Chapter 8

Knock Knock

Who was that? Good, I make progress and ask this question now before inviting someone in. But seriously, who could that be? One of his roommates? Lorain?

"Come in." William answered before I could say something like that.

In panic, I pulled the blanket above my face before the door could open. What would other people think if they saw me in Williams' bed? What if mother heard about it?

"Ohh, you are alone. Where is Charlotte? I didn't see her leaving." Okey, it was definitely Lorain.

I poked Will, hoping he would understand.

"Ahmm. She went earlier, you might have missed her." Okay, he got it. Good Boyfriend.

"Ohh, did I? Then everything is fine. I was just worried that she did something to you."

"She isn't like that, Lorain." Good Boyfriend. Defend me.

"You are the only one who says that. You know that she is dangerous. Just look at her eyes. I honestly don't know why the founders even keep her. And she behaves like a maniac. Just last week, she met two second graders who were so scared that I needed to calm them down." Bad bitch. What are you talking about? I didn't scare anyone. Well, not intentionally.

"Lorain, I'm absolutely sure that it's just a misunderstanding. Did you ever hear about something she really did? I mean not people getting scared, but something where people did come to harm in any way." Give it to her. I'm innocent. Okay, almost innocent. Maybe I should apologize to the baron. Nope, never mind; he deserved it. The few bullies I bullied also deserved it.

"Just be careful, okey? I worry about you, Will. Why can't you just stop chasing after her? She has told you so many times that she has no interest in you. There are so many girls who would like to go out with you. Some are even closer than you think." Okey bitch. If you want a war, you get a war. Just because I made one or two mistakes in the past doesn't mean she can hold them against me. I pulled the blanket away and sat up.

"What!" Ohh she looked scared.

"What what what? That, I should ask you. Why are you flirting with my boyfriend? Why are you badmouthing me in front of him when you don't even know me? Isn't it just because you are jealous of me?"

"Girls, plea.."

"Shut up." He did shut up.

I would give the girl a reason to fear me if she thought I was so scary.

I rushed to her. It must have been so fast that it was probably only a blink for her.

I stared into her blue eyes, so close that I could see the reflection of my scarlet ones in hers. The look of surprise and terror was satisfying.

I transformed one finger into a claw. The nail grew at a visible speed, and the finger became much stiffer. I glided that finger over her cheek. She couldn't even see the finger. Just feel its pointy end. She looked terrified, and her legs were wobbling a little.

"I don't care what you do or with whom, but it would be in your best interest to stop talking shit about me. Are we clear?" I pricked her check one final time with my pointy nail. It pierced the first layer of her skin, but she didn't bleed.

She just nodded. I had never really done it before, but I was sure it was effective. All the rumors were good for something, at least. I put my hand away and carefully broke the tip of my nail off. It did hurt a little, but I didn't care. I didn't want to run around with proof of what I did. Her story would just be like all the other rumors, and if someone asked, I could just say that she was a jealous bitch. Which she was.

She quickly hurried out of the room.

"Charlotte." My boyfriend didn't look amused. Not even neutral. He was angry. But I could understand. His childhood friend had just talked shit about his girlfriend.

"You shouldn't have done that!" Wait, he was angry at me. Why was he angry at me?

"I know that you were angry at her, but you shouldn't have threatened her. I would have told her off. I know that she likes me, but I did see her as nothing more than a friend. And she knows that too. But despite that, she is really nice. She is a good friend that you can rely on even if you are in trouble. I'm sure she would have stopped with it as soon as she learned that you and I are together." I needed to calm down. Maybe he was right that I shouldn't have threatened her. Maybe I overreacted a little. But it annoyed me that he defended her, and she was still a bitch. If she knew he liked me, she should have stayed away even when we weren't together. Wait. Okay, maybe I really overreacted. When she didn't know we were together and she liked him, it was perfectly logical to try to get him away from me, especially as I had rejected him more than once. Anyway, she is a bitch, and it's not my job to make any rational decisions. If I did, I wouldn't be here, and Will wouldn't be my…my boyfriend. Boyfriend. Boyfriend. It has such a nice ring to it.

"I'm sorry. It will not happen again."

"You don't need to apologize to me, but to her. She looked as if she were scared for her life." What. No, I was not going to apologize to that bitch. I was sorry I angered him, not that I scared her.

"I don't want..." he looked at me as if he wanted me to know that no matter what I said, he would still want me to do it. "To let her wait, then..." I hated myself. Where was my spine? Why could I still stand.

I should wobble on the ground like pudding. Well, at least he smiled.

"Thank you. Hurry up, or she will tell her friends." Damned, I haven't thought about that.

I ran out to catch up to her. I met her when she was halfway through the stairs. Luckily, the castle had so many.

"Wait." She flinched and took two more steps.

"I said wait." She froze. Probably in fear.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, I will never do it again." Okey, at least she also knew that she did something wrong.

"Calm down. I need to apologize too. I overreacted a little, so I'm sorry." I hated apologizing.

She looked at me in surprise and shock.

"I really mean it. Trust me." Okey, those were not the right words as she took a step backwards.

"Please. I'm really sorry. It's just that we haven't been together for long, and when I heard you trying to flirt with him, I got angry." Surprisingly, that worked. She probably could understand jealousy better than me. For all I know, she was the queen of jealousy.

"So you and him? Why were you under his blanket?" Wait. How did we change the topic from apologizing to talking about my love life? You aren't my friend, girl. And with the start we had, I doubt we will ever be.

"What would you have done if you had laid in his bed and someone knocked on the door?"

"So you didn't…?" Oh girl, you are a pervert.

"No, we didn't. And while we are at the topic, it would be nice if you didn't tell it to your friends for the next two or three days."

"Good. Really good. Why should I do that?" Was that little girl, who was really close to wetting herself just a minute ago, just blackmailing me? Should I use my claws again?

"Fine, what do you want?" I gnashed my teeth. I knew William would be angry if I threatened her again.

"A private lesson with Professor Lionheart." Was she dump? Were her parents siblings? Why should I be able to get her a private lesson with that jerk. What did she want it for anyway? Uncle is much cooler and better than him. Ohh Wait. Did she want to? No, that couldn't be. She was his student.

"I'm not really on good terms with Ppprofffesssor Lionheart; I can't organize a private lesson with him, and even if there is a rumor that he does, he has never had anything with a student. My mother would cut off his balls if he did." It pained me that I had to say his name in connection with his honor title.

"What? No, that's not what I wanted. He is just a good teacher. I mean, I wouldn't mind if he… Never mind. What can you give me, then? The daughter of one of the founders would have certain privileges you could share with me." That little dirty pervert. Just two minutes after realizing that your crush is already taken, you try to become my stepmother. Or maybe she really just wanted to have.... Yep, she is a pervert. But what can I give her? I mean, I couldn't exactly give her my room, which was the only real privilege I had compared to other people. Wait a moment. Nooooo. No. No No. I won't give her my bath. Never. It's mine. The little spies also almost never use it. I want it for myself, and I won't share. But what else could I give her?

"I give you all my money." She looked at me, thinking about it.

"How much is it?"

"Two Gold Coins, five Shillings." I didn't need to tell her that I held five Shillings back. It was a lot of money. Enough for four and a half bets with Uncle.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know you were poor. I thought that your parents would give you more." What poor? That were my life savings. Okay, not exactly. Mother had said I have a bank account somewhere, but it was all the money I currently had.

"Fine, you can get to use my bath. It's far better than the common ones for the students." Unsurprisingly, I could see the excitement in her eyes. At least she knew what I was giving up here.

"Deal." Yeah, I guessed that from her expression.

I let her go after telling her where it was and the password to enter. I know it was only for a year, as the password would change then. Maybe I could ask Uncle to build me a bathroom that was really my own. Right next to my room, but I guess the chances were slim as Uncle was working hard because of the whole war affair.

I went back to Will and told him that everything was fine now. He still reminded me that I should be a bit calmer next time and that I should probably talk with my mother if I wanted lunch duty.

When I walked down the stairs. The other Lionhearts were as welcoming as ever, but the fact that they weren't whispering shit about me told me that Lorain had kept her promise. The atmosphere was still frosty, and I decided that I should hurry outside.

I opened the portrait and stepped outside.

Oh shit.

HE stood in front of me.

"Ohh, hello, Uhm, Uncle Lionheart." He didn't react to me calling him Uncle. We both knew I would never call him father.

"Hello Daughter. I heard you were creating trouble." Okey, maybe he had hoped for me to call him father or even dad, but he didn't put any effort into it. Not now, and never before. I thought about what trouble he was talking about when he pointed at the portrait and saw my confused but nervous face.

I could see the annoyance in his eyes. I know I was a bother to him, and yes, I was doing some stupid things once in a while, but each time he heard about it, he let me feel his disappointment, dissatisfaction, and annoyance. Couldn't he just yell at me for once? Uncle did it all the time, and we were doing well. He wasn't even honest with me when he said something. Always saying he cared about me and doing something that was "best" for me. I had a thirty-centimeter-long scar that said otherwise. He was a pretentious prick who had mastered the art of deception. That is how he got all those women into his bed.

"I just wanted to get in, and the nice lady didn't want to let me in." I was not intimidated by him. Not in the least. His grim look, his big statue, or the big sword on his back that was completely unpractical and was just carried around because he thought it was cool, looked not the least bit intimidating. I was just following common courtesy.

"The "nice" lady told me something different. Is it really so difficult for you to remember a handful of passwords? I mean, you got the new list two weeks ago. You should know them by now. And what did you want in the common room of my students that was so important that you couldn't go back and take a look at the list or wait for another student?" Like I said, he was an expert at making me feel miserable. And what did he mean with a handful? There were at least twenty passwords. Did he have an extra pair of hands that were carrying his ego?

"I uhmm"

"Yes?" Let me think; I need an explanation fast.

"I needed to talk to my brother, and uhhmm he wasn't in the great hall during breakfast, soooo I came here to talk to him."

"Talk to him about?" Evil sadist. He knew I was lying.

"Talk to him about uhhmm my new job. Yes, I wanted to talk to him about my new job. I will assist Uncle Severin by teaching his personal students potions. Right that's what I wanted to do." Brother, you need to cover for me. If you manage, I will do your homework or something for you.

"So if I were to go in there, Percival would tell me the same story?" Why can't he simply let me go?

"No, uhmm, I didn't meet him. Apparently, we missed each other. He probably went to the bathroom before breakfast, so that was the reason I didn't see him." perfect explanation, and he wouldn't get me by talking to my brother. Gotcha.

"Fine. But if your brother was not here, what did you do here for so long?" Come on. My explanation was perfect. Why are you ruining it?

"Now that I talked about it, I remember that I need to go to the bathroom too. See you later, Uncle."

"Stay here." He grabbed me by the arm. I know I could just pull him with me, but then he would pull out his wand. The one that could do magic. And I wasn't a great fan of eating a full-body-binding charm. I had better things to do than become a statue.

"I didn't do anything. I just talked with a friend?" I sounded a little whiny, but that was definitely my acting. I'm not scared of him.

"A friend?" Don't look at me like that. Is it so unbelievable that I have friends?

"Yeah, a friend. He is ill, and I haven't seen him during breakfast, so I asked him if I should bring him some. Another friend of his did, but I will bring him lunch."

"Do you have a fever? Are you not feeling well?" What hurt me the most was that I could see genuine worry in his face.

"No, can I go now?" My whiny acting reached new levels. It was so real, I swear. If I hadn't known I was acting, I would definitely believe myself. Okay, who am I trying to lie to? I just want to get out of the situation as soon as possible.

"Yeah, you can. Maybe you can introduce me to your friend some time. If you want to." Wow. Now he was leaving me a choice. He knows I would never do that and is just pretending to care.

"Maybe." I left as soon as he let my arm go and immediately started to worry about another problem as I ran to my mothers office. How should I tell her about my relationship with Will? Was starting with a joke the right approach? No, mother would want me to be serious when it comes to topics like that. She always says, "You don't joke about love and death," so I never did.