FIVE A FIGHTER

"Hey! Hermione!" Thea called, trying to catch up to the girl as everyone dispersed following the feast. She wanted to catch her before they neared Gryffindor territory because Thea was not exactly well-liked over there. It seemed to work because Hermione stopped walking, Ron coming to a halt beside her as the students filed into the hallway around them.

"What do you want, Thea? I've kind of got something to deal with," Hermione sounded exasperated, likely due to the situation with Harry. Thea couldn't imagine what that just feel like — having your friend entered in something that seemed as risky and dangerous as the Tri-Wizard tournament.

Thea tried her best to swallow the lump in her throat and get the words out, saying, "I wanted to apologize for what my sister and I were saying the other day. Helena took things a little too far and I should have stopped her sooner rather than encouraging her. I reckon I owe you more respect than I showed."

Hermione seemed to be surprised to hear an apology as her expression softened, "Oh, well, it's not exactly okay, but I suppose I can accept your apology. Thank you, not many Slytherins even seem to know the meaning of the word sorry."

"I told my sister what yours said about our family," Ron spoke up, "Reckon those two are fighting now, sorry."

"She deserves it, if she's gonna be a hypocrite she can reap what she sows for all I care," Thea spoke, sounding exasperated. She loved her sister, but she had a lot of growing to do. She turned back to Hermione, "And um, I'm sorry for making fun of your S.P.E.W. thing, I think it's quite noble of you even if you don't really understand what goes on with house-elves. ....That was backhanded wasn't it? Sorry, I'm trying to get better at not doing that."

Surprisingly, Hermione laughed at this. Thea had never heard the girl's laugh so close to her ears before, but now it was her favorite song. "Here, you can repay me by taking one of these."

The girl pulled something out of the pocket of her robe and handed it over to Thea. "I know you teased me about it, but I thought buttons were a rather good idea."

Thea took the button, rubbing her thumb over the shiny front of it and wondering how Hermione was even able to make something like this. She just smiled and pocketed it, "I thought they were a good idea, too. What's next, posters?"

"Maybe," Hermione shrugged with a smile on her face, "But I'd make you help me with them, you do owe me after all."

"Yeah, I guess I do," Thea spoke with a slight laugh. She caught a glimpse of her sister and figured she should probably go bug her instead, so she gave Hermione and Ron a two-finger salute and said, "See you around, Granger, Weasley — Oi, Helena!"

She jogged to catch up to her sister, nudging her side and saying, "So? You're fighting with Ginny? Now, why ever would that be?"

"Shut up," Helena groaned, "Did I just see you talking to Ron and Hermione? Draco will murder you if he finds out, you know."

"Well good thing we're not gonna tell him, are we? Besides, I was just apologizing for your behavior. Well, and mine, but mostly yours!" she exclaimed as they walked towards the dungeons. "You really need to learn how to bite your tongue around Weasley's if you wanna be friends with one of them, you know. If I were you, I'd apologize to Ginny before it's too late, reckon she'll find someone more fun to be around in no time."

Helena groaned, "Oh, piss off, why do you even care who I'm friends with? You don't even like Weasley's!"

"So? You don't have to like people to not be an asshole to them," Thea scoffed, "I mean, I'm nice to you, doesn't mean I like you."

"Don't be a bitch," the younger of the two rolled her eyes and Thea's response was the smack the bank of her head, leaving the girl rubbing her neck. "Ow! See what I mean? Hit me again, I'll write to mum!"

Thea threw her head back into a laugh at this, "No you won't! You know how many times I wrote mum home about Eleanor pulling my pigtails and shit when she still went here? Had to have been hundreds! Guess how many times she wrote back? Zilch, zero, nada. So good luck with that one. Go ahead, try it."

"Why can't you go talk to Draco? Or Pansy? Why did it have to be me? I was having a lovely evening before you arrived, you know. The feast was so peaceful without you flicking your dinner at me," Helena huffed as they began to approach their common room. They stood outside the door and the girl spoke the password before they entered the literal dungeon they called home. Thea always thought it was a little unfair that the "evil ones" got stuck in the dungeon. A bit on the nose if you asked her.

"Because I enjoy your company, why else?" the older girl shrugged, pushing her sister gently to the side. "Whatever, I'm going to work on my potions essay have fun being someone else's nuisance."

She headed up to the dormitories, opting to get out of her robes and work on her essay in bed rather than in the crowded common room. She has always liked solitude a bit more than anyone else and she decided it was worth risking spilled ink on her bedsheets. When she entered the dormitories, Pansy was there changing out of her robes as well.

"There you are!" Pansy exclaimed, "You disappeared after dinner, I thought you died."

"So dramatic, Pans," Thea scoffed as she shrugged off her robes and folded them as neatly as she could be bothered. "I was just chatting with some people and then bugging Helena, like always."

"Who were you talking to? I was with Draco and everyone," the dark-haired girl questioned, looking at Thea quizzically.

The girl didn't answer right away, pretending to busy herself absentmindedly as she pulled out the materials for her essay, speaking casually, "Oh, uh, I was speaking with Lizzie, asking her how she feels now that Cedric's one of the champions. I'd be pretty scared if my boyfriend was set to participate in a deadly tournament."

Pansy scoffed at this, crossing her arms as she sat back on her bed, watching the other girl scribble at the parchment. "I reckon you'd have to actually have a boyfriend to worry about him, hm? You're not one for romance, really though, are you, Thea?"

Thea paused her writing to look up at the girl across from her, shaking her head, "No, never really saw a point in it. I mean, I have crushes and stuff, but it's pretty stupid to pursue them considering I'll probably get married off to some pure-blood to keep it in the family. Bleh."

"You don't want that?" Pansy asked, moving so she was propping herself up by the elbows with her feet by her pillows.

"Not really," Thea shrugged, "I mean, the pure-blood families are all distantly related if you think about it so... kind of gross. I'd rather let it be my choice, regardless."

Pansy was staring at her and Thea really couldn't pinpoint why until she said, "You don't like boys, do you? That's the real reason. I mean, Draco's been in love with you for years and you've never even given him a second glance."

"Draco's not in love with me," Thea muttered, clearing her throat, "And although it's none of your business, no, I've found I really don't. However, my family is who they are so I'll probably end up marrying one anyway so no point in acting on anything. Hence the lack of romance in my life. Are you done quizzing me, Parkinson?"

"I think that's a loser's stance," Pansy shrugged, "I mean, yeah, you could keep that quiet and marry some bloke and live a life of forced happiness or you could actually own up to it and live a life you enjoy. It's not like you're the oldest in your family, you can probably count on Eleanor to keep the bloodline going."

Thea sighed, looking up at the girl as she spoke softly, "Pansy, I'm not a fighter and I don't think I ever will be. Let's just pretend this conversation never happened, okay?"

The girl looked like she had more to say, but she bit her tongue and nodded. The conversation was dropped as silence filled the room. The girl sighed once more, feeling no better than she had when she entered the room.