TRIGGER WARNING: EXTREME SELF HARM AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER.
'Who was that, Athena?' Everyone wanted to ask. Everyone wanted to ask if those people were the reason Athena had thrown herself off that tower. But they all knew the answer.
The answer to all but one.
Who was the Violet-haired girl?
"Athena..." Rose ventured later that day. They were all in a circle by the Black Lake, Yolandi and Jennifer with Marcus and Justin. Rose with Scorpius, Athena with Liam, and James and his girlfriend, a pretty little Gryffindor that Athena knew well. She was the one who Liam was groping. Athena was holding Liam's hand, even though she felt dirty doing it.
His hand was on the small of her back, and she stiffened when his hand ventured lower. He quickly moved it back up.
Athena sighed deeply.
"Rose, if this is about DADA, I don't want to talk about it."
"Wait, what happened in DADA?" Yolandi inquired, her head in Justin's lap.
"It looks like Athena is afraid of more than we thought!"There were cackles following these words, and Athena stiffened, and her friends watched as her face drained of all emotion. The mask was replaced. The mask they all knew to well. It was the same one she wore the better half of their first year.
"That seems to be true, Vivian. I'm afraid of a lot of things. Perfectly reasonable things." She said, her voice devoid of emotion.
"Daddy, no. Daddy please, please pleasepleaseplease!" Vivian moaned, sounding terrified. Athena clenched her fist, her eyes showing the only emotion they could all see.
Rage. Utter, complete and pure.
"She stood up, and slowly walked over to Vivian, her steps sure and balanced.
"Vivian Agnes Carrow." Athena said softly, staring at the girl.
"How do you know my full name, you suicidal freak?" Vivian spat.
"Oh, I know more than your full name, Vivian. I know so, so many things about you." Athena had used her connections, AKA her last name, to contact her family. The girl's vindictive siblings, even Irene, were willing to give up juicy details about their sister, just for a spot at the next Glas Gala.
"I know that you didn't stop wetting the bed until you were ten, for instance." A look of horror passed over the other girl's face.
"I know that you got caught last summer with your mother's fourty-year old butler. And I know the only reason you got caught is because you were moaning so loud." Vivian had a frightened look in her eyes.
"Shall I go on? Or are you going to continue harassing me and my friends? Because there's nothing you can dig up on me that I won't admit to. Yeah, my parents are squibs, which makes me a dirty, rotten, mudblood."
Her own friends winced at the use of the word.
"Yeah, my boggart turns into my fucking parents. You saw the blood dripping from that belt, same as everyone else. That was my blood, Vivian. And you wanna know who that girl was? The one saying I couldn't protect her? That was my best friend. Her name was Hayley, and my father killed her when he caught us kissing. Oh, it'll never be proven, I know. But I also know that Hayley would never throw herself off a god-damn tower. Unlike me. So is there anything else you wanna add? Any remarks?Anything, Miss Carrow? Because I sure could use a good laugh."
Athena's friends were... Shocked, to say the least. Liam's eyes were wide, and he was starting to have some regrets. He looked at James, and the other boy gave him a deadly glare.
"Y-Y...You're fucking crazy!" Screamed Vivian, pushing Athena.
"Damn right I am. Now I suggest you turn around before I show you just how damn crazy I can be." Athena's face was cool, but her voice held unimaginable warning. Vivian spluttered, before turning around and quickly walking away, her goonies following her, throwing frightened glances Athena's way.
Athena stood there, relaxing the fingers that had curled into fists one by one. When she felt calm enough, she turned around, grabbed Delilah, and walked back to the common-room. Alone.
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Athena returned to the common-room, flashing Jethro a tight smile. He was sitting with Tyler Ericks, Peter Parkinson, and Jensen Boyd. Parkinson and Boyd were the two new chasers, and she had yet to meet them. She held back a moan of despair when Jethro pulled her over.
"Jeth, I'm not really-"
"Oh come on, Athena. First practice is on Monday, we all have the same free period." Jeth said, not seeing the pained look in her eyes.
She shook both of the new boy's hands, her eyes glinting warningly. They took the hint. "Don't be a Tyler. Don't underestimate me. Don't leer at me." Her eyes seemed to say.
"Guys, this is Athena, our Seeker. She's bloody smart, and quick to boot." Jethro said proudly, a hand on her shoulder.
"Yeah, hi. Jethro, I've had a shite day, can I go to my dorm now? I just need to cool off." Her accent was thick, and it wasn't purposeful. He watched her, before nodding once.
She walked back, hugging Delilah tightly, before setting her companion down.
She didn't want to do this... But she needed it so badly. She needed that sweet release, the release she hadn't felt in four years. She moved as if she were in a dream. An out of body experience, practically.
Athena moved to one of her trunks. This one was smaller, containing all of her toiletries and such.
She popped open the single latch.
She smiled down at her old friend. The friend that had helped her through so much.
She slid her friend out of the trunk, sliding its smooth surface against her palm. She hissed at the cool steel meeting her flushed skin.
Athena got undressed, slowly, deliberately. She stared at her old friend lovingly, lustfully. She was ready.
Athena lay down on her bed, her friend in her hand, and her hands fingering it for a moment.
The first cut is always the deepest.
The second felt sweetly sour.
The third made her knees weak.
And the fourth was the last she'd allow herself.
Athena cleaned up the blood dripping with her wand, cleaning her blade, before putting it back. She looked in the mirror across the room, walking towards it and smiling at herself sadly.
She looked at her less-than perfect body and sneered.
She sneered at the light pink nipples that tipped her full breasts. They were slightly crooked, and she took note of that.
She looked at the small, but still there belly, just barely falling short of being flat.
She looked at the hips, that curved, then curved again, not quite making a full, round line.
She looked at the triangle of copper hair between her legs.
She looked at her face.
She looked at her emerald eyes that were too round.
The cheeks that were too high.
The lips that were too full.
The hair that was too bright, too noticeable.
She hated it.
She looked at the new scars marring her stomach, diagonal and red. Angry and sad.
She could feel regret burning in her stomach