Detention Diaries

The next day came like a flash and the classes flew by even faster, barely paying any attention to the actual lesson – as per usual, an ill-willed person would claim – my mind too engrossed in the charm to unlock the diary. The diary Theodore had kept for the whole night in his dorm, supposedly in an attempt to decipher how to make it open. As for Theodore, he was nowhere to be found or seen. Not that I was even looking for him, of course, but he hadn't attended any classes we shared, despite his girlfriend being everywhere all at once. His girlfriend, Daphne, is popular. Daphne is mesmerizing and breathtaking with her straight, blonde hair and deep brown doe-eyes. Every boy's dream girl, she was. But, Merlin, was she a bitch. Everyone knew that, it was common knowledge how the Greengrass sisters were nothing alike – both personality and look wise – and that was the reason everyone preferred Astoria over Daphne. Daphne strived in attention from everything that carried male genitalia, despite being Theodore's girlfriend of two years. That was the truth, even if no one would dare confirm it to her face. She knew she was desirable and she took great advantage of it; making boys buy her favorite sweet coffee, free butterbeer with lots of foam, just how she liked it or else she would throw it away and pearly jewelry that she would never wear. Honestly, good for her, boys were brainless masses of hormones at this age. If I wasn't that much of a prick to everyone, I would treat everyone the same as her. 100%. Just like any Slytherin would do if they were in her shoes.

Classes were finished for the day by now, the ringing bell signaling lessons to be over echoed throughout the entire castle, students swimming in the crowded corridors like a wave. The voices of everyone bustled across every corner, bumping into each other but no one paid mind. They seemed busy enough not to pay attention to the smallest details; the melody of sparrows chirping not far away from the castle, the soft breeze that brushed against the shell of our ears and the autumn, rustling leaves of ancient oak trees in the courtyard that sang. All senses perked up – even scent; the house-elves were brewing a new recipe for raspberry-strawberry jam, able to taste the sweet aroma on my tongue. The fruit seeds freshly picked up straight from certified Hogsmeade food merchants, the juices oozing out of the narrowed, low kitchen's cauldrons and straight to our nostrils. Many students came and went down the scurry hallways, all seeming to chase their activities than stop for a moment and relax their hasten pace. Hurried footsteps kept jumping up and down the stone walls rhythmically, while their slurry conversations passed but a blurry cloud of words past many.

As I was about to enter my dorm room, a strange sense of being watched made my skin prickle. Before I could even turn around, dashing footsteps slapped against the velvet carpet and I instantly recognized the very, very familiar expensive Mary Jane's that sunk into the smoothness.

"Knight!" a high-pitched voice behind me called out resoundingly, making my eyes roll back into my head, not believing my ugly luck, hand still resting on the door's handle. I turned to the side with a small sigh rumbling in my chest, fingers tapping impatiently over the twisted doorknob.

"Missed me, Greengrass?" I replied with a neutral tone that reeked indifference, a small, emotionless smile curling my lips to appear less irritated.

"Care to tell me why Theodore got back to his dorm late last night?" Daphne hissed with a sneering lip; hands placed firmly over her hips and short skirt angled unevenly over her thighs as if she had just whipped it up from Merlin knows where. Her mouth open as she chewed a bubblegum noisily with aggravating fashion, the sound reaching my ears like an unforgivable curse. I stared at her plainly, rubbing the back of my neck, having to deal with her round-the-clock shows of jealousy. As if Theodore and I would ever become an object of anything but avoidance. Her mistrust securely placed on her disloyal boyfriend – gossip reaches every student's ear in this castle, including me – but also dragging me along the way. Unfairly so.

"Did your tracking charm not tell on him?" I probed with a sigh of detachment, leaning my back against the door of my dorm, completely at ease. My hands found their way to fold over my chest in a slouchy style that conveyed no signs of animosity.

Daphne scoffed, her nostrils flaring like an enraged Graphon ready to charge at a trespasser in its precious territory, "How dare you speak to me this way, little damned–"

"Daphne, here you are. I've been looking everywhere for you–" A male voice – strong and thick – vibrated from not so far behind Daphne, making the girl's eyes grow wide and a flicker of uncertainty passing through them momentarily, disappearing as soon as it appeared. Daphne spans around with a forced, fake sweet smile that took over her pink lips, one dimple hollowing her right cheek, long eyelashes falling shut from supposed excitement and sweetness. Still, the smile couldn't even reach her ears. Theodore's voice came short as he called out to Daphne, his words trailing off as soon as he noticed Daphne speaking to me. His shoulders tensed up, as if struck by chilly water and a giant, sparky lightning, his jaw discreetly clenching before he schooled his expression into his casual one – cool and unbothered.

"Theo, baby, you should have just called me! I have been looking everywhere for you!" Her high-pitched, sugary-coated voice rang in my ears in a deafening pinch, finding it worse than the annoyingly pestering one. What a whore– is that mean? Probably. But it was true. Her tight, white blouse was inside-out and her skirt – like I mentioned before – was angled more to her left side rather than evenly, like a normal student. A clear sign that Theodore hadn't obviously noticed – or didn't care enough to pay heed to. The signs of disloyalty as clear as day, the image in front of me was telling enough of her wrongdoings. Her black mascara had run down on the circles bellow her eyes like crumbs of molded bread, pink lipstick smudged on the back of her smooth hand and to the corners of her mouth.

Theodore studied flatly down his girlfriend with his deadpan blue eyes, who was tiptoeing up to reach him, trying to appear cuter than her foul personality stained her. Then, his eyes snapped into mine with an intensity that was unnerving, making me turn my head away instantly from the couple, fingers tightening over the door's handle. It felt like I was cockblocking them, like I was left to play gooseberry for them while they got to share their intimacy. Or whatever... this was.

"See you at detention in a bit, Knight." Theodore expressed with a small wave that was barely noticeable over how brief it was, his hand coming to wrap around Daphne's thin wrist as he dragged her away. His voice was but a fed-up croak, snapping his neck as Daphne followed Theodore like her life depended on his commands. As if Theodore had casted the Imperio curse at her, making her oblige to him and accept her position as his faithful puppy. Without as much as acknowledging what was actually going on between his little girlfriend and that strange tension, she had built by herself the strange grudge, holding it against me, remaining unanswered. For no apparent reason at all. It was bizarre, like I was guilty for something that was but nonexistent. And I had to shake the complicated interaction we had with a jerk of my body, bursting into my dorm room – finally – and slam the door behind me immediately.

The hearth's fire crackled like a melodic lull as the hours passed, the foaming, dark waters outside the up-to-the ceiling window glass kept harmonically bubbling ever so softly against the thick layers of protective glass. The fishes kept swimming by freely, some ceasing their movements to bump into the window with small taps. Curious animals, fishes are. They would do that many times over the day every day, making Slytherins laugh at their naivety by day. But when night came most of them would get spooked by those same taps over the glass. It was funny enough to brighten even the dullest days, most would laugh it off.

Suddenly, a firm knock on my door brought my thoughts back to reality, the dim lit space around me acutely aware of a presence behind the door of my dorm. At the time, I was splayed over the soft, warm mattress of my bed, the thick coats of fuzzy, inky blankets keeping me warm despite the coldness of the night. Maybe it was Snape, personally here to ruin my mood by the cruel reminder of the punishment. But Snape never truly visited the dorms, or the Slytherin common room, in general. Which only managed to pique my curiosity, pondering on who could be seeking me at this time and hour – just one hour before detention was supposed to initiate. I forced my body out of the blankets, throwing them to the bed and leave the den of warmth, just to open the door for whoever wished to disturb my peace. Silently hoping it wasn't Daphne, again, to ask further questions about her nonchalant boyfriend whereas she could simply ask him, straight up.

I reached for the door handle, creaking the door open just enough for my head to peek from behind. An exasperated sigh leaving my throat at the sight of the person standing proudly at the dim dorm's hallway, pacing impatiently back and forth, only stopping once I opened the door.

"What do you want?"

"What, can't visit you outside of detention?"

"We have an hour until detention starts. Whatever it is that you want, can't it wait–"

"I've found the way to unlock the diary." Theodore's voice came out sharp and halting, his words laced with his typical Italian broad accent that I had gotten used to by now. His tongue rolling out the r's and l's as if he was tasting the way they rolled off his tongue, each time like it was his first.

My eyebrow arched up to my forehead questionably, wondering if he was bluffing or not. But his determined set of jaw, the dark circles under his eyes probed otherwise – like he had been trying hours to decipher the enchanted diary. I ducked my head out of the dorm, making sure no one was eavesdropping on us before I returned swiftly back to my position behind the door.

"Bring it to detention."

"Will do, maestra."

"Don't call me that."

"Will do, Knight." Theodore winked at me with a low chuckle that vibrated even the door handle, his tone suggestively teasing, bordering mock, to which I rolled my eyes in response before sealing the door behind me shut.

"Show me."

"You are meant to say please."

"Show me the bloody diary before you get hexed for mannerism."

"Girls aren't as fun to tease as they used to be." Theodore chuckled playfully, his thick accent vibrating the red diary still hidden under his black shirt, the Slytherin robes fully concealing the book out of sight and detection. Of course he would hide the diary on his abs; his slender, long fingers with perfectly clipped nails pulling the diary out of his waistband, gradually slow. On purpose, most likely. A groan vibrated in the back of my throat, rolling my eyes as I paced back and forth in the Room of Requirement in a deliberated style. Though, the anticipation was more than palpable by now, each of my snickers slapping against the stone tiled floor, stirring the dust to rise off the floor and forgotten bookshelves. Despite the passage of time, the room didn't change – much. The untuned and rusty instruments were still present, playing in complete dissonance like unscrewed nutcrackers. Yet, our nervousness about the contains of the diary pushed those disturbing, eerie discord to the back of our heads. Solely focusing on the crimson diary Theodore had placed on the ground by now, both of us towering above it thoughtfully, one finger tapping over my chin, foot repeating the sound over the floor.

"What are you staring at? Open it!"

"Impatient much, gnocchi?"

"Of course I am impatient—what did you call me?"

"Gnocchi. Y'know, the pasta made with potatoes. You look like gnocchi. All chubby and adorably demanding."

"Nott, what the actual heck. Snape will hear about this."

Theodore laughed loudly at my bad impersonation of... well, do I even need to explain? Whatever the case, Theodore crouched down before the shut diary, nodding in agreement with something he thought, his lengthy wand thumbed between his thumb and index. He would sometimes toy with it, spinning it in circles, as if just now witnessing the diary for the first time. Whereas he had confessed to already knowing the spell to unlock it. His fingers rubbed his shaved chin, his bottom lip puckering mindfully. Humming under his breath, lost in schemes.

"Alohomora." Theodore casted with a strong-willed voice, the tip of his wand illuminating, his chest puffed, confident in himself. The diary, though, didn't budge. Instead, it remained as still as it was in our first encounter. My left eye twitched uncontrollably, foot tapping impatiently and heavily as I stood next to him, looming over Theodore as I glared down at him, head tilted.

"You said you knew how to unlock it."

"... I am just nervous."

"And a bad liar as well."

"Zitto."

"Wow, using a language I do not speak to insult me? Very mature."

"Scusa, gnocchi, everything keeps getting on my nerves today. And this libro di merda won't open."

Theodore and I both sighed in utter disappointment, our shoulders slumping at the same time, lips curled downwards into a sulk. How could a diary be so maxed out enchanted to remain shut—wait a minute... With a sudden urge of potential, I copied Theodore's crouched position on the floor with bend knees, my tongue slipping on the corner of my mouth. There was an idea that formed in my head, but it was most likely to not work, given I had never heard anyone chant a charm as broken as this to its capacity.

"Alohomora Maxima." I pointed the tip of my wand directly on the crimson, leather cover of the diary, the charm slipping out of my mouth before my brain registered it as a simple idea that was most likely to fail. Theodore's eyebrows singed together, staring at me with a look that spoke volumes on how foolish it may have actually sounded.

"Really? Alohomora Maxima? That sounds so stupid, it will never work–"

But before Theodore could finish his words, both his wand and mine irradiated a bright, golden light casting upon the diary. Both of us stared at each other with raising eyebrows, eyes wide with astonishment as the diary bursted open, sending stray pages after pages fly into us and all over the room. Both of us gasped, our hands send into amok as we tried to gather the vagrant parchments that glided into life. Theodore run with a wand in hand, using any spell to gather the papers; Accio seemed to be working quite effectively. Proceeding to bump into a toilet that randomly generated into the room, fall into a pile of owl feathers, sending the feathers flying all over the room, some grey ones stuck in his curls.

"Che palle! Are these pages alive or something?!" Theodore grunted as he reached for the last page, whilst I was still gathering the ones splattered over the floor.

"Now I understand why they were locked away." I whined with a murmur, readjusting the pages over the floor by straightening them into order. Theodore was by now panting out of breath from running around after chasing all these enigmatic pages. He took the seat over the floor next to me, his expensive cologne flooding my nose once again, a hint of exotic citrus detectable. He picked the last grey feather out of his smooth curls, tossing it to the side.

"Let's see what all the fuss was about, sì?" Theodore darted a tongue over his dried lips, his blue, stripped-from-emotion droopy eyes concentrated on the diary, my gaze following his.