The fight

[Athene Perthro]

Athene stood in the window, silhouetted against the near-cloudless sky. The wind - for like most windows in the castle, this one had no glass - whipped at her hair and tugged at it in a way that was almost appealing. A suggestive way, as though to say 'follow me'. She lent further out the window, and sighed. She didn't want to fly today. She was in a foul mood, which wasn't, she would admit, very unusual, but it was the kind of mood that flying wouldn't help with.

She wanted peace and quiet. The kind that whistling wind and the pressure of the sky just couldn't offer. She tapped her long, thin fingers against the stone, frowning. Most of the students were outside - she could even see some swimming in the lake. 'How stupid,'</COLOR><COLOR color="green"> she thought. 'Swimming at this time of year.' She scowled, and turned away from the sunshine outside.

It took her a second to adjust her eyes to the darkness of the tower, and a second more to work out who the figure was, but when she recognized the brown hair, the blue tie and the shiny badge, she lifted her chin and her face took the appearance of utter contempt. It was a natural reaction when Estrella Drage was around.

 

[Estrella Drage]

Estrella had made her way up to the North Tower to get some peace and quiet, although it seemed like that never worked, despite the fact that the towers were usually the place Ravenclaws lurked around. She was not surprised to see a younger student looking out the window, as this was how the scene always was when she entered this particular room, but when she recognized the person as Athene Perthro.

Smirking a bit as she made her way to her own window, reveling in the caress of the breeze on her cheeks, she started, "Well, well, if it isn't Perthro. In all honesty, I thought you had dropped out." She turned to the window, a rather smug expression plastered on her face. In any case, she hadn't heard anything about the girl, who was oddly her cousin, provoking people all of the time.

 

[Athene Perthro]

"Not yet,"</COLOR></B><i></i> said Athene coldly, regarding the loathsome Ravenclaw prefect with distaste. It was true, that she'd been considering it. She was so behind on school work that there was no way that she'd pass the exams at the end of the year. She'd had to spend all her spare time in the common room, catching up. And still, she was so far behind the rest of the students. She'd missed a lot of classes too, due to her disastrous Easter Break, and not getting back to school on time. But what would her father say? She nearly shuddered at the thought, but instead returned her attention to Drage.

<B><COLOR color="green">"I'm sorry that I got your hopes up." She didn't sound sorry at all, for indeed she wasn't, and she flicked her black hair over shoulder as if to emphasize her lack of caring. "Looks like you'll have to put up with me a little longer, Drage," she said, smirking. The twisted smile, however, didn't reach her eyes. She was just as unhappy about having to spend another year with Drage as she supposed Drage was about her. 'I hate her,' thought Athene venomously. 'I hate her for being a Prefect. For being a Ravenclaw. For being related to me. I hate her attitude and her smug little smile. Oh, if there was one thing that I didn't hate about Estrella Drage, I'd be surprised!' And yet, for all that hate, she couldn't think of an insult, or anything hurtful to say. Because she'd been out of things for so long, she had nothing to beat Estrella down with. Words and knowledge were power, and without them, how was Athene to make any kind of stand against Drage?

 

[Estrella Drage]

The smug expression remained on Estrella's face, without knowing it quite reflecting her father's. She looked out the window to see some students swimming- Idiots, she thought to herself. Someone was going to end up in the Infirmary over that deal.

"Pity," she replied, her dark eyes dancing with intense amusement, "I figured you were going to go. Seeing as you don't have any real friends anyway."

In actuality, Estrella was struggling with all of her friends, although Athene would never know that. There was something in Athene that brought out a rather bitter and cruel side in Estrella, feeling only the tiniest bit of remorse for her words. In any case, it wasn't enough to stop her.

 

[Athene Perthro]

Anger flashed across Athene's eyes for just a second, before she hurried to recompose her expression. She lifted her chin a little higher, although it didn't matter much - she was still a head shorter than Drage - and smiled. "And here I thought that school was about education, and not friend-making and pleasure. What a fool I have been! It looks like I need a change in priorities. I ought to take a leaf out of your book - slack off, have fun. Who cares about learning? I bet that's how you became a Prefect. It's no wonder that you're the Ravenclaw - you are so intelligent!"</COLOR><COLOR color="green"> The sarcasm was obvious, if not in her words, then in her voice.

She then brought her small, pale hand to her mouth in mock-shock, and gasped. "But, oh no! Where are your friends, Estrella? If friends are the point of school, then you're not setting me a very good example, being out on your own like this." She tutted softly, trying for a mockingly dissaproving expression.

 

[Estrella Drage]

Estrella cocked her head to the side, more than a little impressed by Athene's retort. "School is about education. But it's got to be so damned lonely." Her dark eyes glinting with amusement, she stepped forward a bit, stating venemously, "It must be terrible not to have the brains for education nor the capacity to be able to even keep an acquaintance. One could almost pity you." She smirked, stating, "Although, I'd be wasting my time with that, wouldn't I?"

 

[Athene Perthro]

Athene scowled and her cheeks flushed, but she took a step forward to match Drage's, bringing them a meter closer to one another. This was what she hated most about Drage. The way she acted so superior. The way she pretended like she knew Athene. Of course, Athene knew that she deserved it - she was just as nasty to Estrella - but from what she could recall, Estrella had started it. She pursed her lips, refraining from saying something that could land her in detention.

"I don't need nor want your pity,"</COLOR><COLOR color="green"> she said as Drage finished. "And I can 'keep an acquaintance' fine, it's just that I don't choose to. I have no interest in people as pathetic as yourself, and most students here appear to be just that. Pathetic!" she was well aware of how poor her arguement was. If only she had some dirt on Drage! She was beginning to feel bad tempered and irritated - more at herself, than at Drage.

 

[Estrella Drage]

Estrella turned her nose up at Athene, the smug expression remaining chiseled into her face, her eyes glinting with malice. "Interesting to find you describing yourself, isn't it? The pathetic one, I would really think, is you. Don't pretend to think you know anything about me- You are a stupid, weak minded second year who has spent two much time being sheltered by the ideals of a rather closed minded family. And frankly, I'm embarrassed to be related to you; you cannot even withold a decent argument." She started to turn away from Athene, quite convinced that she had won this heated debate. She was not behaving as a prefect should, but at the moment she didn't care much.

 

[Athene Perthro]

"You know what,"</COLOR><COLOR color="green"> snarled Athene, furious now. "I think that you're right. How can I say that my family isn't at all close minded, when you're in it?" she walked right up to Drage now, shaking with fury. She knew that she shouldn't get angry. She knew that this was what Drage wanted. But she couldn't help it. Drage was one of the few people that could so easily infuriate her. Was it because she was related? She wasn't sure. But she that right now, she wanted to do some pretty physical damage.

"But that aside, how dare you insult my family! How dare you accuse me of acting as though I know you! You are hypocritical and prejudiced." She was nearly shouting now, and her fists were balled as she worked herself up. You're two faced and - but she didn't finish. Before she even realized what she was doing, her fist collided with Estrella Drage's face.

 

[Estrella Drage]

Estrella laughed coldly as she looked to Athene, hissing, "Ouch- You hit a nerve." She held her hand to her heart as if to emphasize the mock pain she was going through, grinning broadly. She was not expecting, however, the blow to the face, nor the crack as her nose dislodged itself out of place, spewing blood. Before she even thought about it, her wand was out, waving it and snarling, "Langlock!" and turning on her heel off to the Hospital Wing. Athene may have punched her, but she wasn't going to give her the reign to do any magical damage.

 

[Athene Perthro]

Athene only had a second to look momentarily shocked at what she had done, before she stumbled back, covered in blood. In a flurry of brown, Drage was spinning around, flecks of blood in the air. Athene didn't catch what she said, but smirked as Drage ran away. She instantly tried to yell Coward! at her retreating back, but choked and gasped - or gasped as well as she could with her tongue glued to the roof of her mouth. 'Langlock!</COLOR><COLOR color="green"> she thought angrily, panicing. She felt claustrophobic, suddenly afraid that she would never be able to speak again. Without a second thought, she hurried in the same direction as Drage, desperate to get to the Hospital Wing.