Defend

Chapter Nineteen A New Tattoo

 "Hey Eliza," Harry says as we walk up to Umbridge's office.

 "Hey."

 "Good job on walking out."

 It takes a minute to realise what he's talking about. "Oh. Thank you. It really wasn't that brilliant. Besides, how did you know?"

 "Ron and Hermione told me."

 "Oh."

 What do you think she's going to do to us?" I ask nervously.

 "There's nothing I'd put past her. But I'm sure it can't be too bad," he quickly adds, seeing my terrified face.

 "Oh. Alright."

 We walk into the office and both make a little 'ew' noise.

 Everything is... pink. And cats.

 "Come in," says Umbridge in a sugary sweet voice.

 We stand in the doorway of the torture chamber, but eventually walk forward.

 She hands us each a quill. "You will each write 'I must not tell lies.'"

 I take the quill. "For how long?"

 "As long as it takes for the message to sink in." she smiles venomously.

 We hesitantly sit down, and I go to dip the quill into ink.

 Except there isn't an ink pot.

 "Professor, where is the ink?" Harry asks.

 "Oh," she turns around and smiles dangerously. "You won't need any."

 Harry and I glance at each other, unspoken words passing between us.

 I begin to write. A glistening, crimson ink appears on the parchment.

 As I try to figure out where the ink is coming from, a searing pain starts in my left hand.

 I gasp and see the words 'I must not tell lies,' etched into my skin. Harry makes an identical gasp.

 Umbridge's sugary voice drifts over us. "Is there a problem?" she asks with false curiosity.

 "No." Harry and I speak together.

 We continue writing until the sun sinks into the grass outside the window and my hand is growing numb. Blood drips down my hand, but I wipe it on my tie.

 When the corridors are quiet and I've filled two sheets of paper with 'I must not tell lies', Umbridge stands up.

 "You may go."

 Me and Harry walk out of the classroom, and once we're far enough, I let it out.

 "That woman is a PRAT!"

 "I know."

 "How is she even allowed to do that?"

 "I'm not sure she is."

 I ponder on that for a moment. "I'm not going to be telling any professors though."

 "Same."

~~~~

 I walk into the Slytherin common room, but I know Draco will be waiting for me, so I hide my hand in my pocket.

 He's sitting on the couch, and when he sees me he runs up and pulls me into a hug. We sit down on the couch, and I twiddle with his rings. Only a few people are still in the common room.

 "What did you have to do?" he asks, playing with my hair.

 "Um, lines."

 "Then why is there blood all over your tie?"

 I'm even surprised at my own dumbness. How did I not remember to cover that? I slowly pull my hand back into my pocket, in case he sees it.

 He notices.

 "What's on your hand?"

 "Nothing." I slip it into my pocket and clutch the fabric.

 "Tell me. Lines do not add up with a bloody tie and a scratched hand."

 I'm firm. "It's nothing."

 I start to climb up to my dorm but he grabs my hood and pulls me into his arms. I try to get away, but he doesn't let me, and instead finally grabs my injured hand.

 "I must not tell lies? Eliza, what did she do to you?!" he yells at me. Everyone in the common room is watching us, and I pull my hood over my head.

 "Draco, you're scaring me."

 He immediately softens and pulls me back onto the couch. He lays my head in his lap and takes the hood off my face while stroking my scratched hand.

 "Can you tell me why you are all bloody and scratched?"

 "The quill she used, everything I wrote was etched into my hand. It used my blood as ink. My tie is bloody because when the blood ran down my hand I wiped it there."

 I try to get up, but he pulls me into a hug.

 "That's terrible." He says.

 "It's alright."

 "You can wear my tie tomorrow."

 "No. I'm wearing the bloody one. People need to know she can't be trusted."

 "Alright..."

 I walk up to my dorm, and swing the door open before climbing onto my bed.

 "You two were loud. I could hear you screaming up here." Daphne says.

 "All of it?"

 "No, just the fight at the beginning," she puts her book down. "Everything alright?" she asks.

 "Yeah."

 I put the bloody tie under my robes. People don't need to see it until tomorrow.