The Queen of Vipers || Fred Weasley

III.XIII

The floating carton dipped in midair as she yawned. Electra quickly flicked the tip of her wand back up, just to cringe as the bottles of Wolfsbane clanged from the force.

Shit.

She really needed to watch her step; she'd already nearly trampled on Mrs Norris's tail just moments ago.

The day was off to a rough start, which was just perfect as she had finally reached the weekend. She had hoped after her bath that would be able to go back to sleep after her nightmare-vision, but no such luck. To top it off she had been up late before patrolling the corridors after she'd left George and Fred on the Astronomy Tower for the fifth night in a row. And not to mention her detention with Umbridge and her extra lesson with Trelawney (which was just another wasted night practicing crystal gazing and getting nowhere).

So naturally she was about ready to keel right over. But she had to send out this package. The full moon was tomorrow night and despite them starting the potion at the beginning of the week, last night had been the first cloudless night they'd gotten all week.

All their work was going to go to waste if Electra didn't perk up enough to make it to the Owlery, though. She rubbed her temple as she passed one of the many glass stained windows. Perhaps the misty rain will bring her out of her grogginess when she reaches the battlements. Or maybe she'd have to suffer with what the school called coffee. What she wouldn't give for Andromeda's brew right now. And Circe, was this walk always so long?

Electra was almost to the battlements when the sound of someone rushing through the hall, feet pounding on the heavily trodden runner, made her heart skip a beat and the carton to dip again.

Perhaps if she wasn't so foggy minded, she may have picked up on the bad gut feeling (you know the one) she had about going to the Owlery then. But why on earth would Electra's life be so simple?

This time Electra caught the small wooden carton in her arms before it crashed to the ground, and spun around to meet whoever was rushing towards her.

She almost let out a sigh of relief when Filch rounded the corner, his thinning grey hair windswept from his sprint from Godric knows where. Though her relief was very short lived.

"You!" he rasped, pointing a crooked finger at her menacingly. "Stop right there."

Electra eyed around them. "I've already stopped—"

"Hand... that... parcel... over," Filch wheezed as he reached for her crate.

Electra maneuvered it out of his reach. "Fat chance."

His jowls trembled in ire. "I have it under authority..." wheeze, "to search everything..." wheeze, "you send outside this castle."

"Why me?"

"That's not for me..." wheeze, "to answer."

Electra's annoyance flared. "Then who can?"

Filch didn't answer her, just took a swipe at the carton again. This time, he got hold of the letter she had pinned under the twine wrapping the whole box. "Hey!"

But he already ripped the letter open. "You can't read that!" Electra objected fruitlessly. "Hey! Stop that! It's private!"

Filch's face lit up. "Wolfsbane Potion, aye?" His yellow eyes flickered back up to her, an unsettling grin on his face. "You'll be coming with me, Ms Black."

"Have I broken any rules?"

"Possession of contraband," he said rather gleefully.

"Contraband?" Electra echoed in disbelief. "Since when?"