The lack of news from home continued to weigh heavily on her mind on her descent to the basement. Unused to emotions that did any more than scratch the surface, she was not at all equipped to deal with the unease and distress that plagued her. The situation was not one that she could throw her fists at, pull by the hair, hurl profane insults at, or casually laugh off - so she was at a loss. Only more frustrated for being forced to handle something real, and again more frustrated as she wondered whether or not she was making a mountain out of a mole hill, it wasn't until the first floor that she tried to distract herself.
Having been in something of a trance as she dwelled on the silence from her father and brothers, she only now noticed that her fingers had already begun fiddling idly with the packet of cigarettes tucked into the waistband of her skirt. Not at all for the mood for dragging herself back up to any of the towers, or anywhere else for that matter, her impatience got the best of her and she threw caution to the wind. Ducking into an empty classroom off to her right, retrieving a cigarette as she went. She had already put one to her lips and lit up before the door had even properly shut behind her.
Feeling an immediate sense of relief as she took in one long drag, she hauled herself onto a window sill. Not even bothering to crack the window, instead she leaned back against the cold glass and enjoyed the cool pressing through her clothes. Legs swinging carelessly, mind thankfully numb, it wasn't until she was almost done that she bothered to move again. When she did it was with a short burst of speed, and she had ducked out of the classroom without even slowing to check for prefects or professors, consequences be damned. Still smelling vaguely of smoke, she collided almost immediately with another person, not even realising as she brushed them with the cigarette that she hadn't butted out yet.
She'd been gunning for an O in History of Magic all year. For the most part, it was an entirely useless class, but desk jobs and historical researchers paid fairly nicely at the Ministry, and Margot was willing to do whatever it took (no matter how monotonous) to get that cushy job with the nice salary she'd always pictured herself having. If that had meant hours of monotonous (but easy) work, then so be it. At least History of Magic didn't require any actual skill, only basic retention and essay writing. With Margot's work ethic and determination, it wasn't too hard.
She'd been working on and editing an essay in Binns' classroom for a few hours before she'd finally had enough, slamming shut the enormous book she'd been working from and packing up her work to move back to her Dormitory. It had already been quite a long day and Margot was already more tired, bored, and frustrated than she would have liked when she exited into the Hallway, heading only for the sweet release of lying on her bed and ignoring everyone and anyone in her path.
Margot perhaps could've been paying more attention, but ultimately Cat seemed to come out of nowhere when they collide, and Margot had almost let loose a few choice words before she felt the hot sting of the other girl's cigarette on her arm. She lurched away from the embers and ash at the end of the cigarette, reaching to clutch the burn on her arms and dropping her book bag on the ground in the process, paper and ink wells spilling out. It took a moment and a long vulgar string of curses before Margot managed to collect herself and she turned her eyes back to Cat rather than on her arm.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" she asked, finally coherent enough to address Cat properly.
