"Your body is not who you are.
You shed it like a snake sheds its skin.
Leave it, forgotten, behind you."
─────
𝐒𝐊𝐈𝐍
- 𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒏
The thin outer covering of the body;
An outer layer.
➵
Born with the type of beauty that many craved, Gemini Delmar...
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18| OF SKREWT-UP STROLLS AND STINKING BADGES
Monday afternoon consisted of one of those dreaded lessons where the Gryffindors and Slytherins were forced to study Care of Magical Creatures together. That, combined with the fresh news of Harry Potter becoming the fourth Triwizard champion, had only increased the tension between the two rival houses.
Draco Malfoy predictably arrived at Hagrid's cabin with his familiar sneer firmly in place as his eyes found Harry.
"Ah, look, boys, it's the champion," he said to Crabbe and Goyle the moment he got within earshot of Harry. "Got your autograph books? Better get a signature now, because I doubt he's going to be around much longer.... half the Triwizard champions have died... how long d'you reckon you're going to last, Potter? Ten minutes into the first task's my bet."
Crabbe and Goyle guffawed sycophantically as the Gryffindors leered at them in Harry's defence and the rest of the Slytherins joined Draco's side to oppose them. But the laughter stopped fairly quickly when a familiar, flowery scent wafted lightly through the air, making half the class swoon.
Gemini had arrived.
Almost every head snapped in her direction as her lips twisted into her signature grin and her eyes spotted Hagrid emerging from the back of his cabin, balancing a teetering tower of crates, each containing a very large Blast-Ended Skrewt.
She didn't pass them a second glance as she joined Blaise's side amongst the Slytherins and called to Hagrid, "How're the skrewts?"
To the class's horror, Hagrid proceeded to explain that the skrewts had been killing one another because of an excess of pent-up energy and that the solution would be for each student to fix a leash on a skrewt and take it for a short walk.
"Take this thing for a walk?" Draco repeated in disgust, staring into one of the boxes. "And where exactly are we supposed to fix the leash? Around the sting, the blasting end, or the sucker?"
He, however, didn't see Gemini coming up behind him with a leash already in her hand, which she had summoned using her wand. "You wrap it here," she spoke in his ear with a sly smile, wrapping the leash around his neck sneakily and giving it a harsh jerk, which made the leash tighten. Her actions were so quick that he barely had any time to register the lack of air in his lungs. He gasped and choked a bit, making the class stare at the scene with a look of horrified amusement before she pulled it away and pushed past him.
Hagrid looked like he wanted to say something, but didn't know what.
Gemini went right up to the front of the class and rolled up her sleeves as she did in every Care of Magical Creatures lesson. She threw her arms out wide, the leather leash hanging from one hand as she said, "Mortals, allow me to demonstrate."
The Gryffindors sniggered while the Slytherins rolled their eyes at her.
Draco was glaring at her, massaging his neck. "Har-har, Gemini!"
