LEONIE MALLOW: WINTER, 1971
Leonie was terrified.
Her parents had sent her a letter on the first week of November, telling her that if she did not have good reviews from her teachers at the end of the year; she would be getting her emblem sooner than expected.
"A woman with no intellect is good for nothing except reproduction," her father had written. The words had burned themselves into her mind, repeating when she put her uniform on. Repeating when she did homework. Repeating when teachers graded her work. Repeating when she fell asleep.
Draya wasn't making it any better, either. Leonie was always the one that knew when to shut up and Draya was always the one that got them in a bad situation. Draya, this time, was snapping at their friends.
It took her all the way until the beginning of December to yell at Carolina, though. Leonie thought it was a new record with Draya's famously short fuse. Carolina had been chattering on about how her family celebrated Christmas (it was shameful, really, the fact that they even considered it a holiday) while reading a quidditch magazine. Draya had been spending her time reading some conjuration book (Draya was obsessed with taking the class early next year, Leonie thought it was a waste of time; but had resolved that she would probably end up taking it as well) while Leonie and Maeena played gob stones on the floor.
Leonie wasn't quite paying attention until a book slammed shut, forcing her and Maeena both to look up with confused gazes. Where had the noise come from? Draya Matei, of course. The one and only lady in high society who couldn't seem to keep her composure. "Do you mind?" Draya snapped, "I'm trying to read." Leonie thought she was being quite ridiculous and making a big deal out of nothing, but she stayed silent. She wasn't entirely sure how Draya was going to fair when they went home, if she was going to act like this.
"Er...sorry, mate," Carolina said, awkwardly. Leonie felt a rush of guilt, Carolina didn't deserve the short end of Draya's temper stick. She had the sudden urge to apologize, but stayed silent. Leonie did not look at Maeena, but she did glance down at her gob stones. She found a sudden interest in them, as they were not cowering away from Draya like everyone else in the room.
"It's fine," Draya muttered, "Too loud to concentrate down here anyway." She stood suddenly and stormed off, book in hand. Leonie assumed that Draya thought she was making a "dignified exit", but Leonie had known the girl long enough to know that she was nearly throwing a temper tantrum. All because they had to go home, it was so ridiculous.
Leonie pretended to not hear Draya sneak out of the room that night, she knew that Draya was going to apologize to Carolina. She wondered how many times she would be in Carolina's shoes when they went home. She closed her eyes tightly, falling asleep to the lullaby of A dignified woman does not let her emotions get the best of her (another piece of advice from her father's letter).
* * *
Dazai accompanied them to the train the next day and Leonie was quite relieved, suddenly, that Carolina and Dazai could not accompany her and Draya home. She was genuinely afraid, when she'd accidentally invited Carolina, but was entirely thankful (and she had prayed to the Dark Lord) when Carolina was forced to decline.
She knew that Draya was making a mistake, though, when they departed ways. While boarding the train, Maeena was strong-armed into joining Carolina and Draya in their compartment. Leonie, though, knew that her parents would rip her head off if she was caught sitting with a blood traitor and a half-blood; so she sat with Sinistra Cresswell and her friends.
Sinistra wasn't a very funny woman, but she was quite attractive. It was a remarkable thing that the Cresswell's did, really. Leonie tried to stay out of any conversations that Sinistra had with Gabriel or Cassius, she settled for studying each person in the compartment and memorizing their faces. Overall, the ride home was quite boring.
