𝙿𝚞𝚖𝚙𝚔𝚒𝚗 𝙿𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚜 - 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦 | ✔︎

Chapter 36

It was always the Defence Against the Darks Arts teachers that had everyone at Hogwarts talking each year. From stuttering Quirrell who turned out to be completely evil, to swoon-worthy Lockhart, each and every Defence teacher Hogwarts had ever housed was one to be remembered.

Natasha was late to her first class with Umbridge due to a meeting with Minerva, and even though she had a note prepared, the toad-faced witch was not having it. "Detention, Miss Black, my office after dinner!" she shrieked, and even the Slytherins that shared the class with the Gryffindors looked puzzled.

So, in true Black fashion, Natasha turned up to her detention that night five minutes late, promising Minerva to behave herself and not cause a scene. It seemed the Gryffindor head of house was already not fond of the woman, but with the Ministry powering her, the teachers of Hogwarts could do nothing.

Umbridge greeted her at the door, with the fakest of smiles on her face. Natasha had a feeling the woman didn't like her from the moment they had met, most likely due to the face her father was a known fugitive, and she hadn't spilt a word of where he was.

"Miss Black, I see you are late again. Well, we mustn't let this continue, should we?" Umbridge asked, trotting around to her desk to hand Natasha some parchment. Natasha rolled her eyes and took a seat on the opposite side of Umbridge, swiftly pulling out her black feather quill.

"You won't be needing that Miss Black, you'll be using one of mine," the toad said, placing a suspicious looking quill down next to the parchment. Natasha slowly put her quill away, eyeing the new one with distaste.

"And why must I use that particular quill professor. Is it charmed?" Natasha asked, and Umbridge looked at her with a quiet fury in her eyes before exhaling slowly.

"Now why would I do that? It's only there to teach you a lesson, that's all," she said, ending her sentence with a short giggle. Natasha picked the quill up, and her stomach started to feel weird, a sign that the quill was indeed not just a quill.

"What am I supposed to be writing?" she asked, her teeth gritted, and her eyes narrowed on the toad-face professor. She even considered growling, knowing just how frightened any Ministry member, bar the Order of the Phoenix members, because of her father.

"Today you will write, 'I must not be late'," Umbridge answered, pouring some tea into a dainty china teacup.

"How many times?" By now Natasha had a million ideas of how to stab Umbridge with the random objects in the room, and she was making sure to take note on where everything was just in case, she or the boys ever needed to enter.

"As long as it takes for the message to sink in," was the reply she received. She huffed and picked up the quill, full knowing it wouldn't require ink if it was enchanted. She placed it down on the parchment and in only a few seconds, her elegant but unique handwriting was splashed across the page, causing her hand to itch.

Umbridge was silently sipping her tea, looking out the window intently, and she placed her teacup down on the saucer when Natasha had just finished writing her third line. By now, Natasha knew the quill was doing something to her hand.

She had quite a high pain tolerance, so all she felt was an itch, but as she turned her left hand over, she had to clap her hand over her mouth to not let out her gasp. Whilst her right hand looked normal with the quill placed in it, her free left hand was turning red, with Natasha's handwriting etched into it.

"I hope we've come to an understanding, Miss Black," Umbridge's shrill voice said. Natasha glared up at her with fire in her eyes, her fury quite evident. The woman took a step back as Natasha stood up, and with one last glare, Natasha walked out, heading straight to the Gryffindor tower.

She was embarrassed at the fact she had allowed Umbridge to inflict such a punishment on her, but she knew that Harry had received the same detention just before her, so she hurried to catch him, knowing he would be feeling the same.

She didn't have patrols tonight but passed Adrian on the way. "You're heading back late Nat," he commented, and she looked at him, her eyes still holding a silent fury.

"I had that detention with Umbridge," she said, and Adrian glanced around before pulling her aside.

"Did she hurt you? I had a first year come up to me yesterday in the common room with their hand all messed up," he said, and Natasha slowly turned her left hand over, earning a gasp from Adrian.

He ran his finger over it and Natasha winced, the pain of it finally settling in, becoming a throbbing sensation. "You need to tell your head of house about this Nat," he pressed, and Natasha shook her head.

"Umbridge is a Ministry employee, one of the ones who is particularly scared of my father. They could try to use me to lure my father out if they found out I complained," she explained and Adrian nodded, his lips pursed in thought.

"Well as Head Boy and Head Girl, we need to find a way to make sure no one gets this punishment, even if that means posting some sort of notice to every common room," he said.

"I'll get some ideas up, but for now, I have a boyfriend who misses me desperately," she said, walking back into the corridor.

"I'll escort you back," Adrian said, and together, the two walked to the Gryffindor tower, where finally, they parted. Natasha waved to Adrian and as he walked off to scold two fifth years out in the hallway, she quietly said the password, stepping inside the common room.

"You've got to tell someone!" she heard Hermione whisper-shout at Harry, and Natasha immediately knew what Hermione was talking about. She walked to the couch where the three were sitting and without warning, grabbed Harry's hand, examining the scrawl on his hand.

Harry was about to make an annoyed comment when he noticed her left hand that was turning his hand over, and he looked at her as if to say, 'you too?'. Natasha nodded and allowed for the three of them to see her hand more clearly.

"What did she do?!" came Fred's voice as he stared at her injured hand in horror. He, George and Lee had just come downstairs to see if Natasha was back, but now he was frozen as he looked at his girlfriend's hand.

"It was a quill," Harry mumbled quietly, and Natasha let go of his hand to cradle her own which had started to throb a bit more. Fred grabbed her waist and held her close, kissing the back of her hand gently.

"You need to do something about this love, no teacher should harm any student," Fred said quietly in her ear, and Natasha nodded, looking at the three fifth years in front of her.

"Adrian and I are going to post things in the common rooms, but because she's a Ministry employee, I can't put myself in the spotlight in case they try to find my father," she whispered back. She looked towards the clock in the room and sighed.

"Plus, it's too late to get Minnie now, I'll talk to her tomorrow after Transfiguration," she said. She slumped towards her dorm, and tugged Fred along, not wanting to be alone for the night. He took no time to make jokes, bringing her into a strong, warm hug as soon as they were inside.

"She'll pay for this Natasha, our next prank involves a new product from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and she'll be covered in paint for weeks," Fred said, kissing her forehead. She hummed in content, just happy to be with Fred.

She used magic to change into her pyjamas and pulled Fred to her bed so that she was right beside him. He pulled her close to him so that her back was pressed up against his chest, and in a matter of minutes, the two were fast asleep, safe in each other's arms.