𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑎 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚 \\ 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗷. 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿

𝐿𝑉𝐼𝐼.

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙮-𝙨𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣

— ✩ ☽ ✩ —

DUMBLEDORE WAS GONE, and Umbridge was the new Headmistress. Remus had been sending letter after letter to Caroline, worrying about her more when Crouch Jr. escaped. Caroline replied, but when she told him what had happened, the letters stopped. Umbridge was controlling the Owlery now. Hogwarts was a prison.

Caroline couldn't so much as hold Harry's hand outside of the common room without either Umbridge or her minions appearing. Expulsion was threatened nearly every day, questioning every other day. Portraits were removed, and the doors were locked day and night. There was no leaving the castle.

Detention was given to members of Dumbledore's Army and everyone listened to Umbridge so as not to upset her. At least once a week, the four friends were in detention with dozens of other students. Caroline tried to listen and not cause trouble, but she had snapped one evening.

Her friends were studying in the common room and she had left to see Madam Pomfrey. Every evening at the same time, Caroline went to the matron for her doses of sleeping and calming draughts. But Madam Pomfrey was worried, so she made Caroline sit and talk about everything she was feeling for an hour before she was given her draughts and permission to leave. Caroline had come to tolerate it.

Caroline's braids were down, reaching past her ribcage as she walked back to the common room from the hospital wing, one of Harry's jumpers and a pair of jeans decorating her body, her draughts in her pocket "It's after curfew. You should be in your common room, Caroline." Draco said, creeping out from the dark corridor.

Caroline rolled her eyes. "We went through this last night, and every night before that. I'm coming back from the hospital wing." she said, not stopping her movements.

"What were you doing there?" Draco said, falling in step with Caroline. He was in Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad, making him even more insufferable.

"None of your business." Caroline answered simply, turning a corner.

Draco grabbed Caroline's wrist harshly before she could move towards Gryffindor Tower, halting her movements and turning her towards him. "You need to respect those above you." Draco sneered, his fingers digging into Caroline's skin.

She wiggled free. "Bite me, Malfoy. Don't ever touch me again." Caroline said, walking away to the hospital wing with her converse-covered feet moving quicker.

But Draco didn't listen, and he grabbed Caroline's wrist again, sparking the intense phantom pain she felt. Caroline didn't know how it happened, but her fist was in Draco's nose three times, and he was on the ground, yelling in pain. "You're mad! You won't get away with this!" Draco shouted, clutching his face.

Caroline knelt down. "I don't intend to. You can tell whoever you want, get me detentions until the skin on my hands are gone, I don't care. I want everyone to know who did this to you." she whispered, punching him twice more, once for Harry, once for her.

She stood up, wiping the blood from his nose on her jeans, heading back to the common room. Caroline smiled. It felt good. She looked down at the marks on her left wrist from Draco's grip, and then her swollen right hand, bruised and bleeding. She didn't regret anything.

Caroline entered the common room, finding her friends and boyfriend studying where she left them. "How was it?" Hermione asked when she saw her, seated on the ground, working over the coffee table.