Her eyes went wide when Professor Foxwood entered the common room. Millie clamped a hand over her mouth to keep it shut and quiet, fearing what more damage she might do today. She had hardly expected a little conversation with Minnie would have such frightening consequences. Disastrous, now that their head of house was here. There was no fatigue now in her wide eyes, nor hunger in the bottomless pit her stomach had become. Wherever her house pride had gone, the young witch certainly wished she was there instead.
She made sure to stand up in front of the professor, digging her toes as deep as they would go into the carpet now that her dress barely scraped her ankles. His ire seemed to be directed at Minnie and Autumn for the moment, at least, giving Millie a couple moment's reprieve to compose herself and tell her story.
That is, until Mr. Lawrence fingered her among the culprits who started the whole ordeal.
Millie sucked in a breath, and it might have been her last. It wormed its way through her chest and around her stomach, twisting it ever tighter. They were just words, she hadn't been gossiping. That was what Minnie wound up doing, not her. Millie was only a bit frustrated, a little hurt, didn't she deserve to air that, too? The Valenduris girl had succumbed to tears but she had to button her lip and swallow her wounded pride?
The young witch could feel eyes boring their way into her skull, half a dozen from every which direction. She could barely lift her chin to meet them, not wanting to see herself reflected in their eyes. The young witch felt small and exposed, Autumn's friendly gaze had turned away from her, Mattie's warm disposition had turned cold, and Minnie's impatience was radiating so hot that Millie could feel herself burning up.
She didn't dare look at Professor Foxwood, keeping her eyes on the floor somewhere in the middle.
"I'm sorry," she managed to squeak out. It wasn't hardly adequate, there was so much more that Millie wanted to say. About herself, about Autumn's bravery and her brashness, about the reassurance of Minnie's echoing words and how much they appalled her, about Penelope Valenduris and how much she wished the girl could see the good in Ravenclaw first before feeling so bad about them.
Embarrassed didn't begin to cover the state of her feelings. Humiliated, really, that the young Ravenclaws would see her as a menace to their school years while Mattie and Professor Foxwood would see her as a hindrance to keeping their house in order. Mortified, thinking of what her parents would say, and if Papa would even consider letting her continue after next year no matter how well she did in her OWLs.
It was all Millie could do not to break down and cry herself, curling up to nurse the state of her tortured heart. All she could manage was one more, softly-spoken admission. "I'm so sorry."
She made sure to stand up in front of the professor, digging her toes as deep as they would go into the carpet now that her dress barely scraped her ankles. His ire seemed to be directed at Minnie and Autumn for the moment, at least, giving Millie a couple moment's reprieve to compose herself and tell her story.
That is, until Mr. Lawrence fingered her among the culprits who started the whole ordeal.
Millie sucked in a breath, and it might have been her last. It wormed its way through her chest and around her stomach, twisting it ever tighter. They were just words, she hadn't been gossiping. That was what Minnie wound up doing, not her. Millie was only a bit frustrated, a little hurt, didn't she deserve to air that, too? The Valenduris girl had succumbed to tears but she had to button her lip and swallow her wounded pride?
The young witch could feel eyes boring their way into her skull, half a dozen from every which direction. She could barely lift her chin to meet them, not wanting to see herself reflected in their eyes. The young witch felt small and exposed, Autumn's friendly gaze had turned away from her, Mattie's warm disposition had turned cold, and Minnie's impatience was radiating so hot that Millie could feel herself burning up.
She didn't dare look at Professor Foxwood, keeping her eyes on the floor somewhere in the middle.
"I'm sorry," she managed to squeak out. It wasn't hardly adequate, there was so much more that Millie wanted to say. About herself, about Autumn's bravery and her brashness, about the reassurance of Minnie's echoing words and how much they appalled her, about Penelope Valenduris and how much she wished the girl could see the good in Ravenclaw first before feeling so bad about them.
Embarrassed didn't begin to cover the state of her feelings. Humiliated, really, that the young Ravenclaws would see her as a menace to their school years while Mattie and Professor Foxwood would see her as a hindrance to keeping their house in order. Mortified, thinking of what her parents would say, and if Papa would even consider letting her continue after next year no matter how well she did in her OWLs.
It was all Millie could do not to break down and cry herself, curling up to nurse the state of her tortured heart. All she could manage was one more, softly-spoken admission. "I'm so sorry."
![[Image: Aoane36.png]](https://i.imgur.com/Aoane36.png)