She looked through the blackboard with a thousand-yard stare. Despite Dumbledore's best efforts, concentrating was proving difficult.
Daphne Greengrass couldn't wait for this lesson to be over. It took everything in her power not to have a fit right then and there.
'Why? This was what you wanted.'
'I didn't want this!'
'Yes you did. You knew what they were and you wanted to be just like them.'
'…'
With closed eyes and a deep breath she tried to once again focus on the lesson.
It didn't work. Her own thoughts kept interrupting. Not to mention the memory of those screams...
She squeezed the bridge of her nose with her fingers as she tried to get herself under control.
'Stop it! Just stop.'
Her rudimentary occlumency was simply not enough to keep the waves of guilt at bay.
A problem which Draco and Pansy clearly didn't have.
They were admiring the necklace they...we stole. Pansy was sure it was made with some sort of exotic magical metal whereas Draco thought it was merely be-spelled to look like it did.
Daphne didn't care one way or the other. She just wanted to get out.
xxx
Mercifully class ended though it felt like it took forever. As quick as decency allowed Daphne made towards the nearest bathroom.
Vomit clattered in the bowl as she hugged it like her life depended on it. Thank goodness her hair was kept in a braid today otherwise it would've been drenched.
The thought gave her an ugly grin.
'Real pureblood princess. Covered in puke. Can't even...'
She sighed.
What would her parents think if they saw her now? Little Astoria... would she laugh? Maybe she would make a better heir after all.
With her stomach empty a sense of clarity set over her. The bathroom was completely abandoned except for her. Thank goodness for that. She wasn't in the mood for questions.
The reflection in the mirror looked like a stranger she came to despise. It felt like her body moved on it's own accord when she hit the glass.
Her wrist hurt but she hadn't even cracked the mirror. A small bead of blood formed on the knuckle of her middle-finger and she stared at it for a long time.
'It's just red.'
xxx
Ophelia was waiting, she just knew it. Those beautiful ebony and ivory keys would always accept her no matter what. Daphne took a moment to sit behind the piano and take it all in.
Then the memory from when she first played it popped in her head and she slammed the lid shut.
With her hand on her mouth, unbidden the tears came. She tried to stifle her sobs, unconsciously viewing it as a weakness. A moment passed just trying not to think of anything.
With shaking hands she raised the lid of the piano back up. Her hands knew what to do and she let her emotions run from her stomach, through her arms, through her fingers and finally to the keys.
Guilt, anger, self-loathing and despair were expressed through beautiful simple melodies that she knew would never be played again. But in here... In the Hogwarts music room. She could just let them come and go as they pleased.
xxx
It felt like hours passed in the blink of an eye. Daphne closed the lid of the piano and took a moment to just breathe.
It felt like she had to put her mask back on again...
With an astute sense of loss she left Ophelia to once again brave the Slytherin commons.
She was about to leave the music room when she heard footsteps outside. They sounded like they were coming closer at a rapid pace.
Daphne turned around to quickly hide behind the racks of instruments.
The door opened and Millicent Bullstrode came strutting in looking livid. Daphne could see Millicent easily from this position and she knew that the same would be true for herself.
Millicent sat down behind a nearby desk and started working on some parchments. Daphne noticed that she was mumbling a lot and the words she could make out spelled nothing good.
Slowly Daphne tried to inch further into the room.
'O please don't let her see me. Please don't let her see me. Please don't let her see me.'
Millicent seemed to be fully focused on her work however and didn't notice her.
Breathing a little easier now that she wasn't in immediate danger of discovery, Daphne wondered what Millicent was up to. It must've been important if she was doing it here. She could've easily done it in the common room.
Whatever Millicent was busying herself with wasn't succeeding because she was banging her head against the desk in frustration.
Daphne got scared the magic out of her when very close to where she was two things fell of the rack.
She was certain that she would be found. Fortunately she was on the other side and before Millicent could investigate Daphne laid down on her belly in hope of avoiding discovery.
“W-Who's there?” She heard Millicent ask.
Daphne kept her mouth shut and just hoped she would go away.
The footsteps didn't go away. They crept closer and closer on the other side...
Millicent must be just standing there or something. Could she see her? Had Daphne made a noise?
Suddenly she heard a loud bang and a tearing sound. It took every fibre of her being not to make a startled gasp but fortunately she held her breath and managed it.
She heard Millicent running out of the room shortly afterwards.
As the fear slowly left her system she shakily got back on her feet and stumbled towards the desk that Millicent was working on. The doodles she found were frightening. What was worse was that she deserved every punishment the images showed.
“...I can't deal with this...I can't deal...”
She looked at Ophelia.
xxx
Pinkie awoke to find herself in the hospital wing.
“Blechgch.”
She had a serious case of cotton mouth. Luckily a glass of water was already prepared for her and she drank eagerly.
The memories of yesterdays events returned and she felt herself deflate a little. Morosely she looked at her leg. To her surprise the cast had been removed and nothing hurt anymore. Everything was just a bit stiff. Like it wanted to move.
Pinkie was about to hop out of her bed to stretch when madam Pomfrey popped round the corner.
“Ah, you're awake that's good. We went on quite the adventure together but you should be fine now.” Madam Pomfrey started poking and prodding Pinkie.
“How's the leg? Everything moving alright?”
“Yepperoonie, everything is a-okay.”
“Good. The elves have put your toiletries over there.” Madam Pomfrey pointed underneath the table.” There is a shower in the back. If you hurry up you can still make breakfast.”
“I can go?”
“You can go.”
Pinkie grabbed her stuff and made for the showers but a glimpse from one of the other patients almost caused her to trip.
Gregory Goyle had a brace around his head. From what Pinkie could see he was still sleeping. She stared at him with all sorts of emotions roaring through her.
They weren't very fun at all.
The biggest of them was sadness. Nothing about this was okay. She had no idea how to start to fix it.
With resignation she took a quick shower and afterwards she made her way towards the great hall.
xxx
“Can I sit here?”
Harry nodded and gestured to the chair as he tried to stuff his face in a similar manner as Ron was. They were staring each other down. They had a stack of small sandwiches between them and Harry just finished what he started.
“Foo sanchswishes.”
Ron didn't look impressed and raised an eyebrow. He grabbed two sandwiches off the plate and stuffed them in his face in three chomps each.
“Fwee sanchwishes.”
Hermione was looking on in both amusement and disgust. “Boys...” She muttered. Looking over at Pinkie however did not supply the feminine sense of superiority she was hoping to share.
The last bit of a sandwich was stuffed in a cheek and she was staring those two boys down.
“Fou sanchwishes.”
It was Harry's turn again and to him came the task of stuffing three extra sandwiches in his gob. Sadly he wasn't up to the task and tried to swallow the big doughy mess in his mouth. He succeeded but only barely with plenty of gagging noises and burping.
With fascinated horror Hermione looked on. “Everyone I know is disgusting...”
Ron's turn came up and he grabbed two more and stuffed them in his cheeks and with a smug bread filled expression he said:
“Fihe sahwishes.”
Such a challenge... could not be borne. One by one more bread was consumed by Pinkies jaws and stuffed in her cheeks like a hamster.
“Pinkie, can I talk to you for a second?”
The voice caused Pinkie to almost choke and she spit a big chunk of nasty on her plate.
That was a bit much for Hermione to handle and she looked the other way waving with her hands “O, ew ew ew.”
For Pinkie the voice meant the end of the distraction. It was Millicent. She swallowed the rest and stood up and walked a little ways away from the Gryffindors.
Twiddling with her finger Millicent looked a little sheepishly at Pinkie.
“So... Do you remember our talk in the hospital wing?”
“Yeah I remember.”
“Now that your head is a bit more clear do you think we can still be friends? I got them you know. Me and Blaise gave 'em a lesson they won't soon forget.” Millicent slammed her fist in her hand.
“Oh...”
Millicent thought that Pinkie would be... Well not happy about it, but maybe a bit vindicated? “You don't seem very happy that we did that.”
Pinkie just shrugged.
“Pinkie... The world isn't always nice. You have to fight back!”
“Why?”
“...Just 'cause... Otherwise they never learn. You know?”
Millicent looked at Pinkie willing her to understand. She still felt like she might lose her friend over this disagreement.
“All I know is that I'm not happier. I don't think fighting back is meant for me.”
Interjecting seemed pointless to Millicent She was about to say something but Pinkie was quicker.
“Do you remember when we played that polka for the Weasley twins?”
A toothy grin expanded on Millicent's face. “How could I forget? That was brilliant.”
“That's me.”
Millicent looked sad when her words hit home. “...I'm sorry. I just couldn't forgive that they did that to you.”
And for the first time Pinkie smiled genuinely. “That's okay silly Milly!” She ruffled Millicent’s hair and with that simple gesture Millicent knew they would be alright.
“Well... There is one thing you have to do for me to make it even stevens...”
“Yeah, what's that?”
“Seven sandwiches.”
xxx
Ron had apologized as well after a bit of prompting from Hermione, though it took a moment with all that was going on to realize what he was actually on about. Especially with all that bread in his mouth. Pinkie appreciated the gesture all the same and gave him a big hug.
The entire group went to the first lesson of the day together: potions.
Pinkie sat next to Millicent since she wanted a little help with the stirring. Millicent tended to not follow through with her withershins stirs.
They were well within their potion preparations when Pinkie noticed something.
“Hey, where's Daphne?”
Millicent raised her hands while still concentrating on her work. “Don't look at me she wasn't in the dorms last night either.” She looked around the room and snickered when she saw Pansy looking miserable being partnered with Neville.
Poor Neville looked completely nauseous being close to Pansy stacked upon his usual potions jitters. No doubt a spectacular bang was in the cards.
Rubbing her chin Pinkie looked thoughtful. “Hmm... Want to come looking for her after class?”
Millicent shrugged. “Sure.”
xxx
After searching through most of the castle and some hidey places outside of it there was really only one place she could be.
“She's probably just in the music room.”
“Yeah let's go check! If she's not there we can at least shred some tunes!”
“Yeah alright.”
The halls on the way were quiet so it was easy to hear the sad guitar music that was playing when they approached. Pinkie and Millicent looked at each other and sneaked closer to press their ears against the door to the music room.
The music seemed sombre. They could hear singing as well but they couldn't make out the lyrics.
They sat there listening for quite a while. There was no doubt they had found Daphne.
Pinkie tried to lower the door handle quietly. The singing didn't stop. Millicent and Pinkie tried to enter silently but that caused the music to cease.
A frightened Daphne was what greeted them. She had big bags under her eyes and her hair looked completely dishevelled.
They stared at one another for a moment before Daphne shrieked and threw the guitar at them.
Pinkie ducked and the guitar smashed against the wall in countless bits and pieces. Daphne ran from them but really there was nowhere to run.
They chased her to the end of an isle. A dead end.
Daphne who wasn't used to exertions was breathing heavily. The lack of sleep and food didn't help much either. She hunched over held the wall as she tried to breath.
“I suppose you'll want re-”
“Why did you do it Daphne?” Pinkies voice was was full of hurt trying to figure out this puzzle.
Thousands of thoughts raced through Daphne's mind. 'Because you knew my secret.' 'Because you are a blood traitor and you were weak.' 'Because you came to close!'
None of these were good enough she knew.
“Because... I'm a bad person.”
The words left her mouth before she realized what she said. The shock of hearing them, from sharing them, caused her eyes to well up once more. She slid down the wall and sat on the floor.
“Yeah, you're an evil sewer-skank!”
“Milly! Don't say that!”
“Well she is! Who goes around trying to ruin friendships? Because she listens to the wrong music no less. It's ridiculous.”
The words felt like another dagger in her heart. Why did her parents never told her that schemes would hurt so many? Pinkie was just supposed to be cowed into submission.
Was that wrong too? Nothing made sense anymore.
“It's not helping.” Pinkie grabbed Daphne's hand. Trying to be supportive she sat down next to her.
“Oh Daphne you're not a bad person. Why don't you sit with me and Milly from now on? We can be friends.”
“Pff.” Millicent threw her hands up and looked the other way.
She was ignored by Daphne. “I can't do that. Do you have any idea what my parents would do if they realized I was talking to you? I would be disowned or worse!”
“Why?”
“I'm heir to the house of Greengrass. You're a blood traitor. They would say you've rejected the old ways and therefore are beyond redemption.”
“Well... that's completely bananas!”
“They won't care and mind your words. They are my parents.”
The girls sat together like that for a while in silence. Millicent was pacing through the isle grabbing random objects and putting them back. Daphne and Pinkie both were wondering what went through her head for different reasons.
“I suppose we could just...Not tell anyone.” Pinkie said suddenly. “We could just meet here every once in a while to make music and goof around.”
“You do realize that I would still be cruel to you outside of this room?”
“... I don't mind.”
Hearing Pinkies pronouncement caused Millicent to come stomping back. “Don't do that Pinkie! She's just trying to have her cake and eat it! She's just manipulating us again can't you see that?”
“Uhm... Milly can I talk to you for a second over there please?”
Daphne watched as Pinkie grabbed Millicent's hand and dragged her out of hearing range. She saw Millicent gesticulating wildly and she heard some angry whispers but she couldn't make out the words.
Slowly Millicent's gestures reduced in their intensity and allowed Pinkie to whisper in her ear. Pinkie leaned on Millicent shoulder as she made her point. Suddenly Millicent made an 'ooh' noise of understanding.
They returned and Millicent had a big smile on her face.
“We accept this unconventional friendship. However there is one thing you have to do for us... You have to bring back Pinkie's necklace.”
The necklace. Daphne had completely forgotten about that.
“...I'll do it. If... If I get this for you... Will you forgive me?”
Pinkie grabbed her around the waist. It took a while for Daphne to realize that she was being hugged.
“I already have silly. That necklace is really kinda important to me is all.”
Millicent was a lot less nice about it though. She gestured toward her own eyes with two fingers and then pointed one towards Daphne.
Daphne was released from Pinkies embrace and an awkward silence followed.
“I guess I'll leave first.” Daphne said. “To keep up appearances and all that.”
“Okay. See you on the flip side!”
Trying to figure out what that meant took to much energy out of Daphne as she left the room. Tired, numb but also a little bit relieved she headed towards the dungeons. She wondered idly how she would get that damn necklace back.
That was a problem for tomorrow Daphne.
xxx
Millicent and Pinkie were trying to recreate Daphne's song but they got nowhere. They still had a lot of fun trying but it was clear that neither of them was really that talented with fancy instruments. Or sad songs for that matter.
On the way back to the Slytherin common room Millicent wondered; “Do you think it will work?”
“Of course! And if it somehow doesn't it will anyway.”
“You seem awfully sure.”
“That's because I'm an evil, friendly, scheming genius.”
Pinkie twirled around and giggled when she opened the door to the Slytherin common room.
The stern faces of professor Snape and headmaster Dumbledore greeted her. The room was filled with numerous adults who could only be the parents of everyone involved in this latest mess.
Dumbledore looked every bit the stern teacher that Pinkie knew he could be.
“Miss Pie, miss Bullstrode. We've been waiting for you. If you would take your seats over there we can begin.”
“Oh...shoot.”