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"Are you not scared of her answer, sister?" Fleur asked me as we followed the trail of stone steps surrounded by growing green grass down to the carriage. I had forced Fleur to come with me when asking Headmistress Maxime to join a Hogwarts class for a day despite her desperate pleads to let her continue with the day.
"I shouldn't have to be. I don't mind either answer, really," I replied and stopped outside the carriage door. "You can stay outside if you'd like," I told her, and she hesitated.
"No, I'm coming with you," she huffed and opened the door. We walked inside and saw a few stray students nestled in the corners studying or practicing drama lines. Standing stick straight at her desk at the far end of the carriage was Headmistress Maxime. She seemed to be writing letters to administrators. I yanked on Fleur's hand until we were standing a few feet away from Maxime's desk.
"What do you need, Delacours?" Maxime asked after looking up from the letter she was writing to the Ministry of Magical Affairs of France.
I cleared my throat before saying, "I was wondering if next Thursday morning during Etiquette, all the Beauxbatons students could join a Hogwarts class."
"May I ask why you want that?"
"Only to see the difference in the education system in Britain, Headmistress."
"And why would you want to cut an Etiquette class?"
"I don't wish to cut an Etiquette class, but that is the class all students exceed in. And I thought that if any class were to be replaced for a day, it could be Etiquette."
"What's the class you wish to join next Thursday?"
"Care of Magical Creatures, Headmistress."
Maxime stopped from bringing her tea to her lips and leered down at me.
"Care of Magical Creatures?" She repeated, and I nodded.
"Yes, Headmistress."
She didn't take her warping black eyes from me as she set her teacup down. She opened her desk drawer and pulled out a long black plastic tube with one end white and the other holding a cigarette in place. She put the white end in between her ruby red-stained lips and inhaled heavily. When she retracted, she blew out, and a long strand of smoke followed after it.
"Since when do you consider Care of Magical Creatures a necessary area to be educated in?" She asked, her voice rougher and sharp.
"I don't consider it a necessity, but I'm curious about the class. And I think we should embrace the foreign classes they have here at Hogwarts. I'd want to do the same if Durmstrang hosted," I reasoned. It was silent for a few minutes while Maxime pondered on the idea — stealing puffs of her cigarette in the process. Fleur and I stood there patiently, not wanting to push her over to the side of denial.
