chapter zero / throughout the years
It was a rather peaceful breakfast. Too peaceful. The students of Hogwarts were chatting idly, pausing to take quick bites of their breakfast. The silence did not last long, however. A frustrated shriek pierced the air, rendering a few students deaf. "For the last time! Puddlemrre United is utter trash, you git! The Holyhead Harpies will beat their ass!"
Students brushed it off as a usual squabble between students. A few watched the pair, a first year girl and a first year boy, with slight interest as if they expected the fight to escalate. Judging by the stances of the students, it was bound to happen; and it would happen soon. The girl's thin, slightly hairy arms were crossed over her growing chest and the boy mimicked her stance, his dark eyes dancing with a fury of a thousand suns. "Only a girl would say that!"
A gasp from the girl. She wrenched her hand into her thick hair, her eyes sliding to the table that was laden with delicious foods before snapping back to the boy. "I pity those who have to deal with you and your completely wrong opinion!" His glare strengthened and his grip on his silverware was tight, his knuckles turning white from the pressure.
"Stop going all Ravenclaw on me, damn it!"
She didn't answer. Instead, her pale hands shot forward and a plate of pancakes found itself in her grip. She threw it with all her might, almond-shaped eyes narrowed with concentration.
By now, the two had garnered quite a crowd. A few people seemed to have taken great liking to the idea of a food fight and soon pancakes and waffles were thrown overhead in a plea to hit someone, anyone in the face. The teachers were frozen, their eyes wide. The familiar shriek of a girl was heard and a thud. The two arguing students had fallen to the floor, the girl on top of the boy as she viciously slapped him and he pulled her black hair.
"Serene Yen and Oliver Wood! Break it out right now!" The stern voice a professor was heard and the two separated, though they still sent each other hostile looks. A snap of Dumbledore's fingers and the food in the air fell to the ground. A few plates shattered as they fell and students gave sheepish looks, looking as if they just realized it was a bad idea to throw breakable plates into the air.
"Detention, both of you! Meet me at my office!" Professor McGonagall says, her tone clipped and her wrinkled face weary. They started to protest but one hard look prevented them from speaking another word. Serene gave an annoyed huff, glaring at a boy who looked like her. It was all his fault. If her dear twin didn't insist on Serene sitting with him in breakfast, she wouldn't be arguing with Oliver Wood in the first place.
-
"You look good. Even if it is Muggle clothes." Serene mustered a fake smile, her arms slipping around Wesley Donner's form. The muscular boy returned her hug, a Slytherin smirk crawling up his face. The very face Serene wanted to punch. Other students milled about, obviously excited for the first Hogsmeade weekend.
"Thank you,"she cooed. Wesley moved forward to give her a kiss. Serene was frozen, unable to turn her cheek. She was sure she made a face of disgust when his lips met hers. He broke apart and gave her a charming smile, thinking he won her over. "Oh look! There's Keely! She looks lonely, I'm going to invite her to hang with us!"
The sight of her dark-skinned, Muggle-born roommate gave Serene a flood of relief. Keely sported a bored look, her eyes searching through the crowd. Serene waved her arms, knowing fully well she looked like a crazed person. Unfortunately for her, Keely didn't even see her. Even more unfortunate, Oliver Wood was heading her way. Great, seems like she attracts idiots like flies.
He made his way over, a deep scowl on his face. "Yen! I told you to meet me at the library for our study session?" Study session? What the heck was he on about? She shrugged it off and played along, desperate to get away from Wesley. She gave a shrug and gave Oliver an apologetic look.
"I'm so sorry, Wood! Wesley asked me out on a date and I completely forgot! Let's go right now!" Serene cried, her tone a bit too dramatic. She gave Wesley a friendly hug, making a promise about meeting up with him later. A promise she surely wouldn't keep. Without a second thought, Serene looped her arm through Wood's and pulled him along to an empty corridor.
"What the hell was that for?"she demanded, crossing her arms. Wood gave her a blank look before giving a strained smile. "I owed your brother something and I thought that if I helped you, I might get out of his favor."
Of course. He wouldn't just help her without gaining something. Many people owed Aran a favor and he was rather vicious with his favors, whether it be getting a book from the Restricted Section to making you do his dirty tasks. Serene was sure Wood wasn't ready to take Aran's place in his detention. She knew for a fact that Aran had recently obtained Polyjuice and he was eager to try it to skip detentions.
"He wouldn't accept it as a favor." With a snort, Serene began to walk to the Ravenclaw Common Room. It looked like she'll have to skip Hogsmeade. She didn't want to be wandering Hogsmeade and be caught up in Wood's lie. She turned back to see Wood walking away. "Wood? Thanks. I guess I owe you,"she called out.
-
She didn't know how she got herself into this mess. Serene gave a heavy sigh as she pulled on a pink jacket, glaring at the boy who was cheekily smiling at her from the entrance of the common room. "When I said I owed you a favor, I didn't mean this kind of favor!" She bent down to tie the laces of her shoes, ponytail swinging as she did so.
"All we're doing is just following someone around!"
"Do you realize how creepy that sounds? Merlin, are you sure you're not a stalker? I already know you're crazy! That obsession with Quidditch and this stalking thing proves it!"she hissed, stepping out of the common room. He gave her a cheeky smile, letting the door shut behind her.
"You love Quidditch almost as much as I do!"
"Key word is almost. I vaguely remember seeing you stroke your broom." She gave a small roll of her eyes, edging away from him. He didn't answer and she took the victory, smiling internally. "Who are we following anyways?"
"Charlie Weasley and that Moreau girl."
She stopped. There was only one girl in all of Hogwarts with the last name Moreau. And she swore to everyone in the Ravenclaw team that Charlie Weasley was the bane of her existence and that she hated him. Hell, Serene had heard enough of her cursing him to an eternity in hell. She can't even stay in the same room as him for less than fifteen minutes, much less go on a date with him. "Did I hear that right? Moreau? As in Adaline Moreau?"
"Yeah, her. Why are you surprised?" Wood asked, a confused look covering his features. Serene flipped her hair behind her shoulders before giving him a look that suggested she thought him to be an idiot.
"Have you not heard how she hates Charlie? Because I have. Since second year, my first year on the team."
"I know when you joined the bloody team! I joined at the same time! But really? Unusual."
She rolled her eyes and pulled her jacket on tighter. "Fine, I'll go. But only because I need to see why Adaline is going on a date with Weasley of all people." He gave a nod to say he understood and followed her figure to the path that lead to Hogsmeade.
It was a relatively tense walk, the fifteen minutes passing by slowly. They reached the bustling village and Serene immediately turned to the direction of Madam Puddifoot's. Adaline simply adored the tea shop, something Serene suspected to be due to her French heritage. The pink tea shop drew the French students like flies and you could almost always see a French student in there at any given time.
"Ugh. They better leave this place quick,"she muttered as she and Wood slid into a booth. The booth they had carefully chosen was the perfect place to spy on the two lovebirds, who were talking in hushed whispers.
Serene wrinkled her nose as a cupid flew by and she hoped to Merlin that no one would recognize her. Then again, there weren't many fully Chinese students in Hogwarts. Hell, her and Aran were probably the only ones. "Yen, quit trying to hide yourself. It isn't working very well." She sat up straight at his words.
"Whatever."
Thirty minutes passed and soon Adaline and Charlie left. Oliver stopped her from leaving and they waited five minutes, watching the pair walk into the bookstore. He motioned for one of the waiters to come over and Serene dug into her pocket, feeling for the cool metal of her Galleons.
"It's no big deal, Yen. I'll pay for it."
"Oh you are not! If you pay for it, you might as well call this a date!" No answer. She smirked and brought out a few galleons, carelessly placing them on a table. The waiter took their money and scurried off. She gave a small huff and got out of the booth.
"I'm going to Honeydukes. You can go stalk them by yourself."
"Alright. And Yen? Thanks for coming." He gave her a charming smile and she could feel her walls breaking slightly.
"I owed you." With those words, Serene walked to the exit. Well, sprinted. She gave one glance before slowly gluing her walls back.
-
a/n : this fic is also found on wattpad under the same name. it will be updated there first but ffn will be shortly after. if you would like to be the first to read the chapters, go to my wattpad user (@-karylle) and click on the story 'hatred'.
AU WHERE JAMES POTTER DEFEATED VOLDEMORT
i only own the yen family and anything else you don't recognize