Detention I

On the way to the door, three of the upper sixths pushed past her and knocked her over. Seraphina got up, muttering mroe curses.

Lucius glared. "Oi!" he called, rushing to them. "Apologise!"

"Oh, another pipsqueak," said the girl, who was tall and leggy with auburn hair. She said something to her two guy friends, who both laughed too loudly and walked off with her.

"Bloody big sister," Seraphina muttered.

Lucius raised an eyebrow. He was six foot.

Seraphina shook herself off, and made for the door again.

"Wait!"

She stopped and turned round.

"What?"

"I'm Lucius."

"Phin."

"Nice to meet you."

Seraphina shrugged.

Lucius sighed. "Bye."

"Are you going?"

"No."

"Why not?" asked Phin, grabbing his wrist and towing him out the door.

Lucius blinked, confused.

Phin didn;t bothr explaining herself, instead just dragging Lucius in a random direction.

Lucius hoped she wasn't a homicidal maniac.

Phin dragged Lucius off to the courtyard, to the tree she normally sat in over the bench. There, she sat on the bench and got out a book, not noticing the cold.

Lucius blinked.

"What?" Phin asked, getting out a book. Nation, by Terry Pratchett.

"Can I draw you again?"

"Do you have a crush on me?" Phin asked. It was a very odd tone of voice for it to be asked in - flat, matter-of-fact.

"We've only just met," Lucius replied, shrugging.

Phin raised an eyebrow. The eternal sceptic.

"Sure, go ahead," Seraphina shrugged.