𝕲odric Gryffindor was going to feel the havoc of Winnifred Bulstrode one day. Because the girl was not having an excellent fifth year, it was as if the terrible twos had turned into a tremendous terrible fucking year. Winnie had once tried to shoot bubblegum wrappers at Peeves after he dumped a pocket of water all over here that Wednesday morning. She had yet to remember what had happened precisely. She just remembered repeating words that would surely grant her a year's worth of detention if repeated. Winnie could not find it in herself to care much.

         She was excellent with the torment that was the bloody poltergeist of Hogwarts, he was just a child, and Winnie reckoned she could give him a good chance for money if she really put her mind down and tried to come up with a plan. But Winnie had far too much on her plate that year, with O.W.L's, glaring at Zacharias Smith every chance she got and spreading the word about Hogshead, she was absolutely wrecked.

         But nothing could ever beat the pudgy pink woman that was Professor Umbridge. Of course, she never had a run-in with her that left her fuming and crimson across her dark skin until Thursday afternoon. Winnie had just been running across the castle heading to Potions when she stumbled across the pink lady herself. She was getting ready to duck her head and scurry across the hallway towards the dungeons, but unfortunately, Winnie could never leave well enough alone.

          As luck would have it, she stumbled upon Umbridge giving another first-year detention at that exact moment. Now, Winnie wasn't a dimwit by any means. It had taken her only a short time to determine what detention meant for Umbridge. She had accidentally seen Harry Potter's hand in class one day, red with words written across it. She dropped her quill, her mouth agape as she resisted the urge to question him. But the fact that they barely spoke held her back. However, that was the day that Umbridge — Umbitch — became a target for Winnie Buldstrode.

        There was no chance that Winnie would simply leave the crying eleven-year-old who was being yelled at by Umbitch. Instead, she marched right over toward the two. Pulling the young girl in front of her as she stared down at the more petite women, a sense of power filling her despite only being fifteen years old.

           "Why are you yelling at a child? I think that seems rather sad, don't you?" Winnie questioned as she clicked her tongue, letting the younger boy go, who quickly took off down the hall. Now alone, the blonde crossed her arms over her chest, narrowed brown eyes staring at the ProfessorProfessor.

         "Is that how you talk to your Professor?" Umbridge questioned darkly, her tiny lips pulling into a sneer as Winnie snorted, rolling her eyes.

          "It's how I talk to a bully," the girl shot back, eyes drawn into slits as Umbridge gaped at her momentarily. Before she took a step towards her, Winnie suspected Umbridge wanted her to carrow in fear. It was almost laughable, really. That she was supposed to be scared of such a vile woman. If anything, Winnie wished she could squash her like the bug she was.

           "Detention, Miss. Bulstrode," the woman seethed, pulling out a pink slip and shoving it into the female's chest. Winnie stumbled slightly, catching herself on the wall behind her before she clutched the title in between her fingers, crumpling it.

          "Perfect, you can show me your medieval ways. Merlin knows you're old enough for it," the girl chuckled, smirking as the older woman gaped at her again. Winnie's eyes flicked down to where the woman gripped her wand tightly to her side, causing the blood in her hand to nearly vanish as it turned white. "Careful, I wouldn't hex a student Professor. We were simply talking," the girl spoke, jutting out a bottom lip as she fluttered her eyelashes innocently. Umbridge seethed, raising her wand as she opened her mouth to speak just as a voice rang out from the corridor.

           "Winnie! There you are. I've been looking for you everywhere!" Winnie's eyes flashed momentarily as the all too familiar voice of Theodore Nott swirled around her. The girl snapped her head to the side where Theo grinned, standing beside her as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. The female shoved his arm off, only for it to be replaced once more. "Oh, hi, Professor. Mind if I steal my girlfriend? She's supposed to be tutoring me." he spoke calmly as he smiled. All the while, Winnie felt herself freeze under his arm, her mouth falling open as she turned to stare at him. Girlfriend? Girlfriend!

         "You better keep a closer eye on your girlfriend there, Nott. She doesn't seem to know any manners," Umbridge spoke sternly as she stood straighter, smoothing down her pink robes as he glared at Winnie. Who turned her attention away from Theo, suddenly remembering who the real problem was.

          "Oh, really? I think she has plenty of manners," Theo answered swiftly, causing the woman's face to falter, and for a genuine moment, Winnie found herself holding back the will to laugh at something Theodore Nott had said. The boy swung them around and walked them down the corridor with his arm still wrapped around her shoulders. Finally, when they were a few feet away, the female let the laughter bubble out of her lips. Her hand came up to cover her mouth as she leaned on his shoulder momentarily, the duo stopping in the corner next to a gargoyle statue. Theo's chest rumbled with laughter, green eyes dancing with slight amazement as he watched the blonde girl laugh against his shoulder, and for a moment, they existed in a world where they were just them. Unbidden from the pressures of their family and free from the chains of fear that held them down.

            Unfortunately, the reality seemed to knock them back into Winnie Buldstrode. Suddenly, she remembered who exactly had their arm around her shoulders and who she was laughing against. Her laughter quickly sucked inside of her, her hand pushing his arm off her. Before he could even blink to register what had happened, she swiftly hit him on the shoulder with her bag.

             "Ow! Woman, what was that for?" He spoke sharply as he jumped back, seeing her aim to hit him again with his back. She dropped her hands to her side, narrowing her brown eyes at him as she flew her hands up.

          "What was that for? What was that for, he asks," the girl half shouted, half muttered as she ran a hand through her almost raven locks before pointing a bony finger towards him. "Girlfriend? Theodore Nott, nobody in their right mind would ever believe that!" She yelled, bewildered as he stared wide-eyed at her.

            "I just saved you from getting your arse hexed! You could at least say thank you!" He argued, narrowing his mossy green eyes as she rolled her eyes, scoffing at the Slytherin.

         "Thank you? I had that handled, thank you very much," she spoke matter of factly with a flick of her hand. This time Theo was the one who rolled his eyes, running a hand through his brunet locks before placing piercing eyes on her.

          "If having a wand pointed at your face by an outraged Professor means handled to you, yeah, sure, you have things handled," he drawled, watching as she began to pace in front of him. Her hands turned into fists, and her right fist held a crumpled pink paper. "Why in Salazar's fucking ball sack were you thinking anyway?" He questioned as she stopped, looking at him with furrowed eyebrows.

       She almost found the sentence funny. Winnie supposed if she wasn't as angry as she was ( or perhaps it was anyone but Theodore Nott who said it ), she would laugh at it. But she didn't. Instead, Winnie returned to her pacing and simply shrugged. "Don't know, I just don't like bullies, especially not children," she answered simply, chewing on her fingernails as she paced.

        "Would you stop pacing? You're giving me a headache," the boy spoke, reaching out and grasping her wrist. She froze, breathing heavily out her nostrils before tearing her wrist away from his touch as if he burned her. She stood, chewing on her nails as she stared at the floor, half having to walk away and tell him to fuck off over her shoulder. Instead, words tumbled from her mouth.

        "How could they hire her? She's bloody vile, and that's coming from someone who's had Snape for the last five years," she paused, noticing how Theo's lips pulled into a frown slightly at her words. "Oh, don't give me that look. You know he is absolutely bonkers, mentally and cruel to anyone who isn't in Slytherin," she growled, narrowing her eyes as if daring him to disagree. Theodore Nott didn't dare to.

           "It's the Ministry's doing," Theo shrugged as he looked down at the floor, ignoring how his stomach twisted the longer she stayed. He wondered how this was the most extended conversation they had ever had.

             "Yeah, well, the Ministry is absolutely shite," she laughed bitterly, her arms wrapping around her waist. Her Gryffindor robes were undone, exposing the skin of her leg as she leaned against the wall across from him. Grey stockings stopped just above the knee as her skirt rode up, as her foot was placed against the wall. She rubbed her nose in irritation, twisting her ring as she crumpled the paper.

           "You got detention," he inclined his head towards the pink slip, clearing his throat as he looked up at the roof of the hallway. Winnie blinked at his words, eyebrows furrowing in confusion, until she remembered the slip clutched tightly in her hand. She snorted, bringing her hand up and peering at the crumpled piece of paper with narrowed eyes.

               "Yeah, that old bat thinks I have an attitude. Cute," Winnie drawled, smiling before shoving the paper into the pocket of her robes. She pushed her foot off the walk, laying it over her other foot as she stared at the floor.

              "You do have an attitude. I guess it's cute in a barbaric way," Theo's voice cut through her like ice, shivering down her spine as she looked up at him with narrowed eyes. Theo was staring back at her was a line of his lips, his green eyes staring holes into her own chocolate brown ones. She fidgeted slightly, her fingers drawing together as she stared at him. Suddenly Winnie was aware of precisely what she was doing, conversing with Theodore Nott. She couldn't recall ever having a whole conversation with him. When they spoke, both of them often yelled at each other. Winnie didn't know what to do with this new territory, so she was used to building her walls around him. And Winnie Buldstrode did the only thing she knew how to ever do. She ran.

             Leaving a stunned Theodore Nott behind, whose eyes watched her disappear down the hallway and around the corner almost as if she was never there in the first place. All the while, Winnie's mind whirled. She was positive that she was indeed going mad, or worse, she was perfectly sane.

༺♥༻

            𝕿here was a reason why Winnie Buldstrode questioned why she was sorted into Gryffindor. Sure, she had the balls to do so many pranks, and she had the balls to stand up to a teacher when they were wrongfully abusing a student. Winnie Bulstrode, however, was not brave by any means. If she was, so many things in her life would be easier. Perhaps she wouldn't be angry all the time, she wouldn't run from her family, and possibly she would have the bravery to look them in the face and tell them they were wrong. Maybe she would be brave enough to tell her cousin why she wouldn't give Theo a chance. She may be brave enough to stay and talk to him rather than run.

           She could be brave enough to remember children change.

              Winnie Bulstrode was scared. She was more nervous than she liked to admit. She swallowed that bravery and let the fear take over. She often liked to pretend she was alright and brave and not scared. People believed that because people like to see what they want to see. Even her own cousin thought it. Winnie really couldn't blame her for that. She harboured no hard feelings towards Cordelia for visiting what Winnie wanted her to see. If anything, Winnie was arguing that she was protecting Cordelia Flint. Protecting her from the actual face that was Winnie Buldstrode.

              She pretended that she didn't care much. She pretended it didn't bother her when her parents looked at her disappointedly. She pretended it didn't bother her when her sister dared not look at her in the halls anymore. She pretended it didn't bother her when she awakened some days, feeling coldness grip her shoulder with bony hands, grief washing over, whispering words in her ear that made her want to cry for days on end and never leave her bed. Winnie Buldstrode didn't ever let herself feel for much. She didn't cry. Crying was not an option for her. If she cried, she would face the problems she worked so hard to shove down, and Winnie was not brave enough to meet them.

            This was precisely why she showed no pain or anger when she sat at the table in Umbridge's room. It was as if she was different than the girl who had yelled at her ProfessorProfessor just hours before. She simply sat, writing with no ink as the words 'Blood Traitors keep their mouth shut.' It was laughable in a way. Nobody called her a blood traitor, though she suspected that many (and most) purebloods also saw what she saw. Her parents always toyed on the line of calling her but then holding on to hope that maybe she'll see reason.

          Hope was a stupid thing to have.

             Winnie suspected she would find herself being blinded by rage later that night, and every time she would come to look at the words now permanently etched onto the front of her left hand. It was always a cycle for her, moving from anger to feeling nothing but fear. She used to wonder when it would stop, but she stopped wondering after her fourth year.

          Across from her sat a boy with messy, untamed hair. His green eyes flashed behind round glasses as his eyes kept looking up toward her. The pair could count on one hand how many times they had spoken to each other, once during the first year. After Winnie had run into him on the train, when he was dressed in clothes that seemed to drown him, her sister laughed at him, while Winnie — noticing how he stared with flushed cheeks — told him that she liked his glasses. It wasn't until the third year they spoke again, seeing as their pasts barely crossed. It was in Professor Lupin's class that they struck again. By far her favourite teacher, the man was tutoring her, and apparently Harry. For they crossed paths as she was just leaving and he was just arriving, he smiled at her, saying hello. She stared, shocked, and maybe harboured some angry thoughts about him because of him and Weasley abandoning Hermione, yet she said hello all the same.

          They spoke once more in their fourth year. This time it had been on purpose and not by accident. Harry had come to her asking if she had seen Cathy Chang anywhere. The girl simply said no but asked if she could message her. Slumping down and seeming heartbroken, he replied no. She was glad he didn't ask her to return a message, for Chang had already had a date. Later, he was planning on asking Chang to the Yule Ball. Her girlfriend, Lucy, for that matter.

           They hadn't spoken since, and neither seemed too bothered by it. They weren't friends, only had one tie together due to Hermione Granger. And yet, they formed another connection to each other that day, one now that scarred their body forever.

            It was dark when Umbridge let them go, the moon sinking in from the expansive windows. Winnie's hand was sore and stinging with dried and new blood mixing together. Her teeth gritted together as her anger returned, glaring darts at the woman, especially when she had asked her to return the next day. If looks could kill, Umbridge would be six feet under by now.

          "Bulstrode!" Winnie would soon discover the kindness that grew in Harry Potter's heart. She envied that kindness. How he managed to smile and not fear away from people, she wondered how he did it. She asked how he wasn't afraid. "Are you alright?" Harry questioned as he rubbed at the back of his neck, the female raising an eyebrow but continuing to fall into a stride with him.

           "I'm fine, Potter, thanks." She replied, despite the pain that twinkled through her hand. All she could think about was punching something in the face, or her stomach seemed to be taking on its own voice. "She's a bloody pig, and the freaky cat pictures will haunt me." To her surprise, Harry had laughed at that, and she found herself grinning at the sound.

          "I thought they were just the cutest, absolutely in order," the boy drawled sarcastically, his hand clutching his bag as they walked. Winnie grinned widely, looking over at him with her head tilted. Harry Potter was the person she would've never thought she would find herself talking to. Really, she had no bad feelings for him. But she came from a world of darkness and expectations, hating people like him. He came from a world of light, surrounded by people who loved him and loved him enough to die for him.

          "You're alright, Potter," she grinned, looking away as she kept walking past the steps that lead to the Gryffindor common room.

         "Er... thank you?" The boy questioned softly, raising an eyebrow as Winnie snorted, nudging him with her arm.

          "Relax, it was a compliment," she spoke, watching as the boy's face flushed slightly before he nodded, clearing his throat.

             "I... er, you know you went past our common room, right?" He questioned slowly as Winnie rolled her eyes, turning towards the Hufflepuff one as she started walking backwards.

       "Really? I had no idea," she spoke, gasping, placing her hand on her chest as he snorted slightly.

         "Where are you going?" He questioned, raising his eyebrow as he froze, watching her walk backwards.

             "Kitchens, we missed dinner. I'm starving," she shrugged as if it's the most obvious thing in the world, which to her, it was. She paused, eyes trailing over him as she suddenly remembered who she was talking to. Remember how Harry grew nervous whenever her cousin was around, or how he avoided her gaze as if his life depended on it. Winnie tilted her head to the side, smiling, "Want to join me?"

              Fear. Harry blinked at her, half expecting her to take away the invitation, but she stood, awaiting an answer; his stomach growled. Flushing red, he nodded before hurrying down after her. Winnie smiled, turning on her heel and continuing towards the kitchen with Harry in tow. She was half inviting him to get dirt on him to see if he was interested in Cordelia but half asking him so she wouldn't be alone with her thoughts.

              They halted as they reached the kitchen opening, Winnie reaching up on her toes to tickle the pear with her finger. She stepped backwards and watched as the portrait parted, exposing a small hallway. Winnie stepped in first, not waiting to see if Harry was going to. She quickly entered the kitchen's light, where a house elf almost appeared.

                "Miss is here. Can Binky get Miss anything?" The tiny house elf asked as she twirled her left ear, Winnie smiling softly just as Harry came into view behind her. Just as he did, another house elf appeared, wearing a knitted sweater and mismatched socks.

                 "Harry Potter came to see Dobby! Harry Potter is a generous wizard, yes he is," the house elf named Dobby smiled widely as he stared at Harry, who Winnie noticed shifted on his feet slightly. The girl chuckled before returning her attention to Binky, who was watching her with watery eyes.

              "Can I just have a peanut butter sandwich and hot cocoa, Binky?" Winnie questioned softly as the house nodded her head.

             "Binky will have that ready for Miss right away," Binky disappeared with a tiny crack, her small voice disappearing just as Dobby did. Winnie glanced up at Harry, flushed face and scratching the back of his neck. She snorted slightly before walking to one of the stools beside the table. Sitting her bag on the table beside her, her eyes fell on the words against her hand. The phrase blood traitor stood out with dried blood as she tore her eyes away, staring at the flickering flames of the fire in the fireplace next to them.

              "Why does your hand say, blood traitor?" Harry questioned quietly after a few minutes, the female looking over at him as her lips pulled into a thin line. Her eyes fell to her hand as she bit the bottom lip, dragging her teeth across it. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked. It's none of—"

                "My parents believe in blood supremacy." She cut him off sharply, her eyes flickering back to the fireplace as she watched the flames grow. "They're a long line of Slytherins. They expected me to be like them. Like my sister, believe in blood supremacy, and be a Slytherin who's vile and cruel. I never understood it as a child," the girl paused momentarily as she frowned, fear and loneliness crippling her. "The Bulstrode Manor is beside a muggle town. You know, as a kid, I would sneak away. Hide in a tree and watch the muggles for hours before I had to come back."

               A crack signalled the arrival of the house elves, Binky setting Winnie's sandwich and hot cocoa in front of her. Winnie chewed silently on her sandwich as her eyes watched the magicked spoon stir her hot cocoa. While Dobby set Mac and Cheese and pumpkin juice in front of him, the two bid a thank you to each house elf before they were alone again.

               "Why did you watch them? The muggles, I mean," Harry questioned after a moment, his hand lifting the cup of pumpkin juice to his lips as Winnie looked over at him. Her eyes were drawn closed as she swallowed thickly before sighing.

              "My parents told me they were dirty all my life. They stole things from us. As a kid, you believe whatever you are told. I didn't mean to find them at; first, I was simply climbing trees, but once I did, I couldn't stop," she paused as she opened her eyes, seeing Harry watching her closely. "I didn't see what they said they were. I saw... I saw just people, like you and me, only without magic. But I saw families, happy, and then I would return to the cold of my Manor, and it was like nothing made sense." She shrugged, shrugging in her seat as she took another bite of her sandwich.

               "I know someone like you," Harry stayed quietly. Winnie shot her head towards him. Someone like her? She doubted that indeed. If he did, why didn't she know them? Nobody got it. Nobody truly understood what happened when she was home. It felt like she genuinely doubted he did. "Er ... I mean," Harry paused, his face flush almost as if trying to cover something. Something that she didn't exactly know what it was.

              "Are you lying?" She questioned, watching him closely as his mouth fell open, his green eyes narrowing at her question.

                "No, I'm not lying, it's just," he paused as he breathed out frustratedly, Winnie furrowing her eyebrows as she watched him intently. "It's hard to explain, but I know someone like you. Who went against their own family," he added quietly as Winnie scuffed, dropping her sandwich and picking up her mug.

            "I haven't gone against my family," she didn't even believe the words when they left her mouth, and apparently, Harry didn't either. For he looked over at her then, his eyebrow raised slightly.

             "No? Do you agree with them? About blood supremacy, because you seem pretty close to Hermione," he stated as Winnie frowned, looking down at the liquid in the white mug before she sighed. Eyebrows furrowing together, it was different when it was put like that. She had no problem admitting she was disappointed, and Winnie had no problem admitting she wasn't like them. But going against them seemed more natural and genuine fear that she didn't know how to overcome.

             Suddenly the walls of the room seemed to close in on her. Her chest tightened as she shut her eyes. Forcing herself to breathe sharply in and out, controlling her mind as it moved quicker than she could process. Harry seemed to notice her state, for he quickly changed the subject. Winnie would later feel more grateful for Harry Potter than she thought.

             "Hermione said you were coming Saturday," Harry spoke smoothly as Winnie opened her eyes, swallowing her emotions by drowning them in hot cocoa.

             "Uhm, yeah. Yeah, I am," she smiled briskly, though Harry noticed how it didn't reach her eyes. "Cordelia is too," she added quickly, watching as his lips pulled into a frown as he looked at her. The mention of Cordelia worked like a charm, for his lips fell open briefly, and his face flushed. The boy averted his gaze and stuffed his face with a mouthful of food. It was almost comical, really. Winnie found herself holding back a laugh as she took a bite out of her sandwich.

             "Oh, erm, that's cool, yeah... that's cool," Harry replied, stumbling over his words as he looked elsewhere. The girl giggled slightly, eyeing him before turning towards the fire again. Her hand held the last piece of the peanut butter sandwich. "Is she like... like you or your parents?" Harry questioned slowly, his voice a whisper as Winnie turned her gaze to him. Meeting his vibrant green eyes with her own clouded brown.

              "She's not a bad person Harry if that's what you're asking," she replied thickly, narrowing her eyes at him as he looked down, staring at the remains of his food. "She's a better person than most, better than me, honestly," she laughed softly, looking down as she smiled sadly. "If you ask me who she's like, she's like no one. She's herself," she answered, watching the liquid in her mug swirl softly. "And if you're interested, I just have one thing to say." she glanced up at him, watching as he sat up straighter, eyes widening behind his glasses.

            "I-I'm not-" She held up a hand for him to stop, freezing his words from thumping out of his mouth.

              "Save it, Potter. I see how you look at her," she argued, eyes narrowing slightly as the boy slumped in defeat. A hollow look faded across his face as he pushed his glasses up. Her heart sunk at a glance. Twisting and tugging for him in a way that made her skin crawl. This is why she stayed away from people. She often felt their emotions hitting her square in her chest, and once they were there, they never disappeared. "I just wanted to say be careful. Cordelia, she's," she trailed off, licking her lips as she looked down at the liquid in her mind. "She's the only person in my life I allow myself to protect, and you don't owe me anything, but just be careful with her if you like her. That's all," she finishes, sighing as she tucks strands of her brown hair behind her ears.

              The unlikely pair didn't speak much after that, instead enjoying the silence that moved around them before they parted their separate ways. By the time Winnie Buldstrode found herself laying in the comfort of her four-poster bed, with her red curtains drawn shut, she had found herself staring into the darkness. The sound of her black cat purring next to her as her fingers treaded softly through the fur. The weight of her lies and mask slipped off her body, only to be added once more when she awoke early. But for not, she allowed herself to feel it. Feel the pain and fear that slowly ate away at her, leaving her nothing but a shell of herself.

EDITED APRIL 7TH, 2020 / Fun fact: Harry's and Winnie's meeting here was totally unplanned. It was supposed to be Hermione and her, but I thought this worked better :)