Come Back to Me (Don't Save Me Book 3)

Chapter 78: Gossip Chat

Umbridge was growing more irritating as the weeks passed. She'd pissed off the entire staff, as well as the entire student body, and made so many educational decrees they were becoming impossible to keep track of. My head was beginning to throb from the amount of times Filch had hobbled over to the wall and hammered in a new decree. I was sitting in the staff lounge with Pomona and Minerva as we discussed the pink shadow hanging over all our heads.

"I mean, honestly! That woman is out of control!" Pomona exclaimed. Minerva and I nodded in agreement.

"Poor Sybill is on probation... It's not looking good and who knows how long before the rest of us are on her list as well!" Minerva spat.

"Sybill's on probation?" I asked, this being the first I've heard of it.

"Oh, yes," Minerva replied. "When she did her evaluation four weeks ago the ol' pink toad wanted a prophecy right there and that's not the way her magic works."

"You would think someone from the Ministry would know that," I spat, practically mocking the word.

"Hem hem."

I felt the bile rise in my throat at her sickeningly sweet voice as Minerva and Pomona froze. They hadn't seen her standing in the doorway and they were desperately trying to avoid her eyes. Umbridge coughed once again and I rolled my eyes, turning in my seat to face her.

"Yes?"

"Little gossip chat, ladies?" she squeaked, plastering on a smile.

"Simply discussing all the changes this year," I replied.

"Ah, yes. They've certainly improved things around here, haven't they?"

She was way too excited and I was struggling not to vomit.

"I have your evaluations, ladies. Some of them took a little... longer than I'd hoped," she said, handing me a thick packet of notes before giving Minerva and Pomona theirs, slightly less thick but annoying nonetheless.

"I look forward to reading it," I answered, tossing it on the table next to me and returning to my coffee as Umbridge left the room, clearly annoyed by my lack of interest.

"Y/n!" Minerva hissed, lightly smacking me with her parchment. "Are you trying to get yourself fired?"

I shrugged. "She already fired me."

Minerva's eyes widened in horror. "What?"

I chuckled, explaining what happened in the toad's office and how she has no memory of the incident, being sure to keep my voice low. Pomona's eyes widened in excitement.

"Why haven't we hung out sooner?" she exclaimed as I laughed.

"Trauma," I replied as Minerva struggled not to spit out her tea.

"I knew I always liked her," Pomona said to Minerva, gesturing to me.

Minerva smiled, placing her hand on mine. It was a small gesture but one that comforted me nonetheless, a hope that perhaps we would all be okay. If only fate had the same plans for us, perhaps we would've been.