𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰!
act one, chapter three
" 𝒕𝒐𝒂𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 "

𝐒𝐄𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟕

𝑰𝑭 𝑰𝑻 𝑾𝑬𝑹𝑬𝑵'𝑻 𝑭𝑶𝑹 𝑯𝑬𝑹 𝑻𝑾𝑶 𝑩𝑬𝑺𝑻 𝑭𝑹𝑰𝑬𝑵𝑫𝑺, 𝑾𝒀𝑨𝑻𝑻 𝑩𝑼𝑪𝑲𝑳𝑬𝒀 𝑻𝑯𝑰𝑵𝑲𝑺 𝑾𝑰𝑵𝑵𝑰𝑬 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑻𝑶𝑨𝑫 would be her closest companion. She has a tabby cat of her own, but Tyler ─ an ingenious name, if you ask Wyatt ─ was a gift for her thirteenth birthday; Winnie has been with her from the very beginning.

While the toads of Professor Flitwick's choir technically belong to the school, Wyatt likes to think of Winnie as her own. Since her first year, eleven-year-old Wyatt was one of six out of their entire year to join the school's choir. Now, she's one of two. Rudy only joined because her only friend joined too. She dropped out in their second year when it was made clear that Wyatt wasn't going to unfriend her just because she didn't share the same love for singing. So Wyatt and Neville Longbottom (who protested to use his own toad, Trevor as his singing companion) were the only two in their year group to still be a part of Flitwick's choir.

The choir was the first extracurricular Wyatt joined when she started Hogwarts. Since it was open to everyone (a tiny audition was required but Flitwick let anyone in any way ─ he personally selected the people for the special performances) Wyatt thought it would be the easiest way to wriggle her way into the "Big Leagues" as she called it back then. All it was was the theatre field within Hogwarts for the most talented of students. For the people who got the leads.

Wyatt learned pretty fast that the way to Flitwick's heart was through working hard outside of the clubs and rehearsals. Which is why Wyatt did everything she could to help him out. Making programmes, handing out leaflets advertising Theatre Club, tidying up till late after every performance. She still does all of that and anyone could tell you she's one of his favourite students. And she's not even that good at Charms.

Hence, why Wyatt has such an emotional attachment to the toad, currently perched on her palm, as they sang in perfect harmony to the entire Great Hall before the big feast.

The hall looked as it always did on the first day back ─ candles hanging from every spot in the ceiling, their glow reflected in the golden plates and goblets that lined the tables. Wyatt was focused on the movements of her Charms' Professor, who was conducting the choir from down below. Gentle rain pattered on the windows outside, almost like an unplanned beat to the Hogwarts' anthem that was bouncing off of the walls of the hall.

Wyatt loved singing in the choir. And not just because of Winnie ─ she was a bonus ─ but because of the beautiful sound that was produced when all of their voices mingled together in song. She also loved performing and Flitwick's choir was simply another gateway to do what she loved best. And Flitwick loved her best because of it.

But as she relished in the art of song, Neville by her side and Winnie on her palm, Wyatt's enjoyment faltered by the faint sound of cackling coming from a place that didn't justify her surprise. At the far end of the Slytherin table, a small group of seventh years (guess who!) were managing to mock the performance and get caught. Draco Malfoy was at the centre of it. That fact alone should have told Wyatt to ignore his childish decisions and focus on the lyrics and the end of the song. But just like at how the same teenage boys had treated Shakespeare, Wyatt had to treat the situation like they weren't there. They were nothing to her anyway, so why should the mockery and finding amusement in her ability to carry a tune affect her negatively? In fact, why should it affect her at all?

Wyatt clawed her eyes away from the group of boys at the other end of the hall ─ Draco Malfoy, Blaise Zabini, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle and Theodore Nott, for reference ─ shaking her head to rid herself of their imbecilic existence when Professor Snape (their head of house) stormed over to where they were sat and whipped them each around the head with the back of his hand. Her voice went slightly too high pitched as she tried not to laugh mid-performance and Neville glanced at her sideways. She had redirected every last shatter of focus back onto Professor Flitwick and the words she was singing, and Neville's eyes fell onto the toad in her hand and assumed it was the animal that had slipped up.

The music crescendoed and the hall erupted into applause. Wyatt soaked up the praise like one would a hot sun on a summer's day as if she was the only person on the temporary stage. Then she looked down at Winnie and smiled.

The choir dispersed, Flitwick returning to his place at the Professors' table, Dumbledore taking his place at the front. The hall fell silent at the headmaster's steely expression, his hands clasped tightly around the edges of the golden owl lectern. Wyatt sat down anxiously between Teddy and Rudy and she could have sworn she saw a candle eerily flicker overhead.

"While I welcome you to a new year at Hogwarts," Professor Dumbledore spoke, his head hung low, but his eyes stretched to the end of the hall. His tone made it sound as though his voice should be quiet, but his words reached past the back windows. "A word of warning must be told. Many may criticize my decision to speak on the matter, but it is my strong opinion that you must know."

Whispers broke out among the students, as people tried to predict what the matter in question could be. Teddy scoffed silently to himself beside Wyatt and from that alone, Wyatt predicted some speculations of her own.

Teddy Morley has always had his suspicions of a particular few students in the Hogwarts student body. And that is because he abides by newspapers ─ The Daily Prophet specifically ─ all day every day. It's not very good for his decision making, Wyatt thinks, because all it does is fill his brain up with assumptions, other people have made. About some supposedly Dark Wizards in particular. Wyatt hates newspapers. She never reads them. But because she is friends with Teddy Morley, she hears enough of what they say. And that's why she can predict the subject that the headmaster's warning is about.

"The threat to the Wizarding World as we know it is too disastrous to ignore. I'm sure most of you are well aware that some Dark Wizards will stop at nothing to rid us of our freedoms. And so I am here to tell you that safety will always be provided to those at Hogwarts and I can assure you, that no harm shall come to anyone no matter the circumstance."

Wyatt could see it in Teddy's face that he was disappointed that that was all the detail Professor Dumbledore decided to go into. Anyone would have thought the boy wanted the headmaster to name names.

Dumbledore cleared his throat once more, and his head lifted from where it was beetling. "I now put on hold all other announcements," he said, the stern glint in his eyes fading into the glow of a candle's reflection. His hands flew out at his sides, releasing the tight grip he once held on the shiny, metal bird. "As now, we shall feast!"

The deafening silence was cut in two with the cheery chatter that followed piles of delights appearing on the tables in front of them. Steam rose from the plates, and various aromas all mingled into one delicious scent. The candles were at full brightness once more, almost as if they sensed the high-spirited atmosphere had returned.

Rudy scooped a large dollop of mashed potatoes and plopped it onto her plate, "That got dark real quick," she said.

Wyatt shouldn't have been surprised at all by Teddy's quick inclusion into the discussion. Nor should she have been surprised by his speed at pointing the finger. "Expel Malfoy and then I'll feel safe," he said in a low voice, angling his knife as if it were a lecture pointer, and Wyatt couldn't help but think it foreshadowed where his opinions were going to take this conversation.

"Not just him," Rudy said from Wyatt's left. "I'd put big money on all of their parents lying about no longer being loyal to You-Know-Who."

Remember Wyatt saying she thinks Rudy is the nicest person she's ever met? Yeah. Don't let that fool you ─ she'll happily be as cruel as she likes when it comes to blood supremacists and those she believes need to be put in their place. 99% of the time, this person is Draco Malfoy.

"You're just feeding into everything you've read," Wyatt said, cutting her steak in two. "Don't assume you know everything."

"Hold on," Rudy held her finger in the air as if to stop Wyatt from moving at all. "Don't assume?" she repeated incredulously. "Think about it, Wyatt."

Wyatt would have expected Rudy to be more sympathetic to the party members that were the subject of their discussion, not her.

Teddy took a sip from his goblet, "Anybody'd think we religiously read The Daily Prophet if you said that."

Wyatt's brows furrowed. The way he said it . . . Teddy isn't dumb? "You do?" she croaked.

Teddy shrugged nonchalantly, "Well," he sang, seemingly accepting the fact, while also defending the fact.

Wyatt sighed. She didn't know what to believe half the time. But one thing she did know was that she was grateful her parents were the kind that deserved to have children. She can't say the same for Lucius Malfoy. "I feel sorry for them, that's all," she said quietly, almost not wanting her two friends to hear.

Wyatt can assure you ─ she thinks Malfoy and Co. are Twats, with a capital T. And maybe sympathy isn't what she owes them but she can't help but feel as though they deserve more than being spoonfed all of the wrong ideals and views. She can hate them and still feel that they merit a better childhood than one being surrounded by dark magic and blood supremacy (that being said ─ the riches aren't half bad). They're put on the wrong path and destined to do bad things. Then again, that doesn't excuse their dickish behaviour ─ that's on them. Hence, Wyatt's undying hatred for each and every one of them.

Teddy seemed to understand where she was coming from with the way his shoulders sagged. "We know they're arses," he said matter-of-factly. "Why shouldn't we think they're part of the bad-guy clan too? Their parents have been feeding them blood supremacy shit since they were conceived."

Wyatt couldn't help but feel anxious that the wrong type of people could hear them, even with the September-first-feast buzz that had settled among the students. "I know but . . .," she trailed off, unsure of what she was actually going to say in response. What did she know?

"I can assure you, Wy," Rudy pushed the rim of her glasses further up her nose, and her expression softened. "They don't need nor deserve your sympathy."

𝑻𝑯𝑹𝑬𝑬 𝑷𝑼𝑴𝑷𝑲𝑰𝑵 𝑷𝑨𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑬𝑺 𝑨𝑵𝑫 𝑭𝑨𝑹 𝑻𝑶𝑶 𝑴𝑨𝑵𝒀 𝒀𝑶𝑹𝑲𝑺𝑯𝑰𝑹𝑬 𝑷𝑼𝑫𝑫𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑺 𝑳𝑨𝑻𝑬𝑹, the feast ended, and the students began filing out of the Great Hall, with the unsettling knowledge that Professor Snape will be filling the Defence Against the Dark Arts post this year.

"Bet he's happy," Teddy mumbled, as the three of them left their place at the Hufflepuff table and headed for their dorms for some much-needed sleep.

Wyatt hummed in agreement, her mind wandering as she followed the cracks in the stone that pathed the ground. Rudy said something else in agreement, but Wyatt couldn't find the focus to verbally reply. She strongly believed this was her year. It was something cliché everyone had said at some point in their school life, and she hated how lame it made her sound. But would it be so lame if it actually happened? If she left Hogwarts with a bang, with her name in the programme besides the title leading lady. But what if that was ruined? What if these supposed Dark Wizards really did get what they so desired? The frightening possibilities crawled up her spine, as cold as ice, as Dumbledore's words seemed to have the opposite effect. What if-

"That was some cool singing you did back there, Wyatt."

Rudy stopped mid-sentence and Teddy cleared his throat, with seriously irked undertones. Neither of them stopped walking for the Hufflepuff basement, though ─ it seemed as though all three of them had learned better than to give Draco Malfoy what he so wanted all the time: Retaliation.

A few other muffled chuckles followed the boy's taunt. Wyatt predicted she could hear at least four other people that had collected in a group behind her and her friends. It didn't take a genius to guess who those four others were.

Draco must have not been satisfied with the reaction he got and pushed for something more amusing. "Really eye-opening," he taunted.

Wyatt knows how to take constructive criticism. But there's nothing constructive about Draco Malfoy's teasings. She's can already guess that this kid never learned the phrase if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all, because, then again, his parents probably didn't get as far as basic table manners with their child.

With the speculations of a possible Wizarding War and the talk of the same kid in question and his Death Eater friends, Wyatt couldn't help but defend herself. He didn't deserve her walking away. He didn't deserve her ignoring whatever he said. Because she very much had something to say about it. If everyone just kept bypassing his spitefulness, he'll never learn. Sure, it'll take a shit tonne more than just Wyatt for Draco Malfoy to learn that what he does isn't okay, but for now, the least she could do ─ she owed it to herself ─ was to put him in his place.

Wyatt stopped on the spot, and both Rudy and Teddy shot her a questioning look. Sucking in a tight breath, she spun on the spot and was greeted by the exact sight she had mapped out in her mind about five seconds ago. Draco had his hands tucked into his pockets, his green-lined robes flowing effortlessly behind him, and his chin raised in vexatious self-righteousness.

She forced a smile, and said simply, "You're very welcome Draco."

Draco took a step forward, and Wyatt watched as Crabbe hit Goyle in the chest with the back of his hand, apparently very entertained by whatever was about to happen. Blaise Zabini couldn't help but smirk, and Theo brushed some invisible lint from the sleeves of his robes, seemingly unfazed. They truly were like a band, a crew of authentic immaturity. Wyatt sensed that she had lost her "crew" somewhere a few steps back.

"Seriously," Draco said, but Wyatt highly doubted that there was going to be any severity to his next statement. "I didn't know what elderly cats having sex sounded like until today."

Wyatt was expecting something along the lines of cats (or any other animal with a high-pitched squeal), sex and/or primary school children. She got two out of three, which is why her face remained ever so straight; not one emotion peaking through. The other students in question were not so expressionless ─ Blaise snorted, Goyle turned around and laughed into his robe instead of out loud, and Theo bit the inside of his mouth to conceal the sneer that was threatening to escape.

Wyatt is never one for childish insults. She's not one for biting back. But she can easily see herself making an exception for a boy with platinum blonde locks and half a bottle of hair gel.

She was unsure of herself at first, whether this was going to come off as mildly anarchist-like, or whether it was going to sound like an incredibly tragic attempt at being mildly anarchist-like. "Really?" she said, forcing mock confusion with a subtle forehead crease. "Oh," she stared at the ground, pretending that might have the answer to end her "confusion" before finally meeting his gaze as if there was no one else in the hallway. "I would have thought Death Eaters went at it all night long."

She could practically hear Teddy and Rudy's mouths dropping open. Crabbe and Goyle stopped dead in their tracks; Blaise's face morphed to one of pure shock, amusement still painted into his features; and Theo released the grip he once had on his gums, and let out an earthy laugh that lasted only a beat before Draco sent him daggers with his eyes.

Draco's reaction was the best though ─ staring down at her from the high pedestal he had perched himself on, his eyes narrowing onto hers. After angrily confronting his friend, Theo, his neck snapping in the boy's direction like a hawk's ─ Theo returning emotionless once more, his smirk making an appearance every few seconds ─ Draco cocked his head slowly to the side as if silently questioning where on Earth Wyatt Buckley had gotten the nerve.

But Wyatt wasn't done, and she took another step closer to the blonde boy, so they were a mere meter apart. "Especially with you as a child," she said, her confidence having blossomed in the few seconds that had ticked by. "I had assumed they were constantly trying to amend the mistake they made seventeen years ago."

Neither Teddy Morley nor Rudy Paisley had ever seen their best friend like this. Never heard her speak so vulgar, never seen such a vengeance-like glint in her eyes. And neither had Wyatt. They weren't quite sure what brought it on, but they loved it.

Draco bit down on his own teeth, "You think you're funny, do you?" he spat.

"I actually do," Teddy lifted a tentative hand, as he spoke, and all eyes immediately shifted in his direction. With a small smile, he coward backwards, catching Wyatt's gaze just for a second.

"Same here."

If looks could kill, Theodore Nott would have keeled over, deceased on the floor.

He too had his hand limply raised, less awkwardly than Teddy; his smirk more evident as he uttered those two words. Draco glared at his friend, transmitting a message something along the lines of I'll deal with you later and Theo lowered his hand to his side, once again, utterly unfazed.

Draco refocused his attention back onto Wyatt who was still trying to process whatever was going on. "You don't get to talk about my parents," he said through gritted teeth, his eyes blackening.

Wyatt shrugged, "Dumbledore just did," she said plainly, denying her need to pull a face or grin or do something rather than just stare up at the boy, towering over her.

Draco lifted his hand, stretching his torso to try and make it seem that he could fold completely over her. "You better watch what you say about my family or I'll-"

"Or you'll what?" Wyatt cut him off before he could say anything else. He hadn't earned the right to threaten her. "Hex me? Insult my singing?" she said. "Bold of you to assume I care what you think, Malfoy."

Wyatt could just about read the glare in his eyes that Draco Malfoy did in fact want to kill her at that moment, but from that alone, she concluded that she had done her job perfectly ─ put him in his place, that is. It's not to say he was going to leave her alone for the rest of the year, but it at least knocked some minor, tiny ounce of sense into his childish skull.

He opened his mouth as if to say something else, but a hand grabbed onto his arm and tugged him backwards. Wyatt, and Teddy and Rudy for that matter, watched as Draco shooed Theo's advances away, straightening out where his robe had been ruffled ever so slightly. He shot Wyatt one last warning look, before smashing his shoulder into Theo's and striding off in the opposite direction, the other trio of boys following his lead. Theo's gaze was fixated on Wyatt's and it lingered there just a little while longer, before he inhaled, and strolled away.

Teddy was quick to grasp onto Wyatt's arm and jerk her away from the situation entirely. turning her around in the process. "What happened to don't assume?" he questioned, a hint of hilarity in his expression.

Rudy looped her arm through Wyatt's, "Yeah, you don't seem as willing to defend anymore, Wyatt."

It was true ─ everything that just happened was the exact opposite approach to how she had reacted earlier when they were discussing the very same people in question's parents. And she knew that right from the beginning. "I never defended anyone." Maybe she had been too nice at dinner. "Besides, they deserve it don't they?" she said, somewhat echoing her friend's earlier words.

"Hey, Wyatt?" A voice croaked from behind the trio of friends. The crack in his voice made Wyatt question her initial recognition of the tone ─ Theodore Nott never sounded modest.

She spun on her heels and was met with the boy jogging up to her, seemingly not satisfied with how it had all ended, his friends sauntering off behind him. She heard Teddy clear his throat followed by the sound of receding footsteps which she assumed was her two friends taking a step back.

Wyatt wouldn't let her confusion as to what else he had to say to her and instead swallowed down the urges to show any kind of emotion. "What?" she asked, playing around with her tongue in her mouth.

Theo slipped one hand in his trouser pocket and took a casual step forward, gesturing to the rabble that was making an exit in the far background. From what she could see, or rather couldn't see, Draco had left already. She could make out his bright white hair anywhere, and right now, she couldn't. "I'm sorry about them," he said, wincing slightly. "They can be dicks sometimes."

Wyatt couldn't help but narrow her eyes. Her neck jutted outwards. "Sometimes?" She repeated in disbelief. "Try all the time, Theodore."

He watched as she crossed her arms purposefully in front of her chest, and tried his best not to fear what his friends would say later if they had seen him talking to the same girl that Draco had become far too close to hexing. Theo didn't like feeling that kind of fear.

His worriment was replaced with guilt. "Don't get me wrong, you were hilarious, but just don't retaliate," he said, less like a demand but more of a plea. He didn't know if she would listen. And he confirmed this with a high pitched, "Please? It's not worth it," he told her when all she had done, was defended herself. "Especially when it comes to their parents."

Theo knew more than anyone that you should never discuss Lucius nor Narcissa Malfoy in front of Draco. Believe him, he's done it before and even then, his best friend didn't take it lightly. Wyatt didn't need to know that the speculations surrounding their ex-Death Eater parents could well be true, she just needed to agree never to bring them up again. Draco was scowling far too obviously during Dumbledore's speech in the first place.

All of that being said ─ Theo never wanted to protect Wyatt, and if you ask him, he will deny it. And by the way, "looking out for her" is a stretch far too far over the line as well. A friendless warning should suffice just fine.

Wyatt scrunched her nose and then released her grip after a second as if she was suppressing the need to slap him around the face, which Theo was silently preparing for. "I'm not scared of their parents," she said, her voice quiet but her words the opposite. She cocked her head to the side condescendingly. "In fact," she took a step closer to him, "I quite literally, could not care less. So, good night, Theo," she said, sounding as though she definitely did not want him to have a good night. "Keep the pricks you call friends away from me and mine, all right?" She had let her arms fall to her sides, as she gestured to the fading figures that belonged to Theo Nott's friends with her neck.

Theo wanted to say something else, he just didn't know what. He licked his lips, his eyes trailing to the floor and then back up to where her glare was burning holes into his face. Wyatt stood rigid still as if waiting for him to say something too. She had every right to be pissed off, and she made a very fair point ─ no one should care what Draco Malfoy and his clan think about them. And Theo is a part of that very clan. He also doesn't feel any remorse for acknowledging that they are indeed dicks. Him included. But he wasn't too keen on the idea of letting Wyatt know he thinks she's right, of all things.

Unable to find the right words that wouldn't earn him a beating ─ he's known Wyatt Buckley long enough to know she can be aggressive when she wants to be ─ Theo lifted his chin a little in understanding, and Wyatt took that as her opening to leave, anger still trailing at her heels.

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