June 26th, 1895 — Pendergast School for Young Roses, Wellingtonshire, Hogsmeade

Resentment boiled in the bed of Hettie's chest. She did not... dislike her time at Pendergast-- had been a Rosebud already, and had a fine time. That wasn't the point. This year she had hoped for something different. With her mother more alert, now, than she had ever been, and a bond growing between them Hettie could never have predicted, she had hoped for another opportunity. Mother even approved it. She'd been a breath's distance from spending her summer with the Society for Transfiguration Arts instead, digging deeper into an art which fascinated her during the school year.

But no.

Hettie never claimed to like her father much, nor he her. Now, she supposed, these were the consequences. An opportunity lost and another summer spent with the Rosebuds, because she'd caused him more than enough trouble already. Hettie ground her teeth over the words, sitting atop her bed in the little dormitory and angrily shredding a piece of blank parchment between both hands. She barely even recognized what she was doing. She'd been sent to learn her manners again, and again, and again, as though she did not know them well enough already. As though being commanded into a corner did not make Hettie want to break something even more...

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Draconia Yarwood

  

This was only the second year that Rosebuds was in operation but Draconia rather felt like it had been happening for a million years already. At least they would all be heading home in just two days, on the 28th. That was when Rosebuds ended and she would have July and August to enjoy running around the Glen and exacting her revenge enjoying the rest of her summer.

The sound of ripping parchment reached her ears even from across the rather large space between her and Harriets bed. "Harriet? Are you all right?" Her friends face didn't look particularly happy and she felt pinpricks of concern.

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Hettie answered first with a breathy, irritated sigh. She tossed the tattered remains of her parchment to one side and tipped backwards, landing with a distinct whuff amongst her pillows with her long curls gone every which way. Frowning at the ceiling, she searched for an answer.

"I'm fine," wasn't really the answer she wanted to give, but it was true. It wasn't like she'd been done any harm. Not really. "I guess... I just can't stop thinking about what I'd have been doing with the Society, right now. Transfiguring a boat, maybe... learning something new. I'm so bored!"

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Draconia patiently waited out the irritated huff she had gotten as an answer. Being the way she was, she got used to such things though the huff usually came from the adults in her life. Still, she was aware enough to know her friends irritation was likely not completely directed at her. This time, anyway (Draconia could be a damn annoyance when she wanted).

"It would have been great fun," Draconia said in agreement because such things sounded a lot more fun than re-learning which spoon was for her fish and not her soup. "We'll be done here in a couple days, will they not take you for the remaining of the summer? Or is it your parents?" Her own mother would probably not let her do things at the Transfiguration Society and would probably insist she could learn similar things at home or something.

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"It's my father," Hettie answered, clipped between teeth and perhaps too spiteful. She couldn't help it. At least mother, with her whole new personality, had been willing to let Hettie study. Learn. Explore something beyond the frills and bows. "It's a waste of time and money-- and I've been too much trouble. As though he even noticed." She muttered the last part mostly under her breath.

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Draconia huffed on her friend behalf. "Parents always think they know better," she said. And usually they were wrong. Fathers were harder than mothers though - she could keep her Quidditch playing a secret from mother but father knew. Since he had to sign forms to allow her.

"What trouble have you done? Other than being a playful child?" Granted, some of their pranks might be a bit much for most other girls their age but whatever. They both had attended this whole month, hadn't they? Harriet should be able to spend the rest of her summer learning stuff! Needless to say, Draconia was passionately on Hetties side.

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