THE GRYFFINDORS AND SLYTHERINS

Jeongyeon had settled in the corner of the library that night to study for her divination quiz that would be given out the following Monday. She rarely had time for homework these days with quidditch practice throughout the week and matches on the weekends, so nightime on Friday was her usual designated study time.

Astrology books and star charts lay scattered on the table in front of her, but she was having a hard time focusing. A table full of Slytherin girls were being exceptionally loud tonight, giggling and gossiping with an unrelenting fervor, not even considering the students around them who were using the library for it’s actual purpose. Jeongyeon was used to having her group here as well on late Friday nights and usually she had her level-headed Gryffindor house mate Jihyo to calm her down whenever she started to become fed up with the clique. Unfortunately tonight she was left by herself, with no one to ease her budding anger. Who do the Slytherins think they are anyway? Jeongyeon thought clenching her fist so tight one of the colored pencil’s in her hand snapped in half. It’s like they want to live up to the stereotype.

    “Breathe Jeongyeon breathe…” she whispered under her breath repeatedly as the girls in green at the table in front of her cackled. She could hear almost every part of their useless conversation that consisted of shoes, entitled Ravenclaws, crushes, and hatred for most of the faculty. “I have to say something…” She muttered to herself standing up and dropping her broken pencil onto the wooden table beneath her. “I have to.” This is the point usually where her friend Jihyo would stop her by grabbing her wrist and soothingly whisper something about the Slytherins leaving soon or would try to distract her by talking about her newest chocolate frog cards. But what really could be the harm in gently telling the Slytherin girls that they were being just a teensist bit loud?

“Hey I know it might sound crazy but can you believe some people here are actually trying to ing study here?” Jeongyeon aggressively blurted out once she stomped up to the girls’ table. She crossed her arms tightly over her chest as she took the time to glare at each and every one of them who unsurprisingly glared right back. A girl with long dark hair who sat at the head of the table scoffed, her brown eyes trying their best to pierce through Jeongyeon’s skull.

    “And?” the girl asked, her gaze unmoving and her stone cold exterior becoming icier by the second. Jeongyeon let it out straight.    

    “So either shut up or leave.” At this, the girl at the head of the table raised her eyebrows and began to twirl her hair around her finger, a wicked smile spreading instantly across her lips as she let out a taunting laugh.

     “Someone’s brave aren’t they?” She snickered, the other girls following mindlessly along. “It’s like she doesn’t know who she’s talking to.”

At this point Jeongyeon had to dig her nails tightly into the skin of her palms to stop her from physically lashing out. She rolled her eyes and let her arms fall down to her side.

    “Who am I talking to then?” Jeongyeon asked bitterly although she really didn’t care for the answer, all she honestly wanted was for these girls to get out of the library so she could get back to work but that obviously wasn’t going to happen any time soon.

    “Who am I? Oh sweetie,” The girl smirked, pouting her lips as she stood up from the table, a hand pressed across the place on her chest Jeongyeon suspected her heart would be if she had one. “I’m Im Nayeon. Is that enough clarity for you?”

Jeongyeon stood in her place as she watched Nayeon slowly make her way over to her, her eyes gaze critically inspecting Jeongyeon’s body as does so. Jeongyeon stood her ground but was surprised when Nayeon came as close as she did-- Nayeon was wearing platform black heels that made her almost taller than Jeongyeon, but their glare was level.

    “Is that supposed to ring a bell?” Jeongyeon asked, uncomfortable with the closeness between them but she tried not to show it.

    “It should,” Nayeon grinned, turning back to face her squad for a moment. “But if it doesn’t that just means I haven’t taught you a lesson yet. Either that or you live under a rock.”

    “I’m guessing both,” another girl in her posse suggested.

Jeongyeon rolled her eyes, their means of intimidation had no effect on her. Although she found it shocking that they thought so highly of themselves. She knew that they were conceited but she didn’t realise that it was possible to be this full of yourself.

    “Maybe… and you’ll want to think about this for a second,” Jeongyeon sarcastically proposed, scanning the crowd of girls with her eyes, “That you aren’t as important as you think you are.”

Nayeon scoffed yet again but this time pulled out her wand, slowly forcing Jeongyeon to be backed up against the edge of the table. She traced the end of her wand against the underside of Jeongyeon’s jaw, tilting her chin upwards. Nayeon’s smile was wide but something about it made Jeongyeon feel heavy and anxious.

    “You really are hilarious aren’t you? I mean a real knockout,” Nayeon laughed, twisting the wood against “But let me tell you this: I am just as important as I think I am. Either you learn that now or I’ll actually have to teach you a lesson. And let me tell you this, you don’t want to have anything to do with me after tonight. Understand?” Nayeon had said all of this with an almost psychotic smirk on her face, one that eventually made Jeongyeon shiver-- but she tried to hide it as best she could.

    “Back off,” Jeongyeon mumbled under Nayeon’s wand.

    “I don’t think she understands,” mused the same girl from earlier who apparently lived up Nayeon’s . Nayeon nodded.

    “I think you’re right,” She agreed, dropping her wand with a smile. “Listen, whoever you are, since you just love the library so much, maybe you should live in it.” Nayeon grabbed Jeongyeon’s wrist and forced her hand onto the table, quickly raising her wand and pointing downward at Jeongyeon’s fingers. “Epoximise!”

Suddenly with magic, Jeongyeon’s hand was fused to the table, unable to budge despite any further moment.

    “You can’t be serious--” Jeongyeon gasped grabbing her wrist with her other hand trying to free it in spite of the spell. Nayeon looked at her with a grin, beckoning her friends to stand up.

    “Oh I’m absolutely serious. You have a good night now. Let’s go girls.”

And with that, Nayeon and her army strutted out of the library, leaving Jeongyeon stuck without anyone to help. It was going to be a long night.