March 8th, 1888 — Some classroom next to the Art Club one
Handsome Whitledge

"They started it," Ruby explained in a tired tone.

Her most recent painting, laying destroyed on the floor, was proof of that. Ruby had been minding her business during an art club meeting when some girls (who had been so friendly to her while Papa had still been Minister) started messing with her. The usual, boring words, something about wolves and her twin. Ruby was tired of those insults, to the point that they were no longer even insulting. The only reason why wands ended up being drawn was that they'd persisted. They'd wanted for Ruby to react. They'd destroyed her painting, which had done nothing to them (not that Ruby or Topaz or werewolves had) and Ruby had hexed one of them.

The Head Boy ended up getting involved and, because he was her housemate too, he now seemed to feel the need to hear her end of the story. Or whatever.

"Honestly, there's no point talking about it, people will keep pestering me until every last werewolf upon this earth is gone. And even then they won't let me forget that my sister is one, as if it's that easy to forget it. Honestly, I don't understand why so many people seem to be under the impression that I'm unaware of my sister's condition." Ruby huffed. She was getting tired, of all of them. She didn't even want to fight anymore. She only wanted to be left the fuck alone to paint her pictures.

  

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set by MJ

Handsome may have shown his fair share of prejudice towards half-breeds during the summer—namely half-vampires, but he blamed much of that on his sister's insistence on getting involved with them!—but he'd never really considered werewolves to be half-breeds. Lycanthropy, in his mind, was an unfortunate illness that had yet to be cured; still, he didn't think anyone should be outcast for that. Though the debacle with Miss Topaz Urquart had happened over six months ago, the rippling effects were still being felt around the school and society in general. While he could avoid the topic, he realized certain people (namely the other Miss Urquart) couldn't.

"I know that telling it not to bother you won't work—" It never did, really. "—but throwing spells around the classroom is no way to handle these situations," he lectured quietly, though the sympathy was definitely evident in his voice. He glanced towards the destroyed painting before reaching to pick it up.

  

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— set by MJ —

"What was I supposed to do?" Ruby asked, exasperated. "They wouldn't leave me alone until I reacted in some way. And anyway, didn't they throw spells when they destroyed my painting? Or does that not count because it's only a painting?" They had been violent to Ruby first.

  

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set by MJ

Frowning, Handsome turned his eyes to the painting. "Er - tell someone, I guess." That was a pathetic answer, and it really didn't stop her paintings from getting destroyed—he knew that. "Well, you could always request a private room to paint. I'm sure one of the more experienced professors - Professor Darrow, maybe - wouldn't mind putting a barrier on the door to prevent other students from getting in," he suggested.

"If anything else, you could make an exhibit out of this piece. You know, on what happens when bigotry strikes—literally," he added with a shrug.

  

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— set by MJ —

It was offensive how utterly useless the Head Boy was. Problem was, it wasn't his fault. There were professors who couldn't really do anything to help Ruby. Some of them meant well, but still, they couldn't stop attacks from happening. They could only offer her the right to hide. Like Professor Sleptov, who'd allowed her not to attend the lesson on werewolves.

"I don't want to hide," Ruby said. "If I did what you're suggesting, people would think I'm weak. And then, when you or Professor Darrow wouldn't be around to save me, their attacks would be worse. At least when I'm throwing spells around, I'm showing that I'm not to be messed with."

  

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set by MJ

Handsome took a deep breath. She wasn't wrong, which made him feel even worse. What could possible be more cowardly than hiding, especially when one didn't want to? And for a Gryffindor—someone who valued bravery, action, and change—it was even worse. "I know, Miss Urquart," he said, trying to convey his sympathy in the best way he could. "But you know the rules. The people—the ones bothering you—would only enjoy watching you forced from school for violence. I can't imagine Headmaster Black would stand behind you."

He took in a deep breath. "Your father still has influence. Write to him. See what he could possibly do." Even if Mr. Urquart wasn't the minister, he was still on the Wizengamot, right?

  

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— set by MJ —

The rules were so unfair, Ruby thought bitterly. They were designed to help students from violence by not allowing it -- what happened when using violence was the only way to protect yourself, though? The rules didn't take into consideration girls whose sisters were turned into werewolves and who received their classmates' verbal abuse for that fact. Words hurt just as much as jinxes, yet they were seldom punished by the points system.

After Topaz's attack, Ruby felt like she'd matured to the unfairness of the world. Handsome Whitledge, or the other hand, was a naive fool. Ruby gave a loud nasal exhale.

"My father can't really do anything more than ask my professors to tuck me away in some guarded classroom where my bullies may not enter." And that wasn't a solution, not a long-term one, at least.

"You can't help me," Ruby concluded with a sigh. She stood from the desk she was sitting at and waved her wand so the pieces from her destroyed painting would fly to a bin at one of the corners.

  

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set by MJ

Letting out a frustrated huff, Handsome watched as Miss Urquart threw away the pieces of her artwork. "I'm just trying to avoid getting you into trouble. I imagine you've gone through more than has been visible to the public. Expulsion won't help you," he tried to explain. It was awful, not being able to help someone who really needed it.

It didn't seem like she was all that interested in his talk, and that was because it was talk. What solutions did he, a barely-eighteen boy with an artificial title have? Money, while solving many of life's problems, couldn't solve prejudice. Neither could the influences of powerful people, as much as he liked to believe that.

"I'm sorry. Just... don't go getting yourself in something you can't fix," he sighed with a shake of his head.

Like that was likely.

  

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— set by MJ —

"I promise, I won't," Ruby told the Head Boy with a small, sad smile. In spite of his general uselessness, he meant well, and Ruby appreciated that. It was a good feeling to know that at least the heads of her House were on her side. Even if they couldn't really help her.

  

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set by MJ