❝You know, you should dye your hair red.❞
❝Er... why?❞
❝So it'll match that fiery personality of yours.❞
❝Or so it'll match your own?❞
❝That too.❞
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Serena Mallard is anything but a rule follower.
Spontaneous and very stubborn, with bravery that b...
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❁❁❁
The sixth years spent the rest of the class in complete silence, taking detailed notes on the Unforgivable curses. Serena kept her head down, thankful for her mass of dark curls that covered her face from unwanted attention. Specifically, the worried glances from Fred and George. From Ramona and Magnolia. Even Lee Jordan was concerned.
But Serena didn't want their sympathy. She didn't want their pity. The girl was embarrassed enough, and she didn't want to be seen as a fragile little girl that couldn't handle one Defense Against the Dark Arts class. She was stronger than that. Serena knew she was stronger than that. But why did she still feel tears threaten to spill?
Serena had been clutching her fist so tightly that when she finally unclenched it, she was surprised to see dark, nail shaped marks on her palm, red flecks of blood decorating the imprints. Not saying a word to anyone as the final bell the final bell rang, Serena packed up her stuff and she pushed, rather rudely, through the crowd of students whispering about the class in amazed voices.
"Did you see how killed it without hesitation?"
"And when the spider dropped dead? Just like that?"
Serena bit her lip to stop herself from saying something. They were talking about the lesson as if it were a some type of show, but she didn't find it entertaining at all.
Serena was so close to the exit when she heard a voice. "Serena! Serena, wait!"
She knew it was Fred without having to look. When she squeezed herself free from the crowd and into the open corridor, Serena turned back to see the rest of her friends still stuck in the classroom.
They were all trying to get to her, to make sure she was okay. But she was just fine.
She could go back and smile. Joke around like she usually did. Suggest to skip dinner and pull a prank on Filch the first day back. Serena knew if she turned around, she would practically be begging for their sympathetic gazes. She had already made a scene in front of the entire class, did she really want to do that again?
'No,' Serena thought. 'I don't. I'm just fine and I'm over here acting like a drama queen.' Even when she nodded to herself, determined to strut right back into the classroom, Serena could not understand why her legs carried her back towards the common room instead.
"Wait, Serena! Hold on!" Fred called out after the girl, watching frantically as she walked further and further away from him. He finally made it to the classroom door, and was about to follow her when Magnolia grabbed his arm.
"Don't. Let her sort this out herself. She can't handle any more sympathy from us."
"What? Why wouldn't she want us caring about her?" George asked.
Ramona and Magnolia shared a glance. "She's just... doesn't want us pitying her." Ramona said
"What?" Fred narrowed his eyes. "But we aren't pitying her!"
