Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2014 18:17:07 GMT -8
Zee Zee was fairly sure that she had been the only married student at Hogwarts last year, but this year she was absolutely certain she was the only widow among her peers. Widowed at age seventeen – the thought was almost incredulous. The fact that she had killed her husband herself was just plain laughable. The whole thing had been like a dream at the time. Her runes had spoken to her, all the signs aligned, and then there she was, watching her husband's unconscious body sinking into the sea. Zabini had been out cold, drunk, and the tepid summer sea had not woken him to his mortal danger. The young and beautiful Mrs Zabini, on waking alone the following morning had searched fruitlessly for her husband, before notifying the authorities that he was missing. Several hours later, they had discovered his briny corpse washed up against the rocks, his veins filled more with brandy than blood... And with that, Zola was free.
Her late husband had not been cruel, exactly, though he had been far from kind. He never hit her or forced himself upon her, but she had been nothing more than his pet, a trophy. Furthermore, she had never wanted the match. Her father had sold her off to an Italian businessman twice her age, with the hopes of a better life for his only child than the slums of London. She might have been truly better off for having stayed in poverty with him and remained a child, but with the loss of innocence had come a cold appreciation for his intent. Marrying Salvatore, at the end of her Fifth Year, had brought her wealth such as she had never known. She had even been able to set up her father in better means, in repayment. The opulent lifestyle suited her, yet as the months dragged on and a year slowly passed, she had grown more and more to hate the man whose bed she shared, who called her away from the safety of school a little too often. He was demanding and tyrannical, and that summer night, he had simply met with the misfortune of Fate. Zola vowed to keep his name, along with his fortune, so that she would never forget the lessons he had taught her about herself and the nature of the world.
Here at Hogwarts, however, things had gone from strange to stranger. When Zola Zuberi had turned up a year ago as Mrs Zola Zambini she had become untouchable. Not only in a physical, sexual way, but seemingly spiritually, as well. Zee Zee was no longer the friend, the flirt, the teenage girl; she became something altogether apart from everyone around her. And this year she had been even further estranged. She was a widow. She had spent the whole first term in mourning, which had given her an excuse to wear the extravagant jet jewelry she had bought for the occasion of her grief. Professors could not very well ask her to removed her elaborate adornment, out of deference for her situation. But after a glorious Christmas spent skiing in Switzerland, she had given up the act and the jewelry along with it – except for her wedding ring. Every time she looked down at the brilliant yellow diamond on her finger, it made her smile to think that she had come so far from where she started.
She was gazing at the precious gem even now, as she lounged in her seat, ignoring everything Professor McGonagall was saying to the class. Exams still seemed a long way away, and a concern for others to worry over. Now that she had control of the Zabini fortune, she would never have to work a day in her life. It did not matter one jot how many N.E.W.T.s she achieved. It was far more entertaining to watch her fellow Seventh Years sweat with panic. For most of them, the next few months would determine the course of their whole lives. Zee stretched out her hand, admiring the perfect clarity of the canary diamond. It might have been her own small piece of the sun.
At long last the bell rang, signaling the end of another day. Zola swung her bag onto her shoulder and left her manic classmates in her shapely wake. Her morning Reading had predicted tragedy for the day, and sure enough, Zee Zee had not gotten far outside the classroom before a steam split open in her bag. Its contents scattered across the hallway. Worst of all, her bottles of ink burst on impact with the floor, staining her new violet Valentinos in a tye-dye of ink. "Bloody hell!"
Her late husband had not been cruel, exactly, though he had been far from kind. He never hit her or forced himself upon her, but she had been nothing more than his pet, a trophy. Furthermore, she had never wanted the match. Her father had sold her off to an Italian businessman twice her age, with the hopes of a better life for his only child than the slums of London. She might have been truly better off for having stayed in poverty with him and remained a child, but with the loss of innocence had come a cold appreciation for his intent. Marrying Salvatore, at the end of her Fifth Year, had brought her wealth such as she had never known. She had even been able to set up her father in better means, in repayment. The opulent lifestyle suited her, yet as the months dragged on and a year slowly passed, she had grown more and more to hate the man whose bed she shared, who called her away from the safety of school a little too often. He was demanding and tyrannical, and that summer night, he had simply met with the misfortune of Fate. Zola vowed to keep his name, along with his fortune, so that she would never forget the lessons he had taught her about herself and the nature of the world.
Here at Hogwarts, however, things had gone from strange to stranger. When Zola Zuberi had turned up a year ago as Mrs Zola Zambini she had become untouchable. Not only in a physical, sexual way, but seemingly spiritually, as well. Zee Zee was no longer the friend, the flirt, the teenage girl; she became something altogether apart from everyone around her. And this year she had been even further estranged. She was a widow. She had spent the whole first term in mourning, which had given her an excuse to wear the extravagant jet jewelry she had bought for the occasion of her grief. Professors could not very well ask her to removed her elaborate adornment, out of deference for her situation. But after a glorious Christmas spent skiing in Switzerland, she had given up the act and the jewelry along with it – except for her wedding ring. Every time she looked down at the brilliant yellow diamond on her finger, it made her smile to think that she had come so far from where she started.
She was gazing at the precious gem even now, as she lounged in her seat, ignoring everything Professor McGonagall was saying to the class. Exams still seemed a long way away, and a concern for others to worry over. Now that she had control of the Zabini fortune, she would never have to work a day in her life. It did not matter one jot how many N.E.W.T.s she achieved. It was far more entertaining to watch her fellow Seventh Years sweat with panic. For most of them, the next few months would determine the course of their whole lives. Zee stretched out her hand, admiring the perfect clarity of the canary diamond. It might have been her own small piece of the sun.
At long last the bell rang, signaling the end of another day. Zola swung her bag onto her shoulder and left her manic classmates in her shapely wake. Her morning Reading had predicted tragedy for the day, and sure enough, Zee Zee had not gotten far outside the classroom before a steam split open in her bag. Its contents scattered across the hallway. Worst of all, her bottles of ink burst on impact with the floor, staining her new violet Valentinos in a tye-dye of ink. "Bloody hell!"
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