Blood Magic ✤ George Weasley ✓

51 - Exile

musical mood: come back...be here - taylor swift

The floating feeling didn't last for long.

After using a quick drying spell on her clothes, she followed Ana back into the castle and up near the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, where the two were met with a creepily placid Umbridge.

"There you are, Miss Crouch. Where were you?" She asked, tilting her head sweetly.

"On a walk. Needed some air, you know."

Ana stifled a laugh, biting down on her lip.

"Thank you, Miss Vasiliev, for bringing her to me. You may go now."

Ana gave her a curt nod, before walking away, giving Cass one final glance before she turned the corner, her footsteps echoing down the hall as she grew further and further away, leaving Cass alone with the pink Professor.

"Miss Crouch, would you care to join me in my office?"

"Of course, Professor." Cass forced a smile as she followed Umbridge up the stairs and into a room. The moment she stepped into her office, she was instantly overwhelmed with pink - so much bloody pink. Pink on the walls, the carpet, even her desk had a pink trim on it. She thought she might physically pass out from the overbearing color.

"Are those...cats?" She couldn't help but gape as she stared at the wall furthest from the door, which was covered from floor to ceiling in plates with moving cats on them.

"Yes, don't you just love kittens?"

"I suppose so..." Cass frowned, unsure what to make of this conversation. There was a mirror as well, hanging up by her desk, and when Cass glanced into it, Barty's reflection stared back at her, just as menacing as he had been on the beach, as he'd been in every sighting of him since his dementors kiss.

It took everything in her not to scream, and when she blinked, he was gone.

"Is everything okay, Miss Crouch?" Her voice was coated in concern, so much so that it was obviously fake, and Cass felt her muscles clench.

Calm down. She told herself, taking a deep breath. "Yeah, yeah, just...thought I saw something."

"Right." Umbridge gave her a smile as she sat down at her desk, motioning at the chair in front of her. "Now, have a seat."

Cass obeyed, sitting down in the chair, which was also a pastel pink. "Is everything okay, Professor?"

"I'm afraid not, Miss Crouch. You're a clever girl, I'm sure you know that the Ministry is keeping a harsher eye on the state of this school. I mean, after the death of a student, and the break-in of a madman-"

"A madman, she called me!"

This time, when Barty popped up next to her, Cass did scream, nearly falling off the bright pink chair as she did.

"Miss Crouch!" Umbitch held a hand to her heart, jumping in alarm. "What is it?"

Cass frantically glanced between the Professor and her brother, who was standing right next to Cass's chair, confirming what became a horrifying truth: Umbridge couldn't see him.

She had gone mad.

"I...saw a spider." She lied. "Just over there, by the door."