Rule of anger

These are one of days when Charlotte Waldorf regret of being a witch more than usual.
I mean, it's not like she was totally miserable, magic can be good thing sometimes but it definitely isn't worth.
She wasn't even sure what is wrong with her.
Actually, everything is wrong, literally everything but if you ask her what is the worst, she won't be able to answer.

Somehow the smartest girl in the class isn't the smartest one anymore, not because someone is better but because she isn't able to find a motivation for studying anymore.
And reason why is even forse.
She likes one freak. And that freak, of course, liks another freak. It was like story about Romeo and Juliet, but she is minor character so she is the one who will stay in pain and bad grades. And because of that, she won't go on the best college. And she will be homeless and even more miserable.

She wanted to be alone, away from freaks so she went to the lake in front of big castle.
She was freezing, but it was okay. It's the only place she knows no one will come now, because she is probably only one insane enought to come here now.

Christmas was over and the students were looking forward to spring, but the weather was an unrelenting reminder that they remained in the throws of winter. Ducky could feel their cabin fever, but none of them made the attempt to brave the snow. Christmas was over, and the students felt it by the return of class... Ducky felt it in the backbreaking labor he now had to endure. He had personally dragged out every Christmas tree on his own. Magic had helped lighten the load - literally - but Ducky had never been a very accomplished wizard, so his back and arms ached from the work but his lungs swelled with-

He couldn't claim it was pride. Maybe if he was doing the same work at a different school, he could feel proud. He liked being put to practical use but his secret shame was that his work was to pay off the debt that he owed to Headmaster Hayes. If Ducky wanted to be free to step into society with proper marks and actual proof he graduated, he needed to stay close, and he needed to work.

He was on the last tree, and he couldn't help but savor the biting rub of pine knowing that it was the last time he would have to feel it. His gloves did little to help but he kept moving, boots creaking through the snow. He moved past the lake and managed to drop off the tree on the edge of the forest. The forest would do the rest. Creatures would drag what they needed and the tree would compose. It would give life back to the forest it had been severed from.

He turned around, shaking off pine needles as he began the trek back, hunching his shoulders as he pulled his plaid trapper hat further onto his head. His path led him to edge of the lake, which was only beginning to unfreeze in the middle. He wondered where the Giant Squid had huddled. They all had to wait out winter.

As he approached the shoreline, he spotted a figure. He squinted and tilted his head, angling slightly as a pang of familiarity tipped him towards her. "Hey," he said, his voice calling across the empty landscape in a friendly tone, lips widening across his face. He crossed his arms, shoulders still hunched against the cold as his eyes fell on Charlotte Waldorf. "You're going to freeze out here. What are you doing?"

Psychologists always stand out how important is to find a way to channel your anger and do something productive. Charlotte found something interesting, but not really productive.
She found out that, if you are angry enough and point your wand on the ground, you can actually make snow going into the air and then falling again slowly.
So she was sitting on the wet ground assuming she will later have the nasty stain on her jeans and trying to make snow falling again. While everybody else is inside, celebrating or whatever that freaks do in their free time.

Charlotte heard someone and was thinking about an idea to ignore whoever it is, because if she was smart enough to do that all the time, she wouldn't be in problems now. But, then again, that someone sounds really annoyingly friendly and she assumed that he will just continue speaking until she looks at him. So, maybe as soon as she answers his questions, he will leave her alone.

"What? What do you care if I'm going to freeze?" she said and immediately regret when found out how rude that was.
"I'm sorry... I'm just. I don't know, I came here because this is probably only place where I can be alone now, and I really needed that" which would say, just leave me alone she finished in her head and then, just looked again at her masterpiece made of snow and then tried to build castle using her wand.
So childish.

But the guy was here and then when looked at him again, she found out she actually saw him.
"What are you doing here? I mean, didn't you finish school, or get expelled or something like that?" she asked curiously even if that means she will actually speak with someone.

Charlotte Waldorf. The Queen of Name-Calling and Eye-Rolling. The perks of being so well liked in Hogwarts meant that he had come to know everyone - it was how one got to be so well-liked. He couldn't keep dates and spells in his head, but he sure had a knack for names, faces, and the traits that belonged to them. It enabled him to move through social circles and earn the favors and grace he was going to need when he inevitably fell to his family's character, an expected part of life. A criminal in wait always needed some character witnesses.

If he recalled, Charlotte had a particular distaste for magic that Ducky found rather amusing. It was close to a racist sort of thought, though he wasn't sure what the term would actually be, but he often wondered if she knew that she didn't have to be here. Surely the Ministry didn't force students to come to Hogwarts. Maybe they had to for the sake of controlling their magic, but she was in her elder years now. Couldn't she leave if she was so miserable?

She snapped at him and he grinned. He had a younger sister, he could deal with snapping. "Right, well you freeze to death and I'm the one stuck dragging your body inside. So you might say I have a vested interest in keeping you unfrozen." He grinned and dropped onto a tree stump in front of her, resting his forearms on his knees while she spoke, apologizing. Ah, so she could be nice. Did that mean all those other times she was choosing not to be?

He glanced up, looking at the sky as he said, "I understand wanting to be alone, away from it all. There's places less freezing to do it."

Her venom had been replaced by a sense of curiosity and he felt his lopsided grin grow. There. People liked to be alone, but no one liked to feel alone. "I'm the Caretaker now," he explained. "Just spent my day hauling out Christmas trees. Felt like Hogwarts needed some more time enjoying me."

"Hm, personal interest in keeping me in life. I appreciate honest if nothing else" she looked icily at him as if she wants to actually freeze him just with her eyes.
"Actually, you are wrong. There is a lot of different ways to move me inside. Like, spells. What is the point about be fr... wizards" she corrected herself before she continued, a little bit ashamed about that she almost said. She found out people actually feel anger and sadness when you tell them that they are freaks.
"if you can't make your own life easier. You could even do that with moving all that trees" she realized she was acting like if she knows everything. Even if she hates people like that. And she didn't want to be one for sure.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to act like smartass"

"Actually, I think there is no place inside of Hogwarts where you can be alone. I only have lucky because it is a winter and no one come here. Except you, obviously" she rolled her eyes and started working on her snow castle again.
But then, she looked at him shocked.
"You killed my princess," she said almost in horror when realized that she put something she assumed can be princess made of snow at the tree stump. The same one he sat on.

Even if she didn't want to ask anything about him, part of her was dying to find out. She couldn't really help herself about that. The fact is that she is the teenager, and he was an older guy (not much older but still older than her) who was talking with her. Even if he was the freak like everyone else here, including Charlotte herself, still she found out flattering the thing he was speaking to her.

"That is terrible. I wouldn't be able to stay here" she said completely honestly, without thinking about her words.
"I mean, not because.. my opinion in past about magic and everything but because it's something like the horror story to stay at school even after graduation." she shook her head but then started smiling.
"You can't tell you are the modest person ever, right?"

She corrected him, accidentally uncovering his inadequacy, though from her matter of fact way of speaking, he figured it had more to do with some inner need she had to spout corrections. She was known for her misanthropy, and those who skirted the company of others often found it best to keep them at arm's length through condescension - just another tool in her toolbox, he guessed. Still, it caused a twisted frown on his face, but his lopsided grin fought its way back onto his lips - it always did.

She suddenly called out in surprise and he glanced down in confusion, before realizing what she meant. He laughed and said, "One princess, coming right up," and he leaned forward, scooping the snow on the ground and beginning to shape the snow into a feminine shape. "I'm sure there's easier ways to move trees and frozen Ravenclaws," he flashed her a grin, "but I'm not so good with those helpful little charms." He chuckled, making light of what was a very serious insecurity.

"Don't apologize for being clever," he said, carefully lengthening the figure. "You probably can't help it as a Ravenclaw." Another quick smirk before he started adding the curves to his princess, which looked more like a modern art sculpture than a person. "Though you could be a little nicer about it." he said, glancing up and adding a wink.

Before she could protest, he plunged forward. "I know people hate school while they're in it," he said, his voice almost sounding wise as he spoke. "Real life doesn't have the safety net this place has. Even at its un-safest, this school provides a certain level of adventure and opportunity that the real world doesn't necessarily allow."

She was either trying to deepen the wound, or had a severe lack of how to talk to people. She had just equated his staying there to work to a horror story. He winced, pausing. The princess was done and he carefully drew a circle around her before sitting up and putting his hands on his knees. "You're clever, Charlotte. But there's a few things you don't know. You don't know a horror story 'til you've been in one." He pushed off his knees and stood. "And you don't know the best hiding spots in Hogwarts. There are tons of places no one ever goes. C'mon. I'll show you - further make up for the death of your princess."

For the only couple of seconds, the smile left his face. It was so short moment that she wouldn't even notice if she didn't look at him directly.
But she did, and because of that, she tried to remember if she said something that could offend him. But she wasn't able to remember anything. In fact, Charlotte Waldorf can't remember when was the last time she was polite like now, this is something new for her and hard as well because not speaking with people brings some disadvantages; she wasn't really sure what was funny or offensive, for her everything was the same.
She didn't have this problem at home because all people she knows are snobs or stupid so it's not like they cared about what she is saying. She was just the pretty girl who cares about fashion and that was enough for her to be welcomed.

He started making something with snow. It looked like the new princess for her castle and she couldn't not to smile, it was so weird to see someone like him, the biggest troublemaker and stuff like that, sitting and making the figure from snow.
"Oh, I understand" she lied, the first time since she saw him today. The truth is, she didn't understand. In her opinion, no one is born smart or stupid, it's just about ambitious and hardworking. And people who are not like that are just too much lazy and deserve terrible life.
"But on the other side, that could be the good thing. Girls mostly like hot guys with big muscles." she shrugged and then smiled even if she didn't want to do that.

A little nicer. Charlotte couldn't help herself when frown formed on her face. She is nice. Well, most of the time. And in the muggle world. But she is nice.
She pointed her wand at the snow and when a little ball made of snow started levitating in front of her, she pointed wand in him watching snow hitting him just a little bit.
Well, she is not really good at targeting, it's not her fault.
"Is that nice enough?" She looked at him and gave him her best smile. The goal was to look like a little innocent girl, but she can't be sure that she succeeded.

Somehow he looked really smart while speaking. He had something that could probably make people listen to him even if he is saying the stupidest things ever.
"I know that but life is about that, right? Growing and trying new things and how to become independent. Because there will be the time when you will be on your own and all that about the safety is just an illusion" his figure from snow was... really something. Not at all something what looked like the ordinary princess and because of that, she smiled again and shook her head.

No one could say it was the bad offer. It was really cold here on the lake and after some thinking, she stood up.
"Okay, but when you already want to enjoy in my company, I will show you how to move frozen Ravenclaw so next time you will let me to stay at snow and won't ruin my princess" she shrugged and while she was thinking how dramatic this could be, it wasn't. The reason is that she fall on her own castle. It's not clear how that happen but in one moment she was speaking about spells and was so awesome and smart, and in other, she was on the ground completely wet and still smiling.

He grinned at her platitudes regarding his unfortunate option to drag the trees by hand. He wasn't sure she realized she had moreorless just called him hot, but he certainly wasn't going to let it go without getting his fun in. "You think it's working?" he asked cheekily,

He earned himself a snowball for his comment on her behavior, which only deepened his smirk. "Actually serves to prove my point. Don't they teach you brainiacs the art of persuasion?" Knock Ducky all you wanted for his unorganized mind and unfocused nature, but he could be pretty convincing when he wanted to. The only reason he hadn't been expelled during his time was because he had a certain amount of charm that excused his troublemaking.

And good friends. The help of good friends could not go forgotten.

It was with a pang that he thought of Nora, so he brought his attention back to present, not wanting to deal with the sense of loss he felt at not having his best friend at hand.

"Yes, that's what life is about, so enjoy it while the stakes aren't ending up homeless or starving," he said, grinning all the while. She didn't understand - but that was hardly her fault. Nearly every student was just dying to graduate. They didn't know what came next. It was perhaps the only thing he was smarter about in comparison to all of his peers - he alone had figured out early on that Hogwarts meant fun and graduation meant the beginning of the end.

She stood to follow him and he followed suit, brushing the snow from his hands before plunging them into his coat to keep them warm. It was at this moment that Charlotte somehow managed to go from sitting to standing to falling all in the matter of a second, landing flat into the snow. He hopped over her and peered down, worry tugging at his expression as he reached his arms out to help her out. "Oi, how'd that happen? You alright?"

If there is only one thing Charlotte could change it would definitely be the one where her mouth speaks without her permission. Really, it may look ridiculous, but that is the big problem in her life. And now she has proof of it.
And while she wished to step back and never say that what she said, she could feel her cheeks become red, another bad habit.
"No. I mean, yes" she realized this could become only worse, not better so she paused and took a deep breath before continuing. "I definitely won't answer to that. Stop tease please" she frowned embarrassed of her behavior and his arrogance.

"You know, there is one thing I want to say to you, and if I'm saying that, then you have a real problem buddy" she paused only to be sure he is listening to her.
"You are so bloody negative. And when it says someone like me who was absolutely negative about whole this place just few months ago, that must mean something" Charlotte frowned.
"It's not everything bad in the life like you say it. There are so many things you can do. Go to college. Or get drunk every night for months before you finally decide to find a job. It's not like we will die when we left this place. I mean, we will, but if we are lucky enough, not before we get 80 years old or even more." She finished her little monolog really upset about the way he is seeing things. It doesn't have anything with her, it's just his life and his opinion, but for some reason she really wanted him to understand that life isn't that bad.

Falling over snow castle was one new thing redhead can now put on her list of most embarrassing things ever.
"Yeah, you know, I just decided it would be really cool to ruin this stupid castle in the way to fall on him. I'm okay," she accepted his arms and stood up completely wet from snow.
Charlotte found her wand happy she didn't break it and dry her clothes trying not to burn herself in the process.
"Okay, now I'm ready to go. Where are we going by the way?"
She looked at him curiously.

He smirked, glad to have goaded her after all the shots she had made about his choices, though she had really walked into that one all on her own. She could hardly blame him for thinking on his feet. He must have struck a nerve, because she suddenly devolved into calling him negative, causing him to lift an eyebrow. Ducky had been called many things over the years, and many of them had been offensive or off-color, but he could not remember a time when he had ever been called negative. He was the life of the party, the man with the plan, never the negative nelly.

"I'm not negative, I'm living real life," he said, his voice slightly on edge. "I'm just saying. Life as a student is much easier than you might suspect. But you'll see."

He helped her onto her feet and wiped his hands on his pants, before rubbing them together. Her question caused a grin to unfold on his face. "Dunno. C'mon." And he turned and headed towards the castle.