occurremus iterum

Year 4 (Chamber of Secrets)

Back on the Hogwarts Express like she had never left, Zinnia was buzzing with excitement to see her friends.

The school work was more tedious than before and they had the pressure of O.W.L’s for the next year.

It wasn’t long until the rumors about a ‘Chamber of Secrets’ were swirling around the castle. The hatred against Slytherin from the other houses was more apparent than she had ever experienced.

“I could easily be the heir, I mean I am a Malfoy after all, and with Black family blood from my mother’s side. Hey! Zinnia! Did you hear the chamber is open? I bet they get that Granger girl, filthy mudblood.” Draco said to her as she approached him on the couch in the common room.

“Malfoy, get out or shut up, we’re studying and Miles is on his way down.” She pushed him on the shoulder but he didn’t budge.

“Good I’ve been meaning to talk to him about our last practice, my father just put in the order for our new team brooms.”

“Oh great, maybe the new brooms will actually help us win for once” She replied sarcastically. Great, she thought, now Miles and Draco were on the Quidditch team together and she wouldn’t be able to avoid them both.

“Come on Lyla, let’s go to the library.” She told her best friend.

“Um, I think I’m gonna stay here. I told Cassius I would help him with his herbology homework.” Lyla told her. Lyla was growing a huge crush on Cassius and he was completely oblivious.

“Fine.”

“Stay! Z, come on, let’s just hang out tonight. Miles stole a bottle of rum from Lockhart’s office. We deserve to blow off some steam.”

“I’ll be back in an hour, I just want to knock out this assignment so it’s not looming over me this weekend.”

Zinnia found a quiet corner in the library and set a timer on her watch for one hour. Just an hour to focus in and get this work out of the way.

“S’cuse me Miss,” a familiar voice said.

She shot her head up from her paper and her eyes were greeted by George Weasley with a broom and dustpan in hand. Of fucking course.

“I just, I gotta sweep up under your desk. Then I’ll be out of your beautiful curls.” He came towards her and swept under the desk, running the broom over her bare feet. She took off her shoes to be more comfortable while studying.

“Ew! Weasley my feet. That is disgusting. Did you finally drop out and have to get a janitorial job here?”

“No, just detention.” He shrugged and walked away.

She checked her watch, 15 minutes left in her power hour. Fuck it, she was pissed off now and was ready to drink that bottle of rum till she forgot about that encounter.

When she entered the Slytherin common room she sat down next to Miles on the couch and he passed her a cup.

“There’s our Miss. America,” he said, filling up the cup with warm liquor.

She downed it in one go and cringed. “That’s fucking awful, why is it warm?”

“I had to put it down my pants in case anyone searched my bag,” Miles replied, chuckling.

They were lucky, Lockhart had charmed the bottle so that it refilled every time it was halfway empty. Adrian was reading and taking notes for his Divination class at the desk near them.

“Where’s Cass and Ly?”

“Well they went off to find a mixer, about 30 minutes ago, so your guess is as good as mine.” Miles replied.

“Adrian, are you drinking?”

“Yesh” he slurred back, his eyes were glossy.

“Yeah he’s a lightweight,” Miles whispered to her. “This shit is pretty strong though. Here they are!”

Lyla and Cassius walked back into the common room. “We found cranberry juice! Lyla was brilliant. She told the elves in the kitchen she had a UTI!”

“Shhh, Cass, I don’t need that rumor going around.” Lyla hushed him

“What? I thought you were lying?”

“I was lying you idiot.” She giggled and plopped down next to Zinnia. “I’m sorry we started without you. But it is so disgusting I needed some juice to mix it.” And she put her arm around Zinnia.

“I can smell that, and good thinking. Those elves are so sweet. I went down there last year when I got my period. I was craving chocolate so bad. Now every time at dessert, they put a chocolate kiss on my plate!” Zinnia told her.

“Ew Zinnia, they are not, like, sweet, they’re just made to serve us wizards.” Miles told her.

She chugged her rum and cranberry to stop herself from telling him off. She hated how some wizards thought they were superior to others.

They continued drinking, it was the first Friday night back at school and they boys had a late Quidditch practice the next day.

“Miles, why does Draco Malfoy think he is the Seeker on the Slytherin team?” Zinnia asked him.

“Because darling, his father bought the entire team the newest brooms and we need a Seeker. Can I ask you a question?” He slurred looking at her lips.

“No.” She replied and turned back to face the fire. He put his forehead on her shoulder. She let him keep his arm around her waist the entire evening- she was not going to let him push it any further.

“Hmmm, Z, I love it when you’re a bitch” he groaned to her and pulled her closer to him.

“I know, you freaking neanderthal. When are you going to shave that pathetic excuse for a mustache off anyways?”

“When you give it a little smooch,” He replied and puckered his lips.

“So, never, in this lifetime. Got it.” She said back.

The group played games and gossiped about their first week back.

“Whelp, I’d better head up. I’ll take this kid,” Cassius said and lugged Adrian over his shoulder. “Miles, mate, you coming?”

“Miles, you got to go to your room. If Snape smells you tomorrow morning you’re dead.” Zinnia tried shoving him off her to wake him off.

“No, immmsfnrfls” He slurred back to her.

Cassius came back down and the girls helped him get Miles to bed.

“Oh my god Z, Miles couldn’t keep his hands off you tonight!” Lyla said as they washed their faces and got ready for bed.

“Ew he’s so sloppy. And what is with his facial hair? Disgusting.” Truthfully Zinnia did think Miles was attractive, but he was mean. Like not a bully or mean girl like she was but he said stuff sometimes that made her think he could be evil. Like the comment about house elves.

***

Monday morning the girls walked together to breakfast. The Great Hall was buzzing with gossip about the Heir of Slytherin. Draco was preaching to his gang about his family blood line. Zinnia rolled her eyes and tried to focus on what Lyla was telling her about her crush on Cassius.

"I just think he really gets me , you know?" Lyla was saying.

"Huh? Oh yeah for sure he gets you, L." Zinnia watched in the corner of her eye as Fred and George walked into the Great Hall and sat with some other Gryffindors in their year.

She couldn't help but take note that George was sitting awfully close to Katie Bell. Fred and Angelina were holding hands under the table and George was telling the group an animated story. Katie seemed to be laughing loud, much like a hyena Zinnia thought to herself. As she and Lyla walked out to Herbology, she again noticed how Katie and George were walking too close, not holding hands but nearly. Professor Sprout gave the class instructions for the lesson and Lyla and Zinnia began to work. George was partnered with Katie rather than his usual partner, Fred. Zinnia felt her jaw involuntarily clench.

"This hoe is rusted, I’m gonna take a new one." Zinnia said and marched over to where the fourth year Gryffindors were.

"What brings you over to the lions den, Black?" George asked. She turned to face him, raising one eyebrow.

"I look at it more like collaborating with my fellow fourth years. I need your hoe." She said raising her rusted one. "And I would hardly call you lot 'lions' more like a gang of stray cats."

"No one asked you to come over here, princess.” George replied.

"I didn't realize asking a student in another house was so taboo. I'll leave you all to it, just spreading lies about 'heirs' and 'snakes' and whatever else you 'brave' Gryffindors like to gossip about."

Zinnia started to grab his hoe, George took it before she could reach it. Katie kept herself busy looking with the watering can.

"What is with you? Did you come over here to start a fight? Or did your friends put you up to a dare?"

"What is with you?! Shouldn't you be in detention or something? Cleaning the bathrooms? Or did your new girlfriend here save you from a life of class clowning?"

She said ripping the hoe out of his hand and dropping the rusted one at his station. His eyes went wide and his grin was enormous. Zinnia turned to walk away, mad at herself for showing him her cards.

"So your jealous is that what it is? I'm flattered really Black, but isn't it a little desperate? Or what was the word you used? Pathetic?" George said to her back.

She spun on her heel, raising the hoe about to throw it at his head.

"Miss. Black! Surely I am not seeing what I think I am?" Professor Sprout yelled from the front of the greenhouse.

Zinnia lowered the hoe to her side. The entire class now watching the scene.

"Surely not, Professor. Zinnia Black would never be jealous of me dating another girl. That would be mad!" George said and several students chuckled.

Zinnia grit her teeth. "Jealousy would imply that I care. Like I give a shit who you date Weasley. I just came over here for a new hoe, but it looks like yours is used and nasty." Her eyes looking Katie Bell up and down.

The class 'ooo-ing' at the obvious metaphor.

"Twenty points from Slytherin, Miss. Black. For foul language and disruption of class. Please get back to your station."

"Apologies, Professor." Zinnia said as she re-joined Lyla.

***

For the most part, Zinnia did notice that Katie Bell kept her distance from George, at least when they were in eyesight of each other. The last few weeks they didn't sit together at meals and George went back to partnering with Fred for Herbology. It was a Hogsmeade weekend, Lyla was excited to go for a date with Cassius. Well it wasn't actually a date, but no one could tell Lyla differently. Miles, Zinnia, Lyla and Cassius walked down to the village together. Adrian had decided to stay back and work on some extra credit for Transfiguration. Miles was trying to hold Zinnia's hand and she kept slapping it away.

Until, a little farther ahead, she saw the Gryffindor group walking together, Fred had Angelina on his back, and George was walking extremely close to Katie Bell. Zinnia rolled her eyes, she thought this phase was over. Her group was quickly catching up to the lions, Zinnia thread her arm through Miles' own. The Slytherins passed the twins and their girlfriends without a word, though Zinnia and George exchanged a look. He raised his eyebrows at her, she rolled her eyes at him.

***

Lyla and Zinnia walked to class on an unseasonably warm day in March, discussing their spring break plans. 

“Miss. Black!” Professor McGonagall called to her in the hall. 

Zinnia rolled her eyes before turning back to face the professor. “Yes, professor?”

”This is the third time I have seen you with your uniform altered.” McGonagall said, a tape measure uncoiling from her wand. 

“Professor, I really just have long legs, that’s all.” Zinnia said as McGonagall measured the length of her skirt. 

“Miss. Black, enough with the silly excuses. Miss. Parkinson has the same length and her skirt is perfectly acceptable. Detention. Friday night. My office.”

”But Professor, Friday night is the Quidditch game!” Zinnia begged. 

“I am sure Slytherin will do fine without you in the stands.” McGonagall told her and headed in the opposite direction.

“Ughhh, since when does she take this path on Thursdays? And how did you?” Zinnia said, looking at Lyla’s button up top, that was just moments ago unbuttoned to show off her cleavage. 

“Sorry, I learned a button up spell. Maybe we can find a spell to lengthen your skirt when a teacher is close?” Lyla said twirling her wand.

”Ugh whatever.” 

***

Friday night, Zinnia walked to McGonagall’s office while the rest of the students went to watch the Slytherin versus Hufflepuff match. She double checked that her skirt had not a single extra hem stitch in it. She threw open the door to the Transfiguration classroom and was face to face to face with the Weasley twins.

”Lovely.” Zinnia said, in her fake British accent. 

“Miss. Black, thank you for joining us. Right, so I have to head down to the pitch to referee as Madam Pooch is out with a head cold. Weasley’s, can I trust you will instruct Miss. Black on your detention duties for tonight?” McGonagall asked the twins as she left the classroom. 

“Definitely.” The boys said in unison, and matching grins. 

Zinnia took a seat in McGonagall’s office chair, and transfigured a quill into a nail file to begin reshaping her nails. 

The twins sat on McGonagall’s desk, on either side of the witch. “So,” Fred started, “what did the Slytherin princess do this time to get detention?”

This wasn’t the first time she was stuck in detention with the twins. It happened more regularly than Zinnia cared to admit. They would get in trouble for pranks, she would get in trouble for altering her uniform, emotionally bullying other students and getting caught rolling her eyes.

”Skirt.” She said, not breaking her eye contact on her nails. 

“Shortening charm?” George asked. 

“No, I sewed the hem shorter.” 

“Like, by hand?” “Without magic?” They spoke over each other. 

“Yes, can we get this over with? What does she want us to do this time?”

”Grade the first year’s multiple choice exams.” Fred said, tapping the stack of parchment on the desk. 

“Easy, where is the key?” Zinnia said, splitting the stack into three smaller ones. 

“Here,” George said and he went to write the order of the answers on the blackboard so they could grade the papers faster. 

“That’s not even legible. Move Weasley. You would think you would know how to write properly.” Zinnia stood up from the chair and rewrote the key herself. 

“I could read it fine. Miss. Black have you not learned your lesson about bullying from your last detention?” Fred grinned. 

“As if Weasley. Someone had to tell that first year Ravenclaw to loose the turnip earrings. I was doing her a favor.” 

They laughed and went through the papers, talking about the new first years. Zinnia found it sweet how excited they were that their youngest and only sister was finally at school with them 

“Of course we’ll tease her relentlessly.” Fred said. 

“Only ‘cause we love her.” George said, and gave a quick wink to Zinnia who had been staring at the red headed boy, loving the way his face lit up when he talked about his siblings. 

Zinnia thought about how she would pretend she had a sister when she was younger. She would pretend her dolls were her little sister, braiding their hair, picking out their outfits. She thought about her father, how he had a brother and grew up with his cousins that were close in age. She thought about how her uncle and second cousin and other Black family members, married in and not, were serving life at Azkaban. 

Zinnia blinked hard and realized she and George were still holding eye contact. She looked down and dipped her quill in the ink pot, focusing her attention on the last few tests to grade. 

***

In late May, Ginny Weasley was taken.

“I get that the Weasley’s are blood traitors but why take a pureblood when there are so many mudbloods walking among us? I mean don’t get me wrong I’m not scared, my Slytherin blood runs deep, there's no way the monster would want to take me.” Draco was bragging in the common room the night they all got sent back to their houses.

There were so many rumors Zinnia didn’t know what to believe. Once Ginny was rescued and the year came to a close she was just relieved to be on the train home.

Zinnia headed out of her compartment to the bathroom. She was tired of hearing her friend’s opinions about ‘purebloods’ and whatever other bloods. She was starting to get so disappointed in some of the stuff they were saying.

“Why does it matter, everyone should be treated equally,” She told them when it first came up.

“Ms. America would say that, liberty and justice for all and all that bullshit. You are too cute for your own good.” Miles replied and tried to give her a kiss, she turned her face and gave him the cheek. “Ah come on babe, don’t be like that. You’re a Black after all, one of the sacred 28. One of the purest.”

“And so are the Weasleys. So what does that even matter after all?” She shrugged him off. “I’m going to the bathroom.”

She looked herself in the mirror and seriously considered not returning to Hogwarts. How could she continue her education in a house that had been so hateful? Her first two years were nothing like this. She spent a majority of her third year in the library or making out with Miles for fun so that she didn’t have to listen to him talk.

“Knock, knock. C'mon mate, I've been holding it in for nearly 30 minutes.” a voice said with a knock on the door.

“Oh shit, sorry,” she said, letting herself out of the bathroom. She was fighting back angry tears and wiped them away.

“Zinnia, are you ok?” It was George who knocked on the door.

“George, oh I’m, I’m so sorry about Ginny. Is she ok? I thought you went home early. I was worried. I’m so happy she isn’t dead, and those other students! Did you know them, are they ok? Wasn't the one your little brother too?” She blurted it all out to him and the tears burst out that she was fighting back so hard.

“Hey, she’s fine. She’s really good. Everyone is safe and ok. Hey, are you alright? Come here.” He pulled her into a hug. She pushed him away before he could close his arms. If she was touched while fighting back tears, she almost always lost the fight and would begin to sob. As long as she had space she could pull herself together.

“No, no I’m fine. I need a minute” She slipped back into the bathroom. Took a deep breath. Then another deep breath. Re-applied her mascara. And opened the door again. “Sorry about that. Well I am happy that you and everyone are safe. Have a nice summer George.”

“Thanks?” He was dumbfounded by the entire interaction.

Did Zinnia Black just sob in front of him? Did she just show humanity toward another, several other people? He was sure that she was fully brainwashed by her Slytherin friends. She was mean, a bully, she made fun of other girls and guys relentlessly her second year and now that he thought about it he hadn’t heard much from her this year. Just saw her on Mile’s arm and snogging with him under a tree out by the lake. When she was alone in the library he kept his distance. She made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with him.