Imperio (on hold)

6: Dumbledore and Umbridge

When the first rays of sun broke through Melody's curtains she opened her eyes slowly, the feeling of bliss and no-worries wasn't as strong anymore.

When she sat up on her bed the feeling of nothingness sharpened and her head felt light. In a daze, Melody dressed herself slowly.

When she was slipping on her school shoes she heard the girls in the beds around her stir and Melody froze.

"Go to the common room"

Without finishing the laces on her left shoe Melody left her dormitory and wandered downstairs into the Hufflepuff common room, where she stood still, in a stupor of confusion.

"Hey Melody", said a quiet voice behind her. Melody turned around.

Tiana Jones was standing there, a hesitant expression on her face. Her auburn hair was in a long plait down her shoulder, she had pale, freckly skin and was quite tall. She was wearing her flannelette pyjamas still.

"Converse normally with her"

"Hi Tee", Melody replied casually, "how have you been?". "What?", Tiana questioned, incredulous, "what d'you mean?".

Melody shrugged.

Tiana stared at her. Melody stared back. Tiana then sighed and asked, without a trace of her previous timidness, "well? Are you okay?".

"Yes", Melody answered instantly. But she felt the familiar stirring in her stomach of something being wrong.

Tiana continued staring at Melody, looking very confused, then gasped and laughed. "You're pulling my leg!", she giggled, shaking her head, "I should've realised. Come on now, let's be serious".

"Hahaha", Melody gave a fake laugh. "I am being serious", she continued, "yes I ran away, but I wasn't even gone for a full twenty-four hours. I'm perfectly okay".

Tiana stopped giggling abruptly. Her expression was stony. "You know Melody, I'm sick of you treating me like this".

Melody creased her eyebrows together to show she didn't understand.

"You always treat my like dung", Tiana said, the words tumbling out faster now, "even though my family is what puts a roof over your, your - ungrateful head!".

Melody stared blankly at her.

"You boss me around. Remember that time you didn't study for your History of Magic Owl and the night before, you stole my notes! You stole them! I got a P because of you! Not to mention that time you decided to jig Potions and when Snape asked where you were you said I tricked you into thinking we had a free period! I got a week of detentions for that Melody! And-"

"Stop", Melody interrupted quietly and Tiana fell silent, "I don't know what you're talking about".

Tiana's eyeballs looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets in anger. "How dare you!", she whispered in a quivering voice, much like McGonagall, "how dare-".

"What's this?", a voice called sharply. Melody and Tiana turned, Professor Sprout was standing in the doorway.

"P-Professor?", Tiana stuttered nervously. "Hello Tiana", Sprout replied shortly.

"Adams, Professor Dumbledore wishes to see you in his office immediately after breakfast. I suggest you do not ignore this intruction", Sprout stated, then looked angrily at Melody as though she was about to say something, sniffed reproachfully, then turned and left the common room.