Snake fangs || D.M

Twenty-nine

With every day of the next passing month, my body would become more mapped out with bruises and echos of discriminatory abuse, that I couldn't defend myself of unless I wanted to take the other muggle-borns down with me. It was a prison where I was guilty of no crime and where abuse of power was mandatory, not just encouraged. Most days, I walked with my head down, trying not to provoke those who were too happy with the new lack of regulations.

"I'm surprised you're still walking the halls, Woods" Theodore Nott commented knocking his shoulder aggressively into mine which in turn caught me off my balance.

I hoped that he would leave it at that, that it would be just an empty comment and he could carry on with his day as I suffered through mine, but I was disappointed when my wish was not granted.

In an almost theatrical manner, Nott turned his whole body back towards me and in the opposite direction to where he was originally heading.
"You know" he said "I never understood why Malfoy gave you the time of day, but then again it could be fun having a Mudblood for a pet" Theadore grinned straightening his posture, further highlighting his weedy appearance. I bit the inside of my cheek and looked down at the ground feeling the pressure build in my head and behind my eyes.

With an arrogant stride, he advanced towards me, holding his wand firmly and using his narrowed eyes to carefully observe every move I made, knowing his sole purpose was to vex me. He kneeled in front of me slightly in a patronising manner so now if I were to look up past the brown locks that were shielding me we'd make direct eye contact.

"Get out of my face" I managed to mumble, and a wicked smirked spread along his face.
"Watch it, Thea, you don't have either of your boyfriends to protect you anymore" he laughed darkly "if I want to hurt you I can, and I'll suffer zero of the consequences".
The most intimidating aspect of what he had said was the truth of it, he could hurt me and torture me until my last breath, and no one would bat an eyelash.
Another frustrating aspect of it all was that he didn't hate me or even dislike me, I doubted that he had an opinion on me, but it didn't matter, he was projecting onto me solely because he could.

"Think about what you're doing Nott" I attempted which he ignored.

"Maybe he had a Mudblood girlfriend because he was simply too weak and pathetic to get anyone of his own status" Nott taunted and my eyes shifted up into his with disgust, while my cheeks flush in anger.

He must've seen something in my eyes that told him that he had crossed the line because his foul grin fell and he backed away slowly, unsure whether it was worth stating his ground. I hadn't even processed my next moved yet when- smack! - my balled-up fist was sternly meeting the end of his nose. Nott fell backwards with a cry, cupping his nose that oozed thick red blood with one hand and catching his body on the floor with the other. I looked down at my fist in amazement, smiling with the high of the adrenaline still at its peak, I was grateful that the pain had not hit me yet.
The sound of Nott struggling on the floor still returned my hard and angered expression.

"Talk about him or anyone else I care for like that again, and you'll have far worse. That's a promise, not a threat" I scowled with a tense jaw taking out my wand and pointing it towards him.
He whimpered moving backwards, being more concerned with the pain than the red staining his robes. I scoffed and turned swiftly around on my heels, noticing that a crowd of people were looking onto the scene.

"Nott, no!" A voice warned, and I turned my head over my shoulder to see what had happened in the second of my back being turned.
Nott had his wand out, pointing it towards my general area, but Pansy had a firm grip of his wrist pulling it away from his target.
Blaise was there too, standing over Nott with his arms crossed and a grimace painted across his face.