starstruck || hannah abbott

7 || detention

Anastasia's blood ran cold. Her body tensed and suddenly she wanted to be as far away from the Defense Against The Dark Arts professor as humanly possible. So much for staying on Umbridge's good side.

"Anastasia, what are you and Miss Abbott doing out in the hallway? You must be skipping your lesson, together," Umbridge phrased it in a way that made Anastasia squirm under her beady-eyed gaze.

"Please, Professor, I—" Anastasia tried to explain herself but was cut off.

"I don't need any excuses from you, a Slytherin should know better. As should a Hufflepuff," Umbridge said coldly as she now directed her studious stare in Hannah's direction.

The girl wouldn't even meet Umbridge's eyes as her face fell. Anastasia felt immensely guilty for being the cause of Hannah's discomfort. If she had kept her composure, then Flitwick wouldn't have singled her out in front of the entire class and Hannah wouldn't have chased after her.

"Professor Umbridge—" the Slytherin was desperate to make the pink toad understand as she stood up and straightened her robes.

"No, dear, I must tell you both I'll be taking fifty points from each of your houses and you will both serve detention for a week. Anastasia, you will report to my office at 8:00pm sharp. Hannah, you will report at 8:30pm. This should be suitable for you both to understand that skipping lessons is very frowned upon at Hogwarts. Now, if you would accompany me, I'll lead you back to your class so you can be an example of what not to do to your classmates. What class are you both avoiding?" Umbridge was smirking now.

Anastasia wanted to punch her. However unprofessional the thought, Anastasia wanted nothing more than to land a punch right between her professor's glinting eyes. How dare she treat the students this unfair way.

It was also in the midst of this sticky silence that Anastasia heard the unmistakable sound of Hannah crying. It was quiet, choking sobs from where Hannah still resided on the cold floor. Guilt wove its way back into Anastasia's mind as she stood there shamefully.

"Charms," the Slytherin girl spat out.

She couldn't focus on anything else beside the fact she was now the reason Hannah Abbott was in tears on the floor. Umbridge just had to ruin this and it was entirely Anastasia's fault at the end of the day. Both girls now had to serve a week's worth of detention because Anastasia had an anxiety attack.

"Then follow me, please," Umbridge said in an overly cheerful voice.

Anastasia turned away from the professor and offered her hand to Hannah who was still residing on the floor. The Hufflepuff shook her head at Anastasia's offering and stood up on her own accord. She dried her eyes and headed after Umbridge. Anastasia stayed a moment longer, partially in shock of Hannah's refusal and partially in understanding that she and Hannah were back to square one: strangers.

Taking a deep breath, Anastasia slowly fell in step behind the other two and allowed herself to be led back to the Charms classroom. Umbridge giggled in her strange manner as the girls re-entered the room with every eye on them. Susan Bones looked deathly pale when she saw Hannah's blotched face and Flitwick was at a loss for words.

Before the Charms professor could speak, Umbridge put in her two cents on what just happened: "Professor Flitwick, I caught these two girls cutting class in the hallway. I'm astonished they were ever capable of such behavior. Not to worry though, they will be properly punished. Please, continue with your lesson and I'm dreadfully sorry to have caused such an interruption."

'The bloody hell you are,' Anastasia thought angrily.

She was gone in a flash of pink leaving Anastasia and Hannah shamefully shuffling to their seats. Professor Flitwick made a motion as though he were going to say something to his students, decided against it, and continued the lesson. Anastasia didn't bother paying attention. Her throat hurt and her chest felt tight again but she dared not leave lest she create a scene. She stole a few chaste glances at Hannah as the class neared its end and wondered what the Hufflepuff would tell Susan Bones about her.

Anastasia was very distracted for the rest of the day. Blaise didn't seem to notice at dinner but Theodore did. He tried asking her about it but she just shook her head. She ate albeit slowly and trailed behind the Slytherin group as they left the Great Hall for the dungeon. Instead of joining them in their ritualistic study or gossip session, the brunette sat in her dormitory and watched the clock tick. At 7:45pm, she snuck out of the Common Room and began her walk to Dolores Umbridge's office.

The hallways were cold and barren. No one left their Common Room after curfew unless they were very skilled at sneaking around or were prefects. Being neither of those, Anastasia plodded through the castle. She pulled her robes tighter around her as she neared her "after dinner date."

It seemed as though Umbridge had been standing just inside the door because just as Anastasia went to knock, the profusely pink person opened her office door and beckoned the girl inside. Anastasia was repulsed.

The interior of the office was even more pink. Little pictures of cats mewed out at her, the walls were tinted pink, all the furniture was a different shade, even the sugar Umbridge stirred into her pink tea was not the color it normally should be.

"You'll be doing some lines for me this evening," Umbridge chirped happily.

Anastasia sat in the seat that Umbridge nodded too before realizing she hadn't brought a quill or parchment. As if she had read the girl's mind, Umbridge handed her a special quill and instructed her to write "I must not cut classes." To Anastasia's horror, the quill used her blood as ink.