A snake in a clan.

Mistakes

I was so angry, very upset and extremely tired. My eyes stung from the lack of sleep I had received, and my body ached from being tense up all night. I was almost made worse by the fact that my first class of the day was potions. Don't get me wrong, I adore potions. It is an art form in itself. I loved it so much that professor Slughorn decided to put me in an advanced group this year, a choice that I was very excited about. That is until right now.

Being in an advanced class was great educationally, but considering what happened last night, it was the worst thing that could have happened. Cat had also chosen to take potions this year, unknowingly ending up in the same class as me.

I tried not to think about the problem at hand and instead focused on pulling my legs, which felt like bricks, out of the bed. I knew I was running 10 minutes late but Professor Slughorn adored me, so I knew he wouldn't mind. Saying that I did need to get all the way down to the dungeons, so I forced my body up and out of the room. Remembering to grab my bag which had been carelessly tossed aside last night.

Walking through the corridors this morning was an interesting experience. I had missed breakfast but only just, so by the time I got to the moving stairs everyone was coming out of the great hall. Even though I straightened my back and tried to find my confident and cocky self, my two-day-old clothes, bloodshot eyes and bed hair worked against me. I got a few stares but continued to drag my body down to the dungeons.

I reached Slughorn's classroom 5 minutes late. The door was closed so my opening it attracted the attention of everyone in the room.

"Ah Quiche! I wondered where you had got to," Professor Slughorn always greeted me like an old friend, which I didn't mind. The fifth years that had opted for potions this year were gathered around a demonstration that was set up. I joined them, my head held high and my signature smirk plastered on my face, as I apologised to Slughorn for my lateness. To which I received a warm smile and a nod before he continued with what he was doing.

I stood next to some nervous looking Gryffindor and tried to concentrate on what was happening, which became increasingly hard to do as Cat's familiar aroma filled my lungs. My heart both broke and tripled its speed at the same time and I felt like I was going to throw up. 

Once the demonstration was over, we were sent off to brew a sleeping draught potion. It was a simple concoction but considering it was our first class this year, Slughorn wanted to remind us of some basic skills. Some students mumbled about how we were too advanced for this, but I didn't mind as it meant I didn't have to concentrate as much.

I sat myself down on the furthest table in the corner and a few older Slytherin's joined me. Amongst them was Mildrid who opted to sit across from me, which made my blood boil before she even opened her mouth. I decided to ignore whatever conversation was happening on the table and crack on with my potion. The quicker I finished it, the quicker I could get out of here and my heart would stop jumping into my throat. I absentmindedly walked to the store cupboard to grab my last ingredient and accidentally knocked into someone.

"Shoot sorry." I looked up and wished I hadn't. Cats eyes were also red but not from lack of sleep. It looked like she had been crying for centuries. They were sad but looked at me with a little kindness. My breath faltered. She reached passed me and got whatever she needed from the cupboard before returning to her table. I watched her walk away and join Isla who flipped me off. I sighed and grabbed what I needed, walking back to my table on the opposite side of the room. 

"What was that about?" Mildred demanded. I ignored her, but she was a persistent bitch. "Quiche. I asked you a question! "I glared up at her and continued with my potion. She didn't stop. She kept pushing and pushing until I had enough. I growled lowly and pulled my hand out throwing her a simple jinx. That caught the attention of everyone, including Professor Slughorn.

"Get out of my classroom. I don't want to see you here until next week!" Slughorn was hardly ever angry, especially at me, so I felt bad that I angered him but also at the same time I couldn't care less. I grabbed my bag and walked out without a word. 

I walked and walked until I was standing on the edge of the lake and even then, my anger hadn't settled. What the fuck was wrong with me. I set my bag down and sat on the damp ground. I didn't move. Lunchtime came and went. The solid blue sky turned orange and then black. The rain came at some point around sunset, but I didn't move. I couldn't find the strength to. I ended up curled up on the damp ground most of the night. It was cold, very cold. Autumn was in full swing. 

I closed my eyes to stop the sting that hadn't settled down since last night. I felt numb, both from the cold and emotionally. I wanted to go and apologise to Cat. I wanted to punch Mildrid. I wanted to be good friends with Isla again. Who gives a fuck what my house thinks? Who cares if I'm potentially kicked off the Quidditch team for dating a Hufflepuff. Dating. Were we even together anymore? Or had Cat finally had enough of me?

"They're here!" I wanted to open my eyes and tell whoever was shouting to shut up, but I couldn't. It's like they were glued together. I heard movements and murmuring around me but couldn't quite make out the voices. I felt a sudden heat engulf me and my body felt like it was defrosting. I welcomed the confusing warmth and allowed my mind to finally sleep.