𝑮𝑹𝑬𝑬𝑲 𝑻𝑹𝑨𝑮𝑬𝑫𝒀 [𝑺𝑰𝑹𝑰𝑼𝑺 𝑩𝑳𝑨𝑪𝑲]

v.

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ELECTRA: Yet suffer me, dear women! Mighty force
Compels me. Who that had a noble heart
And saw her father's cause, as I have done,
By day and night more outraged, could refrain?

-Electra, Sophocles

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Andromeda's warning had come true before the fifth-year Slytherins could process it. Phaedra and Narcissa managed to stay somewhat afloat, spending most of their free time pouring over their textbooks and whispering to each other, scribbling frantically on parchment. But Edmond and Penelope began to drown in work - they spent most of their free time balling up parchment and throwing it at each other, or kicking up their feet and bickering whilst the others worked.

"You're going to fail all your classes," Narcissa tightened her scarf to protect her neck from the mid-October breeze, untucking her hair from her ears to warm them, "If you two would just spend three hours a day-"

"Three hours?" Edmond shook his head immediately, and he peered around Phaedra to click his tongue at the youngest Black sister. Phaedra had always thought he would be a fantastic stage actor, judging from the dramatic expression that haunted his features, "Absolutely not. That's three hours I could spend doing... anything else."

Phaedra rolled her eyes, and she gently nudged Edmond's side with her elbow, "She's right, you know," her silky drawl could barely be heard over the whistling wind, and she tried her hardest to project, "You don't have to be like Andromeda and walk around with your nose in a book, but you should at least know what chapter we're on in class."

"We're on chapter five," Edmond slung his arm over the girl's shoulder, and he poked her cheek with his free hand. Phaedra scowled, pushing his hand away but allowing him to rest his arm over her shoulder, thankful for the slight warmth he provided, "We're on chapter three."

Penelope began to howl with laughter, and she poked Edmond's shoulder from his other side, "Ha-ha."

"You're the one that told me we're on chapter five," Edmond sneered at her, rolling his bright eyes - they shone in the grey mist, the only vibrant color on the gloomy October day. Phaedra smiled, and she licked her lips, "You do know that we have an exam on Thursday? In Transfiguration?"

"Of course," Penelope said quickly, but she reached into her bag and pulled out a self-inking quill, scribbling on the back of her hand. Edmond pulled the quill away, "You'll hurt your hand doing that."

"It helps me remember," Penelope finished scribbling her reminder, placing the quill back in her bag. She peeked out from around Edmond, frowning in Narcissa's direction, "Remind me again where we're going?"

"Nowhere," Narcissa sighed, shaking her head, "That's the point of a walk. Just to enjoy each other's company. But you two are insufferable, why don't you go annoy Bellatrix in the Common Room, and Phaedra and I will meet you there when we're done."

"So you can gossip about us," Edmond wiggled his fingers in her direction, shaking his head, "No way. I'm great company - how about while we walk, you two explain what the exam is covering?"

Narcissa sniffed, wrapping her arm around Phaedra's and pulling the girl from Edmond's grasp, quickening their pace. The two Slytherins followed quickly after, and Penelope called, "Like, is it on werewolves? Or vampires? Come on, the least you could do is tell us!"