GENESIS | TMR

☯︎ | TEN

————— ☯︎ —————

[ x. of the powerful and the powerless ]

They say all actions have consequences, and Adelaide reckoned hers were long past due. After all, how long could she expect to break at least a hundred school rules— maybe even a few laws— without being caught?

Curling her hand into a fist at her sides, she felt Dumbledore's note crumble into a ball, a request for her presence that he'd sent at breakfast the same morning. Like before, it didn't make much sense that he'd want to see her, considering he wasn't Headmaster or Hufflepuff's Head of House, but she'd be in enough trouble as it was. In the end, did it matter who gave her her punishment?

Knocking politely, the pureblood waited for a call of approval before entering, head hanging low. Her hair curtained her face, and her curl was more prominent than usual, a result of hours of twirling it anxiously around her finger.

She couldn't believe she'd actually believed a simple rope was the only thing keeping students out of the Restricted Section. She could lose so many of Hufflepuff's hard-earned House points for trespassing, earn at least a month's worth of detention— hell, she could probably be expelled.

When word spread, her mother would not be pleased.

"Professor," Adelaide murmured, forcing herself to look forward.

Striking blue eyes met hers, and she was surprised to see them void of anything serious. "Miss Selwyn," Dumbledore greeted her. He extended his hand towards the chair facing his desk. "Please, have a seat."

She did so silently, her lip caught between her teeth as she fidgeted with the hem of her sweater. Before the man could utter a single syllable, Adelaide was speaking in a rush, too fast for interpretation. "Am I in trouble? I'll return the book, I swear it'll never happen again, just—"

"I haven't the faintest what you're talking about, Miss Selwyn, but I assure you you're not in trouble. Not with me, anyway." He smiled kindly, his glasses shifting against his nose, and offered her a Jelly Slug from a bag of candy resting to the side. "I was wondering how you've been adjusting. I'm sure it hasn't been easy."

Taking one with a nod of thanks, Adelaide played with the gummy, stretching it between her fingers. She shrugged in response to his words. "My friends have been very understanding about me not wanting to talk about it, and I've met some new people, so they've gotten me busy enough to keep my mind off things."

"Ah, yes," he hummed, nodding. "I've noticed that."

"I'm sorry, Professor." Adelaide frowned. "I'm not sure what you mean."

There was a pause in which Dumbledore studied her carefully, almost as if he was trying to determine whether she was serious or hiding something. "You're aware that many are curious about your relation to Tom Riddle and his friends, I'm sure."

The girl shrugged. They'd received a lot of attention as individuals, so it wasn't far-fetched for them to get even more as a six-member group.

"I take it," he continued, words coming slowly, "that you've chosen to ignore my warning, then?"

Adelaide felt her eyebrows inch closer. "If you're worried, Professor, you have no need to be. Really. I took your warning into consideration like you asked, but it wasn't necessary. The Slytherins aren't what you'd expect."