Room 420, Saturday Mid-Day

[ladycfitzgerald]

After class yesterday, Anne and her still-overgrown hair had gone back to hiding in bed -- a decision that would undoubtedly have greatly scandalized Marilla, although perhaps not as greatly as Anne herself would have been scandalized to see the posters for the "girlkissy party." And so, in the grand scheme of things, perhaps it was just as well

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[chasingsnitches]

Cedric wandered into the room, engrossed in a book and said, "Hello, Anne," without looking up just yet.

[ladycfitzgerald]

"Hello, Cedric," returned dispirited Anne, back to hiding beneath the covers. "How is your weekend so far?"

Unspoken, but perhaps clearly implied, was that she was sure it had to be better than hers. Behold the power of emo, even for someone from a time long before the term was invented.

[chasingsnitches]

"It's well," he said, finally looking and frowning. "Are you all right, Anne?"

[ladycfitzgerald]

"Quite well, for someone contemplating never setting foot in public again," she replied. "I'm sure a judgment on me for my vanity was in order, but on the other hand there is such a thing as too cruel."

[chasingsnitches]

He did notice a difference now that he was paying attention. "What happened, Anne? Did someone do something?"

[ladycfitzgerald]

"That horrible new principal," Anne said, her pale cheeks flushing with a fresh surge of indignation. "She accused me of being a Weasley, whatever that means, and did something to make my hair ever so much thicker and redder!"

It had not, as it happened, affected the color of her hair at all; that was simply the embarrassment affecting her perception.

[chasingsnitches]

"A...Weasley?" Cedric asked. He knew that name. "How did she do that to you?"

[ladycfitzgerald]

"I don't know," faltered Anne, rather distressed at having to admit ignorance. "I was already so angry I could hardly see straight, but she -- pointed at me, I think, and said some words I couldn't understand. And the next thing I knew, my hair and eyebrows . . . it was so humiliating!"

[chasingsnitches]

"She used magic," Cedric said quite confidently. "She used a spell against you. Anne, there was nothing you could have done to defend yourself."

[ladycfitzgerald]

"Oh, Cedric, I don't know if I should feel comforted by that or not. I don't even know what I did to make her dislike me so," Anne sighed. "She was already unpleasant to me before I insulted her, mind you -- although I'm sure my outburst did nothing to help, but how can someone that malicious be allowed to run the school?"

[chasingsnitches]

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "If the name you mentioned, Weasley, is the same one I know, she's from the place as I came from. But I don't recognize her from your description. She might have come...after I left."

[ladycfitzgerald]

"Whoever these Weasley people are, I feel sorry for them being on her bad side," Anne said decisively. "She seemed awfully convinced that I was related to them . . . and you've no idea how glad I am to know that there are people as nice as you who come from the same place as someone as awful as her."

[chasingsnitches]

"Thank you," he said, allowing himself to smile. "You've the same color hair as the Weasley children. She seemed to generalize that into the fact that you were a Weasley. I'm sorry you met someone as awful as she. You are not in any pain, are you?"

[ladycfitzgerald]

Anne mustered a small smile in response. "Only in the area of my pride," she admitted with some difficulty, "and that may be on the road to recovery since the spell seems to be wearing off."

[chasingsnitches]

"That's good to hear," he said, returning her smile. "I'd offer to use a spell and get rid of it for you but I think you've had a enough of magic for awhile."

[ladycfitzgerald]

Anne laughed shakily. "Thank you, but no. I don't mean any offense to you at all, as you've been nothing but kind and thoughtful, but at the moment I think I liked magic better when I was only reading about it."