Isn't He Lovely • A Fred Weasley Story

g e t t i n g t o w o r k

"Ah, yes, come in."

Professor Hawthorn's stinging voice greets Draco, Harry and I as we stand reluctantly in the doorway of her classroom. The school day has just ended and we've dreaded this detention all day, now finally facing our doom.

The three of us silently file into the classroom as Hawthorn plasters that fake, stiff smile on her face and stands still at the front of the classroom.

"For your detention, you will be cleaning this classroom from top to bottom," she says calmly, her hands tightly clasped in front of her. "You will have exactly one hour. When I come back, if the classroom is not to my liking, you will do it again."

My jaw clenches as I attempt to hold in my hatred. She darts her eyes between the three of us and walks forward, motioning to a table nearby with neatly laid out cleaning supplies.

"No need for wands... you have everything you need right here," she says. She then stands before us and holds out her hand. The three of us exchange a look before slowly reaching into our robe pockets and pulling out our wands, hesitantly placing them in her red-clawed fingers. "Thank you. One hour. I'll be back."

And with that, she swiftly paces past us and out the door, shutting it briskly behind her. I let out a huff and drop my schoolbag at my feet, walking towards the table full of cleaning supplies. Harry follows.

"This is rubbish," he mutters angrily. "We didn't even do anything."

"I know," I say, growing more angry at the thought of yesterday's incident. "It's absolutely ridiculous."

I grab a spray bottle and sponge off the table and move to the front row of desks, beginning to aggressively wipe down the wood out of frustration. Harry begins doing the same in the back row as Draco walks to the cleaning table after us, looking around the supplies for a job to start with. He hasn't said a word yet, but looks irritated just like us.

Harry and I move to the same row and continue scrubbing down the tables as we start to talk. Harry looks slightly suspicious that Draco hasn't said anything yet, but he doesn't think much of it and instead focuses on chatting with me.

"I just didn't think I'd be spending my final year with such a vile woman," I huff to Harry. He nods in agreement.

"And it's not exactly comforting to know that now, she's got it in for me," he sighs.

"Oh, we'll be fine," I say, leaning over to wipe the edge of a desk. "I mean, look at Fred and George... betcha every teacher in this school had it in for them, and they managed."

Harry chuckles, replying, "true... you know, I bet if they were in class yesterday with Hawthorn, they'd do something about it."

"Set a firework popper off in her face, maybe?" I giggle.

"Or slip a puking pastille into her tea, perhaps..." Draco casually adds from across the classroom.

To my delighted surprise, a light laugh escapes Harry lips.

I look up, grinning as I see him act slightly surprised at his own reaction to Draco's joke. I glance to Draco behind him and catch him smiling, but he quickly turns back around to continue wiping down a window. It brings me a bit of amusement to know that Draco knew about the twins' products... I find it kind of cute, actually.

I attempt to keep it going.

"Oh, puking pastilles would be hilarious..." I agree, grinning, "could you imagine? Running out of the classroom holding her mouth?"

"We'd hear those heels running so fast all the way down the hallway..." Harry snickers, wiping down a desk across from me.

"I'd personally like to see that wretched hair of hers get caught in a candle or something, but that's just me..." Draco mutters.