all too well - Theodore Nott

chapter 3

The next morning, sunlight peaking over the top of her bed curtains woke Selene up. She groggily yawned, her fingers reaching for the curtain and after a few tries of grabbing nothing but air, she pulled the curtain open. She sleepily looked around the dorm room that was completely emptied.

Selene sat straight up, fumbling for the watch on her bedside table, rubbing her eyes and trying to get them to focus. She shot out of bed. She was late. She swore as she tripped over her bedsheets that were still around her feet, falling to the ground with a loud thud and groan.

She reached up, pulling her skirt from the dresser where she had hung it the night before, still lying on the ground. She shoved her legs through it, as she stood up, grabbing her shirt and pulling it over her head, struggling. She pulled her socks on and shoved her feet into the shoes while grabbing a headband and pushing her hair back with it, hoping that it looked presentable. She hurriedly tucked her shirt in, grabbed her sweater and robe, picked up her satchel that she had thankfully packed the night before, and sprinted out the door.

She raced through the halls, trying to tie her tie as she ran. It wasn't until she reached the bottom of the Ravenclaw tower that she realized she did not even have her schedule. Groaning, she resumed sprinting towards the charm classroom, her feet pounding into the ground and starting to numb.

She had missed her first bell. How could she be so stupid? She was tied for the top of the class with HermioneGranger and now she was starting her third year already behind. At this rate, she would probably have to drop out and become a waiter at the Hogshead, serving ale to men who just stared at her tits all day and only tipped if she smiled and had a low-cut shirt on

She barged in the door without knocking, too caught up in her thoughts about her future as a prostitute to care, and was faced with a sea of shocked second years. She skidded to a stop, trying to flatten her hair and take slow deep breaths as the stitch in her side continued to burn along with her face. She slowly walked into the class, knowing if she walked any faster she would probably collapse from exhaustion.

She cleared her throat as she reached the front of the room where Professor Flitwick, "May I please have my schedule?"

He rifled through a stack of papers before finding a folder and pulling it out with a flourish. He snapped it open and handed her the schedule, "Here you are, Ms. Parkinson."

Selene smiled and studied her schedule, she turned to go when Flitwick stopped her, calling her name. He slid a late pass across his desk towards her.

"I know you would never purposefully miss class." He said eyes twinkling with kindness.

She smiled gratefully at him and he gave her a warm smile back. She glanced down at her watch, eyes widening at the time. The tardy pass was only good seven minutes after it was signed.

"This is why you are my favorite teacher," she called behind her as she ran out the doors.

Selene knew the castle was big but you never fully understood it until you had to sprint to a tower on the other side of the school from where you are currently. She yelled at portraits to let her through, grabbing frames and swinging them open, using old passageways her mom had told her about, finally making it to a ladder leading up to a trap door, with, as she checked her watch, ten seconds to spare.

She scrambled up the ladder and pushed open the trap door with much effort, tiredly pulling herself up onto the ground.

"Sorry I'm late," She wheezed, holding up her pass, "I have a pass though."

Professor Trelawney stood at the front of the classroom with a look on her face that clearly showed she did not like being interrupted. Her bracelets chimed together as she clasped her skinny hands in front of her.

"I'm sorry professor," Selene rushed out, tripping over a pillow as she made her way down the stadium-like classroom. She handed over the pass, still trying to catch her breath.

Trelawney didn't take the papers and instead stared at Selene through her magnified glasses, eyes wide and shiny. Selene shifted under the weight of the stare and cleared her throat awkwardly after a few seconds, "Okay, well, I'm just going to put these here." Selene stepped around Trelawney and set the papers on the desk.

"Where should I sit?" Selene asked, looking around the full classroom, her face turning even redder after realizing the whole class was staring at her like a monkey in a zoo.

That seemed to snap the Professor out of her daze because her eyes focused and she pointed to the back of the classroom, "There is one more seat back there."

"Right," Selene said and began picking her way through the cushions on the ground. She accidentally stepped on a Slytherin boy's foot and she whispered an apology. When she finally reached her seat she groaned.

"Merlin. This day keeps getting worse and worse," Selene collapsed onto the cushion with a huff.

Theodore Nott sat across from her, lips set into a deep frown and looking equally disappointed in the seating arrangement.

"We are supposed to drink the tea and read each other's tea leaves," he said, pushing a teacup towards her, "So drink up."

The steaming cup of tea sloshed in the cup and after she waved her wand around the cup to cool it off, she held it to her lips, taking small sips so as not to burn her mouth.

She felt Theodore's eyes on her as she continued to drink the tea carefully, making sure she didn't drink her tea leaves.

They traded cups and Selene began to study the tea leaves at the bottom of the cup. She twisted the cup around several times, trying to make out a shape from the pile at the bottom of the cup

"Huh," Selene said, staring at the shape, the outline finally coming into view.

"What?" Theodore asked, "'Is it bad? What is it?"

Selene looked up at him, head still tilted, "It's a penis."

"What?" Theodore reached over and snatched the cup, looking in, twisted it around like she had, and then paused, "Huh. It is a penis."

"Congratulations," Selene smiled at Theodore, leaning forward, "In your very near future you are going to have life-changing sex with a teacup."

"Oh that is so insane," Theodore said setting his teacup down forcefully and picking hers up, studying it with a great deal of concentration, "I may be wrong but it looks like your cup has a word in it. It is a B, an L, two O's, and a D. Then another word. Oh I know, traitor."

"Wow. Keep repeating everything your dad tells you," Selene hissed, glaring at him.

The rest of the class passed in silence with them refusing to even look at each other. As soon as the bell rang, Selene was off her cushion and down the ladder, putting as much space between her and Theodore Nott as possible.

She met up with Annie in the hallway, still fuming. Annie looked at her like there was steam coming out of her ears and Selene would not be the least surprised if she did.

"How was your morning?" Annie asked cautiously.

"You do not want to know."

"It could not have been that bad," Annie said, brushing her bangs away from her face.

"Oh, but it could." Selene sighed running a hand through her hair, "Let us just say that I am transferring out of Divination. It won't help with my plans anyway so there is no point in taking it."

"Right," Annie said, nodding along, "My best friend going to be an actual healer, not a spiritual one."

"Yes ma'am," Selene said, then took a deep breath and tried to push the entire Divination class out of her mind, "How was your morning?"

They continued their walk to the Library, talking and laughing. Neither of them noticed that during their conversation, Theodore Nott and Matteo Riddle were standing down the hall behind them, staring at them as they walked away. The two friends didn't even notice that the other was staring in the same direction and It didn't even matter if they did, they were staring at two different people.