𝒯𝒽ℯ 𝒫𝓇ℴ𝓂𝒾𝓈ℯ𝒹 𝒪𝓃ℯ | 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲 |

#12 Weak Attempts

„Come in, Miss Fox."

On the morning after the first DA meeting, I was called out as the first one - just as Umbridge predicted it the day before.

To be honest, I was expecting the worst, especially since I once more spoke up to her and she didn't do anything about it. But with expecting her biggest move, I was also sure, that I wouldn't be the one to be cracked by her. I wouldn't expose the organisation.

The office was almost too familiar by now since I already was ordered in three times. Just by the thought about it, my hand tingled. The pink walls seemed to close in on me as I stepped a foot into the room, the professor almost blended in with her surroundings as she paced around towards the door with a rosen mug in her hand. The sound of the kitten on the plates still decorating the walls were impure, unclean and shrill. Like heralded for what should happen next.

„Some tea?", Umbridge put up a kettle and smiled innocently. Once I didn't returned something, she poured the light-pink liquid into another mug standing on her desk, put some sugar in it and placed it in front of the chair I sat down. „It's peppermint."

I waited until the woman sat down opposite me in her own chair, before I exhaled the breath I didn't know I was holding.

„Well, Miss Fox, shall we begin?", Umbridge smiled and placed her mug down.

As if I would have a chance in the first place.

„Sure, professor.", I answered and reached my cup of tea to my mouth. But a strange and recognizable smell crawled up my nose.

It was a smart move to take peppermint tea. The scent of the herbs was significant, strong, drowning out. But for somebody who lived her whole life reading and learning about potions, brewing and trying the recipes, it was an easy thing to recognize the verita serum. I would recognize that smell out of anything, since I was fascinated by the potion for years.

So I put the mug down without taking a sip, which Umbridge noticed. I saw it in her eyes became narrowing, her smile fading a little. But the woman did her best to keep the calm facade upright.

„It's good to see that you're well and rested from your little accident.", Umbridge said and drank a sip herself. It was almost cute how she thought, that she would actually convince me to take my own in that way.

„Oh, no worries, I'm all good.", I kept my smile in the way I did every time on banquets I have to attend. That's what I was good in.

„I would prefer that there are no lies in this room, Miss Fox. Lies will have consequences, and you shall not tell them." The words she said in company of her melodic voice made me feel sick. My stomach turned at the memory of the first sentence cut in my skin.

Even though I wouldn't show her that in any way, because I wouldn't get her the confident in getting under my skin not only in a physical but also psychological way. I was frightened by her and her punishments. Scared to a point were I changed my handwriting from its beautiful devoured design to an clean, little one. Just in simple preparation for the next time getting words cuttet into my skin.

„Of course not.", I answered to her and leaned myself back right away. When I'm getting myself into a questioning with this woman, I would be at least as comfortable as I could. „I'm going to help you as I might be able to."

„Brilliant.", she snickered. „Before I ask you this, I wanna make sure that you will not get punished if you're getting me the information I need. Even if you might be included. You will not face any sort of consequences."

The woman leaned herself forward enough to lay her hands on the armrests of her chair, straightening up while her face turned colder.

„But if you're lying to me, Tiara. You, of all people. This will have sincerely consequences, especially for you."