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the day went on with the sixth year students already getting an immense amount of homework. it made them realize that their free periods weren't a chance to relax and have fun, but to study and get through the piles of work they were given by the teachers.
nina had been sitting by the black lake with books around her, bored out of her mind as kourtney sat beside her, reading through her ancient runes work. it was the end of the day, and gina had been off at her first quidditch practice of the term while carlos and ej had gone up to library to study instead. but kourtney wanted to enjoy the outdoors while studying, so nina decided to stick with her.
"i'm extremely bored." nina huffed, leaning against the tree trunk as she tossed her potions book to the side. though she enjoyed reading of her studies at times, she definitely couldn't compare to her brown-haired friend who could read and study for hours on end without a break
"you've said that five times in two minutes." kourtney said monotonously, continuing to work her way through her charms homework
nina sighed "maybe because i'm—"
"bored?" kourtney finished, looking up with a smirk
nina rolled her eyes "no, actually i'm exhausted."
kourtney chuckled and shook her head, closing up her books and gathering her belongings "it's fine, i was done anyway. plus it's getting dark soon and it's almost time for dinner, so we should head back up to the common room."
nina stood up along with kourtney as the two made their way back towards the castle side by side.
"—i still don't get why we have to go to those useless dinners and parties. we don't do anything. i'd much rather use my time to do something else that will actually benefit my education." nina sighed as kourtney informed her of the slug club's first dinner event that was planned for this coming friday evening.
"why do you go if you don't want to?" kourtney asked as they started to head down to the dungeons where their common room was "you realize that you've been complaining about these for a year now."
"well, because he is still our head of house. i feel like if i don't go, he'll hold it against me or curse me for it or something." nina said wearily with a shrug
kourtney chuckled "you're extremely paranoid."
"i'm realistic."
"and paranoid." kourtney agreed before they arrived to the entrance of the slytherin common room, soon entering it after saying the password and passing by a few other students before making their way to sit down on one of the black armchairs near the fireplace.
but before they could get a relaxing, calm conversation between them, the sound of carlos running towards them caught their attention
"oh, you won't believe what just happened!" he said excitedly as he jumped beside kourtney, causing for both girls to raise their eyebrows
"what happened?" nina asked confused before her face dropped "this isn't one of your stupid gossip nonsense is it?"
carlos gasped dramatically "how dare you call my gossip stupid?! i'll have you know that gossiping is a sophisticated art, that which neither any of you would know anything about what happens at this school if it weren't for me!"
nina and kourtney exchanged looks before sighing, giving in to the boy seeing as he seemed extremely intent on telling them whatever it was he'd witnessed or heard.
"well, i was at the library with ej-"
"speaking of, where is he?" kourtney asked puzzled, looking around the common room.
carlos laughed manically "that's precisely it! he's at the hospital wing!"
"WHAT?!"
"oh relax women, he's not injured or anything." carlos sighed with an eye roll "it's gina."
"WHAT?!?!"
"and you call me the dramatic one," he muttered
"what happened to gina?!" the girls asked in unison
"oh right!" carlos exclaimed in realization "no, she's fine. she just sort of got stunned."
"and that's what you call fine?" nina asked him sharply
"she's still breathing." carlos shrugged off casually
kourtney and nina both shook their heads in disappointment before they asked what had happened and carlos didn't waste time to tell them the story.
"so, me and ej were on our way back from the library and we were planning on meeting up with you guys outside, so naturally we also ran into gina on the way. but then we also passed caswell, bowen and those other two that always seem to trail along with them heading back to the castle at the same time as us after we met up with gina and realized you both had probably went back to the common room."
nina tensed and suddenly became apprehensive. she could already assume what had happened next.
"you know how ej's relationship with his cousin is...and he seemed a little extra mad at bowen from the train incident—"
nina sighed frustratedly "i told him to leave it alone!"
"ej's stubborn that way." kourtney reminded her "you know how protective he is of you, nina."
the brunette rolled her eyes and carlos went on
"so, he confronted bowen and they both started arguing...it became a whole thing. next thing you know, wands are being taken out and ej was duelling ricky—"
"how did gina get into this, though?" kourtney frowned in confusion
"ej didn't block a spell properly and it hit her."
"idiot. absolute idiot." nina muttered only audible enough for herself to here before she stood up abruptly "well, come on." she urged, causing for kourtney and carlos to both follow her out of the common room and to the hospital wing.
but with every step nina took, the more her blood boiled, her breathing shortened and her anger rose.
