Toxic Crush

~23~

Winter had come and gone, and now spring had settled into the castle, making the hallways warm and the gardens smell like flowers.

"Only two more weeks." Clara yawned as she put her quill into her ink pot and rolled up her unfinished essay. "Just two more weeks."

"Then we have to come back again." Michael sighed.

"Only two more years."

Padma huffed and went over to the window "School is stupid."

This was not the first time Clara had seen Padma give up on her work, infact on more than one occasion she had been told by her that prostitution earned way more anyway, and that they should both drop out of school early.

The thought made Clara smile.

The seven Ravenclaws sat in the common room library together one afternoon looking at pamphlets of sample scores and possible pathways.

"We can't even sit outside because it's raining." Padma whined, looking sadly out at the wet, green grass.

"Padma c'mon. If we all finish these preparations for those careers counseling things tonight then we can do whatever we want." reasoned Cho.

Marcus threw his parchment down on the floor and grunted. "I hate these bloody things. I want to be a wand maker, not a healer!"

"Do it anyway." Clara said, opening a pamphlet labelled: 'Auror Scorer, a guide to success in defensive magic'. "You'll regret it in the future."

"What, I'll regret not practicing for the OWLs? Nah." He joined Padma at the window. "It's easy for you to say anyway, you're smart."

"I'm not that smart-"

"You're reading about Auror courses and you teach about sixty odd students seventh year defensive spells in your free time. You're smart."

Clara flushed and buried her face in the pamphlet.

"I'm going to become a designer." Padma announced, breaking the silence.

"That's awesome." Terry said. "I've always wanted to do that."

She scoffed and looked at him disbelievingly. "Sure you have."

"No, really! Ask my parents."

"Okay, who's your favorite designer."

"Helga Rindez."

Padma widened her eyes. "Really? Me too! Come and look at this magazine I got!"

Terry stood up and Michael winked at him. "Very convincing mate." He whispered as he passed him.

Sticking his thumbs up at Michael, Terry went to sit with Padma.

Clara looked at her watch and smiled. "Finally."

"We going?" Cho asked, rolling up her parchment.

"Yep. You guys coming this time?"

"I will." Marcus said. "I haven't quite mastered the destruction spell yet."

The three of them bid goodbye to the rest of the group and left the common room, headed directly for the room of requirement.

Just like Draco had warned, Clara noticed multiple members of the inquisitorial squad as she made her way over.

They really had to start being more careful.

She rounded the corner and saw Draco and Pansy in a corner, talking in urgent voices, but she thought nothing of it, choosing to use Pansy's distraction to get into the meeting unnoticed.