Draco left me to sit in the Slytherin train car. So I had to find an empty compartment without being seen by any of my friends. Which will be a problem. Because I have a lot of friends.
Thankfully, I slid into an empty compartment and shut the door back firmly. I hated how silent it was, but I'll take any moment to prepare myself more for the difficulty this term will bring.
I faced the window and dared not look towards the glass door.
But it opened.
"Hazel?!" Great. Just great. Seamus Finnigan. "What the- mmph!!"
I got up, covered his mouth, and yanked him inside the compartment. His eyes were wide as he sat across from me.
"Are you trying to bring everyone's attention to me?!" I scolded him. "This is hard as it is!!"
"But- but Neville said you'd been kidnapped!! By Death Eaters!!"
"I was," I sat back. "I'm back now. I just... can't be who I used to be now. And I can't tell anyone why."
"You're one of them, aren't you?!" He stood up, angry. "Show me your arm!"
"What the hell, Seamus?! Death Eaters killed my parents!! Now you think I'm one of them?!"
"You were kidnapped by them!"
"That doesn't mean I was converted!" I scoffed. Thankfully he sat back down. "I'm just... in a spot where if anyone knows what happened to me they could be hurt. Or killed. So I have to distance myself."
"Have you seen Harry?"
My heart wrenched.
"No. I can't... I can't be with him anymore."
"Whoah," His eyes widened. "You've been together for almost two years now. Why are you breaking it off?"
"Because I have to! Stop making it sound like it's my choice!"
"Okay!! Bloody hell, Hazel. You're so hostile."
The door slid open again. I really didn't want to see who was standing there. I really didn't. Thankfully, they spoke so I didn't have to look up.
"You... you're okay...?" His voice was a faint whisper. But I knew who it was.
It's Neville. My brother.
"Nev..." I bit my lip. "Please... I-I need you to leave... pick another compartment."
"What?" He scoffed and shut the door back behind himself. The booth next to me dipped when he sat down. "No! You- you were kidnapped and- and you're back! Hazel you have to tell me what happened! I- you're okay!"
Tears were freefalling down my cheeks when he tightly hugged me to his side.
"I was scared you'd been killed..." He mumbled sadly. "And then I'd really be alone..."
I clenched my jaw and mustered all of the strength I had to push him off.
"Neville. I need you to leave. You too, Seamus," I said. "And if either of you get any bright ideas to go making up rumors about me and where I was- you won't like what happens."
"Did- did you just..." Seamus scoffed, looking from my brother's hurt and confused expression to my scolding face. "You just threatened your own brother. That's- that's cold, Hazel. Come on, Neville. She deserves to be alone anyway."
"I don't want to be..." I mumbled to myself when he left. "I'm sorry..."
I turned back to the window and watched the green countryside as the train passed it.
YOU ARE READING
tainted transparency || a harry potter story
Fanfiction** this is a sequel! ** as the year that seemed to not have an end, finally ended, everyone seemed to have rather boring breaks between school years at Hogwarts. but all of the danger that happened last year couldn't have prepared either of them fo...
