DOORWAYS || MARAUDERS ERA

ϟ76: BITTER SQUABBLESϟ

"Hem, hem."

Rhea resisted the urge to smash something on Umbridge's face.

Flitwick, who was sitting in front of Rhea as part of their career advice session, closed his eyes in an attempt to control his temper.

"Yes, Professor?" Flitwick asked in a voice of determined kindness. "Would you like to advice Miss Arquette personally?"

"Of course." The pink toad gave a tinkling laugh. "Miss Arquette, you have expressed the desire to pursue a career as an auror, but you are aware that you'd have to receive a top grade in Potions?"

Rhea did her very best to smile back. "Yes, professor, I'm very aware of that, and I know I won't be improving any time soon, so yes, technically, I have no ambition at the moment."

She did have one ambition though—to brutally smack Umbridge until all her teeth were knocked out.

Umbridge simpered yet again at her words. "Miss Arquette, I presume you know Mr Potter wishes to become an auror as well?"

"Of course I do." Rhea grunted. And she couldn't help but add, "And a damn good one he'll be at that."

Flitwick masked his smile with a hacking cough.

"Hem hem." Umbridge snapped. "Mr Potter has a criminal record—"

"You mean fending off dementors?" Rhea asked loudly. "Because that was—"

"A lie." Umbridge said dangerously.

Rhea got up from her chair, but Flitwick immediately intervened. "Dolores, if I may...Miss Arquette is clearly in a dilemma at the prospect of choosing a career—" he gave Rhea a warning look that asked her to remain silent. "—I suggest she take a period of two weeks to come to a conclusion."

Both Umbridge and Rhea were left fuming. Rhea nodded briskly at Flitwick, and walked away from the office, sparing Umbridge a look of pure loathing.

But as she closed the door behind her, her mind picked up on Umbridge's thoughts...

And she stopped short in her tracks, unable to believe the fact she'd just deducted.

Dolores Umbridge was the one who'd sent the dementors after Harry in Little Whinging.

Oh, crap.

╔═══*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*═══╗

Rhea Arquette prided herself on avoiding her problems.

And if avoiding her problems was an art, Rhea was the Picasso of it.

It was now five days since the Incident-Which-Rhea-Tried-To-Ignore happened, and they'd all come back to Hogwarts. She'd managed to keep up a calm façade in front of Aunt Mia and Uncle Monty, but James, Peter, Luna and Sirius saw right through it.

The stupid sandy brown haired boy whose name Rhea refused to speak of, however, was finding all this amusing.

Every time he saw Rhea resolutely walking away when he was in the same room as her, he'd get that smile mixed with exasperation and amusement. Something that gave Rhea the urge to both slap him, and melt into a puddle.

Bloody hell.

She didn't know what had possessed her into kissing Remus like that.

And to think that it'd been her first kiss.