𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯: 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘳 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘸𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘏𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘢 𝘛𝘦𝘢 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩

| 𝕄𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕒 | 

Let's rewind a moment shall we? take it all the way back to first class that morning: divination. The class room, located at the north tower, was by far the oddest i had ever been in. Instead of desks there were circular tables with cloths on them. Instead of the normal benches and chairs there were armchairs and poufs and everything was lit with dim crimson candles. 

All the curtains were drawn and the lamps covered with red scarves and the fire that was burning under the crowded mantelpiece was giving off a heavy, sickly sort of perfume as it heated a large copper kettle. The shelves running around the circular walls were crammed with dusty-looking feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless silvery crystal balls, and a huge array of teacups.

"Welcome." the voice came from the shadows, soft and misty. "How nice it is to see you in the physical world at last." Professor Trelawney moved into the light. Her fashion sense was a bit ghastly, (large glasses that magnified her eyes, a gauzy spangled shawl, chains and beads hanging from her neck, bangles and rings) but i thought she made it work well for her. 

she held her arms out As though she planned to give the whole class a great big hug with a wide grin. "sit, my children, sit!" 

i linked my arms with my two besties lavender and parvati smiling brightly. "Ive got a good feeling about today." 

we sat front and center and professor trelawney introduced herself to The class. "You may not have seen me before. I find that descending too often into the hustle and bustle of the main school clouds my Inner Eye."

she paused to rearrange her shawl. "So, you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts. I must warn you at the outset that if you do not have the Sight there is very little i will be able to teach you. Books can take you only so far in this field…many witches and wizards, talented though they are in the area of loud bangs and smells and sudden disappearances, are yet unable to penetrate the veiled mysteries of the future. It is a gift granted to few… "

i thought of my brothers premonition from the train (becuz yes that's what it was, no matter what he says, that's what it was). 

professor trelawney pointed at Neville, her arm moving at lightning speed. "You boy!" He almost toppled off his pouf in surprise, the poor lad. He always had been a bit awkward. "Is your grandmother well?" 

"i think so…" he muttered. 

"I wouldnt be so sure if i were you dear," she told him, which may have been a bit tactless but perhaps she was just showing off her Inner Eye. I wondered what would happen to his gran, hopefully nothing too awful; he'd already lost his parents somehow or another, he couldnt afford to lose her as well…

 Neville seemed to be thinking along the same lines; he gulped. Professor trelawney went on with the syllabus, "we will be covering the basic methods of divination this year. The first term will be devoted to reading the tea leaves. Next term we shall progress into palmistry." She stopped again, looking right at Parvati on my left. "By the way dear… beware the red-haired man!" 

I didn't mean to be rude, but my eyes automatically traveled behind me where the only red haired man in the room sat: ron weasley. Parvati scooted closer to me as if she thought he might try to bludgon her with an axe. I reckon they just have a bad date in the future. 

"In second term we shall progress to the crystal ball — if we have finished with fire omens that is." She frowned thoughtfully as if looking hard with her Inner Eye. "Unfortunately classes will be disrupted in February by a nasty bout of flu. I myself will lose my voice. And around easter, one of our number will leave us forever." 

well… that seemed ominous. The class went completely silent; but professor trelawney didnt seem to notice at all. She turned to lavender on my other side; at first i thought shed make another prediction but instead she said, "if you could pass me the largest silver teapot…" 

lavender, looking relieved, got up and got the teapot shed indicated. "Thank you my dear. Incidentally that thing you are dreading — it will happen on Friday the sixteenth of October." Ah, there it was! i wondered if all her predictions were this… grim. Could that be all the future held? Doom and gloom?

well i refused to believe that. life was a series of up and downs. Not just gory, dread, and horror.  There must be something cheery to look forward to! Perhaps it was just that professor trelawney found the darker predictions more exciting?

"Now i want you all to divide into pairs. Collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me, and i will fill it. Then sit down and drink, drink until only the dregs remain. Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand then turn the cup upside down on its saucer wait for the last of the tea to drain away then give your cup to your partner to read. You will interpret the patterns using pages five and six of Unfogging the Future. I shall move among you, helping and instructing." 

She caught neville by the arm when he moved to stand; he froze as if she might tell him he himself would drop dead next. "Oh, and dear, after youve broken your first cup would you be so kind as to select one of the blue patterned ones? I’m rather attached to the pink.”

Sure enough, he'd broken a pink cup the second he reached the shelf. i exchanged grins with lavender and parvati. Divination was so cool! 

the class split into pairs. Against my better judgment i let parvati team up with lavender so she could avoid being anywhere near ron (not that i dislike the chap too badly, i just wanted to prolong my friends misfortune for as long as possible). Sadly that put me with granger danger (i wish i had gotten a prediction for that so i could have better prepared myself for that trainwreck). 

when it was my turn to get my cup filled i remembered i promised nina id find out whether we could interfere with draco malfoys fate or not. Professor trelawney seemed to appreciate the question (of course i didnt tell her the specifics and i suppose she thought it was hypothetical...).

"free will is just as prevalent as fate in divination, thus making the sight even more difficult to process... but that is a discussion better suited for a N.E.W.T. class. For now, let's simply focus on the tea leaves..."

i thanked her and made my way over to hermione... ugh.

I suppose Hermione was alright most days, it was just that i found her quite unbearable in class. always answering questions before anyone else gets the chance, making the rest of us look incredibly dull in comparison, bossing everyone around. Who put her in charge anyway?

im not doggin' her. I know she works hard and blah blah blah i just wish the teachers would stop favoring her so much over the rest of us. It was hard to focus on what was being taught with someone waving their hand about and wiggling in their seat next to you. And you know the teachers will just pick her for everything so whats the point? 

Sorry, that was a bit cynical. Well, i suppose I was just hoping someone might actually outshine her for once since you needed more than book smarts for this class.

Am I petty? Ah, well, perhaps a bit… 

"Well, according to this you'll have a time of it with your love life," I said peering into hermiones tea cup. "but on the bright side your spouse is going to be beautiful! And oh look, you'll have a very very important job some day. Maybe at the ministry? and you'll have three kids named Altair, Deneb, and Vega… or maybe that last one is Scorpio…? Scorpius? Well, one of those two names. Or both. Your third child is probably transgender male. His dead name is vega, and his real name is scorpius. Oh lovely!" 

She rolled her eyes. "Oh thats just silly. How can a bunch of tea leaves tell a thing like that?" 

"right. Becuz our Head of House turning into a cat is much more logical," I muttered. I thought she was just sore because id already come up with three different predictions in her cup and she had yet to make heads or tails of mine. 

"Well transfiguration is better than this rubbish," Hermione shot back. 

"Just becuz you arent automatically good at something doesn't make it rubbish!"

I didn't mean to get so offended. It was just that i wasnt instantly good at the other subjects the way hermione was and, alright ill admit, ive always been a bit jealous of her brains. I was glad to finally have a subject i seemed to have a knack for and her statement felt like a personal attack. 

"That's not… I wasn't implying…" while she struggled with her words i grabbed my cup from her side of the table to see for myself. Maybe I would be able to see something.

At the center i spotted a triquetra or trinity knot, which, according to the book, meant unity and trinity of the heart, soul, and mind. And it could also mean unity of family. i took that to mean things would go well with my new foster family, which put me in a fantastic mood. 

"Ah, a good cup, my dear," professor trelawney said looking over my shoulder. "On a related note: how's your father?" 

there was some distinct muttering around the class room here. Everyone knew my brother and I were orphans. I cleared my throat and shifted in my armchair. "Uh, he's, um, actually… he's actually a bit dead at the moment…"

A few laughs. Yay me.

I stared at the tea leaves, not feeling much like laughing myself. The happiness from moments before had faded fast. I suppose i could have read the cup wrong. "unless he isnt…"It was a bit confusing actually. Did i want a new foster family or did i want my biological family? Well i suppose as long as i had a family it didnt much matter… i just wanted a home. 

"oh dont be ridiculous!" Hermione complained. "How can he be?" 

i shrugged, ignoring the bite of annoyance. "Maybe he faked his death." 

"how could he have done? And why wouldnt he be here now instead of letting you live on the streets with thugs? wheres he gone?" Hermione ranted, the class watching the drama with interest. Lavender and Parvati were rolling their eyes at her on my behalf; i appreciated that very much. This girl could be rather insensitive in her endeavors to prove shes the smartest one in the room. 

"I dunno," I said, not wanting to admit she had a point (even if she was being quite rude and tactless). Perhaps i had gotten my hopes up and Trelawney was just misinterpreting her Inner Eye's message? But i dunno. I think it's more likely that im wrong since trelawney is the expert. "Albania?" 

Hermione rolled her eyes and slammed her book shut, deciding she was finished with divination for the day. That was fine by me. I went back to my friends, making a point to finish my observations loud enough for Hermione to hear and get more and more annoyed about the outrageousness of them.

Yes, yes Im quite petty indeed. 

At some point I got bored of my teacup, deciding I had gotten all i could from the leaves; so i opted to draw in my journal instead. It was just a silly little doodle, really: a rough sketch of a family of four. Maybe it was just becuz it was on my mind but it was supposed to represent… well my family: my dad, mum, brother, and me. 

Only i didnt exactly know what my parents looked like did i? So i just made something up from the top of my head.

As fabulous as my brother and i were, we were both slightly heavier set so I imagined at least one of our parents must be as well (i picked Dad becuz… well i dunno. Just felt right i suppose). Magnus' dark blonde hair would come from Dad too, but we'd both get our blue eyes from Mum and I'd get my Lighter shade of blonde hair from her as well. and —

“My dear boy... my poor, dear boy...no... it is kinder not to say. no… don’t ask me!”

the melodrama pulled me from my thoughts. I looked up to see the professor over by harrys side now, looking at his cup with utter horror on her face. 

“What is it, Professor?” asked Dean Thomas. Everyone had got to their feet, and slowly they crowded around Harry and Ron’s table, pressing close to Professor Trelawney’s chair to get a good look at Harry’s cup.

I must have missed something golden.

Sometimes i got so transfixed on something that i forget about reality all together. One of the many reasons focusing in class was so difficult; my mind liked to wander away from me, diving deep into whatever daydreams i might be having that day.

Embarrassing really. 

“My dear,” Professor Trelawney’s huge eyes opened dramatically, “you have the Grim.”

“The what?” said Harry.

“The Grim, my dear, the Grim!” cried Professor Trelawney, who looked shocked that Harry hadn’t understood. “The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dear boy, it is an omen — the worst omen — of death!”

Lavender clapped her hands to her mouth. Everyone was looking at Harry in horror. I knew The Grim was big wizard urban legend but that wasnt what had me shaken. No, no, my disquiet lay with what my brother had told me that morning at breakfast. His preminontion… 

"harry potter is dead." vison-mort had said. And now here was the professor of divination giving the same exact prediction? it could not be a coincidence… 

Hermione got up and moved around to the back of Professor Trelawney’s chair, in my opinion, with an air about her that suggested she was superior and that she, a thirteen year old girl who had all but one divination class, would know better than, you know, someone who spent their life actually studying the subject.  “I don’t think it looks like a Grim." 

Professor Trelawney surveyed Hermione with mounting dislike. “You’ll forgive me for saying so, my dear, but I perceive very little aura around you. Very little receptivity to the resonances of the future.”

I'll deny it if you ask me about it now but i smirked at that. Im sorry! i couldnt help it! Hermione was being very annoying at the moment. 

It got better though. Becuz then professor trelawney turned to me and said, "unlike you dear. I sense the Sight is strong with you. quite strong indeed." she nodded proudly and I beamed when hermione looked infuriated at this statement. Finally. I had something she didnt. Something no one else had in fact. Brilliant! 

ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ

"Did you know that would happen, you being a seer and all?" Lavender asked me as we walked back to the castle after the disaster that was CMC class. my friends had decided i was a fortune teller the moment professor trelawney had said the sight was strong with me and they had been asking me questions like this all day, as if i had suddenly become a divination expert.

"No," i admitted. And part of me felt as if i were disappointing them. "But i think my brother had. He told me malfoy would break his arm today." 

"your brother is a seer too?" parvati asked with wonderment in her voice. 

"Think so. He saw something on the train too." my friends looked at me eagerly. I loved them to death but they were quite nosy from time to time. "But i dont think i should share since it wasnt my vision. And dont tell anyone ive told you. Magnus is still in denial i think." they looked disappointed but nodded in understanding. 

It did raise an interesting question though. If professor trelawney had seen such great promise in my inner eye then why did my brother get all the cool fortune telling powers and stuff? why hadnt i gotten any prophecies or anything? it hardly seemed fair seeing as how he didnt even believe in divination… though perhaps after the incident in CMC that would change… we'll see. 

"Well anyway, did you girls manage to try that new long lasting perfume from Witch Weekly?" i asked. Not to change the subject i was just a bit bitter at my brother at the moment. Jealous more like. I wanted to have premonitions. 

"Oh yes! it's lovely. ive been wearing it for two weeks!" Lavender grinned. "Have you got it?' 

parvati elbowed her in the ribs. The girls knew about my, uh, dastardly living conditions. I didn't much like discussing the subject, especially when it caused me to miss out on opportunities like ordering the latest fashion trend from the magazines like this (theft could only get one so far). 

"sorry," lavender said looking guilty. "I forgot…" 

"s'alright," i muttered picking at my fingernails. "Im actually going to be staying with a foster family this summer." maybe i wanted to look somewhat normal or maybe i just wanted to talk to someone about it who would actually be happy for me. "If they like me they may even adopt me." i crossed my fingers grinning. 

The girls smiled back, each hugging me. I hugged them back gratefully. "Mati, that's amazing! i'm so happy for you!" i kept up my smile as long as i could but eventually i broke down; I had to tell them what i was neglecting (i couldnt keep secrets from the pair of them). I told them how my brother would be going to a different home, how we likely wouldnt see each other properly again until next school year, and how i dreaded our departure from one another and how I felt so guilty for being so excited becuz it felt like i was betraying my brother some how. He truly did try to take care of us. Its just… while he was perfectly fine with a minimalist lifestyle i needed more from life. That was all. I needed a home. A family. 

I suppose thats all my teacup had really meant in the end. It was just wishful thinking. I didnt realise it then but my hand was resting on my bag where i had stuffed that drawing of our family. Our made up family. 

Parvati took my hand in hers sympathetically. I thought she might understand me best since she herself had a twin, but when she spoke she said,"I'm sorry, Mati. I couldnt imagine being sent away from Padma… but… but maybe its a good thing for you, yeah? I mean, he is Slytherin after all…and you deserve to be happy so…"

i frowned. Now, i dont like being cross with my friends. I love them far too much to let silly little difference of opinions get in the way of our friendship... but as i have said before, i am quite protective of my brother.

i pulled my hands away from parvati and put them over my hips. "What's his house got to do with anything?"

parvati shifted, apparently only just realising how her words might have been insulting. But it was too late to take them back, she'd already said them. "Well... um, no offense, Mati, but... i mean, it's not exactly a secret that pretty much everyone in slytherin is...well...you know..."

"what?" I snapped. "Evil gits? Followers of Mr-I-Don't-know-how-nicknames-are-suppose-to-work?"

"well... statistically speaking..." parvati looked at lavender for help.

Lavender gave me a soft smile, as if hoping that might stop me from popping off. "We know he's your brother and everything, and oviously he's important to you... it's just... we want you to be happy.  You deserve to be happy, Mati."

"yes. So does my brother. Him being a slytherin doesnt change that."

Lavender pursed her lips. I got the feeling she was thinking very carefully about her next words. "Of course. But...parvati and i... we...we just worry that he might..."

"hold you back...?" Parvati finished.

"Hold me back?" i repeated slowly.

the fact was that magnus actually had held me back (physically) many-a-time when i got in over my head and tried to jump into something (mostly fights with people who'd been insulting him) i couldnt handle. But i knew thats not what lavender and parvati had meant.

"well, you know how slytherins are..." parvati said nervously. "Just look at malfoy."

"my brother is nothing like malfoy!" i gaped at her. How could she say something so horribly misinformed?

"well yes..." parvati started slowly.  "But maybe that's just becuz of you."

"becuz... of me..?" what?

"becuz your his sister," lavender clarified. "We think that's the only reason he's not...like malfoy. Becuz you have to be around to keep him out of trouble. Which isn't fair at all."

i will admit, my brother has a habit of running his mouth when he shouldnt. There has been loads of times when i had to drag him away from certain places to avoid fights and the likes. I had to remind him to shut up every so often. But as i have said, he's done the same for me. We took care of each other.

"You shouldnt have to worry all the time about what your brother is up to. You should be able to live your own life."

As if i deserved a happier life than my brother just becuz the colours of our ties were different. Honestly. They were being ridiculous.

It was a bit of conundrum for me. You see, my first instinct when someone insults my brother becuz of his house (or just in general) is always to shout back at them or hit them as hard as i could or maybe even hex them if i can think to do so. But oviously i cant hex or hit or shout at my best friends.

So i settled for staring back at them stupidly.

"we just dont want people to think ill of you becuz of who your brother is," lavender went on. "So... so maybe you being separated is actually a good thing even if it doesnt feel like it yet. You can have your own space without...you know..."

"being held back" i said. "Yeah. Got that. Thanks."

The pair of them smiled at me wearily. I knew they could sense my sour mood, i also knew this conversation wouldnt have a pleasant ending if we kept on so i changed to topic back to fashion.

Only now i didnt much feel like talking to either of them, so i made myself scarce a short while after that, giving some excuse about getting ready for tomorrow's classes. But actually i was just pacing the corridors until my temper faded out.

At some point i ran into magnus and nina. They were crouched behind the wall, watching some seventh years snog a few feet away. Nina was making a face. "Why must they have that much physical contact involved? is it necessary?"

"they've been going at it for, like, thirty minutes, now," magnus added. "I suppose they are still breathing, right?"

Nina squinted. "It's hard to tell."

"what are you two doing?" i sighed. "Spying on them like that. you freaks of nature!"

Neither of them turned around when they answered me. "Most people just say Hi, tilly," magnus said. i huffed at this but he went on before i could form a sarcastic remark of my own. Jerk. "We're trying to figure out what actual couples do."

"so far, it's just a lot of snogging," nina added and i swear i saw her jotting 'snogs a lot + obscene amount of phys. contact' down in her journal under a header that read 'notes: for actual couples'

"oh god," i sighed. Honestly these two were impossible. "You guys dont need to copy what other couples do. Wait!" i grinned at them, something clicking in my head. "Are you two official then? Since when?"

"since before malfoy broke his arm," nina shrugged. She pointed at the seventh year couple still snogging somehow, making a face. "so we dont have to start doing that?"

i eyed the couple. They were rather, uh, enthusiastic about each other's company. "No," i said. "Not if you aren't comfortable with it."

"well all the actual couples we've watched today do it..."

I stared at her. "Have...have you two been stalking couples all day?" i could not believe what i was hearing. Hopeless, the two of them, utterly hopeless.

"yes. Seven so far. We've told you. We're trying to figure out what actual couples do," nina told me, as if she didnt see the problem with following people around and watching them snog. "How else are we suppose to find information out? it's not as if there's a rule book we can check out from the library."

"Exactly!" I said. "There isn't a rule book! So, there aren't any rules. You dont have to do anything just becuz it's 'what actual couples' do."

perhaps, i sounded a bit stern, but i knew for a fact that my brother would never be alright with snogging anyone. At least not in the Same way those seventh years were. Sure, he acted like a wild nitwit from time to time but i knew he was actually quite reserved with things like this. And i doubted nina much liked, uh, physical activities either.

It could have been the things my friends had been saying about slytherin and more importantly my brother earlier but i was feeling very strongly about this. I was not going to have my brother and nina (or any girlfriend he might find himself with) make themselves uncomfortable for the sake of looking like 'an actual couple.'

"oh." Nina and magnus exchanged looks like all this was news to them. Poor clueless things. "Well thats a relief." nina ripped the notes: for actual couples page out of her journal and wrote the same thing again on a new page, followed by 'NO RULES!' in big capital letters.

I snorted and shook my head. "C'mon. Let's give those two some privacy."