the valerian in your thoughts

chapter nine

April 1992

A few days later, at the beginning of April, Callie found herself in the library again. Despite trying it all, she didn't get permission for the districted section of it, so she had to rely on the books her father would send her occasionally. It did catch some of the students attention when she'd open a book and a curse would emit from it, but it was nothing a quick wand movement wouldn't catch. And no one would be able to give evidence when telling on, shall anyone ever try to, which she doubted.

It was Malfoy's second day out of the infirmary. Callie had fled from him after not being able to listen to his fake complains about his injury anymore. After Potions, during which Weasley had to cut all ingredients for him, since Malfoy 'wasn't able to due to his arm', she left the Slytherins and found peace between the shelves of the library.

'Can't cut his roots himself.', Callie scoffed when remembering his words, 'You have a bloody cut and whine about tiny roots.'

Even though Malfoy had acted like the douche she got to know, it had only taken a look from Callie to stop him from talking more rubbish about Hagrid's sacking. Callie felt relieved to at least have some effect on him; if her words a few days ago hadn't worked, at least she herself did.

As she was writing an essay for Snape, she heard indistinctive noises from outside. Callie first decided to ignore them and finish the last paragraph, yet when the familiar words 'Weasley' and 'father' were being dropped with heavy loathing, she shut her book and left the library. Next to the Transfiguration Courtyard, shielded from anyone's view behind a column stood Malfoy and Zabini in front of a very angry-looking Percy Weasley.

With one finger pointing at them and the other one holding a pile of sheets, the prefect of Hogwarts, as Callie recalled now, was clearly shouting at them. He seemed to handle the situation fairly well too; despite giving him dark looks, both of the Slytherin boys remained quiet for once.

Appearing behind Weasley's back and glancing on the piece of paper, Callie noticed him taking house points from both of them, a fair lot, to be honest.

'Now, now, Weasley, what might be disrupting your inner monarchy fetishist this time?', she disrupted his on-going rant about school rules and immature behaviour.

Her quiet, sudden words made Weasley freeze in place, slowly turning around to come to Callie Michon face-to-face.Despite Callie's indirect insult, he kept his head high to possibly appear taller, though he clearly didn't need to do that either way. He was a walking stick, even compared to the heights of his younger twin brothers Fred and George.

'Your classmates have been caught tripping over fellow Gryffindor second years for the third time this week and as a prefect, I have the obligation to –'

'Yes, I have heard that the first ten, twenty times you pride with that little badge of yours.', she interrupted him with a wave of her hand and a glazed look before giving the boys behind Weasley a more serious one. They both shrugged their shoulders, Zabini scratching his neck. 'And that gives you the reason to deduct thirty points from each of them? Aren't you taking sides here a bit, Weasley? I have seen you punish Dean less for worse things.'

Weasley straightened up even more, clearly upset that Callie was doubting his responsibility as a prefect.

'These two have a record of much worse your mind could comprehend right now, Michon, so there will be a possible suspension for at least a few days.', he spoke through slightly gritted teeth and a bit spit shooting through them.

Draco's eyes shot up. 'You bloody-'

Callie shut him up with a glance.

She herself, who disliked the tone in his voice, wiped the spit of Weasley's rant from her shoulder and pulled on her glove to ease the prickle on her hand a bit. Weasley's eyes followed her every movement, yet he stayed quiet as she spoke again, this time more threatening,