Circi | 2

FOUR

"Crane"

Circi walked to class with Helena who told all sorts of mystical tales that had spread around Hogwarts about Carmen Beckinridge, but the two soon had to split their ways.

Circi entered the classroom assigned to introduce the first years to herbology; she takes a seat at an empty desk and cranes her neck to see the students she is to share the rest of the year with. Behind her, Leslie slumped in his chair, refusing to move his bag from the seat next to him. And just over his shoulder she caught the eye of an Asian Gryffindor staring at her, it was hard to completely make out her features due to the red hoodie pushing her hair over her face. The girl noticed Circi staring back and broke into a wide grin, displaying deep dimples and a deep blush, she bowed her head as Professor Sprout entered the room.

Fifteen minutes later, Professor Sprout stopped the beginning of her lecture and looked towards the back of the room.

"Miss... Crane, is it?" The students look around to find the blonde in the hoodie looking more alert. She adjusts her robes and juts her chin up.

"Yes, Professor?" She sat up straighter and dignified herself enough to remove her hood.

"That jumper isn't part of the uniform, dear." Crane shrugged and looked down at the colours of her own house.

"It's red, Gryffindor's colours are red and," she brushed out her hair with her fingers, "my hair is pretty gold. Repping." She bit her lip, looking around for anyone to agree with her. After a stunned silence, she shrugged and kicked her feet up on the desk while pulling her tie through the neck hole of the hoodie and letting it rest on her chest.

Professor Sprout shook her head, uttering something about telling Professor McGonagall, head of the Gryffindor house, before returning to her lecture. Circi was transfixed for a moment, simply staring at Crane, shocked by her treatment of their superior. There was no way Professor Sprout could let her treat her like that without consequences.

"That's it?" She spoke up, jaw slack. The class turned to her now, neatly pressed uniform, brand-new books, "you're not going to punish her for talking to you like that? Isn't the points system meant to reward good behaviour and punish bad behaviour, how could you let her embarrass you like that?" Professor Sprout concentrated on her for a moment before nodding.

"You're right, Miss Malfoy, ten points from Gryffindor for Miss Crane's disobedience." The Gryffindors sighed and muttered among themselves, Circi glancing over her shoulder to see Crane was frowning and Leslie watching the two of them with a smirk. "And ten points from Slytherin," Leslie and Circi both looked back to the front in shock, Professor Sprout gave Circi a pointed look, "for speaking out of turn."

The class continued after students from both houses stopped glaring at Circi for causing the loss of points and, now, that over half of the lesson had been wasted on discipline, the students left knowing that one day they'll learn the fire making spell... as long as Crane and Malfoy don't waste any more time.

The students had a ten-minute slot to get to their next lesson but, on her way to potions, Circi is approached by the Head Girl, who happened to be a Slytherin. She had dark hair and sharp eyebrows that made her look angry all the time.

"Circini Malfoy?" She smiled, looking only slightly less angry despite how hard she tried. "I'm Annabelle, Head Girl, I've been sent by Madam Pomfrey. Your brother is in the hospital wing." The two began walking immediately, Circi narrowed her eyes.

"What happened?" Annabelle shrugged and didn't speak for the rest of the walk.

Circi felt like she was touring the entire castle rather than going to meet her brother. They had to travel up two flights before back down another, every staircase deciding to change direction on them, taking them on a different route. Ultimately, what should have been a five-minute walk became a ten-minute adventure guided by the enchanted portraits lining each hallway.