I sat at the breakfast table dead. When I woke up after all of that my body was tired and drained. Somehow, I was paler than normal and more flushed. I could feel that my temperature was still higher. I wore a black hood with my uniform and covered my face. My head was down on the table. Everyone was laughing at me. Except Wibert. He kindly slid over a whole mug of coffee. Cena looking down at me. “Couldn’t sleep?”
Scorpius probably assuming it was about our conversation jumped to my defense. “Let her rest a bit. She’s had a crazy last few days.” Cyst rolling her eyes. “I thought the one you loved was Rose.” He immediately grew flustered. “I-I didn’t mean it like that. I meant it as a friend.” Karl from across the table sighed. “She’s joking moron.” The students around him giggling. That was pretty nice for him. The two of them shouldn’t seem so hurt.
Ethel shook her head in disappointment. The usual. “She better be over it by the end of breakfast. We have herbology all morning.” Cena leaving over to me to wave his fingers as if he was spooky. “All that sunlight.” I know I should be mad and have a snarky comment but all I could do was groan.
The owls flooded into the hall. Was it letter time already? I watched as everyone got letters. My brother and I not interested. We would not be getting a letter. In fact, I wasn’t sure if Cadmael even had an Owl. However, the loud Howler from across the hall was very interesting.
JAMES SIRIUS POTTER
APOLOGIZE TO YOUR BROTHER AND HIS FRIENDS.
OR NO SUMMER VACATION!
What a threat. My brother and I looked at each other. If only a forced apologize solved everything in life. The next one coming.
FLORENCE ABIGAIL VALENCIA ESTANCIA BEAN. YOU WILL APOLOGIZE TO THOSE KIDS RIGHT NOW! ESPECIALLY TO MASTER TIR!
What. Whose name was that long? Or had so many vowels… Ah, now the entire room was tuned into the next one.
SHANNON FINNIGAN
DID YOU THINK YOU COULD GET AWAY WITH FIGHTING AND NOT HAVE US KNOW? APOLOGIZE RIGHT NOW! OR YOUR FATHER WILL BE AT THE CASTLE!
Almost the entire side of our room was cracking up laughing. This is why I saw my housemates parents send their howlers to the dorm rooms and not to general delivery. The entire Slytherin table and Ravenclaw table was leaning forward in their seats. The Hufflepuffs across the way were as well.
HOUDE!
HOW DARE YOU ACT LIKE THAT TO YOUR BROTHER! TO HIS HOUSE MATES! YOU DISGRACE OUR NAME EVEN MORE. CAUSING A SCENE WITH A POOR DEFENSELESS GIRL. YOU DISGRACE. YOU MEAN CHILD. YOU BETTER MAKE THIS RIGHT.
Well, it’s hard to focus on the others when you heard his. I turned to look at Cena. He was not smiling. It seemed there was a serious expression on his face. It was odd. It seemed the black hearted evil Cena might have care for his brother? Did it all come down to just disappointment in his brother? The loss of a hero?
My eyes moved over to Sulli. She had not looked up from her book once. By then end of the Howlers we all noticed Elias did not get one. Sulli was involved in the mess. Shouldn’t a father remind his son to be nice to his sister. Publicly. Since he may have gotten a quiet reminder instead of the one he deserved.
I just pulled my hood more over my head. At this point entertainment could be lost if it meant everything quieting down. It was so loud in here. My brother squeezing my hand under the table. I leaned my head down on his shoulder. Cena’s irritating voice cutting in. “That was interesting, wasn’t it Hyo-Eun?”
I could only shrug. “I don’t care.” Rob leaned onto the table smiling. “Shouldn’t you? It is about you?” Wibert was nice enough to refill my coffee for me. To think he had a sweet side like this. My hands reaching for the mug. To my surprise the coffee tasted different. This was dandelion coffee… What? Since when did we have dandelion coffee?
I looked up to notice hiding behind one of the pillars was a male house elf. A smile appearing on my face as I winked at Molbey. The little guy disappearing. That was nice of him. “Can’t the house just be happy they were humiliated, lost house points and consider it all about them?” Rob shook his head no. “It is more fun to bother you.” Cyst nodding her head in agreement. “You started this mess in the first place.”
My brother thankfully cutting it. “Actually, you could say Potter and Malfoy started it.” Albus looked so annoyed. “ME?” Ailean nodded. “Yea. You seem to start everything.” Karl butting in to the conversation. “The orphan is right. It’s Potter’s fault.” We all ignored him. Ethel shaking her head. “That’s a point. By precedence he is always causing our messes.”
Scorpius looked over towards his cousin. “Ethel… ” She turned to look at him and handed him a piece of candy. A smile returned to his face. The boy was just too easy. Albus looking more annoyed. “I didn’t cause this mess.” A small smile appeared on my face. This was much better coffee by my tastes. I would really need to thank Molberry tonight. I wonder what house elves like? “Denial is a problem, Potter.”
Albus turned to look at me. “Denial. I’m in denial.” We all nodded our heads. His face turned red in rage. “ME.” Silent nods appeared again. Albus pointing at me. “Not her?” They all turned to look at me. Sulli casually looking up from her book. “You both have denial problems.” Her attention returning to some notes about the map most likely. Sadly for Albus I was too tired to get irritated. This was my vacation from work so I ignored it.
He, however, did not. “I do not have denial problems.” Ethel threw another piece of candy at Scorpius. A large smile on his face before he pat Albus’ shoulder. “Al, we all have them sometimes. Let’s just move on. Okay?” He turned to glare at Ethal who was not even looking at him. Albus whispering under his breath. “Traitor.” Scorpius too busy singing a little diddy about the Fizzing Whizzbies to notice. He actually thought rhyming flying with gliding was creative. I could only sigh. At least he found happiness easily.
Cena looking over at me. “Are you ready for the class?” What? Like it would be that hard to fight some cabbage? “Yea, they’re all over Korea. It’s not a lesson for us.” Ethel turning to look at me. “Really?” Ailean nodded. “Yea, the shrubs we deal with later are what we are waiting for.” She nodded her head. “Alright then. Make sure none of us struggle today.” He looked at her exasperated. “How are we over the last half of breakfast supposed to teach every 5th year how to not struggle?”
Scorpius looked up from his candy. “Do your best?” My brother and I both groaned. “Unreasonable.” “Completely impossible.” I turned to look at Ethel. “You’re making a bad joke right?” She shook her head no. I immediately turned to Scorpius and Albus. “You two better pair with other people today.” The two of them looking confused. “What?” “Why?” Karl interrupting the conversation. “Because you two both stink at this.” Scorpius looked away awkwardly but Albus, as usual, got defensive. “You are worse than us. Remember?”
He smiled and put his arm around a girl. “But I have good taste in partners.” The girl blushed slightly. For the life of me I could not remember her name. Scorpius turned to look at Ethel. “Ethel?” Wibert shook his head no. “She’s my partner.” I sighed. “Just this once can you give her to Scorpius? He’ll learn today and not need her again.” Wibert turned to Ethel. She nodded her head. “I can fix him in a day.” Cena smiled at me. “And who is taking Albus.” I pat his head. “You.” He looked around for support. No one wanted to help him. Finally, I was getting some help.
I smiled at Wibert. “Well, Wibert?” He eagerly shook his head. “Gladly.” Cena looked offended. “I am not that bad at herbology!” Everyone shook their heads no. Serpens scoffing. “Because plants seem to be the only thing smart enough to not fall for your charms.” Cena smiled at him. “You find me charming, Serpens?” The pure blood turned to glare at him. “As if some trait would work on me.” I looked at Ethel. She sighed. “It’s why everyone likes him. His mother’s family tend to have the ability to make others feel comfortable and happy.” What?
Sulli looked up from her book again. “Don’t confuse it with being attracted to something. He’s not Louis.” Again, what? I turned to Ophelia. She was smiling proudly. She’s dating Fred. Ophelia needs to really remember that. “Louis has Veela ancestry. The only guy right now with it!” Veela? As in the seducers? Honore looked at me sympathetically. “It’s why Cena and him get along. Similar struggles.” Cena shook his head no. “Not similar at all. That boy attracts everyone and everything.” Still confused. “And you?” He smiled. “I just make things feel comfortable is all.” Both sound like a load of bullshit and unfair advantage. Although, I could see why both would have their pros and cons. Why the two of them might want to understand each other. Even if being with someone way more powerful than me would piss me off.
I looked at everyone. “Please, tell me his mother also isn’t related to one of you.” The table cracked up laughing. Cyst flipping her hair back. “As if he would be so lucky. His mother is foreign.” Really? First good news I’ve heard in awhile. Maybe that’s another reason why Cena was so open with us. I bet she was french though. I turned to him curious. He smiled. “My mother is Nikol Monova, the Bulgarian Actress.” My brother and I had no idea who she was but based on the looks on everyone’s faces that should be an amazing thing so we both just nodded our heads. “I see.” “Oh.” Cena smiled proudly.
I could only shake my head. “Honestly, there’s too many of you related to each other in some way to keep track of all of this and not find it weird.” A few of the Slytherins – those not related to this mess- laughed. Cena’s evil smile appeared. “For Cadmael to be your guardian your mother must have been one of these so I wouldn’t be laughing.” The laughter stopped. My brother and I looked at each other. What was there to say there? Serpens scoffing. “She better not have been a Burke.” We both turned to look at him and nodded our heads in agreement. “That would be awful.” “I’d want to die.” The table laughing again.
Oliver Nott smiled at all of us. “We have a running pool on guesses. Want to weigh in?” My brother and I looked at each other. What were we supposed to say to that? Ailean spoke up first. “What’s the most popular bet?” Adrastea smiled. “Yaxley.” Well, that was more obvious than expected. I turned to her. “Then the second most?” Oliver smiled. “Burke.” We both turned to look at Serpens. No wonder he was such a child about it. Ophelia on the other hand was flushing us a thumbs up. My brother looking at Oliver confused. He smiled. “There’s a few of them and they tend to have a lot of affairs.” Saros nodded his head quietly, Ophelia’s face turned flushed but Serpens coughed out his tea. “Oliver!”
Ailean’s curiosity didn’t seem to be filled. “Then whose the least?” Oliver and Adrastea both sighed. “Well…” “It’s…” Serpens turned to look at me with a smile. “It’s Malfoy. No one thinks he would of had the ability to do anything while under the Dark Lord’s thumb.” Oh. That was a fair argument. More logical than expected.
We both turned to look at Scorpius. He had nothing to say. Even Albus was staying quiet. It must of been on his friend’s wish since he looked like he wanted to explode desperately. I guess I could do them a favor and diffuse the atmosphere. It wasn’t like we enjoyed that topic anyways. “Isn’t it more obvious that both of us are not candy fans or sing little diddies about them?” When the table started laughing Scorpius turned me and mouthed a small thank you. I ignored it. There was no need or desire from me for it.
I stood up from the table. “I’m just going to head to herbology. May as well see if the Professor there has any guesses.” Cena shook his head no. “There is no way you two are Longbottoms.” I nodded my head in agreement. “That’s for sure. I wouldn’t be able to handle that as a last name.” I walked away from the table early.
It was nice to get some peace and quiet. I could hide outside with my hood until I would be forced into the light and sound again. Or I could get none of that because I was destined to be followed out by someone. “Hyo-Eun, wait up.”
I turned around to see Pembrooke and Avis rushing after me. The two had smiles on their faces. Was this supposed to be a show of public support? I did the best to smile at the two of them. Pembrooke handed over a some toffee towards me. “My mother makes these for my father. They’re less effective than the Pepperup potion but there’s no steam and it’s wrapped in toffee.” Avis smiled at me warmly. “Edde and Emily said you looked tired yesterday so we made some just in case. Lots of us eat them.” Wow, they really were kind people. I’m surprised they hadn’t been eaten alive or torn apart already.
I reached out my hand and smiled. “Thanks.” The two nodded their heads. Pembrooke seemed very happy. “Do you like to cook?” She nodded her head. “Yea, I want to be a cook someday. Make things like my mom maybe.” I smiled at her. “I think that is a wonderful goal.” She was too kind for anything else. A safe, reliable and useful job for a girl like her. The sort of job that made people happy. It fit. “You know who is obsessed with sweets actual?” Pembrooke shook her head no. “Scorpius. Absolutely mad about them. He even makes up little diddies about them.”
The two cracked up laughing. “Really?” “About candy?” I nodded my head. “Yep, it’s surprising isn’t it? A Malfoy totally obsessed with sweets.” Avis nodded her head. “Pembrooke you should have him try them.” She shook her head nervously. I pat her shoulder. “You should. Maybe he can make up a diddy for them for the future.” She seemed unsure. “Alright… But you have to come with me.” I looked at Avis and we smiled. The two of us shaking our heads.
Pembrooke looked at me. “What about you? Do you know what you want to do?” I shook my head no. “I’m still trying to figure out this whole magic thing in general.” My body turning towards Avis. “Do you?” She nodded her head. “I want to be a code breaker.” Wow, that was ambitious. Also a bit funny considering her last name was Codde. “Really?” Avis nodded. “Yea.”
I gave her a thumbs up. “You have my support. If I ever need a code breaker you’ll be the first I hire.” The two of them laughed and pulled me towards herbology. Even if the toffee helped I still wanted to go back to bed.
I have to say though… These could be sell-able. I should send some to Cadmael for his opinion.
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