scenario in her head where their argument ended in such a way, but Ramona's surprise was soon enough replaced by pain.
Searing, white hot, excruciating pain that bit at every single part of her body birthed in her chest and spread further. Ramona had never experienced that kind of horrid torment before, where every cell in her body was burning with anguish. A scream was caught in her throat, not escaping past her lips and just settling there, a silent sigh of agony sounding in the otherwise quiet room. Her lungs stopped working and she was sure her heart was not beating anymore. The pain could not have last longer than a few moments but the torture was so grave she swore a lifetime passed before her eyes.
The only thoughts she had were 'like knife through butter.' The pain cut through her so easily and effortlessly she wasn't sure that the body she was in was even hers. She could hear someone screaming and shouting, anger rising through chaos and agony and pain, until it stopped.
Pansy laid tackled on the floor, Blaise holding one arm and Daphne holding another, while Tracy stood above them with tearful eyes. Theodore just stared at the scene, fright in his eyes, while Ramona felt her body lifted off the ground and head on someone's lap.
She looked into Draco's eyes that, frightened more than she'd ever seen before, looked over her in sheer panic.
"What is wrong with you," shouted Blaise. Pansy's eyes welled up with tears once she realized what she'd done. She trashed beneath their grips and Blaise almost sat atop her to keep her still.
"I didn't mean to hurt her," cried Pansy. "I just- I just."
"Shut up Pansy," screamed Lily, throwing herself on the floor next to Ramona.
Lily reached out for her only to be stopped by Draco, who gripped Lily's arm just as she reached out for Ramona.
"Don't touch her," he snapped. The strange protectiveness shocked even him as a voice in his head screamed in panic. He made sure Ramona was live and breathing, seeing her fluttering eyes stare up at him bringing relief. He lowered her head from his lap onto the floor.
"I'm fine," uttered Ramona breathlessly, attempting to sit up.
"And I'm a baby owl," Draco commented angrily, "Lay down."
Ramona could not hold a laugh from escaping her, one so bitter and sad that her eyes filled with tears. The otherwise quiet room filled with her laughter that sounded more painful that joyous, leaving everyone with gaping holes in their chests- even horrid Theodore Nott.
"Let's go Malfoy, leave it," Theodore said. Draco looked over the girl, who couldn't stop laughing. Lily wiped her tears with a small chuckle of her own, evidently terrified with what had happened. Crabbe and Goyle rose from Millicent's bed- no more silent laughter and jokes were heard as they followed Theodore out of the room.
Blaise made his way over to Ramona, eyes wide with terror as he examined her.
"You're alright? You're okay, right?" he repeated frantically.
"Fine," choked out Ramona, wiping her own tears.
"I'll go find Snape," said Blaise.
"Are you mental?" cried Theodore. "She was in pain for barely a second."
"No, please," Pansy begged, crawling over to Ramona. Noticing her proximity, Ramona sat up, head spinning. Lily kept her up, putting one hand behind her back for support and whispering to stay calm.
"Now you're begging, bitch?" Blaise spat, pushing Pansy away from Ramona. "You should have though of it before using an unforgivable curse, you dumb-"
"Don't," Ramona cut Blaise off. "Just don't."
"We have to tell Snape," he argued loudly.
"He's right," said Tracy, who seemed more sober than ever.
"This isn't right Ramona, you have to tell someone," added Lily.
"You won't tell anyone," Ramona said. She eyed Pansy with such a terrifyingly intimidating look that Pansy shrank to the size of a mouse, staring at her enemy with wide, pain-filled eyes.
"You won't tell anyone," Ramona warned, "But Pansy, if you as much as look my way ever again-" she warned.
"I won't," Pansy immediately said.
"Shut up," Ramona yelled. "If you look at me, touch me, talk to me, or god forbid do anything to my brother or my friends, I will not hesitate to tell Dumbledore himself. That includes your boyfriend and all of his mindless friends."
Draco slowly rose from where he knelt beside Ramona and, hesitantly, left the room with Nott and the others. He looked back once but walked beside his roommates silently, neither of them speaking.
"Why'd you rush to the scum?" Theodore asked him.
"Didn't want a death on our hands," Draco reasoned.
"Bitch deserved it," Theodore only said, chuckling. But still, he felt deeply in his stomach the sickening feeling of fear.
Only Blaise lingered behind, cursing out Pansy and voicing how incredibly dumb Ramona was for not telling Snape.
"I'm so sorry, Ramona," Pansy said through tears, crying loudly. She was ugly when she cried, mouth stretching out into a gaping hole of saliva that mixed with tears.
"Can you let me stay on my own tonight?" Ramona silently asked Daphne who, through tearful eyes, could only manage to nod.
Blaise led Ramona out of the room, supporting her weight even though she insisted she could walk. But she was still dizzy and couldn't see straight, so she leaned on Blaise without much fuss. After the door closed behind them the girls were silent and even Millicent even felt sorry for Ramona and terrified of Pansy.
Pansy bawled on the floor while the rest of the girls just sat on their beds, Lily holding Tracy's hand as tears prickled at her eyes.
"How could you do that Pansy?" Tracy asked.
"Shut up," spat Pansy through tears, voice cracking.
"Why do you even hate her so much?" Daphne asked, tears leaking out of her own eyes and wetting her cheeks.
"She's horrid," said Pansy, "She's a blood traitor. She- she-"
"You're jealous," concluded Daphne. Pansy cackled through her sobs.
"You're so jealous of her you can't stand it," she said. "I suppose Nott and yourself are one and the same. You both envy that you can't even touch her."
"What do you know," Pansy yelled through her tears. "You can't possibly know."
"She's the only thing everyone talks about," Tracy said. "And you can't stand it."
"Just shut up, the lot of you," Pansy said. The girls just stared at one another- Millicent only laid in her bed, holding tears in her eyes, but not for Ramona. For herself and for the anger she felt deep in her heart.
Blaise helped Ramona sit on her bed, fussing over every little thing.
"Does it hurt? Do you want something? Can I help you in any way? Are you thirsty?"
"Calm down, Blaise."
"Do you want anything? Can I bring you-"
"I want you to be silent," said Ramona, putting a finger on his lips. Her teary eyes stung from crying and her entire body was buzzing from the pain. Her entire form was still shaking. Blaise sighed in disappointment and the terror of what he had just seen had yet to leave his heart.
"You should tell someone," Blaise said. "Or I will. If your mother knew, or god forbid if my mother knew, she'd kill Pansy herself, I-"
"Blaise," Ramona reasoned. "She's a horrid, horrid bitch. But she's not evil."
"Are you hearing yourself right now?" Blaise said hysterically. "She's a monstrous, horrid-"
"She's not evil," Ramona reasoned. "You will always be my witness that this happened, right?"
"Of course."
"Then I can tell Snape or Dumbledore whenever I need to. I suppose having Pansy wrapped around my finger and terrified is torture enough for now."
"I don't like this," Blaise reminded.
"I know. But I'll hold this over her head until the right moment."
Blaise sat beside her on the bed silently. He couldn't find the right words, so he only put one arm around Ramona, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"I'm fine," she said through laughter, although Blaise could see that she wasn't. Blaise could see that his cousin was terrified and in shock, her large eyes darker and deep circles already forming under her eyes.
"Did it hurt?"
"Like a bitch," she said. She could no longer hold her tears and they started to spill one by one, trickling down her cheek and falling off her chin. The sight of her cry stung Blaise's heart and he felt as if it would bleed out at her soft cries. Blaise only sat beside her, holding her as close as he could, while his own eyes filled with the salty liquid.
"She really wanted to hurt me," Ramona choked out. "She didn't even hesitate."
Blaise squeezed his eyes shut in anger. He knew better than to let it overtake him at that moment, though the memory of his cousin bending over as if something broke her punctured another hole in his heart- and in his face he saw his mother and his aunt and all the people in his life he loved, and he loved none more than he loved her.
"I shouldn't have let it get that far," he said.
"You couldn't have done anything," Ramona comforted. "No one could have thought."
"No. I should have stopped it when Nott began to tease you."
"I went far," said Ramona. "When I get angry it just overtakes me. I turn into such a bitch."
"Nott deserved more than what you gave him for everything he has said so far," Blaise reassured her.
He didn't stay in her room for much longer. Ramona begged him to go, wanting nothing but to sleep. With a heavy heart, he left her, wiping his eyes on his way to the boys dormitory.
Once inside, the room was booming with laughter. Only Malfoy sat on his bed, staring at nothing at all.
"Where were you?" asked Nott.
"Making sure she was fine," Blaise said through gritted teeth, taking off his shirt to change.
"That piece of trash doesn't deserve a moment of that," Nott sneered. "She was lucky we didn't just leave her on the floor.
"You better shut up, Nott," Blaise said.
"Or what, Zabini? Is she your girlfriend now? You like the filthy ones, don't you?" Nott teased.
"If you don't shut up right now, Nott, I will bash your face in," Blaise warned. Crabbe laughed from his bed but, upon noticing Blaise's face, grew silent.
"What is it with you? I can understand those mindless girls tolerating her. They're dumb. But you? It's a waste, Blaise," said Nott. "Tell him Malfoy."
"He's right," Draco said. "It'd be better for you if you just left her alone, Blaise. Before someone thought you liked to associate yourself with that sort."
Blaise grew silent. Anger brewed within him like a boiling kettle. But he was aware of who he was speaking to- neither Malfoy or Nott were people to be messed with, and Ramona had done enough damage to both. He opted on staying silent- deep hatred rising within him as Nott silently commented horrid things about his cousin to Goyle, who'd only laugh.
Once they'd all gone to bed, Draco kept staring at his ceiling. He lead a battle within himself; she wasn't worth it. After all, she was raised by muggles. She liked muggles. She was tainted with that for the rest of her life, as long as she had that muggle last name.
Draco could not worry, because she deserved what she got. It was not right of her to mess with Nott like she did, he was a mindless imbecile. He thought she knew better than to mess with him; he was just as cruel and vile as one could be.
Still, he couldn't help but adore the look on his face- the look of utter terror and embarrassment as Ramona put him down. He found himself smiling as he repeated the scene in his head; the girl had more balls than he imagined. Squaring up with Theodore Nott while everyone was watching.
Draco thought she was dumb to do that. She was already at a disadvantage for being the wrong sort. If only she was silent, she'd be tolerable.
If only she was silent and didn't fight with everyone. If only she was silent nobody would notice her. If only she was less beautiful, dumb Nott wouldn't look her way. If only she was like Lily and avoided conflict like her life depended on it.
He felt so mad at her for being the way she was; for being so dumb and loud and not just shutting up when she should. He couldn't stand her. Anger consumed him completely, so much that he was heating up from it. He hated the dumb blood traitor for ever messing with his head.
And yet he found himself before the door of her room, his heart loudly beating he thought it echoed through the empty hallway, betraying him more than he was betraying himself- so he let his heart drop to his stomach as he knocked on the door.