𝒯𝒽ℯ 𝒫𝓇ℴ𝓂𝒾𝓈ℯ𝒹 𝒪𝓃ℯ | 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲 |

#6 Silver Gaze and Guilt

Umbridge should keep her word.

The following days were equipped with newly introduced regulations printed and framed in little wooden type cases. Cornelius Fudge offered her unilateral authority to change rules in educational degrees, which she did a lot. So, by the end of the week, the wall in front of the Great Hall was plastered with rules. And everyday Professor Umbridge found another excuse to introduce a new one. One more pathetic than the one before.

Every rule break had consequences. So, I found myself in the teacher's office twice again.

Nr. 2: all students must raise their hands when they would like to answer or ask the teacher a question

This one was probably caused by Harry and me at the first DADA class. But what should I say, it didn't keep me from saying something as Umbridge gave me literally the invitation to speak up.

I got 'I must not speak up.' On my right hand on Wednesday.

Nr. 14: absolutely no muggle attire allowed at any time. Only robes are to wear at school

On Friday Umbridge found me in the corridors in my free period between Potion class and Muggle Studies.

I was on my way to catch up with Maribel since we didn't have much time these days and her tryouts for the Slytherin team was this morning.

But before I could get to the quidditch pitch OR head to the dungeons to grab my robes again, the pink dragon caught me and gave me detention before I could say 'quidditch'.

I would get 'I must wear my robes.' that evening on my left, crossed over the first one I got in the detention with Harry.

I didn't tell Maribel about this as she came in the dorm after her last lesson to say, that she actually made the team as new Chaser.

But to be honest, I really was happy for her. She laughed, which was something rare by now. So, I pulled my sleeves down a bit to hide the bruises already plastering the back of my hand and headed out of the dorm with the excuse to meet up with El secretly, instead of telling her that I was about to get myself tortured again.

We didn't talk like we normally did. We didn't spend much time together either. She was more and more introduced to Pansy and Daphne's little girls' group, so she was with them all the time. I really, really missed her.

But I still thought that this was part of her healing process, that this was the way she dealt with everything and that she would come to me whenever she was ready.

What I did notice too was that Draco and Maribel seemed to find a way to socialize with each other. I saw them studying with Pansy and Daphne in the library when I met there with El and Blaise to do our homework essays together. Once I even saw them laugh as they entered the Herbology classroom together. After dinner a few days ago, he asked her for a walk around the grounds and she just came to the dorm room shortly before curfew - three hours later.

I would lie if I'd say that didn't bother me. Not because I didn't want them to get along, but because of the small detail called magically promised. This was the part which really bothered me, and most of all, that I couldn't get a hold on how I should handle any of this.

So, I tried to avoid being alone with Draco at all.

That evening I came back late from Umbridges' office with another reddish bruise, another sentence cut in my hand. The words crossed the scars from the time before in such a painful way, that I did my hardest to not let my facade crumble in front of the woman.

I tried my hardest to write as tiny as I could, that the words would be just cover a glimpse of my skin, but it felt as if the tinier my handwriting got, the painfuller and deeper went the cuts.