Author's Note:
I consider it a serious achievement that I didn't make you guys wait a stupidly long time for this next update. I'm actually quite proud of myself. Also please ignore any mistakes I know I've made in this chapter. I pinky promise, cross my heart and hope to die that I will go back and fix any wrongdoings that I've missed.
Anyway.
OH MY FREAKING SWEET BABY JESUS. YOU GUYS. THE MOST AMAZING THING HAS HAPPENED TO ME AND 3 DAYS LATER AND I CAN'T STOP SMILING.
As of April 1st, 2018, I can officially cross off meeting James and Oliver Phelps and getting a picture with them off my bucket list. By the Gods, I was so happy to see and meet them. They are so unbelievably sweet and my heart was just racing the whole time I was talking to them and they were so kind. Just. UGHHHHHHHH. They are honest to Goodness my celebrity crushes and there is no shame in me for admitting it out loud.
If you don't know who they are, my heart has officially just broken because how can anyone not know who the Weasley Twins are in real life. *Cries*
READ ON, EVERYONE!
No Promises.
Chapter T.H.I.R.T.E.E.N
_"Who Knew"_
"No dream is too big when you truly understand abundance is your birthright." -Fearless Souls
"How could you do something like that?! Are you both out of your minds?!"
I was almost beside myself with fury, pacing the length of the Room of Requirement while Fred and George lounged on some body-sized pillows. Both were still garbed in their Quidditch uniforms with red hair messier than normal and faces stung pink from the cold. A fire roared along one of the walls, warming the room comfortably and chasing away our shivers.
I knew Fred and George had tempers. They rarely made any appearances, but I knew they simmered beneath the surface of their laughing faces, just waiting for the right time to come out. They were family boys just from watching them and Ron and Ginny over the years. I knew that's how Molly and Arthur raised them to be. I could understand how they felt hearing Malfoy talking shit about Molly and Arthur. I would've raised Hell itself if anyone dared say anything bad about Hailey.
But that didn't mean they should've reacted the way they had. They had played right into Malfoy's hands and I had no doubt that was his goal from the get go.
"Hayden, you're wearing a hole in the ground," George called. He patted the empty seat between him and Fred, clearly inviting me to come sit with them to calm down. I didn't take said invitation.
I rounded on them furiously, eyes blazing and scowling. "Are you even listening to me?!" I cried exasperatedly, throwing my hands up. I didn't wait for them to answer. "Do you realize what you both almost did?! I oughta rip you a new one for being so damn stupid!"
"I think she's mad at us, Georgie," Fred stage-whispered to his brother.
"I think so, too, Freddie," George whispered back.
I gave a frustrated scream, resuming my pacing and running my hands through my hair. Unbelievable. Fred and George were no doubt very smart. They wanted to start a business, for Merlin's sakes. Said business had no official location yet, but the products they produced were a hit with the students and that was already a great start to their future. But they were so dense and thick-headed and weren't seeing the bigger picture.
Why are boys so dumb sometimes?
"Were you guys even paying any sort of attention to the crowd that was watching you?" I asked, trying to calm down. My hands were shaking and it felt like my blood had chilled. I was spooked and for a completely justifiably reason. Fred and George had been so close to getting in some serious trouble and they didn't even realize it.
Both boys at least took the time to think back, but not to my surprise, they shook their heads.
"Umbridge was there," I whispered, seeing her toad-like face in my mind, her fake smile firmly in place and hands folded in her lap. The Twins both scrunched their noses and grimaced, but I could see that they hadn't quite gotten the bigger picture yet. "Don't you understand?!" I burst out. Angry tears clouded my vision and I wiped away the ones that sat at the corners of my eyes.
Fred and George looked startled at my expression, looking at each other helplessly.
"Umbridge is looking for anything to use against us," I explained. I wrapped my arms around my stomach. While the bout of nausea from yesterday had subsided to a degree, I still wasn't at full health and I hoped it wasn't plainly obvious that I was sick. "Especially Harry. You guys getting all riled up because of something Malfoy of all people said is like Christmas coming early to that woman."
Fred bristled. "He insulted Mum and Dad," He said coldly. I barely suppressed a wince at the frostiness in his voice. "I wasn't going to let him get away with it, Umbridge be damned." George, seemingly agreeing with his brother, but not liking his tone, nudged his brother sharply.
"I didn't say you had to do nothing about it, Fred," I said quietly. I could feel my shoulders slumping in, trying to make myself feel smaller as if that would protect me from his temper. "All I'm saying is that you shouldn't have gotten as angry as you did with Umbridge literally yards away and watching you like a hawk."
"You would've done the same thing we did, though," Fred argued. He was getting himself riled up again and didn't seem to realize his voice was rising. "If Malfoy had said something about your family, you wouldn't have hesitated to hex the little prat straight to Sunday regardless of who was watching!"
I hated how loud Fred was getting. I never liked it when people argued or fought or so much as raised their voices at someone. Why should they scream at each other when they can sit down and talk it out civilly? The random screaming match couldn't be helped, but when it was done for no reason? I couldn't stand it. I felt my own temper begin to rise to the surface.
No, no, no. Calm down. It's okay. He feels slighted and his pride is hurt. Keep your cool. Keep your cool, damn it.
"Fred," George warned. I was shocked when Fred ignored his Twin, icy eyes focused on me. The room seemed colder, colder than what it was outside solely because of the frigid expression on Fred's face.
"My situation is different than yours," I said lowly, digging my fingers into my jacket. I wished I had taken it off. Focusing on the pain of my nails digging into skin kept me grounded more than my clothes.
Keep it together.
"No, it's not," Fred disagreed, sitting up from his slouched position and resting his arms on his knees. George followed suit, looking between us nervously. "They're exactly the same. You're just being a hypocrite."
My patience had never snapped so fast before. Not even when Pansy got in my face and called me a Mudblood.
I could never handle being called a hypocrite.
Especially if the person calling me that was Fred of all people.
It felt like he was ripping my heart right out of my chest and he didn't even seem to realize he was doing it.
"You're calling me a hypocrite?!" I exclaimed angrily, my hands dropping to my sides to clench into tight fists. "Look who's talking! You're no better than I am, Fred Weasley!"
I needed to stop. I had to stop talking. I was letting my anger get the better of me again. Fred was bitter and angry and hurt. He was just taking it out on me. He needed the outlet. I knew that, but I couldn't stop my own fury at his hurtful words. It burned, bright and hot, inside of me, nearly clouding my vision until it focused only on Fred.
Jesus God, SHUT UP. Don't do this again.
Wounded faces and sad blue eyes...I never wanted to cause such expressions again. I had to shut up. Shut up.
"At least I own up to it!" He retorted. He jumped to his feet and suddenly, I was very intimidated by him as he seemed to grow in height. "You're just denying and running away from it like a coward!"
I had never been afraid of Fred before and the same could be said about George. Despite the fact that I get anxious being around someone who towered over my diminutive height, Fred and George had never frightened me. I knew they wouldn't use it against me and therefore wasn't wary standing in front of them or at their sides.
But right now, Fred was starting to make my heart race and it wasn't a good racing this time.
I was starting to get scared.
"I am not running away from anything, Fred Weasley!" I snapped defensively, ignoring my racing heart and the urge to run from the room. He wasn't wrong. Not at all. I was wanting to do the very thing he accused me of and that made me a coward, but I couldn't stop the fear that was coursing through me. I was never very brave in the face of what I feared most. "Stop making such mindless accusations and take your own advice for once!"
"The same could be said to you, Hayden!" Fred snapped back. "You can't stand there and tell me you wouldn't have fought for your family's name if someone insulted them to your face! I know you! You wouldn't have tolerated that!"
He does know me. I never would've allowed that to slide. But I'd be caught at wand point before I ever admitted it aloud to him at this moment.
"I never said—"
"But you basically just insinuated that!" Fred interrupted. He actually took a step forward and my whole body tensed. My vision narrowed even more onto him and my breathing began to pick up. I couldn't seem to think rationally. My body wasn't responding to my desperate pleas to calm down. All I wanted to do right now was to flee the room and never look back. "You keep saying that our situations are different, but how?! How are they different?!"
"Because I have nothing to lose like you two do!" I cried out before I could stop myself as Fred took another step closer to me.
"Fred!" George jumped to his feet and blocked his brother's view of me, his hands grasping the sides of his face and forcing Fred to look at him. "You need to calm down! You're scaring Hayden!"
Fred blinked slowly at his brother, confused before looking over his shoulder at me. I couldn't imagine what he saw when he looked at me, but from the way his face paled, I knew it wasn't the best. My body was trembling, whether it was from fear or anger or being sick or stress didn't seem to matter, but I could feel myself shaking like a leaf in a bad storm. Hot tears were marking tracks down my cheeks and refused to stop no matter how hard I rubbed at my eyes. I couldn't seem to stop crying.
Why am I crying anyway?
I hated feeling like this in front of them. Why should they see me at such a low point when I had no reason to be so low? It was embarrassing and I felt completely and utterly humiliated and I wanted to leave.
Fred was suddenly right in front of me, derailing that thought as he winded long arms around my back and crushed me to his chest. With my ear pressed so tightly against him, I could hear the hard thumping of his heart, the beat almost equal to that of what mine was. I could imagine he could feel it, too. Fingers tangled into my hair, gently grasping, but never pulling, as Fred seemed to almost want to mold his body to mine with how tightly he was holding me. I couldn't move a muscle to fight even if I wanted to.
"I'm so sorry." His words were mumbled into my hair and if I ignored how loud my shaky breaths were and the blood that pounded like a drum in my head, I could hear his own heavy breathing against my crown. "I didn't mean to scare you."
Taking a second to gather myself, I grasped fistfuls of his uniform on both sides, the material giving underneath my fingers. He didn't seem to mind my death grip, so I tightened my hold. Why had I gotten so angry so fast with him? "It's okay," I whispered.
This felt so right. For some reason, despite what I had felt not even thirty seconds ago, I had never felt so comfortable having someone holding me the way Fred was, like he thought I was going to slip away like water if he didn't hold on hard enough. His grip was bruising and was only slightly painful, but those seemed so irrelevant compared to the sense of security and calm that I was feeling. This was okay. It was okay.
Why am I feeling like this?
I pursed my lips and pressed my face more firmly against Fred's chest, trying to drown out my thoughts. Eventually I'll face them.
Just not right now.
"I don't have anything to lose like you two," I repeated my earlier words quietly. How Fred heard my mumbled words was beyond me, but he did and he let go of me to stare down at my face. George, whose face was more than concerned and something else entirely, tugged his brother back to his seat. Fred went willingly, carefully grasping my hand and leading me back as well.
He looked relieved when I followed him and didn't say anything when I didn't join the Twins in sitting down.
"What do you mean?" George asked after sharing a silent look with his brother, both boys staring up at me attentively. I felt left out all of a sudden. That look seemed to hold an entire conversation that I was banned from knowing, but threw it aside as a sibling thing. Hailey and I could do the same thing when we were on the same page.
"Think about it," I begged them, rubbing my face of any tear tracks. A headache was making itself known, pounding against the front of my skull like a drum and making the corners of my eyes twitch. "Umbridge can't do anything to me that will honest to Merlin faze me."
"She could expel you," Fred quipped, attempting for humor. He smiled weakly at my glare, reading the expression clearly. "Sorry, please continue."
"It's common knowledge that I'm a Muggleborn student with no magical extracurricular to my name. She holds no sway over my parents and she can't politically hold them without a reason. Me hexing Malfoy is hardly a good reason, you two!" I said indignantly at their arched eyebrows and disbelieving eyes. "I've spent the past five years doing that and the worst I've gotten out of it is a detention with Filch."
I'd like to see Umbridge go after my family. The woman was no doubt very underhanded in her methods, but she wouldn't touch my family if I was still breathing.
"But if Malfoy goes to Umbridge about it, isn't that reason enough?" George asked. "He comes from a respectful," He spat that word out grudgingly, "family that is part of the Sacred Twenty-Eight and with his Father whispering in the Minister's ear, his family is at a place that could land you in a lot of trouble if he complains to the right person."
"I'm not worried about that," I said, though internally, a small part of me was. Malfoy honest to God could have me expelled if he really wanted to, but five years of hexing him for saying a derogatory word and no punishments other than detentions eased that worry marginally. "I'm pretty confident that even against Fudge and Malfoy Senior, Dumbledore and McGonagall will keep my ass safe."
I can't rely on those two, though, especially if Umbridge plans to stick around. I was on her shit list and made it plainly obvious that I didn't support her. There was only so much my Head of House and the Headmaster could do to keep me out of serious trouble. George was right. I'd have to lie low from now on or at least until Umbridge leaves.
Cause that woman will be leaving whether she wants to or not. She won't be sticking around if the other students have any say in the matter.
"Anyway, stop interrupting me!" I snapped with no real heat. The Twins held their hands up in defeat and gestured for me to continue. "You both come from a good family despite what the other Purebloods say about you." Fred and George knew I would never truly mean calling them Blood Traitors, but the word left as bad a taste in my mouth as someone calling me a Mudblood. "The Weasleys are just as influential as the Malfoys, maybe not in the political sense, but still influential. Umbridge could drag your whole family through the mud if she wanted to. And with you two being in Quidditch, she could probably take that from you as well."
"She wouldn't dare," Fred said harshly. George had a suddenly contemplative look on his face and I knew he was making the same connections I had.
"She would dare," I shot back. "Fred, she's the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts. Right now, she's at the same spot as McGonagall, who is the Deputy Headmistress. She has that power and she's proven that she will use it. Who did you go to when she disbanded all of the Quidditch teams? You went to McGonagall, right? And what did she say?"
"I will go talk to Dolores," George whispered. His throat clenched as if he had swallowed something too big and looked vaguely sick to his stomach.
"That's right. Not even McGonagall could do anything about that Educational Decree. If you two and Harry had gone after Malfoy like you were no doubt planning to, you guys would've been screwed."
"We would've been banned," Fred said lowly, eyes wide. His mouth dropped and he looked unable to comprehend what he had just said. "She would've banned us without a doubt."
"Exactly," I said. "The only thing that saved you was Terra and she won't get away with slapping Malfoy the way she did."
"She'll take the full brunt of it," George realized. Fred blinked before he groaned and dropped his head into his hands. "Your friend, she'll—"
"I think she knows what it was that she was doing," I murmured. Terra would never admit it, but she was protecting Harry and the Twins by slapping Malfoy. Umbridge would've looked for any excuse to go after the boys, but with Terra doing what she did, she actually had someone to pin that blame on. "Terra's not stupid. She must know the consequences."
Sometimes I hated Terra and her logic and self-sacrificing ways.
You're no better yourself, sweet cheeks.
"We let a girl take our punishment," Came Fred's mashed up words. He was still cradling his face in his hands, fingers tangling into his hair. "We let a total innocent take our punishment because we're too stupid to control ourselves." George cringed and looked ashamed. It was good that they both realized what it was they had done, but Terra wouldn't take well to their pity if they saw her and tried to apologize to her.
"Would you be saying the same thing if I had done that?" I asked. Blue eyes bore into mine. What would they say? I mentally cursed at my racing heart again. "Malfoy was literally only one more word away before I would've done the same exact thing Terra did."
If I was to be honest, despite my big talk, I wasn't one for physical violence. Hailey and I had gotten into our little scraps when we were younger, but that was a sibling fight. There was no real heat behind that. Okay, so maybe I had punched a girl for calling my sister fat when I was little, but again, I felt like that wasn't meant with any real heat or any intentions to cause a lot of pain.
Pansy...had been the first person I had ever truly hit to hurt. I had actually left visible wounds on her that had stayed for weeks. They had bled and scabbed over and healed, but the memory was still fresh in my mind. Pansy didn't deserve any pity from me, but it made shivers run down my spine just remembering what I had done to her despite knowing she would've made the same wounds on me if I had given her the chance.
Malfoy had been so close to being added on to a mental list of people I had meant to hurt if Terra hadn't jumped in when she did.
What was it Dad used to call me when I was younger? A pacifist? Yeah, that's the word. I was a pacifist at heart underneath all of my big talk.
It shouldn't, but the guilt would've eaten me alive if I had slapped Malfoy.
George slowly climbed to his feet, watching me watch him. He approached me like he was coming towards a wild animal, careful and with measured strides that gave me plenty of time to move if I wanted. His hands were burning hot as he cupped my face, applying just enough pressure to urge me closer to him. I resisted him for just a second before I reluctantly stood on my tiptoes, my stomach flipping when he bent to be closer to my face.
Merlin damn it, pleasedon'tfaintpleasedon'tfaintPLEASEDON'TFAINT.
Ignoring my headache, I felt very lightheaded all of a sudden and it felt like all of the blood in my body had decided to make a personal visit to my face and skull.
"We wouldn't have let you," He whispered. The lightest pressure fluttered against my lips and I felt like my whole body short-circuited. My stomach squeezed tightly, realizing that George was literally so close his lips brushed against mine when he spoke. He had to back up. Dear Merlin, he had to know what he was doing to me. He couldn't not know.
I could barely focus on what he was saying to me, much less comprehend it completely.
"Do you really think we would've stood by and let you attack Malfoy like you did Pansy?" I jumped in George's hold, eyes widening when Fred's voice came from behind me. Long fingers steadied me, applying just enough pressure for me to feel them at my hips. His breath blew past my ear and I bit my lip.
This was way out of my area of comfort, but fuck if I can't tell them to back away right now.
"You two were in your own world of anger," I breathed out, practically relishing the way George's lips just barely touched mine. This had to be a joke to them. They had to be messing with me. Yeah, that's right. It was just another joke. They were just kidding. It was alright. "You wouldn't have been able to stop me in time."
Stop lying to yourself.
Fred tightened his hold on my hips and George pulled me just a tad bit closer. "Wanna test that theory?" They both asked, identical deeper voices sending the oddest sensation of warmth to shoot from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. I had the strongest urge to clench my thighs together when a painful throbbing pulsed between my legs and the mortification of that urge cleared my head just a bit.
That was definitely my breaking point and it was time for me to go.
"I need to go," I squeaked out, surprising both boys when I managed to lurch out of their grasps and sprint from the Room of Requirement, face bright red and stomach fluttering. The nausea wasn't going to be held back from much longer.
I was going to be sick.
For the first time in my life, I was glad to be outside in the freezing cold. I felt loads better after emptying my stomach, despite feeling revolted for the feeling. I hated throwing up. It was so gross.
The sun was shrouded behind grey clouds that likely promised rain or snow. One of the two. This time of year, no one could ever predict what the weather was going to do anymore. The wind was just as cold now as it was this morning, seemingly blowing through my jacket and wracking my frame with small shivers. I couldn't go inside yet. The cold was keeping my mind open and clear, but it was only an excuse.
I was hiding and there was no point denying that.
"Jesus, what is wrong with me?" I asked myself, wrapping my arms around my knees and pressing my face against them.
"I don't think there's anything truly wrong with you." Long and wavy blond hair caressed my hands as Luna crouched before me, dreamy eyes blinking languidly at me. "But that's just my personal opinion."
"Hi, Luna," I greeted her shakenly, teeth chattering.
She smiled at me. "Hello again. Did you enjoy the game this morning? I thought it went splendidly. Harry did very well today, don't you agree?"
"Yeah, he did." I did a quick once over of her person and my head snapped up sharply. "Luna! What on earth are you doing out here with no shoes and no jacket?!"
Luna took stock of her person and her slender shoulders shrugged half-heartedly as if she didn't care. "Unfortunately all of my shoes have mysteriously disappeared and I haven't been able to find any of my sweaters lately." She leaned closer to me, whispering, "I suspect Nargles are behind it."
I had no idea what the hell a Nargle was, but I didn't believe they were behind her missing items.
"Our House isn't really nice to Luna for some reason," Terra admitted, scowling as we lounged in an empty classroom, taking a short break from our Summoning Charm practice. "I never understood why. Luna is such a sweetheart despite her weirdness."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"They take her stuff when she's not looking," Terra said, fists clenching angrily. "They hide her clothes and her shoes and lie to her face when she asks about them and then laugh when she blames them on imaginary creatures they've never heard of. It makes me so angry. She doesn't deserve that kind of treatment."
"That's awful..."
"Don't you have any extras?" I asked, concerned that she was going to get sick with her lack of protection against the cold. She didn't seem bothered by the chill in the air, but that was beside the point.
Luna shrugged again, standing. "I have some spares somewhere. They always turn up before classes start, so I'm not very worried about them."
"Do you want to go back inside? We could go see the House Elves for a snack or something warm," I offered, not really wanting to do just that, but throwing it out there anyway. A hot chocolate sounded really good right now, but Luna saw through me, smiling keenly at me before shaking her head.
"No, it's okay. I have something I need to do first." She offered me a hand, eyes seeming to know my thoughts as they sparkled. "You're welcome to come with me. You might enjoy a break from the castle, anyway. You look like you need it."
I didn't hesitate to take her hand and to follow her towards the path into the Forbidden Forest.
"You looked like you were struggling with something," Luna commented, bare feet crunching on leaves and the random twigs. I didn't understand how she wasn't even flinching from crushing said twigs. I would be loudly cursing and hopping around on one foot if I did it.
"I have a lot on my mind," I admitted quietly. Thoughts of what had happened barely even an hour ago threatened to make an appearance, but Luna's voice thankfully chased them away.
"I've heard that it helps to talk," She said, glancing at me out of the corner of her eyes. "Daddy says that being open with a stranger is very relieving when talking about your problems."
I seriously doubted I would be telling my internal struggles to a stranger, but I didn't say that out loud. "You're not a stranger to me, Luna" I denied. "It's just a lot to process and it's hard putting into words what I'm feeling."
Luna hummed thoughtfully, hopping onto a thick trunk splayed across her path and lightly jumping down. Her feet made barely a sound on the leaf-ridden ground. "Say the first thing that comes to mind," She said.
Lips brushed against mine as a deep voice spoke and I silently wished they would just inch that little bit closer and—
If Luna saw how quickly my face reddened, she didn't comment. "I want Umbridge to leave."
That was barely the tip of the iceberg of feelings.
Luna nodded solemnly. "I understand that," She said. "A lot of people don't think too highly of her, except for the Slytherins. They like her and she seems to favor them. She's not a very good teacher, though."
"She's awful," I growled under my breath. "If I have to read one more boring chapter of how to properly say a Stunning Spell, I'm going to Stun her straight back to the Ministry."
Luna's lips twitched into a smile. "That would be quite a way to go," She agreed. "I'm sure Harry would be happy to help you if you asked him."
I chuckled, already imagining the look of glee on his face. "I can imagine he would be very happy."
"He never smiles outside of lessons," Luna commented absently, looking around. We had reached a small break in the trees, standing just outside of a small clearing with wavy grass that reached our calves and the smell of dandelions heavy in the air. There was another smell in the air that I couldn't quite pinpoint, nose scrunching up. Whatever it was, it didn't really smell pleasant. A dead animal maybe? "He seems to enjoy teaching us and his lessons are always educational."
"He's a good teacher," I agreed. "I'm hoping he'll squeeze in some more lessons before Christmas comes around now that the first match is out of the way and Angelina can somewhat relax now. Luna, where exactly are we?"
Luna didn't answer me instantly, instead reaching into the bag she had around her shoulders and pulling out a lump of something red and dripping. Belatedly, I realized that it was flesh and that it was dripping blood between her fingers, staining her pale skin and the grass at her feet a dark red. A strange sound echoed in the air and I tilted my head, listening and hearing it again, this time closer.
It was a shriek, a strange one that sounded ghastly and came from some type of monstrous bird.
"What is that?" I asked lowly, stepping closer to the unaffected girl, who hadn't moved an inch from her spot. She held her arm out away from her, holding the position.
"Thestrals."
A thud in front of us was heard and all of a sudden, said Thestral was there, shaking it's long mane of dark hair and crying that high-pitched shriek that didn't sound so terrifying now that I knew what it was. That also explained the smell of a corpse.
"You do this often?" Luna took slow steps towards the skeletal horse, smiling when it unwaveringly walked right up to her and carefully ate the piece of meat out of her hand. I had a sneaking suspicion the House Elves were the reason she had that kind of fresh meat just sitting in her bag.
"Often enough," She said, scratching the Thestral's reptilian face. It gave a strangled gurgle, enjoying her gentle ministrations and nudging her hand closer to its ears. She obligingly went higher. "They're not domesticated, per se, but they're very loyal to Hagrid and aren't afraid of the students who can see them."
"But they're afraid of them." Milky white eyes opened and met mine. The unease that had once shot through me at seeing such eyes didn't make an appearance anymore and the Thestral seemed to sense that, tossing its head and allowing Luna to drop her hand.
Luna nodded sadly and looked down between us. Something nudged my leg and I was only slightly shocked to see a baby Thestral rubbing against my thigh, gurgling happily. Ignoring the fact that I could see every bone in its body and how its leathery wings clipped the barely exposed skin of my ankles, it was kind of cute.
"They're quite gentle creatures," Luna explained, pulling out another bloody chunk and handing it to me. I took it with no small amount of disgust and gave it to the baby, who didn't hesitate to snatch it out of my palm, noisily chewing and swallowing it. "They're not very well-liked, though. People avoid them."
"Because they're different," I finished her unspoken thought.
Thestrals were different. They were a mix of what felt like three different animals and couldn't be seen unless someone had seen death and accepted it. People didn't like the unknown and Thestrals were unknown with the exception of those that can see them. My fingers gently brushed against the leathery neck of the baby at my side, its skin as cold as my fingers.
"Who did you have to see die, Luna?" I asked, somewhat abashed by my forwardness but curious nonetheless.
If I offended her, she didn't say, readily saying, "My Mom. She was a wonderful Witch, though she liked to experiment." Her face dropped sadly and it was the first negative emotion I'd ever seen on the normally happy girl. "One day, one of her experiments went horribly wrong. I was only nine."
"I'm sorry," I apologized, turning my head to look at her. "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."
Luna shook her head. "It's alright. It was a long time ago and I have Daddy. That's all I need." The crunching of leaves around us signaled the arrival of more Thestrals who were no doubt drawn to the scent of fresh blood. "What about you if you don't mind me asking?"
"Car accident," I murmured, visions of that sunny day and the screeching of tires still going strong despite it being eight years. "My parents had taken my sister and I to London for a family vacation. We had been waiting at a crosswalk, talking and not paying any sort of attention. I remember a man in front of us going first when the light turned green, confidently moving forward without checking to make sure everyone was stopped. A car ran the red light and the man got hit. He died on impact."
To my seven-year-old mind, it had been the worst day of my life. To see a broken body landing feet away from you, blood running freely from a cut on his head and nose bleeding from being broken had left a scar that I doubted would disappear. Coping had gotten easier and easier as the years went on, but to think that man could have actually been myself or my parents or Hailey...
It was a thought I didn't want to entertain.
"That's awful." Luna reached out to graze her fingers against the back of my hand, silently offering comfort. "I'm sorry you had to see that."
I smiled and accepted her hand, giving it a grateful squeeze. Terra was right. Luna really was a sweetheart and it made no sense why she wasn't very liked much by the others. I resolved to watch out for her more.
"Maybe you should send a letter to one of your parents or your sister," Luna suddenly said, releasing my hand. I furrowed my eyebrows at her, slightly confused. "You sound close to them. Maybe they will be more help to you than I will."
"No," I denied. "You've been a wonderful help, Luna. Thank you."
I had meant every word of it and Luna heard the sincerity in my voice, her smile brightening. The clouds chose that moment to part and beams of sunlight shone down on the clearing, illuminating the group of Thestrals that had gathered around us.
I spent the rest of the day outside in the cold with Luna, enjoying her silent company and feeding the gentle creatures of Death.
Finny hooted impatiently from above me, disrupting the sleeping owls around him and getting dirty looks for his squawking. I shushed him, impatiently holding my arm out for him to land on as I reread the short letter I had written not even thirty minutes ago. I wanted to make this quick since it was quickly getting dark outside and I wanted to get back to the castle as soon as I could.
Mainly to avoid Fred and George, but that was irrelevant right now.
Hailey,
I have an issue, but you need to keep this between us and only us. I don't want Mom or Dad finding out right now, so please burn this letter when you're done reading it. I need your utmost seriousness right now, so no funny business and no sarcasm. Just your usual bluntness. Please.
What would you call it when your stomach rolls and you get lightheaded around a pair of Twins who have no boundaries for personal space and like to tease and prank? I've never been close to them before this year, but both boys are hard to ignore when they're right up in my business and demand my presence every second of every day.
REMEMBER TO BURN THIS LETTER WHEN YOU'RE DONE, FOR GOD'S SAKES.
The Better Sister
"Fly quickly, Finny," I instructed, attaching the letter to his waiting leg. "This is to go to Hailey and Hailey only. Understand? You are not to stop when Mom offers you treats or not even when Dad uses his stern voice on you. This letter cannot be seen by anyone other than my sister, understand?" Finny hooted despondently, no doubt sad that he wouldn't be getting any treats this trip around. I nuzzled his face affectionately, smiling when he cuddled back. "Be safe, okay? And remember, go straight to Ravenclaw Tower when you come back. Find Terra." I raised my arm and Finny gave a mighty flap of his wings, disappearing into the night sky.
"What's the sky like?"
A thoughtful hum. How could one even describe something so vast? There didn't seem to be enough words to accurately describe such a thing. "Blue. Like your eyes."
A nose scrunched up and the bedridden boy sniffed. "My eyes are hideous. I hate my eyes. I want yours and Dad's eyes."
It was sad that he thought like that. He had such beautiful eyes. Truly envy worthy eyes. "They're not. Trust me. I've seen some hideous looking eyes."
"Really?"
"Have you ever seen eyes as pitch black as night?"
Blue eyes widened and he couldn't hide the tremor in his voice. "Black eyes? Those actually exist?"
A nod. "Of course they do. Only the wicked have those eyes. That and red ones. You never want those eyes, sweet one. Believe me when I say you have beautiful eyes. You're lucky to have such beauty."
He snorted, diffusing the tension that had begun to permeate the room. "Don't be silly. You make it sound all flowery and girly."
He never did have good influences in his life. It could only be desperately hoped that when he grew up, he would grow up to be a better person than anyone in the family or the people that were slowly invading Hogwarts and tainting the once beautiful school black.
Author's Note:
WHY DO I DO THIS TO MYSELFFFFFFF. I FEEL LIKE THE BIGGEST COCK BLOCKER EVER. xD
UGHHHHH.
Sorry not sorry.
Lots of hearts and appreciation to:
EviColt:
I LOVE to read, oh my Goodness. I would spend the rest of my life reading if I could. I wish I could get paid for reading. That would be a wonderful career.
ME TOO! I'm honestly not surprised that I was sorted into Slytherin, though. My best friend says all the time I'm the perfect Slytherin. xD HAHAHA!
Ussmaple:
I hope to never disappoint you! Thank you so much for your wonderful support! *Hearts*
veronicamusica:
The dream seems to be pretty popular so far! I was quite surprised. That section gave me a huge fit. I wanted it to be perfect, but it wasn't gonna happen. HNNNGGGG.
Slytherin is a wonderful House to be a part of, in my opinion. I'm not ambitious, per se, but I know I have it in me.
ArandoraStar:
IS IT REALLY? That is probably the one thing that I stress over the most. I want their interaction to be as natural as possible. x))))
You're the first Ravenclaw I've met in a long time! A lot of my friends were placed into Gryffindor with the random Slytherin in there, but I have only two friends who were sorted into Ravenclaw. No Hufflepuff sightings yet, unfortunately.
Madam3M00dy:
Thank you so MUCH! *Hearts*
The scene on the stairs happened in real life. I fangirled so hard at that scene, I swear. Just like I fangirled with this chapter. xDDD
Guest:
Thank you! I'M SO RELIEVED. *Hearts:
Moonlite 880:
I have to agree with you. It really is so adorable. It makes me want to giggle and coo and awe over it like it was my own child, I swear.
I'm ridiculous and a lost cause. xD
End of Responses!
Question from Chapter 11: I'm a proud Slytherin and I will never not be proud of it.
Question for this Chapter: Do you feel like you were Sorted into the wrong House at any point in time?
Once again, your reviews are so appreciated and loved and handled with care. You guys amaze me with the love I've been getting for this story. I couldn't be more thrilled it's so accepted right now. So thank you. *Hearts*
~OQ