Defying Gravity

III: Circe

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8 September 2011
Highlands of Scotland
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

I'm sorry. I had to.

Two sentences on loop inside my head as I pulled MacKendrick away from the two Hufflepuffs with a death wish. I couldn't understand why Sudrach wouldn't leave me alone. Why didn't he go away? Did he not understand that we couldn't be friends? 

Maybe it was time to be frank with him. As if being rude, blunt, and down right nasty wasn't frank enough. He was a half-blood for Merlin's sake! Grandmother would be livid if she knew I was keeping around his kind. 

More importantly, I had no desire to know what could become of him if she found out. 

"-have any idea who they think they are? Did you go with them willingly? No, no that's completely mad..." MacKendrick was rambling all the way back to the castle, and I'd had enough of it.

I stopped abruptly, digging my heels into the ground to keep him from pulling me any further. "Merlin, Circe what-"

I twisted his wrist painfully, a simple trick that brought him to his knees. Eris weaved herself in between my ankles, purring in enjoyment of his pain. As much as grandmother held interest in his family, the MacKendrick's had just as much interest in mine. If he wanted access to my family then he'd have to play by my rules. I dropped my voice to a dangerous pitch, leaning closely to his face. "Listen here, and listen closely, Lennox MacKendrick, because I will only say this once. You will not control me. Do not drag me around, do not dictate where I go or who I spend my time with, and do not raise your voice at me under any circumstances. Do not kiss me or touch me without permission. In return you may refer to me and our relationship as whatever you wish for appearance's sake. Do I make myself perfectly clear?" 

His brown eyes glinted with a hint of anger, and I was determined to squash it.
I brought my wand to his throat, "Need I remind you of who my parents are? Of what I'm capable of?"

He could tattle, but I knew he'd be a good boy and keep his mouth shut. After all, it was his word over mine, and even if my parents had I record, mine was spotless. Lennox, on the other hand, wasn't as black and white as he appeared. 

I released his arm, bent to retrieve my hissing familiar, and stalked to the castle. One thorn had been removed, now it was time to face the other one. Wynn Sudrach needed to know the truth. Whatever pity, redemption game he was playing at wouldn't work. I was destined for damnation, and the quicker he realized it the better.

*~*

I was an idiot, but this was the only way I could get him alone.

Eris and I left dinner early to hide in a deserted corridor near the entrance to the Hufflepuff Commons. If I knew anything about Wynn, he'd be with a group of people and pulling him aside should be easy enough when they're all laughing and falling over each other. I remained deep within the darkness until I heard his familiar, carefree laugh echo along the stone walls. Creeping closer to the main hallway's firelight, I waited until Sudrach and his group were a few feet past the corridor before making my move.

"Mobilicorpus."

He didn't even have time to cry out before I wrenched my wand backward and his body came rushing in my direction.

"Impedimenta."

His body came to a sudden halt, and I proceeded to drag him fully into the corridor.

"H-how?"

"I don't have the time or the care to explain myself to you," I rushed out to his stunned expression.