Beater ↕️ f.w.

III

AKG

The same night after Malfoy's successful attempt at five seconds of fame I find myself sitting on the steps overlooking Hagrid's hut, the small flame coming from the glass windows. It's just after sundown, the last bit of light peeking over the trees. The oranges and purples have since turned into navy blue and eventually black, speckled with stars in the darkness. I always found this time of day calming, the end of events, a time that typically goes faster than one anticipates.

I put away the sketch book that has been glued to my hands since the beginning of Care of Magical Creatures, throwing my pencil in the bag as well. I know, I'm a witch who lives in Scotland, studies age-old magic and waves a wand, I should be using a quill. But let's be honest, with the way that things have been going, I'll be going through a pound of ink a class.

As I stand, voices hit my ears, familiar ones at least. Ron, Harry, and Hermione are walking at a quick pace, glancing side to side to detect the sights of a professor. It's not quite curfew yet, but some are a tad more harsh than others. I start towards the three as they come to me, Harry not meeting my eyes.

"Atty, surprised to see you here at this time of night," Hermione starts. "We were just, uh..."

"Going to see Hagrid, I'm sure. He could use a bit of company tonight after the lengthy day he's had," I say to her, throwing my bag over my right shoulder. "Don't worry Hermione, who am I gonna tell?"

She smiles at me with a slight nod, showing her appreciation of me keeping my damn mouth shut. Whenever something happens at this school, it's always these three I swear.

"Oh, and Ronald? Tell your nitwit brothers to leave me alone, I don't need their harassment," I tell the slightly scared redhead, who's eyes go wide as he cowers just a tad.

"Atty!" Hermione exclaims.

"What? They want to rein me in on their pranks, that, my dear, will never happen," I state to her, my eyes narrowing. "And it's Atkins, please do your best to remember."

I throw myself between Ron and Harry, making sure to put just a bit more effort into Ron's shoulder, and a cold glance just to remind him of my words.

I make my way towards the Ravenclaw common room, ready to distract myself of the days events with the inside of my eyelids, although I doubt at this point, that single thing I crave, the one things humans truly thrive off, won't come as easily as needed. I see the staircases move just as I approach them, a small groan coming from my chest. This is what I'm talking about, just my luck. I step onto the staircase, holding on the railing for when it shall move again. 

I glance around to all the paintings, settling in for the night as one catches my eye. "Shouldn't you be off to bed young lady?" the older gentleman in the picture snaps to me.

"I would be but alas, I find myself enamored with your eyes, so dark and full of judgment towards poor, little students. I just can't look away," I say in a light tone, throwing the back of my hand to my forehead as if I were to faint. "Bite me, Fido."

The look on the face was one of bewilderment just as the staircase began moving again, taking me to my destination. I prance away, leaving my words hanging in the air just as his jaw was. As I approach the common room, I have a feeling. I slow my steps until I come to a halt. I look around the hallway, until I see the oddest thing in the stone floor.

A fucking swamp.

My jaw goes just a little slack, amazed and slightly confused. This most definitely wasn't here this morning. I look around, there's no way around it, and I am no where near athletic enough to jump across it, as it looks to be about a meter and a half. Last thing I need is a night in the infirmary covered in dirty water and mud.